Talk:Mudd's Women (episode)

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T: Mudd's Women
A: TOS	N: 1x03	P: 6149-04	C: 6/66	CP: 4	CR: 6	CT: 202	D: 13	M: October	Y: 1966

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Window?

Do we really know Kirk has a window in his quarters? I watched and couldn't find anything. Where and in what scene is it really noticeable? Thank you.

When Mudd comes to Kirk's quarters, a deeply recessed square with blue lighting can be seen behind the Captain. Also visible in "The Enemy Within" and "The Man Trap." Logical assumption is, it's a window with a sliding panel that is closed. A few episodes later, it's gone.

Trailer Music

This isn't the only episode whose trailer has music written for it. The Man Trap's previews are also new music specifically for the trailer.

• Good grief, you're right-- never occured to me it wasn't lifted from the episode. I shall edit my comments. However, it's a bit less unusual in this case, because Alexander Courage also did the episode's score, whilst in "Mudd's Women", Fred Steiner composed the music.

I wish GNP Crescendo would release the "Man Trap" soundtrack on CD.

On the Subject of Nitpicks

Greetings! Having been using this site for several months as a supplementary reference for Star Trek, making small additions where I see their needs, and being impressed with the high standards generally exhibited in maintaining this site, for the first time I see something to which I truly object: At least several episode pages in TOS have a "Nitpicks" section. http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/Nitpicks.html defines nitpick as to "criticize something pettily: to find insignificant details of something unsatisfactory, often unjustifiably". Unjustifiable and petty criticism of insignificant details does not belong in an encyclopedia. Some nitpicking may merely indicate a lack of insight on the part of the author. In addition, the validity of a nitpick often varies subjectively from person to person. Therefore, I propose that "Nitpicks" sections on episode pages be renamed, say, to something like "Errors and Inconsistencies", or maybe "Errors or Inconsistencies". In this way, objectively problematic issues can still be recorded about the episodes, in a manner both that encourages their inclusion, but especially also that encourages the removal of material that is more of a personal preference or in only a particular person's opinion. Subjective nitpicks about episodes are not canon, are they?

I strongly suggest that we deleted the nickpicks or merg them with background information. Either way, they have to go. --AC84 19:51, 10 Nov 2005 (PST)

• I have no problem with them being re-named to a more "P.C." monicker, however, you will note that on some episode entries they are in the background info and in some they are in their own section.

They should remain, however-- it is fun to see people's observations of bloopers and gaffes. I would agree they should be notations of what is actually seen or heard on screen, and not people's personal gripes with episode content.

Nits are being discussed in Ten Forward here. I suggest y'all go there, since there you'll get more community input there. :-) -- Miranda Jackson ^(Talk) 23:05, 10 Nov 2005 (UTC)

Sartonian Slave Girls

One of the slave women, the blonde one, says something about not wanting to be treated like a "sartonian slave girl" while Mudd is being investigated. I assume that there are no more references to Sartonians in the rest of Star Trek, because I searched for it and didn't find anything here. But shouldn't they be mentioned somewhere on this site, even if we never see one? -Tom

The term that is used by Eve McHuron is "Staring at us like we were Saturnius harem girls or something.". --Jörg 17:42, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Thenners

I removed the latter part of this background note:

Eddie Paskey appears in green coveralls for the only time in the series as "Connors" in sickbay, although it sounds like DeForest Kelley calls him "Thenners."

To whom did this sound like? It sounded to me like he said "Connors." - Bridge 14:04, 21 October 2007 (UTC)

Speculation to refute speculation

I removed this speculation today... that was added to refute speculation.

* Fans have often observed a plot error in that, after his ship's hearing where Mudd is left alone in the briefing room with two security guards, he concocts his plan to contact the lithium miners and then loudly boasts that he will be running the starship and Kirk will soon be taking orders from him. All the while, two security guards stand in the background listening to the entire conversation yet do not apparently report this to Kirk or any higher authority. This can easily be explained, however, as the security guards were around all three of Mudd's women and may have been so mesmerized so as not to pay too much attention to Mudd. It is also possible that the guards did report what they heard, only to have it dismissed by Kirk until it was too late.

