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and again with the TOS reviews
I've now finished season two in my TOS viewing, although I skipped "The Omega Glory." Life's just too short to watch aliens say the pledge of allegiance.
Spoilers for "The Ultimate Computer," "Bread and Circuses," and "Assignment Earth."
"The Ultimate Computer"
Based on the episode title alone, I predicted that Kirk would be talking another computer into suicide. This is something like the fourth time that's happened. Nice hobby, Captain!
Once again, Star Trek proves to be better at diverse casting than any other SF show I can think of. And the fact that I was actually startled when Daystrom turned out to be black shows how very badly such casting is still needed--what's the last show you watched with a computer genius who wasn't white (or perhaps Asian)? I saw a review elsewhere saying that Daystrom's breakdown made the choice dodgy, that it implied that black people couldn't handle the strain or something. I don't see that myself--I think the breakdown is explained quite plausibly by the pressure of being an aging former prodigy. And Trek has a good enough record of showing characters of color in positions of prestige and responsibility that I don't feel like every CoC on the show needs to be portrayed as completely positive. YMMV, and discussion is always welcome.
Despite Daystrom's craziness, he has a good point about computerized space exploration potentially saving lives. But that gets a bit lost amid all the show's "we must never allow computers to replace human beings!" stuff. It's interesting how much hostility there was to computers in 1950s-1970s popular culture--Doctor Who in particular comes to mind, with both the Second and Third Doctors talking about how much they hate computers. There was also the oddly charming 1957 film Desk Set, starring Katherine Hepburn as a corporate librarian whose job is threatened by a computer. Computer-phobia is much less common now in the media, perhaps because personal computers and the internet have created familiarity.
Kirk's fear of being replaced by the computer has to do not just with the Enterprise, but with (surprise, surprise) his relationship with Spock. There's a lovely moment when Kirk is obviously hurt that Spock has said something about computer-controlled ships being practical, and he asks, "Machine over man, Spock?" To which Spock replies, "Practical, captain, perhaps, but not desirable. Computers make excellent and efficient servants, but I have no wish to serve under them. Captain, a starship also runs on loyalty to one man, and nothing can replace it, or him." A very happy smile then spreads over Kirk's face. So cute.
There's a nice bit of Kirk-McCoy friendship as well, when Bones brings Kirk a consolatory drink. And during that scene, when Kirk recited the little "tall ships" poem, I started thinking that Kirk and Jack Aubrey are very similar, as in some ways are Spock and Stephen Maturin. I wonder if Patrick O'Brian was influenced--even subconsciously--by Star Trek, or if it's just that "passionate, impetuous leader" and "controlled, brainy follower" are well-established character types? (Anybody want to write a time-travelling crossover?)
"Bread and Circuses"
To start with the obvious: the idea of an independently developed Roman culture (that speaks English!) is absurd, and I don't know why the writers didn't come up with a better explanation.
I'm uncertain whether the subplot about Christianity is proseletyzing or not. I wouldn't expect religious propaganda from Roddenberry, who co-wrote the episode, and the new!Christianity we see is largely, although not entirely, devoid of religious content; it's mostly about freedom and equality. Furthermore, McCoy's comment at the beginning of the show that he wishes he could just once appear on a new planet and announce himself as the angel Gabriel (which, let's face it, is kind of an odd thing to say) recalls "Who Mourns for Adonais," in which the ancient Greek pantheon were actually powerful aliens. I suspect Roddenberry is weaving in just a hint of rationalist explanations for religion. I don't mean that anyone would think "gods were aliens!" is literally true--I hope--but such an explanation is still non-supernatural and suggests that gods originate in human psychology and social structures. We worship any powerful thing we don't comprehend.
On the other hand, the episode does credit Christianity with ending Roman slavery and other badness, which to the best of my knowledge is untrue. (And leaving aside the Romans, Christian Europe and America practiced slavery on a massive scale from the sixteenth to mid-nineteenth centuries. So the show's giving Christianity way too much of a pass on this issue.) There's also a general air of reverence in that final scene when Uhura reveals that the "sun" is actually the "son." This script must have thrilled Shatner and Nimoy, who are both Jewish, to no end.
