The Absence of Romance in Taste of Armageddon

[TheAdmiralty]

Whenever I see the scene where Kirk stops the girl from going into the disintegration chamber even though she wants to it seems like the start of one of those "Kirk explains the big, wide universe to alien girl" type stories (ala Gamesters of Triskelion). But there's not even a whiff of romance between them for the rest of the episode, she's actually pretty ticked at not getting to die. It probably wouldn't have been surprising at the time since Kirk's ladies man persona didn't really start until Season 2.

 

[alensatemybuick1]

I dunno, I thought Kirk's "rep." was estalished pretty early on, based just for example on McCoy's comment in "Court Martial" about all of his old friend's looking like doctors and all of Kirk's looking like Ariel Shaw. And in Kirk's "shooshing" Helen Noel for bringing up their previous "encounter" before beaming down to the Tantalus Colony in "Dagger Of The Mind". Then there's Lenore in "Conscience Of The King" and that scene in the observation deck.

Related to Kirk's ladies man rep, one of my fav. moments in all of Trek is when McCoy rolls his eyes after Kirk kisses Martia in TUC.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Whenever I see the scene where Kirk stops the girl from going into the disintegration chamber even though she wants to it seems like the start of one of those "Kirk explains the big, wide universe to alien girl" type stories (ala Gamesters of Triskelion). But there's not even a whiff of romance between them for the rest of the episode

And that's a good thing.

she's actually pretty ticked at not getting to die.

Yes. This is a serious episode about serious things. It doesn't need, what would in that case be, a needless, gratuitous romantic subplot mucking it up.

It probably wouldn't have been surprising at the time since Kirk's ladies man persona didn't really start until Season 2.

Have you seen "What Are Little Girls Made of?", "The Conscience of the King," "Shore leave," "Court Martial," "The City on the Edge of Forever"? Not that these are necessarily examples with gratuitous romantic subplots, but the ladies' man persona seems fully present, even in that one case in the first example when he uses it to subvert the android's programming and, yes, even in that last example when his love is star-crossed.

 

[Warped9]

Whenever I see the scene where Kirk stops the girl from going into the disintegration chamber even though she wants to it seems like the start of one of those "Kirk explains the big, wide universe to alien girl" type stories (ala Gamesters of Triskelion). But there's not even a whiff of romance between them for the rest of the episode, she's actually pretty ticked at not getting to die. It probably wouldn't have been surprising at the time since Kirk's ladies man persona didn't really start until Season 2.

I don't see what the problem is unless you're disappointed they didn't pander to a cliche.

 

[BillJ]

Kirk had more serious problems with Anan-7 trying to shoot down the Enterprise.

 

[Spock's Barber]

Miri : "The Captain. He'll try to find her, but he won't. Mr. lovey-dovey."
Red-haired boy : "Lovey-dovey! Bonk, bonk on the head! Bonk, bonk!"

Ah, just throw a bucket of water on Kirk when he gets too hot blooded.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Every now and then, you need to have a serious story that isn't interrupted by "Kiss me, Captain!" moments.

 

[Spock's Barber]

Shatner probably drooled when he read the next week's script that said "Kirk embraces and kisses this episode's guest actress".

 

[TheAdmiralty]

I don't see what the problem is unless you're disappointed they didn't pander to a cliche.

Not saying it was a problem, just an observation.

 

[johnnybear]

I've always seen Taste of Armageddon as a play on the idea of the populations willing to go and die in a war just because their governments tell them to in the real world whether that be for profit or power and Kirk telling them that there is another way although it may not be easy! I'm still waiting for Blair to be prosecuted here in the UK as well!
JB

 

[Balok's Decoy]

Whenever I see the scene where Kirk stops the girl from going into the disintegration chamber even though she wants to it seems like the start of one of those "Kirk explains the big, wide universe to alien girl" type stories (ala Gamesters of Triskelion). But there's not even a whiff of romance between them for the rest of the episode, she's actually pretty ticked at not getting to die. It probably wouldn't have been surprising at the time since Kirk's ladies man persona didn't really start until Season 2.

Frankly I think the "Kirk ladies man" persona is exaggerated. Pretty much every woman he was romantically involved with in the show he had genuine affection, concern, and even love for. He wasn't constantly sleeping around with green women as the haha-nudge-nudge stereotype goes. If you wanna talk about a character who was truly a "ladies man," then let's head on over to the TNG thread and run down Riker's exploits. lol

 

[TheAdmiralty]

Frankly I think the "Kirk ladies man" persona is exaggerated. Pretty much every woman he was romantically involved with in the show he had genuine affection, concern, and even love for. He wasn't constantly sleeping around with green women as the haha-nudge-nudge stereotype goes. If you wanna talk about a character who was truly a "ladies man," then let's head on over to the TNG thread and run down Riker's exploits. lol

That's the point I was making. It was especially true in the first season. Most of the romantic plots (Edith Keeler, Conscience of the King exc, old romances being brought up in Shore Leave and Court Martial) were serious.

 

[alensatemybuick1]

Being a ladies man is not the same as being a player. If Kirk f-ed anything that moved, I don't think he'd be a very appealing character.

 

[Tenacity]

There was a romantic scene, just not between Kirk and Mea.

Spock: "Yeoman Tamula, you stay here and prevent this young lady from immolating herself. Knock her down if necessary."

Tamula and Mea are left alone in the room, that's when the romance scene starts. Unfortunately it was all off screen, 1960's censureship being what it was.

 

[Jedi Marso]

There was a romantic scene, just not between Kirk and Mea.

Spock: "Yeoman Tamula, you stay here and prevent this young lady from immolating herself. Knock her down if necessary."

Tamula and Mea are left alone in the room, that's when the romance scene starts. Unfortunately it was all off screen, 1960's censureship being what it was.

Cue the music....bow chicka bow wow!

 

[johnnybear]

There was a romantic scene, just not between Kirk and Mea.

Spock: "Yeoman Tamula, you stay here and prevent this young lady from immolating herself. Knock her down if necessary."

Tamula and Mea are left alone in the room, that's when the romance scene starts. Unfortunately it was all off screen, 1960's censureship being what it was.

Didn't he tell her to sit on her if necessary as well?
JB

 

[Spock's Barber]

Didn't he tell her to sit on her if necessary as well?
JB

I can just hear all the red shirts of the landing party...

Red shirt #1 "No, Captain. Let me sit on her!"
Red shirt #2 "Wait, choose me. It's my turn to encounter alien women."
Red shirt #3 "You guys back off. Last episode I got wacked. I'm doing it."

 

[Tenacity]

Didn't he tell her to sit on her if necessary as well?

Spock didn't specify what part of Mea Yeoman Tamula was to sit on, she had to decide that herself.

 

[johnnybear]

Sounds good to me!
JB