Another "old friend" not doing well | Report this post to moderator
By: vich (Odo's file, contact) @ 14:31:16 on Jul 05, 2004

My prayers go out to Mr. Doohan and his family.

My further thoughts on the aging of the beloved TOS crew...

Reply

Quote

james "scotty" doohan | Report this post to moderator
By: sinnerman (Odo's file, contact) @ 15:32:05 on Jul 03, 2004

i lost my mother to alzheimer's, my sis to diabetes complicated by gall bladder cancer, so my thoughts and prayers go to his wife and family.

they are not easy diseases to deal with, and we all know the final outcome at this juncture in medical knowledge.

clear sailing, james!

Reply

Quote

Jimmy Doohan | Report this post to moderator
By: Postdoc (Odo's file, contact) @ 16:00:00 on Jul 02, 2004

I was lucky enough to see Doohan at convention appearances several times. He was gracious, courteous, smart (I'm sure he still is) and he signs one heck of a signature when he personalizes your photo. "Relics" is spilt milk at this point, let's do what's possible to see that all future guest shots are handled well. I wish Mr. Doohan the best.

Reply

Quote

That is sad to hear | Report this post to moderator
By: Brian Langlois (Odo's file, contact) @ 10:24:30 on Jul 02, 2004

My thoughts are with James Doohan and his family. That is a hard thing to deal with and the thoughts of Trek fans everywhere go out to him. Scotty has always been my favorite TOS character. I'm glad he finally got that Star on the Walk of Fame. Take care, Mr. Doohan.

Reply

Quote

In a sarcastic light ... | Report this post to moderator
By: MarkMat (Odo's file, contact) @ 10:15:07 on Jul 02, 2004

C'mon B&B haters. You can do it. You can blame all of Doohan's health problems on Berman and Braga. C'mon. You know you want to do it!!!!!! Jerks.

Reply

Quote

• RE: In a sarcastic light ... | Report this post to moderator
  By: 5k (Odo's file, contact) @ 19:52:37 on Jul 04, 2004

  Wow Odo. I didn't know you had that powerfull of a voice.

  
  

  Reply

  Quote

• RE: In a sarcastic light ... | Report this post to moderator
  By: SirTrekker (Odo's file, contact) @ 10:56:12 on Jul 02, 2004

  It wouldn't surprise me if someone did, considering that most of us want to blame Rick Berman and Brannon Braga for absolutely everything else on the planet. Mind you, they're no friends of mine; I have strong opinions against many things they've done and are doing with the Star Trek franchise, but some of the more vociferous bashers are almost obscene in their hatred. It's really very sad that Trek fandom has come to this sorry state.
  
  All my best wishes go to James Doohan and his family. He has been an inspiration to me and so many others, and will continue to be for decades to come.

  
  

  Reply

  Quote

What's really sad.... | Report this post to moderator
By: The Flashlight (Odo's file, contact) @ 23:25:23 on Jul 01, 2004

...is what Berman did to Doohan's character in his only appearance on TNG. Instead of treating the character with respect and dignity, Scotty was turned into a bumbling old coot, babbling endlessly with war stories and sounding like Dana Carvey's Grumpy Old Man with cranky admonishments to Geordi about the younger generations' lack of respect for its elders. That, and the humiliating sequence of Scotty getting plastered on green booze on the holodeck . If ever there was evidence of Berman's utter antipathy toward TOS (other than Kirk's disgraceful death), it was this sickening episode. I wanted to throw the TV out the window when the writers had the audacity to have Geordi spew disrespect to Scotty, who instead should have been serving this great man his cups of coffee and washing his uniform in hopes of being thrown any scrap of knowledge from the table of Starfleet's greatest engineer. Scotty should have been treated like the living legend he was, as they treated Spock in Reunification. Instead, they shamed the character.

