gerrrtahere

[gerrrtahere]

05/26 Star Trek TOS S2

a bit male gaze and colonialism here. though the story seems mainly be inspired by religion.

These people would know about children and love, would they also soon know about the immortality of human beings?

--

a classic Spock-Bones scene, and Kirk being like let’s care about our own lives first gentlemen.

though,

I think Doctor’s philosophy represent the very human/Earthling-centered humanity, the very intrinsic mindset of a good human,

Kirk represents the writers’ reflection and exploration on the the kind of values/merits of being an intellectual being that can be broadly shared across universe, though Kirk’s philosophy would be axiomatically ascribed to “humanity” as the character was created by humans and cannot get rid of the ontological nature of being humanitarian.  

and Spock, is the writers’ experiment and exploration on if a human-centered or a universally-applicable-WIP humanity could co-exist with an hypothesis that might be on the furtherest end of “humanity”, i.e., a culture based on logics rather than values. (sure, Spock has his values, but his values themselves are based on the more fundamental principle of being logical -- which is why his “human” side can be very fun and adorable to write, usually appearing at the end of the episode.)

--

yes, it’s a bit colonial. and the methods of emancipation were quite problematic in the episode. (it’s still in the 60s, I get it.

but it also kinda reminds me of Captain America in Winter Soldier. For his faith in freedom of choice and willingness to fight for this reason and to fight alone. I guess his action sounds less colonial is bc a) it’s mainly in his own country though one could argue the issue is global (so maybe this reason isn’t valid enough), b) he did not make the decision for everybody. He made his own decision, be responsible to it alone, and require nothing from others. It’s not like just bc he believes in his decision so he asks everyone else to agree with him. It’s more like, he believes his right, but if the rest of the world don’t agree, he doesn’t care. Bc he knows he’s making a good decision -- to identify if he’s being colonial or pursuing the universal humanity (like Kirk’s out of three), then the premise question is where is the line between a regional value and a universal one -- and it’s gonna be very tricky. (this paragraph was just my mind speaking loud and isn’t thinking very straight.

[gerrrtahere]

03/26 Star Trek TOS S2

wow an imperfect nomad could’ve been a good sidekick character in the series tho?

Captain’s impeccable logic h👌

the ending is lololololol my friend was like: 男妈妈！！！

[gerrrtahere]

04/26 Star Trek TOS S2

wow Spock’s character development in this episode is amazing.

and the chemistry between parallel Spock and Doc? 👌

and every alter ego of Sulu in the series is like...waaaaaayyyyyyyy too wild lol 

-

first episode after a while

[gerrrtahere]

01/26 Star Trek TOS S2

wuaaaaaaaahhhhhhhHHH this episode was...haha I dunno as a anthro major I was having complex feelings of “oh yeah that contemporarily emerging cultural-analysis trend -- lesser biased but still fledging deconstruction about othering other cultures and the understandings of the so-called custom in the 60s” and “OMG SPIRK IS SO FCKING RIO I JUST CANT”

I also noticed that both in this episode when Spock farewells T’Pau, and in the film ST Beyond where Spock 2.0 confronts the Vulcan science ministry board or whatever authority, the LLAP thing is presented in an unorthodox way: Spock’s reaction to the LLAP blessing from T’Pau is “neither” as he won’t live long nor prosper bc he killed a starfleet officer and his friend. In Beyond, Spock 2.0 is basically saying fuck you when he used LLAP to the bureau. Ofc in these days, at least for me before I started watching TOS and maybe for many new or non-hardcore audience, LLAP has been the iconic slogan of ST. Yet, when I finally dived into the ST world and saw all these scenes where ppl say LLAP, I realized, oh, so it’s not that simple. The whole discourse of using LLAP isn’t just patent and unvarying. (Unlike the commensurably famous May the force be with you in SW, where the salutation’s meaning and the related scenes convey roughly similar wishes. Sure each scene has nuances, but it’s generally for blessings and good wishes.) Whereas in ST, at least in these two scenes, the audience are given a chance to rethink about the whole discourse about using LLAP. It might not be a huge thing. Could be inadvertent. The production team just threw out all these scenes unconsciously, and the scenes themselves indicating all potentials and possibilities. But it does seem one of many ways to make the show more intellectually savory. Again, I might be over-reading into this -- not sure if its scriptwriters’ original or major intention, but the fact that I am writing this paragraph and such just didn’t occur to me when I was watching SW is a simple piece of evidence that at least there is a difference to me. I will pay more attention to this in future episodes. If it’s nah, then so be it. lol

--

The theme of this episode is “friend”. YESSSSSSSS

Kirk: I own him my life a dozen times over. Isn’t that worth a career? He’s my friend.

