The Final Frontier Season 1 Episode 11: Space Cube

🚀 - Check out ‪Valaina‬ 🚀 - Check out ‪@TheSpurrOfTheMomentPodcast‬ 🚀 - Visit our website: https://www.aretemedia.org 🚀 - This week's episode might be the most delightful bait and switch in all of science fiction. The Corbomite Manuever is a season one episode of Star Trek TOS that features diplomacy, tension, poker and salad. No, we're not kidding. Guest star performances shine again as well as a life jacket (no we're not kidding about that either). The laugh don't stop on this week's episode of The Final Frontier. 🚀 - Welcome to The Final Frontier! Every week Jake and Justin watch an episode of Star Trek starting from the very beginning and dive deep into the behind the scenes, commentary and love of the franchise. Join us on our weekly mission to explore the final frontier!

[00:00:00] This podcast is brought to you by Valena, and by the Spur of the Moment Podcast.

[00:00:13] The Final Frontier Podcast. These are the voyages of Jake Boger and Justin Spur. Our weekly mission to explore memories of Star Trek's strange new worlds, to recall the search for new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has had the spare time to go before.

[00:00:32] But let's talk about Star Trek. Yes, let's do this. All right. Welcome everyone to The Final Frontier.

[00:01:29] This week, we are talking about the episode, The Orgamite Maneuver, which, you know, sticking with the trend of this series, I remember really liking this episode when I was younger and not so much now.

[00:01:44] I liked exactly, generously 90% of it.

[00:01:49] I mean, it's not, I, I, I, we're gonna get there.

[00:01:53] We're gonna get there.

[00:01:54] And make it sound worse than it is, because it's not a, it's not a bad episode. It's a different episode, but it's not a bad episode. It's a very different episode.

[00:02:02] Um, but anyway.

[00:02:04] Another one of those, another one of those bottle episodes. Very much a bottle episode.

[00:02:07] I guess it's not, there's a second location at the end. Never mind.

[00:02:11] So, so, but fun fact, it technically is a bottle episode because all that set is, is an, is a redressed Enterprise set.

[00:02:17] Oh, that's interesting.

[00:02:17] So from a, so from a, so from a production standpoint, it actually is a bottle episode.

[00:02:22] I know I wrestled with that because I was like, it kind of is, and it kind of isn't, but I guess from a production standpoint, it is.

[00:02:29] But, so I've got, before we jump into the story, I've got two notes about that, uh, Paramount Plus description.

[00:02:35] Um, two notes this time.

[00:02:36] And the first note is, uh, is the carbamite maneuver at all similar to the Holdo maneuver?

[00:02:41] And ultimately, I would argue, and we're gonna get there, a little bit, a little bit, a little bit.

[00:02:47] And I'll, I'll justify it later on when we get to it. I will justify it.

[00:02:50] And then, uh, uh, now opinion changed, but, uh, Kirk doesn't strike me as a very good bluffer.

[00:02:55] Uh, this episode will be interesting.

[00:02:57] This episode chronologically takes place first.

[00:03:02] I did notice that for one reason.

[00:03:04] And I bet you can guess why.

[00:03:05] Oh, we were right.

[00:03:06] The same color shirt.

[00:03:07] Yeah.

[00:03:07] That's exactly it.

[00:03:08] Uh, so this episode takes place during star dates, 15, 12.2 and 15, 14.1 show date is still the year 2266.

[00:03:16] And the original air date for this episode was November 10th, 1966.

[00:03:20] And the episode was written by Jerry soul and directed by Joseph Sargent.

[00:03:26] And like, like I just said, this is actually the first episode produced after the two pilots, the cage and where no man has gone before.

[00:03:32] It shows for one thing.

[00:03:35] Spock has that weird inflection that he had in the cage.

[00:03:38] Still stand by the photograph, you know, the whole check, the circuit.

[00:03:43] Yeah.

[00:03:44] And some, and some really, uh, shall we generously say adventurous camera work that we never see again for.

[00:03:54] I, yes, there is.

[00:03:55] I want, I want, there's a couple of bits of cinematography in this that I quite liked that I'm going to bring up as we get to it.

[00:04:01] But I, I quite actually quite liked some of it.

[00:04:02] I was like, Oh, this is interesting stuff.

[00:04:04] Yeah.

[00:04:05] What's funny about this though, is that this was supposed to be the first production run episode after the pilot.

[00:04:10] It actually ended up being the 10th.

[00:04:12] Um, so this is our 11th episode there 10th.

[00:04:15] And the reason was because all of the, there's a lot of visual effects in this episode.

[00:04:21] And they took a long time.

[00:04:23] It took a long time to complete, which is why it, uh, was in the order that it was.

[00:04:27] Our story begins with the enterprise finishing a third day of star mapping when their novice navigator, which I don't know why the description says he was a novice.

[00:04:36] It never makes it clear.

[00:04:37] They make it clear that he's younger, but they don't make it clear that he's a novice.

[00:04:41] He's they make it clear that he's new ish to all his bones does that he's new ish to that position.

[00:04:47] Oh, okay.

[00:04:48] So I guess he is a novice navigator.

[00:04:49] Okay.

[00:04:50] Fair enough.

[00:04:51] And you're right now that you said that.

[00:04:53] Yeah.

[00:04:53] Cause I went several times.

[00:04:54] Like you may have promoted him prematurely, Jim.

[00:04:57] Yeah.

[00:04:58] Uh, but so anyway, Lieutenant Bailey spots a large spinning multicolored cube floating in space, blocking the enterprise's path.

[00:05:04] Um, as you mentioned, who are as in gold in this episode, one of two episodes in which she is in that old command garb Sulu, however, and this is canon.

[00:05:13] Apparently I did not know this was canon, but this is canon.

[00:05:16] Sulu by this point has transferred to the command division from the sciences division following his, uh, premiere in the pilot.

[00:05:23] Uh, production wise, the change was made because the producers realized there's no need for an astrophysicist in every single episode of a show that takes place in space.

[00:05:32] So that makes sense.

[00:05:34] Well, because everybody on a spaceship should have at least a rudimentary knowledge, like be knowledgeable enough about astrophysics to survive on a spaceship.

[00:05:44] So it actually really wouldn't make that much sense to have a dedicated astrophysicist on board a starship.

[00:05:51] Cause you would think it would be part of the, what's the one I'm looking for training process.

[00:05:55] I suppose it'd be coming up joining like a space crew would be learning at least a, uh, like a year one.

[00:06:01] Like if, if, if, if getting on the enterprise requires a degree, like enter of a beginner level, certainly you would, you would imagine that they would require.

[00:06:09] Yeah. Like, I'm not saying they would have to have a PhD, but I mean, it's kind of like, I mean, it's just kind of like basic knowledge, you know?

[00:06:15] Yeah. Like I'm talking about the job first year class at the very least, like for the, for the degree.

[00:06:21] Well, and you got to imagine that by the 23rd century, like this, this would be not necessarily common knowledge, but it would, it would, it would be kind of to graduate from Starfleet Academy.

[00:06:32] I think you would have to have, you know, at least a certain degree of skill when it comes to astrophysics, mathematics, all that stuff.

[00:06:38] Imagine. Um, so, so, um, about when in regards to her, uh, gold outfit, I will say I definitely in this episode got why they in the decision-making clearly changed her to red because there's like a big, like wide shot of the entire crew.

[00:06:52] And it's just incredibly uninteresting when half of the crew are the same color.

[00:06:56] It provides like variation is, I imagine was probably the reasoning.

[00:07:01] Um, also my question about when they're taking the pictures, is that technically the first digital photograph?

[00:07:11] I, okay.

[00:07:12] I stumped him, ladies and gentlemen.

[00:07:13] No, I, I think I'm trying to make sense of what you're saying in my head.

[00:07:16] So what pictures are you referring to?

[00:07:19] Well, at the beginning of the episode, when he, when they're taking the, uh, the star maps, they're taking the pictures on the screen of the, of the, uh, you like line up that, line it up and take the picture.

[00:07:29] Spock and the other, uh, Spock, uh, I forget the guy's name.

[00:07:33] There's three of them that are coordinating it.

[00:07:34] So I, I, I think a more accurate way to describe that is that that is a digital photo that they didn't know would be a digital photo.

[00:07:45] If that makes any sense whatsoever.

[00:07:47] That's to me.

[00:07:48] Yeah.

[00:07:49] Because digital photography did not, at least to my knowledge, it didn't exist yet.

[00:07:53] I don't know.

[00:07:54] No, I know.

[00:07:54] Not to me.

[00:07:55] It wouldn't know why they conceived of digital photography.

[00:07:58] Well, before it was a conceived idea, which at least as far as I would describe, that's what that is.

[00:08:07] Yes.

[00:08:08] That's what it looked like to me.

[00:08:09] That's all I'm saying.

[00:08:10] And then obviously when we got to the cube month note about the first note about the cube is the capital letters space cube, space cube, space cube.

[00:08:19] And that is the name.

[00:08:21] That is the name for this episode.

[00:08:23] I was wondering, obviously, um, where's the captain?

[00:08:26] And he sort of seems like he should be here.

[00:08:28] He's off duty, sir.

[00:08:29] He's got a rest too.

[00:08:30] He's only human.

[00:08:31] But I actually had to know that Spock isn't too bad in the captain's chair.

