Star Trek TOS Re-Watch

[ZapBrannigan]

Allow me to re-post what I wrote about this last year:

Not that the Star Trek writers ever knew it, but "Court Martial" has turned out to have a fairly decent, real-world explanation for its computer glitch, which I have sussed out from working in a modern data center facility. The logic goes like this:

1) You can have tens of thousands of programs (called jobs) on a mainframe computer system. Each job does something that somebody wants done. Spock's chess program would be a job he runs on the mainframe.

2) Some of the standard, commonly used parts of those jobs ("parts" meaning frequently used blocks of code) are not duplicated tens of thousands of times; that would be stupid. For efficiency, they are packaged as mini-programs, called procedures, and stored in the procedure library.

3) When a job runs, it "calls" whichever of those standardized procedures it needs. The procedure library is a common resource available to all jobs.

4) When Finney messed with bridge surveillance video, he was creating a deep fake. He had to corrupt or disable some procedure code to get his forgery past the audit software that sniffs every job for unauthorized changes.

5) Spock's chess program called up a procedure whose code had been purposely corrupted by Finney. It kept playing chess, but at a degraded performance level.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Regarding Kirk's trial, Dale Sams wrote the following post in 2013, and it's a good one.
https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/some-court-martial-notes.200908/

To quote him at length:

First, some recusing matters. The prosecution is the defendant's ex-girlfirend/lover/whatever?? What the...TNG manages to avoid it in "The Measure of a Man", but here it's just crazy.

Even worse: The President of the Court has vowed to break the defendant, I can only assume he's appointed three other judges with the same ambition.

Now another matter, Sam Cogley. Kirk's only chance is a crazy lawyer who cross-examines no witnesses, has no objection to the prosecution's INSANE implications that Kirk acted out of malice. And when The President of the Court is starting to worry that this is looking TOO much like a railroad job....Cogley says, "I'd like to skip all this preliminary shit and get to the most damning piece of evidence...THAT APPARENTLY I HAVEN'T SEEN, AND HAVE NO DEFENSE FOR."

And afterwords, to Kirk: "Well, that was crazy. Did you see that?? That was crazy. Man. Computers don't lie. Did you know they were going to actually show that? Wow. I can get you to change your plea you know. Cause....shit...did you see that??? They have actual records and stuff man!!"

So finally when they reconvene, after calling one witness, entering no evidence, cross-examining no one. Cogley literally throws his hands up in the air. If it weren't for Spock, Kirk would be working as a cargo handler on the edge of the galaxy.

And when Spock does find something...

COGLEY: "I'd be delighted to rant and give a completly irrelevent to the case speech that sounded like Alec Baldwins closing debate remarks in the 30 Rock episode "There's No i in America"...."Hammurabai, The Constitution, Martian...I demand DEMAND!!"

 

[blssdwlf]

Wouldn't error messages or regular automatic security sweeps pop up, or would they be manually suspended pending investigation?

Or is Finney that good, albeit single-mindedly devoted to his plan, that he eliminates programming not likely to be scrutinized (except if you're outside-the-box-thinking-Spock) for a long time, to make his alterations for the frame up plot?

Given that Finney is one of the very select few that can modify the programming and memory of the ship's computer then he could easily have suppressed any error messages and cover his tracks.

When Finney was ordering the computer to deepfake the logs he might have had to delete some security programming that would've prevented tampering. That could have overlapped on some of Spock's recent chess training and when Finney put the safety programming back he didn't have Spock's training data. YMMV.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

He might have erased the latest system upgrade, which includes patching a glitch in the game program.

 

[Tango]

He might have erased the latest system upgrade, which includes patching a glitch in the game program.

Nice! Spock could have found the original bug in the chess program and knew that he should not have been able to exploit it any more.

 

[Commander Troi]

The Menagerie by Gene Roddenberry

Damn. Take the brilliance of The Cage and wrap around it a tale of "What the hell is Spock doing?"

Nimoy and Shatner are terrific, as is guest star Malachi Throne.

As someone pointed out upthread, we get the cast watching a movie of the previous cast. And yet, it's remarkably effective. The breaks in the trial even map out to the breaks in the episode.

The first half of Part I is pure framing. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy go to Starbase 11, supposedly on orders from Fleet Captain Pike, former commander of the Enterprise. But, unbeknownst to Kirk and McCoy, Pike was horribly injured a few months earlier and couldn't have sent a message, as he can no longer move or speak. Kirk trusts Spock implicitly. But we see Spock mucking about in the communications center, falsifying orders for the ship.

