The Transporter

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THE TRANSPORTER

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Before we dissect the show by episode, I thought one page should be entirely devoted to this item, since I would probably have to mention it in almost every plot analysis.

The transporter is a device that transforms matter into energy, beams the energy to a distant location, and reassembles the matter back into its original form. It was one of the most interesting pieces of technology in Star Trek, and also one of the biggest problems for the writers of the show. On one hand, it was a great means of getting the characters in and out of plot situations quickly – necessary for a one-hour television show. On the other hand, it had to be ignored when the ship needed a particular item (why not beam out something worthless and rematerialize it as the needed item?), the crew was sick (beam out the ill person and, when you rematerialize him, filter out the virus or bacteria), or whisk the landing party away when any danger approached (and, thereby, whisk away any tension that is necessary for a television show that relies on action and adventure).

We'll accept the fallacies of the transporter during the episode breakdowns. The only time it will be mentioned is if there is a technical flaw with the filming of a scene.

Energize.


	ROB'S STAR TREK SITE \| Home The Cage \| The English Language \| The Music \| The Prime Directive \| Time Travel \| The Transporter \| The USS Enterprise \| The Episodes \| The Animated Episodes \| The Star Trek Font \| Contact Me THE TRANSPORTER (Best viewed if you expand your browser's window.) Need the STAR TREK font? Click here to download it! Before we dissect the show by episode, I thought one page should be entirely devoted to this item, since I would probably have to mention it in almost every plot analysis. The transporter is a device that transforms matter into energy, beams the energy to a distant location, and reassembles the matter back into its original form. It was one of the most interesting pieces of technology in Star Trek, and also one of the biggest problems for the writers of the show. On one hand, it was a great means of getting the characters in and out of plot situations quickly – necessary for a one-hour television show. On the other hand, it had to be ignored when the ship needed a particular item (why not beam out something worthless and rematerialize it as the needed item?), the crew was sick (beam out the ill person and, when you rematerialize him, filter out the virus or bacteria), or whisk the landing party away when any danger approached (and, thereby, whisk away any tension that is necessary for a television show that relies on action and adventure). We'll accept the fallacies of the transporter during the episode breakdowns. The only time it will be mentioned is if there is a technical flaw with the filming of a scene. Energize.