McCoy in TOS

[Commishsleer]

Was it violent when Spock yanked a recovering McCoy up on his feet, then shoved him back down, or was beginning to strangle McCoy over his demanding answers out of Zarabeth in "All Our Yesterdays""? If the answer is in the neighborhood of "Well, he was not 'prepared' to exist in that world's past, so he was regressing to his violent ancestors' tendencies", then I will remind you that McCoy was just as under the influence of the Tholian's space, which--again--was so psychologically damaging that it led to the Defiant crew killing each other...but McCoy's actions in the episode were nowhere near that level-- mild, and Spock did not nearly fall out of the captain's chair.

Mild - he tells Spock that Spock wanted to have this opportunity to replace Kirk as captain, that McCoy would replace Spock if it was in his power and at every opportunity he tells Spock I told you so.
In Yesterday McCoy makes a racial slur against Spock, calls Spock dishonest, tells Spock Zarabeth would lie, steal and cheat and murder Captain Kirk who she never has and never will see (actually I never understood McCoys attack on Zarabeth here) - poor recovering McCoy so innocent.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

I didn't lie, though. I exaggerated.

...now, where have I heard that before?

Your viewpoint is mainly solid, though as always McCoy as per usual is giving Spock grief for the crime of not being Kirk. The other crew minus Chekov refrained from challenging Spock in this and most other episodes.

McCoy had the freedom to challenge him, not only due to his being a senior officer, but they have a personal relationship--occasionally contentious, but personal, so if there was anyone he would challenge, its Spock. In fact, he's challenged Kirk (re: Bailey in "The Corbomite Maneuver" and supported Spock to call Kirk out in "The Conscience of the King" & "Obsession"), but he only take that position when necessary.

Mild - he tells Spock that Spock wanted to have this opportunity to replace Kirk as captain, that McCoy would replace Spock if it was in his power and at every opportunity he tells Spock I told you so.

While under the influence of Tholian space.

In Yesterday McCoy makes a racial slur against Spock, calls Spock dishonest, tells Spock Zarabeth would lie, steal and cheat and murder Captain Kirk who she never has and never will see (actually I never understood McCoys attack on Zarabeth here) - poor recovering McCoy so innocent.

His accusing her of murdering Kirk and the entire crew was to illustrate to Spock that Zarabeth saw Spock as her last chance to avoid a lifetime of loneliness and would be willing to do anything to keep Spock from leaving--a danger his friends' existence represented to her.

 

[Neopeius]

We've determined that all the of the mind-altering stuff, from the Psi 2000 bug to the Omicron Ceti 3 spores don't actually affect McCoy. He's just always that way.

I mean, we never see him inject himself with a Psi 2000 cure...

 

[Tango]

And he accidentally injected himself with an elephant's dose of cordrazine.

 

[Commishsleer]

...now, where have I heard that before?



McCoy had the freedom to challenge him, not only due to his being a senior officer, but they have a personal relationship--occasionally contentious, but personal, so if there was anyone he would challenge, its Spock. In fact, he's challenged Kirk (re: Bailey in "The Corbomite Maneuver" and supported Spock to call Kirk out in "The Conscience of the King" & "Obsession"), but he only take that position when necessary.



While under the influence of Tholian space.



His accusing her of murdering Kirk and the entire crew was to illustrate to Spock that Zarabeth saw Spock as her last chance to avoid a lifetime of loneliness and would be willing to do anything to keep Spock from leaving--a danger his friends' existence represented to her.

Most of the time McCoy is friendly with Spock or Frenemies. However in some episodes McCoy is over the top unreasonable with Spock. The Tholian WEb and Galileo 7. I don't think its McCoys role to "challenge" Spock by being rude and racist or even to challenge him at all in front of other crew. I don't think it would be tolerated in today's armed forces. And Spock bears some fault by not throwing McCoy in the brig and letting him get away with his abuse.
Look Spock is not without his faults but McCoy is way OTT too much in a display of bad character writing in the Tholian Web that only Kelley's acting makes us (me) stops from hating on McCoy. Spock was totally obnoxious in "That Which Survives" but at least he wasn't verbally abusing anyone (OK being terribly condescending)

 

[Maurice]

We've determined that all the of the mind-altering stuff, from the Psi 2000 bug to the Omicron Ceti 3 spores don't actually affect McCoy. He's just always that way.

