Kirk meets Ruth

[@neneshubby]

Say what you want about William Shatner but he could act, the way his facial expressions and tone convey his conflict at the love of his past, Ruth, and the love of his present, the Enterprise. He goes back-and-forth between the confident starship commander and the lovestruck teen all within seconds of each other. Great acting.

[@horaciodadamo1803]

And those pair of absolutely gorgeous eyes (Ruth's) need no acting!

[@Jan-x6c]

She has cats eyes !

[@chriswilliams79]

His acting in The Tenth Level was really amazing. His ability to convey the switch from confusion to realization is incredible. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWbHlqiLia-GotEsi=Thd91BnCaN73n0rs

[@kalani1987]

This is what makes Star Trek special. Not only the story lines, but the actors who portray them

[@geoffwilliams4478]

Don't forget the music

[@blockmasterscott]

1:45 I like seeing him happy. All those years on that 5 year mission facing death at every turn, and he is happy here. Kinda breaks my heart with her not being real.

[@uneedtherapy42]

this music is perfect! will always love this tune

[@74bshs]

This is one of the best scenes from Star Trek TOS, I remember it fondly from when I was 13 years old or so. I am now 65, and it brings tears to my eyes, when I see Ruth meeting Kirk after so many years, the music, Ruth's attire, her hair, her beauty. Really liked Kirk's line "Don't you like birds, Mr. Rodriguez?" and Ruth's suppression of a laugh at that line. Maybe my favorite scene from Star Trek TOS ever, wish it went longer... :)

[@ihl8608]

well said 74bshs😀

[@DouglasWilford-ls1pf]

There is a storyline behind that. Look up Kirk and Ruth cartwrigh On google

[@globaltvandmovies4905]

Excellent acting by William Shatner. Great episode. Lots of fun.

[@davidpickens8800]

The music in this episode was superb, from Ruth's theme to Finnegan's theme excellent

[@InweTaralom]

This music always makes me cry.

[@craig061002]

Ruth's theme. Classic.

[@james_t_kirk]

This beautiful romantic theme was first used in this episode, which is why it will forever belong to Jim Kirk and Ruth.🌹🌹🌹

[@sandal_thong]

It's forever called "Ruth" but it fits better when Spock has to break up with Leila in "This Side of Paradise:" "I love you. I said that six years ago; I can't seem to stop repeating myself. On Earth you couldn't give anything of yourself; couldn't even put your arms around me. We couldn't have anything together there; we couldn't have anything together any place else. But we're happy here! I can't lose you now, Mr. Spock, I can't!" "I have a responsibility to this ship; to that man on the bridge. If there are self-made purgatories, then we all have to listen to them; mine can be no worse than anyone else's." "I have lost you haven't I? Not only you, I've lost all of it, the spores - I've lost them too." This is what I'll always remember it for. PS: We learn next season Vulcans go into Pon Farr every seven years. So six years ago he may have had Leila help him through a difficult time so he wouldn't have to mate with a Vulcan woman. Her emotions are probably why he doesn't want to use Christine in a similar manner in "Amok Time."

[@WilliamMcCorrister]

❤Growing up watching star trek , thinking how beautiful it is to fall in Love .

[@berserkley]

I always assumed that Ruth had died sometime in Kirk's past, which would explain the note of longing in his voice. Superbly underplayed by Shatner

[@zoespictureshow791]

I LOVE the piec e of music they wrote for this. Stuck in my mind for all time. Very emotional.

[@nightowl8862]

When he sees his old girlfriend again and with the music it made me all choked up!

[@zoespictureshow791]

😪You are me alike!

[@northernbettygirl]

That song "Ruth" was written by Gerald Fried. Hauntingly beautiful and evokes deep emotion. Used again in the scene where Spock tells Leila goodbye, and he cannot be with her on her planet. So sad.

[@riccaruso7791]

Grow up! ~ ALL Females are EVIL!!! 😈

[@johndavies2285]

The hammy, exaggerated impressions of William Shatner that became a stand-up comic staple belies what those of us who grew up watching TOS have always known: William Shatner was a *great* actor. Throughout the first season especially, there are countless moments just like this, where Shatner sells a moment of great emotional depth with barely a few words. And the incidental music just takes it to another level.

