Science Fiction Interpretations

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Subject: Science Fiction Interpretations

Posted by: brm50diboll
Date: Jan 02 17

I have debated with myself starting a Virtual Blog for months. I have so little free time nowadays that I may not be able to keep it up, but I think I'll at least try. This is intended to be wide-ranging, so it wouldn't fit in the Television, Movies, or Literature boards categories and I don't want to clog up General with just my observations but here I can rant if I choose and people can choose to ignore me or engage my flawed analysis if they wish.

469 replies. On page 7 of 24 pages. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

brm50diboll

My favorite episode of Westworld thus far was Episode 7: "Trompe L'oeil. Since I don't know French (or any other language other than English, for that matter), I was intrigued by what that title meant, so I googled it. It refers to a type of art that creates the illusion of three dimensions. Very appropriate, I think, since Westworld creates the illusion of reality.

In "Trompe L'oeil", it is revealed that Bernard Lowe, Ford's assistant, is actually a host created by Ford modelled after his deceased partner Arnold. Until this point in the series, it was assumed by everyone (especially including Bernard himself) that Bernard was human. The name Bernard Lowe is actually an anagram of Arnold Weber. After this reveal, one could not help but wonder what other characters felt to be human may actually be hosts. Felix and Sylvester (named after cartoon cats) certainly act suspiciously enough, at least to me. But maybe Ford himself is a host. Maybe everyone. And at what time in the future is Westworld set? Internet speculation based on a date seen briefly in the Westworld website suggests 2052. What exactly was going on in the "real world" behind Westworld? It was said that all diseases had been cured. Aside from a few photos, the "real world" was never seen, nor the actual location of Westworld learned. Some have speculated Westworld was actually in space somewhere. I think it is on Earth, but I'm not too sure now about even the reality of Westworld's "real world". Maybe all of it is nested virtual reality computer simulations, like The Matrix or The Thirteenth Floor. I'm hoping Season 2 takes us for a few trips into its "real world".

Bernard was utterly shocked that he was a host and not human. I imagine it would be very disorienting to learn that one's own assessment of reality, including one's memories, were utterly false. This exact theme was explored in a couple of Twilight Zone episodes I can think of: "The Lateness of the Hour" and "In His Image".

Well, I've spent enough time on Westworld. I'll move on (for now) to other topics in this blog next time.

Reply #121. Sep 09 17, 6:19 PM

brm50diboll

Occasionally, science fiction shows do episodes that can be considered "comic relief". The Twilight Zone had an episode which starred Carol Burnett called "Cavender is Coming" where Burnett played a klutz. The episode even had a laugh track. Rod Serling had been a TV writer for years. Was he trying to branch out into comedy writing? Years later, Serling guest starred on an episode of "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In".

The famous Star Trek episode "The Trouble With Tribbles" feels to me also to have been a comic relief episode, particularly in the bar scene where Scotty starts a fight with a bunch of Klingons as the tribble-dealer tries to sneak out with a drink. Most Star Trek episodes ended with a joke (usually at Spock's expense), but "The Trouble With Tribbles" seemed full of jokes throughout.

I wonder what the thinking for the producers and writers for this sort of thing was? "The show needs to lighten up. Oh, I got it! Let's write a comic relief episode. We don't want the audience to think we're too serious about ourselves."

Even Shakespeare injected tidbits of comedy into his darkest tragedies - such as the Porter scene in "Macbeth" or the gravedigger scene in "Hamlet". Breaking patterns occasionally does seem to produce memorable results.

But sometimes it just feels forced and unnatural. I do think the Harcourt Fenton Mudd character in two Star Trek episodes ("Mudd's Women" and "I, Mudd") was quite memorable and I would've liked to have seen even more appearances of that character. Harry Mudd, the Falstaff of Star Trek.