Spock: Kirk is my closet friend. (Also: Kirk and Doctor McCoy are not outworlders. They are my friends.)

ofc the scene below doesn’t came right after these two separate quotes, but I just found it quizzically proper to put it here. Just put it here.

The omniscient doctor KNOWS.

-

this, a great triangular composition:

-

EVERY time they touched the other’s hand (so far mostly it’s just Kirk grabbing or unthinkingly brushed Spock’s hand or arm...lol) my heart just clinched 😲

-

THE SMILE

--

This family land is glamorous. And Spock, coming from the prestigious Vulcanian clan who own it, divulges not a single bit. Very logical.

Spock to Stonn: you may later realize having is not as satisfying as wanting

Woahhhhhat dude why do you frustrate a young Vulcan man’s heart when it’s not necessary? lololololol and somehow it sounds a bit kinky given the context and his relation with Kirk. sorry but not sorry okay im a bit sorry

[gerrrtahere]

30/30 Star Trek TOS S1

woohoo the last episode! can’t believe it’s been my companion for a season already~

I like the nearly Mondrian visual style through the whole season. and the then-avant Bauhaus building now has become classic.

--

This is the proposal line: Your logic as usual is inescapable

This is the best man speaking: I understand your concern - your affection for Spock.

[gerrrtahere]

29/30 Star Trek TOS S1

Why is it such a tragedy? I was secretly expecting Kirk would bring Ms. Keeler back to the future so she can abroad a real spaceship. 😿

Ms. Keeler’s facial expressions with those indoor studio lighting castes are pure art.

It’s surprisingly tranquil to enjoy watching a retro 60s’ orthodox heterosexual romance, and ship Spirk simultaneously. Somehow not strange at all. I still don’t know how this worked out. It just did. Seeing Spock as in a love story like this might be slightly despondent, but his position as the man next to Captain Kirk was so natural and perpetual, and he seemed so imperturbable as he’s a Vulcan (or Chinese JK) I sensed stability there. Yet by no means the story between Ms. Keeler and Kirk is powerless, if as an independent fiction within the episode. She deserves a good life.

Though I haven’t dug into the backstage intention of why Kirk is having so many romance stories in the series, I can see where it might come from. The anthology needed to survive in the historical American sociocultural context. 

--

and here are a few examples of the “insults that are not supposed to be in Kirk’s prerogative as a commanding officer”:

-

Guardian: As correct as possible for you. Your science knowledge is obviously primitive.  

Spock: Really?

Kirk: Annoyed, Spock?

-

Kirk: You were actually enjoying my predicament back there. At times, you seem quite human.

Spock: Captain, I hardly believe that insults are within your prerogative as my commanding officer.

Kirk: Sorry.

L M A O. Spock is so sophisticated at such responses as Kirk is at saying sorry but not sorry. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

-

The scene Kirk hesitantly asserted Spock as Chinese. I just cant

It’s bizarrely cute...  

-

Kirk: Excuse me, I sometimes expect too much of you.

Spock: o 0

-

Kirk (super solemnly): WE HAVE A FLOP.

Spock: 

-

Ms. Keeler: You two are just so blatantly out of place here.

Spock: Interesting. Where would you estimate we belong, Ms. Keeler?

Ms. Keeler: You? At his side. As if you’ve always been there and always will.

(Me: GaahhhhhguyyyyyyyssssOlskfjoiwjfsfjlsjeiuwqnfwo;n32iodnscjknhf)

Spock: …I will finished the furnace.

Ms. Keeler: “Captain.” Even when he doesn’t say it, he does.

Kirk:

(Me: wuuwaahat a fantasy i’m watching why is everything so smooth TTATT)

-

what is this even...

the iconic eye-rolling:

another trifling moment of marriage life:

Kirk’s...pout?...

[gerrrtahere]

27/30 Star Trek TOS S1

another fascinating Klingon episode.

Klingons must really like Captain Kirk XDDDDD they do have so much in common.

Organian culture is #fascinating. 

“How little do you understand us.”

“Yes. Please leave us. The mere presence of beings like yourselves is intensively painful to us.”

“Pure energy. Pure thoughts.”

They are just way out of humanoids’ league.

Also like the fact that Kirk felt embarrassed in the end.

[gerrrtahere]

26/30 Star Trek TOS S1

I think there is a reference to or at least a mild presentation of the whole miner discussion that I am familiar with here.

