The metaphorical value of the lenses representing the two sides of Kirk's relationship with Spock and McCoy is very intriguing, especially when you consider that the linking piece of framework in a pair of glasses is called the bridge, and at its center sits the captain.
I always thought that the lens broke when Kirk tossed the glasses onto the table. Whenever he had to put them on, to me, it seemed like he hated having to wear them.
Hello there. I just discovered your channel and I am impressed by the depth and thoughtfulness of your videos. I have been an English teacher for over 20 years and a Star Trek fan for another 20 years before that, and your videos really hit the mark of quality interpretation and analysis. Your foreshadowing video was excellent! I had never considered how Kirk's glasses got broken, but Nicholas Meyer is a classically trained writer/director, who has incorporated symbolism into his films, so I think your theory is probably the exact right one. One more comment from me--in one of the previous comments you mentioned that the Star Trek novels usually don't capture the spirit of the show. I would, generally speaking, agree with that, but there is one ST novel that I thought was excellent, and it read very much like an actual classic episode, and that is The Joy Machine by James Gunn (based on a script by none other than Theodore Sturgeon--which I'm sure helps to explain its classic feel). I would strongly recommend reading that novel if you haven't. Thanks for making such great videos, and please keep it up!
Wow! That’s some awesome feedback! It's wonderful knowing that there are those out there who appreciate my efforts. I’ll have to read The Joy Machine, which, coincidentally, had come up this past week in another online discussion. Your mention of Nicholas Meyer and symbolism reminded me about a googletalk he gave where he discusses symbolism in his movies. I’ve added it to my Wrath of Khan playlist if you’re interesting in checking it out. Thank you again for the comment and encouragement!
Jeff my friend.. I am very impressed by your words, your narration, articulation and the depth of your thought process. You are are a special person.. Very nice... Jim I am blown away....
Since we're going with symbolism... I believe it was when, After Spock falls against the glass and Kirk says "No". If you listen closely, you can even hear a little crack--A Crunching like sound as he slumps against the glass on the opposite side of his friend. I'm sure the weight that was on this person at the time could penetrate the case just enough to brake the lens as he sunk down in pure defeat and remorse. Knowing Kirk's devotion to duty. At that moment he would have blamed himself fully for the death of someone under his command. For the death of his friend.
"No, Jim! You'll flood the whole compartment!" "He'll die!" "Sir, he's dead already." Perhaps there's the moment the lens broke. I cried typing that out.
When he tried to approach Spock in the reactor chamber 3 guys grabbed him. You don't think the guy holding him around his waist couldn't have hit his glasses as they all struggled to stop Kirk?
You bring up a very good point. Yes, I think it's possible, and perhaps even probable, that the trainee could have hit Kirk's glasses. I don't believe, however, that it could account for the damage to Kirk's lens, as they were kept inside a hard, protective case. I did consider all the possible scenarios for how Kirk's glasses could have broken prior to making this video, and being damaged on the way to (or in) engineering was high on my list. Any force great enough to inflict that type of precise damage to a sturdy lens inside a protective case would have had to have injured Kirk as well. Thanks for the comment!
@@MetaTrek Maybe the explosion from the Torpedoe that hit the Saucer Section and caused explosions on the bridge? It did hurl Kirk into the side of his chair.
The torpedo from Reliant that hit the underside of Enterprise's saucer section happened during their first skirmish. Kirk used the glasses not long after that, when hunting Reliant's prefix code. The near miss of Reliant's torpedo as the Enterprise fled for the nebula, I don't know if that jostled Kirk sufficiently to break his glasses.
an approriate moment is when Kirk hits the blast door looking at Spock dying. His glasses shattered at that moment. He realizes his friend is dead. @@christopherjaskowiak9327
I was a Kid in the 80s... and really Star Trek was the greatest, even when I hid behind a chair when a Big hand reached out towards the Crew... somehow that was scary to me back then.... But, I will always dream that some day Star Trek will be Great again as it was in the 80s.....
Based solely on my 1000+ viewings, the glasses were broken when ... Scotty's nephew asks for permission to pass away. He grabs Kirk's jersey. He is the blameless soul that offers up his life for his comrades. "He stayed at his post while the others ran."
There's a more tangible reason they broke, and the timing fits. When Kirk sees Spock dying, he rushes forward to save him. Scotty, McCoy, and some engineer trainee all grab Kirk to prevent him from opening the dilithium chamber. Any one of those men could have crushed Kirk's lens at the very moment they broke his heart with the news, "he's dead already." That still fits your narrative, but provides a physical agent as well. Just a thought.
Although others have mentioned the possibility that Kirk's glasses could have broken while he was being restrained in engineering, something that I too had considered while working on the video, I have determined that the hard case Kirk carried his glasses in would have been sufficient to protect them. You're the first who made an effort to make it work within the narrative I laid out. Thank you for posting your comment!
Another thought that fits the timing: we last saw him wearing them in the Genesis cave. If he left them in the away-team jacket we see him change out of, and it was left somewhere in the ship (possibly the transporter room itself) that got knocked around more than the bridge did, they could still have been damaged in the battle. Then some cadet finds it and returns it to his quarters, where Kirk discovers they've been broken.
Since I re-watched the “Genesis Trilogy” recently, another point that might be made (I don’t know if any other commenter made it or not) is that Nicolas Meyer wrote the script for WOK and for Star Trek IV, and it was in Star Trek IV after Kirk had Spock and McCoy back that he sold the glasses in San Francisco. Perhaps symbolically, indicating that his correct vision and balance have been restored, so he no longer needed the glasses.
That is a great point, and wonderful continuation of the metaphor. It is interesting that the trouble with his vision went away after ST:II. Thanks for posting!
I always thought the glasses represented Kirk accepting that old age was inevitable, and when they broke they forced him to adapt and finish the book without them, just like he would have to adapt and be a starship captain no matter what his age was. Just like he was going to have to adapt to go on without his friend.
That's a wonderful and thoughtful interpretation of what Kirk's broken glasses represent! There have been a couple other really good interpretations posted here as well. Star Trek, like everything that is sufficiently complex, is polysemic. That makes all the different interpretations valid, since each comes from a different perspective. Thank you for sharing!
Exactly. And in real life, once he was made Admiral, he would likely have never commanded a ship again but for what he did in MOTION PICTURE because he fast talked Admiral Nogura.
That's a great analysis. However, I'm not so sure the writers were that deep into the concept when writing the script. It was simply a moment in a scene to symbolize the hell they'd been through.
Thanks for commenting! We always like hearing alternative perspectives. Nicholas Myer gave a google talk that you might find interesting. He discusses the symbolic meaning found in movies. Cheers.
Kirk’s right eye was also the one that was scanned to gain access to the Genesis summary. “Forbidden fruit”? Reopening old wounds with Marcus. The discovery of his son? Do all these tie in somehow?
Some very insightful questions, it could very well have to do with Carol or David! I see Kirk's broken glasses as part of a larger exploration of Kirk's vision in the movie. The scanning of his right eye is another part of that exploration, in a very literal sense, and does tie in to the bigger picture symbolically. I plan to do a more encompassing video on the subject at some point in the future.
