What if Gary Mitchell had survived and been cured?

[Voth commando1]

Why couldn't they have expanded on this? Humans developing ESP abilities in the 23rd-24th centuries?

Couldn't they have provided a reason why this didn't continue? I dunno? Drug suppression? Spirited away by S31?

 

[scotpens]

The exact same line is also used in "By Any Other Name."

Ah, cool! I'd forgotten that. It's been a while since I've watched that episode. I wonder which episode Byrne was referencing, then? Maybe both?

Considering the context, I'd say the reference was to "By Any Other Name." In "I, Mudd," that line is a female android's response to Spock trying out the Vulcan neck pinch on her!

 

[Tenacity]

Why couldn't they have expanded on this? Humans developing ESP abilities in the 23rd-24th centuries?

Easily could lead to a variation of what some fans saw as a problem with overly advanced tech during TNG-DS9-VOY.

Someone with Mitchell's abilities, but fully under control, would be able to solve almost any episodes problem with a wave of his hand. Or the shows writers would have to repeatedly come up with reasons that he couldn't.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I got to thinking of this over in the "What ifs never considered yet" thread. So I'm reposting it here, I'm curious as to what this forum thinks.

What if Gary Mitchell had survived the events of WNMHGB and somehow been cured of his condition? (such as, if he overextended his powers so much that he "short-circuited" and became human again)

I mean, think about it. Even assuming Gary would have expressed remorse at the things he did while "under the influence", what would Starfleet have done with him in a situation like that?

You can't tell me they'd just let him waltz right onto the bridge and take up his normal duty shift again, as if nothing had happened. There should be all sorts of consequences from an episode like this:

- Would Lee Kelso's family go after Gary somehow?
- Would Gary be ordered to take a medical rest leave?
- Would he be cashiered out of Starfleet?
- Would he have actually stood trial for his actions?

It's Star Trek. If you're a main character, all is forgiven with a slap on the wrist and laugh at the episode's ed.
Spock has mutinied and tied to kill Kirk a couple of times and was back on the job the same day.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Spock has mutinied and tied to kill Kirk a couple of times and was back on the job the same day.

Well I can understand that bit, because "Amok Time" gave him a ready-made excuse: he was going through pon farr. And the death duel against Kirk was a legal practice on Vulcan, so even if Spock had killed Kirk he couldn't be charged.

As for Gary, even though a Starfleet court-martial might buy the excuse that he wasn't responsible for murdering Kelso because of the galactic barrier (much like Garak would apparently not go to prison for killing Lt. Amaro in "Empok Nor"), I don't see any way he could possibly have his career back. Who would want to serve with him after something like this?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Well I can understand that bit, because "Amok Time" gave him a ready-made excuse: he was going through pon farr. And the death duel against Kirk was a legal practice on Vulcan, so even if Spock had killed Kirk he couldn't be charged.

As for Gary, even though a Starfleet court-martial might buy the excuse that he wasn't responsible for murdering Kelso because of the galactic barrier (much like Garak would apparently not go to prison for killing Lt. Amaro in "Empok Nor"), I don't see any way he could possibly have his career back. Who would want to serve with him after something like this?

Forgive and forget is Starfleet's motto.

 

[Tenacity]

Or in the cases of the Borg and the Ferengi on the NX-01, just forget.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Or in the cases of the Borg and the Ferengi on the NX-01, just forget.

Nah, you have to know something to forget it. Starfleet has some rather lengthy files on Zombie-Cyborgs and snaggletoothed Capitalists..

 

[johnnybear]

Continuity in the sixties didn't exist as such and to be honest I prefer the way they made the shows back then too!
JB

 

[Ssosmcin]

Or in the cases of the Borg and the Ferengi on the NX-01, just forget.

I'll give you the Ferengi, but the Borg thing was an after affect of the destruction of the sphere by the Enterprise in First Contact. That didn't happen the first time around. The moment the Borg and the Enterprise arrived in 2063, the timeline was altered. So, the way we first met the Borg in TNG may never have happened. Everything may have unfolded completely differently after "Regeneration."

