T O P I C ��� R E V I E W
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Shik
Member # 343
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posted
WARNING!! "JAG" SPOILERS AS WELL AS SLIGHT "NEMESIS" CASTING SPOILERS!!
I culled this from a "JAG" newsgroup...I'd meant to discuss it here last week, but I forgot in the midst of, y'know...looking for work. It concerns the events of the 14 May episode.
quote: Subject: News flash! Trekkers not depicted as odd misfits! News at 11! From: buffhunter@my-deja.com (Hunter) Date: 16-May-02 13:14 Eastern Daylight Time Message-id: <32f29bdf.0205160914.574862d9@posting.google.com>
Wasn't it wonderful to see a Star Trek fan being depicted not as a maladroit nebbish but as a capable officer (Bud) serving his country? Sure the other Trekker was a terrorist but I'm willing to overlook it.
For those Enterprise Fans who don't watch "JAG" A US Navy lawyer, Lt. Bud Roberts during a dicussion with an accused (and admitted) Al Queda terrorist discovered that he was educated in the United States and was a ferverent Star Trek fan before he became a murderous religous fanatic. This discovery accured when Bud mumbled to himself after butting heads with a CIA agent. The agent wanted to use legally questionable means to extract information from the prisoner using coersive drugs (a previou military tribunal of another prisioner excluded such "evidence" because such meathods are not of a probative value, meaning it was not reliable in providing evidence.
The CIA agent left in a huff for another prisioner turning the first one over to Bud in a "If you think you can do better (at interrogation) then go to it" fashion. Bud, at a lost on how to properly question terrorist then made the comment of "Where is Captain Kirk when you need him" (aboard the USS Seahawk, a fictional aircraft carrier BUT the exterior footage of the carrier depicted was the very real USS Enterprise) Hearing this the Terrorist made a quip about how Captain Kirk would say obey the Prime Directive. Bud instantly knew that that was the first regulation of Starfleet that developing civilizations should not be interfered with, clearly intimating that the US should not be, as he sees it, interfering with Afgahnistans internal affairs. Bud corrected him, pointing out that Capt. Kirk constantly broke the Prime Directive. The al Queda man shot back "To his constant regret." Bud then made the observation that the prisoner was educated in the US. He then said "What happened to you?" The killer replied "I learned to love Allah." (Arabic for God). Bud then said:
Bud: Allah does not advocate killing those who disagree with you."
Prisoner: "You know nothing about it."
"I know IDIC"
Petty Officer Coates, who is Bud's legalman (the military version of a paralegal) and was watching with great sergrin (sp?) at the specticle of a US Naval officer discussing Star Trek with an Islamic terrorist said "What's that?"
Bud: "Infinite Diverstiy, Infinite Combinations."
Coates: "From the Koran sir." She mistakenly infered.
Bud: "From Mr. Spock"
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Facinating! :-) Later, on the brige of the USS Seahawk Bud was relating what he was able to gleen from the prisoner during four amiable hours of discussion of Star Trek with the prisoner. It was during the subject of Kolinar the prisioner let slip the location of his retreat:
Carrier Captain: Kohlinar?" He mispronounced.
Bud: An attempt to purge all emotion and to achieve a state of pure logic sir" It's a Vulcan concept sir.
At that the Captain glanced back to see if anyone was overhearing the conversation. ;-D Bud continued:
"Sir I didn't really think it was possible but apparently Kabir achieved this state while on retreat at his compound." The Captain, looking both mistified and weary demanded "What do you have that's relevent lieutenant?" Bud answered "The location of the compound sir."
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This was important because the whole mission was to capture or better yet kill a fictional lieutenant to Osama bin Laden named Fareeza Tarik. The strike hit the targeted compound killing many badies but not the main target. (Commander Rabb and Lt.Colonel Sarah McKenzie was caught in the raid after the Colonel swerved the HUMVEE they were driving to avoid a flock of sheep and drove off road into a field filled with anti personel mines, blowing up two of the tires and throwing Rabb from the vehicle into the field. They later got themselves out of the field (after Rabb steped on a Soviet butterfly mine that had a push and release sswitch to activate it. He was lucky as the Colonel said dryly. If it was a pressure mine that blows on contact he would had been killed.) Trekked (pun intended) some distanced toward a base camp they knew then procedded to spend a ccold deseart night together snuggling chaistefully together. But before they could get some shut eye the Navy air strike happened. They had made camp close to the terrorist camp the Navy was targeting. The got through the friendly fire with only some cuts and bumps after running into a cave.
Meanwhile a Afghan girl Gunnery Sargent Galindez was pining for but was suspected of being a Al Queda double agent and providing misinformation on terrorist movements to the Navy (in which Gunny killed by ordering a predator strike (a small, armed unpiloted drone airplane with TV cameras) some civilians mistaken for a scheduled terrorist movement and was being investigated by Mac and Harm) was killed in the attack. It was later revealed by her dying statements that she was not a Al Queada informant.
Finally wasn't it just great to see (or at least hear) Harriet knock Lt. Singer's block off when she seemed to gloat at the possible death of Harm and Mac? If the Star Trek refrences didn't make the episode for you, certainly that did! At least Lt. Singer was stand up enough not to rat out Lt. Simms.
Back to the main reason for posting.