The episode's parody of the television industry is wickedly funny; I loved moments like the Proconsul consoling Kirk by telling him that his death in the arena is guaranteed to have "a splendid audience." I do wonder about the fact that there's no television in the Federation, though. It's not just that there's no TV because it's been replaced by some newer technology; rather, the whole concept of recorded entertainment seems to have vanished. I can't remember any references to film or recorded music, either. For fun on the Enterprise, people play chess, or sing and play live music. Or read, presumably. And those are all great things, but there's a bit of a puritanical streak to the idea of a utopian culture where mass media have been eliminated.
This episode manages to find a new level of sexist ickiness by attributing Merik's betrayal of his ship to a failure of manliness. He's coded throughout as not being a "real" man in some way, although it's vaguely bizarre to hear the Proconsul, he of the shiny silver blouse, impugn Merik's masculinity. Merik gets a redemptive death at the end, natch. Just what is the definition of masculinity here? It seems to be partly about the infliction of violence--even McCoy fights pretty successfully in the arena--but partly about choosing death before dishonor.
Returning to Star Trek's more usual line of sexism, there was the blond slave girl. I genuinely expected Kirk not to sleep with her; I expected him to say, "Sorry, you're really cute, but I know you're a slave and it wouldn't be fair to take advantage" (which would be 1960s-speak for "you can't give meaningful consent, so sex with you would be rape"). Alas, for all the talk of manly honor, Kirk's honor didn't extend that far. And yes, I know the historical Romans didn't see anything dishonorable in raping slaves, but Kirk and co. are supposed to be better than that.
The one really good aspect to this episode is the way it develops the relationship between Spock and McCoy. In fact, I'll take it further than that: what's good about TOS is always the characters and their relationships. The show's science is nonsensical, its philosophy half-baked, and its politics always problematic and sometimes appalling, but the affection and tensions between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are delightful. (I love the other main characters too, especially Sulu, but sadly they don't get anything like the same level of development.)
The good stuff between McCoy and Spock starts quite early on in the episode, with someone (Flavius?) asking Kirk if they're enemies, and Kirk saying that even they probably don't know what they are. Then there's this:
And this:
Then there's the arena scene, with Spock asking an obviously desperate McCoy if he needs help and McCoy going off on a rant about how it's the stupidest question he's ever heard.
And of course the scene in the cell afterwards. I love how, for all McCoy tries to reach out to Spock, he can't suppress his irritation for long and ends up yelling at him. (Obviously I don't mean "I love it" in the sense that I think it's a wonderful thing to do; I just think it's a very McCoy thing to do, and hence a great character moment.)
I'm not sure what I think about what McCoy actually says, the theme of every confrontation he has with Spock: feel more. On the one hand, he's telling Spock not to be Vulcan, not to be Spock. On the other hand, I think he's right that Spock is terrified of living, and uses a (simplistic?) notion of proper Vulcanness as a shield to hide behind. Not entirely, of course, because there's one huge weak place in Spock's shield:
Kirk/Spock is TEXT. Oh yes. (Although I still see Spock/McCoy sexual tension, and when Spock's voice got all low and intimate on "really, doctor?" I thought, for one delirious second, that they were about to kiss. And my reaction to the scene cutting away then and resuming later is still "and then they done sex." Especially since that's what Kirk's about to do with the slave girl, and in that case the panning away and elapsed time, indicated by the lamp burning down, is a clear way of signalling that sex happened in the interval.)
I joked in an earlier episode discussion post about how I don't need slash goggles anymore (having had slash Lasik), but really, in this case of TOS I think it's more than the show was filmed in slash-o-vision.
"Assignment Earth"
I wish the Gary Seven and Miss Lincoln show had actually been made, because I like them both a lot and it could've been fun.
There's not much to say apart from that; it's hardly a Star Trek episode at all. It's interesting politically, considering it presents the sabotage of a major U.S. weapons system as a good thing. But really, my main thought is that master-of-disguise!Spock should've figured out by now that hats don't help. Somehow or other the ears will always be revealed.
*****
Spoilers for "The Ultimate Computer," "Bread and Circuses," and "Assignment Earth."
"The Ultimate Computer"
Based on the episode title alone, I predicted that Kirk would be talking another computer into suicide. This is something like the fourth time that's happened. Nice hobby, Captain!