[00:08:34] I, I, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:08:36] He could be, he could pull it off.

[00:08:38] He's, I mean, he's a little, he's a little, he's a little, but kind of a dick, but I mean, you know, I kind of knew that.

[00:08:44] He's a little Kurt, but yeah.

[00:08:45] Uh, well also, I mean, it is a science mission and I just get the, I get the feeling, oh, I'm sorry.

[00:08:50] Kirk isn't, uh, sleeping.

[00:08:51] He is doing a physical actually.

[00:08:54] But yeah, this is, this is a scientific part of the mission.

[00:08:57] I'm sure Kirk was like, this is boring.

[00:08:59] You got the con nerd.

[00:09:01] You've got this.

[00:09:02] Well, I mean, we find out immediately in the next scene where, where Kirk is.

[00:09:06] I probably, yeah, probably bones was like, you don't, you don't need to, you don't need to be here.

[00:09:10] And also Kirk is also technically a science nerd as we've discovered.

[00:09:14] So maybe he wanted to be there.

[00:09:15] He's a 23rd century science nerd though.

[00:09:17] So, I mean, I, I suppose he used to be a teacher.

[00:09:21] So, I mean, there's, there's something, there's something to that.

[00:09:24] I do have quite, when, when we get to the exercise scene, I have several questions about that scene.

[00:09:29] Weirdly enough.

[00:09:29] I mean, technically we're there because the synopsis kind of skips the fact I mentioned the fact that there's a physical.

[00:09:34] Oh, okay.

[00:09:35] It has the really cool, uh, cardio leg machine.

[00:09:38] Well, that was, I had a question about that.

[00:09:40] I did not understand how that machine even worked.

[00:09:42] I was like, what is, what is that?

[00:09:43] A cardio machine?

[00:09:45] Is it, is it a physical and like, is it a resistance machine?

[00:09:47] It was very perplexing.

[00:09:49] Um, I said that the scene has real, that's what she said energy.

[00:09:53] Um, and then, then, uh, is this the origin of the, of, uh, bones is iconic catchphrase.

[00:09:59] I'm not a doctor.

[00:10:00] I'm a blank.

[00:10:00] What am I a doctor or a moon shuttle conductor?

[00:10:04] Yes, it is.

[00:10:05] This is, well, I don't know if this is the origin.

[00:10:06] This is the first instance of it.

[00:10:08] Although it's, it's technically.

[00:10:11] It's technically not exactly there, but it's close enough because the line is actually, what am I a doctor or a moon shuttle conductor?

[00:10:18] Yeah.

[00:10:18] I thought that was that was, that was funny.

[00:10:19] I was like, Hey, I recognize that.

[00:10:21] But this is, yeah, this is considered to be a doctor, not a quote.

[00:10:26] Oh, interesting.

[00:10:27] Okay.

[00:10:27] So it's the first one.

[00:10:29] Awesome.

[00:10:29] Love it.

[00:10:30] We also see Jimmy doings missing finger again briefly in the conference room scene when he passes, uh, the coffee thermos.

[00:10:37] Oh, interesting.

[00:10:37] And I gotta say they did.

[00:10:39] I mean, it's well known.

[00:10:41] They, they tried to keep that hidden as best they could.

[00:10:42] They do a very good job because if I didn't know it was there, I would never have seen it.

[00:10:48] No, I, I certainly don't notice it.

[00:10:51] Bailey advocates attacking it with phasers.

[00:10:54] Burke instead orders the ship to back away from the object.

[00:10:56] The cube pursues them though, emitting harmful radiation and Kirk reluctantly orders it to be destroyed.

[00:11:02] That scene where he advocates for, uh, uh, blowing it up.

[00:11:07] Um, I got a sassy Spock cause he, he gives him a, he gives a little bit of sass.

[00:11:11] The Sulu giving him the what for is a fun interaction.

[00:11:14] I really quite enjoyed that.

[00:11:15] And of course sassy Scotty, uh, everyone is just kind of being a dick to Bailey.

[00:11:19] And this episode at this point really reminded me of, um, there's an, you don't watch Doctor Who, right?

[00:11:26] I don't, I don't.

[00:11:27] Yeah.

[00:11:28] There's an episode in modern Doctor Who where a bunch of cubes like wind up on earth and the doctor just kind of has to hang around and get impatient.

[00:11:38] Cause he doesn't do that.

[00:11:38] And he doesn't, he doesn't know what the cube is.

[00:11:41] And that's what this, this, this kind of part where they're all just kind of getting impatient, waiting around.

[00:11:45] They don't know what to do.

[00:11:46] That really reminded me of that.

[00:11:48] The one thing I do like that this episode showcases and it never comes out and says it, but it's true.

[00:11:52] I don't know if you're watching this.

[00:11:53] I don't know if you've ever been in a really stressful situation where nobody really knows what's going on.

[00:11:58] It is the worst because nobody knows what's going on.

[00:12:03] Nobody really knows what to do.

[00:12:05] Some people are trying to figure it out, but you're basically just sitting there waiting and depending on the severity.

[00:12:10] So you may be waiting to die or you might just not know when you're going to go.

[00:12:14] It's, it doesn't really matter what the stakes are.

[00:12:16] Obviously the stress raises as the stakes do, but it's still a very, even, even like, let's imagine you're out with a group of friends or your family and everybody's arguing about what to do.

[00:12:26] And you're just like, can somebody just make a decision?

[00:12:29] Yeah.

[00:12:30] My, my, my dad's like that.

[00:12:32] My dad's that kind of person.

[00:12:34] I mean, that's a real low stakes example, but it's still like just the fact that it's the unknown part that really adds to the stress of it all.

[00:12:42] Because here's the thing, if they know, this is kind of an odd thing to say, but I bet you, if they knew that the cube was trying to hurt them, it would have been, it still would have been stressful.

[00:12:52] Don't get me wrong, but it's a different kind of stress where at least everybody knows what the mission is.

[00:12:57] Get away from the cube or blow it up.

[00:12:58] Like we have two defined options and we know what to do, but the whole, like trying to figure it out.

[00:13:05] I can imagine that being one of the most stressful days on the enterprise.

[00:13:08] Oh, I'm sure.

[00:13:09] Yeah, I'm sure.

[00:13:10] I'm sure.

[00:13:10] And then I, we were talking, you brought up the cinematography, that shot that of the underside of the enterprise with the cube blurry in the, in the background.

[00:13:19] I love that.

[00:13:19] That was a really cool looking shot.

[00:13:21] I'm like, this is surprisingly like advanced looking for this kind of show.

[00:13:25] I, I, I really, I think, I think that may have been, Oh, you didn't read the, what's the synopsis?

[00:13:30] The synopsis for a, Oh, he, sorry.

[00:13:32] The synopsis for the episode.

[00:13:33] Yeah.

[00:13:34] Is that Kirk has to call the bluff of a particularly powerful alien.

[00:13:38] Oh, paramount plus.

[00:13:40] That's the, that's yeah.

[00:13:41] That's the, well, and technically Kirk's not calling his bluff.

[00:13:44] He didn't call Kirk's bluff.

[00:13:46] Right.

[00:13:47] But we'll get there, but we'll get there.

[00:13:48] I just wrote down that Bailey's obviously a Republican.

[00:13:51] We've got phaser weapons.

[00:13:52] I vote.

[00:13:53] We blast it.

[00:13:53] Reach the phaser gun crew.

[00:13:55] Call a man.

[00:13:56] Yes.

[00:13:57] Mr.

[00:13:58] Quick draw over here.

[00:13:59] Everybody's like, what could it be?

[00:14:01] Spock's over here.

[00:14:02] What could it be?

[00:14:02] Kirk's like, I don't know.

[00:14:03] What could it be?

[00:14:04] Bailey's like, shoot it.

[00:14:05] Just shoot it.

[00:14:07] I vote to shoot my favorite last.

[00:14:08] And I will, we'll take that into consideration when this becomes a democracy.

[00:14:12] It was really funny.

[00:14:13] Yeah.

[00:14:13] You said Spock was sassy.

[00:14:15] Kirk's, Kirk's pretty sassy in this episode.

[00:14:17] I was like, he's everyone's being a dick to him.

[00:14:20] I was going to say everybody, like I get it.

[00:14:21] I mean the enterprise crew at this point in their mission is clearly just everyone's

[00:14:26] on edge.

[00:14:27] This is clearly an early mission for them because, or we touched more on this later, but Kirk

[00:14:33] alludes to his yeoman being new.

[00:14:35] And at this point in the show, by the time we're at episode 10, we've seen yeoman Rand

[00:14:42] more than a few times.

[00:14:44] So yeah.

[00:14:45] Yeah.

[00:14:45] But I thought, I thought it was kind of funny that Kirk's kind of like really, really crabby.

[00:14:50] Yeah.

[00:14:51] Yeah.

[00:14:51] He kind of was, but also like he'd been kind of pulled from a, from a, from a task, I

[00:14:57] guess.

[00:14:57] Yeah.

[00:14:58] This, this episode was very much like that where it was just a lot.

[00:15:01] It was just like a series of escalating events where he just didn't have time to

[00:15:04] react to anything.

[00:15:05] Which again, stressful situation.

[00:15:08] Like we said, he doesn't have time to react because something else happens.

