#mccoy critical

[anghraine]

It's wild to me that I had heard of the prime Kirk/Spock content in various TOS episodes long before I saw them, but had never heard of what IMO is the shippiest moment of all thus far, in an interestingly O_o goddamn I do not want whatever you two have but you do you?? holy shit though what a moment way.

I'm of course referring to the otherwise rather mid episode "Requiem for Methuselah," in which Kirk has an underwritten love affair with a clueless woman whose various secrets have to be discovered before her inevitable death.

At one point in this relationship, her.......uh, guardian??? sort of???????? had Spock play the piano while she and Kirk waltzed, which (in-story) Spock did perfectly while somehow managing to silently exude even more intensity than usual. After the plot (and her life) were over, we end not with the usual cheerful bit of snark on the bridge that ends most episodes, but with a weary Kirk falling asleep with his head on his arms and Spock hovering not for away. McCoy exposits the last bit of detail and then goes on an unprompted and honestly pretty viciously racist speech about how Spock, unlike Kirk, will never suffer from the joys and travails of love because of his inherent lack of feeling as a Vulcan. The speech is longer than usual and just really mean-spirited as McCoy waxes rhapsodic about all the aspects of passionate true love that Spock will not and cannot experience as a Vulcan before he just leaves.

Spock then turns to look at Kirk, and now just bleeding intensity, takes a few slow, deliberate steps towards the sleeping Kirk, lays his hand against Kirk's cheek and neck, and then very obviously mind melds with the sleeping Kirk while murmuring, "Forget."

Is this healthy respectful behavior that honors Kirk's autonomy? No, obviously. Is it god-tier repressed homoerotic passion between two people who should probably just work their issues out and stop inflicting themselves on anyone else? Yes.

[rei-ismyname]

Logan shouldn't be allowed near children

I know that's a loaded title but I stand by it. There's obviously an element of Flanderisation going on but considering his stated reason for opening the Jean Grey school he is far too eager to murder children.

Why TF is he leaping at children, snarling with his claws out? Check out the frothing drool.

For example, in All-New X-Men, the O5 have just been bought to the future by Hank McCoy. He stops teaching his violence through yelling class and heads out the front, leaping at the 16 year olds with his claws out. Not Hank, who brought them there but clearly traumatised children - while screaming like a lunatic of course. Even if he's not trying to kill them, what purpose does terrifying them serve? He clearly IS trying to kill them, though. I'm sure his students would love to see their headmaster butcher confused children in front of them.

Unsurprisingly, he scares the fuck out of them. In part influenced by constant threats of his violence, the O5 steal the X-Jet and flee, explicitly doubting this guy is an X-Man. His thoughts about the 16 year old Jean Grey... No dude, this isn't the Jean you know. She's a child you've tried to kill. Fucking creep.

This one is great. Young Scott has enough going on without this frothing beast advocating for his immediate execution as punishment for his future self's actions. Out front of the school with literally everyone watching. He's using his authority to advocate for slaughtering a child. Thankfully nobody agrees with him, but this is traumatic, terrifying, and affects Scott especially so badly he runs away.

No wonder he freaks out and leaves. Obviously the headmaster of a school should drop what he's doing, not for his wellbeing but to get his bike back. How is he in charge of anyone's wellbeing or moral instruction? He demands absolute obedience while doing nothing to deserve it. It's all about how Logan feels.

Here he is trying to gut a 15 year old Wiccan for having Scarlet Witch vibes, not for the or last time. I'm a little surprised he remained an Avenger after this. When you have knives for hands everyone looks like a pincushion. Except that's not it, because everyone else is a living weapon too and they mostly manage to be somewhat rational.

Why are his claws out here? Is he trying to kill him? What did he expect after threatening and traumatizing him? Snarling and shouting like an animal - isn't he trying to emulate Chuck here?

I can't remember why he's doing this but it's not the first time he's tried to kill Hope. Didn't work then either.

A 16 year old Jean uses a telepathic projection of the Phoenix to aid Wolverine in a fight. He stupidly thinks it's real and straight up tries to kill her. The bad guys get away. Not sure how many times he has to attempt to kill the Phoenix before he understands it's not an appropriate thing to do, nor is it about him. He's more like Sabertooth than he thinks, except he thinks he's in the right and somehow never gets called out. Logan has advanced senses - how is his instinct to straight up kill her instead of investigating further?

We can do better

I think that once Logan reached a certain point of saturation he became static. The lone wolf that's the best there is at what he does, and what he does is behave so unpleasantly it's hard to believe anyone would want to be near him, let alone allow him to run a school. He says 'bub' a lot and he snikts at the drop of a hat while repeating the same interpersonal drama over and over. I see him as a frequent self insert for the worst kind of toxic masculinity yet he's more popular than ever. No judgement if you like him at all, but I think the character deserves better. Somehow he's still a misunderstood loner despite a lot of people knowing him very well - with the amount of teams and books he's in he has the most active social life in 616. It'll never happen but I'd like to see him retire, as there are several Wolverines better than he..

