This discussion reminds me of the scene in Crimson Tide where COB backs the XO against the CO because it's the right thing to do, even though he absolutely hates doing so.
Scotty in "The Galileo Seven"
- Thread starter JonnyQuest037
- Start date
Try "The Alternative Factor"...puts me to sleep in the middle of the day.
I LOVE that episode. On a nice Sunday afternoon. Home relaxing. Play the "The Alternative Factor". It seems so long how the episode plays out it is just as good as a Star Trek marathon.
You're right. Scotty was the consummate professional. He was less interested quarrelling and engaging in the politics of the situation (unlike McCoy and Boma). Scotty was a problem solver, not a shit stirrer, so to speak. And that was how he conducted himself in the episode.
In any case, this was one of the more entertaining and suspenseful episodes of TOS.
I'm sure that happened on some shore leave or another. Heck, I bet that's how the evening would've ended in "Wolf in the Fold" if the murders hadn't started. I believe that Scotty also says that he's seen the Captain drunk in "Turnabout Intruder."
Pretty much any episode of TOS works for me. The show is entertaining enough to engage my brain, and I've seen each episode enough times that I don't mind missing the endings.
I'd rather emphasize the "military man" angle. Boma was no doubt highly professional as well - but his profession as an astrophysicist of some sort was to argue. And especially argue with authority, indeed if possible fight the very existence of authority, because authority never did any good to astrophysics.
In a laboratory setting, Boma could and should be telling Spock the CSO is dead wrong on this issue or that, and getting angry if the Vulcan failed to satisfactorily explain himself. Trouble was, this was no lab, and the issues at hand were not in the field of astrophysics...
Timo Saloniemi
Scotty was definitely more important and imperative to the story. Draining the energy out of Phaser Pistol Batteries in order to re-energize the engines of the Shuttle was an idea that I don't think any of them (not even Spock) could have thought up.
He also discovered what Spock was doing near the end of the Episode before anyone else in the shuttle did.
I will agree that Scotty does not get no where near enough credit for his work on this episode than he should, but to be honest it is understandable to forget his involvement in this episode due to his limited dialogue and on screen presence throughout it, he was not really in the episode all that much despite being one of the most integral to the particular story, which is odd when you realize such a thing.
He also discovered what Spock was doing near the end of the Episode before anyone else in the shuttle did.
I will agree that Scotty does not get no where near enough credit for his work on this episode than he should, but to be honest it is understandable to forget his involvement in this episode due to his limited dialogue and on screen presence throughout it, he was not really in the episode all that much despite being one of the most integral to the particular story, which is odd when you realize such a thing.
I'm sure that happened on some shore leave or another. Heck, I bet that's how the evening would've ended in "Wolf in the Fold" if the murders hadn't started. I believe that Scotty also says that he's seen the Captain drunk in "Turnabout Intruder."
Pretty much any episode of TOS works for me. The show is entertaining enough to engage my brain, and I've seen each episode enough times that I don't mind missing the endings.
My favorite part of "Spock's Brain" was the ending and the fact that it was over....
I understand your contention, but what struck me as well was the fact that Boma seemed to characterize Spock in a way that was atavistic to a degree, as if his familiarity with Vulcans and their behavior was something he was only them becoming aware of, not prejudiced as such, but just seeing them as strange, foreign, and unfathomable. Among the crew, the only example I can readily think of off the top with a similarly dated conception of Vulcans is Stiles, who while clearly holding a strong bias towards Spock, had some other dynamics going on in the episode that likely accentuated his already established beliefs.
I agree with all the positive comments about Scotty.
I wonder if the episode was trying to say the crew, except for Scotty, was cracking due to the peril they faced, and Spock couldn't see that. They really come off as jerks though, not people reacting to fear by lashing out.
I wonder if the episode was trying to say the crew, except for Scotty, was cracking due to the peril they faced, and Spock couldn't see that. They really come off as jerks though, not people reacting to fear by lashing out.
Scotty has always been my favourite character in any Trek series and this is another example of why that is the case.
- He is the example for any one to follow in being the expert in their field, no matter what that field may be.
- He knows how to take orders and follow them ( See Doomsday Machine when Kirk orders him to beam back first, no long dramatic scene, he just follows orders).
- He knows how to give orders when in command (See Fridays Child, Bread and Circuses, A Taste of Armageddon).
Scotty is role model to follow.
- He is the example for any one to follow in being the expert in their field, no matter what that field may be.
- He knows how to take orders and follow them ( See Doomsday Machine when Kirk orders him to beam back first, no long dramatic scene, he just follows orders).
- He knows how to give orders when in command (See Fridays Child, Bread and Circuses, A Taste of Armageddon).
Scotty is role model to follow.
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That Scotty would have had no problem with the new high yield torpedoes from Into Darkness.
I love it in Mirror,Mirror when Kirk might have to stay behind and Scotty just says "Jim!" The only time he calls him that, but then a beat later, "Aye" and he's in place as ordered. That's one of my favorite parts of the episode.
