#also I’m 2/3 of the way through this episode and I don’t think Uhura has had any significant song time? I know she’s in a good place

[rivercule]

“Spock and Chapel had a little thing but he was much more into it than she was and so he got his heart broken when she left for her job and met someone else and completely lost any feelings he might have had for her in the pain of her singing a sexy little song about how she’s down for a fling but her real love is archeological medicine. She, however, probably never quite got over him because they had no proper closure” sure why not

#alternative theory she’s not actually in love with him during tos she just wants more sex and Spock won’t fuck til marriage and divorce #I really like that their breakup involved a sexy lounge number about how it was never that serious for her #one day she’s going to drug him into loving her. Spock baby call HR #also I’m 2/3 of the way through this episode and I don’t think Uhura has had any significant song time? I know she’s in a good place #emotionally right now but one would think the character known for her love of singing and music would sing a bit in the musical episode #Spock #Christine chapel #Star Trek #snw #liveblog #snw spoilers

[diesoonandsuffer]

i just rewatched ‘taste of armageddon’ from tos and god what an episode. objectively its not “the best” but i think i was right to put it at the top of my rankings

basic plot summary if you forgot: kirk and the enterprise are ordered to approach a planet and establish diplomacy with them even though the planet warns them to stay away. when they land they learn that the planet has been fighting a war for 500 years but purely done through computers. the enterprise is declared a casualty so kirk and the landing party are taken hostage until the enterprise crew agree to come down and submit themselves to a disintegration machine, which the civilians of that planet do if they are declared casualties. kirk and the landing party end up destroying the computers and force the planets to either negotiate peace or fight a real war.

there are so many things i enjoy about this episode. i think for me, if you ask me to name you a quintessential TOS episode, this is it. theres some sort of strange premise that seems like a silly concept on the surface but leads itself to further philosophical thought. spock gets to do some weird vulcan telepathy. kirk busts out his sick karate moves. scotty blatantly denies the orders of a federation ambassador. kirk is a wiseass who comes up with some sort of solution somehow. the primary directive is almost certainly disobeyed but no one cares. its missing some things i would have liked, for example sulu is replaced by some guy and bones and uhura don’t get to do much, but for the most part this is everything i expect in a TOS episode wrapped in one.

feel free to stop reading here but i’m just gonna mention specific things that i like

1) spock saying there’s a certain logical approach to the computer war, and when the council leader says “i’m glad you approve” spock is like “i do NOT approve”

2) a female character who is not a love interest. this is an incredibly low bar but every time they played that violin music i would get scared

3) kirk saying “you will have a longer casualty list than you know what to do with if you don’t let us out of here” like he really said fuck the laws of this land i WILL slaughter you

4) the council leader using a voice disguiser to pretend to be kirk and scotty immediately being like “that’s not kirk” ashdjksahd

5) kirk watching spock do his vulcan telepathy. he’s a little too turned on by it

6) to follow that kirk’s little smile as he watches spock trick the guard to knock him out and take his gun. he’s like heehee hey girl look what spock’s gonna do i love this trick

7) spock getting the gun in the stupidest way possible. like hello

8) the ambassador being wrong. i love when federation officials look like dumbasses. yes i love search for spock why do you ask?

9) kirk’s little “come here” finger motion to the council member before throwing him headfirst into his own guards. incredible work king and he almost won the fight too with his karate chop action

10) spock telling the yeoman to “sit on her if you have to” to get the other woman not to kill herself

11) “what are you doing, mr. spock?” “practicing a peculiar variety of diplomacy, sir” *blows up disintegration machine*

12) the council leader saying kirk is a barbarian the scene before, and then the next when he’s like what kind of monster are you kirk goes “i’m a barbarian :)”

13) also that whole scene of the council leader being like war! destruction! death and violence! millions of lives slaughtered to save your 500 people! how could you let this happen! and kirk is like that is literally not my problem

14) kirk somehow taking down a room full of guards and getting TWO guns and saying “now we’re talkin :)” he’s like hell yeah TWO GUNS

15) spock walking in like oh. i guess you’re fine. ok then

16) the fucking line delivery of kirk saying “knowing we’re not going to kill......today” i need to clip that because i quote that shit all the fucking time. he’s like yeah i have an innate bloodlust and every day i have to fight my own instinct to bite and rip and shred but i won’t do it......today! god it’s so funny

17) last but not least in case you bitches forgot THIS EPISODE is where the incredible luck and miracles line comes from. it absolutely comes out of nowhere and they play it for laughs? for some reason? but this is where it comes from! LUCK AND MIRACLES BABEY!!!! YEAH!!!!!

#genuinely i dont know if anyone else likes this episode as much as i do #which i sort of get i feel like its a very standard average tos episode but thats sort of the appeal to me #like its quintessential star trek #like are episodes like a piece of the action or the trouble with tribbles funnier and probably more enjoyable? yeah #episodes like city on the edge of forever are more well written #episodes like amok time are gayer #episodes like shore leave are more insane #but if we're talking like a good enjoyable solid tos episode this is a good one #i would even call this like a good intro ep if you want someone to get into star trek #anyway. i watched this because i felt too tired to pay attention to tng like i think it deserves and now im wired. #lol #sam's thots #tos rewatch #tos

[lenievi]

snw2 #6

My personal episode ranking based on my enjoyment: 3 - 6 - 4 - 2 - 1 - 5

such a GOOD episode

(this time I’m leaving all my feelings and thoughts as they occurred as I went through the episode, so it’s a mess and I mention things that the episode explains later. I mean these posts are pretty much just for me anyway)

Kirk/La’an in the preview!!! why are you teasing me so?????? (also the parallels in the preview between Kirk/La’an and Spock/Chapel.... if you’re experimenting with Spock/Chapel, I want you to experiment with Kirk/La’an, ok? I think that sometimes people misunderstand, because I don’t expect or even want Kirk and La’an to live happily until Kirk’s 60 and dies, I just want them to give them a chance... for a year or two (which is entirely plausible because there are years before Kirk gets the Enterprise where we don’t know anything about a girlfriend), it’s about the journey, not the endgame - and I feel like people are always focused on endgame. After ep 3, I made a mistake and looked around the fandom and the amount of people who would just be like doomed doomed doomed is annoying. And like, so what? I know people do this with Spock/Chapel too, even though with them it’s way more about glee than anything else, and it’s also pretty annoying)

....... wow they robbed us of Pike’s promotion ceremony? Does it mean it’s just for this episode so he and Kirk can meet? Like seriously? This is so hilarious if true

Pike: “I’ve been given a command of the Farragut” LMAO (this is some... convoluted writing lbr) 

- awww Uhura’s watching video of Hemmer to learn T_T

- Una’s finally doing her job. amazing.

- oh, Uhura now has a single room. Interesting. So maybe only cadets share rooms?

- soooooo, the preview did lie to me, okay. I mean, I expected it, but I wanted Una and Kirk to meet :(((( 

- omg thank you for 1. Sam being jealous 2. the brothers not having a loving buddy buddy relationship 3. love seeing that Jim’s biases against soft sciences are actually still very much present

considering that Sam has a family, a wife and kids, I wonder if Kirk Sr. doesn’t consider that enough... and that’s why Jim is always going after career because that’s what his father instilled in him. = to be a man, you’ve got to be successful, you’ve got to aim high, you’ve got to be the best. And so Jim goes through that life while yearning for a home and family... and eventually, he just gets an empty house.

- I really like these types of episodes where we can see everyone. This is already so much better than last week’s episode

- Spock and Chapel do play chess together. Yay :D

- oh, wow, it’s gonna be Chapel who ends it? (just me theorizing, because she’s like pulling back now :/) That... hmmmm, will make tos!Chapel look worse. Please, handle the relationship with care or officially make SNW a different timeline where stuff in TOS happens differently (I know ep 3 did that, but also a lot of people are sooooo stubborn against it, like, ok, they changed the years, but it doesn’t mean that what happened in the episodes changed. But... anyway, handle it with care and don’t make tos!Chapel look bad because she’d still be pining even though it’d be her fault that the relationship ended. I mean we’ll see how it goes...) Also LMAO at Spock actually being extra invested. He really wants this to work, and Chapel is probably going to break his heart? (even though that is not what TOS implies but could be interesting. I’d actually prefer if we could get them having a relationship together, but... yeah)

love how Kirk implied that Spock might be losing against Chapel in chess lol (Kirk was like, ok, I guess Vulcans are good at chess BUT they’re also easily distracted. Noted.)

- why can’t all episodes just have everyone interacting, so we can learn more about their dynamic?

- uhmmm, Pike, you shouldn’t be your crew’s friend......... (I kind of miss the lack of proper professionalism like it was in TOS. I know, I know, different times, but...)

- is Kirk literally going to meet everyone from his future crew in this episode? (we’re missing Chapel and Spock atm, even though he already saw them playing chess)

- and as I was just wondering where is La’an since it’s a security job, she appeared. Good. Would be stupid if they kept her away from an episode with Kirk (can they meet pls?)

- why is everyone calling Kirk “James”??? (do the writers have some fanfics wishes for Uhura to do that or what? Wouldn’t an ensign call her superior officer by the title? Now, what’s missing is Kirk calling her “Nyota”)

- akhdkjahfjshdjfghjdsgjsgjsh 

La’an: James? Pike: You two know each other?

akdhjahfjdshjghsjghsj 

- I’m glad that Pike is there for Uhura too btw (I just don’t think a captain should say he’s an ensign’s friend, that’s all)

omg omg omg Thank you so much for that Kirk/La’an scene

1. just the way he opens up to her because he doesn’t want her to think he’s one to chase every pretty skirt

2. Kirk not truly growing up on Earth but jumping from an outpost to an outpost, from a planet to a planet is my long time headcanon. (So I’m gonna take it and use it so much.) Kirk not really growing up with a father around as well. (which might also mean that Kirk’s parents’ relationship might not be ideal, but we’ll see. So much validation in this little scene. Gonna probably be really annoying about it later)

3. La’an just... smiling at him T_T idk I’m just so happy with this scene

4. Kirk being all “I didn’t forget you owe me a drink” kshdjkahfjkhdjkghjsdhgjsh

it must still be hard for La’an, but tiny steps

- thanks for giving me good scenes with Una in this episode (but I still have the same problem when it comes to the relationships. They showed Una and Hemmer interacting once...)

- and when I thought they would ignore Spock, they had to insert him in lol At least, that’s out of the way, and now they can just exist while having adventures with other people. I like it was together with Uhura and that Uhura introduced them and that it was completely casual, but omg please stop with Spock needing to clean dishes after Sam Kirk. 

McCoy: So, Jim, how did you and Spock meet? Kirk: He came to my table when I was talking with Uhura to clean a glass after Sam. Can you believe that? Who does that in a bar?

(I kind of entertained the thought that “meet James Kirk” was about Spock (or rather it was literally the first thought when hearing the line), just edited in that way in the trailer, and... I was right lol)

aaaand is Pike like going to loose the Fleet Captain badge in the next episode? Is that really what will happen? Temporary promotion for one single mission. Okay. Sounds... like a good writing (I think it’d be better to just ignore The Menagerie than do this... are you gonna not let them meet after this or what?)

anyway, such a good episode, and I’m actually so glad that they left Spock out, because people would probably just talk about that and wouldn’t focus on Uhura, and she deserves it so much. (the fact that startrek.com’s promo pic about the episode is Kirk and Spock is so insulting - it was like three seconds)

I kinda like that it felt like Kirk wasn’t actually sure about his “charm and jokes”, that he feels like he needs to use them, but they’re not really him, and it will take him years to grow comfortable with them. 

Thank you for making him so serious. And thank you for making him immediately open up to La’an (and La’an knowing what to say back, so they kind of connected through understanding) T_T 

I loved Kirk and Uhura together. Now, Mirror Mirror has so much background when it comes to Kirk and Uhura. Love it.

Now, since Pike was already randomly promoted, I wonder if we’ll still see Kirk or if this was his last episode in this season. They got everything out of the way. And tbh two episodes are enough lol

Next ep is the crossover (and he’s not in that one). Then I suppose it might be some M’Benga and Chapel and PTSD from the war episode (because I feel like that still needs to come up again), the 9th episode is ????, and then it’s the finale, which imho might have Batel (unless that’s 8 - you know, there’s a scene in the trailer where she is on some planet and some ship is attacking), so... Kirk isn’t really needed tbh

well, we’ll see

anyway, I was so worried about this episode, and I’m so happy they didn’t disappoint me T_T (doesn’t mean I’ll start trusting them though, but I got so much of my headcanon and even expectations validated. I’m so happy. I’m gonna be so annoying with all this Kirk info)

I mean, SNW just does that, doing what I expect (even though sometimes in a slightly different way), but it has to end one day...

#snw nonsense

[cardentist]

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

[aion-rsa]

The Star Trek: The Original Series Episodes That Best Define the Franchise

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By the time my generation got to watch Star Trek: The Original Series, the episodes often were being presented in top-ten marathons. When I was ten-years-old, for the 25th Anniversary of Star Trek, I tape-recorded a marathon of ten episodes that had all been voted by fans as the best-ever installments of The Original Series. Later, I got lucky and found Trek stickers at the grocery store and was able to label my VHS tapes correctly. But do I think all the episodes that were in that marathon back in 1991 were really the best episodes of all of the classic Star Trek? The short answer: no. Although I love nearly every episode of the first 79 installments of Star Trek, I do think that certain lists have been created by what we think should be on the list rather than what episodes really best represent the classic show. 

This is a long-winded way of saying, no, I didn’t include “Amok Time” or “The Menagerie” on this list because, as great as they are, I don’t think they really represent the greatest hits of the series. Also, if you’ve never watched TOS, I think those two episodes will throw you off cause you’ll assume Spock is always losing his mind or trying to steal the ship. If you’ve never watched TOS, or you feel like rewatching it with fresh eyes, I feel pretty strong that these 10 episodes are not only wonderful, but that they best represent what the entire series is really about. Given this metric, my choice for the best episode of TOS may surprise you…

10. “The Man Trap” 

The first Star Trek ever episode aired should not be the first episode you watch. And yet, you should watch it at some point. The goofy premise concerns an alien with shaggy dog fur, suckers on its hand, and a face like a terrifying deep-sea fish. This alien is also a salt vampire that uses telepathy that effectively also makes it a shapeshifter. It’s all so specifically bonkers that trying to rip-off this trope would be nuts. Written by science fiction legend George Clayton Johnson (one half of Logan’s Run authorship) “The Man Trap” still slaps, and not because Spock (Leonard Nimoy)  tries to slap the alien. Back in the early Season 1 episodes of Star Trek, the “supporting” players like Uhura and Sulu are actually doing stuff in the episode. We all talk about Kirk crying out in pain when the M-113 creature puts those suckers on his face, but the real scene to watch is when Uhura starts speaking Swahili. The casual way Uhura and Sulu are just their lovable selves in this episode is part of why we just can’t quit the classic Star Trek to this day. Plus, the fact that the story is technically centered on Bones gives the episode some gravitas and oomph. You will believe an old country doctor thinks that salt vampire is Nancy! (Spoiler alert: It’s not Nancy.)

9. “Let that Be Your Last Battlefield” 

There are two episodes everyone always likes to bring up when discussing the ways in which Star Trek changed the game for the better in pop culture’s discourse on racism: “Plato’s Stepchildren” and this episode, “Let that Be Your Last Battlefield.” The former episode is famous because Kirk and Uhura kiss, which is sometimes considered the first interracial kiss on an American TV show. (British TV shows had a few of those before Star Trek, though.) But “Plato’s Stepchildren” is not a great episode, and Kirk and Uhura were also manipulated to kiss by telepaths. So, no, I’m not crazy about “Plato’s Stepchildren.” Uhura being forced to kiss a white dude isn’t great.

