Where TOS stumbled....

[BolianAuthor]

I didn't really have a problem with how McCoy treated Spock in G7, since a) McCoy's a senior officer, so he's got the rank to be able to address Spock on a more equal footing, and b) he's been dealing with Spock long enough that he's more or less earned the right to rag on him from time to time. Besides, McCoy's picking on Spock was to drive home the point that Spock's logical approach to the situation was failing miserably. Lt. Boma was just plain pissed off, and completely out of line (which is why both McCoy and Scotty shut his snotty ass down when he popped off with that line, "I'm tired of this machine!").

In short, McCoy had racked up enough brownie points to entitle him to pick on Spock. Boma hadn't.

Okay, but you see, the fact that McCoy and Spock were "friends" is even MORE reason that McCoy should have behaved better... because yeah, they kid and stuff all the time, but number one, Spock IS IN COMMAND here. Number two, McCoy, seeing how Lt. Boma and the others were treating Spock should have manned up, and backed Spock's orders, even though he may not like them.

For McCoy to do what he did showed a glaring lack of professionalism, and a great degree of childish immaturity. Imagine how many MORE points McCoy could have scored with Spock, as both an officer and a human, if when they got back to the ship, Spock was able to report to Kirk that the Doctor carried himself in the finest tradition of an officer... he focused on the task at hand, followed orders, and backed his superior officer. Instead, what we got was McCoy as a whiny little bitch.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

deleted -- wrong thread

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

They would be routine trips, bit the distance and travel times should still be immense... even with the rescaled warp speeds TNG used.

TNG warp engines don't just follow a recalibrated scale... they are actually more powerful, and capable of greater raw speed, which usually happens, when technology advances.

By rescaled I mean what each warp speed represents. In Star Trek warp two would be eight times the speed of light... in The Next Generation it would be thirty-two times the speed of light. So obviously they're more powerful. It still doesn't change the massive interstellar distances they cover at a drop of a hat.

Warp Factor Cubed was never used by TOS even though it was in the series writers guide. They simply made it up as was necessary for the plot. As a result, the travel time from one point to another was completely random
http://www.fastcopyinc.com/orionpress/articles/warp_factor_cubed_refuted.htm

 

[Therin of Andor]

Back in the early to mid '70s David Gerrold wrote a book called The World Of Star Trek. I used to have a copy so long ago but can't for the life of me recall what happened to it. In it he covers similar territory as we've been discussing and from the perspective of just a few years rather than four decades. I wish I had it still to refer to.

Both editions (he revised it for Bluejay Books in the 80s), can be picked up for as little as one cent plus postage:

http://www.amazon.com/World-Star-Trek-David-Gerrold/dp/0312944632

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-m...44632/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_3?ie=UTF8&index=3

http://www.amazon.com/World-Star-Trek-David-Gerrold/dp/0345249380/ref=tmm_mmp_title_1

 

[Brutal Strudel]

A lot of times, it was too obvious when they were trying to make a point of something. Adding Chekov, a Russian TV good guy character at the height of the Cold War, wasn't so bad.

I'd say it wasn't bad at all. Showing that The Cold War would not last forever was a good and optimistic thing. Art need not be culturally neutral: despite my complaint about Sulu and Uhura above, I'd much rather have a self-cosciously inclusive Trek than one that "forgets" that non-white people exist. Star Trek was, however slightly, a force for good in this respect.

Indeed: years ago, when DS9 was in its final seasons, I was unpacking books in the "sort room" of the old Borders Books in Center City, Philadelphia. I was listening to the NPR (and this was years before 9-11) and the guy being interviewed was talking about negative impressions of Muslims in the media. When he asked if the moderator could think of a single positive Arab or Muslim in the media, both drew a blank. I immediately thought of Bashir and was actually proud to be a Trekkie.

 

[ghoyle1]

"The Omega Glory" was a pretty cool episode until they started waving the flag.

 

[ghoyle1]

I think Chekov didn't have a given name until "Way to Eden", IIRC. But I do agree that Sulu and Uhura waited way too long to get theirs.

Guy

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

Had it been picked up for another 6 episodes, you might have heard Sulu's or Uhura's or even what the T stood for...

 

[Captain Robert April]

That yeoman in "The Apple" called Chekov "Pav", short for "Pavel", he got named pretty early. And legend has it that Roddenberry had picked out "Hikaru" for Sulu long before Vonda McIntyre used it in her first Trek novel, but just never had the chance to work it into something. And GR had a habit of giving characters the middle name of "Tiberius", so that's a no brainer (although why Kirk felt the need to give his full name to that energy being still eludes me).

Uhura, on the other hand, is pretty well documented. She had to wait way too long, but at least she got a better one than the one some fans had pegged her with, "Upenda". Sounds too much like "panda", and that really doesn't suit her at all.

 

[scotpens]

Uhura, on the other hand, is pretty well documented. She had to wait way too long, but at least she got a better one than the one some fans had pegged her with, “Upenda”. Sounds too much like “panda”, and that really doesn't suit her at all.

“Upenda”? Sounds like “Bendova.”