[00:15:11] This is also the second episode in a row where McCoy pulls the, I'll enter this in my

[00:15:18] medical logs.

[00:15:19] I intend to challenge your actions in my medical records.

[00:15:22] I'll state that I warned you about Bailey's condition.

[00:15:24] Now that's no bluff.

[00:15:25] Anytime you can bluff me, doctor.

[00:15:28] Yeah.

[00:15:28] Checks on Kirk and both times it pisses Kirk off.

[00:15:32] Yeah.

[00:15:32] So as Kirk is having lunch in his quarters, a gigantic glowing sphere approaches the enterprise.

[00:15:38] I don't know if I liked or didn't like the scene with Bones Kirk in his quarters.

[00:15:45] Cause to me, it seemed like, and I'm glad they moved away from this very quickly, but

[00:15:51] it seemed like Kirk and McCoy's relationship was much more adversarial in this episode.

[00:15:56] A little bit.

[00:15:57] Yeah.

[00:15:57] I mean, I did.

[00:15:58] I, I, I quite liked the, but I, I liked the differing between the interaction he had

[00:16:04] with Spock prior to that moment and the difference from that to, uh, to McCoy, which was a bit

[00:16:10] more challenging because I found in earlier episodes that Spock had his moments of being a bit

[00:16:14] more challenging.

[00:16:15] There was a, a weird, uh, McCoy did take a weird fascination or affection for Bailey.

[00:16:23] I did find where he was like really insistent that like, it was like that he was a young

[00:16:28] Captain Kirk, which I thought was, it was a, it was a plot point that didn't really seem

[00:16:31] to come up.

[00:16:33] Considering the ending of this episode, which we'll get to, uh, that's really funny.

[00:16:37] Yeah.

[00:16:37] So I don't, I don't know.

[00:16:38] And then I do, I did find him like another.

[00:16:41] So 1960s moment where his lunch is brought to him and it's a salad.

[00:16:45] And he's like, the fuck is this?

[00:16:47] Yeah.

[00:16:47] Oh yeah.

[00:16:48] I said, uh, I said night I have 1960 sexism.

[00:16:51] We meet again.

[00:16:52] Uh, no, I mean just the fact that Kirk cursed like a salad.

[00:16:55] Why did you bring me what my food eats?

[00:16:58] Right.

[00:16:58] Um, but I, yeah, that, and that was, this was the point where I said you, I kind of

[00:17:02] confirmed your idea that maybe female administration or female yeomans were relatively new because

[00:17:08] he's like, why would I have this woman to help me seem to imply that just like Captain

[00:17:13] Pike almost line by line.

[00:17:16] Yeah.

[00:17:17] Yeah.

[00:17:18] I was like, oh yeah, that definitely seems to confirm what, what Jake said.

[00:17:21] I mean, I just noticed it and it's even, even though, even though as far as the show

[00:17:26] is concerned, she's been a very effective yeoman up until this point.

[00:17:28] If you're watching this in order anyway, has she?

[00:17:32] I mean, if, if her job is to bring him shit, I mean, she seems to be pretty good at that.

[00:17:37] That is sexist.

[00:17:39] I've got this, what the show makes it look like her job is.

[00:17:42] That's all I'm saying.

[00:17:43] It would be sexist if it was a man bringing her shit, bringing him shit.

[00:17:46] I mean, I mean, fair, fair.

[00:17:50] All I'm saying.

[00:17:51] That's true.

[00:17:52] We call him a gopher, which is what apparently she is.

[00:17:55] Oh, so she's a go for her now.

[00:17:57] She just there to be.

[00:17:59] She's a go for, she's a go for space coffee.

[00:18:01] Go for space donuts.

[00:18:03] Wait, which episode?

[00:18:04] Was it this episode?

[00:18:05] No, there was another episode where they're in a very, very tense.

[00:18:09] No, no, it is this episode where they're in a very tense situation.

[00:18:13] And then Yeoman Rand just shows up randomly on the bridge with coffee.

[00:18:16] With coffee.

[00:18:17] Yeah.

[00:18:18] And he's like, coffee Yeoman Rand.

[00:18:21] I'm just like, well, is Janeway related to Kirk distantly?

[00:18:24] Because I'm starting to see a connection here.

[00:18:26] It felt, it felt that moment felt like a, that it would that you're right.

[00:18:31] Because this was an earlier in production episode that that was going to be like a running bit with her.

[00:18:36] Where she would like bring inappropriate things, intense moments.

[00:18:39] Like, that's what that, like, this feels like it's a gag from another episode.

[00:18:43] What is, like, she's a totally different character in this episode.

[00:18:46] It does.

[00:18:46] It feels like a gag they were trying to lay the foundation for and it just didn't work.

[00:18:51] It just didn't work.

[00:18:53] Yeah.

[00:18:53] Like it didn't because she is so nonchalantly just entering the bridge during like a high stress, high alert situation.

[00:19:00] And she, I would argue the salad is a similar thing of her not reading the room.

[00:19:03] Like it really doesn't feel like the moment.

[00:19:05] Yeah.

[00:19:06] Well, technically bones updated his meal plan.

[00:19:08] So that's what she brought.

[00:19:08] But then she just casually mentioned everybody's like, how did you get coffee?

[00:19:12] Aren't the system?

[00:19:13] And she's like, I used a hand phaser.

[00:19:14] I'm like, that seems dangerous.

[00:19:16] It seemed.

[00:19:17] Yeah.

[00:19:17] Like it was like, they were going with the, like, she's a dumb blonde.

[00:19:21] And everyone was like, oh, I mean, but is it the 1960s?

[00:19:24] Would they have been that's fairly hackneyed at that point?

[00:19:26] I can't imagine they would have been.

[00:19:27] Well, but Gene Roddenberry's whole thing that everybody always talks about was that he was so progressive and ahead of his time.

[00:19:33] And frankly, I mean, I guess compared to 1966 television.

[00:19:39] Yeah.

[00:19:39] I mean, maybe temporarily.

[00:19:41] Yeah.

[00:19:41] But by today's standards, not as much as we think.

[00:19:44] But even even by standards of the day, because I'm it's like we keep seeing I'm seeing a lot of 1960 shit in here.

[00:19:50] And granted, that is true.

[00:19:51] I wasn't alive in 1960.

[00:19:52] So I don't know how truly radical this was.

[00:19:54] But I mean, again, like you said, we're seeing a lot of like ditzy blonde coffee go getter, you know, office.

[00:20:01] But also also if they cut it out.

[00:20:04] So like, yeah, they clearly they were aware of the fact that this this didn't work.

[00:20:09] Yeah, that is fair.

[00:20:10] Clearly.

[00:20:11] Yeah.

[00:20:11] So they clearly learned also the the serious, which is the big globe ship was made.

[00:20:17] Yeah, that the shot of the Enterprise pulling up to it.

[00:20:21] That was really cool.

[00:20:22] That was really cool.

[00:20:23] I really like that.

[00:20:24] I was like, that was so cool.

[00:20:25] I do think that was CGI augmented.

[00:20:28] Ah, it didn't look like it.

[00:20:30] It looked like there was there's a couple of moments where I noticed 1960 special effect trickery.

[00:20:36] And that looked like they just had a still image of the Enterprise, the model, and that they just zoomed it into the still image of the other ship, because there's a moment later on where I saw Kirk and the rest of them when they when they teleport onto the planet.

[00:20:52] They do that moment of you can see the director going action and you're blended and you can see them literally do that.

[00:20:59] So I'm like, I can see that.

[00:21:00] So I could see some old school filmmaking technique in there where I was like, I it might not be.

[00:21:07] Oh, I just mean it was I pretty sure it was augmented because there's a lot of shots now that we've been going through the Paramount plus.

[00:21:15] I noticed a lot of shots that just seem to be a little too smooth.

[00:21:18] So the shot itself might have been the original shot, but just enhanced.

[00:21:24] I can see that.

[00:21:26] But that original ship was made from ping pong balls glued to a plaster of Parish shell.

[00:21:34] Really?

[00:21:35] It looked cool.

[00:21:35] I actually quite like the design.

[00:21:37] Commander Bailock identifies his ship as the Fisarius, the flagship of the first Federation, not to be confused with the second United Federation of Planets.

[00:21:46] He explains that the destroyed cube was a marker, was a border marker.

[00:21:51] Bailock announces that he will destroy the Enterprise for trespassing into first Federation territory and destroying the marker.

[00:21:58] It seems like a really, you know, stiff penalty for I.

[00:22:02] Well, OK, there's a few notes I have of this immediate section of what my first one is.

[00:22:07] They were Kirk refers to the enterprises United Earthship Enterprise, which didn't feel right.

[00:22:13] Is that right?

[00:22:14] Yeah, I have a note on that.

[00:22:15] Kirk identifies the Enterprise as the United Earthship.

[00:22:18] Captain Kirk's Enterprise is still under the United Earth Space Probe Agency or USPA, which is mentioned in the next few episodes that were filmed.

[00:22:26] So we've heard this before.

[00:22:28] United Earthship.

[00:22:28] The United Federation of Planets wouldn't be established until later during the first season, although Starfleet would be used in the next broadcast episode, the Menagerie.

[00:22:38] So in canon, the Federation exists at this point.