[@zoespictureshow791]

I'm not crying. You're crying.

[@BSE1320]

A woman so powerful to Kirk, made him forget his true love, The Enterprise for the briefest of moments.

[@thehouseofcm]

The original series is in a class by itself.

[@diegorocha1256]

This is one of the best sountracks that I've ever heard

[@johnmooney9403]

Always liked this emotional piece of music from the love story episodes of Startrek

[@zoespictureshow791]

Beautiful. Simply beautiful.

[@manuelodabashian]

The tune is exquisite! She is nice too!

[@michaellalli7693]

The soundtrack for the entires series seems so perfect.

[@sandal_thong]

And it was varied enough that the pieces could be used for other episodes. "Ruth" in particular is even more poignant when Spock has to break up with his girlfriend, Leila in "This Side of Paradise." Oops, thought you meant episode. I'm not a fan of season 3's score.

[@northernbettygirl]

One of my favorite episodes. What can I say, I'm a hopeless romantic. Ruth is just beautiful, you can see their love is still there. To have the man I love look into my eyes like that is the best feeling in the world. Shame they never became a permanent couple back when on Earth 😔

[@costa1788]

This episode relaxes me for some reason

[@davidmaupin2513]

The one And ONLY SHORE LEAVE

[@enigmagenesis7341]

For my money the most beautiful woman in the whole series. And what grace, poise, gentility and innocence she portrays here.

[@thecaptain6730]

YES!!!! She has it all! 🖖

[@lazyhazeldaisy9596]

Ain't he just lovely, that man certainly floats my boat!😍

[@mrajw2456]

star trek is just so relaxing to watch

[@johnfraraccio99]

With the decided exception of Dr Janice Lester most all of Kirk's reunions of this type amounted to, "Good to see you again, let's have a drink." This one is decidedly different. Near the end of this episode he just about drops what he's doing to meet up with what amounts to an idealized simulacrum. His and Ruth's backstory must've been...fascinating. And if this is your effective introduction to the writings of Theodore "Ted" Sturgeon then be assured he wrote a lot like this and very much hit home. Treat yourself to that.

[@sandal_thong]

The actress is 32 here, but he met her at the Academy. He says she hasn't aged. I bet she taught him some lessons! McCoy says in "Court Martial" that "My old friends are doctors, his old friends look like you," to the lady lawyer.

[@wardkendall7095]

*"Ruth" (in my opinion) ranks #1 out of all of Kirk's women during the three years of Star Trek - sorry, "Edith Keeler" - but "Ruth" was Kirk's most beautiful love, and radiated a moral goodness that made "Edith Keeler" seem like a Satanist by comparison. And made Kirk's other loves seem like street hookers. What a lot of Star Trek fans may not realize, but "Ruth" was played by the former star of a TV series herself - "My Sister Eileen". The actress's name is Shirley Bonne, and, yes, as of 2020, she's still alive - aged 86 - three years younger than William Shatner, who's 89.*

[@ihl8608]

so true

[@thecaptain6730]

Your comment is flipping hilarious! I did a spit take as I’m drinking beer reading these comments. There are certain comparisons one never expects to read in life…one of them is Edith Keeler to a Satanist-that was the comparison I never knew I needed to read, but I can’t unthink it now! LOL 🤪🖖🤪

[@davidmaupin2513]

55 YEARS AND TREK GOING STRONG

[@georgeorwell4534]

Wouldn't we all react the same if we saw our first great love?

[@northernbettygirl]

I did. When I saw my first love again, and we were free to be together. It only took 30 years. But, if that music could have been playing at that moment, it would have. We were together till Bud passed away this past September 2022. I will be in love with him for all eternity.

[@tedtimothy9074]

My two all time favorite actors: William Shatner and James Garner

[@DouglasWilford-ls1pf]

There's a story line behind it. She was his girlfriend When he was in starfleet training She disagreed with him doing it and they broke up. I think her name was ruth cartwright in the story line behind them and there relationship

[@sandal_thong]

I like to imagine that she taught him poetry and romance. He says she hasn't aged a day in 15 years, with Shatner being ~35, while the actress was 32 making the episode. So Kirk would have been ~20 while she was 32. I can see that.

