#i mean also happened with kirk spock and bones. they all mean a lot to me and im scared to go on cos i know the movies are gonna be sad Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[chaotictomtom]

i need to draw her more!!!!!! like any very cool and pretty character i get intimidated and get too scared to not be good at drawing them lol

[fizzingwizard]

Something I love about the Star Trek TOS movies

They take place years after the end of the series. Even though the show asked lots of character questions and got us all invested in their individual arcs, there never really was a promise to see it through. So TOS ends with the status quo intact. Kirk is still first and foremost captain of the Enterprise despite his loneliness, Spock is still stoutly Vulcan despite any and all misgivings, and McCoy is still with them on the ship, despite everything.

And the movies ADDRESSED all that. Guess what Kirk IS lonely. The Enterprise, while very important, ISN'T enough to be his everything. Spock's inner struggle isn't going to peacefully resolve, he's got to face it head on and accept the parts of himself he's always denied. And Bones is um still with them despite everything.

The movies ALSO decided that they were going to be fun and joyful. Horrible things happen in them, but what do you really remember? "This simple feeling." Uhura and Scotty's romance. The freaking whales. Kirk shoving Spock into the ocean. Spock saying hell. Spock saying hell a lot.

also the awful transporter malfunction whoops

It seems a lot of times when stories get sequels where the characters are older, they're also hardened. Whatever joy existed in the original is overshadowed by larger, darker themes. Everyone's sad now. The happy-go-lucky guy is a drunk. The confident woman is divorced and miserable. Star Trek was just like, nah, these guys are Olds and they are living their BEST LIVES. Everything starts when you're past 50. Admiral and don't wanna be? Be a starship captain again and man your ship with exclusively geriatric ward officers. Now there's nothing stopping you being Sexiest Captain.

Sequels featuring older characters often undo whatever was built in the original to create something new. That isn't a criticism - it's just a story-telling choice. It's nice to also see sequels where the older characters are not just happy, but happier than they were in the original.

I mean I definitely don't love everything about these movies, some of them are really slow moving to the point of... almost lifelessness... It is a mixed bag. But overall they're just such a great wrap up for the original series and I just love so much seeing the actors have fun with their characters.

[lichqueenlibrarian]

I mean this with all the love I have in my heart for Star Trek: what the heck was going on with The Corbomite Maneuver.

I will say the insight into the characters was fascinating. Bones' relationship with Kirk is brought out a little more- he knows him enough to recognize that Kirk sees himself in Lt Bailey and that this also means Kirk's expectations might be out of whack. He thinks Kirk is seeing himself as he was eleven years previously, and clearly has opinions on the behaviour Kirk's showing. Is it that Kirk feels he needed more oversight/challenges as a lieutenant, or is he echoing the expectations placed on him as a younger man and expecting Lt Bailey to rise up? Either way Bones seems to disapprove, and is vocal in his feelings on the lieutenant.

The Lt Bailey thing makes me wonder if Kirk's exorcising his own demons there, and whether he would've made the same decisions if it had been any other lieutenant. When Bailey freezes up on the bridge, Kirk has them run drills until they're perfect, which Bones criticises. In the meeting with the different department heads, Bailey makes an order anticipating what he believes Kirk will order. I wonder if this impetuosity was an aspect of younger Kirk, and one that the Captain wants to curtail as soon as possible in someone who he seems to subconsciously see as his protege.

Kirk and Spock have a lot going on this episode as well- from Kirk's "it gives me emotional security" to Spock automatically assuming he'll board the alien ship with the landing party Kirk assembles. I just dig that that relationship was so solid so quickly. Also Spock gets some fun moments as things get stressful on the bridge, which I enjoyed.

I know this was meant to air earlier in the season, which is why the outfits are a bit off, Uhura's wearing gold, and there's obvious variation in the style of uniforms, as well. Sulu and Spock both have higher collars to their shirts than the others. I wish they'd kept that, it makes things interesting.

Sulu! I love that he gets yelled at by Bailey for keeping a countdown running, like. Let the man cope how he needs to.

Spoilers under the cut:

WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED AT THE END THERE??? BABY CLINT HOWARD IS THE ALIEN??? BAILEY GOES WITH HIM??

KIRK WHAT THE HECK. You just let one of your people go off with some strange alien and that's IT?? How the heck do you even explain that to Starfleet when you have to submit your report? Whoops lost a member of the bridge crew cos they've decided to go do some anthropology with an alien we just met, no big deal.

[muirmarie]

McSpirk hear thoughts 👀👀👀

this is the one I've probably posted most about on here, but not since last year - this is supposed to be my blank space for my mcspirk bingo card, and there's a lot of stuff about it here - basically magic-science shenanigans happen, and Spock and McCoy can suddenly hear each other's thoughts - but both of them think such nice thoughts about each other that they literally cannot address it, and without discussing it they both start lying/heavily implying that they're fighting in their thoughts (Kirk, of course, sees right through them).

This is also not a tight POV on one character (a tight POV on one character is like the only thing I've written for years now) so we'll see how that goes, lollllllll

__________

“I'm not trying to intrude, Doctor,” Spock says.

McCoy snorts. “I'm sure by now you can tell that I'm a little more worried about intruding on you than the fact that I suddenly can't keep a secret worth a damn, although let me have the pleasure of saying out loud how very unhappy I am with that situation, as well.”

“Want to fill in the spectator?” Kirk asks. His eyes are narrowed, and McCoy can see the gears going behind Kirk's eyes. You already know the answer, too, don't you, Jimmy, he thinks. Out of the corner of his eye, McCoy can see Spock raise an eyebrow, but McCoy just bounces lightly on the balls of his feet.

“Nightmares,” he says.

Kirk purses his lips a little in thought. “We've been on enough away missions together—we've been in each others pockets, enough, Bones. You don't get nightmares.”

“I don't get nightmares when I'm sleeping around other people. Generally, I don't get nightmares that much alone, either. But,” he says, lifting his hand up to tick them off on his fingers, “high stress situations, feeling not in control, headaches—”

“Headaches?” Kirk cuts in, frowning.

“Somehow I don't think their alien tech was made with human brains in mind. It's fine, it's manageable, but when I put it together with everything else—”

“Nightmares,” Kirk says. McCoy nods, and then glances back at Spock, who's been watching their interplay.

“Bad enough he's got to hear whatever song is stuck in my head all day. Call me crazy, but I'd rather not subject anyone—even our dear Mr. Spock—to a front row view of my nightmares, especially while he's awake.”

“You are not going to continue to sedate yourself to sleep, Doctor,” Spock says. He says it like it's a fact, and McCoy briefly entertains the thought of Spock chasing him down the corridors to get his hypo.

Spock doesn't so much as twitch, but McCoy can see, suddenly, Spock's completion of the thought: Spock snatching the hypo from McCoy's hand, dropping it to the ground, and crushing it beneath his heel.

