Sue, Andi and Jarrah “rewrite” the TOS episode Miri. Now forever known as Bonk! Bonk!
Download now (right-click and save)
Hosts: Andi, Grace, Jarrah
Editor: Andi
Transcription: Taylor Schmidt – @Taylor_Joy7
Sue, Andi and Jarrah “rewrite” the TOS episode Miri. Now forever known as Bonk! Bonk!
Download now (right-click and save)
Hosts: Andi, Grace, Jarrah
Editor: Andi
Transcription: Taylor Schmidt – @Taylor_Joy7
A great discussion which shows that sexist or problematic episodes sometimes don’t need a lot of tweaking to be greatly improved. And it had me laughing from the title onwards!
My feeling about the “Earth 2” is that it was not meant to be realistic but symbolic, as the story is a heavy-handed cautionary tale. It looked like Earth in the 1960s because “it could happen here, now”, which is why the children were 300 years old or whatever. I’m not sure though, as it’s been a long time since I last saw the episode. Perhaps they could have done it more realistically with the Enterprise accidentally slipping into another timeline in which the virus actually *had* been unleashed on 1960s Earth. That would at least have provided an explanation, rather than leaving the presence of Earth 2 bafflingly mysterious (or indeed impossible, as Sue’s Science Corner might agree!)
The crew’s imitations of Kirk’s dialogue with Miri was hilarious! Just as some of your improvements probably couldn’t have been effected in 1966 (the year I was born – I’m as old as Star Trek!), Kirk’s creepiness here probably couldn’t happen in today’s TV. Thankfully!
Women at Warp is both the most thoughtful and the most entertaining Star Trek podcast I’ve yet found. I’m really enjoying it, and it’s consciousness raising too. Thank you!
I am getting into ‘Women at Warp.’ I recently got tail-ended and spent numerous sessions with pins in me (acupuncture) and lots of time. So, this podcast has been a Godsend.
I love that you approach this and other Treks in a ‘girly’ manner — feel free to correct my language, but I mean this as a fun and feminine descriptor and not as a diminutive. I would say the opposite is ‘boy talk,’ although that phrase gets to be problematic as well. Anyway, your comments are both informative and playful.
Re: Miri…
I agree that the ‘another Earth’ is pure Roddenberry that, unfortunately, doesn’t add anything to this episode. He should have saved it, but instead gave us scads of other Earths, from Roman World to Nazi World to Greek World to Mobster World, etc.
I’ve heard others say Kirk and Miri is icky. Somehow, I don’t feel any worse/better about this episode than I do about ‘True Grit.’ Darby is playing below her age. Shatner is responding to a 19-year-old actor, even though it looks like Kirk is responding to a 13-year-old girl. I totally agree that Chapel and/or Uhura would have been good choices to join the landing party. I further agree that Rand was written as a damsel in most of her appearances, which is a shame.
Anyway, I always enjoy this episode. It’s full of ideas and the pacing is good.
And Kirk’s shirt doesn’t stand a chance!!
Great talk, found you through Mission log. Have forwarded link to fellow star trek fan and daughter. Much of this episode is creepy, and overtly sexist, it was made in the extreme sexism of the 60’s/70’s, so not unexpected. I can say my views on Kirk and Miri have changed since first seeing as a teen, and now rewatching as a father. Imagine Janeway in the same situation, with a male Miri, basically trying to seduce him to find the other Onlies, I’d say the condemnation of her would be quick.