Watch Star Trek the original series

[TheThan]

So I’ve decided to fire up the dvd player and pop in Star Trek the original series. I plan to watch this all the way through, and give some commentary along the way. It’s a daunting task but I think I can manage it. I plan on at least one episode a day. Although I can’t guarantee I’ll manage that. I don’t think I’ve ever watched the show in its entirety so it should be interesting. This is the remastered version which I don’t mind because it looks so darn good (they matched the CGI effects with the original analog effects so it’s not as glaringly obvious.). I already know there are certain aspects about this show that are going to irk me. So lets hope I can keep my sanity. if I break, please send the nice people in the gleaming white coats.

Now let’s Boldly go.


We open on the bridge of the USS Enterprise, under the command of one Captain Christopher Pike. They pick up a radio distress signal from the SS Columbia which disappeared 18 years ago. The Captain orders the ship to ignore the distress signal until they can finish their mission to the Vega Colony.

Pike leaves the bridge and we meet the ship’s doctor, who is not Bones. They have a martini together and we learn a bit more about Captain Pike and what makes him tick. Apparently the doc is named Phil, no last name, just Phil. Captain Pike is thinking of retiring, on taking his life down a different course. Doc Phil basically tells him that he’s being stupid and he couldn’t be anything other than a star ship Captain. Spock interrupts them and tells them that they’ve received a follow up message from Talos IV. Pike has no option but to go and commence a rescue operation, regulations being what they are. We’re treated to a very trippy scene of them going into warp. Pike then turns around and runs right into his new Yeoman, who is a pretty redhead. He’s put off by her being on the bridge, as he’s not used to having a woman on the bridge despite the presence of the enigmatic No. 1.

They arrive at Talos IV, gear up and beam down. They wonder around, enjoying the alien planet before meeting the survivors. It looks like they’re doing surprisingly well for themselves despite their desperate situation. We get to meet Vina who will be our love interest for the episode.
We then switch to the perspective of large brained aliens. These I recall are the talosians. They’re watching the goings on. The survivors explain why they are in such good shape, some secret that Vina takes the Captain to see for himself. Everyone disappears and the Talosians pop out of the wall and hit Pike with some knockout gas. They drag him into their elevator and disappear, but the rest of the landing party arrives just in time to see the captain napping happen. They try to blast the door but fail. Spock comms in and tells No. 1 what happened.

Next Pike awakes in some sort of prison, a zoo, a Menagerie if you will. He meets the Talosians and they come off as really arrogant. We also learn that they are telepathic; they can create illusions and whatnot. Basically super powerful aliens.

With No 1 in command they decide to try figure out how to blast their way in so they can rescue Captain Pike. The Talosians are having their way with him… mentally speaking and start creating illusions in his mind. Using his own memories; the first he is forced to protect Vina from a giant… Mongol? Ok yeah, early trek really reached for its aliens. Vina tells him that unless he fights he will feel everything. He fights the alien Mongol guy and manages to defeat him, with a thrown short sword into his kidney (at least that's where it'd be on a human), and then a... Pike... har har... through the body.

With the defeat of the alien Mongol, Pike and Vina are brought back to his cell. They have a discussion and Pike wonders what they’re up to. He then decides to try to resist. Meanwhile the crew of the enterprise tries to blast the mountain away so they can rescue the Captain. But to no avail. Apparently those doors are tough. As they nearly blow out the ship board phaser they brought down.

Pike gets Vina to tell him about the Talosians and what they can and can’t do and why they came to live below the surface etc. but they punish her for revealing their secrets and remove her from the cage. Pike then proceeds to examine his cage more, looking for a way out. He finds one, thanks to food brought to him via a secret door. He challenges the lead Talosians and is punished by making him feel like he’s burning. Pike figures out how to block the talosian’s brain scans on his own.

Soon he’s put into an illusion of being on a picnic with Vina. Pike has a bit of an epiphany about life. Vina wants to keep up the illusion that they are stuck in. But Pike continues to probe her (keep your mind out of the gutter) for information. through their discussion the talosians discover that they need to throw things at Pike that he hasn’t gone through and they make him an Orion trader, and we get the famous Orion slave girl dance scene.

Next we see Spock and an away team prepare to beam down into the Talosian community. when they step onto the transporter, only the women are beamed down. they are No.1 and the Yeoman. Vina is not happy about it. Pike tries to fill his mind with rage and hate. The two new women manage to figure out what they want quickly. The Talosian explains to him what they want and then punish him for trying to resist them.

Back on the enterprise, they have a massive systems wide failure, as the talosians decide to keep them in orbit.

The Captain and crew are trying to sleep. But the Talosians try to sneak in and take their phasers. But Pike grabs him and chokes him. The talosian threatens to destroy the enterprise if he doesn’t let them go. Pike figures out that the phasers work and that he has blown a hole in the cage. They make the talosian lead them out and we find that the larger phaser has blown the top of the hill off.

They learn that the talosians wish them to repopulate the planet and create a slave labor force. No. 1 sets her phaser to overload and threatens to destroy them all. However the talosians learn that Humans will not allow themselves to be captives and decide to let them go.

Pike tries to convince them that they can help them in a mutually cooperative way. But they will not allow that, realizing that humanity would destroy itself with the power they would attain working with the talosians. They send the two women back to the ship and remove the illusion surrounding Vina, showing her true appearance as an old, scarred and misshapen human. A truly sad fate for Vina. They do this to show Pike her decision to stay is honest and then create an illusionary Pike for her to enjoy.

They send Pike back and the Yeoman asks who would have been Eve, and Pike doesn’t answer. They leave orbit and Roll credits.


Fist fights: 1
Alien space babes: 1
God like beings: 1
Engine trouble:1
Redshirts killed: 0

As pilot episodes go this one isn’t too bad. It keeps your interest. However most of the focus is on Captain Pike, so none of the other characters get any real development besides Vina, and since she chose to stay on Talos, we won’t be seeing her again.

And that’s probably the biggest flaw in this episode, there is virtually now character development for anyone other than Pike. His acting is fine, in fact, is pretty good. Except for Spock, the crew are total strangers and I know nothing about these people other than what’s been force fed to be my the Talosians and that doesn’t come till near the end of the episode. Naturally this isn’t a very good way of showing me what these characters are like. I can see why they decided to rework the cast before this could possibly make them money.

All and all I’ll give this one a 3.5 out of 5 phasers. not a great start, but not terrible.

Next episode: Where No Man has Gone Before

[russdm]

There is a reason that the network asked for a second pilot. Did watching this one make you want to watch a series based around these characters?

IF your answer is no, then you are on the right track.