But “Let that Be Your Last Battlefield,” oddly holds up. Yep. This is the one about space racism where the Riddler from the ‘60s Batman (Frank Gorshin) looks like a black-and-white cookie. Is this episode cheesy? Is it hard to take most of it seriously? Is it weird that Bele (Frank Gorshin) didn’t have a spaceship because the budget was so low at that time? Yes. Is the entire episode dated, and sometimes borderline offensive even though its heart is in the right place? Yes. Does the ending of the episode still work? You bet it does. If you’re going to watch OG Star Trek and skip this episode, you’re kind of missing out on just how charmingly heavy-handed the series could get. “Let that Be Your Last Battlefield” is like a ‘60s after-school special about racism, but they were high while they were writing it.

8. “Arena”

You’re gonna try to list the best episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series and not list the episode where Kirk fights a lizard wearing gold dress-tunic? The most amazing thing about “Arena” is that it’s a Season 1 episode of The Original Series and somehow everyone involved in making TOS had enough restraint not to ever try to use this Gorn costume again. They didn’t throw it away either! This famous rubber lizard was built by Wah Chang and is currently owned by none other than Ben Stiller.

So, here’s the thing about “Arena” that makes it a great episode of Star Trek, or any TV series with a lizard person. Kirk refuses to kill the Gorn even though he could have, and Star Trek refused to put a lizard costume in a bunch of episodes later, even though they totally could have. Gold stars all around.

7. “Balance of Terror”

The fact that Star Trek managed to introduce a race of aliens that looked exactly like Spock, and not confuse its viewership is amazing. On top of that, the fact that this detail isn’t exactly the entire focus of the episode is equally impressive. The notion that the Romulans look like Vulcans is a great twist in The Original Series, and decades upon decades of seeing Romulans has probably dulled the novelty ever so slightly. But, the idea that there was a brutally cold and efficient version of the Vulcans flying around in invisible ships blowing shit up is not only cool, but smart.

“Balance of Terror” made the Romulans the best villains of Star Trek because their villainy felt personal. Most Romulan stories in TNG, DS9, and Picard are pretty damn good and they all start right here.

6. “Space Seed”

Khaaaan!!!! Although The Wrath of Khan is infinitely more famous than the episode from which it came, “Space Seed” is one of the best episodes of The Original Series even if it hadn’t been the progenitor of that famous film. In this episode, the worst human villain the Enterprise can encounter doesn’t come from the present, but instead, the past. Even though “Space Seed” isn’t considered a very thoughtful episode and Khan is a straight-up gaslighter, the larger point here is that Khan’s evilness is connected to the fact that he lived on a version of Earth closer to our own.

The episode’s coda is also amazing and speaks of just how interesting Captain Kirk really is. After Khan beat the shit out of him and tried to suffocate the entire Enterprise crew, Kirk’s like “Yeah, this guy just needs a long camping trip.” 

5. “A Piece of the Action”

A few years back, Saturday Night Live did a Star Trek sketch in which it was revealed that Spock had a relative named “Spocko.” This sketch was tragically unfunny because TOS had already made the “Spocko” joke a million times better in “A Piece of the Action.” When you describe the premise of this episode to someone who has never seen it or even heard of it, it sounds like you’re making it up. Kirk, Spock, and Bones are tasked with cleaning-up a planet full of old-timey mobsters who use phrases like “put the bag on you.” Not only is the episode hilarious, but it also demonstrates the range of what Star Trek can do as an emerging type of pop-art. In “A Piece of the Action,” Star Trek begins asking questions about genres that nobody ever dreamed of before. Such as, “what if we did an old-timey gangster movie, but there’s a spaceship involved?”

4. “Devil in the Dark”

When I was a kid, my sister and I called this episode, “the one with giant pizza.” Today, it’s one of those episodes of Star Trek that people tell you defines the entire franchise. They’re not wrong, particularly because we’re just talking about The Original Series. The legacy of this episode is beyond brilliant and set-up a wonderful tradition within the rest of the franchise; a monster story is almost never a monster story

The ending of this episode is so good, and Leonard Nimoy and Shatner play the final scenes so well that I’m actually not sure it’s cool to reveal what the big twist is. If you somehow don’t know, I’ll just say this. You can’t imagine Chris Pratt’s friendly Velicrapotrs, or Ripper on Discovery without the Horta getting their first.

3. “The Corbomite Maneuver” 

If there’s one episode on this list that truly represents what Star Trek is usually all about on a plot level, it’s this one. After the first two pilot episodes —“Where No Man Has Gone Before” and “The Cage”—this was the first regular episode filmed. It’s the first episode with Uhura and, in almost every single way, a great way to actually explain who all these characters are and what the hell they’re doing. The episode begins with Spock saying something is “fascinating” and then, after the opening credits, calling Kirk, who is down in sickbay with his shirt off. Bones gives Kirk shit about not having done his physical in a while, and Kirk wanders through the halls of the episode without his shirt, just kind of holding his boots. 

That’s just the first like 5 minutes. It just gets better and better from there. Like a good bottle of tranya, this episode only improves with time. And if you think it’s cheesy and the big reveal bizarre, then I’m going to say, you’re not going to like the rest of Star Trek. 

2. “The City on the Edge of Forever”

No more blah blah blah! Sorry, wrong episode. Still, you’ve heard about “The City on the Edge of Forever.” You’ve heard it’s a great time travel episode. You’ve heard Harlan Ellison was pissed about how the script turned out. You heard that Ron Moore really wanted to bring back Edith Keeler for Star Trek Generations. (Okay, maybe you haven’t heard that, but he did.)

Everything you’ve heard about this episode is correct. There’s some stuff that will make any sensible person roll their eyes today, but the overall feeling of this episode is unparalleled. Time travel stories are always popular, but Star Trek has never really done a time travel story this good ever again. The edge of forever will always be just out of reach.

1. “A Taste of Armageddon”

Plot twist! This excellent episode of TOS almost never makes it on top ten lists. Until now! If you blink, “A Taste of Armageddon” could resemble at least a dozen other episodes of TOS. Kirk and Spock are trapped without their communicators. The crew has to overpower some guards to get to some central computer hub and blow it up. Scotty is in command with Kirk on the surface and is just kind of scowling the whole time. Kirk is giving big speeches about how humanity is great because it’s so deeply flawed.

What makes this episode fantastic is that all of these elements come together thanks to a simplistic science fiction premise: What if a society eliminated violence but retained murder? What if hatred was still encouraged, but war was automated? Star Trek’s best moments were often direct allegories about things that were actually happening, but what makes “A Taste of Armageddon” so great is that this metaphor reached for something that could happen. Kirk’s solution to this problem is a non-solution, which makes the episode even better. At its best classic Star Trek wasn’t just presenting a social problem and then telling us how to fix it. Sometimes it was saying something more interesting — what if the problem gets even harder? What do we do then? 

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The humor and bombast of “A Taste of Armageddon” is part of the answer to that unspoken question, but there’s also a clever lesson about making smaller philosophical decisions. In Star Wars, people are always trying to rid themselves of the dark side of the Force. In Star Trek, Kirk just teaches us to say, “Hey I won’t be a terrible person, today” and then just see how many days we can go in a row being like that.

What do you think are the most franchise-defining episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series? Let us know in the comments below.

The post The Star Trek: The Original Series Episodes That Best Define the Franchise appeared first on Den of Geek.

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#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

[kinetic-elaboration]

July 17: 2x26 Assignment: Earth

Finally finished up S2 of TOS yesterday. That was... a rough episode tbh. I’m just gonna say it: back door pilots are bad! They’re bad. If I wanted to watch that other show, I’d watch it.

Wow, they’re just really jumping right in, huh? “Here we are, on a routine mission into the past, using a time travel method that we invented nbd.”

Investigating desperate problems in the year 2020...2016.... no wait 1968.

Ooh, Spock in the transport room today. Does he have a whole extra random station there? That’s so weird; I’ve never seen that before. It’s like hidden in the corner.

Cat!! Cat!!

What a good actor. I’m still bitter that wikipedia has a whole section about the casting for “Isis the cat” that talks entirely about the human who played Isis for 2 minutes and nothing about the talented feline actor. Where did they find her? How did they teach her to act?

She has a lot of thoughts about Kirk.

I wrote down “Scully, you’ve got to see this” in my notes and I’ve already forgotten what it refers to lol. Some moment that I thought would fit well with my favorite x-files meme.

Change history, you say? Spock is intrigued. ...Admittedly, Spock is often intrigued.

“What if it turns out you’re an invading alien from the future?” Honestly...let him invade. You’re not supposed to be here anyway.

I’m pretty insulted by this. The aliens went through all this trouble to help in 1968...where are our alien helpers NOW?

The cat straight up attacked his face.

Kirk is so fond of Spock being fond of the cat.

“It’s a lovely animal. I feel myself strangely drawn to it.”

Kirk is way too confused by Seven--an allegedly human person with super-human abilities that he says come from aliens--and yet, he’s met Charlie X so??? Is this not the same?

Kirk’s got the whole crew checking in on zoom.

(I actually do like this sequence of him getting video calls from different parts of the ship.)

“Weren’t orbiting H-bombs a huge problem in 1968?” Looks at the camera like he’s on The Office. Not the subtlest bit of writing in the “social commentary” genre. I do say this with love, though. I always enjoy when they comment on contemporary problems.

“He has a totally perfect body.” Lol don’t distract these two bisexuals.

[soft meowing]

“The prisoner has escaped.” The way this is shot, it looks like he’s talking about the cat.

Hmm, I do love the decor. Very 60s. This honestly immediately feels like a different show, and a much more dated show; even when the Enterprise time travels, it tends not to time travel to... office space.

Love the little sounds the computer makes.

So is Isis supposed to be one of the fancy aliens? It’s never explained but one must assume she is.

Aw, he’s petting her paw.

So I assumed the cats sounds are real, but just dubbed. They’re not lol. Which I guess isn’t surprising: this cat makes a lot of noises! They were provided by a human voice actress.

Damn.... I want a secret bookshelf that turns around to reveal a super computer with a big screen. “Computer... play Netflix.”

That’s what Seven does in his spare time.

The computer is an AI. “Beta 5 snobbery” lol.

Where are OUR alien overlords to stop US from destroying ourselves before WE can mature into a peaceful society?

This is really masterful exposition lol. Not forced or awkward at all.

ST sure does love the snooty female computer trope.

“Get us the proper costumes.” Yes, get Spock his Requisite Hat.

Omicron IV....that’s one of the names they use in Futurama lol. Such nerds.

Another excellent Spock Hat.

I love Seven’s various IDs. Great style. I wish my driver’s license looked like those.

“Who do you think you are?” He hasn’t decided yet. That’s why he was shifting through his IDs.

Seven is not smart lol. Like, he should have figured out way faster that this lady isn’t one of the Alien Overlords. He asks her the code question, she doesn’t understand it, and he... assumes she’s just really in character? Dude, that’s what the code questions are for!!! To help you identify people! Otherwise you could just straight up ask: are you an alien?

Instead he’s like “oh, you silly alien, you’re playing with me,” and then is forced to trap her, reveal his whole mission, and ultimately ensnare her in his plan.

I want that typewriter. Voice recognition typewriter.

"My incompetence has made you aware of very secret devices." Well at least he knows.

Trained cat!

The alien overlords were killed in a random car accident. That’s ironic.

Oh look, a real rocket!

Brown pants + short sleeved shirt + tie is such a Classic 60s look.

This security guard doesn’t think it’s weird that this random dude has a cat with him? Is this part of Isis’s alien power?

Except for the part where it’s a weapon, it’s pretty cool to see all this build up to, like... launching stuff into space. Exciting.

Isis likes to be on shoulders. Just like Little Guy.

New hat for Spock. His outer wear hat, and now his fancy hat. There is something to be said for this ep, and that is Kirk and Spock in suits.

Amazing how they literally launched rockets with computers that old. Like seeing the big bank of primitive computers is totally wild. We put people on the moon that way! Amazing.

“Meow.” Lol, Isis is stressed so she’s speaking like a cat. That’s a pretty funny joke actually.

Seven is so incompetent. If he’d just let the Enterprise help, Scotty could have fixed that rocket issue in like 3 seconds.

Lol everyone’s just pulling Gary through space. Now on the Enterprise. Now in the office.

Why does this computer have a hug black screen if it only displays images on the small white circle?

"Spock and  I in custody. Main characters, doing nothing, knowing nothing, totally useless and irrelevant. I have never felt more helpless." Literally what is even the point of them today? Does Spock even have lines outside of “I like the cat”?

Isis is jealous of Roberta. Is she.. in a relationship with Seven lol?

Uhura is listening to everyone in the world. She probably has a universal translator on, but I do feel like this scene implies she just...understands all the languages.

So now the warhead is armed and heading to somewhere vague... in other words, everyone has collectively made the situation worse.

....Or this was Seven’s plan all along? To scare people into ceasing to be so careful with nuclear weaponry? As someone who knows humans better than this guy, I think this is a dumbass plan.

“That’s why so many people in my generation are kind of crazy and rebels.” Same, sweetheart.

Really this is just a story about bad communication. If Seven had told Kirk his plan upfront, Kirk would have helped him. And if Kirk weren’t so insistent on involving himself in something just because he happens to be somewhere he probably shouldn’t be, we wouldn’t have this issue either. The hubris of everyone.

Overall, just a really forced narrative imo.

Or that’s how it was supposed to be lol. The Irony of time travel. By it’s nature, everything has already worked out.

Kirk and Spock are like “You’re welcome. Peace out.”

Honestly... Isis was the only good part. Such a talented cat actor!! Or trio of cat actors, I guess. Had to do all those stunts and stuff.. .amazing. I also liked the concept of Isis. How she turned into a human later just to troll Roberta. How she’s never really explained--one must assume, an alien? Plus I pretty much never get tired of human + animal teams where the animal makes animal noises and the human just understands and answers in English.

As a stand alone sci fi concept...it was okay. Kinda dated by now. The alien tech was nifty and Roberta could have grown on me. Maybe even Seven, though he left a lot to be desire. That said, the narrative relied a lot on people getting in each other’s way for no reason, which I find very frustrating.

But as a Star Trek episode....no. The main characters were just nuisances on the side lines!! I’m not even sure what Kirk’s mission here was--to try to figure out what Seven was doing? And stop him if necessary? But he never really decided if it was or not, until the point where not trusting him would basically cause a nuclear war? I don’t know, I found it all very frustrating. The melding of the original show and the spinoff was not smooth.

If I were watching this in 1968, I’d feel very cheated. THIS was the season finale? That’s it? I don’t even get a real Star Trek episode and now I have to wait months for anything new?

And what I get after all that waiting is Spock’s Brain?? I’d be tempted to quit. If I had a tumblr in 1969 I’d be writing multi-paragraph rants about how the best show on television has completely nose-dived lol.

But then there’s The Enterprise Incident, which is one of the best episodes... I don’t know, man. It’s a conundrum. I’ve only seen maybe half of season 3 but from what I remember it’s very uneven: some of the best eps (The Enterprise Incident, For the World Is Hollow, Day of the Dove) mixed in with some of the worst (Spock’s Brain, The Paradise Syndrome), plus some that are good concepts but shoddily executed (The Way to Eden). So we’ll see what I think about it when I see it all in one piece, in air date order.