Reply #122. Sep 21 17, 7:29 PM

Litecruzer

I've always found humor to be one of Star Trek's most appealing qualities, usually at just the right timing and amount. I think it's humor, common purpose, and especially it's embracing of diverse cultures and beings has made it the success it has been. Then, at the end of the day, or episode, a little well-placed humor helps seal the deal on a general feeling of a job well done, of acceptance. Who doesn't want to feel accepted after all.:)
I agree that Harry Mudd was an adventure on the lighter side, if not taking his misgivings too seriously. The interactions of the characters in the earlier years was of a more relaxed atmosphere I think, compared to today. I miss that.

Reply #123. Sep 21 17, 8:33 PM

brm50diboll

Yeah, that was one of the reasons I never could quite get into watching The Next Generation or any of the other Star Trek series because they seemed to take themselves too seriously most of the time. In the original series (leaving aside its blatant political incorrectness, which was actually fine by me), all the major characters had significant personality flaws, which to me made them more interesting. Kirk was a lothario, Spock was hopelessly OCD, McCoy was constantly argumentative (especially towards Spock, where he was often openly insulting), Scotty was a drunk, and on and on. Their flaws accentuated, rather than detracted from, their basic concern for each other and their fundamental goodness at heart. I actually enjoyed Bill Shatner's patented overacting which has been much parodied: "Scotty! We - need - more - power!"

One of my favorite Saturday Night Live skits of all time was in 1986 when Bill Shatner hosted and made fun of himself as Captain Kirk at a Star Trek convention full of dorky fawning Trekkies: "What are you, 30 years old? Have you ever kissed a girl? Get a life!" He was later forced to recant and went back to the podium to say he was merely reenacting the "evil Kirk" from "The Enemy Within". Hilarious!

Reply #124. Sep 21 17, 9:36 PM

Litecruzer

Well some of the parodies are funny really, I think so. Jim Carrey makes me laugh with his dramatic overacting of his take on Captain Kirk. It's an interesting form of expression, on how one's perception of something makes them feel. This, to me, is another form of art. When we behold a work of art, it may not be something we would actually see, but rather, something we may be inspired to feel regarding it.

Something similar to that might be reading a good book, that brings out something in the reading that can just resonate with you.

Reply #125. Sep 22 17, 5:09 PM

Litecruzer

I'm not trying to compare any fine works of art with parodies, however, of course not.

I do want to make note that not all people who attend Star Trek or other conventions are "dorky" or "fawning" though.:) In the interest of not falling victim to unfair stereotyping, there are many an average and very intelligent people who visit the conventions. If you should venture to one someday, you might want to check out the large Vendors room with many fascinating items for sale from many tv shows, not to mention the abundant opportunity to meet some of your favorite actors.

Reply #126. Sep 22 17, 5:26 PM

brm50diboll

I think the ability to laugh at oneself is important. As a teacher, I have been asked by students on several occasions if I was a nerd as a kid.

Nerd? I was emperor of the nerds! I set the standards by which nerdism is determined.

Nothing like occasionally wearing a Periodic Table of the Elements tie to my Chemistry classes to drive home the point.

Some students have said they think I am like Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory. I disagree. I am closer, personality-wise, to Leonard Hofstadter, though I have no problems with allergies. I think I am a little more grounded in reality than Sheldon.

But I do not flinch from being called nerd, dork, or geek. Revenge of the Nerds, anyone? Since I dislike political correctness, I also avoid cumbersome euphemisms. I'm a little overweight and paunchy in the middle. C'mon kids! Say it! I'm FAT! I'm not a fragile snowflake. Accurately describing me will not throw me into a dark corner. As Scotty said in the recently-mentioned "The Trouble With Tribbles": "We have to be able to take a few insults."

On the other hand, it was Scotty who threw the first punch - so don't go too far! It's OK to call Captain Kirk a tin-plated dictator with delusions of godhood, but don't call the Enterprise a garbage scow.

Reply #127. Sep 22 17, 8:33 PM

Sandpiper18

Hi Brm50diboll,
I just found this blog and have been enjoying reading it.

Star Trek: TOS is my favorite of the Star Trek series. I disliked DS9 but thought Next Generation and Voyager were OK. For some reason, I detested Enterprise.

