The Trouble With Tribbles

[BrotherofShran0]

I know this makes me odd man out, but I have always found Tribbles to be an embarassment. It was written at the level of a mediocre Three's Company episode. Juveline humor, poorly written at best. The writers and actors were bending over backwards to say "look at me, I am funny". For Trek humor that works check out " A Piece of the Action". Okay everyone, tell me how wrong I am.

This episode is one of the best TOS ever. Dude, you are so wrong

 

[Nurse Marmalade]

I know this makes me odd man out, but I have always found Tribbles to be an embarassment. It was written at the level of a mediocre Three's Company episode. Juveline humor, poorly written at best. The writers and actors were bending over backwards to say "look at me, I am funny". For Trek humor that works check out " A Piece of the Action". Okay everyone, tell me how wrong I am.

TTWT is not one of my favorite episodes, but it's still a good one. And I do think it's better than APOTA.

 

[cblmc1296]

^^^What she said.

 

[TOSalltheway]

I knew I would be attached for my opinion and I am a die hard 100% true TOS Trekker.....I just don't like Tribbles. You earthers like those fuzzy things, maybe I am part Klingon. I did enjoy DS9 Trial and Triiblations however. And yes, as was discussed on another thread , Spock is strangely drawn to both tribbles and cats. We know Sheldon on Big Bang Theory has a thing for cats (Zazzles), maybe he would like Tribbles as well.

 

[Gov Kodos]

"Flashback" also botched the timeline rather horribly, showing that they didn't even bother watching ST VI past the opening five minutes. Kinda hard to respect the episode after picking up on that.

Well, it was pretty difficult respecting the whole Voyager series after they had an episode where crewmen turned into salamanders after going to Warp 10, so I feel for you.

DS9's "Trials and Tribble-ations" was much better.

They had the advantage of 1) Ron Moore and Rene Echevarria knowing "The Trouble With Tribbles" backwards and forwards, cold, and 2) having David Gerrold on the set.

As for "A Piece of the Action", even the director, James Komack, only said the script was "okay", and wasn't all that funny; it was the Star Trek cast doing all this outlandish stuff that made it funny, along with the cast willing to show off their comedic chops.

I enjoyed 'A Piece of the Action' as an alien's look at our own culture's outlandish beholding to Texts given from on High. The world has chosen to follow The Book (The Bible- which is what the word means) To us it's ridiculous that a culture would slavishly follow a story of Chicago gangs, but is it any more ridiculous than a modern culture following the sayings of an itinerant bronze age carpenter and assorted odd mythological tales from his culture? I find it hilarious and would imagine an alien viewing our devotion to the Bible, Koran, or other such Books much the way we see the devotion of that world to The Book and Chicago gangs.

 

[Forbin]

^Middle Iron Age, actually.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Still ridiculous, yet we follow it.

 

[cblmc1296]

Amen! Oops... I mean, right you are!!

 

[Timo]

And it's not even like said carpenter's word was delivered from the heavens, like the Chicago Mobs book wa-

...I mean...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[MacLeod]

"Flashback" also botched the timeline rather horribly, showing that they didn't even bother watching ST VI past the opening five minutes.

From Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country:
SPOCK: Good morning. Two months ago a Federation starship monitored an explosion on the Klingon moon Praxis. We believe it was caused by over-mining and insufficient safety precautions. The moon's decimation means a deadly pollution of their ozone. They will have depleted their supply of oxygen in approximately fifty Earth years. Due to their enormous military budget, the Klingon economy does not have the resources to combat this catastrophe. Last month, at the behest of the Vulcan Ambassador I opened a dialogue with Gorkon, Chancellor of the Klingon High Council. He proposes to commence negotiations at once.

From "Flashback":
JANEWAY: So what happened? Did you go to Praxis?

TUVOK: No. We were warned off by the Klingons, and resumed our survey mission. However, two days later, we learned that two Starfleet officers were accused of murdering the Klingon chancellor. They were brought back to the Klingon Homeworld to stand trial. Captain Sulu had served under both officers for many years, and he felt an intense loyalty to them.