[00:22:42] But obviously, as they were producing the show, the United Federation of Planets didn't exist yet, which is very interesting because the Federation is based on the United Nations.

[00:22:51] Even the flag is kind of I'm not going to say it's a rip off, but even the flag is inspired by the United Nations flag.

[00:22:59] So I find it really funny that you got to figure the United Nations was founded only like 20 years earlier.

[00:23:08] Yeah, that's true.

[00:23:09] Thereabouts anyway.

[00:23:10] Yeah.

[00:23:11] Well, yeah, I mean, I can't remember if it was 45 or 46, but I don't know the exact day.

[00:23:18] I just know that it was pretty immediately after World War Two.

[00:23:20] Yeah, yeah.

[00:23:21] So I'm assuming 45.

[00:23:23] So 21 years, 20, 21 years.

[00:23:25] Yeah.

[00:23:25] And not that it's like a recently founded thing in people's in people's mind.

[00:23:29] Yeah.

[00:23:30] Yeah.

[00:23:30] I mean, this would have been fairly recent in the cultural zeitgeist, especially for older adults.

[00:23:34] You know, this this would have been up.

[00:23:36] Yeah.

[00:23:36] So once the Federation comes around, it looks oddly familiar.

[00:23:40] Yeah.

[00:23:40] Well, they would have.

[00:23:41] I mean, in the 60s, they would have seen this as like the logical evolution of the United Nations would be a united group of planets.

[00:23:48] It's it just makes sense as an evolution.

[00:23:50] Well, ironically, though, and this is I just want to be clear, this isn't established in Star Trek yet.

[00:23:55] This really gets laid out more in like Starship Enterprise.

[00:23:58] As far as I keep calling it Starship Enterprise, Star Trek Enterprise.

[00:24:02] As far as canon is concerned, there is already a unified government on Earth by the time of Star Trek First Contact, for example.

[00:24:11] If I'm remembering correctly, if I'm remembering correctly, certainly by the time Enterprise rolls around and start to Starfleet is an Earth organization.

[00:24:19] It is not like a United States organization.

[00:24:23] It's not like, oh, I mean, it's been a while since we've gone to our into a normal comparison.

[00:24:27] So it's not the Union is what you're saying.

[00:24:29] It will become the Union is the Union.

[00:24:32] The Union is essentially a Federation.

[00:24:33] But one of the most interesting parts of Star Trek Enterprise is watching Starfleet interact with the the four alien species that would become the first four members of the Federation, the Vulcans, the Andorians and the Tellarites.

[00:24:48] And we meet them all for the first time.

[00:24:51] Oh, so Starfleet, Starfleet and the Federation are two separate entities.

[00:24:56] Technically, Starfleet gets rolled into the Federation, but technically Starfleet is an Earth organization, which is why which is why most starships and this is a real retcon here.

[00:25:08] That's why a lot of starships have heavily human crews, because technically Starfleet is an Earth organization, which is why Starfleet Academy and Starfleet headquarters are located on Earth.

[00:25:19] Oh, OK, that makes sense. OK.

[00:25:22] Now, every every member of the Federation is open to Starfleet, but it is they can join it if they want.

[00:25:29] Correct. Gotcha.

[00:25:30] Now, again, similar to the Union.

[00:25:32] Yeah, yeah, pretty much.

[00:25:33] And that's why that's why you'll see like Spock is a bit of an oddity.

[00:25:38] He's not the only Vulcan to join Starfleet, but he's one of the few.

[00:25:42] And they kind of allude to this in the J.J. Abrams movies.

[00:25:45] But it's true, right?

[00:25:46] There are Vulcans in Starfleet, but it's kind of and they touch on this similarly in the Orville.

[00:25:51] Alara says, I believe in the first episode that there aren't a lot of Soleians in the military.

[00:25:55] So when they join, they tend to get fast tracked.

[00:25:57] I would say probably the same for Vulcans, too, though.

[00:26:00] I would imagine most Vulcans get fast tracked.

[00:26:02] Oh, yeah, I'm sure.

[00:26:04] Yeah.

[00:26:04] But now it's time to pay for this thing that we're doing.

[00:26:09] So bye shit.

[00:26:13] For San Records is proud to introduce the newest album from Valena, including the singles Cut Me to the Quick and Remedy.

[00:27:03] Valena, Save Me From Myself.

[00:27:05] Available now wherever you get your music.

[00:27:12] And we're back.

[00:27:14] So Balak gives the crew 10 minutes to pray to their deities.

[00:27:18] A very odd instance and rare instance where Star Trek references religion directly.

[00:27:23] Yeah.

[00:27:24] I was like, deities?

[00:27:25] Ooh, respect.

[00:27:26] Well, he's just I mean, look, I mean, I guess that makes him less of an asshole marginally.

[00:27:33] I mean, I mean, OK, have we seen him yet?

[00:27:36] Well, who we think?

[00:27:37] No.

[00:27:38] Well, we're about to.

[00:27:39] This all happens relatively quickly.

[00:27:41] So I've got I've got notes on on I've got notes on him on his on his first appearance.

[00:27:45] I've got notes on his first appearance.

[00:27:47] Yeah.

[00:27:47] So Spock obtains a visual of Balak somehow.

[00:27:50] Somehow I've always found it fascinating that somehow and they never really explain how this

[00:27:56] is possible, how they can get video in a place where they are not at.

[00:28:00] Like there's a there's a later episode where they finally get visual.

[00:28:04] It's allegedly the first time anyone from the Federation sees a Romulan and they somehow

[00:28:08] get a camera inside their ship.

[00:28:10] Now, I guess that's a.

[00:28:11] Oh, you know what?

[00:28:12] I just saw I just they they somehow because if a ship has a communications relay, then

[00:28:19] they have a camera.

[00:28:21] So I think they are tapping theoretically into their screen.

[00:28:24] I think it's how it is.

[00:28:24] That's what it is.

[00:28:25] Yep.

[00:28:25] I just answered my own question.

[00:28:26] Never mind.

[00:28:27] Because they because they I believe I believe it's been so long since I've seen that movie.

[00:28:32] I believe they do that in Galaxy Quest.

[00:28:34] I believe it's happened to.

[00:28:35] Yes.

[00:28:36] Yeah.

[00:28:37] Which, by the way, I watched it.

[00:28:38] I watched that last night.

[00:28:40] Still good.

[00:28:41] I mean, I've seen that movie so many times.

[00:28:43] I never get tired of it.

[00:28:44] Still good.

[00:28:44] Things I like Tim Allen in.

[00:28:46] And then and then this is just this is just a note over the course of several interactions

[00:28:49] with this thing, which is that it's annoying and frustrating.

[00:28:53] And I kind of want to die, which I recognize as misses the whole point.

[00:28:57] So what you're saying is that you understand how Bailey feels.

[00:29:03] Yes.

[00:29:04] My friend, you're in danger of becoming a Republican.

[00:29:07] I mostly just because he he refuses to listen.

[00:29:13] No, no, it's OK.

[00:29:14] It's OK.

[00:29:15] Listen, listen.

[00:29:15] You don't like gray, big headed aliens.

[00:29:17] I get you know, I don't like him.

[00:29:20] It's stubborn.

[00:29:22] That was frustrating that every time every time Kirk was like every time Kirk was like, hey,

[00:29:27] so we didn't do anything wrong.

[00:29:31] Stop.

[00:29:32] Stop threatening to murder us.

[00:29:33] And he would just would refuse to listen.

[00:29:36] And I'm like, man, this would be so much quicker if they could just do a murder.

[00:29:39] But I recognize it defeats the point.

[00:29:42] I get it.

[00:29:43] It's still annoying.

[00:29:45] So fun fact, though, director Joseph Sargent suggested to Nimoy that after the first sight

[00:29:50] of Balog, he ignored the script, which called for an emotional sort of fear reaction.

[00:29:55] Yeah, that definitely worked.

[00:29:57] It worked for the scene.

[00:29:57] It worked way better, which now I'm really annoyed because in the first ever production

[00:30:04] episode, the director says, hey, Leonard, don't do the emotional shit.

[00:30:08] And then in so many subsequent episodes, we get the emotional shit.

[00:30:13] Yeah, but I think, though, that that that makes the emotional shit more effective.

[00:30:18] I'm not talking about I'm not talking about the good emotional shit.

[00:30:22] I mean, like the smirks, the smarm.

[00:30:24] Oh, yeah.

[00:30:25] The smarm.

[00:30:25] Yeah, the sass.

[00:30:26] Yeah, just just the sassy Spock.

[00:30:29] I'm not.

[00:30:30] Not.

[00:30:31] No, but I enjoy some of his his one liners.

[00:30:33] I like when earlier in the episode when the guy's like when he's like, oh, I have adrenaline

[00:30:38] glands and Spock's like, oh, it's too bad.

[00:30:40] I thought that was funny.

[00:30:42] Oh, earlier in this episode.

[00:30:43] Yeah.

[00:30:43] When he's like, he's like, I recommend you have them removed.

[00:30:46] Yeah.

[00:30:47] Yeah.

[00:30:47] That's why I enjoy stuff like that.

[00:30:48] Which that gave me that gave me much more Sheldon Cooper vibes and Spock vibes.

[00:30:53] Yeah.

[00:30:53] And then and then, yeah, I mentioned it earlier.

