Yes, that's the point. As a programmed computer with a utopian world view inherited from its maker, its whole point is to better society, however twisted its vision of it may have been.
50th Anniversary Rewatch Thread
- Thread starter dahj
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Yes, that's the point. As a programmed computer with a utopian world view inherited from its maker, its whole point is to better society, however twisted its vision of it may have been.
"Space Seed", Episode 22, February 16th
Tonight's Episode: A chance encounter with a derelict ship brings a blast from the future past, the tumultuous 1990s, the era of grunge, britpop, the playstation, the internet, mobile phones, three Star Trek series on air... oh and some Eugene guy that apparently started some wars?
Tonight's Episode: A chance encounter with a derelict ship brings a blast from the future past, the tumultuous 1990s, the era of grunge, britpop, the playstation, the internet, mobile phones, three Star Trek series on air... oh and some Eugene guy that apparently started some wars?
You forgot someone...it ain't the '90s without Bubba.
Here is my review, with analysis of the thoughts on the 1990s via the 1960s, and a few personal recollections of my fandom thrown in.
Well, get set folks, next week we get to step into a disintegration station!
Well, get set folks, next week we get to step into a disintegration station!
Khan has five times Kirk's strength. Fortunately for Kirk, their stunt doubles were more evenly matched.
Is this the first time we hear McCoy complain about the transporter?
The portrayal of McGivers is not very flattering. Not even getting into gender issues, because hey, it was the '60s...if her duties are so boring that she spends her time in quarters painting, you'd think that she'd jump at the chance to get on a mission, not huff about it like it's an annoyance.
There are some good little one-on-one moments between Kirk and Spock in this one...and a nice well-oiled machine moment in the Decompression Chamber when Spock sees that Kirk is alive and doesn't miss a beat.
Is this the first time we hear McCoy complain about the transporter?
The portrayal of McGivers is not very flattering. Not even getting into gender issues, because hey, it was the '60s...if her duties are so boring that she spends her time in quarters painting, you'd think that she'd jump at the chance to get on a mission, not huff about it like it's an annoyance.
There are some good little one-on-one moments between Kirk and Spock in this one...and a nice well-oiled machine moment in the Decompression Chamber when Spock sees that Kirk is alive and doesn't miss a beat.
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I never thought of that. It might have been a better choice to have the character delighted to be doing something different, like when McCoy was thrilled to be visiting Cestus III. [If he found beaming into the dark unnerving, imagine how it felt to be expecting a gourmet dinner and materializing on an active battlefield instead.]
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My memories of the decade are hazy, is that one of the tyrannical supermen that ruled the '90s?
On to the show... a classic episode with a classic villain and a classic ending (which in the truest of Star Trek traditions is undone by a future installment).
With one major flaw of course...
That's certainly an understatement.
The archetypal treasonous woman that follows her loins instead of duty, ugh.
(By the way, she's a historian, could have been useful in "Tomorrow is Yesterday")
On the bright side, Uhura was as defiant as it gets, so at least that's something.
Well, the episode predicted world leaders would be incredibly strong, incredibly smart people. But all available evidence shows the intelligence of world leaders is going down not up
A lot has been said over the years about the discrepancies between actual 1990s and these 1990s(World War 3, state of interplanetary travel and all), but there's one thing that should have been evident even back then. Khan's a product of eugenics, which is here described as a process of "selective breeding" (I guess genetic manipulation by direct intervention on the genes hasn't been thought up yet? It will be retconned to that eventually...) But selective breeding takes generations and Khan was born in the 1950s, which would mean these eugenicist were either incredibly lucky on the first go, or people practiced it well before anyone thought up the term. It would also mean there's a bunch of superteenagers running around the world when this episode aired...
Is this the first time McCoy's transporter phobia is mentioned? He has beamed down plenty of times prior without complaining, of the top of my head in the very first episode aired, and in Arena, though those times he was looking forward to seeing his old flame and a non-reconstituted meal, so those were probably worth the risk.
I also liked how when the neutralizing gas is released in the hostage room, Scotty as a true Scotsman immediately punches a guy.
Already been done. Khan and his followers have been retconned as genetically engineered "Augments" -- a concept that was created 37 years after "Space Seed" first aired.
They retconned it even earlier than that, when they were explaining why Bashir's genetic manipulation techniques were banned they mentioned Khan as the reason for it.
(Haven't seen Wrath in a while, don't remember how they explained them there.)
It's funny how your perspective can change. Maybe she would have initially seen a mission, finally, as a relief, but she's fallen so far down the dreaming-of-a-strong-dictatorial-leader rabbit hole that anything which disturbs her daydreams yanks her back to reality harshly.