Once again, Star Trek proves to be better at diverse casting than any other SF show I can think of. And the fact that I was actually startled when Daystrom turned out to be black shows how very badly such casting is still needed--what's the last show you watched with a computer genius who wasn't white (or perhaps Asian)? I saw a review elsewhere saying that Daystrom's breakdown made the choice dodgy, that it implied that black people couldn't handle the strain or something. I don't see that myself--I think the breakdown is explained quite plausibly by the pressure of being an aging former prodigy. And Trek has a good enough record of showing characters of color in positions of prestige and responsibility that I don't feel like every CoC on the show needs to be portrayed as completely positive. YMMV, and discussion is always welcome.
Despite Daystrom's craziness, he has a good point about computerized space exploration potentially saving lives. But that gets a bit lost amid all the show's "we must never allow computers to replace human beings!" stuff. It's interesting how much hostility there was to computers in 1950s-1970s popular culture--Doctor Who in particular comes to mind, with both the Second and Third Doctors talking about how much they hate computers. There was also the oddly charming 1957 film Desk Set, starring Katherine Hepburn as a corporate librarian whose job is threatened by a computer. Computer-phobia is much less common now in the media, perhaps because personal computers and the internet have created familiarity.
Kirk's fear of being replaced by the computer has to do not just with the Enterprise, but with (surprise, surprise) his relationship with Spock. There's a lovely moment when Kirk is obviously hurt that Spock has said something about computer-controlled ships being practical, and he asks, "Machine over man, Spock?" To which Spock replies, "Practical, captain, perhaps, but not desirable. Computers make excellent and efficient servants, but I have no wish to serve under them. Captain, a starship also runs on loyalty to one man, and nothing can replace it, or him." A very happy smile then spreads over Kirk's face. So cute.
There's a nice bit of Kirk-McCoy friendship as well, when Bones brings Kirk a consolatory drink. And during that scene, when Kirk recited the little "tall ships" poem, I started thinking that Kirk and Jack Aubrey are very similar, as in some ways are Spock and Stephen Maturin. I wonder if Patrick O'Brian was influenced--even subconsciously--by Star Trek, or if it's just that "passionate, impetuous leader" and "controlled, brainy follower" are well-established character types? (Anybody want to write a time-travelling crossover?)
"Bread and Circuses"
To start with the obvious: the idea of an independently developed Roman culture (that speaks English!) is absurd, and I don't know why the writers didn't come up with a better explanation.
I'm uncertain whether the subplot about Christianity is proseletyzing or not. I wouldn't expect religious propaganda from Roddenberry, who co-wrote the episode, and the new!Christianity we see is largely, although not entirely, devoid of religious content; it's mostly about freedom and equality. Furthermore, McCoy's comment at the beginning of the show that he wishes he could just once appear on a new planet and announce himself as the angel Gabriel (which, let's face it, is kind of an odd thing to say) recalls "Who Mourns for Adonais," in which the ancient Greek pantheon were actually powerful aliens. I suspect Roddenberry is weaving in just a hint of rationalist explanations for religion. I don't mean that anyone would think "gods were aliens!" is literally true--I hope--but such an explanation is still non-supernatural and suggests that gods originate in human psychology and social structures. We worship any powerful thing we don't comprehend.
On the other hand, the episode does credit Christianity with ending Roman slavery and other badness, which to the best of my knowledge is untrue. (And leaving aside the Romans, Christian Europe and America practiced slavery on a massive scale from the sixteenth to mid-nineteenth centuries. So the show's giving Christianity way too much of a pass on this issue.) There's also a general air of reverence in that final scene when Uhura reveals that the "sun" is actually the "son." This script must have thrilled Shatner and Nimoy, who are both Jewish, to no end.
The episode's parody of the television industry is wickedly funny; I loved moments like the Proconsul consoling Kirk by telling him that his death in the arena is guaranteed to have "a splendid audience." I do wonder about the fact that there's no television in the Federation, though. It's not just that there's no TV because it's been replaced by some newer technology; rather, the whole concept of recorded entertainment seems to have vanished. I can't remember any references to film or recorded music, either. For fun on the Enterprise, people play chess, or sing and play live music. Or read, presumably. And those are all great things, but there's a bit of a puritanical streak to the idea of a utopian culture where mass media have been eliminated.