[basement-bird]

//Just had a chat with a friend and I NEED you guys to listen.

//Spock, Kirk, and Bones do not have a big bed. The ship only has regular beds but they still want to share.

//Spock lays on his back, Bones curls up into his side and Kirk is laying ontop of Spock with his arm and one leg draped over Bones like a weighted blanket.

//Spock is in HELL and loves it very much

[star-trek-fandom-confessions]

#821

I honestly see more chemistry with Spock/McCoy than with Spock/Chapel to be honest, honestly.

[ohsnapitzmarvel]

X-men in MCU moodboard

[wanderingmind867]

I'm the only person I know who feels this way, but I hate Chris Claremont's X-Men. Hate them, hate them, hate them! I will not acknowledge his dumb stories! For me, The X-Men ended with #66 in 1970! I still like the later characters like Storm or Colossus, but I shall not ever read Chris Claremont's X-Men. Not even for them. The man who used the N word in his writing? Who killed off the first native superhero? Who killed off Jean Grey completely unnecessarily!? Who did all this and so much more!? No! F*** Chris Claremont's X-Men! He can shove it! I'll stick with Stan Lee's original 5 X-Men, thank you very much!

[youngpettyqueen]

is Spock's consciousness in Bones cause if so that is the best possible thing I could've asked for

[sapsuckers-and-stardust]

THIS. He rarely, if ever, actually does anything xenophobic and it’s weird that people characterize see him as the space racist. Like, McCoy actually consistently shows a deep ability to understand very foreign cultures and respect their autonomy to live according to their values. Note he doesn’t talk to any other Vulcan or alien characters the way he talks to Spock. It’s because Spock is annoying him too! Spock is just as or more judge mental about humanity right back— and bones knows it comes from a place of self-loathing and repression, so he says “nope, no way, you’re human and you like humans and you have emotions inside of you and you need to FEEL them” and it comes out as this banter that they both engage in consistently. Obviously this isn’t a problem because both of them are clearly friends and close coworkers and if it was actually a problem of xenophobia Spock wouldn’t be his friend and trust him so much.

We talk a lot about Bones's kinda xenophobic comments, but the vast majority of his teasing comments to Spock fall into one of two categories:

1. You are so emotionless!

2. I caught you having an emotion!

See, he knows Spock refusing to show emotion is a choice. It's not just because he's Vulcan—Spock is half human, but he chooses not to act human. He disagrees with that choice, but he also knows Spock is confident in it and won't change.

Type 1 is just a casual "hey, this difference exists between us!" and Spock eats it up. He LOVES being affirmed in that difference.

"I think you're the most cold-blooded man I've ever met."

"Why thank you, Doctor."

Type 2 is more actual razzing. He knows Spock doesn't want to be caught in an emotion, but he thinks it's good for him. Spock just brushes this off. He doesn't love it, but he also feels he's good at emotional repression and won't be caught out.

"You can't tell me that when you first saw Jim alive that you weren't on the verge of giving us an emotional scene that would have brought the house down."

"Merely my quite logical relief that Starfleet had not lost a highly proficient captain."

When Bones gets really mad, he says this stuff more sincerely. He's angry that Spock won't show emotion and says so. He just can't understand why Spock chooses to be like this!

Do you know why you're not afraid to die, Spock? You're more afraid of living. Each day you stay alive is just one more day you might slip and let your human half peek out. That's it, isn't it? Insecurity. Why, you wouldn't know what to do with a genuine, warm, decent feeling.

This is him genuinely upset. He's lashing out. But Spock doesn't take it hard, and Bones backs down because he realizes he's taking it too far.

"Really, Doctor?"

"I know. I'm worried about Jim, too."

None of this is "you're Vulcan and I hate Vulcans." It's, "you, personally, are frustrating me for being unfeeling when I know you could feel and are just hiding it."

Not that he never says anything xenophobic, but most of it is a more personal teasing about their differences as a wildly and openly emotional man vs a man who chooses not to feel.

Importantly, most of the time he says these things, he's smiling. In fic he's so often a grouch, but he actually smiles a lot. He's Pathos, the character who symbolizes all emotion, including the good ones.

I'm just seeing more in his character the more I watch, and the more attentively I watch.

[anghraine]

Okay, the previous Star Trek poll wrapped up with a close but pretty obviously inevitable victory for the Uhura/Chapel kiss ... but while I'm in the TOS trash bin, another poll concept struck me. I'll add the full quotes/episode citations below, but I wanted the people's opinion:

1— "The Immunity Syndrome"

I've noticed that about your people, doctor. You find it easier to understand the death of one than the death of a million. You speak about the objective hardness of the Vulcan heart, yet how little room there seems to be in yours.

The context: in this episode, the Enterprise arrives in the area just in time to see, but not prevent, the deaths of 400 Vulcans on another Starfleet ship. Spock psychically experiences their deaths, and spends much of the episode quietly upset and grieving, while McCoy is just kind of a dick to him for 90% of the episode.

