#The Devil in the dark

[vildo]

He ponders the orb

#star trek #star trek tos #spock #mr spock #star trek: tos #star trek the original series #the devil in the dark #st tos #tos #tos spock #shitpost #tumblr trash #crack

[matt-murdick]

Spock: this is a remarkably intelligent creature, it’s a shame that only I can converse with her. also she says humans are ugly but I’m the handsomest.

Kirk: she likes your ears, huh?

Spock: of course she did. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that humans do not have such attractive ears.

McCoy: can I ask it a follow up question?

Spock: no.

#this is basically the conversation they have at the end of the episode #s1e26 #the devil in the dark #spock #james t kirk #leonard mccoy #star trek #tos #star trek tos

[spockderangementsyndrome]

Star Trek: The Original Series, 1x25 The Devil in The Dark

#star trek #star trek tos #the devil in the dark #kirk/spock #spirk #the premise #everyone forgive me for overtagging and also the little box symbol in the subs #anyway i'm obsessed with them #spock #james t kirk

[leehallfae]

the devil in the dark is a great episode for sooooo many reasons but something i particularly love is its characterization of kirk & spock, especially how the story juxtaposes their initial attitudes vs. their actions as well as juxtaposing them against one another. for most of the episode, kirk is very firmly situated in the command role: he’s laser-focused on his goal of eliminating whatever has been killing the miners. he has a plan & he sticks to it. he can’t afford to entertain ideas about capturing the creature for scientific study rather than killing it, because that introduces more risk to his crew. his mission is to protect as many lives as possible, full stop.

however, when he sees the horta in that cave, his first instinct isn’t to shoot. he’s wary of course, brandishing a phaser for his own safety, but he’s also curious & gentle. he studies her with wonder shining in his eyes. his movements mirror her own—he immediately picks up on the fact that she isn’t necessarily hostile towards him, & in response, he slowly, carefully, sets aside his own hostility as well. he speaks to her, makes little jokes. he watches her in perpetual amazement & intrigue, very cautiously extending a metaphorical hand to say, i don’t want to hurt you. it’s a big leap from “your orders are shoot to kill,” & that reveals a lot about kirk. he’s a good commander, he knows how to handle a dangerous situation while minimizing risk to his crew, but he’s also curious. kind. optimistic. gentle. in the heat of the moment, when he’s the only one at risk, his basic instinct doesn’t say fight, it says listen.

meanwhile, spock is immensely intrigued by the horta; he regrets that it will most likely be necessary to kill her in order to protect themselves. he spends most of the episode speculating on the fascinating science of a silicone-based life form. he even (very subtly) challenges kirk’s order by telling the security team to capture the creature if possible. he isn’t eager to use force, because he simply isn’t that kind of person—he’s curious by nature, like kirk. so it seems a great shift when, upon hearing that the horta is near kirk, he shouts through the communicator, “kill it, captain! kill it!”

realizing that kirk is in danger is like flipping a switch. the way he carries himself changes in an instant. urgency flares to life in his eyes & voice. as wild with it as a vulcan can get. freezing in place, then breaking into a run, calling out, forgetting rank. to him, the most preferable—the most logical—course of action is not to explore why the horta has not attacked the captain yet; rather, it is to eliminate the threat to kirk as soon as possible.

in a way, they represent both a reversal & a mirror of each other in this episode. kirk is a decisive & capable fighter, but his instincts steer him towards gentler things. spock prioritizes scientific inquiry & discovery, but it all appears inconsequential when his friend’s life is on the line. they balance each other, complement each other. it’s why they’re such a good command team. it’s why they fall so easily into such a deep bond. both of them, ultimately, act from a place of love.

#oh we are so back baby (writing essays on tumblr after watching a really good trek ep) #personal log #star trek #tos #kirk #spock #the devil in the dark #spirk #k/s

[legallybindinggecko]

holding your hand at the dentist=wrestling to death with you in the sand so you don’t have to fuck your fiancée (part 5)

#star trek #star trek tos #james kirk #Spock #leonard mccoy #amok time #the trouble with tribbles #the devil in the dark #spirk #r’s star trek images

[skybson]

1x25 - The Devil in the Dark

#anyway i love bones #star trek #star trek tos #leonard mccoy #the devil in the dark #trekedit #originalposts*

[anewstartrekfan]

Spock: Captain, we do not need to kill the creature.

Kirk: It’s killed people. We have to.

20 minutes later when the two are separated

Spock: Captain where is the creature?

Kirk: 10 feet in front of me.

Spock: KILL IT NOW JIM!

