You get it. Anyone who's ever been on the receiving end of degrading treatment would. That's not the majority, though, so the majority isn't going to understand.
Episode of the Week : Plato's Stepchildren
- Thread starter Botany Bay
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You get it. Anyone who's ever been on the receiving end of degrading treatment would. That's not the majority, though, so the majority isn't going to understand.
If ever there were a good reason to use General Order 24.. "Alexander, please direct your attention to the main viewing screen, that 20-mile wide crater that you see on the planet surface below is where the Platonians used to live."
I hated this episode, even more than Spock's Brain and that says something.
I too was very disappointed when I first saw it back in 1983 and quite understood the BBCs reason to ban it! Think I rented a video tape of it first and copied it. I didn't keep it for long that and Whom Gods Destroy!
JB
JB
Agreed. In fact, I agreed in advance by writing post number 27 in this thread.
I wouldn't go that far. There are a few I see no value in.... "The Mark of Gideon", "Mudd's Women", "The Alternative Factor" and "And the Children Shall Lead".
Even "Spock's Brain" isn't as bad as those ones. At least I can laugh at it.
Agreed. In fact, I agreed in advance by writing post number 27 in this thread.
Had I read through this entire thread, I woulda just quoted you. All of your points in 27 align with my thinking as well. There's always something to appreciate in an episode of Classic Trek. Even if it's just music, a peformance or some really creative camera work. Gideon: very creepy atmosphere, the floating heads scared the crap out of me as a kid. Enjoyable to me on that level.
Mudd's Women: fantastic score, great performance by Roger C., Spock is very interestingly played by Nimoy and Kirk is pretty much opposite the womanizer he would be painted as later.
The Alternative Factor: good premise, interesting casting, fun location shooting and that awesome angle of the Enterprise firing phasers (until the "remastered" edition ruined it).
Children: another creepy episode (the 3rd season have a spooky vibe overall), very dark "group suicide" opening and serious discussion about killing human kids, some interesting imagery, fantastic score and some VERY entertaining Shatner moments. Not his best work work, but he's never dull.
Obviously, mileage varies, but I can always find something fun in any episode. Even those I don't enjoy as much, like Charlie X or Miri.
Amen. I feel the same way.
Agree that there s not a single episode of TOS that I would put away and say That I would never watch again. Even for the worst ones it is interesting to find out why they were less good, like the problems in production with The Alternative Factor.
Back to Plato's Stepchildren does anyone feel slightly uncomfortablewhen Uhura and Barrett are beamed down as surprise guests to be humiliated, given the actresses relationship to Gene Rodenberry.
Back to Plato's Stepchildren does anyone feel slightly uncomfortablewhen Uhura and Barrett are beamed down as surprise guests to be humiliated, given the actresses relationship to Gene Rodenberry.
The only reason I could conceive of ever watching "Plato's Stepchildren" is if I'm wondering if I'm still alive and need to see if I can have an unpleasant physical reaction to confirm that.
Yes. I imagine Gene R had many kinky ideas, which his devoted and talented staff had to work their way around, to make good episodes. The scales fell from my eyes about GR recently, when I heard here that his original brief for Deanna Troi was for her to be a six-breasted interstellar sexpot. DC Fontana diplomatically and patiently talked him out of it.
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One thing that strikes me is that so many people were devoted to Gene R, who also knew his foibles, including many women , like DCF. I admire the ability to judge a person in that complicated and three-dimensional a way, appreciating the positives, despite the negatives.
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I wonder what he had in mind for Number One and the other woman beamed down in The Cage...
They told us in the episode.
Although since the Talosians only got around to it very late in the game, despite not possessing a breeding-capable female to start with, we may well speculate their declared or suspected motivations differed a lot from their real ones...
It's not as if the writing of "The Cage" makes any more sense than that of "Plato's Stepchildren". It's just that the torments Chris Pike goes through are a tad more mainstream-acceptable than the ones Kirk, Spock and their sidekicks have to endure. It's cool to almost be beheaded, not cool to almost get a pie in the face - a concept the Talosians probably are struggling with, but the Platonians have down pat.
Timo Saloniemi
It's not as if the writing of "The Cage" makes any more sense than that of "Plato's Stepchildren". It's just that the torments Chris Pike goes through are a tad more mainstream-acceptable than the ones Kirk, Spock and their sidekicks have to endure. It's cool to almost be beheaded, not cool to almost get a pie in the face - a concept the Talosians probably are struggling with, but the Platonians have down pat.
Timo Saloniemi
I mean originally.
It was implied that Vina could produce children, despite her age.
I wonder why being forced to move around in silly ways and sing songs and other demeaning but not really damaging things is perceived by many here as worse than actual physical torture, like scourging or any various type torture devices like a rack or stocks.
They did seem to be ramping up to those things towards the end of the episode with the hot coals, are you people that don't like the singing and horse sad they didn't start with that?
Maybe beam down a redshirt with them and have him killed in a horrible manner just to kick things off?
They did seem to be ramping up to those things towards the end of the episode with the hot coals, are you people that don't like the singing and horse sad they didn't start with that?
Maybe beam down a redshirt with them and have him killed in a horrible manner just to kick things off?
Degradation isn't worse than physical torture, no one said that. It is very bad, though ... especially if actual torture and death are likely to top off the evening.
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