2— "The Galileo Seven"

MCCOY: Well, I can't say much for the circumstances, but at least it's your big chance. SPOCK: My big chance? For what, doctor? MCCOY: Command. Oh, I know you, Mr. Spock. You've never voiced it, but you've always thought that logic was the best basis on which to build command. Am I right? SPOCK: I am a logical man, doctor. MCCOY: It'll take more than logic to get us out of this. SPOCK: Perhaps, doctor, but I know of no better way to begin. I realize command does have its fascinations, even under circumstances such as these. But I neither enjoy the idea of command, nor am I frightened of it. It simply exists. And I will do whatever logically needs to be done. Excuse me.

The context: I've talked about how TOS is so often Spock vs. Microaggressions, but this episode is like... what if that were an entire episode and the bigots were really stressed, okay.

3— "The Naked Time"

My mother—I could never tell her I loved her.

An Earth woman, living on a planet where love, emotion, is bad taste.

I respected my father, our customs. I was ashamed of my Earth blood. Jim, when I feel friendship for you, I'm ashamed.

The context: a bunch of the crew contract a disease that causes their inhibitions to drop, bringing out repressed but strongly-felt emotions and/or desires. This means swashbuckling for Sulu, Riley fantasizing about ruling the ship as an Irish king, Kirk admitting to his feelings for Janice Rand that are eclipsed by his feelings for the Enterprise, etc. But Spock without inhibitions is just profoundly unhappy and, well, ashamed.

4— "The Corbomite Maneuver"

BAILEY: It's blocking the way! SPOCK: Quite unnecessary to raise your voice, Mr. Bailey. All engines stop. Sound the alert. [a little bit later] SPOCK: And when the captain arrives, he will expect a full report on— BAILEY [sharply]: The cube's range and position. I'll have it by then. Raising my voice back there doesn't mean I was scared or couldn't do my job. It means I happen to have a human thing called an adrenaline gland. SPOCK: It does sound most inconvenient, however. Have you considered having it removed? BAILEY: Very funny. SULU: You try to cross brains with Spock, he'll cut you to pieces every time.

5— "The Conscience of the King"

SPOCK: Apparently, he [Kodos] had his own theories of eugenics. MCCOY: Unfortunately, he wasn't the first. SPOCK: But he was certainly among the most ruthless, to decide arbitrarily who would survive and who would not, using his own personal standards, and then to implement his decision without mercy. Children watching their parents die. Whole families destroyed. Over four thousand people. They died quickly, without pain, but they died.

The context: this is the "Kirk is a genocide survivor" episode, in which Spock notices enough unusual behavior from Kirk to go investigating. He's horrified by what he finds, and horrified about the harm and danger to Kirk specifically, and repeatedly tries to convince McCoy of how bad the situation really is. He is also firmly on team "your memory isn't deceiving you, this guy is totally Kodos and you should launch him out the airlock."

6— "The Enemy Within"

Being split in two halves is no theory with me, doctor. I have a human half, you see, as well as an alien half, submerged, constantly at war with each other. Personal experience, doctor. I survive it because my intelligence wins over both, makes them live together. [To Kirk] Your intelligence would enable you to survive as well.

7— "Shore Leave"

SPOCK: Very well, captain. Something I did come to discuss. KIRK: Yes, Mister Spock, what is it? SPOCK: I picked this up from Dr. McCoy's log. We have a crewmember aboard who's showing signs of stress and fatigue. Reaction time down nine to twelve percent, associational reading norm minus three. KIRK: That's much too low a rating. SPOCK: He's becoming irritable and quarrelsome, yet he refuses to take rest and rehabilitation. Now, he has that right, but we've found— KIRK: A crewman's right ends where the safety of the ship begins. That man will go ashore on my orders. What's his name? SPOCK: James Kirk. Enjoy yourself, captain.

The context: Kirk is obviously exhausted and refusing to take shore leave with everyone else, despite McCoy trying to badger him into it. Spock manipulates him into it far more effectively, and is clearly smug about his success.

8— "The Squire of Gothos"

TRELANE: You do realize, don't you, that it's in deference to the captain that I brought you here? SPOCK: Affirmative. TRELANE: I don't know if I like your tone. It's most challenging. That's what you're doing, challenging me? SPOCK: I object to you. I object to intellect without discipline. I object to power without constructive purpose.

9— "A Taste of Armageddon"

SPOCK: Then the attack by Vendikar was theoretical. ANAN: Oh, no, quite real. An attack is mathematically launched. I lost my wife in the last attack. Our civilization lives. The people die, but our culture goes on. KIRK: You mean to tell me your people just walk into a disintegration machine when they're told to? ANAN: We have a high consciousness of duty, Captain. SPOCK: There is a certain scientific logic about it. ANAN: I'm glad you approve. SPOCK: I do not approve. I understand.

10— "Operation: Annihilate!"

