Episode Swap!

[marlboro]

Seriously though, I'm curious how Balance of Terror would play out by the TNG crew. (Then again, that probably would be a brilliant episode with any of the series' crews.)

I agree. As I'm sure you know, it was based on the movie "The Enemy Below." You know a movie has a strong plot when it can be remade into one of the best trek episodes and one of the best Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episodes (Killers of the Deep)

 

[at Quark's]

I'd have a hard time, though, envisioning Kirk in a TOS version of The Inner Light.

Either he'd have driven these simulated Kataan villagers mad in 10 minutes Kataan subjective time ("illogical! illogical!"), or he'd find a way to solve the drought ("I don't believe in no-win scenarios"), or at the very least, at the end of the episode he might have sought the company of others on the ship (perhaps a beautiful woman, but not necessarily so) to reaffirm that this was his true life (and perhaps have snapped that silly flute for good measure).

 

[Phoenix219]

I'd have a hard time, though, envisioning Kirk in a TOS version of The Inner Light.

Either he'd have driven these simulated Kataan villagers mad in 10 minutes Kataan subjective time ("illogical! illogical!"), or he'd find a way to solve the drought ("I don't believe in no-win scenarios"), or at the very least, at the end of the episode he might have sought the company of others on the ship (perhaps a beautiful woman, but not necessarily so) to reaffirm that this was his true life (and perhaps have snapped that silly flute for good measure).

This is exactly the kind of discussion I want to have or read about! Nice add. Just remember, Kirk was practical and realistic, but he was far from uncultured or unable to appreciate the beauty of the Universe. Would he have recognized it as a simulation? Fought against it tooth and nail? I definitely agree on "finding a way to stop the drought" which would be an interesting twist, finding out that it was all in his head, and that he actually did not, and could not save those people. I like your epilogue, reaffirming reality. Something with Bones and Spock, though. Something somber and philosophical between them at the end. It would be a very different episode, with a very different somber point, but it could have totally worked on TOS in some form.

 

[at Quark's]

Well, I wasn't entirely serious of course (taking a caricature of Kirk), but I wasn't entirely in jest, either. For example, I really do believe he would do a 'reaffirmation' thing of some kind at the end. Probably with Spock and Bones,yes. I agree that this episode could work well in TOS, but not as a straightforward port (changing only Picard to Kirk, leaving the rest of the script unchanged).

 

[Shawnster]

Maybe Kirk would have inspired the launch of the probe in the first place. He's the one that came up with the idea.

 

[dswynne1]

I think Kirk would be forced to confront the idea that he could do without his career, his ship and his crew. I mean, look what happened in "City on the Edge of Forever" or "Methuselah", to a small degree. Could Kirk be satisfied with an ordinary life on Kitaan, even if he logically knows that his circumstance is impossible? Hmmm...

 

[Phoenix219]

Maybe Kirk would have inspired the launch of the probe in the first place. He's the one that came up with the idea.

But it was all simulated. He didn't really launch any probe, or, in the reimagining, save any people. That would be the hardest part for Kirk to overcome, in any resolution.

 

[Tenacity]

I'd have a hard time, though, envisioning Kirk in a TOS version of The Inner Light.

Once he fully realized the Nexus was unreal Kirk rejected it fairly quickly. I don't think he would have ever "settled in" the way Picard eventual did. Kirk going along with the manipulation just seem too out of character for him.

Since he was supposed to stay in the village, that would have been the late thing Kirk would have done. No village life, no wife, no children.

 

[Phoenix219]

Once he fully realized the Nexus was unreal Kirk rejected it fairly quickly. I don't think he would have ever "settled in" the way Picard eventual did. Kirk going along with the manipulation just seem too out of character for him.

Since he was supposed to stay in the village, that would have been the late thing Kirk would have done. No village life, no wife, no children.

Just some type of spectacular victory, that would end up being completely meaningless when he woke up. That would have mind fucked him pretty badly.

 

[at Quark's]

Once he fully realized the Nexus was unreal Kirk rejected it fairly quickly.

I think that is picking from that scene only what you want, and ignoring the parts that aren't convenient.

I mean, it could be equally easily argued that it was Picard who had to argue with him and force him to see it that way. He initially ignored and resisted Picard's suggestions. And would he have discovered it on its own? He had been in there for 78 years without apparently even a thought that this wasn't reality. Though admittedly, time doesn't exist as such in the Nexus and Guinans reflection claims that 'from his point of view, he just got there too'.

 

[Tenacity]

I think that is picking from that scene only what you want, and ignoring the parts that aren't convenient.

Right back at you.

 

[at Quark's]

Right back at you.

You don't say. That was the entire point of my reaction.

I did so only to show how easy it is to reason to the opposite conclusion, based on this particular scene.

Point is, I can fully buy Kirk not accepting this 'reality' eventually. Just not based on the Generations scene.

 

[Paradise City]

Seriously though, I'm curious how Balance of Terror would play out by the TNG crew. (Then again, that probably would be a brilliant episode with any of the series' crews.)

We can draw out aspects of some TNG episodes to get a feel as to what it might be like.

The first half of The Last Outpost where our heroes speculate over the mysterious Ferengi.

The Neutral Zone, again we have ruminations about the threat posed by the enigmatic Romulans.

Much later on with the Troi Tal Shiar episode where our heroes grope around looking for a cloaked ship.

There's a degree of quiet off-side understanding on a captain per captain basis with the Romulan commander at the end of The Chase.

Although not adversaries and from vastly different times, there's a "commander" to commander camaraderie Picard has with the doomed captain in The Booby Trap that echoes some of that which Kirk had with the doomed Romulan Commander (I was gonna type Sarek, lol)

As an aside, whilst Kirk strongly corrects Stiles on his racism. Worf is never really corrected on his ill-will towards the Romulans -- with serious potential repercussions to maintaining the peace.

Dr. Marr initially strongly distrusts Data on account of Lore's treachery which has some echoes of Stiles distrust of Spock due to Romulan conduct..

 

[Papermoon]

I'd have a hard time, though, envisioning Kirk in a TOS version of The Inner Light.

Great idea! That's one of my favourite episodes. I really can see Kirk doing things completely different but don't know his character enough to envision what it could be. Would he leave the village all together? I can't imagine him settling down really. I do agree, he probably would snap that flute!

I wonder how Janeway would behave. Would they swap the genders? I always think Star Trek could be better on the non binary queer angle.

 

[Tenacity]

The Doomsday Machine.

Worf: "We should immediately set the Constellation's engines to explode and fly it in the machine's maw."

Picard: "We'll never do that Mr. Worf, what a completely stupid idea, conference everyone."

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Picard or Janeway doing "Turnabout Intruder".

 

[Paradise City]

Space Seed in the DS9 Mirror Universe.

Mirror Kahn or perhaps Mirror Kahn the Younger appears as the liberator the Terrains are looking for. Keep the character Montabalan-esque though and pit him against the sultry Intendant Kira in a titanic battle of wits.