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Production Order Group Viewing 2018

There's this exchange in The Paradise Syndrome:

Unfortunately (despite what McCoy says) unless the Preservers went back to Earth on many multiple occasions this doesn't really explain planets' proclivity for the humanoid form. It might account for one or two human species that the Enterprise encounters, but that is all. The amount of humanoid races in the galaxy would have to have a cause that pre-dated the Preservers themselves.
That's the conversation I was thinking of.
 
This might also be the first episode where we see that the elevators do more than just move up and down (as was perhaps implied in earlier stories) but travel sideways as well (i.e. are true Turbolifts).

Kirk and Spock both ride down directly from the Bridge to the Engine Room, yet exit from the lift at completely different points. Furthermore, Spock (after walking down the corridor from where the lift dropped him off) encounters Rand trying to go back the Bridge, at a completely different set of elevator doors.

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And while I'm screencapping, dig those awsome retro paper computers that Spock is holding!

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I'm late to the party for last week.

A few things that are small but interesting to see, it shows a lot of dedication by the people involved in making the show.

When discussing Darnell's death by his corpse, everyone is sweating but Nancy.

When McCoy says he doesn't want to put it over the speaker to Kirk, Uhura seemed startled slightly right after giving a good indication who else can hear Kirk's chair-arm speaker. Actually Uhura was great in this episode, the scene when the monster tried murder her was very good and I also like Sulu's reaction when Uhura runs into the lift.

The marks on Spock after he is assaulted by the monster the first time.

I'm not sure who could have distinguished these things when broadcast as tvs were much smaller and much lower definition, not to mention many were black and white. But they put the effort in anyway, like making pink celery.

There's so much activity going on on the ship in this one, I love these early episodes where I really could believe there is 430 people on the Enterprise.

A very good scene in sick bay, Kirk discussing Darnell's autopsy results with McCoy, then the follow up when Kirk apologizes. It really shows their friendship but also shows that Kirk won't let friendship interfere with the working relationship.

I also like how concerned Kirk is over the loss of his people, too bad some future episodes neglect this.

The Salt Monster is interesting, not just a typical monster, it kills with the aid of some kind of telepathy and a paralyzing effect which leaves the victim helpless. The monster is ruthless, cornering and murdering at will. I wonder if the artifacts on the planet were not from those creatures but the civilization they destroyed in their hunger. It didn't seem that intelligent, but it was very clever, like many predatory animals. If it wasn't malicious or if it was more intelligent, it could have just revealed it self in the briefing room scene and begged for mercy, I'm sure Kirk and Spock would have accepted it's surrender and fed it all the salt it needed, but no it keep up the subterfuge and then kills it's only supporter, because it thinks it's got a better one, Dr. Crater was as disposable to it as any one. What did it think it would do have it killed everyone but Spock? Not intelligent behavior.

I really enjoyed the scenes with Sulu and Rand. I think they may have been off duty and Sulu was engaging in one of his many interests. Rand was helping out and spending time with him. They only helped out after the alert, but I'm sure they wouldn't stay off duty through an alert. I know things evolve as they go, but I like the way most of the characters get some scenes. Only bad side, no Scotty.
 
Slide rule? Mobile device?

So, Spock is supposed to be emotionless. Ok, not emotionless, just in control of his emotions. Except for his sarcastic side. First he tells Bailey to have his adrenal gland removed, now he calls Sulu "D'Artagnon.". Neither is logical.

Who is this nurse? First time we see Nurse Christine and she professes her undying love for Spock. Ooookaaayyy. More evidence we are probably well into the 5 year mission. Or at least she has served with Spock a while. Or she falls in love easily or quickly.

Who is this Tormolen dork that can't follow basic hazmat protocols? "dear Mrs Tormolen, Starfleet regrets to inform you that your son is dead because he was stupid."

New navigator of the week, Riley! He's fun. Hope we see him again.

So, last week the opening teaser had Spock in command with Uhura navigating and Red Shirt Rand at helm. Anyone catch that was from this week's episode?

Is Red Shirt Helm Rand related to Janice?

Don't they have sensors to scan a planet break up from a safe distance? And more Earth centric dialog. "SPOCK: Obviously, this planet is condensing more rapidly than expected. A valuable study. We may be seeing Earth's distant future. Before its sun went dark, this planet was remarkably similar to yours.". Um, Spock, there are probably many terrestrial planets. So many that they may have a class name for scientific classification."

Why does traveling back in time make the chronometer go backwards? Nothing else is running backwards.

Wow! What is that food slot thingy? Put a data card in and out comes food.

Speaking of data cards... No Bluetooth? Wifi? Networking of computers? Transfer data from those tricorders to the computer?
 
