One word description: YUCK! :P
Where did they find her? The Ugly Colony of Beta III?
I miss Rand.
One wonders how McCoy got to be Chief Medical Officer of the flagship of the Federation anyway. Throughout the whole ordeal with Sarek's illness, we learn that McCoy's and the computer databases' combined knowledge of Vulcan physiology is "sketchy, at best." I thought that to even graduate from Starfleet Medical School one would need to have a knowledge of a wide range of species, not just human. He says that he knows the basics, and that he had never actually operated on a Vulcan before. That sounds more like an undergraduate student than a Ph.D. to me.
Then again, Starfleet Medical maybe doesn't have all that much information on Vulcans in the first place. That's hard to believe, though. The Vulcans were one of the founding species of the Federation. Humans have known about them since 2063, roughly two entire centuries had elapsed. I would think that they would have more information by then.
On the other hand, Vulcans (as conceived by Roddenberry, Coon and Nimoy) were a very private people. Despite the illogic of it, they might consider it bad form to discuss their biology with outworlders. How the Voyager creators figure such a people would ever have "Pon Farr" night at a "Vulcan nightclub" is beyond me.
The creators of Voyager care NOTHING about contiuity.
Sarek is an ambassador and as such would have diplomatic immunity. Accordingly, where does Kirk get off questioning Sarek's whereabouts at the time of the Tellarite's murder and otherwise treating him as a suspect in the case? I would suspect the Vulcan government would lodge an official protest.
Well, also keep in mind that the original series had yet to develop things like how long humans had known about Vulcans, and how much they knew. Vulcans were a mysterious species we learned about bit by bit. The more we could be told there's lots of Vulcan stuff we don't know, the more mysterious Spock and his people were. Of course over two centuries we should figure out a species' physiology, but we hadn't been told anything about two centuries when this episode aired.
And I still say the "Pon Farr night" thing was a joke; it happened in a flawed holo-world anyway, so it could also be put off as a misinterpretation of someone's limited knowledge of Vulcans.
GUEST STAR PATROL (President: Craig T. Nelson...Ha!) [No offense to Craig T. Nelson...I just have s t r a n g e sense of humor.]
Jane Wyatt (Amanda) was the star of the soap opera, "Falcon Crest", playing Angela Channing. She, of course, also appeared in many films.
I know the creators were still working out the whole Vulcan culture at this point, but Vulcans in general, and Sarek in particular, don't come off particlarly well in this episode. Sarek makes an openly racist comment to another man's face ("Tellarites do not argue for reasons, they simply argue.") and later, after the Tellarite is found murdered, Spock says of his father, "Given a logical reason, my father is quite capable of killing." Doesn't sound like a rational, peace-loving people to me.
As I understand it, "diplomatic immunity" means that Sarek couldn't be prosecuted for any crime he may have committed. There's nothing preventing him from being detained or questioned. And diplomatic immunity is not always absolute; witness the recent conviction of a Ukrainian representative to the U.N. in a hit-and-run accident which killed a young woman in New York.
Mike C- Jane WYMAN ws on Falcon Crest - formerly Mrs. Ronald Reagan.
Yeah, Jane Wyatt was the mom on "Father Knows Best." Ironic, huh?
The shuttlecraft bobbles a bit when it lands.
Shouldn't Kirk be a bit surprised that Sarek looks like the Romulan commander he fought a year ago?
When giving Sarek and Amanda a tour of the ship, Kirk still wears his dress uniform, but Spock does not.
McCoy says that Sarek has retired, which is interesting because he still works as an ambassador in the NextGen episode Sarek. I guess McCoy's medical treatment made a new man of him.
Not really a nit, but an interesting character revelation. Sarek treats Spock pretty badly while on board ship, then at the party Amanda reveals that Spock had a 'teddy bear' when he was younger, in their quarters Sarek chides Amanda for embarrassing their son. Interesting how a Vulcan father can act so... human. (I've known a few fathers who exhibit similar contradictory behavior toward their children.)