Speculation that refutes speculation is still speculation. -- Sulfur 18:46, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

Gosh, and I was rather proud of that. Anyway, there is a precedent for having it as there is a note in "The Naked Time" where the plot error about Sulu getting grabbed by three people on the bridge (who do not get the disease) is discussed and explained that we dont know that much about the disease. The above note also has some canon back-up in that its discussed in The Star Trek Compendium and is number one on the list for the episode in thhe Nitpicker's Guide to Star Trek. I know the last book is itself about goofs but this is a famous one from the episode. Can we factor it in somehow? -FleetCaptain 19:19, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

Background Cleanup

I removed the following because it appears to be (unusual) speculation:

• Each of the three women represents a different primal element: Eve McHuron was born on a farming planet (earth); Ruth Bonaventure lived on a pelagic (water) planet; and Magda Kovacs is described as having come from the "Halium Experimental Station" (air). Although the fourth element – fire – is not represented, presumably this is accounted for by the intense desire all three women create among the male crewmen of the Enterprise.

If there's a source, fine, but otherwise it seems just wierd. – Cleanse 11:52, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Cheap Federation

Isn't weird that the Enterprise doesn't carry any extra Dilithium circuits or even some unrefined Ore. I know the stuff is rare and valuable, but this is the freakin Enterprise, the Federation flagship. As per Kirk there are only 12 like it in service. I would imagine that modern nuclear subs and aircraft carriers might conceivably carry extra fuel or at least a backup propulsion system. If they don't its because there is no way to safely store the nuclear material. Dilithium ore on the other hand is nontoxic enough to be touched with ones bare hands and is apparently easily converted into a workable circuit. Considering how important the Enterprise is to Federation defense, the length of the mission and the apparent ease at which they can burn out, you would think the Federation wouldn't have skimped on the spare dilithium.

Well, that wouldn't be a very good story. Captain's Log, Stardate 4012.8: The Enterprise has suffered a serious shortage of self-sealing stem bolts. Thankfully, Scotty found a couple extras in the cargo bay. End Log. :) --- Jaz 05:15, 27 April 2008 (UTC)

In addition, remember that in TOS the Enterprise was not the flagship, just another starship of the fleet. --OuroborosCobra ^talk 12:08, 27 April 2008 (UTC)

Pure plot device. Requisitions are the bane of Scotty's existence. I'm sure there's a good reason. They're too busy getting into trouble to keep stocked up.--LauraCC (talk) 19:42, April 16, 2015 (UTC)

Additional uncredited performers

We can add Ron Veto to the list; he appears, in a blue shirt, at 7:40 as the women are making their way from the transporter room to the turbolift.

In addition, I'm 99% sure that's Frank Da Vinci as Brent eight seconds earlier. If so, this might be the only episode where he appears as both Brent and Vinci.--72.229.231.18 16:48, September 7, 2009 (UTC)Jim in NYC

Part Vulcanian?

The ears alone are a dead giveaway... I mean, how many space elves are there?!

I'm, um...not really sure what you're asking. -Angry Future Romulan 20:35, July 20, 2010 (UTC)

Revert

I reverted an unconstructive edit by 77.100.211.152, referring to the following bg note:

This episode's final scene aboard the bridge is the series' first suggestion that Vulcans have a different arrangement of internal organs than Humans. Specifically, McCoy places the Vulcan heart at roughly the place of the Human liver. Where he points is no where NEAR the Human liver!!! This would later be made more explicit in TOS: "The Omega Glory".

The comment in bold is the one s/he added and that I reverted. --| TrekFan ^{Open a channel} 13:05, April 10, 2011 (UTC)

Background cleanup

I changed the following in the Background Information section.

• The theme of the virtuous hag and the faithless beauty appears frequently in literature, often with a magical element wherein one woman can be either and a man must decide which one he wants her to be. The most familiar example is probably in the Wife of Bath's tale in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

Deleted, as it appears irrelevant to the episode.

• The fact that this was one of the candidates for the second pilot is probably why it has an earlier stardate despite having been filmed after "The Corbomite Maneuver".

Deleted, as this is speculation. Many episodes contain out of sequence stardates.

• A reaction shot of DeForest Kelley in the transporter room is actually lifted from later in the episode in sickbay. This creates a continuity error; McCoy wears his usual uniform, but in the close-up reaction shot, he wears his medical tunic. In the same scene, an editing glitch has the women shown lined up in a row before they have stepped off the transporter pads.

Deleted, as it's a nitpick.

• Despite the introduction of the red operations division tunic in this episode, Uhura is seen in a gold command division uniform both here and in "The Corbomite Maneuver". She also incongruously wears a sciences division assignment patch, rather than the appropriate command "star."

I kept the first section of this paragraph, but deleted the remark about Uhura's patch, as it seemed a bit "nitpicky".

• Mudd appears to be wearing the same clothing on the Enterprise that he wore in his mug shot.

So?

• Footage of the asteroids is reused from "The Cage".
• The very first close-up of Kirk (sitting in his chair) is recycled from the last scene of "The Man Trap". The same shot is used again twice in this episode: at the beginning of Act One, and Act Three.
• When Mr. Farrell plots the course ordered by Mr. Spock, his shirt has no insignia on it. This error occurs because it's actually a recycled shot from "The Enemy Within". Both Farrell and Kirk are missing their insignia at some point during the course of that episode.

