I appreciate the term sophomoric being applied to my good self, gentle reader. It takes me back decades and tickled me no end. I also thank all others who contributed. Your level of detail is impressive. I surmise that the figure is maybe 3 with several other minor "interactions" (please note how I've sanitised the quest terminology). Only a couple of you touched on the issue of the prime directive and general misconduct. Maybe rules change by the 23rd C.
Kirk - Love Machine
- Thread starter dave4
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There seems to be misconduct though on any occasion. All women were willing and interested themselves. Although the slave in Bread and Circuses can be said not to have the freedom to decide, she seemed quite willing to execute her orders.
I doubt that Kirk did more with Edith Keeler than what was shown, that's suppositon on my part, but I don't see any indication of more than a courtship. And I've always guessed they were together at least a month.
I also note, maybe a coincidence, all of these "confirmed" times happen after Desilu has been sold to Paramount. Could that be from change of leadership? Harvey and the others that know things like that might say.
So I count 4, the three f14peter outlined, , and Deela in Wink of an Eye.
And then,
Ruth
Areel Shaw
Janet Wallace
Janice Lester
Carol Marcus
These all were before the series proper, but they all seemed to have been relationships, not what almost all definitions of "Womanizer" would be.
So no misconduct, and no Prime Directive involvement in any of them.
I doubt that Kirk did more with Edith Keeler than what was shown, that's suppositon on my part, but I don't see any indication of more than a courtship. And I've always guessed they were together at least a month.
I also note, maybe a coincidence, all of these "confirmed" times happen after Desilu has been sold to Paramount. Could that be from change of leadership? Harvey and the others that know things like that might say.
So I count 4, the three f14peter outlined, , and Deela in Wink of an Eye.
And then,
Ruth
Areel Shaw
Janet Wallace
Janice Lester
Carol Marcus
These all were before the series proper, but they all seemed to have been relationships, not what almost all definitions of "Womanizer" would be.
So no misconduct, and no Prime Directive involvement in any of them.
Glad you're not taking it to heart. The sophomoric stuff really flies around here when some of 'em get worked up.
Probably coincidence, maybe reflective on a change in the producer (from Roddenberry in S1, to Coon in S1-2, to Lucas in S2, to Freiberger in S3).
NBC were the ones with a standards and practices department keeping the show in check, and Jean Messerschmidt was the driving player there through the show's run.
But I can't speak definitively on this issue.
What are the ethics in that case? As a slave, can Drusilla give genuine consent?
Alternatively, on a planet where slavery is legal and regulated, should Kirk go along with it on the theory that he's being non-judgemental and multi-cultural?
The kid in me wants Kirk to be a swashbuckling space hero who makes it with Drusilla. But the other kid in me wants him to be an ethical hero of unblemished integrity. I have two kids in me. I should have that looked at.
What are the ethics in that case? As a slave, can Drusilla give genuine consent?
Alternatively, on a planet where slavery is legal and regulated, should Kirk go along with it on the theory that he's being non-judgemental and multi-cultural?
The kid in me wants Kirk to be a swashbuckling space hero who makes it with Drusilla. But the other kid in me wants him to be an ethical hero of unblemished integrity. I have two kids in me. I should have that looked at.
I too want him to have desired Drusilla but have stopped because he as you say an ethical hero. Thats the way I like to see the scene but I realise its open to interpretation.
Also Kirk sleeping with Deela could be interpreted as Kirk 'prostituting' himself for the Federation, for his ship, for his people.
I know say James Bond or Naplolean Solo would do these sort of things but those guys weren't really 'heroes' but ruthless badass spies.
I think she makes her desires clear when she says "Command me."
I think that's the case for a great many of us - and may well have something to do with our ages.
You, sir, have to learn to control your appetite.
BTW, thanks for answering that Harvey.
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Let's not forget Bread and Circuses, with Kirk being given a few more hours "as a man".
EDIT: never mind - CommishSleer beat me to it.
I'm surprised the name Helen Noel has not graced this thread. That's a yes as far as I'm concerned.
The episode makes it pretty clear he never made it with her. But she is my favorite of all ST women.
I'm not really keen on the amount of women Kirk goes through but I think the episode with Dr Noel shows something important about Kirk. That he doesn't lead women on. that he's not a cad. That's important for me to know about his character anyway.
I think Turnabout Intruder handles this nicely. Lester-as-Kirk preens and brags about having loved and left Lester, which, of course, is how she sees it. Since that's not the normal behavior of the man he knows, McCoy responds, "you must have been very young."
Not definitively. And if not, then the degree to which Kirk is flustered when he sees her is a puzzle.
Pretty definitive.
The bold part is what actually happened. The underlined part is Noel's fantasy version.Dagger of the Mind said:
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