[@InweTaralom]

!In the James Blish novel, she was supposed to have died in a shuttle craft accident.

[@trwent]

Shirley Bonne as Ruth was just STUNNING!! ❤ Equally lovely was Emily Banks, who played Yeoman Barrows in this episode and was a possible romantic interest for Dr. McCoy. ❤ And Barbara Baldavin was very delicious as Lt. Angela Martine. ❤ All of these alluring women are still alive as of 12-06-2023.

[@sandal_thong]

First actress was 32 to Shatner's 35. So if she hadn't aged a day in 15 years, she was his older lover at age 20. Second actress was stunning, and they made the right decision to put her with McCoy for a change. It was hilarious though when the one massaging Kirk's back was Yeoman Barrows. "Dig it in there, Mr. Spock.... Thank you Yeoman that's sufficient." The actress playing Angela was in "Balance of Terror" as the bride-to-be whose fiancé died in Phaser Control. When they recognized her, they then called her Angela Martine again (instead of Mary Teller). Then she returned to play characters with other names for "Space Seed" and "Turnabout Intruder."

[@danielbritton8588]

It's classic. The fairest in the land on this episode though is Yeoman Barrows. But,that's with my taste. Even more than Janice. I loved the strafing plane & Sulu finding that police revolver too.

[@sandal_thong]

Yes, I think they were correct in teaming up Barrows and McCoy for a change, with Kirk meeting the older woman (actress was 32), that he romanced in the Academy when he was 20.

[@Servatia]

Ever since I first watched this (when I was ten, at the most) I thought she's dead in reality. I can't say why I got that vibe, but I still feel like that.

[@sarahfullerton6894]

I never felt that. I just felt that Captain Kirk was, for a moment, once more that youthful young man, re-living this great love, and realizing what he had sacrificed - although he's seeing an idealized, still-young version of his years ago true love. William Shatner'sacting, , plus that beautiful score, brings us all of the poignancy of his missing those relatively carefree, youthful days, and missing her.

[@berserkley]

I always assumed she had died also.

[@sandal_thong]

Maybe the way that Kirk says, "How can you be here?" gives the impression that she died. Plus the actress was 32 here, who hasn't aged in 15 years, with Kirk being 20 fifteen years earlier.

[@RuthCrocker]

Hi Jim! I'm here.😂

[@LA-rw6px]

Best argument for Elon to make love robots. Because you need her back.

[@trwent]

I love her earrings!!

[@tedtimothy9074]

Mr. Spock you haven't told me your first name. You couldn't pronounce it.

[@teedup8995]

That's where this music was reused to a even more dramatic effect.

[@74bshs]

@@teedup8995 Indeed it was. "This Side of Paradise." One of the most powerful scenes in the whole series.

[@sandal_thong]

Much more powerful for his breakup in that episode than this brief meeting here.

[@LA-rw6px]

"Send me an Angel, Right now" That's what Kirk got. This song sounds like the OST theme. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoOZiHyYrZ2sqac

[@thunderdeed1]

I understand it was an old love. My question is was she dead in life.

[@likesc]

What I read about Ruth is that she was Kirk's love when he was in Starfleet Academy. He ended up choosing his career over his love with her. She was alive in the universe, which is why Kirk was surprised by her not aging and still looking like she was 20.

[@sandal_thong]

@@likesc Well the actress was 32 here, so maybe she was his older lover that introduced him to poetry and romance among other things. Without her influence (or without good writers), we see alternate-reality Chris Pine's Kirk leering at Dr. Marcus while she's changing. By contrast in this episode Yeoman tells McCoy "Don't peek," as she changes into a dress (the women crew love dresses); to which he responds, "When I peek it is in the line of duty."

[@loveandlight88]

Law of attraction!

[@charlesebersole3572]

The way the scene was written and the way The way MR Shatner was acting, trying to be serious but affected by his meeting his old love, and the wonderful music, always makes me cry. Original Star Trek at its finest I cried when I first saw it in the sixties and I still cry now.