Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

[T'Girl]

There is a point in The Undiscovered Country where after the Klingons are invited to dinner aboard the Enterprise, Chekov mutters "guess who's coming to dinner?" Now at the time of my first viewing (1999) the question made no sense to me, Chekov was sitting right there when Kirk offered the invitation to the Klingons. He obviously knew who was coming.

My mother explain the reference to me after seeing TUC, and I finally saw the movie Guess Who's Coming to Dinner for the first time just this last fall (it's very good).

It's something of a strange reference for the movie (TUC) in that the two movies at separated by 24 years in time, and Chekov's words would not have been exactly a currently topical reference in 1991. Are we to believe that Chekov is a connoisseur of ancient American cinema? I wonder to how many of the audience in 1991, especially the younger viewers, had that line from Chekov go over their heads, or left them confused like myself?

And in the case of new Trek fans, seeing TUC for the first time today, what do they make of this line?

 

[Warped9]

I got the reference right off, but in this context it also works for today (or 1991). The context is the idea that while you could tolerate or accept someone you have a measure of bias with as a neighbour or a coworker you likely wouldn't invite them into your home for coffee or for dinner.

 

[BillJ]

I got the reference right off, but in this context it also works for today (or 1991). The context is the idea that while you could tolerate or accept someone you have a measure of bias with as a neighbour or a coworker you likely wouldn't invite them into your home for coffee or for dinner.

Exactly.

 

[DonIago]

Yeah, I didn't know it was a reference to a film, but I'd certainly heard the question before, and everything in Chekov's manner when he uttered the line made it pretty clear, to me, what the underlying sentiment was.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I remember seeing the film in the theater. My parents took me, I was about 8 at the time. Guess they couldn't find a babysitter. So yes, I got the reference.

 

[Mr_Homn]

the line is certainly humorous to me but it always seemed a bit distasteful and out of character for a supposedly more mature and seasoned chekov. i would have expected such a comment from a brash young inexperienced chekov, not a first officer. i'm certainly not the type to get hot and bothered over that kind of humor, but i can definitely understand why it would bother some. If i were an african american i'm pretty sure i wouldn't take kindly to being compared to (what had been portrayed up until that time) a savage, brutish, violent klingon

 

[F. King Daniel]

To be honest, although I didn't get the reference, I was far more bewildered by the sudden out-of-character racist turn of everyone after happily sharing drinks with Klingons at end of Star Trek V.

 

[Lance]

To be honest, although I didn't get the reference, I was far more bewildered by the sudden out-of-character racist turn of everyone after happily sharing drinks with Klingons at end of Star Trek V.

That is a bit of a continuity leap backwards, isn't it? People within the fandom (in my experience) aren't usually quick to defend ST V, but the ending of the movie was perfect. And ST VI has to go and flush it all away...

 

[DonIago]

Given that a considerable length of time passes between V and VI it's entirely possible (and in fact, the events of TUC would suggest that it's likely) that relations deteriorated during the missing time period. In fact in the novelization there have been various unsanctioned Klingon attacks on Federation colonies, including one that critically injured Carol Marcus.

 

[RoJoHen]

Kirk and Co. were getting along with a few Klingons at the end of TFF. Just because they were mildly enjoying their company doesn't mean that they suddenly loved the whole race or that Kirk wasn't still pissed about David's murder.

 

[Balrog]

It's something of a strange reference for the movie (TUC) in that the two movies at separated by 24 years in time, and Chekov's words would not have been exactly a currently topical reference in 1991. Are we to believe that Chekov is a connoisseur of ancient American cinema?

Why not. After all, "Angels and ministers of grace, defend us."

I did get the reference when I heard it, BTW...

 

[inflatabledalek]

Russian cinema surely?

 

[Therin of Andor]

and Chekov's words would not have been exactly a currently topical reference in 1991.

I've never seen the movie to which he refers, but the oft-quoted line is an accepted shorthand for someone wishing to bring attention to the topic of race relations. Supposedly it's a line that survives until the 23rd century.

