Operation Annihilate

[Trekfan12]

I was watching "Operation Annihilate" from my digital library. I like this episode, it's the first time we hear about Kirk's family. About Sam and his family. I felt so bad for Kirk, of course he doesn't have time to mourn (at least not until the crisis is over) I liked how Spock tried to express his sympathy to his friend.

But there are several things that 'bug' me about this ep. When the landing party find the creatures and shoot one of them with a phaser, Spock says they should risk taking it aboard so they can examine it. And Kirk says it's too close and it might be a trap. So on their way out, Spock gets attacked. Later when Spock wants to beam back to the planet to get a specimen, he states they didn't have a clear opportunity. But they DID, when he suggested it to Kirk before he got attacked.

Then when they discover that light would kill the creatures. They put one of them in that chamber and its killed. But instead of waiting for the results of the test, they go ahead and put Spock in there. Dr. McCoy tells Spock "Do you know what that level (I forget how high it is stated) will do to your optic nerve?" And both he and Kirk agree they should do it anyway. Then when Spock comes out of the chamber and has lost his sight they both blame McCoy. (Spock says it's an equitable trade) and Kirk is angry. then when Nurse Chapel comes back with the results of the autopsy of the creature's remains it's discovered that it could be killed with a different spectrum of light.

They should have waited for the results. But then we wouldn't have had the drama of Spock being blinded (and of course finding out that Vulcans have an inner eyelid to protect them from the sun's high level of light.)

just some peeves of mine.

 

[scotpens]

It's called cheap writing to create artificial drama. We knew Spock wasn't going to be permanently blind because he had to show up at his science station on the bridge in the next episode. Just like those episodes where a regular character "dies" and is double-talked back to life.

 

[Spock's Barber]

I thought this episode was okay; I just wish that the script writer had come up with a better title. Maybe that's one of the reasons why he was let go as TOS 1st season story editor. Anyway, the scenes with Spock trying to take over the bridge controls were cool. How many Starfleet personnel does it take to subdue a Vulcan? A whole bunch.

 

[Spock's Barber]

It's called cheap writing to create artificial drama. We knew Spock wasn't going to be permanently blind because he had to show up at his science station on the bridge in the next episode.

I wonder if this is how GR came up with the idea of LaForge being blind in TNG?

 

[GSchnitzer]

They should have waited for the results. But then we wouldn't have had the drama of Spock being blinded (and of course finding out that Vulcans have an inner eyelid to protect them from the sun's high level of light.)

They couldn't wait; there was no time:

MCCOY: It worked! We can do it. What's the matter, Jim? We can do it.
KIRK: It worked in a lab. With the creature exposed to everything we can give it. But what about the people who are infected?
MCCOY: Well, I don't know. Maybe trial--
KIRK: "Maybe?" There's no time for "maybes," Bones. We need to know now.

Kirk decided there was no time.

 

[FormerLurker]

We had learned about Kirk's brother, George, only Jim calls him Sam, in "What Are Little Girls Made Of?"

It still irks me that the writer forgot the "Only you call him Sam" part when writing this. Even if McCoy knew Kirk called his brother by a different nickname, the writer had a responsibility to attentive viewers to make sure that was brought up. One more line of dialog, McCoy calling him George and Kirk saying "You mean Sam?" would have been enough.

 

[johnnybear]

I was going to put that in about Sam being mentioned earlier on in the series but you beat me to it, FormLurk! Is there any proof that Kirk's Father was in Starfleet in the oriinal timeline as I can't see it to be honest! And obviously there is no Sam in the Abramsverse!
JB

 

[Tenacity]

There no evidence that I know of that Kirk's father was in prime universe Starfleet, there's no mention of him at all.

After little Kirk stole a car, the person he passed on the road was supposedly his brother Sam, but that's merely "writers intent" and the person was never identified as the brother.

One of the interesting suppositions that was posted after ST09 came out was that it was "Sam" (the older brother) that was born in the opening scene of the movie, but his parents named him James.

Because the father George was killed in the Abrams-verse, "James" was never conceived and born.

 

[stardream]

For some reason, I got the idea that Sam in the Kelvin- timeline was Jim's step-brother. I have no idea where that idea came from.

 

[FormerLurker]

When Young James passed the other boy in the boosted Corvette, he yelled out "Hey, Georgie!" which was changed to "Hey, Johnny!" when the scene showing that the two boys were the Kirk brothers got cut out.

 

[scotpens]

We had learned about Kirk's brother, George, only Jim calls him Sam, in "What Are Little Girls Made Of?"