--

(not) a chant by Captain:

ride herd on it

kind words

tender, loving care

kiss it

baby it

flatter it if you have to

--

2228.7 to 1

is so rio

Kirk: Logically, you might as well stay. But plz stay out of troubles, Mr. Spock.

Spock: That is always my intention, Captain.

(And Mr. Shatner’s best performance here.)

--

I just like how their standpoints switched about how to deal with Horta. and though it seems they are switching, they are not. they are actually always on the same side -- respect and help beings as they too have intelligence and feelings.

--

“He’s a healer. Let him heal.” 

[yes.

[gerrrtahere]

25/30 Star Trek TOS S1

今日高能爆笑o(*≧▽≦)ツ

This episode is so juicy in so many...jsaifjioqjfiojjioq3uiocoq83y9hiew

--

[Spock acts like humans ]

Doc: That didn’t sound AT ALL like Spock, Jim.

Kirk: No, it — I thought you said you might like him if he mellowed a little.

[well maybe bc its too much]

Doc: I DIDN’T SAY THAT

Kirk: You said that. I

Doc: NOT EXACTLY...He might be in trouble

[yes he’s indeed in serious troubles you two drop joking now plz!]

--

I...

--

someone should turn this into a surprise party gif

--

and every time when Mr. Sulu entered some weird mental-manipulated zone, he became a brightly smiling angel!!!

--

UHURA MARRY ME.

--

The scene where Kirk and only Kirk being with Enterprise had me right there. It’s such a poetic presentation of the meaning of the crew. You realized their existence when they were all absent. And then you had…ANOTHER SURPRISE B-BOX PARTY!!!!! (JK

--

IMPORTANT

[the scene where Kirk tries to irritate Spock and kinda pushes many buttons.]

#Half-breed [Spock even thought it was somewhat applicable this time lol. Well, Mr. Spock, the normal you don’t have such good temper or high tolerance on this AT ALL.]

#An overgrown jack rabbit [??? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH Are you sure you are not teasing, Captain?]

#An elf with a hyperactive thyroid [okay i get it elf part but a hyperactive thyroid…? thy…?]

#simpering devil-eared freak [yes i’m learning how to be articulate from ST]

#and you’ve got that gall to make love to that girl [whoa harsh and I sense a point…another point here?]

#a carcass full of memory banks who should be squatting in a mushroom [it’s heartbreaking until “mushroom”…I wonder…why mushroom (with a serious brooding face or try not to grin…)] [edit: thx to good tumblr ppl i know now :)

#You belong in a circus, Spock [and join Dick Grayson? that would be perfect, a true heaven. Batman approving gaze.gif ]

[Then, a fight]

[Then, Spock came back.]

Kirk: Had enough? I didn’t realize what it took to get under the thick hide of yours. [my brain…stop inventing some NSFW stuff alright?] Anyhow, I didn’t know what you’re so mad about. [Awww that’s sweet. AND KNOW YOU KNOW. and don’t take advantage of it in some way.]

Spock (back from the shock): You did that to me deliberately.

Kirk: Believe me, Mr. Spock, it was painful…[it’s just so sweet that he apologizes immediately] in more ways than one [LMAO]

[Also,]

Spock: Striking a fellow officer is a court-martial offense.

Kirk: Well if we both in the brig, who’s going to build the subsonic transmitter? [he said both!! thumbs up to his integrity and almost-knee-reflex belief in equity. and my brain totally don’t mind if they can share one brig. STOP.]

OKAY - BUT - HERE - IS - THE - BOOM:

[Sober Spock explained his choice to Layla]

Spock: I have a responsibility…to the ship…to that man on the bridge.

[THAT MAN ON THE BRIDGE!!! @#$%^^&**HSGahefaskjhuiffnkajsfhuijfdiojlaksjfioaewjflkwmcaeje%^&G! and uh...excuse me but...Mr. Kirk and Mr. Spock, could both of you please stop using Enterprise and its 5-year mission as a coping strategy to unconsciously divert your own attention from your too-strong-and-dramatic-to-be-subconscious feelings for each other?]

and Layla was being so heartbroken but sincere...: I have lost you, haven’t I? Not only you, I l’ve lost of it. [poor Layla 😢 and I enjoyed her performance so much...] 

And this beginning scene is so rare, so treasure, so romantic. I was grinning like an idiot. I’m just so happy his character is developing in such a lovely way in this story. 

His jaw is lovely. Not the spores.

--

Final Final Bonus: 

A George-style mint Julep, conceived by Doc, made by Doc, and enjoyed by Doc.

juicy, right?

