Lt. Charlene Masters
- Thread starter EnsignTOS
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I liked her too.
TOS had a few potentially cool background characters that I would've loved to have seen again.
She was one. I also liked Lt. Radha and D'Amato from "That Which Survives", and Commodore Mendez from The Menagerie.
A lot of us like Kevin Riley, but at least he got two episodes.
TOS had a few potentially cool background characters that I would've loved to have seen again.
She was one. I also liked Lt. Radha and D'Amato from "That Which Survives", and Commodore Mendez from The Menagerie.
A lot of us like Kevin Riley, but at least he got two episodes.
I've been using Masters in the novels occasionally, usually when I need a engineer who isn't Scotty.
This led to a funny debate with a copyeditor, about what color her uniform should be. On TV, she had a blue uniform, but the copyeditor changed it to red because, well, she was in Engineering. I changed it back to blue because . . . well, that's what she was wearing in "The Alternative Factor."
This led to a funny debate with a copyeditor, about what color her uniform should be. On TV, she had a blue uniform, but the copyeditor changed it to red because, well, she was in Engineering. I changed it back to blue because . . . well, that's what she was wearing in "The Alternative Factor."
Haha! I was just mentioning that very issue on my other thread.
BTW, you write Star Trek novels? Cool!
A good character that was trapped in a lousy episode.
Ugh! "The Alternative Factor" was a decent concept, but the script and direction turned the finished product into a horrible ST episode. Maybe that's why Gerd Oswald was never asked to direct another ST after that.
The episode seemed to suggest she was a dilithium crystal specialist, maybe with a background in geology or some kind of physics, putting her in the science department under Spock, so I'm with you Greg, blue for the lovely Lt. Masters.
While I don't think it would have ever have been one of the great episodes, with a different director it could easily have moved up into the middle of the pack.
The script was okay (I would have made a very few changes to the dialog), and the main guest star (a last minute replacement) was okay when he was playing the "calm" Lazerus, but he was apparent required by the director to play the "maniac" Larzerus over the top.
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Still, it was the second-best Voyager episode the Original Series ever made.
Thank goodness they didn't use the original idea for Alternative Factor where Masters was seduced by Lazarus to give up the dilithium crystals or we probably wouldn't be remembering her as fondly.
Ahh, but it would have been one of the first interracial romances on TV (or the first?), and maybe the episode -- and the actress -- would have gone down in history.
As usual when threads come up about this topic, I always pose these two questions :
1. Who decided to make Coon cut this element of the plot out at the very last minute, leading to the disaster we ended up with?
2. Did Barrymore quit the Lararus role in protest?
1. Apparently they were worried about the reaction of southern broadcasters.
2. Barrymore just flaked. So no connection to the cut romance plot.
You've been reading too much Marc Cushman. There's just no evidence that Coon was forced to change the script or that Barrymore quit because the romance was dropped.
It's not totally implausible, but point out a primary source or even an after the fact interview substantiating his version and we'll talk.
It's not totally implausible, but point out a primary source or even an after the fact interview substantiating his version and we'll talk.
Fair enough. I don't disagree with you at all. Just two things bug me : Coon was no stranger to rewriting under pressure. His work here suggests it was a very, very last minute change, whatever caused it. Also, Barrymore has never given his side of things. Unfortunately we have seen Star Trek producers over the years make up nonsense about others ("Ellison made my Scotty deal drugs", for example).
I'd obviously like to know more about what went on here, but, till something more authoritative than Cushman turns up, there's not much to argue about.
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