#Star Trek: Here have a canon Vulcan couple
Text
New T'Pring/Stonn Fic Just Dropped
#please leave a comment - let me know what you think~! <3#TOS T'Pring/Stonn#But you bet your ass that the second we know more about SNW Stonn I will immediately be writing fics about them too#I don't care what they do with him. The way that show's going they'll probably make him a cheater - it WILL not matter!!#Stonn/T'Pring forever#Star Trek: Here have a canon Vulcan couple#Me: Thank you for the meal#my writing#Everytime I set out to write smut it ends up being 13 pages of internal plot angst - It's just my signature at this point#T'Pring#Stonn#T'Pring/Stonn#Stonn/T'Pring
9 notes
·
View notes
Text
Trekkerverse Christine Chapel/T’Pring series fic rec
Alsike is one of my favorite authors, but I had not read any of their Christine Chapel/T’Pring fics until recently as I had never watched Strange New Worlds. In late December they published an AU that sounded like fun and I overcame my reluctance and I read it (after all I had watched other Star Trek before). I did not regret it as I was able to get into this hilarious story and I loved it. (Hint: read The One Where They're Professors)
After that I was hooked on the ship and continued to read this series of T'Pristine stories, and I couldn't stop.
They blend philosophy, Star Trek and a beautiful love story into a spectacular fanfiction trilogy.
Trekkerverse Series by Alsike
Fandom: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (TV)
Ship: Christine Chapel/T'Pring (f/f)
The Trekkerverse series also includes a couple of loosely connected stories for another ship, but the three Christine Chapel/T’Pring stories form a trilogy
1) A Hermeneutics of Ass-Fucking by Alsike
Complete, 1 chapter, 6k words, 2022
Mature; No Archive Warnings Apply
“So far as I can tell, most worthwhile pleasures on this earth slip between gratifying another and gratifying oneself. Some would call that an ethics.” Maggie Nelson, The Argonauts
Dr Christine Chapel always figured that T'Pring was a Vulcan's Vulcan, and never expected to find her here, on Betazed, living a very different life than she'd had before. But, no one gets out of a relationship with Spock unscathed. And sometimes the ways you tried to change yourself to keep him end up showing you who you want to be.
2) Erotic Vulcan Love Poetry by Alsike
Complete, 1 chapter, 7k words, 2022
Teen and up; No Archive Warnings Apply
It had just been a one time thing--sex to soothe the hurt feelings and lingering resentments between them. But both being attached to universities and the good old conference circuit means that Dr Christine Chapel and T'Pring are still in each other's orbits. And well--good sex is good sex, right? No reason to turn it down.
There's no way this could become feelings.
Fuck.
3) Like a Sea Turtle to their Beach by Alsike
Complete, 9 chapters, 38k words, 2022
Teen and up; No Archive Warnings Apply
Vulcan calls.
Things have been going well for Christine and T'Pring, negotiating how to be together and feel settled in their relationship. But both good things and bad things can make things harder. The emergent telepathic bond should be a good thing: it's a connection, a sign of intimacy. But it's also a reminder of everything T'Pring has lost.
When the family that disowned her after the disaster of the kaliffee requests her return, T'Pring is certain that they won't want her back, not who she is now--who she's _with_ now. But she needs to go anyway and find a way to leave her past behind so she can fully move forward.
-----
My Thoughts
This is an amazing series of fics that you should definitely read if you are into Star Trek and femslash fanfiction.
It is very well written and the characters are beautifully flashed out (really great for someone who did not watch this show). Ultimately this is a enemies to lovers story; maybe more of an "I hooked up with the ex of my ex and fell in love" story.
The 3rd part is the longest and explores T'Prings past, her struggle as an outcast and the possible reconciliation with her family.
It takes place mostly on Vulcan and dives deep into Vulcan society and its issues with (non)conformity. And it does wrap up T'Pring's and Christine's love story when they finally overcome their insecurities.
This is an incredible trilogy of fics, an amazing love story and one of the best Star Trek stories that I have ever experienced. And that includes a lot of official novels and canon shows and movies.
Quote from A Hermeneutics of Ass-Fucking
Christine was both out of her depth and really in her depth at the same time. She felt herself smiling, a little manically. This was definitely not okay. “Yeah, you want to spank me or something? Because I really don’t think this is the best way to handle emotions. Which, as human, talking to a Vulcan, is kind of a hilarious thing to say.”
“Do you want to be spanked?”
Christine froze.
“I had not thought of that. But if that is something you enjoy, we can include it as part of our pre-sexual negotiation.”
Addendum: How much Star Trek do you need to know?
Of course, you'll be fine if you watched Strange New worlds, but I think there are also other ways to enjoy this trilogy if you did not watch this show but have some prior knowledge of Star Trek and Vulcans.
I have never watched Strange New Worlds but I have watched a lot of the older Star Trek shows and movies and read a lot of the novels from the 80s and 90s. I really loved the ones focused on Vulcan society, Vulcan culture and Human & Vulcan interaction (and not just Spock) and I felt right at home when I read this trilogy.
Even if you know very little about Star Trek, it is worth doing some googling to read this story.
Update (added after the original post):
The author wrote more excellent fics in the series and more stand alone fics for this ship. Check them out!
Notes:
This was cross-posted to tumblr and my WordPress blog. Check it out for more femslash fanfic recs.
#christine chapel x t'pring#star trek femslash#star trek femslash fic rec#fanfic rec#fanfiction recommendation
42 notes
·
View notes
Text
im on episode 5 of star trek discovery and i have some thoughts
pros:
i like that for once the story breaks away from the formula of Fallible Captain Who Gets Away With Breaking Laws All The Time And Their Band Of Merry Men and we focus on someone who absolutely fucked up and has to rise through the ranks of starfleet again. like no. this bitch really IS fallible and she's gotta cope with it
unique take on the human-raised-vulcan thing. i like that a lot and its metaphor for ethnic racism are pretty well executed thus far
CANON GAY COUPLE EVERYONE CHEER
the aesthetic and design choices are amazing for the most part and i love how everything looks
the characterization is really well done, love how everything is written according to the time period. the whole "starfleet = military" thing has still been popping around since Enterprise and it's nice to see some consistency there
sound design is GORGEOUS
cons:
girl those are NOT klingons what the fuck are those
as much as i like the set design i'm also a little worried because since this takes place right before SNW and TOS im really wondering how they're gonna explain how it went from this to this
speaking of canon i guess i find it acceptable they found some solution for going faster than warp but like... damn we're broken from the beginning here. what the hell. we have like 7 different star trek series set after this where they dont have this slow down
???:
they really picked the mics and the guys with voices that purred the most didnt they (this makes more sense if you watch with headphones you will understand what im saying)
6 notes
·
View notes
Text
Thoughts on Spock and T'Pring's new relationship in SNW
{Episode 1x01}
I know its been a few weeks but this has been stuck in my mind this whole time. Soon after the first episode aired I started hearing complaints about how they portrayed Spock and T'Pring in it. As well as concerns about what this means for general Vulcan culture. As someone who watched it and immediately started to work the new information into my broader understanding of Star Trek Lore I thought I'd share with you guys my thoughts on it.
Some of it is an extension on what's already been established in canon and some of it is me attempting to explain things that on first glance seems like it goes against it. And yes, all of these are actual complaints I've seen about the episode.
Oh yes, and if it wasn't obvious: minor spoilers for the episode.
Whats with the Query/Response thing? Its ridiculous.
It's apparently a formal version of small talk. Up to this point, we haven't seen any two Vulcans having a conversation without a distinct purpose. Whereas Spock and T'Pring here are in a public location on their date. Both also belong to families with relatively high status. (Which could imply a sort of high society thing) They seem to have been following some standard courting path this past year. And are also following some standard decorum for conversations in public.
Why is Spock smiling? Why is T'Pring smiling?
I've seen other people try to explain how Spock is freer with his emotions here than in TOS so I won't expand on that. Rather, I think there is a simpler explanation: it's puppy love. What we're seeing is the vulcan version of puppy love. I personally do not hate that the show writers are canonizing the idea that Vulcan relationships can be just as variably romantic as human ones. (They already kinda did if you pay attention to Tuvoks feelings about his wife) Presumably, if they actually had gone through with their marriage they would have eventually adopted the more disciplined state that we're used to.
Werent they already arranged to be married? Why are they proposing now?
Okay, first thing to remember is Spock and T'Pring werent married yet even by Amok Time. The ceremony where Spock went through pon farr was meant to double as a wedding. Don't misunderstand, Vulcan couples don't HAVE to wait till the fever to get married. They can have their wedding whenever they want. Amok Time just showed what happens when they wait too long.
Anyway, I believe it's a bit of a misnomer that they are being arranged to be married. I mean, yes, marriage is the eventual goal here. But the ceremony that links their minds does just that. Its supposed to direct their sexual urges to a specific place and keep everything consensual. If they don't have a preset bond, they just pick their own mate. And well, Voyager's episode on the matter shows how well that goes when the partner they chose isn't willing.
Thus, it's left up to the couple on whether they want to develop their relationship in a more romantic manner. Or more likely, use the dating period to get to know their future partner and hash out some marriage logistics.