Quick side note: Kirk looks terrified when Piper mentions that Lieutenant Helen Johansson described him, then relieved when Piper says, "She merely mentioned she knew you, sir." Perhaps some of Kirk's rep as a ladies man starts here?

Anyway, Spock tricks McCoy on board to care for Pike and send the Enterprise off on a computer-controlled heading.

Kirk mentions the myth that Vulcans can't lie. Mendez opens the sealed record on Talos IV, the only planet that visiting or contacting brings a death sentence.

Kirk goes after his ship in a shuttlecraft, but is brought aboard when Spock realizes it will run out of fuel and be stranded. Spock then surrenders himself to McCoy.

A hearing is convened, and Spock waives his right to one. A court martial is then convened, with Pike as the 3rd command officer needed. No one can stop the ship or disengage the computer controls.

Quick math question: Spock says he served with Pike for "eleven years, four months, five days." However, he also says the events at Talos IV took place 13 years ago. Did Spock "take a break" either towards the end of Pike's command or the beginning of Kirk's?

At this point, we get the "movie" of The Cage, which we later discover is being sent by the Talosians. At the end, we find out Mendez was never there, but was sent the footage as well and suspends the penalty for visiting Talos IV in this instance. The entire "court martial" was to buy time: "It was thought the fiction of a court-martial would divert you from too soon regaining control of your vessel." Perhaps it was also to convince Kirk (and Mendez). And convince Pike too.

Pike chooses Talos IV and goes off to live (presumably) the rest of his life with the illusion of an uninjured body. Do he and Vina somehow have kids? It seems unlikely given his injuries, but we're not entirely sure of the technology of the Talosians, so I can't completely rule it out. Still, it's a remarkably sweet ending.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Quick math question: Spock says he served with Pike for "eleven years, four months, five days." However, he also says the events at Talos IV took place 13 years ago. Did Spock "take a break" either towards the end of Pike's command or the beginning of Kirk's?

Nope, it just means he served with Pike for 11 years, four months and five days. At the end of that time, Kirk took command. Which would mean he was serving under Kirk for over 2 years at this point in the series. Since we don't know how long it was before the Talos incident Spock joined the ship, it could be even more than that. The series never mentioned how long Kirk commanded the Enterprise or how long it had been since Pike was relieved.

 

[Warped9]

It ties in. WNMHGB does look like it takes place some time before the regular first season events of the “5-year mission.” And in WNMHGB it does look like Kirk and Spock are in the early stages of getting to know each other.

 

[Henoch]

My TOS timeline:
12/06/2253 Spock assigned to Enterprise under Pike. (Eleven years, four months, five days before Pike’s promotion.)
05/07/2255 The Cage (Thirteen years before The Menagerie, Part 1.)
04/11/2265 Pike promoted to Fleet Captain; Kirk takes over as Captain of Enterprise.
04/20/2265 Where No Man Has Gone Before.
09/01/2266 Start of Enterprise's 5YM under Kirk.
05/10/2268 The Menagerie, Part 1.

 

[blssdwlf]

My TOS timeline:
12/06/2253 Spock assigned to Enterprise under Pike. (Eleven years, four months, five days before Pike’s promotion.)
05/07/2255 The Cage (Thirteen years before The Menagerie, Part 1.)
04/11/2265 Pike promoted to Fleet Captain; Kirk takes over as Captain of Enterprise.
04/20/2265 Where No Man Has Gone Before.
09/01/2266 Start of Enterprise's 5YM under Kirk.
05/10/2268 The Menagerie, Part 1.

Didn't Spock spend some time on Earth 6 years prior to "This Side of Paradise"? Pike's crew could have been between missions or taking a long break after their years long mission before being reassigned back to the Enterprise or other ships.

 

[Henoch]

Didn't Spock spend some time on Earth 6 years prior to "This Side of Paradise"? Pike's crew could have been between missions or taking a long break after their years long mission before being reassigned back to the Enterprise or other ships.

Yes, I have Spock back on Earth starting around late 2261. Things that might have occurred:

• Enterprise laid up for ~1 year refit (Warp Nacelles refitted, Internals for crew size increase to 430 plus 14 science labs).
• Spock promoted to Lt. Commander and assigned as Chief Science Officer, still under Pike's command the whole time while they oversee the ship's refit or take some temporary ground assignment together.
• Enterprise leaves Earth Spacedock in late 2262.
• Spock last saw botanist Leila Kalomi ~6 years before This Side of Paradise (Stardate 3417.7 puts it Mid-Oct. 2268 in my timeline).

