Sarek in Journey to Babel
- Thread starter JRoss
- Start date
Could you elaborate?
It's not TK. It's a bad-ass "my little finger can kick your ass," a la Master Po. It also supports the idea that Sarek could easily have been the one who snapped the Ambassador's neck.
ETA: Of course, Sarek's bad-assness predated Po's by several years.
ETA: Of course, Sarek's bad-assness predated Po's by several years.
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The script tells us a bit more about what we are seeing (or what we are supposed to be seeing):
**************
Scene 31
SAREK
Reports indicate your ships
have been carrying Coridan dilithium
crystals.
GAV
You call us thieves?
Scene 32 ANOTHER ANGLE
Kirk has entered on Sarek's last line. He has no opportunity to comment as Gav furiously leaps forward at Sarek. Spectators scurry aside as Sarek blocks Gav's hands, which are gasping for his throat, and effortlessly slams the Tellarite away, against a table. Gav stats to lunge at Sarek again, but Kirk catches Gav on the move and forces him back. Gav shouts at the totally unruffled Sarek over Kirk's shoulder.
GAV
(continuing)
Lies!
*****************
So Sarek is supposed to be blocking Gav's attack, slamming Gav away effortlessly and is supposed to be unruffled by the whole thing.
It looks like Sarek is simply strong--strong enough to perform Tal Shaya, we later find out. It's doesn't appear to be some Jedi trick.
Tellarites do not fight for a reason, they simply get their asses whooped.
I don't understand why these characters are fighting and accusing each other of misdemeanours anyway. They are a part of the same Federation, that incorporates trade, defence and all matter of other things. The Vulcans and the Tellerites are on the same side. Was the Union on the line here? It would be akin to a Californian and Texan governor accusing each others state of drug-running, no?
Have you ever observed a meeting of the UN General Assembly? The only thing keeping some of them from lunging at each other is that they'd have to climb over their desks to do so.
But the U.N. is composed of different nations. The Federation, like the U.S. is "one nation" constituted of several member "states", or worlds.
That's because the Federation in TOS is presented as something that is not quite a unified state, like it is in TNG, DS9 and VOY. It's something much more similar to a Confederation (like the United States was under the Articles of Confederation). That means each member is united for certain common purposes, yet they still have separate, competing interests in other areas.
During TOS, the Federation is a lot closer to the UN; if any entity is supposed to represent the US, it's probably Earth itself.
Roddenberry may have been a far left neo-socialist whackadoo, but he was still a patriotic American at heart.
Roddenberry may have been a far left neo-socialist whackadoo, but he was still a patriotic American at heart.
I always loved that bit and always figured it was just a quick demonstration of vulcan strength. When I recently watched this one with a buddy of mine, he was stoked. "Run that back! Damn, Sarek rules!" Never once did we think it was over acting or misjudgment and it was a lot more effective than Spock punching a cardboard food slot or his paper mache viewscreen.
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