I thought Spock hadnt seen T'Pring since they were bonded as children.
I don't blame you. That's probably what the original writers intended. But they never actually make Spock say outright he hadn't seen her since then.
Why are they kissing like humans? They already have the ozh'esta, they should be doing that.
I've never really liked the whole idea that kissing with your lips is a purely human thing that Vulcans don't do. Especially since A. they can enjoy lip kissing and B. there are many other species in the galaxy that also kiss 'the human way'.
Although yeah I'm with you that they should have had them do the vulcan kiss. They definitely missed the mark on that.
But I promised I'd explain this stuff so here we go.
I have two possible reasons for why they might have done it this way. One is that T'Pring is ceding to Spock's human side (not reluctantly you might note). The other is that lip kissing has a different meaning to Vulcans than the finger touches. We only see it in two contexts both at the other ends of the spectrum. One as a chaste expression of love, the other as an intense expression of lust (or so we assume based on the reactions of those involved). Lip kissing could be an emotional reaction that fits under neither of those categories, or is simply used in a different context than any finger kisses we've seen so far.
Oh, so in Vulcan society, the female is the one who proposes?
Possibly? I dislike the lore restrictions that this take creates, matriarchal society or not. I have a better idea if you wish to hear it. The responsibility of proposing is determined by some other factor in the engagement which would be known to both parties early on. For example, if T'Prings family was the one to approach Spock's with the intention to bond their children. This would fulfill the requirement for formal rule and explain why Spock expected T'Pring to ask the final question. Consider the other two marriage proposals by Vulcans. Koss who approached T'Pol first. And Vorik who also approached B'lanna first.
They can have sex outside of pon farr?
Yes, the writers have confirmed this a long time ago. That's what all the fanfiction from the last 55 years or so has been based around.
Their sex scene came from something out of romcom Hollywood. Shouldnt it be more alien?
Well, to be fair, they didn't get far enough into their intimacy for us to see whether it's truly different from humans. Secondly, I am fascinated to hear what you would suggest as an alternative. Keep in mind that Sarek and Amanda were sexually compatible as well as Trip and T'Pol. So you cant suggest anything not involving either sexual organ. Because I'm pretty sure anything sufficiently alien would bump its rating way too high for mainstream television. And just saying kink is alien sex would be an insult to all of BDSM as well as just as creatively boring as anything else canon trek has done with alien sexuality.
[Crossposted to my Reddit, so don't worry if you see it there]
#star trek#vulcans#vulcan culture#star trek the original series#star trek discovery#star trek strange new worlds#spock#t'pring#pon farr#amok time#strange new worlds spoilers#snw#fandom ramblings
103 notes
·
View notes
Text
New Star Trek book review!
Diane Duane is one of the only people I trust with Spock’s character. Besides Original Series writer Dorothy Fontana and Leonard Nimoy himself, nobody else captures Spock in the way I see him. So obviously Duane’s novel Spock’s World is essential reading for me.
This book takes a very literal approach to the title, splitting its time between the present day plot and an account of Vulcan’s history going as far back to the literal formation of the planet. The “Enterprise” plotline focuses on the current tensions on Vulcan, whose government is teetering on the edge of seceding from the Federation. Each chapter of the “Vulcan” plotline follows people (all implied to be Spock’s ancestors) living during critical points in Vulcan’s history, from the planet’s genesis to Spock’s birth.
It was really interesting to see Duane’s take on Vulcan’s history. We don’t know much from canon besides the fact that Vulcan’s history was very war-torn until Surak’s philosophies of logic and embracing diversity caught on. In my head, I always imagined that following Surak’s teachings allowed the Vulcans to finally reconcile their differences and work together to achieve all of their technologies and space travel. But Duane posits that Vulcan had already developed many advanced technologies and was using them for intraspecies destruction long before Surak. It was these technologies’ horrifying power that jolted Surak awake and inspired his future teachings. Duane also claims that the Romulan split was post-Surak, which… idk, that just seems way too recent to me. I’m not buying that bit. But my favorite aspect of the “Vulcan” chapters was the visual motif of Vulcan’s sister planet T’Khut standing watch over all Vulcans, and Vulcans in turn looking to her for guidance and inspiration. I could picture the looming T’Khut’s sunset visage so vividly. Wonderful imagery.
While the “Vulcan” plotline shows us Vulcan’s past, the “Enterprise” plotline shows us the threat of its possible future outside of the Federation. Despite the popularity of Surak’s “infinite diversity in infinite combinations” philosophy, xenophobia is very much alive amongst the Vulcan population. Certain individuals (I won’t give it away, but I will say I think it’s VERY contrived) have taken advantage of the population’s anti-human sentiments to leverage their own agendas. It’s up to Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Sarek, and others to convince the public that secession is not the answer. McCoy in particular really shines in this story. Despite how often he gripes and pokes fun at Spock’s Vulcanisms in the show, he adamantly believes that the relationship between humans and Vulcans benefits everyone and is a crucial part of what made the Federation the utopia it has become. Everybody clap for character growth! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 There are also many delightful moments of the triumvirate just hanging out and chatting while they’re on Vulcan and the Enterprise, which we love to see.
My main gripe with this book (besides the contrived antagonist) is that there’s not enough Spock content! For a book called Spock’s World, I expected it to be from his perspective. There are a couple of scenes from Spock’s POV, but Kirk is the main perspective here. And though Kirk is great, Spock is who I’m really here for. I wanted to get deep into his feelings about the situation given he’s a child of both worlds. But I guess I’ll stick to AO3 for the truly emotional fanfiction.
Other than that though, Spock’s World is full of great character moments and interesting exploration of Vulcan’s history. A must-read Trek novel. Thank you, @dianeduane !
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
I was tagged by the wonderful prodigy @icannotreadcursive (tag 9 people you want to get to know better) and here are my answers:
3 ships: Jack Twist/Ennis del Mar (Brokeback Mountain). Who would've thunk))) Ennis is strangely relatable to me, although he's gone through a LOT more bad shit than me of course. Maybe that's why these two have been occupying my brain for the last five years. Also, Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the most beautiful people in the world, that's probably a factor.
James T. Kirk/Spock (Star Trek TOS). The most recent addition to the Mind Palace, but god, they've gripped me HARD. I think it's the acting: the trust and adoration between them is so believable. In my mind they are the most vanilla, lovey-dovey couple this side of the galaxy. They left Starfleet & got married & had kids & fuck nasty on the regular & they do the "surprise hug by the waist while the other one is working" thing you always see in movies. Well, Jim does.
Adora/Catra (She-Ra and The Princesses of Power). Didn't expect that, did you? I never really consume fan content for them anymore, mostly because I think their canon is perfect the way it is. Well, I do wish we could've seen more of their relationship, so an occasional fic is in order. Your honor, they're my Drarry! Adora is so big, hot and dumb and Catra is a furball of angst. Will always hold a special place in my heart because they drew me into the world of fandom as I know it.
First ship: these two from the Soviet adaptation of the Snow Queen!
Fun fact: I didn't know lesbians existed back then, so it was an...interesting experience.
Last song: Last Words by Darren Korb
Last movie: The Pale Blue Eye (7/10 classic murder mystery)
Currently reading: eh, nothin'
Currently watching: Sherlock BBC rewatch for the 5th time. Molly deserved better 🤬
Currently consuming: gruel
Currently craving: Italian pasta..
You don't have to write this much, I was feeling talkative!
Tagging: @nopeferatu @tinytinteeny @namiko026 @kinglyvibe @vulcan-biology @eliias-bouchard
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
When TV shows perform a “body swap” (SNW, Orville)
Some thoughts on the latest episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the long-awaited return of The Orville (despite my complaining about access, I was able to view the first episode of Season 3).
The tl;dr before the spoiler break (and there will be plot spoilers for both): Both shows were excellent. But, while one featured a body swap between two characters; the other episode seemingly featured a body swap between two shows.
“Spock Amok”, the latest episode of SNW (and I’m told the midway point of the all-too-brief first season) might be the first all-out comedy episode (outside of Lower Decks, which is meant to be a sitcom) the Trek franchise has attempted since Enterprise’s infamous “A Night in Sickbay” nearly 20 years ago, but it’s much more successful. At this point I’ve given up trying to reconcile SNW as being part of “prime” Trek canon - it can’t be. And I’m fine with that. I WANT them to say it’s a reboot/reimagining because I hope it will free them up to do more stories like this which give us underserved characters like T’Pring and Chapel in a new light. Unfortunately I’m finding myself shipping Spock/T’Pring and Spock/Chapel at the same time. I know I’m not alone. Ethan Peck’s Spock and Gia Sandhu’s T’Pring and Ethan and Jes Bush’s Christine Chapel have amazing chemistry together. So do Gia and Jes, for that matter.
