50th Anniversary TOS Episode Discussion Marathon

[Flying Gremlin]

I'm glad I didn't volunteer for any more; my primary way of watching these decided to quit out on me.

[Nate the Great]

September 29th, 1967, "The Changeling"

Obligatory "STTMP is a worse version of this episode" joke, moving on...

Fiver by IJD GAF
Memory Alpha
Transcript

The Episode

SULU: Captain, shields just snapped on. Something heading in at multiwarp speeds.

Multiwarp? Is that anything like transwarp?

KIRK: Five hundred kilos and only one metre long?
SCOTT: What kind of intelligent creatures can exist in a thing that small?
SPOCK: Intelligence does not necessarily require bulk, Mister Scott.

I suddenly wonder how much a Hooloovoo weighs (kudos to those who get the reference).

KIRK: Besides, once it's aboard, it won't be taking any more shots at us.

Why not? If anything, weapons fire from the inside out could do more damage because the hull will contain at least some of the energy.

MCCOY: I thought you might like to know that Lieutenant Uhura is back to college level. She'll be back on the job within a week.

This reeducation in a week stuff is just ridiculous. Even if we're to buy that the raw information can be imprinted onto the brain, there's more to being a person, much less a Starfleet officer, than raw information. What about her childhood, what about her hobbies, the relationships she's formed? At least run her through the transporter using the most recent trace to restore her mind to what it was a few days ago!

The Fiver

Spock: I'm not reading any lifeforms in the entire system. It appears that one of our planets is missing.

No Animated Series joke, IJD?

Kirk: I am Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise. But you can call me T-Bone. By the way, I'm single.

T-Bone?

Kirk: I've been hitting on tiny space chicks?
McCoy: Looks like a robot to me.
Scotty: I'll say. It just leaked oil on the transporter pad.
Nomad: I require star charts.
Spock: Jim, that book isn't canon. If we show it to him, the data may be contradicted in future episodes!
Kirk: It's a risk we'll have to take.

Book? I think we might need a dicer for this one.

Spock: I also believe it is confusing the captain with its creator, Roykirk.
McCoy: Or maybe Kirk Douglass.
Kirk: Or Ole Kirk Christiansen, inventor of the LEGO.
McCoy: Or Southern Gospel talent Kirk Talley.
Kirk: Or Congressman Mark Steven Kirk, 10th District Illinois.

Kirk Douglas only has one "s". Anyway, he starred in many films, and he's still kicking at the ripe old age of 100. I shudder to think that in time he'll be remembered for 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and nothing else.

Ole Kirk Christiansen, the LEGO guy. He made my youth so much richer, and the day I had to surrender my collection to a younger generation was a sad day indeed (of course I still have a few souvenirs). I may have mentioned before how I was a member of the fan club for many years.

Mark Steven Kirk retired recently from Congress. "Kirk" means "church" in Scotland. Apparently Star Trek invented "roykirk" as a name, but there was a guy in Minnesota named Monte Roy Kirk who died in 2002, so let him have his five seconds of fame. Other James Kirks in history include a Scottish actor, a Union Army officer from the Civil War (his middle initial is even "T", although for Thompson and not Tiberius), an English WWI soldier and Victoria Cross recipient, the captain of the Navy Destroyer USS Zumwalt (jokes were made when he got the job), a member of the defunt Scottish punk band Orange Juice, a former Scottish soccer player, and a former Canadian Parliment member.

Spock: (ahem) Between Nomad's launch and our encounter, it collided with an alien probe programmed to sterilize soil samples. Though I have no idea how that explains its ridiculously god-like powers.
Kirk: Perhaps the data was referring to the advanced soil-sample peoples of--

Is that last line a reference to something?

Memory Alpha

* Comparisons between this and STTMP abound. Some add the subtitle "Where Nomad Has Gone Before" to the movie.
* Then again, this episode stole from an episode of The Outer Limits first. Everyone join the plagiarism conga line!
* Somehow the equivalent of 90 photon torpedoes only dropped shield strength by 20%. This is an obvious mistake on the scriptwriters part, I'd think the equivalent of ten would do the job just as well.
* One of four "Kirk talks a computer to death" episodes.
* Nichols argued that Uhura would remember Swahili first, not English. Why would this matter? Her mind is supposedly completely blank, she would have no memory or preference for any language! Besides, these guys are speaking Federation Standard and not English, right?

YouTube

Note: Google-fu is hard to use with this episode as "changeling" generates a lot more DS9 links than anything related to this episode.
* Kirk talks Nomad to death.
* Fans have built a functioning Nomad prop.

Nitpicker's Guide

* Phil wonders why the crew can't lure Nomad back to the transporter and beam him out only as energy.
* How would a soil-sterilizing probe have planet-destroying capability anyway?

