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Old 06-22-2019, 05:31 PM
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Here we are; the last TOS episode. We still have TNG to tide us over until DS9 and TAS start.

June 3rd, 1969, "Turnabout Intruder"

No Fiver
Transcript
Memory Alpha

The Episode

JANICE: Your world of starship captains doesn't admit women. It isn't fair.
KIRK: No, it isn't. And you punished and tortured me because of it.

We might as well get this out of the way; this idea is ludicrous and I don't blame later Trek for completely ignoring it. And the stupidest idea is that it wasn't necessary in the first place! All that had to be done is introducing a Ben Finney-style incompetence on Lester's part that would've kept her away from command. Or even something closer to Eddington-she was railroaded into a career path that may have played to her talents but wasn't making her as much job satisfaction as command would've ("Tapestry", anyone?)

JANICE: I loved you. We could've roamed among the stars.

You want command, he wants command. You couldn't have served aboard the same ship. Plus it seems like marriage wouldn't have made you happy anyway.

JANICE/KIRK: You had your chance, Captain Kirk. You should've smothered the life in me. Then they would have said Doctor Janice Lester died of radiation poisoning in the line of duty. Why didn't you do it? You always wanted to. Didn't you? You had the strength to do it. But you were afraid.

First, while this transcript maintains the body as the sole speaker tag I'll be using Janice/Kirk and Kirk/Janice to indicate the mind/body. Second, when did Kirk express a desire to kill Janice?

JANICE/KIRK: Believe me, it's better to be dead than to live alone in the body of a woman.

Ouch. I so want to snark about whether we're sure Gene wasn't on staff anymore, but I will refrain. Again, this problem could've been solved with a simple change: for Kirk to live without being in command of the Enterprise, or even in Starfleet would be a living hell. More than enough punishment without introducing sexism and misogyny.

JANICE/KIRKoctor McCoy, you and Doctor Coleman seem to disagree on diagnosis.
MCCOY: No, not entirely. We both agree it's radiation. Doctor Coleman isn't prepared to say what form of radiation.
JANICE/KIRK: Will it affect your arriving at a correct treatment?
MCCOY: It's crucial.

I'm pretty sure that McCoy "outranks" Coleman even before you introduce the fact that he's CMO of the ship you're on. This conversation seems to be pointless.

JANICE/KIRK: He hung onto life too hard. I couldn't
COLEMAN: You couldn't because you love him. You want me to be his murderer.
JANICE/KIRK: Love? Him? I love the life he led. The power of a starship commander. It's my life now.

There's an interesting philosophical discussion to be had here: what were Lester's feelings and desires before and after Kirk came along and right now. Furthermore, I think it's safe to say that Kirk wasn't a captain during the initial relationship. Was her love always on an unconscious level only?

COLEMAN: Doctor Lester and her staff have been under my supervision for two years. If you don't follow my recommendations, responsibility for her health or her death will be yours.

Well, yeah! Is this supposed to be a threat? I'm pretty sure you don't get to become chief medical officer without being able to handle patient deaths, even deaths where you didn't do all of the treatment.

JANICE/KIRK: Doctor McCoy, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to take you off the case and turn it over to Doctor Coleman.
MCCOY: You can't do this! On this ship my medical authority is final!

Exactly! What is this accomplishing besides causing suspicion of Janice? Was there no drug handy that could've pushed Kirk into a coma that looks like radiation poisoning?

JANICE/KIRK [OC]: The Enterprise is proceeding to its next mission, on the course set before I took over command. Now the years I spent studying every single detail of the ship's operation will be tested. With a little experience, I will be invulnerable to suspicion.

Now comes the time to really point out the main flaw in Lester's plan: not everything can be a part of the records available to her? Maybe the basic ship's layout, what's on each deck, etc. would be available to her, but not a current crew manifest or the complete details of every mission. If we wanted to we could come up with a list of episodes where the details would have to be classified above the level that Janice would have access to, "The Enterprise Incident" and "Metamorphosis" come to mind immediately.

SPOCK: If the diagnosis of Doctor Lester's illness is the critical problem, then the Benecia Colony is definitely not the place for her. Their medical facilities are the most primitive.
JANICE/KIRK: They will have to serve.
SPOCK: Starbase Two is fully equipped and staffed with the necessary specialists to determine exactly what is wrong with the doctor. Is that not crucial to your decision?
JANICE/KIRK: Thank you, Mister Spock, but the facilities will be of little use if Doctor Lester's dead. Time is of the essence.

I find it hard to believe that the medical facilities of any colony would be better than the Enterprise, except perhaps in patient capacity. Yet again, a scene that introduces plot holes for the sole purpose of creating suspicion of Janice/Kirk. A better writer could've done this premise so much better.

LYSA: Captain, shall I advise Starfleet Command of the change of plan?
JANICE/KIRK: No change of plan has been ordered, Lieutenant. Our arrival at Beta Aurigae will merely be delayed. Our gravitational studies of that binary system will not suffer, and a life may be saved! That is not unusual procedure for the Enterprise.
SPOCK: Sir, I believe Starfleet will have to be notified that our rendezvous with the starship Potemkin will not take place as scheduled.

Exactly. A change of plan has been ordered, and even if it's only a matter of hours a change of itinerary should be reported. In particular when it's a rendezvous with another starship.
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