Leonard Nimoy

[Futuristic Pinwheel]

In which episode do you think Nimoy did most brilliantly (I won't say this isn't hard to answer, he's a sort of a brilliant person)?

Persomally, I like "The City on the Edge of Forever" (1×28) for a good showcase of his skills. The subtle, buried emotions (yes, emotions; if you believe for one moment that Spock doesn't have ANY emotions than you are a sad, sad piece of work) and the dialogue packed with hidden meaning are done very nicely, complimenting Shatner's intensity.

So, what do you all think? Best Leonard Nimoy episode?

 

[Futuristic Pinwheel]

THE NAKED TIME. Certainly his most significant first year episode at the very least.

Ahh. Yes, I didn't think of that one. Do you know, he improvised the whole scene where he's affected by the illness?

 

[TheSubCommander]

Personally, I'd say Journey to Babel and Amok Time.

 

[Futuristic Pinwheel]

Yes...and went above and beyond what Roddenberry originally intended, assuming my source-reads are legitimate

Yeah. It's amazing.

 

[Futuristic Pinwheel]

Personally, I'd say Journey to Babel and Amok Time.

True. And journey to Babel in light of the 5th movie's scene (the one with everypne's deepest pain) is really quite sad.

 

[Corylea]

Ahh. Yes, I didn't think of that one. Do you know, he improvised the whole scene where he's affected by the illness?

Where did you get this from, because that's not what Leonard's autobiography says, and I'd think he would know. :-) I Am Spock says that the IDEA for that scene came from him but that John D. F. Black took some suggestions from him and fleshed them out into a full-fledged scene.

I think Nimoy's best work was in "Amok Time" and "Journey to Babel." That scene in his quarters in JtB, where his mother slaps him ... he's just stunning in that, so good at showing us Spock's emotions in an understated way.

I also really like his work in "The Deadly Years," where he's forced to conduct that competency hearing by Stocker, even though he doesn't want to. First we see him trying to get out of it in the conversation in the corridor, then there's the hearing itself, then the scene in Kirk's quarters where Kirk lambastes him for disloyalty, and Nimoy shows us the face of Vulcan heartbreak.

 

[Futuristic Pinwheel]

Where did you get this from, because that's not what Leonard's autobiography says, and I'd think he would know. :-) I Am Spock says that the IDEA for that scene came from him but that John D. F. Black took some suggestions from him and fleshed them out into a full-fledged scene.

I think Nimoy's best work was in "Amok Time" and "Journey to Babel." That scene in his quarters in JtB, where his mother slaps him ... he's just stunning in that, so good at showing us Spock's emotions in an understated way.

I also really like his work in "The Deadly Years," where he's forced to conduct that competency hearing by Stocker, even though he doesn't want to. First we see him trying to get out of it in the conversation in the corridor, then there's the hearing itself, then the scene in Kirk's quarters where Kirk lambastes him for disloyalty, and Nimoy shows us the face of Vulcan heartbreak.

It'a on several several sources, but I could be wrong. All of the one you mentioned are really good, I watch them frequently and never get tired of them. : )

 

[Corylea]

It'a on several several sources, but I could be wrong. All of the one you mentioned are really good, I watch them frequently and never get tired of them. : )

Yeah, I read it on IMDB, but I'd believe Leonard Nimoy's autobiography over Some Random IMBD Person.

On pages 54-55 of the hardcover first edition of I Am Spock, Leonard Nimoy reports that the writer of this episode, John D. F. Black, originally had a crewman come up to Spock in the corridor and paint a mustache on his face, at which point Spock breaks down in tears in the middle of the corridor. Leonard Nimoy objected to this, saying that 1) using Spock for a cheap laugh undermined the character, and 2) Spock would make every attempt to be alone before he broke down. Black brushed him off, saying that there wasn't time for rewrites.

So Mr. Nimoy went to Gene Roddenberry and explained his concerns. Mr. Roddenberry agreed with him and told him he'd take care of it. I'll quote directly from I Am Spock for the rest:

I went back to work on the set, and an hour or so later, John Black came over to me and, with a slightly grudging look on his face said, "Okay. Tell me what you have in mind."

"It about emotion versus logic," I told him. "Love versus mathematics, grief versus pi-r-squared."

Based on that bit of information, John went back and wrote the marvelous scene for Spock that now appears in "The Naked Time."

That scene was clearly Leonard Nimoy's IDEA, but based on what he says in his autobiography, he didn't improvise the scene. John D. F. Black wrote the scene, based on that direction from Mr. Nimoy.