Unlike Discovery and Picard, which (a few Orville-esque moments aside) feel like plot-heavy, serious-to-a-fault shows, SNW has so far managed to replicate the feel of TOS in a way I don’t think we’ve ever seen since, well, TOS. “Spock Amok” (which is NOT the reimagining of “Amok Time” the ads make it out to be, though the opening certainly pays tribute to the TOS episode, right down to recreating the famous fight music!) is a joyous episode built around a classic sci-fi trope, the body swap. Due to a katra-related ceremony going off the rails in an attempt at Vulcan couples’ therapy, Spock and his fiancee, T’Pring, swap bodies just as the two are being called upon to take part in some serious business (negotiations to recruit a new Federation ally for Spock and for T’Pring it’s the apprehension of a Vulcan criminal whose crime is apparently being an asshole). We’ve seen swaps before in Trek (Turnabout Intruder, for one) and in other shows like Farscape, but it’s handled so well here, it stands apart. Meanwhile, Chapel (whose love life is discussed in a bit of detail) finds herself in the middle of the two, M’Benga goes fishing, and La’an and Una try to prove that Una’s lower-decks nickname “Where Fun Goes to Die” is untrue by playing through a wild set of tasks known as “Enterprise Bingo”.
The whole thing looks and feels so much like a Lower Decks episode (especially the whole Enterprise Bingo subplot which even connects to the “lower decks crew” concept), I was expecting to see a time-travelling Mariner and Boimler to turn up. That’s not a complaint - I love Lower Decks.
In contrast, The Orville: New Horizons decided to launch its new season - the first made for streaming service Hulu - with an episode so dark and serious it puts the darkest moments of DS9 and Discovery to shame. It’s hard to believe this was ever considered a comedy series. I have to be careful how I discuss the episode because I know “trigger words” are a thing. Basically, after robotic Isaac finds himself ostracized by the crew due to his actions in Season 2 (he was revealed to be a “sleeper” agent of the Kalons, a robotic race bent on wiping out all life in Orville’s version of the Federation. He was brought back to the side of good but not until thousands of people were killed in a battle), he basically ... commits deactivation. The episode does not shy away from using the S-word here and it features characters on both sides of the issue. I suppose back in the 1980s US network TV might have promoted this as “a very special” episode.
People who think Seth MacFarlane is all fart jokes and edgy humour (or, for that matter, TNG homages) may find themselves surprised. As writer and director of the episode, he approaches both sides of the issue with remarkable candor. He takes a side, to be sure, but he allows both sides to be heard. And the episode has angered some fans - in much the same way Trek, at its most powerful, has been known to do. (And I don’t mean regarding canon, quality, or any of that). Technically, it’s feature length (about 70 minutes), so Seth allows scenes to breath and conversations to take place. It makes for a slow-moving episode at times, but ... it works. Incidentally, although one character says “bullshit” which is a word Fox TV wouldn’t have allowed, at least in the first episode Seth hasn’t turned The Orville into a swearing-and-sex fest on streaming. Other than that one swear there’s nothing here we might not have seen on Fox ... except, possibly the storyline. There have been questions asked as to why Seth moved The Orville to streaming and I think the ability to tell stories like this may have been a reason.
Seth also takes the brave step of allowing a season premiere to (after some initial awwwww it’s back! moments) focus on a brand-new character, Charly Burke who, at first, resembles Alara Kitan a bit too much (give actress Anne Winters dark hair and she’d be a dead ringer at times for Halston Sage, and they even give Charly her own superpower (the ability to visualize in 4 dimensions), but she very quickly reveals a voice that has already reminded some fans of Ensign Ro from late-era TNG, which again is not necessarily a bad thing.
Overall an excellent episode, if a slightly concerning one. One reason why Trek fans have gravitated to The Orville since 2017 is because it provided a counterbalance (or, for some, an outright alternative) to modern Star Trek which is seen by many as being too serious, too political, and playing too fast and loose with established canon. The Orville felt like a modern-day remake of Star Trek TNG by someone who understood what made TNG popular, not to mention TOS. But this week, at least, it felt like Strange New Worlds is the show that has the formula, while The Orville felt like an episode you might expect of Discovery. Again, not necessarily a complaint from me because it was so well done the episode title, “Electric Sheep” (itself a reference to the iconic Philip K. Dick story about artificial life that was adapted as Blade Runner) might as well have been subtitled “The Orville’s Emmy Nomination Episode.”
Back to SNW: since I’ve made the choice not to accept it as “prime” canon, I am greatly enjoying it. Sadly, I know people have written off the show simply because of certain names on the credits. Right now it’s Alex Kurtzman. 10 years ago it was J.J. Abrams. 20 years ago it was Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. At least with Trek I don’t play that game. I chose to no longer watch Discovery and Picard because they no longer felt like Star Trek (and had other negatives like characters and storylines I did not like). But Strange New Worlds is actually Star Trek with likeable characters, homages galore to the original series (even the original theme from TOS is established as existing in the SNW version of the Trek universe when its fanfare is heard coming from a device during “Spock Amok”), and interesting stories. This is what we should have got back in 2017. If you’ve been avoiding SNW because it has the same pedigree as Discovery and Picard, I’d suggest giving it a try. So far SNW Season 1 has been the strongest first season of a Trek series since (and I don’t say this lightly) the first season of TOS. Every Trek series since TOS has had weak (or at least weak-er) first seasons, with some shows taking so long to find their voice - like Enterprise - it’s too late. Although the DISCO episodes with Pike were hit-and-miss, and the less said about the Short Trek with the Tribbles, the better, SNW has been firing at Warp 9 since the first episode.
As for The Orville, I’m glad to see it back. It delivered an excellent opening episode with amazing work by everyone involved. But I am concerned that if it swings too serious it may lose much of the appeal that made it so popular in the first place. But I look forward to seeing how the new season plays out and I still have immense goodwill towards it, while SNW is rapidly restoring my own goodwill toward live-action Star Trek series.
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
I haven’t been in the star trek fandom for very long (I’ve only just started binging the series in the last couple months), so it’s been pretty surprising to find out just how negative the perception of the reboot movies are.
this isn’t coming from the perspective of someone who grew up with the series, so it hit different for me than it might for people with a different relationship to TOS, but I thought it was genuinely clever and Respectful with how it was handled.
To quote leonard nimoy: “Well the alternative timeline gives them license to escape from canon concerns. I can’t see people saying ‘they shouldn’t do that because…’ or ‘that doesn’t tie in to such and such’ because it is a different time and place. Am I right about that?”
[Link]
the entire Premise is that the original series happened as it was presented in TOS, but an event late in Spock’s life caused the creation of a parallel universe in which everyone’s lives were significantly altered through two key changes to the timeline. this gives them the freedom to Both revel in fanservice And explore different facets of the characters and their relationships.
the destruction of vulcan Vastly impacts the characters and the plot moving forward, and its a detail that a lot of people take issue with. but the emotional impact of sarek admitting Directly to spock that there is value in his humanity, that his feelings Aren’t wrong, that sarek married amanda because he Loved her cannot be understated. you can read all of these things into sarek as he was in the original series, but he Never had an open conversation about these things with spock. this creates a Believable and Rewarding change in their relationship, where we get to see a different facet of them Because of the changes made. and that’s exactly the appeal. showing us pieces of these characters that we never got in TOS that are nevertheless undeniably Them.
everyone is Different yes, but they’re also fundamentally the same people at their core and that matters.
kirk’s personality obviously takes the biggest change, with him experiencing trauma at a young age, losing his father, and having an implied abusive father figure after that point. he has a harsher personality in reaction to harsher conditions, he’s spikier and harder to love. but he’s also still fundamentally a Good person whose willing to risk everything to help people. he still has what made kirk prime a good captain and a good friend.
I’m not gonna say that it’s the most nuanced story in the world, but it explores a version of kirk that was born from even Less fortunate circumstances than kirk prime, exploring a kirk brimming with potential who learned to bite back after he was kicked down. exploring those themes of trauma and loss, of insecurity and growth, and coming to the conclusion that Fundamentally He Is Capable Of Good isn’t a Bad thing. you don’t have to like it, but his growth into a better person is The Point. they deepened his flaws (all of which were present in a less exaggerated form in TOS) To Show That Growth.
and then of course there’s his relationship with spock.
people are totally justified in not liking that they had a rough start to their relationship, I usually don’t like to see that kind of thing in reboots or hollywood adaptations either, but the way people talk about it is just unfair.
