Bones is toooo annoying

[muldwych who]

Have watched all three seasons of TOS and all TAS and am wondering if im the only one who cant stand bones?

I find him very irritating and do realise he is meant to be an older grumpy type person but he just grates on me.

I love Scotty, Sulu and most of the others but just not Bones, how do you all feel about him?

 

[BlobVanDam]

THANK YOU. YES.

I considered making this thread myself when I started watching TOS a few weeks ago. I cannot stand him. He just yells for no reason, even when he has no idea what he's talking about, and is constantly insulting Spock. How many times does Spock have to thoroughly whip him in an argument before Bones realizes he's outclassed every single time? It gets tiring. I see what the writers were going for, but it failed imo. Angry hick doctor vs intelligent logical Vulcan. The dynamic doesn't work, because Spock is too far above Bones' level for any back and forth.

Every other character I quite like or love though.

 

[Amaris]

Leonard H. McCoy is a brilliant surgeon, longtime friend of James Kirk, and comedic foil for Spock. The chemistry is terrific, and while Bones can be fiery, stubborn, and get frustrated easily, he's also very compassionate and doesn't hesitate when called to duty.

McCoy is the yang to Spock's yin, and they both balance out when brought together with James Kirk. That's why they're the Big Three. I love Bones. He's my hero.

 

[Pauln6]

I like Bones and, for the most part, the dynamic does work. While it's troubling to a more modern audience, viewers in the sixties needed characters like McCoy and Rand so that smarter characters like Spock could explain things to the audience. It's easy for modern sci fi fans to call him a dumb hick but non-sci-fi-fan-viewers enjoy a character who is set apart from all the technobabble. When I went to see Back to the Future II, for example, quite a few people came out of the movie completely baffled whereas I thought it was all pretty obvious, if somewhat convoluted.

His irrascibility works in a way the imitation characters (Pulaski, Tucker) never did for me. However, I will admit that there were times when he crossed the line and was just being racist (albeit most often just to rile Spock because he knew Spock would take no offence) or he was arguing without any rational basis. I think the writers did become sloppy in the application of his rants but for the most part, they were a hoot.

 

[muldwych who]

Thanks for the replies people, for me I totally understand what they were trying to do with him and Spock and why he was the way he was but it was too much all the time, I get he was a long time friend to Kirk but if he was going to find the whole experience as miserable as it seems why go?

I think they should have had Scotty as the other member of the big three personally but perhaps I am biased as he is a legend.

 

[Amaris]

I like Bones and, for the most part, the dynamic does work. While it's troubling to a more modern audience, viewers in the sixties needed characters like McCoy and Rand so that smarter characters like Spock could explain things to the audience. It's easy for modern sci fi fans to call him a dumb hick but non-sci-fi-fan-viewers enjoy a character who is set apart from all the technobabble. When I went to see Back to the Future II, for example, quite a few people came out of the movie completely baffled whereas I thought it was all pretty obvious, if somewhat convoluted.

His irrascibility works in a way the imitation characters (Pulaski, Tucker) never did for me. However, I will admit that there were times when he crossed the line and was just being racist (albeit most often just to rile Spock because he knew Spock would take no offence) or he was arguing without any rational basis. I think the writers did become sloppy in the application of his rants but for the most part, they were a hoot.

Yep. Like you, I see the "racist" comments the same way I do when one friend makes a racial comment to another for the sole purpose of tweaking him or her. My friends and I did it all the time to one another, and we were no more racist than most people. It was just fun to poke, to see what kind of reaction you could get, and it was never intended to harm.

 

[BlobVanDam]

Thanks for the replies people, for me I totally understand what they were trying to do with him and Spock and why he was the way he was but it was too much all the time, I get he was a long time friend to Kirk but if he was going to find the whole experience as miserable as it seems why go?

I think they should have had Scotty as the other member of the big three personally but perhaps I am biased as he is a legend.

I love Scotty, so I would have preferred that. I always smiled when I saw him command the ship, which was quite often as Kirk and Spock were often in the landing party.

 

[Kirkman1987]

I love Bones, and think you guys are nuts!

I think the show would be a lot more lifeless without him. He injected so much humor into the show, and was the perfect foil for Spock. I get that he's grumpy, but he seemed playful just as often, and obviously cared about his crewmates and duties. De Kelley was a fantastic actor to boot.

