Wolf in the Fold

[cooleddie74]

Now way, dude ... where'd you get that idea? I'm as straight as a goddamn arrow! And I love how Chekov was shitting a gold brick -- one of the few times a comedic approach actually worked for the character. Tamoon was the first transsexual character in STAR TREK, though, which I guess gives liberal trekkies and whatnot something to boast about.

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[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Does anyone here think that Wolf In The Fold would have made a good 2 part episode? I just thought that.

How would you have lengthened it? What B-story would you have added? Would Redjac have reproduced? Taken over Scotty and made him invincibly fly the Enterprise to Cygnet XIV (the female dominated planet) for a fear feeding frenzy? Both?

 

[UnknownSample]

So much rancor over an impression that Tamoon (had to Google) might seem a little mannish. Well, that was part of the joke, why Chekov wasn't thrilled. A bit rude as jokes go, but not all that mean. Any woman viewer who's like Tamoon, I could see her being hurt or mad.
-----------------
I appreciate the history relating to Hengist.

 

[1001001]

So much rancor over an impression that Tamoon (had to Google) might seem a little mannish. Well, that was part of the joke, why Chekov wasn't thrilled. A bit rude as jokes go, but not all that mean. Any woman viewer who's like Tamoon, I could see her being hurt or mad.

I said “I expect to hear no more of this.”

So...no more of this.

 

[UnknownSample]

Sorry, I missed that post.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Back on topic...maybe we could have had an opening scene where Scotty has his accident (or a bit more explanation), show McCoy treating him in sickbay's ER, then flash forward to when he's better enough to go out.

 

[Herbert]

It's like today's world though! An ambassador murders a woman in your country but your government is not allowed to try him for that crime due to diplomatic immunity and his country might be a good ally in dealing with less than friendly neighbours, Phase! Not good I know but that's how it works!
JB

Danny Glover had the solution to diplomatic immunity

 

[Lt. Tyler]

How would you have lengthened it? What B-story would you have added? Would Redjac have reproduced? Taken over Scotty and made him invincibly fly the Enterprise to Cygnet XIV (the female dominated planet) for a fear feeding frenzy? Both?

Maybe just lengthen the trial or have Scotty be found guilty for a while.

 

[Timo]

The thing is, nobody wanted to find out whodunnit. Not the heroes, as they feared Scotty dunnit. Not the beast, as it feasted on the fear of ambiguity and suspicion. Not the locals, who feared one of them dunnit, or, worse still, Scotty dunnit and walking away Scotty free due to being Starfleet.

And not the audience, which wasn't allowed to think Scotty dunnit and had nothing invested beyond that...

Stretching out detective fiction or courtroom drama when the issue of guilt isn't allowed to be dramatically interesting is gonna backfire. It only ever works if a hero comes under suspicion in the very cliffhanger bit, with the first part somehow keeping up our interest until then.

Sure, there was more story to "Wolf", and to "Court Martial", than was shown. But it was backstory. Would we really have wanted our extra 45 minutes of Star Trek to be another clip show like "The Menagerie", only now with "fresh" clips of bygone things?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Maybe just lengthen the trial or have Scotty be found guilty for a while.

Perhaps he's tried and sentenced to death, to be carried out quickly, but he escapes his imprisonment in order to stop another death.

Or they could have shown the actual death sentence in its early stages - slow torture as a method lends itself well to drama. What would it entail? How much can he be tortured before his friends can rescue him? While Scotty's being stretched or beaten, Kirk and co. race like mad to expose the true killer.

 

[Timo]

...Batmaaaaaan!

I can just see the 1960s-sensibilities torture cliffhanger with its colorful lights and mustache-twirling Argelians surrounded by goons in absurd uniforms. But Scotty would need a Batbelt for a DYI escape, as it doesn't seem likely our heroes could be of any help instantaneously after the opening credits of Pt II, and it would be a bit too much to have Scotty fry for hours, days or weeks as the daring detectives do their bit.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[johnnybear]

I've always wondered if Lieutenant Karen was any relation to Captain Ronald myself!
JB

 

[Phaser Two]

I've always wondered if Lieutenant Karen was any relation to Captain Ronald myself!
JB

Doubtful, JB! It's one of those Tracy v. Tracey situations!

