Ciao Nix ,

hope you are enjoying Spring!

To "break the 4th wall" at the end of "Journey to Babel?

I think it was. They should leave stuff like that to something like Galaxy Quest, if it's going to happen at all

I found this .. the banter between them is worth watching before Bones looks at the camera and enjoys getting the last word in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAtUnq0ton0

I actually thought it was a great way to end the last scene and the episode. After so much drama, it was light-hearted like the whole last interaction.

Also Journey to Babel was part of season 2 so the public not only was familiar with the characters but had warmed up to them by then.

The Animated series which Jet loved ....... Season 1 episode 7 Sulu's wink at the end.

At the 5.00 mark

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iA7EgWZh6qc

I understand about being familiar with the characters etc. It's just not right to take the viewer out of the story like that. At least for a show that's supposed to be more drama than comedy.

Of course it's different for an outright comedy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEq_mwqGQDo

Now if he'd said it to Amanda, we people out here could still enjoy it just fine.

by knix:

Now if he'd said it to Amanda, we people out here could still enjoy it just fine

But , it would not have made any sense. Amanda hardly knew Bones or Kirk and she sure didn't know what kinda relationship they had. Also Bones didn't have enough familiarity with Amanda to make the remark to her.

The public instead knew well the two characters and what they represent to each other. Speaking to the public made sense.

But what irks you , is the whole breaking the 4th wall choice.. you think it's out of place in Star trek due to the serious themes the series deals with.

And yet many episodes do end on a light-hearted note.

Yes, several episodes ended with rather inexplicable humor, considering what had gone before. But I don't recall any other time where the viewers were addressed directly. Even when Q and Zephram Cochrane made their bad references, they weren't looking into the camera.

@Knixon said:

Yes, several episodes ended with rather inexplicable humor, considering what had gone before. But I don't recall any other time where the viewers were addressed directly. Even when Q and Zephram Cochrane made their bad references, they weren't looking into the camera.

In the episode "Tomorrow Is Yesterday", Kirk seems to be looking into the camera, saying "That ought to be just about right. ".

Tasha Yar can be seen in the background waving goodbye at 0:07 in this videoclip of (S)TNG episode "Symbiosis (S1E22)", which was filmed after Skin of Evil (S1E23)". but was aired before her last mission. Photo

I always thought he was talking to the military guy, but maybe.

by knix:

I always thought he was talking to the military guy, but maybe.

There are no buts about it. Kirk is CLEARLY looking at the camera /public.

There are only three in the room Kirk, the official interrogating Kirk, and a guard a metre behind Kirk

While Kirk is speaking straight at the audience, you can clearly see the official's arm on the right-hand side of Kirk.

A great catch wonder2wonder!

I guess. Except 200 years isn't enough, it would need to be more like 300 years. Maybe that's why it didn't make much of an impression on me.