Yes kirk and spock and bones have a very strong relationship in TOS, they also already know each other by the time the show starts. to look at them having to learn to get to know and trust each other when they first meet and say that it’s Bad because they were already full on ride or die for each other in the og series is silly. TOS kirk and spock had to meet and fall in love with each other too, it didn’t just happen over night kings.
secondly, the entire point of the first movie is that Even With reality itself being altered to pull them apart they are fundamentally compatible people that are Bound to each other. they meet each other on bad terms because of circumstances outside of their control, and yet they’re still pulled into each other’s orbit and find the other slotting into place next to them as if they always belonged. one of the first things that spock prime says in the movie is “I am and always will be your friend,” spock and jim are Meant for each other and the movie goes out of its way to explain that. which is what makes it so Weird to see people complaining about how they don’t like each other.
it’s a Different relationship, but it’s absolutely no less steeped in yearning or queer subtext.
speaking of queer subtext ! some people are Very unhappy with spock’s relationship with uhura.
first thing I wanna say is that making the argument that they’re doing anything that the original series hasn’t done is just, completely untrue. kirk has fallen in love with more girls in the og series than he knew what to do with, leonard nimoy was a heartthrob in his time (and he deserves it, awooga) and spock reflects that ! Spock usually turns the women who come onto him down (or when he doesn’t it’s because a plant has literally altered his mind), but there are exceptions to even that. all of three of the main boys have plenty of romance subplots, it happens. if that takes the possibility of them being queer off the table for you (which it shouldn’t, m-spec people exist) then I’m sorry to say that TOS is not exempt.
now, I can understand why Specifically This Relationship could rub people the wrong way or being disappointed that they didn’t outright depict kirk and spock as having a relationship (if not in the first movie then in the following ones after they’ve gotten to know each other), but even in that context the way I’ve seen people talk about it comes off as insensitive.
no, the relationship did not come out of nowhere. they considered having spock and uhura date each other in the original show (and you can see signs of this in the earlier episodes, where uhura very obviously flirts with him and they spend time together in their down time) before they decided against it, and spock was originally going to kiss uhura until shatner insisted that he wanted to do it (because it was the first interracial kiss on tv). [Link 1, Link 2, Link 3]
nichelle nichols was asked about this exact thing (spock and uhura’s relationship in the movie), you can read the interview in full here [Link] but I’d like to highlight this paragraph in particular:
“Now, go back to my participation in Star Trek as Uhura and Leonard (Nimoy) as Spock. There was always a connection between Uhura and Spock. It was the early 60’s, so you couldn’t do what you can do now, but if you will remember, Uhura related to Spock. When she saw the captain lost in space out there in her mirror, it was Spock who consoled her when she went screaming out of her room. When Spock needed an expert to help save the ship, you remember that Uhura put something together and related back to him the famous words, “I don’t know if I can do this. I’m afraid.” And Uhura was the only one who could do a spoof on Spock. Remember the song (in “Charlie X”)? Those were the hints, as far as I’m concerned.”
the film makers looked at the fact there were Hints for uhura and spock, that they were Interested in exploring an interracial couple for the first time (both before and immediately after interracial couples won the right to legally get married) but Couldn’t because of the circumstances of the times and decided to Make that depiction. you don’t have to Like their relationship just because of that fact, but it’s Incredibly reductive to play down it’s significance as just a No Homo cop out. explicitly queer relationships are not the only progressive or culturally important relationships in fiction.
moreover, if you can’t imagine polyamory in the communist utopian future that’s on you.
moreover, this perception that this was a soulless cash grab is just, unfounded.
leonard nimoy returned to the role as spock for the first time in 16 years (since 1991) and this was Entirely because of the respect they had for nimoy, spock as a character, and the franchise as a whole.
Lets look at some quotes from nimoy in interviews regarding the film:
Leonard Nimoy: When I first read the script (...) I immediately contacted J.J. and said “I think it is terrific…I think you guys have done a wonderful job. There is still work to be done, but it is very clear that you and your writers know what you are doing and you know how to do this movie and know what it should be about….and I am very interested.” Then as time went by we worked things out with Paramount, but the most important things were J.J. and the script. (...) I am very pleased about that and I am very comfortable with where this is going. I think the writers have done a terrific job. They have a real sense of the characters and the heart of Star Trek and what it is really all about.
(...)
TrekMovie.com: Now in the case of the new movie you have been retired from acting for years. What was it about this one that made you want to act again and go through the make up again? What was it that made you say ‘I really want to do this?’
Leonard Nimoy: You are right, this is a special situation. First it is Star Trek and so I have to pay attention. I owe that to Star Trek. Second place is that it is J.J. Abrams who I think very highly of, he is a very talented guy. Then came the script and it was very clear that I could make a contribution here. The Spock character that I am playing, the original Spock character, is essential and important to the script. So on the basis of those three elements it was easy to make the decision. So those three things: Star Trek, J.J. Abrams, and an interesting Spock role.
[Link]
Praising the cast playing younger versions of characters from the original 1960s TV series, he [Leonard Nimoy] said: “Let me take the opportunity to say this. Everybody at this table [the cast] are very, very talented and intelligent people.”
“They found their own way to bring that talent and intelligence to this movie, and I think it shows. (...) When Karl Urban introduced himself as Leonard McCoy and shook hands with Chris Pine, I burst into tears. That performance of his is so moving, so touching and so powerful as Doctor McCoy, that I think D. Kelley would be smiling, and maybe in tears as well.”
“The makers of this film reawakened the passion in me that I had when we made the original film and series. I was put back in touch with what I cared about and liked about Star Trek, and why I enjoyed being involved with Star Trek. So, it was an easy way to come on home.”
“[In this Star Trek] they said things and showed me things, and demonstrated the sensibility that I felt very comfortable with, and I think that shows in the movie. I like it.”
[Link 1, Link 2]
again, you don’t have to like it just because leonard nimoy did, you don’t have to Agree. but the idea that nobody working on the film Cared is provably false. near everyone working on the project was already a fan of the series or were excited to be involved and did their homework. it’s genuinely a Miracle just how much of a labor of love this was, and in my opinion you can feel that through the movie itself. I’d highly recommend looking into interviews and behind the scenes details about the movies. they had a respect not just for the source material, but for leonard nimoy as a person.
there’s definitely more I Could say about this, but it’s 4 am now so I’m gonna shelve it jklfdsa
that said! it’s Fine to not like the movie, not everything is going to be suited to everyone’s taste, but the specific criticisms I’ve seen feel very off base
#star trek#kirk#spock#uhura#nichelle nichols#leonard nimoy#star trek aos#aos#star trek tos#tos#meta#long post#hello followers I write essays about star trek now
112 notes
·
View notes
Text
On “This Side of Paradise”
Watching the original Star Trek many decades after it aired, I cannot help but feel as though the conclusions I draw from certain lines, scenes, and even entire episodes must not be exactly as initially intended. Despite the caginess, both in canon and in external commentary, that Roddenberry and others employ in their discussions of the nature of Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock’s relationship, and the subtext often burgeoning on text especially to a gay viewer, Spock’s perceived gayness extends beyond his ambiguous relationship with his Captain. Many of the cues that might cause a gay viewer to feel reflected by Spock come via the quirks of his Vulcan nature.
One episode which deals particularly with Spock’s internal conflict vis a vis his mixed heritage is “This Side of Paradise,” the 24th episode of the first season. Spock falls under the influence of alien spores that cause him to break down in what appears to be immense pain, before he confesses his love to a woman named Leila Kalomi, whose love for him had been unrequited for six years. Spock spends the majority of the episode under the influence of these spores, canoodling with Kalomi and giggling while hanging from a tree branch, until Kirk roughly snaps him out of it and the stoic science officer returns to himself. The spores appear to render their hosts relaxed, blissful, and dazed, an effect which can be undone through displays of strong negative emotion.
The most striking result of his time spent under the influence is the melancholy that seems to overtake him once the effect is broken. Once he has his bearings and realizes that Kirk has intentionally riled him so that the spores lose their hold, the first thing he says is:
SPOCK: The spores. They're gone. I don't belong anymore.
In the context of the episode, “belonging” is the eerie, almost cult-like description for one under the influence of the spores. Taken at face value, Spock’s comment is merely an observation that he is no longer being affected by them; Spock often makes somewhat banal comments seemingly for the benefit of the audience’s comprehension. However, this one seems to carry a double meaning. Consider Spock’s heritage: half-human and half-Vulcan, Spock constantly finds himself torn between two clashing cultures, truly “belonging” to neither. A substance that enables his full emotionality, effectively tipping the delicately balanced scales of his identity, provides a sort of relief. With the negation of its effects comes a return to the inner turmoil he experiences every moment of every day.
Spock felt like he belonged when he was able to feel and express romantic love for a woman. A simple reading of this might be that the ability to process emotion gave Spock a sense of belonging, but there is once again another, deeper analysis to be made. The assumption that gay couples would likely be commonplace by the 23rd century aside, the fact remains that the show was produced in the 1960s and there are no canon gay couples to be found. Therefore, it is possible to work within a metric where one might have a reason to remain closeted. If we approach Spock as a closeted gay man, then the female object of his affections becomes a key element in his feeling of “belonging.”
In typical Star Trek fashion, the exact effect produced by the spores is never elucidated. The implication seems to be that it provides some lowering of inhibitions and propensity for leisure. However, the spores could also be seen as pushing their hosts to pursue their ideal lives. Doctor McCoy gets notably more Southern, his accent thickening as he walks around singing the praises of the mint julep. It seems as though, while under the influence, he pursues things that remind him of the comforts of home.
Spock, however, has no such comforts. Instead, he becomes something he could never be: able to reciprocate the feelings of a beautiful young woman who has pined after him for years. Once the effect of the spores is broken, he must then break the news to her:
LEILA: I love you. I said that six years ago, and I can't seem to stop repeating myself. On Earth, you couldn't give anything of yourself. You couldn't even put your arms around me. We couldn't have anything together there. We couldn't have anything together anyplace else. We're happy here. [crying] I can't lose you now, Mister Spock. I can't.
SPOCK: I have a responsibility to this ship, to that man on the Bridge. I am what I am, Leila, and if there are self-made purgatories, then we all have to live in them. Mine can be no worse than someone else's.