[BannedInSchool]

See also: Planet of Hats Webcomic (http://www.mezzacotta.net/planetofhats/), although that doesn't have the first pilot as one of the episodes, and I don't know that I ever saw it in its original form outside of The Menagerie.

[Gnome Alone]

This one is definitely pretty weird what with having an almost completely different cast in it. Didn't they end up eventually quasi-retconning and deciding that Pike was the captain like years and years before Kirk was?

Love the tallies of common occurrences, btw. You gonna do a running total overall or just the one for each episode? Because if the former, "godlike beings" is gonna be off the flipping charts, if I recall correctly.

[TheThan]

This one is definitely pretty weird what with having an almost completely different cast in it. Didn't they end up eventually quasi-retconning and deciding that Pike was the captain like years and years before Kirk was?

Love the tallies of common occurrences, btw. You gonna do a running total overall or just the one for each episode? Because if the former, "godlike beings" is gonna be off the flipping charts, if I recall correctly.

oh its totally a running tally. yeah they did do one called "the menagerie" which is the condensed version of "the cage". and has to do with Pike sometime after the events of the cage. the poor guy is suck in a wheelchair and using three lights to communicate. sucks to be him.

I'm also only going to keep track of fist fights Kirk is directly involved in. its not that it's easier, its just that i think it's more appropriate, instead of counting every little fist that gets thrown.

[factotum]

Didn't they end up eventually quasi-retconning and deciding that Pike was the captain like years and years before Kirk was?


I don't think that was even a quasi-retcon--it was never stated or even implied that Kirk was the first captain of the Enterprise prior to "The Menagerie" being broadcast, as far as I recall.

[Kitten Champion]

I'm genuinely surprised none of the Red Shirts were killed in the abandoned pilot, it seemed like such a perfect scenario for the god-like telepaths to prove they're super-serious/evil.

My main disappointment is they dropped the idea of a female first officer... though that's tempered by the fact that I kind of cringe at the potential abuse her character would take with the writing at this time. I mean, just look at The Menagerie for starters.

[comicshorse]

As I remember hearing it the Network throw a fit at the idea of a female first officer but were equally unhappy about having an alien officer (Spock) and basically the best Rodenberry could get was he was allowed to keep one one or the other

[Kitten Champion]

As I remember hearing it the Network throw a fit at the idea of a female first officer but were equally unhappy about having an alien officer (Spock) and basically the best Rodenberry could get was he was allowed to keep one one or the other

Well, maybe it's for the best. Lest he condense the two ideas to make a female Vulcan science/first officer or something, and who'd want to see that?

[huttj509]

Well, maybe it's for the best. Lest he condense the two ideas to make a female Vulcan science/first officer or something, and who'd want to see that?

At least in Enterprise *everyone* runs around in their underwear fairy often.

[Kitten Champion]

At least in Enterprise *everyone* runs around in their underwear fairy often.

It's not like TOS had a lack of semi-nudity by both genders.

Not quite in CW territory... but close.

[DigoDragon]

oh its totally a running tally.

This has utterly sold me on following this Let's Watch. :smallbiggrin:


Not that I wouldn't, because I still have a fondness for the original Trek series, but that's like icing a cake with more cake.

[Gnome Alone]

I don't think that was even a quasi-retcon--it was never stated or even implied that Kirk was the first captain of the Enterprise prior to "The Menagerie" being broadcast, as far as I recall.

I meant more like... if they hadn't done "The Menagerie" it would've seemed like Pike et al were just swept down the memory hole and never existed anyway. So I guess I shoulda said "un-retconned" or something.

[TheThan]

Nice to see there's alot of interest.

I'll get the next episode up this afternoon.

[McStabbington]

As I remember hearing it the Network throw a fit at the idea of a female first officer but were equally unhappy about having an alien officer (Spock) and basically the best Rodenberry could get was he was allowed to keep one one or the other

That is true so far as it goes, but it's also the sanitized Roddenberry spin on the story. The network side of the story is that yes, they were very uncertain about the woman first officer, but only partly because of the idea that 60's audiences would reject it. The other part was that 1) they were deeply unsure about Majel Barrett's acting ability (she seemed a bit aloof but serviceable in The Cage IMO), and 2) they were extra deeply unhappy with the fact that Barrett at the time was a married actress engaged in an affair with Roddenberry. This was something that everyone associated with the show knew about.

And that when you think about it is actually a pretty decent rationale for putting your foot down. Not only is there the fact that 60's audiences would reject a show once that became common knowledge, but you've got to worry what will happen to the show if Roddenberry's relationship with Barrett hits the rocks. I mean, obviously it didn't, but no one knew that at the time. Roddenberry was a notorious skirt chaser, and it's hardly implausible that Barrett would break up with him once his eye started wandering again.

As for the show itself, when I first saw this episode, I was about 12 and absolutely down the rabbit hole on Trek lore. So I saw it as a masterpiece. Today . . . I think it's definitely serviceable, with a lot of potential. Pike is a very intriguing character from the get-go. If he's not as obviously strong as Kirk, he's nevertheless well-developed in a way that I do not think was common in this era. What is more, he does seem to have a few relationships that will allow the other characters to be fleshed out, like the doctor. Spock is obviously still being fleshed out, as he offers a genuine smile at the foliage that we will see from him in the series only once more, and that's when he finds out that he didn't kill Kirk. But there's also very little in the way of action, and the Talosians' mastery of illusions make it a chess game where I can understand the producer's desire to pit the crew against a more physical menace.

All in all, I could see a set of directors adopting this pitch, but I entirely understand their decision not to. And I can certainly see why the more action-oriented "Where No Man Has Gone Before" was picked up as a second pilot.

[TheThan]

I think that a 60s era audience would accept a female second in command. But the character would need to have a very strong personality and be played by someone that can totally own that role and make it convincing that she is skilled enough and commands enough respect to be in that position. I don’t think they would accept a female Captain though; that’s probably pushing their luck.

The problem is finding an actress that can pull that off. Considering the low budget of the show, it’d be hard to draw an actress of that caliber to the role.


The most interesting thing is the Kirk/Spock/McCoy dynamic.

Spock and McCoy have two totally different approaches. Spock is logical and detached, while McCoy is emotional and caring; while Kirk being in the middle, balances them out; being both logical and emotional in the process. Even the way they stand and talk reflects this, with Kirk in-between Spock and McCoy, physically separating them. it’s almost as if Spock and McCoy are taking the role of two different sides of a personality almost like the little angel and the little devil on the shoulders. Only neither is good or evil, just vs emotional vs logical. It even plays into their roles onboard the ship, Spock is the science officer, a job that require cold indifference. While McCoy is a doctor, a job that requires warmth and empathy for those under his care.

it's unlike anything we've seen since in star trek and honestly I think it's something later shows are missing. this is something that i distinctly remember from the show, and I will probably make comment on it as we progress.

