• Re: What Did You Watch? 2025-08-19 (Tuesday)

    From Melissa Hollingsworth@thetruemelissa@gmail.com to rec.arts.tv,rec.arts.startrek.misc on Wed Aug 20 07:02:32 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.startrek.misc

    Verily, in article <UBI20250819@dont-email.me>, did weberm@polaris.net
    deliver unto us this message:
    What did you watch?

    I watched "The Cage," the unaired ST:TOS pilot. It was pretty good. Trek
    of that era is cheesy, but so was the written SF of the day. I was
    impressed by Number One's acting. I wonder how it would have gone if
    they'd retained her as the logical, unemotional first officer and done something else with Mr. Spock.

    This episode not only introduces the idea of exotic space sex slaves, it
    also gives us a female bridge character with "unusually strong female
    drives" and another who seems buttoned down but has unspecified
    fantasies about her captain. They weren't shy about aiming for the
    lurid-trash market.

    I then watched "The Menagerie," which they made of the footage. I'd say
    it's also decent. What everyone really remembers is crippled Captain
    Pike in the chair. They never really explain why the Talosians are
    willing to provide him with a VR retirement reality. Maybe Vina talked
    them into it, or maybe they just thought things over.

    A question about both versions: since Vina was put back together so
    clumsily that she could barely walk, how in the galaxy did they expect
    her to bear children? If they just didn't realize how dangerous that is
    for humans, they might have had to rebuild her again after the birth.

    Come to think of it, we should give those guys some anatomy books and
    have them rebuild everyone whose injuries the Federation can't fix. We
    could totally handle their agriculture and tech in exchange for perfect medicine. They have the techniques; all they need is the information.

    What did everyone else watch?
    --
    A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always
    depend on the support of Paul.
    --George Bernard Shaw
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  • From Ubiquitous@weberm@polaris.net to rec.arts.tv,rec.arts.startrek.misc on Thu Aug 28 04:30:44 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.startrek.misc

    thetruemelissa@gmail.com wrote:
    weberm@polaris.net delivered unto us this message:

    What did you watch?

    I watched "The Cage," the unaired ST:TOS pilot. It was pretty good. Trek
    of that era is cheesy, but so was the written SF of the day. I was
    impressed by Number One's acting. I wonder how it would have gone if
    they'd retained her as the logical, unemotional first officer and done >something else with Mr. Spock.

    This episode not only introduces the idea of exotic space sex slaves, it >also gives us a female bridge character with "unusually strong female >drives" and another who seems buttoned down but has unspecified
    fantasies about her captain. They weren't shy about aiming for the >lurid-trash market.

    I then watched "The Menagerie," which they made of the footage. I'd say
    it's also decent. What everyone really remembers is crippled Captain
    Pike in the chair. They never really explain why the Talosians are
    willing to provide him with a VR retirement reality. Maybe Vina talked
    them into it, or maybe they just thought things over.

    If memory serves, they wanted a companion for Vina, possibly to repopulate
    the planet.

    A question about both versions: since Vina was put back together so
    clumsily that she could barely walk, how in the galaxy did they expect
    her to bear children? If they just didn't realize how dangerous that is
    for humans, they might have had to rebuild her again after the birth.

    Yeah, there was that... maybe they had IV technology (AKA "test tube
    babies").


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  • From Melissa Hollingsworth@thetruemelissa@gmail.com to rec.arts.tv,rec.arts.startrek.misc on Thu Aug 28 05:05:47 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.startrek.misc

    Verily, in article <108pf6p$19k1h$4@dont-email.me>, did
    weberm@polaris.net deliver unto us this message:
    If memory serves, they wanted a companion for Vina, possibly to repopulate the planet.

    They'd decided humans were unsuitable, though.

    It's interesting to see him walking back in happily. No one says it, but
    there are worse things than a gilded cage.

    A question about both versions: since Vina was put back together so >clumsily that she could barely walk, how in the galaxy did they expect
    her to bear children? If they just didn't realize how dangerous that is >for humans, they might have had to rebuild her again after the birth.

    Yeah, there was that... maybe they had IV technology (AKA "test tube babies").

    Possibly. They seemed to have good medical tech.
    --
    Doctor Who: The Mind of Evil (Third Doctor)
    Watch party on Saturday, 1:00 PST https://discord.gg/mw4QzndY?event=1408952064645795852
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From anim8rfsk@no_email@invalid.invalid to rec.arts.tv,rec.arts.startrek.misc on Thu Aug 28 09:52:59 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.startrek.misc

    Melissa Hollingsworth <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> wrote:
    Verily, in article <UBI20250819@dont-email.me>, did weberm@polaris.net deliver unto us this message:
    What did you watch?

