Even gayer than I remembed: Return to Tomorrow
I watched this lovely episode again, and man oh man did I miss quite a few slashy things. We all know this is the episode in which Spock briefly dies and Kirk all touches his chest and gets all emotional before Sargon brings him back (and they try to ungay that by having a het kiss between Shatner and the Dame of the Hour, though it's completely NOT Kirk and the lady but Sargon and his lady.) Like in a lot of episodes where epic gay happens, I tend to breeze past smaller details. Well, here are the smaller details.
First off, we have the scene near the very beginning in which Kirk tells Spock he doesn't want him to go with the landing party because there's a bunch of unknowns and they both can't go. I love how Kirk ignores the tradition of having at least one of them on the ship at all times until there's unknown scary shit or hey, even if there's just a deadly monster prowling around (Devil in the Dark.) But just look at the interplay as this scene unfolds. Spock hears Kirk give Uhura orders to have McCoy meet them in sickbay, perking up when he doesn't hear Kirk include him. Spock and Kirk then talk at the same time, and Spock is oddly hesitant. I don't know if that was a sort of flub by the actors, but I really do think it was intentional. Spock says gee, he'd really like to go be a science officer and investigate this new stuff, but Kirk gives him the *cough*bullshit*cough* explanation that there's too many unknowns and one of them needs to be on the ship. Sargon apparently ships K/S, so he turns off the lights to show what he thinks about that flimsy excuse.
Next we get the best scene in the entire episode after the huge Spock-nearly-dies scene at the end of the episode. Kirk and Spock walk into the transporter room, and notice that Kirk looks directly at the assembled party with no reaction. Only after he chats by the transporter panel does a girl speak up and he notices that oh wait, he doesn't actually know who this is. Now, this is fucking interesting. The show plays that 'there's a pretty girl' music, so you'd think it wants us to notice that Kirk is about the flirt and be charming and overall entranced by this new Mary Sue. Even Spock seems to set it up by raising his eyebrows and silently going, 'who the fuck is this bitch?' Go back and watch how Kirk reacts. In fact, mute the music and just watch it. Kirk doesn't treat her any differently than anyone else. His eyes don't even get that shiny glint when he sees something he likes! Really, I think that music is more pointing out that this woman is, in fact, female, and she will play a role in the plot, because it sure as hell isn't to indicate that Kirk wants to rock her socks. But we're not done with this scene, oh no. Spock calls attention back to himself after Kirk talks to her a bit. I think Spock noticed the lilting tone in her voice, because he actually says, "I'm sure she did, Captain, Just as you received an order to bring me along." Now isn't that fascinating, Spock reminding Kirk that hey, he was brought along too, pay attention to ME, bb. And I swear, to fucking god, look at Spock's expression after he says this:
LOOK AT THAT SMIRKING BASTARD. You can't tell me that Shatner and Nimoy weren't in on this shit, even just a little. In fact, I have a feeling that the pretty girl music was inserted as a.) a distraction from the slash and b.) to indicate that the girl is competition. Because BITCH, IT'S ON.
As soon as they get to the chamber, Ann (the girl) gives Kirk tricorder readings, and that's SPOCK'S JOB, because he walks in front of the screen, visually overlapping her, as he gives more precise information. Jesus Christ, it's so obvious that he's competing for Kirk's attention. And finally, the third slashiest thing in this episode occurs, and that's after Sargon first leaves Kirk's body and McCoy and Spock go to hold him up. Now, first of all, Spock doesn't just pick him, make sure he's stable, and let go. Oh no. This shit is even slashier than the wrist grab in Tomorrow Is Yesterday, because Spock keeps holding his arms just like this, for like half a minute.
And his voice when he urgently says 'Captain' and the way he looks at Kirk? Even McCoy isn't matching Spock's outright worry. For fuck's sake, Spock is clinging to Kirk and it takes forever for him to release Kirk's arm. This hold right here is so endearing, it's like they're old men and Spock is all, "honey, did you take your Metamucil? Let me take you to the bathroom." Fuck you hard, Generations, for killing Kirk and not giving me old, crotchety space husbandry. I suppose I'll have to suffice with Shatnoy doing all that for you.
