It seems to me that the plot is set in motion by Flint trying to do what he said he was trying to do: put Kirk and Rayna together so that he, Flint, could then take over in a new role as her romantic partner. Of course this was a poorly thought out idea and worked out badly, but how could it not have been poorly thought out? Either Flint had little time (once the approach of the Enterprise was detected) to hatch this idea, OR he'd always had such a plan in mind and simply thought a visit from a Federation ship with a youthful captain - one who, moreover, knew how to get close quickly to human/humanoid women, and who frequently desired to do just that - was sooner or later inevitable. The latter idea seems implausible: What if acne-scarred Captain Tracy's ship had happened to arrive at his planet first, or the Vulcan-crewed Intrepid from "The Immunity Syndrome"?
Requiem for Methuselah
- Thread starter Trekfan12
- Start date
Why Rayna and not Andrea? Where were the man's priorities?
Kirk does seem out of character in this episode. One of the better third season episodes notwithstanding.
Uh, Edith Keeler? How long did he know her? Mirimanee? How long did he know her?
But Kirk did fall asleep easily. He konked out in about 5 seconds.
It wasn't until Flynt realized that Ryana was "lonely" that he hatched the plan to introduce her to the landing party to awaken her emotions. It seems that was the first time that Flynt had noticed any type of emotion and he used our landing party to further her emotional birth. I don't think he would have considered introducing her otherwise.
If Kirk was pretending about being in love, he was pretending for his crewmates too, even after returning to the ship.
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ST was full of one-episode romances, including the later series. What makes this one a little different is that they couldn't stretch the time out a bit by moving forward a few days or weeks during a commercial break, because the story hinged on that plague that had to be addressed fast. That's the flaw in the story, the romance and ritalin had to materialize in the same tiny amount of time. Both were necessary. I'll accept that flaw for the sake of an otherwise great episode.
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Oh, another flaw-- Rayna was supposed to be the perfect woman partly because she was so brilliant. She has little to say though, and is dolled up like a trophy wife. She has this very luminous dress on and looks great, but it gives this impression anyway, that she's all about her looks, only. She comes across as more of an Andrea than an intellectual.
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ST was full of one-episode romances, including the later series. What makes this one a little different is that they couldn't stretch the time out a bit by moving forward a few days or weeks during a commercial break, because the story hinged on that plague that had to be addressed fast. That's the flaw in the story, the romance and ritalin had to materialize in the same tiny amount of time. Both were necessary. I'll accept that flaw for the sake of an otherwise great episode.
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Oh, another flaw-- Rayna was supposed to be the perfect woman partly because she was so brilliant. She has little to say though, and is dolled up like a trophy wife. She has this very luminous dress on and looks great, but it gives this impression anyway, that she's all about her looks, only. She comes across as more of an Andrea than an intellectual.
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What could go wrong? Flint's aim appeared to be to trigger an emotional awakening in the robot, after which he could kill Kirk and shrink his starship and enjoy the results. Failing that, he could still kill Kirk and shrink the ship and wait for the next one to arrive. For all we know, he had already tried a couple of times with visitors who were less handsome than Kirk, or whatever the shortcoming that caused them to fall short of being suitable triggers.
As I said, it's funny how Kirk requires an electrocution, a bump in the head, or a trip through time in order to turn amorous. Kirok is not Kirk, in this respect and several others...
In what sense? He never mentioned anything about love. Or about the fembot. He only appeared emotionally exhausted by the idea of the immortal man (after having been physically exhausted himself).
...But not TOS. When Kirk meets a woman, she's typically an obstacle to the mission, and Kirk gives her false promises and sometimes a comeuppance afterwards. Sex certainly isn't in his mind during such interactions: the two times the show dares suggest he might have any, he's very literally forced to do it at gunpoint!
It's not as if she would have much motivation to speak her piece. For her, the world is: it does not need to be discussed or debated, save perhaps for those parts her mentor has specified are not crystal clear to him yet (which is where Spock enters the picture). Why waste words on a simpleton like Kirk?
Timo Saloniemi
I can think of Bread and Circuses. Where else?
Obviously he impregnated Miramanee, but "sex" itself is never made explicit in Paradise Syndrome.
Ah ye, I forgot...yeah those two! Although with 'Bread' it's solidified by the Proconsul's line on allowing him to 'be a man' one last time before execution.
He gets some action in "The Paradise Syndrome" without being coerced.
Weeks and months, respectively, I believe.
I agree that she could have shown more of her intellect, but are you implying that brilliant women can't also be beautiful?
Which is falling fast by most measure.
It could also be argued that the very line solidly establishes that Kirk did not have sex with the slave. Rather, knowing well that the two villains would be peeping, he played chess and discussed poetry all night long... And snickered at the loud sound of grinding teeth coming through the peephole.
Kirk also fully well knows this won't be his last night as a man, after all. He's Kirk - he doesn't believe in losing.
Timo Saloniemi
No.
Depends on how much of a turn-off that bubonic plague on Kirk's arm was. I mean, the cut from them kissing and then withdrawing from camera view (but clearly not from the sights of the hundreds of Gideonite voyeurs) sees Kirk next worrying about finding a medikit for healing his arm. Was that because they got nekkid in between and the diseased body part got Kirk's attention due to exposure? Or did the itching stop Kirk from pondering anything physical?
Really, Kirk is on survival mode all through the adventure, despite Odona's amorous approaches. And he considers Odona a potential enemy just ten seconds before they kiss. And again in the next scene.
Now, Kirk sure wouldn't hesitate to have sex with a murderess if that were the way to thwart her evil plans - he's done more to gain less. But that doesn't sound like a good strategy in this adventure, and we really don't get any telltales to that end.
Timo Saloniemi
Really, Kirk is on survival mode all through the adventure, despite Odona's amorous approaches. And he considers Odona a potential enemy just ten seconds before they kiss. And again in the next scene.
Now, Kirk sure wouldn't hesitate to have sex with a murderess if that were the way to thwart her evil plans - he's done more to gain less. But that doesn't sound like a good strategy in this adventure, and we really don't get any telltales to that end.
Timo Saloniemi
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