I'm sure she has other things to do which go unnoticed throughout the day. I would almost turn it on its head and say that Kirk seems to have developed a tunnel vision whereby if someone doesn't regularly show up on the away team rotation, he thinks you spend your entire time shipboard lollygagging. He didn't even remember her name. If she's the lone historian, that suggests he hasn't needed someone with her job to accompany the away team in a long time. Which kind of makes sense - a lot of what the Enterprise crew encounters is new and as-yet-undiscovered, not historical relics from Earth's past.
"A product of late twentieth century genetic engineeeeeeeering." I can't sneer in type that well.
TOS don't do away teams!
Hmm...I don't see Bill, Hillary, or Monica as genetic superpeople. Now Gore...I always pegged him as an android, but that's getting close....My memories of the decade are hazy, is that one of the tyrannical supermen that ruled the '90s?
That's right, they had landing parties! Or a boarding party when they beamed aboard the Botany Bay.TOS don't do away teams!
All these parties are starting to sound like fun.
That's a step up, in "Tomorrow is Yesterday" he didn't even remember she existed.
Or maybe she wasn't on the crew then, could be they only posted a historian on board after that, in case they accidentally travel back in time again.
He doesn't look at all like Sherry Jackson to me.
Genetic engineering is a staple in science fiction, going way back.
Well, yes. I meant the Augments specifically, not genetic engineering in general.
Gotta say, the actual "good guys in peril" portion of the plot is kind of weak. So paint by numbers that it hurts. And the first half is very reminiscent of Kirk's response to Mitchell in WNMHGB. Even down to the "Spock getting a hint about his intentions b/c of reading material while convalescing in sick bay." Of course, the character of Khan saves the whole thing, but I can't shake the feeling that the reputation of Space Seed has been inflated over the years based on the brilliance of Wrath.
It totally has. I'm sure the episode would have been memorable enough for Montalban. And probably because it gives us the most and earliest history of our near future.
But the episode isn't all that, plot wise. IMHO. (I always hated how quickly it wrapped up.)
Space Seed. Great Episode. Ricardo Montalban is fantastic. Total machismo and gravitas. I found it interesting when Scotty comments in the briefing room about how he had a sneaking admiration for this one(Khan). I got the impression that they did not know who Khan was at the beginning of the episode. Now Scotty talks like he has known about him for years. Also when Uhura got slapped, that is a very powerful scene with great meaning. Nichelle Nichols really gave a great performance in her reaction. That look on her face said it all.
Return of the Archons- I will back track one week since I did not comment on this one last week. I always like the Archons. The commentary on religion is fascinating. Landru the great all powerful leader that everybody must obey. A classic Star Trek trope. The brainwashing of the entire population. A peaceful (most of the time) population, but soulless. Plus, I always liked saying Festival and You're not of the body. Fun stuff that never gets old. Of course Kirk defeats the computer again. Very comforting.
Return of the Archons- I will back track one week since I did not comment on this one last week. I always like the Archons. The commentary on religion is fascinating. Landru the great all powerful leader that everybody must obey. A classic Star Trek trope. The brainwashing of the entire population. A peaceful (most of the time) population, but soulless. Plus, I always liked saying Festival and You're not of the body. Fun stuff that never gets old. Of course Kirk defeats the computer again. Very comforting.
50 years ago this week:
New on the U.S. charts:
"Jimmy Mack," Martha & The Vandellas
(#10 US; #1 R&B; #21 UK)
"Dedicated to the One I Love," The Mamas & The Papas
(#2 US; #2 UK)
The content of this clip comes from an American Bandstand that aired March 11, which gives some historical context for our next pair of selections:
"Penny Lane," The Beatles
(#1 US the week of Mar. 18; #2 UK as double A-side w/ "Strawberry Fields Forever"--infamously locked out of the top position by Engelbert Humperdinck's "Release Me"; #449 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time)
"Strawberry Fields Forever," The Beatles
(#8 US; #2 UK; #76 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time; Not the whole song/video, I'm afraid)
And airing Thursday night:
Star Trek
"A Taste of Armageddon"
Stardate 3192.1
New on the U.S. charts:
"Jimmy Mack," Martha & The Vandellas
(#10 US; #1 R&B; #21 UK)
"Dedicated to the One I Love," The Mamas & The Papas
(#2 US; #2 UK)
The content of this clip comes from an American Bandstand that aired March 11, which gives some historical context for our next pair of selections:
"Penny Lane," The Beatles
(#1 US the week of Mar. 18; #2 UK as double A-side w/ "Strawberry Fields Forever"--infamously locked out of the top position by Engelbert Humperdinck's "Release Me"; #449 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time)
"Strawberry Fields Forever," The Beatles
(#8 US; #2 UK; #76 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time; Not the whole song/video, I'm afraid)
And airing Thursday night:
Star Trek
"A Taste of Armageddon"
Stardate 3192.1
MeTV said:
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