#bread and circuses

[sundayinthcpark]

here have some bread and circuses spones

[callmeizukunotdeku]

I was a kid with a Hunger Games hyperfixation and, from time to time, I'll get reminded of the books. With Trump's inauguration and the TikTok ban and unban, I can't stop thinking about a political tactic called panem et circenses, or bread and circuses.

In Mockingjay, Collins writes "'It’s a saying from thousands of years ago, written in a language called Latin about a place called Rome,' he explains. 'Panem et Circenses translates into "Bread and Circuses." The writer was saying that in return for full bellies and entertainment, his people had given up their political responsibilities and therefore their power.'"

In Collins' world, the Hunger Games was the entertainment. In ours, it's social media. Twitter, Meta, TikTok, are all controlled by political powers. Musk, Zuckerberg. TikTok is owned by Yiming and Rubo, but with the ban and unban, the content it shows in America is filtered to fit Trump's political agenda.

It's entertainment at the cost of information.

[lenievi]

I’m still here thinking about Bread and Circuses lol

like a part of the episode was a focus on McCoy and Spock’s relationship

every. single. scene had them arguing (honestly, this ep just took it to some different levels; their relationship isn’t like this, normally) that even an outsider started to wonder if they were enemies because they couldn’t have a civil conversation, because McCoy was unnecessarily nitpicky and threw the word logic around a lot. And Spock didn’t make it easy with his too logical, unemotional opinions. And McCoy couldn’t even stop when he was fighting in the arena. (to the point that the writers made him agree to something, McCoy would never use himself)

And then McCoy is about to be killed, and Spock violates the rules to save McCoy. No logic, just emotions. He didn’t care about the rules, he didn’t care if he’d be killed, he just acted to save his friend. And that led to McCoy and Spock being separated from Kirk.

By saving McCoy, Spock put Kirk in danger.

And when McCoy tries to thank Spock later, vulnerable and embarrassed (so different from every single moment in this episode), Spock does not want to hear it. He doesn’t want to be reminded of his actions and the result.

“However, Doctor, you must remember I am entirely motivated by logic. The loss of our ship's surgeon, whatever I think of his skill, would mean a reduction in the efficiency of the Enterprise and therefore..."

“Do you know why you're not afraid to die, Spock? You're more afraid of living. Each day you stay alive is just one more day you might slip and let your human half peek out. That's it, isn't it? Insecurity. Why, you wouldn't know what to do with a genuine, warm, decent feeling.”

and this right here is McCoy reacting because of Spock’s inability to accept McCoy’s thank you, accept that he saved McCoy not because it was logical, but because he ‘cares’ - he couldn’t accept McCoy’s “genuine, warm, decent feeling” and he couldn’t acknowledge his own “genuine, warm, decent feeling” by accepting McCoy’s “thank you”.

And in this moment the emotions were high for both of them. Spock needed to calm down, and he did, and he challenged McCoy with “Really, Doctor?” which helped calm McCoy down too.

In that moment, an understanding passed between them. In that moment, they perfectly understood each other. And the audience got their answer to “are they enemies?” question.

That Spock was worried about Jim was literally confirmed at the beginning of the scene - McCoy knew that, Spock was aware - the spelled out version wasn’t needed, unless it had another purpose. To help them refocus after an intense moment. It’s easy to admit they care for Jim, it’s no surprise, not to them, not to the audience. It’s much harder to admit it to each other.

[fabuladorah]

One of my favorite genres of Spirk is when they look pissed off together:

"Did you hear this bullshit, Mr Spock?"

[gayjimothy]

aye

[kirkscameltoelover]

This took me 20 minutes to make (and i love it)

[effervescent-fool]

[trek-tracks]

kidnappers of outer space, beware

[purpleenma]

Same energy

Bread and Circuses s02 ep25

[skybson]

My Top 25 Costumes from Star Trek : The Original Series

10. When Spock Wears a Beanie

[computed-dear]

it's them

[turnipotentiary]

i have to say mccoy yelling at spock while fighting for his life is the most Bones thing ever

[oldschoolsciencefiction]

The most Spock pre-fight threat imaginable.

[self-made-purgatories]

(x)

[apodemus-sylvaticus]

Wow, this moment is so explicitly spirk-y.

Here's Bones being unreasonably nasty to Spock, as he often is:

As soon as Spock challenges Bones' statement about Spock's inability to feel, Bones like "good point, there's that whole thing you have for Jim, my bad". And Spock doesn't even pretend it's not correct, doesn't roll eyes or lift eyebrows or anything, because that is what he meant by the "Really?".

[dmynte]

genuinely how am i supposed to stay focused when my 3 women are just casually looking like that ? i haven’t a clue as to what is going on…