When trying to identify the mystery craft it is said that there is no authorized vessel in this quadrant. Now that's a top secret mission. ("All ships in the Alpha quadrant, except for the Enterprise, return to your planet of origin until further notice.")
Tal-shaya is a merciful form of execution on the planet Vulcan and it sounds remarkably similar to the Tal-shiar of Romulus. I wonder if the terms are related?
When questioning Sarek, in his quarters, about his whereabouts at the time of the pig slaughter, I mean Tellarite murder, Sarek says he was out meditating. Where exactly was he meditating and if you were to meditate wouldn't you choose to do it in your quarters where you could get some privacy?
Why does McCoy act surprised when Spock says his blood type is T negative. Isn't this the type of information that a ship's doctor should know? ("How should I know what Spock's blood type is? I'm a doctor, not a vampire!")
My nephew, Jon, wondered why there was no blood on the knife or Kirk's back?
The ship is supposedly carrying over 100 passengers, but we only see a few in the party room.
Chekov says that the attacking ship is moving too fast to get a lock on. Well, duh, they're using the Picard Maneuver.
On the bridge Kirk keeps rubbing his right arm, but I thought he was stabbed in the back? Is bloodloss causing him to suffer a heart attack?
The assassin says he had taken a painless, slow poison, then just before he dies he suffers a convulsion which indicates that the poison isn't quite so painless after all. (Serves him right.)
Earlier Kirk was going to turn control of the ship over to Scotty, then when he heads to Sick Bay, he hands command over to Chekov. Why the change and doesn't Uhura outrank Chekov?
The 100 passengers could include clerks, secretaries, and other administrative personel that wouldn't be invited to a cocktail reception. Notice that Sarek and Amanda are there, but none of his Vulcan aides.
Isn't it a bit hard to believe that Kirk isn't aware that Sarek and Amanda are Spock's parents? Kirk and Spock are supposed to be friends, and it is well known that Spock has a Vulcan father and a human mother. I mean, haven't the names of Spock's parents come up in conversation? Especially considering that his father is an important guy? Oh well, I guess Kirk really isn't interested.
To perform the transfusion, a drug is administered to Spock that increases his blood reproduction rate by 200% (i.e., triples the blood production). Sarek must require a ridiculously large amount of blood for this surgery.
Matt S> Spock's family name does come up again in this episode, when Kirk calls Amanda Mrs Sarek, she say something like"please, just Amanda, you couldn't pronounce the Vulcan name"
Both episodes were written by D.C. Fontana, so the unpronouncable surname was probably her idea.
Just how did the assassin know Tal Shaya, if Sarek didn't do it?
I don't think they actually said Tal Shaya was used, just that it could have been used. The assassin probably used an Orion technique that was similar, but unknown to the Federation. (And let's face it. When it comes to different groups figuring out what will kill someone, you are going to get a number of techniques that resemble each other.)
So....the real criminal was the Orion, eh?...
as in "Orion Slave Girl"....why isn't the guy green?
The reason I pointed out the nit above is because in the story it was noted that Thelev was SURGICALLY altered to look like an Andorian.
That would refer to the antennae only, not the skin coloration...that's be COSMETICALLY altered.
So he was surgically AND cosmetically altered to resemble an Andorian. (Andorians are blue and Orions are green as everyone knows)
Why does McCoy have such difficulty in operating on Sarek? He operated on Spock just fine in "Operation: Annihilate!" I mean, sure he didn't remove all the neural parasite at first, but Spock didn't die. McCoy also examined Spock in "The Naked Time" & "The Man Trap"
Just WHO is McCoy talking to at the end of the episode when he says, "Well, I finally got the last word."? You're not supposed to talk to the audience unless it's a live show, and "Star Trek" was not done live....McCoy's remark makes this serious episode look silly.
He's talking both to himself and to Kirk and Spock.
RUMINATION:
This is the first episode to feature the Andorians. They're one of the few aliens that crossed over to other "Star Trek" incarnations.