#the year 2021 #2021: fandom thoughts #2021: star trek #star trek tos

[vortahoney]

this is not a thoughts on question but who are your top 5 star trek women !

Okay *cracks knuckles* more than five, but  10. Hoshi Sato Only ranked so low because I haven’t seen Enterprise yet, but I love her already from what I’ve seen of her. I love language, it’s one of my favorite subjects to study, and I’m a bit upset that the Treks I’ve seen haven’t given it much thought, so I’m excited to see how she deals with her job as a translator becoming somewhat obsolete with the advent of Universal Translators. Also. She is in love. WIth T’Pol. 9. Natima Lang Absolutely GORGEOUS woman that woman is. I love a good Cardassian look, and I’m SO upset that we didn’t get to see more of her (or any other Cardassian woman for that matter). I think her sense of style is unmatched, she’s smart, she loves her students, she and Quark.... happened. I wish there was more of her.

8. Luaran  I love her face. She looks kinda mean and was super bitchy to who she thought was the female founder. Very vibrant. Already joined her Girlunion. Need I say more?

7. Dr. Crusher

I love her. She’s one of the better written female characters in my opinion. Also Gates McFadden was perhaps one of the first Star Trek women who gave me lesbian feelings in my heart.

6. Lwaxana Troi

WOW. Amazing screen presence. Maybe I’m a little (a lot) into her because of that. Her look always stands out, and there’s no way that you can miss her. So sad she went for Goo Cop instead of Me

5. Guinan

Same thing as Lwaxana with the whole “stealing the screen” thing. Whoopi Goldberg is an amazing actress, and she made Guinan into someone WONDERFUL. Love the knowing talks, love her relationships with the crew, love her confidence, love that she has so much life experience but is still so excited for new ones, love her big hats. I always kinda shipped her with Ro Laren, but that’s beside the point.

4. Ro Laren

Exact same thing as Luaran but we actually get to see her more than once. She’s jaded and skeptical, but she still really cares for people. When Riker made that comment about her earring I was ready to punch him in the stomach. Plus I really liked the little forehead things Bajorans had before Deep Space Nine and I will NEVER forgive Star Trek for getting rid of them.

3. Keiko O’Brien 

Definitely had a thing with Major Kira. Amazing mother. I absolutely love her and Miles’s relationship. I love how she is with kids. I love how she is with plants. Love her so much. Gorgeous. I want. Kiss her.

2. Nyota Uhura

The only reason that I actually finished the original series (don’t kill me). She like. Glows. And I love hearing the sound of her voice. Also, Nichelle Nichols? A wonderful, hilarious, inspiring, amazing, beautiful person. 

1. Kira Nerys

Oh, how I love Major Kira. She’s such a well-rounded character and I can barely find the words. We get to see her with every single emotion. We get to see her go through moral dilemmas and pain and joy and more than one revolution. She’s jaded and (according to Nana Visitor) had PTSD, but we get to see her slowly find the joy in life again. She was also one of the first religious characters (if not the first) and I love that aspect of her character.

For looks, oh my. I dislike how they put her in a catsuit rather than something that would have fit more comfortably, but pretty much all Treks are guilty of that sort of thing. Nana Visitor is a gorgeous woman. Also her hairstyles were always very attractive to me (except for the first episode bob thing). In my mind she’s more butch than she was in the show, but we all have our own views of how we want characters to be

Anyway, I firmly stand by that post that is like “Major Kira deserved the women that Quark got and Quark deserved the Odo that Major Kira got”. You know the one.

#oh my god I just realized I didn't put in any Voyager women :( #OR DISCOVERY WOMEN #just for the record #this isn't ranked from least liked to most liked #just who popped into my head first #And I had the most to say about Major Kira #I don't usually get to talk about Trek women #so just know you made me day :')

[g0dblessthefandom]

Favorite Female Characters

Tagged by @mini-oddity​. I’m too excited about this, y’all.  Rules: List ten of your favorite female characters in different fandoms and then tag ten people.

(I’m just going to be a blanket **SPOILER ALERT** for every show here, I’ll tag it just in case, but be forewarned.)

1. Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess) I got to meet Lucy in 2018, and it was basically the highlight of my life. Xena was such a HUGE influence on me as a kid, and I don’t think I ever got over the impact she made on me. Her bravery, her love for Gabrielle, her intelligence, she’s the whole package and spent almost every episode kicking dudes in the face, which is like, the dream. I think that she was very clearly a queer character also made a huge difference for me, because even though baby Frankie didn’t know it, she was gay as hell. Seeing the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle play out and that ‘love that dare not speak it’s name’ was kind of a revelation for me, even though I wouldn’t realize it for a while. 

2. Martha Jones (Doctor Who)

I think there was something so special about Martha Jones that most people didn’t see (youknowwhy.gif). She was more than just that girl who was pining away for the Doctor. She saved the world at one point just because she was willing to put everything on the line, and in some small ways it was for him, but in larger ways it was for herself. In the end she walked away because she knew that she deserved better, and she was right. She was just in general such an awesome character, and I hope that I can  be more like her one day. 

3. Dana Scully (The X-Files) 

Scully was the skeptic, but also, weirdly the believer because she was pretty serious about her faith. I remember having so many feelings about Scully and not really being able to explain them (it was the queerness, Lil’ Frankie), but in general beyond just being gorgeous she was so smart, and so good at dealing with Mulder’s BS. She would take things in stride as well, and made the most of the circumstances that left her in a worse situation than before. She was a scientist first, and so when she was elbow deep in a carcass, giving everyone answers that they didn’t know they wanted, she was in her element. I know that people are aware of the Scully effect, and I think that it’s just a testament to how much of an impact this character had on popular culture. I just loved her resolve, and every time she had a terrific storyline, I cheered. 

4. Captain Kathryn Janeway (Star Trek: Voyager)

I clearly have a thing for no nonsense red heads, so maybe there’s a type here, but also, Kathryn Janeway was an amazing character. I think if she’d been a man she would have gone down as one of the greatest Starfleet Captains of all time, but alas, sexism is a thing, and we’re in the 21st century, not the 25th. Janeway had the absolute worst situation that a captain could ask for, and she made it work somehow. In the end, she gave everything to make sure that her crew (both Maquis and Starfleet) could get home safely, and that’s what a good captain does. I first talked about this in 2007, so, yeah, you know that I mean it. Captain Janeway had to navigate a world without Starfleet, and in her own way manage to build a crew and keep a ship going through the most desperate of conditions, and I think she did an amazing job. (It’s also just a coincidence that my favorite episode is ‘Year of Hell’ where she gets to run around in a standard issue Starfleet tanktop and shoot people)

5. Santana Lopez (Glee)

If you follow my blog, it will come to no surprise to you that I flipping love Santana Lopez. Played by Naya Rivera, she’s one half of my Forever OTP: Brittana. And Santana on her own is a fantastic character. She comes out to her grandmother, and faces shame, and struggles with some life choices that she was once sure about. She goes from being this grade A butthole who’s dealing with her own problems, to caring about those people who are the closest to her, and in a way, finding her own family. It’s a really beautiful journey, and when it was given the time that it deserved on Glee, I think that the show was better for it. Of course, her being so talented didn’t hurt either. 

6. Dr. Joan Watson (Elementary)

I’m the kind of her that will pretty much appreciate a genderbent anything. When I heard that a new show was coming out about Sherlock Holmes and they were changing Watson to a woman, I was pretty excited. When I learned that it would be the love of my life Lucy Liu, I was ecstatic! Watson is very much the chocolate to Sherlock’s peanut butter, but their relationship is so good and so real that it’s just the icing on the cake (mixing a lot of food metaphors, so bear with me). She’s a scientist (doctor/surgeon) like Scully, but she’s changed careers and now she works as a sober companion (at least at the beginning of the season). Of course, the reason that she and Sherlock get along so well is because Watson is smart. Super smart. Sometimes smarter than Sherlock, and he readily admits as such. She was her own woman and she made Watson into someone who was on par with Sherlock, and a force to be reckoned with in her own right. And, of course, they were best friends. 

7. Carol Susan Jane Danvers (Captain Marvel)

I was a big fan of CM before the movie came out, so I’ll mostly talk about the comics, but Captain Marvel in every incarnation is a terrific character. I first read Civil War II with her and Tony Stark going at it, and I couldn’t help but appreciate the passion that she brought to the table. Carol Danvers is the kind of character who, right or wrong, just does what she’s going to do, and you know that her heart in the right place. In the comics, she has a relationship with Rhodey, and that makes for some interesting drama. She’s the kind of person who punches first, asks questions later, and it’s that kind of himbo energy that makes me love her. She goes all in, and god help you if you get in her way. 

8. Eleanor Shellstrop and Tahani Al-Jamil (The Good Place) Is a twofer cheating? Probably. Do I care that much? Nah, son. For the record, I do ship Cheleanor, but I love these two together in every single imaginable way. They both have their own baggage, and come from less than ideal backgrounds (Eleanor generally, and Tahani because of her family life), but they have learned and grown so much over the last four seasons and I can’t wait to see how things turn out for them. They’re also such good friends, so I really appreciate their relationship with each other. Neither really had friends in their “real” lives. (Even though Tahani pretended to) The fact that they have each other, and really care for each other, just makes both of them so much better in my opinion. I was rewatching the first season and during the episode where they both confess their feelings to Chidi, Eleanor says that she’s going to make sure that they don’t become like to women feuding over a guy, and they proceed to spend a terrific day together. That’s female friendship right there! I love this show in general, it’s definitely my favorite on TV right now, and I’m so glad that it’s on! 

9. Zoe Washburne (Firefly) I have shipped exactly three het ships in my entire life: Rick and Evie O’Connell, Eleanor and Chidi and Zoe and Wash. I dunno, it was something about their relationship that just moved me. She loved him, and she didn’t care who knew it, and they just had this terribly healthy relationship, and it was stupendous. Sans Wash, though, Zoe is an amazing character. She’s smart, she’s strong, she’s loyal, and she’s played by Gina Torres, who only seems to get more and more attractive as the years go on? Like, I’m not trying to be that person because Gina brings so much to to the table, she’s so talented and clearly intelligent and passionate, but she’s also super duper hot? Like, in the year of our lord 2020? It’s wild. She was also on the Black Lady Sketch Show and she was hilarious, so there’s that. She can do it all! Okay, but back to Zoe, I just love her character, and her relationship with the other folks on the ship. It was something awesome to see. 

10. Sister Night/Angela Abar (Watchmen TV Series) This is kind of a new addition, but I hope that doesn’t make you think any less of this amazing character. Regina King knocked my socks off in the best way imaginable, and I’m just so enthralled and obsessed with this character, I don’t even know what to do with myself. She has such AGENCY and she’s a woman who makes her own decisions and is in charge of her whole life. Dr. Manhattan fell in love with her because despite everything she put everything on the line for him, and you’ve got to appreciate that amount of determination. Of course, I love that she spent most of the show kicking racists in the head, so you know, I’ve got a type, clearly. 

Throwing out a special shout out to: Kelly and Yorkie (Black Mirror), Alex Danvers (Supergirl), Eve and Villanelle (Killing Eve), The Doctor/13 (Doctor Who), Lt. Uhura, and the thousands of other amazing, bad ass female characters that I didn’t mention. 

-------------------------------

So, that’s it. To continue this I’d like to tag @leigh-kelly​ @chuckleshan​ @daborgh​ @battybookworm​ @lesbeauregarded​ @ambirrdy-brittana​ @yourstreetserenade​ @itcameuponamidnightqueer​ @vikingstad1​ @stephanie-beatriz​ @skywalkerchick1138​ @mayqueen517​+ anyone who wants to do this! 

#female characters #fandom #xena #martha jones #captain janeway #scully #angela abar #zoe washburne #eleanor shellstrop #tahani al jamil #captain marvel #joan watson #santana lopez #i just realized that most of these are from tv #which is pretty cool!

[drstrangewillseeyounow]

Creative Year in Review 2019

Total number of creations? (Or a rough guess!)

14 stories for a total of 116,020 words across six fandoms, all of which can be found on AO3 (strangeallure)

Nine for Star Trek: Discovery and one each for Star Trek AOS, Star Trek Voyager, Penny Dreadful, Star Wars Legends and Venom (Movie)

up from 12 stories and 50,537 words total in 2018

What characters or ships have you created the most content for this year?

Michael Burnham/Ash Tyler: 78,446 words (7 stories)

I’ve only written more than one story for one other ship, namely

Paul Stamets/Hugh Culber: 3,443 words (2 stories)

but my longest non-Ashburn fic was this

Nyota Uhura/Gaila (AOS): 16,560 words (1 story)

Everything that wasn’t Ashburn (68%) was written for challenges or as a gift (38k, 32%).

 Was there a project that you didn’t get around to?

Too many, as always. Out of the four WIPs I said I wanted to come to fruition last time, two did (Back to Where We’ve Never Been and What If We Would Stay?), and I never wrote that Ashburn remix of Franipani’s fic I meant to do.

What was the creation you had the most fun making?

In every longer (and most shorter) fics, there’s usually a time where I feel like I’m hitting a wall, either can’t get started, can’t start up again or feel like editing is just not working out, but eventually, I reach a point where it all comes together, where I know what to let go and change to make the story better (I’m a big fan of cutting things), and in the end, that is a very rewarding state while it lasts.

I have a very distinct memory of getting into the flow for What If We Would Stay? and since I had worked on it forever, that was a great place to be.

On the Line came together quickly, over two days or so (I wrote it when I felt completely stuck on my WIP), so that was nice, too.

You’re the Chance I Want to Take (Nyota Uhura/Gaila) was a lot of fun to write because it’s an on-planet sci-fi adventure, which is something I hadn’t really written before. The characters crash-land in a desert and make their way through a cave system and a rain forest, so there’s exploration, tech jerry-rigging and team work. It felt a lot like writing an episode for one of the episodic-era Treks.

Any surprises? (E.g. a character or ship you never thought you’d create for or a project that came out of nowhere?)

The two biggest surprises are both Frangipani’s fault.

She had wanted a Venom OT3 fic, which I started (since the movie was surprisingly good fun) but never finished in 2018, but when Cupidsbow declared a “Venomtimes Day” challenge in early 2019, that gave me the boost to finish You’re A Snack, But You’re Much More Than That. Although I have to say, it’s mainly on the cracky romance side of things (Venom coaxes Eddie into wooing Anne), not explicit.  

The other surprise was writing Star Wars Legends and somnophilia - in one fic, no less. I only know Legends (and Mara Jade) through beta’ing a few of Frangi’s amazing fics, and her Mara is a layered, complex and intriguing character. I’m more of a romantic shipper myself (with canon-induced angst where applicable, but ultimately, I write to get my characters in a good, healthy place), but since Frangi loves fucked up things, I tried to go all out and write Mara as a horrible person, which lead me to somnophilia. It was an interesting and fun challenge to write, and I usually like my writing better the darker the subject matter is (which is unfortunate when you want your characters to be happy, but well …).

Oh, one more: I started posting my first real chaptered fic in June (and I posted my first fanfic in the late 90s). I had a complete first draft of about 18k words and thought I could be done posting it as a WIP within a month. Instead it took me 45k and until the end of December. I’m proud of Object Lessons, but I don’t think I’ll ever begin posting again before I have at least a more polished second draft and a chapter breakdown. It was definitely a learning experience.

What was the hardest creation to make?

Object Lessons because it kept growing and I wanted for it to be coherent and combine character and relationship growth. I even made a scene-by-scene breakdown Excel sheet.

 What inspired you the most this year?

The chemistry and dynamics between Michael Burnham and Ash Tyler and all the questionable narrative choices made by the people writing and plotting Discovery season two (and one).

