#and the voice of majel barrett as the computer

[darthvaporwave]

i’m an 80’s kid so i grew up watching tng and certain things it did are just part of my expectations in star trek

cf. the transporter noises - when i’m watching trek and they don’t make that specific tng transporter chime, my brain goes “hmmm something not right!” like yes it makes sense for other ships or transporters to make different noises but also: no! put it back!

[charlesemersonwinchesteriii]

Un-augmented Julian Bashir who programs a special button on his AAC device just for talking to Garak. It makes a loud incorrect buzzer noise.

[top-scar-maverick]

Jess Bush should start playing the computer voice at some point

Please

It would be fun

[macleod]

This is the funniest thing I've read in a long time.

[stra-tek]

Never forget that in Peter David's New Frontier novels (and comics), the ancient immortal character Morgan Primus is vaguely implied to be every single one of Majel Barrett's onscreen Trek characters.

And she's the mother of Robin Lefler.

And then the immortal is finally killed and... actually ends up becoming the ship's computer consciousness, after an earlier Peter David novel established that the Majel computer voice was in fact Number One programming the Enterprise computer with her own voice.

Obviously it doesn't work in a modern Trek world where Number One and Nurse Chapel definitely aren't the same person and are on Pike's Enterprise crew together

But still, just a weird 90's thing that happened

[frogayyyy]

Underappreciated character? (For the fandom ask thing :> )

christine chapel <3

all of the women in tos are very underappreciated but i chose chapel because i think she's overhated too

she got cut from the reboots (reduced to just one line about how kirk slept with her ://////) ((and they even changed the computers voice to male))

(also can we appreciate majel barrett for being the longest running member of the star trek cast?? (i think?) she's literally the voice of star trek. not to mention the daughter of the fifth house, holder of the sacred chalice of riix, heir to the holy rings of betazed 🫡)

send me a number from this female character appreciation prompt list and i'll answer with a character i love :]

[leviathis-krade]

b/c she can swim.

WHY IS LWAXANA TROI ON DS9 AND WHY IS SHE TRYING TO FUCK ODO

[zagreus-eats-your-bread]

In what they call "beta canon"*, every Star Trek character portrayed by Majel Barrett is actually the same person, an immortal being called Morgan Primus, who also will end up being the Federation's standardized computer voice (of course). And like what does this imply, man. Could Lwaxana even really read minds? Did Morgan just make that all up for shits and giggles? Why did she serve on the same ship with Spock as Number One and later come back blonde as Nurse Chapel and NOBODY NOTICED IT? It has so many holes and is so stupid, it can't be anything but canon to me

* because star trek fans have not yet embraced the doctor who way of thinking (everything is canon if you set your mind to it)

[alex99achapterthree]

Star Trek history...

Number One has a word with Captain Pike.

Majel Barrett played the character "Number One", First Officer of the starship Enterprise in the 1965 first Star Trek pilot "The Cage". Alas, that would be the only time we'd see Number One (no name ever given) back in the classic era. Legend has it that NBC was uncomfortable with a woman in such a position of authority so the character was dropped for the second pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before". Barrett didn't appear in the second pilot but when Star Trek was ordered to series she returned to the cast as Nurse Christine Chapel.

She reprised that role in the original cast feature films becoming Doctor Chapel in Star Trek: The Motion Picture...

... and later rising to Commander and served as Chief Medical officer on the USS Excelsior.

Later, Barrett played the sometimes bonkers and sometimes tragic Lwaxana Troi, mother of Deanna Troi, Daughter of the Fifth House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Riix, Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed, appearing in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Barrett also provided the voice of Starfleet computers. The voice was heavily distorted and mechanical in the original series, but sounded natural from Star Trek: The Next Generation on, continuing through the Voyager era and speaking one word in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "In A Mirror Darkly: Part II".

Her final performance both as the computer voice and as an active participant in a Star Trek production was in the 2009 reboot film Star Trek. Some of her archived material was used in Picard season 3 after her death.

In many ways, Majel Barrett is the grand lady of Star Trek.

[sleepymccoy]

I'm watching Columbo, and I swear they've got Majel Barrett voicing the receptionist.

