Tuvok served as the chief of security on Star Trek: Voyager for seven seasons
Not much is known about Tuvok, the Vulcan in charge of security aboard Voyager. We knew he had a family, but we weren’t introduced to them, and other than brief glimpses of his wife, we never saw them. At the beginning of season seven of Star Trek: Voyager, talks were underway to introduce periods of live communication with Earth like in the episode “Author, Author.” This would have given the crew more opportunities to interact with their families and friends. And set the stage for a Tuvok-centric episode.
According to an interview in Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 1, Issue 20, Kenneth Biller, a producer on Voyager, introduced the idea that Tuvok would get a call from his daughter. The two of them didn’t see eye-to-eye because she was more rebellious than Vulcans should be. But the premise of the story was that the daughter needed her father’s help to solve a mystery.
Tuvok deserved a family-centered episode
All of the crew members had episodes that included friends and loved ones from their past. Though Tuvok had an episode (“Flashback”) that took him back to his earlier time in Starfleet, it didn’t have anyone that was solely connected to him like B’Elanna had with her father and Chakotay had with his grandfather. Even Ensign Kim had an episode about his fiancée. But, for some reason, Tuvok wasn’t afforded that opportunity.
Bringing in the Vulcan’s daughter would have given us insight into what his life was like before he boarded Voyager, how he interacted with his children, even if only one, and maybe even given us a glimpse of his heart which would have enhanced the character.
With all the series going on now and the longevity of Vulcans, it’s not too late for Tim Russ’ character to pop up on another show. I hope producers will seriously consider bringing him back with a storyline that shows us what’s beneath his exterior. There is so much more to be mined from this character, and Voyager’s miss shouldn’t have to be ours.