In the Search for Spock, I noticed that the captain of the Excelsor grabs some kinda of doohickey when he leaves his room to go to the bridge. As they are chasing the Enterprise he is holding it. What is it?
Excelsior captain holding something in SFS
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It's supposed to be a futuristic riding crop (think George Patton).
Basically, it's a prop that establishes Styles as a pompous ass.
Basically, it's a prop that establishes Styles as a pompous ass.
That was what I kept imagining when I was watching it. Sorta was expecting him to smack the helmsman after the transwarp drive failed.Thats what it made him appear. Personally it looked like something that belongs in engineering.
"Captain may I have my hydrospanner back?"
*sigh*
It's a riding crop. It's what jockeys use to whip their steeds into running faster.
Why a starship captain would need such a thing on the bridge of a 23rd century starship is anyone's guess.
The guy was an asshole. I guess he was trying to find some way to make up for his goofy bridge.
It's a riding crop. It's what jockeys use to whip their steeds into running faster.
Why a starship captain would need such a thing on the bridge of a 23rd century starship is anyone's guess.
The guy was an asshole. I guess he was trying to find some way to make up for his goofy bridge.
It isn't a riding crop, it's a swagger stick. A short stick usually carried by a uniformed person as a symbol of authority.
Styles: It's not just a name; it's an obligation.
Actually it's the stick he jams up his ass every day.
The fact that he doesn't need a riding crop/swagger stick/whatever it is as captain of a starship makes it even sillier. Which I think was kind of to drive home the point. Styles was a pompus douchebag and reveled in it.
On a slightly related note, was there any contemplation of making this particular Captain Styles the same as Mr. Styles from "Balance of Terror"? Until I saw the different spellings of the names, I thought it was meant to be the same guy... and I always figured that Stiles would, at some point, love to stick it to the man (Kirk).
Rob+
Rob+
Yeah, I wondered that too when I first made the connection years ago (I saw TSFS before I ever "examined" TOS) They do vaguely look alike. That or they were related in some way and being an ass was just part of the family tradition, and the young navigator Stiles was all about family tradition. But the name spelling... I guess I just dismissed it.
Seeing Rand was in TMP, and Kyle was in ST II, a lot of fans were expecting to see another TOS semi-regular turn up in ST III. Maybe it was originally planned to try to get Paul Comi to play the part, but at the January 1984 convention I attended in New York, with then-ST publicist Eddie Egan presenting a preview slideshow, it certainly seemed that this Styles was always meant to be a different character. It was Spock who had the altercation with Stiles in TOS, not Kirk.
In fact, Egan suggested there were two secret, surprise cameos in ST III, but these turned out to be tribbles, in the bar, and Janice Rand ("Woman in Cafeteria").
Someone asked Walter Koenig, the guest to come on stage after Egan, what he thought about "Lt. Howard Hunter" (of "Hill Street Blues") being in ST III and Walter was both aghast and thrilled. He asked, amazed, "James B. Sikking is in our movie?" The film was in the can and being finalized for release and Walter had no idea!
According to Wikipedia, a swagger stick is a riding crop:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swagger_stick
But you're right, it is symbolic of command. I believe the good captain's was electronic; I seem to remeber blinkies in the butt. (Tee-hee!)
Oh I don't know. Stiles was certainly mumbling his racist views at Spock under his breath, and then eventually outright barking about the dangers of pointed ears on the bridge, but Spock tended to remain his stoic self throughout. And of course his tirade continued into the phaser control room scene.
But Kirk is the one the spun the little putz around in his chair and put him in his place. (I love that scene!
)Not sure if that constitutes an altercation, but it was definitely alpha male 101.
IIRC, in the novelization, the implement is a swagger stick that he took off a Klingon after defeating him in hand to hand combat, and he carried as a status symbol.
"Their is are longer?"
Swagger stick, ridding crop, intergalactic butt-plug whatever the hell it was the only thing we can for sure say about it is: "Compensating."
Either for a small penis or, again, a goofy bridge.
Swagger stick, ridding crop, intergalactic butt-plug whatever the hell it was the only thing we can for sure say about it is: "Compensating."
Either for a small penis or, again, a goofy bridge.
Balls. British officers carried them for centuries.
I saw a piece of conceptual artwork years ago on that very thing. It did have buttons on it. Have no idea what they were for.
Yeah. Like I said, compensating.
"Hey, look at me and my long, smooth, phallus shaft the shows my power and authoirty over you! And if you're a really bad boy I might just beat you with it."
Come on, it's nothing more than extention of the guy's penis. Some people put a large ram-air intake on the top of their car some people carry around a stick for no real descernable purpose.