McCoy rolls his eyes. “I do happen to the Chief Medical Officer, Mr. Spock, so I think that means—”

“I think that means you've still got to listen to your Captain, Bones,” Kirk cuts in. “Spock's right.”

“Jim—”

“I do have an...” Kirk tips his head to the side, a half-smile chasing the movement, “an alternate suggestion, Bones.”

He's met by two identical (in intention, if not in looks) expressions: eyebrows raised, a faint trace of suspicion closely followed by so much trust that some days—most days—it could knock Kirk right off his feet if he let it.

“Well by all means,” McCoy says. “Lay it on us.”

“You're bunking with me,” Kirk says.

[boldlyexplorational]

Episode 29 "Kirk's worst day ever" "operation: annihilate!"

Here we go, last episode! Peculiar choice for a finale, maybe COTEOF would have been a better choice, if maybe more depressing. But I guess there was a different concept of season finale back then, episodes needed to be stand alone first and foremost.

As a SNW watcher I was really sad about Sam. Poor guy, I didn't deserve that. It's always so sad when you know how a character is going to end up.

The opening was flawless, with McCoy revealing how Kirk's family is on the infected planet. I also love how it's implied that Kirk just did not answer that question and ignored Bones until later to tell him "yeah you were right". That was kinda funny, except for the tragedy of course.

It looked like the episode was filmed in a real place with modern architecture for the time, which I love and it looked cool. The alien parasites also were cool and gross and had clever effects. I'm a sucker for practical effects so I'm biased.

It's a real bad day for Kirk, isn't it? When the wife also died I was like "that's too much", but then when Spock got infected... My headcanon is that he did take a crying break in his quarters. He has the emotional intelligence to know he needed it. But of course you can't show the captain crying.

There's this one moment when Kirk is super impressed with how Spock is resisting the pain of the infection. Kirk decides to compliment Spock in the most effectively flirty way possible: saying that his logic is impeccable. And Spock makes a face like "that was hot, but not now captain, I'm busy fighting to stay alive".

Kirk was SO MAD at bones when he blinded Spock! So mad! He sort of cooled off after, but in the moment I thought he was going to slap bones. Or rather to the signature full body yeet at him.

Shout out to Chapel who shined in this episode, I love that she's such a tough woman!

One last thing I will say, the only thing I didn't really like in the episode: they kept amping the stakes, on and on. They made it personal for Kirk, though there was no need for it (Kirk would have helped anyway). They made the wife die to... Fine , ok I'm concerned now. They made a big deal about the kid... And now SPOCK IS INFECTED! Ok that's A LOT. He's cured, but he's BLIND NOW! I can't take it anymore. Then the episode ends, all is well, everyone's ok, NO MENTION OF WHAT HAPPENS TO KIRK'S ORPHANED NEPHEW. I'm sure they had no money for an extra scene with a child actor, but at least throw a line in there or something. I don't know, I don't mind surreal high stakes but I do hate feeling like I was led on and made feel tense and worried ... For nothing. Like a trap. I know ST writing can be better than this, so I was disappointed.

And it's not the first time they do this too, and I know it also may be because viewers tuning in mid episode needed new stakes to be engaged in the story ... But that doesn't mean you have to escalate at that rate and then diffuse with no consequence.

[uss-genderprise]

This review of First Time #5 has been in my drafts for over a year

First Times 5 was published in February of 1986 by Merry Men Press, and is, of course, the fifth issue of First Time. It boasts 193 pages, 7 fics, 12 poems, and 7 drawings (not including the covers). It's spiral bound, which isn't my favourite but gets the job done nonetheless.

First impressions are very easy because I pulled this out of my box of fanzines and was immediately smacked in the face by Kirk's naked ass. The cover art is pretty nice but quite shocking. The back cover is weirdly proportioned and that doesn't look like the most comfortable position but okay. It starts with a poem before the editorial, which is unusual. The editorial itself is pretty funny, as the editor suggests that all trekkers band together and buy shares of Paramount to control what the company makes - very let's buy tumblr vibes.

Warnings: rape, non consensual drug use, mild sex.

Disclaimer: as usual, all of this is my personal opinion and should not be taken as an attack on anyone involved in this zine.

A Thought for Christmas

by Ellen Thacher

Christmas fics my belothed. It's hard to enjoy them when I keep thinking that both Kirk and Spock are Jewish. Thankfully, Spock also doesn't seem to like it. In the very first paragraph I already found two punctuation errors, which did not bode well for the rest of this zine, though I found no others. The fic was pretty sweet. 4/5

Logical Decisions

by Faille

It only took one page for me to be certain that Kirk and Spock would end up stranded on some planet with Spock entering pon farr, and I was soon proven correct, even if it happened in a slightly different way than I had expected. I'm not complaining, I like this trope. This is a long one, and it's mostly romantic, mushy, lovey-dovey stuff (in the best way possible) interspersed with some light humour. Plenty of relationship negotiations, which is always a plus. The only complaint I have (other than the considerable amount of typos) is that it made me crave apricots, and they're currently out of season. 5/5

On Our Beach

by Vera Barga

After Pike leaves the Enterprise Spock takes shore leave and tries to go somewhere quiet. On the same night, Kirk is enjoying his last night before becoming Captain. They meet in a casino and hit it off (if you know what I mean) and are then surprised to meet again on the Enterprise. They take it slow and eventually become lovers again.

People say you should sandwich the bad things in between good things but I have to get this out of the way: as a trans nonbinary person reading fics from the 80's is hell. It's all "male" and "female" and being into "males" or "females" and "women are exotic and strange". This is literally my only complaint for this fic and it's incredibly common in this era but in this one it was even more heavy-handed than usual. Other than that I had fun though. I like how important the explicit consent was, how at no point either of them tried to pressure the other and even went out of their way to point it out. I liked it. 4.5/5

The High Price of Love

by Ann

Spock disappears and Starfleet considers him a deserter. Kirk, of course, can't believe that, and keeps looking for him. It takes six months and Bones dragging him to a brothel to find Spock, selling his body to feed his addiction to an aphrodisiac. Turns out he was kidnapped by Orion slavers, addicted to this drug to "train" him as a sex slave, and sold to this brothel. Kirk and McCoy rescue him and help him fight off his addiction. There is a lot to unpack here.

As far as stories with this kind of premise go, the relationship between Kirk and Spock was natural, fairly pre-established, and fully consensual. McCoy played a fairly big part, which I personally greatly enjoy, and even had some heavily subtextual scenes with Spock, which I enjoyed even more (Spones? In my K/S zine? It's more likely than you think).

