Yeoman Rand Instead of Dr. Noel?

[Pauln6]

It's one thing to learn the basic operations of a station, a whole other to be an expert in a discipline.

Seriously? This week Rand will be the expert in penology, next week she'll have a degree in Ion propulsion and the week after that she'll be an expert in alien languages.

Dunno, worked for Spock... and Neelix... and Dax...

But again, that's projecting the story as is onto Rand as is. It's not as if Noel's so-called expertise affected the story in any way, any more than Ann Mulhall's qualification in astrobiology helped her while possessed by an alien, or McGiver's historical qualifications had any relevance to her ability to help Khan take over the ship.

The question was whether Rand could have operated the machine safely. If she was established to have sufficient technical skills, the answer would be yes. She does not need to be an expert within the confines of that story.

 

[Green Shirt]

I would have loved to have seen Dr. Noel return but it makes me wonder just how many insane asylum planets could TOS have visited before the concept got old.

She is an M.D. (I presume) with a "background in rehabilitative therapy", which shouldn't preclude her usefulness in any medical capacity in a landing party.

 

[Drone]

Agreed. Was Dr. Dehner on board only because Enterprise was about to leave the galaxy? That was not stated or inferred. I don't see any reason why a psychologist/psychiatrist couldn't be part of the regular crew complement. One could say that in some way, at least in part, this would've simply prefigured the role of the ship's counselor.

 

[johnnybear]

Rand was an expert in looking absolutely delicious though!
JB

 

[Drone]

Honestly, I don't really see it. In the realm of yeomen, I don't think she was close to Colt or Barrows. She sometimes had dollops of makeup slathered on, which didn't enhance her appearance. Being mindful of the fact that she has passed away, I hesitate to say this, but I often got the impression in looking at her, of someone old and used. Now, interestingly, I found her to be more attractive as a more mature woman in the films and on Voyager. Maybe not a widely held view, but there it is.

 

[Pauln6]

I hesitate to labour on the merit of a character or actor based purely how hot they look. It also tends to be a recurring theme for the female characters, partly because they don't often do anything worthwhile in TOS. I don't think I've ever seen a discussion thread where someone says they wish we'd got more Chekov and less McCoy because Chekov was younger and hotter.

Noel was interesting as a character because she had a cheeky personality and she was allowed to do something to help resolve the crisis. I love Noel. But if Rand had been allowed to appear instead, some of that coolness would have rubbed off on Rand. We see in the Man Trap and Charlie X that Rand can be cheeky with the lower ranks and this story could have elevated that to add a bit of spice to her relationship with Kirk.

I do agree that Grace was one of the few actors who looked great in her TMP uniform though.

 

[johnnybear]

Nah, I thought she looked superb in her Red TOS uniform! She wasn't too hot for me in TMP I'm afraid!
JB

 

[inflatabledalek]

Has anyone ever seen the original with Rand script? Presumably the opening was just rewritten so as to require Kirk to need a Doctor along and originally there was either a different justification for just the two of them (otherwise you'd expect either Spock or McCoy to go as the science/medical guys) or they were hoping we wouldn't think about it too much.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Noel was interesting as a character because she had a cheeky personality

If that wasn't deliberate wordplay, it should have been.

 

[Pauln6]

If that wasn't deliberate wordplay, it should have been.

I think the only reason he gave her that solo mission was so he could 'help' her into the air ducts.

 

[Spock's Barber]

Kirk : "Helen! Helen, don't go! I need you, Helen!"

 

[Nerys Myk]

Never impressed by Rand as a character or Whitney as an actress.

 

[Spock's Barber]

Never impressed by Rand as a character or Whitney as an actress.

GR must have seen something in her, but then GR supposedly got his hands involved in the casting sessions for all the pretty, young actresses.

 

[Nerys Myk]

GR must have seen something in her, but then GR supposedly got his hands involved in the casting sessions for all the pretty, young actresses.

Well Rand was a main character, so that goes without question.

 

[Marsden]

I liked Rand, but her part really could have been anyone else in most of her appearances. I think, once again, it was that incredible phenomenon that Star Trek is, that we only got 3 seasons of something that has lasting appeal 50 years later, that minor characters and day players are treated like stars.

And I liked it much better when there were more people on the ship, Ferrel, Palmer, Alden, DePaul, DeSalle, Riley, and even Leslie. That's something the spinoffs really dropped the ball on, they had a bigger ensemble, but then they had to find something for them to do every episode. I like that we can go an episode or two without seeing someone and there's no questions about it, they just aren't there right then. I like how a ship might really have over 400 officers and crew, not 12.

 

[Pauln6]

I liked Rand, but her part really could have been anyone else in most of her appearances. I think, once again, it was that incredible phenomenon that Star Trek is, that we only got 3 seasons of something that has lasting appeal 50 years later, that minor characters and day players are treated like stars.

And I liked it much better when there were more people on the ship, Ferrel, Palmer, Alden, DePaul, DeSalle, Riley, and even Leslie. That's something the spinoffs really dropped the ball on, they had a bigger ensemble, but then they had to find something for them to do every episode. I like that we can go an episode or two without seeing someone and there's no questions about it, they just aren't there right then. I like how a ship might really have over 400 officers and crew, not 12.

I agree about the more diverse crew. I would gave preferred later shows with a smaller core and a larger cast of semi regular characters. Nubsg did this quite well.

However I don't think that citing interchanging characters adds much to the debate. Only Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty can stand on their own. Almost every other character was replaceable in most stories and they often were. Rands early episodes were during the phase when we saw more guest crew so it was not really her presence that led to less diversity. I do think that going forward they should have featured her less often than in the first 12 episodes, only when they wanted to feature her prominently but I do think that Zahra, Tamura, Ross, and Mears had such bland personalities that using Rand would have been better. Noel stands on her own as a decent character though. I would have liked to see her in a couple of episodes per season too.

 

[Kor]

And I liked it much better when there were more people on the ship, Ferrel, Palmer, Alden, DePaul, DeSalle, Riley, and even Leslie. That's something the spinoffs really dropped the ball on, they had a bigger ensemble, but then they had to find something for them to do every episode. I like that we can go an episode or two without seeing someone and there's no questions about it, they just aren't there right then. I like how a ship might really have over 400 officers and crew, not 12.

Yes, the original Trek seemed more like a real work environment with lots of people you run into or pass by in the hallways all the time, without getting hung up on the minutiae of what they do every day.

I thI agree about the

What?

Kor

 

[Pauln6]

Phone issue...