Space Seed - 45th Anniversary - 16 Feb 1967

[Wingsley]

This week marks the 45th anniversary of a legend! On 16 Feb. 1967, the "Star Trek" episode "Space Seed" first aired on NBC. This show starred brilliant character actor Riccardo Montalban (1920-2009; Mr. Roarke on "Fantasy Island") as the menacing Khan Noonian Singh in a story that would spin off three movies and even a few episodes of "Star Trek: Enterprise" about a master race of "genetic supermen" called the Augments. And let's not forget the beautiful Madlyn Rhue (1935-2003), who portrayed Marla McGivers.

 

[E-DUB]

Am I the only one who's ever wondered if the explosion of the neighboring planet was a TOS-era action by Section 31 "quietly" handling a perceived threat to the Federation?

 

[Wingsley]

I think the notion of a spontaneously exploding planet was ludicrous. And the "Wrath of Khan" movie was a pale imitation of "Space Seed", just with a much bigger FX budget and two hours instead of one.

 

[sbk1234]

Say what you will about WOK, I think that if it wasn't for this film, Star Trek never would have gained its popularity again - beyond syndicated reruns, and the few books that came out now and again. By following that reasoning, we could say that Space Seed is responsible for saving Star Trek.

 

[Wingsley]

Well, Roddenberry stumbled with TMP, but it was certainly not the disaster that some make it out to be.

But you are right: "Space Seed" did create that legend-within-a-legend that spawned a following with the second movie. The movie was nowhere near as good as it could've been, but it was effective in propelling TREK forward through the late 80s, and indirectly spawning TNG.

 

[Broccoli]

I think the notion of a spontaneously exploding planet was ludicrous. And the "Wrath of Khan" movie was a pale imitation of "Space Seed", just with a much bigger FX budget and two hours instead of one.

Even though the two stories are nothing alike?

 

[Wingsley]

That's the whole point. You have most of the same actors, but is Khan in "Space Seed" the same character as Khan in TWOK? Khan in "Space Seed" was a ruthlessly cool, calculating charismatic. Khan in TWOK is a revenge-obsessed lunatic. Riccardo Montalban did what he could with the role, but it's not the same Khan.

 

[MANT!]

People change..esp. under duress...

besides..Khan in Space Seed wasn't over the top..but Khan in WOK chewed the scenery almost as much as "The Shat"...

 

[Wingsley]

One unanswered question in "Space Seed": where was Khan and the Botany Bay going? Earth, at that point, presumably had no interstellar expeditions. Were they just going to sleep and endless sleep?

 

[alchemist]

One unanswered question in "Space Seed": where was Khan and the Botany Bay going? Earth, at that point, presumably had no interstellar expeditions. Were they just going to sleep and endless sleep?

A scene on the bridge that was to have occurred towards the top of Act II, right before Kirk called Scotty to ask him about records and log books, would have provided some detail if it had been left in:

SPINELLI
As near as I can work out their
heading, they must have tried for
the Alpha Centuri star system.​

KIRK
Makes sense. Closest to earth, has
several habitable planets.​

SPINELLI
Their vessel must have gone off
course when the port control jets
took meteor damage. Other hits
deflected them even more off course.​

Consider this dialogue in light of the conversation that Kirk has with Khan in his quarters in Act III of the final cut.​

 

[T'Girl]

One unanswered question in "Space Seed": where was Khan and the Botany Bay going?

Alpha Centuri would have been a good destination. Two stars fairly like our, decent distance from each other. Close as you're going to get.

Personally, I figure they probably hadn't gotten very far yet, barely out of the solar system's oort cloud. At less than one percent of the speed of light (imho), a hundred and seventy odd years out, Khan might have been anticipating a thousand year journey.

But given that they had lost (by the time Kirk found them) ten percent of their "freezers," the odds were against them.

 

[gastrof]

I think the notion of a spontaneously exploding planet was ludicrous. And the "Wrath of Khan" movie was a pale imitation of "Space Seed", just with a much bigger FX budget and two hours instead of one.

You're only allowing for a limited imagination.

The destruction of Ceti Alpha Six was a wonderful plot device that has stimulated much in the way of fan conversation, especially considering the timing.

According to Khan, it happened on six months after Khan and his people, along with Marla, were left on Ceti Alpha Five.

 

[gastrof]

[The Wrath of Khan] was nowhere near as good as it could've been, but it was effective in propelling TREK forward through the late 80s, and indirectly spawning TNG.

An early version of the Star Trek II script carried the title "Star Trek: The Next Generation", apparently having David and Saavik in mind.

 

[Timewalker]

Am I the only one who's ever wondered if the explosion of the neighboring planet was a TOS-era action by Section 31 "quietly" handling a perceived threat to the Federation?

If this was Section 31's doing, why not just make Khan's planet explode?

The most sensible explanation I've seen for the exploding planet has been a mini-black hole.

That's the whole point. You have most of the same actors, but is Khan in "Space Seed" the same character as Khan in TWOK? Khan in "Space Seed" was a ruthlessly cool, calculating charismatic. Khan in TWOK is a revenge-obsessed lunatic. Riccardo Montalban did what he could with the role, but it's not the same Khan.

You try landing on a habitable planet, expecting to make something of it, and then having it turn into a desert practically overnight due to an unpreventable catastrophe, trying to keep your people alive, having your wife die... how sane would you be after 15 years? (not saying Khan was right, but his state of mind was understandable)

 

[E-DUB]

As Kirk said to Bela Oxmyx: "That ain't subtle."

Blowing up the same planet might set off alarm bells that blowing up a neighboring planet wouldn't. Or maybe the other planet had some "pre-existing condition" that made blowing it up easier. Same result, greater deniability.

 

[Elder Knight]

One unanswered question in "Space Seed": where was Khan and the Botany Bay going? Earth, at that point, presumably had no interstellar expeditions. Were they just going to sleep and endless sleep?

The late-20th-century equivalent of locking 'em up and throwing away the key.

 

[scotpens]

One unanswered question in "Space Seed": where was Khan and the Botany Bay going? Earth, at that point, presumably had no interstellar expeditions. Were they just going to sleep and endless sleep?

The late-20th-century equivalent of locking 'em up and throwing away the key.

Despite its name, the Botany Bay wasn’t a prison ship. Khan and his followers left Earth of their own volition.