KIRK: Sam. It is my brother. Was my brother. MCCOY: I'm sorry, Jim. The boy's unconscious, but he's still alive. KIRK: Peter? MCCOY: I'd better get the boy and his mother back to the ship. I can't do much for them down here. KIRK: Get ready to beam up. MCCOY: McCoy to Enterprise. Prepare to beam up party of four. SPOCK: Captain, I understand how you must— KIRK: Yes. Yes, Mr. Spock. You heard my sister-in-law say something about they being here. Your guess. SPOCK: Notice the ventilator, Captain.

Spock's approach to comfort tends to be figuring out some concrete or pragmatic assistance, or loyally defending someone, rather than trying to reach out in such a direct emotional way. Kirk (like Spock himself tends to be) can't really handle it and Spock immediately shifts to making himself useful throughout the episode, enduring excruciating pain, high danger, and blindness.

[urdreamydoodles]

X-Men x Reader x Reader's Dog

How they handle your relationship with your dog

The return of Mr. Pickles! Eight famous X-men—interact with both you, their partner, and your small, not-so-bright dog, Mr. Pickles.

Characters: Logan Howlett, Scott Summers, Remy LeBeau, Kurt Wagner, Ororo Munroe, Jean Grey, Bobby Drake & Hank McCoy

Logan (Wolverine):

- At first, Logan tries to act like Mr. Pickles is just a nuisance, but deep down, he softens over time, despite his gruff exterior. He often complains about the dog taking up his side of the bed or chewing on his boots, but you’ve caught him scratching behind Mr. Pickles’ ears when he thinks you’re not looking.

- Logan is fiercely protective of you, and surprisingly, that extends to Mr. Pickles. The little dog may not be much of a fighter, but if anyone messes with him, Logan’s claws come out faster than they can blink. It’s as if he’s adopted Mr. Pickles as part of your pack.

- Despite pretending he doesn’t care, Logan has saved Mr. Pickles from various ridiculous situations—like getting stuck under the couch or chasing squirrels out into traffic. He’ll grumble, “Damn dog’s more trouble than he’s worth,” but the affection in his voice gives him away.

Scott Summers (Cyclops):

- Scott takes Mr. Pickles very seriously—possibly too seriously. He’ll come home from missions and ask, “How’s the dog?” like Mr. Pickles is a critical member of the team. He’s even tried to train Mr. Pickles on basic commands like “stay” and “come,” though the results are… mixed.

- He appreciates how happy Mr. Pickles makes you, so he’ll go the extra mile to include the dog in your daily lives. He’s tried setting a strict feeding schedule, making sure Mr. Pickles gets enough exercise, and even reading up on dog nutrition. But when Mr. Pickles inevitably gets into trouble, Scott sighs and takes it all in stride.

- Scott’s a bit more traditional, so he sometimes doesn’t quite get why you treat Mr. Pickles like a child. However, he’ll indulge you, helping pick out little outfits for Mr. Pickles and occasionally taking him on walks when you’re busy. Though he won’t admit it, he’s grown attached to the tiny dog, even if it’s not something he’ll openly discuss with the other X-Men.

Remy LeBeau (Gambit):

- Remy finds Mr. Pickles absolutely hilarious. He’s charmed by how ridiculously small and clueless the dog is, often playfully teasing Mr. Pickles but in a good-natured way. He loves calling the dog “Petit Cornichon” (Little Pickle) in his thick Cajun accent, laughing every time Mr. Pickles stumbles into something.

- Unlike Scott, Remy has no problem treating Mr. Pickles like your child. He’ll humor you completely, offering to babysit whenever you need, and he’s the type to sneak Mr. Pickles little treats when you’re not looking. The two of them have formed an odd friendship, with Mr. Pickles following Remy around despite his jokes.

- Remy uses Mr. Pickles as a tool for romance, often bringing the dog into moments where he tries to charm you. He’ll set up cute dates for you with Mr. Pickles in tow, and there’s no shortage of times where you’ve found him holding the dog while dramatically proclaiming, “Cher, I would protect this lil’ fluff as fiercely as I protect you.”

Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler):

- Kurt adores Mr. Pickles, even if the dog doesn’t quite understand how to react to his teleportation skills. He’s very gentle and sweet with the dog, often calling him “Kleiner Hund” (little dog) and being patient whenever Mr. Pickles gets confused.

- Kurt is used to people treating him differently because of his appearance, so he’s extra compassionate toward Mr. Pickles, who sometimes gets lost in his own little world. He’ll often try to engage Mr. Pickles in games or tricks, even if the dog just ends up looking confused.

- As your partner, Kurt loves how much you dote on Mr. Pickles and supports your attachment wholeheartedly. He’s the type to pray for the dog’s health during quiet moments and genuinely treats Mr. Pickles like a small blessing in both of your lives. Sometimes, Kurt even takes Mr. Pickles on little teleportation adventures, ensuring the dog’s well-being in a way only he could.

