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Post by geoffrey on Aug 28, 2012 22:52:34 GMT -6
This episode has one of the biggest "duh" factors of all the episodes. Sulu and a handful of guys could not go through the malfunctioning transporter to get from the freezing planet, Alpha 177, back to the Enterprise. Kirk and Spock and all the rest of the crew basically wait cluelessly for the away party to freeze to death. If I had been Sulu, I would have been pissed: "Sulu to Enterprise. Get in the shuttle and come PICK US UP!"
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Post by aher on Aug 29, 2012 1:22:22 GMT -6
There are at least two ways you could dispel this apparent inconsistency: (1) The Enterprise did not get its first shuttlecraft (the Galileo) for as many as 5 months after the events depicted in the Enemy Within. Perhaps the Enemy Within provided the basis for Capt. Kirk to justify the budgetary expense of a shuttle. (2) The Enemy Within happened in a different timeline altogether, and there were no shuttles in that alternate timeline. Just look at the star dates in the following episodes: The Enemy Within(No shuttle at all.)Season 1 Ep. 5 Air Date: 10/06/1966 Stardate: 1672.1 The Conscience of the King(First mention of shuttlecraft. Empty shuttle bay shown. Shuttle not shown.)Season 1 Ep. 13 Air Date: 12/08/1966 Stardate: 2817.6 The Galileo Seven(Shuttle shown for the first time on TV.)Season 1 Ep. 16 Air Date: 01/05/1967 Stardate: 2821.5 In support of explanation (2), the star date for the Enemy Within is so way, way off from the other two star dates, you could argue these are alternate realities or alternate time-lines. In support of explanation (1), you could use this calculator to convert the above star dates into the following Gregorian calendar dates: Stardate: 1672.1 ~ Tue Dec 12 2265 17:19:11 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time) Stardate: 2817.6 ~ Sun May 20 2266 12:52:47 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time) Stardate: 2821.5 ~ Mon May 21 2266 01:51:12 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time) The 5-month gap between the Enemy Within and the first appearance of the Galileo makes it reasonable to believe that shuttlecraft were introduced on board the Enterprise sometime after Dec 12, 2265 but before May 20, 2266. The real reason for this discrepancy is discussed at length here. To sum up: Transporter effects = ¢heap, shuttle = expen$ive. "The Enemy Within" was episode 5. Shuttlecraft were not even mentioned until episode 13 "The Conscience of the King," but the production couldn't afford to build one. The Shuttlecraft was first shown in episode 16, "The Galileo Seven."
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tog
Level 4 Theurgist
Detect Meal & What Kind
Posts: 148
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Post by tog on Jul 11, 2014 13:41:06 GMT -6
It would be interesting if it was assumed that the shuttle was deployed on the Enterprise specifically as a response to the Alpha 177 incident; "we must never let a potential tragedy like this happen again" and like that.
Of course, then that's problematic in all the OTHER episodes where they could have used it and didn't!
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Post by ritt on Jul 11, 2014 13:50:16 GMT -6
Maybe Kirk and Co. just have luck like mine... vehicles constantly breaking down or needing replacement parts, usually at the worst possible moment.
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tog
Level 4 Theurgist
Detect Meal & What Kind
Posts: 148
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Post by tog on Jul 11, 2014 14:05:02 GMT -6
Maybe Kirk and Co. just have luck like mine... vehicles constantly breaking down or needing replacement parts, usually at the worst possible moment. Scotty slides out from under the Galileo on one of those wheeled board things - "Ach, Captain, she needs a new water pump! Thet model hanna been sold since 2240!"
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Post by talysman on Jul 11, 2014 14:57:49 GMT -6
It's been a while since I've seen the episode, but I seem to recall the terrain was pretty rugged and there were horrific storms. Perhaps they just couldn't land the shuttle? After all, part of the point of The Galileo Seven was that it wasn't meant to land on that planetoid, either. I get the impression that shuttles were only designed for transport between starships and starbases, or other prepared landing areas.
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18 Spears
BANNED
Yeah ... Spear This Ya' Freak!
Posts: 251
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Post by 18 Spears on Jul 11, 2014 15:39:19 GMT -6
According to David Gerrold it was because it was a first season episode. No shuttle craft set. No money in the budget to build one.
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Post by Stormcrow on Jul 12, 2014 9:06:55 GMT -6
This is a very old chestnut. It's pretty much the only thing anybody ever says about the episode.
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Post by geoffrey on Jul 12, 2014 11:13:00 GMT -6
This episode also has the "real" Kirk. When emotional Kirk goes nuts in his quarters yelling "I'm Captain Kirk!" it doesn't get any better than that.
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Post by oakesspalding on Jul 12, 2014 21:36:24 GMT -6
Here's the thing. Despite the obvious gaping plot hole (no shuttlecraft or any other alternate means of getting those guys up) and the silly pseudo-scientific premise featuring 60's pop psychology-everyone needs their passive and aggressive halves, or whatever-the episode is among the best of a brilliant show. That's a tribute to the actors, writers and all the people responsible for by far the most realistic and immersive science-fiction setting up to that time.
Despite the efforts to "update" the special effects using CGI-a very silly and pointless enterprise-those now fifty year old episodes haven't aged a bit.
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Post by geoffrey on Jul 13, 2014 13:55:58 GMT -6
a very silly and pointless enterprise
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Post by oakesspalding on Jul 13, 2014 17:54:49 GMT -6
Why when I wrote those words did I just know someone would pick that out?
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Post by coffee on Jul 14, 2014 22:52:24 GMT -6
Why when I wrote those words did I just know someone would pick that out? Ooh, ooh! I got this one! >Ahem< Because you've been here a while, and you've learned that we're geeks, too!
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