Klingon Behavior in Day of the Dove

I just rewatched this episode and it is one I enjoy a great deal. Michael Ansara is one of my favorites and I didn't know for the longest time, Susan Howard played Mara. Even though I enjoy the episode, I found it to be full of plot holes and questions. It is one I try to not over-analyze and just enjoy the experience. But perhaps one of my biggest issues is Mara's easy complacence and lack of normal Klingon warrior attitude. Her shrinking back from Checkov was ludicrous. She should have kneed him in his Russian pants.

Even Kang acknowledges she is a Klingon warrior when Kirk bluffs a threat with her as a bait. Kang says is ready to die. Felt a little more prideful bravado could show through from her. And to top it all of, she throws a sword to Kirk to potentially kill her own husband. I think Kang may have a Klingon tete-a-tete with her when they return home (if they do return or are they kept by the Federation as prisoners? which is left unanswered.

 

Yes, I always questioned why Mara was so quick to help Kirk, but I guess it was in the script so that's how it was filmed.

 

Not sure if it was filmed but the end was supposed to be where Kirk took the Klingons to a neutral planet before dropping them off there!
JB

 

Maybe it was Sigma Draconis 7. I'm sure Kara and her girls will get along just fine with Kang and his boys.

 

I think the characterization was pretty consistent with the Gene Coon concept of the Klingons as representing the Russians.

And Michael Ansara's performance was superb!

 

It was only quick in the sense that she was convinced within a one hour episode. She didn't believe it, then K and S kept speaking about the "entity" after the call to Kang, when one might think they don't need to put on an act any longer...? And the longer they talk amongst themselves about it, the more of a ring of truth it seems to have. It would be a weird sort of lie.

As for her not acting like a warrior, I see no evidence in TOS that Klingon women ever are warriors. She's a science officer, I think.

 

She was a science officer according to Kang earlier on in the episode, yes!
JB

 

When I stated a neutral planet I didn't mean a planet that was glacial and unexplored my dear Beard!
JB

 

....but, but, but Kang says to Kirk "A Klingon would never have surrendered." Then later Kang and his remaining crew surrender without a fight.

 

But when Kang first made that claim he was under the influence of the entity and later on he realised it's power over him and fought it off in the traditional Klingon way of course!
JB

 

Well, Kang does give Kirk an excessive slap on the back at the conclusion, and Kirk looks up at Kang like he wants to clobber him. That's my boy, Kang.

 

It is not honorable to do what the enemy wants you to do, even if it would be honorable otherwise.

 

But only a fool fights in a burning house my dear Laura!
JB

 

Off topic, but there is a local tv news reporter in our area whose last name is Kang. How cool is that?

 

I'd be more impressed if his name was Koloth.

 

I believe that Gerrold also said that Klingons fart in airlocks.

I would argue that that's not really out of character for Kirk. He might have ogled his yeomen once in a while, but he never seemed particularly eager to get involved with someone under his command. He knows that a relationship with Janice Rand is doomed from the start ("no beach to walk on"), he's deeply embarrassed by his interaction with Helen Noel (according to the script, he thought that she was a passenger when he met her at the Christmas party), and he's embarrassed again in "Shore Leave" when he realizes that Yeoman Barrows was massaging his back on the bridge.

Kirk is clearly attracted to the Prime Universe Marlena Moreau at the end of "Mirror, Mirror," but we really have no idea what he may have said to her once the credits started rolling. Considering Kirk's behavior with his subordinates, I doubt he actually hit on her.

According to "Dagger of the Mind," Kirk and Noel "danced and talked about the stars." That's it. So, a bit of flirting at best. The bit with Kirk sweeping her off her feet into her cabin was her "What If?" fantasy scenario of how the evening might have ended, but clearly didn't.

Check out Koloth's gestures the next time you watch "The Trouble With Tribbles." The editing obscures this somewhat, but he outlines a woman's figure in the air when we says that Klingons don't equip their ships with "non-essentials." So according to TTWT, Klingons don't have women aboard their ships. No wonder they're so grumpy!

Obviously, either this policy changed by the time of "Day of the Dove," or else Mara was a special exception.

 

No, that's the name of our local proctologist.

 

Mara wasn't the only Klingon female aboard Kang's ship but we only see the other woman in the transporter chamber. Also if we're talking about other Kang's, I'm surprised that no one hasn't mentioned Kang The conqueror from Marvel's Avenger comics!
JB

 

Actually JB, you can also see her in the crewmens' lounge scenes. She is a cutie, if I can say that about Klingon warrior women. Look! No omeletes on their foreheads!

 

They stop fight for the amusement of another, they never surrender.

At the point they are simply passagers on Kirk's ship.