He's talking to Amanda, Sarek and Nurse Chapel, or whichever one of them is in the direction he's facing. In a novelization, he's saying it to Amanda, I think.
Phil mentioned the fake looking pig mask used for the Tellarite makeup...well, how about those "HANDS"? They look like fuzzy gloves with fingernails attached to them.
From the "Star Trek Compendium"...the reason why the eyes were so awkward looking is that the creators wanted an alien with deep slits for his eyes....as you can see, it didn't quite work.
All of the footage of the shuttle comes from "The Galileo Seven" and "The Doomsday Machine".
An observation: In the dining hall, there are two alien men on the background with 1960's female hairstyles.
Chapel's panties are too small for her. I'm not complaining mind you, I like the view!
When the security guy shoots the fake Andorian, there's no beam....just a green glow enveloping the alien.
CONTINUITY ERROR: The first time the Enterprise fires its phasors, the beams are blue...the second time it fires, the beams are purple!
The shot of the Enterprise firing the photon torpedoes comes from "The Changling"...so does the explosion of the Orion ship.
The preview trailer shows an extreme close-up of the Orion ship....it's never seen in the episode. (Probably because the ship seemed transparent)
The creators forgot to give credit to Sol Kaplan for the brief use of the music from "The Doomsday Machine" in the final credits.
Which race was the purple female aliens from?
Why wasn't there any security inside the dining area or in the hallways where Gav was killed? Sure, we see one AFTER Gav is killed, not before.
Another mysterious alien race was the short guys with the Shriner fez headgear.
I always liked to consider them from the First Federation, since they were never explained, being the continuity buff that I am.
Kirk mentions in sickbay about giving command over to Scotty to fulfill McCoy's "Prescription"...that'd be an interesting trick....Scotty (Doohan) ain't even in this episode!
Sulu is also missing in this episode.
Where is he?
On the sands of Iwo Jima?
(Snicker, snicker, snicker)
Yeah ... George goes head-to-head with John Wayne, no less!
Sorry, it was "The Green Berets", not the "Sands of Iwo Jima". Nice try, though.
You are so right...I knew it was one of the two movies with "The Duke"...ah well, so much for THAT joke!
Why didn't someone check for FINGERPRINTS on Gav's neck to verify who killed him? I mean just because Gav died from Tal Shaya that don't necessarily mean it was Sarek.
Once again, the Enterprise is the only (authorized) ship in the quadrant...apparently these ambassadors aren't very important...what if an entire FLEET of alien ships attacked?
John, I don't think it was stated that Gav died from Tal Shaya, merely that Tal Shaya was a Vulcan method that COULD have been used.
Hmm. Interesting point. Thank you.
GREAT LINE: "Spock's my best officer, and my friend." Kirk to Amanda in the Engineering section.
I don't know why, but every time I watch that scene & hear Kirk (Shatner) say it, I get a little misty-eyed.
FUNNY THOUGHT: McCoy mentions he don't know how to perform surgery on a Vulcan...maybe THAT'S why he's got the Tantalus Field on the wall in sick bay....if you can't cure 'em...kill 'em! ;)
RUMINATIONS:
We won't see Sarek again until STIII
We won't see Amanda again until STIV
This episode marks the first time Chekov assumes command.(After Kirk leaves the Bridge to return to sickbay, he orders Chekov to take over)
Shouldn't Uhura have taken over? She outranked Chekov.
The world at that time wasn't ready for a female commander...expecially an African-American.
The 60's was a very turbulent time, filled with racism and hate.....if Uhura would've taken command, there'd be a flurry of complaints filed at NBC to pull "Star Trek" off the air.
However, I would've LOVED seeing Uhura taken command.
What's wrong with these planets anyway?....None of these ambassadors must be very important because none of them have bodyguards....McCoy said they're all mad at each other...then guess what happens?..Gav is murdered.
CONTINUITY ERROR....