This episode manages to find a new level of sexist ickiness by attributing Merik's betrayal of his ship to a failure of manliness. He's coded throughout as not being a "real" man in some way, although it's vaguely bizarre to hear the Proconsul, he of the shiny silver blouse, impugn Merik's masculinity. Merik gets a redemptive death at the end, natch. Just what is the definition of masculinity here? It seems to be partly about the infliction of violence--even McCoy fights pretty successfully in the arena--but partly about choosing death before dishonor.
Returning to Star Trek's more usual line of sexism, there was the blond slave girl. I genuinely expected Kirk not to sleep with her; I expected him to say, "Sorry, you're really cute, but I know you're a slave and it wouldn't be fair to take advantage" (which would be 1960s-speak for "you can't give meaningful consent, so sex with you would be rape"). Alas, for all the talk of manly honor, Kirk's honor didn't extend that far. And yes, I know the historical Romans didn't see anything dishonorable in raping slaves, but Kirk and co. are supposed to be better than that.
The one really good aspect to this episode is the way it develops the relationship between Spock and McCoy. In fact, I'll take it further than that: what's good about TOS is always the characters and their relationships. The show's science is nonsensical, its philosophy half-baked, and its politics always problematic and sometimes appalling, but the affection and tensions between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are delightful. (I love the other main characters too, especially Sulu, but sadly they don't get anything like the same level of development.)
The good stuff between McCoy and Spock starts quite early on in the episode, with someone (Flavius?) asking Kirk if they're enemies, and Kirk saying that even they probably don't know what they are. Then there's this:
Spock: If I were able to show emotion, your new infatuation with that term would begin to annoy me.
McCoy: What term, logic? Medical men are trained in logic, Mr. Spock.
Spock: Really, doctor? I had no idea they were trained. Watching you, I assumed it was trial and error.
And this:
Proconsul: I believe you all swear you'd die before you'd violate that [prime] directive, am I right?
Spock: Quite correct.
McCoy: (furious) Must you always be so blasted honest?
Spock: *raises eyebrow and pouts*
Then there's the arena scene, with Spock asking an obviously desperate McCoy if he needs help and McCoy going off on a rant about how it's the stupidest question he's ever heard.
And of course the scene in the cell afterwards. I love how, for all McCoy tries to reach out to Spock, he can't suppress his irritation for long and ends up yelling at him. (Obviously I don't mean "I love it" in the sense that I think it's a wonderful thing to do; I just think it's a very McCoy thing to do, and hence a great character moment.)
I'm not sure what I think about what McCoy actually says, the theme of every confrontation he has with Spock: feel more. On the one hand, he's telling Spock not to be Vulcan, not to be Spock. On the other hand, I think he's right that Spock is terrified of living, and uses a (simplistic?) notion of proper Vulcanness as a shield to hide behind. Not entirely, of course, because there's one huge weak place in Spock's shield:
McCoy: You wouldn't know what to do with a genuine, warm, decent feeling.
Spock: (intensely) Really, doctor?
McCoy: (pause) I know. I'm worried about Jim too.
Kirk/Spock is TEXT. Oh yes. (Although I still see Spock/McCoy sexual tension, and when Spock's voice got all low and intimate on "really, doctor?" I thought, for one delirious second, that they were about to kiss. And my reaction to the scene cutting away then and resuming later is still "and then they done sex." Especially since that's what Kirk's about to do with the slave girl, and in that case the panning away and elapsed time, indicated by the lamp burning down, is a clear way of signalling that sex happened in the interval.)
I joked in an earlier episode discussion post about how I don't need slash goggles anymore (having had slash Lasik), but really, in this case of TOS I think it's more than the show was filmed in slash-o-vision.
"Assignment Earth"
I wish the Gary Seven and Miss Lincoln show had actually been made, because I like them both a lot and it could've been fun.
There's not much to say apart from that; it's hardly a Star Trek episode at all. It's interesting politically, considering it presents the sabotage of a major U.S. weapons system as a good thing. But really, my main thought is that master-of-disguise!Spock should've figured out by now that hats don't help. Somehow or other the ears will always be revealed.
*****
no subject
Re: Christianity and slavery, that was standard Hollywood of the 60s. When Spartacus was made, for example, all the film's publicity material included paragraphs on how Spartacus & friends were proto-Christians in that they prefigured the arrival of Christianity in their goals. (Several decades BC. Cue historians headdesking.)