TMP's Transporter Accident on Loop is the Stuff of Nightmares

[Cryogenic]

Unfortunately that's too dissonant for me to enjoy. It basically feels extremely mean spirited to shove Kirk in to an unwinnable situation and killing people.

I think the transporter accident scene is a bit weird. Almost like the Enterprise has a soul or something. I hope it wasn't V'Ger diddling and pulling tricks at a distance. Sonak's telepathic abilities too much to contain? It's actually a bit hard to believe the transporter wasn't automatically disengaged the moment there was a power surge. I mean, we've had circuit breakers since the 20th Century, haven't we? Yet, in a way, the accident underlines how dangerous exploration is, especially with untested equipment. Consider the fate of various astronautic and aeronautic personnel in the past 100 years. The transporter going wrong lends a creepy vibe to the film and heightens the underlying weirdness and danger of the setting, and what everyone is about to come up against.

 

[Pauln6]

I think the transporter accident scene is a bit weird. Almost like the Enterprise has a soul or something. I hope it wasn't V'Ger diddling and pulling tricks at a distance. Sonak's telepathic abilities too much to contain? It's actually a bit hard to believe the transporter wasn't automatically disengaged the moment there was a power surge. I mean, we've had circuit breakers since the 20th Century, haven't we? Yet, in a way, the accident underlines how dangerous exploration is, especially with untested equipment. Consider the fate of various astronautic and aeronautic personnel in the past 100 years. The transporter going wrong lends a creepy vibe to the film and heightens the underlying weirdness and danger of the setting, and what everyone is about to come up against.

TMP is sometimes described as Steampunk Trek because they dialled back the magic and made everything look clunky and functional. It's the reason why I love the refit so much; it feels like a spacious submarine in space.

So making the transporter fallible appeals to me on some levels. I'd rather that than making so efficient that you can beam to another star system with standard equipment and no ill effects.

 

[Cryogenic]

TMP is sometimes described as Steampunk Trek because they dialled back the magic and made everything look clunky and functional. It's the reason why I love the refit so much; it feels like a spacious submarine in space.

Yes! It was a little strange the first time I saw TMP, and maybe I couldn't quite get my head around it. Why all the tech talk? Why all the careful massaging of equipment? But it clicks and feels very real and satisfying on repeat viewings.

So making the transporter fallible appeals to me on some levels. I'd rather that than making so efficient that you can beam to another star system with standard equipment and no ill effects.

I see what you did there!!!

 

[jackoverfull]

Circuit breakers and fuses in Star Trek?!

 

[Cryogenic]

Circuit breakers and fuses in Star Trek?!

LOL. That was clearly one jot of realism -- like seatbelts -- that TMP refused to inject into the franchise!

 

[Pauln6]

Circuit breakers and fuses in Star Trek?!

That's space communist talk right there. How else are medical staff and engineers supposed to keep employed?

 

[Pauln6]

LOL. That was clearly one jot of realism -- like seatbelts -- that TMP refused to inject into the franchise!

They had localised inertial dampening field generators built into the arms of their chairs.

 

[jackoverfull]

They had localised inertial dampening field generators built into the arms of their chairs.

Complicate solution that doesn’t actually work, uh?

 

[Pauln6]

Complicate solution that doesn’t actually work, uh?

Just watched Zombieland 2. Would have been awesome if Sulu slammed on the brakes and Kirk smashed into the viewscreen.

 

[fireproof78]

I think the transporter accident scene is a bit weird. Almost like the Enterprise has a soul or something. I hope it wasn't V'Ger diddling and pulling tricks at a distance. Sonak's telepathic abilities too much to contain? It's actually a bit hard to believe the transporter wasn't automatically disengaged the moment there was a power surge. I mean, we've had circuit breakers since the 20th Century, haven't we? Yet, in a way, the accident underlines how dangerous exploration is, especially with untested equipment. Consider the fate of various astronautic and aeronautic personnel in the past 100 years. The transporter going wrong lends a creepy vibe to the film and heightens the underlying weirdness and danger of the setting, and what everyone is about to come up against.

If that was the intent then it leant a creepy vibe in a strange way. Largely because McCoy's fear of the transporter is largely played for laughs in the next scene. It's strange.

So making the transporter fallible appeals to me on some levels. I'd rather that than making so efficient that you can beam to another star system with standard equipment and no ill effects.

Indeed, yes. I think that the transporter should be treated with that level of respect in TMP but the way TMP is edited together is odd to go from horrific accident to McCoy's attitude being viewed as quaint. It's a weird juxtaposition of attitudes.

Now, that all said, TMP does an excellent job of introducing the technology to an audience who might not be as familiar with it, both transporter, phasers, photon torpedoes and warp drive. One of the aspects of TMP I do like is how we get to know the Enterprise as a ship and a piece of technology.

 

[Pauln6]

If that was the intent then it leant a creepy vibe in a strange way. Largely because McCoy's fear of the transporter is largely played for laughs in the next scene. It's strange.

Indeed, yes. I think that the transporter should be treated with that level of respect in TMP but the way TMP is edited together is odd to go from horrific accident to McCoy's attitude being viewed as quaint. It's a weird juxtaposition of attitudes.

