Nancy Hedford's Fate, a Blessing or Curse?

[Mojochi]

The 1960s are "modern" to me... anyway, I do remember something I found off about it, and I might start agreeing with you next time I see it...

I surely have taken my perspective to some level of excess, because a lot of it falls into place once you begin scrutinizing it like that, but I would think anyone of our time, who understands some of the hurdles that women in tv & motion picture have faced, especially at times like the 60s, couldn't help but see a lot of those influences at play in this production, upon a rewatch. I don't even think an episode like this would've played well by even TNG's time. That's what I mean by modern perspective

 

[UnknownSample]

As I said, ever since the first showing, and I was watching in the 60s, I was uncomfortable with the sexism aspect I saw in it, which was that it seemed they were assuming women had to stop "being women" (a.k.a. concentrating on falling in love with men) if they wanted to have a career, going "unemotional". Number One being the most extreme case.
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One thing I hope people can find out through this board (as well as through Trek) is that there are multiple ways of looking at any situation, not just the perspectives most prevalent at any one time. We filter everything through our built-up world view and expectations. I keep shifting how I see scenes and episodes, and sometimes I start favoring a previous era's take on things for awhile. No era's perspective is totally right.

 

[T'Bonz]

Well the problem was, that the original series was made in the 1960s and that was the attitude towards women - still very paternalistic. One has to bear that in mind when watching episodes and NOT try to retrofit them (For example - Janice Lester's inability to become a captain in Turnabout Intruder was due to sexism and it literally drove her crazy - not the other way around where being bonkers prohibited her from becoming captain).

It's a good lesson for younger viewers; showing how women were once viewed. There were always exceptions to the rule of course. But even as a kid, I both saw the treatment and had it applied to me in a lesser way ("girls can't do (whatever." Me: "Why not?" Male: "(Absolutely no reason other than to be controlling/feel superior.")

It's vexing to see it, but it was what it was.

 

[Warped9]

Why could Kirk not have left food and medicine there? No real need for hand weapons. Cochrane seems to want to be alone before the merger and afterwards, so no need to leave a transceiver .
As was mentioned above, unlikely Kirk would check back at all.

Who says he (Kirk) didn't? There is nothing in the episode to say he didn't do such a thing.

 

[Ronald Held]

Who says he (Kirk) didn't? There is nothing in the episode to say he didn't do such a thing.

Kirk may had the best of intentions to check back with Cochrane, but if he as diligent as he was with Khan, I doubt it,. IMO unless there is something that really bothers him about a mission, he logs it and moves on to the next one.

 

[Warped9]

He had no obligation to check up on Khan.

 

[UnknownSample]

Well the problem was, that the original series was made in the 1960s and that was the attitude towards women - still very paternalistic. One has to bear that in mind when watching episodes and NOT try to retrofit them (For example - Janice Lester's inability to become a captain in Turnabout Intruder was due to sexism and it literally drove her crazy - not the other way around where being bonkers prohibited her from becoming captain).

It's a good lesson for younger viewers; showing how women were once viewed. There were always exceptions to the rule of course. But even as a kid, I both saw the treatment and had it applied to me in a lesser way ("girls can't do (whatever." Me: "Why not?" Male: "(Absolutely no reason other than to be controlling/feel superior.")

It's vexing to see it, but it was what it was.

And on the other hand, dedication to certain careers can be an escape from other aspects of life that one has difficulty with, like love or anything emotional. It could happen with men or women. None of this is as cut and dried as it might appear. There would have been much more of a tendency to have this happen with a woman, and there's probably some sexism at work here. However, this episode could play out "realistically" (given that we're talking about intelligent clouds) with no sexism necessarily being involved.

 

[Ronald Held]

He had no obligation to check up on Khan.

The same goes for Cochrane and Hedford, as she was officially declared dead.