Star Trek musings

Today I received the first season of Star Trek, the original, of course (in a snazzy collector's box). So of course I've been basking in the brilliance of Roddenberry.

However, sometimes I have to laugh.

In the episode "Balance of Terror" where the Enterprise first faces the Romulans, I noticed several amusing details. First of all, when both ships shut power down to remain invisible to each other, both crews whisper and work in complete silence. Now, this just made me laugh. How in hell could they possibly hear each other across the vacuum of space? What possible use is it to keep quiet? It's not like they have communication open between the ships.

Also, when the Romulan ship is hit, chunks of concrete fall from the ceiling on the Romulans. Why on earth (or Romulus, rather) is their ship built out of concrete? Seems like a rather stupid space-age building material. Or maybe this reflects their Roman influence? Maybe it's actually marble crashing down.

Nevertheless, despite these often amusing flaws, and the constant humor in the bevy of hot alien women who throw themselves at Kirk, I absolutely adore Star Trek, both for its entertainment value, and for its moral lessons about tolerance.