I agree with your assessments about the importance of humor and character flaws in Star Trek: TOS. I also had no problem with Shatner's overacting.

You also pose interesting questions about "The Trouble With Tribbles." I agree it seems like a comic-relief episode. I know it's one of the most popular, but it was never one of my favorites because I thought it went overboard -- too silly.

I haven't had a chance to read your whole blog. Have you already mentioned your favorite TOS episodes? If not, I'd be interested in what they are.

One of my favorites is Journey to Babel. I loved how Kirk convinces Spock that he's OK to take command again so that Spock can go and save Sarek.

Reply #128. Sep 22 17, 11:47 PM

brm50diboll

Thank you. Very nice questions. My favorite episodes? I don't always pick the ones the critics have, but here goes:

The City on the Edge of Forever
This Side of Paradise
The Naked Time
Requiem For Methuselah
Obsession

This list has changed over the years. I guess because my tastes have mellowed a bit. I first started watching Star Trek in reruns on Channel 39 out of Houston in the 70s. Back then, my list would've been:

Wolf in the Fold
Mudd's Women
Wink of an Eye
Obsession
Turnabout Intruder

As I said, I didn't care much for what the critics thought.

Reply #129. Sep 23 17, 12:43 AM

brm50diboll

Journey to Babel is a great episode because it introduces us to Spock's parents, Sarek and Amanda, and shows us his conflicted nature and the forced choice he had to make between helping his father with a blood transfusion and commanding the Enterprise when Kirk was seriously injured.

A similar conflict is seen in This Side of Paradise. Spock's "breakup" speech at the end where he chooses loyalty to Kirk and his duty to the Enterprise over Leila Kalomi almost brought me to tears. And his words at the very end of the episode: "For the first time in my life, I was happy." That was just so sad. Spock could always be counted on to choose duty over personal wishes. We saw that also in All Our Yesterdays and even in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Even in Amok Time, he gives up T'Pring in the end.

Reply #130. Sep 23 17, 12:56 AM

Sandpiper18

Thanks -- it's interesting to see your favorites.

You took the words right out of my mouth in terms of This Side of Paradise. Another great line from that episode is when Spock says to Kirk (after they fight): "You did that to me deliberately."

One of my favorites is the other with Mark Lenard, Balance of Terror. It always gets me when he says: "In a different reality, I could have called you friend."

Another favorite is The Enterprise Incident. The scene at the end with Spock and the Romulan commander in the turbolift, where Spock says "I hope we exchanged something more permanent" and she says "It will be our secret" is touching and again shows Spock choosing duty and loyalty over any personal feelings. I also liked it that the Romulan commander was female.

Reply #131. Sep 23 17, 9:44 PM

brm50diboll

Mark Lenard, in addition to his role as a Romulan Commander in "Balance of Terror" as you mentioned, also played Sarek, Spock's father, in "Journey to Babel". He has the distinction of having played a Romulan, a Vulcan, and a Klingon in Star Trek.

His turn as a Klingon? In Star Trek: The Motion Picture (informally known as Star Trek I).

As Spock said in his dying scene with Kirk in Star Trek II: " The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one."

Which Kirk answered with in the final scene of Star Trek III: "Because the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many." (After the resurrected Spock asked Kirk why they had come for him.) And they all laughed.

Reply #132. Sep 23 17, 10:07 PM

brm50diboll

The fight scene in "This Side of Paradise" between Kirk and Spock tells us a lot about their relationship. As you stated, Spock said "You did that deliberately." Kirk replied "I didn't realize how much it took to get under your Vulcan hide." Spock also said "Striking a fellow officer is a Federation offense." To which Kirk replied "If we're both in the brig, who's going to build the subsonic transmitter?" Despite all that, Spock broke with Leila.

Reply #133. Sep 23 17, 10:21 PM

brm50diboll

"I am what I am, Leila. If there are self-made purgatories, then we all have to live in them. Mine can be no worse than another's."

