Why is Tuvok so uninspiring or uncharismatic compared to Spock?

It's a very crowded cast. GEN, DS9, VOY, ENT r all top-heavy. TOS was mostly Shatner, Nimoy and Kelly.

Spock is half-human half-Vulcan, isn't he? So he will show a little more emotion than a full-blooded Vulcan.

Also, Spock has had a ton more character development than Tuvok. Spock has been a co-star of sorts in TOS and multiple movies (including the recent reboot). Tuvok is just a supporting character for the most part, and I think he made a cameo in one movie.

Tuvok's style is also different. He is supposed to be monotone and logic-focused. Spock is supposed to show humanity at times. So Spock has an easier time presenting as a relatable character, whereas Tuvok must do so more subtly.

Maybe it's simply the fact that we already had "a" Tuvok before in Spock himself. That was the case with Seven-of-Nine for me, as her conflicts of dealing with humanity where already deeply explored with Data in TNG and that made her struggles far less interesting to me.

Another difference might be that Spock had a great counterpart in Bones in TOS. In VOY they tried to get some dynamic between Tuvok and Neelix going but that could obviously not get close to the original characters. For a character that shows almost no emotions it's necessary to have a good contrast, I guess, or it gets rather uninteresting soon. Tuvok is mostly just there because of that, whereas Spock was iconic and unique because of its squabbles with Kirk and Bones.

Spock was half human. I think that allowed for his "human" charm in comparison to Tuvok.

Spock was only half Vulcan so he could go off the rails at times. I think you would find any straight Vulcan rather bland and hard to take to most of the time. Tuvok was no exception.

But there were conflicts that opposed his deep logic and Vulcan way, and stories involving his typical methods behind his behavior and duty as an officer. Like dealing with Maquis officers under his tutelage or the caretaker of a particular nebula who became obsessed with him, using the holographic image of a beauty at a luau. He had to find ways using his Vulcan logic to combat human/alien situations as they presented themselves. Because of that great unknown being the Delta Quadrant, Vulcan logic would be tested.

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"Get the cheese to sickbay."

The problem with Tuvok is that he comes off as pissed-off and condescending, almost as if he's constantly fighting the urge to tell everyone to go *beep* themselves. In other words, not void of emotion as Vulcan are supposed to be.

I thought Tuvok was an excellent Vulcan. He didn't get the kind of screen time as Spock but his character was developed nicely over the course of Voyager.

Because they were not in the Alpha quadrant they did not get to use the planet Vulcan or many other Vulcans with Tuvok (in all real Star Trek Vulcan still exists). This was the main difference he had with both Spock and T'Pol.

Finally he was the most Vulcan of the Vulcans. Quite and logical are difficult traits to inspire with.



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