Ororo Munroe (Storm):

- Ororo finds Mr. Pickles absolutely endearing, though she initially worries about such a small dog in a world of superpowers and chaos. She uses her abilities to protect him from the weather, ensuring that he never gets caught in a storm or drenched by rain. Mr. Pickles might not understand why it never rains on him, but Ororo quietly smiles every time.

- She treats your relationship with Mr. Pickles with grace and understanding, recognizing how much joy he brings into your life. Ororo will often sit with Mr. Pickles on her lap while you’re relaxing together, gently stroking his fur as if he were a delicate creature of nature.

- Mr. Pickles, unsurprisingly, adores Ororo. Despite his limited intelligence, he follows her around like a little shadow. Ororo sometimes teases you, saying, “It seems I have another loyal follower,” while lifting the tiny dog into her arms with a soft laugh.

Jean Grey:

- Jean thinks Mr. Pickles is cute but also amusingly oblivious. She’s used to minds being complex and full of emotions, but Mr. Pickles’ thoughts are simple—mostly consisting of food, naps, and chasing after random things. She can’t help but smile every time she picks up on his scattered little thoughts.

- She’s supportive of your attachment to Mr. Pickles and thinks it’s sweet that you treat him like your child. Sometimes, she’ll help you by telepathically calming the dog when he’s overly excited or confused. She finds it adorable how deeply you care for him and appreciates how he adds a lighthearted dynamic to your relationship.

- Occasionally, Jean will make Mr. Pickles do something funny, like fetch you a flower or bark on command, using her telekinesis. You’ll burst out laughing when you realize she’s behind it, and Jean will simply shrug with a knowing smile, saying, “I thought he needed a little guidance.”

Bobby Drake (Iceman):

- Bobby thinks Mr. Pickles is absolutely hilarious. He’s constantly cracking jokes about how Mr. Pickles looks like a walking snowball, and the dog’s obliviousness only adds fuel to Bobby’s comedic fire. “How does a dog with no brain cells survive in this world?” he’ll laugh as Mr. Pickles runs into a wall.

- Despite the teasing, Bobby has a soft spot for Mr. Pickles. He’s made tiny ice toys for the dog to play with and has even built a little ice fort for him to run around in. Bobby’s playful nature means he’s always finding new ways to entertain both you and the dog, keeping the mood light and fun.

- Bobby likes to use Mr. Pickles as an icebreaker (pun intended) in your relationship. Whether it’s suggesting a “doggy playdate” or bringing Mr. Pickles to an impromptu snowball fight, Bobby manages to incorporate the dog into every moment, making your bond with him even more entertaining.

Hank McCoy (Beast):

- Hank is incredibly curious about Mr. Pickles. He’s fascinated by the dog’s behaviors, even if Mr. Pickles doesn’t seem to have the sharpest instincts. Hank might overanalyze Mr. Pickles’ every move, muttering things like, “It’s truly remarkable how such a small brain can direct such complex behaviors.”

- While Hank is used to more intellectual pursuits, he indulges you when it comes to your love for Mr. Pickles. He’ll read up on dog care, create homemade nutritious treats, and even design little gadgets to keep the dog entertained when you’re away. He approaches it scientifically but with genuine affection, wanting the best for your “child.”

- Hank secretly enjoys Mr. Pickles’ company. He often finds himself absentmindedly petting the dog while reading a book or working on an experiment, the small creature bringing a sense of calm to Hank’s otherwise busy mind. You’ll occasionally catch Hank trying to teach Mr. Pickles new tricks, though the results are questionable at best.

[triassictriserratops]

ohhhh, another fix would have been an older or a younger McCoy sibling being forced to be taken instead. Although I suppose that would mean admitting the parade failure and the whole point was to edit that away.

Curious if there are any parts of SOTR that you don’t like or that may have negatively affected your impression/understanding of the rest of the series as a result?

i’ve gotten a LOT of variations of this question recently! i still haven’t fully sorted out my thoughts and feelings about this book, especially because i haven’t finished my five-book reread to help place everything in context. so for right now, i’m just going to focus on one thing i feel like i can adequately verbalize. if you don’t want to see criticisms of sotr, do not keep reading (and i figured out how to line break just for y’all who don’t).

speaking as someone who liked sotr a lot, the whole lou lou thing is not sitting well with me ngl. and i’m not even focusing on the implications of the earpiece or the drugging chest implant. of course, recasting a tribute is sickening on every level and completely within, as gale would say, the capitol rulebook. but in the narrative sense, this new body-doubling ability feels like an improper use of diabolus ex machina, because there was no real explanation of how it was done or reason given for why it doesn’t happen at all in the trilogy.

i think it’d work better for me if lou lou had been described as less physically identical to louella, or better, if it was explained that this measure was not so easily taken. yes, snow says they were lucky with the body double. but haymitch describes lou lou as exactly like louella, just without her essence. the physical distinction he later draws regarding the boniness of her wrists is explained by starvation. was the original girl just that similar? so similar that it could potentially confuse her family? what would the capitol have done if they didn’t have someone who looked enough like louella? the fact that there’s no real answer to this question implies that creating almost perfect replicas of people can be done easily, quickly, and at will.