 

[BillJ]

Uhura, on the other hand, is pretty well documented. She had to wait way too long, but at least she got a better one than the one some fans had pegged her with, “Upenda”. Sounds too much like “panda”, and that really doesn't suit her at all.

“Upenda”? Sounds like “Bendova.”

I always thought the fanon name was 'Penda', I'm wanting to say I also saw it in one of the early DC Comics.

 

[Pauln6]

Uhura, on the other hand, is pretty well documented. She had to wait way too long, but at least she got a better one than the one some fans had pegged her with, “Upenda”. Sounds too much like “panda”, and that really doesn't suit her at all.

“Upenda”? Sounds like “Bendova.”

I always thought the fanon name was 'Penda', I'm wanting to say I also saw it in one of the early DC Comics.

I've heard both. I also think that her name should be pronounced '(E)n-yo-tar' rather than the 'nee-yo-tar' that we heard in the movie. I think that might be an americanisation of the spelling?

 

[plynch]

Back in the early to mid '70s David Gerrold wrote a book called The World Of Star Trek. I used to have a copy so long ago but can't for the life of me recall what happened to it. In it he covers similar territory as we've been discussing and from the perspective of just a few years rather than four decades. I wish I had it still to refer to.

Both editions (he revised it for Bluejay Books in the 80s), can be picked up for as little as one cent plus postage:

http://www.amazon.com/World-Star-Trek-David-Gerrold/dp/0312944632

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-m...44632/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_3?ie=UTF8&index=3

http://www.amazon.com/World-Star-Trek-David-Gerrold/dp/0345249380/ref=tmm_mmp_title_1

First Trek book I ever owned, still have it. DG taught me a lot about good drama, and how series go bad. Good stuff. Hearing his critique in my head is why so much of Trek seems lame, in the later series (at least the ship/crew in danger . . . now they're safe plots).

 

[Therin of Andor]

Majel really shined as Lwaxana, though. But by then, she must've had some good solid coaching.

I once had dinner at Majel Roddenberry's mansion on the night of the Superbowl semi-final (1991), and the team she barracked for was playing. She asked if I minded the game being on TV while we ate. What an amazing night!

I can tell you that when Majel Barrett played Mrs Troi she wasn't acting. Majel was Lwaxana Troi.

And legend has it that Roddenberry had picked out "Hikaru" for Sulu long before Vonda McIntyre used it in her first Trek novel, but just never had the chance to work it into something.

No, I believe the name Gene and George had decided on for Sulu was "Hosato", and George eventually used that name for the Sulu-esque, SF ninja character he wrote with Robert Asprin in "Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe" and the unsold sequel, "Stellar Flower, Savage Flower".

McIntyre coined "Hikaru", with Gene and George's approval.

 

[Captain Robert April]

I've always heard it pronounced "Nai-YO-tah", but what do I know about Swahili...

Majel really shined as Lwaxana, though. But by then, she must've had some good solid coaching.

I once had dinner at Majel Roddenberry's mansion on the night of the Superbowl semi-final (1991), and the team she barracked for was playing. She asked if I minded the game being on TV while we ate. What an amazing night!

I can tell you that when Majel Barrett played Mrs Troi she wasn't acting. Majel was Lwaxana Troi.

As Gene told Majel after coming home from the studio, "Majel, I've just created the perfect part for you, and the best part of it that you won't have to act!" She wasn't quite sure how to take that at first...

And legend has it that Roddenberry had picked out "Hikaru" for Sulu long before Vonda McIntyre used it in her first Trek novel, but just never had the chance to work it into something.

No, I believe the name Gene and George had decided on for Sulu was "Hosato", and George eventually used that name for the Sulu-esque, SF ninja character he wrote with Robert Asprin in "Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe" and the unsold sequel, "Stellar Flower, Savage Flower".

McIntyre coined "Hikaru", with Gene and George's approval.

Well, at least they were thinking of something beforehand...

 

[Gary7]

I once had dinner at Majel Roddenberry's mansion on the night of the Superbowl semi-final (1991), and the team she barracked for was playing. She asked if I minded the game being on TV while we ate. What an amazing night!

Indeed--how did you manage to get that invitation?

I can tell you that when Majel Barrett played Mrs Troi she wasn't acting. Majel was Lwaxana Troi.

Well, even if you play yourself, you have to act... there's a certain manner you have to achieve to be believable. But yeah, when it's yourself it's certainly much easier than being someone else. I'm actually not that surprised to hear she was Lwaxana.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

The retard admiral syndrome.

Every officer of a rank higher than Kirk appeared to be lobotomised when a shoddy plot demanded it.

That reflects real life, though. At least according to all the military personnel I've ever known, including my dad. "General so-and-so doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground," and so forth.

 

[BillJ]

The retard admiral syndrome.

Every officer of a rank higher than Kirk appeared to be lobotomised when a shoddy plot demanded it.

That reflects real life, though. At least according to all the military personnel I've ever known, including my dad. "General so-and-so doesn't know his ass from a whole in the ground," and so forth.

I only recall this happening twice, A Taste of Armageddon and The Trouble with Tribbles. Of course I'm doing this from memory.

 

[Forbin]

A whole what in the ground?

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

A whole what in the ground?

Wow, I don't know how I did that. Weird mistake.