I love reading viewer comments and getting feedback, but please actually watch the video before posting alternate theories regarding when Kirk's glasses broke. I did consider every likely time that they could have broken before publishing this video (including when Kirk was held back in engineering), and it was only after I was convinced nothing could account for their breaking that I made this video. Thank you, and enjoy! 🖖
You should do a video on the genesis planet. But first read the trilogy of TNG books title The Genesis Wave. The books explains or rather Data explains the real reason the Genesis Planet imploded! No Genesis Wave and remember the genesis device was invented and created by be fired into a dead planet or moon creating the Genesis Wave then affect. Terraforming the planet from a dead one into a living breathing world. The Genesis device was never built to created a planet from nothing
it's truly wonderful when someone with a very keen and introspective perception allows me to look at something I have viewed hundreds of times over my lifetime and see it in a whole new way. I was 9 years old, two weeks shy of my 10th birthday, when I first saw Star Trek II TWOK in the theaters. Moments on screen, that stood out to me, more than anything, was the fact that it was, Kirk's birthday, Kirk's slight apprehension at receiving the spectacles as a birthday gift, the moment he had to make use of them on the damaged bridge of the Enterprise, especially cursing under his breath for having to put them on in front the everyone, and when he went to finish reading a tale of Two cities discovering the lens in his glasses for broken. As a child it made me think of my own mortality and how the perception of age and aging affects a man, especially a man like Kirk, someone whom everyone looks towards as a leader. At the time perhaps I was too young to truly understand the symbology which the glass is held or even the depth and perception of age. But it still had a profound impacting memory. Your wonderful video essay has allowed me to once again re-examine the finer nuance and detail of such things. I hope you produce future content on such levels, as it was undoubtedly fascinating. Thank you. 🖖😁👍 ♥️♥️♥️
Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful comments. I'm kinda blown away, so I don't know what more to say! Star Trek is good at make you think about things. I was just a few weeks shy of my 12 birthday when ST:II was released, and it was quite an experience for me too. It was much later that I started noticing the deeper meaning and symbolism behind it. There's plenty more to come, I was really just testing the water with this one to see what kind of a reaction I'd get from it. Based on comments like yours, I'll be doing a lot more of this in the months to come! Thank you again!
correction; Tale of Two Cities ends with a man sacrificing his life to save the husband of the woman he loves. He makes his sacrifice for her, not for "his friends". Subtly different meaning; his sacrifice is actually more "altruistic" than merely dying to save his friends. Btw, I was thinking while watching another of your videos... it would have been cool if the act of activating the warp drive is what killed Spock. Say, he went in to fix the whatsit, and the danger was that the warp drive would activate as soon as the whatsit was repaired. So when Kirk orders "Go Sulu!"... he'd be pronouncing Spock's death sentence; the warp drive activates, the radiation is released into the chamber Spock's in, and he slowly dies, because he can't come out without flooding the whole compartment with radiation. The later realization of that would really punch Kirk in the gut, IMO. Kirk's glasses wouldn't have broken if they'd been made of transparent aluminum. So I blame Scotty. Because I want to.
I love your idea on how Spock's death could have went. I think they really missed the mark compared to the idea you had. Having Kirk be responsible for Spock's death would have be 10x more poignant than the way it happened. It also would have been more in line with the way Kirk originally would have felt in the earlier version of Spock's death, which would have happened during Khan's first attack. Powerful stuff man! Thanks for posting.
II totally agree with you on the breakage of Kirk's glasses as well as the ending of the Tale of Two Cities. Spock, McCoy and Kirk havealways been a three sided triumvirate. Spock the logic, McCoy the emotion and Kirk the understanding of how those come together. Wrath of Khan was a really good example of literature, and science fiction goming together. Thank you so much for your insight.
Thank you for your comment! I believe that, when looked at symbolically, Star Trek is filled with deeper meaning. It's my intent to continue exploring that deeper meaning on this channel.
Yes, exactly! When syncretized with mythological pantheons, we would equate Kirk with the "Dyeus Pater," the sky father/ king of the gods, or, in the case of Odin, the All-Father. As they age, they can lose their sight, or even become willfully blind (in this case, Kirk turning a blind eye to Khan for 15 years, which in the end cost him an eye, Spock.) The Egyptians had a variant on this them with The Eye of Horus, given to blinded Osiris by his son Horus to restore his vision. We'll be exploring this aspect of Trek more in the future on this channel. Very insightful, thank you for posting!
Just found your channel, and this is some really good content. My hypothesis on the glasses, matches yours with one addition. He sat on the glasses as he collapsed to the deck.
I'm really enjoying your videos. They're insightful and rooted in a clear love of TOS and its characters. I don't know that Meyer and Burnett intended the glasses breaking to symbolize the loss of Spock and the loss of some of Kirk's perspective, but your theory is brilliant. I think Meyer and Burnett were symbolizing the nature of human life, its fragility and the ultimately inescapable fate we all share: death. Kirk faced and overcame his mortality in a sense in The Motion Picture. Twelve years later in TWOK, he's resigned himself to the notion--his own notion, perhaps not even Starfleet's--that "galloping around the cosmos is a game for the young." His second fight with mortality comes with a loss he couldn't have anticipated or prevent: Spock's sacrifice. He sees the glasses are broken and tosses them on the table with "A Tale of Two Cities." I take it as a moment of admitting defeat, that this time, he couldn't cheat death. He can't do everything, especially now that he's an older man, including see properly without corrective lenses. In comes his son, who symbolizes the life he "could have had, but didn't," and reminds him of the lesson he imparted to Saavik earlier: "How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life." Kirk has forgotten this; he's given up on his own life (which for Kirk is the center seat) and with Spock gone, he's all but resigned to give up completely. After his moment with David, he's healed, realizing that, just as with his son, it's not too late, that there are "always possibilities." Spock's death and meeting David has made him "feel young." In Star Trek IV, we seek Kirk sell his glasses so that he can find a way to save the future. Yet he does this with the old Kirk's optimism and hope, telling Spock that though he's selling a gift from Dr. McCoy, he'll get them again one day. Star Trek IV is all about rebirth and restoration, and by the end of the film, Kirk has reunited his family and regained command of the Enterprise. That would have been the perfect way to either end the movies or lead into a new TV series, but I'm rambling now. Keep up the great work! I look forward to more videos in the future.
I really like your interpretation of Kirk's broken glasses, and the extended metaphor regarding the final scene in Kirk's quarters. The great thing about Star Trek is that it's complex enough to be polysemic.
@@MetaTrek I completely agree! What I love about your take is that is supports my life-long (over 40 years now) thesis about Trek: It's not about starships or adventure or exploration or even social issues. It's about what makes us human, themes like loyalty, friendship, sacrifice, duty, and honor. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy's relationship is the heart of what Trek is. Of the Trek series to follow TOS, only DS9 really understood this and build those relationships. Your observation that Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are a team that are incomplete without any of the parts is brilliant. Thanks for taking the time to reply!
Thanks for the comment! For a transcript, reopen the video, to the right of the description there's the number of likes, share, =+, Save, and ... Click on the three dots and select open transcript and a transcript will open to the right of the video.
It could also be a literal moment of breaking at Spock's death, because before, he was always careful to put them away, but when he rushes to find Spock and has his last moment with him, Kirk loses composure and collapses in grief. I definitely agree, though, that you make a great point about the symbolism and where it fits into the film, coinciding with Kirk losing Spock As for losing Spock also results in losing perspective, I think there's also the renewal that Kirk gets as a result of finding a new relationship with his son in that same scene, and, of course, the beauty of a new world that Spock's sacrifice contributed towards. A loss and a gain.
Very good analysis of a great movie. I'll be seeing Shatner give commentary on wrath of Khan in March. Maybe I'll ask him his thoughts. As an aside, I wanted to mention that when my friends and family first saw the movie, the broken glasses reminded all of us of the death of John Lennon a few years earlier. I'm not saying that was intended, but the sight of the broken glasses immediately brought him to mind.
Man i gotta go back and see but i swear he noticed the broken lens in the first battle, in the prefix code scene. at least, that's what i always thought the cursing was when he takes them out of the case from the time i was a kid. That and the fact he feels like he's getting old from having to use them to begin with.
Great point. I had thought of that possibility too, but I ultimately had to dismiss it. Mainly on the grounds that a direct blunt force impact strong enough to damage the lens through the glasses protective case would most likely have injured Kirk as well. Thanks for pointing that out!