[Nate the Great]

October 6th, 1967, "Mirror, Mirror"

First let me say how gratifying it is that this episode has led to who knows how many parodies and riffs in all kinds of shows over the year, and "the evil alternate with a goatee" has entered pop culture.

Second, no mentions of Enterprise or Sato clones, please.

The Fiver (by IJD GAF)
Transcript
Memory Alpha

The Episode

Captain's log, stardate unknown. During an ion storm, my landing party has beamed back to the Enterprise and found it and the personnel aboard changed. The ship is subtly altered physically. Behaviour and discipline has become brutal, savage.

I hope this log was recorded on something heavily classified. Furthermore, the Captain's Log is supposed to be accessible to all Starfleet officers, right? Shouldn't Kirk at least use an encrypted personal log? Unless you're a fan of the postwritten log theory.

KIRK: Get to your post. Run today's communication from Starfleet Command. I want to know my exact orders and options, if any.

Today's communication? I never got the idea that Starfleet Command sent daily communiques to their ships, talk about micromanagement!

SCOTT: The two-way matter transmission affected the local field density between the universes, and it's increasing. We've got to move fast.

Yesterday Scotty didn't know that this parallel universe even existed, and now he completely understands the "local field density" between them?

SPOCK: May I point out that I had an opportunity to observe your counterparts here quite closely. They were brutal, savage, unprincipled, uncivilised, treacherous, In every way, splendid examples of homo sapiens, the very flower of humanity. I found them quite refreshing.
KIRK: I'm not sure, but I think we've been insulted.
MCCOY: I'm sure.

So am I, Bones. So am I.

The Fiver

Kirk: Scotty, just get to engineering and short out the phaser circuits. Uhura, go flirt with Sulu or something. And McCoy... I dunno, just stand there and look boring.
McCoy: I'm a doctor, not a doorstop!

Classic gag from First Contact. The thing is, I'm not in the camp that puts that movie near the top of the list. Too much violence, and Picard in Ahab mode is simply annoying.

Mirror Marlena: It's Jim Kirk, my love and my master.
Kirk: This has got to be a speed record for me.
Mirror Marlena: You almost got killed and you're disobeying orders. (smacks Kirk in the head) Stupid!
Kirk: My second speed record this scene.

Reminds me of a SF Debris gag where Kirk is slapped and declares an increased arousal level every time in confusion.

Memory Alpha

* The scriptwriter based the idea on a short story he wrote over ten years earlier.
* A similar idea was part of Roddenberry's original series proposal.
* This episode marks the first time a Trek actor (Takei) has worn all three division colors, although this includes alternate versions.

Memory Beta

* Mirror Kirk recurred in the Shatnerverse novels. It's revealed that he got the Tantalus Field from Mirror Balok.
* Mirror Spock apparently used the Tantalus Field to gain power. That doesn't seem to fit his personality, does it?

Nitpicker's Guide

* Wouldn't a starship built by the warlike Terran Empire be better armed, with a different design?

YouTube

Star Trek Continues revisits the Mirror Universe
Kirk convinces Mirror Spock to overthrow the Empire
The ending, including Spock zinging humanity and the Marlena cameo that was reused in Trials and Tribbleations
Uhura tricks Mirror Sulu
The TNG intro as if it was set in the Mirror Universe (many shots from the alternate timeline of "Yesterday's Enterprise" were used)

[Nate the Great]

As a supplement to "Mirror, Mirror" this post is about goatees on evil twins!

Wikipedia discusses the subject, while pointing out that the prime example of Mirror Mirror isn't really "evil". Furthermore, Chris Seibold (a movie reviewer featured on Rotten Tomatoes) has this to say:

You can't go to the evil twin school of plotting very often if you're hack writing your way through Hollywood, but once you do it's thankfully easy. You slap a goatee on somebody (evil Spock, Evil David Hasselhoff) and voila: evil twin goodness. The rest of the story, I am told, writes itself.

Gizmodo discusses the phenomenon:

You can't be a decent evil twin without bushy, severely slanted eyebrows, and a nice pointy goatee. But why do we read these features as so very diabolical? A study explains that it all has to do with the geometry of evil.


Dr Derrick Watson and Dr Elisabeth Blagrove of the Unversity of Warwick have apparently grown up watching the same cartoons that I have. Anyone worth their salt knows that the evil twin has a pointy beard — or, at the very least, dark eyebrows that were slanted in a way that made them look angry. Usually the twin does things like rubbing their hands together and cackling evilly, to remove all doubt, but that's just for the people who can't pick up on visual cues. Why are the goatee and the severe eyebrows such a universal code for evil?

