Gary Seven

[evangelist6589]

There is one character in TOS that the Nerve Pinch was unable to stop and according to a website

"The only Human to have ever been insensitive to it was Gary Seven, possibly because of metabolic alterations obtained on his planet of adoption" the episode did not explain this home planet of Gary Seven does anyone know where it was and why he resisted the Nerve Pinch?

 

[Nerys Myk]

There is one character in TOS that the Nerve Pinch was unable to stop and according to a website

"The only Human to have ever been insensitive to it was Gary Seven, possibly because of metabolic alterations obtained on his planet of adoption" the episode did not explain this home planet of Gary Seven does anyone know where it was and why he resisted the Nerve Pinch?

It was never mentioned.

 

[HIjol]

Sources (MA, Wiki, ST.com) elude to the way Gary 7 was grown and conditioned after abduction...his perfect and flawless body was impervious to the Pinch...

...BTW, a nascent Terri Garr caught my attention even then (I was 10 years old) and kept it through her career...

 

[albion432]

Assignment: Earth, which featured Gary Seven, is unique in several respects, and once considered together, may explain "why" but not "how" Seven resisted the nerve pinch.

First off, as you probably know, this episode was a "back door pilot" conceived of by Roddenberry in the hopes of launching a new series at a time when it looked like Star Trek was coming to an end. Had it been so, Assignment: Earth would have been the last episode produced. Because of its double duty as a pilot, this episode is considered by some to be the only Star Trek episode which wasn't really as Star Trek episode. As a result, the main characters of Star Trek are not the protagonists in this episode, Seven is. This in effect makes Kirk and Spock the antagonists of this story's "hero", a very unique position. Seven is the true main character of this episode/pilot, and as a result, Robert Lansing is the only guest star on Star Trek to be given a screen credit after the opening titles.

So, here comes my theory as to "why" the nerve pinch did not work on Seven. Roddenberry was making a point of setting Seven apart, and by giving him special immunity to Spock's pinch, placing him above the Star Trek characters in stature and importance. To Roddenberry Seven was hopefully going to be his future meal ticket, while at the time it seemed Kirk and Spock were soon to be a thing of the past.

Also worthy on noting, the last thing Spock said in this episode, and at the time it looked like it would be the last thing Spock ever said, was to Seven, "Live long and prosper, Mr. Seven". And Kirk says "and you too, Miss Lincoln". Those lines feels like a symbolic passing of the torch, or a sort of blessing being bestowed from the outgoing to the incoming. It is also interesting that this is the first time Spock says that famous line since it's inception in Amok Time, and it would have been the last time as well, had the show not been renewed.

As for how Seven resisted the Nerve Pinch, your guess is as good as mine, or any for that matter! I hope this was of some interest to you.

 

[HIjol]

^^^...very much of interest! thanks! and funny how it all worked out...

 

[evangelist6589]

Assignment: Earth, which featured Gary Seven, is unique in several respects, and once considered together, may explain "why" but not "how" Seven resisted the nerve pinch.

First off, as you probably know, this episode was a "back door pilot" conceived of by Roddenberry in the hopes of launching a new series at a time when it looked like Star Trek was coming to an end. Had it been so, Assignment: Earth would have been the last episode produced. Because of its double duty as a pilot, this episode is considered by some to be the only Star Trek episode which wasn't really as Star Trek episode. As a result, the main characters of Star Trek are not the protagonists in this episode, Seven is. This in effect makes Kirk and Spock the antagonists of this story's "hero", a very unique position. Seven is the true main character of this episode/pilot, and as a result, Robert Lansing is the only guest star on Star Trek to be given a screen credit after the opening titles.

So, here comes my theory as to "why" the nerve pinch did not work on Seven. Roddenberry was making a point of setting Seven apart, and by giving him special immunity to Spock's pinch, placing him above the Star Trek characters in stature and importance. To Roddenberry Seven was hopefully going to be his future meal ticket, while at the time it seemed Kirk and Spock were soon to be a thing of the past.

Also worthy on noting, the last thing Spock said in this episode, and at the time it looked like it would be the last thing Spock ever said, was to Seven, "Live long and prosper, Mr. Seven". And Kirk says "and you too, Miss Lincoln". Those lines feels like a symbolic passing of the torch, or a sort of blessing being bestowed from the outgoing to the incoming. It is also interesting that this is the first time Spock says that famous line since it's inception in Amok Time, and it would have been the last time as well, had the show not been renewed.

As for how Seven resisted the Nerve Pinch, your guess is as good as mine, or any for that matter! I hope this was of some interest to you.

Interesting... I did not think of this thanks for the info. Personally I sure wish he was featured in more episodes as it was obvious he is quite a good and capable actor. Once the show was renewed do you know why Seven was not in any episodes in season 3?

 

[albion432]

Interesting... I did not think of this thanks for the info. Personally I sure wish he was featured in more episodes as it was obvious he is quite a good and capable actor. Once the show was renewed do you know why Seven was not in any episodes in season 3?