@@MetaTrek True but only if the case were of the rigid type. Do we ever get a good look at it? (I don't disagree about the symbolism you described BTW)
You might be remembering the red satin bag that McCoy handed Kirk. The case itself was white and hinged along one side. Kirk opens it to get to his glasses in the bridge scene. It's funny, in the original series the Star Fleet Uniforms didn't have pockets, per Roddenberry's request. This is also true in TMP and TNG, only the red uniforms in ST:II-VI had pockets. I guess no one told Myer that they don't have pockets in the future!
Thank you for the complement! No formal training, I like to think of myself as a self-education man, and I'm also an artist (I create all of the artwork for my videos).
You've laid out a compelling argument, and, for the most part, you did it well, but the title is "WHEN did Krik's Glasses Break?" (emphasis mine). You pointed out the symbolism beautifully and made the movie all the more poignant for me because I never really bothered looking for symbolism. Further, you briefly said that his glasses broke at the moment of Spock's death, but you never really demonstrated that point. So your title is actually somewhat misleading. In a college classroom, that would cost you points. Having said that, from what I've seen so far, yours is likely the finest Trek-only channel I've come across, so I am compelled to subscribe. Your analyses are among the most intellectual, compelling and well constructed I have seen. More importantly, the topics you select are far more satisfying than those of other Trek channels. I salute you.
I did struggle with the title. I'd already used How in a couple other titles, Why would have worked, but it seemed that I focused mostly on when they broke so I went with that. BTW, If you're interested, I included a talk by Nicholas Meyer in my TWoK playlist because he discusses symbolism in his movies. I didn't demonstrate the point of how Kirk's glasses broke when Spock died, because it truly is a mystery, like the veil being torn in two when Christ died. How did it happen? I don't know, but I believe Spock's death is why it happened, and when it happened. So again, may I have my points back please . . . ? I don't even know how to respond to the end of your comment except to say, wow, you blew me away man. That's praise of the highest order! Thank you, it really means a lot.
Interesting idea, but on a practical level, the glasses were on a ship that was repeatedly attacked, and not safe in a glasses case, so they could have been damaged during the events surrounding Spock's death, so doubly symbolic.
The bigger question is when were the glasses even manufactured? The pawn shop got them from Kirk in 1986. McCoy got them from a dealer in 2282. Kirk got them from McCoy the same year. When were they made?
According to the antique store owner in ST:IV, they were from the 18th century. It's safe to say at least the frame was that old, it would seem likely that the lens were from the 23rd century. Another question is how many copies of those glasses are out there, being that they are part of a time loop!
Great sentiment but his glasses were broken in engineering when Kirk was blocked from entering the intermix chamber to save Spock another powerful moment in the movie.
Just because you think you found a cause doesn't mean he's wrong in his analysis. Why the glasses were focused on is the question. Besides, they hardly touched him in that moment, definitely not enough to somehow shatter a lens but not bend the frame.
@@baconsnot Well when he presented as the only cause I have to disagree. Not that the director couldn't have done some suddle foreshadowing considering how "Tail of two cities" was part of the narrative and speaking as someone the has wore glasses "wire frames" it doesn't take a lot break them.
I'm more curious as to why the right lens broke in the first place. In the novelization of Star Trek III it states that the frames were antique, but the lenses were contemporary 23rd Century. The lenses should have been unbreakable - especially as they were protected in their case.
I disagree. If eyeglasses were contemporary technology in the 23rd century, Kirk would already have one or more pairs. The gift was an antique. It's a sticking point in the plot to me that Kirk has defective vision readily corrected (back when the movie was made) by eyeglasses and contact lens, but he doesn't take care of it because he's allergic to the drug used to fix it on a biological level. That's like saying Starfleet doesn't know how to make a sword, spear or gunpowder firearm because they all use phasers.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Wrath Of Khan has been one of my personal top 3 movies ever for nearly forty years now. My view, the book was a gift from Spock and the glasses a gift from McCoy. With the presence of Spock's katra, McCoy is damaged, just like the spectacles are. Kirk is unable to read the book because of this. With McCoy troubled (symbolized by the cracked lens) thusly, Kirk cannot "see" Spock (the book) and is unable to ascertain what has happened with Spock's spirit. I hope I'm making some sense!
That makes a lot of sense to me. A slightly different, but equally valid perspective. I don't remember if I kept it in the video or not, but I had a couple lines where I point out that when one lens is damaged, the pair of lenses become useless, and the loss of Spock leads to the loss of McCoy in short order. Thank you for being willing to share your personal view! Cheers
@@MetaTrek thanks! Yes, the great friendship of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy was torn asunder with Spock's death, and that friendship was the foundation of Kirk's life. Spock was gone, McCoy was damaged, and Kirk was then left adrift (symbolized by his inability to see).
Cool analysis - and I don't mean to nitpick, but it wasn't the right lens that was cracked. It was the left one. But overall well done video. Wrath of Khan is one of my favourite movies, and has been since I was a little kid. We rented it one weekend (mum was a huge trekkie) my mum and dad and I. The Sunday I was sick. Monday, dad was at work just mum and I home. She asked if I felt better. I thought the best answer was to say yes - even though I didn't want to go to school. I said " I feel better". Mum: "oh, well I thought if you were still sick we could watch Wrath of Khan again" Me: (crap!!) "Uhhhh well, I don't really feel great, maybe I should stay home". HAHAHAHAHA. So we watched it. Twice actually. Then I went back to bed. Good analysis otherwise:) And I am REALLY glad that you didnt get into any of that "bootstrap" time paradox crap that people insist on babbling about. When Kirk sells the glasses to the antique shop when they go back in time to find some whales. People go to great lengths "there were 2 pairs of the same glasses!!" It is very very very annoying. Clearly the concept of 1 single item continuing through time is too hard to swallow. But you didnt go anywhere near that, good video though!
Thanks for sharing that memory you have of your mum, that sounds like a special time! I usually have so much to say regarding any topic I choose that I work real hard to keep the videos focused on just that one topic. As for which lens was cracked, left or right can be a little confusing depending on if your referring to the person wearing the glasses, or if you mean when you're looking at the person. Just to clarify, the lens that broke was over Kirk's right eye.
He dukes it out on the Genesis planet. Are there scenes after that when the glasses are shown intact, or is the only other scene when he sees them broken? I ask because a violent scuffle with the Klingon commander is the most likely cause of breaking them.
What I find interesting is that by the time of Star Trek IV, some weeks or even months later, Kirk sells the glasses back on 20th Century Earth, with the lens still broken. In all that time, surely Kirk could've have the lens melted down and returned to its original form - just as Spock's Katra has been reconstituted into his reanimated body. So, why did Kirk choose not to have the lens repaired? Did he just forget about it, or did he have some symbolic reason for not doing so?
I believe Spock was a good leader / teacher for Kirk. He always had answers for all of Kirk's situations. McCoy was Kirk's left hand man. He always knew what was best for Kirk. The broken lens in Kirk's glasses I believe represents Spock's dearth , half of Kirk's vision is now blurred by the loss of his friend.While McCoy is represented by the unbroken lens.
To me, the glasses represent having to look at things, as a 50-year old Admiral. The right lense could represent Spock, the left lens could represent Bones, and the shattered lens represents Spock's life force taken away. Kirk gets rid of the glasses in Star Trek 4...to look at things as a Captain again. He no longer needed the glasses
It's time for a Star Trek movie reboot with anybody but J.J. Abrams at the helm. He actually destroyed the two biggest science fiction franchises in movie history, Star Wars and Star Trek. Nice going, J.J.
After seeing WoK for the umpteenth time with my college friends, I said something like, "Yeah, that's not symbolic or anything." One friend asked what I meant, so I literally had to explain it to him. He was like, "OHHH, I get it!"