 What are you most proud of? (A creation, something you learned, etc)

Not gonna lie, I am probably most proud of my Object Lessons Excel sheet. It has word counts for scenes and chapters, notes location and a quick summary for every scene, flags if a scene takes place in the main location or somewhere else (so there’s a balance between tight relationship focus and broader world), and indicates “breadcrumbs”, i.e. things related to the two main points of conflict.

Also proud I managed to hit two (out of five) goals I set last year:

Write an episode reaction fic before the next episode airs: A Moment out of Time

Participate in three challenges: actually wrote fic for five challenges/exchanges (time travel challenge, star trek secret santa, poetry challenge, venomtime’s day and femslash exchange)

 Any goals/plans/ideas for next year?

I have a lot of other stuff on my plate this year, so I want fandom to be fun and not set myself concrete goals to fall short off and then feel bad about.

That said, I’ll try and sign up for a few challenges, and if I go into longfic territory again, I’ll try and learn from Object Lessons and start posting only when it’s more polished than a first draft.

Also, should Ash Tyler return to the Star Trek universe this year, all bets are off.

Pick your favourite creations! (Post links and tell us why you love them!)

Object Lessons, my magnum opus, and as of this moment the longest Ashburn fic on AO3.

Your Voice Still Sounds Like Home is a melancholy, bittersweet fic about Ash sending Michael secret messages from Qo’noS and when I read it now, ten months after I wrote it, I can still very much feel the longing.

You’re the Chance I Want to Take (Nyota Uhura/Gaila) because it’s a fun and sweet adventure - and shockingly enough my only femslash fic this year

Everyone who created/posted art, fic, gif-sets, vids, cosplay, etc., consider yourself tagged if you’d like to be. I’m curious! <3

#year in review #creative year in review #me me me me me

[per-ineptia-ad-astra]

This isn’t the kind of thing I normally do around here, but it seemed like it might be a bit of fun. I’ve absolutely no idea if it’s something you all would be interested in, though, so let me know if you like it or not—if not, I’ll just leave it as a one-off and go back to the regular memes to fill the time while I’m working on Space Seed.

Recently I’ve been playing resource management/base building type games a lot, which I suspect stems from the fact that managing resources in my real life is going rather less well, the latest of these being Stonehearth, a cute voxel game where you guide a group of beady-eyed little people into building a village for them to live in. I’d played a fair bit of it over the past winter but hadn’t touched it in several months, enough time for there to be a couple of updates to the content*, so I decided to see what had been added in the interim.

*Technically the officially-approved-but-player-created-mod-expansion.

But once I got around to selecting my starting villagers, I ran into the same problem I always have at these moments in games—what to name everybody? I’m a massive overthinker about this sort of thing, you see, the sort who will spend ages scouring Wikipedia to find the most thematically appropriate set of things to name all the characters after. On this occasion, though, as I stared aimlessly around my desk trying to come up with something, inspiration struck in the shape of the copy of Star Trek: The Classic Episodes that I still hadn’t put away. Or possibly it was the Data Funko Pop. Either way, I thought, well, why not…?

[ID: A screenshot of the ‘Customize your party’ screen in the video game Stonehearth. On the left are five miniature profiles for cartoonish voxel versions of Kirk, Sulu, McCoy, Scotty and Uhura. Their Mind, Body and Spirit stats are, respectively,  4/5/4,  3/2/6, 4/3/4,  6/2/5, and 3/4/6. On the right is an appearance customization screen with Uhura selected.]

And thus was born a quest to see the crew of the Enterprise through their colonization of wherever the hell it is they’ve ended up this time. Or at least, some of the crew of the Enterprise. I don’t think my computer could handle simulating the full four hundred and thirty of them.

Stonehearth villagers (or ‘hearthlings) have three stats—Mind, Body and Spirit-- as well as up to two traits that influence their behavior. In the starting roster, you can’t directly alter their stats or traits, but you can randomly generate villagers individually or as a group for as long as you want until you get something you like, and can change their names and appearances freely. By default, all the villagers are workers, but with the right items they can be promoted into special classes, such as warriors who defend the village, crafters who make necessary items, or resource-suppliers like farmers and trappers. My starting selection of characters was based on the roles that I judged most important to the getting this colony off the ground. (It may be helpful to keep in mind throughout this, though, that I am not very good at Stonehearth.) The traits I just kind of took where I could get them, since it would have taken an enormously long time to roll for the absolute most character-appropriate ones.

Kirk has the traits ‘Night Owl’ (he’ll stay up later at night and sleep more in the day) and ‘Jokester’ (he likes to tell jokes to the others, which has a chance to increase their moods). I was unsure what to do with him at first, since there’s not really any kind of leadership position for hearthlings. In the end I decided he would make a good Knight, a heavy armor combat class. After all, protecting everyone else in the group at the risk of his own life is a pretty Kirk-ish thing to do. He’ll have to spend some time as a Footman, the basic combat class, before he can promote to Knight, though.

Sulu has the traits ‘Green Thumb’ (he gets a happiness boost from being around plants) and ‘Pack Mule’ which means he can carry more than usual. This is a good combo of traits for a farmer, and since Sulu likes plants he seemed like the most natural choice for that role.

McCoy has the trait ‘Pessimistic’ which makes him more affected by things that cause negative mood modifiers, because of course he does. His class was far and way the easiest to pick: he’ll spend some time as a Herbalist, a crafting class that can make bandages and medicines, until he can promote to Cleric, a combat class that can heal.

Scotty has the traits ‘Gregarious’ (he enjoys talking to other villagers more) and ‘Animal Companion’ (he spawns with a pet, in this case a raccoon named Cactus). Alright, perhaps not the most Scotty-ish of traits, but hey, he had good stats. Scotty’s going to be a Carpenter, the staple crafting class for the Ascendency faction, who use wood as their primary resource. (There actually is an Engineer class, but it doesn’t come into play until much later and the Carpenter is considerably more important for the early game.)

Finally, Uhura has the ‘Empathetic’ trait (she gets a negative mood modifier from being around other villagers who have negative mood modifiers) and is going to be a Trapper, a class that traps animals for meat and fur and can promote to the Shepherd, who raises livestock animals. A bit of a stretch, I know, but hey, there’s no communications-based class, and someone had to be a Trapper. Plus, Trappers have a chance of bringing animals home as pets, which is what started The Trouble With Tribbles, so, hey.

With the starting roster confirmed, all that remains is to first pick a starting resource package—I’ve gone with the Merchant Caravan, which will give us some starting food and gold as well as the promotion items for a Trapper, Footman and Herbalist—and then roll a map. Eventually—after spending far too long generating and re-generating maps—I’ve settled on a nice location by a lake, with plenty of trees, and mountains nearby to dig for ore and stone in. The only downside is it’s a bit exposed, so hopefully nothing too big attacks before we’re able to build some walls.

[ID: A screenshot showing a zoomed-out grassy landscape near a lake, with a message box reading “Click the banner to choose your settlement’s location.” At the bottom of the screen is a blue banner that reads “Click me to place your town banner.”]

Soon after selecting our starting location, a messenger bird arrives with a letter.

[ID: A screenshot showing a message box with a voxel bird displayed above it, titled ��A Bird...Messenger?’ The box reads “An odd bird arrives with a letter in its beak, stamped with the official seal of the Ascendency.” In smaller text: “The bird also carries a nametag, which reads ‘Harold’. Below the box are two options: ‘Open the letter’ and ‘[skip] We know what banner we want.’]

The letter reads:

Dear Expedition 142,

I hope this letter finds you well. By my guess, you’ve likely set up camp by now.

As your Capital Liaison, it is my honor to preside, remotely, over the official Founding of your Outpost! I trust that you had ample time to choose a name on your journey.

As you know, every new settlement must choose a Banner.

This Banner reflects your spirit and vision, the uniting factor which brought the Expedition together!

What future did you foresee when you embarked on your quest for Township?

Hold in your mind a vision of what your Town will one day be. Your Banner will set that course, but it is up to you to finish it.

Choose well, my friends. I eagerly await your reply.

Yours,

Mer Burlyhands

We could choose a banner of Vitality, which plants to grow faster and trees to drop more wood; Strength, which increases the amount of ore you get from mining and makes hearthlings not mind living in cramped spaces; or Cunning, which makes traders visit more frequently and traded items sell for more.

I choose the Banner of Vitality. The name of the town, of course, is Enterprise.

[ID: A message box titled ‘Outpost Established!’ which reads: “Proclamation of Outpost: By Unanimous agreement of the citizens, we declare Enterprise to be an outpost striving to be at one with the environment. Trees produce 25% more wood. Plants and crops both grow 25% faster. Plants have 2x their normal Appeal.”]

The messenger bird drops off some extra starting food supplies before leaving. Now it’s time to get to the business of actually building this town. Colony. Whatever.

First off, promotions for everyone! Except Sulu. It’ll be a bit before we can promote Sulu. Sorry, Sulu.

[ID: Four cropped shots of message boxes which read “Promote to [Carpenter/Herbalist/Trapper/Footman]. In honor of steadfast efforts and resilience, we hereby advance [Montgomery Scott/Leonard McCoy/Nyota Uhura/James Kirk]. 4th Day of Bittermun 1000.” Below the text is a stamp icon which reads ‘click to approve.’]

Then we establish a stockpile—a designated location for items to go—and cut down some trees. We’re going to need wood to make buildings and furniture, as well as for fuel.

After a bit of consideration, I decide to move the hearth closer to the lake, near to where our first building is going to go up. For the moment, however, night is falling, and everyone gathers to rest around the fire.

[ID: A screenshot showing voxel-McCoy, Uhura, Sulu and Scotty sitting around a campfire on the shores on a lake.]

...everyone except Kirk, who, for reasons best known only to himself, has fallen asleep in the stockpile.

[ID: 1. A screenshot showing voxel-Kirk laying asleep on the ground in a stockpile full of logs and food supplies. 2. A zoomed-out screenshot showing how far away Kirk is from everyone else around the campfire.]

Thus was founded the town/settlement/colony/localized disaster area known as Enterprise. What could possibly go wrong?

#and everything else #star trek #stonehearth #...starhearth? #stone trek? #anyway! i know y'all came here for star trek not video games #and i don't know if this is star trek-y enough to count #so do let me know if you have any feelings on it one way or the other

[fantasiavii]

some unpopular opinions

You have been warned.  You don’t have to read this.  I’m not attacking anyone or saying that people who disagree with me are bad (mostly...on 10 I’m pretty mad).  I’m just venting.  There’s a lot of fandoms on here but mostly Star Trek lmao.  In no particular order: 

1. (Les Mis) I don’t really like the Jehan/M0nt-par-nasse ship lmao and I’m sad that it’s pretty much the only ship Jehan’s put in now.  When I joined the fandom there was a lot more Jehan/Courf and I really liked that and I miss it and I miss Jehan/Bahorel and Jehan/Feuilly too even though I never really shipped them like I shipped Jehan/Courf but I just miss Jehan with other people... (Also Jehan/Courf/Combeferre!!! My beloved rarepair rowboat of a ship)

2. (Les Mis) Not really an unpopular opinion just something I found out and I don’t see people talking about: The invasion and colonization of Algeria actually had a key role in the 1830 revolution and the establishment of the Orleans monarchy and its not really mentioned in Les Mis, most likely because Hugo’s looking at French history through rose-colored glasses.  A lot of ideals from the Revolution and Napoleon’s time were weirdly combined under the Orleans monarchy to get people to support the regime and the colonization of Algeria was a key part of this and part of the expression of that ideology.  Essentially, some of the values promoted in Les Mis were used to justify the colonization of Algeria (though in a weirdly monarchist form).  Good reference: By Sword and Plow: France and the Conquest of Algeria by Jennifer E. Sessions.

3. (Star Wars) I like the prequel trilogies.  Not in a “they never did anything wrong/are unproblematic and you are all wrong!” way but in a “I grew up watching all of Star Wars indiscriminately” way because my parents (who grew up with the original trilogy) didn’t hate the prequels and so now I can say I like the prequels, I don’t think they’re any worse than the original trilogy (which had plenty of problems imo) and also Padme is fucking awesome.

4. (Marvel) Loki is canonically bi and genderqueer both in Norse mythology and the Marvel comics and that’s just how it is.  This isn’t even an opinion.  I’m just tired of people straightwashing him and honestly if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine, just stick to the movieverse, I really really don’t mind.  It’s worse when you try to explain away his queerness.  That’s what really sucks.

5. (Star Trek - Vulcans) Vulcans/Vulcan culture seem to have originally been a thought experiment of like...taking Enlightenment era rationality and neo-Stoicism and pushing it to its most extreme and Vulcans, when they were originally created, were (mostly likely, given what I know of the time period) a symptom of the contemporary Western idea that religion would one day die out and be replaced by rational, secular humanism.  Vulcan logic/Surakian logic grew to resemble a religion more over time* (most notably within the Enterprise and Discovery series) and then it most resembled (through my religion major eyes) a combination of Enlightenment era rationality and Buddhism.  Surakian logic’s relationship to Buddhism is complicated, because its resemblance of Buddhism is a symptom of the Orientalism that is still very much present in a lot of science fiction** (usually when Asian inspired cultures appear but not Asian characters), but Surakian logic is also symptomatic of the Americanization of Buddhism or what some people call American Buddhism.  This is a form of Buddhism that has been sanitized of most of its original “religious” trappings and narrowed down to “spirituality” and, again, rationality, because white people went to Asia and thought that Buddhism was the only rational religion for awhile and then brought it to the US and it’s now sold to people as mostly a spiritual, not a religious, thing, and as a way to cope with late capitalism.  Not trying to disparage American Buddhists or people who are into the just spirituality thing.  I’m just saying there was a change when Buddhism crossed the Pacific and some of the process of bringing it over was highkey problematic (same with Hinduism).  The fact that Buddhism was perceived as the “most rational” religion is probably why it ended up being what Surakian logic most resembled when Surakian logic grew to look more obviously like a religion.  And also because Orientalism.

*though it is my opinion that even in its original series formation, Surakian logic could still be considered a religion

**there’s several examples of it in Star Trek besides Surakian logic.  Also Star Wars.

6. (Star Trek - TOS) Take a deep breath on this one guys: the original series is not that great.  Like. It’s valuable for the nostalgia factor and its repetitiveness is comforting and so is the familiarity of the cast but some of the episodes are just straight up bad.  Like That Is Obviously Racist levels of bad.  And I no longer want to waste time with this “they put sexual stuff to distract the censors from the radical message” shit.  That might be true but there’s still blatant exploitation of women and women’s bodies in almost every episode; Jim both is sexually assaulted and sexually assaults other people; Jim is a feminist sometimes but only when it suits the episode.  The fandom put TOS on a pedestal and looks at it through rose-colored glasses and I don’t really understand why??? We should be able to admit it had problematic aspects and move on.  It was groundbreaking for its time, yes.  But it’s been over fifty years and I’m not interested in returning to the 1960s.  

7. (Star Trek - Spirk) The AOS movies (especially the first two) are written like a love story between Kirk and Spock and I know people get upset about the Spock/Uhura romance but there is at least as much homoerotic subtext in aos as there is tos.  y’all are just mean. (esp since Jim so obviously dates other women in tos or has “had a past” with them which is clearly meant to imply romance of some sort......)

8. (Star Trek - AOS) Into Darkness is a good movie.  So it the first one and so is Beyond.

