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Cake day: December 26th, 2023

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  • This episode doesn’t age that well for me. Primarily because this is one of the primary reasons the “Humans teach aliens the meaning of Love” Trek trope exists. Because humans are one of the only species who understand it and spread physical monogamy across the galaxy like The British Empire spreading “civilization.” And in this particular episode they effectively exile the entire species from Eden by killing God.

    It is an interesting idea because of how suddenly topical it is again with the (not-entirely) unfounded fear that computers and AI will enslave the human race. In this case, the computer let all but a small pocket of humanoids die off and used the survivors to power and maintain itself in an unholy symbiotic relationship.

    I feel like the whole antimatter becoming inert problem was actually unintentional. It didn’t serve the computer and it didn’t take out the weapons that became its undoing. Just a byproduct of the computer analyzing anything within range. And the people saying that Vaal wanted them to be there wouldn’t have known better.

    Another thing I liked is the canonical confirmation that the Constitution class can saucer separate. And it’s not just an implication, the original script called for it to actually happen before being shot down for budget reasons. They made a paper-mache Godzilla head to represent a planetary computer, they weren’t building a new Enteprrise model.

    Kirk calling separation dangerous suggests it happens by blowing explosive bolts along the neck of the ship, rather than the locking clamps seen on the Galaxy class.

    spoiler for Star Trek The Motion Picture

    Saucer separation was explored again for the refit Enterprise in early sketches for The Motion Picture. The effect shows part of the neck falling away, suggesting the act is still a one-time thing that would require dry dock to reconnect the saucer to the star drive again.