Most inappropriate fade/stinger?

[Myasishchev]

It was brought up in the "How would you do TOS differently?" thread that a number of episodes end with horror, only to be succeeded by a scene with crazily inappropriate, if humorous dialogue and behavior.

Galileo 7 is a contender, but in my opinion the worst offender is Wolf In the Fold. In that episode, while Scotty's on shore leave with Kirk and McCoy, the Redjac energy creature/fear vampire possessed the engineer's body, forcing him to kill a dancer and then a fellow crew member, both women. For much of the episode, Scotty is unsure whether he's gone homicidally insane--and so is McCoy. He's scared to the edge of his wits. Even his best friends are beginning to suspect that he's faking, although they don't want to admit it.

Eventually, of course, they realize that the culprit is Redjac, a fear-feeding noncorporeal life form, which has found a rather permanent home in a Federation commissioner's body. In this shell, he kills the leader of the planet's wife. He is forced to abandon it later, and seizes control of the Enterprise life support systems, almost killing everyone aboard. However, they're able to flush him out, and he takes up residence again in the commissioner's body, which they chemically subdue.

They have a problem. Redjac is immortal and immune to physical force.

So they beam Redjac's innocent and incapacitated host, out into space, where presumably his corpse will drift forever, containing Redjac in a physical form from which he cannot quantum leap, or whatever it is he does.

Immediately after they've killed an innocent man, only hours after they've lost a crewwoman to another crewman's albeit mind-controlled hands, they decide to go back down to the planet and pick up some new chicks, hopefully not to eviscerate them this time. And they have a good laugh at Spock's expense.

W.T.F.

What are your most mind-assaultingly inappropriate endings to otherwise serious episodes?

 

[btflash]

They have a problem. Redjac is immortal and immune to physical force.

So they beam Redjac's innocent and incapacitated host, out into space, where presumably his corpse will drift forever, containing Redjac in a physical form from which he cannot quantum leap, or whatever it is he does.

Immediately after they've killed an innocent man,

umm, well he certainly was incapactated... he was dead! it wasn't like they were beaming a live person into space!

 

[IrritatingGameOfChess]

It was brought up in the "How would you do TOS differently?" thread that a number of episodes end with horror, only to be succeeded by a scene with crazily inappropriate, if humorous dialogue and behavior.

...

So they beam Redjac's innocent and incapacitated host, out into space, where presumably his corpse will drift forever, containing Redjac in a physical form from which he cannot quantum leap, or whatever it is he does.

...

What are your most mind-assaultingly inappropriate endings to otherwise serious episodes?

I think they DID establish that the body was dead and that Redjac was only animating it, but I take your point. While I enjoy the humorous interplay between the main characters, there are times when it was misplaced, and this episode definately was one.

"The Changeling" is another one, although not as big an offender. They don't break out in guffaws at the end, but Kirk does joke about Nomad...after the epsiode established that Nomad extinguished an entire populated star system, if I remember correctly.

You're right; sometimes it would have been better for a more reflective coda, as seen in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and "The Man Trap."

 

[Myasishchev]

^You're right, they did establish that. I missed that entirely.

By Any Other Name is kind of bad at the end too, when Kirk jovially extends the Federation's welcome to the guy who crushed the dessicated essence of one his crewmen in his hands, just to make a point.

 

[IrritatingGameOfChess]

^You're right, they did establish that. I missed that entirely.

By Any Other Name is kind of bad at the end too, when Kirk jovially extends the Federation's welcome to the guy who crushed the dessicated essence of one his crewmen in his hands, just to make a point.

Yes, that's another good example! The invaders are really brutal, to the point where killing someone horribly is a casual act. They aren't really held accountable for this at the end.

That episode suffers from a shift about mid-way through: it's threatening and violent and then suddenly becomes a more light hearted examination of the human condition. A more consistent tone would have done it wonders. The first half is filled with memorable moments though... it freaked me out as a kid!

 

[plynch]

Wow - I just wrote about this in the "lazy writing" thread. It's a lazy way to end a show. A post-Gene Coon chuckle scene.

I think Doomsday Machine ends with a chuckle scene.

Just watched Spectre of the Gun and it ends a bit reflectively about our overcoming our violence urge. Spock kind of shrugs and walks away. Better than the ol' gang yukking it up about something.

 

[Albertese]

One of the worst in my opinion is in "The Enemy Within." Evil Kirk attempts to rape Janice Rand and at the end of the episode Spock makes some suggestive remark to her to the effect of "the impostor did have some interesting qualities, wouldn't you say?" and gives her a little smirk.

Fortunately she seems to give him a "shut up you insufferable jackass" kind of look in reply. Go Rand!

 

[Basil]

It is a tasteless remark on Spock's part, though this was still in the earliest days, when he was supposed to be truly alien and, perhaps, lacking in the social graces. Recall Trelane's assessment of Spock's manners.

I find the first season to be less offensive overall in this regard, as the shows often seemed more sober than the action-packed, jokier seasons that followed.