9. (Star Trek and Star Wars) This fandom war is pointless.  You can enjoy both, especially since they’re completely different stories with different messages, and also, by some definitions, different genres (science fiction vs science fantasy).  My parents grew up watching both and (like the stuff about the Star Wars prequels) didn’t ever tell me I should be fighting between the two.  I honestly think these controversies (Star Wars vs Star Trek and SW prequels vs originals) still exist bc they’re taught to us, not because they are valuable debates.

10. (Oscar Wilde) “Love is a sacrament that should be taken kneeling” is not about oral sex, y’all have just never read De Profundis and it shows.  Oscar Wilde was very much a Christian and while talking about divine love through the metaphor of human love and vice versa is a tried and true thing people do, I can guarantee that this quote is not about oral sex.  You guys just have your minds in the gutter or are, at worst, fetishizing of gay relationships.  Not everything queer people do is about what they like it bed.

And I think 10 is a good place to stop lol.

#l'histoire de ma vie #I really don't want to piss people off I just #am tired of being silent #not even necessarily about these things but just in general #I try to never make waves and I'm tired #also given the nature of this post I have reread and reread it #so I hope I didn't make a typo or misspeak somewhere but it's possible #so apologies if my point came across in a way I didn't intend

[1shirt2shirtredshirtdeadshirt]

TOS Tag Game

OK for starters YAAASSS, feel free to tag me in these every time because I too want to talk endlessly about Star Trek TOS and am always excited to feed the fandom beast.

@burning--amber tagged me in this greatness -- I apologize for the delay but you know, I did have to find a publisher who would sign off on this fucking NOVEL. Because that is actually what I wrote in response. I am so sorry. 😂 When I say I’m here to talk Trek I MEAN I am HERE. To get up to the podium and PREACH THE GOSPEL. I encourage anyone following me who’s thirsty to talk TOS to jump aboard, tag me and give us the T! I want to hear from y’all! 

1. Which is the most defining moment for Spock and Jim as couple, in your opinion? One which left you most shaken?

Wow, yes. Ohhhh no. Let’s talk about this. (Who let me out of my cage?) There are so many strong moments in TOS, my GOD. Amok Time is the most infamous and blatant, you can’t really skate over that big guy because -- because -- YOU KNOW WHY. IT’S AMOK TIME. This is the elephant in the room which will stomp you to death if you ignore it. I can’t let myself write a paper with a works cited list on Amok Time right now, I just can’t. That episode -- I mean -- it was literally getting sucker punched in the junk with a slash fandom awakening. Kirk sacrificing command? His career? Risking his life?! Spock becoming completely void, utterly gutted, and a husk of a destroyed existence in the aftermath of what he believed to have actually done to Jim? I don’t know how it’s possible for anyone to watch that episode and not get steamrolled into a human pancake at how real and obvious the Spirk relationship became right then and there. IN THE 60′S! Yup just bros though, just bro things. 

I did let myself practically write a paper on how huge Devil in the Dark was for Kirk and Spock -- you get to see two individuals who each have a valid point, who both believe fiercely in their own standpoint, and who ultimately end up adopting one another’s views. It’s a beautiful demonstration of what they mean to each other as equals and as individuals -- how in sync they are and what a significant mutual respect they share. 

Throughout the series you’re hearing and witnessing Kirk’s rather open way of expressing affection for Spock. Plato’s Stepchildren is one of those rare opportunities where we get to see the depth of Spock’s feelings for Kirk via his own words and actions. And it is intense enough to make up for how difficult it can be sometimes to get a clear window into Spock’s perspective. It was all out there for anyone to see after Spock witnesses Kirk getting mistreated and nearly being made to inflict harm to Jim. You really get an understanding of just how powerful Vulcan emotion can be in that moment, and holy God, does he have strong feelings about Jim. 

But if we’re talking all-encompassing canon then for me the most defining moment for Spock and Kirk as a couple throughout the entire series has to be Spock’s epiphany in sickbay after making contact with V’Ger. We know something happened that catalyzed a rift and separation between Kirk and Spock, and this is the moment their whole relationship comes full circle. The look on his face as he’s lying there shaking his head and saying “Jim . . . I should have known.” Jim’s blatant desperation as he clasps Spock’s shoulders and begs: “Spock. What should you have known?” And Spock reaches for him. My heart drops through me every time he takes Jim by the hand, locking their grip as he stares him dead in the eyes and says: “This. Simple Feeling . . . is beyond V’Ger’s comprehension.” And Jim is overcome, bursting, and he wraps his other hand over their already entwined hands and just nods. Spock nods wordlessly back. That was acceptance. It was acknowledgement. It was forgiveness. It was walking through mental, physical and emotional hell with AND without someone and coming out on the other side again to find each other once more. It was fucking love. 

As for the one that left me the most shaken . . . it’s unquestionably the end of Wrath of Khan. From the moment that Jim looks over at that empty chair and you feel a shadow of that dread and realization, Jim pushing a member of his crew out of the way and the entire run down, having to take three men to hold him back from trying to go in there with Spock with tears in his eyes . . . I mean, when we love somebody -- truly, genuinely love somebody -- we might throw around the idea or firmly feel -- believe -- say -- that if given a choice, you’d die for that person. But in living that moment, Spock actually did exactly that out of love. He knew what had to be done and he decided to sacrifice himself for his own family -- for the whole crew of the Enterprise. But there was a reason that the sole person kneeling down in front of him weeping, reaching for him and seeking out his hand, hearing his last words, and sharing his last moments was Jim. It’s so powerful, so utterly heart shattering, such a raw and sad depiction of love, and it turns me into a hot human mess every time I see it. THE FRONT. OF THE SHIRT. IS SOAKED WITH MY TEARS. EVERY TIME.  Ahem. So uh, that just happened. There’s Chapter 1. I mean question 1. I swear to God I am not going to write chapter books for each one of these. *Wipes forehead nervously*

2. Which alien race deserved more? What do you think could have been improved upon?

Two episodes really stand out for me as outstanding in the quality of the story; I find Balance of Terror and The Enterprise Incident captivating.They sort of ghost around that decadent and dark history that Vulcans and Romulans share -- they let you see a bit of it, but there is a lot of mystery surrounding it. They pique your interest in wanting to get a better look at those cultures to understand them. Oh trust, I was beyond curious. I was frothing. I know that other Star Trek series have offered us more in terms of the Romulan backstory and history, but I really had a thirst to know more during TOS and I would latch onto whatever crumb they would toss out. Honestly, I would watch an entire series based entirely on ancient Vulcans and Romulans. I mean it, I am thirsty as hell. 

3. What is the most disappointing thing about TOS for you?

In all honesty? The fact that it got cancelled after three seasons!!! We were robbed. F u c k i n g   p i l f e r e d   b u t t   n a k e d. I’m sure there was so much ground to cover with the show that they never got a chance to bring into fruition and that frustrates me. If we’re talking some aspect within the show, those occasional moments with women that were so blatantly objectifying -- the ones that kind of jarringly reminded you that this was still made in the 60′s. I acknowledge the time it was made, but it still stings to see that sometimes if I am being entirely honest.

4. Who gets the Mr/Miss.Congeniality award if you were the judge?

I would have to say Uhura. She doesn’t get the kind of screen time that Kirk, Spock and Bones do, but I find the moments that she has with other characters to be very telling. How they react to her and treat her reveals a lot about how valuable and meaningful her presence is aboard the Enterprise. They all have such an immense love and respect for her. You just don’t really see confrontations with Uhura and other crew members -- it’s so rare compared to other members of the crew. She seems to be that person who brings brightness and light and joy to people who may be feeling very out of sorts, low on morale, or lonely in space. I also love that she canonically sings for the members of the crew to lift their spirits and help them unwind. There’s something so pure and warm about her character while also showcasing strength and professionalism in the same vein. 

5. Which section of Enterprise are you most curious to see which was never filmed?

The room, turbolift, or jeffries tube that Kirk and Spock would drag each other off to so they could make out, because we all know that it happened. (I digress. Truth be told, it was less about seeing a section of the Enterprise and more about getting a little more intimacy with the crew. I wish there had been more time for moments like seeing them getting ready before work, interacting with their rooms, showing us little glimpses of who they are and where they come from. So I guess having access to more on a personal level with the individuals -- the crew is the section of the Enterprise that I am most curious to see which was not filmed intimately enough to whet my curiosity about them.)

I have two questions.

1. What was the defining episode that you watched that made you go: Yup. I am 100% on board for this. WHERE ARE THE REST. I AM SOLD. THE CHEQUE IS CASHED, I HAVE MADE THE PURCHASE, GIVE ME THE STAR TREK.

Second . . . 

2. What. The fuck. Happened in the story between Season 3 and The Motion Picture. I legitimately live on a steady diet of fan theories about this and I’m starved to death. I don’t care if that dead horse has been beaten to glue, I can’t not talk about it. I love hearing what people have to say about that time period. Seriously. What happened between Jim and Spock. 

I WANT ANSWERS! I WANT THE TRUTH!

(You know that nobody could possibly know that and you also know that Gene Roddenberry passed away in 1991.)

*Grabs collar shakily* ASK HIM ANYWAY. 

ಠ▃ಠ . . . 

(¬▂¬) . . . 

I really should stop here. 

(No obligation, just love and admire your blogs! I’m curious what y’all have to say if you haven’t been tagged yet! <3: 

@queenofgol @ashayamspirk @thisisnotahetship @startrektrashface @demonicvulcan @pansexualspirk @homosexualspock @cptkirksnipples )

#spirk #octrekmeta #tag game #star trek #tos #meta #long ass fucking post #do I make any other kind of post? #no #@burning--amber #kirk #spock

[samingtonwilson]

Return - Part 4 - Jim Kirk

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Summary: series following the events of loot– takes place during events of star trek beyond. in this chapter, you’re on familiar ground that seems to be breaking under your feet.

Warnings: language, a bit of violence (but it’s canon)

A/N: i’m still tagging those i used to tag for loot, tell me if you want to be removed. this chapter’s a lil long, but it goes from jim’s pov to reader’s and SHIT’S FINALLY GOING DOWN.

Jim was having trouble concentrating.

It began as the woman behind the universal translator, Kalara, told her story. A story of her stranded ship, her endangered crew— a story that was somehow not rousing enough to capture all of Jim’s attention as he stood beside Commodore Paris.

He instead focused on the high-neck of his uniform, the snug nature of the drably colored fabric. He stared at her blankly. He only heard the last of what Kalara spoke— she needed a ship capable of navigating the nebula, she needed someone who could help her.

He lost his concentration once more as he looked over the holographic representation of her ship in Commodore Paris’ office, a representation of the nebula it was trapped in. He was focusing on the colors— the blue of the ship, the red and gold of the nebula— and the whirring of the images rather than focus on the coordinates Commodore Paris read out to him with the rasp of her voice.

“We tracked her stranded ship to a sector of uncharted nebula, here at 210-mark-14,” she said, frowning as she watched the holograms Jim was so enthralled with.

Jim walked around the desk to a glowing screen several feet from the image of the nebula and cleared his throat. He told himself to focus, to get out of his own head. “Uh,” he started, mentally scolding himself already. “Long-range scan?”

She stood on the opposite side of the large room, watching Jim as he poked and prodded the touch-screen and increased the size of the nebula to get a better look at the glowing holo. “No data. The nebula is too dense— it’s uncharted space.”

As if on reflex, Jim offered, “Well, the Enterprise does have the best navigational system in the fleet. She could handle it.”

He smiled politely once he finished speaking, taking his eyes from Commodore Paris and scanning the room. The windows that lined the walls opened up to skyscrapers and hovercrafts, their sounds muted by the mechanical whirring to his right and the loud thumps deep inside him.

He wasn’t sure if he’d only offered out of formality— or if he was ready to go out into deep space so soon. His feet had been on the ground for a day and, granted it wasn’t the best day, he still wanted more.

He wanted to breathe lazily so the air hit every corner of his lungs, he wanted to stop shaving his cheeks for even a day. He wanted to train himself to appreciate his reflection again, rather than scowl each time he caught sight of his exhaustion. Hell, he just wanted to wake up each morning without a clue of what he would do throughout the day— he wanted to do away with routine, do away with each rerun episode his life was replaying as if on constant loop. He wanted a break.

His uncertainty for why he offered arose from a single thought, though— did he really want to walk around Yorktown with the possibility of seeing you at any time? He thought that, maybe subconsciously, his immediate offering of the Enterprise was derived from defense, from armoring himself against you to the point that he couldn’t stay on the same planet.

He thought the part of him that didn’t trust you, the part that was still so furious, might have wanted a break from the rest of him— the part of him that wanted to stay on Yorktown and “run into” you each day. That angry part could find no relaxation greater than the relaxation banality and directionlessness offered by tedious space travel. It made it so he could keep himself lost within his mind and there was no risk there, no reason to fear anything-- at least he couldn’t lose himself in anyone else.

“The only ship here with more advanced technology is still under construction.” Commodore Paris crossed the room, leant against the tabletop screen, and lifted her gaze to meet Jim’s. There was an apology in her deep brown eyes. “But it’s not just the ship that I’m sending.”

Jim’s dilemma was solved for him. He found himself smiling ruefully as he said, “I’ll gather the crew.”

Before he could walk out of the office, Commodore Paris called out to him. “I’ll also be sending a security officer with knowledge of this case and your ship.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Jim said, shaking his head lightly. “We have an abundance of security officers on our crew—”

“I’m aware. I would be more comfortable, however, sending someone well-versed on the matters of this case as well as well-equipped to navigate the ship without additional assistance from the crew.” She nodded once when Jim continued to stare at her, “For my own assurance.”

Sighing in quiet defeat, he nodded. “Tell them to make it to the loading bay on time— I’ll meet them there.”

“You’ve already met, actually,” she said, glancing at the largest screen embedded into her desk as she pulled a file up to join the many holos already displayed.

As Jim read your name, as he saw your picture, he cursed his luck for having found his heart as it was currently lodged in his throat. He looked back at the Commodore, his mouth fallen open into a shape resembling his wide eyes. The red part of him was losing its solace. “I’m sorry, I assumed she was removed from the Academy due to the arrest.”

“Yes, she and her credits were reinstated recently— security track.”

“Then she’s still a cadet, I presume.”

She nodded, watching Jim tentatively. “Just a course short of graduation. Normally I don’t concern myself with the affairs of the Academy, but I took special interest in her after watching your testimony. Her skills are just as glowing as you described and she has fit-in quite well on the base— I offered her the immediate promotion in wake of these events before you came in this evening, and she accepted.”  

There was doubt, denial, and utter despair fogging Jim’s every sense— but the most he could do was nod once. He didn’t want to contradict any bit of his testimony by saying what the red part of him was urging and he didn’t want to enthusiastically accept. He had no choice but to accept, and hated the part of him that celebrated.

“Captain,” she called out once more as he was inches from the door.

He turned around with less gusto this time, his shoulders unable to stay in the stoic position they were once in.

“Starfleet command sent me your application for the Vice Admiral position here at this installation.”

He looked down for a moment and contemplated withdrawing the application.

When he scolded himself this time, though, he told himself not to be so controlled by you, by his feelings for you. The angry, red part of him would lose gas eventually and die down— and the other parts of him needed rest, no matter where that was. He couldn’t let himself be so concerned about what you did to him when you weren’t concerned in any way about it— you were okay and he wasn’t but he wanted to be, he would try to be.

Jim just needed a break. He needed a break from the back-aching perfect posture, from the command gold tunic, from the idea that he would continue to chase something so far out of reach its existence was doubtful. Truthfully, Jim needed a break from being what he thought was himself— he needed to spend time getting to know the person underneath all of it, the person he’d been silencing for years. And a break from the Enterprise, the starting of a new job on Yorktown, would help him do just that.

