![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Aug. 6th, 2012 01:20 amStar Trek: Phase II
"Kitumba, Part 2"
by John Meredith Lucas
Last time, on Star Trek the Same Generation:
DECKER'S VOICE
Captains log, Stardate 1428.9.
Commander Decker in command of
the Enterprise. The captain is in
on the Klingon Sacred Planet,
believed a prisoner. Lieutenant
Xon has beamed down to find Kali,
leader of the Klingon opposition.
The success of the missions is in
grave doubt. Rather than risk
capture, out standing orders are
to destroy the Enterprise and
ourselves.
And now, the conclusion:
The Enterprise crew must rescue the Captain, stop an assasination, and take a trip into the OTHER depths of the Klingon Empire using every trick in the book, and a few they're really not allowed to have, to stop a coup d'etat before a power mad Klingon warlord sends the two empires into war.
The Good: Wow. Just wow. There's a lot going on here, and almost all of it excellent. While Kirk manages to get the respect, and the ear, of the Klingon figurehead Emperor, the Kitumba, the Warlord's forces imprison Kirk to keep him away from the Emperor. From there, he is rescued by Xon (we'll get into that later) and gets snucked back to the Kitumba. While this is going on, the Kitumba's younger brother is spirited away to the Warlord's homeworld (the military center of the empire), leading Kirk and Kali (a former warlord friendly to the Kitumba) to believe an assassination is in order. They avert the assassination (another thing we'll get into later), and Kitumba, with the Enterprise, lead a fleet of one hundred Klingon Ships against the Warlord. They even get a cloacking device, although non of the Starfleet personnel are allowed to see it. Even more cloak and dagger, (involving Romulans!) another fleet of a THOUSAND ships, and an ending that leaves both territories in the status quo, although a tiny bit friendlier among the participants.
Wow.
The Bad: There's not much to worry about here. Solid through and through with very few problems. The ending appears to be a bit rushed ("So we're all done here! Friends?" "No." "Not even a little?" "Maybe." "Fair enough." ::fade out::) but this is listed as a "Writer's Work Draft" so I'd assume this would be expanded a bit, while they edited the rest of the script to 40-some minutes.
The Ugly: Xon. In the previous episode, Xon was awesome. His nerve pinch was actually used as a pressure point to force a Klingon to follow his orders. I'd assumed through pain. It turns out it's something else. What was that something else? Some kind of hypnosis, appearantly. When pushed on it, Xon replies "The procedure is too complex to explain, but it's quite effective." Later he impersonates the Kitumba voice. When asked by Kirk how he manages it so perfectly, Xon replies: "A Vulcan Technique, Captain. Somewhat complicated to explain." You know, I don't mind a "I'll explain later" moment (I've watched Dr Who for decades). But two in a row pushes it. And then, while impersonating the Kitumba, Xon is stabbed and nearly killed. And survives. There's a nice bit of continuity in saying "his heart is on the other side of his chest" like Spock's in "Private Little War," but in the end, Xon comes out looking like Superman. He can hypnotize, perfectly impersonate voices, and take a shot to the chest. He then convinces some Romulans (who are there to sign a non aggression pact with the Warlord) to join the Federation. Apparently, he's had a busy day.
The New Kids: Second verse same as the first. Decker and Ilia are under used, but Decker does get a little more something to do than repeat orders. Being in command on the ship while Kirk is away being all secret agenty, he sends a report down that a shuttle has left the planet at high warp. It's not much, but it's a plot point that becomes very important later. Ilia gets one line in the whole show, and two scenes (one in the briefing room with her one line, and the other taking a navigation order from Kirk). Xon steals the show, but only by being the Vulcan equivalent of a comic book superhero.
Don't mince words, Bones, what do you really think: Other than a few worrisome issues, Kitumba Parts 1 and 2 would have made an amazing show. Pair it with the In Thy Image pilot and that's a solid three weeks (or month if you cut In Thy Image in half) of well done Trek.
Fave lines:
XON
Captain, the odds against success
are --
KIRK
I said we could fight, not that
we could win.
-=-
SCOTTY
Lord help us!
KIRK
Yes, Mr. Scott. I would be most
grateful for that assistance.
-=-
SCOTTY
The odds against it are --
DECKER
(snaps)
We dont' need the odds AGAINST.
Do all you can FOR us.
SCOTTY
You sound just like the Captain.
DECKER
Thank you, Mister Scott.
-=-
77 EXT. SPACE 77
as the Enterprise and the hundred Klingon warships
leave orbit, streaking at full speed for Ultar.
-=-
MALKTHON
Lord, I ask permission to
Remove [commit ritual suicide].
KIRK
(snaps)
No! That's too easy. Have him
tried for treason, imprisoned.
Taru frowns. Kali looks at the Kitumba. The Kitumba
debated an instant, then turns to Malkthon.