My favorite Scotty moment is when he threatens to blow up the ship rather than let the Romulans board in "The Enterprise Incident". He wasn't in on the plan, but he played his part every bit as well as Kirk could have expected.
That's one of my favorite Scotty moments, too. All the more exceptional as that's literally the only time we ever see Scotty call Kirk by his first name.
Scott was a supporting character in most of TOS, and that character had a strange split-personality. Sometimes Scott was a calm, cool, pleasant professional who was obviously easy to get along with. ("The Galileo Seven", "The Corbomite Maneuver") Other times, Scott was a bit of a hot head, at times getting shrill. ("Who Mourns for Adonais?") Scott's third personality, which never made sense to me, was that of a drunk. "The Trouble with Tribbles" made sense, because everybody simply had too much to drink. But by TMP2, it seemed we were assuming that Scott regularly got into trouble. I never bought into that.
I always preferred his "Corbomite"/"Galileo" personality. He seemed to enjoy his work and had a disciplined personality. He was calm, cool and collected. And likable.
In "The Galileo Seven", both Kirk and Spock face command challenges. It looks to me like Spock was assigned this mission as part of some command test or requirement. Maybe this was the point when he was up for promotion to full commander. Kirk has to recover the missing shuttlecraft while trying to remain diplomatic with Ferris. Spock has to keep his expedition team alive and get his shuttlecraft back in order while maintaining the faith of his crew. Boma represented Spock's failure to earn the faith of his crew. Spock suffered a loss of confidence not because of Boma, but because of his failure in dealing with the indigenous creatures correctly. His ultra-logical mind could not understand the apes' state of mind and ward them off. Boma was the warning sign, much moreso than McCoy, that Spock had screwed up and was loosing the crew's confidence. Was Boma justified in his insubordination? No, but if Kirk wanted to dig into it once they were safely back aboard, he would've been obliged to examine Spock's conduct on Taurus II as well. Both Spock and Boma could've been in hot water for that.
As it turned out, both men probably were likely called in before the captain's review of the matter, the matter was set aside and the men were encouraged to do the same. Even if Spock had done the right thing, it was still possible that some or all of the expedition could have been lost on Taurus II. They laugh it all off in the end because they realized how lucky they were to make it back alive.
"The Galileo Seven" was great because it showed the ultra-logical Spock struggling with a command situation he wasn't expecting and that his way of thinking did not allow for. So Spock grew as a character by facing his failures and learning from them (but stubbornly not admitting to them). Commissioner Ferris forces Kirk to face the music for sending ship's personnel into harm's way, delaying the Makus III delivery mission. The clash between Kirk and Ferris isn't just a clash of personalities, it's a clash of philosophies. Kirk must send crewmembers into hazardous situations regularly, in the name of duty, science and security. For him, the Murasaki 312 mission is part of Starfleet's job. For Ferris, it is a ridiculous risk of lives and a waste of time. Both Kirk and Spock are forced to eat a slice of humble pie, while their respective crews are forced to concentrate on their jobs to remedy this disaster. Scott comes in here very nicely. (So do Uhura, Sulu and Kelowitz)
Whether it was a deliberate decision or an accident, this was one of the first big examples of STAR TREK becoming an ensemble show, not just "starring William Shatner".
I always preferred his "Corbomite"/"Galileo" personality. He seemed to enjoy his work and had a disciplined personality. He was calm, cool and collected. And likable.
In "The Galileo Seven", both Kirk and Spock face command challenges. It looks to me like Spock was assigned this mission as part of some command test or requirement. Maybe this was the point when he was up for promotion to full commander. Kirk has to recover the missing shuttlecraft while trying to remain diplomatic with Ferris. Spock has to keep his expedition team alive and get his shuttlecraft back in order while maintaining the faith of his crew. Boma represented Spock's failure to earn the faith of his crew. Spock suffered a loss of confidence not because of Boma, but because of his failure in dealing with the indigenous creatures correctly. His ultra-logical mind could not understand the apes' state of mind and ward them off. Boma was the warning sign, much moreso than McCoy, that Spock had screwed up and was loosing the crew's confidence. Was Boma justified in his insubordination? No, but if Kirk wanted to dig into it once they were safely back aboard, he would've been obliged to examine Spock's conduct on Taurus II as well. Both Spock and Boma could've been in hot water for that.
As it turned out, both men probably were likely called in before the captain's review of the matter, the matter was set aside and the men were encouraged to do the same. Even if Spock had done the right thing, it was still possible that some or all of the expedition could have been lost on Taurus II. They laugh it all off in the end because they realized how lucky they were to make it back alive.
"The Galileo Seven" was great because it showed the ultra-logical Spock struggling with a command situation he wasn't expecting and that his way of thinking did not allow for. So Spock grew as a character by facing his failures and learning from them (but stubbornly not admitting to them). Commissioner Ferris forces Kirk to face the music for sending ship's personnel into harm's way, delaying the Makus III delivery mission. The clash between Kirk and Ferris isn't just a clash of personalities, it's a clash of philosophies. Kirk must send crewmembers into hazardous situations regularly, in the name of duty, science and security. For him, the Murasaki 312 mission is part of Starfleet's job. For Ferris, it is a ridiculous risk of lives and a waste of time. Both Kirk and Spock are forced to eat a slice of humble pie, while their respective crews are forced to concentrate on their jobs to remedy this disaster. Scott comes in here very nicely. (So do Uhura, Sulu and Kelowitz)
Whether it was a deliberate decision or an accident, this was one of the first big examples of STAR TREK becoming an ensemble show, not just "starring William Shatner".