It's set in some advanced research facility and there's a couple star trek extras in the ep and a fucking robot. It's a very sci fi episode. I think they've got Barrett voicing the receptionist, who only features as the voice saying who's coming into the main guy's room. She'd be a short hand for viewers at the time to think of advanced sciency stuff, cos she voices the computer on the Enterprise

But she's not credited and I don't know why they wouldn't credit her.

[thesevenwondersofawitch]

Watching Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 10, Hegemony

I believe this is the s2 finale, so let's go!

I love how they mentioned the singing from the last episode 😂

Why am I kinda shipping Batel and Chapel

I feel like Captain Batel is gonna die

HOLY SHIT

IT'S THE GLOW CLOUD

Or the Gorn

Oh shit, Batel's ship blew up 👀

Chris doesn't have much luck when it comes to romance, it seems

Nitrogen bombs + Gorn = Gorn Popsicles

Erica is a genius😂

Quite the memorable first landing party for her to take part in😂

The fact Spock plans to add zombie movies to his research is so funny to me😂

Also, the fact that he's seen movies, makes me think (or hope) he and his mama watched Alice In Wonderland because he loved the book

I love how everyone (especially Pike) felt sick after Erica's driving/diving

If anything happens to her, I'm gonna be very grumpy

Aw man, Spock is so upset that he doesn't know what happened to Chapel

"Sickbay is gone" CHILLS LITERAL CHILLS

Spock ^

Wow, the planet really turned into a Wasteland 👀

Awwww the baby Gorn is kinda cute!

This is why I would never survive a zombie/Gorn apocalypse/invasion

Ooof, cannibalism

PELIA MY BELOVED

^ I love her in case it wasn't obvious

The way Pelia turned to Uhura like what did you figure out then turned away like ugh don't waste my time(when Uhura mentioned she needs an engineers help) then turn around when Uhura said she had a crazy theory 😂

I feel like Pelia and Raffi would get along famously

SCOTTY

HELL YEAH

Scotty: "That's a lot of lieutenants."

Erica: "There'll be a quiz."

BATEL IS STILL ALIVE

WOO

I love Scotty 😂

I love how Scotty is so crafty and resourceful

Pelia to Una: "And if you had answered like that in my class I would've given you an A+"

Una: -_-

I love how Batel knew exactly what Pike was up to when he thought she was sleeping

Pike and Batel: * having a slightly emotional conversation about not going alone to look for stuff/Pike trying to save everyone, ending with them looking flirtatiously at each other in silence*

Scotty, lurking behind Batel: "You're never gonna be able to retrieve the device without my help"

Batel and Pike: °_°

Scotty: "I didn't mean to eavesdrop. Not my fault you decided to have a secret conversation right in front of my sleeping spot."😂

CHRISTINE!!!!!!

The fact that it's Majel Barrett(I think) doing the voice for the computer while this Chapel is plugging things into the computer makes me so happy

Chapel: *banging on glass trying to get Spock's attention*

Spock: *casually floats by not noticing*

Damn, Batel's got a strong stomach I would've gotten sick being that close to that Gorn

IS BETAL GORN OR SOMETHING AND THAT'S WHY IT LEFT HER ALONE

OH SHIT

SPOCK SAW THE REFLECTION OF THE GORN

Uh oh, it took his gun

Whoa, the Gorn was also wearing a space suit, cool

Oh no, did Marie get Gorn eggs planted in her and that's why it left👀

OH SHIT SHE DID

Batel this episode ^

That's why she was so upset Chris came for her😭😭

I love that Scotty interrupted them 😂

Ooooooo Pelia is required in sickbay

PELIA KNOWS SCOTTY?!She cringed when Pike said his name😂Pelia: "One of my best students who sadly received some of my worst grades."

Pike: "Well, I'll leave you to it" *speed walks away*😂

Pelia, shaking her head looking at the jumble in Scotty's arms: "What the hell is this supposed to be?!"

Scotty in a voice similar to a child whining to their parent: "Something that could help us hide from the Gorn."

Pelia: "Oh"

Scotty: "If we can fix it."

Batel to Chapel: "I'll need you to take me out." Okay, it's a date then😁🤗

Wait the Gorn still have their people? I thought they rescued the surviving Starfleet officers?🤔

Idk it brings me such joy to see Pelia helping carry Scotty's project in the halls as things blow up, but it does

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? IT'S A CLIFFHANGER?!!!!

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

This is fine.

