The Fandom that's Eating My Brain, Stardate 20-Whatever

[jedibuttercup]

I watched a TOS episode at lunch today: 1.05, "The Enemy Within". It's... really disconcerting, I've found, watching these episodes back now in order, with all the weight of all the Trek I've watched since the last time I looked at the original series, all the novels I've collected, all eleven movies, backed up in my head sparking things at me as I watch. Like my experience with XI in reverse, actually. Weird, watching Shatner play good and evil Kirks, unable to stop myself from reading into the situation insights from all the things that happened in the Trekverse after, imagining where the division of Pine's Kirk might differ. And where it wouldn't.

Also: came across an essay this morning suggesting that Kirk might have some sort of empathic ability; the essay's geared toward a logical (and slashy) explanation of the craziness of "Amok Time", but includes a fascinating amount of other analysis from other episodes that makes me believe he easily could have some kind of non-telepathic ESP. The author isn't the first person I've seen advance that theory, either. So of course I can't help but read that into the episodes I'm watching too; and you know what, it does seem more plausible than otherwise, if never actually admitted. Fascinating.

Also: damn, there's some excellent fanwork coming out of the Reboot. I'll have to assemble a recs list at some point with my favorites. I've stuck my toe in the pool myself (obvs.) and got some excellent reviews and feedback, but I'm positively shallow compared to some of these people, and it's just a bit... well. Seven years writing fic, more than half a million words, and I still feel like an intimidated newbie sometimes. *shakes self* That said: more Pike fic this weekend, I swear, and a Spock-POV conversation with Kirk immediately post-XI movie. I just-- I'm going to see it one last time before I post anything else, I think, to clear my head and regrasp my own interpretation of the characters.
~

Comments

Spockanalia, Organia, all zines gone with the trash from so long ago. Boohoo.

[pronker]

Yup, there was a reason why Harlan Ellison and others wrote for ST; the premise of an Earth that was not apocalyptic like lots of other 'futures' was so appealing. How did we do it? Who did we meet when we finally got Up There? That was a big reason why, if you read scifi at the time, you switched to a kinder, gentler future for us rather than the 'go all the way back to the apes' sort of story.

Seven years writing, wow, that's great. How fun that there is a movie to spark all this.

Re: Spockanalia, Organia, all zines gone with the trash from so long ago. Boohoo.

[jedibuttercup]

> That was a big reason why, if you read scifi at the time, you switched to a kinder, gentler future for us rather than the 'go all the way back to the apes' sort of story.

Dystopian stuff is enjoyable in its own ways, but I cut my teeth on Trek and original Star Wars, and I've always loved best that grand mostly-optimistic all-possibilities-open type of universe, filled with heroes not ashamed to be heroes and yet still very human at the same time.

> Seven years writing, wow, that's great. How fun that there is a movie to spark all this.

It was Buffy fandom that actually got me started writing for the Internet, back when it was airing its sixth season and broke the characters and I thought, "Hey, I can do better than that." And now the 'net has brought me back to my very first heroes, with a bright shining new canon that isn't too intimidating to touch. ♥

[kerravonsen]

Pike fic! Yes!

And the exellent Reboot fic, agreed. I have been enjoying most the linguistic-centric Uhura (and Uhura/Spock) ones, I think. Because - squee! - linguistics!

Whether I will write any myself, and whether I will re-watch the few TOS episodes I have... we shall see.

[jedibuttercup]

I've been dodging the spock_uhura comm, so I'm sure I've missed a few, but what I've seen so far of linguistic-based S/U, I've really liked. Yay for fandom making people actually think about the words they use. LOL.

> Whether I will write any myself, and whether I will re-watch the few TOS episodes I have... we shall see.

*thinks encouraging thoughts*

[flyingcarpet.livejournal.com]

I've been watching some TOS eps myself, really just dipping my toe in because I am coming at this fandom from the opposite perspective -- it's all brand new to me. :) :) But it's so fun to watch these old eps and to think about the differences between those characters and the ones in the new movie.

the concept of Kirk as an empath would make a great fic! You know, if someone wanted to write it. :D

[jedibuttercup]

> I've been watching some TOS eps myself, really just dipping my toe in because I am coming at this fandom from the opposite perspective -- it's all brand new to me. :) :) But it's so fun to watch these old eps and to think about the differences between those characters and the ones in the new movie.

I know! These old characters are old friends of mine, but I'm seeing them in whole new ways through the lens of their new portrayals, and it's amazing how faithful they were to TOS while still forging off into their own direction. You can tell that movie really was a labor of love.

> the concept of Kirk as an empath would make a great fic! You know, if someone wanted to write it. :D

I'm probably going to be busy writing fill-in-the-gap scenes for awhile, but maybe. Eventually. *grin*

Hrrmmm

[anabels.livejournal.com]

I am torn on re-watching the original series. I loved it as a child but as an adult I prefered TNG and to some degree Voyager more than my memories of the orginal series. Part of me suspects that watching it now would be disappointing. Especially after watching "Space 1999" which frightened the living daylights out of me as a child and now bores me silly!

Though all this reading of other people's fic and opinions of the new movie has me dreaming dreams set in a strange mash up version of teh Trek universe.

Re: Hrrmmm

[jedibuttercup]

The really awesome thing about the original series isn't the utterly campy sci-fi effects, or cheesy enemy-and/or-chick-of-the-week cameos, or any of that. It's the characters.

And oh, did they ever get them right with the new movie. Spun just enough to make them fresh, but ♥♥♥ filled with the essence of the TOS portrayals, too.

[trinfaneb.livejournal.com]

I have The Enemy Within on Tivo. I plan to watch it when I'm in the proper mood for it. Watching TOS hits me on different levels too. I find that TOS still holds up well, mostly due to fine writing and acting. The sets may be cheesy, but the ideas aren't (with the exception of a few third season episodes).

It makes sense that Kirk would be an empath. When things really count, he very rarely makes the wrong decision and I think his insight into others is a big reason he can do that.

[jedibuttercup]

> The sets may be cheesy, but the ideas aren't (with the exception of a few third season episodes).

The show may look cheap, but it tried hard, and it had heart. I'm really enjoying my rewatching.

> It makes sense that Kirk would be an empath. When things really count, he very rarely makes the wrong decision and I think his insight into others is a big reason he can do that.

Exactly; and the really awesome part is that he even does it with utterly alien creatures on a regular basis, like the Horta and the cloud creature. He can predict the behavior of things/beings that aren't even remotely humanoid! Interesting to think about.

[moryssa.livejournal.com]

I've actually been rewatching, too... Watched through episode 10 this weekend. I'm finding it fascinating, because even though I KNOW I watched the original series with my dad, I don't remember any of these episodes, and the characters aren't exactly what I remember them being from the movies. Spock's more amused by things. Kirk's more amusing. Sulu's running around shirtless challenging other crewmembers to a duel! X-D

And wow... I really DIDN'T remember Kirk's shirt getting torn or taken off in EVERY SINGLE EPISODE. X-D

[jedibuttercup]

I'd probably seen all of the original episodes at least three times over, since the TOS reruns were one of the few things my parents would let my brother and I watch without supervision when we were little tiny. Obviously, though, I missed a lot of the nuances at that age, and it's probably been at least fifteen years since I actually sat down and watched any of them straight through.

The sets and some of the plots may be really dated, but the characters are still as awesome as they ever were. =)

[irisbleufic.livejournal.com]

Boy, do I hear you on the been-around-a-while-but-feel-like-a-n00b front. It's good to know I'm not alone.

(Kirk, an empath? Wouldn't surprise me one bit.)