Trek Talk Tuesday #3: The Bare Bones


It's time for another Trek Talk!

I said last time I was going to talk about the real McCoy himself, so here we go.

Dr. McCoy is one the best parts of TOS for me. Especially because he reminds so much of another medical professional on a different show - Doc Adams of the Western TV classic Gunsmoke. Both doctors are warm-hearted grouches who try not to show their real natures and offer blunt and timely advice to the main character (Captain Kirk/ Marshall Dillion) while exchanging sharp banter with another character (Spock/ Chester and later Festus). Bones is probably my favorite character in the entirety of Trek, with Scotty making a close second. And there are a few reasons for that.

First, Bones is like a link to the viewer because he doesn't have the same polished nature of so many in Star Trek. While Spock has logic and Kirk has passion, McCoy has common sense - an important necessity for any space voyage.

Second, McCoy is well cast. DeForest Kelly actually was from Georgia, and while I'm assuming the Georgia origin for Bones probably came with hiring Kelly, the idea was smart and adds a convincingness to the character. His southern roots also flow into the understated gentlemanly side of his character.

Third, I would argue he has the best sense of humor.

The greatness that is McCoy makes the medical character of TNG, Beverley Crusher, that much duller, but I'm not gonna rant about TNG today.

What are your thoughts on Dr. McCoy? Let me know in the comments!

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