The researchers think that those features give a face a shape more like a downward pointing triangle. People seem to find the shape itself threatening.
"Evil Twin Goatee" is a buyable item in Neopets.

[Nate the Great]

October 13th, 1967, "The Apple"

The Fiver (by Kristina)
Transcript
Memory Alpha

The Episode

MCCOY: It's a shame to have to intrude.
KIRK: Well, the last scout ship reported some pretty strange sensor readings. Starfleet wants it investigated and the inhabitants contacted. We do what we're told.

Why is our crew here? I thought the Prime Directive was very clear about this stuff. I'll buy that holographic duckblinds haven't been invented, but shouldn't there at least be a trained team of specialists coming along? Maybe paint a shuttlecraft to look like clouds and just fly around conducting scans (I know, I know, special effects budgets...)?

SCOTT: We're losing potency in our antimatter pods. I don't think it's serious, but we're looking into it.

I don't think antimatter loses "potency". It almost sounds like the containment fields are losing strength, but that is certainly "serious"!

SCOTT [OC]: I'm not sure, sir, but we've run measurements on the electromagnetic field of the planet, and they are a wee bit abnormal. That might have something to do with it.

SCOTT: We can't make transporter contact, sir. The entire system's inhibited. The way it is now, we couldn't beam up a fly.

Okay, the EM field of the planet is blocking the transporter, fair enough. So why do the antimatter pods have to be any part of this?

KIRK: Scotty, you're my Chief Engineer. You know everything about that ship there is to know. More than the men who designed it.

I'm reminded of when a hologram of Leah Brahms knew more about the E-D than Geordi. That was stupid, wasn't it?

KIRK: Discard the warp drive nacelles if you have to, and crack out of there with the main section, but get that ship out of there!

So saucer separation was possible with the Constitution-class, but I assume that in this case it was something you could only do once. We'll be coming back to this.

MCCOY: I just ran a thorough check on the natives, and there's a complete lack of harmful bacteria in their systems, no decalcification, no degeneration of tissue, no arteriosclerosis. In simple terms, Jim, they're not growing old, and I can't begin to tell you how old they are, twenty years or twenty thousand years.
KIRK: I see. Opinion.
SPOCK: Quite possible. It checks with my atmospheric analysis. Their atmosphere completely negates any harmful effects from their sun.
KIRK: Add to that a simple diet, a perfectly controlled temperature, no natural enemies, apparently no vices, no replacements needed.

I still think that it's impossible to completely negate aging, in opposition to CGP Grey. And along those lines, how can you completely prevent criminal behavior or insanity? Does Vaal detect the seeds of imperfection and immediately kill those who could escape his control? Wouldn't you need a "replacement" in that case?

MARTHA: You know, if it weren't for Vaal this place would be a paradise.

Wait for the Nitpicker's Guide entry on this line later.

SPOCK: If we do what it seems we must, in my opinion it will be in direct violation of the non-interference directive.
KIRK: These are people, not robots. They should have the opportunity of choice. We owe it to them to interfere.

Again, why are our heroes here in the first place?

KIRK: You'll learn to care for yourselves, with our help.

Yikes. Haven't you poked enough holes in the Prime Directive already today? Even if this culture wasn't evolving, even if you presume that Vaal was an external influence that needs removal according to the PD, now there's no influence except for you, Kirk! Get out of here!

The Fiver

Spock: Underground vibrations in all directions.
McCoy: Jim, I told you to be more careful when you walk.

Ah, Shatner's weight jokes. Why do those seem a little more tasteless than toupee jokes?

Akuta: Behold Vaal.
Spock: Tricorder scans indicate that Vaal is a machine made from a compound consisting of glue and paper.
McCoy: Papier maché?
Kirk: Nice name for a girl -- let's go meet her. I haven't had a chance this week.

Okay, Vaal was probably made of fiberglass, but how do you get from fiberglass to papier mache?

Memory Alpha

* FOUR redshirt deaths. FOUR! What were four redshirts doing on this mission anyway?
* First appearance of Koenig in his own hair and not the pseudo-Beatles wig.

Nitpicker's Guide

* Phil points out that this is hardly paradise, because even without Vaal there are poisonous dart plants and exploding rocks. Or are you going to tell me that Vaal made those to ensure that the villagers don't wander too far? You'd certainly need "replacements" if that happened!
* Spock is certainly tougher than a human. In one day he got hit by poison darts, hit by lightning, and ran into a forcefield without injury or complaint.

[Nate the Great]

October 20th, 1967, "The Doomsday Machine"

Ah, one of the classics. I'll plug SF Debris again.