Graphic descriptions of rape were graphic, graphic depictions of consensual, romantic sex were less so. All in all, not too bad. 4/5

High Time

by Jenny

Kyle's bachelor party is made infinitely more interesting by someone slipping a drug that lowers inhibitions into some people's drinks. Scotty tells terrible jokes, Sulu does a strip tease, and Kirk seduces Spock. A great time is had by all - except McCoy, who wakes up with a hangover.

Honestly, I had a great time reading this. Despite drugs being involved everything was fully consensual, and Kirk and Spock were incredibly sweet. I also liked Scotty's joke, even if it was quite long-winded. 5/5

Where You Find It

by Zoey Brook

Kirk and Spock get stranded on a planet crawling with Klingons and are forced to hide in a cave and huddle for warmth, while a mysterious, empathic, shape-changing entity attempts to help them and learn from them.

I tend to like "stranded on a planet" stories. They're not usually my favourite, but when they're well done they can be spectacular. Personally, I felt that despite the interesting premise, this one was somewhat lacking. There was so much more that could have been done with it. 4/5

The Wall

by Kathy Tipton

Apparently, every five years Starfleet forces their officers to do a "check-up" which involves potentially risking their lives in a very harsh environment. Kirk and Spock are lucky enough to go together. They nearly fall off a cliff and get attacked by a vicious animal, and then they have sex for the first time while waiting for rescue before Spock dies from blood loss.

And despite all that (or maybe because of it?) I enjoyed this fic. I like the angst, I like the descriptions, the smut wasn't bad, and it had a happy ending. What more could I ask for? 4.5/5

Final thoughts

Pretty enjoyable zine, all in all. I think it has the highest typo count of any zine I've read so far, but most of them were pretty unobtrusive. The little art there was is all very nice, and the poems were generally more to my taste than in other zines I've read. I hate the comb binding, but I think that's pretty universal. I didn't actively hate reading it, which is good enough for me.

[fxoye2]

In your nuTOS reboot, I would actually really love what you said about getting into Bones head about why his divorce may have happened and why he joined Starfleet. All we ever really get is the line about his wife taking everything in the divorce in AOS and most fics I read have her being kind of terrible (not great) since Bones is the character we know, but I doubt things were as black and white as that. Also gimme Bones Chapel and M’Benga as a mini Sick Bay trio!

As for Jim, it’d be super interesting to reinterpret him as a person who’s constantly playing chess against himself; who’s charismatic and witty, but also lonely, who kind of struggles with being a captain. This Jim probably has been an XO, like TOS, unless he made a massive jump like AOS, and I wonder how he’d adjust to having to make the decisions and leaving the actual doing of said decisions to Spock. And also falling in love with him—I feel like that also really gets to this Jim in a way that he knows it’s there, but compartmentalizes it.

Ahhh, I love everything about this ask!! You’re speaking directly to my soul here with the idea of really digging into Bones’ backstory and exploring Jim as this complex, constantly strategizing character. This is exactly the kind of depth I’d want to tackle in a nuTOS reboot, because these characters have so much going on beneath the surface that we only get glimpses of in the films (and, let’s be real, a lot of fanfic too).

First off, Bones. Yes, we get that one-liner in AOS about his wife taking everything in the divorce, and that’s about it. In so many fics, she’s painted as this terrible person because we’re all Team Bones by default, right? But I think you’re spot on—it’s probably not that black and white. Divorce is complicated, and people are messy. What if Bones’ marriage fell apart not just because of his wife, but because of his own emotional unavailability or his tendency to drown himself in work? Maybe he was so focused on fixing things—people, patients, everything but himself—that he let his relationship deteriorate. And then, Starfleet becomes this place where he can escape and rebuild himself. There’s something so rich about the idea that Bones joined Starfleet because he had nowhere else to go—emotionally and physically. Like, “I’ve lost everything. What else am I supposed to do but run into space and hope I can heal some of the wreckage?”

And YES to the Bones/Chapel/M’Benga Sick Bay trio! Can you imagine the absolute chaotic good energy of those three running things? Chapel’s sharp wit, M’Benga’s steady calm, and Bones’ grumpy but loveable attitude all bouncing off each other? I’d die for more scenes of them working together, saving lives, and probably bickering the whole time like some weird space family. It would add so much depth to Bones’ character to see him not just as the gruff, sarcastic doctor, but as someone who has real connections in Sick Bay, people he trusts and relies on. I want more of that camaraderie!

Now, Jim. Oh man, this is exactly how I’d want to reinterpret him—a man who’s constantly playing chess against himself. He’s this brilliant tactician, always thinking five moves ahead, but that also means he’s stuck in his own head a lot, second-guessing himself, and feeling the weight of command. He can be charming and witty, but underneath all of that, there’s this deep loneliness and this struggle with the responsibility of being captain. In TOS, we see a Kirk who’s been in command for a while and is confident in his role. But in a nuTOS reboot, I’d love to play with the idea that Jim wasn’t always this sure of himself. If he had been an XO first (like TOS), there’s room to explore that transition from being the one who executes orders to the one who gives them. The struggle of suddenly having the lives of hundreds of people in his hands and knowing that every decision he makes could mean life or death for them.

And of course, there’s Spock. I love the idea of Jim compartmentalizing his feelings for Spock, knowing they’re there but pushing them aside because, hey, there are more important things to focus on. He’s got a crew to lead, a ship to keep in one piece, and falling in love with his first officer isn’t exactly part of the plan. But those feelings are there, simmering in the background, and they’re impossible to ignore forever. I think this Jim would really struggle with that—he’s so used to being in control of every aspect of his life, but love? Attraction? That’s something he can’t just out-strategize. And Spock, being Spock, would be so infuriatingly logical about it all, which would just make Jim bury his feelings even deeper. But the tension between them? Ohhhh, it would be electric.

This Jim wouldn’t just fall in love with Spock; he’d overthink falling in love with Spock. He’d see it like a chess game—every move has consequences, every decision could lead to complications. But love isn’t something you can plot out, and that would drive him crazy. Watching Jim navigate his feelings while also trying to be the captain his crew needs would be such an interesting balancing act, and eventually, he’d have to realize that letting himself feel doesn’t make him any less of a leader.

Anyway, YES to everything you said. I’d want to explore all these layers of Bones and Jim and really get into their heads in a way that fleshes them out even more. (And maybe throw in some spicy Spirk tension while I’m at it, because come on, we all know that’s inevitable.)

[stevejobsbuysasamsung]

6, 10, 15, 22, + 24 for star trek asks :3

omg wauw so many.....

6. Favourite alien race? 👽

i really like andorians because i feel like theyre so....... stereotypically alien - blue with antannae 😭

but on a more serious level i really like betazoids and betazoid culture. like, what do u mean yall get married naked!! sick!!! and i get the feeling that their culture is more hedonist and free flowing which i like a lot

10. Do you read fanfiction? If so, what are your faves? 📖

i've read fanfiction for almost... ten years??!? 😭since i was like 12 omg.... but i only recently started reading spirk fanfic,, im sure i've read it before but not as intently,, so i dont have faves but i did just finish this fic and it was awesome!! (tw some smut in later chapters lol) https://archiveofourown.org/works/1141066/chapters/2308617

15. Your favourite ship? 🚀

spirk obvs.......i mean mckirk and spones is nice but.,.,,, yk....