 

[cooleddie74]

I know someone else already mentioned this gem...but Spock's comments to Janice Rand at the very end of "The Enemy Within." The duplicate/animalistic Kirk RAPED her. And Spock not only smiles but says with a wry attitude "The impostor had some rather interesting qualities, did he not?"

LOW.

 

[Doomsday]

I think this critique is justified from an objective standpoint, oftentimes these jovial endings do seem a bit inappropriate based on what happens in the episode.

However, I think this is more a reflection of overall 60's era television story-telling. Most dramatic or action shores had these "happy" endings. In those days of TV, it was important to leave the viewing audience with the certainty that our heroes had arrived "home" safely, and everything was okay until next week's episode. The episodic nature of TV in those days(hardly any arc stories, or continuing threads like in DS9) made it important that each episode be truly "self standing" without any unresolved issues with the main cast.

This seems more jarring after watching more contemporary shows that end on dark notes, with main characters dealing with tough decisions and ramifications of what happens in episodes. And consequences continue to be felt in future episodes. I see this all the time in shows I watch now(or have watched over the last decade or so). I think of CSI, 24, Fringe, House, and earlier, X-files, and of course DS9 and even TNG to some degree.

So I don't really fault TOS specifically, as much as I fault 60's TV in general. You see this same thing in most of that era's drama/action shows.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

However, I think this is more a reflection of overall 60's era television story-telling.

Yep. Synopsize what happens to the TOS characters week after week and you wonder why they don't all suffer PTSD.

Roddenberry suggested in his novelization of ST:TMP, BTW, that Kirk did.

 

[IrritatingGameOfChess]

So I don't really fault TOS specifically, as much as I fault 60's TV in general. You see this same thing in most of that era's drama/action shows.

This is an excellent point, and to give TOS credit, you can see the show trying to break free of this in several of the earliest episodes. "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and "The Man Trap" leap to mind immediately - their final lines are reflective and rather downbeat. Then, of course, there's "City on the Edge of Forever!"

You are right, though; the trend towards putting on a big smile at the end was a sign of the times.

 

[Gary7]

By Any Other Name is kind of bad at the end too, when Kirk jovially extends the Federation's welcome to the guy who crushed the dessicated essence of one his crewmen in his hands, just to make a point.

Yes, that's another good example! The invaders are really brutal, to the point where killing someone horribly is a casual act. They aren't really held accountable for this at the end.

That episode suffers from a shift about mid-way through: it's threatening and violent and then suddenly becomes a more light hearted examination of the human condition. A more consistent tone would have done it wonders. The first half is filled with memorable moments though... it freaked me out as a kid!

It is a bit "disconnected" for Kirk to accept the murder of one of his crew and then behave like it never happened. The only plausible way I could see it happening would be for Rojan to have a lucid moment of sincere apology to Kirk and convince him that retrospectively he took much more drastic action than necessary. Of course, the way the series went, there was never any deliberate mourning for the loss of a crew member after the intensity of the conflict at hand has died down (unlike reality, where respect for the dead is given). But it's entertainment, after all. If we didn't "move on", the episodes would have been too grave and lost ratings.

Btw, that actress Barbara Bouchet who played Kelinda in By Any Other Name... stunning beauty from Czechslovakia. I wish she could have reappeared in another role. During the 60's, she also appeared on an episode of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Man from U.N.C.L.E. But after that she apparently got frustrated with the typecasting and moved to Italy where she became an a-list actor. She's still out there giving it her all.

 

[Sky]

Of course, the way the series went, there was never any deliberate mourning for the loss of a crew member after the intensity of the conflict at hand has died down (unlike reality, where respect for the dead is given).

Yeah. In Balance of Terror the crewmember who was getting married in the beginning of the episode ends up dying and Kirk comforts his fiancee, but that is one of the rare occasions when a death of a crewmember is really mourned.

 

[Gary7]

Yeah. In Balance of Terror the crewmember who was getting married in the beginning of the episode ends up dying and Kirk comforts his fiancee, but that is one of the rare occasions when a death of a crewmember is really mourned.

You're right... I forgot about that one. And there was one more... remember Bread and Circuses? McCoy tells Kirk "Captain, I see on your report Flavius was killed. I... I am sorry. I liked that huge sun worshiper." Not a crew member, but a mourning nonetheless.

 

[Tan Ru]

How many episodes ended in an actual "yuck-up" anyway? I'm guessing it's less than many people imagine. Kind of like the exaggeration of Kirk's womanizing and "Wesley saves the ship again" mythology.

I always saw the jovial moods on TOS as a release of stress, fear, anxiety etc. brought on by a malicious universe always trying to destroy our gallant crew. "Laughing at death" to disarm its crippling effect I suppose you could say..........

 

[Basil]

I think this critique is justified from an objective standpoint, oftentimes these jovial endings do seem a bit inappropriate based on what happens in the episode.