Reply #134. Sep 23 17, 10:47 PM

Jazmee27

I do read more books than movies; I have a hard time following most films and TV for various reasons. Depending what you reqad, there is either introductory or supplement material discussing where ideas for that novel came from.
I read the “Nexus” trilogy; off the top of my head I cannot remember the author’s name. However, I am intrigued by stories that take place either on this planet or very close in the case of “Nexus,” “Crux” and “Apex,” it gets into biomedicine and neuroscience (indirectly). Those books explore/speculate about drugs and the like. Violent opposition is discussed, even getting into torture methods and interrogation; lots of different themex/angles.
Then there’s “The Long earth,” “The Long Mars,” and I forget the third title. These books have “steppers” who explore Earthlike dimensions (with stepper boxes… or, in some cases, one is a “natural stepper.” The steppers are judged harshly by those who have violent reactions to stepping, and therefore cannot safely do it). it is fascinating and sad at the same time that humans are critical of what they do not understand.
Most recently I delved into the realm of other worlds/dimensions. In an anthology titled “Other Worlds Than This,” a handful of the stories are science fiction (but not all; those that are not parallel worlds fiction are strictly fantasy). Among the science fiction stories is one about a guy who gets trapped on an earth where there is no space program.

Reply #135. Sep 25 17, 9:36 AM

MiraJane

Actually, Brian, in "This Side of Paradise" what Kirk said is "I didn't realize how much it took to get under your thick hide."

BBC America is once again showing the the original Star Trek on the weekends. This past weekend, they showed several three times. I saw "This Side of Paradise" twice.

Reply #136. Sep 25 17, 1:14 PM

brm50diboll

You are correct, MiraJane. My memory of that quote was a little off. Kirk had insulted Spock's Vulcan heritage, though. He had earlier said something to the effect that he was from a race of traitors. The Vulcan never lived that had an ounce of integrity, or something like that. Kirk's remarks were quite racially insulting.

Reply #137. Sep 25 17, 2:37 PM

brm50diboll

Drugs and science fiction. Haven't discussed that yet. Thank you Jazmee. Altered States, with William Hurt and Blair Brown comes to mind. I should make it a point to deal with that interesting premise soon.

Reply #138. Sep 25 17, 2:40 PM

MiraJane

Yup, Kirk said that about Vulcans. Kirk started out by calling Spock a half breed computerized elf, I think. A computerized something. Spock agreed that calling him a half breed had some accuracy but the computerized part was not because he was not a machine. Kirk responded with Spock's father was a computer and his mother was an encyclopedia.

Then Kirk went on, elf sitting on a mushroom was mentioned, the transporter room suffered a few blows, Kirk emerged without a bruise.

Reply #139. Sep 25 17, 3:06 PM

brm50diboll

It's been awhile since I've seen "This Side of Paradise", but it was definitely memorable. I think Kirk said something like Spock was an elf with a hyperactive thyroid.

For anyone who hasn't seen the episode, the reason Kirk was insulting Spock so aggressively was that he was intentionally trying to make Spock angry, a very difficult thing to do ordinarily. Spock was under the influence of "the spores" and Kirk had discovered that strong negative emotions like anger and sadness destroyed "the spores". So Kirk insulted Spock at his very point of weakness - his half-human, half-Vulcan nature to anger him to rid him of "the spores". Kirk succeeded, and then Spock used a similar approach on Leila to rid her of "the spores", only Spock's approach was to reject her, knowing her sadness would be profound and kill them. In fact, as Leila is crying about why Spock did this, she asks: "And this is supposed to be for my good?" (or something close to that.) "Do you mind if I tell you I still love you?" Very sad scene, almost as sad as the ending of "The City on the Edge of Forever", where Kirk stops McCoy from saving Edith Keeler, who he loved. And the last words of that episode, one of the few times Star Trek did not end with a joke: "Let's get the h*ll out of here."

I spent the past weekend in a furious finish to the Great Quiz Race III, so I'm quite exhausted now and not thinking at maximum "Vulcan" efficiency, but I'll get back there soon. Thanks to MiraJane and Jazmee for your comments.

Reply #140. Sep 25 17, 4:10 PM

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