22. What is something canon that you disagree with? ☹

okay remember the cloud minders episode??? when spock is ... entranced by this woman's 'feminine beauty'?!? i've written that scene out of my mind tbh LOLLLL,,,, it was just,,,, bad........ i didn't agree with it at all and it was so out of character for spock and just male gazey (but it was a show from the 60's)

i mean,, i can also say spock and uhura? but i dont hate it that much tbh

24. What should have happened in Star Trek, but didn't? 🎷

okay kinda wish bones was able to dress up in a piece of the action with kirk and spock in that 1950's mob gettup, and this is not so much in star trek itself but i wish christine chapel was a character in the star trek reboot 😭

going to class now bye!!1

[thegeminisage]

for posterity (and so i can close the tab), i'm posting screenshots of the private skip/watch list i made for friends only - since i was too big of a dummy and didn't liveblog my initial tos watchthrough, to my ETERNAL FUCKING WOE, this is as close as i'm ever getting. sad! DISCLAIMER that i disagree with my past self on some of the skip/watch verdicts so please use the official spreadsheet (still a wip) as a guide if you're looking for that kind of thing.

of note from this first screencap: dagger of the mind, which i continue to feel normal about for no particular reason and definitely not relating to a movie with a brainwashing chair that came out in 2014. the corbomite manuever, which i dismissed at first and then came around to liking better later because of the little character moments. conscience of the king, which was actually the first trek episode i ever watched before i went back and did them all in official order (mistake, production order is better) and which of course got me into this mess. squire of gothos, which has this scene that inspired this fanfic. don't text.

it's also worth mentioning that i had to watch not one not two but THREE bad to mid episodes before i hit naked time and enemy within and then they put me right back in it with mudd's women. if i hadn't already seen conscience of the king and knew what was up i would have fucking quit. and that's why production order is superior

of note for this batch: the city on the edge of forever, in which a lot of important stuff happened, but also spock wore a little hat. catspaw, which is the first time i had an inkling of the idea that would later spawn this powerpoint (this is what "giving john crichton" means ifykyk). mirror mirror, which i didn't get until like a week later and then went insane over. metamorphosis, which made me so frothing mad it's unreal.

of note here: the immunity syndrome, which i have rewatched 60000 times for the spones. return to tomorrow, during which my eyes were dinnerplates start to finish. by any other name, which truly had so much going on including what i know in my heart was a tarsus iv reference. bread and circuses, which did indeed make me blush when bones pushed spock against the wall and spock went "really doctor?" i still can't think about it.

of note: the enterprise incident, which again caused mental illness related to the previously linked powerpoint. the paradise syndrome, which was the only amnesia episode, the first time kirk and spock mindmelded on screen, and so utterly fucking racist that all of that stuff was absolutely ruined beyond belief; i instantly moved to a google doc and to write down my mind palace version that doesn't involve All Of That. the one-two punch of the world is hollow + the empath, which made me a bones understander. the tholian web, which made me bonkers because i love a good fake death. plato's stepchildren, sections of which i had to watch through my fingers.

finally, of note for this batch: whom gods destroy, which unexpectedly brought back the brainwashing chair and excited me so much i had to pause the episode to collect myself. that which survives, bc the looney toons sfx made me scream laugh. requiem for methuselah, which genuinely induced a november 5th-like mania i didn't think i'd ever feel again. all our yesterdays, which was the worst i'd EVER felt for a space babe. and finally, turnabout intruder, which introduced "it's better to be DEAD than to be in the body of [x]" into my own personal lexicon.

ok that's everything! we have nine episodes left of tos to go back and watch before we move onto tng, but i know in my heart that tos will always be my favorite. i'll miss you tos :(

[hornyverymuch]

so I thought I was prepared for Amok Time, but holy shit I was not-

[major spoilers for that episode (S2E1) and S1]

I still haven't made a post about S1 finale and, that one was a lot as well let me tell you that

I heard about Amok Time even before starting Star Trek and spoiled myself like 70% of it, but still, watching the full episode was so much gayer than I ever could've imagined holy fuck-

but seriously now, the James Kirk, the same one who follows orders no matter what (not even giving himself time to mourn his brother when he found out he's dead, and well, he had a mission with millions of lives at stake) but what I mean is he always wants to follow orders and be the perfect captain everyone sees him as, so it's amazing seeing him being "fuck that meeting, Spock's life is far more important than that" and even though it's obvious, Kirk still would probably suffer repercussions, because superiors can be dicks like that (no greater than Spock's dying, but still good to see Kirk having his priorities straight, as straight as you can have while not being one)

Funny enough, even though Bones' comments or remarks towards Spock can be mean and hurtful at times, he cares greatly about him (defended him against Kirk of all people in The Menagerie, and was worried for him in Operation: Annihilate!) and yet here Kirk is the first one here to spit out facts first

also about Bones, it's so amazing that Kirk is alive all thanks to Bones' quick thinking, he saved their gay asses and I absolutely love that

it's an important episode when it comes to Spirk, but honestly, this ep also perfectly highlights how strong the friendship between all 3 of them is, Bones won't let these chaotic bitches die and I love him for it

also just... this fucking scene, I don't even know how some people have a heterosexual explanation for this

bonus: since it's a post about Amok Time, here's the obligatory top surgery scars wounds pic

probably gonna make more posts about Amok Time, I could post most scenes as screenshots there's so much happening, what a fucking start to the second season holy shit-

[swimmingwolf59]

12 Days of Spones - Baking

I’m glad I managed to finish this in time lol! This is the first part of a much longer 5+1 fic I’m working on (and was working on for this event but failed to finish completely lol). It references the star trek cookbook – I downloaded it recently, and I’ve enjoyed reading the little descriptions for each dish just as much as I’ve enjoyed making them. With all the little spock and bones tidbits, it was hard not to make a fic revolving around it lol! I hope y’all enjoy!!

Thank you so much to @fuckyeahspones for hosting the 12dos event!!!! It’s been so much fun!

-

McCoy lays in bed, vainly trying to rest.

M’Benga has already cleared him as cordrazine-free, but had suggested that McCoy take the rest of the night off to recover from any lingering effects. While McCoy had agreed with his professional opinion, he can’t sleep. He just keeps seeing Edith Keeler, run over by that truck over and over and over again.

He knows now why it had to happen, but he just can’t accept it. He’d watched her get run over, had failed to save her despite only being a few meters away from her. And even though saving her would’ve apparently destroyed the timeline, it’s hard for McCoy to face loss in such an abstract fashion.

