TOS Problem Solving

[The_Gorn]

Greetings fellow Trekkies,
I'm trying to categorize the ways that they solved the problem in each episode of TOS. For example, in The Changeling and The Ultimate Computer, they convinced the AI to self-destruct. In The Squire of Gothos and Catspaw, a higher being intervened on their behalf. The categories I have so far are the aforementioned, science/medical solution, just ride it out, fight it out/destroy something, brains over brawn and give an inspirational speech.

Any other categories? What episodes would you say fall into each of my proposed categories?

P.S. I'm putting together a presentation on the statistics of Star Trek including charts on how they solved problems, who had a love story, how many red shirts die, etc.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

How about self-sacrifice?

 

[The_Gorn]

How about self-sacrifice?

Like in Where No Man Has Gone Before or Return to Tomorrow? Or Patterns of Force?

 

[The Friendly Jewish Ghost]

. . . I'm trying to categorize the ways that they solved the problem in each episode of TOS. For example, in The Changeling and The Ultimate Computer, they convinced the AI to self-destruct.

Don't forget "Return of the Archons" and "I, Mudd." A total of four episodes in which Kirk talked a computer to death.

I would also add the category of deus ex machina. "Charlie X," "Shore Leave" and "The Squire of Gothos" fall into that category. In fact, the endings of "Charlie X" and "The Squire of Gothos" are virtually identical, except that "Charlie X" is more of a downer.

 

[Lord Garth]

One time, many years ago, I was having a particularly bad day with a computer that was really acting up. On a scale of 1 to 10, it was a 15 in terms how difficult the computer was being.

So, what did I do? I watched every episode where Kirk outsmarted the computer back-to-back-to-back. "Return of the Archons", "The Apple", "The Changeling", "I, Mudd", and "The Ultimate Computer" were all on my Watch List. Extremely cathartic. I hated my computer that day. Luckily, I managed to get it fixed.

 

[Uncle Sock]

The "Kirk bluff" would be a category on its own for me, as seen in The Corbomite Maneuver.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

@The_Gorn Or "Amok Time" and "The Enterprise Incident", where Kirk briefly "dies". If you're counting TWOK, Spock really dies.

 

[Etbj SMY]

Any other categories?

Forgive and forget: BY ANY OTHER NAME, THE CLOUD MINDERS, REQUIEM FOR METHUSELAH.....and probably six or seven others at least.

 

[The_Gorn]

Don't forget "Return of the Archons" and "I, Mudd." A total of four episodes in which Kirk talked a computer to death.

I would also add the category of deus ex machina. "Charlie X," "Shore Leave" and "The Squire of Gothos" fall into that category. In fact, the endings of "Charlie X" and "The Squire of Gothos" are virtually identical, except that "Charlie X" is more of a downer.

They really do have the same ending. "Apologies for my unruly all-powerful child."

 

[The_Gorn]

The "Kirk bluff" would be a category on its own for me, as seen in The Corbomite Maneuver.

Same for Let That Be Your Last Battlefield. Though that ending is also solved by just leaving them, similar to The Alternative Factor and Space Seed.

 

[The_Gorn]

Forgive and forget: BY ANY OTHER NAME, THE CLOUD MINDERS, REQUIEM FOR METHUSELAH.....and probably six or seven others at least.

Yes, forgive and forget or maybe "reveal the true nature of something." That could go for And the Children Shall Lead.

 

[The Friendly Jewish Ghost]

I would also add the category of deus ex machina. "Charlie X," "Shore Leave" and "The Squire of Gothos" fall into that category.

I almost forgot "Errand of Mercy."

 

[Shawnster]

In The Squire of Gothos and Catspaw, a higher being intervened on their behalf

I don't recall a higher being saving the day in Catspaw.

 

[Just a Bill]

I don't recall a higher being saving the day in Catspaw.

If Korob is meant, that would seem more like Laura's proposed category of self-sacrifice.

 

[Shawnster]

Ohhh yeah! OK.

 

[Etbj SMY]

Try this TOS scenario. Let's imagine Sulu has TWO daughters now, and the second is now six. The first daughter from GENERATIONS is now engaged to an up-and-coming security chief who's uncommonly efficient and a strategic genius.

But......let's imagine both daughters are captured and confined separately in two far-apart galaxies, and the only possible way to spare both daughters from the Maddaf Ukkah* or whatever generic intergalactic menace is for Sulu and his future son-and-law to rescue them separately with no extra assistance from anyone. (The transporters are unavailable, and the men cannot team up.) Could Sulu make the Solomon-style decision on which daughter to rescue.....and if understandably not, what would the security chief decide here?

I suspect your verdict may agree with mine, but IDIC and such....



(*Sounds best when Picard says it.)

 

[johnnybear]

I don't recall a higher being saving the day in Catspaw.

Korob said that Sylvia had gone insane after experiencing human feelings and lusts but he too was allegedly destroyed but we did we see him and Sylvia withering away together into the dust. But no other help came from anywhere else...
JB

 

[Pauln6]

The woman seduced by Badboy of the week who later comes to her senses: WNMHGB, Space Seed, WMfA, Return to Tomorrow. That's why I like Miranda Jones so much. She was all like StFU.

 

[Etbj SMY]

The woman seduced by Badboy of the week who later comes to her senses: WNMHGB, Space Seed, WMfA, Return to Tomorrow. That's why I like Miranda Jones so much. She was all like StFU.

She let Kirk & McCoy prattle on about her alleged universal beauty superiority, despite Uhura being on board that week. I should know WTF WMfA's supposed to iniatilized, but it's been a long day. Did we ever have this issue before T2JD was orig-releas'd in '91?

 

[Pauln6]

She let Kirk & McCoy prattle on about her alleged universal beauty superiority, despite Uhura being on board that week. I should know WTF WMfA's supposed to iniatilized, but it's been a long day. Did we ever have this issue before T2JD was orig-releas'd in '91?

Who Mourns for Adonais. The W throws you off.

I think the meal in ITTINB was either like nails on a blackboard for Miranda Jones, worse for her as she was a psychologist AND a telepath, or she was just studying their behaviour a bit like a scientist examines chimp behaviour.

Kirk's examination of her motivations later on in the episode was astonishing. Did you make Spock forget to put his visor on? Wow. Man screws up. Other men blame the woman in the room.