[kosmos2999]

Star Trek: The Animated Series 50th Anniversary Episode Review

Episode: The Ambergris Element

Season: 1

Episode: 13

Stardate: 5499.9 – 5506.2

Original airdate: December 1, 1973

Written by: Margaret Armen

Directed by: Hal Sutherland

Music by: Yvette Blais and Jeff Michaels

Executive producers: Lou Scheimer and Norm Prescott

Studio: Filmation Associates

Network: NBC

Series created by: Gene Roddenberry

Cast:

Captain James T. Kirk (voice by William Shatner)

Mr. Spock (voice by Leonard Nimoy)

Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy (voice by DeForest Kelly)

Lt. Uhura (voice by Nichelle Nichols)

Lt. Hikaru Sulu (voice by George Takei)

Eng. Montgomery Scott, Lt. Clayton, Cadmar, Cheeron, Domar (voices by James Doohan)

Nurse Christine Chapel, Rila, Aquan females #1 to 3 (voices by Majel Barrett)

Lemus, Aquan harvester (voices by Lou Scheimer)

Nephro, Aquan male, Aquan guard (voices unknown)

Synopsis:

Argo, an Earth-like planet in anicient times, had suffered a transformation on its surface submerging most of its dry land into the deepest of its seas. The crew of the USS Enterprise was assigned to investigate the phenomenal seismic activity in hope to save millions of lives on a Federation planet similar to Argo.

An away team has been assembled. It is composed of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy and Lieutenant Clayton. They await to be launched in a special shuttlecraft mounted on a catamaran, the aqua-shuttle. Engineer Scott is in the shuttlebay ready for the launch.

Upon their arrival, the team had an encounter with a sea monster. It is called a sur-snake, a creature not found on previous surveys. The beast hits once the shuttle and captain orders to his first officer to shoot to stun with the small ship's phasers. After knocking down the creature, Kirk orders Clayton to submerge the vessel to make research on the oceanic beast. McCoy found it has a dual respiratory system and Spock also found its skeleton structure it is very similar to the one of the Denbian whales.

Suddenly, the giant monster regained its consciousness. The captain orders to shoot the creature again but this time, the phasers do not respond. Kirk orders Scott to beam them up. The sur-snake took the aqua-shuttle with its jaw and threw the ship against a pile of rocks. Only McCoy and Clayton were beamed up to safe place. But Kirk and Spock remain on the planet. Their whereabouts it is unknown to the rest of the crew.

After five days of an intense search, the captain and his first officer have been found –along the wreckage of the aqua-shuttle-- at a rock mass above the sea level. They were still alive, but with their metabolisms changed. Making them uncapable of living in the air. Also they have no memory of whatever happened to them after the sur-snake incident.

On the starship, they were put in a water tank. After 48 hours of being rescued, Dr. McCoy have only found an unknown substance on their bloodstreams. Their internal structure had changed so much that even they have now second eyelids like those from fishes. Bones have found no information on the Federation computers about any kind of such procedure. All the efforts to change them to their normal structure were useless.

This made them to conjecture about intelligent lifeforms on the depths of the oceans of Argo. The only shuttlecraft available to reach such place was destroyed by the sea monster. Both Kirk and Spock realized it is useless to spend more time inside the aquarium and decided to went to the deepest of the seas by themselves.

The first encounter with the Aquans were made while some of them are gathering food. They were hostile to who they call air-breathers. They warn them to go away. They also tell them that the young ones were those who saved them and they do not leave, they will not save them again. After this, they left. Kirk and Spock will follow them.

After both of the Enterprise's officers went into an ocean rift and a tunnel, they have found a fantastic underwater city with a surprising architecture. Spock made a guess that the Aquans may found the ugly and grotesque as the reason for running away from them. Next, they were trapped into a fishnet.

Kirk and Spock are brought to a chamber were the Ruling Tribunal of the Aquans. Domar, the High Tribune accuses both officers of espionage. According to the anicient records, air-breathers never came in peace. A female Aquan, Rila intercede for both officers of the Enterprise along with her fellow young tribunes. They want the High Tribune to give the captain and his first officer the chance to revert the process.

At the planet's surface Scotty awaits for Kirk and Spock. He received a message from the main ship telling him a seaquake so strong to change the topography of Argo it is going to happen within four hours. The engineer have been hurry to find the captain and the first officer as soon as posible.