[00:30:55] But when Sulu is like, I wouldn't mess with Spock.

[00:30:59] Oh, it was very sitcom.

[00:31:01] And yeah, I could see how that might pull other people out.

[00:31:04] But that kind of stuff reads character for me.

[00:31:06] Another fun fact.

[00:31:07] So speaking of Balok and this character design that you love very, very much.

[00:31:12] And I think it's bad.

[00:31:14] Well, it gets worse in the 1970s.

[00:31:17] I don't know if it's pronounced Amigo or Meggo.

[00:31:20] I'm going to say Migo because it sounds funnier.

[00:31:22] The Migo toy company used Balok's puppet head to create the keeper action figure doll,

[00:31:28] which was supposed to be the Telosian.

[00:31:31] And despite Balok not being a Telosian.

[00:31:34] So the keeper.

[00:31:35] Mind me what a Telosian is again.

[00:31:36] The big headed ones from the big heads.

[00:31:39] Oh, I could see that.

[00:31:41] I could see why you could.

[00:31:43] They look similar.

[00:31:45] Well, I'm saying.

[00:31:46] Yeah, I made up.

[00:31:47] I made a passing mention of the fact that there were a lot of toys made that didn't go with

[00:31:52] the series at all.

[00:31:53] This is one of many.

[00:31:55] And so funny.

[00:31:56] Hopefully we will get the opportunity to expose you to more of them.

[00:31:59] But this was just atrocious.

[00:32:01] I believe they also I believe they also made a toy of the like the assault phaser from where

[00:32:06] no man has gone before that is never seen in the original Star Trek again.

[00:32:10] I don't remember if the phaser rifles are in next generation, but I do know that an updated,

[00:32:16] much better looking model makes regular appearances in Deep Space Nine.

[00:32:20] I think I mean, I seem to recall and correct me if I'm wrong in the in the Chris Pine version,

[00:32:27] they use assault phaser rifles in those movies, do they not?

[00:32:31] They I can't remember in the first one.

[00:32:33] I think certainly by the second one there are.

[00:32:34] I can't remember.

[00:32:35] Yeah.

[00:32:37] Yeah.

[00:32:38] So I think the assault phasers are a staple in Star Trek.

[00:32:42] They just weren't in the first series.

[00:32:44] Fair enough.

[00:32:45] Yeah, because at some point you're like, they can't keep using pistols.

[00:32:48] We have to we have to get cooler looking toys.

[00:32:50] But I assume I assume that's what an executive would say.

[00:32:52] So did you notice, though, in the scene on the bridge where McCoy's in the bridge,

[00:32:57] his uniform changes three times in the same scene?

[00:33:01] I did notice that he went from like his Dr. Spock or his Dr.

[00:33:04] not Spock, Smock.

[00:33:06] His Dr. Smock.

[00:33:07] He's got a Smock outfit with that with that.

[00:33:10] And then he's got this outfit.

[00:33:11] And yeah, he swapped from like the Smock to this, which made me go like, what?

[00:33:16] What?

[00:33:17] When does he have to wear what uniform?

[00:33:19] Is it just based on comfort?

[00:33:21] That seems kind of odd for like as this episode really establishes a really military

[00:33:27] based outfit.

[00:33:28] You would think you'd want consistency in your uniforms, would you not?

[00:33:32] Well, he does.

[00:33:33] The thing of it is, is his Smock, as you referred to it very effectively, is what he wears when

[00:33:38] he's doing medical work.

[00:33:40] His regular uniform is what he would wear to the bridge unless it was a medical emergency.

[00:33:44] So I think with doctors, especially there is some latitude where this is.

[00:33:49] Well, because his first responsibility is as a doctor, not as an officer.

[00:33:53] Now he just so happens to be an officer.

[00:33:55] But, you know, his first priority is that of a physician.

[00:33:59] So I think there's some latitude.

[00:34:02] Especially in this episode, I appreciated how, yeah, that's his first concern.

[00:34:06] His first concern is to the health of the crew where he's like, I'll fuck you over and

[00:34:10] I'll report you and I'll take you to task.

[00:34:14] And Kirk is like, I just, not now.

[00:34:17] Yeah, exactly.

[00:34:19] Put a pin in it.

[00:34:21] I don't have time to deal with this.

[00:34:23] Which I mean, to be fair, that's a check and balance for the doctor because frankly,

[00:34:27] at the time, I'm inclined to agree with Kirk.

[00:34:31] Well, I really like the moment, I mean, to a point anyway, but I really like the moment

[00:34:35] where Kirk came out and he was like, look, we didn't exactly nail that.

[00:34:40] Let's practice it and let's get better, guys.

[00:34:43] And I was like, that's a real, like, that's a real four point leadership moment for Kirk.

[00:34:48] And I was like, okay, I get why he's the captain.

[00:34:50] Like, I quite like that moment.

[00:34:51] I was like, this demonstrates why he's in charge.

[00:34:54] And yeah, it really made me feel like, okay, I get why Kirk is in charge.

[00:34:57] And I like that moment.

[00:34:59] Well, it's also the fact that, and Kirk is not the only captain to do this, mind you,

[00:35:03] but we're talking about Kirk specifically.

[00:35:04] Kirk is also very good at maintaining that line of professionalism though, because like

[00:35:09] we see he can, Bones is one of his dearest and best friends, but when he needs to check

[00:35:16] him, he will.

[00:35:17] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:35:18] And I love that.

[00:35:19] I was like, that's, there's, because there's points where Bones, you feel Bones get too familiar.

[00:35:24] And I, I, I like, I like that Kirk is like, hey bro, like, this is what, this is what

[00:35:30] it is.

[00:35:30] And I really, I really liked those moments.

[00:35:32] Again, it builds that relationship.

[00:35:33] Yeah.

[00:35:34] The other note I had is Sulu has a watch hobby too.

[00:35:37] Yes, he does.

[00:35:38] Yes, he does.

[00:35:39] So I'm now, I just, I just want to count all of Sulu's hobbies over the years because off

[00:35:44] the top of my head, he's an amateur botanist, amateur fencer.

[00:35:48] I think somebody had said that he was into boxing as well.

[00:35:51] Like a casual aside.

[00:35:53] He has a thing for time pieces.

[00:35:55] I know for a fact that because of the fourth movie, he can fly a helicopter.

[00:36:00] What, what can this man not do?

[00:36:02] What can he not do?

[00:36:03] What can he not do?

[00:36:04] This also, at this point, I'd really noted this episode is really tense.

[00:36:08] It is.

[00:36:09] And I meant to note this, but this, I noted at some point, I don't know why, but this,

[00:36:15] this episode was really, really focused in my opinion on the functionality of the Enterprise

[00:36:20] itself, which was really kind of neat.

[00:36:23] Yeah.

[00:36:23] Um, like I think, was this the first time we got to see the Enterprise use its phasers?

[00:36:27] It feels like it is.

[00:36:29] Production wise.

[00:36:29] Yes.

[00:36:30] Um, I don't think chronologically.

[00:36:31] I'm trying to think now.

[00:36:33] I honestly can't remember.

[00:36:34] I'll have to get back to you on that.

[00:36:36] Interesting.

[00:36:37] And the editor, editor Jake will have to get back to you on that.

[00:36:40] Editor Jake, this is the moment.

[00:36:41] Put, put the note in right now.

[00:36:51] Okay.

[00:36:52] We also got more sweaty Kirk.

[00:36:54] Yeah.

[00:36:55] Yeah.

[00:36:55] More.

[00:36:55] This episode had quite a bit of sweaty Kirk.

[00:36:57] I was like, when he was on the exercise machine, I was like, I was like, oh,

[00:37:01] dear Lord.

[00:37:01] And he's just the way he's grunting to himself.

[00:37:03] It's like Shatner, man.

[00:37:05] Dial it back.

[00:37:06] Like, which, which the thing I love though, is that he leaves sick bay in a hurry.

[00:37:12] And then when he's in the turbo lift, he calls and is like, what's going on?

[00:37:15] And they're like, no, no, no, no.

[00:37:17] And he was like, oh, it doesn't sound that serious.

[00:37:18] I'll go change first.

[00:37:19] And then he proceeds to have lunch.

[00:37:21] Yeah.

[00:37:22] I was like, so I have time to have a shower.

[00:37:24] Then is what you say.

[00:37:24] I mean, basically.

[00:37:25] And I'm like, well, then you, he was in a huff because he had to leave his physical.

[00:37:31] But then he's like, oh.

[00:37:32] He doesn't sound like he wanted to do in the first place.

[00:37:34] It looked like Bones had to like track him down to do it.

[00:37:37] Well, and what inadvertently would become funny because of the very odd, you know, sort

[00:37:43] of belief that William Shatner was a fat man back in these days.

[00:37:48] You know, it's like, you can make the joke.

[00:37:49] It's like, well, Kirk doesn't like to exercise.

[00:37:51] It's like, no, Kirk clearly likes to exercise.

[00:37:53] It's just Bones was probably, and this would track for Bones' character in this episode.

[00:37:57] He probably kept him going with the heart rate up a little too long.

[00:38:01] Yeah.

[00:38:01] Well, I think, I think maybe, and this is based on nothing because I haven't seen like any

[00:38:05] of those movies, but maybe the notion of like fat Kirk comes from the movies.

