What I don't understand is why they couldn't just destroy Lazarus' ship once they realize what is going on? There didn't seem to be any compelling reason why the 2 L had to be in the inter-universe when they destroy it. The two would be stranded, but that has to be better than spending eternity with a madman at your throat.
The alternative factor continued
- Thread starter mlbach
- Start date
So one thread just couldn't contain all the loathing for this episode, eh? I'm very fond of AF, and imagine anyone else who is, is as tired as I am of defending it.
What does "realizing" mean here? Kirk only figures it out after having had his chat with the "sane", "antimatter" Lazarus. That guy offers a solution involving delivering the "insane", "matter" Lazarus to him in a specific manner involving the funny little ship.
Said "insane" Lazarus is right there when Kirk gets back to his own universe. What possible sense would it make for Kirk to recapture that guy, evacuate the area around the gateway-timepod-doodad, and then blast it from orbit, when the recommended action can be taken right there and then instead?
Timo Saloniemi
Said "insane" Lazarus is right there when Kirk gets back to his own universe. What possible sense would it make for Kirk to recapture that guy, evacuate the area around the gateway-timepod-doodad, and then blast it from orbit, when the recommended action can be taken right there and then instead?
Timo Saloniemi
Unless the object were to be to save sane antimatter Lazarus, in which case Kirk could run the idea past him, tell him to stay on his own side and away from the ship, go back and recapture crazy Lazarus (possibly with the help of the two red shirts AND Spock who are JUST STANDING THERE, go back to the Enterprise and blow up the little ship. They throw crazy Lazarus in the brig, with plans to drag his crazy ass to the nearest psych station, and continue their mission without wondering, "But what of Lazarus...?"
Just saying.
Just saying.
Just one week later, on the night of April 6th, 1967, something wonderful would happen that would make fans forget all about poor Lazarus.
I feel that this episode was written backwards. They had a supposedly cool idea for an ending and they backtracked to find a way to get there. Including stuffing the script to kill time until their 'cool' ending.
I'm not convinced Kirk could afford to think in terms of objectives. Or even to think, period. Even his first officer is barely comprehending the exotic situation at hand. Surely Kirk would be best advised to rely on the opinion of the one true expert, the guy he just spoke with? The guy who never suggested that destroying the Spaceman Spiff Saucer would help in any fashion?
If I were dealing with powers capable of blowing up the universe, I sure wouldn't start by firing phasers blindly at the very focus of the threat...
Timo Saloniemi
I thought the object of destroying the little ship was to trap the two L, and to destroy one would destroy its counterpart as well. My memory (which could, of course, be faulty) is that sane Lazarus himself told Kirk to toss the tosser into the ship and then destroy it. Which raises the question, what would have happened if Kirk hadn't come along at a convenient time to lock the doors behind them?
I don't think the locking part was all that crucial. What was literally worlds-shattering in importance was the timing: both the Lazari had to be in the corridor, rather than on one side of it or the other.
The murderous one would strive to get through the tunnel and to the other side to commit the deed; for all we know, he would be sane enough to attempt the murder without actually touching his counterpart. The somewhat more subdued one would do wisely to stand eternal guard in the tunnel, then - but both had to get their dilithium at the very least, interrupting such a vigil.
Blowing up the ships (or blowing up one - perhaps the saner Lazarus had simply rigged his to blow up all by itself?) would not seem necessary as such. After all, once the struggle ensued, what would happen? One side or the other would win, and the other side would then soon be dead, out of murderous rage in one case and out of calm logic in the other. Unless the more murderous Lazarus really wanted to blow up the universe (rather than just terminate his loathsome counterpart), he'd simply leave the corpse there and walk away, no harm done to either universe. The other Lazarus, if victorious, would certainly do the same.
If blowing up the ship were a good solution in itself, without the trapping angle, why hadn't the saner Lazarus himself already implemented it? Especially if blowing up one results directly in the other also blowing up, which is one way to interpret the Kirk-saneLazarus dialogue.
Timo Saloniemi
The murderous one would strive to get through the tunnel and to the other side to commit the deed; for all we know, he would be sane enough to attempt the murder without actually touching his counterpart. The somewhat more subdued one would do wisely to stand eternal guard in the tunnel, then - but both had to get their dilithium at the very least, interrupting such a vigil.
Blowing up the ships (or blowing up one - perhaps the saner Lazarus had simply rigged his to blow up all by itself?) would not seem necessary as such. After all, once the struggle ensued, what would happen? One side or the other would win, and the other side would then soon be dead, out of murderous rage in one case and out of calm logic in the other. Unless the more murderous Lazarus really wanted to blow up the universe (rather than just terminate his loathsome counterpart), he'd simply leave the corpse there and walk away, no harm done to either universe. The other Lazarus, if victorious, would certainly do the same.
If blowing up the ship were a good solution in itself, without the trapping angle, why hadn't the saner Lazarus himself already implemented it? Especially if blowing up one results directly in the other also blowing up, which is one way to interpret the Kirk-saneLazarus dialogue.
Timo Saloniemi
I don't see any other ending having been appropriate for this episode, as I feel that the eternal battle between the Lazari was crucial to conveying 'The Alternative Factor''s theme of a being who is truly forced to be in a 'literal' state of continual war with oneself (which I would like to think was Don Ingalls' symbolic statement on the ravages of psychiatric conditions such as Multiple Personality Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, et al.). Also, the episode was underpinned by its prolific use of psychedellic visual effects and 'trippy' anti-matter plot point to serve this narrarive message.
No, 'The Alternative Factor' is not a top-tier Star Trek TOS episode, but it does have a number of merits, especially if my thematic interpretation of the episode is at least somewhat accurate.
No, 'The Alternative Factor' is not a top-tier Star Trek TOS episode, but it does have a number of merits, especially if my thematic interpretation of the episode is at least somewhat accurate.
*Single eyebrow raise* Fascinating.
Similar threads