It took me umpteen views to catch that bit of symbolism as well! It wasn’t until I saw it on the big screen again about 7 years ago that it finally clicked for me. I’m glad to see others noticed it too. Kodos to you for your sharp eye!
Okay, I wasn't sure where the video was going to take me, but I'm pleased with how it ended up. There is a lot to what you say, and though you may be reaching, I can see this as the kind of subtlety that might have been inlaid where it wouldn't be expected but could be found by the determined seeker. And, with the additional insight that glass can be recycled and renewed, it also could be said to foreshadow the events of Star Trek III. Do I think you're reaching? Yes. But I agree with your perceptions and conclusions in spite of that. 🙂
Interesting theory as to how/why the glasses broke and putting it into a psychological perspective. However, if you're linking it that way it's a reach since it was long believed that the left side of the brain (your left) was the logical half and the right was more creative. You essentially have it backwards to try to fit your conclusion. It would have been a nice nod to the writers or the universe of Star Trek if they did have the other lens (your left lens if you're wearing them) break. It would have been some nice symbolism. It still does hold up as symbolic, but not quite on the nose as you're trying to make out. It seems production just chose a side at random to break because the script called for it.
That is my understanding of way the brain is divided too. But it is also my understanding that the left side of the brain is connected to and controls the right side of the body, and vice versa, which means that the right eye is connected to the left, logical side of the brain.
Is it possible that the book that Spock gives to Kirk is an indication of his feelings, and his dedication and gratitude to the crew? Maybe he's saying that he is willing to sacrifice himself to help them should the need arise.
I don't buy the comments that say the glasses were broken when Kirk was held back from entering the chamber. There definitely wasn't enough force to break a glass lens, and also somehow not bend the frame.
So why would anyone in the 23rd century not have near perfect eyesight? We are close to that now and not that far away when this movie was made. The exception of course could be eyes that had been destroyed by disease or injury.
That's a great point, and after TWoK, Kirk never seemed to have any more trouble with his eyes. All the more reason to view the issue with Kirk's eyesight as symbolic.
Assimilation the Star Trek TNG/Doctor Who crossover. The Borg beams the Doctor on to a cube. He shows the Borg. Who he is and why he can turn a army around by the mention of his name. The Borg beams the Doctor back on to the bridge of the Enterprise and bolts. I mean they literally run away at maximum trans warp
@@MetaTrek I’ve been watching it since I was 7 when it came out in ‘82 at the theaters. It strangely didn’t start affecting me (had me bawling) until about 17 years ago.
Thanks for the suggestion! It was too intriguing a possibility to ignore, so I dug out the novelization of The Wrath of Khan, but unfortunately it had nothing to add.
Perhaps the most fascinating is The Motion Picture novelization, written by Gene Roddenberry himself. It has a few major surprises, one of the biggest is the identity of the woman who dies in the transporter accident. They all add details, and even entire scenes, not found in the movies, and since they were published around the release of each movie, there are some interesting differences.
@@pqsk It is worthwhile, having read it myself - I think it both consciously and unconsciously reveals a lot more than the series and ST:TMP could about Roddenberry's thinking and character.
3:50 CBS? Let's go down the rabbit hole. Star Trek made by Desilu and aired on NBC. Desilu was bought out by Gulf+Western and turned into Paramount Television. 1, 2, skip a few Paramount+ and CBS.
Just finished reading Star Trek The Next Generation: The Genesis Wave BK 3. If you think the genesis planet imploded because David Marcus used proto matter in the genesis matrix think again....the planet imploded because there was no genesis wave
I guess it was the books that you read that says Genesis imploded? The movie shows it exploding, shooting material outward into space. Do the books say what happened to the planet after Kirk and crew escaped?
@@MetaTrek the planet disintegrated. Captain Picard contacts ambassador Spock about the Genesis project. Spock tells Picard best speak to Carol Marcus she possesses the knowledge to stop the wave. Thing is Carol Marcus is 120 years old and has dementia. Spock has to perform a mind meld to get the knowledge Picard needs to stop the genesis wave. Spock gets emotional seeing Kirk in the mind meld he also experiences Carol's pain over the death of David and Kirk's cold distance. Spock regrets volunteering Kirk to the mission where the Enterprise escorted Chancellor Gorkon through federation space. I always thought that was cruel of Spock given what happened on the Genesis planet. Ok he wanted to show Kirk not all Klingons are barbaric murderers and Kirk does realize that. He just couldn't get pass the death of his son and his predjuices he felt towards the Klingons
See... this is why ToS/Movie Series was the best of all time... and everything else is a waste of resources... There is so much seen and unseen that is packed into them that we are still discovering today.... nothing else remotely compares to how much thought was put into them... These days there is absolutely no depth or thought put into Star Trek.... Star Trek use to be about deep Character building... At least TNG tried to carry on the torch, but really at TNG they had already begun to lose the old style Character building and Story telling
The metaphorical value of the lenses representing the two sides of Kirk's relationship with Spock and McCoy is very intriguing, especially when you consider that the linking piece of framework in a pair of glasses is called the bridge, and at its center sits the captain.
I love your extended metaphor, it goes above and beyond what I saw in Kirk's glasses! Kudos
I always thought that the lens broke when Kirk tossed the glasses onto the table. Whenever he had to put them on, to me, it seemed like he hated having to wear them.
Me too
Hello there. I just discovered your channel and I am impressed by the depth and thoughtfulness of your videos. I have been an English teacher for over 20 years and a Star Trek fan for another 20 years before that, and your videos really hit the mark of quality interpretation and analysis. Your foreshadowing video was excellent! I had never considered how Kirk's glasses got broken, but Nicholas Meyer is a classically trained writer/director, who has incorporated symbolism into his films, so I think your theory is probably the exact right one. One more comment from me--in one of the previous comments you mentioned that the Star Trek novels usually don't capture the spirit of the show. I would, generally speaking, agree with that, but there is one ST novel that I thought was excellent, and it read very much like an actual classic episode, and that is The Joy Machine by James Gunn (based on a script by none other than Theodore Sturgeon--which I'm sure helps to explain its classic feel). I would strongly recommend reading that novel if you haven't. Thanks for making such great videos, and please keep it up!
Wow! That’s some awesome feedback! It's wonderful knowing that there are those out there who appreciate my efforts. I’ll have to read The Joy Machine, which, coincidentally, had come up this past week in another online discussion. Your mention of Nicholas Meyer and symbolism reminded me about a googletalk he gave where he discusses symbolism in his movies. I’ve added it to my Wrath of Khan playlist if you’re interesting in checking it out. Thank you again for the comment and encouragement!
Jeff my friend..
I am very impressed by your words, your narration, articulation and the depth of your thought process.
You are are a special person..
Very nice... Jim
I am blown away....
Thank you Jim, that means a lot coming from someone with your wordsmithing abilities!
Since we're going with symbolism... I believe it was when, After Spock falls against the glass and Kirk says "No".
If you listen closely, you can even hear a little crack--A Crunching like sound as he slumps against the glass on the opposite side of his friend.
I'm sure the weight that was on this person at the time could penetrate the case just enough to brake the lens as he sunk down in pure defeat and remorse.
Knowing Kirk's devotion to duty. At that moment he would have blamed himself fully for the death of someone under his command. For the death of his friend.
"No, Jim! You'll flood the whole compartment!"
"He'll die!"
"Sir, he's dead already."
Perhaps there's the moment the lens broke.
I cried typing that out.
Why'd ya have to go and say that for? Now you're making me cry...
@@MetaTrek but it was a possible moment you missed.
I cried reading it. ❤
🖖
When he tried to approach Spock in the reactor chamber 3 guys grabbed him. You don't think the guy holding him around his waist couldn't have hit his glasses as they all struggled to stop Kirk?