[Yora]

In Germany we had Space Patrol Orion (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raumpatrouille_%E2%80%93_Die_phantastischen_Abente uer_des_Raumschiffes_Orion), which aired just 9 days after the first episode of Star Trek. It only got a seven episode season, as it turned out to be hugely expensive even though it was shot in black and white, which made it pretty much impossible to export. But it was very well recieved.
It had two female officers (one of them security) on the ship and also a woman as Chief of the space navy. And I don't think Germany was any more progressive than America at the time. Probably even less.

[Kantaki]

In Germany we had Space Patrol Orion (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raumpatrouille_%E2%80%93_Die_phantastischen_Abente uer_des_Raumschiffes_Orion), which aired just 9 days after the first episode of Star Trek. It only got a seven episode season, as it turned out to be hugely expensive even though it was shot in black and white, which made it pretty much impossible to export. But it was very well recieved.
It had two female officers (one of them security) on the ship and also a woman as Chief of the space navy. And I don't think Germany was any more progressive than America at the time. Probably even less.

Raumpatrouille Orion? I think I watched an rerun of that. Or at least a documentary about it. Could have been both. It's not bad, but if I recall correctly large parts of the ship and the effects were made with household tools. The funny thing is that they made this look awesome. Even compared to some modern stuff. If you have a chance to watch this do so.

I don't think I ever got to watch the Star Trek Pilot. It doesn't soud like I missed that much. All that stuff happened often enough during the series.

[BannedInSchool]

The most interesting thing is the Kirk/Spock/McCoy dynamic.
A.k.a the Holy Trinity of TOS. You could also consider them opposing lawyers arguing their cases before the judge. I think the trick there is that they could all disagree without it being so much a conflict between the characters. Kirk isn't (usually) trying to stop them from fighting, and they're not exactly trying to "win", just present their cases. Then Kirk splits the difference and tumbles another civilization. :smallwink:

[TheThan]

Something bizarre I noticed. These first half dozen episodes have names that sound vaguely like innuendos. Maybe I just have a dirty mind I dunno.




This episode begins with Kirk giving a log. They are picking up a distress signal from beyond the galaxy. We then see Kirk and Spock playing 3D chess. Kirk seems particularly arrogant (even for Kirk) while playing chess with Spock. They find a ship’s black box floating out in space, before they do anything the thing starts transmitting.

Roll opening credits.

Spock, Kirk and the Helmsman Garry Mitchell enter a turbo lift and go to the bridge. The come to a stop and Kirk gives a speech to the crew. All department heads come to the bridge and we meet the ships doctor, again not Dr. McCoy. Scotty as the chief engineer, and Sulu as a physicist? Also I notice that Uhura is not on the bridge either.

Spock learns from the Black box is from the SS Valiant, and that they needed information on ESP (extra sensory perception). We learn that the ships psychiatrist has a high ESP rating. Her name is Dr. Dehner. She tells us what ESP is. Spock says that the Valiant self destructed.

They leave the galaxy at the snail’s pace of warp factor one. They then encounter some sort of barrier. Heading into it causes damage to the ship. They’re then hit by something like lightening and nine of the crew are killed and several injured, including the good Dr. Dehner and Helmsman Mitchell. They pull out of the barrier and head back into the galaxy. The ship’s main engines are burnt out .we also learn that the only people hurt have ESP potential.

The immediately suspect that something is up with the ESP potentials on the ship although they don’t know what yet. We then see Mitchell in sickbay, his eyes are all different. Kirk and Mitchell are old friends and they have some reminiscing of old times. When Kirk leaves Mitchell manages to amplify his voice and then starts speed reading.

They all suspect that Mitchell’s ESP rating has skyrocketed and that is going to be bad. Mitchell and Dr. Dehner talk a bit and Mitchell learns he can manipulate his own physiology. It’s clear that something weird is going on. He can even recall exactly what he was speed reading on any page. It’s also clear that he’s got feelings for her. He also learns that he can see into people’s mind.

They have a briefing and Spock says that he’s they may need to deal with Mr. Mitchell before he gets too powerful to control. Scotty reports that he has been able to manipulate the controls of the ship from sickbay. Indicating he’s also become a telekinetic. Sulu says his power is growing geometrically. Dr. Dehner tries to convince them that he is not dangerous. Spock disagrees.

They decide that the best course of action is to maroon Mitchell on a planet called Delta Vega. While there they can also repair their ship. Kirk and Mitchell have another conversation and we learn that he is beginning to feel powerful. It’s clear it’s going to his head. He zaps them and says he doesn’t want to leave the ship yet, not until he finds a better planet to use. They get the drop on him and beam down to Delta Vega.

Once there, they lock him in a brig and then begin repair work on the enterprise. Mitchell tries to get through the force field and they learn that it drained his strength a little. Scotty gets the ship up and running and spock gets a phaser rifle.

Everyone leaves except for Kirk, Mitchell, Dr. Dehner, Spock the doctor (this guy is named Dr. Mark Piper), and Lt. Kelso. Mitchell kills Kelso with his telekinetics and a piece of cable. Then he zaps Kirk and Spock and turns off the force field. Dr. Dehner also changes into the same thing as Mitchell and they go off together. The doc finds spock and Kirk and gets them back on their feet. Kirk says they need to bombard the planet with neutron radiation and then leaves to deal with Mitchell.

Meanwhile we see some more displays of power, Mitchell creates a garden out of thin air. Kirk tries to get the drop on them but to no avail. Mitchell sends Dehner to go and see how small humans have become to them. but it doesn’t quite work, she still has compassion for others. Kirk gives a good speech about humanity and we aren’t ready to this sort of power. Dehner zaps Mitchell, but also gets zapped for her trouble. Kirk and Mitchell fight. And he manages to use the phaser rifle to topple a mountain on him killing Mitchell. Dr. Dehner dies shortly thereafter.

Kirk beams up to the enterprise and they leave orbit. Kirk feels sad for the loss of his friend, and Spock reveals that he felt for Mitchell as well. roll end credits.


Fist fights: 2
Space babes: 1
God like beings: 3
Engine trouble:2
Redshirts killed: 9
Total body count: 11

The second pilot episode. This one is much better, we see about half of the faces we would come to know as the principle cast, Kirk, Spock, Scotty, and Sulu. We’re missing Bones, Uhura, Chekov, Nurse Chapel (even though we saw Majel Barrett as No. 1 in the cage) and yeoman Rand. For starters I’m glad they ditched those awful gold uniforms. This shows us what a normal person would do with phenomenal cosmic powers, and beats us over the head with the idea that we’re not ready for it. Something that The Cage didn’t quit do. Although it did mention it. This one is much better, characters get a chance to be defined and there’s a lot of time devoted to Kirk and Mitchell; you do sort of get the feeling that they are old friends.