KITUMBA
Permission granted.
"Kitumba, Part 2"
by John Meredith Lucas
Last time, on Star Trek the Same Generation:
DECKER'S VOICE
Captains log, Stardate 1428.9.
Commander Decker in command of
the Enterprise. The captain is in
on the Klingon Sacred Planet,
believed a prisoner. Lieutenant
Xon has beamed down to find Kali,
leader of the Klingon opposition.
The success of the missions is in
grave doubt. Rather than risk
capture, out standing orders are
to destroy the Enterprise and
ourselves.
And now, the conclusion:
The Enterprise crew must rescue the Captain, stop an assasination, and take a trip into the OTHER depths of the Klingon Empire using every trick in the book, and a few they're really not allowed to have, to stop a coup d'etat before a power mad Klingon warlord sends the two empires into war.
The Good: Wow. Just wow. There's a lot going on here, and almost all of it excellent. While Kirk manages to get the respect, and the ear, of the Klingon figurehead Emperor, the Kitumba, the Warlord's forces imprison Kirk to keep him away from the Emperor. From there, he is rescued by Xon (we'll get into that later) and gets snucked back to the Kitumba. While this is going on, the Kitumba's younger brother is spirited away to the Warlord's homeworld (the military center of the empire), leading Kirk and Kali (a former warlord friendly to the Kitumba) to believe an assassination is in order. They avert the assassination (another thing we'll get into later), and Kitumba, with the Enterprise, lead a fleet of one hundred Klingon Ships against the Warlord. They even get a cloacking device, although non of the Starfleet personnel are allowed to see it. Even more cloak and dagger, (involving Romulans!) another fleet of a THOUSAND ships, and an ending that leaves both territories in the status quo, although a tiny bit friendlier among the participants.
Wow.
The Bad: There's not much to worry about here. Solid through and through with very few problems. The ending appears to be a bit rushed ("So we're all done here! Friends?" "No." "Not even a little?" "Maybe." "Fair enough." ::fade out::) but this is listed as a "Writer's Work Draft" so I'd assume this would be expanded a bit, while they edited the rest of the script to 40-some minutes.
The Ugly: Xon. In the previous episode, Xon was awesome. His nerve pinch was actually used as a pressure point to force a Klingon to follow his orders. I'd assumed through pain. It turns out it's something else. What was that something else? Some kind of hypnosis, appearantly. When pushed on it, Xon replies "The procedure is too complex to explain, but it's quite effective." Later he impersonates the Kitumba voice. When asked by Kirk how he manages it so perfectly, Xon replies: "A Vulcan Technique, Captain. Somewhat complicated to explain." You know, I don't mind a "I'll explain later" moment (I've watched Dr Who for decades). But two in a row pushes it. And then, while impersonating the Kitumba, Xon is stabbed and nearly killed. And survives. There's a nice bit of continuity in saying "his heart is on the other side of his chest" like Spock's in "Private Little War," but in the end, Xon comes out looking like Superman. He can hypnotize, perfectly impersonate voices, and take a shot to the chest. He then convinces some Romulans (who are there to sign a non aggression pact with the Warlord) to join the Federation. Apparently, he's had a busy day.
The New Kids: Second verse same as the first. Decker and Ilia are under used, but Decker does get a little more something to do than repeat orders. Being in command on the ship while Kirk is away being all secret agenty, he sends a report down that a shuttle has left the planet at high warp. It's not much, but it's a plot point that becomes very important later. Ilia gets one line in the whole show, and two scenes (one in the briefing room with her one line, and the other taking a navigation order from Kirk). Xon steals the show, but only by being the Vulcan equivalent of a comic book superhero.
Don't mince words, Bones, what do you really think: Other than a few worrisome issues, Kitumba Parts 1 and 2 would have made an amazing show. Pair it with the In Thy Image pilot and that's a solid three weeks (or month if you cut In Thy Image in half) of well done Trek.
Fave lines:
XON
Captain, the odds against success
are --
KIRK
I said we could fight, not that
we could win.
-=-
SCOTTY
Lord help us!
KIRK
Yes, Mr. Scott. I would be most
grateful for that assistance.
-=-
SCOTTY
The odds against it are --
DECKER
(snaps)
We dont' need the odds AGAINST.
Do all you can FOR us.
SCOTTY
You sound just like the Captain.
DECKER
Thank you, Mister Scott.
-=-
77 EXT. SPACE 77
as the Enterprise and the hundred Klingon warships
leave orbit, streaking at full speed for Ultar.
-=-
MALKTHON
Lord, I ask permission to
Remove [commit ritual suicide].
KIRK
(snaps)
No! That's too easy. Have him
tried for treason, imprisoned.
Taru frowns. Kali looks at the Kitumba. The Kitumba
debated an instant, then turns to Malkthon.
KITUMBA
Permission granted.
