Throughout the run of Star Trek, from The Next Generation forward, two recurring tropes were always guaranteed to crop up during any given season: Q, and holodeck malfunctions. While the former was generally something to look forward to, the latter tended to feel like moments when the writers went, "Aw, screw it, let's just have the holodeck mess up again and threaten everyone's lives."
With the debut of Star Trek: Voyager, it seemed as though the writers, during their scriptwriting sessions, came up with a third recurring trope: Tuvok Goes Crazy.
"We've got our stalwart Vulcan, but he's far too composed for our taste," they said, tossing ideas back and forth like a game of 3D chess. "What if, every once in a while, we shook things up and turned his logic circuits into a Warp 10 mess?" The rest nodded, amused by the chaos they were about to unleash.
I can't help but wonder why the writers of the show took it upon themselves to send Tuvok on a wild ride each season. Was it always the plan for him to be slightly unhinged? Or did the trope simply form organically?
Now, let's don our best Vulcan eyebrows and explore the biggest mystery of this logic. From an in-universe perspective, despite Tuvok's occasional mental meanderings, how did he manage to keep his prestigious dual roles as Chief of Security and Chief Tactical Officer, with unrestricted access to Voyager's arsenal of phasers and photon torpedoes? After all, who needs stability in a starship crew when you can have the Vulcan version of a roller coaster?
Was it his unparalleled marksmanship and tactical prowess that outweighed the sporadic Vulcan irrationality? Was he simply the best they had for the job, and so they were willing to tolerate his sanity going on spontaneous vacations from time to time?
What do you think?
With the debut of Star Trek: Voyager, it seemed as though the writers, during their scriptwriting sessions, came up with a third recurring trope: Tuvok Goes Crazy.
"We've got our stalwart Vulcan, but he's far too composed for our taste," they said, tossing ideas back and forth like a game of 3D chess. "What if, every once in a while, we shook things up and turned his logic circuits into a Warp 10 mess?" The rest nodded, amused by the chaos they were about to unleash.
I can't help but wonder why the writers of the show took it upon themselves to send Tuvok on a wild ride each season. Was it always the plan for him to be slightly unhinged? Or did the trope simply form organically?
Now, let's don our best Vulcan eyebrows and explore the biggest mystery of this logic. From an in-universe perspective, despite Tuvok's occasional mental meanderings, how did he manage to keep his prestigious dual roles as Chief of Security and Chief Tactical Officer, with unrestricted access to Voyager's arsenal of phasers and photon torpedoes? After all, who needs stability in a starship crew when you can have the Vulcan version of a roller coaster?
Was it his unparalleled marksmanship and tactical prowess that outweighed the sporadic Vulcan irrationality? Was he simply the best they had for the job, and so they were willing to tolerate his sanity going on spontaneous vacations from time to time?
What do you think?
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