Still have never seen this.
I did say the episode wasn't boring.
That was shoddy communist steel, not the good yankee stuff.
50th Anniversary Rewatch Thread
- Thread starter dahj
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I did say the episode wasn't boring.
That was shoddy communist steel, not the good yankee stuff.
M
marlboro
Guest
He's one of my favorite character actors. Cool Hand Luke, multiple appearances on Gunsmoke, the X Files - the man was always great.
The hit to the head that Kirk took looked like it would have killed him. Kirk got lucky. Also I have a tendency to quote Cloud William when I say "Freedom" I like that saying that a lot. I have to say it in a very deep voice. Also I like how Cloud William says that "the sacred words will be obeyed, I SWEAR IT" The words are said with such conviction.
He also played a character called Morgan in three episodes of the Logan's Run television show! In it he was one of a cabal that was in charge of the domed city that Logan was running away from!
JB
JB
Head trauma is nature's snooze button.
That is perhaps the most crucial application of the system; saving the life of those (few) onboard and whoever else the ship may be defending.
Science tests would have come later, but then the computer messed up and Daystrom had his breakdown, so it was postponed/scrapped.
Science tests would have come later, but then the computer messed up and Daystrom had his breakdown, so it was postponed/scrapped.
They did the science. Heck, it's one of the most science-y scenes in the series where the M-5 picks the landing party. They actually have a JOB instead of "Oh look! A PLANET! Let's go look for trouble!"
(I do wonder how a landing party fits in with Daystom's goal of "men need not die in space". That's where most of the red shirts buy it. Does he not know this?)
But clearly the primary role of the exercise is "the hunt".
It has a wide range of applications; tactician, human resources, navigation...to hear him tell it, the Humans are the machine's backup system instead of vice versa. We still need some warm/cold bodies to interface with flesh and blood/goo and ectoplasm aliens.
Absolutely. The funny thing (since this is 1968) they don't really get that the M-5 is probably pretty close to what will really be running the Enterprise.
The Practical Joker is TAS presents a computer that seems to be tied into all the same systems M-5 was. And then there's TNG. And then there's your average modern mini-van.
Yeah, but hopefully they'll have enough checks and balances by that point to keep the psychological profile of its (unstable) creator out of it.
Right up until someone says "This game we're playing is boring. Computer, be smarter and more evil, please."
Right up until someone says "This game we're playing is boring. Computer, be smarter and more evil, please."
"Capable of defeating Data"
See? No one knew those phrases were operationally identical!"Capable of defeating Data"
In the Ultimate Computer, Kirk says "There are other things I could do. Am I so afraid of losing the prestige and power that comes with being a starship captain?"
Kirk is enjoying prestige as captain of the Enterprise. So much for Timo's argument that Kirk is some lowly officer commanding some lowly ship, largely unnoticed by others.
Probably not worth a thread of its own, but I wonder what else Kirk could do for a job if the M-5 was successful. Any suggestions?
Obviously a pretty cruel jab by Wesley calling Kirk "dunsel." Stupid too. Kirk's ship was carrying out a test of the new system. Kirk was necessary as part of the team assessing M-5's performance. Why should Wesley be insulting here? Also, if the M-5 is successful, then Wesley, too, is out of a job. Back at ya, Commodore Dunsel.
And why does Wesley just assume Kirk's the one that's gone crazy? He knows they're testing a new system. He has that much more faith in a new system than in a man he's known for some time?
Only 20 crewmen on board, and 2 of them are security. Interesting.
Lucky for Kirk and the others that when Kirk suggested to M-5 that it murdered people that it didn't respond with "they were attacking me so I was right to kill them."
And then there's the happy, laughing ending after hundreds of people were killed including a member of Kirk's crew.
Pretty good episode, definitely entertaining.
Kirk is enjoying prestige as captain of the Enterprise. So much for Timo's argument that Kirk is some lowly officer commanding some lowly ship, largely unnoticed by others.
Probably not worth a thread of its own, but I wonder what else Kirk could do for a job if the M-5 was successful. Any suggestions?
Obviously a pretty cruel jab by Wesley calling Kirk "dunsel." Stupid too. Kirk's ship was carrying out a test of the new system. Kirk was necessary as part of the team assessing M-5's performance. Why should Wesley be insulting here? Also, if the M-5 is successful, then Wesley, too, is out of a job. Back at ya, Commodore Dunsel.
And why does Wesley just assume Kirk's the one that's gone crazy? He knows they're testing a new system. He has that much more faith in a new system than in a man he's known for some time?
Only 20 crewmen on board, and 2 of them are security. Interesting.
Lucky for Kirk and the others that when Kirk suggested to M-5 that it murdered people that it didn't respond with "they were attacking me so I was right to kill them."
And then there's the happy, laughing ending after hundreds of people were killed including a member of Kirk's crew.
Pretty good episode, definitely entertaining.
Star Trek
"The Ultimate Computer"
Originally aired March 8, 1968
Stardate 4729.4
What was going on the week the episode aired.
This episode has some interesting parallels with 2001, which will be in theaters in less than a month.
Kirk needed a computer to tell him that he and Dr. McCoy weren't essential personnel for landing parties?
If the M-5 has Daystrom's brain engrams, why does it sound like Scotty?
Next week...beware the Ides of March:
"The Ultimate Computer"
Originally aired March 8, 1968
Stardate 4729.4
MeTV said:
What was going on the week the episode aired.
This episode has some interesting parallels with 2001, which will be in theaters in less than a month.
Kirk needed a computer to tell him that he and Dr. McCoy weren't essential personnel for landing parties?
I could see him as an on-the-ground explorer, leading the foundation of a colony on a strange new world...unless the Federation was planning to start populating worlds with computers as well.
Kirk's maybe taking it all a little personally during the episode, considering that he's not the only starship captain whose job might be affected by the M-5. As for Wesley's behavior...one might assume that his job as a flag officer wasn't in danger, given that he'd have other duties and they'd want some human oversight over their computer-run starships...but he's still being pretty short-sighted. Where's that next generation of flag officers coming from? A generation of dunsels who are used to taking orders from a computer?
THIS! It really irks me that after taunting Kirk for being useless and generally putting the Enterprise in this situation, Wesley's first thought when the M-5 attacks is that Kirk's responsible.
As Kirk Computer Killings go, I thought this one was a bit lame. It basically amounts to Kirk pointing out to the computer that it had killed people...something that you'd think it would already be aware of.
I think that TOS gets too bad a rap for this. Some of the episode-ending humor beats fall completely flat, but sometimes grim circumstances call for moments of levity.
I agree...it's not Top 10 material for me, but is up there as a memorable episode with an interesting premise. William Marshall is a strong, memorable main guest. I want to like Barry Russo more, if only Wesley didn't make me want to slap him upside the head so much.
If the M-5 has Daystrom's brain engrams, why does it sound like Scotty?
Next week...beware the Ides of March:
My view of that jab has changed over the years. I agree that Kirk took that too personally. All starship commanders—including Wesley—could be rendered obsolete by a proven M5. It might be that Wesley recognized that all levels of Starfleet would be radically changed by this revolution.
Kirk, to answer his own question, does seem to be upset about losing the power and prestige connected with starship commander. Sorry, Jim.
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