It is glad to see a Star Trek fan taken seriously for once on TV. To see a very fine and dedicated Navy lawyer (albeit a little on the nerdy side) that is a Star Trek fan was refreashing. They even made a terrorist one for goodness sake. A nice if disturbing touch. Star Trek philosophy merging distortedly with dis tortedly interpeted Islam. He used Kolinar to purge himself of all emotion for the quest of pure logic. Logic he read as killing his enemies in the name of God. Felt no emotion for the people he killed. Gives me the shivers.
It is something. "Jag" and the Star Trek franchise have a lot in common. It may not seem that way at first but they do. Both depict dedicated men and women devoted to duty who do the right and moral thing most of the time and are willing to put their lives on the line for the defense of others or home for little or no reward or praise. And we also get to see the human side (or in the cases of Spock, Tuvok and T'Pol, the Vulcan side; I don't know if US Navy Lt. Laurie [sic] Singer has a humanside) of their lives.
It was fun intertwining the two shows. Kudos to the person who decided to make the terrorist a trekker. Never would had seen that coming.
This isn't the first time there's been intertwining between the two, although I can't think of any off the top of my head (still in shock over the season finale ending). Also, Steven Culp who plays CIA operative Clayton Webb on the show will be in "Nemesis" as CDR Martin Madden. He's the guy who looks & sounds like Bobby Kennedy.
Now, I knew a cop in Brooklyn who was partnered with a quite-the-elder officer. When said partner attempted to enter a house he saw a possible suspect go into alone, my friend stopped him. When questioned on his motives, without thinking he replied, "General Order 12: 'No flag officer shall enter a hazardous area without an armed escort.'" His partner blinked at him, shrugged, & said, "OK."
Thinking back, how many times in your life have you used specific tenets of Trek in your daily life? I don't mean the big ones like "racial tolerance," but the little things.
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Malnurtured Snay
Member # 411
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posted
quote: He's the guy who looks & sounds like Bobby Kennedy.
^ He also played Bobby Kennedy, in "Thirteen Days." [ May 21, 2002, 18:55: Message edited by: Malnurtured Snay ]
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Shik
Member # 343
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posted
Indeed he did, & a damn asskickin' film that was.
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UM.
Member # 239
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posted
For a movie with a terribly unexciting climax, sure.
THE WORLD WAS NOT GOING TO END, YOUNG SIRS! BECAUSE IT DIDN'T.
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Malnurtured Snay
Member # 411
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posted
Well, shit, UM ... why bother going to see the new Star Wars films?
We know Anakin becomes Vader. We know Palpatine becomes the Emperor. We know Bail Organa died on Alderaan, and that Anakin and Padme's children are seperated at birth.
...
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UM.
Member # 239
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posted
$ $ $ $ $ Clonetroopers. And the scene in the Royal Shuttle-thing where it's cold and Natalie Portman is wearing tightie whities. Duh.
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CaptainMike
Member # 709
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posted
How often does Star Trek come up in daily life? For me, the only people who quote (or paraphrase) more Sci-Fi/Fant. than me are the guys in Free Enterprise (read the hilarious glossary sometime...)
http://www.freeent.com/glossary.html
Quotes that I used today in normal conversation
>"I want names, Lieutenant" (most of my friends accept that I will randomly call them 'Lieutenant' or 'Ensign' from time to time..
>I quipped "Officer thinking, Lieutenant" when someone fetched me a drink (to be fair it was a set up quote, for when handed to me Ray said "Romulan Ale, Captain, might make the evening go more smoothly")
>"The word is given.. the Kobayashi Maru has set sail for the promised land"
>"There's marijuana in that nebula...."
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UM.
Member # 239
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posted
That last one is like so witty, man.
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CaptainMike
Member # 709
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posted
thanks, dude
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MinutiaeMan
Member # 444
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It's always nice to see "Star Trek" get recognized as more than just a target for geeky obsession by fanboys. I've never watched "JAG," but that story sounds very interesting.
I've occasionally made references to Trek in normal conversation, like "going to Red Alert" or comments about a Redshirt in some movie or TV show. But I don't make that frequent use of it.
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Nim Pim
Member # 205
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posted
I only talk in Trek references. And I've surgically altered my ears, so that I could be one step closer to my lifetime idol...Quark. Mmm...
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UM.
Member # 239
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posted
I'm not too sure they've ever said "Mr. Conductor, increase speed on the Man-Train", on Star Trek.
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Nim Pim
Member # 205
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posted
Hwhat is the meaning of this?? The sheer insulence! Seize that him!! I spit when I talk!
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TSN
Member # 31
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posted
Imagine cross-breeding these two... *shudder*
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The_Tom
Member # 38
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posted
I've been known to sprinkle the term "man train" into casual conversation. And "fuck," if that counts. [ May 23, 2002, 01:48: Message edited by: The_Tom ]
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Vice-Admiral Michael T. Colorge
Member # 144
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posted
That sounds like an interesting episode... I wonder if this was done with the authorization of Paramount.
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Malnurtured Snay
Member # 411
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posted
I do believe that JAG is a Paramount Production, filmed on Paramount lots and sold to CBS.
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Shik
Member # 343
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posted
It is.
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The_Tom
Member # 38
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posted
Of course, it should be noted that something slithering from one arm of the Viacomtopus to another hardly constitutes "selling."
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