The fact is that Edith Keeler died, and he failed to prevent it.

His door chime rings, and McCoy gets up immediately. Even if it’s just M’Benga, checking to make sure he really is resting, it’s a relief to have an excuse to stop trying.

When he keys open the doors, he’s surprised to see Spock standing there, holding a tray with something wrapped in aluminum foil on top of it. McCoy eyes the tray in confusion, but steps back to let him in anyway. “Mister Spock! Come on in.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Spock seems almost hesitant to come into the room, but he does eventually. He notices the messy blankets on the bed and says, “Am I disturbing your rest?”

“No, I couldn’t sleep anyway.” McCoy crosses his arms. “Actually, it’s a relief you’re here so I don’t have to keep lying there watching Edith Keeler die in front of me over and over again.”

Spock averts his eyes. Though he had been the one to logically declare that her death was necessary, he doesn’t seem all that happy about it either. “And the cordrazine?”

“Totally gone. Thank God.” McCoy bounces on his toes once and eyes the tray again. “So? What’s that you’ve got with you?”

“…It is Vulcan custom to give someone food after they have survived a deadly illness, to help with their recovery,” Spock says stiltedly. “Thus, I made you something.”

McCoy blinks, something warm spreading through his stomach. He’s unreasonably touched by the gesture, and by what it appears to mean – that Spock was worried about him. He peers at the dish, but can’t tell what it is from the shape of it. “You made this? That must have taken a lot of work, you didn’t have to—”

“It is also tradition,” Spock cuts over him, “to eat the proffered meal together. Is that acceptable?”

McCoy smiles. “Yes, Spock. Yes it is.”

He sets up a foldable table in the middle of the living area while Spock pulls over McCoy’s two desk chairs. This isn’t the first time they’ve shared a meal together in one of their quarters, but it is the first time either of them have made the meal from scratch.

“Did you ask Jim if he wants to join us?” McCoy asks quietly as he and Spock set out plates and utensils. He’d tried to talk to him earlier, but Kirk had been holed up in his quarters and unwilling to see him or even answer his calls.

Spock dips his head. “I did, but he didn’t wish to see me.”

McCoy nods. “I got the same treatment. We’ll just have to go see him when he’s ready.”

“Indeed.”

When they’re all set up, Spock gestures at McCoy to sit, so he does. He watches Spock remove the foil, and then just blinks down at the dessert. He opens his mouth, closes it, and then opens it again. His heart feels lodged somewhere in his throat and his pulse has kicked up, but surely he has to be wrong… “Spock…isn’t this the Vulcan wedding cake?”

It’s dead silent for a moment.

Then Spock almost looks offended. “Of course not, Doctor. This is Ha Rageel, a Vulcan carrot loaf.”

“…So in other words, an almost identical dish,” McCoy insists, and then begins to laugh.

“It is completely unrelated,” Spock says firmly. “While they do contain many of the same ingredients, Tufeen Hushani is incredibly complex to make, while the Ha Rageel—”

“Alright, alright, I get it,” McCoy interrupts, smiling so wide it hurts his cheeks. “I’m just saying, you might want to think twice before bringing a non-Vulcan a dish that looks awfully similar to the wedding cake.”

He’s rewarded with the faint splatter of a green blush across Spock’s cheeks. “I did not think that most humans would even know of the Tufeen Hushani.”

“I was invited to my coworker’s wedding when I was stationed on Rigel Prime, and they served it there,” McCoy says as he hands Spock a knife to cut into the Ha Rageel. “She was Vulcan but her wife was Andorian—which was still quite a big deal, as you can imagine—so the wedding was Andorian, but the food was Vulcan.”

“I see,” Spock says, handing McCoy a plate with a piece of the loaf on top of it. While the consistency of it is rather thick, the center looks moist, and the scent is heavenly. “That explains why you were invited, then.”

McCoy looks at him questioningly, so Spock elaborates, “At traditional Vulcan weddings, only the partner’s closest friends and family are allowed to attend.”

“Ah.” McCoy smiles. “I can see why they didn’t have a Vulcan wedding, then. Can you imagine the mess the two wives’ families would’ve caused if they were invited? They were already upset that their daughters were marrying someone from the other species.”

Spock shakes his head. “One would think that, after 106 years, they would have learned to put their prejudices behind them.”

“It’s illogical, wouldn’t you say, Spock?” McCoy says, grinning when Spock gives him a look.  

Spock serves himself a slice of the Ha Rageel, and then they both settle in to eat. McCoy takes a bite and has to prevent himself from moaning aloud – the loaf is unbelievably good. It’s as moist as it looked, and the taste is sweet with a slight kick to it from the cinnamon and nutmeg.

“Spock, this is delicious!” he exclaims. “You’re very skilled at baking.”

Spock dips his head. “Thank you, Doctor. I am pleased that you enjoy it.”

“Maybe I should get sick more often,” McCoy jokes, “so you’ll bring me more baked goods.”

Spock raises an eyebrow. “Remember that I said a deadly illness, Doctor. I would recommend against that course of action.”

McCoy chuckles, and Spock continues, “I would be willing to bake for you again regardless of if you are ill or not.”

McCoy blinks, taken aback, and then smiles. “I’d enjoy that, Spock. And I’ll have to make you some of my recipes, too!”

“I would be honored to try them.”

They chat as they finish the loaf—making sure to leave some extra to bring to Jim later—arguing about time travel and alternate universes and a plethora of other things much more ridiculous. McCoy has always enjoyed having meals with Spock, and spending time with him in general, as his company is never dull.

When they bid each other good night, McCoy finds that he does feel a lot better, and he no longer has any trouble sleeping.

The Ha Rageel must work, after all.

[lenievi]

snw #10 (rewatch)

- why does Spock refer to himself as Number One? Wouldn’t that hurt both him and Pike?

- “that’s La’an’s ship” is such an interesting way to put it when Kirk is the captain LOL (yes, I know they didn’t want to reveal the captain)

- no, I still hate how Sam talks about Jim because what’s said is what people will remember and the way he described Jim is just not true and very pop-culture-y. “He bends rules all the time” no he doesn’t, and it’s especially wild when it’s used in a reimagining of Balance of Terror. So my initial “I guess Sam doesn’t know his brother” still tracks, because he also only knows what Kirk wants him to see. He doesn’t know about his struggles, his doubts, how seriously he takes all of his decisions... “Bones, what if I’m wrong?”*

- I really dislike they made Ortegas take Stiles’ role. Unless they show something in s2 that would explain her behaviour, it’s just so ??? (maybe they tried to hint at it with her “blue meanie” thing with Hemmer during the funeral?) Or like if they just showed some animosity between Ortegas and Spock in previous episodes...

- they should have used Sarek’s actor for the commander. They should have gone all out.