Fiver (by IJD GAF)
Memory Alpha
Transcript

The episode:

Prelude: Why is Decker a Commodore? I thought that a Commodore commanded more than just one ship. He certainly seems like a peer of Kirk and not one of the previous generation like Pike. If they wanted him to be able to pull rank on Kirk later it would be easy enough to just declare him to have seniority (i.e. was declared captain before Kirk).

KIRK: Did you run a scanner check on it? What kind of a beam?
DECKER: Pure antiproton. Absolutely pure.

I hope he's using "pure" to mean "no other forms of antiparticle" rather than "there's a smattering of matter in there too".

DECKER: Oh, no, I stay here. I'm not leaving my ship!

I never did understand "the captain goes down with his ship." I understand "the captain is the last to leave", which would fit this situation.

SPOCK: We are more manoeuvrable, but it is gaining on us. Sensors indicate some kind of total conversion drive.

Memory Alpha implies that this is a sort of matter-to-energy reaction that doesn't need antimatter. I fail to see what the power source has to do with the mechanics of the engine itself; it's an apples-to-oranges comparison.

SPOCK: Random chance seems to have operated in our favour.
MCCOY: In plain, non-Vulcan English, we've been lucky.
SPOCK: I believe I said that, Doctor.

You gotta love that Vulcan habit of using ten words when three will do.

KIRK: Am I correct in assuming that a fusion explosion of ninety seven megatons will result if a starship impulse engine is overloaded?

The Tsar Bomba was 50 megatons, oops. Probably should've tossed an "iso" in there so we couldn't Do The Math.

SPOCK: Appropriate, Captain. However, I can't help wondering if there are any more of those weapons wandering around the universe.

Wait until later, we'll be returning to this.

Fiver

Doomsday Machine: Kerplowie!
Enterprise: Ouch!

Is that a League of Legends reference? (I had to look that up, FYI) Because usually the word is spelled Kerplooey.

Spock: (singing) From far beyond the galaxies I've journeyed to this place, to study the behavior patterns of the human race. And I find them highly--

So apparently Nimoy recorded a novelty album in the 1967. I'll stick to The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins, if it's all the same to you.

Decker: Sulu, maintain course!
Sulu: I wouldn't be surprised if history remembers this as the "Decker Maneuver."

Odd place for an Insurrection reference.

Kirk: Scotty, I need phasers now!
Scotty: Okay.
Kirk: What? No "I need more power!"?
Scotty: Nope.
Kirk: No "I cannot break the laws of physics!"?
Scotty: Nope. Hey, I said we had phasers and we do. So use 'em already.
Kirk: (sigh) No respect for drama....

Ah, the lost of art of defying expectations. I'd have thrown in one last "no respect at all" just for some random Dangerfield.

Decker: (over the comm) "And he piled upon the whale's white hump, the sum of all the rage and hate felt by his whole race. If his chest had been a cannon, he would have shot his heart upon it."
Kirk: Herman Melville....
Decker: No, Patrick Stewart. Anyway, goodbye cruel world....
Shuttle: Ka-BOOM!

If you ask me, the only time Trek came close to matching this level of sheer Ahab-ness was Khan in the second movie.

Memory Alpha

* The first appearance of the new Main Engineering set. I don't recall the set changing all that much.
* Filmed in five days instead of six. While this episode may not qualify as a "bottle show", per se, it sure came close. Proof that you don't need tons of guest stars and special effects to make drama. *cough insert modern scifi show of your choice here cough*
* First appearance of Kirk's green wraparound tunic. Man, do I hate that thing.
* The Constellation was played by one of the early Enterprise plastic models. I assume that they used the 1966 version, I think that the one that I owned once upon a time was the 1989 version. Oh yes, once upon a time I had quite the collection of Star Trek model kits. You can ask about it if you're really interested, but that's not what this thread was for.
* This was Doohan's favorite episode. One reason he cites is the relative lack of technobabble, using more real science terms.
* Memory Alpha uses the term "planet killer" for the doomsday machine. More descriptive, less fun. Early reference works use "berserker", which I feel isn't very descriptive or indicative.

Memory Beta

* They use "doomsday machine", which I think is cooler even if it's not as precise. I'm not sure if I like the idea that the Preservers made it, I'd almost rather have it be an enemy of the T'Kon or something.

YouTube

* Decker's sacrifice.
* Kirk's last-second escape.
* A fan makes his own model of the damaged Constellation.
* A recreation of the episode with puppets and the original audio.

Nitpicker's Guide

* Phil criticizes how easily it was for Decker to steal a shuttlecraft. I must agree.

[Nate the Great]

I forgot to return to the "are there other doomsday machines" question. Several novels and comics introduced others, both more and less advanced than the one in this episode. Usually they were used against Borg due to the durability of their neutronium shells and the inability for anything to resist a pure antiproton beam.