When Sarek & Amamnda step aboard, everyone is in dress uniform. However, when Kirk shows Sarek & Amanda the Engineering section, Spock is there in his REGULAR uniform...he later is seen in the lounge area in his dress uniform.
I'd sure like to know what provoked the fight between the Thelev & Kirk....there should have been some dialogue or something.
DUMB SCENE:
Kirk telling Uhura how to adjust her communications scan to find out who is receiving the alien's message.
For God's sake, Kirk...don't you think Uhura already knows how to do that WITHOUT you telling her?
Even Uhura (Nichols) replies "Yes, Sir" in an exasperated & spiteful manner as if she already should've known how to do that task without Kirk (Shatner) telling her.
There are times in which the Enterprise is transparent as it soars thru space.
MISSED OPPORTUNITY: An Orion Slave Girl yelling at Thelev, "Now you've done it! You've got the Federation mad at us! Now I'll never be able to 'entertain' Kirk!"
Or better yet...An Orion Slave Girl on board PERIOD! (Why not? To perform before the guests)
Did anyone else notice the blue dressed yeoman standing next to Spock when Kirk returns to the Bridge?
One word description: YUCK! :P
Where did they find her? The Ugly Colony of Beta III?
I miss Rand.
Don't see a problem with Spock's changing his clothes - into Dress Uniform to receive the honoured guests, back to regulars for the rest of the day (after Sarek's insult he's dismissed from showing guests over the ship) and back into dress uniform for the evening 'do'. Sound's logical to me, Jim.
Mind, I reckon security on the ship could have used tightening up a bit with all those delegates. Kirk has one task - get 'em all safe to Babel. He fails.
And can anyone tell me... were the "Animal Things" in TNG's "Hide and Q" really Tellarites?
When Kirk calls Spock's mother "Mrs. Sarek", she tells him to call her "Amanda", because the Vulcan family name is too hard for humans to pronounce. Why doesn't she correct McCoy when he calls her "Mrs. Sarek" later in the show?
>>>Why didn't someone check for FINGERPRINTS on Gav's neck to verify who killed him? I mean just because Gav died from Tal Shaya that don't necessarily mean it was Sarek.<<<
Is it possible to take actual fingerprints off of someone's flesh? If Gav was strangled they could possibly match the bruises on his neck to the killer's hands, but I didn't think that you could lift a print off skin.
One other note on Chapel...I couldn't help but notice how quickly she RUNS from one end of Sickbay to the other.
I figure she KNOWS her micro-mini skirt is too small for her and part of her tush was visible. Therefore, she was running away from the camera so her tush wouldn't be seen again.
TOO LATE, MAJEL! WE SAW IT! NICE HONEY BUNS! 
Don't know how you missed this one, John, but I think the F/X for the exploding Orion ship came from "The Changeling" (Nomad's suicide).
ScottN, ScottN, ScottN. Tisk Tisk Tisk He didn't
Tuesday, April 24, 2001 - 02:57 pm:
"The shot of the Enterprise firing the photon torpedoes comes from "The Changling"...so does the explosion of the Orion ship."
I'm given to understand that there is, in fact, a method for raising fingerprints off of skin. Conditions have to be just right. Presumably by the 23rd century they would have perfected the technique.
Looked for "Changeling", that's why I didn't see it!
When Kirk & McCoy leave Kirk's quarters, one of the men in the hallway has a familiar outfit on...it belonged to Federation High Commissoner Ferris from the episode "The Galileo Seven" (It's the blue outfit with the gold fringes on it.)
Gav's aide vanishes after the first rec room scene.
Spock says that he'll interrogate Thelev he goes to the Brig and mentions truth drug and some kind other conventional methods...funny...he never mentions using the Vulcan Mind Meld in the Brig.
REDUNDANT SIGN AWARD: Outside the Shuttlecraft hangar..."Caution: Automatic Doors" Umm...ahhh...excuse me, aren't ALL the doors automatic?
>"The shot of the Enterprise firing the photon >torpedoes comes from "The Changling"...so does >the explosion of the Orion ship."