* I know they used Sam’s words to put some doubts in Pike’s mind about Kirk, but it’s like - this brash, young captain. Is he the reason a war starts? - when Kirk is so far from being brash in his dealing with Pike. In some way, he’s way more collected than Pike, coming up with better options. (I really did not appreciate this episode the right way the first, and even the second time, because of Sam’s words. 

- attack pattern Tiberius four is sooo stupid. 

- “All this because of a second’s delay?” Well, of course. Kirk’s reminded of his failure, of his hesitation, on the Farragut every single day. And now, because someone else hesitated he lost the ship, and probably a lot of his crew as well. Love the acknowledgement. 

- “I’m an engineer, not a miracle worker.” .............. not a fan. I also really dislike that the episode after Hemmer’s death has Scotty’s voice. You don’t have to try so hard to milk the nostalgia, especially since it’s McCoy’s line... I guess there’s not much hope for s2 to be less about nostalgia when Kirk’s around, is there? I mean, I like when the lines from the show are used, but I also need them to be used by the characters or is some kind of a reverse - it would be fine if Scotty said this line to McCoy, for example. It would be fine if McCoy existed and it was an inside joke between Scott and Spock because they both know McCoy. Like this, it’s just cheap as is Scotty’s presence. It was AU, he didn’t need to be there. 

- I kinda love that Pike and Kirk just met and they just immediately started to call each other “Jim” and “Chris” lol

- it’s funny how easily Spock is like “you’re important to me too”. He’s always so soft and open with Pike.

- I really do like this Kirk. I know I’m gonna see different Kirks in s2, but I like this one. (I don’t like how Sam introduced him though lol)

- but I really wonder what will Pike do differently to save Una and why didn’t it work out in the other future. If it literally happened a few moments after he sent the letters... will his journey to the future change something in his actions? I also wonder what will make the Farragut and the Enterprise cross paths before 2266. It’s not like they didn’t (because of La’an... but also did La’an never return to the Enterprise? Or did she go to Farragut after she was promoted to a Commander), but Kirk didn’t meet Spock in that timeline... 

like I just hope that some bits from the future will be reflected......... because it’s so weird putting La’an on Kirk’s ship and then not doing anything with it ever again

ranking (based on my personal enjoyment; I changed it from the previous posts a bit): 5 - 10 - 3 - 1 - 2 - 4 - 7 - 9 - 8 - 6

[zaraevee]

Zara Watches Trek: TOS Episode 5 The Enemy Within

I know this is the epiosde kirk spilts into two halves, and the “bad” half is scary, notorious for being overacted and heavy on the eyeliner

I don’t know much beside that and that they eventually get him back together

Also this is the first episode i’m watching on my TV instead of my phone, I managed to get the season one DVD box set from the library

Here we go:

Starting on a planet!

Oh wow they’ve set up a mini camp that’s a very bright tent

What the fuck is Sulu holding? Oh its a dog creature.. That dog’s costume 😂

This is nice to watch on the big screen

Kirks eyes really are gorgeous

Uh oh transporter trouble!

Kirk #2!!

The lighting & shot 😂 so dramatic

“Have my engines looked to” lol

Kirk seems so tired and out of it

Straight to Bones for alcohol 😂

Yeah drunk evil Kirk sounds like a really bad idea

Oh noooo yeoman Rand watch out

Haha its this shirtless scene

Kirk tiddies

And the fact that this is regular Kirk he’s just like that😂

He doesn’t even consider that Bones might not just be fucking with Spock, and by extension, him

They find out something’s up this early??

Poor Janice doesn’t deserve this!

He’s just flirting but he’s gonna be going creepy any second

Annnd Yepp there we go

Ooh the camera following them is a good touch

Kick his ass Janice

Get fucked feral Kirk you deserve those bloody knuckles

Ugh that scene with Janice talking about it was rough, especially knowing what the actress went through behind the scenes

Mouthing “imposter” was good acting! I like the emphasis it adds, as well as the realism of it sinking in for Kirk

I love that they’re all just taking every opportunity to hold this dog

Poor Kirk worried about his landing party

Kirk’s really spacing out a lot is he ok?

Ooh Spock speaking hard truths

These last two episodes are putting a focus on the tough lonely parts of command in certain scenes

I’m loving Spock’s chair touches that are so close to Jim’s back & arm

Ooh evil/feral Kirk is smart too, using makeup is a good idea

And getting a phaser!!

He’s the action half? Like he’s the one that makes decisions and throws himself into danger?

Ok you two! be careful! (me @ Kirk & Spock hunting him alone in the engine room)

Again loving how close they walk together

“I don’t want anyone else to see me” “except you” is implied and that’s so !! That he trusts only Spock to see the darker parts of himself

Oh wow he’s watching them like a monkey in a tree

Nice slide! That was cool gotta give him credit

Why’d you split up watch out Spock!

Oh well guess its Kirk who’s in danger

Feral Kirk is totally hunting Kirk

Standoff!!

Spock just being a total nerd analyzing the sides of Kirk

He’s completely right tho about everything as usual

“Its the way I am” Spock has very expressive soft eyes, easier to see on a big screen

ok and those were very soft eyes from Kirk @ Spock for a second after he said that

Well shit Feral Kirk broke it worse

Ooh poor Sulu & the landing party 🥺

Lol the idea of hot coffee lowered down on a rope... oh Sulu I love you

Oh noo! would take a week?? that’s a death sentence for the landing party!!

So many Captain’s logs in this episode! Are there always this many?

He’s speaking much slower than he was before that’s a really good detail, I feel like it happened gradually over the episode now that i’m thinking about it

Jesus how they are still alive - is 75 below zero even possible to survive?

(My science-inclined brother walks past at this point and goes “are they using Fahrenheit or Celsius?” and we live in the U.S. and this was made in the 60’s so I go “Fahrenheit probably?” And he goes “WHY would they be using Fahrenheit?!” And I don’t know the answer)

Using phasers to heat the rocks is brilliant tho

Ooh poor Kirk he feels so bad

Oh geez screaming evil Kirk sure is something

Welp he’s dying which means regular Kirk probably is too

Aw comforting yourself, holding his hand!that’s a facinating scene, really shows how tactile of a person Kirk is

I can really understand that as someone who is as well, all i’d want in this situation is someone to hold my hand and give me a hug

Damn this episode is so deep

Interesting that one half has the courage and the other has the other rest of the will

That smile can’t be good what’s Feral Kirk up to?

Can’t believe they fixed the transporter! Good ol Scotty!

He’s not even listening! Come on buddy, focus!

The dog barks synthesized that’s cool

Oh nooo “he’s dead, Jim” about a doggg noooo 😢

They doesn’t seem good for Jim and he looks so freaked out

Captain’s log by Spock!