They started this pilot off big with heading out past the edge of the galaxy and then quickly limping back; which is an odd choice but I guess it helps establish that this is our galaxy. I guess the great barrier from Star trek V isn't a new idea after all (albeit still stupid). The development of Mitchell’s powers is interesting and you can see his growing confidence and ambition as he experiments with his power. It’s all quite well done and a bit gripping.

Something else, I noticed, this one is labeled as episode 3, so when we get to episode 3, we'll skip it and go to episode 4. I guess they aired them out of order or something. it's weird.

I give this one 4 out of 5 trippy contact lenses.

Next Episode: The Man Trap

[Gopher Wizard]

IF your answer is no, then you are on the right track.

More like on the right TREK!:smallwink:

HA! HA! HA!

Sorry, I couldn't resist. But yeah, the original series is great. That's some classic sci-fi. If I recall correctly, I believe like half the cast also appeared on the Twilight Zone.

[Gnome Alone]

On the Kirk/McCoy/Spock ego/id/superego thing: I love Dr. McCoy. There's some episode where they're for some reason visiting a psychiatric prison or something and Kirk goes on about how it's all humane and enlightened now, but McCoy says, "If you've seen one cage, you've seen them all" and 12 year old me loved so much that older-than-that me loves him still.

On Where No Man Has Gone Before episode recap: Sulu is a physicist?! I mean, I know they basically retconned him into the helmsman or navigator or whatever he is most of the time, but man, that'd make him even more awesome. Also it'd be awesomely ridiculous; "What can we do with a physisicist?" "I don't know, maybe he could drive the ship."

[DigoDragon]

Wow, the second pilot has a significant body count. I had forgotten that.


More like on the right TREK!:smallwink:

Stay forever. :smallbiggrin:

[TheThan]

This episode begins with the Enterprise orbiting the planet M113. Spock is in the captain’s chair and Uhura is at the navigator’s control, great a woman giving directions… (I kid, I kid). Kirk, McCoy and a red shirt, beam down to the planet to harass, err give a routine medical evaluation to the two archeologists on the planet. One Professor Robert Crater and his wife Nancy. Apparently Nancy and Bones were once in a previous relationship.

They head to their abode but nobody is home. Nancy walks in and we see that she hasn’t aged a day; according to Bones but Kirk sees an older woman. While crewman Darnell (the redshirt) sees an entirely different woman. Apparently she looks like someone he left on Ridgley’s Pleasure planet (sounds kinky). Something weird is already afoot. Aww cute, Bones has a pet name… plum.

She steps outside and immediately starts to seduce the poor (soon to be dead methinks) crewman.

Roll opening credits.

Professor Crater appears and he’s a crotchety as any reclusive scientist worth his salt ought to be. Speaking of salt, he request salt since it somehow helps against the heat. The good scientist seems slightly off put that Nancy already saw them. Bones starts his examination and suddenly we hear a woman scream.

Naturally everyone runs to investigate and we find the redshirt dead with some strange markings on his face. With some obvious leading from the professor, Nancy tells them that she found the crewman eating a poisonous plant and that’s what killed him. She’s in tears and everything. Bones and Kirk beam up and Nancy asks again about the salt just before they leave.

On the bridge Uhura and Spock are having a conversation. They radio to Spock about the away team and Uhura is upset that Spock is not showing any signs of concern. They study the effects of the plant’s poison and learn that the strange markings on the redshirt’s face were not caused from the effects of the poison; in fact, there is no trace of poison in his body. Bones doesn’t know what killed him but he is now on a quest to find out.

They find out that everything with professor Crater and his wife checks out and then Bones calls to the bridge he’s found something. Or more accurately he hasn’t found something… salt. The body has no salt in it. Now they have questions for the doctor and his wife.

They beam down and start grilling the good professor. Apparently mysteries give Kirk a belly ache. Kirk asks them to go to the enterprise for their protection. The doc sneaks out while their backs are turned and he finds another dead redshirt. Nancy has apparently killed both the redshirts that beamed down with Kirk and bones. They find the first body and then Nancy takes the form of the second redshirt.

They beam up Nancy, now disguised as the second dead crewman. Once on the enterprise, Nancy begins to follow Yeoman Rand around. She has a tray of food and some salt. We get a wonderful line from her “go chase an asteroid” haha. Meanwhile Spock can’t find the missing Craters. Yeoman Rand goes into the botany section and Sulu is there feeding plants. Apparently the food’s for him. Oh wow those effects on Bogart, the plant are so obvious now. It’s just a hand puppet. Oh well, it was the 60s. Nancy is stalking the ship in search of Salt; eventually finding his way into the botany department with Sulu and Rand. Bogart, the plant puppet goes ballistic and drives Nancy away.

Nancy then comes across Lieutenant Uhura ,Nancy changes appearances and tries to seduce her. They talk in Swahili (I wonder if that’s actually Swahili, if it is then color me impressed). She is called back to the bridge and escapes possible death. Nancy comes across Bones’s quarters, she changes back to her Nancy appearance and gets him to take a sleeping pill. Meanwhile Sulu and Rand come across another body. Killed by Nancy.

Nancy takes on the appearance of McCoy while Kirk and Spock beam back down to take Professor Crater up to the ship. Rand and Sulu notify Kirk and he orders general quarters. Kirk and Spock set off to capture the professor. Meanwhile Nancy in the guise of McCoy, helps out in tracking down the monster that’s killing the crew.

Kirk and Spock stun the professor and he gives them the lowdown on what’s been going on. they head back to the ship and begin the search for the intruder. Nancy, in the form as McCoy, and professor Crater try to convince them that this monster is harmless as long as it’s fed. Kirk questions Crater’s motives; and is unable to convince him to help them. Spock and Nancy take Crater down to pump him with information using truth serum. Nancy knocks spock out and kills Crater (so much for love) and hey, they got his blood right properly green. Apparently Nancy couldn’t suck the salt out of spock (does he even have any?). They find Nancy in McCoy’s quarters, trying to get him to protect her.

Kirk bursts in intent on killing Nancy. But McCoy is in the way. She clocks Spock again and goes to suck the salt out of kirk but McCoy shoots her after she reveals her true self.

They all feel remorse for exterminating the last of a dying race. But they leave orbit and we roll credits.


