Red Shirts

[Starborn Dragon]

You guys know there is a powerful historical precedent for the targeting of red shirts, don't you?

Well first, the British lost the revolutionary war because they wore red shirts.

Secondly, when George Washington was an officer in the Brit army, he wore a shirt. He lost most of his battles and one really big one.

Then, he switched to a blue shirt. And he began winning and went on to establish the United States of America. He couldn't have done that if he wore a red shirt, you know.

 

[golddragon71]

The Apple...
aka.

OPEN SEAON ON REDSHIRTS!!!
Heindorff killed by poison dart plant
Kaplan fried by Vaal's lightning storm
Mallory blown up by land mine rock
Marple bludgeoned by Feeder of Vaal

come to think of it, Yeoman Langdon is the only redshirt who makes it through the episode completely unharmed. Which actually bears out my theory that while redshirt men are fairly easily dispatched, the woman redshirts have a much stronger survival rate.

 

[fireproof78]

I just re-watched the first episode of TNG and I had forgotten that they had killed a red shirt within two minutes. And the guy is right there when the show starts; sitting adjacent to Data. When I noticed him, I thought to myself "Oh, that guys' a goner" And then Q iced him...

So, after being off of network TV for almost 20 years, the first thing they felt they needed to do is bury a red shirt to get things going again. I see no problem with that either.

Except they said in dialog of the episode that Torres didn't die:

WORF: Sir, sickbay reports Lieutenant Torres's condition is better.

Good catch. I didn't hear that while I was driving.

Well, that's just not Trek. Who do they think they are? Letting a red shirt live!

That's kind of like a stormtroopers living

Also, I think it is a proto-red shirt, since the uniforms were not finalized, but Lt. Kelso in WNMHGB was a brutal death as well.

Also, the red shirt in death "Devil in the Dark" is pretty nasty, given how the Horta tunnels.

 

[Hatshepsut]

But what about Scottie? He isn't considered a "red shirt" although his shirt is red. And he was accused of murder and threatened with a penalty of death by torture under local law in "Wolf in the Fold." All for an evening on the town.

 

[Shaw]

The problem with this thread is that red shirts only died in 13 episodes (and fewer red shirts died than there are posts in this thread so far).

If we include the pilots, here are the casualties from TOS (by episode and uniform color)...

Oddly enough, it seems that the idea that red shirts died a lot in TOS is based on people assuming red shirts died a lot in TOS. Watching the show doesn't effect this preconceived idea for most people because everyone is constantly repeating it.

I'd have no problem wearing a red shirt on the original Enterprise based on the data (though taking a vacation during the second season wouldn't be a bad idea).

 

[Ithekro]

After the First Season, only four non-red shirts are killed. So of two seasons worth of episode in which 13 episode have crew die , It is most likely to be a red shirt that dies. Only in the First Season is the death of people in Red Shirts a minority.

 

[TRON JA307020]

The problem with this thread is that red shirts only died in 13 episodes (and fewer red shirts died than there are posts in this thread so far).

If we include the pilots, here are the casualties from TOS (by episode and uniform color)...


Yeah I see your point. I just watched "The Man Trap" last night and we get 2 yellow shirts, 2 blue shirt and a guy in a space suit dead by the first half.

Oddly enough, it seems that the idea that red shirts died a lot in TOS is based on people assuming red shirts died a lot in TOS. Watching the show doesn't effect this preconceived idea for most people because everyone is constantly repeating it.

I'd have no problem wearing a red shirt on the original Enterprise based on the data (though taking a vacation during the second season wouldn't be a bad idea).

Yeah I agree. I just rewatched "The Man Trap" andby the first half 2 yellow shirts, 1 blue and a guy in a radiation suit dies due to salt depletion. Pretty sweet but no red shirt deaths.

 

[Jedi_Master]

The problem with this thread is that red shirts only died in 13 episodes (and fewer red shirts died than there are posts in this thread so far).

If we include the pilots, here are the casualties from TOS (by episode and uniform color)...

Oddly enough, it seems that the idea that red shirts died a lot in TOS is based on people assuming red shirts died a lot in TOS. Watching the show doesn't effect this preconceived idea for most people because everyone is constantly repeating it.

I'd have no problem wearing a red shirt on the original Enterprise based on the data (though taking a vacation during the second season wouldn't be a bad idea).

Well according to your data, more red shirts died than any other color, but I see your point.

I am reminded of Guy's line Galaxy Quest:

"I'm the guy who dies to show the situation is serious".

 

[Hatshepsut]

The problem with this thread is that...fewer red shirts died than there are posts in this thread...If we include the pilots, here are the casualties from TOS (by episode and uniform color)...

I'd have no problem wearing a red shirt on the original Enterprise based on the data ...