#Star Trek tos #the devil in the dark #star trek the devil in the dark #star trek watch through #Spirk #k/s #kirk/spock #I love it when Spock gets scared

[your-name-is-jim]

Spock knowing it's logical but still not liking it:

[s1 e25- The Devil in the Dark]

#spirk #star trek tos #spock #james t. kirk #k/s #kirk x spock #star trek the original series #the devil in the dark

[rubbertplant]

spocktober 17: mind meld

horta we love the horta <3 girl

#spock #mr spock #spocktober #horta #the horta #the devil in the dark #star trek #star trek tos #my drawings

[mrcowboytoyou]

Star Trek: The Fotonovel

So TOS fotonovels are a thing that exists. If you've never heard of them- they're comics composed of stills of the show episodes. A couple of the first six movies were also made into fotonovels BUT they're both a little different than the ones based on TOS episodes and I will get to them in due time.

Right off the bat there are a couple of things that need to be said. For one, why do these exist? Well I imagine they made for a good way to consume your fave episode without having to wait for it to come on TV again. With that in mind, these fotonovels work perfectly. They're very true to the episodes with some exceptions. These differences come from the fact that these aren't comics drawn based on an episode, they just take stills directly from the show and the show was not intended to be read/viewed in this way.

Some things cannot avoid being abridged or compressed in favor of this new format but for the most part this is never really distracting and nor does it take away from the reading experience. After all, it's supposed to be a very detailed reminder of the episode you already know, so you can just relive it with the pictures.

Additionally, sometimes the fotonovels have extra lines and these are mostly found in the way of thought bubbles the characters have. Overall they're very charming but don't have a lot of utility now a days. I own some because I have problems.... They make up almost a fourth of my ST TOS book collection.

If you are interested in them my general thoughts are that the ones made from the episodes are really well done for what they are. They're also basically just some of the most popular episodes from the show using only episodes from the first two seasons. They're delivered in their own order adhering to neither the release of the show nor its intended release.

TITLES (ones i own)

The City on the Edge of Forever

Where No Man Has Gone Before

The Trouble With Tribbles

A Taste of Armageddon

Metamorphosis

All Our Yesterdays

The Galileo Seven

A piece of the Action

The Devil in the Dark

Day of the Dove

The Deadly Years

Amok Time

Star Trek: The Motion Picture Photostory

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Photostory

Now, you'll notice I said that the ones made for the episodes are good, and so far I have been sure to separate the ones done for the movies. This is because there's a bit of a quality drop.

For starters, they kept them the same length as the fotonovels of the episodes. Right away that presents a pretty big quandary because the movies are over twice as long. So if you're looking for something that adds to the experience of seeing the movies, these last two fotonovels will not do that- rather they will take away. A lot of scenes just don't make it into them and neither of them are adding from the novelizations either.

And then we have their page quality. All but one of these have shiny, coloured pages. Wrath of Khan is unfortunately in black and white and not even composed like a comic but is rather movie stills with accompanying dialogue. That's sort of like a massive let down given how big of a deal that movie is.

I intend to really get into the nitty gritty with each of these- especially the movie adaptions.

And, if you're worried about the loss of homoerotic subtext- you're all good... plus its just a tad funnier this way.

#“He's not only the best but the most amazing First Officer in the fleet.” #star trek #star trek tos #star trek tos fotostory #star trek fotostory #amok time #star trek the original series #the devil in the dark #city on the edge of forever #spirk #spock #kirk #star trek the motion picture

[favvn]

Something that I've been processing since Errand of Mercy is that line of Kirk's about being used to the idea of dying. I take it to refer to his experiences on Tarsus IV rather than a willingness to die for Starfleet/some loyalty-to-the-death type deal. Like, he saw a leader make themselves into a dictator in a time of famine and suffering, and said dictator used "personal eugenics" on the people he was meant to aid. Kirk himself was selected to die. Regardless of if Kirk was a young child or teenager when it happened, that event has shaped him (and I can not believe no other writers for the show used it explicitly to develop his character, so now I get to feel like the Pepe Silva It's Always Sunny meme always. It's fine. It's cool. It's fun, even. Thank god for fanfic writers).

But in the episode before Errand of Mercy, The Devil in the Dark, Kirk says that--as individuals--Spock and himself are expendable. The implication is the chain-of-command based on Kirk's rank as Captain and Spock's rank as First Officer. Should Kirk die, Spock assumes command and etc. If both are killed together, there's a larger ripple effect in the chain and more issues to get positions filled, so Spock and Kirk together as a pair are not expendable. (To say nothing of the larger risk of endangering two lives vs one and Kirk takes calculated risks.)

I point this out because in Operation: Annihilate, Kirk doesn't give a single care about the chain-of-command and who is expendable once Spock is made host to one of the creatures.

