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thefourthvine) wrote2009-12-20 06:44 pm
thefourthvine) wrote2009-12-20 06:44 pm
Entry tags:
The Search for Spock
Okay. This is going to be pathetic. I know that. I can't help it.
A little less than two weeks ago, I watched Star Trek XI, a departure from my normal non-canonical reading policy occasioned entirely by my love of Spock. We will not speak of the 94 pages and counting of STR drawerfic I have written in the last ten days (while having my Yuletide story beta-read and beta-reading another, and of course taking care of the earthling, and celebrating Hanukkah). What we will speak of, in sad, sad tones, is the lack of Spock in my life.
This is causing me to contemplate something entirely unprecedented: watching original Star Trek. For more Spock. (Actually seeing the movie gave me an unholy love not just of Reboot Spock but of Nimoy Spock, too. He is so awesome! He loves Jim so much! I want to squeeze his pointy ears OMG!)
But watching the whole series is entirely out of the question. I don't have the time, and I really really don't have the tolerance for television. So, dear people who have already seen the original series - if I'm only going to watch eight episodes, which is generally my max for any series, what should they be? (I am willing to watch both Spock-intensive and just generally awesome episodes. Also anything really slashy, of course. And if you want to include notes about why I should watch them, my love for you will be that much greater.)
Also helpful: any episodes that I should definitely avoid, for reasons of animal harm, child harm, or massive suckiness.
I thank you in advance. And so does Best Beloved, who will have to watch all these episodes at least twice - once without me, once with, so that she can explain what the hell is going on - and who is, frankly, just not that into Spock. If you want, I can even post episode reviews of the ones I end up watching, as an expression of my gratitude (and total Spock-driven insanity).
A little less than two weeks ago, I watched Star Trek XI, a departure from my normal non-canonical reading policy occasioned entirely by my love of Spock. We will not speak of the 94 pages and counting of STR drawerfic I have written in the last ten days (while having my Yuletide story beta-read and beta-reading another, and of course taking care of the earthling, and celebrating Hanukkah). What we will speak of, in sad, sad tones, is the lack of Spock in my life.
This is causing me to contemplate something entirely unprecedented: watching original Star Trek. For more Spock. (Actually seeing the movie gave me an unholy love not just of Reboot Spock but of Nimoy Spock, too. He is so awesome! He loves Jim so much! I want to squeeze his pointy ears OMG!)
But watching the whole series is entirely out of the question. I don't have the time, and I really really don't have the tolerance for television. So, dear people who have already seen the original series - if I'm only going to watch eight episodes, which is generally my max for any series, what should they be? (I am willing to watch both Spock-intensive and just generally awesome episodes. Also anything really slashy, of course. And if you want to include notes about why I should watch them, my love for you will be that much greater.)
Also helpful: any episodes that I should definitely avoid, for reasons of animal harm, child harm, or massive suckiness.
I thank you in advance. And so does Best Beloved, who will have to watch all these episodes at least twice - once without me, once with, so that she can explain what the hell is going on - and who is, frankly, just not that into Spock. If you want, I can even post episode reviews of the ones I end up watching, as an expression of my gratitude (and total Spock-driven insanity).
no subject
Def. watch "Amok Time," of course, and also "The Naked Time" and "This Side of Paradise" (canon sex pollen ftw! Spock goes on vacation). For me, when I really want good Spock, I go back to the films, particularly II (Wrath of Khan, blub!) and IV (The Voyage Home, lol whales). There's also some seriously slashy stuff going on in "Star Trek V: Captain Kirk Is Climbing A Mountain Why Is He Climbing A Mountain," but it's kind of bad (Shatner wrote and directed it), so you takes your chances.
Oh, and Spock and Kirk wear gold lame loinclothes in "Who Mourns for Adonais," which endears it to me particularly. And "Spock's Brain," though probably the worst written episode of television in history, is hilarious and contains cyber-robo-remote-control Spock. Let's see, what else . . . in "I, Mudd," Spock goes head to head with other robots and rocks pretty hard, which I love, though there is some of the usual background "men want robot women to serve their every whim, heh heh heh" stuff that you unfortunately see in a lot of TOS episodes.
I'd advise you not to watch "The Galileo 7" - the writer decides they don't like Spock and basically spends an episode making fun of him and taking him down a peg. >:( Also, watch out for "The Enemy Within" - the premise of it sounds amazing when you look at an episode summary (Kirk gets split into his evil Id-like half and his gentle puppy-loving sweetheart half - literally he pets alien puppies in this episode) but it also has this whole rape plot that absolutely freaks me out, and reveals some pretty icky gender politics.
Similarly, be on your guard for Plato's Stepchildren . . . it's basically where the "aliens make them do it" trope comes from, and reveals that trope as pretty horrifying and rapetastic. I do treasure the part where aliens make Kirk neigh like a pony while a small person rides on his back, but then there's a scene later where the aliens force the crew to have sex with each other (almost), which is where the famed interracial Kirk/Uhura kiss comes from, and I honestly can't watch that scene it's so squicky to me on race/gender fronts.
man, it's been way too long since I watched TOS! I can't remember hardly any of my favourites. I'll have to watch this post. :)
no subject
I read Spock's World, and my reaction to it was really interesting (um, to me, not to anyone else); I'm entirely willing to read further ones by her!
Shatner wrote and directed it
Why? OMG, why? Did he have the producer's children as hostages or something?
Oh, and Spock and Kirk wear gold lame loinclothes in "Who Mourns for Adonais," which endears it to me particularly.
Sold! I am totally and completely sold! (Why don't male leads wear gold lame loincloths anymore? Think how much SGA would have been improved by that! Like, that one ep where John grows the beard and wears natural fibers - I haven't seen it, so maybe it's awesome, but I know this much: if he had instead worn a gold lame loincloth, it would have been much more awesome. I feel cheated of my right to action heroes in gold lame!)
I do treasure the part where aliens make Kirk neigh like a pony while a small person rides on his back
Oh my god, just this line squicked me. (It's like some horrible blend of humiliation and mind control!) I can never, ever watch that ep. Thank you for warning me. Likewise, I will be avoiding Galileo Seven - obviously anyone who doesn't like Spock is not someone whose work I wish to know.
no subject
I am now also sad about the lack of gold lamé loinclothes on contemporary scifi shows. You're so right. Sigh. I'll just have to watch that TOS episode again. They also wear LAURELS.
Yeah, "Plato's Stepchildren" is like . . . there's something in it to squick EVERYONE. It's equal-opportunity squick. It's FASCINATING, but mostly I can only be fascinated with it while peeking between my fingers.
no subject
Okay, but - and I am going to say this absolutely as kindly as I can - I think Nimoy has a different kind of talent than Shatner. One that more readily lends itself to, well. Many things, and obviously writing and directing are on that list.
I am now also sad about the lack of gold lamé loinclothes on contemporary scifi shows.
It's a failure of the entertainment industry as a whole, and I can tell you right now what I'd be drawing if I were a fan artist. GOLD LAME AND LAURELS FOR EVERYONE. Sherlock Holmes! The Vampire Lestat! Adam Savage! Superman!
It's equal-opportunity squick.
They decided to get all their squicking over with in one inglorious rush! I can salute that. Mostly by not watching it, though.
no subject
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092007/fullcredits#writers
as for ST: 5, shatner had a "well if he could do it (twice) then i could do it" moment with directing it, but again didn't write it just had the idea.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098382/fullcredits#writers
no subject