Jim’s voice is so softtt

Spock trying to reassure Kirk that he’ll be ok 😭

Alright you two you’re stressing him out! Stop arguing and presenting opposing sides and opinions!!

Yes! Mention of Human half Spock again

Jim looks so distraught 😢

“Help me, somebody, make the decision” wow I feel that so deep

Yes Jim cling to that force of will!

Yes good job buddy you did good

Aw I wanna give him a hug

He seems physically weak

Oooh nooo Suluuuu

This would be so hard hearing a good friend and crewmember drift toward death

Literally talking to yourself lol

Huh feral Kirk seems very subdued now

Hmm they’re both weak!

Oh shit it was a fakeout!! He’s so sneaky!!

I was like why is Kirk struggling to hold him up so much then I realized he was fighting him

Ooh confrontation on the bridge!

Spock is totally able to tell!

Kirk’s fear of loosing command is really on display this episode

Wow that close up shot with dramatic lighting doesn’t even look like Kirk (this is one of the shots that’s infamous from this episode) just looks like a feral creature- how did he twist up his face like that

there’s a lot of Feral Kirk shouting in this episode glad i’m not watching this @ my best friend’s house, her neighbors would want to kill us 😂

Trusting Spock to take care of things no matter what happens 🥺

Spock doing the transporting himself!

He’s back!!

I know Sulu’s ok (because he’s in the rest of the show) but all I can think is “get better soon Sulu, glad you’re alive!”

“Thank you Mr Spock, From both of us” oh my god they’re too much 🥺

Spock smile!! He’s so happy to have Jim back!

Oh dear.. Kirk just dismissing Rand

I know she isn’t in the rest of it and I just feel bad for her…

Also Kirk’s just totally suppressing any feelings whatsoever and Naked Time plus this episode right after are really driving home for him that its the right thing to do. And he’s probably right, it is. But him having to bury parts of himself to be a “perfect” Captain like Spock said in this episode hurts me 🥺

Is Spock teasing her?? It took me a second to realize that was the word for what he was doing.. There’s another Spock smirk what is happening!

Of course, he could have another intention, I just don’t see it

I feel like he just hasn’t stopped smiling since he spoke with Jim

The end~

After-episode thoughts:

Boy was that an episode! I can see why its a bit infamous, some of it was hard to watch but its a fascinating look into what makes humans, humans and I always like when Trek does that. I realized quickly watching this show that stressful stuff always happens to Kirk, the writers really just won’t let him be happy! And I know it only gets worse. Poor lil meow meow

Anyway, I actually kind of liked it. Especially the scenes with the two Kirks in med-bay. I wouldn’t rewatch it much, but I think it was better than some people give it credit for and tbh I was really impressed with Shatner’s acting opposite himself. I wonder how they did those scenes because I forgot in the moment they didn’t have the technology we do today and it was seamless which is so impressive!

I may not do this for every episode, maybe just the ones I have on the condensed list I made of famous episodes to watch before I decided to just watch them all. For the rest I may do a short impressions & review post

[anonymousewrites]

Considering how Celians are in touch with their emotions and value peace and spreading good emotions I can see how encountering an entity that feeds on and causes fear and death would be distressing and put MC out of their comfort zone which I feel you managed to capture well. Their slight paranoia and nerves on edge after Sybo's murder create a great atmosphere for the rest of the chapter while overall managing to remain in control bc they know fear is what it feeds on.

I love how this chapter pushed them out of their comfort zone (not that other chapters haven't but I love the way it was done) and forced them to show great adaptability. Honestly, the strength they showed this chapter was amazing! Shoving anger into his mind even though it pains them in a moment of protectiveness for their crew and kinda spite as well (I love when characters get petty, even tho this was technically more than just petty). Their ingenuity to remain calm when being targeted mentally and physically and to think under that pressure, knowing that if they were fearful it could mean bad news for their friends but if they did nothing he could hurt them. The fact that while being threatened and focusing to remain calm they also managed to think and realise that his weakness would be the opposite of fear and use joy against him. The ability to summon joy (and enough to subdue a powerful being) in such a situation is a testament to their mental strength beyond their psychic capacity as a Celian.

It's also really nice to see them fighting and showing strength beyond physical strength or intellectuality. Putting value in emotions and resilience and making them a force of power in stories is so special to me and something about how this series (and most of your stories) has overall been very joyful and joy being a force against the darkness of fear is so awesome. I'd like to think MC was thinking of working on the enterprise with their friends which gave them enough joy to overwhelm Hengin.

Kirk kind of acting like a mother like: the sacrifices I make so that they may be happy 😢

Bones: you mean getting stuck babysitting a bunch of adults with no pay so two idiots can pretend they aren't in love? Yeah it must suck😒

I, for one, would have loved to see the officers high.

Side note: I loved Sulu just rolling with whatever is happening, John Mulaney "this might as well happen. Adult life is already so goddamn weird" style

("malfunctions don't usually talk back", the captains making us take drugs? *Shrugs* alright)

I love him<3 my favorite botanist boi

First of all, oh my god do I love this analysis, you completely hit the nail everywhere, and that means a lot to me because it shows my writing and characterization of everything is coming across the way I want to.

To your first point: absolutely, MC was totally out of their comfort zone, and I enjoyed having them face a species that could use their abilities and strong emotions against them, but MC didn't give in. That's a major part of who they are, plus, Spock has rubbed off on them and they have learned to be calm and collected in stressful situations.

To your second point: Yes! I really like having my characters be strong in their hearts and that be the reason they are powerful and resilient. it resonates with me because of how my life has gone and how I think people should be empowered. I want to show people being kind and being strong in their kindness of heart instead of just straight up power.

And then to your little quotes of the characters? Adorable, fantastic, that's totally how Kirk and Bones are.

And Sulu is the ultimate botanist-sword fighting-helmsman.

[trekkingthroughthestargate]

Not to meta on what is mostly a humorous/appreciation/reaction post to the episode, but while I'm loving all the posts you're making I really felt I needed to add something to this one. (OP please don't hate me)

You mentioned that the split of the Kirk's is very muddied and I'd argue that that's the exact opposite of what's going on. It's intentionally very subtle, because it's NOT a split of good vs evil. Sure, Spock talks about it as "in earth terms the roles of good and evil", but in the same sentence modifies his statement to be more subtle by saying it's Kirk's positive and negative sides, which is an effective way to communicate what's going on simply and quickly in a very high stakes situation. Bones is even more subtle a little bit later when he's talking about how good!Kirk has the intelligence and logic, but the subtext of the episode is even more subtle still.

Essentially Kirk was split into the id, ego, and superego. Good!Kirk got the superego (which is the morality of a person), and bad!Kirk got the id (which is the base instincts) and the ego (which is the mediator and decision making part of the brain). Since bad!Kirk didn't have the superego contributing to the id/ego duo, there wasn't anything for the superego to mediate and so the base instincts of the id ended up being the only option, and thus those base instincts were running the show. So basically bad!Kirk was the forceful carrying out of the base instincts, and good!Kirk is what happens when the strength of his base instincts and the ability to mediate himself is taken away.