[gerrrtahere]

24/30 Star Trek TOS S1

Kirk admiring Spock:

and Scotty being smart and protective:

are all I need.

--Super Spirk Bouns--

Kirk: Sometimes a feeling, Mr. Spock, is all we humans have to go

Spock: Captain, you almost make me believe in luck

Kirk: Well, Mr. Spock, you almost make me believe in miracle 😉

Spock: 

[gerrrtahere]

22/30 Star Trek TOS S1

I think the battle scene is getting better. Probably a superman from the 1990s is harder to physically beat down???

--

XD Kirk really needs to stop teasing Spock with respect to the whole emotion-logic dichotomy. 

Spock: why always gives you pleasure to see me proven wrong (more like sarcasm than a real question

Kirk (so happily): an emotional weakness (no Captain you dont feel “weak” about it AT ALL

--

Also appreciate the intimacy between Kirk and Bones:

McCoy: Well if you are actually giving me a choi...

Kirk: I am not.

later

Kirk: You ready?

McCoy: NO.

😊😊😊

They can just roast each other whole day long, while Spock watching them and being like 😑sighing “humans”...

--

Yes I’m in China. 

Staying at home and binging ST TOS were a very wise choice I made over the past two months.

Plz stay at home and stay safe. Sincerely hoping the world is getting better. 😢

[gerrrtahere]

22/30 Star Trek TOS S1

im back. uh. fuck.

fuck that they blocked AO3 here. fuck capitalism. fuck patriarchy. fuck fanatic idol cult culture. people created cyberspace for freedom of creativity not for ignorance and homogenization. 🤬

--

As AO3 blocked, it becomes almost NOT surreal for me to constantly encounter stories and plots that highly resemble the reality I live in. The story in this episode is happening, only except the cyborg pc part. 

I cannot resonate more with the following:

Kirk: Without freedom of choice, there is no creativity. Without creativity, there is no life. The body dies. The fault is yours.

Spock: Are you saving the body? Or destroying it?

Glad that they at least have a sociologist help to restore the planet’s culture to a human form. “May not be a paradise, but certainly human.”

and thus, I found this episode extremely...accurate and sad bc why the fuck aren’t we making any progress over the past decades? where the fuck the humans are heading to? annihilation??

[gerrrtahere]

21/30 Star Trek TOS S1

Please take a full minute to appreciate the rare appearance and her gorgeous haircut of the Asian HR Lady >///<

And those Bauhaus sofas...are just...when can we embrace that style fully?

also, about the relationship between humans and technology, not saying that we shouldn’t respect machines and AIs, but it’s also a good story to remind us...actually it’s not really about we overrating technology but we belittling ourselves, our cultures, and our humanity : ) And more trickily, to what extent we allow a person to make a mistake and would (not) forgive them.

and just wondering...

does anyone believe that...Spock won 5 games simply bc he’s getting smarter day by day?? that he’s beating his old self? another logical deduction right?

--

thought it’s a court story, but nah it’s a detective story, but nah nah it’s a actually a romance about ENTERPRISE hoorayyayyyyy 🥂

--

Kirk: I’m bitter but good luck to your chess games with your next Captain.

Spock: chess...! (totally not hearing the part about a next captain)

McCoy: [confused jackie chen gif]...are we going to save Jim or what?

[gerrrtahere]

20/30 Star Trek TOS S1

the computer omg so adorable affection and giggles and all the feminist here-and-there stuff are quite fun to watch : )

and Spock’s eye-rolling hahahahaahahahahahahahh

and Uhura’s smiiiiiiillllllle! She also has such a tender (優しい) and candid voice!!

Kirk: I'm a little green man from Alpha Centauri, a beautiful place, you ought to see it!

the homeland pride is strong here haha it’s a very pleasant scene to watch and I suddenly realized that

oh so he’s not from Earth, then he must have his own culture at home even. though he’s ethnically human, he’s mindset could be very different -- and a sense of “other” sparked in my head -- he’s human but he’s also someone different from us -- but, but what to define “us”, like there are already so many diverse cultures existing already on Earth (and irretrievable, deeply unfortunately, many have been destroyed by colonialism), not all Earthlings are the same! Does an “us” truly exist? Why matters whether Kirk’s Earthling or not...-- which is exactly why his humanity shines more importantly.

Maybe humanity doesn’t just belong to us -- the Earth people, or maybe even human? Humanity can exist on many beings and on the most strangest ones. So what? Only need we to replace the term “humanity” with something else, something universal -- aaannnddd it’s getting quite ontological and de-anthropocentric lol

but yeah i think the fact that Kirk is not “originally” from Earth (yeah referring to what’s going on in the US sometimes) really clicks something in my understanding.