 

[johnnybear]

Ooops! I thought they were both spelled the same, Phase!
JB

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

I can just see the 1960s-sensibilities torture cliffhanger with its colorful lights and mustache-twirling Argelians surrounded by goons in absurd uniforms. But Scotty would need a Batbelt for a DYI escape, as it doesn't seem likely our heroes could be of any help instantaneously after the opening credits of Pt II, and it would be a bit too much to have Scotty fry for hours, days or weeks as the daring detectives do their bit.

You'd have him incarcerated for a bit first, not just being killed all episode - maybe even get visited occasionally by his friends, request a last meal, etc. And it wouldn't be all goofy, but solemn. They don't take joy in killing him - it's the prescribed punishment for murder.

 

[johnnybear]

It's always been a bit vague as to whether Scotty did the murders when possessed by Redjac or as to perhaps Redjac killing Kara and Scotty being unable to see it or even move! Later on we know that Scotty didn't kill Jaris's wife, Sybo and said he felt the presence of something near to him!
JB

 

[MAGolding]

...Batmaaaaaan!

I can just see the 1960s-sensibilities torture cliffhanger with its colorful lights and mustache-twirling Argelians surrounded by goons in absurd uniforms. But Scotty would need a Batbelt for a DYI escape, as it doesn't seem likely our heroes could be of any help instantaneously after the opening credits of Pt II, and it would be a bit too much to have Scotty fry for hours, days or weeks as the daring detectives do their bit.

Timo Saloniemi

It wouldn't be the Argelians in the torture chamber. It would be some though outworlder or outworlders that they hired to do things no Argelian could or would do. Someone like Mr. Hengist, for example.

The thing is, nobody wanted to find out whodunnit. Not the heroes, as they feared Scotty dunnit. Not the beast, as it feasted on the fear of ambiguity and suspicion. Not the locals, who feared one of them dunnit, or, worse still, Scotty dunnit and walking away Scotty free due to being Starfleet.

And not the audience, which wasn't allowed to think Scotty dunnit and had nothing invested beyond that...

Stretching out detective fiction or courtroom drama when the issue of guilt isn't allowed to be dramatically interesting is gonna backfire. It only ever works if a hero comes under suspicion in the very cliffhanger bit, with the first part somehow keeping up our interest until then.

Sure, there was more story to "Wolf", and to "Court Martial", than was shown. But it was backstory. Would we really have wanted our extra 45 minutes of Star Trek to be another clip show like "The Menagerie", only now with "fresh" clips of bygone things?

Timo Saloniemi

Perhaps they could do a two parter in which the Jack the ripper entity didn't originate on Earth but came there from somewhere else centuries or millennia earlier. And now that it had discovered the sheepish Argelians it had sent a message calling all the other beings from its species scattered through space to come to Argelius to feast.

 

[Timo]

Well, the beast originating on Earth is unlikely in the case as presented, too. Its known modus operandi is to travel, after doing a very small number of killings and leaving the case open-ended for extra terror with fries. On Earth, too, it is only credited with a short killing spree, despite using methods applicable to all eras from early bronze age on; the recording of criminal history in the sort of vague detail used in Spock's search wouldn't really have started with Jack the Ripper, and the presence of the entity (if any) in the preceding thousand years of urbanization on Earth should have been unveiled in the search, too.

All the beast needs to travel is a lift from a space traveler. And Earth had plenty back then. All the better if the Earthlings themselves were unaware of those, as it would up the ante of secrecy and mystery and terror...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[johnnybear]

Unless Redjac came with aliens who were here to watch us or plan for our eventual fall and enslavement, then I'd say Redjac came from earth like us too! Spock's comments about the entity moving out into space with us would imply that to be the truth!
JB

 

[Phaser Two]

It's always been a bit vague as to whether Scotty did the murders when possessed by Redjac or as to perhaps Redjac killing Kara and Scotty being unable to see it or even move! Later on we know that Scotty didn't kill Jaris's wife, Sybo and said he felt the presence of something near to him!
JB

Scotty definitely didn't do it, JB! Pretty sure it was either Hengist (Kara and Lt. Tracy) and/or Redjac in incorporeal form (Sybo).