All of Nick Meyer's films have such lines.

 

[BriGuy]

There is a point in The Undiscovered Country where after the Klingons are invited to dinner aboard the Enterprise, Chekov mutters "guess who's coming to dinner?" Now at the time of my first viewing (1999) the question made no sense to me, Chekov was sitting right there when Kirk offered the invitation to the Klingons. He obviously knew who was coming.

Wow. You actually took that comment/question literally? As if Chekov was literally asking who was "coming to dinner?" As if he didn't know? You couldn't catch the meaning of that?

Wow.

I got the meaning of it without the reference to the movie, then and now.

 

[BriGuy]

To be honest, although I didn't get the reference, I was far more bewildered by the sudden out-of-character racist turn of everyone after happily sharing drinks with Klingons at end of Star Trek V.

That is a bit of a continuity leap backwards, isn't it? People within the fandom (in my experience) aren't usually quick to defend ST V, but the ending of the movie was perfect. And ST VI has to go and flush it all away...

Just about everything else having to do with V was flushed away... why not that too?

Klingons were the enemies in Kirk's era. These are TOS Klingons, not the "honorable warriors" of TNG. While I like the Klingon presence in TNG and onward Trek, it seems like their depiction there makes Kirk & Co. look like "racists" in their own time frame, which is not fair to them.

 

[BriGuy]

To be honest, although I didn't get the reference, I was far more bewildered by the sudden out-of-character racist turn of everyone after happily sharing drinks with Klingons at end of Star Trek V.

I was more bewildered by their sudden, out-of-character chumminess with the Klingons at the end of V after the Klingons tried to obtain information on a weapon of mass destruction, attempted to capture the Enterprise, and murdered Kirk's son.

 

[Kelthaz]

It always surprises me that Star Trek fans want an intelligent show that deals with social and political issues, but want the good guys to be saints. Isn't that a little too easy? Have the bad guys be all racist 'n shit, and then have the good guys, who are perfect by the way, swoop in and educate the savages.

I loved the racist main cast in TUC. It made sense given their personal history with the Klingons and StarFleet's cold war with them for the past century. Personally, I wanted one of the main cast to be in on the assassination plot -- perhaps Kirk himself.

 

[BriGuy]

It always surprises me that Star Trek fans want an intelligent show that deals with social and political issues, but want the good guys to be saints. Isn't that a little too easy? Have the bad guys be all racist 'n shit, and then have the good guys, who are perfect by the way, swoop in and educate the savages.

I loved the racist main cast in TUC. It made sense given their personal history with the Klingons and StarFleet's cold war with them for the past century. Personally, I wanted one of the main cast to be in on the assassination plot -- perhaps Kirk himself.

Well, it was supposed to have been Saavik, but that's well known. We had Valeris, and she was a bridge officer on the Ent, but since she was "new" the impact of that was rather blunted.

Otherwise agree with you.

 

[smalltalk66]

I read somewhere online that the "guess who" line was originally Nichelle's. However, she refused to perform the line, and so it was given to Walter.

 

[BillJ]

To be honest, although I didn't get the reference, I was far more bewildered by the sudden out-of-character racist turn of everyone after happily sharing drinks with Klingons at end of Star Trek V.

I was more bewildered by their sudden, out-of-character chumminess with the Klingons at the end of V after the Klingons tried to obtain information on a weapon of mass destruction, attempted to capture the Enterprise, and murdered Kirk's son.

It always surprises me that Star Trek fans want an intelligent show that deals with social and political issues, but want the good guys to be saints. Isn't that a little too easy? Have the bad guys be all racist 'n shit, and then have the good guys, who are perfect by the way, swoop in and educate the savages.

I loved the racist main cast in TUC. It made sense given their personal history with the Klingons and StarFleet's cold war with them for the past century. Personally, I wanted one of the main cast to be in on the assassination plot -- perhaps Kirk himself.

Both of these are spot on.