However, I think this is more a reflection of overall 60's era television story-telling. Most dramatic or action shores had these "happy" endings. In those days of TV, it was important to leave the viewing audience with the certainty that our heroes had arrived "home" safely, and everything was okay until next week's episode. The episodic nature of TV in those days(hardly any arc stories, or continuing threads like in DS9) made it important that each episode be truly "self standing" without any unresolved issues with the main cast.

This seems more jarring after watching more contemporary shows that end on dark notes, with main characters dealing with tough decisions and ramifications of what happens in episodes. And consequences continue to be felt in future episodes. I see this all the time in shows I watch now(or have watched over the last decade or so). I think of CSI, 24, Fringe, House, and earlier, X-files, and of course DS9 and even TNG to some degree.

So I don't really fault TOS specifically, as much as I fault 60's TV in general. You see this same thing in most of that era's drama/action shows.

I wouldn't count 24 or similar serialized programs since they don't really end but continue the same soap opera from episode to episode.

People's memories are also selective. Genre shows like Hawaii 5-0 frequently ended very soberly (and were significantly darker in tone), as did Adam-12, Combat, Rat Patrol, The Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, Dragnet, and even some of the earliest Lost in Space and Mission: Impossible! episodes. Sure, they sometimes used humor, too, as well as the reset button, but I don't know that the frequency of "happy" endings was so much greater today than before unless the shows were pure fantasy, like The Avengers, The Wild, Wild West, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, or The Man from UNCLE.

This clip of the Hawaii 5-0 pilot -- which features Star Trek sound effects! -- is a good example of the tone of early episodes, as menacing as anything I've seen of late: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jT601nhCUY&feature=related

I wish I could find clips of endings, such as the episode where McGarret's sister is being conned out of money by a quack cancer doctor (played by Joanne Linville), or the one where an Army sergeant is setting up men on rotation from Vietnam to marry prostitutes and then be killed for insurance money.

 

[Esteban]

I'd like to nominate a musical transition. In "Amok Time", at the end of Act IV, we have the "...for I have killed my Captain...and my friend" line, then the rest of the downbeat Spock theme as he beams up.

Cut to the Enterprise in orbit, with a real upbeat fanfare.

Always bothered me. Yes, the epilogue ends light, but at the beginning all we know is that Kirk is dead. So why the "off we go into the wild blue yonder" music?

Always bugged me.

 

[Ssosmcin]

For all of its faults and bashing, the third season had a good number of episodes with non-jokey endings. The Paradise Syndrome was a fantastically sad ending (again, until the "fanfare" but still), And the Children Shall Lead was bittersweet, Last Battlefield was downright depressing. The list goes on, but that year things got a little darker, which offset the silliness for me.

It really was the Gene Coon / Meredyth Lucas era that had most of the humorous endings. Even still, Adonais and Private Little War had to w very downbeat endings. I think the jokey endings only really stand out when they are inappropriate. The chuckle in Doomsday Machine is slight and not really bad (it's not even funny, just more a wry comment), but the jokes at the end of The Ultimate Computer was pretty inappropriate: I mean, jeez, the entire crew of the Excalibur was murdered just "minutes" before. Even though M5 was responsible, Kirk should have some residual feelings about his ship being "the instrument of their deaths."

But, again, this was the 60's and an "all's well" feeling at the end of an episode was there to give the audience some comfort. In the third season, as I said, there were ore downbeat endings, but this also may have reflected the changing times. Considering Frieberger's "happy endings" on Space:1999, going bleak doesn't seem his style.

 

[Classic Fan]

It was brought up in the "How would you do TOS differently?" thread that a number of episodes end with horror, only to be succeeded by a scene with crazily inappropriate, if humorous dialogue and behavior.

...

So they beam Redjac's innocent and incapacitated host, out into space, where presumably his corpse will drift forever, containing Redjac in a physical form from which he cannot quantum leap, or whatever it is he does.

...

What are your most mind-assaultingly inappropriate endings to otherwise serious episodes?

I think they DID establish that the body was dead and that Redjac was only animating it, but I take your point. While I enjoy the humorous interplay between the main characters, there are times when it was misplaced, and this episode definately was one.

"The Changeling" is another one, although not as big an offender. They don't break out in guffaws at the end, but Kirk does joke about Nomad...after the epsiode established that Nomad extinguished an entire populated star system, if I remember correctly.

You're right; sometimes it would have been better for a more reflective coda, as seen in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and "The Man Trap."

Ive just watched The Changeling over lunch on my day off. Its surprisng, the humour is, well, not in your face but its acted with a sincerity somwhat to the events. About Kirk, Spock and McCoy being the 'parents' of Nomad somewhat.

But in hindsight, Nomad had killed four security officers, killed Scotty and repaired the unit, the three or four officers in engineering (Dead or stunned you decide) wiped Uhuras "Knowledge" (Not entire memories as some fans seem to still think. She speaks Swahili still in sickbay with Christine, so its predominantly her knowledge) which is also baffling as by the end of the episode shes at college level already and the fact she was not sent to a specialist Starfleet/Federation rehabilitation unit somewhere for professional and supported re-education and instead stayed onboard the Enterprise for the next few years.