Trouble with Tribbles: Chekov Shopping

[Shatmandu]

When Pavel and Uhura walk into the bar, he says Uhura wanted to do some shopping and he came to help her. When I was single, I couldn't get a straight man to come shopping with me unless he had a vested interest. Was the writer implying either Chekov swung both ways, or he and Uhura had something going on? Or do I have too much time on my hands?

In the first draft of the script, it is intimated that Chekov wanted to see what having sex with a black woman was like.

And Uhura wanted to take his wallet when he went to wash up.

Joe, noted Trek historian

 

[Dohlman]

Thanks for the comment from the puerile POV.

 

[Shatmandu]

Thanks for the comment from the puerile POV.

Hey! That's what my vanity plate reads! How'd you know?

Joe, stalked

 

[ClayinCA]

In the first draft of the script, it is intimated that Chekov wanted to see what having sex with a black woman was like.

And Uhura wanted to take his wallet when he went to wash up.

Joe, noted Trek historian

OK, first of all, I don't care what anybody says, that was funny. Secondly, this is how much of a geek I am: when I first read Joe's post, my first thought wasn't "Ha, that's funny." It was, "No, that first draft of the script had Sulu in that scene instead of Chekov."

...I need professional help....

 

[Shatmandu]

In the first draft of the script, it is intimated that Chekov wanted to see what having sex with a black woman was like.

And Uhura wanted to take his wallet when he went to wash up.

Joe, noted Trek historian

OK, first of all, I don't care what anybody says, that was funny. Secondly, this is how much of a geek I am: when I first read Joe's post, my first thought wasn't "Ha, that's funny." It was, "No, that first draft of the script had Sulu in that scene instead of Chekov."

...I need professional help....

I did something similar with the famous Shatner SNL skit.

I remember thinking at the time, and still thinking it every time I've seen it since, "They got the episode numbers wrong!"

Joe, wants the name of that professional help

 

[TigerOfDarkness]

Wasn't it originally going to be Sulu but switched to Chekov when George Takai was unavailable? Sulu had the botany hobby in S1.

 

[Timewalker]

On the subject of Chekov going shopping: I can think of two reasons why he said what he did. First, it's possible that they're simply friends and decided to see what might be available for souvenirs. Or maybe Uhura is "taking Chekov under her wing", so to speak, as she would surely be more experienced at dealing with starbase situations than he would -- and the "helping her shop" is just his way of saving face.

Too bad she wasn't there when the fight broke out.

The Klingons wouldn't have stood a chance!

Wasn't it originally going to be Sulu but switched to Chekov when George Takai was unavailable? Sulu had the botany hobby in S1.

In David Gerrold's original script, he simply used generic names like "Smith" and "Jones" to indicate characters other than the Big Three, Scotty, and Uhura. Chekov's part was originally intended for Sulu, but that's partly because George Takei was off making a movie at the time and was unavailable and partly because Chekov was a new character and Gerrold was less familiar with him. In one of the earliest scripts in Gerrold's behind-the-scenes book "The Trouble With Tribbles" Chekov's part was given to a character named "Doggerty."

 

[Dohlman]

In David Gerrold's original script, he simply used generic names like "Smith" and "Jones" to indicate characters other than the Big Three, Scotty, and Uhura. Chekov's part was originally intended for Sulu, but that's partly because George Takei was off making a movie at the time and was unavailable and partly because Chekov was a new character and Gerrold was less familiar with him. In one of the earliest scripts in Gerrold's behind-the-scenes book "The Trouble With Tribbles" Chekov's part was given to a character named "Doggerty."

Wow, the things you learn. Seriously, thanks everyone, for sharing your depth of Trek lore.

 

[JustKate]

I've talked guys I know into going shopping (I'm not a major shopper, but sometimes it's kind of fun) when we were, say, at a conference and had a free afternoon. I don't think this was due to my overwhelming charm; I think they were just bored and wanted to get out of the conference center and do SOMETHING. I can imagine being just as eager to get the heck off the Enterprise.

 

[Shatmandu]

I've talked guys I know into going shopping (I'm not a major shopper, but sometimes it's kind of fun) when we were, say, at a conference and had a free afternoon. I don't think this was due to my overwhelming charm; I think they were just bored and wanted to get out of the conference center and do SOMETHING.

They were hoping for some sort of sexual interaction with you, then or in the future.

Joe, base

 

[JustKate]

No they weren't. Well, some of them weren't anyway -- I can't swear to every single one. If you're bored enough, you discover that there are pastimes even worse than shopping, and the boredom you feel when spending a few days at a conference, mostly confined to a bland and generic conference center and an equally bland and generic hotel, is pretty darn profound.

 

[Dohlman]

No they weren't. Well, some of them weren't anyway -- I can't swear to every single one. If you're bored enough, you discover that there are pastimes even worse than shopping, and the boredom you feel when spending a few days at a conference, mostly confined to a bland and generic conference center and an equally bland and generic hotel, is pretty darn profound.

Which conference did you just come from? lol

 

[JustKate]

Does it really matter? In some ways, in fact in many ways, they are all the same. I didn't use to believe this until our annual convention was in Hawaii -- you know, a tropical paradise -- and dang if the convention center there wasn't almost indistinguishable from every other convention center. Of course on the outside it looked a lot different from, say, Houston or Reno, but from the inside it was virtually identical except that in addition to hotdogs you could buy pineapple from the vendors.

I don't know who designs these things, but whoever it is must have taken the Oath of Blandness.

 

[MANT!]

Deep Space Station K-7 was known throughout the quadrant for its sex toys shops, so Chekov new exactly what he was getting into.

In that case, Cyrano Jones' purpose for the tribbles was far more...suggestive.

Tribbles replacing Gerbils then?..I really wonder if Sulu would have been a better choice for this scene then...

 

[ClayinCA]

In the first draft of the script, it is intimated that Chekov wanted to see what having sex with a black woman was like.

And Uhura wanted to take his wallet when he went to wash up.

Joe, noted Trek historian

OK, first of all, I don't care what anybody says, that was funny. Secondly, this is how much of a geek I am: when I first read Joe's post, my first thought wasn't "Ha, that's funny." It was, "No, that first draft of the script had Sulu in that scene instead of Chekov."

...I need professional help....

I did something similar with the famous Shatner SNL skit.

I remember thinking at the time, and still thinking it every time I've seen it since, "They got the episode numbers wrong!"

Joe, wants the name of that professional help

Joe,

Sadly, I had exactly the same reaction to the SNL sketch....