What's wrong with McCoy in The Tholian Web?

[Gotham Central]

McCoy's behaviour in The Tholian Web is wildly inconsistent not only from other eps in the series, but internally within the episode.

On the one hand McCoy attacks for endangering the crew by staying near the interphase and trying to save Kirk, yet moments later he's accusing Spok of trying to steal Kirk's command. Its as if the writers simply wrote "McCoy fusses" in the script.

More bizzare is Kirk's final orders to the two of them. Aside from the fact that they were not orders (merely a message for them to get along) they were based on a premise that seemed grossly out of character. For instance, Kirk assumes that if he is dead then Spok and McCoy are "locked in mortal combat." WHY? Those two frequently argue but its never that bad. More importantly its not as if McCoy has no experience with Spock being in command. One recalls that in the Doomsday Machine he actually tries to encourage Spock to hold on to command. So this seems to be a situation where the writers forced conflict where none was truly necessary.

 

[Ziz]

Spock & McCoy being "locked in mortal combat" isn't referring to them fighting with each other, it's meant to assume that they're fighting an external enemy, a serious firefight with Klingons, Romulans or the latest super-alien-race of the week.

As for McCoy's shifting attitudes, I haven't seen the ep in a while, so I'll leave it to others to comment.

 

[Ward Fowler]

McCoy's behaviour in The Tholian Web is wildly inconsistent not only from other eps in the series, but internally within the episode.

On the one hand McCoy attacks for endangering the crew by staying near the interphase and trying to save Kirk, yet moments later he's accusing Spok of trying to steal Kirk's command. Its as if the writers simply wrote "McCoy fusses" in the script.

McCoy is upset that his best friend is gone. He's already prone mercurial behavior, the situation simply exacerbates that fact.

Kirk assumes that if he is dead then Spok and McCoy are "locked in mortal combat." WHY? Those two frequently argue but its never that bad. More importantly its not as if McCoy has no experience with Spock being in command. One recalls that in the Doomsday Machine he actually tries to encourage Spock to hold on to command. So this seems to be a situation where the writers forced conflict where none was truly necessary.

You are talking about two completely different circumstances. Let your best friend die and then tell me how rational you are in the aftermath.

 

[Neopeius]

I've noticed McCoy's weirdness in this ep, too. As Scotty might say, "It's just space!"

In this case, the interphased make-whacky space.

 

[JustKate]

I think "McCoy fusses" is an admirably exact and concise description of his role in this episode, Gotham. Actually...I think this is fairly accurate for most of TOS.

 

[Jeri]

There are few occasions when I get McCoy's behavior, as lovable as he is. I most often sided with Spock in their arguments.

I never got his behavior with Natira, for example; why he acted so offended at her proclamation of love always bemuses me.

 

[JustKate]

There are few occasions when I get McCoy's behavior, as lovable as he is. I most often sided with Spock in their arguments.

I agree completely. Well, except the "lovable" part - "likeable" would be a more accurate description of McCoy's effect on me.

 

[Jeri]

I tend to go with Kirk's view of McCoy; I think he loved the guy.

 

[Noname Given]

I think "McCoy fusses" is an admirably exact and concise description of his role in this episode, Gotham. Actually...I think this is fairly accurate for most of TOS.

This is by no means the only episode where McCoy is 'inconsistent'. McCoy (and Spock) are as 'consistent as is required for the drama 'needs' of the story.

 

[Grant]

It's a cool episode, but not a particularly well-written one. You can just say everyone is going nuts from the space, but that's a pretty easy out.

The way they act while Kirk is gone is just stupid. Spock calls a memorial service mere minutes after Kirk is declared dead smack dab in the middle of the crisis. What the hell is the hurry?


"WHEN I CAME ABOARD !! "

 

[Gotham Central]

I think "McCoy fusses" is an admirably exact and concise description of his role in this episode, Gotham. Actually...I think this is fairly accurate for most of TOS.

This is by no means the only episode where McCoy is 'inconsistent'. McCoy (and Spock) are as 'consistent as is required for the drama 'needs' of the story.