Just when Kirk and Spock came to an arragement with the High Tribune, all was turned down officers of the Enterprise coming down to the surface. Both officers are sentenced to death by suffocation.

Rila came to their help again by telling Officer Scott where Kirk and Spock are located. After they have been rescued, They want the female Aquan to help them to find the ancient medical records on how to revert the mutation process. At first, Rila was hesitant on helping them, but she finally decided to do so.

With the medical archives on hand, Doctor McCoy have found a substance similar to the ambergris element found in Earth's whales. Kirk and Spock are brought back to Argo to find that substance. They wanted the help of Rila and the young tribunes after resisting for a short time, they agreed on finding the sur-snake to extract the venom from its fangs.

Once they got the element from the giant sea monster, Bones is ready to process it to get the antitoxin to get both Kirk and Spock to their normal metabolisms again. The captain was the first to receive doses from antitoxin. After a couple of reactions from the shots, Kirk was turned back to his normal condition and then Spock.

Rila and Domar are beamed up to the starship to be witness of the procedure to save their civilization from the seaquake. The Enterprise shoot phasers to an abandoned place to change the seaquake's epicenter. As a result, the Aquans's city was saved and the underwater ruins are back to the open air land.

The Aquans are so grateful of the Federation efforts to save them. In exchange, they gave the Enterprise's officers all the ancient archives for their study. The young Aquans wants to live in open air, but the all ones do not. Kirk gives an advice to Domar: that the old ones no lose contact with the young ones. The High Tribune agrees to change the old codes to new ones that forbid the isolation from the old Aquans living underwater to the young Aquans living in the surface.

Fascinating facts:

This episode was written by Margaret Armen. Previously, Armen worked as writer for The Original Series season two episode, “The Gamesters of Triskelion”, season three episodes “The Paradise Syndrome” and “The Cloud Minders (script only). And for The Animated Series episode “The Lorelei Signal”.

James Doohan made six voices for this episode (Scott, Arex, Clayton, Cheeron, Domar), very close to his record of seven voices for the episode “Yesteryear”.

Producer Lou Scheimer also had done voice acting for this episode as both as Lemus and an Aquan harvester.

This episode introduced two vehicles to be used on water, the aqua-shuttle and the scouter-gig. The aqua-shuttle is the first armed shuttlecraft in Star Trek. Those two small vessels appeared for the first and last time.

The ambergris is a waxy substance that originates as a secretion in the intestines of the sperm whale, found floating in tropical seas and and used in perfume manufacture. It is illegal in some places.

[goldenwanderer]

Gonna be honest, the Enterprise-D reveal was amazing and all, but it was hearing Majel Barrett's voice coming out of the computer that made me cry.

[paulgadzikowski]

Nice but unsurprising to have the Majel Barrett cameo in Picard S3E09. I read sometime before she died that she was making recordings so that her voice could continue to be the voice of Starfleet computers for the indefinite future. I'm more surprised that we don't hear her more often. Perhaps the project fell through, or there are rights issues, and they were just able to pull things together for this special occasion.

Wasn't expecting the Alice Krige cameo. I would've expected Allison Pill instead. I also would've expected some notice from the characters that the Borg were made a "provisional" Federation affiliate last season - wasn't that scene in a previously on Picard recap a few weeks ago? Holding out hope that Jurati will show up next week. It'd be great if she showed up on Discovery too. (Actually you know who I wanna see show up on Discovery? The Voyager EMH.)

[mceproductions]

MCE The Jaw Droppers 2023 #2: The Enterprise D Returns to the fold.

Along with the 3rd season of Picard being so great in getting the crew of the enterprise D back together for a final journey. There was one player nobody saw coming.

In the wake of a return of an old enemy, Picard and company were brought back to a piece of their past being unexpectedly restored after they had lost it long ago.

What magic happens when Geordi brings the crew together on the rebuilt bridge is nothing short of stunning.

Even the welcome voice of Majel Barrett as the Starfleet computer was a very welcome touch.

We knew the reunion was going to happen from the start. Nobody expected the original ship would come back in the play.

And jaws were dropped.

[thegeminisage]

let's not talk about how it took me 12 episodes to realize majel barrett was still playing the enterprise computer in tng yet in search for spock i INSTANTLY recognized that elevator voice as leonard nimoy