[00:38:10] It does.

[00:38:10] Not even, not even the first one.

[00:38:12] It really starts in the latter movies.

[00:38:14] Like, and again, by this point, William Shatner's well into his fifties.

[00:38:19] Yeah.

[00:38:19] Like leave, leave the man alone.

[00:38:21] Right.

[00:38:22] I mean, he's, he's doing you the good grace of coming back to do these movies when he didn't

[00:38:26] have to do that.

[00:38:26] I mean, I'm sure he asked for probably way too much money, but still, still.

[00:38:30] Yeah.

[00:38:31] It's, it's, I, I, I'm a firm, I'm a staunch advocate for William Shatner in the original

[00:38:37] series.

[00:38:37] And even in the first two films, not fat.

[00:38:40] He's not fat in this.

[00:38:42] He's not fat.

[00:38:43] I don't know how you could say that he was fat.

[00:38:45] Does he look like he eats steak?

[00:38:47] Is what I'm saying?

[00:38:48] Does he look like he eats steak?

[00:38:49] Yeah.

[00:38:50] But, yeah, but I mean, 1960s fit, like those are the guys who, I think I joke about this

[00:38:54] all the time, but those are the guys who could like do exercise and still smoke a cigarette.

[00:38:58] Like, like they didn't, they didn't care about like.

[00:39:00] Well, and all, all I'm saying is that John, John Hamm in Mad Men became a sex symbol and

[00:39:05] he had very much the same physique.

[00:39:07] In fact, probably a little bit leaner than William Shatner had.

[00:39:11] I don't, I don't think he's a big, I don't consider him a big, I think, I think if anything,

[00:39:17] Leonard Nimoy is a bigger guy than him.

[00:39:21] Not, not, not.

[00:39:22] Not in terms of like rotundness, but in terms of like.

[00:39:26] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:39:26] Oh, yeah, yeah.

[00:39:27] I think, I think he's a taller man.

[00:39:28] Yeah, yeah.

[00:39:29] I would agree with that.

[00:39:30] I was like, I'm not, I'm not sure what direction you're going here.

[00:39:34] Yeah.

[00:39:34] Like, just a general, not a more rotund gentleman, but.

[00:39:38] I don't know if you're going up or out.

[00:39:40] More like that way.

[00:39:41] Yeah, just, just kind of a, yeah.

[00:39:43] Yeah.

[00:39:44] Rotter.

[00:39:45] Rotter.

[00:39:46] Yeah.

[00:39:46] Bailey succumbs to hysteria and Kirk orders him off the bridge.

[00:39:50] Dr. McCoy rebukes Kirk, arguing that Bailey's outburst was a result of Kirk putting too

[00:39:54] much pressure on him.

[00:39:56] I disagree because at that point, Sulu didn't crack.

[00:40:00] Uhura didn't crack.

[00:40:01] Nobody else on the bridge cracked.

[00:40:03] Only Bailey cracked.

[00:40:03] But to be fair to Bailey, my, my, my pushback to that would be that up until that point,

[00:40:09] everyone's been, and I brought it up earlier, but everyone's been kind of a dick to Bailey.

[00:40:13] Like every time, every time, like he, he brings up a suggestion to have like a comeback

[00:40:18] for him.

[00:40:18] It's just, everyone's been just, so I could see where it's just like, nobody's supporting

[00:40:22] him.

[00:40:22] And every time he's like, look, I'm human.

[00:40:24] I'm, this is a scary time.

[00:40:25] I'm having a bad moment.

[00:40:27] No one's really like being sympathetic to him.

[00:40:29] They're all just kind of like, dudes, stop being such a little baby.

[00:40:33] Like that's just, that just kind of seems to be the response by everyone except for

[00:40:36] McCoy.

[00:40:37] So this, this might sound a little harsh and never having served on a starship or a ship

[00:40:41] of any kind.

[00:40:42] I guess my rebuttal to that would be you're in a command position on the bridge of a starship.

[00:40:50] Suck it up.

[00:40:50] That's a fair rebuttal.

[00:40:51] That is a fair rebuttal.

[00:40:52] None of the other guys said that, but, but, but again, my response to that would be no

[00:40:56] one's being a dick to Sulu.

[00:40:58] Well, would you be a dick to Sulu?

[00:41:00] He'll stab you.

[00:41:01] He will.

[00:41:02] I mean, it's proven he will.

[00:41:03] Well, I mean, to be fair, it has to do with Bailey being new was what I was saying.

[00:41:07] It does.

[00:41:08] And I'm, to be fair, I'm pretty sure Bailey'd shoot you, but yeah.

[00:41:11] Yeah.

[00:41:11] Oh, absolutely.

[00:41:12] But with minimal hesitation.

[00:41:14] Yeah.

[00:41:14] Because Bailey clearly has no issue shooting things.

[00:41:18] No, no.

[00:41:19] Bones also points out that he warned Kirk of Bailey's condition ahead of time, which

[00:41:23] fair enough.

[00:41:24] He did.

[00:41:25] It's established that he did do that.

[00:41:27] We didn't see it, but Bones alludes to it and Kirk doesn't dismiss it.

[00:41:31] But we do see it though.

[00:41:32] We see it when they're in the elevator.

[00:41:33] They're going down.

[00:41:34] We see it again, but Bones alludes to the fact that he warned him that it might be too

[00:41:39] prior to that.

[00:41:39] Oh, okay.

[00:41:40] Yeah.

[00:41:41] And I just remember the moment where he's like, they're in the elevator.

[00:41:43] Like, listen, he sounds so unsure.

[00:41:46] Yeah.

[00:41:47] Yeah.

[00:41:47] So he brings it up again, but it is established that Bones had indicated to Kirk earlier around

[00:41:52] the time of Bailey's promotion that he may not be ready for that yet.

[00:41:56] Got it.

[00:41:56] The argument, however, inspires Kirk to try bluffing Balok.

[00:41:59] He tells Balok that the Enterprise contains corbamite, a substance that automatically destroys

[00:42:04] any attacker.

[00:42:05] This is a relatively, in my opinion, this is a relatively easy bluff to call because the idea

[00:42:11] of that's just patently observed.

[00:42:13] So this is the point where I think I'll, um, the comparison to the whole, whole, whole

[00:42:18] dogma maneuver.

[00:42:20] The reason why I'm like, I think maybe it's more similar than I, cause initially I was

[00:42:24] like, nah, but then I thought about it and I was like, if, if the notion is that it's

[00:42:28] a kind of a suicide maneuver that, that you don't a hundred percent sure know that it's

[00:42:33] going to work in that regard, it is kind of similar in that, in that he didn't know

[00:42:38] it would work.

[00:42:39] It was, it was a real shot in the dark and she didn't know what the whole dogma maneuver

[00:42:42] would theoretically do.

[00:42:43] No one had done it before.

[00:42:47] See, I, it's one of the things I hate the most about the last Jedi and I don't want to

[00:42:52] go down that rabbit hole right now cause it'll take us forever.

[00:42:57] Yeah, I know.

[00:42:58] I, I knew specific, I knew specifically that that would bother you.

[00:43:00] And I was like, I have to, I have to, cause I was like it, it, it, it, it, in theory,

[00:43:05] it, in theory is, is in my opinion, it's in similar of spirit, I guess would be my

[00:43:10] point, but I wouldn't compare them otherwise just that that's it.

[00:43:14] They're obviously not similar in any other regard.

[00:43:16] In the sense that they're kind of opposites in a way too, because the whole dogma

[00:43:20] maneuver is something that she is actually going to do.

[00:43:24] Whereas Kirk doesn't actually have Corbomite that it's, it's a bluff.

[00:43:28] So it's all about who's calling the bluff.

[00:43:31] You know what I mean?

[00:43:32] Yeah.

[00:43:33] But I, I, I, I, I get the comparison.

[00:43:35] So you're, you're not off base there, but the thing is the Corbomite maneuver

[00:43:39] other than it's kind of absurd simplicity is not a bad bluff.

[00:43:46] Whereas the Holden maneuver just completely negates everything in the Star Wars

[00:43:52] universe.

[00:43:53] And I hate it so, so much.

[00:43:57] Which, that's totally fair.

[00:43:59] I, my, my thing about, I do, I have questions about the maneuver ultimately, but they're,

[00:44:04] they hinge on the big reveal at the end, which I don't want to give away.

[00:44:07] Kirk says it's a substance that automatically destroys an attacker and claims he has little

[00:44:11] regard for the fact that the Enterprise would also be destroyed in exchange, which this is

[00:44:15] kind of where the bluff comes from.

[00:44:16] Because if the Enterprise is going to be destroyed anyway, and Corbomite was a thing, you really

[00:44:20] wouldn't care.

[00:44:22] So is, is this, I'm just thinking about this now.

[00:44:25] Is this similar, or is this, um, is in, sorry, not similar, but is in Galaxy Quest,

[00:44:31] um, when, when he says that we have the, oh, what do they call it in that movie?

[00:44:37] The big MacGuffin, the thing that they, the end of the movie?

[00:44:40] The Omega 13.

[00:44:41] Is this a reference to, is that a reference to this?

[00:44:44] I don't think it's a reference to this specifically, but it's kind of, it's a reference to the general

[00:44:49] space MacGuffin.