that ability raises a lot of questions about the trilogy. if the capitol is capable of modifying a human being to this extent, especially in such a short timeframe, why didn’t it happen to others? why not katniss and/or peeta after the victory tour? why not any of the other victors? why not peeta or johanna or annie in the capitol? or, at least, why not drug them with the chest implant or inject them with an earpiece? or was it done, and we don’t know who’s real or not real? i know we’re asked to suspend disbelief with a lot of the science in this series, especially the biology (mutts) and medicine (peeta’s whole force field incident). but this one is a few steps past what i can logically justify.

i understand that haymitch’s perspective is narrow. but it’s part of the responsibility of a prequel to establish and/or conform to the limitations of the main story universe. i truly think it would have played so much better if snow had made some overt comment about how they can’t usually manage such a good double on such short notice or suggested that they had to use some finite resource (even a lot of money) to pull it off. at least then we could understand why such a powerful tool that would’ve solved so many of the capitol’s problems in the trilogy is never used again. especially in a story heavily featuring twins, i feel like this ability could have been utilized or explained better.

[star-trek-fandom-confessions]

#1038 God this is tiresome. I won't object to prequels making any of the TOS characters queer, it's fine (personally I'd pick Uhura and McCoy), but Spock was actually never gay or bi in canon and people (it's not just this confessor doing this!) claiming AOS and now the prequel series are "denying" what Spock truly is, it is so tiresome. And no, AOS wasn't homophobic for erasing K/S either, because there was nothing to erase. They were never canon.

.

[the-oracle-of-the-lost]

STAR TREK DIALOGUE ANALYSIS OVERVIEW

oh boy so i mentioned this project awhile back and after a long hiatus i'm finally done! (the irony that i wrote this and then took a second equally long hiatus but the point stands.)

i went through transcripts for TOS, TNG, DS9, Voyager, and Enterprise (thanks to chakoteya.net for those!) and calculated how many lines each main character has in each episode (and season & show as a whole), calculated means, looked at who had a lot of high & low line count episodes, made some graphs, and did some analysis on gender and race.

you can find my whole process & results on a spreadsheet here (it's a little messy. i'm sorry. if someone pays me i'll make it look nice and actually learn how to make good graphs in Google Sheets.) and i'll walk through some Big Results & reactions on this post here under a cut. just so this doesn't get too long, i'll breakdown each show, post my gender & race analysis, and a big list of every character with how much of a focus they get on separate posts. they'll all be tagged as "star trek dialogue analysis".

but first just a disclaimer – i do have professional experience doing data analysis but this is by no means a professional analysis and i'm sure there are plenty of mistakes because this was initially a small personal project that snowballed a little bit. if there are any Major Things you see that are wrong (i.e. i copy and pasted a totally wrong value somewhere) please reach out and i'll correct it if i can. also if anyone wants to use this data for anything, feel free but tag me because i'm curious!

see also: gender analysis // race analysis // tos breakdown // tng breakdown // ds9 breakdown // voyager breakdown // enterprise breakdown // who's the most/least used character?

all of the following graphs measure mean (average) lines of dialogue per episode, averaging all seasons (that they were a main character) together. please refer to the spreadsheet for more detailed information about exact numbers.

unsurprising results... this is the one Star Trek show that really never aspired to be an ensemble show. i was actually surprised by how few lines Spock and McCoy have in comparison to Kirk

also unsurprising that the two characters of color have the fewest lines per episodes in the 60s

Kirk had BY FAR the most lines of dialogue per episode out of all characters i've measured (115.20)

again unsurprising that Picard has more lines by such a wide margin

honestly fairly surprised by how few lines Data had (I thought he'd beat Riker by a decent margin) and was very surprised at how few lines Troi consistently has across the season. like i knew it wasn't many but dang... only 18 lines per episode on average.

and here we can see that ds9 really embraces being an ensemble show with everyone (sans Sisko, Ezri, & Jake) having around the same number of lines on average, probably the most equal overall of any Star Trek show.

Sisko obviously has the most lines as the lead and Jake the fewest because of irl work restrictions (and less kid-centric stories).

i was surprised with how many lines Ezri had but then again her entire character was compressed into a single season so it seems fair. (interestingly, Ezri has the most lines out of anyone in s7 (996), even beating Sisko (874))

despite having the most lines in DS9, Sisko has by far the least out of any main character/Captain of the shows i've measured.

