'Meld'

Stardate: 49380.5
Written By: Micheal Sussman
Directed By: Cliff Bole
Rating: ****1/2 (out of 5)

�Meld� is a fascinating character study for the local Vulcan Security Chief Tuvok and the local Betazed Psychopathic killer Suder.  It also makes you think about the logic of crimes and the logic of punishment associated with those crimes.  The best thing about �Meld� however is that it doesn�t follow the typical murder story line at all.  This is a perfect example of using Trek�s setup to put a different twist onto an old formula.

There is hardly any investigation into the murder before Lon Suder admits to the crime.  What bugs Tuvok however is that his motive was that �Lieutenant Darwin looked at me funny.�  Tuvok doesn�t accept this as a motive and tries to seek a better answer.  The Doc assures Tuvok that sometimes such a motive is possible but Tuvok refuses to believe it.  So Tuvok mind melds with Suder to find a motive within him and to also add some control into Suder�s violent urges.

I don�t find it logical that Tuvok would not tell Janeway.  I�m sure Janeway would�ve allowed for the mind-meld to proceed anyway given that other rehabilitation hadn�t worked on Suder in the past and there isn�t much else that can be done for him on Voyager.  With that in mind, story-wise it really doesn�t matter whether Tuvok told Janeway or not.  But it does matter character-wise.

From there we see some small changes in Tuvok�s behavior and he eventually cannot control the urges of violence.  But Suder is controlled.

I�m not sure if the explanation for curing Tuvok, suppressing his ability to control himself, is all that sound but it works okay anyway.  It did allow for an interesting scene in Sickbay where Tuvok�s inner feelings come to the surface and he tells Janeway that killing Suder is the best punishment.

The climax, where Tuvok tries to execute Suder, is well done but a little fuzzy by the fact that it�s hard to tell exactly what�s happening to each of the characters.  Of course this might help add suspense but � it�s the end of the episode!

Tim Russ does a superb job with Tuvok here as he tries to control his violent feelings while protecting the crew and the Captain�s well being.  Russ is chilling as he throws things about and gets angry.  And Brad Dourif does an equally superb job as Suder.  Together, Russ and Dourif do exceptional work, but it is also a testament to the writers who managed to find the best dialogue to fit the characters and their feelings.  The talk between Tuvok and Suder is very interesting.

One of the best lines in �Meld� is by Suder when he says, �What�s more logical than killing the killer?�  Or something like that!  It shows that logic might be the most probable course of action but it also causes primitive decisions.

�Meld� delivers great sci-fi drama without any major flaws.  I enjoyed the pacing which was good and the directing was good also.  The close-up face shots in the Brig helped the atmosphere of the episode greatly!  I hope we get to see more of Tuvok and Suder in future!