Phasers in the Kitchen

[Subcommander R.]

So, when you go into your kitchen I'm sure you have the basics. Knives, cutting board, skillet, stove, rack of phasers...

Anyone else find the presence of phasers in the kitchen to be a little strange?

 

[RyuRoots]

Not really. You never know what might happen out exploring space. Can't hurt to have some handy in most large rooms.

 

[sbk1234]

if the food is too bad, the cooks may have to defend themselves.

 

[number6]

"I used a hand phaser and -Zap!!-Hot coffee!"

 

[Canadave]

Set phasers to broil.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

if the food is too bad, the cooks may have to defend themselves.

Quark had a disruptor when he was a ship's cook.

"Every member of that crew thought he was a food critic"

 

[Gil T.Azell]

if the food is too bad, the cooks may have to defend themselves.

Yeah that Klingon Targ just might turn on you

 

[Winterwind]

Having phasers in the galley didn't bother me. Writing Chekov to look like a complete idiot did.

 

[Argus Skyhawk]

I thought it was over-the-top that Valeris vaporized a good pot--and presumably wrecked the food that was being prepared in it--to set off the alarm, when all she needed to do was say, "Firing a phaser on board would set off an alarm." Yes, I know that would not be as visually interesting, but it would have been more believable, and would have avoided making the cooks resent the higher-ranking officers.

 

[Winterwind]

TUC had some lousy writing. Forced jokes just do nothing for me. The galley scene was crap. So too the Klingon dictionary bit.

 

[Timo]

...Most of Trek features phasers distributed virtually everywhere, from sickbay or shuttle cockpits to the desk drawer of the Chief Engineer. Only twice is a separate armory introduced as a plot device: in "Day of the Dove" and "11001001".

In the former episode, our heroes are apparently being dumbed down by a malevolent alien. Perhaps the armory there is more like a maintenance shop for the phasers rather than the only place from which such weapons could be obtained in an emergency? Much of the ship was made inaccessible to our heroes anyway, either physically or perhaps mentally.

In the latter episode, our heroes retain their wits, and obtain phasers from a Weapons Room via Picard's voiceprint. The episode doesn't specify that weapons elsewhere would be inaccessible, though. Perhaps the Weapons Room simply was the most convenient place to get the hardware?

Elsewhere, it appears that getting one's hands on a phaser is not particularly difficult. Lenore Karidian manages it in "Conscience of the King". Wesley gets one easily enough in "The Game". Perhaps you can do it with basic burglary skills, perhaps you need some codes or the means to get somebody to give you those codes.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[SchwEnt]

I thought it was over-the-top that Valeris vaporized a good pot--and presumably wrecked the food that was being prepared in it--to set off the alarm, when all she needed to do was say, "Firing a phaser on board would set off an alarm." Yes, I know that would not be as visually interesting, but it would have been more believable, and would have avoided making the cooks resent the higher-ranking officers.

Yeah, it's so wrong for about a million reasons.

Why WOULD there be phasers in the galley? No really.

Why wouldn't Chekov know what Valeris did about weapons?

Why would it be necessary to vaporize a pot when discussion would suffice?

How can Valeris get away with firing a lethal disintegrating weapon in close quarters, pretty much AT crewmen near the pot, and not be charged with anything? It's reckless endangerment and criminally negligent.

It's great that unauthorized weapons fire sets off an alarm but not so great that we've rarely (never?) heard of it before or since.

So destruction of property (the pot) is permissible when you want to make a point dramatically? What if Valeris chose to vaporize a tricorder? A desk? A workbee? An engineering console? A spacesuit? A cargo pod? Anything goes?

How can the phaser disintegrate the pot but not the stuff inside?

And all this was for...what? A funny visual? Really? All played for laughs? The price of admission is WAAAYYY too high here for the "funny" payoff.

 

[JarodRussell]

Anyone else find the presence of phasers in the kitchen to be a little strange?

Depends... are there weapons in the galleys of actual military ships?

 

[Subcommander R.]

Anyone else find the presence of phasers in the kitchen to be a little strange?

Depends... are there weapons in the galleys of actual military ships?