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That's what that is?!
Slide rule? Mobile device?
According to the late great Greg Schnitzer, the prop is an "E-6B Flight Computer"
https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/props-re-used.81174/page-7
What it is meant to represent in Star Trek terms is anyone's guess
Wow! What is that food slot thingy? Put a data card in and out comes food.
Yes, its first appearance! How did I miss that? It got its own closeup and everything.
Speaking of data cards... No Bluetooth? Wifi? Networking of computers? Transfer data from those tricorders to the computer?
SSH, you'll alert the Cylon Tyranny! :guffaw:
 
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:I really like The Naked Time. It starts off a bit weak, with that exasperating crew member who is so ridiculous about maintaining quarantine. It ends up well, letting us see what's beneath the surface of many of these characters. Seeing the episodes in production order gave me the sense that the character concept in mind for Kirk gets overriden or redirected by William Shatner's dynamic, charismatic performance. We see his doubts when people have been injured or killed, or when the situation looks fatal for everyone, but after a certain point it seems mostly that Kirk is self-assured and enjoys his job (or at least doesn't resent it). I like the performance of how Kirk reacts when he realises that he's caught what's going around.

Poor Spock! Supposedly the episode was going to be more of a comedic episode, and I read that Nimoy pushed against some random humiliation his character would experience. Instead of silliness, we get a heartbreaking exploration of his childhood.

We get some fun stuff going on with Sulu, but it's kind of edgy humor; swashbuckling while drunk as it were. The way he's waving that damn sword around is convincingly dangerous to fellow crewmates.

One thing I love about ST is way problems build up to a point where you wonder how the characters can turn things around, when it seems like they're losing ground every few minutes up until the last 5-10 minutes of the story. Not only do they have this affliction impairing the crew, but the Enterprise is losing orbit...but they can't get into the engine room because of Riley. Then they do get in, but the have to restart the engine. But only Spock can do the math to jumpstart the engines, unfortunately Spock is also impaired. And even if they troubleshoot all that, the engines may explode on them anyway, for all their efforts. I enjoy these episodes that go from one nail-biting situation to the next, with relief only coming in that last minute or two of the story.
 
I read somewhere that the actor himself raised the point about Tormolen's actions (since the character would presumably be a highly trained astronaut and scientist) but was basicly told to shut up, otherwise there would be no story :whistle:

In-universe, it is true Tormolen’s carelessness in this episode reflects poorly on the Space Service, but no worse really than the supposed behaviour of Darnell eating the borgia plant last week (which no-one thought so unusual as to question).

Could an accident (small rip in the suit) have been used instead of character carelessness, perhaps?
 
no worse really than the supposed behaviour of Darnell eating the borgia plant last week

We know little of the plant's properties. Perhaps it emits a pheromone which invites creatures to eat it. They spew its seeds and/or fertilize them with the corpse of the creature which consumes it.
 
Sorry, didn't mean to make an issue out of what gets the story moving. If I had to suggest an alternative way of open the story to the original writers and production team, maybe they could have one last survivor who attacks or interacts physically with the Enterprise crewman who first gets infected. The remaining survivor is doing something crazy with dangerous equipment that compromises the environment suits integrity, the way Sulu is thrashing about with his fencing sword. It would be dynamic, the Enterprise would have a living example of what went wrong, which can be compared to the first Enterprise crewman who is infected (but just a little too late to prevent the contamination from spreading). Done right, it could show that that crewman wasn't so appallingly careless, it would show that the environment suit is reasonably durable yet like anything can be damaged or destroyed.

It's just a minor critique. It gets the episode going, so it's a bit of a laugh at the start that I forgive in order to have the rest of the story.
 
Maybe they find that amazingly enough, one of the Psi 2000 outpost victims is still alive - this would be a good place to use aliens. Maybe an Andorian (their planet is an ice world, after all, so they might be still semi-conscious - when was it decided their planet was cold?) crewman revives and attacks poor Joe before being subdued, cutting him.
 
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That's sounds like a good option, killing three birds or four birds with one stone. Leaves a crewman and his environment suit competent and competently made, gives the audience and exciting opening sequence, with clues about what's going to happen, and we get to see an alien species established as (under normal circumstances) a friendly ally. I like your choice of Andorian, would have been great to see TOS develop them more.
 
So, Spock is supposed to be emotionless. Ok, not emotionless, just in control of his emotions. Except for his sarcastic side. First he tells Bailey to have his adrenal gland removed, now he calls Sulu "D'Artagnon.". Neither is logical.

Secretly, Spock delights in saying things in a deadpan voice and leaving crew to puzzle over whether he's kidding or not.
 
Sorry, didn't mean to make an issue out of what gets the story moving.
No need to apologise for giving us the opportunity for discussion; I love this stuff :techman:
Maybe they find that amazingly enough, one of the Psi 2000 outpost victims is still alive - this would be a good place to use aliens. Maybe an Andorian (their planet is an ice world, after all, so they might be still semi-conscious - when was it decided their planet was cold?) crewman revives and attacks poor Joe before being subdued, cutting him.
The cut would still have to go unnoticed though. Otherwise Spock would never have let them leave the Transporter Room (or even beamed aboard).
That's sounds like a good option, killing three birds or four birds with one stone. Leaves a crewman and his environment suit competent and competently made, gives the audience and exciting opening sequence, with clues about what's going to happen, and we get to see an alien species established as (under normal circumstances) a friendly ally. I like your choice of Andorian, would have been great to see TOS develop them more.
Ah, the benefit of hindsight! It actually highlights how few aliens we have actually met in the series so far.
Secretly, Spock delights in saying things in a deadpan voice and leaving crew to puzzle over whether he's kidding or not.
Dry witted Spock is the best!
 
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