(TOS?) McCoy...

[syredronning]

Because I left the impression to someone that I thought McCoy was weak (so. far. off. my. mind).

From a discussion I once had with another (Spock/)McCoy fan - her opinion on McCoy's kind of strength with which I happen to agree:

> There's a painting (I wish I could find it online) where this
> man is being dragged naked into hell by several demons. He's
> been beaten, he's chained, swollen eye sockets, he's a mess -
> he can't do anything, but he has the ability to open one eye,
> and so that's what he does. He's doomed, he's going to hell,
> but on the way there, he'll have that eye open looking to
> where he's going. He's got one shred of strength left, and
> he's using it. I think of McCoy when I see that painting.

So I never think of McCoy as "weak" in a traditional sense. However, throw a decent man into the MU (or similar circumstances) and he'll still lose against ruthless captains - because he's got morals and qualms. He still makes CMO so he's got to have his share of ruthlessness. He just doesn't take those last steps necessary to win because it would mean giving up a part of himself.

P.S. I once read a great TOS story after TMP in which Kirk and McCoy make sure that he gets back the CMO job from Chapel. Not ruthless, but they know what they want - both of them. McCoy didn't get his job by twiddling his thumbs and he doesn't want to give it up - he likes being the boss in his department. In all of TOS he wouldn't ever think of stepping back from it.

Sorry for possible incoherency. I'm once again sleep-deprived and late for work.

Read you later!

Comments

[melodyclark.livejournal.com]

Wonderful post. I totally agree.

[badkarma-one.livejournal.com]

Melody, wherever did you find that gorgeous icon of the two McCoys? Is it available for use?

[melodyclark.livejournal.com]

Isn't it wonderful? It's by the remarkable blue_hobbit. I'm pretty sure it's still adoptable.

[badkarma-one.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Melody. Off I go to find it. :)

[severinne.livejournal.com]

Agreed times a million. *g*

I hadn't watched TOS in a very long time but have recently been going through the entire series again and what grabs me time and again is that Kirk and Spock have the showy strength but McCoy is something else entirely. I love that his strength still has the capacity to surprise when it does come out but at the same time that's just exactly how he is. And yes, I agree he has the capacity for ruthlessness, but only when it serves his need to do his job; his ambitions begin and end with his ability to heal, anything else is below his interest.

One of my favourite McCoy moments still has to be that moment in Space Seed *points at icon* because I think it's really one of the first times in the series' chronology that you see McCoy pushed to that extreme, and that he responds by taunting Khan to just kill him? It's the sort of bravado you expect from Kirk, and maybe a touch insane but defiant to the last and damned if it didn't turn me on like a switch.

Er... yeah. I'm done now. Rambling agreement is rambling. *facepalm*

[vail-kagami.livejournal.com]

I fully agree with your agreement. McCoy's strength is less visible because it's usually of a more passive, supportive kind. It's expressed in selflessness and compassion and a certain tendency to speak his mind to the point of insubordination. He's loyal to his friends, but he won't let them get away with any shit he considers wrong.
Unlike Kirk, McCoy doesn't go around beating up people all the time or jumping from one danger to the next, but he knows what he wants and how to get it. I think this is quite well portrayed in scenes like the one in A Piece of the Action: Kirk, Spock and McCoy have to take out three of the gangsters. They have surprise on their side. Spock needs one second to nerve-pinch his opponent, McCoy needs two seconds to knock out his because he knows where to aim (also seen for example when he knocks out the transpoter guy in The City on the Edge of Forever, and at that point he was insane!). Only Kirk manages to let his fight develope into a fist fight of epic proportions, as usual, because he's the action hero.
I think I was going somewhere with this. I might just have been trying to say that while Bones doesn't stand a chance in an open fight and isn't of a nature that urges him to try, I wouldn't want to have him as an enemy.

TL;DR: The main reason for me to reply to your comment rather than the main post might be just me wanting to say: Your icon is made of EPIC WIN! One of the most awesome scenes ever, in anything, and this icon? Guh!
(So I wasn't the only one who saw a certain... potential in that scene? Cool.)

[severinne.livejournal.com]

And here I thought I was the only one to see, er, potential in that scene! But you, me and the icon maker makes three, I say we're on a roll... now, where the hell is the Khan/McCoy smut-fic? *has been asking herself this question for months*

More seriously, I like that you also bring up the way McCoy will always speak his mind, as it's a trait that I think is easily misunderstood as just being opinionated or curmudgeonly but he always comes out on the side of a very particular morality that values life over protocol and the fact that he'll always speak up against Jim or Spock when he disagrees (and I think as importantly, apologize when his passions lead him wrong or make him say something out of line) is a big part of his inner strength.

On a similar note, I think about some of his more impulsive acts, like when he tests the antidote on himself in Miri even though Spock insists it's a dumb thing to do. Which it was, sure, but there's that same tenacious conviction in that risk as well.

McCoy needs two seconds to knock out his because he knows where to aim

And back to the guh! factor because hell yes, that too. McCoy doesn't fuck around and every time there's a moment like that (hell, even doped out of his mind it was even more intimidating in The City on the Edge of Forever!) it's like you can see the dangerous side of McCoy, like you say, the part that knows you don't want him for an enemy.

[vail-kagami.livejournal.com]

Recall that scene in Space Seed when Kahn tried to win their loyalty by killing Kirk? Bones was as unimpressed as everyone else.

There are one or two fics based on the sickbay scene, thanks to the good old (well, not so old, really) meme. They are good, but short. Also, where are the 500 other fics that should have comeout of that? There's not enough to satisfy my need!
I'm beginning to think some writing needs to be done.

[syredronning.livejournal.com]

The Space Seed scene with McCoy is gorgeous and I love the lines so much - McCoy being super-cool is hot!

Rambling is fine *G* as long as you rambled about our beloved characters :)

[badkarma-one.livejournal.com]

I think McCoy is one of the strongest members of the Enterprise crew -- his strengths just manifest differently than the others. He's a healer -- he fights death every day. And look at his actions in The Empath.

[illariy.livejournal.com]

However, throw a decent man into the MU (or similar circumstances) and he'll still lose against ruthless captains - because he's got morals and qualms. He still makes CMO so he's got to have his share of ruthlessness. He just doesn't take those last steps necessary to win because it would mean giving up a part of himself.

Agreed. He's "weak" because of his sense of morality and his conscience, not weak for lack of courage or anything else. We're talking about the man who chose torture and death over seeing his friends suffer the same.

[ayalesca.livejournal.com]

I do not know why someone would think McCoy is weak, just because he doesn't go around climbing cliffs. Sheesh. That said I take guilty pleasure in reading fics where he is explicitly very good at fighting. Naturally, most of those writers make it that he's better than Kirk ... in a fair fight. XD

[tprillahfiction.livejournal.com]

If you want my two pence worth. I love how you portray Bones in your fics. Yes, he's physically not the strongest of the three and morally he must do what is right, (as a doctor) so he's prone to abuse ususally in the M.U., (and as you said so yourself, non-con in FANTASIES is hot) but is he WEAK? no way. Your version of Bones is a very layered/complex individual. He can handle himself definately. He's stubborn and courageous and will not hesitate to sacrific himself for others.

[de-len.livejournal.com]

McCoy is far away from being weak. He has so much strength of spirit and dignity.
I hate the fact that in TOS you could mostly shine when you had a fight every one or two days, like Kirk had. He was always the strong man who could take two or three men at the same time. In TNG it was more important when you had brain and morale. That`s one of the reasons why I always preferred the new series.

Btw. I love McCoy in the fanfic "Betrayed". I really believe he would be like that. So unbeatable!