I mean, we never see him inject himself with a Psi 2000 cure...

The mint juleps were the cure.

 

[Ssosmcin]

I enjoyed Scotty finally getting a front credit with STAR TREK CONTINUES. I did not relish Kirk telling Spock to seek out for McCoy for advice without even mentioning Scotty once. Yeah, he's predictable and dully dependable, but jeez, Kirky. McCoy can relieve anyone on the ship, which makes him arguably the most powerful figure on the ENTERPRISE. But he is still not third-in-command and only beams down either to be with Jim or to find Jim.

Scotty isn't part of the circle of close buddies, though, that Kirk goes to for his own personal advice. It wasn't about chain of command of how Spock should seek out the other third of the group if he can't handle the human element.

Kirk: "If you can't find it in yourself...seek out McCoy. Ask his advice. And if you find it sound...take it. Then...check with Scotty. Make sure it's the right thing to do. If that doesn't quite solve the dilemma, Sulu is always good for a suggestion or two. But if he's not there, Uhura is always willing to listen. Worst case....and I do mean worst, Spock, ask Chekov. But don't take it too seriously."

 

[shapeshifter]

(actually I never understood McCoys attack on Zarabeth here) - poor recovering McCoy so innocent.

He was arguing for his life. If he didn't get through to Spock he thought he'd be stuck there forever watching them have a life together while he suffered from his loss.

 

[Pauln6]

Scotty isn't part of the circle of close buddies, though, that Kirk goes to for his own personal advice. It wasn't about chain of command of how Spock should seek out the other third of the group if he can't handle the human element.

Kirk: "If you can't find it in yourself...seek out McCoy. Ask his advice. And if you find it sound...take it. Then...check with Scotty. Make sure it's the right thing to do. If that doesn't quite solve the dilemma, Sulu is always good for a suggestion or two. But if he's not there, Uhura is always willing to listen. Worst case....and I do mean worst, Spock, ask Chekov. But don't take it too seriously."

You forgot Rand. She will have no useful advice but will ask some dumb questions that will help you realise you were right in the first place. Plus Marshmallow Latte with sprinkles.

 

[Mytran]

You forgot Rand. She will have no useful advice but will ask some dumb questions that will help you realise you were right in the first place. Plus Marshmallow Latte with sprinkles.

Poor Nurse Chapel. Never even considered.
Mr Leslie is usually around, seems like a good egg.
And DeSalle has taken command of the ship on at least one occasion!

 

[Hofner]

Poor Mr. Kyle, no one wants his advice. And that other guy who looks just like him, a Mr. Cowl or something like that, no one thinks of him as a fountain of wisdom either.

Robert

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Only to keep the black woman down. The most convenient and sudden of promotions.

There's not a particle of evidence that Uhura was in line to be acting Captain, within 20 officers after Scotty. She just had a post on the bridge that was always on camera. In Roddenberry's mind, I think she was just the girl answering Kirk's phone.

It might have been cool, amazing in 1967, if they had given her command in "Catspaw," in the most matter-of-fact way to portray it as no big deal. But it wasn't in their minds.

 

[Ssosmcin]

There's not a particle of evidence that Uhura was in line to be acting Captain, within 20 officers after Scotty. She just had a post on the bridge that was always on camera. In Roddenberry's mind, I think she was just the girl answering Kirk's phone.

It might have been cool, amazing in 1967, if they had given her command in "Catspaw," in the most matter-of-fact way to portray it as no big deal. But it wasn't in their minds.

At the most, it was sexist rather than racial. Putting a woman in charge seemed to be harder to swallow than having a black person in an authority position (Commodore Stone went by without issue).

