"Mirror, Mirror" Speculation: Why THAT Landing Party?

[JonnyQuest037]

Never, in the original series and first six movies did they ever use the Away Team term. That was invented for TNG and picked up for Kirk's Enterprise crew when the films were re-imagined by J.J. Abrams (along with Warbirds).

I'm honestly not sure if that was a conscious change, or a mistake brought about by constantly hearing the term for 20+ years.

This is why it still kinda rankles me that Kirk's era films started using the term.

MAJOR pet peeve of mine. Like you said, the term wasn't ever used during the TOS/Kirk era. Whenever I read or hear it in that era, it throws me right out of the story.

 

[Maurice]

YMirror Uhura is one wicked bitch. He can't leave her behind on the ship or she'll set up an assassination plot like have Sulu try and kill him. "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."

Why is the go to epithet for any woman the B word? *sigh*

 

[Delta Vega]

This brings up an interesting (to me) question. Never, in the original series and first six movies did they ever use the Away Team term. That was invented for TNG and picked up for Kirk's Enterprise crew when the films were re-imagined by J.J. Abrams (along with Warbirds). The original conception, if I remember correctly, for the Away Team was a team of crew members specifically assigned to do missions "away" from the ship, leaving the captain and other important staff members out of harm's way. This is in direct response to criticism of Kirk and his senior staff constantly beaming in to dangerous situations. So, Riker would head up his Away Team, which wound up being other stars of the series - practically anyone except Patrick Stewart (until he bitched about it).

A Landing Party - as seen in the Original Series - was pretty much any group of people beaming down. The Away Team felt like it was supposed to be the same specific people assigned to do planet duties: the Exec, the security chief, the guy with the VISOR and the science officer. Plus whatever specialists they needed to "join the away team." Like it was "The Away Team." This is why it still kinda rankles me that Kirk's era films started using the term. Kirk didn't have a set team. He would beam down and the people joining him would be who was needed by the writers to be in the episode. They seemed to be two different things.

Maybe this should be its own thread, or maybe it's just me.

Perhaps I should have elaborated re "away team"
I'm fully aware that TOS did not use the term, and I should have said that "landing party" later became "away team" not in TOS, but in TNG.
Happy to clear that up.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Oh, I totally get it, DV. I was just saying that your use of it made me think of the differences between the two and how over time they’ve become interchangeable.

So thanks for making me think a little.

 

[johnnybear]

I never realised that TOS never called the landing party the away team! But now I come to think of it, it doesn't sound right said from Shatner or Nimoy's mouths does it!
JB

 

[Marsden]

I never realised that TOS never called the landing party the away team! But now I come to think of it, it doesn't sound right said from Shatner or Nimoy's mouths does it!
JB

Indeed, it doesn't. It's not bad of itself but it reminds me of how TNG tried to do a lot of the same things but pretend it was so much better than TOS doing it.

It had to do with money mostly, Rodenberry wasn't making enough of the old series so it was no good anymore.

I really like the concept of "an Away Team" that's a set group trained for specific missions, too bad they didn't actually use that concept.

If Riker is Hannibal and Worf BA, Data should be Murdock but who is the Faceman?

 

[Ssosmcin]

Indeed, it doesn't. It's not bad of itself but it reminds me of how TNG tried to do a lot of the same things but pretend it was so much better than TOS doing it.

It had to do with money mostly, Rodenberry wasn't making enough of the old series so it was no good anymore.

I really like the concept of "an Away Team" that's a set group trained for specific missions, too bad they didn't actually use that concept.

If Riker is Hannibal and Worf BA, Data should be Murdock but who is the Faceman?

Geordi...?

David Gerrold actually seemed to invent the idea, postulating “Contact Teams” in The World of Star Trek book when suggesting improvements if the series came back.

 

[Marsden]

That would be funny, the guy with the VISOR. I don't know. Maybe Tasha if she didn't decide to fly the coop.

 

[Commishsleer]

The landing party was chosen for diplomatic reasons rather than technical reasons.
Perhaps McCoy was there to point out medical advances in the Federation and Scotty to answer technical questions if necessary. The landing party was designed to look non-militaristic.
You'd think that they'd have bought Spock down for his pacifist views but Spock's honesty would be a problem in negotiations. Eg Spock would answer truthfully if asked if the dilithium crystals would be used in military ships.

 

[Timo]

...Or the Halkans might be spooked by the ears.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Ssosmcin]

The simpler explanation for Spock staying behind was the ion storm. It wasn’t a surprise, Kirk asked about it during negotiations. Spock, being the science officer and the XO, was needed more on the ship, monitoring it in the event it began to act up. Which it did.

 

[Timo]

Perhaps it was his turn in the Pod, even?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Henoch]

Perhaps it was his turn in the Pod, even?

Timo Saloniemi

By the second Season, Starfleet changed their standing orders after the Galileo and Finney debacles so no starfleet personnel are to endanger themselves to investigate ion storms. I suspect transporter use during ion storms will be shorty banned, too.

 

[uniderth]

Why is the go to epithet for any woman the B word? *sigh*

She is one awesome angel!