Spock's Brain article

[ZapBrannigan]

I'm getting to this a couple of weeks late and maybe it's been threaded already, but look:

http://www.metv.com/stories/in-defense-of-spocks-brain

I'm wondering if somebody around here wrote it, because it takes an actual TOS fan to start talking about Fred Steiner's superb music cues and Shatner passing in front of the main viewing screen. And knowing that Lee Cronin was Gene Coon implies caring who Gene Coon was.

Was it written by one of us? I happen to agree with much of what it says, and I've always enjoyed the episode.

 

[Marsden]

Thanks, Zapper. I liked the article, although I think I like the episode more than the guy that wrote it.

I think he has a good point about contrasting what type of "universe" we are in and what works and what doesn't. Spock's Brain has some things in it that only work in a universe that has actual Martians, or some other things that were in movies in the 50s. But there are other parts that are good, very good in fact.

Two things that stood out for me, the whole part of McCoy calling Kirk down to sickbay and his pained desperation at trying to explain what happened to Spock and Kirk's astonishment, that was done well. I also liked, absent Spock's presence, Uhura, Checkov, and Shemp, I mean Sulu, get to have their input about which of the three planets to search. I liked both of those and they showed what a good show Star Trek could be, but then there's those other parts.

 

[johnnybear]

Best part of the episode for me had to be Marj Dusay in her short skirt and space age suspenders!
JB

 

[alensatemybuick]

I watched all episodes of TOS in re-runs, for the first time in the early 70s (I was born in 1966). As a child, I made no distinction between "bad" and "good" episodes. As I watched the original epidoses over and over again as I become an adolescent and later (arguably) an adult, sure, I realized that some were inferior to others in terms of quality and maturity level. But as I continue to age and look back on Trek and how it affected me in my formative years with fondness, those distinctions become less important to me. It is what it is. So I tend to agree with the MeTV article.

Besides, "Spock's Brain" inspired this gem (which I recall watching with delight when it first aired in 1989):

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[Nyotarules]

'Brain, what is 'brain'? Now put those words in the mouth of a male space hunk.

 

[Warped9]

I have to agree that "Spock's Brain," even with its dumb title, is not the worst TOS episode.

"And The Children Shall Lead" has that (dis)honour. And there are a few (dis)hourable mentions to accompany ATCSL.

 

[UnknownSample]

Gene Coon wrote Spock's Brain?!?

Another great part: McCoy and the Teacher, and the operating, and the forgetting. The Space Bimbos are the worst part. I wish we'd heard more about the origins of that society. It sounds as if they had worked it out.

 

[Warped9]

There are a lot of good things in "Spock's Brain" as a story and a lot of good things in the actual episode. But somewhere along the way there were some questionable choices made.

Making the women such airheads was a less than inspired move. Seeing Spock's body moved by remote control and by such a simplistic looking device looked truly weird. And finally having Spock talk McCoy through the rest of the operation was plain fucked up. Even as an 11 year old that looked totally unbelevable to me.

Three simple things and a dumb title undermine a lot of other decent things. It's interesting that in James Blish's adaptation of the episode the brainless(!) Spock remains aboard ship while Kirk and company explore the planet. And I seem to recall the operation took place aboard the Enterprise rather than down on the planet, but it's been forever since I read the adaptation.

 

[spockboy]

Gene Coon wrote Spock's Brain?!?

Another great part: McCoy and the Teacher, and the operating, and the forgetting. The Space Bimbos are the worst part. I wish we'd heard more about the origins of that society. It sounds as if they had worked it out.

I read that the original intent of Spock's Brain was comedic like A Piece of the Action or The Trouble with Tribbles. This makes perfect sense if Gene Coon wrote it.
Apparently based on what I have read, Freiberger decided to make a serious episode.

Maybe I should do a comedic re-edit of it to see how it plays.
Spockboy

 

[Warped9]

I read that the original intent of Spock's Brain was comedic like A Piece of the Action or The Trouble with Tribbles. This makes perfect sense if Gene Coon wrote it.
Apparently based on what I have read, Freiberger decided to make a serious episode.