Fist fights: 2
space babes: 1
God like beings: 2
Engine trouble:2
Redshirts killed: 13
Total body count: 17



Geze there were a lot of on screen deaths in this episode. Seriously counting the professor and Nancy there are six total corpses. Three of which die on the planet. The sad thing is that they didn’t have to kill her. I’m sure if they could have worked something out. Beam her down to the planet with a large supply of salt. But they decided not to reason with her.

In a way it makes sense, she did kill four of their people. But she was also trying to live, something all beings have a right to; however they know this thing is intelligent and can be reasoned with and is pretty docile when fed. They could have let her go but they don’t. They feel a little bit of remorse but not a whole lot. After all this thing did kill five people.

I was starting to feel some remorse for this thing. It’s only trying to survive and eat. But at the same time it’s killing people to survive. I would probably do the same thing in Kirk’s place

This one is pretty fantastic. I give it 5 out of 5 grains of salt.

Next episode: Charlie X

[Zaydos]

Something else, I noticed, this one is labeled as episode 3, so when we get to episode 3, we'll skip it and go to episode 4. I guess they aired them out of order or something. it's weird.

Production order and airing order were very disconnected in Star Trek; there's one red shirt in the 2nd season who if watched in airing order dies and then shows up in 2 more episodes (or was it shows up, dies, then shows up in another episode). And Chekov doesn't show till Season 2.


Sorry, I couldn't resist. But yeah, the original series is great. That's some classic sci-fi. If I recall correctly, I believe like half the cast also appeared on the Twilight Zone.

I now feel compelled to try and find Twilight Zone episodes with Sulu, Spock, McCoy, and Scottie.


On Where No Man Has Gone Before episode recap: Sulu is a physicist?! I mean, I know they basically retconned him into the helmsman or navigator or whatever he is most of the time, but man, that'd make him even more awesome. Also it'd be awesomely ridiculous; "What can we do with a physisicist?" "I don't know, maybe he could drive the ship."

Think about all the weird stuff they fly through, or the astrophysics needed to chart a course. You probably need to be a physicist to fly it properly.

[BannedInSchool]

Production order and airing order were very disconnected in Star Trek;
My first suspicion would be that shows with more FX have a later airing date from more post-production.

[TheThan]

I’ve decided to try to do two on Saturdays.




The enterprise rendezvous with a cargo vessel called the Antares. They beam over a teen by the name of Charlie Evans, he’s been marooned on a desert planet since he was little. Captain Ramar, of the Antares and his navigator seem scared of him. Charlie gives them a mean look and they suddenly start praising his name. Charlie is a bit off putting, but then he has no real social skills, it’s not surprising. Something is off, the transport captain and crew aren’t willing to take on any entertainment even booze.

Charlie meets Yeoman Rand and he’s immediately smitten. Asking the most hilarious question ever “is that a girl?”. Buahah

Roll opening credits.

McCoy gives Charlie a physical and he checks out better than fine. Charlie says he wants people to like him. He starts wandering around the ship, observing people. He’s got his eye on yeoman Rand. He gives her a present, something she couldn’t get onboard the ship; I think it’s supposed to be perfume or something. She tells him to meet her in the reckroom and he slaps her ass like he saw two guys do (I hope that’s just the athletic butt slap). Janice clearly doesn’t like this and tells him not to do it. He asks why and she tells him to ask Kirk (oh gosh advice on the birds and the bees brought to you by Captain James T Kirk. This is going to be brilliant).

Back on the bridge they talk about mysterious aliens call Phasians, and Kirk pulls rank on bones and makes him give advice on the birds and the bees to Charlie. In the reckroom, Spock plays his lyre thingy and Uhura sings a song about Charlie. This doesn’t go over so well with Charlie who at first tries to get Janice’s attention but isn’t able to. So he removes Uhura’s voice; apparently temporarily. He then gets Yeoman Rand’s attention with some card tricks. It works and he really enjoys the attention.

Kirk mentions its Thanksgiving and that he wants the synthetic meatloaf to resemble turkey since they can’t have real turkey. Charlie comes in and tries to ask Kirk about the athletic butt slap; Kirk tries to explain it and fails fairly awkwardly. He’s interrupted by Uhura who informs him that the Antares is hailing them. But they lose contact. Spock finds the Antares and there’s nothing left but debris. Kirk seems to suspect Charlie but then the galley calls and says there are real turkeys in the ovens where there ought to be meatloaf.

In the reck-room, Kirk and Spock are playing 3D chess but Kirk’s mind doesn’t seem to be on the game. But he still manages to win. They let Charlie try his hand and he’s a sour loser. Charlie then melts all the chess pieces. He rushes out of the room and Yeoman Rand stops him in the corridor and introduces him to another yeoman, and he’s awful rude to her. Charlie explains that he’s basically in love with Yeoman Rand.

Janice goes to the captain and tries to get his help to get Charlie to break off his crush on Janice. He tries to talk to him about the birds and the bees again; this time with slightly better results. Charlie is trying to deal and he simply doesn’t know how. Kirk gets a bright idea and takes him to the gym to teach him some judo. And we get shirtless Kirk (maybe that should be a counter gag). Charlie isn’t terribly interested but he gives it a shot and Kirk brings him down fairly softly. Ooh Charlie does not like getting laughed at and he makes him disappear. Naturally Kirk is upset about it. Kirk confines him to quarters but Charlie resists, violently. But Kirk manages to convince him to go with the security people.

He then meets Spock and Bones in the briefing room and discuss what exactly Charlie is. They got a problem. They can’t take him to the colony where he’ll have to interact with normal people in a normal environment. Charlie enters and Kirk asks him if he was responsible for the destruction of the Antares and he fesses up to that. Back on the bridge, Charlie is taking control of the enterprise. He takes out the communications, and hurts Uhura in the possess; he keeps the ship from being able to change course and makes Mr. Spock spout poetry.

They’ve got a real problem… and he just turned the poor Yeoman into a newt. He’s a witch burn him. He then brings yeoman Rand a pink flower. Janice is not happy with him. She tried to let him down gently but that’s not happening. She pulls a quick one and turns on an intercom without him seeing. Spock and Kirk rush to her rescue. But he knocks them down and then Yeoman rand slaps him, good for her. But he makes her disappear.

They get him to go into the brig but he just makes the bulkhead disappear. Then he makes some woman old, removes someone’s face. Charlie is taking control of the ship. Kirk comes up with a plan. It works and then he throws Charlie out of his chair. Then the Phasians show up and take Charlie away.