You bring up a very good point. Yes, I think it's possible, and perhaps even probable, that the trainee could have hit Kirk's glasses. I don't believe, however, that it could account for the damage to Kirk's lens, as they were kept inside a hard, protective case. I did consider all the possible scenarios for how Kirk's glasses could have broken prior to making this video, and being damaged on the way to (or in) engineering was high on my list. Any force great enough to inflict that type of precise damage to a sturdy lens inside a protective case would have had to have injured Kirk as well. Thanks for the comment!
@@MetaTrek Maybe the explosion from the Torpedoe that hit the Saucer Section and caused explosions on the bridge? It did hurl Kirk into the side of his chair.
The torpedo from Reliant that hit the underside of Enterprise's saucer section happened during their first skirmish. Kirk used the glasses not long after that, when hunting Reliant's prefix code. The near miss of Reliant's torpedo as the Enterprise fled for the nebula, I don't know if that jostled Kirk sufficiently to break his glasses.
an approriate moment is when Kirk hits the blast door looking at Spock dying. His glasses shattered at that moment. He realizes his friend is dead. @@christopherjaskowiak9327
This is the greatest film ever made.
And thank you for doing a deep dive into this part of the story that I never previously considered.
I feel young
Thank you for the great comment! It a good feeling to know that I've gotten people thinking about Kirk's glasses in a new way.
I was a Kid in the 80s... and really Star Trek was the greatest, even when I hid behind a chair when a Big hand reached out towards the Crew... somehow that was scary to me back then....
But, I will always dream that some day Star Trek will be Great again as it was in the 80s.....
@@xaero76 “I have never trusted Kurtzman and I never will. I can never forgive him for the death of my Trek”
Based solely on my 1000+ viewings, the glasses were broken when ... Scotty's nephew asks for permission to pass away. He grabs Kirk's jersey. He is the blameless soul that offers up his life for his comrades. "He stayed at his post while the others ran."
There's a more tangible reason they broke, and the timing fits. When Kirk sees Spock dying, he rushes forward to save him. Scotty, McCoy, and some engineer trainee all grab Kirk to prevent him from opening the dilithium chamber. Any one of those men could have crushed Kirk's lens at the very moment they broke his heart with the news, "he's dead already." That still fits your narrative, but provides a physical agent as well. Just a thought.
Although others have mentioned the possibility that Kirk's glasses could have broken while he was being restrained in engineering, something that I too had considered while working on the video, I have determined that the hard case Kirk carried his glasses in would have been sufficient to protect them. You're the first who made an effort to make it work within the narrative I laid out. Thank you for posting your comment!
Y not?
Another thought that fits the timing: we last saw him wearing them in the Genesis cave. If he left them in the away-team jacket we see him change out of, and it was left somewhere in the ship (possibly the transporter room itself) that got knocked around more than the bridge did, they could still have been damaged in the battle. Then some cadet finds it and returns it to his quarters, where Kirk discovers they've been broken.
Since I re-watched the “Genesis Trilogy” recently, another point that might be made (I don’t know if any other commenter made it or not) is that Nicolas Meyer wrote the script for WOK and for Star Trek IV, and it was in Star Trek IV after Kirk had Spock and McCoy back that he sold the glasses in San Francisco. Perhaps symbolically, indicating that his correct vision and balance have been restored, so he no longer needed the glasses.
That is a great point, and wonderful continuation of the metaphor. It is interesting that the trouble with his vision went away after ST:II. Thanks for posting!
I always thought the glasses represented Kirk accepting that old age was inevitable, and when they broke they forced him to adapt and finish the book without them, just like he would have to adapt and be a starship captain no matter what his age was. Just like he was going to have to adapt to go on without his friend.
That's a wonderful and thoughtful interpretation of what Kirk's broken glasses represent! There have been a couple other really good interpretations posted here as well. Star Trek, like everything that is sufficiently complex, is polysemic. That makes all the different interpretations valid, since each comes from a different perspective. Thank you for sharing!
Exactly. And in real life, once he was made Admiral, he would likely have never commanded a ship again but for what he did in MOTION PICTURE because he fast talked Admiral Nogura.
Spock: wasn't those a gift from Dr McCoy? Kirk: and they will be again! That's the beauty of time travel 😂😂😂
That's a great analysis.
However, I'm not so sure the writers were that deep into the concept when writing the script. It was simply a moment in a scene to symbolize the hell they'd been through.
Thanks for commenting! We always like hearing alternative perspectives. Nicholas Myer gave a google talk that you might find interesting. He discusses the symbolic meaning found in movies. Cheers.
Kirk’s right eye was also the one that was scanned to gain access to the Genesis summary. “Forbidden fruit”? Reopening old wounds with Marcus. The discovery of his son? Do all these tie in somehow?
Some very insightful questions, it could very well have to do with Carol or David! I see Kirk's broken glasses as part of a larger exploration of Kirk's vision in the movie. The scanning of his right eye is another part of that exploration, in a very literal sense, and does tie in to the bigger picture symbolically. I plan to do a more encompassing video on the subject at some point in the future.
I love reading viewer comments and getting feedback, but please actually watch the video before posting alternate theories regarding when Kirk's glasses broke. I did consider every likely time that they could have broken before publishing this video (including when Kirk was held back in engineering), and it was only after I was convinced nothing could account for their breaking that I made this video. Thank you, and enjoy! 🖖
You should do a video on the genesis planet. But first read the trilogy of TNG books title The Genesis Wave. The books explains or rather Data explains the real reason the Genesis Planet imploded! No Genesis Wave and remember the genesis device was invented and created by be fired into a dead planet or moon creating the Genesis Wave then affect. Terraforming the planet from a dead one into a living breathing world. The Genesis device was never built to created a planet from nothing
it's truly wonderful when someone with a very keen and introspective perception allows me to look at something I have viewed hundreds of times over my lifetime and see it in a whole new way. I was 9 years old, two weeks shy of my 10th birthday, when I first saw Star Trek II TWOK in the theaters. Moments on screen, that stood out to me, more than anything, was the fact that it was, Kirk's birthday, Kirk's slight apprehension at receiving the spectacles as a birthday gift, the moment he had to make use of them on the damaged bridge of the Enterprise, especially cursing under his breath for having to put them on in front the everyone, and when he went to finish reading a tale of Two cities discovering the lens in his glasses for broken. As a child it made me think of my own mortality and how the perception of age and aging affects a man, especially a man like Kirk, someone whom everyone looks towards as a leader. At the time perhaps I was too young to truly understand the symbology which the glass is held or even the depth and perception of age. But it still had a profound impacting memory. Your wonderful video essay has allowed me to once again re-examine the finer nuance and detail of such things. I hope you produce future content on such levels, as it was undoubtedly fascinating. Thank you.
🖖😁👍 ♥️♥️♥️
Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful comments. I'm kinda blown away, so I don't know what more to say! Star Trek is good at make you think about things. I was just a few weeks shy of my 12 birthday when ST:II was released, and it was quite an experience for me too. It was much later that I started noticing the deeper meaning and symbolism behind it. There's plenty more to come, I was really just testing the water with this one to see what kind of a reaction I'd get from it. Based on comments like yours, I'll be doing a lot more of this in the months to come! Thank you again!
correction; Tale of Two Cities ends with a man sacrificing his life to save the husband of the woman he loves. He makes his sacrifice for her, not for "his friends".
Subtly different meaning; his sacrifice is actually more "altruistic" than merely dying to save his friends.
Btw, I was thinking while watching another of your videos... it would have been cool if the act of activating the warp drive is what killed Spock. Say, he went in to fix the whatsit, and the danger was that the warp drive would activate as soon as the whatsit was repaired. So when Kirk orders "Go Sulu!"... he'd be pronouncing Spock's death sentence; the warp drive activates, the radiation is released into the chamber Spock's in, and he slowly dies, because he can't come out without flooding the whole compartment with radiation. The later realization of that would really punch Kirk in the gut, IMO.
