Rank the Rand Canon

[Pauln6]

1. Balance of Terror
2. Corbomite Manoeuvre
3. The Enemy Within
4. The Naked Time
5. The Man Trap
6. Charlie X
7. Miri
8. Conscience of the King

I don't agree that all of Rand's lines could have been given to any character, although that criticism could be levelled at most characters below Scotty and it happened frequently. Her personality wasn't always showcased well (Balance of Terror might as well not feature her - they could have showcased the way she was intended to be emotional support for Kirk but she's entirely peripheral) but it stands out in Charlie X, Man Trap, Corbomite Manoeuvre, the Enemy Within, and the Conscience of the King.

I do think that she was terribly under used, largely due to sixties sexism. She could have been great as comic relief in more episodes. Her best role was in Harlan Ellison's original draft of City on the Edge of Forever, which was whittled down to a small role for Uhura.

I do find it strange that she does not feature more often in comics and novels as a front and centre character. It's not as if there are many women to choose from.

I'm still working on my fan edit of TMP to give Rand more screen time! :-D

 

[Maurice]

The Cap'n's yeoman was always a poorly conceived role, whether Colt or Rand. As a low-rank subordinate she can't function as a confidant or foil for the Captain. I know Gene wanted a Miss Kitty to Marshal Dillon, but Kitty didn't work for Dillon.

 

[Pauln6]

The Cap'n's yeoman was always a poorly conceived role, whether Colt or Rand. As a low-rank subordinate she can't function as a confidant or foil for the Captain. I know Gene wanted a Miss Kitty to Marshal Dillon, but Kitty didn't work for Dillon.

This is very true. Rand only comes alive as a character when interacting with the junior crew. Making her his new yeoman meant a standing start with no history like Beverley and Picard. You can imagine her getting to the point where she might have been more like the Doctor and Catherine Tate's Donna (mostly clueless but occasionally challenging decisions for the right reasons) but her crush on him did get tiresome very quickly.

I would have liked to see her develop a knack for jury rigging. She makes coffee with a phaser, patches the transporter with hairpin, charges the shuttle with phasers power, and so on. She needed a niche.

 

[Ssosmcin]

What do you mean, “Balance of Terror” is not a Rand episode?

Sure, she's in it, but she had little impact on the story. She's about as important as, well, Uhura. She shows up, delivers her lines, looks great, exits stage right. Unlike Tomlinson, Martine or Stiles, she's not important. Anyone could do what she did. And I love the character and the actress, this is just an observation.

It's not a "Rand Episode" it's an episode that has Rand in it. Which is probably what this thread is really about: what are the best episodes that have Rand making an appearance.

"Charlie X" is probably as close to a "Rand Episode" as we got.

 

[Falconer]

Which is probably what this thread is really about: what are the best episodes that have Rand making an appearance.

Yes, that’s all it is!

 

[Ssosmcin]

So, for me those would be "The Corbomite Maneuver," "Balance of Terror" and "The Enemy Within." But really, just about all of them are solid. "Miri" and "Charlie X" tend to entertain me the least.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

I think in terms of Whitney getting to show off her acting chops it has to be Charlie X or The Enemy Within.

Edit - And I just broke a rule. I'm sorry, this was linked from another thread and I didn't realise how old it was...

 

[Pauln6]

Just for a lark I tweaked some of the movies to bring Sulu's promotion arc more to the fore and as a side effect, I discovered a reason for Rand's apocryphal rank in STIII:

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[1001001]

Edit - And I just broke a rule. I'm sorry, this was linked from another thread and I didn't realise how old it was...