Now, that all said, TMP does an excellent job of introducing the technology to an audience who might not be as familiar with it, both transporter, phasers, photon torpedoes and warp drive. One of the aspects of TMP I do like is how we get to know the Enterprise as a ship and a piece of technology.

That's an interesting point. Was the sluggish start to the movie due to a conscious effort to showcase the nature of Trek technology to movie goers who might never have seen TOS?

 

[fireproof78]

That's an interesting point. Was the sluggish start to the movie due to a conscious effort to showcase the nature of Trek technology to movie goers who might never have seen TOS?

I honestly think that it was deliberate. I think it was a huge exposure to the general audience and allowing them to really experience the fullness of the ship, what the interior looks like, and how to get around. So, the pacing it deliberate to really impress upon the audience that this is large and epic.

Now, in contrast to the imminent threat its a bit odd pacing but I certainly see the rationale behind such a choice.

 

[Pauln6]

I honestly think that it was deliberate. I think it was a huge exposure to the general audience and allowing them to really experience the fullness of the ship, what the interior looks like, and how to get around. So, the pacing it deliberate to really impress upon the audience that this is large and epic.

Now, in contrast to the imminent threat its a bit odd pacing but I certainly see the rationale behind such a choice.

I think the pacing is often off in Trek movies because the writers don't understand interstellar distances or warp speeds.

In ST09, Spock thinks it's a good idea to limp to the fleet's location at warp 4 instead of sending a subspace message to any number of nearer planets or even further away planets who had ships capable of reaching them at higher warp in a fraction of the time (they can send a transporter signal but not a subspace message?)

TMP does a better job than that. Even having no starships isn't that weird. There are no ships with state of the art science equipment. What could destroyers hope to achieve? Would have been better if V'Ger digitised a few ships in orbit though.

 

[fireproof78]

I think the pacing is often off in Trek movies because the writers don't understand interstellar distances or warp speeds.

In ST09, Spock thinks it's a good idea to limp to the fleet's location at warp 4 instead of sending a subspace message to any number of nearer planets or even further away planets who had ships capable of reaching them at higher warp in a fraction of the time.

TMP does a better job than that. Even having no starships isn't that weird. There are no ships with state of the art science equipment. What could destroyers hope to achieve? Would have been better if V'Ger digitised a few ships in orbit though.

I agree that pacing is a struggle because space is treated, well, kind of like oceans in naval movies-something is always there and we can make it just in time. Speed of plot is definitely a thing. I think that the TNG films and the Kelvin films both suffer the most from it.

That said, TMP having no other starships still strikes me as odd. Even if the Enterprise fails one would hope that Starfleet would have some sort of contingency plan, vain though it might be? The film does a good job of showcasing the Enterprise's abilities but it leaves it feeling very much alone.

And, perhaps that is deliberate. But, we finally see Earth and Spacedock but no other ships? It's strange.

 

[JaxsBrokenHeart]

To be fair the lack of ships other than the Enterprise for the missions is hardly just TMP's sin. Starfleet apparently having no ships other than the one with filled with cadets in WoK is odd enough, but then you even get to TFF where they apparently do have ships but have still concluded that the one that's half broken is still the ideal vessel to send for a rescue.

Its the kind of thing where you wonder some of the crew having expertise related to the mission in question would be a bit less contrived than the other starships conveniently being away whenever something big happens. Spock advocating for the Enterprise's use for negotiations with the Empire in TUC may be strange given Kirk's open issues with the Klingons, but at least there's a logic to having the gesture of a major adversary of them be the public figure for peace.

 

[fireproof78]

To be fair the lack of ships other than the Enterprise for the missions is hardly just TMP's sin. Starfleet apparently having no ships other than the one with filled with cadets in WoK is odd enough, but then you even get to TFF where they apparently do have ships but have still concluded that the one that's half broken is still the ideal vessel to send for a rescue.

True enough, and I should be clear that I don't think it is only a TMP thing. But, with all the freaking starship porn in TMP having one other ship doesn't seem like a big ask...maybe.

 

[JaxsBrokenHeart]

I suppose with a bit of rewriting (and less production woes during the film itself), one could have had various other ships trying to move towards the probe, but the Enterprise being the only one not disabled when it gets close. Perhaps with a subtext that the brief telepathic connection V'ger had with Spock is why the Enterprise can make any progress; it knows the mind it connected with is on this starship and is thus letting it come to it.

Its not a clean fix, but it is something.

 

[fireproof78]

I suppose with a bit of rewriting (and less production woes during the film itself), one could have had various other ships trying to move towards the probe, but the Enterprise being the only one not disabled when it gets close. Perhaps with a subtext that the brief telepathic connection V'ger had with Spock is why the Enterprise can make any progress; it knows the mind it connected with is on this starship and is thus letting it come to it.

Its not a clean fix, but it is something.

It's a reasonable fix to my mind. And, again, I know that the production had a lot going on with it so asking for another ship model is a big ask. I just feel like for how large in scale and scope TMP is it still falls in to that "the only ship in range" trap that Star Trek so frequently does.

And, as quibbles go, it's a small one.

 

[jackoverfull]

It was the first time it happened, though!

 

[jaime]

Complicate solution that doesn’t actually work, uh?

They locked over the legs. Probably worked.