Betazoid analogue in TOS

[Falconer]

Hey, I have a sort of vague question, but hopefully I can spark some interesting responses. As you know, TOS didn’t have Betazoids, nor Deltans. However, were there any species which were at all similar to either Deltans or Betazoids? Common qualities I am thinking of include humanoid, charismatic, and telepathic, but if you see it some other way, please do chime in.

In other words, could Ilia or Troi have been played as being from some established TOS species or planetary civilization?

 

[Kor]

Perhaps Gem's planet in the Minarian star system. Vaguely similar to Gem, Ilia had some kind of empathic way of dulling Chekov's pain, though it didn't transfer his injuries to herself.

Kor

 

[Falconer]

Yeah. Though Gem’s species is mute, and their civilization is notably unadvanced. I simply note that they are distinct from Betazoids and Deltans in these attributes.

A great analogue that now occurs to me is the Argelians (of Argelius II, from “Wolf in the Fold”). The prefect’s wife, Sybo, has genetically inherited empathic abilities.

This actress and her character would have made an awesome addition to the regular cast!

 

[johnnybear]

Yeah. Though Gem’s species is mute, and their civilization is notably unadvanced. I simply note that they are distinct from Betazoids and Deltans in these attributes.

A great analogue that now occurs to me is the Argelians (of Argelius II, from “Wolf in the Fold”). The prefect’s wife, Sybo, has genetically inherited empathic abilities.

This actress and her character would have made an awesome addition to the regular cast!

That's Dean Devlin's Momma right there! She was born Rita Hernandez but acted as Pilar Seurat and sadly died way back in 2001 something I didn't know!
JB

 

[Pauln6]

I think TOS did telepathy much better than TNG, it was nebulous, and added something to the story rather than being plot-busting. I love Miranda Jones too.

 

[Timo]

Also, it would be nice not to have anything like Betazoids in TOS yet. Were telepathy that common in the UFP, our heroes probably would be less amazed, perhaps even less wary, and Spock's modest abilities in that respect would not be held on such a pedestal.

That telepathy exists would be a thing akin to magic existing in GoT. Evident to those who care to study the subject, but without apparent relevance to daily lives, and viewed as a marginal phenomenon, when in fact it's prevalent, important and comes in a full spectrum of varieties when one visits enough of the galaxy to find out that it does.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Henoch]

I think TOS did telepathy much better than TNG, it was nebulous, and added something to the story rather than being plot-busting. I love Miranda Jones too.

Miranda was also born blind now wearing a sensor net, again, a good addition to the crew. (A Troi/La Forge/TNG blend.) Diana Muldaur will always be a great Star Trek legend with me.

 

[Pauln6]

Miranda had a crap ton of character potential. It was a shame it was 'squandered' on a guest character. Troi is almost a thumbnail sketch with as much focus on her relationship with Riker as her own character. What can any of us say about Beatazoid culture or psychology beyond the fact that they have no compunction against invading the privacy of others and then telling everyone else, because they have no real understanding of privacy.

Now a blind woman, barely able to shield out the thoughts of others, ambivalent about human contact as a result, trained by Vulcans to close off herself, really NOT interested in males pursuing her. I mean, the stories write themselves!

 

[F. King Daniel]

In TOS, some humans were telepathic. Miranda Jones, and Gary Mitchel had a high ESP rating.

 

[Mytran]

Don't forget Doctor Dehner! In tests she'd taken, her ESP also rated rather high

 

[JonnyQuest037]

In the deleted prologue to Star Trek VI, Kirk finds Chekov in a chess club, losing badly. As they leave the club, Kirk tells Chekov that his opponent was a Betazoid and therefore a mind-reader. Chekov's goes, "I was robbed!" (STVI co-writer Denny Martin Flinn recycled the scene in his novel The Fearful Summons.)

It could've been a cute scene, and if it had been shot, it would've established that first contact with the Betazoids was made sometime in the TOS or Movie era. I wonder how Kirk pegged the guy as a Betazoid, though, since they don't look any different from humans.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Don't forget Doctor Dehner! In tests she'd taken, her ESP also rated rather high

Again, he was asking what she knew about ESP.

 

[Mytran]

Again, he was asking what she knew about ESP.

A simple misunderstanding.
Women professionals do tend to overcompensate, after all.

 

[Kor]

In the deleted prologue to Star Trek VI, Kirk find Chekov in a chess club, losing badly. As they leave the club, Kirk tells Chekov that his opponent was a Betazoid and therefore a mind-reader. Chekov's goes, "I was robbed!" (STVI co-writer Denny Martin Flinn recycled the scene in his novel The Fearful Summons.)

It could've been a cute scene, and if it had been shot, it would've established that first contact with the Betazoids was made sometime in the TOS or Movie era. I wonder how Kirk pegged the guy as a Betazoid, though, since they don't look any different from humans.

I think at some point, Betazoids were supposed to have black irises, so you could possibly tell by looking at their eyes.

Kor

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I think at some point, Betazoids were supposed to have black irises, so you could possibly tell by looking at their eyes.

Yes, that sounds vaguely familiar. I believe that Marina Sirtis wore contacts for at least her first few seasons on TNG, but I guess they never followed through with the guest stars playing Betazoids. Same with the Betazoid accent that she developed.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

A simple misunderstanding.
Women professionals do tend to overcompensate, after all.

Walking freezer unit.

 

[Falconer]

I believe that Marina Sirtis wore contacts for at least her first few seasons on TNG, but I guess they never followed through with the guest stars playing Betazoids.

I guess they did…

 

[johnnybear]

I'm not sure about any of the other actors playing Betazoids in the series but both Marina Sirtis and Majel Barrett wore black or deep brown eye lenses!
JB

 

[Therin of Andor]

Yes, that sounds vaguely familiar. I believe that Marina Sirtis wore contacts for at least her first few seasons on TNG, but I guess they never followed through with the guest stars playing Betazoids.

Yes, all the Betazoids wore the same black lenses, except Devinoni Ral (who was only part-Betazoid and hid his powers to influence others) and Walter Pierce. Sirtis never stopped wearing them. Her eyes are still black in Season Seven.

In "Encounter at Farpoint", Gropler Zorn realises that Deanna is Betazoid at a mere glance, which made me think that the script may have assumed that Betazoids exuded pheromones, like Deltans, or had a particular odor? But it was never followed up and Zorn somehow picked her by iris colour alone.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

In "Encounter at Farpoint", Gropler Zorn realises that Deanna is Betazoid at a mere glance, which made me think that the script may have assumed that Betazoids exuded pheromones, like Deltans, or had a particular odor? But it was never followed up and Zorn somehow picked her by iris colour alone.

Just one of those early episode oddities that we have to write off, like when Harry Mudd recognizes Spock as a "Vulcanian" in "Mudd's Women." Apparently the implication was supposed to be that the half-human Spock looked somewhat different from a full-blooded Vulcan.