    I watched "The Cage," the unaired ST:TOS pilot. It was pretty good. Trek
    of that era is cheesy, but so was the written SF of the day. I was
    impressed by Number One's acting. I wonder how it would have gone if
    they'd retained her as the logical, unemotional first officer and done something else with Mr. Spock.

    This episode not only introduces the idea of exotic space sex slaves, it also gives us a female bridge character with "unusually strong female drives" and another who seems buttoned down but has unspecified
    fantasies about her captain. They weren't shy about aiming for the lurid-trash market.

    I then watched "The Menagerie," which they made of the footage. I'd say
    it's also decent. What everyone really remembers is crippled Captain
    Pike in the chair. They never really explain why the Talosians are
    willing to provide him with a VR retirement reality. Maybe Vina talked
    them into it, or maybe they just thought things over.

    A question about both versions: since Vina was put back together so
    clumsily that she could barely walk, how in the galaxy did they expect
    her to bear children? If they just didn't realize how dangerous that is
    for humans, they might have had to rebuild her again after the birth.

    Come to think of it, we should give those guys some anatomy books and
    have them rebuild everyone whose injuries the Federation can't fix. We
    could totally handle their agriculture and tech in exchange for perfect medicine. They have the techniques; all they need is the information.


    I could understand Yarnak rebuilding Vina wrong, but these guys are
    symmetrical humanoids so why would they put her back together at random?
    And I have problems believing that rCLeverything worksrCL


    What did everyone else watch?


    --
    The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Ubiquitous@weberm@polaris.net to rec.arts.tv,rec.arts.startrek.misc on Fri Aug 29 04:30:47 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.startrek.misc

    thetruemelissa@gmail.com wrote:
    weberm@polaris.net delivered unto us this message:

    If memory serves, they wanted a companion for Vina, possibly to repopulate >> the planet.

    They'd decided humans were unsuitable, though.

    In both versions? I do remember them having that revelation after scanning
    the Enterprise's data banks, but I also remember them noting that humans
    fared better than the other races they tried.

    It's interesting to see him walking back in happily. No one says it, but >there are worse things than a gilded cage.

    Beats living in a wheelchair that can only blink "yes" or "no".

    You know, Star Fleet could have made asomething better for him. I always wondered why they cheaped out with his space-wheelchair.

    A question about both versions: since Vina was put back together so
    clumsily that she could barely walk, how in the galaxy did they expect
    her to bear children? If they just didn't realize how dangerous that is
    for humans, they might have had to rebuild her again after the birth.

    Yeah, there was that... maybe they had IV technology (AKA "test tube
    babies").

    Possibly. They seemed to have good medical tech.

    --
    Doctor Who: The Mind of Evil (Third Doctor)
    Watch party on Saturday, 1:00 PST >https://discord.gg/mw4QzndY?event=1408952064645795852

    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Melissa Hollingsworth@thetruemelissa@gmail.com to rec.arts.tv,rec.arts.startrek.misc on Fri Aug 29 06:53:08 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.startrek.misc

    Verily, in article <108s3gd$1uo12$7@dont-email.me>, did
    weberm@polaris.net deliver unto us this message:

    thetruemelissa@gmail.com wrote:
    weberm@polaris.net delivered unto us this message:

    If memory serves, they wanted a companion for Vina, possibly to repopulate
    the planet.

    They'd decided humans were unsuitable, though.

    In both versions? I do remember them having that revelation after scanning the Enterprise's data banks, but I also remember them noting that humans fared better than the other races they tried.

    They seemed to accept that they weren't going to find a servant race and
    were just going to die.


    It's interesting to see him walking back in happily. No one says it, but >there are worse things than a gilded cage.

    Beats living in a wheelchair that can only blink "yes" or "no".

    Exactly. I think that's interesting, given the earlier conclusion that humanity was a special snowflake which couldn't bear any cage no matter
    what. Turns out we can.

    They also said something about how they couldn't just engage in trade
    with us, because we'd learn their mind powers and destroy ourselves.


    You know, Star Fleet could have made asomething better for him. I always wondered why they cheaped out with his space-wheelchair.

    Yeah, I'm surprised the federation didn't have better medicine.

    The Talosians may still be in trouble. All that radiation probably left
    Pike sterile. Perhaps they could offer to take the Federation's other
    severely handicapped people, on a purely optional basis.
    --
    Doctor Who: The Mind of Evil (Third Doctor)
    Watch party on Saturday, 1:00 PST https://discord.gg/mw4QzndY?event=1408952064645795852
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From anim8rfsk@anim8rfsk@cox.net to rec.arts.tv,rec.arts.startrek.misc on Fri Aug 29 09:15:28 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.startrek.misc

    Melissa Hollingsworth <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> wrote:
    Verily, in article <108s3gd$1uo12$7@dont-email.me>, did
    weberm@polaris.net deliver unto us this message:

    thetruemelissa@gmail.com wrote:
    weberm@polaris.net delivered unto us this message:

    If memory serves, they wanted a companion for Vina, possibly to repopulate
    the planet.

