[VOY] "Riddles": My Two Cents Review
Laurie Russell
For the Vulcans, embracing logic was the means by which they rose
above their intense, wayward emotions and broke away from a fractious
and volatile past. Though, theoretically, there is nothing wrong with
a Vulcan suppressing his emotions, other races can't seem to accept
it. In "Gravity," Tom Paris acted like Tuvok was a jerk because he
couldn't -- or wouldn't, return the affection of the woman they met
while stranded on an alien planet. This offended me, because Tuvok's
personality is as legitimate as Tom's, but Tom seemed to think that
Tuvok should throw away everything he had believed in throughout most
of his life and have an affair with her. His attitude was, we're
trapped here, nobody can see you, we'll probably never get out, just
go for it! He also seemed to have no respect for the fact that Tuvok
is married.
Granted, Vulcans are not above intolerance themselves, but my point
isn't that intolerance should be nonexistent, I just wish the crew
showed more respect for the cultures on the ship that differ from
their own.
Neelix's badgering Tuvok in the opening scene of "Riddles" is a
perfect example of what I mean. Neelix wants to talk, therefore, he
feels that Tuvok should talk to him. It never occurs to him that just
as passionately as he needs amusement and small talk, Tuvok needs
peace and quiet. No, he wants to have fun and Tuvok's going to help
him.
Neelix never does a single thing to ingratiate himself to Tuvok.
Instead, he continually tries to de-Vulcanize him, to coax him to
violate his personal code. And for what? Because he thinks Tuvok
should be more like him.
Even for a Vulcan, Tuvok is very stiff and on occasion, most notably
"Alter Ego," he has acknowledged his need for companionship and the
strain of a solitary life. Changes in the personality of such a
self-disciplined man are of necessity, slight, and Neelix's constant
attempts to get him to make radical changes are annoying.
Besides, I'm not a Vulcan, and Neelix's behavior would have annoyed
me.
Perhaps the idea is to build a kind of love/hate relationship between
Tuvok and Neelix such as existed between Odo and Quark on DS9. But
Odo and Quark's clashes were the natural result of what they did --
Quark was unscrupulous in his pursuit of money, and Odo's job was to
stop him from breaking the law. Quark didn't sit at Odo's feet,
panting and wagging his tail, begging for affection, which is what
Neelix seems to be doing with Tuvok.
However, I found this episode interesting, because it reminded me of
two real stories I have seen, one being the story of a young man who
suffered from total amnesia, by total, I mean he forgot *everything*,
how to walk, how to talk, how to do anything he did before. At the
end, the family had to accept the young man for what he was after the
amnesia, and stop trying to make him into who he was before. Another,
similar story, was of woman who awoke from a coma a totally different
person -- much more childlike and phobic -- from the brilliant
businesswoman she had been. Again, her loved ones had to learn to
deal with loving a person who was no longer herself.
This is a very interesting situation and, I feel, deserves more than
less than an hour's exploration, followed by an operation that "fixes"
Tuvok's brain. It doesn't even make sense to me that Tuvok's brain
could be fixed simply by discovering more about the weapon that caused
his brain damage. We understand the atomic bomb, but we can't undo the
damage it does. In fact, weapons, in the majority of cases, cause
damage that cannot be fixed. Few societies create the antidote
simultaneously with the weapon.
Besides, in the episode, the doctor said that Tuvok's brain had been
creating new synaptic connections and "rewiring" itself. What
happened to those synaptic connections, what happened to the new
pathways? Are we to assume that in the 24th century, doctors are
capable of removing or rearranging synapses? It didn't seem reasonable
that any operation could completely restore the "old" Tuvok.
True, in the final scene, Tuvok's answering Neelix's riddle at the end
with an illogical answer indicated some alteration in his personality,
but it was far too subtle.
Additionally, Tuvok seemed completely unappreciative of what Neelix
had done for him. I would feel that he would feel obligated to at
least acknowledge his debt to him,. Certainly he could have found a
way to thank Neelix and still maintain his dignity.