 

[Greg Cox]

Okay, I think Bones is great. Sure, he's irascible and emotional and opinionated. That's what makes him so refreshing. He speaks from the heart and adds a crucial touch of warmth and humanity to the bridge. Down to earth, he's always there to react emotionally to the situation, as opposed to being cool and professional and scientific.

Without him, the Enterprise would be a lot less colorful and interesting.

 

[BillJ]

Okay, I think Bones is great. Sure, he's irascible and emotional and opinionated. That's what makes him so refreshing. He speaks from the heart and adds a crucial touch of warmth and humanity to the bridge. Down to earth, he's always there to react emotionally to the situation, as opposed to being cool and professional and scientific.

Without him, the Enterprise would be a lot less colorful and interesting.

See Star Trek: The Next Generation.

 

[evilnate]

Okay, I think Bones is great. Sure, he's irascible and emotional and opinionated. That's what makes him so refreshing. He speaks from the heart and adds a crucial touch of warmth and humanity to the bridge. Down to earth, he's always there to react emotionally to the situation, as opposed to being cool and professional and scientific.

Without him, the Enterprise would be a lot less colorful and interesting.

Agreed. I tend to see his verbal sparring with Spock as being like the way two brothers will go at it at times. They'll annoy the hell out of one another, but when it comes down to it they'll defend each other to the end

 

[Warped9]

The thing is about McCoy and his jabs at Spock is he can get away with saying such things a friend could say to another friend but never to a stranger. This is an underlying aspect between Spock and McCoy that can be overlooked by some---Spock and McCoy are friends, albeit unlikely ones, that really do respect and care for each other. But like old school men they aren't likely to show their feelings openly and so they jab at each other.

I have no doubt that McCoy really does have the highest regard for Spock in many respects, but he can't resist needling him because he does like him. And I think the same is true of Spock's regard of McCoy in his own way. One thing Spock can count on with McCoy is even though he can seem irrational and openly emotional McCoy is always honest. Spock can certainly respect that because with honesty comes a good deal of honour and integrity.

 

[BlobVanDam]

I admit I haven't seen every TOS episode yet, but I haven't gotten the feeling that Bones respects or likes Spock, at least not enough to justify his outright aggresiveness. He just gets angry at him for being different all the time, and it almost never feels like ribbing between friends.
To me Bones just feels like a redundant third wheel to Spock and Kirk. Bones and Kirk I can tolerate. Kirk and Spock works for me. Spock and Bones does not. Every time they interact, I think more and more of Spock, and less and less of Bones.

 

[Warped9]

^^ Indeed you haven't seen enough of the episodes because the mutual regard is certainly there and makes itself evident every so often.

 

[evilnate]

I admit I haven't seen every TOS episode yet, but I haven't gotten the feeling that Bones respects or likes Spock, at least not enough to justify his outright aggresiveness. He just gets angry at him for being different all the time, and it almost never feels like ribbing between friends.
To me Bones just feels like a redundant third wheel to Spock and Kirk. Bones and Kirk I can tolerate. Kirk and Spock works for me. Spock and Bones does not. Every time they interact, I think more and more of Spock, and less and less of Bones.

You say that you haven't seen all the episodes, so fair enough. I would recommend The Immunity Syndrome, or any episode where Kirk is taken out of the picture, such as The Tholian Web or The Paradise Syndrome to see good examples of McCoy and Spock's relationship.

 

[sonak]

Okay, I think Bones is great. Sure, he's irascible and emotional and opinionated. That's what makes him so refreshing. He speaks from the heart and adds a crucial touch of warmth and humanity to the bridge. Down to earth, he's always there to react emotionally to the situation, as opposed to being cool and professional and scientific.

Without him, the Enterprise would be a lot less colorful and interesting.

See Star Trek: The Next Generation.

but what's funny is they added a character who was basically a CLONE of McCoy, down to the Pulaski/Data relationship mirroring Spock/Bones, but then fans HATED Pulaski!


I mean, wtf? If you like Bones how do you not like Pulaski?

 

[Hambone]

Dr. McCoy was a wonderful character, DeForest Kelly played him brilliantly, and was probably the only actor who didn't embarrass himself at some point in the series. De Kelly was a class act all the way!