“Yes, ma’am. Um,” he cleared his throat and looked away. “If I may, I recommend Commander Spock replace me as captain of the Enterprise. He is an exemplary Starfleet officer— he’d make a great captain.”

Commodore Paris smiled at Jim. Her eyes were a bit narrowed and a knowing expression crossed her features. She watched him silently for a few moments until saying, “It isn’t uncommon, you know, even for a captain, to want to leave.”

He didn’t respond.

“There is no relative direction in the vastness of space. There’s only yourself, your ship, your crew— it’s easier than you think, to get lost.”

Jim shook his head. “It’s not about—”

“I’ll bring it up with the General Council. We’ll discuss it when you return.”

In resignation, Jim took that as a goodbye— he almost laughed at the thought that it didn’t seem like an evening for long-winded goodbyes. Just short, one-worded goodbyes like his nod and soft, “Ma’am” before exiting.

--

Being back on the Enterprise inspired a feeling you couldn’t even explain to yourself. It was a strange mix of anxiousness, satisfaction, nostalgia, paralyzing fear, and a bit of elation. You didn’t know if you wanted to smile or scowl, hunch your shoulders forward or walk with your head held high.

The crew was aware of your previous indiscretions— it was hot gossip that circulated through the starship in no time. Of course, that meant there were whispers surrounding you and clinging to your red uniform dress like lint. You told yourself to be unbothered by it, to not mind what was said one bit because you’d done your time, you’d done all you had to in order to rectify the situation— it wasn’t like you’d broken every heart on board like you’d broken Jim’s and your own.

Besides, you were only on board until you were able to locate the stranded ship and deliver them their captain safe and sound.

But there was comfort in knowing you had Leonard and, according to their behavior the minute they spotted you, you had Uhura, Chekov, and Sulu— they were more than you needed and much more than you expected.

As you walked out of the medbay with Leonard by your side, you pulled the cuffs of your sleeves so they covered your palms. “Is it too late to back out?”

Snorting, he nodded. “It was too late the minute you interrupted my date with your incessant calls.”

“I needed advice,” you shrugged, offering him a half-smile in apology when he looked your way. “And you’re the wisest, sneakiest man I know.”

“What’s sneakiness got to do with it?”

You stood beside him in the turbolift leading to the bridge, leaning against the wall behind you when you felt the ship jolt as it launched. “I just thought I’d mention it since I have yet to kill you for scamming Jim and I into talking.”

“It was gonna happen eventually. I was just the catalyst,” he said, smiling to himself.

“Catalyst, my ass. If anything, it made him hate me more.”

“Don’t confuse love with hate, sweetheart,” he was practically singing as he followed you off the turbolift.

“Don’t plant ideas in my head, Bones.”

“Does Spock know you’re back?”

You shrugged. “Jim or Uhura probably told him by now.”

“I’m sad I missed it.” He sighed out dreamily, “To be a fly on that wall, darlin’.”

The buzz of the bridge seemed to die down as you stepped through the sliding door. Several pairs of eyes flashed to you, then to Jim, then back at the consoles at which each nosy officer was situated.

You snorted softly to yourself and crossed your arms over your chest. You knew you couldn’t let yourself look vulnerable to any of it— what they could have been saying or thinking, what fluttering overwhelmed your chest when you remembered Jim was sitting just a few feet from you.

You smiled as you approached the pink pearlescent-skinned Kalara, standing beside her while Leonard stood as close to you as he could.

You wanted to thank him for being so protective, especially seeing how he stood before you to eclipse any negativity that could be sent your way. Instead, you clasped his hand in yours and gave it a firm squeeze.

He leaned in your direction a bit to bump his shoulder against yours and smiled to himself.

“Lieutenant Uhura, open a ship-wide channel.”

Before flipping the switches required, Uhura said a simple, “Yes, Captain.”

“Attention, crew of the Enterprise,” you almost grimaced at his typical captain voice. It was something you didn’t miss. “Our mission is straightforward. Rescue a crew stranded on a planet in uncharted space. Our trajectory will take us through an unstable nebula—”

“Phenomenal,” Leonard muttered, forcing you to cover your lips with your free hand as you laughed softly.

“ — one which will disable all communications with Starfleet. We’re gonna be on our own.”

Leonard sighed, “Incredible.”

“The Enterprise has something no other ship in the fleet has— you. As we’ve come to understand, there is no such thing as the unknown, only the temporarily hidden.”

“He’s talking about you,” Leonard told you in a whispered voice.

You nudged his ribs with your elbow sharply. “Shut up, I’m trying to listen to the most inspirational speech of the century.”

Leonard only shook in silent laughter as his response.

“Kirk out.”

There were rumbles outside the ship and flashes of lightning that did little to illuminate the bridge once the overhead lights were lost. Each of the faces around you was visible only because of said lightning and the nebula’s orange glow.

As you and Leonard exchanged glances, Jim looked up at Spock. He traced the stoic, plain features of his First Officer and imagined to himself how Spock could look so unbothered, so calm when the ship shook and darkness overtook them. Jim thought he should learn from the pointy-eared, bowl-haired half-Vulcan, maybe ask if he could do a brief tutorial on the secrets of being unaffected.

After a collection of silent minutes, Chekov’s hum broke you out of the daze that kept your vision locked on the cracks of lightning ripping through the black backdrop. “Readings indicate cloud density diminishing, sir.”

Ten flashes of lightning passed within the following seconds and a computerized voice spoke to your left. “This is Altamid. My ship is stranded here.”

You repeated that to yourself in your head— Altamid. Something about it felt strange, as did the coordinates you’d seen in the case file— you thought you might recognize them if you looked a little harder but had no such luck. That familiarity was the basis of your interest in the case.

As the ship moved closer to the planet that was a shade of blue resembling Earth, the bridge lights flickered on. You took a half-step closer to Leonard.

“Approaching Altamid,” Spock stated, his voice rumbling through the otherwise silent bridge. He fussed with the console before him. “Class M planet. Massive subterranean development. But limited to no life forms on the surface.”

A low beeping began. Chekov started to shift. “Proximity alert, sir. We have an unknown ship heading right for us.”

You noticed Kalara stare at the Russian navigator, her eyes a bit wide and her posture tense.

The beeping grew louder, Leonard’s grip on your hand grew tighter.

“Lieutenant Uhura, hail them,” Jim said, his voice still and unwavering.

“Yes, Captain.”

The siren’s whining beeps continued as Uhura flipped another set of switches and toyed with the knobs on her console, her almond-shaped eyes narrowing. “No response,” she continued. “I am picking up some kind of signal.”

You looked away from the viewing screen and met Kalara’s gaze. She was still shifting, her fingers shook slightly, her face showed something far from indifference— there was emotion saturating her entire being and it worried you. Something felt off.

“They’re jamming us,” Uhura stated, her voice tuned with confusion as the usually smooth skin of her forehead creased.

Jim rose from his chair and started towards the screen— you continued to stare at the woman beside you, though. “Magnify, Mr. Sulu.”

You looked at Leonard and pulled on his hand to gain his attention. “Something’s off.”

“What do you—”

There were several high-pitched beeps from the viewing screen that grabbed your attention, the ship displayed there massive as it seemed to be shifting, constantly moving and changing shape.

Jim turned to look at the stranded captain beside you. His eyebrows were knit together and his shoulders were pulled back. “What is this?”

She only looked between you, Jim, and Leonard wordlessly. Her fingers continued to shake, her feet constantly in shifty motion, her face reflecting apprehension.

“Shields up! Red alert!” Jim shouted before a loud alarm blared throughout the bridge. The lights bordering each console glowed with a red brighter than your uniform and everyone jumped into action.

Suddenly, the shape-shifting ship before the Enterprise dissipated— thousands of tiny, almost housefly-like ships exploded across the sky and headed towards the flagship of the fleet.

“Fire at will,” Jim called.

Red beams emitted from the Enterprise and were somehow useless against the flies. Sulu fired several other, larger torpedoes and they went by with minimal impact.

You turned to Kalara and tried to tune out the alarm’s blaring and Chekov’s voice as he spoke to Jim. You placed your hand on her upper arm and gripped tighter than you should have. “You know what’s happening, don’t you?”

She only stared at you.

You traced the pink rope-like grooves that began above her forehead and clung to her scalp until meeting with her neck to then follow her stressed limbs that shook minutely. You tried to speak over your heart’s nervous thudding in your ears. “You have to tell me something— we’re here for your ship, for God’s sake.”

“Captain, we are not equipped for this manner of engagement,” Spock said from behind you.

You looked at the viewing screen again and the small ships that seemed so ineffectual from farther away now resembled the most vicious bullets. As they pelted the ship in every direction, you had to grip onto the console in your vicinity for balance.

A loud crash rang through the ship and Chekov shouted, “Shield frequencies have no effect, sir!”

“They took out the dish,” Sulu added. “Shields are inoperable.”

“Warp us out of here, Mr. Sulu,” Jim said before turning around to face you. “Did she say anything?”

“No, she won’t speak.” You swallowed. “Captain, no science survey ship could survive this kind of impact.”

“What are you saying?”

“There’s no ship to rescue. I think she has something to do with this.”

Jim sat down and sighed loudly. “Why aren’t we moving?”

“I can’t engage the warp drive, sir,” Sulu answered. The shaking of his voice sounded like every scream you held inside of you.

“Scotty, I need warp now,” Jim said, his head pointed towards the receiver in his chair.

You heard a worrisome, out of breath Scottish voice on the other line, “I cannae, sir. The nacelles, they’ve— They’ve gone.”

Jim somehow managed to keep his calm, his arms set atop the rests and his voice clear as he stated, “Security, engage all emergency procedures. Active protocol 28 Code One Alpha Zero. All personnel to alert stations.”

Just as you were about to leave, Jim turned to face you. “Not you. You’re here to watch her, you stay with her. Get her to talk.”

“Captain, —”

“That’s an order.”

You watched as Spock and Leonard left their respective locations on the bridge to enter the closest turbolifts. When you finally focused on the woman you were meant to be helping, you sighed out and said to yourself in a soft, dry voice, “Welcome back to the Enterprise, (Y/N).”

PART 5

tagging (TELL ME IF YOU WANT TO BE ADDED OR REMOVED): @outside-the-government@daughterofthebrowncoats @multifandom-slytherin @buckyy3s @cinema212 @caaptain@dani-fae @wonders-of-the-enterprise @imaginesofdreams @the-witching-hours12-3@kaitymccoy123@anyakinamidala @vevsee @afluffykiwi @curiositywillbethedeathofme@arielsimaginess@captain-what-is-going-on @micheladakenzo @avengers-earths-mightiest-heroes @eufeme @buriedinfandomsandfeels @ididntmeantobutiaccidentally @avoidthoseeyes

#AWWWWW SHIT #KRALL BE ATTACKIN YALL #KRALL BE ATTACKIN #someone come collect they mans jim who's out here tryin to make inspirational speeches #fuckin 'the enterprise has you' headass #jim #jim kirk #jim kirk imagine #kirk imagine #jim kirk x reader #kirk x reader #star trek #star trek beyond #star trek imagine #star trek beyond imagine #captain kirk imagine #captain kirk x reader #imagine kirk #imagine jim kirk

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #161 - Star Trek Beyond

(GIF originally posted by @forquicksilver)

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: Yes.

Was it a movie I saw since August 22nd, 2009: Yes. #440

Format: Blu-ray

1) The preproduction for this film was slightly troubled. JJ Abrams was committed to Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens so co-writer of the first two films Robert Orci signed on as director. He ended up leaving production though, taking his cinematographer with him, and it was a little while before Justin Lin (Fast and the Furious 3 - 6) was hired to replace him. Writers Simon Pegg and Doug Jung reportedly wrote the script in a bit of a hurry as they still had a release date to meet. But at the end the film turned out really well, so everything worked out in the end.

2) This film was released during the 50th anniversary of the Star Trek franchise.

Having said that, the work done by writers Pegg and Jung as well as Lin’s direction I think help to make the film feel like a balance between old Trek and new Trek. I’ll get into more details on that as I go along.

3) The opening scene.

The opening has an incredible sense of fun and humor to it (with the aliens Kirk is trying to break peace with seemingly gigantic and ending up being the size of a chihuahua) and honestly feels like it could be the concept of an episode for the original “Star Trek” TV show (says the guy who’s never seen an episode of the original series). It establishes some of the lighter/funner tone this film will feature compared to the titular darkness of Into Darkness as well as Kirk’s initial conflict in the film. It is a wonderful beginning.

4) Kirk’s tiredness.

Kirk is three years into his five year mission in space (which, in a not-so-coincidental-way, is how long the original series got before cancellation) and it is starting to weigh on him.

Kirk [in his captain’s log]: “As for me things have started to feel a little...episodic.”

There’s no direction in space, it is just infinite and that is starting to weigh on Kirk. It has him questioning the point of it all. It has him questioning who he is.

Kirk [after commenting he’s now a year older on his birthday]: “A year older than [my father] got to be. He joined Starfleet because he believed in it. I joined on a dare.”

Bones: “You joined to see if you could live up to him. [Mentions how Kirk has spent all this time trying to be like his dad.] Now you’re wondering what it means to be Jim.”

And it is through the fire of conflict in this film that Kirk will reclaim his identity and who exactly he is.

5) The release of this film was given an unexpected dose of sorrow as actor Anton Yelchin tragically passed away about a month before the film’s release.

There is a scene early in the film where Bones and Kirk drink some Scotch they found in Chekov’s locker. They pour three glasses, the third one being for “absent friends” (as in those we’ve lost who could not be here now). The absent friend I believe was meant to be Kirk’s later father, who the pair are talking about. But in the wake of Anton Yelchin’s passing the scene takes on a much more somber meaning and feels more like a tribute to him. After the film’s release I read on IMDb that the scene was included to pay tribute to Yelchin, but I can no longer find that piece of trivia suggesting it may have been false. Either way, it is impossible to divorce Chekov from that scene or the unintended tribute it pays to the late actor. I’m going to miss seeing you in the movie, Anton.

6) Yorktown.

Yorktown is quite possibly the stand out new element introduced into the film. The space station/outpost/colony/whatever is visually outstanding. Most space stations in film are defined by rigid edges and sharp boundaries but Yorktown is circular. It’s fluid, it’s organic, it moves into and through each other like a planet. Some of the camera tricks and technical aspects used to show off this new location is great. It also has an incredible atmosphere to it which ties directly into the sense of hope this franchise is all about. The air is clean, the sky is bright, multiple alien species are working in unity, and Giacchino’s again excellent score just lifts up the sense of optimism that bleeds through this place. It is a wonderful addition to not only this film but Trek lore as a whole.

7) This film introduces what I believe is Star Trek’s first canon gay character by revealing that John Cho’s Hikaru Sulu is in a partnership with another man.

(GIF originally posted by @maclexa-bane​)

However, this decision had one person surprisingly against it. Original Sulu actor and LGBT activist George Takei himself. Here is an excerpt from an article covering this in the Hollywood Reporter.

"I’m delighted that there’s a gay character," he tells The Hollywood Reporter. "Unfortunately, it’s a twisting of Gene’s creation, to which he put in so much thought. I think it’s really unfortunate."

Takei would take to social media a week later to clarify - but not disavow - his statement.

“I hoped instead that [Star Trek creator] Gene Roddenberry’s original characters and their backgrounds would be respected. How exciting it would be instead if a new hero might be created, whose story could be fleshed out from scratch, rather than reinvented. To me, this would have been even more impactful.”