[00:44:51] Of, of being like, I have this big thing that I don't know, but in this case he does know

[00:44:55] that he doesn't have it, so maybe it's not a, yeah.

[00:44:58] Yeah, that's what, that's what I'm saying.

[00:44:59] Yeah, because it's, it's not, it's not an actual MacGuffin, it's a fake MacGuffin.

[00:45:03] While Kirk awaits a response, Bailey and Pritely ask permission to resume his duties, which Kirk

[00:45:08] grants.

[00:45:09] Balak demands proof of the Corbomite's existence, but when Kirk refuses, he does not destroy the

[00:45:14] Enterprise.

[00:45:15] Instead, a small tug ship detaches from the Viserys and tows the Enterprise deep into First

[00:45:20] Federation space, where Balak states that crew will be interned on an Earth-like planet

[00:45:26] and the Enterprise destroyed.

[00:45:28] The Enterprise may have escaped the tractor beam, but you won't escape this ad spot.

[00:45:33] I mean, unless you fast forward, but don't do that, because our sponsors are cool.

[00:45:38] And they're nice and friendly.

[00:45:39] They're not going to blow up your spaceship.

[00:45:43] They're going to give you this awesome thing.

[00:45:46] So today's episode is sponsored by the Spirit of the Moment Podcast, everybody.

[00:45:50] Come join us every Saturday.

[00:45:52] We're going to do this.

[00:45:53] We're going to sit here.

[00:45:54] We're going to talk about the news.

[00:45:56] Time to talk about the Minecraft.

[00:45:58] Okay.

[00:45:59] It looks bad.

[00:46:00] We're going to talk about movies.

[00:46:01] That new Joker movie is apparently terrible, and I want to see it so badly because I hear

[00:46:05] it's awful.

[00:46:06] We're going to make some jokes.

[00:46:07] We're going to have some laughs.

[00:46:09] There's a lot of funny jokes in there.

[00:46:10] There's a lot of weird jokes in there.

[00:46:14] The Channing Tatum one will always make me laugh.

[00:46:18] It's amazing when you hear the behind-the-scenes stuff.

[00:46:22] When you hear the behind-the-scenes story of how they just phoned him up.

[00:46:26] Occasionally, you're going to have other people along for the ride.

[00:46:29] A really fun fact, though, is I learned last year that Coraline was like a not Disney.

[00:46:37] Oh, interesting.

[00:46:38] I mean, I can see why you would make that mistake.

[00:46:40] Yeah.

[00:46:41] Because it does seem like it's a different...

[00:46:43] And to be fair, it would be a...

[00:46:46] That would be a horrifying, terrible Disney movie.

[00:46:50] It would be.

[00:46:51] Yeah.

[00:46:51] And we're just going to have a generally good time.

[00:46:54] George, do you have anything else you want to say about our podcast?

[00:46:57] Make people watch it.

[00:46:59] We watch movies.

[00:47:00] Sometimes we watch shows.

[00:47:02] But we always have fun.

[00:47:04] Here.

[00:47:05] On the spur...

[00:47:06] On the spur...

[00:47:07] On the spur...

[00:47:08] On the spur...

[00:47:09] Three...

[00:47:10] Two...

[00:47:11] One.

[00:47:11] On the spur of the podcast.

[00:47:14] On the spur of the podcast moment.

[00:47:14] Yeah, we nailed it!

[00:47:16] Nailed it!

[00:47:17] On the spur of the podcast.

[00:47:17] Yeah.

[00:47:19] Yeah, it's spur of the podcast every Saturday.

[00:47:21] We nailed it.

[00:47:22] You can expect awesome content like that.

[00:47:25] We cut flawless promos every single week.

[00:47:37] Kirk insinuates that the tug ship's tractor beam can't possibly be as powerful as the one in the

[00:47:43] Viserys. So Kirk orders the Enterprise to engage the engines at right angles to their course. Just

[00:47:50] as its engines are about to explode from the overload, the Enterprise breaks free. This

[00:47:54] apparently disables the alien vessel as the crew picks up a distress call when its mothership does

[00:47:59] not answer. So that whole sequence, I love that. I will say, I forgot to mention getting away with,

[00:48:06] I know we did this transition into the app, getting away with the Corbett maneuver,

[00:48:10] the whole lead up to that, when he walks back onto the bridge, that sequence was so effective.

[00:48:16] It is. Yeah. Especially when he walks, when he comes, I was like, oh, wow. Yeah. His performance,

[00:48:22] a lot of credit to guest stars on this show, but his performance over the course of this episode,

[00:48:26] I'm like, oh man, he only deserves main lead character status. Like he, I think he would be

[00:48:32] a worthy addition to the bridge permanently, I think. Too bad. Too bad. I did like the sequence,

[00:48:40] but you know what ruined it for me, honestly? And you may not have noticed this because I noticed the

[00:48:44] dumbest stuff when we watched Star Trek, when the crew was rocking around in the hallways. Did you

[00:48:49] notice the guy wearing a life jacket? I did notice that. Oh my God. I was like, why is he wearing a,

[00:48:54] but I, but I, I otherwise liked that sequence because my, my thoughts on sequences like that is

[00:48:59] it's all about commitment to being like, like the, the, yeah, the, the more you can commit to it,

[00:49:06] the more believable it looks and just the camera work, the in-camera work. It was the, everyone

[00:49:12] committed to the believability of it, which, which made it fun for me, but I absolutely noticed the

[00:49:16] life jackets. Yes. So why are they wearing life jackets? Every time I see this though, I'm reminded

[00:49:21] of the very good. I can't remember if it was SNL or mad TV. I think it might've been mad TV. Now

[00:49:26] that I think about it, but the gag starts at Star Trek and it's like hard to starboard, hard to point,

[00:49:33] but he straightens up first and then goes steady as she goes.

[00:49:39] Yeah. I mean, it's all when it comes to scenes like that, it's all about commitment because

[00:49:44] obviously, yeah, they're, they're not, they can't afford exterior shots all that much. So

[00:49:48] it, it makes the, the, the moment feel more when you commit to it, makes it feel more believable

[00:49:53] for me. Well, the, the, the funny thing though, is that in Star Trek Voyager, they actually built

[00:49:58] the set on, uh, I think you would call that a gimbal. Uh, I don't know if that's what it's

[00:50:04] called. I know what you're talking about. There's a name for it. I don't know. So it would, it would,

[00:50:08] the platform would actually move though. So when it was very, I will say this, that must be very

[00:50:14] helpful to the actors. Oh, for sure. Yeah. I know they do something. They use that, that

[00:50:19] I don't device technology would have you, but, uh, for 20, was it 2014 Godzilla movie? I think

[00:50:25] it's the 2014 Godzilla movie where the bit where they're in the trains and it that's done using the

[00:50:31] same, the same technology makes it look more believable. Certainly. Yeah. And I already said

[00:50:36] that Kirk sure is crabby in this episode. He really is. Yeah. Yeah. Well, listen, he's tired.

[00:50:42] He has a female yeoman and they fed him salad. Yeah. That's why he's so cranky. He's been

[00:50:47] fed salad. He's just like, they're like, he's like, I'm going to go be nice to this alien.

[00:50:51] And they're like, are you, are you sure you want to be nice to this alien? He's like, I'm

[00:50:54] going to be nice to this alien. Get off my back people. I'm going to need you to get all

[00:50:59] the way off my back. I've only had a salad today. What does he say in Breaking Bad? So I would

[00:51:05] appreciate it if you would kindly climb out of my ass. I mean, I always do that. If you watch pitch

[00:51:14] meetings, Ryan George pitch meetings is always, I'm going to need you to get all the way off my back.

[00:51:19] But to be fair, like that scene does come off a little, not campy, what's a cheesy, but I actually

[00:51:25] like it when he's like, no, we're the Federation. This is what's supposed to be the good guys,

[00:51:31] everybody. Yeah. So I, I actually liked that and I appreciate that because honestly,

[00:51:36] when Star Trek is very idealistic, a lot of people crap on it. Those are some of my favorite moments.

[00:51:42] But also I think that that moment doesn't come out of nowhere, even in this episode,

[00:51:46] because it's, it's definitely, it definitely is the end point of the, of the arc that Kirk has had

[00:51:51] through this episode, which is yeah, at the beginning of it, he doesn't immediately jump to

[00:51:55] he doesn't blow the thing up until he absolutely has to. And that's sort of interesting to me

[00:52:00] because it might, as once again, I come, I'm coming as the, as the newbie, as the newbie,

[00:52:06] my cultural understanding of Captain Kirk is that he's not gun shy. So it's interesting to see him be

[00:52:12] gun shy, to see him be more, and this is a reductive take, but be more Picard-like. And I thought that

[00:52:19] was interesting. And I thought that, yeah, him being, him not just being like, let's just take off.

[00:52:22] We don't need to help him. I thought, I thought that that was interesting. We're going to get to the next

[00:52:28] part. Very much so. I think the next part undercuts that, but that is just weird.

[00:52:33] Though recognizing it may be a trap, Kirk, McCoy, and Bailey form a boarding party

[00:52:37] to give assistance to the disabled ship. They beam over and discover that Baylock,

[00:52:42] on their monitor, was an effigy. The real Baylock, looking like a hyper-intelligent human child,

[00:52:48] enthusiastically welcomes them aboard.