I doubt SNW will have extended ship refits, etc.

 

[Noname Given]

Quick math question: Spock says he served with Pike for "eleven years, four months, five days." However, he also says the events at Talos IV took place 13 years ago. Did Spock "take a break" either towards the end of Pike's command or the beginning of Kirk's?

OR one can infer that at the time this episode takes place Sock has now served under Kirk for 1 year, 7 months and 25 days.
^^^
The first time WE the audience see the 1701 and her captain and crew is NOT their first day of service together.

 

[Poltargyst]

My TOS timeline:
12/06/2253 Spock assigned to Enterprise under Pike. (Eleven years, four months, five days before Pike’s promotion.)
05/07/2255 The Cage (Thirteen years before The Menagerie, Part 1.)
04/11/2265 Pike promoted to Fleet Captain; Kirk takes over as Captain of Enterprise.
04/20/2265 Where No Man Has Gone Before.
09/01/2266 Start of Enterprise's 5YM under Kirk.
05/10/2268 The Menagerie, Part 1.

You have the exact days?

 

[Henoch]

You have the exact days?

Yep, based off primary assumptions:

• 1000 Stardates is one Earth year.
• Season 1 started in 2266 (300 year rule). I choose Sept. 1 as the start of the 5YM because Sept. was the start of the new Fall TV Season.
• Federation Stardate 1535 = Thanksgiving on 11/23/2266 (Charlie X) which back calculates 0000 on May 11, 2265.
• Prior to the Stardate reference start date, United Earth Stardate system was used with 0000 on Jan. 1, 2264.
• Kirk takes over from Pike in United Earth Stardate 1277.1 (WNMHGB tombstone) which is April 11, 2265.
• And I fudged things, too, like the plus/minus of the "13 years ago" statement in The Menagerie.

 

[Commander Troi]

Shore Leave by Theodore Sturgeon

I have fond memories of this one. Let's see how it holds up.

Pretty well, it turns out! I always loved the fact that the godlike intelligences behind this planet just wanted to play. It's such a nice change of pace.

We open on Kirk with a kink in his back. Everyone's been under stress and needs a rest. While scouting a planet as a possible place for shore leave, McCoy remarks "It's like something out of Alice in Wonderland," and then sees a big white rabbit in a waistcoat being followed by a little blonde girl. Thinking it's a hallucination, or at least a mystery, he calls Kirk down to the planet.

Kirk's yeoman, Barrows, is trying to get him to relax. McCoy is trying to get him to relax. Finally, Spock pulls a little trick on Kirk:

SPOCK: I picked this up from Doctor McCoy's log. We have a crewmember aboard who's showing signs of stress and fatigue. Reaction time down nine to twelve percent, associational reading norm minus three.
KIRK: That's much too low a rating.
SPOCK: He's becoming irritable and quarrelsome, yet he refuses to take rest and rehabilitation. Now, He has that right, but we've found
KIRK: A crewman's right ends where the safety of the ship begins. That man will go a shore on my orders. What's his name?
SPOCK: James Kirk. Enjoy yourself, Captain. It's an interesting planet. You'll find it quite pleasant. Very much like your Earth.

There are no animals, but other crew members start seeing tigers and birds. Sulu finds an old gun. The rabbit has left tracks that can be followed. Kirk eventually sees both a tormentor from the Academy and an old girlfriend from the same time period.

Eventually, Spock gets power readings from the surface and communications start to break down, as do phasers. When Barrow "finds" an outfit out of a production of Camelot, she changes into it and McCoy gets lanced by a knight on horseback and appears to die. Examining the "knight", he's made of the same stuff as the plant life.

So now we think the planet might be dangerous. Kirk fights his bully, Finnegan, managing to rip his shirt while laying on the ground. Spock beams down as communications are broken and now so is the transporter. Realizing thoughts become things here, Kirk orders his crew, "Don't talk. Don't breathe. Don't think. You're at attention. Concentrate on that and only that. Concentrate."

Finally, answers! A caretaker shows up and explains this planet is actually harmless and is meant as an amusement park. McCoy just up alive and well with 2 cabaret girls on his arms, which Barrow takes him away from (they go to Sulu and Spock).

This is such a fun episode! McCoy is fun to watch throughout and the one-off characters are engaging, especially Barrows. I know now about the constant re-writes behind the scenes, but couldn't really notice them in the finished product. It's a light-hearted, enjoyable story with a nice message: "The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play."

