Revisiting Star Trek Continues...

[Bixby]

Yes, her demise was contrived to answer the question why Spock leaves Starfleet after the 5-year mission, something not really addressed in “official” canon.

The "romance" between Spock and McKenna was totally out of nowhere and very last minute. McKenna showed some signs of teasing Spock but to me that felt more like they were giving her lines that usually were reserved for McCoy (did McCoy during STC have any moments of his love/hate bromance with Spock?).

But Spock didn't show any interest in McKenna throughout all of the previous episodes, but we know he can feel human attraction when we see the episodes with Droxine and the Romulan Commander.

So this unexpected subplot felt very forced and unconvincing.

 

[Richard Baker]

STC reminds me of when I bought my first AMC Enterprise model in the sixties- I really love the thing and it was not until years later I found out how bad it was with all the experts and references showing inaccurate shapes and proportions.
I liked the STC series- it was a better production than most fan films, and it is a fan film instead of a professional endeavor. Most fan films have some good moments, some great ones but a lot of the time I kinda wince. STC really tried to be in the same style of the original, I understand all the points made in the prior posts and now I can see all the flaws and shortcomings which take away from from the authentic experience. IIRC they had planned to have additional shows and who knows how they may have addressed some of these problems, but Axanar and it's conflict with CBS pretty much killed those plans and they had to wrap thinks up quickly.
In all honesty I did not care much for the final two parter episode- however I did like how they tried to end the TOS era and set the stage for the TMP

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

For all its flaws, I still think STC outshines everything that CBS has made for my taste.

Quoted for truth.

 

[Phoenix219]

A big issue with the actors in the JJ films is the direction they were given in addition to all the other crap going on. Pine, Quinto and Urban might have been fine enough in a much better produced, vastly better written and serious minded film. But as is their portrayals are forever tainted by the total wreck they were mired in.

I just can't look at quinto and not expect Spock to start wondering how things work and begin to TK someone's head open lol.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Bixby:

My opinion about Smith comes from having watched her be like a bull in a bar, and 2 scenes of her hand-to-hand fighting...Then I go back to Where No Man Has Gone Before, and Smith is just so demure and submissive. Brown really played Smith as a completely different person. Her portrayal was fine, they just should have called her a different name.

I believe the change was necessary; in WNMHGB, Smith seemed to be green--like someone recently assigned to her first starship, but she--like anyone--would grow and find their place as one the promoted officers, which is the way Kipleigh Brown's Smith was portrayed. Even Chekov evolved from the young-coded character of early TOS 2nd season to the way he carried himself in the third, and that too felt natural.

Warped9:

And once again the writers here want to tie into later Trek by spinning off from story elements from a VOY episode, referring to the old Earth Friendship science probes mentioned in VOY and the nanotech viruses also introduced in that episode.

Referencing or basing anything on VOY is never a wise decision.

 

[Lord Garth]

I saw "Fairest of Them All" a while ago. All I have to say about it is that while I enjoyed it, Spock did way too much of a 180. He has a complete personality change from "Mirror, Mirror" to this. He went from, "Captain Kirk, I shall consider it" to going full-throttle. I can't believe this Spock was ever his Kirk's second-in-command. The way Spock's characterization is, you'd think he'd have been leading an underground resistance against the Empire from way back. As opposed to someone who only came around at the end of the previous episode (from his perspective).

 

[Bixby]

I believe the change was necessary; in WNMHGB, Smith seemed to be green--like someone recently assigned to her first starship, but she--like anyone--would grow and find their place as one the promoted officers, which is the way Kipleigh Brown's Smith was portrayed. Even Chekov evolved from the young-coded character of early TOS 2nd season to the way he carried himself in the third, and that too felt natural.

Look, I have to completely disagree with you. The change between OG Smith and Kipleigh Brown Smith is WAY too much of a change.

The way Kipleigh Brown moves, talks, thinks, responds would have taken anyone about 10 to 20 years of maturing. In WNMHGB, when the man she was holding hands with (Gary Mitchell) was blitzed by lightning and fell to the floor, she didn't move, not even to administer first aid. Now in a couple of STC episodes she's a $hit-kicker, teams up with Uhura to convince a third crewman to go out and drink with them, and has no problem talking back against a superior officer. That's a completely different person than OG Smith.

