posted
For some time I've thought there was an odd similarity between elements of the TOS Bird of Prey (seen in Balance of Terror and The Deadly Years) and the Enterprise herself. Notably similar nacelles (as opposed to the very different looking ones of the Klingon Battlecruiser), and the shape of the main fuselage relative to the Enterprise's saucer. The vaguely eliptical superstructure, the sort of beveled outside edge, etc.
Well, I recently stumbled into a posting on Space Staion K7 BBS, where someone cross-posted a series of messages from TrekBBS comparing the TOS shooting scripts to the finished episodes. The posts, by "Sir Rhosis'" included some nuggets about Balance of Terror:
quote: Major bits: Ever wonder just why Stiles suddenly decided there just had to be Romulan spies onboard (even before he saw that they looked like Spock). Well, we are told why this suspicion is on his mind in a bit of dialogue from Outpost Four Commander Hanson and in the original conception of what the Bird of Prey would look like.
In the script, after Hanson turns his viewscreen on so the Enterprise can tie in and see what he is seeing, we get this:
INSERT - SHIP'S VIEWING SCREEN
The attacking vessel can now be seen definitely to be some modified version of a starship saucer main section... but with the dark markings on its underside which suggests a bird-of-prey with half-spread wings. And centered there is a threatening-looking "weapon tube" device. We see it in full size only momentarily... then it launchs a torpedo-like bolt of blinding energy from the weapons tube.
HANSON'S VOICE: You see it, Enterprise?! Starship design. Warn Earth... (STATIC CRACKLE) ... espionage, stolen our designs... traitors...
Then later, before the reveal of the Romulans, Kirk and Stiles' exchange in the script is:
STILES: (interrupting) ... and in a vessel remarkably similar to ours. The Outpost Commander mentioned "espionage." Add to that the fact it was a sneak attack...
KIRK: Are you questioning my orders, Mister Stiles?
STILES: Negative, sir. I'm pointing out that we don't even know what the Romulans look like, maybe just like us. We could have Romulans aboard our own ship.
Now, looking back at the episode, you can see why Wah Chang built the Romulan ship the way he did. It's clearly got hints of the Enterprise about it, ableit not quite as obviously as the script suggests.
Ah, if only we could see what Matt Jeffries drew up for that vessel!
-------------------- "Well, I mean, it's generally understood that, of all of the people in the world, Mike Nelson is the best." -- ULTRA MAGNUS, steadfast in curmudgeon
Registered: Feb 2001
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Also, the emphasized espionage aspect paints the Romulans as somewhat more primitive than in the aired version. Why, they can't even present a credible threat without humaning the ap... I mean aping the humans!
Alas, much of the belle exotique of a new alien species is lost with this, even after the de-emphasizing in the aired version. A truly alien vessel would have had a much greater impact, and would increase the shock when familiar faces are sighted aboard.
OTOH, the "Stiles suspects spies" angle certainly moved towards darker shades of bigotry with the rewrite. A more neutral hue could be restored by some innocent line where e.g. Sulu muses how the Romulans knew to strike exactly when, exceptionally enough, only one UFP starship was in the region.
posted
But...there's always only one ship in the region.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
I always thought that the nacelles were similar to the Enterprise's simply because it was the first new starship that had even been built, so they probably weren't sure exactly how "different" to make the various bits and bobs that became standard on big ships.
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WizArtist II
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posted
AND it was cheap!
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posted
It still would've been nice if they'd painted it some other color.
Say, ....green.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
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quote:Originally posted by Jason Abbadon: But...there's always only one ship in the region.
quote:Data: We need to go after the Enterprise. Quinteros: We can't. All our ships are either too far away or under repair. Yar: What kind of an incompetent deployment system do you call that? Quinteros: Standard Starfleet policy. -- Five-Minute "11001001" (TNG)
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