I personally disagree with Takei. As a film student I can say that there seems to be this strange devotion to the “vision” of something. A decision will or won’t be made based on its support of the “original vision”. The original vision of something is almost totally irrelevant to what something actually is, however. Takei’s statements seem to be largely out of his respect for original creator Gene Rodenberry, which I can understand. But imagine some gay kid today LOVES the Star Trek movies and its characters. That kid is not going to care about Gene Rodenberry’s original vision, he is going to care about what Star Trek is today. I think seeing an already established (and incredibly important character) like Sulu express his sexuality in an open and accepted way is very much in line with what Star Trek is today (and will also have more of an impact on that kid than introducing a new character who they have no emotional investment in, but that's just my personal belief).

The franchise has transcended Rodenberry or any one person involved. It is about unity (a major theme in this film), diversity, tolerance, and hope. And as long as it respects these core beliefs which make Star Trek what it is than I think it does more than respect Rodenberry’s original vision. It respects Star Trek.

8) I am going to talk about Spock and Uhura’s breakup and Spock Prime’s death, I promise. Just later.

9) Even though JJ Abrams did NOT direct this film, Greg Grunberg is still featured in it!

Grunberg is JJ Abrams’ lucky charm, appearing in almost all his films (notably absent from Star Trek into Darkness) in one form or another. And even though Abrams serves only as producer on this flick Grunberg still gets a part. Yay!

10) I like that Commodore Paris (one of the Starfleet higher ups at Yorktown) takes the time to say this to Kirk:

Commodore Paris: “It isn’t uncommon you know, even for a captain. To want to leave.”

It’s a common problem people have in life, the loss of identity. And of course it makes sense that it happens to Starfleet officers. Nothing is defined in space. It’s just space.

11) The skirmish between Kraal’s crew and the Enterprise is great.

As a way of introducing the primary plot into the film, it shows a clear lack of preparedness on the part of the Enterprise crew which is a great place to start the conflict and move forward. A, “started from the bottom,” type way. The film opening with such a heavy thrashing and the destruction of the Enterprise leaves a strong impact on the audience. You know these bad guys are people you do not want to mess with, you don’t even want to be in the same room as them. They just took down one of the best starships ever in a matter of minutes. The scene features great action, nice surprises, and is incredibly well paced. As the first major action set piece for the film, it is truly great.

12)

Kirk: “Abandon ship, Mr. Sulu.”

There is literally NO question from Sulu and only a the hesitation needed to process that request. He doesn’t even say, “Sir?” There’s no doubt in his mind. That is how much he trusts his captain and that is how well he knows his ship to admit when it’s done.

13) Idris Elba as Krall.

I will forever be upset that Suicide Squad won the Oscar for Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling when this film is PACKED with some of the most amazing practical creatures and aliens I have seen in years. You don’t have to look any further than Krall to see that. Idris Elba is not giving an animated performance, he’s not motion capture (not to knock motion capture actors, they’re some of the most under appreciated geniuses in Hollywood). That’s him. He is able to deliver a menacing and powerful performance through strong physicality. Elba does not play Krall as human and he shouldn’t. A huge factor for the character is that he’s lost his humanity. He is a beastly shade of his former self, motivated only by madness. I think Krall may be the best villain of this new trilogy (although it’s hard for me to be objective because Nero is still my favorite). Honestly, Elba freaking kills it as Krall and I don’t think they could have cast anyone to do a better job.

From a writing standpoint, Krall just gets more and more interesting as the film goes on.

Krall [after Uhura claims he has made an act of war against the federation]: “Federation act of war!”

But more on this later.

14) This film benefits from unique groupings for a good part of the film. Bones/Spock are the most prominent, but it’s not often you get to see Kirk and Chekov interact one-on-one or Uhura and Sulu. But for now, let’s talk about Bones & Spock.

I don’t think Bones and Spock get as much one on one time as they do in this film and I am so grateful for that. It provides a unique examination of their usually humorously tense interactions which was touched upon in The Search for Spock. I’ll discuss this more as I go (in one scene in particular), but they are able to be vulnerable around each other. Let their guards down, be totally honest, and make their friendship even stronger.

15) Sofia Boutella as Jaylah.

I fucking love Jaylah. So much. I want more Jaylah.

To start, her design is incredibly unique and memorable. It helps her standout from not only the rest of the Enterprise crew but the rest of the inhabitants on the planet as well. And from the strong visual you are able to build into a living, breathing, unique character. She fits into the crew dynamics (particularly through her relationship with Scotty) wonderfully well and she is a kick ass queen. She is a technical genius with no training or teaching, able to set up a number of booby traps/cloak the Franklin/keep auxiliary power going. She has this deep pain that is in direct relation to Kirk’s. Her father - her entire family - died trying to save her, just as Kirk’s did. She has fears, she has strengths, she loves punk music! Jaylah on paper is amazing and actress Sofia Boutella is incredible in the part. Boutella is able to portray all of Jaylah’s wonderful layers - her badass exterior, her painful past, her growth and dealing with her fears - beautifully. Boutella is a star on the rise in Hollywood (already having starred in Kingsman and appearing as the title character in the new Mummy film coming out soon) and to date this is - I think - her best performance. She is just SO good.

A quick final note: it has been said by the filmmakers that they will not be recasting Chekov after Anton Yelchin’s death. I want Jaylah to take his place on the bridge. Because I fucking love Jaylah.

16) The relationship Jaylah and Scotty forge is so fun and heartfelt. Jaylah is able to constantly surprise Scotty and show that she’s his equal in a lot of ways, but when it comes to the pain of her past Scotty is able to help her deal with that. It’s one of my favorite relationships explored in the film and I hope to see it continue in the future.

17) The relationship with Kirk and Chekov is explored a little more subtly than say Bones and Spock but it is still there. The fact that Kirk is able to signal Chekov to help him trap the traitor amongst their midsts, and then of course this wonderful piece of dialogue.

(GIFs originally posted by @alecc-bane​)

Seeing any two characters have this back and forth suggests they’ve done it before. There’s a comfort there that Chekov is able to talk to Kirk so honestly about his doubts and...I’m sorry, I’m just laughing thinking about this scene. I love the exchange between the pair.

18) So it later turns out that Krall is a captain named Edison from VERY early in the Federation’s life span.

Krall: “Federation has taught you that conflict should not exist.”

Krall [MUCH later]: “We knew pain, we knew terror. Struggle made us strong. Not peace, not unity.”

He is an outdated relic, an ancient ideology in a progressive time who thinks HIS way of life was right. And he’s willing to commit mass genocide because of his outdated and hateful ways. There’s also a lose of identity there, as he tells Kirk in the climax, “I’ve missed being me.” That lose of identity in the face of infinite space is exactly what Kirk is at risk of going through, so there’s a connection there between the two that ties back in to Kirk’s main conflict (something that I love). All in all, Krall’s pain is utterly unique in the Star Trek films I’ve seen and I am impressed with the elegance they were able to write it.

19) Spock and Bones having a heart-to-heart about where Spock is in life is one of the best scenes in the film.

It is in this moment when Spock is at his most vulnerable, and it’s with Bones. He speaks as to how being one of the last Vulcan’s effects him, how it was that and the death of Spock-Prime which upset him so deeply he even broke up with Uhura because he thought he had to. He’s planning on leaving Starfleet. But Bones is an excellent friend in this scenes, listening to Spock and offering some kind non-judgmental words. He even gets Spock to laugh! It’s a great moment between these two characters who have been around for 50 years and I think one of the best character moments in all of Trek.

20) Did I mention I love Jaylah?

Jaylah [about her punk music]: “I like the beats and shouting!”

21) If I haven’t made it clear before, this film has some very well done humor. I think this is largely a result of Simon Pegg’s work on the script, but it wouldn’t have worked if cowriter Doug Jung hadn’t worked with him on it. Some examples...

Scotty: “I have an idea sir, but I’ll need your permission.”

Kirk: “Why would you need my permission?”

Scotty: “Because if I mess it up I don’t want it to be just my fault.”

22) So 2009′s Star Trek was about Kirk and Spock moving past their conflict to form a respect and kinship with each other. Star Trek Into Darkness had them solidifying their friendship. And now we’ve reached this point:

Spock [while severely injured]: “We will do what we’ve always done, Jim: find hope in the impossible.”

23) I think something the filmmakers really use to their advantage is taking problems and solving them in a creative way through the sci-fi genre (where aliens are a norm and we have artificial gravity and such). A brilliant example of this:

(GIFs originally posted by @trek-daily)

Also this is all practical makeup. Did I mention this film lost the makeup and hairstyling award to Suicide Squad? I’m bitter.

24) The funniest freaking part of the entire movie!

25) I know I mentioned this before, but Jaylah’s past trauma with her family is incredibly strong for me.

Jaylah [talking about Krall’s hostage camp; refusing to take Kirk and company to their crew]: “Everyone who goes there he kills!”

And it is just another great example of the relationship Scotty and Jaylah have made.

Kirk [after Jaylah leaves & Scotty moves to go after her]: “Let her go.”

Scotty: “She’s lost people too, Captain.”

The fact that Scotty is able to help Jaylah through her grief in a respectful but pressing way speaks a lot to me. And Kirk overhears this, specifically that Jaylah’s dad sacrificed himself for her. Hmm, why does that sound familiar?

The entire scene is great for me for those key reasons: it develops Jaylah, it strengths her relationship with Scotty, and it ties into Kirk’s conflict in the film.

26) The entire diversion/rescue scene on the motorcycle is awesome and one of the strongest set pieces in the entire film. It is brilliantly and intelligently choreographed, keeping the audience and Krall on their toes through the use of decoy projections. It also features a fight between Jaylah and Mannix which ties directly into her arc as he is the man who killed her father. And Kirk - who said to, “Let her go,” about ten minutes earlier - risks himself to save her. She’s a part of his crew now and I love that.

27) Remember how in the 2009 Star Trek Sulu messed up the take off of the Enterprise the first time? Well, I think the phrase, “started from the bottom now we’re here,” applies perfectly to this moment.

(GIF originally posted by @toakenshire)

30) I just love Jaylah’s face when she sees Krall’s planet drift away in the distance. That place was her hell. Her family was murdered there. She never thought she’d be able to escape. And now...

31) Ladies & gentlemen: the most badass moment in Star Trek’s 50 year history.

Some highlights:

Kirk saying, “That’s a good choice,” tying directly into Young Kirk rocking out to this song in the 2009 film.

Bones: “Is that classical music?”

Chekov toe tapping.

Just how f***ing awesome that moment is. It gets you pumped!

I don’t know who had the initial idea to put this scene in the film, but I love them and I want to give them an award or something. This is glorious.

32) The climactic fist fight between Kirk and Krall is a lot of fun. Similar to Syl’s alien head hiding an important piece of technology, the filmmakers are able to use the concept of artificial gravity in a space station to their advantage by choreographing a unique and fun fight scene.

33) And with this Kirk resolves his conflict of identity in relation to his father.

Kirk: “Better to die saving lives than to live taking them. That’s what I was born into.”

34) I love that Kirk says this but for a weird personal reason. It’s something I learned as a film student and something I wish other directing students (and a lot of professional directors) would learn.

Kirk [after Commodore Paris says he saved the lives of everyone in Yorktown]: “It wasn’t just me. It never is.”

35) Holy shit, I honestly cannot believe I forgot that Spock found this in Spock Prime’s belongings:

Not only is this a wonderful thing to include in the 50th anniversary of Star Trek but also it is something Spock REALLY needed to see. He wanted to live the life Spock Prime did and he thought that meant continuing the work on new Vulcan. But then he sees that Spock Prime was with the Enterprise crew DECADES into a future. He had a family for life. And so does Spock.

36) It’s hard for your eyes not to fall on Anton Yelchin when Kirk makes a toast, “To the Enterprise and to absent friends.”

(GIF originally posted by @soundsofmyuniverse)

37) The fact that the entire main crew of the Enterprise gives the ending monologue for the first time speaks greatly to themes of unity present in the film and Kirk’s giving them credit.

38) And now I’m sad again.

39) “Sledgehammer” by Rihanna.

It’s not often that I talk about an end credits song for a film, but I felt I should make an exception this case. Rihanna is a major Star Trek fan, saying:

"This is something that's been a part of me since my childhood, it's never left me, I love Star Trek. It was automatic. I would do anything in terms of music. It's such a big deal not only as a fan, as a musician... because Star Trek is such a big deal across the globe."

You can feel the love for Trek come across in the song. Not necessarily a radio pop hit, I love this song nonetheless. I find it moving and it’s themes of fighting back after you get knocked down very much tie into the hope and resilience which is Star Trek. I think it is a wonderful composition and a great addition to the Star Trek musical library.

I love Star Trek Beyond. Although the 2009 film introduced me to the franchise, this film has the potential overtime to claim its place as my favorite Trek film. It is an absolutely perfect balance of old and new Trek, featuring standout writing, amazing effects, new ideas, a vibrant visual design, and a standout cast (with special mention to Sofia Boutella as Jaylah). It is a totally wonderful that taps into the hope and sense of adventure that the series has always been about. If you were disappointed with Star Trek Into Darkness or are looking to reclaim some love for the series - or even if you’re watching for the first time - give this film a viewing. You won’t regret it.

#Star Trek #Star Trek Beyond #Sofia Boutella #Chris Pine #Idris Elba #Anton Yelchin #Zachary Quinto #Karl Urban #Simon Pegg #Epic Movie (Re)Watch #Justin Lin #Doug Jung #George Takei #Rihanna #John Cho #Greg Grunberg #I See What You Did There #Movie #Film #GIF

[girlkirk-blog]

SPIRK (for the otp ask meme) !!! xoxo

omg hey!! HOW ARE YOU?

1- Who is the most affectionate?

I’m going to say that Spock is? I know that’s kind of a curve ball for some people but I believe that he shows affection in a very different way from what a lot of people are used to. Like, his affection is checking to make sure everything is alright. You know how in the Shore Leave episode (when they go to that planet and Bones sees a furry and then gets stabbed) Spock tells Kirk that there’s someone who desperately needs some time off and Kirk’s like “YES GOOD IDEA MR. SPOCK I WANT EVERYBODY TO BE HAPPY BC i’M JAMES T HAPPYPANTS” and Spock’s like “jokes on you, it’s you, go bye now” so I think that Spock’s affection is the best type of affection – it’s not all cuddles and quick kisses, Spock’s is things like making sure Jim has eaten, that Jim is okay, etc. 

2-Big spoon/Little spoon?

Spock: Big Spoon

Kirk: Little Spoon (even though he hates it sometimes)

3-Most common argument?

Probably something about how “illogical” Jim’s decision was that day. Like, “Jim, it was highly illogical for you to challenge that alien that was approximately 40.6 times larger than you to a duel” and Jim’s like “suck it logic i BELIEVE IN MIRACLES” (omg i’m making jim such a joke i’m sorry i’ll stop now)

4-Favorite non-sexual activity?

Probably legit being huge nerds with each other. Kirk was known for being basically a pile of books with legs at the academy, and I feel like in their downtime, Spock and Kirk just like go to town with the computer’s library and float all these theories and concepts past each other. Like, Spock tries to help Kirk with the logic of his thought and Kirk tries to help Spock see past the logic in his thought to come to more conclusions. 

5-Who is most likely to carry the other?

KIRK IS MOST LIKELY TO CARRY SPOCK 24/7, 365 EVEN THOUGH IT SHOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE BC OF VULCAN BONE DENSITY

6-What is their favorite feature of their partner’s?

