# TOS: Catspaw **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 10, 2017, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425 "2017-10-10T01:00:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/21 "2017-10-10T17:24:13Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > And on that cheery note… ☹ Holy crap…[Sylvia is still alive??](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoinette_Bower) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/22 "2017-10-10T17:28:19Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > A few puppet strings weren’t a problem. Have you \*seen \*the things they put together? They were basically made from pipe cleaners and party feathers! They could easily have found some other way to move them, like with a blow dryer f’rinstance. [![](https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5547/10918936494_a71a838f9a_b.jpg) ](https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5547/10918936494_a71a838f9a_b.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/23 "2017-10-10T17:30:48Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Holy crap…[Sylvia is still alive??](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoinette_Bower) Hey, 85 is the new 60! :o ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/24 "2017-10-10T18:28:53Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Bit slow…I’ve always liked the aliens and the alienness about them, Sylvias desire for sensations. > > One interesting note: > > Spock: “The cat, one of the most ruthless and terrifying of creatures.” Spock? ok…course Vulcan does have terrifying [cats.](http://geeksyndicate.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/TASYY.jpg) > [@terentii](#): > > That’s a \*sehlat \*… a fat teddy bear with six-inch fangs. :o Yeah, but the le-matya squaring off against I-Chaya does resemble a cat. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/25 "2017-10-10T19:17:10Z")
I was in my 30s before I realized what ‘catspaw’ even meant. While there was probably a pun there as there was indeed a cat in the ep, I assumed that the title was a reference to the feline guest star. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/26 "2017-10-10T19:18:15Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Have you \*seen \*the things they put together? They were basically made from pipe cleaners and party feathers! They could easily have found some other way to move them, like with a blow dryer f’rinstance. > > [https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5547/10918936494\_a71a838f9a\_b.jpg](https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5547/10918936494_a71a838f9a_b.jpg) All they did was die. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/27 "2017-10-10T19:19:42Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Theo Marcuse was fortunate he lived long enough to have an acting career. One of many war heroes from WWII. > > [Theo Marcuse - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theo_Marcuse) Comander Street received the Medal of Honor. What were is crew, chopped liver? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/28 "2017-10-10T20:48:08Z")
Interesting they showed the death of two very small, puppet aliens. Something the audience had no attachment too. I guess showing the two human like figures die wouldn’t be as family friendly. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/29 "2017-10-10T21:01:54Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Interesting they showed the death of two very small, puppet aliens. Something the audience had no attachment too. > > I guess showing the two human like figures die wouldn’t be as family friendly. Korob was already dead. Sylvia killed him in the dungeon, in human form. Oops! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/30 "2017-10-10T21:17:35Z")
I’d forgotten that Korob died earlier. I always found the way Star Trek handled death interesting. Gunsmoke, Matt Dillion shot the bad guy down in the street. Then had a stiff drink in the Long Branch. Star Trek always manipulates it as a regrettable result of Kirk protecting the ship & crew. He rarely just shoots somebody with a phaser set to kill. It’s so unfortunate the aliens died after smashing the transmuter thing. 😃 Catspaw is one of my favorite episodes. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/31 "2017-10-10T22:32:18Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Gunsmoke, Matt Dillion shot the bad guy down in the street. Then had a stiff drink in the Long Branch. On _ **The Rifleman** _, Lucas would sit around reading the Bible after washing the dinner dishes with Mark. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/32 "2017-10-10T22:43:04Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Star Trek always manipulates it as a regrettable result of Kirk protecting the ship & crew. He rarely just shoots somebody with a phaser set to kill. I don’t think he ever personally killed someone, did he? Even when he had the chance to finish off the Gorn, he refused to do it. Ordering your WO to destroy an enemy vessel with hundreds of crew aboard isn’t the same as zapping them yourself. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/33 "2017-10-10T22:47:08Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’d forgotten that Korob died earlier. So, apparently, did everyone else. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/34 "2017-10-11T00:39:01Z")
A quandary: it seems Korob died in the dungeon when the door fell on him, however after Kirk wrecks the transmuter and the aliens revert to their actual forms, Korob is still moving (he’s the one on the right [I’m screwing witcha]) along with Sylvia (she’s the one on the right :smack:) and they both expire shortly after–I just watched a YouTube clip of it. Explain. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/35 "2017-10-11T00:54:29Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > A quandary: it seems Korob died in the dungeon when the door fell on him, however after Kirk wrecks the transmuter and the aliens revert to their actual forms, Korob is still moving (he’s the one on the right [I’m screwing witcha]) along with Sylvia (she’s the one on the right :smack:) and they both expire shortly after–I just watched a YouTube clip of it. Explain. They spent $500 on both puppets and by God, they were going to \*\*use \*\*them, no matter what! ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/36 "2017-10-11T00:55:53Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Interesting they showed the death of two very small, puppet aliens. Something the audience had no attachment too. > > I guess showing the two human like figures die wouldn’t be as family friendly. I figured the incongruity was just to emphasize how elaborate the illusion had been. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/37 "2017-10-11T01:01:26Z")
It really looks like [smoking killed them](https://youtu.be/09beh4fvJ94?t=270). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/38 "2017-10-11T01:14:41Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > A quandary: it seems Korob died in the dungeon when the door fell on him, however after Kirk wrecks the transmuter and the aliens revert to their actual forms, Korob is still moving (he’s the one on the right [I’m screwing witcha]) along with Sylvia (she’s the one on the right :smack:) and they both expire shortly after–I just watched a YouTube clip of it. Explain. I always assumed his original form was not yet dead. Just his artificial human form. That form seemed to be complete, even giving them emotions they’d never had before. It makes sense that killing it might not instantly kill the original, leaving him moving around but unable to interact with the illusions. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/39 "2017-10-11T01:35:24Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I always assumed his original form was not yet dead. Just his artificial human form. That form seemed to be complete, even giving them emotions they’d never had before. It makes sense that killing it might not instantly kill the original, leaving him moving around but unable to interact with the illusions. That’s pretty much what I always thought, I was just poking the bear ( **terentii** ). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425/40 "2017-10-11T01:42:49Z")
Kirk killed plenty of people personally. Even in “Arena.” He did, after all, handle the mortar with Spock. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-catspaw/798425.md?page=3)