Same effect also used for the destruction of the Woden in "The Ultimate Computer"
Maybe they did check fingerprints but whoever did it was wearing gloves.
John Wheeler played the Tellarite; I'd like to ask him if he was able to pick up that champagne glass with those 3-fingered gloves, or did somebody have to hand it to him? Those hands don't look like they could thread a needle, chop down trees, dig a well, or do other things you'd expect from a civilization.
The Orions in the animated episode "Pirates of Orion" were blue. But maybe they're able to make themselves and their slave girls any color they want.
Kirk: "How did he die?"
McCoy: "His neck was broken. By an expert."
Spock stoops to examine Ambassador Gav, then straightens up to report: "On Vulcan the method is called Tal-shaya. In ancient times it was considered a merciful form of execution."
To me this is evidence that Tal-shaya was used and that therefore somehow the Orions learned how to use it. (Then again, Spock's weasel words suggest that the same method is used on other planets and called there by different names.)
The assumption that only Tal-shaya could have been used is a setup to blame Ambassador Sarek. That was the Orion spy's mission-- to set the embassies against each other by making things look like they were dying at each others' hands, not the Orions'. Presumably the knife used by Thelev to stab Kirk was from yet another planet aboard ship and that embassy would be blamed.
"Not really a nit, but an interesting character revelation. Sarek treats Spock pretty badly while on board ship, then at the party Amanda reveals that Spock had a 'teddy bear' when he was younger, in their quarters Sarek chides Amanda for embarrassing their son. Interesting how a Vulcan father can act so... human. "
Just part of the excellence of this episode.
As for the 'teddy bear' bit, when Amanda is asked by McCoy to relate any of Spock's childhood experiences, Amanda takes a moment to look questioningly at her son. He nods permission, and only then does she relate the story of the Sehlat.
Spock must know he will be teased, and he has his comeback about the 6-inch fangs ready.
Again, excellent scripting and acting all round.
At the reception, just before the sehlat exchange, it sounds like McCoy calls Amanda "Mrs. Surak".
During one of the reception scenes (perhaps the 'teddy bear' scene), the camera pulls back from the buffet table and you can see the bits of tape all over the floor that mark where the actors are supposed to stand.
I noticed that Amanda was played by MISS Jane Wyatt. Is this because she used this name this way in Father Knows Best?
How come none of the honor guards has a boatswain whistle when Sarek arrives? They did in "The Savage Curtain" when Lincoln showed up.
When Sarek is talking with his wife, he is looking at a desk-mounted viewer..I'd wager 10:1 that Mark Lenard is reading his lines from that screen.
Raises voice No I wasn't! Frowns to camera
Now how exactly did Mark Lenard make a post here? Did he make it through John Edward or Silvia Browne?
I guess he's just immortal. He outlived me.
I'm sure his family would be surprised to hear that.
Sarek makes an openly racist comment to another man's face ("Tellarites do not argue for reasons, they simply argue.") and later, after the Tellarite is found murdered, Spock says of his father, "Given a logical reason, my father is quite capable of killing." Doesn't sound like a rational, peace-loving people to me.
To me, the first remark sounds like an observation of the Tellarite culture, not a racist remark (Sarek answers logically and polite the first time, only after the Tellarite continues to pester him he explains why he doesn't take their argument seriously. The same goes for Spock answer: The Vulcans are rational and logical. They are peace-loving because it's more logical than war, but if the logic dictates it, they are capable of doing whats necessary (e.g. they can kill in self-defense). Spock doesn't say his father had a logical reason, or that he did it, he only meant that Sarek wouldn't have acted because of emotions like being upset or angry.
About the question of who embarrasses Spock, Sarek sees his problems with Spock as a logical thing (Spock doesn't follow his orders or the logic), but when Amanda talks of teddy bears, she embarrasses Spock because that's emotional. So for Sarek at least these are different things.
If the ambassadors are that "explosive" (as Kirk's log indicated) Why aren't there guards in the Rec Room to prevent fights & arguments?
