You know, I just realized why I want to see the two Khans as separate characters. ( Except for the fact that they / the actors look very different. ) It's the whole "abusive boyfriend" thing that goes on with Marla McGivers in Space Seed. It just disgusts me. ( And I don't understand how she can love a man who treats her like that, and betray her ship for him. ) Everything else, I can sort of sympathize with. But I still think he was way more justified in whatever he did after being woken up by Marcus before STID than by Kirk in Space Seed.
In Space Seed, he'd lost power once, and had to take over the ship to avoid being shipped to Starbase Whatever Number and end up in some sort of prison/punishment ( Kirk later says something about rehab colony I think? ). If he wants to be free and "build an empire" with his people without being "cured", it has to be now. And I got the impression that he didn't actually want to kill people, he didn't get any pleasure out of killing unless they were actual enemies.
And he could love ( and yes, I believe he loved her, but in a twisted way ) a woman who wasn't "bred for perfection". Even in TOS they were stronger and healthier and smarter than normal people, I think the actual "genetic engineering" wasn't decided/retconned until Wrath of Khan ( and certainly in more detail in the Enterprise Augment trilogy ( which I definitely recommend watching if you're interested in Augment biology and history! ). So there wasn't any "genetically inferior people should be put to death" philosophy but "we are superior and meant to rule".
Still not particularly "nice" but what purpose were they bred for, really? What were they raised to believe about themselves and their purpose? I think nuKhan said something about being created to "lead others to peace in a world at war". ( Yup. Found clip on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8Sa6oUUByE ) And I just remembered there was this very odd episode of animated Trek where there was this scientist who had been involved in the Eugenics Wars and there was something about these giant clones who were supposed to "bring peace to the galaxy". So it's probably true they were bred to be better than normal humans and lead us to make the world a better place. It didn't work out that way, but there are indications of why in those Enterprise episodes. There's also a couple of episodes on the dangers of genetic engineering in Deep Space Nine.
But I actually thought Kirk treated Khan and crew incredibly leniently in Space Seed compared to what they deserved. Or rather compared to the threat they posed. They did briefly take over the ship and would have killed Kirk and crew if they had to. While Kirk had been pretty much welcoming and nice, giving him reading materials and hosting a dinner for him ( yes, to manipulate answers out of him, but can you blame him? This mysterious superman from the past is on your ship and refuses to tell you who he is! ). I can sort of see both of their sides. And then, after their taking over the ship failed ( thanks to the "abused girlfriend" taking a stand ) they were given a planet to rule! It seemed Kirk was admiring Khan and thought it was a waste of such an amazing man to send him to a Federation rehab colony to be brainwashed into a nice Federation citizen. I really thought that was a stupid decision, which it also turned out to be.
In Space Seed, he'd lost power once, and had to take over the ship to avoid being shipped to Starbase Whatever Number and end up in some sort of prison/punishment ( Kirk later says something about rehab colony I think? ). If he wants to be free and "build an empire" with his people without being "cured", it has to be now. And I got the impression that he didn't actually want to kill people, he didn't get any pleasure out of killing unless they were actual enemies.
And he could love ( and yes, I believe he loved her, but in a twisted way ) a woman who wasn't "bred for perfection". Even in TOS they were stronger and healthier and smarter than normal people, I think the actual "genetic engineering" wasn't decided/retconned until Wrath of Khan ( and certainly in more detail in the Enterprise Augment trilogy ( which I definitely recommend watching if you're interested in Augment biology and history! ). So there wasn't any "genetically inferior people should be put to death" philosophy but "we are superior and meant to rule".
Still not particularly "nice" but what purpose were they bred for, really? What were they raised to believe about themselves and their purpose? I think nuKhan said something about being created to "lead others to peace in a world at war". ( Yup. Found clip on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8Sa6oUUByE ) And I just remembered there was this very odd episode of animated Trek where there was this scientist who had been involved in the Eugenics Wars and there was something about these giant clones who were supposed to "bring peace to the galaxy". So it's probably true they were bred to be better than normal humans and lead us to make the world a better place. It didn't work out that way, but there are indications of why in those Enterprise episodes. There's also a couple of episodes on the dangers of genetic engineering in Deep Space Nine.
But I actually thought Kirk treated Khan and crew incredibly leniently in Space Seed compared to what they deserved. Or rather compared to the threat they posed. They did briefly take over the ship and would have killed Kirk and crew if they had to. While Kirk had been pretty much welcoming and nice, giving him reading materials and hosting a dinner for him ( yes, to manipulate answers out of him, but can you blame him? This mysterious superman from the past is on your ship and refuses to tell you who he is! ). I can sort of see both of their sides. And then, after their taking over the ship failed ( thanks to the "abused girlfriend" taking a stand ) they were given a planet to rule! It seemed Kirk was admiring Khan and thought it was a waste of such an amazing man to send him to a Federation rehab colony to be brainwashed into a nice Federation citizen. I really thought that was a stupid decision, which it also turned out to be.
Reply
Leave a comment