Yeoman Rand & Production order

[EnriqueH]

Been watching TOS since I was in kindergarten. (I was in kindgarten in 1980).

And I *finally* started watching them in production order. WOW!

I love watching them in production order. I just finished "Squire of Gothos". It's great fun to watch the development and the consistency in navigators before the navigator "transfer out".

But the main reason for writing this is that, for the first time, it's pretty obvious they didn't know what they were doing with Yeoman Rand.

But I'm so grateful for Miri.

It wasn't one of my favorite episodes from Season 1, but I thought Grace Lee Whitney was amazing in this. She had her moments here and there throughout the first season, but I thought Miri did the best job showcasing her potential.

Whitney did a great job IMO. From now on, whenever I think of this episode, I'm going to remember her sincere performance. I loved the way she exuded concern for the Onlies. Because she was a mom in real life, she was probably able to tap into that as an actress and it really shows through on her face.

And then after having her best episode, they take her away from the show!

This is one of those things that really stand out when you watch in production order.

But by far, the coolest thing is the growth of the characters, especially Spock.

 

[Melakon]

I think one thing that helped with Whitney is she was over thirty, unlike many of her yeoman replacements. She was about a year older than Shatner and Nimoy, and she does bring an adult's maturity to the character. Some of her smart mouth talk to other crewmen in "The Man Trap" is more nuanced than it would have been with a twenty-ish actress.

 

[EnriqueH]

Could be right.

What a shame they didn't keep her as an occasional guest star. I liked the Dr. Noel character and the actress they got for Dagger of the Mind, but I also wish Rand had another "big episode."

None of the Enterprise female main characters were particularly well developed, but I'm glad they had their moments throughout the show.

I know Majel got a bum rap because she was the boss' girl, but I liked her performance in "What Are Little Girls..."

 

[Lance]

The great thing about Rand in "Miri" is that she isn't just used as her regular Romantic Plot Tumor with Kirk -- no, this episode showcases her professional side. When they land on the planet and meet the inhabitants for the first time, she's right there with Kirk working to gain Miri's trust.

I thought she was quite well served in other instances too though. "Charlie X" is another one which used her character very effectively.

 

[EnriqueH]

The great thing about Rand in "Miri" is that she isn't just used as her regular Romantic Plot Tumor with Kirk -- no, this episode showcases her professional side. When they land on the planet and meet the inhabitants for the first time, she's right there with Kirk working to gain Miri's trust.

I thought she was quite well served in other instances too though. "Charlie X" is another one which used her character very effectively.

Yeah, you nailed it right there.

Not only was Grace Lee Whitney great in the episode, as I mentioned, but the character was given the chance to participate in the mission. Good acting + good writing for the character.

I just saw Shore Leave again (one of my favorite episodes) and, as much as I liked Yeoman Barrows, it would've been cool for that to have been Rand. Particularly the early scene with Kirk and the yeoman looking around, talking shop like friends.

 

[Christopher]

I think one thing that helped with Whitney is she was over thirty, unlike many of her yeoman replacements. She was about a year older than Shatner and Nimoy, and she does bring an adult's maturity to the character. Some of her smart mouth talk to other crewmen in "The Man Trap" is more nuanced than it would have been with a twenty-ish actress.

Which was why it was so bizarre that when Vonda N. McIntyre used Rand in Enterprise: The First Adventure (which was set maybe 3 or so years before the first season), she portrayed Rand as a 16-year-old passing for 18 or 19. What could have ever given her the impression that Rand was so young, especially when "Charlie X" made a point of portraying her as an older woman out of Charlie's league?

The great thing about Rand in "Miri" is that she isn't just used as her regular Romantic Plot Tumor with Kirk -- no, this episode showcases her professional side. When they land on the planet and meet the inhabitants for the first time, she's right there with Kirk working to gain Miri's trust.

But then the episode goes and scuttles that with the "Look at my legs" scene, which is just embarrassing.

 

[TheAdmiralty]

The Rand-Kirk relationship was one of the most underutilized aspects of TOS in my opinion. She could have easily fit in with the rest of the main cast had she stuck around.

I also much prefer production order, for the reasons you listed. The character development over the first 10-15 episodes is great to watch.

 

[LordMudd]

Grace says it is her favorite episode not only for how much she is in it, but also because her 2 sons earned their SAG cards. They stole the communicators.

CCC.

 

[scotpens]

Grace says it is her favorite episode not only for how much she is in it, but also because her 2 sons earned their SAG cards.

Three of the "Onlies" were played by Lisabeth Shatner, Melanie Shatner and Dawn Roddenberry. This could be called "The Nepotism Episode."

 

[Melakon]

Mission: Impossible's Greg Morris has his two kids in there too.

 

[Commishsleer]

But then the episode goes and scuttles that with the "Look at my legs" scene, which is just embarrassing.

None of this was Whitney's fault as an actress. The writers or rewriters of the script were giving Rand and Uhura and Chapel these "Captain save me ..." lines.

I think it would have been better if she and Shatner had played the scene with even more irony so acknowledging that Rand had a crush but she could move on.
But GR and others for some reason had decided that Rand and Chapel were to have hopeless crushes on the two male leads.

Although I agree with some of the other posters that Whitney gave her character more depth by her performance in 'Man Trap' and even in 'The Enemy Within'. Not so much in 'Miri' though IMO.

