S2 E22: Innocence

Tuvok has crash-landed a shuttle on an alien world (I guess they're all alien worlds out here), where he finds three children who cling to him. The children are from another crashed ship (all the adults died in the crash), and cling to Tuvok for protection, telling him they've been brought there to die. Unaware that Tuvok has crashed, Voyager is simultaneously making its first contact with that same species (the Drayans), hoping to get some mining rights. When Tuvok gets word to Voyager that these people may be sending their young to die on this planet, a Cultural Misunderstanding^TM occurs. Fortunately, once everyone converges on Tuvok and the kids, everything is ironed out and happy.

By all rights, the Tuvok & kids scenes should be terrible. It has all the elements: kids in Trek, unsupervised kids in Trek, kids with a guy with no emotions in Trek - put simply, it has kids. But it is actually very cute. Tuvok seems like a good "stern-but-fair" dad, and while the kids don't always receive his lessons in emotional control well, his Vulcanly even temper is up to the task. There are some great insights into Vulcan parenting, and his responses to questions like "If you aren't emotional, do you not love your own children?" are very well thought out, belying an emotional connection without the passion volatility that you find in human emotion. There were a lot of opportunities for the writers to do the "Vulcans are bad because emotions are good" thing that I touched on a couple of reviews ago, but they don't, and I approve.

As for the Cultural Misunderstanding^TM part of the plot: I know they felt they needed it so that the episode has a central conflict, and so that it doesn't just last ten minutes, but I got plenty of eye-rolling done while waiting for the reveal. I presumed that the kids were taking part in some sort of coming of age ritual that of course Tuvok didn't have enough information to piece together, but I was wrong. Well, yes, it was a still a misunderstanding, but actually these aliens age in reverse, so Tuvok's been down on the planet with alzheimer's patients who go there to evaporate as part of their natural life cycle. Usually they have attendants, but because of the crash, they were on their own and confused.

As annoying as the conflict was, the manner of the resolution was very touching. Tuvok's guardianship of these elders had naturally formed a bond, which the leaders of the Drayans recognize and appreciate. Reoriented by more familiar surroundings (also very accurate to alzheimers), the remaining "child" is able to relate something of her long life to Tuvok, and chooses to die with him by her side.

Watchability: 4/5

Bottom Line: I expected to dislike each element that went into this story, and was pleasantly surprised most of the time. Very good Tuvok episode.