I don't believe so. I'm pretty certain the weapons are confined to the armory.

 

[Merky]

A coup/ship take over can happen at any moment. This has been displayed several times throughout the show, so phasers in the galley is not unheard of and would, in some way, be a form of defense. There needs to be a line of defense somewhere.

Why wouldn't Chekov know what Valeris did about weapons?

Everyone has a derp moment. Especially if it's not something that happens every day. They're on a peaceful mission, so perhaps Chekov let the bit of information slip.

Why would it be necessary to vaporize a pot when discussion would suffice?

To make a demonstration? Valeris is trigger happy (no pun intended) and was acting irrationally throughout the entire mission because of her involvement in the coup. Emphasizing her points in such literal fashion would throw off suspicion.

Not only that, it's a well know cinema plot device. Why go through exposition when you can just show your audience. They're telling a story through action and rather than explain it, showing it would help the average movie goer to understand how it works and why they didn't go the other route.

How can Valeris get away with firing a lethal disintegrating weapon in close quarters, pretty much AT crewmen near the pot, and not be charged with anything? It's reckless endangerment and criminally negligent.

It's a phaser not a gun. There chances of endangerment is practically nill because of the precision of the laser. Why would she be charged for something like that when they're on a investigation trying to figure out who killed the Chancellor to get their CO and CMO out of prison? Especially since Spock was ordering Uhura to disobey Starfleet command and flat out ignore them.

No one was following protocol at that point so it would seem stupid for them to start following protocol now.

It's great that unauthorized weapons fire sets off an alarm but not so great that we've rarely (never?) heard of it before or since.

Why is that such a big deal? There's been crap brought up in an episode and never mentioned since. The situation called for that information to be brought up - when did that specific situation pop up again that two officers were killed on board a Starship with a phaser at close range?

Plot devices are needed to advance the story.

 

[SchwEnt]

How can Valeris get away with firing a lethal disintegrating weapon in close quarters, pretty much AT crewmen near the pot, and not be charged with anything? It's reckless endangerment and criminally negligent.

It's a phaser not a gun. There chances of endangerment is practically nill because of the precision of the laser. Why would she be charged for something like that when they're on a investigation trying to figure out who killed the Chancellor to get their CO and CMO out of prison? Especially since Spock was ordering Uhura to disobey Starfleet command and flat out ignore them.

The investigation of the assassin and unauthorized rescue mission have nothing to do with the Valeris' phaser stunt in the galley. Do you mean to suggest that since they're disobeying orders from Starfleet anyway, might as well excuse other illegal stuff that happens to be going on?

I don't know...I'm thinking in real-world terms here.
Say you've got a police squad room full of detectives.
They're investigating some mass murderer at large.
In the course of discussions, a detective whips out his sidearm and blows away a telephone as some fellow is talking on it at his desk. Just to make a dramatic point in his conversation. And it's okay that he narrowly missed shooting someone, because there's a killer on the loose and that's more important.

I can't see that happening in real life. Maybe in "Lethal Weapon" or some such. But in reality? Officers don't pull out weapons and shoot stuff in front of people willy-nilly to prove points in conversation.

Okay yeah, in MOVIES they do. And yes, TUC IS A MOVIE.
But I think you know what I'm saying.

 

[Merky]

How can Valeris get away with firing a lethal disintegrating weapon in close quarters, pretty much AT crewmen near the pot, and not be charged with anything? It's reckless endangerment and criminally negligent.

It's a phaser not a gun. There chances of endangerment is practically nill because of the precision of the laser. Why would she be charged for something like that when they're on a investigation trying to figure out who killed the Chancellor to get their CO and CMO out of prison? Especially since Spock was ordering Uhura to disobey Starfleet command and flat out ignore them.

The investigation of the assassin and unauthorized rescue mission have nothing to do with the Valeris' phaser stunt in the galley. Do you mean to suggest that since they're disobeying orders from Starfleet anyway, might as well excuse other illegal stuff that happens to be going on?

I don't know...I'm thinking in real-world terms here.
Say you've got a police squad room full of detectives.
They're investigating some mass murderer at large.
In the course of discussions, a detective whips out his sidearm and blows away a telephone as some fellow is talking on it at his desk. Just to make a dramatic point in his conversation. And it's okay that he narrowly missed shooting someone, because there's a killer on the loose and that's more important.