Spock’s response is cool, as we have come to expect from him, but notably more candid that most of his observations about his own experiences. He starts by claiming a responsibility to not only the Enterprise, but to Kirk himself. This could be a simple declaration of loyalty to his captain, as it would almost certainly appear to Kalomi, or an allusion to some repressed feelings that would only register to him. His next line, however, carries some serious weight. “I am what I am” refers to his Vulcan heritage, but as is often the case, it could also easily be in reference to his own homosexuality. Either way, he is explaining why he is incapable of loving Kalomi; the difference is whether he is incapable of love at all, or of love for a woman. His “self-made purgatory” is both his entrapment between his Vulcan and human halves, and his repression of his sexuality.
Spock rarely speaks about his mixed heritage and the internal conflict it causes him, just as he rarely speaks of his own emotions at all, but it takes its toll on him. Briefly finding relief from this conflict only makes the return to it that much more difficult, causing him to be even more terse than usual. Kirk even points out that Spock has been quiet about the experience:
KIRK: We haven't heard much from you about Omicron Ceti III, Mr. Spock.
SPOCK: I have little to say about it, Captain, except that for the first time in my life I was happy.
Spock has spent his entire life trying and failing to completely repress his human emotions in an attempt to become fully Vulcan. When he finally has the chance to experience them in full, he breaks down in pain at the wave of repressed emotions before he finally experiences untainted joy “for the first time.” However, that is not his authentic self either. Neither a logical Vulcan nor an emotional human, he is eternally trapped between worlds, and was only able to find joy in a brief and unattainable fantasy. He is so discontent with his own nature that he cannot be happy as he is.
To a closeted viewer, this final line of the episode, delivered as dryly as always, is heartbreaking. The first time in Spock’s life that he was happy was when he ignored an integral part of himself that brought him pain in order to live a moment of a life that he could never have. To those who have repressed their sexuality, convincing themselves that they felt attraction to those of another sex because it was what would make them belong, watching Spock find joy in this fantasy only to be crushed when he must return to reality is painfully familiar.
Analysis of Spock and Kirk’s relationship is generally sufficient to read them as a gay couple. When Spock is viewed in isolation, however, he still comes across as gay to many viewers. Spock’s innate perceived gayness relies not on his attraction to men, but on his repression of his true self and of the emotions that he cannot bring himself to face. While chalked up by the show to his half-Vulcan heritage, it still strikes a chord in a very human gay viewer.
#star trek#tos#this side of paradise#analysis#spock#gay spock#spirk#mine#yes this is a paper i wrote for fun
275 notes
·
View notes
Text
I'm anxious waiting for my psych to call so let's go over some t4t star trek couples ok ✌️😊
tos
Uhura and chapel! both transbians and both femmes :)
chekov and Sulu - both nb ! Sulu is amab agender and Chekhov is afab transmasc nb
Kirk and spock are both trans duh. i think Spock is nonbinary because his masculinity is informed by both Vulcan and human ideals but doesn't conform to either :)
also I'm putting spuhura here bc I mostly just ship them in aos but I didn't wanna make a whole new category just for those two lovebirds.
tng
DEANNA AND RIKER DUH............ The transgenderism is literally off the charts my Geiger counter is going crazy.
Tasha and Deanna also are both trans :) I think Tasha deserves to be a trans butch lesbian. if they let me in the writers room it would've been clearer.
data and geordi r both trans. I've spoken at length about how transgender data is and geordi is too!!!!! i think data is perhaps nb but in a very masc way. also I think he should have boobies if he wants. why not.
Riker and data also because I'm the boss.
worf is cis because I think it's funnier that way. thank you and goodnight.
ds9
Kira and Jadzia. need I say more?
Jake/nog LOL I think they are both nonbinary but the thing is that Jake doesn't even know nog is really because he's just not that aware of how ferengi gender works and nog assumed he knew because he watched nog transition. when Jake comes out nog is like. oh cool we match :) and Jake is like. HUH?
rom and leeta :) this one is canon and true. don't ask me how just accept this.
Julian and ezri are also both transgendah. ezri doesn't really have a handle on her gender during their relationship but she's nb, Julian's a trans man 😎 if he knew about neurogender stuff Holy Fuck he would get so into that.
voyager
KES and NEELIX. are both transmasc. thank you for your time. kes is a she/her gay trans man neelix is nb like me:)
tuvok x neelix. :). you saw this coming. I think tuvok is nonbinary but in a Vulcan way .
b'elanna and Tom are t4t and they're bad for each other but they are t4t so. representation for toxic t4t relationship <3
also b7 t4t ultimate truth.
Harry and Tom are so fucking transmasc are you kidding me? are you kidding?
honourable mention icheb and q2 but they don't know it. at the time lol
ent
TRIP AND ARCHER ! cheer and applaud me.
also t'pol and trip SOOOOO fucking transgender.
t'pol and hoshi are also :)
phlox too I think a good chunk of his polycule is t4t if not all because he's a man of taste.
shran could be trans but I'm not sure bc I'm not the Andorian gender genius that's dy's job
reed is trans but he's an incel. also he'd probably not date trans people. loser virgin etc
27 notes
·
View notes
Note
HIS PURPLE EYESHADOW,,,,, the details here are lovely can you talk more abt how the vulcan hand holding works though???
star trek kinda plays calvin ball with its lore sometimes, but basically:
vulcans are touch-telepaths, meaning any physical contact they have with someone else has the potential to be super intimate if they dont put up a sort of mental barrier, no matter how tame. this, coupled with the fact that the vulcan equivalent of a kiss is when they touch the tips of their index and middle fingers together with someone else’s, makes handholding absolutely scandalous.
here’s an example of a vulcan kiss:
that being said spock in particular has canonically held hands with/touched kirk and mccoy before without it being seen as an inherently romantic/sexual gesture in canon, so i think the level of intimacy of physical contact for vulcans super depends on context
305 notes
·
View notes
Text
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2, Episode 2 Easter Egg and Reference
https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Lower Decks, Season 2, Episode 2, “Kayshon, His Eyes Open”
In The Next Generation episode “The Most Toys,” Kivas Fajo tried to keep Data forever. The idea that someone thought it was okay to “collect” was an oddly self-referential concept for Star Trek even in the 1990s. Just like now, the idea of a Star Trek collectible was a thing hardcore Star Trek fans thought about all the time. But, other than the fact that everyone would actually want to “collect” Data, “The Most Toys” wasn’t actually about Star Trek collectibles.
But, the newest Star Trek: Lower Decks episode, kind of is? In “Kayshon, His Eyes Open,” the crew of the Cerritos encounters one of those famous collectors, while the crew of the Titan deal with some very familiar transporter clones. It’s almost like this is an episode that is filled with as many Easter eggs on purpose. Here’s everything we caught.
Beta Shift
When Jet joins the Lower Deckers at the start of the episode, it’s implied they are on “Beta Shift.” This seems to check-out with Season 1, in which it was clear that the Cerritos was on a four-shift duty rotation, which included the night shift known as “Delta Shift.” (This idea was first introduced in the TNG episode “Chain of Command,” an episode Lower Decks LOVES to reference.)
Sonic Showers
Although sonic showers are referenced a lot in Star Trek, we’ve only seen sonic showers a few times. The first time was in The Motion Picture, and since then we’ve only glimpsed the showers. The visual effect for the communal sonic showers here is very similar to TMP, but the idea of communal showering for the lower officers vaguely references the novelization of The Motion Picture, too. If you know, then you know.
Collectors
Again the idea of various “Collectors” in the galaxy references Kivas Fajo and “The Most Toys.” This is what Freeman means by “they all tried to collect Data.”
Dr. Migleemo
Notably, the Cerritos’s counselor, the avian Dr. Migleemo returns in this episode, once again, voiced by Paul. F. Tompkins. Echoing Counselor Troi’s non-standard uniform, Migleemo appears to wear whatever he wants while on duty, even sitting on the bridge.
Items Owned By the Collector, Take 1
When the landing party for the Cerritos first boards the ship, just in the first room alone there are a ton of Easter eggs. Getting all of these is gonna be tricky, but we’re gonna give it a go. Here’s what you can spot when you pause the first couple of shots in the first room of the Collector’s Ship.
Captain Picard paper mache head from “Captain Picard Day” (TNG, “The Pegasus”)
The Game (TNG, “The Game”)
Baseball Bat and ball (Possible DS9 Sisko reference?)
Giant Unicorn (Possible Blade Runner reference?)
Marty McFly’s Shoes (Back to the Future)
Terran Empire Flag (TOS, “Mirror, Mirror)
Khan’s Necklace (The Wrath of Khan)
Valiant flight recorder (TOS, “Where No Man Has Gone Before)
Gold TOS Uniform
Giant Pink Tribble (TAS, “More Tribbles, More Troubles)
M-113 lifeform (TOS, “The Man Trap.” Also, this is AT LEAST the third time the Salt Vampire has appeared on Lower Decks. And, having the M-113 lifeform as a collectible not only references “The Man Trap,” but also, “The Squire of Gothos,” in which your boy Trelane had an M-113 creature as a museum piece, too!)
Special Shout-Out: Betazoid Gift Box
First appearing in TNG’s “Haven,” this was a talking box that was meant to “bond” with the person who got the gift.