 

[Gary7]

The thing is about McCoy and his jabs at Spock is he can get away with saying such things a friend could say to another friend but never to a stranger. This is an underlying aspect between Spock and McCoy that can be overlooked by some---Spock and McCoy are friends, albeit unlikely ones, that really do respect and care for each other. But like old school men they aren't likely to show their feelings openly and so they jab at each other.

I have no doubt that McCoy really does have the highest regard for Spock in many respects, but he can't resist needling him because he does like him. And I think the same is true of Spock's regard of McCoy in his own way. One thing Spock can count on with McCoy is even though he can seem irrational and openly emotional McCoy is always honest. Spock can certainly respect that because with honesty comes a good deal of honour and integrity.

Well said. You have to really dig into TOS to get this. There are only a very few episodes where you get a glimpse of McCoy showing deep respect for Spock.

When you look at the dialog that takes place, the crew is "discovering" what it's like to work with a Vulcan. It seems rather new and fresh, because in terms of the series it is. The representation of a Vulcan was just starting. So, there's a lot of play on that. McCoy is a bit crotchety. He has this half-human/half-Vulcan being in his midst, with a subtle air of superiority on being a Vulcan (Spock chose to fully identify himself as such). McCoy feels compelled to challenge him on this, about the ignoring of his human half.

Where the series goes astray on this dynamic is when there's a poorly written script that has McCoy overdoing that needling. For example, in "The Empath":
SPOCK: Captain, I noted that a light preceded you at the moment you were returned here from the Vian's laboratory.
MCCOY: Spock, why do you have to get so analytical at a time like--
KIRK: No, he's right. Continue.
This is the 3rd season. McCoy has already logged quite a bit of service time with Spock. He knows who he is. He knows that he's analytical, and usually for good reason. So McCoy's outburst is out of place, IMHO. It makes McCoy look a bit ridiculous, akin to the impression of the OP. So I can understand where he is coming from. But I'm sure that after digesting TOS a bit longer, he'll come to recognize the relationship for what it is. It's not something you can easily see in one pass of TOS. You have to watch the series a few times, becoming familiar with the stories enough to be able to pay more attention to other details going on that you'd ordinarily overlook.

 

[Greg Cox]

but what's funny is they added a character who was basically a CLONE of McCoy, down to the Pulaski/Data relationship mirroring Spock/Bones, but then fans HATED Pulaski!


I mean, wtf? If you like Bones how do you not like Pulaski?

The difference between Bones/Spock and Pulaski/Data was that Data was a much more innocent, almost child-like character than Spock. So it felt very different when Pulaski gave him grief.

Spock could defend himself. He gave as good as he got, and actually seemed to enjoy bantering with McCoy. It was a battle of equals.

But Data never fired back with dry little zingers about how silly and emotional humans were. So it just seemed like Pulaski was picking on Data . . . .

They were trying for the same dynamic, sure, but it came off very differently because Data was not Spock. It was too one-sided.

Plus, you always knew that, beneath the banter, Spock and McCoy respected each other. Pulaski and Data didn't have that same kind of relationship, perhaps because they didn't have any history together. She just seemed to disapprove of him because androids made her uncomfortable.

 

[BlobVanDam]

I admit I haven't seen every TOS episode yet, but I haven't gotten the feeling that Bones respects or likes Spock, at least not enough to justify his outright aggresiveness. He just gets angry at him for being different all the time, and it almost never feels like ribbing between friends.
To me Bones just feels like a redundant third wheel to Spock and Kirk. Bones and Kirk I can tolerate. Kirk and Spock works for me. Spock and Bones does not. Every time they interact, I think more and more of Spock, and less and less of Bones.

You say that you haven't seen all the episodes, so fair enough. I would recommend The Immunity Syndrome, or any episode where Kirk is taken out of the picture, such as The Tholian Web or The Paradise Syndrome to see good examples of McCoy and Spock's relationship.

The only one of those that I've seen so far is The Tholian Web, and that was the best I've seen of Spock/Bones. I haven't seen the other two yet, so there ya go.
Maybe they'll give me more context to their relationship, but to be honest, I have already seen half of the TOS episodes, and he just grates on me. Not sure a few more episodes can change that.