Janeway has the highest average line count out of any 90s character and third highest of any character i measured (69.51)

and again, with the exception of Janeway, we see that Voyager tends to be more ensemble focused than TNG which surprised me a bit given how later seasons are often criticized for ignoring a lot of characters but i think the very ensemble heavy early seasons balance things out.

the characters also generally seem to have more lines on average than either TNG or DS9.

and oof... yeah Voyager was it for the ensemble style show

Archer has the second highest average line count (86.68) for the whole study after Kirk (115.20)

apparently the inception of Enterprise was to recreate the TOS style triumvirate and for better or worse they certainly did.

some overall fun stats –

there are 162,455 total lines of dialogue spoken by the main cast from TOS to Enterprise

somehow there's only a ten line difference between the amount of dialogue spoken in TNG (43,148) and DS9 (43,158)

the 5 characters with the most dialogue per episode in Berman era Trek: Archer (86.68), Janeway (69.51), Picard (69.37), Sisko (50.72), & Tucker (46.03). notably only one woman and one character of color (more on this in a gender & race analysis post)

not including kids, the 5 characters with the least dialogue in Berman era Trek are: Mayweather (13.39), Sato (15.99), Troi (18.11), Kes (18.18), & Neelix (19.68). notably including three women and two characters of color (again, more on this in a different post)

the character who has the most dialogue in a single length episode is Quark with 189 lines in Who Mourns For Morn?

[rei-ismyname]

Let's talk R-LDS

R-LDS or Resurrection-Linked Degenerative Sickness was alluded to in X-Men #4 and the Infinity Comics before being named in X-Men #7. We're told that Magneto has it and it's directly caused by Krakoan resurrection/The Five, kinda.

Here's Beast doing some alluding.

In the panels above, we learn that Hank McCoy is the only one working on the problem - the problem being Magneto's loss of his powers and his body breaking down rapidly - his very chromosomes unraveling. He seems quite sure that it could happen to 'any of us' though the lack of quarantine suggests it's not contagious.

The next bit of information we receive is from Magneto and Scott in conversation, reflecting on The Iron Night. They took down a wild sentinel that was attacking the town and Mags lost control over his powers immediately after, requiring Scott to knock him out for safety's sake. Scott is no scientist, and while Magneto is a genius polymath autodidact (with plenty of experience in genetics) it's not a character trait that's seen focus lately. Thus, I'm assuming they're discussing it as amateurs and as patient zero in Magneto's case.

Magneto confidently names the condition for the first time as well as using an acronym for it, suggesting it's confirmed to exist, he's had a positive diagnosis, and they're using the term enough to require shorthand. He even spells out the subtext for us - it was a hidden flaw in Krakoan resurrection. I'll come back to that notion. Scott says 'we don't know that for sure,' implying that R-LDS is just a theory or speculation, which Mags doesn't directly refute. Instead he lays out the worst case scenario. They can't both be right here, so what's the deal? Magneto's symptoms are obviously confirmed, but how did they get from there to here?

If Magneto is the first and only person affected by his condition, why are he and Beast so sure about its providence and everyone being in danger? How could they possibly link it to Krakoan resurrection? I'm no scientist but I do know that there's only so much you can conclude from a single data point. Magneto was indeed only resurrected by the Five once, but he died again after that on Arakko (X-Men Red #7). The body he's in came out of a portal from Overspace in Adam Brashear's underwater base (Resurrection of Magneto #3.) His body suffering a condition borne of something that happened to a different body doesn't make sense. Considering he's the only person to return to life that way AND the only one allegedly with R-LDS, that would be the place to start for Beast's sciencing.

There he is, good as new.

Word of God

In a recent AIPT interview, Tom Brevoort removed any ambiguity and just straight up confirmed it. With the caveat that his recent X-history knowledge seems pretty poor, he is the de jure ultimate authority on the matter. I don't agree with that, and not just because I don't respect him as a creator. This habit of on-panel ambiguity and editorialising in interviews is vexing.

It's especially vexing when he contradicts himself. He counterpoints his own information with some of what I just pointed out, but the fact that they've made a list of who was and wasn't resurrected suggests R-LDS is a plot point they're committed to. I have to wonder why he bothered giving a detailed answer to this question if it's 'yes,' then 'maybe', then 'it will definitely be a thing you'll see as we progress.' Saying all of that and then ending with 'we know very little so far' really makes me wonder what he's thinking. Tom Brevoort could have given his usual cagey answer about not wanting to spoil anything, but he didn't here. I'm saving most of my Brevoort-specific criticism for a separate piece, but this glib and irreverent tone is typical of his commentary - even managing a light jab at Jordan D White.

Frankly, I think it's a graceless and cynical development. There are so many character beats, mistakes, and conflicts to use from the First Krakoan Age that choosing to create R-LDS feels like a shot at the core of hopefulness and creativity that blew our socks off in 2019.

HoxPoX

House of X/Powers of X was hopeful and magical. After a decade plus of endless misery and genocides, dull stories and bizarre characterisation, for once mutants got a W. The ability to use mutants working together to right the horrendous wrongs they'd suffered was central to that - the power of community and cooperation. What they built wasn't perfect but The Five was something they got right.

