Why the Change?

[Greg Cox]

But that bit of context is outweighed by (a) her being specifically described as an Earth female, and (b) that the Talosians' M.O. was breeding pairs from the same species.

And that Spock was clearly intended to be the token alien at the point.

But the presence of umpteen human-looking species in the TOS universe does give us a bit of wiggle room if we want to make Pike's crew a bit more cosmopolitan, which may have been Fontana's intent when she wrote VULCAN'S GLORY. There are a lot more alien crew members, including several more Vulcans, in that book than we ever saw in "The Cage."

 

[BillJ]

As for the "Earth women" line, I like the idea that, in a tense life-or-death confrontation, Pike just simplified things to get straight to the point.

But then couldn't he have said "these two women"? That would seem to have simplified things.

 

[The Old Mixer]

And that Spock was clearly intended to be the token alien at the point.

And on that note, making her an alien takes away Spock's last unique attribute in that setting.

 

[BillJ]

And on that note, making her an alien takes away Spock's last unique attribute in that setting.

That's okay, Discovery is bound and determined to make sure there is nothing unique about Spock.

 

[Greg Cox]

But then couldn't he have said "these two women"? That would seem to have simplified things.

It was a pilot. They were just making stuff at that point. If Number One had stuck around, who knows what kind of background they might have given her? Maybe Fontana would have written a script about her Illyrian roots . . .or not.

Just saying there's wiggle room around that '"Earth woman" line, just like with other stuff from the early days of TOS, when they were making stuff up as they went along.

 

[BillJ]

It was a pilot. They were just making stuff at that point. If Number One had stuck around, who knows what kind of background they might have given her?

She didn't. So what we have is "two Earth women".

 

[The Old Mixer]

In a hypothetical situation in which they'd continued the show with that crew, I think the dynamic would be more interesting if we had an alien who remained eager and shouty, and a human woman who acted more alien.

 

[BillJ]

"Vulcan's Glory" is on sale on the Amazon Kindle for $1.99. Talking about "The Cage" led me to pick it up!

 

[David cgc]

Didn't Majel Barrett say in interviews that her conception was that Number One was from another planet?

 

[GNDN18]

One word you won’t see in Number One’s bio: human.

One word you will see: mysterious.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

View attachment 3426 One word you won’t see in Number One’s bio: human.

One word you will see: mysterious.
View attachment 3425

And how many other characters were explicitly described as human in "The Cage" character breakdowns? Human was the default.

 

[GNDN18]

“Mysterious” was the key word for me. Number One’s back story was intentionally vague—she didn’t even have a name!—leaving room for all kinds of exciting reveals.

Personally, I always assumed she was human, but I can live with her being another species. Absence of proof and all that.

 

[Tenacity]

, I think the dynamic would be more interesting if we had an alien who remained eager and shouty, and a human woman who acted more alien.

If Roddenberry had recast the role of Number One, which is my understand what NBC wanted, that easily could have been what we got when Star Trek went into weekly production.

Human Captain, male.
Alien First Officer, female.
Alien Second Officer, male.

Were Boyce, Tyler or Colt specifically referred to as "Human?"

Maybe Fontana would have written a script about her Illyrian roots

Illyrian, while a bit different, might have been too close to the popular character on the show Man From UNCLE, and a different name would have needed to be chosen.

Referring to Illya Kuryakin.

 

[johnnybear]

Pike's crew seem to reference earth quite a lot in the episode for a multi-alien contingent! I think Number One is an earth woman who has been through mental enhancement!
JB

 

[MAGolding]

If Roddenberry had recast the role of Number One, which is my understand what NBC wanted, that easily could have been what we got when Star Trek went into weekly production.

Human Captain, male.
Alien First Officer, female.
Alien Second Officer, male.

Were Boyce, Tyler or Colt specifically referred to as "Human?"

Illyrian, while a bit different, might have been too close to the popular character on the show Man From UNCLE, and a different name would have needed to be chosen.

Referring to Illya Kuryakin.

It's sad thought that audiences might balk at the name of Illya Kuryakin and not at the ancient Illyrian ethnic group. To me it seems just as goofy to name aliens Illyrians as to name them Romulans, or Edo, or Ferengi, would be.

 

[Tim Thomason]

Were Boyce, Tyler or Colt specifically referred to as "Human?"

Nope:

Ship's Doctor --

Phillip Boyce, an unlikely space traveler. At the age of fifty-one, he's worldly, humorously cynical, makes it a point to thoroughly enjoy his own weaknesses. Captain April's only real confidant, "Bones" Boyce considers himself the only realist aboard, measures each new landing in terms of relative annoyance, rather than excitement.

The Navigator --

José Ortegas, born in South America, is tall, handsome, about twenty-five and brilliant, but still in process of maturing. He is full of both humor and Latin temperament. He fights a perpetual and highly-personal battle with his instruments and calculators, suspecting that space, and probably God too, are engaged in a giant conspiracy to make his professional and personal life as difficult and uncomfortable as possible. José is painfully aware of the historical repute of Latins as lovers -- and is in danger of failing this ambition on a cosmic scale.

The Captain's Yeoman --
Except for problems in naval parlance, "Colt" would be called a yeowoman; blonde and with a shape even a uniform could not hide. She serves as Robert April's secretary, reporter, bookkeeper, and undoubtedly wishes she could serve him in more personal departments. She is not dumb; she is very female, disturbingly so.

 

[The Wormhole]

Were Boyce, Tyler or Colt specifically referred to as "Human?"

In the episode Colt is referred to as an "Earth woman" while Boyce and Tyler don't deny being human when the old man at the crash site calls them human. Although, neither does Spock, so interpret that however you want.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The weird thing about the novels making her an Illyrian is that she looks nothing like Illyrians.

I guess I just don't get why everyone thinks she's an alien just because Pike calls her Number One. That's a common term for a ship's first officer. Why make it any more complicated than that?

 

[The Wormhole]

Well, that I can kind of understand as the novels do need to come up with a reason for why she would be referred to as "Number One" when she had been promoted and given a command of her own.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ When did that happen?