Apparently they’re responsible for giving Charlie the power he has. They apologize, restore everything Charlie has done and take him away. Poor Charlie doesn’t want to go, he wants human contact but he can’t handle it; not with the powers he has. So they bring Charlie back to their ship and are off. Roll end credits.



Fist fights: 2
space babes: 1
God like beings: 4
Engine trouble:3
Redshirts killed: 14
Total body count: 38


Yeah this one is filled with awkward moments; poor Charlie just wants to belong but he can’t because he doesn’t know how. He can’t not use his powers, after all they allow him to do what he wants. Much like that twilight zone episode with the little kid and the god like powers and the terror that he can cause.
I like how they have made sacrifices for space travel. Synthetic meatloaf sounds awful; but it’s what they have to eat. I also like how the crew congregates in the rec-rooms for entertainment. It shows a little bit of camaraderie amongst the crew and that they have to live alongside each other as well.

Charlie is difficult to watch because of his awkwardness. But it makes perfect sense and I’m not blaming the actor for anything, in fact he goes a great job at being awkward. This one is low on action, but strong on psychology. but once again we're beaten over the head with the idea that we can't handle phenomenal cosmic power. I'm considering two more counters, one for transporter malfunctions and one for shirtless Kirks. what does the audience say?

I give it 3 out of 5 awkward puberty discussions
Next episode: The Naked Time (i told you these were all laden with innuendo)

[McStabbington]

If you were to create a top 100 science fiction episodes listing, I think it's likely that Star Trek TOS would be both the most frequently-listed series in that list (only the Twilight Zone would really compete), and have the highest ratio of any series for the amount of episodes listed to amount of episodes produced. I wouldn't be surprised if 15 episodes of that list came just from TOS.

I mention that largely because I think each of these episodes shows in their own way why this turned out to be such a classic science fiction series: nobody, not even the most ardent TOS fan, would put either of these episodes on that list, but they are nevertheless strong dramatic episodes. Despite the fact that I'd be willing to bet a third of this series could be summarized as "Kirk and party are jerked around by vastly superior aliens", they nevertheless find so many different flavors and textures to make it happen. Plot-wise, "Charlie X" isn't terribly different from "Catspaw" or "The Squire of Gothos" or "Where No Man Has Gone Before", and that's just the ones I can remember offhand, but in each case, they make a good strong showing of personalizing the struggle and giving the characters something unique and interesting to bounce off of. Similarly, the Salt Vampire is an incredibly formulaic monster-of-the-week, and yet by the end we feel incredible pathos for its passing.

In short, episodes like these are important not because they are all-time greats, but because they help show that Trek earned its status as a classic series because a lot of it's best episodes are surrounded by strong, brick-and-mortar B+ episodes.

[factotum]

My first suspicion would be that shows with more FX have a later airing date from more post-production.

They tended to re-use a lot of SFX, though, so that's not a given. For instance, there's a particular scene of the ship orbiting a planet which is re-used many times throughout the series, but you can tell it's from the pilot episode because there are slight differences to the ship model used (mainly on the warp nacelles).

[comicshorse]

I'm considering two more counters, one for transporter malfunctions and one for shirtless Kirks. what does the audience say?


Maybe one for every time Spock says 'fascinating'

[brionl]

I now feel compelled to try and find Twilight Zone episodes with Sulu, Spock, McCoy, and Scottie.


There's a Man from U.N.C.L.E. episode with Shatner & Nimoy as the guest stars. Bill is the "good guy" accomplice, and Leonard is the "bad guy" second in command.

[TheThan]

This episode opens with the Enterprise in orbit around site 2000. An ancient frozen planet that’s about to implode. Spock, and a redshirt beam down and investigate the goings on. Everything is frozen and everyone is dead; all in bizarre conditions. The redshirt, in an act of colossal stupidity, removes his glove and takes a reading, which infects him with red stuff. Then he puts his glove back on. Spock walks in seconds later and says not to expose themselves to anything, oh the irony of that statement cannot be underplayed. He says it’s not like anything they have experienced before.

Roll opening credits.

Spock and our redshirt beam up to the enterprise and are decontaminated. (Hey I didn’t think they could do that in this era of the show cool!). But unfortunately for them, the alien disease is already in the suit and doesn’t get removed by that decon procedures. McCoy gives them a clean bill of health and releases them. Although the redshirt “Joe” is pretty shaken up by the event.

They check the recordings Spock and Joe brought back. it appears they are irrational, drugged. They speculate about what happens and they basically have no clue. Apparently orbiting this planet is difficult since it’s shrinking.

Joe, goes into a reck-room and gets himself a meal out of the wall. I think that’s supposed to be a replicator or some sort of heat-and-serve unit. Anyway Sulu and Lt. Riley come in and Sulu is talking about fencing. They sit by Joe and he’s angry then begins to get depressed. He grabs a criminally dull knife and turns it on himself. Then Sulu and Riley take him to the ground and he gets stabbed accidentally. Riley jumps up and calls for a medic.

Unfortunately Sulu and Riley are infected in the confrontation. The first symptom of this disease is the incredible itching on their hands. This is bad since they’re at the controls of the ship. Bones fixes Lt. Joe up but unfortunately he dies anyway. Apparently just willing himself to die.

The planet continues to shrink; and Sulu decides to go down to the gym while he’s on duty. And some reason nobody notices except for Riley; who tries to convince him it’s a bad idea. Spock finally notices that Sulu is gone. Now suddenly Lt. Riley starts acting quite bombastic… swaggering about like he’s really pleased with himself. Spock sends him down to the sickbay and Riley hits on Nurse Chapel and she becomes infected as well.

Sulu, now shirtless (OOOH MY) and wielding a rapier jumps some guys in the corridor and chases them off. Spock and Kirk start piecing the puzzle together about what’s going on. But they have lost control of the ship and it’s spiraling out of control. Sulu charges onto the bridge sword in hand Kirk tackles him while Spock neck pinches him. They carry him off to the sick bay.

Lt. Riley has taken over the engine room and is irritating everyone by singing “Cathleen” over the intercom repeatedly. Scotty and his team have to cut through part of the bulkhead with a phaser to open the door. Uhura starts to report on more bizarre occurrences.

They only have a few minutes left before the ship, now out of control hits the atmosphere and burns up. Spock heads down to where Scotty is working to assist and stumbles across more infected crewmen. Spock shows up in sickbay looking for Bones, and just misses him. Nurse Chapel expresses her love for Spock and infects him. Spock almost immediately loses control and breaks down crying.

