Macguffins in Trek

Discussion in 'General Trek Discussion' started by austen_pierce, Jul 11, 2014.

  1. austen_pierce

    austen_pierce Captain Captain

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    Hi everyone. We're talking about the Nexus in a thread and I was thinking about a poll on the greatest Macguffins in Trek movies. I'd like to turn this into a poll, but I'd like some seed ideas first. The Genesis device comes to mind. What do you think?
     
  2. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

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    Red matter!
     
  3. 2takesfrakes

    2takesfrakes Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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  4. Grendelsbayne

    Grendelsbayne Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Bajoran Orbs

    Morphogenic Matrix

    Q

    Section 31
     
  5. publiusr

    publiusr Admiral Admiral

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    Genesis Device.
     
  6. Lance

    Lance Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Spock's brain.
     
  7. GalaxyX

    GalaxyX Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    No, there's something worse than red matter:

    The fact that traveling at warp 10 turns you into a salamander.
     
  8. Greg Cox

    Greg Cox Admiral Premium Member

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    You win.
     
  9. GalaxyX

    GalaxyX Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Maybe I just don't see it, but what's wrong with Spock's Brain?

    I thought it was inline with the theme of most TOS episodes, and it had some gems in it:

    "Brain and brain!!!! what is brain?!?!"
    "Jim! it's so simple! A child could do it!"

    DeForest Kelley was awesome :lol:

    For a really horrid episode, try "Catspaw"
     
  10. Peach Wookiee

    Peach Wookiee Cuddly Mod of Doom Moderator

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    Spock's brain, Q, the Orbs and the morphogenic matrix didn't appear in the movies. Should I move this to GTD?
     
  11. Lance

    Lance Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Naw, I meant it literally, Spock's brain itself is a MacGuffin in the episode "Spock's Brain".

    Meta on so many levels! :D :D :D
     
  12. Commishsleer

    Commishsleer Commodore Commodore

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    I'm going to reject the idea of the Genesis device being a macguffin (even though I don't really know what a macguffin is).:lol:
    Terraforming a planet has been a concept used in quite a few science fiction movies - Alien, Blade Runner, Avatar, Total Recall (original). I gotta think the 'device' being able to have the power to transform an entire planet in minutes was done to keep the interest of the viewer.
     
  13. CorporalCaptain

    CorporalCaptain Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Sure!

    Lance already won the thread. :techman:

    Other candidates from TOS:

    - The (di)lithium crystals in "Mudd's Women"
    - The cloaking device in "The Enterprise Incident"
    - The zenite in "The Cloud Minders"
     
  14. Warped9

    Warped9 Admiral Admiral

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    Vger, and to some extent the Enterprise herself.

    The Genesis device

    Spock's Katra

    Whales

    God

    Valeris (as an unknown conspirator) and Chang's BoP
     
  15. CorporalCaptain

    CorporalCaptain Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I thought about naming the whales, but I think they are somewhat of an exception, because an integral part of TVH was the anti-whaling message. You can't have an anti-whaling message, if the nature of the whales is irrelevant. On every other level, though, I agree that they're a MacGuffin ....
     
  16. Maurice

    Maurice Snagglepussed Admiral

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  17. Serveaux

    Serveaux Fleet Admiral Premium Member

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    Sherman's Planet/the quadrotriticale in "The Trouble With Tribbles."

    The development project and grain are terribly, terribly important - except that they aren't, they're just an excuse to pull Kirk and the Enterprise crew into harmless comedic interactions with the bureaucrat, the Klingons and the tribbles and to keep them there.
     
  18. CorporalClegg

    CorporalClegg Admiral Admiral

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    If we limit it to just the films, than Genesis is really the only answer.

    The whales remain the main focus, or least drove the plot, throughout the entire second act.

    Red matter is really more of a magical hurtle. For one thing, it's never really sought. Nero already had it, and the heroes never tried to go after it.

    The other thing is both red matter and the whales (and katra for that matter) remain important to the main plot. OTOH, one could ostensibly take Genesis completely out of the film without altering the narrative much.

    Hell, I've made the argument that the TWOK would have been better for it. Khan goes to Regula not for Genesis, but to hurt Kirk's family like Kirk hurt his. But I digress.

    You do know what a MacGuffin is?
     
  19. Lance

    Lance Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I had forgotten. So in a manner of speaking, Spock's brain is a MacGuffin in both "Spock's Brain" and in "The Search For Spock"! ;)
     
  20. CorporalClegg

    CorporalClegg Admiral Admiral

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    Technically the Katra isn't the McGuffin since it isn't they thing they're after. They (Or Bones, rather) have it the whole time. So you could actually say Spock's body is the McGuffin. But "it" becomes the primary, driving character of the second and third acts.