The City on the Edge of Forever; Or, the Past Is Another Country, and Things Are Less Colorful There

[thefourthvine]

Based on the title, I thought this was going to be about a planet right on the edge of a singularity. But it's about time travel instead, and time travel is one of my all-time narrative kinks, so I don't mind.

But who the fuck edited this? The episode doesn't look internally consistent. At all. Close-ups often look out of synch with the rest of

Comments

[amireal]

Then McCoy's out cold, and Spilled Milk Dude picks his pocket; we feel he deserves some compensation for being put through that. He steals an electric razor that makes him turn blue and disappear. We pause to debate what the hell that was. The episode never explains, or even refers to this again. WTF? Usually when you make a dude disappear it's a plot point!

See, this is what happens when you watch cherry picked episodes *G*. That's one of the smaller phasers. Which has a setting of 'ESSPLOSSION' which in this case (because it's star trek and sometimes they change what it means) the whole thing disappears along with the person holding it.

[thefourthvine]

I had no idea phasers came in small and large, and REALLY no idea they came with a setting to destroy themselves AND the user. (What focus group convinced the manufacturer that THAT would be a good idea?)

But, thank you! The random disappearance of Spilled Milk Guy made us crazy, and I am very happy to have an explanation.

[jotasbrane]

I know I'm coming in late, but I think that was actually just a "destroy whatever I'm pointing it at (along with anything they might be carrying)" setting. And the guy just happened to be holding it backwards when he pressed the trigger.

[fenris_wolf0]

That was my understanding of it, too. It was set to disintegrate the target (and everything in direct contact). Else you would see silly situations where the clothes of the enemy would be disintegrated leaving the naked target behind?

That would be silly! And indecent...

:)

[musesfool]

But, but, you didn't mention that Edith Keeler is played by ALEXIS CARRINGTON JOAN COLLINS! Which make it all the more hilarious and awesome, if you've ever watched Dynasty.

[minim_calibre]

True fact: when I saw this episode the first time, I think I was 8 and thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

Reconciling that with the later realization that she was Joan Fucking Collins has been... Difficult.

[musesfool]

Well, to be fair, she was a beautiful lady. I actually have a lot of fondness for her.

[minim_calibre]

Oh, totally beautiful. And yet, still, Joan FUCKING COLLINS. (I also have extreme fondness for her, but not in the sort of budding sexual awareness way I did as a kid. Thus the disconnect.)

[nestra]

BB: Romeo Must Die. Me: The King Must Die.

No, no, Spock Must Die! An early Star Trek book.

[malnpudl]

YES! *nodnodnod*

[travels_in_time]

Oh, gosh, I thought I'd imagined that.

[norabombay]

The one with the incredibly awful exposition about why women loved Spock. Used the word miscegenation.

Has NOT aged at all well.

[tipitiwitchet]

The thing I've always loved most about this episode is a story I once read about it's writing. It was written by Harlan Ellison and it seems ol' Harlan had a hard time making the deadline. This meant that the studio grew quite impatient with him. Harlan, not being the type who responds well to being pushed, dropped off the script with a secretary and ate a plant off her desk. It's probably the oddest tale of misplaced aggression I've ever heard. Also, I don't have any idea if it's actually true:)

[thefourthvine]

Even if it isn't true, it's still fantastic, because it is so very Harlan Ellison. The man is just that nuts. *eyes him warily*

[cricketk]

Careful, he might hear you.

[nestra]

No, that's a different episode.

[nestra]

Yeah, I used to be able to identify episodes by the first sentence of the recap in the Trek encyclopedia I had.