 

[dupersuper]

Poor Mr. Kyle, no one wants his advice.

He's so mean...

 

[Pauln6]

There's not a particle of evidence that Uhura was in line to be acting Captain, within 20 officers after Scotty. She just had a post on the bridge that was always on camera. In Roddenberry's mind, I think she was just the girl answering Kirk's phone.

It might have been cool, amazing in 1967, if they had given her command in "Catspaw," in the most matter-of-fact way to portray it as no big deal. But it wasn't in their minds.

I would not say that there isn't a particle of evidence, just evidence capable of being explained away if you so choose.

She wears a command uniform in the first few episodes and she is a lieutenant on the bridge. She would be high up in the chain if the deck officer was incapicated, higher up than ensigns manning helm and navigation, even if protocol would be for a more senior command officer to be summoned.

Further, there is at least one episode where all the more senior officers are on the landing party and Uhura does not pass the call on to any other deck officer. Sure, there COULD be someone else in charge but there isn't a particle of evidence to prove that compared to the circumstantial evidence to the contrary.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Sure, there COULD be someone else in charge but there isn't a particle of evidence to prove that compared to the circumstantial evidence to the contrary.

I was looking at the makers' likely intentions, during a cultural era that could produce "Turnabout Intruder," while you're pointing to things they failed to rule out. You're not wrong. There's a lot of wiggle room involved.

 

[Pauln6]

I was looking at the makers' likely intentions, during a cultural era that could produce "Turnabout Intruder," while you're pointing to things they failed to rule out. You're not wrong. There's a lot of wiggle room involved.

Admittedly, it's hard to know what subtleties they intended to sneak under the radar and which ones were just by reason of naval rules that would default due to the extras on screen. In City on the Edge of Forever, Uhura is in charge of a team of white male security guards because she is the most senior officer among them. It's not stated on screen that she's in charge albeit there is evidence that this was intentional because in the original script Rand was expressly placed in charge of the team. Expressly stating Uhura was in charge would have caused uproar but I do believe it was an intentional attempt to bait the bigots.

 

[Warped9]

There's not a particle of evidence that Uhura was in line to be acting Captain, within 20 officers after Scotty. She just had a post on the bridge that was always on camera. In Roddenberry's mind, I think she was just the girl answering Kirk's phone.

It might have been cool, amazing in 1967, if they had given her command in "Catspaw," in the most matter-of-fact way to portray it as no big deal. But it wasn't in their minds.

If they’d wanted to make a statement about women in command this would have been the moment (or one of them) to do it. And then no question Janice Lester was fuckin’ nuts.

They had already shown a black man in command of a starbase (Stone in “Courtmartial”) who also asserted he had commanded a starship. And way back in “The Cage,” seen again in “The Menagerie,” we had Number One in command in Pike’s absence after he had already established she was the ship’s most experienced officer (besides himself).

Uhura in command at some point would have really been a statement at the time.

In extent I have long been pissed with the rationalization Star Trek Continues used in “Embrace The Winds” that women could not command ships in Starfleet simply because the Tellerites were chauvinistic pigs. What a steaming pile of crap.

 

[Ssosmcin]

I'm sure there was hesitation to put Uhura in command because of her gender. Race? Nah. Gene Coon had a wonderful relationship with his secretary, Ande, who was black. Stan Robertson, the NBC program manager for the first two seasons was black. Gene Roddenberry had an affair with Nichelle prior to the series. Finally, from what I understand, Bob Justman's wife Jackie was black. There was no racism on the set of Star Trek and no effort to "keep the black woman down."

Sexism? Probably.

As for Uhura's command gold in her first two appearances, you can bet that change was to add more color on the set and, quite frankly, the red went far better with Nichelle's skin tone. Of the three colors, gold never looked quite as attractive to me on the ladies as red and blue.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Yeah, not sure why but the gold uniform never looked good on women. Maybe it was the design, the material or lighting but it looked inferior and ill fitting compared to the blue and the red,