I did like the fact that he pondered the riddle, but it seemed that
was an almost accidental result of his experiences, not done out of
kindness to Neelix. Showing such coldness to Neelix once he returned
to duty was, well, illogical. There was no indication that Tuvok
didn't *remember* what had happened, or that he was embarrassed by
what happened and was avoiding the issue. The indication was, rather,
that now that Tuvok was "fixed," he simply reverted to his previous
treatment of Neelix: Cold and rather snide.
This whole incident would have been better served by a story arc or a
two part episode. I would have been interested in knowing more about
how Tuvok viewed life while brain damaged. It also would have been
nice if there were some remnants of his experiences -- an affection
for jazz, for example. That would be adequately subtle, yet indicate
that there were some things he experienced in this period of his life
that were enjoyable and lasting. A two part episode would have also
allowed them to do justice to the search for the B'Neth, the "shadow
people" who attacked Tuvok. As it was, everything about finding them,
illuminating them, and getting their cooperation seemed far too easy
and, for the most part, rather uninteresting.
Still, there was something touching in the relationship between Neelix
and the "damaged" Tuvok. It actually made sense that he could relate
to Tuvok better in this state, because essentially, Tuvok was a child.
He was growing daily, curious about his environment, emotionally
unstable, with all of the joys and disappointments that go with
childhood. Neelix is good with children, so it makes sense that he
would be good with Tuvok.
Their new relationship began when Neelix took the doctor's guarded
statement: "There have been rare cases in which comatose patients
responded to external stimuli: Aromas, touch, voices." to the nth
degree. He thus arrived in sick bay armed with flowers and incense, a
Vulcan play and an audio of Vulcan monks chanting, meanwhile talking a
blue streak. The doctor was not amused.
"You said I was supposed to simulate his senses." Neelix explained.
"I said stimulate them, not annihilate them!" the doctor retorted.
But as they spoke, Tuvok awakened from his comatose condition.
So then began the process of finding out just how much he knew, how
much he remembered, how much he would need to be retaught. This
exploration and its consequences comprised the best section of the
episode. Some parts were amusing, as in the scene in which Tuvok
appeared to be remembering his tactical station -- until he activated
the photon torpedo banks. Others evoked a more heartfelt response, as
in the scene in which he spoke his first words.
As he hid under the table as the ship quaked under the attack of the
"shadow people," Neelix assured him he would be all right. When the
attack ended, Neelix said,
"They're gone now, Tuvok. I told you you'd be safe."
"Yes -- you -- did." Tuvok said haltingly.
"Tuvok -- what? Tell me? What did I do?"
You -- told -- me I wouldn't be hurt."
"Do you know who I am?"
"You're Neelix. I'm safe with you."
It was very touching.
In this same portion, there were unsuccessful attempts to probe
Tuvok's memory by Janeway and an alien investigator searching for the
B'Neth who attacked him, a failed attempt to play Kalto, a rage born
of frustration and a pivotal discussion between Neelix and Seven.
"When is a Vulcan no longer a Vulcan?" Neelix asked her.
"When his genetic code is sufficiently altered." Seven answered.
"No, I was speaking metaphorically."
"In that case, a person is no longer Vulcan when he has lost his
logic."
"Right! And how does he get it back?"
"He must be taught."
"Exactly. But what if he's brain damaged and emotionally unstable --
how does he learn?"
"It may be impossible for him to learn what you're trying to teach."
"Thanks for the pep talk."
"I was only suggesting that you adapt to the circumstances."
"What circumstances? Are you saying that the Tuvok I know is gone,
that I should stop trying to help him?"
"When I was separated from the collective, I too was damaged. I lost
many abilities that I had as a drone, but I adapted."
But that was with Janeway's help, by never giving up on Seven, Neelix
protests.
"Not by restoring me to what I'd been. By helping me to discover what
I could become."
This was a profound moment, the turning point in Tuvok's "recovery."
Perhaps there were some things that this "new" Tuvok could do that the
old Tuvok might not have had the inclination to do. And, it turns
out, one of those things, was making delicious desserts. Another was
the ability to simply enjoy life.