What would possess someone to take the cornerstone of the greatest X-Men story of all time (don't @ me) and try to tear it down? Remember, when the dust settled we ended up in Moira X life 10E. In 10A, the original Krakoan experiment, the mutants won! They thrived and protected what was theirs against Dominions. It took a literal apex AI God existing outside of space and time directly opposing them to fail. Enigma, on the back foot, sent Omega Sentinel through time to start ORCHIS years early and ensure Krakoa's collapse. Am I to believe 'no, sorry. That was a dead end?'

Haven't we been here before?

We've had mutants suffer from the Legacy Virus and M-Pox already, and I might even be missing other examples of nebulous diseases that threatened to wipe out all mutants. Obviously it's the prerogative of the X-Office to use whatever plot points they want, but do we really have to do this again? There are plenty of ways to sideline Magneto as a combatant that don't require repackaging old storylines. We've even had Hank McCoy decades behind the curve desperately trying to catch up before - in All-New All-Different X-Men.

Small World

Defenders-era Hank McCoy might be the worst possible 616 scientist to tackle this problem. He's literally decades behind the science curve and doesn't have the experience in dealing with anything like this. He's not the same guy that worked on M-Pox or the Legacy Virus. He never set foot on Krakoa and has never met any of the Five. We don't know how much data was recorded or kept from The Five but Beast may not have access to it.

Why isn't he talking to Cecilia Reyes, Forge, Jean Grey, Reed Richards, Doctor Strange, Adam Brashear, Healer, Doctor Nemesis? Even doctor dickhead that extorted Storm has the ability to instantly diagnose anyone. It makes the world feel tiny, and when you're following an era of interconnectedness that's just so disappointing. Portraying him as supremely concerned about 'all of us being ticking time bombs' rings hollow if he's working on it solo. Hank McCoy has always had a sense of arrogance where his scientific ability is concerned but not to this degree. Look at the guy! He's hating the stress he's under.

Sins of Sinister and the White Hot Room

I have to wonder if the implications of linking Magneto's illness to The Five's resurrection have been fully considered. The Sins of Sinister timeline ran for a millennium with the Five resurrecting on an industrial scale. Rasputin IV would have noticed, or the Quiet Council. The mutants left behind in the White Hot Room in RotPox spent 15 years bringing back ALL the dead mutants. That's 16 million, minimum. 15 years is less than a thousand but it's still longer than the First Krakoan Age, several times over. Nobody noticed anything? Elixir, member of the Five and Omega biokinetic, with his unlimited mastery of DNA didn't notice anything? Destiny didn't see mutants falling apart? Sounds dubious as hell to me.

Towards the end of the era many humans were resurrected too. 5% of the Five's work was set aside for bringing back poor children etc through the Phoenix Foundation. Steve Rogers was resurrected into his current body on Judgement Day. I am extremely skeptical that this has been considered, and in Steve's case whether the X-Office can even use him.

Conclusion

Magneto's physical degradation has been swift. Here he is in Uncanny X-Men #700, implied to be at most 6 months before X-Men #1. I think I've demonstrated that the concept is nonsensical and to reiterate, I think it's a terrible narrative choice. If I'm being generous, it'll be interesting to see if they can explain R-LDS in a way that makes sense - if they can do something new and interesting with a tired concept. There's only been one issue since it was introduced, so perhaps I'm jumping the gun on breaking it down. Let's check back in 6 months.

What do you think of R-LDS? Do you think my reasoning is sound? As always, I'd love to hear what other fans think.

[thebeesforeleg]

Okay so first of all, none of these are songs I think McCoy would necessarily listen to, but songs that make me think of McCoy. (If I’m thinking about what McCoy’s listening to it’s probably some classic rock or Sinatra or something)

This is going to be long so…

Some general McCoy-esque songs:

Little Words by The Happy Fits

Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls

The Heart Is a Muscle by Gang of Youths

Black Dog by Arlo Parks

Asleep by The Smiths

Tongues and Teeth by The Crane Wives

Bitter Medicine by The Crane Wives

I Bet On Losing Dogs by Mitski

Me and My Husband by Mitski

Remember My Name by Mitski

Then some that are probably just me projecting an anxiety disorder on McCoy:

Every Single Night by Fiona Apple

Panic Attack by Liza Anne

Humpty by Mitski (again)

Then a few Spones songs, all with very different vibes but all very Spones to me:

Soap by The Oh Hellos

Love You Like An Alcoholic by the Taxpayers

Weightless by Arlo Park

Then some that don’t necessarily fit the vibe but make me think McCoy for obvious reasons:

Bones by Crumb

Bones by The Killers

Bad Medicine by Bon Jovi

American Healthcare (Glitzy) by Penelope Scott

Songs you associate with Bones? I need it for a thing but I don't listen to music

[lovely-v]

Was gonna make a post about how mint julep sucks ass and Bones McCoy is crazy for enjoying a beverage that tastes like listerine but then the mint julep kicked in and now I can’t criticize him because yippeee I’m tipsy in a Louisiana gumbo shop