The Violence of 1x25 "Conspiracy"

[Marsden]

I felt the "Loud as a Whisper" deaths were more disturbing than when they shot Remick, but mostly because I thought they were just killing what was left of him where the chorus were just murdered. So exploding head didn't bother me too much and I assumed it was because of the monster, somehow. I really doubt that phasers have a "explode o head" setting, and furthermore that Picard thought that was the best to use at the time.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

However, the chorus' deaths in Loud as a Whisper was pretty gruesome too.

That's true. I had overlooked that.

 

[jimbotron]

In keeping with Federation principles, why is there even a vaporize/head asplode setting on phasers? I get a 'kill' setting that would essentially electrocute someone because sometimes lethal force is necessary, but what practical purpose for an enlightened organization is there for a setting that turns the subject into a steaming pile of goo?

 

[CorporalCaptain]

In keeping with Federation principles, why is there even a vaporize/head asplode setting on phasers? I get a 'kill' setting that would essentially electrocute someone because sometimes lethal force is necessary, but what practical purpose for an enlightened organization is there for a setting that turns the subject into a steaming pile of goo?

They're enlightened enough to realize that phasers have other uses besides targeting people that are sometimes necessary for survival, such as phasering Starfleet officers out of confined spaces. Sometimes it's regrettably necessary for Starfleet officers to defend themselves against creatures on whom no lesser setting is effective. Without a demonstration of just how powerful phasers were, Data would not have been able to convince the human colonists on Tau Cygna V to vacate for the Sheliak Corporate. And so forth....

 

[jimbotron]

"That was the stun setting ..... this is not" BAD-ASS!

 

[Unicron]

I felt the "Loud as a Whisper" deaths were more disturbing than when they shot Remick, but mostly because I thought they were just killing what was left of him where the chorus were just murdered. So exploding head didn't bother me too much and I assumed it was because of the monster, somehow. I really doubt that phasers have a "explode o head" setting, and furthermore that Picard thought that was the best to use at the time.

Interestingly, there's an earlier version of the script which is considerably different from the final version. The Chorus doesn't die in this version (in which the attack was deliberate), but merely become unable to communicate for Riva because they rely on technology to do so, and it gets damaged. Geordi would have had more interaction with Riva in this script, and some of the lines that became Troi's in the finished episode are instead written for either him or Picard (who volunteers to try mediation, rather than Troi).

 

[Lance]

I always wished they had bigger plans for the parasites

one of the most dangerous threats SF had ever encountered.

a signal was broadcast to their homeworld.

Well, of course Dexter Remmick would say something like this...

( Sorry, but with your apt user name, I couldn't help myself from having a bit of fun with the quote tags. )

 

[Michael]

They removed this famous scene from the German episode. But you can watch it on Youtube or as screenshots.

... or on VHS or DVD or Blu-ray. It was cut for the initial television broadcast only. It's intact in all versions since and has been shown on television numerous times. So I'm not sure why you would have to go to YouTube to watch it as a German.

 

[Jedi_Master]

I felt the violence in "Conspiracy" was a bit out of the norm for Star Trek, but in all reality Trek subscribes to the rather comfortable fiction that a weapon as dangerous and as powerful as a phaser would kill so cleanly and quietly.

 

[EnriqueH]

Holy shit, I was *just* thinking about this today and find it interesting that there's a topic on this.

I loved Conspiracy. I thought it was a great 1st Season epiosde filled with action, suspense and intrigue.

But the violence bothered me.

There are more violent movies and shows FOR SURE, but this is Star Trek. What do I mean by that? While there is violence and fights and action in Star Trek, the philosophy is one of peace and of respecting life. And while the good guys are justified in self-defense, I also couldn't help but feel that some deeper explanation or issue was missing.

Believe it or not, I actually felt a liiiiitle sympathetic the Parasites. I just know that when I saw the screaming Queen busting out of Remmick, I wasn't entirely convinced that it was an Aliens type Alien. What is it about the Parasites that makes them do what they do? Are they just evil incarnate? Or is there a deeper "Horta" type story here? We'll never know.

When the Borg attacked in Best of Both Worlds, it was clear that Starfleet HAD to fight and kill the Borg. With the Parasites, I felt something of that finality was missing.

Man, I also felt bad for Remmick. He was a bit of a jerk earlier in the series when he was evaluating the TNG crew, but he struck me as a guy who just wanted to do his job and do the right thing, but he also struck me as a person with no people skills. By the end, however, he seemed to come around a bit. But even if he had remained an asshole character, I still wouldn't have wished him that fate.

 

[Dexter Remmick]

I always wished they had bigger plans for the parasites

one of the most dangerous threats SF had ever encountered.

a signal was broadcast to their homeworld.

Well, of course Dexter Remmick would say something like this...

( Sorry, but with your apt user name, I couldn't help myself from having a bit of fun with the quote tags. )

No worries. This episode was one of my favorite plotlines in the series. I have always held out hope we would see more of it on the small screen.