The Orion disguised as an Andorian isn't very bright. He's in the Brig, being searched by one of security men. Both are armed with phasers. So, what does he do? He attacks one of them allowing the other to zap him with his phaser. D'OH!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but, I believe this episode marks the first use of the NEW AND IMPROVED shuttlecraft landing footage.
What's new about it? The stars are seen moving away from the ship...other times they were just barely moving. This footage is A LOT better!
John A.: If the ambassadors are that "explosive" (as Kirk's log indicated) Why aren't there guards in the Rec Room to prevent fights & arguments?
Erm, because it`s a diplomatic mission?
I mean, announcing to a roomfull of people who hope to come to an amicable agreement that you expect them to start brawling at a moment`s notice is a wee bit counterproductive, eh?
Well, that's what Kirk seemed to indicate in his log...that he was expecting some kind of fight or argument to break out. There should have AT LEAST been some kind of "Neutral Party" in the Rec Room to maintain law & order.
I gotta agree with John on this one, Kerriem. Who broke up the confrontation between Sarek and Gav? The captain. That's not his job, it's a job for Leslie, or Galloway, or at least a red shirt.
Perhaps there should have been security there, but seeing as Kirk was present, and given the diplomatic delicacy of the situation, he *was* the one who should break it up... diplomatically.
Agreed in a dinner at the UN I don't think the security should be the ones stepping in if a pair of diplomats get into a heated discussion. Perhaps another diplomant or the head of the UN. Sometimes diplomacy can be better delivered softly than at the end of a sword. or phaser.
I stand corrected, the footage of the shuttlecraft landing in the Hanger Bay is BRAND SPANKIN' NEW. How can I tell? The starfield in the background is moving A LOT more realistically!
Why did the Federation need to have this conference at all? The members of the Federation can reasonably be expected to have subspace communication, and it would be safest for their diplomats to discuss things from home, on some equivalent of a conference call. Since the topic of discussion at the conference is the admission of a new member race, the diplomats involved must all be from the Federation. Assuming the laws of the Federation require a face-to-face meeting on topics like admission of new members, why not have the meeting on Earth, headquarters of the Federation? If it was necessary to send the diplomats somewhere, would it not be safer to put them all on different ships and convey them to the conference separately? Putting them all on one ship, or putting a flotilla of diplomatic vessels together, with or without Starfleet escort, is a humongous, tempting target to the Federation's enemies. Also, how did the group of diplomats get to the Enterprise? Did they fly there separately, or all get picked up from somewhere? If the former, why not just go straight to Babel separately? If the latter, why not just have the conference where they landed?
There was a mention made of the need for guards at the reception. I think they should have been there, not to break up fights, but because they should be protecting the diplomats from some maniac trying to kill them. Also, why were they not under security escorts while on the Enterprise? Had they done that, Gav might not have died, and there would be a short show.
Finally, the best moment in the episode has to be when Amanda announces that she is sick of hearing about logic. Boy, did she pick the wrong husband.
The members of the Federation can reasonably be expected to have subspace communication, and it would be safest for their diplomats to discuss things from home, on some equivalent of a conference call
Communications security. These discussion are supposed to be private.
Also, sometimes, diplomacy can be done better face-to-face. Consider the Camp David Accords. Sure, they could have done it via phone, but often it's informal chance encounters at the diplomatic conference that lead to breakthroughs.
In the Brig, Spock talks to the Andorian ambassador about Thelev. Spock reports that he was not able to get any information whatsoever out of Thelev, even after using truth drug & something else (can't remember). There was NO MENTION of Spock saying that Thelev was an Orion in disguise at that time. SO---- how did Spock know that Thelev was an Orion in disguise when he was sitting up in bed in Sickbay when Kirk showed up? When did Spock get time to get that addition info seeing that Spock was in Sickbay during Sarek's operation? I doubt Thelev told him seeing he was uncooperative up to that point. Thelev didn't even tell Kirk when the Security men brought Thelev to the Bridge.
