Scott Atwell Star Trek Discussion thread (Series and Films) (3 Viewers)

[Nelson Au]

I know the scene Jim! This is turning out to be quite a surprising number of times Kirk let's loose. Oh yeah, in regards to I: Mudd, I think at the end, they are all chuckling as they leave Mudd with the Stella's. So while Kirk is doing a staged laugh earlier, IIRC, he does laugh at the end.

 

[FanCollector]

The frequency of Kirk having a good time may be part of William Shatner's contribution. His assessment of The Cage when he saw it before taking the job was that it was a very thematically brilliant story but that the characters took themselves too seriously to be fully believable as people sharing a workplace. He always thought that there should be a lighter tone among the leading characters, and has taken many opportunities to praise Gene Coon for helping to provide that tone. It does seem, especially in light of that memo, to have been a point of artistic disagreement between Shatner and Roddenberry.Another instance like the one with Areel...going upstairs with Edith Keeler in The City on the Edge of Forever. His back is to us as Edith asks, "What's so funny?"

 

[Nelson Au]

No doubt about that Lee regarding Shatner's contributions. Hmmm, I never noticed if Kirk is laughing at Edirh's prediction of man reaching out into space. I'll have to watch that one too! But I will credit you that one.

 

[FanCollector]

Maybe not...the more I think about it, the more Kirk has "amused" moments which are somewhere between smiling and laughing. The end of Spock's Brain is one example. Wrestling with Vanna in The Cloudminders is another. And of course, the dinner scene in Is There in Truth No Beauty, in which all three of the guys are practically drooling on Dr. Jones. Maybe Court Martial and City fall into that category. It's a more shaded question than I first thought.(Whom Gods Destroy is like Mirror, Mirror in that William Shatner laughs, even if Kirk doesn't.)

 

[Nelson Au]

Lee, I took a good look at Court Martial and City on The Edge of Forever. For sure, there is no laughing from Kirk while he greets Areel. He's smiling!In City, as you pointed out, we see their backs as they climb the stairs, Kirk clearly slaps his thigh as Edith says "what's so funny?" That one is a toughy. I can't exactly see him laughing, though he's smiling. And I also took a look at Spock's Brain and Cloudminders. I always remember Kirk, or is it really a Shatner blooper, grab a tool from McCoy and jokingly tries to do something to Spock. I thought the laughter was from them, but it's really only Scotty. Kirk does have smirk.Similarly, Kirk is smiling as he struggles with Vanna. I didn't get to Truth in Beauty, but I recall Kirk is mainly smiling. That's interesting you are finding the question more shaded then you thought. There's definitely a few more outright laughing shots and those were what I was looking for, as well as chuckles.

 

[FanCollector]

How about the big reveal in Amok Time?

 

[Nelson Au]

"Don't you think you should check with me first?"Interesting Lee, I've always seen him smile after he said that line above, but upon re-viewing, the music almost covers his low intensity chuckle/laugh. Great catch!And I forgot to mention last night, the Garth Kirk certainly didn't count as it wasn't Kirk! The Mirror Kirk was not our Kirk either.

 

[Ockeghem]

"And I forgot to mention last night, the Garth Kirk certainly didn't count as it wasn't Kirk! The Mirror Kirk was not our Kirk either."

"I'm Captain Kirk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

[Nelson Au]

He's definitely not laughing in that scene!

 

[Nelson Au]

Hints needed?

 

[FanCollector]

Assuming Janice Lester in Kirk's body doesn't count, how about the end of The Immunity Syndrome?

 

[Nelson Au]

Yes, I don't think Janice Lester counts!However, the laughter between Kirk and McCoy counts! I forgot about that one! Theses two more I have in mind and perhaps others!

 

[FanCollector]

"Just go on the way you're going. You'll find out."The Apple

 

[Nelson Au]

Ahhh, Val has forbidden this....Lee, you never cease to amaze me. Another example I missed!

 

[FanCollector]

There are a couple of moments in Where No Man Has Gone Before.

 

[Nelson Au]

"Certain you don't know what trivia is? "Correct! I had that one in mind and forgot to add it to my list!

 

[FanCollector]

A planet that even Spock can't explain?That Which Survives?

 

[Nelson Au]

Lee, sorry for the delayed response. Well, I thought you had something with That Which Survives. I didn't have a chance to play the episode to check. But fortunately YouTube has the scene in the transporter room where Kirk says a planet even Spock can't explain. As far as I can tell, he doesn't laugh, but D'Amato does.

 

[FanCollector]

I'm glad somebody laughed! It was just a thought. Shore Leave, on the other hand, is a definite memory.

 

[Nelson Au]

Lee, are you submitting Shore Leave, or using it as a sample of one you knew from memory? You had already named it.