Maybe I should do a comedic re-edit of it to see how it plays.
Spockboy

This has been debunked. The episode was never meant to be comedic. That is basically a popular fan explanation to explain away how the episode turned out.

 

[RAMA]

I watched all episodes of TOS in re-runs, for the first time in the early 70s (I was born in 1966). As a child, I made no distinction between "bad" and "good" episodes. As I watched the original epidoses over and over again as I become an adolescent and later (arguably) an adult, sure, I realized that some were inferior to others in terms of quality and maturity level. But as I continue to age and look back on Trek and how it affected me in my formative years with fondness, those distinctions become less important to me. It is what it is. So I tend to agree with the MeTV article.

Besides, "Spock's Brain" inspired this gem (which I recall watching with delight when it first aired in 1989):

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I groaned. Why did they have to pick THAT episode.

 

[UnknownSample]

I read that the original intent of Spock's Brain was comedic like A Piece of the Action or The Trouble with Tribbles. This makes perfect sense if Gene Coon wrote it.
Apparently based on what I have read, Freiberger decided to make a serious episode.
Spockboy

I heard recently that Fred F hated ST doing any comedy whatsoever. He despised the tribbles story. "Star Trek is not a comedy" is a direct quote, I think. Of course, by insisting that everything be deadpan, he made a season millions find un intentionally funny.

Would I want Spock's brain being yanked out of his skull as a comedy, though? Talk about dark humor...

 

[spockboy]

I heard recently that Fred F hated ST doing any comedy whatsoever. He despised the tribbles story. "Star Trek is not a comedy" is a direct quote, I think. Of course, by insisting that everything be deadpan, he made a season millions find un intentionally funny.

Would I want Spock's brain being yanked out of his skull as a comedy, though? Talk about dark humor...

I take your point, but in truth Spock's brain wasn't violently "yanked out of his skull" it was skillfully removed with a complicated surgical procedure beyond their abilities. That's interesting, not dark.
I think if handled right it could definitely work. For example in A Piece of the Action, people were gunned down in cold blood with Tommy Guns, but people still remember the episode being funny and entertaining.
Another example would be Hogan's Heroes. A sitcom about a German P.O.W. Camp in World War 2?
It'll never work.

Spockboy

 

[UnknownSample]

Strange, mention a brain being involved in anything, and it seems wacky to people. Is the brain a funnier organ to lose than your liver, say? "Where in the galaxy are you going to look for Spock's left shoulder, Jim? Where?!" That's almost funny. A brain? That's just gruesome.

 

[spockboy]

This has been debunked. The episode was never meant to be comedic. That is basically a popular fan explanation to explain away how the episode turned out.

Figures. So many Trek myths out there now.
Can you tell us more?


Spockboy

 

[Warped9]

Figures. So many Trek myths out there now.
Can you tell us more?


Spockboy

Gene Coon was no longer working for Star Trek by the third season, but apparently he still owed a script or so to Trek or something to that effect. Apparently he also couldn't use his real name (as writing credit) because he was now working somewhere else. He penned "Spock's Brain" as a dramatic story--not as a comedy or parody as many have assumed---but evidently something didn't work out when the story went to film and we got the episode as it stands now. At this point Roddenberry was also somewhat absent from overseeing the show and that might also have contributed to not having another pair of seasoned eyes going over the script. And finally DC Fontana was no longer there either so another seasoned filter was sorely absent.

It's possible that if a story like "Spock's Brain" had been done during the firat two seasons it would have worked out differently.

Of course, there's always "The Alternative Factor."

 

[UnknownSample]

Thanks, W9. I have to say I prefer that story , but still have no idea which to believe. There's an original script I'd love to see.

 

[Warped9]

Thanks, W9. I have to say I prefer that story , but still have no idea which to believe. There's an original script I'd love to see.

Fred Freiberger was not interested in doing comedy and Roddenberry had already impressed upon him that "Star Trek is not a comedy" after his displeasure with episodes "The Trouble With Tribbles," "I, Mudd" and "A Piece Of The Action." So if Gene Coon had written a story intened to be comedic it would not have been accepted.

There is no anecdotal evidence to support the notion "Spock's Brain" was meant to be comedic. It was always intended to be dramatic and with a few changes they could have pulled it off.