It would have been very interesting to see this thread carried on
through one or two episodes, seeing the different ways in which
Tuvok's hidden talents came to light as well as the ways in which his
loss was felt among the crew and by the captain. Unfortunately, at
this point, the episode was nearly over, and the breakthrough had to
come soon. There simply wasn't enough time.
I know that "Voyager" is not DS9 and it tends not to serialize events.
But something as significant as Tuvok's profound brain damage,
comparable to, on DS9, Odo's being condemned to being a solid,
deserved more than a quick fix.
I would have liked to see an actual change in Tuvok's character as a
result of his brief experience as a less-than-logical person. It
would have been even more intriguing to see Neelix's behavior towards
Tuvok change. Perhaps he would appreciate the "old" Tuvok more now
that he had almost lost him. But instead, presumably, everything will
go back to the way it was in the beginning of the episode, with Neelix
being pushy and Tuvok being dismissive. It's too bad. It could have
really brought some growth to both characters.
It might have also been interesting if Tuvok *didn't* necessarily get
back all of his former skills immediately, or if he had to work on
things a little harder or retrain himself to do certain things.
The secondary story -- uncloaking the B'Neth, or "shadow people," was
uninspiring. That story actually seemed to be more or less functional
-- something had to be done to find the people who did this before the
end of the episode. Perhaps this story would have also benefited from
more in-depth coverage, but it's hard to tell.
I was simultaneously touched and dissatisfied with the last scene
between Neelix and Tuvok before Tuvok's operation. I felt sorry for
Tuvok, who must have felt like he was losing his best friend, in
addition to a Peter Pan type reluctance to grow up.
"I don't wish to undergo the procedure," he told Neelix.
" . . . Just think about it. In a few hours, you'll be yourself
again." Neelix replied.
"I am myself!"
"But you'll be able to do all the things that you used to do. Work on
the bridge, advise the captain."
"I want to be able to have fun! With you! I won't be able to, will I?"
"Well, you won't call it fun. You'll call it 'deriving satisfaction.'
But it's basically the same thing. You'll still experience emotions."
"But I won't express them."
"Probably not."
"Then how will you know how much I enjoy being with you?"
"You just told me."
"We'll still be friends?"
"Of course."
"Even if I merely tolerate you?"
"I'd be lying if I told you that things between us would stay the
same."
"Well, then, why? Why do you want me to go back to the way I was?"
"Because this crew needs its tactical officer on the bridge. I
wouldn't be a very good friend if I ignored that, just so you'd be
nicer to me."
The scene was bittersweet, and Tuvok's childlike reasoning was
precious, but I wish that Neelix had given him a more complete answer.
"This crew needs its tactical officer on the bridge" didn't sound much
like it had anything to do with Tuvok's well being. It also didn't
seem likely to change Tuvok's mind when all he was interested in was
having fun. Neelix could have said that Voyager would return home one
day, and Tuvok's wife would want her husband, his children their
father, and his grandchildren their grandfather. He could have added
that without his Vulcan logic, he might hurt himself or someone else
because he couldn't control his emotions. He could have said that
perhaps he wouldn't have as much fun, but he would be happy because he
would know he was helping his friends and protecting them from danger.
That sounds a lot better to me than "this crew needs its tactical
officer."
Incidentally, I wonder if we're supposed to assume, from now on, that
despite outward appearances, Tuvok enjoys Neelix's company?
Tim Russ did a really good job of playing the altered Tuvok. It
undoubtedly gave him a chance to stretch his acting muscles, so to
speak, being , however briefly, freed from having to express himself
with the twitch of an eyebrow. The brain-damaged Vulcan had a
different voice, a different demeanor, a different way of carrying
himself. Very well done.
But, in the end, much of this episode was a disappointment. I truly
liked the idea, and I was touched by some of the interactions between
Neelix and Tuvok. But in real life, events have consequences, and the
consequences of this event, it seems, will be fleeting.
My score: 7.0
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