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Friday, December 19, 2008

The Computer Has Lost Its Voice



Majel Barrett-Roddenberry Dies. No offense, but the headline announcing the death of the incomparable Lwaxana Troi should certainly not be "Wife of 'Star Trek' Creator Dies," in my not so humble opinion.

And here she is playing Number One -- the role later assumed by the odious Riker in "Next Generation" -- in the "Star Trek" Pilot, in which she offered us a stunning prefiguration of "Voyager's" kick-ass Janeway:





Here she is as a blonder blander Nurse Chapel, the more domesticated and non-threatening role the sixties shunted her off to instead, but in which she still managed to convey competence good sense good humor and strength.

If the last few frankly awful movies and the idiotic reactionary Bush-era "Enterprise" series hadn't terminated this epochal franchise, one wonders if the loss of the literally ubiquitous Majel Barrett will. Come what may, it will never be the same.

1 comment:

jimf said...

> And here she is playing Number One -- . . . in the "Star Trek" Pilot,
> in which she offered us a stunning prefiguration of "Voyager's"
> kick-ass Janeway

Yeoman Colt, to Vina: Leave him alone.

Vina: He doesn’t need you. He’s already picked me.

Colt: Picked her? For what? I don’t understand.

Vina: Now there’s a fine choice for intelligent offspring.

Colt: Offspring? As in children?

Number One: Offspring as in he’s Adam. Is that it?

Vina, to first officer: You’re no better choice.
They’d have more luck crossing him with a computer.

Number One: Well, let's do a little time computation, shall we?
There was a Vina listed on that expedition as an **adult** crewman.
Now, adding eighteen years to your age then. . .