The existence of this artifact here is also possible a double reference to two other things: In “Haven,” the face of the Gift Box was played by Armin Shimmerman, more famous later as Quark on DS9. But, on top of that, back in 1994 the Star Trek: The Next Generation Collectible Card Game (published by Decipher Inc.) had a very powerful card based on the Betazoid Gift Box. If you played the game, you know this was a rare and useful card that was well…very collectible.
Special Shout-Out: Whose trombone is that?
We briefly see a trombone in one of the collector’s cases, which seems like an easy reference to Riker. But, which one? Because this episode also directly references “Second Chances,” and Will Riker’s duplicate Thomas Riker, it’s possible that this is the trombone that Will gave to Thomas at the end of that TNG episode. Briefly, here’s the case for that being Thomas Riker’s trombone: In the DS9 episode “Defiant” Thomas Riker tried to steal the Defiant, but was later arrested by Starfleet. Presumably, this would mean all of his stuff would have been confiscated, including his trombone!
Keyshon is a Tamarian
Tamarians or “the Children of Tama” originate in the TNG episode “Darmok.” In case you forgot, Picard cracked the case with this species by learning they spoke exclusively through metaphor and analogy. Mariner mocks this by pointing out all you have to do is listen for “context clues.”
Riker loves…Rogue Squadron?
Riker tells Boimler to use “attack pattern delta,” on the Pakled ship. This seems to be a reference to The Empire Strikes Back in which Luke tells the snowspeeders of Rogue Squadron, “Attack pattern delta, go now!”
Items Owned By the Collector, Take 2
Here’s another go at seeing how many Easter eggs were jammed into like less than 2-minutes of screentime.
Kataan Probe (TNG, “The Inner Light”)
Vulcan lirpa weapon (TOS, “Amok Time,”)
Klingon bat’leth (TNG, DS9, Voyager et al.)
Andorian dueling weapon (Enterprise, “United.”)
Shark in a Tank (A reference to the real-life artist Damien Hirst, probably?)
Mars Rover
Kadis-kot game set (Voyager)
Château Picard wine crate (Picard)
Isomagnetic disintegrator (Worf’s bazooka from Insurrection)
Tendi is later holding:
A trident scanner (Scotty loved this thing in TOS)
And…a Kurlan naiskos (TNG, “The Chase,” a very big episode for canon!)
Kahless’ fornication helmet
Tendi says that this specific Klingon artifact is clearly something Kahless (the Klingon Jesus) wore while…well, the name speaks for itself. But which Kahless? Hmmm? The fake clone Kahless from “Rightful Heir?” or the real-deal Kahless from the 9th century? The Kahless reference gets doubly meta, because, as you’ll see later, Lower Decks eventually references the very first reference in canon to Kahless, too.
Data’s Picasso-esque painting of Spot
Barely visible, just as Mariner and the gang are trying to escape, we see Data’s painting of his cat Spot, first seen in the TNG episode “Inheritance,” and later in the background in the movie Generations.
Boimler’s description of the Enterprise-D
Let’s combine two scenes here! In two pivotal moments in the episode, Boimler is defending the honor and relative coolness of the TNG adventures on the Enterprise-D, which he just calls “the D.” Here’s what it seems like he’s referencing.
“They went to other dimensions… (This seems to reference the idea that “The D” did go to another dimension in the episode “Where No One Has Gone Before.” It also could reference “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” but nobody would remember that.)
“They fought the Borg…” (This references “Q, Who,” “The Best of Both Worlds,” and “Descent.”
“They insurrected!” (This seems to reference Star Trek: Insurrection, which was not the Enterprise-D, but instead, the Enterprise-E! The Lower Decks writers surely know this. Why doesn’t Boimler know this? Maybe the game of telephone in the Federation is a little inaccurate? In LDS Season 1, the news of Data’s brother seemed to travel…very slowly?)
“They had a regular string quartet.” (This references several TNG episodes, notably “Sarek,” and again, “Inheritance,”)
“Riker was jamming on the trombone” (A ton of TNG, including “The Next Phase,” “Future Imperfect,” and of course, “Second Chances.”)
“Catching love disease” (Probably TNG’s “The Naked Now”)
“Acting in plays” (This mostly references Riker acting in one of Crusher’s plays in TNG’s “Frame of Mind.”)
The remains of Spock Two?
In the spooky skeleton room, we see what appears to be a giant humanoid skeleton wearing a blue TOS–era Starfleet uniform. Who is this? The best guess? This is the giant Spock clone from The Animated Series episode “The Infinite Vulcan.”
Excalbian Bones and Abe Lincoln
Toward the end of the episode, the gang is trapped in a diorama that seems to have an alien and a skeleton of Abraham Lincoln. This references the TOS episode “The Savage Curtain” in which the Excalbians produced copies of Lincoln, along with Kahless and Surak. This episode was the first reference in Trek canon to both Kahless and Surak, and so, basically created the backstories of both Vulcan and Klingon cultures through historically inaccurate versions of those people. Funny, right?
Transporter clone
When Boimler beams the away team out through the distortion field, Riker says “oh, I’ve heard this tune before.” This references the TNG banger “Second Chances,” in which Riker’s transporter duplicate was discovered on a planet years after the fact. In this sense, Boimler’s transporter clone got off easy. Also, the idea that one of the transporter duplicates makes different decisions that the other also references “Second Chances,” in which “Thomas” Riker ends up being a different person than Will. The idea that both can’t serve on the Titan anymore might reference the idea that the TNG writing staff considered killing off the “first” Will Riker, and replacing him with his duplicate. This would have meant Data would have become the first officer in Season 6, and Riker, the operations officer. It didn’t happen, but from the point of view of the Titan crew, something like this basically DID just happen.
The Riker lean
While talking to the Mr. Boimlers, Riker puts one foot up on a couch. Classic Riker lean. Classic.
“Computer play Night Bird”
cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });
Just before Boimler leaves the Ready Room, “William Boimler” and Riker are sharing some Romulan Ale. Riker says “computer, play ‘Night Bird.’” This also references “Second Chances,” in which Riker is unable to play the trombone solo for this song, which Troi teases him about endlessly. “Night Bird” also appears to be a made-up song. But who knows, maybe William Boimler will be able to master it?
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2 airs on Paramount+ on Thursdays.
The post Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2, Episode 2 Easter Egg and Reference appeared first on Den of Geek.
from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3y08hbg
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
July 1: 2x25 Bread and Circuses
Today, the Classic ep, Bread and Circuses aka Star Trek: Ancient Rome AU.
Literally all of the bridge is just standing around, watching Kirk, watching Spock.
Another missing ship hmm? The S.S. Beagle. With a crew of 47--that’s small. And surprise surprise, the Captain is someone ELSE that Kirk knows. Does he know everyone in the galaxy? Truly excellent at networking.
Feels like it’s been a while since Spock called him “Jim.” Possibly because this was written early in the season, when he still did that a lot?
Another Merchant Marine, or equivalent. Interesting.
He was kicked out of the Academy in his 5th year. How many years is the Academy? I always assumed 4 but maybe it’s longer if you count like extra trainings and stuff.
Kirk is so in love with Spock talking about the planet. His face has gone all soft again.
Excellent roads--the first clue it’s Rome. (The big televised gladiator fights is the second clue.)
“I believe they called it ‘video.’“ If there’s no TV in the 23rd century, what is their entertainment? Netflix?
“We’re beaming down”--dramatic shot--dun dun dun.
Yeaaaah triumvirate!! They’re really going hard with this dynamic at this point in the series and I’m here for it.
I feel like this is the first time they’ve called the Non-Interference Directive the Prime Directive but I could be wrong. It’s certainly the first time they’ve spelled it all out.
“Behold! I am the Arch Angel Gabriel!”
“We come from another...province.” That’s a very convincing delivery. Especially paired with those outfits.
You can tell this guy’s important because he’s the only one wearing cut offs.
“We have many beliefs.” I feel like McCoy is a Southern Baptist.
Flavius: “I know killing is evil. But maybe just this one time? As a treat?”
“That’s our ship, somewhere... at sea. Yeah, our ship at sea. Not in space. That would be wacky.”
This episode is LITERALLY “Rome AU.”
I love Spock looking through those “Elite” magazines. Doing a little research.
"Captain, I thought you might find this interesting." Hands him a magazine with a buff man on the cover. Yeah, Kirk is definitely canonically bisexual.
And he likes that car, too.
Why do all of Kirk’s friends and/or heroes lose and it and become tyrannical? At this point, it’s becoming a distressing pattern.
The SPACE ACADEMY? Damn why didn’t they keep that name?
“My dear Mr. Spock.”
And Spock’s like “You got me there, that was an example of Logic.”
Oooh, nice knit hat. Spock needs more beanies.
The son/sun pun is inspired honestly and it makes the Enterprise crew look so silly like "So you heard the words of the sun, you crackpot?" whereas he means, "I heard the words of the Son," which makes so much more sense on its face.
This Spock and Bones banter is also inspired. “Doctor, you are stealing my word, please stop.” “Medical man are trained in logic.” “I had no idea they were trained.”
Flavius is a really good character. I feel like I really understand all the sides to him: the warrior who can’t quite untrain himself from the killing instinct, even after he’s converted to Christianity and vowed to be a pacifist who loves mankind.