OK, been awhile since I've seen the ep...and I don't remember Spock talking to the Andorian officials at all, thank you syndication cuts I suppose...but I don't have any trouble believing that the minute Spock came awake in Sickbay he'd grab himself a computer terminal and bring himself up to speed - or collar McCoy and ask pertinent questions - or somesuch Spock-ishly unnervingly competent thing.
Amanda tells McCoy that Spock had a pet sehlat as a child. She pronounces it as 'say-lot', but when McCoy repeats it, he says 'sell-it'. Wasn't he paying attention?
Gav loses his Russian accent and his growly voice when he turns around, and tells Sarek, "There will be payment for your slander, Sarek." Almost as if there was a different actor under the mask.
18 years holding a grudge against Spock for not joining the Vulcan Science Academy? Not only does this sound like a nasty, emotional grudge, but Sarek needs to stop acting like a suc. Hasn't he reviewed Spock's career file? Doesn't he know of his son's accomplishments? Hasn't Spock proven that he made the right decision 18 years ago?
Kirk tells Amanda that Starfleet is a better chance for a scientist to explore the galaxy, and Amanda responds with a skeptical, "Perhaps." Uh-uh, lady, there's no question that Starfleet ships have, would, and always will go where nobody has gone before. It's like comparing the explots of island ferry boats to a world-spanning navel fleet. There's no comparison.
Spock tells Kirk that the intruder ship was travelling at 'approximately warp 10'. Should he be more precise, considering his preference for being extremely specific. Shouldn't he have said warp 9.97 or warp 10.04 or whatever, instead of 'approximately'?
Gotta give credit to the accents that Gav and Shras display; present-day Trek aliens speak like your average white American guy far too often.
Kirk orders Chekov to 'fire as he passes, Ensign'. Only one problem; Chekov is at the science station, so how could he have controls to fire the weapons there? He's definitely talking to Chekov, because Lieutenant Hadley is at the helm, and the guy that replaced Chekov at navigation has lieutenants stripes. Also, Kirk has Chekov boost power to the number 4 shield, again from the science station. Isn't this a job for the guy at the engineering panel?
Then Kirk has Chekov replace the lieutenant at navigation, so Chekov can fire phasers, ambush the intruder ship. Guess that says how much he trusts that lieutenant when he'd prefer a green ensign at the weapons than him.
The security guards that bring Thelev to the bridge are very lax in their job. They allow the spy to stand a foot away from their injured captain, and not only do they not have their weapons drawn to cover him, their hands are behind their back! I guess it was a case of 'Kirk hasn't given us a raise in 2 years, so if you want a piece of him go ahead!'.
Even Lincoln was covered by the guards when he came aboard the ship, and he hadn't displayed the menace that Thelev did.
Will,
18 years holding a grudge against Spock for not joining the Vulcan Science Academy? Not only does this sound like a nasty, emotional grudge, but Sarek needs to stop acting like a suc. Hasn't he reviewed Spock's career file? Doesn't he know of his son's accomplishments? Hasn't Spock proven that he made the right decision 18 years ago?
It would be emotional if it were a grudge; if its a different opinion regarding career choices there's no reason Sarek should change his opinion. There are a couple of reasons why Vulcan Academy would be better for a Vulcan (or half-Vulcan): no humans with their troubling emotions, the sanctity of life can be better observed in quiet study than onboard a starship where every other week you have to fight and maybe kill an alien of the week or the Romulan/ Klingons/...
Kirk tells Amanda that Starfleet is a better chance for a scientist to explore the galaxy, and Amanda responds with a skeptical, "Perhaps." Uh-uh, lady, there's no question that Starfleet ships have, would, and always will go where nobody has gone before. It's like comparing the explots of island ferry boats to a world-spanning navel fleet. There's no comparison.
This is correct only for a certain branch of science, like geography, exo-biology, exo-chemistry, astronomy. not all research is in these areas. There is a lot of basic research also, e.g. physics, which can be done better at a stationary, especially equipped science lab than in a starship, constantly moving around dealing with various threats and emergencies (so you can't study a phenomen/ planet for a couple of years), being jostled around (and often on the verge of being destroyed).
