Bright spots in dreary episodes

Well, Eddie said it, not me.

 

Susan Oliver over Yvonne Craig any day as green skinned Orion animal women go!
JB

 

Yvonne's Orion Girl was markedly different from any other I've seen
But if we're measuring on a "hot" scale, I'd say the three Orion Girls from Enterprise win hands down.

 

But they're not TOS, Delta! Back in the eighties Susan Oliver's green skinned Orion slave girl was the only way to go! The BBC had banned Whom Gods Destroy so that was the only available episode with them and only if you'd have recorded the show off the TV!!!
JB

 

Susan Oliver's image as the Orion Girl was the definitive for many years, you are right about the BBC and the three banned episodes, so initially we didn't get to see Yvonne.
I liked the Craig version of the Orion Girl after seeing that episode, mainly because she was a bit different, and probably due to the mad dance that she performed.

 

Craig was a professional ballerina before becoming an actress (Ballet Russe de Monte-Calo).

 

Even as a kid, I noticed that Oliver's green skin was darker than Craig's lighter green. Either Orions have natural variations in skin pigmentation, or maybe they sun tan with exposure to the sun, after all, poor Marta was held inside out of the sun for a long time. I also thought Oliver's portrayal was more "animal" and sexually provocative, while Craig's portrayal was sort of silly and bumbling.

 

Oliver's Orion woman was meant to be an illusion to seduce Pike, not a real 'character'.

As for skin pigmentation, the "Cage" scenes also have non-green pigmented musicians (and in cut scenes serving girls and taskmasters) along with the green women.
http://startrekhistory.com/cagepage.html

 

Hm, dunno; I thought Craig was going for "psychotically unhinged," and she nailed it. I also think that Vina-as-Orion comes across more as you indicated because (IIRC) she never speaks.

 

It quotes: "VINA Wild! Green skin, glistening as if oiled." Oiled skin does show up darker and more defined as done by bodybuilders. Apparently, poor Marta wasn't able to get body oil in the penal colony.

 

Do we have any clarification that Marta was actually an Orion slave girl? I thought it was just more or less fan speculation? I like to think she was though!
JB

 

How about Majel Barrett in green, JB?

 

Marta was insane and homicidal, but did seem a lot more intelligent and civilized than Orion slave girls were described:

Possibly only the more primitive ones are sold as slaves, and Marta may have been one of the Orion free girls.

 

The bat shit crazy variety?
JB

 

My kind of woman

 

I'd guess, just like any species, that there are variations in skin tone and (gasp) behavior with Orion women.

 

Watched "Spock's Brain" today (first time in years).

The rearscreen projection used on the bridge was even niftier than I remembered:




Pity this effect wasn't used in subsequent episodes.

 

Yes, the shots where motion is actually shown on the viewscreen are cool!

 

In recent years I've seen the idea being spread around that Marta was not actually an Orion, but some other greenish species, since the word "Orion" was never actually spoken aloud in the episode. I still say she was an Orion.

Kor

 

Great call! It's one of the reasons why SB is not only not a bad episode for me, but easily ranks in my Top 40 or so (i.e., upper half - although I'd have to make out a complete list to be sure). The entire discussion on the bridge where Kirk asks for input from Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura is magnificently done. And that shot from the rear of the bridge is beautiful, not just because of the rear projection but because it gives us a nice view of the helm & navigation console, rarely seen from that perspective.