Two reasons come to mind, no, make that three:
1) Seven was restricted to circa 1967, so the time period would make a sequel episode difficult. Two trips back to the then modern day Earth was already one trip too many, and a third trip would have been, in my opinion, two trips too many. The first trip back to the 1960's (Tomorrow is Yesterday) was an accident. The second trip back was for a rather dubious and contrived reason (historical research?!). It is pretty obvious Roddenberry's real reason for this trip back in time was so he could set the new series in the "present" as a way to keep costs down on the new series.
2) With the exception of Harry Mudd, no guest star returned to Star Trek playing the same character twice.
3) If Seven's primary function in ST was to spin off a new series, when that plan failed, Seven in essence became nothing more than a "Captain Dunsel".

 

[scotpens]

The second trip back was for a rather dubious and contrived reason (historical research?!). It is pretty obvious Roddenberry's real reason for this trip back in time was so he could set the new series in the "present" as a way to keep costs down on the new series.

AFAIK, the proposed Gary Seven series was always meant to take place in the then-present. It wasn't originally conceived as a Star Trek spinoff but as a stand-alone series. The "intentional time travel" device was a somewhat clumsy way to make the concept work as a Trek episode.

2) With the exception of Harry Mudd, no guest star returned to Star Trek playing the same character twice.

Dont' forget Bruce Hyde as Lt. Kevin Riley in "The Naked Time" and "The Conscience of the King."

 

[albion432]

Dont' forget Bruce Hyde as Lt. Kevin Riley in "The Naked Time" and "The Conscience of the King."

True, there were several Enterprise crewmen who made two or more appearances throughout the series. I guess I was thinking more along the lines of guest stars who were "outsiders" and the main focus of the episodes in which they appeared. Thanks though for pointing him out, he did have a larger part in both episodes in which he appeared than did most recurring crewmen.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

McCoy did say that Gary Seven's readings were human - perfect readings, no doubt, but still human. So it's more likely that Gary's resistance to the nerve pinch is a product of physical training, nothing more. Meaning: Theoretically, anyone can be trained to be impervious to the nerve pinch, but it's so hard to do that it would take a race like Gary's handlers to actually make it work.

Remember, we don't even know how the pinch WORKS. Why does it put someone to sleep when you pinch them there? They never explained it. So a physical maneuver that's made up, can also be resisted by methods we just made up.

 

[Push The Button]

I loved the cool pen device that Seven had.

Does anyone else see Seven as a sort of Dr. Who type character?

 

[albion432]

I loved the cool pen device that Seven had.

Does anyone else see Seven as a sort of Dr. Who type character?

Never thought of it before, but you've got a good *ball* point there!

 

[2takesfrakes]

It would be interesting if CBS went ahead and started its own Gary Seven mini-series, ahead of a STAR TREK series, proper. And if they did, I don't doubt it that Doctor Who comparisons would very probably be made, due to his having a cute, ditzy, loyal and helpful companion. But I don't see that much of a connection, myself ... it's mainly just superficial.

 

[Greg Cox]

I loved the cool pen device that Seven had.

Does anyone else see Seven as a sort of Dr. Who type character?

I always thought he was more like Klaatu in The Day The Earth Stood Still. (The original 1951 version, of course, not the remake with Keanu Reeves.)

It seems to me that The Day The Earth Stood Still is to "Assignment: Earth" as Forbidden Planet is to Star Trek.

 

[HIjol]

...and Carel Struycken as Homn...or maybe that does not count.

...trying to see where the writers would go with the 7 character...bring the travel and plot to him?

 

[Timo]

McCoy did say that Gary Seven's readings were human - perfect readings, no doubt, but still human.

Which might be taken as proof positive that Gary Seven was not a human, but merely masquerading as one. Perfectly, of course.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[2takesfrakes]

Gary Seven's really just a Magical Cat.

 

[T'Girl]

I always thought he was more like Klaatu in The Day The Earth Stood Still.

I saw him as a Human version of Roddenberry's later android Questor.

In 1967, he would move around the Earth (using his safe/transporter) nudging Humanity in the direction his alien employers (?) wanted Humans to advance.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Once the show was renewed do you know why Seven was not in any episodes in season 3?

You could ask that about any number of characters. Probably because classic Star Trek didn't have recurring guest characters who weren't crewmembers. Only Mudd, presumable because he was popular enough, and fun enough to warrant a return. Why not Cyrano Jones? Or Trelane? Or Charlie Evans?

 

[Greg Cox]

Once the show was renewed do you know why Seven was not in any episodes in season 3?

You could ask that about any number of characters. Probably because classic Star Trek didn't have recurring guest characters who weren't crewmembers. Only Mudd, presumable because he was popular enough, and fun enough to warrant a return. Why not Cyrano Jones? Or Trelane? Or Charlie Evans?

Plus, as stated, Seven was never intended to be a Star Trek character. He was invented to star in his own series set in the 20th Century--which didn't happen.