I note the interest of Starfleet in esp back in those days. I don't remember them using that in later episodes.
50th Anniversary Rewatch Thread
- Thread starter dahj
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In those years, there was increased real-world academic research in ESP/telepathy/whatever. Governments were interested in this type of thing. So WNMHGB just extrapolated from the trend of that time. It's about as scientific of a concept as luck being a quantifiable genetic trait in Larry Niven's "Known Space" novels. Even the best speculative fiction often features oddball ideas.
Kor
Kor
In a world with alien telepathy and nigh-omnipotent god-beings, humans having quantifiable psionic potential doesn't seem so far-fetched.
If that's the case, I don't think they bothered with episode numbers at all back then. That's more of a modern DVD set / cable guide / streaming site thing.
^^
I'm writing the intros as the fella writing TV listings in your average local newspapers back in the '60s.
That is, with very limited information and interest in accuracy
If that's the case, I don't think they bothered with episode numbers at all back then. That's more of a modern DVD set / cable guide / streaming site thing.
The ESP thing always left a bad taste in my mouth too, but from my experience, when this ep aired, ESP was kinda-sorta in the realm of hypothetical SciFi, until the 70s came along and we all got burned out on it along with other bullshit, aging-hippie metaphysical pop-psych like UFOs, reincarnation, crystal energy, the Loch Ness monster, etc, etc. ("In Search Of..." anyone?)
Star Trek
"Where No Man Has Gone Before"
Stardate 1312.4
Putting myself in the place of that hypothetical viewer in 1966 who would have been observant and invested enough to care about such things...and assuming that they weren't at that convention screening...I have to wonder how they would have taken this one. With only two other episodes to go on, would they have spotted this one as the pilot, or would they have thought that this was a newer episode and that these changes in uniforms, sets, and characters would be seen in the show going forward? Of course, the situation may have been clarified somewhat by the preview of the next episode, which puts this one more firmly in the "odd man out" category.
Not the first time we've seen turbolifts in use, but I note how they would have aided in giving the ship a sense of scale, that they're needed at all.
Yes...so it's his first appearance in both production order and airdate order....
I came to like Paul Fix on The Rifleman, but he's such a waste of screen space here...sandwiched between two much more interesting CMOs. And why does he try to give pills to unconscious people when he's got a hypospray?
The stardates of birth for Dehner and Mitchell compared to their ages suggest that the ones digit of the stardate is a year, but compared to the stardate for this episode, that means that they were well over 200 years old!
Given that the records seems to be photographs of paper forms, complete with handwritten markings, I don't think we can go by the ages listed on those forms (21 and 23) as current to the episode. While that's closer to the actors' ages than 200-ish, it would mean that Gary's known Jim since he was 8!
Delta Vega is a Greek/Arabic hybrid that translates roughly as "What the hell is this planet doing here, anyway?"
The way it operated bore more resemblance to something that viewers of the time would have been familiar with from their local public library...a microfilm reader.
The conference room set seems a little busy with that canopy thing over the table. Physicist Sulu gives us an analogy that suggests not only that American-style currency is alive and well in the future, but that being a millionaire is still impressive despite 300 years of inflation!
Notice how Gary seems to come back to his senses when he briefly loses his power. It makes me speculate what must have been going through depowered Gary's head when Kirk was beating the crap out of him on Delta Vega. His survival instinct must have kicked in, because he still fought back.
When they beam down to Delta Vega, what's supposed to be keeping Gary propped up on the pad after Kirk lets go of him?
Does anyone know what the sign outside the doorway of the plant says? It's cut off in the closeup--"Galactic [Something], Delta Vega". Is it readable in the matte painting in HD?
We can only imagine how, when he learned that they were changing the uniforms, Kirk hoped in vain that his new shirt wouldn't rip so easily....
Any misogyny in the line is overshadowed by its general cringeworthiness.
*
"Where No Man Has Gone Before"
Stardate 1312.4
Putting myself in the place of that hypothetical viewer in 1966 who would have been observant and invested enough to care about such things...and assuming that they weren't at that convention screening...I have to wonder how they would have taken this one. With only two other episodes to go on, would they have spotted this one as the pilot, or would they have thought that this was a newer episode and that these changes in uniforms, sets, and characters would be seen in the show going forward? Of course, the situation may have been clarified somewhat by the preview of the next episode, which puts this one more firmly in the "odd man out" category.
Not the first time we've seen turbolifts in use, but I note how they would have aided in giving the ship a sense of scale, that they're needed at all.