Kirk's glasses wouldn't have broken if they'd been made of transparent aluminum. So I blame Scotty. Because I want to.
I love your idea on how Spock's death could have went. I think they really missed the mark compared to the idea you had. Having Kirk be responsible for Spock's death would have be 10x more poignant than the way it happened. It also would have been more in line with the way Kirk originally would have felt in the earlier version of Spock's death, which would have happened during Khan's first attack. Powerful stuff man! Thanks for posting.
II totally agree with you on the breakage of Kirk's glasses as well as the ending of the Tale of Two Cities. Spock, McCoy and Kirk havealways been a three sided triumvirate. Spock the logic, McCoy the emotion and Kirk the understanding of how those come together. Wrath of Khan was a really good example of literature, and science fiction goming together. Thank you so much for your insight.
Thank you for your comment! I believe that, when looked at symbolically, Star Trek is filled with deeper meaning. It's my intent to continue exploring that deeper meaning on this channel.
You're really deep into this Trek, and I love it. Subscribing!
Thank you for the comment, and for subscribing!
I just discovered this channel...this is exactly the style of nerd content that I love. Great work!
Welcome aboard! Glad you enjoyed it!
OK I didn't watch this for the answer but I'm guessing it's when Scotty McCoy and the engineering tech grabbed Kirk in the engine room🤔
I'm reminded of Odin's relinquishing one of his eyes to Mimir in exchange for a drink from the well of wisdom.
Yes, exactly! When syncretized with mythological pantheons, we would equate Kirk with the "Dyeus Pater," the sky father/ king of the gods, or, in the case of Odin, the All-Father. As they age, they can lose their sight, or even become willfully blind (in this case, Kirk turning a blind eye to Khan for 15 years, which in the end cost him an eye, Spock.) The Egyptians had a variant on this them with The Eye of Horus, given to blinded Osiris by his son Horus to restore his vision. We'll be exploring this aspect of Trek more in the future on this channel. Very insightful, thank you for posting!
Great insight! I definitely agree with you.
Thank you! I really appreciate the feedback.
Just found your channel, and this is some really good content. My hypothesis on the glasses, matches yours with one addition. He sat on the glasses as he collapsed to the deck.
Welcome aboard! I'm glad you're enjoying the content!
Great and interesting video! Thank you for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I'm really enjoying your videos. They're insightful and rooted in a clear love of TOS and its characters. I don't know that Meyer and Burnett intended the glasses breaking to symbolize the loss of Spock and the loss of some of Kirk's perspective, but your theory is brilliant. I think Meyer and Burnett were symbolizing the nature of human life, its fragility and the ultimately inescapable fate we all share: death. Kirk faced and overcame his mortality in a sense in The Motion Picture. Twelve years later in TWOK, he's resigned himself to the notion--his own notion, perhaps not even Starfleet's--that "galloping around the cosmos is a game for the young." His second fight with mortality comes with a loss he couldn't have anticipated or prevent: Spock's sacrifice. He sees the glasses are broken and tosses them on the table with "A Tale of Two Cities." I take it as a moment of admitting defeat, that this time, he couldn't cheat death. He can't do everything, especially now that he's an older man, including see properly without corrective lenses. In comes his son, who symbolizes the life he "could have had, but didn't," and reminds him of the lesson he imparted to Saavik earlier: "How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life." Kirk has forgotten this; he's given up on his own life (which for Kirk is the center seat) and with Spock gone, he's all but resigned to give up completely. After his moment with David, he's healed, realizing that, just as with his son, it's not too late, that there are "always possibilities." Spock's death and meeting David has made him "feel young." In Star Trek IV, we seek Kirk sell his glasses so that he can find a way to save the future. Yet he does this with the old Kirk's optimism and hope, telling Spock that though he's selling a gift from Dr. McCoy, he'll get them again one day. Star Trek IV is all about rebirth and restoration, and by the end of the film, Kirk has reunited his family and regained command of the Enterprise. That would have been the perfect way to either end the movies or lead into a new TV series, but I'm rambling now. Keep up the great work! I look forward to more videos in the future.
I really like your interpretation of Kirk's broken glasses, and the extended metaphor regarding the final scene in Kirk's quarters. The great thing about Star Trek is that it's complex enough to be polysemic.
@@MetaTrek I completely agree! What I love about your take is that is supports my life-long (over 40 years now) thesis about Trek: It's not about starships or adventure or exploration or even social issues. It's about what makes us human, themes like loyalty, friendship, sacrifice, duty, and honor. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy's relationship is the heart of what Trek is. Of the Trek series to follow TOS, only DS9 really understood this and build those relationships. Your observation that Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are a team that are incomplete without any of the parts is brilliant. Thanks for taking the time to reply!
A really great analysis. Do you have a transcript of it? I find the dramatic movie clip inserts distracting.
Thanks for the comment! For a transcript, reopen the video, to the right of the description there's the number of likes, share, =+, Save, and ... Click on the three dots and select open transcript and a transcript will open to the right of the video.
Outstanding analysis. Thanks for posting this and for sharing your thoughts.
Much appreciated!
It could also be a literal moment of breaking at Spock's death, because before, he was always careful to put them away, but when he rushes to find Spock and has his last moment with him, Kirk loses composure and collapses in grief. I definitely agree, though, that you make a great point about the symbolism and where it fits into the film, coinciding with Kirk losing Spock
As for losing Spock also results in losing perspective, I think there's also the renewal that Kirk gets as a result of finding a new relationship with his son in that same scene, and, of course, the beauty of a new world that Spock's sacrifice contributed towards. A loss and a gain.
Riker: well that's a first...what did you do Doctor? The Doctor: show the Borg who they was tangling with and how big of a mistake that would be
Very good analysis of a great movie. I'll be seeing Shatner give commentary on wrath of Khan in March. Maybe I'll ask him his thoughts. As an aside, I wanted to mention that when my friends and family first saw the movie, the broken glasses reminded all of us of the death of John Lennon a few years earlier. I'm not saying that was intended, but the sight of the broken glasses immediately brought him to mind.
That would be awesome if you do ask Shatner about the broken glasses! If you do, you'll have to let us know what he says.
I agree with your analysis and most people don't recognize the importance Star Trek
It's sad but true. The world would be a much worse place had _Star_ _Trek_ never existed.
Man i gotta go back and see but i swear he noticed the broken lens in the first battle, in the prefix code scene. at least, that's what i always thought the cursing was when he takes them out of the case from the time i was a kid. That and the fact he feels like he's getting old from having to use them to begin with.
Either that or he accidentally banged into something during his hectic dash from the Bridge all the way down to Engineering. That's quite a climb!
Great point. I had thought of that possibility too, but I ultimately had to dismiss it. Mainly on the grounds that a direct blunt force impact strong enough to damage the lens through the glasses protective case would most likely have injured Kirk as well. Thanks for pointing that out!
@@MetaTrek True but only if the case were of the rigid type. Do we ever get a good look at it?
(I don't disagree about the symbolism you described BTW)
We get two brief glimpses; once in Kirk's apartment, and again on the bridge after Khan's first attack.
@@MetaTrek That's what I remember too. They looked like the soft "sheath" type of container to my eyes but I wouldn't swear to it
You might be remembering the red satin bag that McCoy handed Kirk. The case itself was white and hinged along one side. Kirk opens it to get to his glasses in the bridge scene. It's funny, in the original series the Star Fleet Uniforms didn't have pockets, per Roddenberry's request. This is also true in TMP and TNG, only the red uniforms in ST:II-VI had pockets. I guess no one told Myer that they don't have pockets in the future!
Loved that analysis!
Thank you! Be sure to subscribe (if you haven't already) so you don't miss my next video!
Great video and great research! Are you a film major or studied the arts?