Kinda hard to respect the episode after picking up on that.

Man, aren't you being a bit hard. After all, it's one tiny detail that could be nothing more than a slip of the tongue. It's not like the fact that it was two months instead of two days was some vital plot point.

Do you also have no respect for that episode where Riker leaves a digit out of the stardate? or Darmok, for having the phasers come from the torpedo tube?

Ok that line might have been a slip of the tongue, but at the end of TUC we have a perfectly alive crew member, who they proceed to kill off in Flashback. So how can he appear at the end of TUC?

 

[Forbin]

Clone?

 

[Redfern]

I love "...Tribbles" about as much as anyone, but I wonder if part of our affection is based upon all the "back story" we know, coming from Gerrold's personal account as described in "The making of...Tribbles"? After all, it a kind of "rags to riches" scenario, not necessarily monetary, but more of a "fan turn pro" situation. Here's this "kid", still in college, watching the show like like anyone else and decides "This has an interesting premise! I wonder if I could sell a script to it?" And as we go through the chapters, we find ourselves rooting for Gerrold, and secretly wishing, "Maybe that could be me."

Odds are, not everyone commenting in this thread has read David's book, so my theory would not apply to everyone. But for those who have read his chronicles, it certainly gives us a better appreciation for what goes into the making of a television episode and as such, allows us to more easily forgive any perceived shortcomings a finished production may reveal.

Just a half @ss personal theory, no more valid than anyone else's.

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[Timo]

Personally, I have no interest in the backstage elements of Trek, save for rare closer looks at things we didn't see particularly well when they did appear onscreen. So the "Gerrold who?" aspect didn't particularly add to my enjoyment of "Tribbles"...

...On the other hand, "background" certainly played a role. Namely, the episode wouldn't have been much fun if I didn't already know how Kirk, Spock and Klingons are supposed to behave on a normal day! The thing that really makes the episode enjoyable is that our heroes and villains stay within their ascribed parameters, and still manage to make complete asses of themselves right when it counts. "A Piece of the Action" relies a bit too much on the heroes being atypically funny (in-universe - that is, cracking jokes and making faces) in an as such somber situation; there's no fizzbin scene in "Tribbles"...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Forbin]

Yeah, I enjoyed the ep long before I knew any of the background stuff.

 

[Redfern]

Like I posted, it was just a half @ssed theory.

BTW, can one even fart with half an @ss?

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[MacLeod]

^I doubt it as an Ass is a donkey :P

 

[plynch]

You know you're a nerd when half an @ss makes you think of han slicing open a tauntaun.

To the point - re. satire: gangs book symbolizing our general penchant for holy texts - I never thought of that. Makes me appreciate that unfunny ep more.

(It's "cute," I'll give it that. But if I want cute, I'll play laser pointer with my cat, not watch Star Trek.)

 

[Redfern]

Or combine the two...

...play laser pointer with a Caitian!

Redshirt Randy: "Hey, get a load of this. I'll set my pocket phaser targeting optics only and make Lt. M'Ress dash head first into the bulkhead!"

WHAM!!!

Redskirt Sandy: "You know, that might be considered 'striking and officer'."

*** *** ***

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[Maximara]

"Flashback" also botched the timeline rather horribly, showing that they didn't even bother watching ST VI past the opening five minutes. Kinda hard to respect the episode after picking up on that.

Well, it was pretty difficult respecting the whole Voyager series after they had an episode where crewmen turned into salamanders after going to Warp 10, so I feel for you.

You can almost see Paris going "I did what with who?!?"

I understand what Voyager tried to do and there was the occasionally good episode but between Janeway becoming Captain Marysue and Chakotay being a Native American sterotype of the week and Neelix coming off more as an idiot rather the save trader he was supposed to be it was hard to get into the show. Robert Picardo as the EMH was the one saving grace and Torres...when they didn't write her as if she was trying for the cinderblook IQ Award.

Voyager was like someone mixed Gilligan's Island with Lost in Space and not in a good way.

 

[Captain Robert April]

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this Bajoran port
Aboard this semi-tiny ship...