First off, we have the scene near the very beginning in which Kirk tells Spock he doesn't want him to go with the landing party because there's a bunch of unknowns and they both can't go. I love how Kirk ignores the tradition of having at least one of them on the ship at all times until there's unknown scary shit or hey, even if there's just a deadly monster prowling around (Devil in the Dark.) But just look at the interplay as this scene unfolds. Spock hears Kirk give Uhura orders to have McCoy meet them in sickbay, perking up when he doesn't hear Kirk include him. Spock and Kirk then talk at the same time, and Spock is oddly hesitant. I don't know if that was a sort of flub by the actors, but I really do think it was intentional. Spock says gee, he'd really like to go be a science officer and investigate this new stuff, but Kirk gives him the *cough*bullshit*cough* explanation that there's too many unknowns and one of them needs to be on the ship. Sargon apparently ships K/S, so he turns off the lights to show what he thinks about that flimsy excuse.
Next we get the best scene in the entire episode after the huge Spock-nearly-dies scene at the end of the episode. Kirk and Spock walk into the transporter room, and notice that Kirk looks directly at the assembled party with no reaction. Only after he chats by the transporter panel does a girl speak up and he notices that oh wait, he doesn't actually know who this is. Now, this is fucking interesting. The show plays that 'there's a pretty girl' music, so you'd think it wants us to notice that Kirk is about the flirt and be charming and overall entranced by this new Mary Sue. Even Spock seems to set it up by raising his eyebrows and silently going, 'who the fuck is this bitch?' Go back and watch how Kirk reacts. In fact, mute the music and just watch it. Kirk doesn't treat her any differently than anyone else. His eyes don't even get that shiny glint when he sees something he likes! Really, I think that music is more pointing out that this woman is, in fact, female, and she will play a role in the plot, because it sure as hell isn't to indicate that Kirk wants to rock her socks. But we're not done with this scene, oh no. Spock calls attention back to himself after Kirk talks to her a bit. I think Spock noticed the lilting tone in her voice, because he actually says, "I'm sure she did, Captain, Just as you received an order to bring me along." Now isn't that fascinating, Spock reminding Kirk that hey, he was brought along too, pay attention to ME, bb. And I swear, to fucking god, look at Spock's expression after he says this:
LOOK AT THAT SMIRKING BASTARD. You can't tell me that Shatner and Nimoy weren't in on this shit, even just a little. In fact, I have a feeling that the pretty girl music was inserted as a.) a distraction from the slash and b.) to indicate that the girl is competition. Because BITCH, IT'S ON.
As soon as they get to the chamber, Ann (the girl) gives Kirk tricorder readings, and that's SPOCK'S JOB, because he walks in front of the screen, visually overlapping her, as he gives more precise information. Jesus Christ, it's so obvious that he's competing for Kirk's attention. And finally, the third slashiest thing in this episode occurs, and that's after Sargon first leaves Kirk's body and McCoy and Spock go to hold him up. Now, first of all, Spock doesn't just pick him, make sure he's stable, and let go. Oh no. This shit is even slashier than the wrist grab in Tomorrow Is Yesterday, because Spock keeps holding his arms just like this, for like half a minute.
And his voice when he urgently says 'Captain' and the way he looks at Kirk? Even McCoy isn't matching Spock's outright worry. For fuck's sake, Spock is clinging to Kirk and it takes forever for him to release Kirk's arm. This hold right here is so endearing, it's like they're old men and Spock is all, "honey, did you take your Metamucil? Let me take you to the bathroom." Fuck you hard, Generations, for killing Kirk and not giving me old, crotchety space husbandry. I suppose I'll have to suffice with Shatnoy doing all that for you.