madimpossibledreamer | Star Trek: Is There in Truth No Beauty? (First Watch: S3E5)

Death/injury count: marvick insane, scotty + 3 red shirts hurt. Dr jones strangled, marvick dead (why didn’t I name this section ‘he’s dead jim’?), spock—issues with the mind-link, kirk, bones, red shirt, sulu, chekov hurt in spock’s insanity

It’s the most fashionable visor you will see.

Lady why are you taking it off

That’s the worst Vulcan salute I’ve ever seen.

You took it off. Why did you take it off. Spock. spock. does the principle of quarantine escape you. spock. I’m gonna keep saying your name because really???

(also why is spock the damsel in distress so much?)

That smile says ‘oh really’.

Oh man Dr Jones that was a perfect response.

I like the meta on beauty here.

Oh hey that’s scotty’s kilt he wears his kilt with his dress uniform that is great.

Kirk’s being charming, mccoy pushes it over the edge. Well, aside from the ‘allow’, though that might’ve been meant as a joke.

(I’m guessing that was the source of the murderous thoughts, that they aren’t taking her seriously. Jim definitely is, but he can flirt the living daylights out of something and still respect it afterwards.)

“We’re all vulnerable in one way or another.” –Kirk hehhh

Wait

This vaguely reminds me of lyta and kosh.

“I understand that you’re a woman and I’m a man” and that’s the worst way to start that. ever. Don’t ever.

“Now I know what a mere human male has to do to get a reaction out of you” that’s just ugly and maybe that’s the point. Contrast the ugliness of the mind & of the body.

…why are they reacting?

Side controls are a problem.

No, no, what you’re looking for is the opposite of safe. The last two times we were here, gary went psychotic, and there were Lovecraftian beings.

Watch out for ghost leviathans.

Which, wait, hey, non-humanoid species. For once.

Are you going with seduction. Again?

(never been to earth? A colony?)

Wait.

No. it’s flowers. He literally thinks flowers are so distracting and going from his reaction every time they find some on a planet in his case he might be right.

“You mustn’t blame yourself because Marvick loved you.” “I didn’t want his love. I couldn’t return it.” THIS IS SO IMPORTANT PSA EVERYBODY HOLD THE PHONES AND LISTEN BECAUSE THIS NEEDS TO BE SAID. ESPECIALLY AS REGARDS MURDER OR SUICIDE BECAUSE YOU DON’T CONTROL WHETHER OTHER PEOPLE LIKE YOU OR WHETHER YOU LIKE THEM IN RETURN. OR WHAT THEY DO WHEN IT’S UNREQUITED.

(this is another thing against kirk, in more ways than one—he thinks it’s natural for humans to want to be with their own species [which might be kinda true b/c evolution but also I’m sure if bestiality exists, it’s also perfectly natural for people to fall in love with aliens too aka Amanda] which means he’s not going after every alien that exists. Secondly that’s kinda xenophobic?)

(everyone in this episode is trying to control dr jones & tell her what her life should look like & you know if she wants to run off with an alien kosh then good for her)

(also wait that’s kinda true of lyta too isn’t it MAN PARALLELISM)

“you’re a very complicated man” whooo MEEE?

(wait, was ‘anger’ a backup plan to ‘seduction’ or was that a mistake WE WILL NEVER KNOW)

….

THAT’S A TWIST I DIDN’T SEE COMING

And rather than make her, I dunno…it actually makes her a much more interesting character. It’s not just a ‘I bought this disadvantage but it doesn’t mean as much because of a power’, no, it helps flesh her out.

…he was understanding and being sympathetic. Not pitying you.

Kollos is the only one involved who has a real say in this, being the other person involved and all.

“She would’ve told you yourself had she wanted you to know. I respect her privacy.” Also doc you’re a good egg. A problematic egg, but a good ‘un.

Kollos is just having the time of his life with a body that can interact with human ones. Mccoy is going “something is utterly wrong with the universe this is one of the signs of the apocalypse”

Doesn’t recognize spock until he snarks back. Good, bones.

So much meta all the meta

(what you think the ambassador’s gonna go mad from seeing himself-ooh, okay.)

But Kirk recognized the jealousy, when it wouldn’t make sense to some so.

Purge the jealousy and it all can end like a happy-ending Shakespearian play.

“I suppose it has thorns.” “I never met a rose that didn’t.”

Lesson here kids: Jealousy is a bad thing, don’t have it

INFINITE DIVERSITY IN INFINITE COMBINATIONS OH MAN I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT THAT THAT MEANS SO MUCH MORE NOW “and in the ways those differences combine to create meaning and beauty” that is soooo beautiful.

And kirk didn’t judge her at all at the end…was he seriously going for anger? Maaaan it’s not a straightforward reading here.