 

[Nerys Myk]

I'll give you the Ferengi, but the Borg thing was an after affect of the destruction of the sphere by the Enterprise in First Contact. That didn't happen the first time around. The moment the Borg and the Enterprise arrived in 2063, the timeline was altered. So, the way we first met the Borg in TNG may never have happened. Everything may have unfolded completely differently after "Regeneration."

Or was it?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'll give you the Ferengi, but the Borg thing was an after affect of the destruction of the sphere by the Enterprise in First Contact. That didn't happen the first time around. The moment the Borg and the Enterprise arrived in 2063, the timeline was altered. So, the way we first met the Borg in TNG may never have happened. Everything may have unfolded completely differently after "Regeneration."

There's actually no evidence of that. For all we know, the events of ST:FC and "Regeneration" were a predestination paradox. Meaning, they were part of what was supposed to happen - what did happen - all along.

You can't prove they weren't, anyway.

 

[Ssosmcin]

The great thing is, you can take whatever point of view you feel most strongly toward. I'm not big on predestination paradoxes. I like the changed timeline because it also neatly explains the changes in tech and uniforms during the Kelvin scenes in the 2009 Star Trek flick.

I use the same reasoning to be able to work the 1970's Planet of the Apes TV Series into the continuity of the films.

 

[Nerys Myk]

The great thing is, you can take whatever point of view you feel most strongly toward. I'm not big on predestination paradoxes. I like the changed timeline because it also neatly explains the changes in tech and uniforms during the Kelvin scenes in the 2009 Star Trek flick.

I use the same reasoning to be able to work the 1970's Planet of the Apes TV Series into the continuity of the films.

But what about Edith Keeler? Did she die in the same fashion? What about the bum!!!! Are the post COTEOF episodes in an alternate Universe?

 

[Ssosmcin]

Well...sure, the universe called "The Second Season." Then, when Kirk and company screwed around with Gary Seven, it created "The Third Season." See?

 

[rcjames]

I think the more interesting question is, what if he did survive and stayed on the show, how that wouldve affected the main relationships we came to love? How would that have changed the Kirk/Spock dynamic? Would McCoy have had less to do on the show? Would McCoy even be on the show? Would Kirk, Spock and Mitchell havw been the triad instead?

 

[Nerys Myk]

I think the more interesting question is, what if he did survive and stayed on the show, how that wouldve affected the main relationships we came to love? How would that have changed the Kirk/Spock dynamic? Would McCoy have had less to do on the show? Would McCoy even be on the show? Would Kirk, Spock and Mitchell havw been the triad instead?

The Doctor character was always part of the mix: Boyce in the Cage and Piper in WNMHGB, so that role wouldn't be eliminated. There might have been an impact on Kirk's character as he was portrayed as more of a thinking man/intellectual in WNMHGB and Gary was the ladies man and joker. Kirk was less serious in the show as the character evolved to match Shatner's style. Keeping Gary would probably have more impact on secondaries like Scotty and Sulu.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I think that asking "What if Gary Mitchell had survived WNMHGB?" is a bit of a pointless question, as that was never really a possibility. The character was conceived as a guest star who happened to have a long history with Kirk. And he had that long history with the star of the show because it made his death all the more poignant at the end.

It might be interesting to look into an alternate TOS universe where Gary was never mutated, however, where the Enterprise never went on the mission to the Galactic Barrier. Would Kirk, Mitchell, and McCoy be the triumvirate of that universe, leaving the aloof Mr. Spock the odd man out on that Enterprise? I don't get the feeling that Gary is too fond of Spock in that turbolift scene in WNMHGB, even if they've served together "for years" according to Dr. Dehner.

 

[Nyotarules]

^Because the episode of WNMHAGBN (and other early episodes of Star Trek) the Enterprise and Starfleet is basically a male dominated Terran's only club. I suspect Spock would the butt of even more racists jokes from Kirk, Mitchell and McCoy.

 

[CrazyMatt]

It would've been great to see Commodore Wesley of the Lexington interacting with his navigator in "The Ultimate Computer", and it turning out to be Gary Mitchell.

Hmmmm... but what if Mitchell ended up on the Excalibur instead?