Scotty gets the door to engineering open and they apprehend Lt. Riley. In engineering Scotty learns that Riley turned the engines completely off. They’re in a bigger pickle than they were before. Scotty needs 30 minutes and they have six minutes. While Scotty works out a solution; Bones manages to figure out what is causing the symptoms and comes up with a cure. (Its water, on that planet water acts like alcohol… weird)

Kirk finds Spock and tries to get his help; but Spock slaps him across the room. But Kirk gets the disease and he starts talking about love and what sort of toll being the captain of a ship has. Kirk gets to the bridge and bones gives him the antidote. He gives the order and they perform the procedure to start the engines. They manage to restart the engines and pull out in time.

However there is a problem. They’ve entered time warp. They’re now going backwards in time. Oops. They slow down and we learn they’ve regressed in time 3 days. They file that information away for later use and we roll credits.


____________

Fist fights : 3
space babes : 1
God like beings : 4
Engine trouble :4
Vulcan Neck Pinches 2
Redshirts killed : 15
Total body count : 39


This one is actually really good. I thought about doing a counter gag for space diseases but I don’t think I will. The method of the disease spreading not just by touch but by perspiration is interesting. I really like how they show the effects symptoms of the disease as it spreads. It gives you a visual que as to what’s happening.

The drunken hysteria is kinda silly but shows what happens when everyone starts losing self control and just acts on what they want to do, only amplified and how discipline on a ship is really important. I like how not everyone is affected, McCoy, Uhura and Scotty don’t come down with it and are able to deal with it. The time warp at the end of the episode comes out of nowhere but I’m fairly certain it will come into play later in the series. The best part of this episode is that it’s just so darn enjoyable. Everything from Sulu running around shirtless to Scotty cutting into the bulkhead keeps your attention. We get to see some of the inner thinking’s of the characters as they reveal their deepest thoughts in a drunken haze.

I give this episode 5 out of 5 shirtless Sulus.

Next episode: The Enemy Within

[hamlet]

On the Kirk/McCoy/Spock ego/id/superego thing: I love Dr. McCoy. There's some episode where they're for some reason visiting a psychiatric prison or something and Kirk goes on about how it's all humane and enlightened now, but McCoy says, "If you've seen one cage, you've seen them all" and 12 year old me loved so much that older-than-that me loves him still.

On Where No Man Has Gone Before episode recap: Sulu is a physicist?! I mean, I know they basically retconned him into the helmsman or navigator or whatever he is most of the time, but man, that'd make him even more awesome. Also it'd be awesomely ridiculous; "What can we do with a physisicist?" "I don't know, maybe he could drive the ship."

As I recall, actually, most of the crew are also scientists in addition to their particular ranks. That was, really, kind of a serious point for Roddenberry, that these weren't soldiers but a bunch of organized scientists exploring and just tooling about the universe. It's something that's kept up in the other series' as well. Picard has a degree in archaology (and apparant badassery) and Janeway has it seems 7 or 8 doctorates that are never pinned down.

[McStabbington]

Is that the first Vulcan Nerve Pinch? For this early stuff, we need to keep track of the tropes as they come up.

[TheThan]

Kirk, Sulu and an away team are down on a planet. Sulu is holding a poodle, they’ve glued a horn to its head and they dyed the poor dog pink. One of the redshirts falls off an embankment and hurts himself. Kirk sends him back to the ship. Scotty beams him up and there’s a problem; although he’s able to get the redshirt up alright. Scotty orders the guy to decontaminate his uniform and runs a diagnostic on the transporter. Everything checks out.

Kirk beams up and Scotty continues to have problems but he manages to get Kirk up intact. I noticed he’s missing the star fleet insignia on his uniform. They both leave because kirk is disoriented. While they’re gone, another Kirk beams up. This one is clearly evil judging by the look on his face and the music.

Roll opening credits.

Good Kirk heads to his quarters and lies down. Evil Kirk shows up in sickbay while Bones is attending to the redshirt. Evil Kirk demands Saurian brandy (is that brandy made from Saurians, brandy made by Saurians, or brandy made for saurians?). McCoy keeps some handy… for medical purposes only I’m sure. Evil Kirk, now chugging the stuff straight from the bottle, heads to Yeoman Rand’s quarters but she’s not home. Meanwhile Spock shows up at good Kirk’s quarters and Kirk seems fine.

Scotty, has beamed up the little dog thing; and they find out that that transporter is malfunctioning and that it’s split the dog into two separate entities, one docile the other vicious. Evil Kirk is still in Yeoman Rand’s quarters when she arrives. He tries to seduce her and then force himself upon her but Yeoman Rand, being awesome fights him off, scratching his face and then gets help. But Evil Kirk beats up this redshirt.

Spock and Good Kirk go to sickbay to figure out what’s happening. He’s denying he did anything wrong, which is true. Yeoman Rand tells good Kirk what happened and that she scratched him. Oh and the redshirt that got jumped by Kirk isn’t dead, somehow I’m disappointed.

Spock figures out there’s an imposter onboard. The landing party is stuck on the planet and it gets lethally cold at night. They have to fix the transporter before they risk beaming them up. Kirk puts Scotty on the project. They make a plan and good Kirk seems to be having a hard time trying to give orders. Spock tries to fill him with confidence which doesn’t seem to work.

Kirk realizes he has lost his Strength of will and is having a hard time trying to give orders. He makes the announcement to the crew about the imposter and orders them to apprehend him with minimal force. Meanwhile Evil kirk hears the announcement and goes on a rampage. Yelling “I’m captain Kirk!”. He finds some makup and hides the scratches on his face that Yeoman Rand caused.

He stops a crewman and takes his phaser, phaser whipping him in the head. Meanwhile on the planet Sulu and Company and freezing their tits off in the cold. They tried to beam down some supplies but that didn’t work they were duplicated and the tech didn’t work (try some warm clothes next time idiots). Meanwhile good Kirk and Spock learn that Evil Kirk is now armed. They figure out that Evil Kirk would probably go the engineering decks to hide. They begin searching the lower decks.

Evil Kirk and Good Kirk come face to face in a really cleverly shot scene. Spock gets evil Kirk from behind and Vulcan neck pinches him. They get evil Kirk to sickbay and they bind him. Spock explains the psychology behind this whole situation. Evil Kirk shot at good kirk previously and that apparently shot out the transporter mechanics.

Meanwhile the away team is slowly freezing to death. And they’re huddling together for warmth (OOH MY). Kirk is having a hard time trying to cope without his evil half. Sulu warms up a rock with his phaser and talks to Kirk about their situation. Spock tells him to fall into survival procedures (OOOH MY). McCoy gives Kirk his version of the psychology behind this situation. They’re both right. Evil Kirk is grinning… he’s got an idea.

Meanwhile Scotty and Spock think they find a solution and they run the animal through the transporter and it works there’s only one dog remaining. However the dog is dead. Crapbaskets.