[00:52:49] Okay. Okay. I have to. So, okay. First note is no fucking way. It's a space baby. I did not,

[00:52:58] legit, genuine, sincerely did not see that coming. Like I did not see it coming flat out.

[00:53:04] And then I, technically it's a space toddler.

[00:53:07] Well, that was my question because it seemed to have adult hands at times.

[00:53:11] So, and this might answer your question. Do you know who that was?

[00:53:16] No. That was a seven-year-old Clint Howard, younger brother of Ron Howard.

[00:53:22] No way. I wasn't sure if it was like the babies, because it was clearly,

[00:53:27] it was clearly being 80 yard over, right?

[00:53:30] Yes. Oh yeah.

[00:53:31] But I couldn't tell, but he had like weird adult hands with rings. So I'm like,

[00:53:34] is he like in a costume and then there's an adult with like hands or are those his hands?

[00:53:38] Apparently those.

[00:53:40] You know what? I didn't know, or I didn't read rather if they had done any prosthetics to his

[00:53:45] hands. So maybe, but that was a seven-year-old.

[00:53:48] Okay. Okay. I could definitely tell it was a child, but it just,

[00:53:51] what confused me was the adult hands. He clearly had what appeared to be adult hands.

[00:53:56] But what's really funny is when I read that it was Clint Howard,

[00:53:59] it was like instant light bulb for me. I'm like, Oh, I see it.

[00:54:02] I, I don't, I'm not familiar enough with, with him to see it.

[00:54:06] When you, when you, cause I, it's one of those things I didn't click who it was.

[00:54:09] And then I Googled and I'm like, Oh, I know that guy. He's been in so much.

[00:54:12] I'm guessing editor Jake is going to do a hard cut to who Clint Howard is.

[00:54:16] So when I watch this episode later on, I'll know.

[00:54:19] Oh yeah.

[00:54:20] Well, thanks editor Jake.

[00:54:22] Baylock explains that he was merely testing the enterprise and its crew to discover their true

[00:54:26] intentions. As Kirk and company relax,

[00:54:29] Baylock expresses a desire to learn more about humans and their culture.

[00:54:33] Baylock suggests they allow a member of their crew to remain on his ship as an

[00:54:37] emissary of the Federation, which doesn't exist yet.

[00:54:40] Bayley happily volunteers and Baylock gives him,

[00:54:44] gives them a tour of his ship.

[00:54:46] Okay.

[00:54:47] So I was going to say there's a very,

[00:54:49] the very,

[00:54:50] very close up I'm talking about is when a bail off Baylock is like,

[00:54:53] I would love someone to stay here and hang out with me.

[00:54:55] And it's just kind of implying. And then,

[00:54:57] and then Kirk is like, what about you?

[00:54:59] And then it does that weird closeup on it on his face.

[00:55:01] Like what?

[00:55:03] All right. And then yet,

[00:55:04] I'm just,

[00:55:05] um,

[00:55:05] the scene is so weird.

[00:55:07] Uh,

[00:55:08] this character is confusing and upsetting because it's the moment where they're

[00:55:11] walking out,

[00:55:12] holding hands together.

[00:55:13] And I'm like,

[00:55:15] what is any of this?

[00:55:17] And just ultimately that this ending completely undercuts the tension of the rest of

[00:55:21] the episode for me.

[00:55:22] It also felt a little bit rushed to me.

[00:55:24] Yeah,

[00:55:25] absolutely.

[00:55:26] It's a,

[00:55:26] it's a rushed,

[00:55:26] it's absolutely a rushed resolution where everyone's like,

[00:55:29] it's just like a cut to laughter.

[00:55:31] It's so weird.

[00:55:32] This is not the last time that Kirk will use the Corbomite maneuver.

[00:55:36] Apparently,

[00:55:36] which I don't even remember.

[00:55:37] I think this may have been one of the episodes that I missed somehow.

[00:55:41] And see in season two,

[00:55:42] the deadly years,

[00:55:43] Kirk once again,

[00:55:44] uses Corbomite as a bluff this time against the Romulans.

[00:55:48] Really?

[00:55:49] Yeah.

[00:55:50] Is it one of those maneuvers that like,

[00:55:52] like,

[00:55:53] I don't know how to describe it better than like,

[00:55:55] you know,

[00:55:55] when they get in the playbooks,

[00:55:57] we're like,

[00:55:57] that's the Corbomite maneuver.

[00:55:58] Like,

[00:55:58] is that a maneuver that becomes well known that is associated with Kirk,

[00:56:01] like in the future?

[00:56:02] Apparently,

[00:56:03] I don't know.

[00:56:04] One would think,

[00:56:05] although something like the,

[00:56:06] any,

[00:56:06] any maneuver that requires a bluff is only effective for so long.

[00:56:11] True.

[00:56:12] I would just,

[00:56:13] because I would love to see it in like,

[00:56:14] I'm kind of,

[00:56:15] or I'm at least I'm kind of hoping in like one of the other many Star Trek shows

[00:56:18] that someone pulls the Corbomite maneuver or like a version of it.

[00:56:22] And then they make reference back to it.

[00:56:24] Like,

[00:56:24] Oh,

[00:56:24] that's just like when Kirk pulled out the Corbomite maneuver.

[00:56:26] Like,

[00:56:26] I love,

[00:56:27] I love references like that.

[00:56:29] Maybe.

[00:56:29] I mean,

[00:56:31] it would be funny though,

[00:56:31] because if they did it in the strange new worlds,

[00:56:33] then it wouldn't be the Corbomite maneuver.

[00:56:35] Cause that would have technically happened first.

[00:56:37] True.

[00:56:38] True.

[00:56:39] Prequels are pain in the ass anyway.

[00:56:41] And we never see Bailey again.

[00:56:44] No,

[00:56:45] cause he,

[00:56:45] cause he went to live with his young child,

[00:56:48] adult companion.

[00:56:50] Yep.

[00:56:50] We,

[00:56:51] we,

[00:56:51] we never,

[00:56:52] we never,

[00:56:53] ever,

[00:56:53] ever.

[00:56:55] So here's my question though,

[00:56:57] about the Corbomite maneuver and Bay or Baylor.

[00:57:01] Baylor.

[00:57:01] I keep forgetting the name.

[00:57:02] Baylock.

[00:57:03] Baylock.

[00:57:04] Baylock.

[00:57:05] Did he ever have any intention of calling Kirk's bluff?

[00:57:08] Was he ever going to blow up,

[00:57:10] blow up the enterprise?

[00:57:11] I didn't.

[00:57:12] It felt like he never had any of any intention.

[00:57:14] That's what it felt like to me.

[00:57:15] So I,

[00:57:15] I think this is,

[00:57:16] this is pure speculation.

[00:57:17] So obviously don't quote this as canon.

[00:57:19] I think Baylock ship was big enough that it could have withstood pretty much any weaponry that the Federation or a similar,

[00:57:27] you know,

[00:57:28] species would have.

[00:57:29] So I think he was waiting to see that if faced with their imminent demise,

[00:57:33] they would,

[00:57:34] you know,

[00:57:34] try to fight.

[00:57:36] They would respond.

[00:57:37] So the,

[00:57:38] the idea is that the,

[00:57:39] the,

[00:57:40] the cube alerts him and then he comes and then he's like,

[00:57:43] well,

[00:57:44] let's see if they did that intentionally.

[00:57:45] Basically,

[00:57:46] I guess.

[00:57:46] Yeah.

[00:57:47] Although I will say that's kind of a shitty thing to do because when you have a thing that once it walks on,

[00:57:52] it just follows them because they even tried to back up earlier in the episode.

[00:57:58] I mean,

[00:57:59] they tried to be,

[00:58:00] he tried,

[00:58:00] Kirk tried to be like,

[00:58:01] we didn't know that you didn't,

[00:58:03] it didn't give any information of what it was.

[00:58:05] It didn't,

[00:58:05] it didn't feel like,

[00:58:06] Hey,

[00:58:07] go away.

[00:58:08] I'm going to say anything.

[00:58:09] So what did you expect us to do?

[00:58:11] Well,

[00:58:11] I think it's a fair response.

[00:58:13] Well,

[00:58:13] and it also started emitting radiation.

[00:58:15] That's harmful to them and they couldn't get away from it.

[00:58:17] So what,

[00:58:18] what else are you going to do?

[00:58:19] And what else did he want them to do?

[00:58:21] But then,

[00:58:21] but then I guess the argument from,

[00:58:23] from his perspective,

[00:58:24] I guess would be next with the test is for to make sure you weren't aggressive.

[00:58:28] Sure.

[00:58:29] Okay.

[00:58:29] I mean,

[00:58:30] but I always find it interesting though,

[00:58:31] because Q does this too.

[00:58:32] And this is why I hate Q as a character in next generation is he puts people in situations where violence is not only one of the few options.

[00:58:41] Sometimes it's the only option and it's certainly a logical option.

[00:58:44] Yeah.

[00:58:45] Well,

[00:58:45] yeah.

[00:58:45] I mean,

[00:58:45] what else?

[00:58:46] What?

[00:58:46] Like I would have been like,

[00:58:47] what did you,

[00:58:48] if you were in the situation I was in,

[00:58:50] what would you have done?

[00:58:50] The same thing?