Thank you for the complement! No formal training, I like to think of myself as a self-education man, and I'm also an artist (I create all of the artwork for my videos).
You've laid out a compelling argument, and, for the most part, you did it well, but the title is "WHEN did Krik's Glasses Break?" (emphasis mine). You pointed out the symbolism beautifully and made the movie all the more poignant for me because I never really bothered looking for symbolism. Further, you briefly said that his glasses broke at the moment of Spock's death, but you never really demonstrated that point. So your title is actually somewhat misleading. In a college classroom, that would cost you points.
Having said that, from what I've seen so far, yours is likely the finest Trek-only channel I've come across, so I am compelled to subscribe. Your analyses are among the most intellectual, compelling and well constructed I have seen. More importantly, the topics you select are far more satisfying than those of other Trek channels. I salute you.
I did struggle with the title. I'd already used How in a couple other titles, Why would have worked, but it seemed that I focused mostly on when they broke so I went with that. BTW, If you're interested, I included a talk by Nicholas Meyer in my TWoK playlist because he discusses symbolism in his movies. I didn't demonstrate the point of how Kirk's glasses broke when Spock died, because it truly is a mystery, like the veil being torn in two when Christ died. How did it happen? I don't know, but I believe Spock's death is why it happened, and when it happened. So again, may I have my points back please . . . ?
I don't even know how to respond to the end of your comment except to say, wow, you blew me away man. That's praise of the highest order! Thank you, it really means a lot.
@@MetaTrek I love your analogy of the tearing of the veil. For that kind of profundity, I shall restore all your points and add the "plus" sign. LOL
As I recall, the novelization of the film covers the glasses. Also, the novelization of ST4 has an interesting subplot involving Kirk's spectacles.
Interesting idea, but on a practical level, the glasses were on a ship that was repeatedly attacked, and not safe in a glasses case, so they could have been damaged during the events surrounding Spock's death, so doubly symbolic.
Maybe Kirk was holding them when he screamed "Khhhaaaaaaan!!!!".
Clenched his fist and they broke. 😆
The bigger question is when were the glasses even manufactured? The pawn shop got them from Kirk in 1986. McCoy got them from a dealer in 2282. Kirk got them from McCoy the same year. When were they made?
According to the antique store owner in ST:IV, they were from the 18th century. It's safe to say at least the frame was that old, it would seem likely that the lens were from the 23rd century. Another question is how many copies of those glasses are out there, being that they are part of a time loop!
Great sentiment but his glasses were broken in engineering when Kirk was blocked from entering the intermix chamber to save Spock another powerful moment in the movie.
Just because you think you found a cause doesn't mean he's wrong in his analysis. Why the glasses were focused on is the question. Besides, they hardly touched him in that moment, definitely not enough to somehow shatter a lens but not bend the frame.
@@baconsnot Well when he presented as the only cause I have to disagree. Not that the director couldn't have done some suddle foreshadowing considering how "Tail of two cities" was part of the narrative and speaking as someone the has wore glasses "wire frames" it doesn't take a lot break them.
I'm more curious as to why the right lens broke in the first place. In the novelization of Star Trek III it states that the frames were antique, but the lenses were contemporary 23rd Century. The lenses should have been unbreakable - especially as they were protected in their case.
I disagree. If eyeglasses were contemporary technology in the 23rd century, Kirk would already have one or more pairs. The gift was an antique. It's a sticking point in the plot to me that Kirk has defective vision readily corrected (back when the movie was made) by eyeglasses and contact lens, but he doesn't take care of it because he's allergic to the drug used to fix it on a biological level. That's like saying Starfleet doesn't know how to make a sword, spear or gunpowder firearm because they all use phasers.
@@qdllc McCoy said it was difficult finding them with the lenses intact.
@@wadebarnett2542 - Then, get new lenses made.
I think in the novelization, Kirk's glasses broke when he sat on them. ;)
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Wrath Of Khan has been one of my personal top 3 movies ever for nearly forty years now. My view, the book was a gift from Spock and the glasses a gift from McCoy. With the presence of Spock's katra, McCoy is damaged, just like the spectacles are. Kirk is unable to read the book because of this. With McCoy troubled (symbolized by the cracked lens) thusly, Kirk cannot "see" Spock (the book) and is unable to ascertain what has happened with Spock's spirit. I hope I'm making some sense!
That makes a lot of sense to me. A slightly different, but equally valid perspective. I don't remember if I kept it in the video or not, but I had a couple lines where I point out that when one lens is damaged, the pair of lenses become useless, and the loss of Spock leads to the loss of McCoy in short order. Thank you for being willing to share your personal view! Cheers
@@MetaTrek thanks! Yes, the great friendship of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy was torn asunder with Spock's death, and that friendship was the foundation of Kirk's life. Spock was gone, McCoy was damaged, and Kirk was then left adrift (symbolized by his inability to see).
Cool analysis - and I don't mean to nitpick, but it wasn't the right lens that was cracked. It was the left one. But overall well done video. Wrath of Khan is one of my favourite movies, and has been since I was a little kid.
We rented it one weekend (mum was a huge trekkie) my mum and dad and I. The Sunday I was sick. Monday, dad was at work just mum and I home. She asked if I felt better. I thought the best answer was to say yes - even though I didn't want to go to school. I said " I feel better". Mum: "oh, well I thought if you were still sick we could watch Wrath of Khan again" Me: (crap!!) "Uhhhh well, I don't really feel great, maybe I should stay home". HAHAHAHAHA. So we watched it. Twice actually. Then I went back to bed.
Good analysis otherwise:) And I am REALLY glad that you didnt get into any of that "bootstrap" time paradox crap that people insist on babbling about. When Kirk sells the glasses to the antique shop when they go back in time to find some whales. People go to great lengths "there were 2 pairs of the same glasses!!" It is very very very annoying. Clearly the concept of 1 single item continuing through time is too hard to swallow. But you didnt go anywhere near that, good video though!
Thanks for sharing that memory you have of your mum, that sounds like a special time! I usually have so much to say regarding any topic I choose that I work real hard to keep the videos focused on just that one topic. As for which lens was cracked, left or right can be a little confusing depending on if your referring to the person wearing the glasses, or if you mean when you're looking at the person. Just to clarify, the lens that broke was over Kirk's right eye.
I agree cuz they made a point to show the broken glasses
He dukes it out on the Genesis planet. Are there scenes after that when the glasses are shown intact, or is the only other scene when he sees them broken? I ask because a violent scuffle with the Klingon commander is the most likely cause of breaking them.
What I find interesting is that by the time of Star Trek IV, some weeks or even months later, Kirk sells the glasses back on 20th Century Earth, with the lens still broken. In all that time, surely Kirk could've have the lens melted down and returned to its original form - just as Spock's Katra has been reconstituted into his reanimated body. So, why did Kirk choose not to have the lens repaired? Did he just forget about it, or did he have some symbolic reason for not doing so?
That is an interesting observation. I'll have to give it some thought . . . thanks for posting!
I believe Spock was a good leader / teacher for Kirk. He always had answers for all of Kirk's situations. McCoy was Kirk's left hand man. He always knew what was best for Kirk. The broken lens in Kirk's glasses I believe represents Spock's dearth , half of Kirk's vision is now blurred by the loss of his friend.While McCoy is represented by the unbroken lens.
I think you're on to something. Thanks for posting!
I refuse to believe they would break that easily
That is a seriously deep interpretation!
Thank you, I try. More to come if you like that sort of thing.
@@MetaTrek oh yes, I loved this analysis. Very deep and beautiful. Keep up the fantastic work!
To me, the glasses represent having to look at things, as a 50-year old Admiral. The right lense could represent Spock, the left lens could represent Bones, and the shattered lens represents Spock's life force taken away.