[gerrrtahere]

19/30 Star Trek TOS S1

This is so relatable to the Cold War era.

The “this is not a drill” scene -- the portrait shot of Spock as Kirk broadcasting  urgently, and his conversation with Kirk almost private in the command room...if my first description about Spock is “logical” then now I have to adjust that ofc he’s logical but the characteristic of him continuously being concerned about life and beings has been largely underrated in my past recognition.

Again, this episode is quite cold-war, and I feel like Spock has won the game or simply just surpassed it at the very beginning.

--

Kirk (almost-on-the-edge, yet unprecedentedly beautiful, and caring enough to ask gently): What is it, Mr. Spock?

Spock: I...have concerns (and proposed 100 relevant questions but never a direct confrontation)

Kirk: (explained decisively even if he could just say it’s an order meh)

Spock: I understand, Captain.

Kick: I’m delighted, Mr. Spock.

Im crying

--

need more not-really-poisonous battlefield scenes...Spock’s unreasonably long legs OMG...and Captain’s ass OMFG...

and with a first glimpse, I thought the small interpreter machine was a turn-off light saber LMAO

and the way Doctor stands behind the captain’s seat, so natural👌👌

and Sulu’s eyeshadows 👌👌👌

[gerrrtahere]

18/30 Star Trek TOS S1

It’s like a fanboy story 😂😂

--

Kirk: (dragged Trelane to Spock so to protect the female crew members)

Trelane: Are you challenging me, Mr. Spock?

Spock: I object you. I object to intellect without discipline. I object to power without constructive purpose.

Kirk: (staring at Spock with stars in his eyes and an irrepressible bright smile on his face)

--

Kirk: (trying to explain the nature of Trelane to Spock, thus accidentally confessed some mischievous pranks done in his childhood)

Spock:

Kirk: (trying to sound most innocent) Forgive me, Mr. Spock.

5 seconds later

Spock: 🤨

[gerrrtahere]

17/30 Star Trek TOS S1

I like like like this idea! If the previous episodes emphasized more on the advantage of being logics then this episode acutely discusses the subtle balance of rationality and emotionalism. More importantly, the discussion is deeply intertwined with the theme of life -- especially how Spock understands and makes decisions about life through his processing. And at the different phases of the story, his decisions (with logic or emotion) caused casualties, put others and himself in danger, and finally saved the remained crew. Towards the end, it’s almost like the whole human team is helping teach him to understand that humans cannot avoid emotions and sometimes emotions can optimize outcomes instead of the other way around. Sure sometimes pure rationality brings out best results, yet sometimes it can’t. Such is simply fact. Spock learns and develops in this story, and with painful costs. The story really add some layers to this character.

Some features I really appreciate about Spock:

- He’s neither obsessed with power nor fear of it -- which is so rare and noble among humans (and maybe among many other alien species too? dunno lol

- He’s not interested in the opinion of majority. -- again, woah, too cool for school man

- He’s willing to adapt / to change himself and show respect to others’ culture and customs. He’s genuinely kind with heart. He’s not being arrogant when he’s being logical, as he believes one should care the livings more. It does sounds cold though -- maybe cruel even in a human perspective. But then with more understanding towards the end, he offered to help the human ritual (though stubbornly asked others to leave him on the planet and run with the ship when he’s trapped). He is a good person, generally speaking. (really like how the script writers had successfully delivered such subtlety 

- More fundamentally, and which solidly confirms me he and Kirk will be a happy couple (!!!YEAH!!!), is that he cares about life, the beings. As much as Spock is really reluctant to harm other beings, Kirk strongly wouldn’t let his faith of “his precious crewmen may still be alive and he won’t give up” go.

- He admits mistakes. That’s cute. Yet he stubbornly clutches his pride of logic, won’t admit his emotional side. LOL. That’s even cuter. And Kirk looks so fucking sexy and real omg when he’s making fun of the “emotional outburst” to Spock. 👌

All these things show that Spock might not be a sophisticated leader (though which is a bit surprising to me because I expected a first commander to be more qualified with leadership as they are the one supposed to lead the whole ship had anything happened to the captain...hmm) but he has a very charming and decent personality.

Also would like to take some time appreciate Scotty. Whenever Spock and others debate, Scott: (just let me do my engineering work and get everyone the heck outta here.) Thank you, sir.

--

as an anthro major: shout out to astro-anthropology hooray!!