(As an aside: yes, I know the usual considerations. Inconsistent writing on the show's part. Nobody would want to work under Kirk if he didn't care deeply for the safety of his crew. Etc.)

Nowhere in Operation: Annihilate does anyone suggest a replacement first officer (despite idk the weirdly vivid memory that it was a conversation Spock and Kirk had in the episode? Did I write my own fanfic while watching the episode and give myself a case of the Mandela effect? I have tried rewatching it and reading transcripts, and I am getting no such scene and I am feeling truly insane, oh my brainworms have gotten worse) after Spock is made a host to the creatures. McCoy comes close in wanting Spock to stay in Sickbay rather than go out to collect a sample, and McCoy also reminds Kirk that Spock is "the best first officer in the fleet" before they put him under enough light to rival the sun and fry his optic nerves, leaving him (temporarily) blind.

(As another aside, while it is one big facepalm that these 3 geniuses in their respective fields failed to conduct their experiment properly--Nurse Chapel, you are due for a promotion!--dare I say that it is still a compelling and entertaining drama? The time-crunch scenario of if Spock can't withhold the pain and insanity anymore, of if Kirk's nephew wakes up, and of when the creatures will successfully leave the planet to infect a new one, so they will gamble and risk Spock's eyesight rather than enact a plan that would kill 1 million people.)

It's just. Interesting to me. Almost as if Kirk believes that so long as he and Spock are together, regardless of what may injure them, they can do anything.

#star trek tos #spirk #errand of mercy #the conscience of the king #the devil in the dark #operation: annihilate #incurable spirk brainworms as always #but like. compelling the way these two just do what they do #ntm the vague parallel between spock ready to kill the horta to save jim vs jim prying the creature off of spock without hesitation #these two have their own beliefs they operate by but they toss them aside the second the other one is in danger hmmm 🤔 #trek meta

[mishtergoose]

I personally find it hilarious that the original series episode S1: E26 "the devil in the dark" is rated TV-14: for "fear and sex" on Netflix lol

The fear I can understand 😆 it's the other bit that confuses me lol, according to Netflix someone is getting down and dirty with our favorite silicon based lifeform 🔥🪨

#star trek #star trek tos #the devil in the dark #the horta #netflix #Netflix being silly

[xtmprszntwlfd]

#july/august 2022 #art tag #star trek #star trek tos #tos #star trek the original series #the devil in the dark #devil in the dark #star trek fanart #star trek art #kirk #james t kirk #jim kirk #spock #horta #the horta #mother horta #digital painting #ala flora #★

[legallybindinggecko]

no idea how old Chekhov is and I’m too lazy to find out. in my mind he’ll always be the stupidest teenager to ever exist (affectionate)

part 8

#star trek #star trek tos #spock #james kirk #spirk #montgomery scott #pavel chekov #sarek #wolf in the fold #the devil in the dark #journey to babel #hikaru sulu #r’s star trek images

[jamestkirkstittiesenjoyer]

oh man devil in the dark is such a beautiful episode it's definitely my favorite so far

although the whole time I was internally shouting EGGS THEY'RE FUCKING EGGS

like literally the first time Spock picks one up in what's his name's office I was like bitch that is an egg

but yeah insane amount of Kirk/Spock relationship building, their love for each other really shines through

-Kirk being like "Kill on sight" because he doesn't want to lose anymore men (and by men he means Spock)

-Kirk getting frustrated with Spock because he wants to capture the creature which would put his life in danger so Kirk tries to tell him to go back up to the ship but Spock insists on staying by his side

- Spock's hesitation to go separate ways in the tunnels

-the panic in Spock's voice and on his face when Kirk is in danger

-"CAPTAIN! ... JIM!"

-Kirk NOT shooting the Horta like he said he would because he knows Spock didn't want it to die (and because Kirk has a beautiful soul and values the lives of other species)

-Spock telling Kirk to kill the Horta when he finds out it's right next to him

-KIRK MAKING SMALL TALK WITH THE HORTA PLEASE THIS WAS SO CUTE

-the way Kirk waves Spock over and they kinda squat there together

-the way Bones looks at Spock while Spock's mind melding and saying weird shit, but still continues healing the Horta because he's a doctor dammit

-Kirk and Spock tag teaming the little speech at the end about how the Horta is the mother of its species and the guys are just like shit we didn't know our bad

absolutely the high point of the series so far I loved everything about it

#star trek #tos #k/s #the devil in the dark

[spockderangementsyndrome]

The medical subplot in the Devil in the Dark is so funny. Imagine some alien shoots your leg off and then is like "A carbon-based lifeform?? I know what can fix you!" & slaps a charcoal slurry on your bleeding stump

#the devil in the dark #star trek tos #star trek