TOS: The Enemy Within

[Maximara]

Sfdebris makes a good effort to explain the problem regarding shuttlecraft in universe but there is a major flaw - it is based on the air date order.

Production order wise "The Enemy Within" (05) is before "The Naked Time" (07). Even invoking star dates doesn't help as "The Enemy Within" is 1672.1 while "The Naked Time" is 1704.2.

Star Trek fans tend to prefer the production order because the "evolution" of the characters, costumes, sets, storyline, etc is more evident.

[Zoinksberg]

So is today's review a reupload then?

Nope, just some were super excited to see this show up on the schedule and couldn't wait to start a thread. Some were then also extremely angered that Chuck's opinion of the episode didn't exactly match their own. Go figure

One can only wonder if the Doctor Who: Utopia thread will make it to 9 pages before the episode is released. Time will tell.

[Mickey_Rat15]

We assuredly have a transporter problem. Kirk's badge disappeared and reappeared on gold shirt Kirk only after he started wandering around the ship like he is on Spring Break.

The thing about Spock at the end is that he seems to be reveling in making Rand uncomfortable after she walks away. Though he did often act like a smug jerk to his shipmates.

[Makeshift Python]

Sfdebris makes a good effort to explain the problem regarding shuttlecraft in universe but there is a major flaw - it is based on the air date order.

Production order wise "The Enemy Within" (05) is before "The Naked Time" (07). Even invoking star dates doesn't help as "The Enemy Within" is 1672.1 while "The Naked Time" is 1704.2.

Star Trek fans tend to prefer the production order because the "evolution" of the characters, costumes, sets, storyline, etc is more evident.

I think had “Where No Man Has Gone Before” aired first instead of “The Man Trap” there wouldn’t be so much interest over watching in production order. TNG’s first season isn’t quite in production order either in air dates, and I’m not just talking about “Symbiosis” airing before “Skin of Evil”.

[Attercob]

As you probably all can guess, I am frankly disappointed the misogyny with the episode wasn't addressed. I mean, given what he's said over the years, he had to have agreed that it's gross incompetence to haul the victim before the man accused of attempted rape, and he has called that out before, especially given the ending - I mean, he went off on some weird segue about slash fics? No, come on, that's pure theorizing, Spock/Kirk was never canon, and it's not about "pick your ending among fans," this was a bunch of objectifying men in charge of the network shoving their primitive views into the TV show, at a time when people knew better. And before you give me that whole argument again, I see it as similar to what Odo had said in "Far Beyond the Stars" about how certain publications were for "liberals and intellectuals," given that the establishment was very religious conservative back then and allowed for abuse of power. So no. This wasn't representative of most people's views, even then. Going off on a tangent about Kirk/Spock is just... ugh. I had expected some kind of dressing down to the rampant hatred of women in this episode, and... never came. Especially glaring when you bring up the elephant in the room, in that Whitney, the actress, had been raped herself that drove her off the show as she refused to name her attacker and shielded him from justice (because it was likely probably Roddenberry). I mean, come on, doesn't that warrant SOME kind of discussion? Even a token one? Doesn't feel like the same guy who so viciously tore "Bounty" a new one and rightly so for its deplorable treatment of women, though again that could forgivably be because of the recent tragedy. Still... sigh...

More or less agree with you on all the points you raised. I don't really feel there is much sense in reviewing a review... To me it kind of defeats the point. My reason to watch a review is to hear someone else's thoughts on a topic. I can disagree, and debate the points they brought up, but a critique that the review didn't include the topics I wanted them to, just means that we had different views on what the salient points to discuss were. The only real correction of merit for this kind of oversight is for me to do my own review. It wouldn't be the first time for me either that I felt Chuck left out something I thought was important and note worthy.

It might be the case that Chuck just felt like going after the misogyny of ST:ToS is the low hanging fruit of ST reviews. Everyone knows about it, and you can probably find someone else on the internet who's covered the topic in much more thorough detail. Or maybe Chuck just felt that this particular topic might be better covered by someone more qualified to talk about it (perhaps you, for instance?).

[Yukaphile]

That's the weird thing. He's called out before. Remember "Turnabout Intruder?" That was an epic takedown. Or how about "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang?" I look forward to stuff like that when there's clear misogyny, yet it felt he was just phoning it in here. Again, that might be due to the recent tragedy, and if it is, I can't blame the poor guy.

[Attercob]

My observation about this episode...

Given the choice of freezing to death, or being beamed through a malfunctioning transporter that won't actually kill me; merely duplicating my corporeal form, while splitting my psyche.. Well, you better sign me up for a second set of sleeping accommodations.

Even if it turned out that the division was permanent and irreversible, it seems as though rehabilitation for the two duplicates is at least feasible. You'd wind up with two distinct individuals, with different characteristics, and perhaps Kirks' and Sulus' starfleet career would be over, but I see no reason why Ego Kirk wouldn't eventually learn to self-manage his emotions, and Id Kirk, wouldn't eventually learn to be more decisive (or is it vice versa?). The process of splitting, seems functionally equivalent to suffering from PTSD, which is certainly life altering, and changes a person irrevocably, but trauma survivors do typically develop into functional human beings again.

And it's still preferable to freezing to death.

[Yukaphile]

Btw, welcome to the forums!

[Chaos Sepher]

Man sure glad by TNG era they worked out Transporters so they could pick up on physical issues mid transport.

[Yukaphile]

Riker was still cloned, lol. I don't think that argument holds water.