Kirk gets rid of the glasses in Star Trek 4...to look at things as a Captain again. He no longer needed the glasses
It's time for a Star Trek movie reboot with anybody but J.J. Abrams at the helm. He actually destroyed the two biggest science fiction franchises in movie history, Star Wars and Star Trek. Nice going, J.J.
Couldn't agree more.
After seeing WoK for the umpteenth time with my college friends, I said something like, "Yeah, that's not symbolic or anything." One friend asked what I meant, so I literally had to explain it to him. He was like, "OHHH, I get it!"
It took me umpteen views to catch that bit of symbolism as well! It wasn’t until I saw it on the big screen again about 7 years ago that it finally clicked for me. I’m glad to see others noticed it too. Kodos to you for your sharp eye!
Also shouldn't Bones given Kirk a eye examine before giving him glasses?
Flawless logic!
GREAT VIDEO
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Okay, I wasn't sure where the video was going to take me, but I'm pleased with how it ended up. There is a lot to what you say, and though you may be reaching, I can see this as the kind of subtlety that might have been inlaid where it wouldn't be expected but could be found by the determined seeker. And, with the additional insight that glass can be recycled and renewed, it also could be said to foreshadow the events of Star Trek III.
Do I think you're reaching? Yes. But I agree with your perceptions and conclusions in spite of that. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it! I like the idea of foreshadowing STIII. If your interested, I did a whole video on foreshadowing. Thanks for commenting!
@@MetaTrek I've already watched it, and liked it too. 😀 It was part of the reason I mentioned foreshadowing here. 🙂 Well done!
@@thatpatrickguy3446 Awesome!
Interesting theory as to how/why the glasses broke and putting it into a psychological perspective. However, if you're linking it that way it's a reach since it was long believed that the left side of the brain (your left) was the logical half and the right was more creative. You essentially have it backwards to try to fit your conclusion.
It would have been a nice nod to the writers or the universe of Star Trek if they did have the other lens (your left lens if you're wearing them) break. It would have been some nice symbolism. It still does hold up as symbolic, but not quite on the nose as you're trying to make out. It seems production just chose a side at random to break because the script called for it.
That is my understanding of way the brain is divided too. But it is also my understanding that the left side of the brain is connected to and controls the right side of the body, and vice versa, which means that the right eye is connected to the left, logical side of the brain.
Is it possible that the book that Spock gives to Kirk is an indication of his feelings, and his dedication and gratitude to the crew?
Maybe he's saying that he is willing to sacrifice himself to help them should the need arise.
That's what Kirk seemed to think at the end of the movie, and I tend to agree. Thanks for posting!
I always liked the parallel used in star trek 4 as well
Indeed, when Kirk leaves the glasses behind in the 1980's, that means that there are now two pair of those glasses in existence!
Notice it's only one lense is cracked. The glasses are not broken and getting a new lense shouldn't been that difficult
Yes! When did Kirk's broken has glasses.
I don't buy the comments that say the glasses were broken when Kirk was held back from entering the chamber. There definitely wasn't enough force to break a glass lens, and also somehow not bend the frame.
Thank you for your comment. You bring up a good point about the frame not being bent. I hadn't considered that. Kudos to you!
Yes sir, you are overthinking it.
Here at Meta Trek, we prefer the term re-thinking.
It’s Star Trek, not real life.
@@leewatts5956 That is it.
So why would anyone in the 23rd century not have near perfect eyesight? We are close to that now and not that far away when this movie was made. The exception of course could be eyes that had been destroyed by disease or injury.
That's a great point, and after TWoK, Kirk never seemed to have any more trouble with his eyes. All the more reason to view the issue with Kirk's eyesight as symbolic.
Spock was the most human. Or, maybe not.
Fascinating!!!!!!
So Good
Thank you!
Yes, he sat on them at the death scene.
Assimilation the Star Trek TNG/Doctor Who crossover. The Borg beams the Doctor on to a cube. He shows the Borg. Who he is and why he can turn a army around by the mention of his name. The Borg beams the Doctor back on to the bridge of the Enterprise and bolts. I mean they literally run away at maximum trans warp
Fine. When did Kirk get the chance to read "A Tale of Two Cities"? It ain't short.
It's likely that the average 23rd century man would be a speed reader by our standards, and Kirk is no average man!
I’m not crying, you’re crying.
It still gets to me every time!
@@MetaTrek I’ve been watching it since I was 7 when it came out in ‘82 at the theaters. It strangely didn’t start affecting me (had me bawling) until about 17 years ago.
No mystery in Star Trek III Kirk tossed them on the desk hard and cracked a lens
All I ask is a tall ship, and a star to steer her by.
A quote so nice, they used it twice! (In "The Ultimate Computer" and _Star_ _Trek_ _V_ )
Not Bad!!! (A little like Odin)
Exactly! And Osiris too. Kudos to you for noticing the connection!
Movie writers use to put a lot of thought in to their scripts. Today's corporate cookie cutter movies can't measure up.
How they were broken isn't as important as what the fractured lens represents.
Yes indeed, especially since how they broke will always be a mystery. Thanks for posting!
I wonder if any of the novels (2 or 3) explain it
Thanks for the suggestion! It was too intriguing a possibility to ignore, so I dug out the novelization of The Wrath of Khan, but unfortunately it had nothing to add.
@@MetaTrek what about 3 or even 4? I haven't read any of the movie novels, but now I'm wanting to read them lol
Perhaps the most fascinating is The Motion Picture novelization, written by Gene Roddenberry himself. It has a few major surprises, one of the biggest is the identity of the woman who dies in the transporter accident. They all add details, and even entire scenes, not found in the movies, and since they were published around the release of each movie, there are some interesting differences.
@@MetaTrek that's cool. Never knew that. Now I really want to read them. Have to add it to my list. I'm currently reading some Star Wars novels
@@pqsk It is worthwhile, having read it myself - I think it both consciously and unconsciously reveals a lot more than the series and ST:TMP could about Roddenberry's thinking and character.
3:50 CBS? Let's go down the rabbit hole. Star Trek made by Desilu and aired on NBC. Desilu was bought out by Gulf+Western and turned into Paramount Television. 1, 2, skip a few Paramount+ and CBS.
Just finished reading Star Trek The Next Generation: The Genesis Wave BK 3. If you think the genesis planet imploded because David Marcus used proto matter in the genesis matrix think again....the planet imploded because there was no genesis wave
I guess it was the books that you read that says Genesis imploded? The movie shows it exploding, shooting material outward into space. Do the books say what happened to the planet after Kirk and crew escaped?
@@MetaTrek the planet disintegrated. Captain Picard contacts ambassador Spock about the Genesis project. Spock tells Picard best speak to Carol Marcus she possesses the knowledge to stop the wave. Thing is Carol Marcus is 120 years old and has dementia. Spock has to perform a mind meld to get the knowledge Picard needs to stop the genesis wave. Spock gets emotional seeing Kirk in the mind meld he also experiences Carol's pain over the death of David and Kirk's cold distance. Spock regrets volunteering Kirk to the mission where the Enterprise escorted Chancellor Gorkon through federation space. I always thought that was cruel of Spock given what happened on the Genesis planet. Ok he wanted to show Kirk not all Klingons are barbaric murderers and Kirk does realize that. He just couldn't get pass the death of his son and his predjuices he felt towards the Klingons
See... this is why ToS/Movie Series was the best of all time... and everything else is a waste of resources...
There is so much seen and unseen that is packed into them that we are still discovering today.... nothing else remotely compares to how much thought was put into them...
These days there is absolutely no depth or thought put into Star Trek....
Star Trek use to be about deep Character building... At least TNG tried to carry on the torch, but really at TNG they had already begun to lose the old style Character building and Story telling
That's why I am wringing it out! I really appreciate the thought they put into it. I have discovered such depth the more I look.