The Galileo Seven (no relation to Blake's)
- Thread starter Qonundrum
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One should distinguish between tool-using and tool-making. Birds and fish using rocks to open shellfish is tool-use. Working stone into a point and wood into a straight shaft and then combining the two results into a weapon is tool-making. The first could denote sapience, the latter definitely does.
True--there was no malice in the crew's reactions.
Because the Phaser beams striking any surface had to be destructive, so the observing creatures would associate the beam with a threatening event. Of course, the creatures reacted to this would-be deterrent with anger and--as McCoy pointed out--did not respect the superior weapons, as they were not behaving rationally.
Grace Lee Whitney calls this one of her two "least favourite episodes". It was the fourteenth episode filmed after her thirteen-episode contract was not renewed. The name "Rand" had been scratched out for "Mears". Although Mears didn't get to do too much.
(Her other least favourite was "Dagger of the Mind". Supposedly an early draft had Rand in it, and the role was rewritten for Helen Noel. Grace had been hoping it would be a meaty part for her.)
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Here's an example of multi-part tool making and use in Crows:
https://www.sciencealert.com/crows-are-so-smart-they-can-make-compound-tools-out-of-multiple-parts
In order to get a food treat out of a puzzle box, a crow puts together a combination of sticks and straws to create a longer stick that will reach the treat.
Let's put tool use and sapience questions aside for the moment to ask the critical question:
Assume the giants *are* sapient. Or, better still, remove their alien characteristics from the whole equation by asking the same question of humans.
Imagine for the moment, that these aren't murderous, xenophobic aliens who you can't approach or communicate with, but a tribe of murderous, xenophobic humans who you can't approach or communicate with...
The tribe attacks without provocation and kills one of the crew.
Do the crew have the right to fight back?
Neither did Rand. There's very little difference between the Rand and Mears parts when you compare the first and last script drafts. In fact, I'm not sure why they kept the part in (of course, then the episode would have been called "The Galileo Six").
Yes, Rand was in the early drafts and she figured prominently. But, and contrary to what's bandied about the internet (and certain podcasts), the Rand part was rewritten for the new Noel character -- they simply didn't white-out the occurrences of Rand and write Noel over them.
Because writing the only female character out would take away from the story.
Trek's female yeoman were traditionally eye candy. Even the Writers' Guide for TOS and "Star Trek II" ("Phase II") suggest that.
Re "Dagger of the Mind":
I never said they did, and neither did Grace. I said "rewritten". Noel was a scientist and brought a different set of skills to the episode. Although she was also eye candy.
I looked at the third revision of the TOS guide and I don't see that suggested there. I see they suggested that the yeomen were lovely, but not "something superficially attractive to look at" as found in a typical definition of "eye candy." Here's an excerpt from the third revision guide: "Played by a succession of young actresses, always lovely. One such character has been well established in the first year, "YEOMAN JANICE RAND", played by the lovely Grace Lee Whitney. Whether Yeoman Rand or a new character provided by the writer, this female Yeoman serves Kirk as his combination Executive Secretary-Valet-Military Aide. As such, she is always capable, a highly professional career girl. As with all female Crewman aboard, during duty hours she is treated co-equal with males of the same rank, and the same level of efficient performance is expected..."
Don't know about the STII guide. Not the subject here.
YMMV.
Re "Dagger of the Mind":
I didn't say you or Grace did. I said the internet and certain podcasts.
Just out of curiosity:
What rank IS a Yeoman?
In the real world, Yeomen are enlisted.
Rand never did have a stripe on her sleeve.
Kind of puts another bullet in the foot of the old myth "Starfleet only has officers."
What rank IS a Yeoman?
In the real world, Yeomen are enlisted.
Rand never did have a stripe on her sleeve.
Kind of puts another bullet in the foot of the old myth "Starfleet only has officers."
Especially since Tina Lawton is identified as "yeoman third class" in "Charlie X."
In a STTMP production memo, it was made clear that Rand was a chief petty officer, so almost certainly a petty officer of some grade in TOS.
Wearing blue (sciences), I would put Yeoman Lawton as a Lab Technician in one of the fourteen science labs, or possibly an assistant (secretary) to one of the Scientists.
I'm not sure, but I believe "Yeoman" is a position, like navigator, or helmsman, not a rank.
So, she's probably working as a Yeoman in a lab, rather than a tech.
If I recall correctly, the lab techs were referred to as "Technician" as in "Geological Technician Fisher" from "The Enemy Within."
Technically it's a rating -- i.e., an occupation or job specialty. Yeomen in today's navy perform administrative and clerical work. They may hold the rank of Seaman Recruit all the way up to Master Chief, depending on length of service and experience.
And assuming that yeoman classes go down with rank, Lawton would be 2 steps below a first class yeoman, fitting with being said (by Rand) to be the same age as 17-year-old Charlie. Conversely, if yeaoman classes go up with rank, Lawton would already be two steps above a yeoman first class.
And a while ago this was discussed on a thread and someone said that in the US navy yeoman classes go up with rank and a yeoman third class is several steps above a new recruit.
"... a succession of young actresses, always lovely." Sounds like eye candy to me.
Neither did Ensign Chekov in TOS. The realisation that there seemed to be no visible distinction between Crewman and Ensign led to TMP's Alien Ensign (Billy Van Zandt) getting a single broken stripe on his sleeves.
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That's not a myth I've ever heard, and Cheif O'Brien would certainly be surprised to hear it.
Not sure, but I think it came from Franz Joseph's Starfleet stuff in the 1970s.
The crew was described as Officers and Ensigns (I think.)
As a fan of the original show, it makes no sense to me, but I've heard it from TNG fans (who seemed to feel rather militant about it.) But, these were the same people that argued Starfleet never ever had money, despite all the credits spent they talk about in TOS.
Ah, my people.
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