That's for sure. For instance the intensity of Spock's belief in the sanctity of life is changes from episode to episode.

 

[Gotham Central]

There are few occasions when I get McCoy's behavior, as lovable as he is. I most often sided with Spock in their arguments.

I agree completely. Well, except the "lovable" part - "likeable" would be a more accurate description of McCoy's effect on me.

I've always had some issues with McCoy. He's often depicted as being a bit high strung and that can grate on the nerves. Especially when its clear that he is wrong.

 

[plynch]

This is by no means the only episode where McCoy is 'inconsistent'. McCoy (and Spock) are as 'consistent as is required for the drama 'needs' of the story.

"Needs of the story"? It's live action Trek, thus canon, thus it REALLY happened. They are just inconsistent human beings (or half-humans as the case may be), pardon the redundancy. [Now if it were depicted in TAS, we know that is just impressionistic approximation of what really happened, and I could buy your "story needs" idea. "Story." Sheesh.]

A little aside: One time at band camp when my band director went walking, in a creepy bog, in a suit with his nameplate on it, and he disappeared, then people kept seeing him in their cabin . . . people went all "McCoy" on the temporary director too. What I'm saying is, it happens, y'know? (Long story short, the director's faithful Scotty pulled him out JUST as the battery on his iPod was expiring. Then when all the excitement was done, several of the main "characters" in the band went down to the bridge and had a little chuckle about the whole "episode."

 

[Timo]

Umm, I find it a bit odd that nobody has yet mentioned an important plot point (or plot convenience) in the episode. Namely, people were supposed to go weird there, due to the influence of the spatial rift. Some went berserk. McCoy didn't go quite that far, but he had every excuse to behave abnormally. Or perhaps supernormally, with exaggerated expression of his usual personality traits.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Too Much Fun]

Maybe he was grumpy because of that new shirt they made him start wearing. Apparently this is the first episode on which they made him wear that shiny, short-sleeve shirt.

 

[JustKate]

I've always had some issues with McCoy. He's often depicted as being a bit high strung and that can grate on the nerves. Especially when its clear that he is wrong.

Me, too, me, too! It almost always seems as though I'm the only one, too, so it's a relief to find that I'm not.

 

[Too Much Fun]

I think McCoy gets too much guff here about his attitude. Anwar even called him racist towards Spock (and I know he's not the first person to say that)! Personally, I've always found his attitude endearing. He's stubborn, grumpy, and confrontational, but I just chalk that up to being passionate about his beliefs, and I respect that.

He's a bit of a hypochondriac and very argumentative, but I never found it grating and despite his curmudgeon ways, I never found him mean-spirited. At his core, I think he's a good person who's always wound up because he cares. The scene where McCoy and Kirk first meet in the new Star Trek was one of my favourites in the movie because I think it perfectly showed how endearing McCoy's conviction about his beliefs is.

All his ranting about the dangers of space travel just served to highlight how passionate he is and concerned for his safety and everyone else's. Listen to his "there is only one Kirk" dialog in "Balance of Terror". He almost sounds like he's just lecturing, but he's actually showing how deeply he cares for his friend's well-being.

 

[Jeri]

Sometimes I wonder how much of the curmudgeon was written and how much infused by Deforest Kelley.

 

[Red Ranger]

Maybe he was grumpy because of that new shirt they made him start wearing. Apparently this is the first episode on which they made him wear that shiny, short-sleeve shirt.

Har har har! You do know he'd been wearing that kind of shirt, I think, since the first season? Not totally sure about it, but I do remember him, and Dr. M'Benga, wearing that shirt as early as the second season. -- RR

 

[ElScoob]

Maybe he was grumpy because of that new shirt they made him start wearing. Apparently this is the first episode on which they made him wear that shiny, short-sleeve shirt.

Har har har! You do know he'd been wearing that kind of shirt, I think, since the first season? Not totally sure about it, but I do remember him, and Dr. M'Benga, wearing that shirt as early as the second season. -- RR

I'm pretty sure he was wearing that shirt in his first scene in "The Corbomite Maneuver", so he's always had it, eh?

--g