I can't see that happening in real life. Maybe in "Lethal Weapon" or some such. But in reality? Officers don't pull out weapons and shoot stuff in front of people willy-nilly to prove points in conversation.

Okay yeah, in MOVIES they do. And yes, TUC IS A MOVIE.
But I think you know what I'm saying.

Yeah, it does.

She didn't do it maliciously and she did it in front of her commanding officer. I'm not saying that it's okay for people go to "wild and crazy" because the top staff is ignoring Starfleet command, but given that "specific" scene and situation it was within grounds for Captain Spock to simply look past it and not press charges against her. She was demonstrating a crucial and vital point to the investigation.

Also, to make another point, Spock was completely enamored with her and her achievements within Starfleet. He was going to select her as his replacement on board the ship. His "favoritism" blinded anything that she could have done wrong until she betrayed him.

And, again, it's a movie. A science fiction movie set 300 years from now. Real world situations do not apply. If they can go on a mission to find God in STV then I don't see how outlandish it is for a Vulcan navigator to start shooting at pots of mashed potatoes. I would rather be more concerned with how Kirk goes from throwing back brewskies with Klingons in STV to absolutely abhorring them again in STVI.

 

[SchwEnt]

"a Vulcan navigator to start shooting at pots of mashed potatoes" I LOVE IT !!!

"Kirk goes from throwing back brewskies with Klingons in STV to absolutely abhorring them again in STVI."
EVEN BETTER!!! KEEP GOING!!

that's some great stuff. yeah, kirk flip-flopped with his klingon attitude. but as you say, whatever plot device to advance the story, i guess.

 

[Timo]

Why WOULD there be phasers in the galley? No really.

Why not? They are everywhere in TNG. And they have to be, because starships can be boarded at any random point, thanks to transporter technology.

Why wouldn't Chekov know what Valeris did about weapons?

What makes us think he doesn't know this? It's probably Valeris who's not thinking this through; if the perps were able to operate the starship's transporters behind the backs of our heroes, surely they would also know their way around the security systems.

Which gives Valeris a perfect reason to do what she does. Chekov asks a perfectly reasonable question - and if anybody gets the chance to think of the answer, everything is lost, because the answer must be "They had an inside man or woman". Valeris' best shot here, literally, is to start shooting at things!

How can Valeris get away with firing a lethal disintegrating weapon in close quarters, pretty much AT crewmen near the pot, and not be charged with anything? It's reckless endangerment and criminally negligent.

In other words, par for the Starfleet course. Just moments ago, Kirk drank illegal alcohol and spat at the faces of Klingon delegates. Spock encouraged the crew to lie to their superiors. Valeris is just learning from example...

It's great that unauthorized weapons fire sets off an alarm but not so great that we've rarely (never?) heard of it before or since.

The only time an unauthorized phaser was fired shipboard before was "Conscience of the King", as far as I can tell. And that wasn't at "vaporize", since the victim didn't disappear; for all we know, it was at the very "stun at close range" setting that is defined in this movie as being lethal.

TNG backstage material suggested that the phasers of that ship would be computer-controlled to prevent misuse. This was never mentioned in the episodes, though, and our heroes and assorted other rogues always managed to use captured phasers to their advantage.

How can the phaser disintegrate the pot but not the stuff inside?

That's actually highly consistent with what a phaser normally does. It removes flesh (and surrounding clothing) from this realm, but doesn't leave the slightest mark on a starship wall or floor; OTOH, when deliberately aimed at that wall, it does blow a nice hole. The disappearance effect spreads from the point of impact across the body of the victim until it reaches the edges of the victim, or the point where he touches the floor or the wall, then stops spreading. The reverse is seen happening here: a hit on metal does not spread into the organic matter inside.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Merky]

yeah, kirk flip-flopped with his klingon attitude. but as you say, whatever plot device to advance the story, i guess.

I like to think V doesn't exist and consider II - VI + VI as canon. Solves all the problems with all the crap the movie/subsequent series ignored.