Peeling "The Apple"

Discussion in 'Star Trek - The Original & Animated Series' started by ZapBrannigan, Nov 5, 2013.

  1. T'Girl

    T'Girl Vice Admiral Admiral

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    It was likely dark humor, however a commanding officer can "fire" a subordinate officer by permanately releaving them of their duties and replacing they with a new officer.

    Scott would go into Starfleet's "labor pool,' and await a new assignment. Any prospective new commanding officer would take into account the he was releaved with prejudice from him last posting.

    Again probably just dark humor.


    :)
     
  2. scotpens

    scotpens Professional Geek Premium Member

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    Well, maybe it was just too subtle for me. :shrug:
     
  3. Melakon

    Melakon Admiral In Memoriam

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    Definitions of humor have changed a little bit over the last 50 years.
     
  4. LMFAOschwarz

    LMFAOschwarz Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Agreed. That "Jackson is dead" line at the end of Catspaw, to me at least, totally redeems a crazy episode. :lol:
     
  5. Grant

    Grant Commodore Commodore

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    Yeah but 2 episodes later Grant got no such respect! :scream:
     
  6. LMFAOschwarz

    LMFAOschwarz Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    That's true, but....Jackson had that great stunt fall that gave his life meaning. Yes, that's it.

    Grant didn't get it because....well, at the end a baby was born, and that symbolized new life in the shadow of death...oh wait, that was Star Trek II...
     
  7. Melakon

    Melakon Admiral In Memoriam

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    Of course Grant got respect!

    Translation: He was a stupid kid.
     
  8. LMFAOschwarz

    LMFAOschwarz Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    And in spite of that, Kirk brought him on a mission where a violation of hair-trigger cultural mores could've destroyed the mission!

    But far be it from me to call Kirk a stupid Captain! :)
     
  9. Melakon

    Melakon Admiral In Memoriam

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    Was Grant even at McCoy's pre-mission briefing? Maybe he didn't get the memo.
     
  10. Sir Rhosis

    Sir Rhosis Commodore Commodore

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    If I may... why not? No interest in the character of Landon; haven't found a suitable plot to plug the character into...?

    Sir Rhosis
     
  11. ZapBrannigan

    ZapBrannigan Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    The bit about Scotty being fired was pretty good gallows humor. It was clear that failure meant death anyway, so being fired would be trivial by comparison, and thus the joke.

    I'm sure James Doohan would have agreed that "The Apple" and "Friday's Child" were great episodes for Scotty. He got a lot of dialogue, and didn't get flung through the air for trying to help a girl, like he did in "The Changeling" and "Who Mourns for Adonais" and "The Lights of Zetar."

    Scotty gave up on women after that-- while he could still walk.
     
  12. AtoZ

    AtoZ Commander Red Shirt

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    I'd buy into that except it never came up once before over ever again after between Kirk and Scotty. I lean towards it being sloppy writing.
     
  13. LMFAOschwarz

    LMFAOschwarz Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    More to the point of sloppy writing, I'm less forgiving of the way (I think it's this episode) the way Scotty keeps talking about flies. "We couldna beam up a fly!" and later on, something about being like a fly on flypaper! :shrug:
     
  14. Maurice

    Maurice Snagglepussed Admiral

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    Methinks you guys don't really know what "sloppy writing" is if those are what you consider examples.
     
  15. Melakon

    Melakon Admiral In Memoriam

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    I still think "A Taste of Armageddon" was one of Scott's finest hours, when he basically told Ambassador Fox to shove it up his ass.
     
  16. scotpens

    scotpens Professional Geek Premium Member

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    Oh, I get the gallows-humor part. It just should have been written with a more military flavor, something like this deleted exchange between Cmdr. J.J. Adams and Lt. Jerry Farman in Forbidden Planet:

     
  17. MikeH92467

    MikeH92467 Admiral Admiral

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    Nah, I think it was in the Roman episode where he turned the lights out on the whole freakin' planet as a show of force and in spite of Kirk's "Condition Green" order of non-interference. Kirk was willing to sacrifice himself and his landing party to avoid compounding Merrick's mistake, but Scotty found a way to save the landing party and more than earned the commendation Kirk gave him. We all know Scotty never wanted to be a captain, but he showed right there that he had the brains and the balls for the job.
     
  18. Commishsleer

    Commishsleer Commodore Commodore

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    I thought Kirk threatened to fire him in one other episode. He certainly said to him once 'You've earnt your pay for the week'.
    Or was that Chekov? :lol:
     
  19. Metryq

    Metryq Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Chekov in "Who Mourns for Adonais?" I was going to mention that, but you beat me to it.
     
  20. Greg Cox

    Greg Cox Admiral Premium Member

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    And Kirk once teased Spock about dipping little girl's pigtails in inkwells. That's just how he talks. It's not to be taken literally.

    If Kirk says something like "You really pulled our fat out of the fire this time!", it's doesn't mean the Enterprise's supply of lard was literally in danger of combusting! :)

    It's just breezy, 60's-era banter . . ..