What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchildren"

[cooleddie74]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchild

jep316 said:

cooleddie74 said:
Just saw the Remastered episode at 12 noon in my area.

Here's what seemed to be changed:

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-Orbital shots of the Enterprise approaching, circling and then finally leaving Platonius...also, when Parmen's violent telekinetic fit shakes the Enterprise about there are two new shots of the ship lurching and bobbing about in orbit.

-McCoy's medical tricorder readout now has a much more believable and realistic graph readout detailing the blood samples taken from Alexander and Parmen, with overlaid green and red(?)colors on the graph and a grid background. The original 1968 optical was nothing more than a closeup of a sickbay bed monitor superimposed over the tricorder screen.

Did they remove the strings from the floating items?

I think they did. At least it seemed no visible stage strings were left on the medical hypospray and other levitating objects. I'd have to watch the repeat next weekend to make certain, but I think they managed a "Catspaw" and got rid of the visible strings.

 

[Electric Coleslaw]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchild

Forbin said:

AC84 said:
Well excuse me for thinking "Willow" after seeing Michael Dunn in a tunic with long curly hair. I'll try to be more politically correct next time.

No excuse.

When you see a black actor, do you automatically think "Hey, there's Shaft!"?

Only if they are BADASS!!!!

Actually, besides the obvious similarity in height the two actors do look alike. I could post screenshots but that woudl be so much effort.

 

[Forbin]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchild

Ah, I see. All dwarves look alike.
Nope. Nothing going on here, folks, move along.

 

[AC84]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchild

Forbin said:

AC84 said:
Well excuse me for thinking "Willow" after seeing Michael Dunn in a tunic with long curly hair. I'll try to be more politically correct next time.

No excuse.

When you see a black actor, do you automatically think "Hey, there's Shaft!"?

If he is playing a cliché "loose-cannon cop" type role complete with leather jacket or a short styled afro? Jokingly, yes. If that somehow makes me a racist bigot along the same lines as Michael Richards or a grand wizard of the KKK in your eyes, then so be it. I'm sorry, but I think I'll still be able to sleep at night.

Davis is most famous for the title role in Willow, and the only reason I didn't use that name was because of younger posters possibily typing in Alyson Hannigan's name followed by a question mark.

 

[T'Bonz]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchild

Be nice.

 

[Forbin]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchild

Still don't see why you'd even PUT Warwick Davis' name in there in place of Michael Dunn. Did you just forget Dunn's name and substitute the only other dwarf you could think of? Poor Dunn, all those years of excellent performances and people forget his name.

 

[AC84]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchild

Admittedly, I am only aware of (can name and visually recognize) three other dwarf actors besides Davis and Dunn for the obvious reason that Hollywood usually uses them for specific minor roles that require their stature. Peter Dinklage, Debbie Lee Carrington and Meredith Eaton. I actually am familiar with Michael Dunn, but only because I studied film two years ago and went through a phase where I was obsessed with Stanley Kramer. Outside Ship of Fools and Star Trek, I am not aware of anything else he's done, and that now makes me feel guilty. I've already stated why I didn't use the name Willow, but I sincerely did use Davis' name because Dunn's appearance in this episode reminded me of that character he played. It was definitely in bad taste, as is most of my morbid sense of humor. And if my flippant facetious comment offended as it seems to have, I'll apologize again right now. Maybe because I graduated High School shortly after the Iraq War began, I don't have many sacred cows. Perhaps this means I should be more considerate of others and only let my guard down in the presence of those my age.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchild

Oh, wow. I wondered about the Warwick Davis comment at first, then realized he had to be joking because Davis isn't that old and all one has to do is look at the cast list and see that wasn't Warwick Davis.

 

[AC84]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchild

MeanJoePhaser said:
Oh, wow. I wondered about the Warwick Davis comment at first, then realized he had to be joking because Davis isn't that old and all one has to do is look at the cast list and see that wasn't Warwick Davis.

Everytime I watch that scene where Dunn is wielding the weapon the way he does....I instantly think of Willow using his magical sceptre. If anyone wishes to sue me, I assure you that we can settle this out of court.

 

[cooleddie74]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchild

Michael Dunn was the best part of this entire episode. And his Dr. Loveless from the television WILD, WILD WEST was fifty times more interesting than the shoddy, cheesy and wholly unbelievable one from the 1999 Will Smith movie.

 

[Shatmandu]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchild

Forbin said:

AC84 said:
Well excuse me for thinking "Willow" after seeing Michael Dunn in a tunic with long curly hair. I'll try to be more politically correct next time.

No excuse.

When you see a black actor, do you automatically think "Hey, there's Shaft!"?

If he's wearing tight pants.

Joe, cut

 

[cooleddie74]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchild

If he's got bell bottoms, a tight 'fro and is accompanied by Isaac Hayes background music? Yes.

 

[Captain Randy Hall]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchild

This is my LEAST favorite Trek episode. Even "Spock's Brain" had something of a plot. What's the big social message here, that bullies are bad? And any singing and dancing by Kirk and Spock should definitely go! ARGH!

 

[Kolrad]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchild

It most certainly did have a plot. Parmen tries to force Kirk to leave McCoy behind by using his telekinesis to humiliate Kirk and his crew. Even if you don't like the story, I don't know how you can deny that it's there.

As for the social message of this episode, I and a few others posted about it earlier. When I look at this episode, I see

-- Kirk, Spock, and McCoy approaching a situation that seems scary and perhaps hopeless by approaching it logically and methodically with the scientific method rather than attempting to use force.

-- The crew acting out the belief that others are equally deserving of dignity regardless of their station or abilities.

-- Two visions of what humans could become; one negative (the Platonians), and one incredibly positive (the Enterprise crew).


And as I said before, I can totally understand people not wanting to see this episode again due to the extreme weirdness of the torture scenes. This episode would not be my choice to watch with someone who had not seen Star Trek before. But the message of this episode is still overwhelmingly positive for me.

I only see a few episodes that embody what I see as Star Trek's ideals so directly as "Plato's Stepchildren," one of the others being "Devil in the Dark."

 

[cooleddie74]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchild

Captain Randy Hall said:
This is my LEAST favorite Trek episode. Even "Spock's Brain" had something of a plot. What's the big social message here, that bullies are bad? And any singing and dancing by Kirk and Spock should definitely go! ARGH!

You gotta admit...Spock getting to SING the words "bitter" and "dregs" almost made it worth the wait.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchild

Ugh, heck no. THat "Bitter dregs" stuff makes me wretch.

 

[cooleddie74]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato’s Stepchild

^
Beats your average Celine Dion album, though.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato's Stepchild

I'd still rather listen to Celine Dion.

 

[cooleddie74]

Re: What Changes Would You Like To See In "Plato's Stepchild

^


Allllllllllrighty, then. Well. We know Bauer doesn't want a dwarf toga for a future Halloween costume, then.