I have been puzzled as to why I have read so many posts mentioning that they don't like McCoy's character. They cite how grouchy and ill-tempered he is. I think I have finally figured out why. I'll get to that shortly.
In TOS and the prime movies, McCoy was always emotional, and occasionally irritable. When he was irritible or angry, it was a reaction to a situation. McCoy provided a lot of the humor in TOS and movies. He was not necessarily irritible by nature. Most of the time McCoy was was an emotional support for Kirk (and sometimes Spock), as well as the rest of the crew in general.
So why the hatred of his character? I think I've finally figured out why.......
The way McCoy has been written in JJ's movies, he is nearly always angry. He is usually unpleasant. He is now condescending. While they have used him to humorously in a couple of scenes, and there have been a few scenes where he is fairly calm, the overall one impression one comes away with after watching the 2 movies, is that this is a person who hates his life. He is bitter and unhappy. In the TOS, he complained sometimes, but most of the time his complaining was written for humorous purposes. I think it humanized him somewhat and made him a more realistic character. JJ's McCoy has done a little complaining for humorous effect (You just shot our ride! I hate this!), but most of the time he's just plain grouchy. The pickup lines he was using on Dr. Marcus made him likeable and funny and I guess making Kirk's hands swell etc. in the first movie were supposed to be funny, but he is not really a likeable character in JJ's movies. While he could occastionally be a curmudgeon in TOS, this is now his defining characteristic.
I think people have projected JJ's McCoy onto TOS and the prime movies' McCoy. This is likely especially true of younger viewers who probably havent even seen much of TOS episodes. I think that's why they don't like McCoy's character.
In TOS and the prime movies, McCoy was always emotional, and occasionally irritable. When he was irritible or angry, it was a reaction to a situation. McCoy provided a lot of the humor in TOS and movies. He was not necessarily irritible by nature. Most of the time McCoy was was an emotional support for Kirk (and sometimes Spock), as well as the rest of the crew in general.
So why the hatred of his character? I think I've finally figured out why.......
The way McCoy has been written in JJ's movies, he is nearly always angry. He is usually unpleasant. He is now condescending. While they have used him to humorously in a couple of scenes, and there have been a few scenes where he is fairly calm, the overall one impression one comes away with after watching the 2 movies, is that this is a person who hates his life. He is bitter and unhappy. In the TOS, he complained sometimes, but most of the time his complaining was written for humorous purposes. I think it humanized him somewhat and made him a more realistic character. JJ's McCoy has done a little complaining for humorous effect (You just shot our ride! I hate this!), but most of the time he's just plain grouchy. The pickup lines he was using on Dr. Marcus made him likeable and funny and I guess making Kirk's hands swell etc. in the first movie were supposed to be funny, but he is not really a likeable character in JJ's movies. While he could occastionally be a curmudgeon in TOS, this is now his defining characteristic.
I think people have projected JJ's McCoy onto TOS and the prime movies' McCoy. This is likely especially true of younger viewers who probably havent even seen much of TOS episodes. I think that's why they don't like McCoy's character.