The triumivrate would have had so much fun together in college. If Jim they were all the same age, knew each other then, and Jim weren’t a stick in the mud at that time. “He’s sick, he’s about to double over!” “I am? Oh, yeah, I am! So sick!”
Spock immediately grabs the sword. That’s that Vulcan Warrior instinct. He does love old weaponry.
I’m considering the possibility that Merrickus is another ex-boyfriend. The vibes aren’t as strong as with that guy from A Private Little War, but there was a charged sort of look between them just then.
“He knows who and what we are.” Aliens. You’re aliens.
Oh, you want 50 Vulcans? Fifty Vulcan pacifists for the arena? A rollicking good time.
“Beam... come ashore.” Kirk’s very good at the Prime Directive.
Haha Spock said it was “interesting,” not “fascinating.” McCoy stole his word so now he needs a new word.
Classic Bones and Spock philosophical debate.
“My word is my vessel, my oath, my crew.” I love him your honor.
His two dear friends! Don’t threaten them!
They really think they can threaten Jim into doing the wrong thing. Never! He’s too good!
Honestly, it’s not really the Prime Directive (which they have broken before) that stops him from just annihilating a whole city with his ship...it’s that that would be immoral in and of itself. He’s not obliterating a society lol. That’s not an option.
Uhura is very interested in Scotty and his plans.
I love the whole concept of Roman Gladiator Television. The fake-ass background and the sound stage. “Empire TV.” The fake applause, boos, and catcalls. It’s the kind of thing you’d expect to see in fanfic tbh.
“Two highly aggressive barbarians.” Aka Spock and McCoy looking confused.
Good thing Spock definitely trained with Vulcan swords for fun when he was a small child.
The pro consul is obviously in love with Kirk. Who wouldn’t be?
I don’t know if I believe these not-so-ancient Romans are so strong or so smart. This is pretty standard threats and kidnapping. Also Merrick can cry me a river about how hard this all is and how sad he was to see his men die. He’s the First Citizen ! It worked out well for him. Except that he appears to be the pro consul’s bitch.
That was a real missed opportunity for “I’m a doctor, not a gladiator.”
Spock only knocks the guy out when he needs to get rid of him to help Bones!!
Okay, that Spock and Bones scene is one of THE BEST in the entire series. Between anyone! The tension. The emotion. The complex friendship. ...The way Bones 100% knows Spock has a thing for Kirk and there’s pretty much no other way to read that exchange. “You wouldn’t know what to do with a warm, decent feeling” and then Spock’s like ‘ah, got you there,’ eyebrow raise, ‘Really, Doctor?” and then Bones is IMMEDIATELY like oh, right, you’re in love with Jim, forgot about that.” Have they discussed this or is it just that obvious? How does Spock know that McCoy knows??
In other news, a gratuitous Kirk kissing scene. They’re not even trying to come up with a pretext for this at this point.
This TV Execution is about to be pre-empted...by Scotty.
“What did they do to you, Captain?” Spock is so worried!! This would be a good time to call him ‘Jim’ but he used up his quota earlier. And Kirk doesn’t want to explain. “They threw me a few curves. A few blonde curves.”
Flavius was killed?????????? NOOOOOOO.
...And Uhura finishes up the ep by explaining the pun. Honestly, I get that Spock wouldn’t get “they’re Christian actually” as the explanation for all this and I’m going to give Kirk a pass also because I headcanon him as Jewish but McCoy, who is almost 100% certainly some kinda Christian AND was the most interested in this ‘sun worshiper’ confusion should really have put that one together on his own.
So overall, a good episode! I’ve seen it quite a few times, I think, and it doesn’t disappoint. I enjoy the concept of ‘parallel Earth but what if MORE ROME,’ I think the son/sun pun confusion is nifty, and it’s an awesome triumvirate episode that really shows off Kirk’s leadership skills. So no complaints!
Next is Assignment: Earth, which is a complete cheat of an episode because it’s a back door pilot to a show that doesn’t exist, but it does have Spock holding a cat in the beginning, so I guess I’ll muddle through it. Then...starting S3 off with Spock’s Brain. A rough couple of weeks ahead. But the reward is The Enterprise Incident.
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
Hi I’ve been seeing a lot of people using this scene ^ to explain why Sarek is the Worst Father™, and I’m here to explain why I believe this never actually happened. So buckle in for what will probably be a long explanation nobody asked for!
First off, it’s really important to remember when this scene is taking place. Sybok is attempting to release Spock and Bones’ “pain” by showing them visions that they must face. Now, while Bones’ vision is an actual memory of his, we don’t have enough evidence to prove that every vision Sybok shows someone actually happened.
I am a firm believer that Spock’s vision is not a memory at all, but rather only a representation of Spock’s pain created by Sybok. For starters, there is no way a newborn Spock would remember his birth; and given what we know of Sybok’s backstory, it’s highly unlikely he was present for Spock’s birth either.
It’s much more likely that this vision is instead how Spock fears his father reacted at his birth. I won’t pretend that Sarek didn’t have any flaws. It’s very clear that he had a lot of difficulty relating to Spock because his son was half human, and Spock may have internalized this by believing his father was ashamed of him. But struggling to relate to your son is a far cry from “ew so human.”
Given what we know about Sarek and his relationship with Amanda, it makes much more sense for his reaction to Spock’s birth to be what we see in Star Trek (2009).
(Side note, I find it very cute that Sarek names Spock after one of Vulcan’s early founders, which imo seems like something a proud father would do. I think he had high hopes for his son and what that meant for Human-Vulcan relations in the future. Also just look at this cute couple!)
I know a lot of people claim this scene isn’t canon because it was deleted; but I’m under the impression that it was deleted to avoid having two birth scenes in a row, rather than because it went against canon. So there’s that.
Lastly, I just have to say that if you think Sarek (who loves humans so much he’s not only the ambassador to earth but also married to one) would be disappointed that his son is half human, you need to go rewatch all of Star Trek or something because just no. Most of Sarek and Spock’s arguments are over his career choices for crying out loud, not because Sarek is disappointed in his son’s human heritage! Smh
tl;dr
Sarek lamenting that his son is “so human” is a bad take that never actually happened, but is just part of Sybok’s weird brainwashing powers. Catch me over here preaching about Proud Papa Sarek (2009) until I die.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk
36 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Guess who actually read a book again!!!!
so have my immediate post-book ramble because otherwise i won’t say anything
I really liked The Lightness of Hands!! It was interesting and the characters were all wonderful, and serious discussions fit into the story naturally! It never felt like a serious discussion was stuffed in for no reason, and there was maybe one line that felt a little preachy, but it was from a Dramatic character so I think that’s allowed. I’m pretty sure already that it’s going to be another comfort book of mine, which is a title currently held by 2 other books total - including Symptoms of Being Human
More under the read more because i ramble a lot when i ramble, and it’s a lil incoherent probably because i should really be sleeping
There’s something about Jeff Garvin’s writing that is very special to me. I don’t know what it is, but since I first got Symptoms, I’ve been able to read it even when my attention span was horrible. It’s been a book that whenever I pick it up, for any reason, I end up reading at least part of it. Coming back to Riley is safe.
I was sort of expecting that to not be true for The Lightness of Hands, just because I know one author’s work can widely vary. But it was. It’s just as much of a comfort, it grasped my attention just as well (I was able to read it in under 4 hours even with a couple breaks to talk to people about things that excited me - it’s a 380 page book not counting the author’s note etc).
I really want to read these books back-to-back someday, to compare Riley and Ellie and to compare the stories and characters. Right now, I think that this book did better with characters and story, as would be expected when comparing an author’s first book and second book, but I absolutely adore both books. I also want to compare them because there are certain things that are definitely shared with the main characters. A few months ago, Jeff Garvin tweeted - I can’t find it now, but I recall it very clearly - that he was diagnosed with Bipolar II in 2017. Which is after Symptoms came out. A lot of how he wrote Ellie’s depression/”down” times reminded me very strongly of Riley, and I have absolutely no doubts that his undiagnosed bipolar impacted exactly how he wrote Riley’s depression.
What’s interesting for me is that I read Symptoms shortly after it came out, and now have read The Lightness of Hands right after it came out, so I’m thinking about it with nobody else’s input on it, with no prior knowledge of quotes, references, or plot points. Knowing them wouldn’t have ruined anything, I just think it’s fun. I also think it’s fun that this is one author who I’ve read both their books pretty much as soon as I possibly could after they came out, which isn’t common for me. We’re a very paperback household. Our bookshelves were literally custom made to fit paperbacks better (before I was born). Yet, here I am.
I did keep waiting for someone from Symptoms to show up - Ellie’s best friend Ripley is from Park Hills, where Symptoms is set, and was slightly disappointed when nobody did, but that’s okay. I just like little Treats like that.
Something I really appreciated in this book was Ripley. I fucking adored Ripley. Holy crap.
I’ve had Harry Potter on my brain lately (the hp wandlore is very fun and if you want to know about it please ask), but then Jeff just had to go and put more harry potter in there. Ripley is canonically a Hufflepuff (like me!!) and we’re pretty similar in general honestly? He’s a better hacker than me (as in: i dont know shit) and we look different, but otherwise?? Same hat. I would love to have Ripley as a friend. And while I had those 2 thoughts completely separately, it made me realize that means I’d want me as a friend, and that’s a very comforting thought. Basically what happened here is that Jeff Garvin tricked me into saying good things about myself?