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..But the writers were clever enough to make it a rendezvous leading into eventual delivery, rather than a straightforward delivery mission. Hence Kirk did not delay or jeopardize anything - he merely used up his available margin in a responsible manner.
Spock, on the other hand, did jeopardize through a pair of errors: he expended manpower on unnecessary scouting errands, and held back the use of effective force (stun setting!) for naught. Both characters have their conflict with guest stars, but Kirk gets redeemed while Spock does not.
So there's a satisfying dramatic imbalance there, with the main hero emerging squeaky-clean after all while the sidekick takes the dramatic burden of erring. Yeah, it's "ensemble" of sorts, but not in a way that would shake the foundations of lead-sidekick drama.
Timo Saloniemi
One thing that always bothered me about this episode was Kirk's reaction at the end when he was told that the five passengers on the Galileo 7 were beamed over safely before the craft burned up. I understand relief and a hint of happiness but I would think he would want to know if his closest friends are among the five still alive.
SULU: Whatever it was, Captain, it just burned up in the atmosphere.
UHURA: Captain, transporter room just beamed up five persons. Alive and well.
KIRK: Mister Sulu, proceed on course to Makus Three. Ahead warp factor one.
SULU: Aye, aye, sir. Warp factor one.
SULU: Whatever it was, Captain, it just burned up in the atmosphere.
UHURA: Captain, transporter room just beamed up five persons. Alive and well.
KIRK: Mister Sulu, proceed on course to Makus Three. Ahead warp factor one.
SULU: Aye, aye, sir. Warp factor one.
Perhaps if you consider the philosophy of duty before personal privilege, you'll have your answer. Kirk will find out soon enough. And I suspect the writers of the time, having come from an era of world wars and military service, are making exactly that point about Kirk.
However, writing like this is abhorrent:
PICARD: What is it, Number One? What are you seeing?
RIKER: Trouble.
The consequences of coy responses like that to a superior in a mission situation should be demotion, at least. And when that mission results in the death of the Chief of Security, it just might come up in the review.
However, writing like this is abhorrent:
PICARD: What is it, Number One? What are you seeing?
RIKER: Trouble.
The consequences of coy responses like that to a superior in a mission situation should be demotion, at least. And when that mission results in the death of the Chief of Security, it just might come up in the review.
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It's difficult to rationalize away that one all right...
- Kirk isn't in a real hurry to get underway, so he can't plausibly have placed the distant future vagaries of the infected folks over the immediate fate of his friends - or could he? (Perhaps he was gambling on doing warp ten all the way when deciding on his deadline for departure, and now he'd have to only do warp nine and perhaps not die in a warp core explosion after all.)
- Kirk can't have misheard that seven would have been saved - or could he? (Moment of tension and all.)
- Kirk can't have obtained more information than conveyed by Uhura's words - or could he? (A display screen on the armrest, perhaps - the labels for the buttons are known to change automagically, so they could convey text messages as well.)
- He can't have learned of the adventures of the survivors, and the two casualties already suffered, from a databurst sent earlier when we were looking the other way, because then he'd at least know Taurus II was the right planet - or could he? (Such a transmission might have been rendered untraceable by the quasarlet effect, nevertheless conveying the casualty information.)
In any case, as far as plot details (justly) overlooked by the writer go, this one competes neck to neck with the "how exactly was the shuttle broken and what was fixed and how?" thing - it's inexcusably garbled in-universe, but it's difficult to see why the writer or the director should have cared more in Desilu terms.
Timo Saloniemi
- Kirk isn't in a real hurry to get underway, so he can't plausibly have placed the distant future vagaries of the infected folks over the immediate fate of his friends - or could he? (Perhaps he was gambling on doing warp ten all the way when deciding on his deadline for departure, and now he'd have to only do warp nine and perhaps not die in a warp core explosion after all.)
- Kirk can't have misheard that seven would have been saved - or could he? (Moment of tension and all.)
- Kirk can't have obtained more information than conveyed by Uhura's words - or could he? (A display screen on the armrest, perhaps - the labels for the buttons are known to change automagically, so they could convey text messages as well.)
- He can't have learned of the adventures of the survivors, and the two casualties already suffered, from a databurst sent earlier when we were looking the other way, because then he'd at least know Taurus II was the right planet - or could he? (Such a transmission might have been rendered untraceable by the quasarlet effect, nevertheless conveying the casualty information.)
In any case, as far as plot details (justly) overlooked by the writer go, this one competes neck to neck with the "how exactly was the shuttle broken and what was fixed and how?" thing - it's inexcusably garbled in-universe, but it's difficult to see why the writer or the director should have cared more in Desilu terms.
Timo Saloniemi
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