Yes, indeed! Although I didn't find the Scalosian woman to be as cute to be honest!
JB
I did, but even as a kid I was really into Scalosians.
Spoilers A Piece of The Action
- Thread starter Qonundrum
- Start date
I did, but even as a kid I was really into Scalosians.
Well it does seem like a fun place to be, Phase! 
JB
JB
There was a short story in one of the Strange New Worlds anthologies, and of course there are fanfics in which the Iotians do indeed go looking for "a piece of our action."
I can't help thinking about how this episode would have played out if it happened in a different series. Sisko would probably have an edge with dealing with the Iotians, since he could consult with Vic Fontaine on how to deal with such people.
But only Kirk could invent Fizzbin.
There was a short story in one of the Strange New Worlds anthologies, and of course there are fanfics in which the Iotians do indeed go looking for "a piece of our action."
I can't help thinking about how this episode would have played out if it happened in a different series. Sisko would probably have an edge with dealing with the Iotians, since he could consult with Vic Fontaine on how to deal with such people.
But only Kirk could invent Fizzbin.
Thanks. I am really surprised that nobody ever wrote a sequel novel with Iotian Starfleet impersonators. Greg Cox and Christopher Bennett, what's up with that?
I like your thinking on the other captains. Archer might have wanted to hang out with them for a while. Picard would have fit right in with his Dixon Hill persona, right? I think Janeway would have loved the Iotians too. While a bit dangerous at first glance and even beyond, they were ultimately a lot of fun.
We're not supposed to offer ideas to the pro authors (but it would be fun if they did).Thanks. I am really surprised that nobody ever wrote a sequel novel with Iotian Starfleet impersonators. Greg Cox and Christopher Bennett, what's up with that?
I think Dixon Hill is a couple of decades later, so I'll have to disagree with you on how well Picard would fit in. Data, on the other hand, would jump right in and have a blast. And if it were to happen at a time when Lwaxana was visiting... she'd jump right in and have fun, too. For that matter, she'd probably end up marrying Oxmyx!
Janeway has Tom's affinity for 20th century pop culture to draw on, but his specialty seems to be the '40s and '50s. Mind you, I can see Tom trying to bluff his way through a game of Fizzbin (by the 24th century the Iotians would have worked out a set of formal rules and it would be considered the height of sophistication to know how to play it). I think Janeway would be able to deal with them once she understood the "rules", and I can see Oxmyx comparing Tuvok to "Spocko" and concluding that Spock has the better sense of humor.
I may be talking myself into writing this mess for NaNoWriMo later this year...
Do it, Timewalker! 
The reference book "Worlds of the Federation" touched on it. It describes a follow up mission finding a Starbase in orbit and the Iotians using Federation hailing protocols.
Looks like a Star Trek role playing game touched on it, too.
http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Iotia
Thanks. I am really surprised that nobody ever wrote a sequel novel with Iotian Starfleet impersonators. Greg Cox and Christopher Bennett, what's up with that?
I like your thinking on the other captains. Archer might have wanted to hang out with them for a while. Picard would have fit right in with his Dixon Hill persona, right? I think Janeway would have loved the Iotians too. While a bit dangerous at first glance and even beyond, they were ultimately a lot of fun.
This brings to mind that one of the ideas for DS9's Trek anniversary homage episode was actually to revisit Iotia, where it turns out that the imitative culture had turned into a planet full of Trekkies running around in TOS-era uniforms due to their run-in with Kirk and Co., and McCoy leaving behind a piece of advanced technology.
I prefer what we actually got: "Trials and Tribble-ations."
Kor
An excellent episode. A far better Trek comedy than Tribbles. In Tribbles you had a serious inter planetary crisis yet the cast is making dumb jokes for no reason. In A Piece of the Action there is a reason for them acting as they do.
As to the exact copying of clothes, weapons, cars, etc....Its a TV show !
This episode is an allegory for the stupidity of religion. People act in insane ways and kill each other simply because a book tells them to do it.
As to the exact copying of clothes, weapons, cars, etc....Its a TV show !
This episode is an allegory for the stupidity of religion. People act in insane ways and kill each other simply because a book tells them to do it.
Plus the greater sin of outright Heinlein-copying.
No evidence of religion, more cosplay that's gone too far.
There are good points to religion as there are bad points too!
JB
JB
Not sure this episode is an allegory of religion except in some vague way as the people aren't worshipping anyone in particular or killing people because they don't agree with their philosophy/religion. They're killing people to get more money and power which neither the Bible or Koran suggests.
There's probably less civilian deaths on this planet from the hoodlums than there are from guns in many poor African countries or some cities in the US. It looks like a lot of bluff to me. As long as they hand the extortion money over.Isn't it implied that the planet has advanced faster than normal because of 'the book'? I'm guessing that despite everything the people on this planet are better off than if they'd been left alone.
As Spock said in the early scenes of the episode, The Iotians are a very bright and imitative people! So in absence of a religion or subservitude to any one deity they have copied their civilization from the pages in the Mobs of Chicago book!
JB
JB
The episode might be particularly interesting if a bible or other religious text was left behind. We might find a planet full of saints that never sin. 
Would they still try to undo the contamination, if that happened?
Would they still try to undo the contamination, if that happened?
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I loved this episode, it's one of my favorites where they go to like a space earth history planet. Something I really like here is how you still know they're a Starfleet crew on a mission, in later series it sometimes felt like they'd get way too involved in blending in it'd almost be a totally different type of story pretending to be someone else, while here they still felt like themselves completely. I loved the constant changing of power dynamics as Kirk and Spock are just rolling on a sort of wild ride back and forth between mob bosses, until Captain Kirk has just had enough of it by the end.
It's sort of like a Godless religion - doing what is described without counting the cost. They crammed on the descriptive passages and romanticized that lifestyle, but skipped the part where it criticized the mobster way and the negative consequences thereof.
There is one interesting thing about this episode. It is one episode that has a logical reason for why they speak English on an alien planet.
They are so impressionable, that they deciphered the book and learned English. They then adopted English as the planet-wide language.
What isn't clear is how a book could teach them to speak with an accent that so perfectly mimics what is heard in a mid-20th century mob-movie.
They are so impressionable, that they deciphered the book and learned English. They then adopted English as the planet-wide language.
What isn't clear is how a book could teach them to speak with an accent that so perfectly mimics what is heard in a mid-20th century mob-movie.
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