TWOK Phasers: Visceral... and Rare?

[Shat Happens]

Sorry for not reading all the posts above, but I have this to say about phasers:

1- there was a phaser shot in IV. Kirk soldered a dook knob with a phaser. Chekov broke his and it was funny. Poor stupid Chekov.

2- In a certain episode of TOS, Scotty uses a phaser as a blowtorch to cut a wall and unlock a door. in TOS-remastered, they put a visible beam there. That was the most unnecessary thing I ever saw in the world of film and remasters. I hate that.

 

[BillJ]

2- In a certain episode of TOS, Scotty uses a phaser as a blowtorch to cut a wall and unlock a door. in TOS-remastered, they put a visible beam there. That was the most unnecessary thing I ever saw in the world of film and remasters. I hate that.

It really pissed me off that they did that!

 

[Harvey]

Marc Cushman claims the effect was left out due to the rush to get the episode to air. I suspect that's just speculation on his part, though.

In any event, the Blu-Rays have both versions, and as far as changes go, adding a beam to Scotty's phaser doesn't bother me all that much. The phasers have beams in every other case (well, unless they obviously forgot to put them in; see McCoy just standing there with a phaser drawn in "Return of the Archons" while Spock and Kirk do all the shooting).

 

[Robert Comsol]

Marc Cushman claims the effect was left out due to the rush to get the episode to air. I suspect that's just speculation on his part, though.

I could believe that. What actually irks me more is the fact that Scotty shows Kirk the exact position where he needs to cut through the door mechanism of the Engineering Control Room.

But when he actually starts it's right below the room sign.

It's interesting that in "Way to Eden" (same procedure) they posted the camera in an angle which made it difficult or impossible to see whether the beam was invisible or simply not visible: http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/3x20hd/thewaytoedenhd1194.jpg

Bob

 

[Shat Happens]

I Theoretically they could have used photon torpedoes against Reliant during their first encounter, but apparently the script demanded otherwise.

Bob

This is a VERY good point, a direct contradiction to TMP. But again, I'm damn happy they changed it up and gave us those violating, penetrating weapons for this film experience.

Apparently only Chekov knows how to fire the Enterprise's torpedoes.

Or he, being a moron, forgot the keys to that little door with the firing button in his pocket when he left for Reliant between I and II.

 

[anh165]

There are 2 valid reasons about not firing torpedoes in that situation.

1 - Not a good idea to fire them at close range when your shields are down!

2 - If the torpedoes hit the reliant and did not bring down her warp drive and ability to fire, then any retaliation from the Reliant would mean destruction of the Enterprise. With the Phasers, Kirk was able to take down the key systems that would not allow the Reliant to hit back.

 

[Robert Comsol]

^^ Good points. It would almost seem that a photon torpedo is a good choice of weapon when you want to hit something and have a large area of damage opposite to a precision slicing phaser beam.

With the torpedo bay gunners disabled or killed Chekov aimed for Reliant's hard-to-miss weapons' pod but destroying the port warp nacelle required precision firing, hence phasers?

Bob

 

[Shat Happens]

^^ I seem to recall, the Enterprise shot Reliant's nacelle with both weapons.

 

[BillJ]

^^ I seem to recall, the Enterprise shot Reliant's nacelle with both weapons.

Yep.

 

[trevanian]

There are 2 valid reasons about not firing torpedoes in that situation.

1 - Not a good idea to fire them at close range when your shields are down!

Would be true in TOS series era, but in the movies, the torps sometimes seem little more powerful than a cannonball. The ones in SFS are fired at extremely close range and there's still no blowback on the party doing the shooting (and the shields are down throughout.)

 

[austen_pierce]

^^ I seem to recall, the Enterprise shot Reliant's nacelle with both weapons.

Yep.

I've always wondered why they felt the need to torpedo that nacelle (other than to look freaking awesome!!!). The phasers fried the nacelle... it's useless. Given that torpedoes are in limited supply, why not hit an undamaged section of the ship... heck maybe sever the OTHER nacelle to show you mean business. Of course then we wouldn't get the subsequent equally awesome footage of Reliant listing starboard.

 

[LMFAOschwarz]

Of course then we wouldn't get the subsequent equally awesome footage of Reliant listing starboard.

Yeah...that, and the burning steel wool sparkly effects from the damage. Good stuff!

 

[Marc]

^^ I seem to recall, the Enterprise shot Reliant's nacelle with both weapons.

Yep.

I've always wondered why they felt the need to torpedo that nacelle (other than to look freaking awesome!!!). The phasers fried the nacelle... it's useless. Given that torpedoes are in limited supply, why not hit an undamaged section of the ship... heck maybe sever the OTHER nacelle to show you mean business. Of course then we wouldn't get the subsequent equally awesome footage of Reliant listing starboard.

Maybe the torpedo was just "fired" at Reliant and just happened to hit the Nacelle?

It's pretty much the way naval torpedoes work - give them a bearing and fire them and they run in the direction of the target with little differentiation between amidships or the propellers for example.

 

[Richard Baker]

The steerable target seeking Torpedos were apparently not issued until ST6

 

[Marc]

The steerable target seeking Torpedos were apparently not issued until ST6

And then only because it was modified.

 

[DonIago]

Or the torpedo guidance systems were damaged at some point and/or compromised by virtue of being in the nebula at the time.

 

[T'Girl]

I've always wondered why they felt the need to torpedo that nacelle

If Khan had defeated the Enterprise in battle, Khan then would have a repairable, warp capable ship and genesis.

By depriving the Reliant of one of her engines, Kirk could have marooned Khan in that area, he'd only have sublight speeds. Kirk in torpedoing that engine was looking at his fall back position.

That's assuming Reliant needed both engines to achieve warp.

 

[Shat Happens]

Kirk could have marooned Khan in that area,

Boy, would Khan be pissed

 

[Marc]

I've always wondered why they felt the need to torpedo that nacelle

If Khan had defeated the Enterprise in battle, Khan then would have a repairable, warp capable ship and genesis.

By depriving the Reliant of one of her engines, Kirk could have marooned Khan in that area, he'd only have sublight speeds. Kirk in torpedoing that engine was looking at his fall back position.

That's assuming Reliant needed both engines to achieve warp.

Very much doubt the damage done to the Nacelle by the phaser shot could have been repaired by Khan and his crew without access to starbase or similar.

The damage to the field coils would have been catastrophic an irreparable.

 

[austen_pierce]

I've always wondered why they felt the need to torpedo that nacelle

If Khan had defeated the Enterprise in battle, Khan then would have a repairable, warp capable ship and genesis.

By depriving the Reliant of one of her engines, Kirk could have marooned Khan in that area, he'd only have sublight speeds. Kirk in torpedoing that engine was looking at his fall back position.

That's assuming Reliant needed both engines to achieve warp.

Very much doubt the damage done to the Nacelle by the phaser shot could have been repaired by Khan and his crew without access to starbase or similar.

The damage to the field coils would have been catastrophic an irreparable.

Agreed. The phaser shot gut-fried that nacelle. IMO the torpedo should have severed the other one.

But don't get me wrong... I LOVE this scene.