Close Reading "Who Mourns for Adonais?"

[Frenzy]

For anyone interested, I wrote a close reading of "Who Mourns for Adonais?" for my Sci Fi grad course here. I basically discuss the episode's relevancy with modern notions of atheism/anti-theism.

 

[GSchnitzer]

You didn't mention Kirk's line: "We find the one [God] quite sufficient," nor his "Would it have hurt us, I wonder, just to have gathered a few laurel leaves?" I think those are germane. Also, referencing Lieutenant Palamas being pregnant with Apollo's child at the end of the episode might have been an additional data point.

All in all, an interesting and informative read and summary. Thanks for sharing it.

Let us know what grade you get.

 

[Frenzy]

You didn't mention Kirk's line: "We find the one [God] quite sufficient," nor his "Would it have hurt us, I wonder, just to have gathered a few laurel leaves?" I think those are germane. Also, referencing Lieutenant Palamas being pregnant with Apollo's child at the end of the episode might have been an additional data point.

All in all, an interesting and informative read and summary. Thanks for sharing it.

Let us know what grade you get.

I actually did mention the first line, but on the second and third points yes! I could have. Ah well.

Thanks for the comment! And will do.

 

[thetrellan]

My thought about the laurel leaves comment was "Really, Jim? You couldn't have thought of that ten minutes ago?"

 

[Poltargyst]

Also, referencing Lieutenant Palamas being pregnant with Apollo's child at the end of the episode might have been an additional data point.

Say what now?

 

[Kor]

Say what now?

Wait a minute, I think the thing about Carolyn being pregnant was in Blish's adaptation, but not actually in the episode.

Kor

 

[Poltargyst]

Wait a minute, I think the thing about Carolyn being pregnant was in Blish's adaptation, but not actually in the episode.

Kor

Ah. And may I say it's odd how I seem to like all of your of your posts...

 

[thetrellan]

Wait a minute, I think the thing about Carolyn being pregnant was in Blish's adaptation, but not actually in the episode.

Kor

I can't say, it's been too long since I read Blish's adaptations. But John Byrne recently did a Star Trek New Visions photocomicl about it. Number 11, "Of Woman Born". I'm a newbie still, so I can't show it to you, nor the art I did from it.

 

[GSchnitzer]

Well, not just the Blish adaptation. Blish wrote the stories from the shooting scripts. The Final Draft shooting script for the episode has a tag at the end of McCoy mentioning that Palamas has morning sickness because she's pregnant with Apollo's child. Someone with access to film trims might be able to answer whether the scene was excised before they even shot it, or if it was shot but never included in the final episode.

A bit more info is here:

http://www.orionpressfanzines.com/articles/who_mourns_for_adonais.htm

 

[thetrellan]

Well, not just the Blish adaptation. Blish wrote the stories from the shooting scripts. The Final Draft shooting script for the episode has a tag at the end of McCoy mentioning that Palamas has morning sickness because she's pregnant with Apollo's child. Someone with access to film trims might be able to answer whether the scene was excised before they even shot it, or if it was shot but never included in the final episode.

A bit more info is here:

http://www.orionpressfanzines.com/articles/who_mourns_for_adonais.htm

Thanks for that. Although it's true Blish worked from the screenplays, he also shortened every tale by omitting everything that Kirk wasn't around for (made it from Kirk's POV despite the 3rd person narration). So those books aren't the most reliable source. Reading them did reinforce my memory for the episode titles, though. But if it weren't for Byrne's photonovel last year, the pregnancy would come as a complete surprise.

I have one question, though. What on Earth do they mean by Carolyn being a AAA officer? Surely they're not suggesting she was an insurance agent.

 

[GSchnitzer]

Thanks for that. Although it's true Blish worked from the screenplays, he also shortened every tale by omitting everything that Kirk wasn't around for (made it from Kirk's POV despite the 3rd person narration). So those books aren't the most reliable source. Reading them did reinforce my memory for the episode titles, though. But if it weren't for Byrne's photonovel last year, the pregnancy would come as a complete surprise.

I have one question, though. What on Earth do they mean by Carolyn being a AAA officer? Surely they're not suggesting she was an insurance agent.

McCoy says:

"Well, you're the A & A officer: Archaeology, Anthropology--ancient civilizations."

So, presumably it's archaeology and anthropology.

 

[thetrellan]

Say what now?

The scene is still in my memory, thanks to Byrne adapting the end of that episode last year. I've seen it so much that a reference made months ago is even now like I just watched it. I'm laughing at the context of Kirk's words, which if you take them literally is the equivalent of only saying something nice about someone after they have left the area. The time for gathering leaves was clearly over.

 

[thetrellan]

McCoy says:

"Well, you're the A & A officer: Archaeology, Anthropology--ancient civilizations."

So, presumably it's archaeology and anthropology.

So lazy typist then. That clears that up. The only thing I think of when you say AAA is AAA. For roadside assistance.

 

[Firebird]

Well, not just the Blish adaptation. Blish wrote the stories from the shooting scripts. The Final Draft shooting script for the episode has a tag at the end of McCoy mentioning that Palamas has morning sickness because she's pregnant with Apollo's child. Someone with access to film trims might be able to answer whether the scene was excised before they even shot it, or if it was shot but never included in the final episode.

A bit more info is here:

http://www.orionpressfanzines.com/articles/who_mourns_for_adonais.htm

I believe they cover that very scene in the Roddenberry Vault bluray set.