Here's something I noticed. Watch as Kirk, Sarek & Amanda enter Engineering. You can see an ASHTRAY mounted on a pedestal outside the door of Engineering.
I guess it's "No Smoking" in Engineering...you have to put out your cigarettes / cigars before you enter!
NANJAO: One of the Security Guards that brings Thelev to the Bridge is the same Security Guard that stood next to the door of the Bridge in "The Doomsday Machine"
>Here's something I noticed. Watch as Kirk, Sarek >& Amanda enter Engineering. You can see an >ASHTRAY mounted on a pedestal outside the door >of Engineering.
That's funny, since we never see any crewmen smoking on the Enterprise! (If that is indeed an ashtray, and its hard to tell what exactly it is.)
In fact, there's only one other epsiode of the original 79 in which any smoking paraphenelia is seen at all . . . can you name it?
My guess would be either "Where No Man Has Gone Before" or "Wolf In the Fold". Kirk did smoke, btw, in STAR TREK VI: The Undiscovered Country. It's the only time we ever see any of the principle Enterprise crew smoke.
Live long and prosper.
I would guess "The Menagerie", somewhere on Pike's Enterprise.
Other guesses:
"Wolf in the Fold", on Argelius
"The Paradise Syndrome"
"This Side of Paradise".
Nope on all counts, good guesses though!
We're not counting whatever they were smoking when they wrote "Spock's Brain" right?
That would leave "A Peace of the Action."
That's correct Adam! In "A Piece of the Action", Krako and Oxmyx both have cigar humidor boxes on their desks.
Guest Star Patrol:
William O'Connell (Thelev) was a member of the buffoonish biker gang, the "Scorpions", in the two Clint Eastwood movies Every Which Way But Loose and Any Which Way You Can.
I was at a convention where there was a slideshow of publicity stills from ST:TWOK. One of them showed David Marcus sitting at a console... holding a cigarette. Whoops. They hadn't noticed Merrit Butrick was holding a cigarette when shooting the still.
I cannot help but wonder if Thelev was a member of The Orion Syndicate.
It would make sense...seeing what he did and how far he got.
I saw a picture of Shatner, in costume and smoking a cigarette, in a 1984 book titled TV Babylon. That was the only still picture I ever saw of any Trek actor with a cigarette, although I know that Jimmy Doohan did smoke during TOS's production. I hope they both quit.
I think that one of the behind the scenes photographs from Stephen Whitfield's The Making of Star Trek shows Doohan with a cigarette in his hand.
Well, I just checked my copy, and I couldn't find it in there. Must have been somewhere else that I remember that from.
Joan Winston mentions Doohan having a pack of cigarettes hanging out of his pocket on the set of "Turnabout Intruder" in her portion of "Star Trek Lives!".
Interstingly, the costumes had pockets, but for the purposes of the show, were said not to have them.
All of the actors probalby smoked back then, big deal, they didn't know how deadly it was back then.
Now back to Journey to Babel please . . .
A link between smoking and cancer may have been discovered as early as 1925. More can be found here.
I cannot help but wonder if Thelev was a member of The Orion Syndicate...
Maybe they were smuggling cigarettes too?? Wonder what a Klingon would pay for a carton of Luckies?
Jane Wyatt is listed in the end credits as "Miss Jane Wyatt." A sign of respect for an actress with a long and distinguished career. But..she was listed as just "Jane Wyatt" in Star Trek IV.
According to "Mind Meld", Shatner quit smoking around the 2nd Season of "Star Trek", Nimoy quit years later.
This is one of THE BEST episodes of the classic series!
Nice to see Spocks parents on board.
Also very nice space battle in the final Act!
If I was to recomend an episode for someone to watch that had never seen Star Trek, this would be one.
The Coradon incident that was playing out in this episode was talked about in "Sarek" (TNG)