Reply

Quote

• RE: What's really sad.... | Report this post to moderator
  By: rabelais (Odo's file, contact) @ 23:48:05 on Jul 02, 2004

  You know, I rather enjoyed "Relics" and thought it was a delightful tribute to the character; getting plastered on the holodeck and everything else. However, I CAN see how all of it could be construed as "shaming" the character. But if that were truly the case, then you might as well say that "By any other name" shamed the character as well, with Scotty getting falling down drunk and passing out. Or how about his utterly racist remarks about Klingons in Trek VI?
  
  Nope. To my mind, "Relics" was a tribute, and a good one to boot.
  
  Truth is though, right now, I'm thinking of "Sarek", as well as my own uncle's descent into senescence. When I think of how James Doohan participated in the Normandy landings of '44 with the Canadian army, and what a long, distinguished career he had, it makes me sad. Enjoy your good health, people!
  
  --------
  
  "Dieu fort, Père paterne
  Qui mua l'eau en vin,
  Fais de mon cul lanterne
  Pour luyre à mon voisin."
  - Panurge, dans le Cinquième Livre de Françoys Rabelais

  
  

  Reply

  Quote

• RE: What's really sad.... | Report this post to moderator
  By: Jadzia-Dax (Odo's file, contact) @ 11:31:13 on Jul 02, 2004

  I wanted to express my sincere sympathy to Doohan's family and appreciation for all Doohan's hard work over the decades in many venues in Trek (including voicing many of the parts in the TOS Animated Series). My brother-in-law's father died around Easter time after suffering from Alzheimer's, dementia, and cancer, so I know what type of stress that this can bring to a family. He was in his 80s as well and I miss him because he was the nicest, most down-to-earth guy.
  
  And I hate to see that this thread has turned like this, however I would agree with what you said about TNG "Relics" and it is something that I have posted about a number of times on this site before. It was an utter disgrace what was done to the character in an episode that was supposed to be a "tribute. Yet even the episode name "Relics" evokes a "has-been" feel to the whole thing, suggesting that what remained in him was but a tiny glimmer of what he supposedly "once was". But if anything, the episode should have been titled "Legends" instead.
  
  However I put the blame SQUARELY ON on a writer who everyone around here loves so and genuflects to, the crafter of the silly re-imagining of BSG:
  
  Ronald D. Moore
  
  Yes, the SAME one who crafted the death of Kirk.
  
  
  
  Moore has been one the architects of the destruction of TOS and TNG, along with his former writing partner and buddy Brannon Braga, because his focus was to do a show which would be the antithesis of those previous 2 - a show NOT created by Roddenberry, and it was called DS9. And if not for the likes of Behr and Echevarria and Micahel Taylor, one can imagine what DS9 might have become with respect to whether it would have anything to do with the original concepts of Star Trek at all, outside of name-dropping and glancing references to the previous shows.
  
  --------
  
  "I think the show talked to people through the characters. They're stories that speak to the heart. They talk about love, they talk about friendship, they talk about loyalty, they talk about patriotism, exploration, curiosity, reaching out... And I think all those things still touch people. Even when you look at a 30-year old show, it still has something to say." - D.C. Fontana, Sci Fi Channel Special Edition TOS 1998
  ----
  "If the season finale involves the re-built USS Reliant coming back in time to the 21st Century crewed by Moogie, Dr. Selar, Morn, Transporter Chief Kyle, and the Salt Vampire, then we'll know that Coto has gone too far." - tomba1701

  
  

  Reply

  Quote

• You obviously missed the point of the episode. | Report this post to moderator
  By: motionblur (Odo's file, contact) @ 02:13:17 on Jul 02, 2004

  In the end, Scotty helped the save the day and proved to be as useful in old age as he was in his prime. He was a hero at the end of the episode.

  
  

  Reply

  Quote

• Hmm... | Report this post to moderator
  By: Sxottlan (Odo's file, contact) @ 02:08:16 on Jul 02, 2004

  Well, I pretty much disagree with every single thing you said. Oh well.