    They'd decided humans were unsuitable, though.

    In both versions? I do remember them having that revelation after scanning >> the Enterprise's data banks, but I also remember them noting that humans
    fared better than the other races they tried.

    They seemed to accept that they weren't going to find a servant race and were just going to die.


    It's interesting to see him walking back in happily. No one says it, but >>> there are worse things than a gilded cage.

    Beats living in a wheelchair that can only blink "yes" or "no".

    Exactly. I think that's interesting, given the earlier conclusion that humanity was a special snowflake which couldn't bear any cage no matter what. Turns out we can.

    They also said something about how they couldn't just engage in trade
    with us, because we'd learn their mind powers and destroy ourselves.


    You know, Star Fleet could have made asomething better for him. I always
    wondered why they cheaped out with his space-wheelchair.

    Yeah, I'm surprised the federation didn't have better medicine.

    The Talosians may still be in trouble. All that radiation probably left
    Pike sterile.

    Not to mention, VinarCOs youth is an illusion. She may well be too old to procreate.


    Perhaps they could offer to take the Federation's other
    severely handicapped people, on a purely optional basis.


    Once they find Omicron seti three, the spores should be able to cure both
    pike and vina.
    --
    The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From anim8rfsk@anim8rfsk@cox.net to rec.arts.tv,rec.arts.startrek.misc on Fri Aug 29 09:15:29 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.startrek.misc

    Ubiquitous <weberm@polaris.net> wrote:
    thetruemelissa@gmail.com wrote:
    weberm@polaris.net delivered unto us this message:

    If memory serves, they wanted a companion for Vina, possibly to repopulate >>> the planet.

    They'd decided humans were unsuitable, though.

    In both versions?

    Quote rCLThe CagerCY

    MAGISTRATE: We had not believed this possible. The customs and history of
    your race show a unique hatred of captivity. Even when it's pleasant and benevolent, you prefer death. This makes you too violent and dangerous a species for our needs.
    VINA: He means that they can't use you. You're free to go back to the ship. PIKE: And that's it? No apologies? You captured one of us, threatened all
    of us.
    TALOSIAN: Your unsuitability has condemned the Talosian race to eventual
    death. Is this not sufficient?
    MAGISTRATE: No other specimen has shown your adaptability. You were our
    last hope.
    PIKE: But wouldn't some form of trade, mutual co-operation?
    MAGISTRATE: Your race would learn our power of illusion and destroy itself
    too.
    ONE: Captain, we have transporter control now.
    PIKE: Let's get back to the ship.
    VINA: I can't. I can't go with you.


    Quote rCLThe MenagerierCL

    KEEPER: We had not believed this possible. The customs and history of your
    race show a unique hatred of captivity. Even when it's pleasant and
    benevolent, you prefer death. This makes you too violent and dangerous a species for our needs.
    VINA: He means that they can't use you. You're free to go back to the ship. PIKE: And that's it. No apologies. You captured one of us, threatened all
    of us.
    TALOSIAN: Your unsuitability has condemned the Talosian race to eventual
    death. Is this not sufficient?
    KEEPER: No other specimen has shown your adaptability. You were our last
    hope.
    PIKE: But wouldn't some form of trade, mutual cooperation.
    KEEPER: Your race would learn our power of illusion and destroy itself,
    too.
    NUMBER ONE: Captain, we have transporter control now.
    PIKE: Let's get back to the ship.
    VINA: I can't. I can't go with you.


    I do remember them having that revelation after scanning
    the Enterprise's data banks, but I also remember them noting that humans fared better than the other races they tried.

    It's interesting to see him walking back in happily. No one says it, but
    there are worse things than a gilded cage.

    Beats living in a wheelchair that can only blink "yes" or "no".

    You know, Star Fleet could have made asomething better for him. I always wondered why they cheaped out with his space-wheelchair.

    A question about both versions: since Vina was put back together so
    clumsily that she could barely walk, how in the galaxy did they expect >>>> her to bear children? If they just didn't realize how dangerous that is >>>> for humans, they might have had to rebuild her again after the birth.

    Yeah, there was that... maybe they had IV technology (AKA "test tube
    babies").

    Possibly. They seemed to have good medical tech.

    --
    Doctor Who: The Mind of Evil (Third Doctor)
    Watch party on Saturday, 1:00 PST
    https://discord.gg/mw4QzndY?event=1408952064645795852


    --
    The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2