 

[Mytran]

Shore Leave by Theodore Sturgeon

I have fond memories of this one. Let's see how it holds up.

Pretty well, it turns out! I always loved the fact that the godlike intelligences behind this planet just wanted to play. It's such a nice change of pace.

We open on Kirk with a kink in his back. Everyone's been under stress and needs a rest. While scouting a planet as a possible place for shore leave, McCoy remarks "It's like something out of Alice in Wonderland," and then sees a big white rabbit in a waistcoat being followed by a little blonde girl. Thinking it's a hallucination, or at least a mystery, he calls Kirk down to the planet.

Kirk's yeoman, Barrows, is trying to get him to relax. McCoy is trying to get him to relax. Finally, Spock pulls a little trick on Kirk:

SPOCK: I picked this up from Doctor McCoy's log. We have a crewmember aboard who's showing signs of stress and fatigue. Reaction time down nine to twelve percent, associational reading norm minus three.
KIRK: That's much too low a rating.
SPOCK: He's becoming irritable and quarrelsome, yet he refuses to take rest and rehabilitation. Now, He has that right, but we've found
KIRK: A crewman's right ends where the safety of the ship begins. That man will go a shore on my orders. What's his name?
SPOCK: James Kirk. Enjoy yourself, Captain. It's an interesting planet. You'll find it quite pleasant. Very much like your Earth.

There are no animals, but other crew members start seeing tigers and birds. Sulu finds an old gun. The rabbit has left tracks that can be followed. Kirk eventually sees both a tormentor from the Academy and an old girlfriend from the same time period.

Eventually, Spock gets power readings from the surface and communications start to break down, as do phasers. When Barrow "finds" an outfit out of a production of Camelot, she changes into it and McCoy gets lanced by a knight on horseback and appears to die. Examining the "knight", he's made of the same stuff as the plant life.

So now we think the planet might be dangerous. Kirk fights his bully, Finnegan, managing to rip his shirt while laying on the ground. Spock beams down as communications are broken and now so is the transporter. Realizing thoughts become things here, Kirk orders his crew, "Don't talk. Don't breathe. Don't think. You're at attention. Concentrate on that and only that. Concentrate."

Finally, answers! A caretaker shows up and explains this planet is actually harmless and is meant as an amusement park. McCoy just up alive and well with 2 cabaret girls on his arms, which Barrow takes him away from (they go to Sulu and Spock).

This is such a fun episode! McCoy is fun to watch throughout and the one-off characters are engaging, especially Barrows. I know now about the constant re-writes behind the scenes, but couldn't really notice them in the finished product. It's a light-hearted, enjoyable story with a nice message: "The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play."

I'm glad you liked it. For me during my last rewatch it felt lacking. Not bad, just more rambling and unfocussed compared to the rest of Season One so far. The constant rewrites probably contributed towards this final state.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Kirk's yeoman, Barrows, is trying to get him to relax. McCoy is trying to get him to relax. Finally, Spock pulls a little trick on Kirk:

SPOCK: I picked this up from Doctor McCoy's log. We have a crewmember aboard who's showing signs of stress and fatigue. Reaction time down nine to twelve percent, associational reading norm minus three.
KIRK: That's much too low a rating.
SPOCK: He's becoming irritable and quarrelsome, yet he refuses to take rest and rehabilitation. Now, He has that right, but we've found
KIRK: A crewman's right ends where the safety of the ship begins. That man will go a shore on my orders. What's his name?
SPOCK: James Kirk. Enjoy yourself, Captain. It's an interesting planet. You'll find it quite pleasant. Very much like your Earth.

Reminds me of the prophet Nathan telling David about the man who sacrificed his neighbour's beloved pet ewe to feed an unexpected traveler. David finds the act contemptible, until Nathan tells him, "It's you!" (David having arranged Uriah the Hittite's death in battle to cover his sin against Bathsheba). With far greater consequences for David than Kirk, mind you.

Funny how some people can't see their own failings until they're pointed out in the form of an anonymous or hypothetical scenario.

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+12:1-10&version=ESV)

 

[Commander Troi]

The Squire of Gothos by Paul Schneider

William Campbell was far more over the top in my memory than in the actual episode. Until he gets *really* angry, he's only OTT with the "Women?!?" line. Otherwise, his performance starts fairly restrained and gradually goes further and further until the pretense of "General" Trelane is dropped and we see him as the little boy he actually is (which is beautifully done). A damn fine performance.