 

[Armored Saint]

I think one thing that helped with Whitney is she was over thirty, unlike many of her yeoman replacements. She was about a year older than Shatner and Nimoy, and she does bring an adult's maturity to the character. Some of her smart mouth talk to other crewmen in "The Man Trap" is more nuanced than it would have been with a twenty-ish actress.

Which was why it was so bizarre that when Vonda N. McIntyre used Rand in Enterprise: The First Adventure (which was set maybe 3 or so years before the first season), she portrayed Rand as a 16-year-old passing for 18 or 19. What could have ever given her the impression that Rand was so young, especially when "Charlie X" made a point of portraying her as an older woman out of Charlie's league?

Indeed, it would have made sense for Yeoman Colt, but Rand didn't look that young neither by her appearance nor her attitude. I read her cameo in The Conscience of the King as a "Who's that younger girl?", not as a "Hey, a girl of my age".

If we see Captain Kirk as the dad of a big familly, the potential mom can't be the daughter in college.

 

[LordMudd]

But then the episode goes and scuttles that with the "Look at my legs" scene, which is just embarrassing.

None of this was Whitney's fault as an actress. The writers or rewriters of the script were giving Rand and Uhura and Chapel these "Captain save me ..." lines.

I think it would have been better if she and Shatner had played the scene with even more irony so acknowledging that Rand had a crush but she could move on.
But GR and others for some reason had decided that Rand and Chapel were to have hopeless crushes on the two male leads.

Although I agree with some of the other posters that Whitney gave her character more depth by her performance in 'Man Trap' and even in 'The Enemy Within'. Not so much in 'Miri' though IMO.

We think it is strange today, but back then they had very few examples of SciFi to build on and fewer examples of strong women, much less strong women in SciFi. Star Wars and Alien broke new ground there, allowing for stronger roles in Trek, but back then it was all about having the sexy, helpless babe for the jock hero to save. Even in Buck Rogers you still see Gererd exhibiting the classic chauvinistic attitude Buck has always had in the face of Erin Gray's modernized Col. Deering.

I am also reminded of a contemporary political situation, Kennedy vs Nixon. Why did so many women vote for Kennedy instead of a female candidate in a country where women voters outnumbered men by almost 2 to 1, thus giving us something we still don't have, a female President?

Because he was sooooo sexy.

You see the attitudes of real life mirrored in the literature of a time.


CCC.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I am also reminded of a contemporary political situation, Kennedy vs Nixon. Why did so many women vote for Kennedy instead of a female candidate in a country where women voters outnumbered men by almost 2 to 1, thus giving us something we still don't have, a female President?

Was there a woman running?

According to Gallup more women voted for Nixon.

Kennedy

Men 52 %
Women 49%

Nixon

Men 48%
Women 51%

 

[Christopher]

We think it is strange today, but back then they had very few examples of SciFi to build on and fewer examples of strong women, much less strong women in SciFi.

On the contrary, there were a number of women in contemporary shows that came off as stronger and more action-oriented than the women in TOS were allowed to be. Emma Peel on The Avengers is the archetypal example, but there's also the title character of Honey West, Cinnamon Carter on Mission: Impossible, Batgirl on Batman, and Agent 99 on Get Smart.

I am also reminded of a contemporary political situation, Kennedy vs Nixon. Why did so many women vote for Kennedy instead of a female candidate in a country where women voters outnumbered men by almost 2 to 1, thus giving us something we still don't have, a female President?

Because he was sooooo sexy.

Err, isn't it actually because no woman was actually running for president that year? There have actually been surprisingly many women who've run for US president in the past 142 years, but there weren't any in 1960. So that's kind of a nonsensical assertion there. EDIT: Plus what Nerys Myk said -- also a wrong assertion.

 

[LordMudd]

Was there a woman running?

Not the point. The point is: why not? The attitude of the time.

CCC.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Was there a woman running?

Not the point. The point is: why not? The attitude of the time.

CCC.

But would women vote for a woman because she's a woman? Or would they vote on the issues? Look at the results of the election, Nixon was slightly ahead on Kennedy with women. Which kind of defeats the vote for the sexy guy concept. Maybe they vote based on the candidates positions rather than other factors. Even waaaay back in 1960.

 

[LordMudd]

Was there a woman running?

Not the point. The point is: why not? The attitude of the time.

CCC.

But would women vote for a woman because she's a woman? Or would they vote on the issues? Look at the results of the election, Nixon was slightly ahead on Kennedy with women. Which kind of defeats the vote for the sexy guy concept. Maybe they vote based on the candidates positions rather than other factors. Even waaaay back in 1960.

I have always heard that the sexy guy concept was the reason the womens movement could never get unified behind a female candidate. Could be misinformation from the media or excuses from the libbers, but they always talk about more women voters than men and I have always wondered why they never just said "Screw you guys, we're putting a woman in charge."

CCC.

 

[Christopher]

Well, it's incredibly sexist and insulting to think that female voters as a bloc would be so shallow and stupid as to make their decisions about the future and security of the nation -- and the well-being of their children -- based only on how attractive they find a candidate. Whoever came up with that insane notion obviously did it only to demean and dismiss women as a legitimate political force.

 

[LordMudd]

Well, it's incredibly sexist and insulting to think that female voters as a bloc would be so shallow and stupid as to make their decisions about the future and security of the nation -- and the well-being of their children -- based only on how attractive they find a candidate. Whoever came up with that insane notion obviously did it only to demean and dismiss women as a legitimate political force.

and the way women in Trek and other SciFi were being written at that time wasn't?

CCC.