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TVSins: Everything Wrong With "The Man Trap"

TAS "Yesteryear" was happy with showing a giant orb on the Vulcan sky (both day and night!), so the possible gap in continuity sits there...

...Although interpreting that heavenly phenomenon from TAS as a "moon" would really stretch the astronomical definition.

Timo Saloniemi
It's Vulcan's twin "Delta Vega"/T'Kut
 
So this is not particularly related to the discussion, but I just bought the Man Trap salt and pepper shakers at an estate sale for a dollar and I'm super excited about it.
You mean this salt dispenser:
28465b2979d442d14c5893009dc80437.jpg

or this one?
themantrap115.jpg
 
If you meant the whole of her dialogue, then that's that. The anecdote I saw was probably that she surprised Nimoy with her second bit: "No, you have an answer: I'm an illogical woman..." and she spins this unscripted banter and winds up at a full moon on Vulcan. And Nimoy supposedly played along and ad libbed that Vulcan has no moon.

But if that was her doing, then she was discouraged from getting playful as the series went on. They didn't want risk Star Trek turning into Julia. Shatner and Nimoy would both have been threatened by that. The example of Jonathan Harris on Lost in Space looms large.

The "no moon" line gives us a problem when TMP comes along, but that's the movie era for you. Continuity was not a priority.

I'm convinced that the only thing Ms. Nichols made up was that idea that she made up any of this dialog.

I'll go with Harvey on this.
 
I'm convinced that the only thing Ms. Nichols made up was that idea that she made up any of this dialog.

I'll go with Harvey on this.

It might be time to conclude that Jonathan Harris was a rare exception on TV, to be making up so much of his dialogue that at times he was practically writing the part. I believe Harris on that, and director Sutton Roley kind of backs him up (Starlog #218, Sep '95), but it just wasn't the way TV normally worked.

As a rule I think almost none of TOS was actor-written, but Nimoy did inject the mind meld, neck pinch, and rabbincal salute to his part. Nichols, not so much. :bolian:
 
It might be time to conclude that Jonathan Harris was a rare exception on TV, to be making up so much of his dialogue that at times he was practically writing the part. I believe Harris on that, and director Sutton Roley kind of backs him up (Starlog #218, Sep '95), but it just wasn't the way TV normally worked.

The shooting scripts are all at UCLA, but no way I check this many episodes of Lost in Space without a big fact paycheck!

As a rule I think almost none of TOS was actor-written, but Nimoy did inject the mind meld, neck pinch, and rabbincal salute to his part. Nichols, not so much. :bolian:

The neck pinch resulted in a strong rebuke from Roddenberry. What part of the mind meld is Nimoy’s — I thought that was all scripted for “Dagger of the Mind”?
 
The neck pinch resulted in a strong rebuke from Roddenberry. What part of the mind meld is Nimoy’s — I thought that was all scripted for “Dagger of the Mind”?

I've never heard a word about the rebuke! That's news to me. Any detail would be welcome. :)

Re the mind meld, I could swear Nimoy has said in multiple interviews over the years that the interrogation in "Dagger" was written as a "long and boring" expository scene, and he suggested that Vulcans should have this special psychic ability. And then (I presume) the scene was re-written to use Nimoy's idea.

It's a continuity error with WNMHGB, in which Spock was not one of the ESPers, but it stuck and became a major part of Vulcan lore.
 
By definition, ESP ought to be "extra", outside the established. Spock's abilities are perfectly normal sensory perceptions for a Vulcan...

Pike twice emphasizing Spock's half-Vulcanness in his recommendation for Talos IV quarantine reveals he knew about the psychic sensitivity all right. :vulcan:

Timo Saloniemi
 
Not you, the other Delta Vega. The one with the monsters and snow.
That never made sense to me. Scotty thought Kirk was a supply run which means his comms completely failed to pick up the distress call from Vulcan. That said, he also failed to pick up a distress call on his own planet. Kirk should have been beamed to the base minutes after his arrival.
 
Good info, Harvey. :bolian:



If you meant the whole of her dialogue, then that's that. The anecdote I saw was probably that she surprised Nimoy with her second bit: "No, you have an answer: I'm an illogical woman..." and she spins this unscripted banter and winds up at a full moon on Vulcan. And Nimoy supposedly played along and ad libbed that Vulcan has no moon.

But if that was her doing, then she was discouraged from getting playful as the series went on. They didn't want risk Star Trek turning into Julia. Shatner and Nimoy would both have been threatened by that. The example of Jonathan Harris on Lost in Space looms large.

The "no moon" line gives us a problem when TMP comes along, but that's the movie era for you. Continuity was not a priority.

A Julia mention! With recurring (I think) roles played by Trek actors Paul Winfield (RIP :() and The Hammer, Fred Williamson. Nice grab, Zap.

That never made sense to me. Scotty thought Kirk was a supply run which means his comms completely failed to pick up the distress call from Vulcan. That said, he also failed to pick up a distress call on his own planet. Kirk should have been beamed to the base minutes after his arrival.

Yeah, honestly if I think too hard about either ST2009 or Into Darkness, I start to have bad reactions. Ironically Beyond, which the producers seemed to pay the least attention to, had arguably the most interesting and sensible plot.

Anyway, getting back on topic I've always admired Ms. Nichols greatly and wish I had the opportunity to meet her. But from this anecdote to the details about Dr. King to her (relatively minor) role in perpetuating the (just MHO) mostly unfair stuff about Shatner, I've always thought she might not have been the most reliable narrator. Maybe it's just me. Good stuff from Harvey in here as always.
 
Well we know that the ladies were vocal about the introduction of the mini skirts if nothing else.
 
Anyway, getting back on topic I've always admired Ms. Nichols greatly and wish I had the opportunity to meet her. But from this anecdote to the details about Dr. King to her (relatively minor) role in perpetuating the (just MHO) mostly unfair stuff about Shatner, I've always thought she might not have been the most reliable narrator. Maybe it's just me.
It's not just you.

The more you dig into her MLK stories and those related to her planning to leave the show the inconsistencies become more obvious. I have a theory about what may have actually happened, but @Harvey and I are still doing research.
 
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