On a supply mission through a "star desert", a planet suddenly appears. Sulu, then Kirk, disappear. After an exhaustive search, a strange message is received. Let's be honest, how many of us have used "Greetings and felicitations?" Uhura manages to track the signal and a landing party beams down. They find a castle and, going inside, Kirk and Sulu, frozen (as well as a salt vampire from "The Man Trap"!).

General Trelane (retired) introduces himself and "unfreezes" Kirk and Sulu. He's been observing earth, but he doesn't realize he's been looking at 900 years in the past (due to distance) and thinks humans are warlike and conquering. Kirk introduces his crew, and Trelane makes assumptions based on crew last names (I love him bowing to Sulu and Sulu going, "Is he kidding?") It all seems fairly harmless until Kirk wants to leave - then Trelane sends him out into the toxic atmosphere of the planet for a minute.

Spock, being Spock, messes with the sensors and detects a small area of the planet that seems stable. He decides to beam up every life form in it. This gets the crew back, but not Trelane. McCoy says Trelane gives off no readings at all.

Trelane shows up on the bridge, very put out by his visitors being spirited away, and meets Spock. I adore Spock's line here:

TRELANE: And are its natives predatory?
SPOCK: Not generally. But there have been exceptions.

Trelane zaps the bridge crew back to Gothos, where a sumptuous feast has been laid out. Kirk introduces Uhura and Yeoman Teresa Ross - I'm surprised a little they didn't take the opportunity here to give Uhura a first name.

Spock again gets a terrific line, and Trelane's response is great too:

SPOCK: I object to you. I object to intellect without discipline. I object to power without constructive purpose.
TRELANE: Oh, Mister Spock, you do have one saving grace after all. You're ill-mannered.

Trelane gives Uhura the ability to play the harpsichord, and I must admit she looks like she's enjoying it. He dances with Ross and changes her outfit into period dress.

Sulu and McCoy have tasted the food and wine and they have no taste. Spock realizes that "Trelane knows all of the Earth forms, but none of the substance." He also realizes that Trelane never goes far from the big mirror by the harpsichord. They speculate that Trelane has a machine behind his "magic".

Kirk taunts Trelane to get into a duel. Trelane fires his pistol at the ceiling. Kirk fires into the mirror, disabling the machine behind it. This is when Trelane gets really angry. Kirk contacts the ship and everyone beams up.

As they try to speed away, the planet keeps getting in front of them. Kirk finally decides to beam down alone to face Trelane. Trelane is now made up as a judge and sentences Kirk to hang. He then realizes he "was angry. I actually experienced genuine rage. This experiment has been successful."

Seeing his opening, Kirk offers to let Trelane hunt him for sport, as long as he lets the ship go. The game of hide-and-seek begins and Kirk tries to tell the Enterprise to take off but can't get through. After fighting a bit, Trelane decides to go back on his promise and "fetch all the others back to play." Kirk gets angry and snaps Trelane's sword, causing Trelane to get really petulant. Kirk has an epiphany:

KIRK: In fact, you've got a lot to learn about everything, haven't you?

Mom and Dad show up (as flashes of light) and put a stop to things. Trelane is revealed as a bratty kid. His parents apologize to Kirk and Kirk goes back to the ship.

SPOCK: For the record, how do we describe him? Pure mentality? Force of intellect? Embodied energy? Superbeing? He must be classified, sir.
KIRK: God of war, Mister Spock.
SPOCK: I hardly find that fitting.
KIRK: Then a small boy, and a very naughty one at that.

I can see why a lot of people think Trelane and his parents are Q - there are definitely similarities! But does the fact Trelane needs a machine to augment his abilities make him something different than Q or just young and not fully developed? Also, Trelane's parents show none of the entitlement and haughtiness of the Q we see later. It's not like we meet a lot of godlike beings in TOS...

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

I'm surprised a little they didn't take the opportunity here to give Uhura a first name.

Was there ever any suggestion that she had no first name? Some people don't.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Was there ever any suggestion that she had no first name? Some people don't.

I totally support this. I never liked Nyota. I also don't like Pavel, but what can I do? It's established in the Orginal Series, and that's my jam.

I hate to say it, but giving full names to Scotty and Chekov, but not to Sulu and Uhura, makes GR seem very much like a man of his time. And I suspect he got "Sulu" by leafing through a Rand McNally atlas and lighting on the Sulu Sea. He should have let George pick a plausible Japanese name, and forget the reductionist idea that the character had to represent all "epicanthal fold" Asians, the way Spock represented all Vulcans.