And again, while Spock and Bones both simplify it for the sake of the audience and because going into all of that detail would just... drag the episode down quite a lot... textually that is exactly what is happening. Spock tells him he is losing his strength of command (ego), and that is different from the base instincts that bad Kirk is operating under. He doesn't tell him he's losing his ability to feel fear, for instance (or even lust, which he could have made a point of due to what happend with Rand). Because that's id, and that's not the part that he is focused on because it's the part that he doesn't understand (as the logos of the Triumvirate ethos/pathos/logos). But Bones DOES understand that part as the pathos of that triad, so he does talk about what he's lost when he loses the id. He talks about how courage comes from the fear of the bad!Kirk (the id) being countered by the lack of fear in the superego (good!Kirk).

In fact, this episode also so perfectly shows why the totality of Kirk, Spock, and Bones are necessary. Logos discusses the superego, Pathos discusses the id, and Ethos would normally be the one to find the middle ground between the two and take action - but Ethos has lost his ego and thus the ability to find cohesion between the two sides.

It's the subtlety of all of this going on that makes it such a good episode.

Maybe it's just luck that the bad!Kirk got but the ego and the id, and perhaps Kirk would have become a paragon of virtue if the good Kirk had gotten the ego and superego both, but even then I don't think that's what would have gotten. Because that split would have left him without any of his baser instincts, which means he would have lost his passion for life, his drive to succeed, and his capacity to love. So a Kirk made up of ego and superego would never have diverted to Vulcan to save Spock's life - there would be no friendship, loyalty, or compassion to drive that decision. He never would have volunteered himself to be tortured by the Vians so that Spock and McCoy could go free. He never would have defied orders to go to Genesis and ultimately save Spock. Because those base emotions are just not there.

And obviously this episode didn't know about those future events, but that is exactly what it's intentionally communicating through the episode. It just doesn't spell it out because it doesn't need to.

a.k.a. Kirks evil twin needs a hug

Pro:

The Dog alien, iconic, beautiful

I know it was done to easily differenciate the two Kirks, but Kirks eyeliner slays

Bones everyday doctoring. Look I know in fic and memes people often say his bedside manner sucks, and with his friends it does yes because they're his friends and they're idiots, but his general doctor scenes are lovely

Kirk manhandling McCoy and McCoy sending Spock after him later

The way Kirk assures and takes care of Sulu / the landing party show more of his good qualities as a leader to his crew

Spocks heritage being talked about for the first time, interesting early ideas about him being stuck between both sides

The invention of the vulcan nerve pinch!

First proper „He's dead, Jim“ by McCoy!

Kirks halfs literally having to accept each other in a way in the end and hugging

Classic transporter malfunction

I like that they call evil Kirk the imposter - even though it's part of him everyone knows that he would never behave this way and that the "good" Kirk is closer to his real self

the general idea of splitting a person into opposing halves, even though the exact philosophy is muddled when analyzed deeper (yes, the message is a human being needs the good and bad, but – see cons)

Spocks speech about command underlines the kind of pressure Kirk is constantly under due to his position (something he handles well usually, and it gets adressed a few times thoughout tos)

Generally the dynamic between the trio and how trust works between them, especially in the transporter room in the end

love a classic „who is the real one“ duplicate situation

Con:

The entire violent scene between the imposter and Yeoman Rand is horrific and I personally find it to be longer than necessary to get the point across

also the way they treat her is too shitty for words. Even considering the production time it's bad, and I dislike all the scenes heavily

we're not gonna talk about Spock's last line. OOC. He would never.

The last third feels a bit streched

As said above, the split itself is very muddied philosophically and politically – I'd say is less good / evil and more base urges & survival instinct / higher developement, intelligence, which would make more sense as you do need both to function and one to control the other. Otherwise the message is you need „evil“ to function and thats just. No good.

also like. "sensitive" kirk does make decisions at the end and is also the brave one? it kinda undermines what they're trying to say

also the way it's presented goes a bit into the toxic masculinity philosophy that only a forceful / aggressive man can make proper decisions, when we know that's not at all true in Kirk (or the other men)

Sulu is us at @ every dog we encounter

Counter:

Kirk being shirtless (and posing in front of Spock with his little towel)

Transporter malfunction

A LOT of Kirk / Shatner Memes stem from this episode

Also the dog-alien is its own meme

Quote: "You're the captain of this ship. You haven't the right to be vulnerable in the eyes of the crew. You can't afford the luxury of being anything less than perfect. If you do, they lose faith and you lose command" - Spock

Moment: Kirk getting ready to beam down the reunite with himself and the almost silent conversations with his friends Summary: Interesting episode that raises a few questions about what makes a person who they are but can't fully answer them while giving further insight into the trios relationships as well as Kirks personality - beware the assault and treatment of the female character afterwards though.

Previous Episode - Next Episode - All TOS Reviews

[ichayalovesyou]

Does anybody else think about how both Bones and Jim are divorced fathers who do not have (full, or in Jim’s case, any) custody of their children? I mean, I see a lot of people talk about Leonard’s struggle with Joanna and missing her and everything. Being forced to watch her grow up mostly from afar, but what about Jim and David?

We know that his marriage and divorce with Carol and his son’s birth happened four years before he took command of the Enterprise, David would’ve been four years old when Jim went back to Starfleet. We don’t know if Carol was pregnant when they broke things off, or David was a toddler (which I would think would hurt even more). Not to get all personal, but I’ve seen the hell men who didn’t deserve to lose significant custody of their kid go through (not that it’d be easy considering both Jim & Bones work in space). It happens a lot and my heart aches for Jim & Bones, because I’ve lived through it myself.

I actually headcanon that the reason that Kirk has such a difficult time with Charlie (from Charlie X) and younger officers before Chekov shows up is because the wound of knowing he’ll never get to see David face to face again is still insanely fresh. It also fuels the long history of trauma that manifests as Jim’s omnipresent Autophobia (fear of being alone).

It honestly makes his relationships with the other members of the Triumvirate, and with Chekov, much more sad and sweet and interesting. Bones and Jim coping and working through similar heartbreaking family situations. How his relationship with Carol (and other previous SOs) color his relationship with Spock. Especially since both he & Spock treat Pavel like a son, albeit in different ways. I think it’s very interesting that the first, and frankly only, young officer we see Jim actually be soft and parental toward is Pavel. Instead of letting his bitterness, anger and trauma get in the way like in Corbomite Maneuver (Ensign Bailey) and Obsession (Ensign Garrovick) and to a lesser extent Decker in TMP. It makes you wonder the conversations the three may have had behind closed doors, between each other and on the whole.