Each of the above was deleted as footage is reused often throughout the series, including almost every exterior shot of the Enterprise. What makes these instances so special?

Mrtrekkiedude 22:57, August 6, 2011 (UTC)

Well, for the first, it would be relevant if there was a citation that this is what the writers had in mind. Since none has shown up, I agree with the removal in any case.–Cleanse ^{( talk | contribs )} 00:42, August 7, 2011 (UTC)

Had what in mind? Reusing footage? Well of course that's what they had in mind. Nobody reuses footage by accident; it is always deliberate. 173.32.225.237 22:51, July 1, 2012 (UTC)

Obviously, I was referring to the first note Mrtrekkiedude removed, regarding the "theme of the virtuous hag and the faithless beauty".--Cleanse ^{( talk | contribs )} 23:24, July 1, 2012 (UTC)

Removed

• It is not clear why the Enterprise could be so easily disabled by putting shielding another ship with its deflectors. Perhaps it is because Harry Mudd's ship was so far away, requiring an extra expenditure of crucial energy.

Memory Alpha articles aren't for commentary or nitpicks.–Cleanse ^{( talk | contribs )} 23:36, September 7, 2011 (UTC)

Missing dialog

i just watched the blu-ray edition on we channel totally bad edit. Did anybody notice the lost of the dialogue with the computer in the interrogation room? the computer when asked about the women goes on to add the increase in heart rate with the men around the table! What happened to the pan shot of the men? also on the bridge kirk is suppose to say "are we just tired or are they the most beatiful women you've even seen... mccoy talks about them just acting beautiful or pound for pound... is this missing from the blu-ray too? or just the network edit? – The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.64.74.48.

Um....yeah, it's a TV edit. The episodes run about 45 minutes or less on commercial TV. The Blu-Rays are not missing any scenes. – The preceding unsigned comment was added by 8.10.80.4.

Removed notes

• Although his offense record says that Harry Mudd is 6'1", Roger C. Carmel was actually 6'3". This can be seen in comparison to the other cast members (including 6'1" Nimoy), who were all shorter than him.
• Alexander Courage composed the music for this episode's trailer, one of only two times music was written specifically for a preview. His sultry trombone music was so appropriate, it was used in the actual episode as the women stroll through the corridors, while the rest of the score was written by Fred Steiner. Courage composed the soundtrack for the preview of "The Man Trap", which he scored, likely as his first assignment for the new series, as that episode was the first one aired.

Noth notes lacking citation for a while. Tom (talk) 10:40, October 26, 2015 (UTC)

Removed Notes

Nitpicks/Speculation

• Despite the introduction of the red operations division tunic in the previous episode, Uhura is seen in a gold command division uniform both here and in "The Corbomite Maneuver".

• Kirk's quarters have a window in this episode and a few others to follow. These may not be his normal quarters because Spock directs the turbolift to take him, Mudd and the women to Deck 12. The window will disappear in subsequent episodes. Kirk's quarters are later situated on Deck 5.

Opinion

*In an inventive bit of editing, the close-up shot of Eve's hand closing in on the Venus drug is followed by a similar close-up of Spock's hand cradling a cracked lithium crystal.

Nitpicks

• After Harry Mudd's trial, as Eve is pleading with Kirk to help the women get to their destination, an off stage voice ( ostensibly the director's ) can be heard on the soundtrack to say "Lights!" as a cue for the studio technicians to dim the lighting, signaling the failure of the last lithium crystal.

• Mudd says to Spock, "You're part Vulcanian, aren't you?" Mudd was somehow able to distinguish this in Spock, apparently on sight. It is possible that, in the early days of TOS, Spock was meant to look more Human than most full-blooded "Vulcanians," which would explain Mudd's ability to recognize his hybrid status on sight. In later episodes, and throughout the films and later series, Spock is considered to look like any full-blooded Vulcan. It is also possible that the episode's writers meant the viewer to conclude that Mudd had some pre-existing familiarity with both Spock's heritage and his inclusion in the Enterprise's command crew. Another possibility is that Enterprise was originally conceived as a human vessel, instead of a vessel of the multi-species Starfleet and thus Spock was still able to serve on the Enterprise due to being part-human.

Opinion

• Spock's description of the crystals as "beautiful" is a rare expression of his aesthetic sense. Later, in "Assignment: Earth", he refers to Isis the cat as a "lovely animal."

--Chalet (talk) 17:43, March 24, 2017 (UTC)