Yes...so it's his first appearance in both production order and airdate order....
I came to like Paul Fix on The Rifleman, but he's such a waste of screen space here...sandwiched between two much more interesting CMOs. And why does he try to give pills to unconscious people when he's got a hypospray?
The stardates of birth for Dehner and Mitchell compared to their ages suggest that the ones digit of the stardate is a year, but compared to the stardate for this episode, that means that they were well over 200 years old!
Given that the records seems to be photographs of paper forms, complete with handwritten markings, I don't think we can go by the ages listed on those forms (21 and 23) as current to the episode. While that's closer to the actors' ages than 200-ish, it would mean that Gary's known Jim since he was 8!
ironically Abramsverse used the name Delta Vega for another implausibly positioned planet
Delta Vega is a Greek/Arabic hybrid that translates roughly as "What the hell is this planet doing here, anyway?"
They did have Mitchell read from a version of Space Kindle, so I'll give them technology prediction points on that.
The way it operated bore more resemblance to something that viewers of the time would have been familiar with from their local public library...a microfilm reader.
The conference room set seems a little busy with that canopy thing over the table. Physicist Sulu gives us an analogy that suggests not only that American-style currency is alive and well in the future, but that being a millionaire is still impressive despite 300 years of inflation!
Notice how Gary seems to come back to his senses when he briefly loses his power. It makes me speculate what must have been going through depowered Gary's head when Kirk was beating the crap out of him on Delta Vega. His survival instinct must have kicked in, because he still fought back.
When they beam down to Delta Vega, what's supposed to be keeping Gary propped up on the pad after Kirk lets go of him?
Does anyone know what the sign outside the doorway of the plant says? It's cut off in the closeup--"Galactic [Something], Delta Vega". Is it readable in the matte painting in HD?
We can only imagine how, when he learned that they were changing the uniforms, Kirk hoped in vain that his new shirt wouldn't rip so easily....
Any misogyny in the line is overshadowed by its general cringeworthiness.
*
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The maybe-stardates on Kirk's tombstone, right there under his wrong middle initial, suggest that the third digit (next-to-last before decimal) is the year...lines up roughly with Shatner's age (1277 to 1313).
Yep, I mean I don't really mind it as a premise for an episode, and it's obvious it was a popular concept back in the day considering they did it two episodes in a row.
It's just the way they talked about it at the start ("It's a fact that some people can predict future events...") is kinda grating in this day and age.
I'm also curious how people viewed it considering the similarities between the villains in this and the previous episode. Did people think "Oh, there's the guy escaping from the brig by making the invisible barrier disappear again..." or were the thematic differences enough to distinguish them, since Charlie X is obviously more focused on adolescent issues and takes place entirely on board Enterprise, while this is a straight up "absolute power corrupts absolutely" episode and has elements of actual exploration of space.
That turbolift ride at the beginning was also a pretty clever shot, as Mitchell jumps on board there's a panel behind him hiding the bridge set enabling them to make the entrance and exit in a single shot.
The records also indicate that Dehener was from the city of Delman, 1489 street , while Mitchell is from the city of Eldman, 8149 Street.
Future people apparently ran out of ideas for city and street names so they just permutated letters and numbers
Force of will
I think it just says:
Galactic Mining
Delta Vega Station
I hear people have vainly tried to figure out the stardate system.
I wish they'd stop. But I wish a lot of things.
I wish they'd stop. But I wish a lot of things.
I think it will remain a mystery.
The Powers that be should have just made this the first episode and got the change of uniform out of the way quickly. It is a fantastic episode. Kirk, Spock, Scotty and Sulu are all there. Gary Mitchell and Dr. Dehner? are great characters. I always liked how Dr. Dehner tells Spock that He(Spock) has known Mitchell for years. This suggest to me that Mitchell could have been on the Enterprise when Captain Pike was the captain. So if a Captain Pike series is ever done in the future then Gary Mitchell can be one of the regular characters. He certainly is a good one. Paul Fix is a fine actor but he is not right for the role of the Chief Medical Officer. DeForrest Kelley is really missed here. I always quote Spock when he is playing Kirk in chess at the beginning of the episode. "Ah yes, one of your earth emotions". I love the way Nimoy says it.
I don't know. It would be weird seeing as we know how Gary Mitchell is going to end, to see him on a regular basis.
Especially since there is clearly money in TOS.
Especially since there is clearly money in TOS.
Well he can always go some place where money is still in use. The galaxy is vast.
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