I think Kirk really likes Spock’s pointy ears. I feel like he always hates it when they have to go and do recon on a planet and they have to cover Spock’s ears up with a beanie or something. I feel like as soon as they’re away from the other people on the planet, Jim quickly takes off Spock’s lil beanie. 

I feel like Spock’s favorite feature of Jim’s is his eyes. I don’t know, I guess Spock just likes them because they’re legit windows to what Jim is thinking? Jim is really good at composing himself and never panicking, but Spock is always able to look for Kirk’s eyes to see exactly what the captain is thinking – he doesn’t even have to use the mind link. 

7-What’s the first thing that changes when they realize they have feelings for the other?

HOT DANG THE INTERACTIONS ON THE BRIDGE??? I have a feeling that they’ll both start analyzing each other a lot (before they confess their feelings.) Like every single time Spock stops to talk to Kirk, Kirk is always like “I MUST ANALYZE EVERYTHING DOES HE LIKE ME BC I LIKE HIM HOLY CRAP WAIT WHAT DID HE SAY ABOUT AN ASTEROID BELT APPROACHING? SHUT UP CHEKOV I’M TRYING TO LISTEN” and Spock just tries his hardest to logically explain WHY the captain would have feelings for him? 

The whole Bridge starts to get annoyed and bones is like “y’all kidding me? y’all kidding me? I’VE BEEN PUTTING UP WITH THIS BY MYSELF FOR LEGIT YEARS” and the atmosphere on the bridge is just kind of funny (in a good way) and Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov are always serving up each other looks. Like, “lmao did you see Spock just check out Kirk’s ass?” 

8-Nicknames? & if so, how did they originate?

Hmmm. I don’t feel like Spock and Kirk are big on nicknames, unless you count “Jim” as a nickname, which it kind of is since Kirk’s first name is actually James. 

9-Who worries the most?

Kirk. Definitely Kirk. You can’t tell me that Kirk doesn’t worry his ass off about Spock, especially during the episode “Journey to Babel” – Jim is so concerned about Spock’s relationship with his father. Like, he wants to know all about it and he wants to help so bad. ALSO I think Spock also worries A WHOLE BUNCH because he’s just always on high alert to be on the look out for his captain – like in that one episode when the flowers SHOOT OUT THORNS AT PEOPLE?? AND SPOCK LEGIT STANDS IN FRONT OF KIRK AND GETS IMPALED WITH THEM TO PROTECT JIM??

10-Who remembers what the other one always orders at a restaurant?

Spock. Dude has a photographic memory and it’s legit amusing but also terrifying when they have little fights. Spock just pulls out “Do you recall what occurred on Eminar VII when…” and Kirk’s like “SPOCK NO?”

11-Who tops?

I think it’s like a cycle – they’ll take turns, whoever is up to it at the time. 

12-Who initiates kisses?

(I already answered this one, so check it out!)

13-Who reaches for the other’s hand first?

Spock. I think he just really likes the feel of Kirk’s hand in his? I also think that it’s just instinct, since Vulcan hands are so sensitive. I kind of think it may be the first thing to really calm a Vulcan down – for them to reach out their hand and have their hand held by someone they are close to. 

14-Who kisses the hardest?

Kirk, no doubt. 

15-Who wakes up first?

KIRK. Kirk is the BIGGEST morning person in the FREAKING GALAXY. He’s one of those people that’s like “AH YES MORNING *HUGE CRAZY DEEP INHALE* HELLO GALAXY! I’M STAR TREKKIN’” (ok i’m sorry i just love kirk so much) 

16-Who wants to stay in bed just a little longer?

I think it’s neither, really. Spock isn’t energized by mornings, but he’s also not exhausted and dislikes them. I think that when Jim gets up, Spock usually gets up as well. 

17-Who says I love you first?

Spock. And it happens in the most VULCAN WAY EVER. like, i’m a slut for the th’y’la trope, y’all already know. Like in all my fics for Star Trek TOS, it always revolves around the expose of “CAPTAIN KIRK IS SPOCK’S FATED” because i just love that trope and nobody can pry it from my hands. So I think it happens when Spock is just like “ok it’s a matter of time before we accidentally fully mind meld so i better just get this over with” 

I believe that they SHOW each other that they are madly in love with each other through their actions such as making sure the other is okay, basically SACRIFICING themselves for the other, etc. I think that when it comes to doing it verbally, they’re both lil nervous babies. 

18-Who leaves little notes in the other’s one lunch? (Bonus: what does it usually say?)

I think Kirk would be the one to leave notes and they’d be cute little things like “you’re a vulCAN not a vulCAN’T” and stupid stuff like that, and it begins to grow on Spock a lil bit and he keeps all of the post-it notes that Kirk puts up. 

19-Who tells their family/friends about their relationship first?

I feel like EVERYBODY ABOARD THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE knows that Spock and Kirk are in a relationship, even before Spock and Kirk do, so that’s not really applicable. I feel like Spock tells his mama first because Amanda is that mom that wants to know everything and whenever Spock contacts her she’s always asking about that “nice kirk boy!” and junk and Spock’s just like “UGH FINE” and Amanda’s all excited like “JUST WAIT ‘TIL I TELL YOUR FATHER” 

20-What do their family/friends think of their relationship?

I think that all their friends LOVE it, even though Bones acts like he’s always suffocated by it. I don’t think Bones EVER feels left out, because they’re such an amazing friend group, and they’re all so close, so Bones isn’t threatened by the officialness of the kirk/spock relationship. I think he just LOVES to tease about it and frustrate Kirk and Spock by being a lil southern cockblock. 

As for family, I think that everybody likes it too. Amanda is like the #1 Spirk fan and Sarek is pretty okay with it – he doesn’t really mind either way, I think. 

21-Who is more likely to start dancing with the other?

Kirk loves to dance like a freaking idiot sometimes, but Spock isn’t really into dancing, so he’ll stand there and just watch, like “…please don’t throw out your back like last time, Doctor McCoy won’t be as understanding this time” 

22-Who cooks more/who is better at cooking?

REPLICATOR SQUAD, enough said. (I think that they’d both suck at cooking tbh) 

23-Who comes up with cheesy pick up lines?

Spock actually starts with them first, because he probably asks Bones for some RARE ADVICE and Bones is like “holy shit is this really happening????” when Spock asks Bones about earth relationship advice. So Bones is like “just do these pick up lines and you’re golden” and Spock tries one and instead of Kirk just being like “the fuck is this” he just laughs and loves it. 

24-Who whispers inappropriate things in the other’s ear during inappropriate times?

Kirk, because Spock does it through the mind meld lmao

25-Who needs more assurance?

I think they both do. I think that they both need each other very badly – one can’t exist without the other. It’s like that whole entire “by your side” thing. It’s where they’re meant to be. That being said, I think that they’re both VERY assured in their relationship. 

26-What would be their theme song?

“You Sexy Thing” by Hot Chocolate (AKA THE “I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES” SONG  all because of that DAMN video someone made (and it’s my FAVORITE of all time) where there’s that #CLASSIC scene where Spock is like “Captain, you make me almost believe in luck…” and Kirk is like “why mr. spock…you almost make me believe in MIRACLES” and the damn song plays while the credits come on. 

27-Who would sing to their child back to sleep?

aww omg omg omg my fav thing is a kirk/spock raising a child together thing and it brings a tear to my eyes y’all. um. I think that Spock probably would. I think Spock would be extremeLY affectionate with the child. Maybe because he realizes that the child is kind of like him as a child – a human parent with a vulcan parent. and he wants the child to feel like they really do belong. (wipe ur tears i’m crying too)

28-What do they do when they’re away from each other?

wait until they see each other again lmao

29-one headcanon about this OTP that breaks your heart.

oh dang. okay, here goes. i have this head canon that spock is super super insecure about confessing his feelings for jim, because here’s jim – this huge ass ray of sunshine that LOVES to laugh and smile and he’s just so open, and Spock feels like, since he is a Vulcan, he cannot make jim laugh or so happy like that since it just isn’t in his nature? I also feel like Spock sees Jim as almost unattainable, because here is this amazing captain that he loves to serve under, ofc, but STARFLEET REGULATION and it also doesn’t help that literally almost EVERYWHERE they stop Jim runs into a former female friend or something. (which is something that I really do love because it really shows feminist kirk because he still treats them with respect and love!) 

30-one headcanon about this OTP that mends it.      

Kirk knows that it’s hard for Spock to feel like he can fully express himself, and Kirk is fine with that. So that’s why Kirk flirts so openly and freely with Spock and smiles around him. Spock makes him happier than anything else in the universe, and nothing could ever replace him. (AKA SEARCH FOR SPOCK HELLO?????). So Kirk is always at Spock’s side, smiling and laughing and trying to encourage Spock and is patient with him.

thanks for the ask! and sorry for writing so much!!!

#super long y'all sorry #spirk #otp ask

[kinetic-elaboration]

September 13: 1x14 Balance of Terror

A little late this week because Friday didn’t work out but here I am with my liveblog (ish) of Balance of Terror.

This is the one that starts off with Kirk officiating a wedding, which is adorable. He loves this part of his job. He loves love so much!

Also they’re going to broadcast this important event through the whole ship. And Scotty is walking the bride down the aisle, which is so on point for him.

Sulu, shut up. Kirk’s busy officiating here. He broke out the romantic lighting on his eyes and everything.

The Earth-Romulan War, over a century ago. That’s a long time. Interesting that it wasn’t a Federation war, although Spock mentions allies. Either that was pre-Federation within canon, or pre-Federation in the writing of Star Trek, or if it really was just an Earth war. Were Vulcans allies?

I’m just....... eternally fascinated by Romulans. It fascinates me too that this whole history is ALSO the background to the Kelvin attack in AOS, which is 35ish years before this. So at the time, the Romulan war had happened, but Earth didn’t know what Romulans looked like, and then one shows up on this big-ass ship and just destroys a Federation vessel for no reason. It’s not even clear if they knew Nero was a Romulan if I remember correctly. Basically my point is that AOS should have done way more with this.

Also outposts on asteroids.

This engaged couple is adorable.

A space vessel attacked your outpost? A space vessel? In space? How could it be??

Spock’s make up on point as usual.

Time to screen share.

“Their invisibility screen must work both ways.”

Kirk is so smart and has such a great command presence. I love him.

Today’s one allotted use of Kirk’s first name by Spock: “The exact heading a Romulan vessel would take JIM.”

I mean it was obviously a Romulan attack lol. I know from the last ep Kirk really likes to be sure of stuff but who else could it possibly be??

Stiles suggests there could be Romulan spies on the Enterprise, for reasons I missed because I was busy thinking about how he was dumb. I respect Kirk for listening to his men when they’re being smart but on further reflection... how the heck would Romulan spies get on a Federation ship?? Also nothing ever came of this so...

Dun dun dun, big reveal! Everyone’s so shocked and Spock is like initially surprised and then faintly resigned. “I know how this is gonna go... brace for racism.”

Alternately: “...Dad?”

Yeah, Kirk, shoot down that bigotry on the bridge. “I said I’m sure you’re complimenting my husband on his decoding abilities, RIGHT?”

Spock probably could decode the message though.

...Thinking about it now, did they ever decode the message? Or was it just important for like figuring out where the ship was or that it still existed even though invisible or whatever?

Cry me a river about wanting to go home, Romulan Commander, you were the one who crossed into Federation territory and attacked outposts for no reason lol. “I can’t believe our acts of war are going to lead to war.”

He’s like Romulan Pike. So world weary and dramatic. “Danger and I are old companions.”

Stiles is all like “well Spock’s an expert on Romulans” but he’s not an expert? He’s just making up what he knows about them based on very old Vulcan history.

I know later “canon” killed this theory but I took Spock’s reference to Vulcan’s colonizing past as him guessing that perhaps Vulcan colonized a planet and then forgot about it, and those colonists missed out on the Surakian revolution. And I find this pretty hilarious so I’m just gonna stick to it.

Romulan Commander would not get along well with Nero. Here he is waxing all poetic and stuff. Bet he’s never met a miner in his life.

Kirk’s profile when he’s looking down... you can see why CPine was a good choice to reboot him.

Lol random Janice Rand. Just here to hug Kirk since Spock is too busy being on the floor.

What the heck was that with Spock and Stiles? He just shows up at the navigator’s station like “Hey. I dare you to be racist right now.”

People who don’t like Kirk need to watch this ep, along with the Corbomite Maneuver. His gravitas, his sense of command.

RIP Centurion.

The Romulan Commander is so “oh woe is me, I am so far from home, I only wish to see my familiar stars again” but BITCH you left home! You attacked people for no reason!

Enterprise after dark.

Kirk just lying around, looking handsome. Resting handsomely.

Taking out Chris Pine’s tiny violin while Kirk whines about command.

When McCoy started in on his speech, my mom was like “McCoy has been drinking” and honestly......lol and she’s probably not wrong. He’s still being sweet though.

Spock what the hell man. Stop being so awkward and clumsy, bitch.

“He reads the thoughts in my brain.”

Woah forgot the part of this where they blow up a literal nuclear warhead.

Sulu’s into this Navigator Uhura thing. Real step up from Stiles.

Commander’s so fed up with this Decius bitch.

Spock runs like a dork, too. Still there to save the day and Stiles’s ass though!

Firing the phasers isn’t very pacifist of him.

“In a different reality, I could have called you a friend.” They should have rebooted him, and had him meet CPine’s Kirk.

No, not Tomlinson!!

The irony of the groom dying is the part I remember from this ep, that Kirk did a good job, destroyed his enemy, avoided the neutral zone, and got away with only one casualty--but that casualty was the man who was about to get married--but the actual literal ending is bizarre. “There there, crewman... okay time to get back to work.”

Then striding through the halls alone.

I love this episode and it holds up, although I sometimes missed the finer points of their maneuvering. I think this is partly because there’s a lot of technical stuff going on along with a lot of other stuff in the span of less than an hour and partly because this is SUPER space Navy, like one of the straight up Naviest episodes they ever did, and Naval battle narratives is not a genre I’m super familiar with.

There is way more to unpack here than I am really up for lol. First, while I love Kirk and Kirk-centric eps and the whole ‘he and the Commander are so similar they basically have a telepathic connection’ stuff... there’s a lot of barely touched upon Spock stuff here. My mom and I are disagreeing about how much he knew. She thinks he did know what Romulans look like, or that at the very least some Vulcans, like important Vulcans (and we know Spock is important) would have to know, because the whole concept of katras makes it impossible for them as a people to really forget anything. But I think it’s more interesting, and more in keeping with what this episode implies, if Spock specifically did not know. So this is a big reveal for him. And then in addition to dealing with Stiles’s shit, he has to assimilate that an Earth/Federation enemy is a relative of his people. And it’s a glimpse into the pre-Reform era, which you know even Vulcans have gotta be fascinated by. AND his positions in this episode are just... not super pacifist. Like the stuff he has to advocate, and actively do, like in firing the phasers and so on, is exactly what his dad warned him about when he was like ‘hey I’m gonna join the military, peace out.’ Then there’s the added wrinkle that the Romulans probably also don’t know what the Vulcans look like and Spock is conveniently never around for the Romulan Commander to see him. Not that he could take the info back with him, but they never have any confrontation even between them. So that’s a lot right there.

If this were a S2 or S3 ep, it would have been Spock-centric.

Literally can’t believe there were only 2 Romulan centric eps in the whole of TOS lol. Major missed opportunity there.

Next ep (hopefully this Friday!) is Shore Leave. In which McCoy has 3 ladies and Kirk has a homoerotic wrestle in the dirt with a man and somehow everyone still thinks he’s the space slut.

#the year 2020 #2020: star trek #2020: fandom thoughts #star trek tos