 

[Triskelion]

Believe it or not, I actually felt a liiiiitle sympathetic the Parasites. I just know that when I saw the screaming Queen busting out of Remmick, I wasn't entirely convinced that it was an Aliens type Alien. What is it about the Parasites that makes them do what they do? Are they just evil incarnate? Or is there a deeper "Horta" type story here? We'll never know.

When the Borg attacked in Best of Both Worlds, it was clear that Starfleet HAD to fight and kill the Borg. With the Parasites, I felt something of that finality was missing.

I don't know, I thought Remmick made the alien contempt for the Federation way of life pretty clear when he bit out the line, "We seek peaceful...coexistence!" Twisting the concept into a justification for seditious parasitism and the subjugation of a quadrant.

 

[EnriqueH]

Yes, that's true, but why do they seek co-existence? Why is there a need?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ That's the point, they really DON'T seek coexistence. The Remmick alien was enjoying the ultimate in sarcasm when he said that line. All that was missing was the giant quote marks hanging in the air.

Man, I also felt bad for Remmick. He was a bit of a jerk earlier in the series when he was evaluating the TNG crew

I think he was supposed to be. His objective was to interrogate the crew and get information out of them. You pretty much have to be a jerk when you're doing that.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

In an appearance on the Mission Log podcast, Gene Roddenberry manservant and fired TNG staff member Richard Arnold claimed that the violence was an intentional thing by Gene to show the studio that he was in charge. Supposedly, the original version of the scene was less graphic, and when the executives balked at it Gene deliberately upped the gore just to remind them that he was in charge of the show. Arnold said this like it was a great thing, an instance of the heroic Gene Roddenberry fending off interference by clueless empty-suit executives. This is not surprising, since Richard Arnold is a ghoul.

What may be surprising is that Roddenberry would be behind this, especially since he famously objected to a similar, less-gory scene in Star Trek II where Kirk phasers the Ceti Eel that crawls out of Chekov's ear. While it's possible that Richard Arnold simply misremembered/embellished/lied about the incident, I tend to believe his story. If you examine Gene Roddenberry's statements and pattern of behavior from the late 70s onward, it becomes obvious that the most important part of his much-vaunted "vision" for Star Trek was that he be in absolute control of it. Even his objections to things in the Bennett/Meyer films are best understood in that context. So it's not at all shocking that he'd compromise his vision of a peaceful 24th century to engage in a dick-measuring contest.

 

[jimbotron]

Gene died shortly after seeing ST6, but had he lived, I wonder how much of a fuss he would have made about the movie's militaristic overtones. I know the story of him 'writing a letter to his lawyer', but nothing beyond that.

 

[Kilana2]

They removed this famous scene from the German episode. But you can watch it on Youtube or as screenshots.

... or on VHS or DVD or Blu-ray. It was cut for the initial television broadcast only. It's intact in all versions since and has been shown on television numerous times. So I'm not sure why you would have to go to YouTube to watch it as a German.

I deliberately avoid this scene since watching it via Internet. But on the other hand, the whole episode is insufficient and lacking without that scene. They handled the parasites better in the DS9 relaunch novels.

 

[Kilana2]

Yes, that's true, but why do they seek co-existence? Why is there a need?

We learn more of the parasites in the DS9 relaunch novels. I don´t want to spoil it, but you me look them up at Memory Beta.

Or short:

Spoiler: Parasites

the parasites and the Trill symbionts are related. On the other hand, that´s what the authors made of the parasites story.

 

[Kor]

In an appearance on the Mission Log podcast, Gene Roddenberry manservant and fired TNG staff member Richard Arnold claimed that the violence was an intentional thing by Gene to show the studio that he was in charge. Supposedly, the original version of the scene was less graphic, and when the executives balked at it Gene deliberately upped the gore just to remind them that he was in charge of the show. Arnold said this like it was a great thing, an instance of the heroic Gene Roddenberry fending off interference by clueless empty-suit executives. This is not surprising, since Richard Arnold is a ghoul.

What may be surprising is that Roddenberry would be behind this, especially since he famously objected to a similar, less-gory scene in Star Trek II where Kirk phasers the Ceti Eel that crawls out of Chekov's ear. While it's possible that Richard Arnold simply misremembered/embellished/lied about the incident, I tend to believe his story. If you examine Gene Roddenberry's statements and pattern of behavior from the late 70s onward, it becomes obvious that the most important part of his much-vaunted "vision" for Star Trek was that he be in absolute control of it. Even his objections to things in the Bennett/Meyer films are best understood in that context. So it's not at all shocking that he'd compromise his vision of a peaceful 24th century to engage in a dick-measuring contest.

That is certainly an interesting anecdote. G.R. definitely wasn't some saintly visionary like he tried to portray himself. Power trips like that just make me .

Kor

 

[BeatleJWOL]

I deliberately avoid this scene since watching it via Internet.

Same here; I got enough of a taste for it in some of the clips from the TNG Blu-rays.

Toss this one in with "Genesis" as a TNG episode I'll never watch.