  
  

  Reply

  Quote

• I agree with every single word you just wrote | Report this post to moderator
  By: GreginWA (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 01:06:16 on Jul 02, 2004

  Its always astonished me that "Relics" is considered one of the best of the TNG episodes. Its a horrible treatment of a legendary character and I'd just assume it didn't happen.

  
  

  Reply

  Quote

• RE: What's really sad.... | Report this post to moderator
  By: spacebeluga (Odo's file, contact) @ 23:36:20 on Jul 01, 2004

  Do you really have to turn this into an excuse for Trek bashing?

  
  

  Reply

  Quote

  • RE: What's really sad.... | Report this post to moderator
    By: The Flashlight (Odo's file, contact) @ 01:12:18 on Jul 02, 2004

    Do you really have to be so fantastically dense? Pointing out that that episode dishonored the character of Scotty and that Doohan deserved a better sendoff (until Generations, anyway) isn't "Trek bashing". I grieve for Doohan, Alzheimer's is a terrible fate...I simply wish the modern powers-that-be of Trek had treated the character as the member of TV royalty that he was.

    
    

    Reply

    Quote

    • RE: What's really sad.... | Report this post to moderator
      By: TrippingOverGod (Odo's file, contact) @ 03:39:16 on Jul 02, 2004

      They did! There was clear reverence for him throughout the episode, but they needed a STORY to go with it - they couldn't have "The inferior crew of the USS Enterprise D, who could never be as good a crew as the original, sit around and gawp at Scotty, while he regails them with tales of his past and gives the engineers now useless advice".
      
      The fact is that Scotty no longer has knowledge of Federation engines. He's been out of the loop for something like 70 years, whilst IN the loop of a transporter buffer. He WAS in the way, and just because "he's SCOTTY", doesn't mean that they shouldn't be frank with him about that kind of thing.
      
      And as other people have said, by the end of the episode, Scotty is a hero again, whilst teaching Geordi some of the old original series ways. What more do you want?

      
      

      Reply

      Quote

Sad | Report this post to moderator
By: covetom (Odo's file, contact) @ 15:18:46 on Jul 01, 2004

That's sad to hear, though it's been obvious for some time that his health was bad. I hope, though, that he's in good enough shape to be able to attend the dedication ceremony for his Walk of Fame star and appreciate the outpouring of love and support from fans.

--------

=Tom=

Reply

Quote

• Chechov | Report this post to moderator
  By: Snails (Odo's file, contact) @ 19:53:10 on Jul 01, 2004

  I also hope Walter Koenig receives a star.

  
  

  Reply

  Quote

• RE: Sad | Report this post to moderator
  By: GustavoLeao (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 16:52:25 on Jul 01, 2004

  My thoughts are with Jimmy Doohan and his family.
  
  Gustavo
  
  --------
  
  TrekWeb.com Supervising Editor
  
  gl2000@uol.com.br

  
  

  Reply

  Quote

• RE: Sad | Report this post to moderator
  By: Osnard (Odo's file, contact) @ 16:37:26 on Jul 01, 2004

  I think every Trekkie is saddened by the news. At least he's lived a very full life to this point. I wonder if his infant son is going to have memories of him...
  
  --------
  
  "It's a sexual contract rooted in monogamy, patriarchy and the preservation of private property that historically hasn't worked very well for, oh, women. It's increasingly obsolete and fails to reflect the way most Americans live. And its most vocal proponents--gay and straight--dress it up in all sorts of romantic nonsense that's deeply offensive to single people. They'd have you believe that it's the best and only way to love, have sex, become an adult, rear children and form a household."
  
  Richard Kim on marriage
  

  
  

  Reply

  Quote

  • His... | Report this post to moderator
    By: Mardus (Odo's file, contact) @ 21:23:51 on Jul 02, 2004

    ... infant son?

    
    

    Reply

    Quote

  • RE: Sad | Report this post to moderator
    By: BringBackKirk (Odo's file, contact) @ 14:44:26 on Jul 02, 2004

    It's definitely a sad time for the Doohan family. I wish them well as Mr. Doohan battles this disease.

    
    

    Reply

    Quote