It's almost like having a Richie Cunningham in WNMHGB, and putting John McLane in STC and saying it's the same person.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

The way Kipleigh Brown moves, talks, thinks, responds would have taken anyone about 10 to 20 years of maturing. In WNMHGB, when the man she was holding hands with (Gary Mitchell) was blitzed by lightning and fell to the floor, she didn't move, not even to administer first aid.

Smith did move to Mitchell as he fell from his seat, and was kneeling down checking on him before Kirk rolled him over. That, and with Dr. Piper on the bridge checking on everyone, Smith would likely defer to the senior medical officer nearby.

That said, if there was a lack of inaction on Smith's part in that scene, it was more a fault of Goldstone not having Andrea Dromm do more after a near disaster in the way the other actors were (e.g., Takei & Doohan propping up Kellerman, or Shatner helping Lockwood).

Now in a couple of STC episodes she's a $hit-kicker, teams up with Uhura to convince a third crewman to go out and drink with them, and has no problem talking back against a superior officer. That's a completely different person than OG Smith.

There's supposedly five years between WNMHGB and STC's series finale, so I have to say that anyone serving on the flagship of Starfleet--a ship famously known for breaking endless ground / dangerous missions, would mature after being forged by all of that. A green new recruit or early service yeoman will not have the same personality, perspectives or relationships once she grows in that environment.

 

[Warped9]

I don't have much problem with Smith's evolution--people do grow and evolve.

But I stand with my initial view that I felt the mutiny, or "revolution," went too quickly. Mirror Spock had to know what Mirror Kirk would do with the Halkans so that shouldn't have surprised him. Perhaps it should have taken a further action to really push Spock, and others, over the edge.

 

[Warped9]

Hmm… An interesting wrinkle might have been for Mirror Kirk to execute Chekov after learning of his failed assassination attempt. Something like this could have been what pushes Spock across the line. Mind you thats possibly something the TOS wouldn’t have done even if set in the Mirror Universe, but then again in “Mirror, Mirror” it’s referenced Mirror Kirk assassinated Mirror Pike. Still TOS would never have revisited this storyline in the first place.

 

[Pauln6]

I think STC had more consistent production values than Phase II but I like to integrate the shows (around Chekov's promotion) so I get a mixture of supporting characters. When Phase II is good, it's really good. They both feel like TOS with some TNG sensibilities and story elements.

Specht is a great addition but, to be honest, it would have felt more organic if she had just been Helen Noel. There are definite similarities in their personaliities. I did feel that the final scenes in the final episode were a bit too drawn out for my tastes.

I was glad to see Rand in Phase II but puzzled that fans made her a command officer, despite her being an engineering CPO in TMP. I also felt that not enough of her sass was allowed to shine through. Phase II did an odd thing shoe-horning in Carol when, based on David's age, they must have met much earlier in the timeline.

So in some ways, STC bringing in other, more peripheral, characters and new characters meant that they came with less baggage. They are good support but I think the actors should have had more free reign to seed more personality into the performances.

I am glad that SNW came along and did some justice to Chapel, as both fan shows clearly viewed her as entirely superfluous as part of the ensemble, despite several stories where her bio-research skills would have been of use.

Stringer embodies Nichols physicality really well - she obviously studied the footage - but often looks a bit like a rabbit in the headlights and misses some of Uhura's confidence.

The actors generally do decent, recognisable impressions and any shortcomings are not so much to overshadow one's enjoyment.

Overall, these shows combine to make a great 5th year of the 5year mission.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Specht is a great addition but, to be honest, it would have felt more organic if she had just been Helen Noel.

For me, this hits the nail on the head.

 

[Noname Given]

...Dating was also much easier in the seventies- you could say what you wanted to without worrying about so many social triggers derailing the evening. Today it is like tap dancing in a minefield just trying to have a conversation...

I was a late teen in the 70s and sorry, you're just plain wrong. The 'triggers' were different, but still there in the 70s.

In the end, like now, it depended on who you dated and how you presented yourself.

 

[fireproof78]

I was a late teen in the 70s and sorry, you're just plain wrong. The 'triggers' were different, but still there in the 70s.

In the end, like now, it depended on who you dated and how you presented yourself.

I hated dating in the 00s.

Never knew what the right thing was to say. Everything was a minefield.