Leonard Nimoy clearly deserves an enormous amount of credit for that scene in "The Naked Time," for standing up for his character, for suggesting the idea, and for the marvelous performance he gave. But according to him -- and I'd think Mr. Nimoy would know :-) -- he didn't improvise the scene.

 

[Futuristic Pinwheel]

Yeah, I read it on IMDB, but I'd believe Leonard Nimoy's autobiography over Some Random IMBD Person.

On pages 54-55 of the hardcover first edition of I Am Spock, Leonard Nimoy reports that the writer of this episode, John D. F. Black, originally had a crewman come up to Spock in the corridor and paint a mustache on his face, at which point Spock breaks down in tears in the middle of the corridor. Leonard Nimoy objected to this, saying that 1) using Spock for a cheap laugh undermined the character, and 2) Spock would make every attempt to be alone before he broke down. Black brushed him off, saying that there wasn't time for rewrites.

So Mr. Nimoy went to Gene Roddenberry and explained his concerns. Mr. Roddenberry agreed with him and told him he'd take care of it. I'll quote directly from I Am Spock for the rest:

I went back to work on the set, and an hour or so later, John Black came over to me and, with a slightly grudging look on his face said, "Okay. Tell me what you have in mind."

"It about emotion versus logic," I told him. "Love versus mathematics, grief versus pi-r-squared."

Based on that bit of information, John went back and wrote the marvelous scene for Spock that now appears in "The Naked Time."

That scene was clearly Leonard Nimoy's IDEA, but based on what he says in his autobiography, he didn't improvise the scene. John D. F. Black wrote the scene, based on that direction from Mr. Nimoy.

Leonard Nimoy clearly deserves an enormous amount of credit for that scene in "The Naked Time," for standing up for his character, for suggesting the idea, and for the marvelous performance he gave. But according to him -- and I'd think Mr. Nimoy would know :-) -- he didn't improvise the scene.

Okay, okay, no need to growl. Like I told you, that's just what I heard.

 

[Corylea]

Okay, okay, no need to growl. Like I told you, that's just what I heard.

Not trying to growl! People SAY all kinds of things, so I thought you'd ENJOY hearing directly from the source (via his book). I typed all that in because I thought you'd want to read it. Sorry to hear that it only made you mad...

 

[telerites]

Amok Time would probably be my first choice but I thought he was absolutely sinister as Henoch in Return to Tomorrow. He was just great and so anti-Spock, very well done.

 

[Futuristic Pinwheel]

Not trying to growl! People SAY all kinds of things, so I thought you'd ENJOY hearing directly from the source (via his book). I typed all that in because I thought you'd want to read it. Sorry to hear that it only made you mad...

No, it didn't make me mad, just a bit defensive since you seemed on the attack. 5hank you for typing that all in, it was really hrlpful.

 

[Futuristic Pinwheel]

Amok Time would probably be my first choice but I thought he was absolutely sinister as Henoch in Return to Tomorrow. He was just great and so anti-Spock, very well done.

Yep, I agree!

 

[feek61]

I rather like his work in "All Our Yesterdays" which I think is great. Certainly not his MOST brilliant but brilliant none-the-less

 

[Corylea]

Another great moment was his mind meld in "The Devil in the Dark." Only Leonard Nimoy could sell melding with a lump of rock, and only Leonard Nimoy could make you feel for the creature's pain. In lesser hands, that could have seemed completely ridiculous, but he's so very good that he makes it work, and "The Devil in the Dark" ended up being one of TOS's best.

 

[Futuristic Pinwheel]

Another great moment was his mind meld in "The Devil in the Dark." Only Leonard Nimoy could sell melding with a lump of rock, and only Leonard Nimoy could make you feel for the creature's pain. In lesser hands, that could have seemed completely ridiculous, but he's so very good that he makes it work, and "The Devil in the Dark" ended up being one of TOS's best.

Yes. Again, this could be faulty info, but I've heard that he said it was his favorite episode.

 

[Corylea]

Again, this could be faulty info, but I've heard that he said it was his favorite episode.

I've seen several interviews where he's said that "Amok Time" was his favorite, but I guess he's allowed to have several opinions over the course of nearly fifty years. :-)

 

[Futuristic Pinwheel]

I've seen several interviews where he's said that "Amok Time" was his favorite, but I guess he's allowed to have several opinions over the course of nearly fifty years. :-)

Haha true

 

[UnknownSample]

Nimoy saved Naked Time then, because without that scene, it's pointless. I'm not sure what JDFB thought he was protecting.

Devil was Shatner's favorite, supposedly.

 

[urbandefault]

Funny that Nimoy was able to show much more range as a Vulcan than he was able to in his two seasons as a human right next door in Mission: Impossible.

(I know, it's all in the writing.)