Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site ssc-vax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!wivax!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!ginger From: ginger@ssc-vax.UUCP Newsgroups: net.startrek Subject: Star Trek Episodes Message-ID: <296@ssc-vax.UUCP> Date: Thu, 23-Jun-83 17:37:03 EDT Article-I.D.: ssc-vax.296 Posted: Thu Jun 23 17:37:03 1983 Date-Received: Mon, 27-Jun-83 13:16:41 EDT Organization: Boeing Aerospace, Seattle Lines: 32 Re: The City On The Edge of Forever -------------------------------------------------------------------- If McCoy caused the Enterprise not to be built by interfering with history, how come Kirk and company didn't vanish too? Any expanations? -------------------------------------------------------------------- This is my all-time favourite episode, too. My understanding of the denouement is that history was NOT changed, because McCoy was prevented from saving the life of Edith Keeler. Had she lived, history *would* have been changed, and there would have been no Enterprise and crew. This is the dilemma with which Kirk was faced, augmented by the fact that he was in love with Edith Keeler. I think that one reason that this episode was so affecting and effective is because the script allowed for less Shakespearean swaggering by William Shatner -an element which sometimes detracts from the other episodes. I like Shatner, but his early stage-training is obvious and the action does not always translate well to the small screen. Another reason is that the show did not have the sometimes sugar-coated, cartoon-flavoured ending, in which the dead are brought back to life and all trouble and harm magically reversed. Instead, you are shown an aspect of Kirk's character versus his role as Captain in a very human but impossible situation, with a grimly delivered final line, "Let's get the hell out of here." ssc-vax!ginger