It still irks me that the writer forgot the "Only you call him Sam" part when writing this. Even if McCoy knew Kirk called his brother by a different nickname, the writer had a responsibility to attentive viewers to make sure that was brought up. One more line of dialog, McCoy calling him George and Kirk saying "You mean Sam?" would have been enough.

The writer also forgot (or ignored) the mention of Kirk's brother having three sons. In "Operation: Annihilate!" we see only Kirk's nephew Peter. The other two boys could have been away at camp or on a school field trip or something, but it would have been a nice bit of continuity to at least acknowledge their existence.

 

[Trekfan12]

The writer also forgot (or ignored) the mention of Kirk's brother having three sons. In "Operation: Annihilate!" we see only Kirk's nephew Peter. The other two boys could have been away at camp or on a school field trip or something, but it would have been a nice bit of continuity to at least acknowledge their existence.

I thought that there had been mention that Kirk had a brother. I forgot about "What Little Girls are Made Of"

 

[UnknownSample]

It's called cheap writing to create artificial drama. We knew Spock wasn't going to be permanently blind because he had to show up at his science station on the bridge in the next episode.

We know they'll always survive for the next episode, no matter how much danger they're in. So what? It's called suspension of disbelief.
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This is a very overlooked episode. It's a favorite of mine. It's interesting to see a bit of season 1 moodiness hanging on, even though s2 is right around the corner. The title used to be even worse-- "Operation: Destroy!".
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They do seem sloppy about how they all go about this, but I suppose Kirk felt rushed. But those results came in right after the blinding happened, so clearly they could have waited few minutes... I have always bought the idea while watching that they couldn't have known it didn't have to be visible light... then I realize how stupid that is for scientists, not to try out non-visible wavelengths first.
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This screwup creates a satisfyingly weird and uncomfortable moment or two, though, where we really do consider condemning McCoy. I have a vague memory that in s1, there were a few moments of possible McCoy incompetence, so it could almost be that they were setting us up for something like this. The only example I can think of offhand is in Man Trap, where a crewman had just died, then McCoy goes off on some sort of happy reminiscence about how Nancy Crater doesn't look a day older, he's smiling, then Kirk lays into him for it.
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We get to be awestruck again at how much Spock is able to accept and live with, without even any adjusting time. The irritating thing is how taking over the ship became the thing all bad people do on Trek, but maybe it wasn't a cliché yet. It did make some sense. The creatures needed ships, and Spock was too pain-mad to try to satisfy his programming in a subtler, more effective way. Obviously a one-man takeover by force was never going to work.

 

[johnnybear]

Yes Sam's two other sons were never mentioned again not even on research post two or was that Deneva? That scene with Kirk talking to Peter on the bridge, has it ever been released anywhere?
JB

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

It still irks me that the writer forgot the "Only you call him Sam" part when writing this. Even if McCoy knew Kirk called his brother by a different nickname, the writer had a responsibility to attentive viewers to make sure that was brought up. One more line of dialog, McCoy calling him George and Kirk saying "You mean Sam?" would have been enough.

Doesn't bother me. As I stated elsewhere, only Kirk calls him Sam to his face. McCoy can call him "Mustache Kirk" in his head or to Jim if he wants to.

And obviously there is no Sam in the Abramsverse!

Only in the IDW comics, where

Spoiler: :D

the whole family survives.

One of the interesting suppositions that was posted after ST09 came out was that it was "Sam" (the older brother) that was born in the opening scene of the movie, but his parents named him James.

Because the father George was killed in the Abrams-verse, "James" was never conceived and born.

Weird. Is that trying to explain away his rebellious nature? How about the more probable reasoning that Kirk - dad + stepdad/uncle who doesn't like him all that much = rebellion?

 

[johnnybear]

I'm still trying to fathom why Spock recognized the new Kirk as his old friend in the ice caves?
JB

 

[FormerLurker]

Because in-universe he looks exactly the same?

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Or maybe it's something on a Vulcan level that Humans wouldn't get.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I'm still trying to fathom why Spock recognized the new Kirk as his old friend in the ice caves?
JB

The same way Kirk knows who Saavik is in STIII and the TNG crew recognized Cochrane in FC. This isn't rocket science.

 

[johnnybear]

I know but Mr.Pine looks absolutely nothing like The Shat in looks or build! True that Miss Curtis was a much better and attractive Vulcan (or should that be Romulan/Vulcan?) than Kirstie Alley!
JB