Seeing an ace character isn’t That special for me anymore - I can currently put my hands on at least 5 books with ace characters. But this is the first one with an ace guy who is clearly stated to be ace. Or.. sort of the second? In Radio Silence by Alice Oseman, Aled is demisexual, but I think of him as nonbinary, because I got those Vibes and Alice has said he probably figures out he’s nonbinary at some point in the future, so I don’t think of him in the “ace boys” category? Anyway, the other 2 I have are both from one author and are questioning & ambiguous, and only one mentions asexual as a possibility. So an explicitly ace guy is a big deal for me (an ace guy).
I also adore that Ripley wears an ace ring!! Especially because I almost do (I got a ring but it doesn’t fit on my middle finger so it’s on my ring finger where it does fit and the black was actually just a coating but I like it better this way, it’s complicated, it’s a star trek ring, it says “infinite diversity in infinite combinations” in vulcan, I’m a nerd.), and because ace rings are simultaneously our most well known signal and something that relatively few aces know about? I would’ve appreciated if it was explicitly stated that it was an ace ring, but as Ellie is the narrator it’s entirely possible that she didn’t know, so she couldn’t tell us. And he’s still wearing it!! It’s something that a lot of aces will see and be very excited about!
Honestly, I remember back when Jeff posted an ask about this book back in late 2018, telling us what he could about it. we got Female protagonist, ace bff, road trip. And I was seriously expecting the friend to be another girl. Largely because so many books will have any boy and girl who are friends end up being romantically involved. But nope!! A wonderful ace dude bff. I’m pretty sure Ripley is aroace based on what he said, but either he just calls himself ‘ace’ or that bit never came up? Assuming he is aroace, I would’ve liked to see his aro-ness as explicitly stated as his ace-ness, but that’s also mostly on me.
I don’t know what i’m even really saying anymore so goodnight!! I had a great time with the book, it’s brought me great comfort and joy already, and I hope it can bring you the same.
53 notes
·
View notes
Note
For the ask: 001: Doctor Who; 002: Wodehouse ship of your choice; 003: character of your choice from Psych.
Thank you!
Doctor Who
Favorite character: ...I mean, it has to be the Doctor. He’s the embodiment of Chaotic Good, and he’s so entertaining and absurd and so deeply good at the same time. Even if there are regenerations I like less than others, I always love the Doctor.
Least Favorite character: ...Rose Freaking Tyler. I don’t talk about her much, because I don’t want to inadvertently start something with anyone who feels differently, but this is not a Rose-friendly space.
5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Canon-ish: Ben/Polly, Amy/Rory, Martha/Mickey. Non-canon: Harry/Victoria, Jenny/the son of Kate Stewart (he only barely exists in EU, but the idea of the Doctor’s daughter marrying the Brigadier’s grandson is just really cute to me)
Character I find most attractive: ...Hm. The Eighth Doctor, maybe?
Character I would marry: Harry Sullivan. He’s a sweet, gentlemanly dork of a Naval surgeon with traditional values--what’s not to love?
Character I would be best friends with: The Doctor. Not so much because he’s the character most like me, but because he’s very good at Being Friends With People.
a random thought: One thing I really love about the New Series is the increasingly consistent trend--especially in Moffat’s era, I think?--of explicitly treating the TARDIS as another character. It’s been there implicitly for a long time, but they made it much more canon and I appreciate that.
An unpopular opinion: Missy is not the Master, and I’ll never believe she is. This isn’t even about her gender, but about her whole personality.
My Canon OTP: Ian/Barbara, from the First Doctor’s era. This isn’t exactly controversial--I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything, in fandom or EU, where they weren’t happily together--but I love them.
My Non-canon OTP: Master/Clara... Which is entirely the fault of my sister’s fics. I wasn’t expecting to ship them!!
Most Badass Character: ...There’s so many to choose from. Aside from the Doctor, maybe Sarah Jane? Aside from being one of the greatest companions, she got her own spinoff show in which it was established that she’s been regularly saving the world on her own, she adopted two children and began mentoring three more in her fifties, and she was generally amazing for five seasons.
Most Epic Villain: ...The Master gets highest points for Presentation (as Megamind would say), and the Daleks are the most consistently menacing... But I think Rassilon scares me the most. He’s the founder of Time Lord society, and he’s evil.
Pairing I am not a fan of: The Doctor/anyone other than River, honestly. (Well, or his Gallifreyan wife from pre-canon days--I assume they were a good match, from what canon evidence we have)
Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): ...A lot. Today, though, I’m going to say Sarah again. As said above, she’s a hero in her own right, and there’s no force in the universe that could stop her from having adventures. Reducing her to “female character pining after the Doctor and unable to get over losing him,” as they did in “School Reunion”, was a massive injustice to her character. (ESPECIALLY since their Classic relationship was not romantic. I mean, they’ve been shipped, of course, but their was nothing romantic in the writing or--IMHO--even the acting.)
Favourite Friendship: I think I’ve said this before, but the Doctor and the Brigadier. I love constant their friendship is, how much they’ve done for each other and respect each other, and how easily they fit back together every time they reunite.
Character I most identify with: ...I honestly don’t know. I love almost all of them, but I don’t think any of them click in quite that way, you know?
Character I wish I could be: Romana, maybe? She’s a Time Lady who traveled with the Doctor--that’s a pretty good deal!
Wodehouse Ship: I’m going to go with Mike/Eve here, for fun
When I started shipping them: As soon as the name “Jackson” appeared in Leave it to Psmith, I think. I trust and support Mike’s judgement. :P
My thoughts: I wish we’d, you know, seen them together. But I like that Mike has a wife he can take care of! I think that suits them both. (I also have a headcanon that Psmith went off--to the Drones, maybe?--and dug up dirt on Rollo, and that these discoveries were what pushed Mike to propose. Because he’s an honorable boy, and I think getting him to propose to an engaged woman would take some intervention from Psmith... Also I don’t like what we’ve heard of Rollo.)
What makes me happy about them: That they exist. That they got their farm, and that their best friends married each other, so the two couples can look after each other when they need to!
What makes me sad about them: No content. :(
Things done in fanfic that annoys me: ...I’ve never read any fic of them that wasn’t written by myself or one of this Tumblr microfandom, so... Nothing, really!
Things I look for in fanfic: Anything of them interacting with Psmith/Eve is especially fun. (Someday I’d like to try the scene where they find out Psmith and Eve are engaged. Because A) if they’re told soon enough, it would be the same meeting where they share the news that they got the farm, which sounds delightfully chaotic B) last they knew, Psmith and Eve hadn’t even met, and C) the second Mike heard they’d met at Blandings, he’d know Psmith was behind getting them the money. Somehow.)
My wishlist:
Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: ...I’m sure there are other Wodehouse Protagonists who would suit them, but none come to mind. They’re good with each other.
My happily ever after for them: Hmm... For them to have lots of kids, and the Psmiths as neighbors, and play cricket with their combined families every summer. Margery can visit and be the fun aunt, and since they’re doing well financially maybe the Jackson parents will come live with them at some point? (I’d also like them to have a chance to help Psimth and Eve out of some significant trouble, since it’s usually the other way around... I don’t know what, though.)
Psych character: ...I’ll pick Henry, since I’ve been talking about him a lot lately
How I feel about this character: Good! He’s a good, though flawed, dad, and a good cop. (One of the few Lawful Goods in this cast, in my opinion.) He’s solid, and principled, and one of the few people who can really, truly keep up with/keep a hold of Shawn.
Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: His wife, I suppose? I don’t remember being a big fan of her, but he clearly still loves her, and I’m a sucker for “divorced couple reconciles” anyway... So yeah, Maddie.
My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: Shawn, of course. Henry just... he built his whole life around raising his son, and it shows with him and with Shawn. They’ve both affected each other so much, and I love that the show just shows them being more openly important to each other as it goes on.
My unpopular opinion about this character: I’m not sure what’s “unpopular” here... But I think his training of Shawn was less about wanting him to be a cop, and more about giving Shawn A) something halfway constructive to do with his racing brain, and B) the tools to survive whatever trouble he'd get into in the future. Because, even then, Henry knew Shawn was never going to stay out of trouble.
One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I wish Shawn had told him he loved him out loud, to his face, which I don’t think quite happened. I’m pretty content with Henry’s content overall, though, I think.
Favorite friendship for this character: I’m going to cheat slightly and say Gus. It’s not exactly a friendship, but I love the implicit history there, and the way that Gus is practically his second kid and they both relate to each other as such. (I am also highly indignant that the “Henry & Gus” tag apparently doesn’t even exist on AO3... Distressing.)
My crossover ship: ...I got nothin. However, I have decided that in a Star Trek fusion AU (sort of a crossover!) Shawn’s mom would be a Vulcan. That’s the closest I’ve got.
#doctor who#psmith#psych#Mike Jackson#Phyllis Keeble#mike/phyllis#henry spencer#long post#ask games#isfjmel-phleg#thank you!
5 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