Lovely chart you have compiled. But risk tolerance thresholds vary. I for one would find starship duty pretty hazardous regardless of shirt color, though it's clear you're better off in yellow or blue. After all, we've got 50 body bags among only 400 or so in harm's way. The U.S. military went bonkers over its much smaller 0.2% mortality in Iraq and Afghanistan. (It was roughly 5K in 2.5M, according to McClatchyDC.)

 

[Marsden]

But what about Scottie? He isn't considered a "red shirt" although his shirt is red. And he was accused of murder and threatened with a penalty of death by torture under local law in "Wolf in the Fold." All for an evening on the town.

Well, don't forget, Nomad killed Scotty, then replaced him with Welshie, er, I mean fixed him.

Maybe we should forget that one.


Shaw, great chart, but just like many other subjects, facts won't get in the way of a supposition. Many things just don't bear scrutiny but the are repeated ad naseum and many people just lack any critical thinking to question, the lie becomes the truth via repetition.

 

[urbandefault]

Many things just don't bear scrutiny but the are repeated ad naseum and many people just lack any critical thinking to question, the lie becomes the truth via repetition.

Yeah, that.

But hey, it's just more fun to say that red shirts are disposable.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

The problem with this thread is that red shirts only died in 13 episodes (and fewer red shirts died than there are posts in this thread so far).

If we include the pilots, here are the casualties from TOS (by episode and uniform color)...

Oddly enough, it seems that the idea that red shirts died a lot in TOS is based on people assuming red shirts died a lot in TOS. Watching the show doesn't effect this preconceived idea for most people because everyone is constantly repeating it.

I'd have no problem wearing a red shirt on the original Enterprise based on the data (though taking a vacation during the second season wouldn't be a bad idea).

This is a very useful presentation. A couple of notes:

- "Where No Man" does have 12 deaths, but the on-screen ones are two gold and one blue.

- "The Changeling" has 4 red shirt deaths, not two. There was a second pair of guards who got vaporized.

- "Obsession" has 4 red shirts as well. Rizzo died later, per Uhura's announcement. It might be five red shirts, because Scotty mentions two crewmen who got attacked and McCoy says one died.

 

[xvicente]

Let us not forget the FIRST time Spock wore a red shirt, he died.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Let us not forget the FIRST time Spock wore a red shirt, he died.

A white shirt and a red jacket.

 

[Shaw]

This is a very useful presentation. A couple of notes:

- "Where No Man" does have 12 deaths, but the on-screen ones are two gold and one blue.

- "The Changeling" has 4 red shirt deaths, not two. There was a second pair of guards who got vaporized.

- "Obsession" has 4 red shirts as well. Rizzo died later, per Uhura's announcement. It might be five red shirts, because Scotty mentions two crewmen who got attacked and McCoy says one died.

I made that graphic nearly six years ago... but I'll be happy to watch "The Changeling" and "Obsession" again (I'm more of a first season fan so I don't watch later episodes as much). I just have to build time into my schedule... which I'm short on right now.

As for WNMHGB... the uniforms were salmon colored, different from the goldish color worn by others. This is the best run down on how I believe they had intended the uniforms and insignias to work in the second pilot...

... which is another graphic from nearly six years ago. But yeah, salmon was approximately equivalent to the red used later in the series.

 

[Melakon]

This is a very useful presentation. A couple of notes:

- "Where No Man" does have 12 deaths, but the on-screen ones are two gold and one blue.

- "The Changeling" has 4 red shirt deaths, not two. There was a second pair of guards who got vaporized.

- "Obsession" has 4 red shirts as well. Rizzo died later, per Uhura's announcement. It might be five red shirts, because Scotty mentions two crewmen who got attacked and McCoy says one died.

I made that graphic nearly six years ago... but I'll be happy to watch "The Changeling" and "Obsession" again (I'm more of a first season fan so I don't watch later episodes as much). I just have to build time into my schedule... which I'm short on right now.

When updating the chart, watch "Elaan of Troyius" again, if you dare. Kryton kills a guy who catches him sabotaging engineering.

 

[fireproof78]

I know that red shirts don't have the highest mortality rate or that every red shirt must die in the sense of statistics.

To me, it is always a simple fact that if the three mains beam down, with one extra, the extra usually dies to prove the situation is serious. I mean, "Friday's Child" demonstrates this quite well, even though the end is a team of red shirts coming to the rescue.

So, I agree, that impression will probably never go away, but I think because we never got to know any of the security officers.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Male+red shirt+extra= dead meat.

 

[xvicente]

Let us not forget the FIRST time Spock wore a red shirt, he died.

A white shirt and a red jacket.

Thus starting the Red Jacket Curse. (everybody that died in the movies was wearing a red jacket).

 

[Melakon]

Let us not forget the FIRST time Spock wore a red shirt, he died.

A white shirt and a red jacket.

♫ ...and a pink carnation... ♫