On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 13:32:52 -0700, Mike Dicenso
wrote:

The only things I found worthwhile about that episode is the opening
scenes on the U.S.S. Exeter (beautiful FX for the time of the Enterprise
and Exeter in orbit together), and Morgan Woodward's superb performance as
Captain Ron Tracey (it's truely chilling when he describes how he and his
men killed thousands apon thousands of Yangs with just four phasers!).

....And when you realize who the "Yangs" are(*) this line is given an
even greater patriotic impact *and* a bit of irony. One of the tactics
Mao used against both the Japs and the Nationalists was that only the
front line of the advance was armed. The lines behind laid lower, and
when the first lines fell - as they always did - the second line
picked up the arms of the fallen and advanced forward. The implication
here is that the "Yangs" adopted this tactic quite successfully.

(*) The original script had them as "Meraks", but later on someone
realized that this would have been a *bit* too obvious when the final
revelation showed up. "Yang" also sounds a bit oriental in tone, and
the fact that the "Koms" were all oriental added to the veiling of the
McGuffin. If you come across the booklet for the View Master reels
that were from this episode, you get this script instead of what was
aired.

You also get a couple of nice 3-D shots of the 3' model superimposed
next to itself, something that a *lot* of people wonder why they can't
remember that scene in the actual show :-)



OM

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