Kirk can’t make the decision to go through with it or not. Spock’s argument is much stronger IMHO. He finally decides to have the transporter readied and orders Bones to continue the autopsy of the animal. Good Kirk lets the evil Kirk out of his restrains and then he jumps him, knocking him out. He then comes across yeoman Rand exiting a turoblift.

Evil Kirk heads to the bridge and orders the ship to leave orbit. However good Kirk arrives and they have it out again. But nobody is convinced that he is the real captain. They go through the transporter and come out all right. Then they beam the away team up and warm them up. Amazingly they all survive.

Bones asks Kirk if he’s ok and he says he will be. He saw a side of himself no man should ever see. yeoman Rand tries to apologies to him about what she had said earlier and Captain Kirk accepts her apology and they leave orbit.

Roll end credits.



Fist fights : 3
space babes : 1
God like beings : 4
Engine trouble :4
Vulcan Neck Pinches 2
Redshirts killed : 15
Total body count : 39

This one must have been a really fun episode for William Shatener to act in. he got to play a character that’s totally aggressive and a nut; seriously he looks like he’s really enjoying himself. Then switch back to playing someone very docile. The psychological aspects of this show are delivered with a blunt instrument but they are fairly right on. I like the speech Spock gives about having two different sides and forcing them to sit down, shut up and behave. It’s nice and surprisingly impassioned for Spock.

The scene where Evil Kirk tries to force himself onto Yeoman Rand is really difficult to watch. Especially since Grace Lee Whitney was allegedly sexually assaulted by an unnamed studio exec (which is probably the real reason why she was let go). This scene is surprisingly violent for 1966.

I’m amazed nobody died in this episode especially since Evil Kirk jumped like three people, knocking them out instead of killing them.
One thing that doesn’t make sense is why good Kirk didn’t lock himself up in the brig or somewhere until they can capture Evil Kirk. That would have cut down on any chance of the search parties mistaking Good Kirk for Evil Kirk. Not that it happened, but the potential to happen is easily there. I should keep track of how many times the transporter malfunctions or breaks down, but I’ve already up to 10 counters and I don't think I can handle keeping track of much more.


This one is alright. I give it a 3 out of 5 pink horned poodles

Up Next: Mudd’s Women.

[BannedInSchool]

Meanwhile on the planet Sulu and Company and freezing their tits off in the cold. They tried to beam down some supplies but that didn’t work they were duplicated and the tech didn’t work (try some warm clothes next time idiots).

But you'd have a 50% chance of getting the evil clothes!

Heh, on one hand my initial reaction is "Another transporter malfunction?!?", but there is more philosophically to the story than it just being inconvenient, which later Treks didn't always manage, I think.

[McStabbington]

But you'd have a 50% chance of getting the evil clothes!

Heh, on one hand my initial reaction is "Another transporter malfunction?!?", but there is more philosophically to the story than it just being inconvenient, which later Treks didn't always manage, I think.

Another? This is the first one. You're watching history be made, another Trek trope created!

[DigoDragon]

I should keep track of how many times the transporter malfunctions or breaks down, but I’ve already up to 10 counters and I don't think I can handle keeping track of much more.


I'm surprised you expanded the counters to that many. Body count, engine trouble, and space babes seems like the core three I'd pick. ...maybe fist fights as a 4th. :smallbiggrin:

[BannedInSchool]

Another? This is the first one. You're watching history be made, another Trek trope created!
Therefore the "Heh". It's the very first one[1] but produces the reaction of "Oh, god. A transporter malfunction again". :smallwink:

[1] In real world production order. Enterprise surely established transporter malfunctions in-universe before in the chronological narrative order. :smallbiggrin:

[TheThan]

Yeah this is probably too many for me to keep track of. It’s just that classic trek produced so many troupes for scifi and star trek in general that it’s hard to pass them up.

I’ve decided to cut some of them for my own sanity. Sorry guys.

Enterprise came after these tropes were already solidly established.

[TheThan]

The Enterprise is perusing an unidentified vessel. Uhura is wearing a green uniform? Ooookay. The ship they’re perusing is heading to an asteroid belt. They prepare to beam up the crew of the ship and we cut to opening credits.

They beam over Harry Mudd, although he’s giving his name as Captain Leo Walsh. An asteroid hits the freighter but they managed to beam the other members of the crew aboard. They are all women. Two blondes and a brunette. Scotty and McCoy are immediately smitten. Spock is unaffected because green blood.

Mudd, Spock and the women walk through the corridors and turn everyone’s head, even the ladies. Haha. Anyway in the turbolift Mudd explains not to bother trying to seduce Spock, he won’t be affected by them. They enter the cabin’s office and Spock introduces them with a slight grin on his face. He knows Kirk well enough to guess his reaction ahaha.

Mudd explains to Kirk why he tried to evade the enterprise and Kirk is throwing the book at him.. Mudd gives his lovely ladies directions, answer questions honestly and don’t submit to a medical exam. Scotty is NOT happy. In perusing Mudd’s ship they burnt out several lithium crystals which are used for something or other. But the point is that they have one left and everything is being channeled through it. Basically they have engine trouble. They realize that they can make it to a planet called Rigel XII where they can get replacement lithium crystals since it’s a place where they mine them.

They hold a trial for Harry Mudd aka Harry Mudd. They soon learn that Leo Walsh isn’t his real name. Harry here is quite the rogue. While Mudd tries to lie his way through the proceedings the women turn their charm powers on (apparently they can turn it on and off) start distracting everyone.

We then learn that the women are mail order brides and that the ship’s databanks have no information on them. As soon as they end the hearing the ship’s last lithium crystal breaks down. Mudd gets the idea to sell the women to the lithium miners.

The women start seducing the crew… starting with McCoy. The brunette, Ruth walks by the medical scanner and it goes off. McCoy wonders what’s up with the scanner, but he’s distracted enough not to figure it out. He asks about any strange perfume or anything that would interact with his contact.

Another, one Eve, tries to seduce Captain Kirk, meeting him in his cabin. Kirk is easily seduced… naturally. She however pulls out and refuses to be part of it any longer. Meanwhile the third Magda manages to gather some information on the Lithium miners. Mudd reveals that lithium crystals are very, valuable, 300 x their weight in diamonds, and 1000s of times their weight in gold. Harry works out a plan. But Eve doesn’t like Mudd and actually doesn’t feel good. Something is wrong with her.

The girls manage to get a communicator while Kirk and McCoy try to figure out why everyone is having such a strong reaction to the women. They arrive in orbit to Rigel XII. We then see the girls and they, have aged and become ugly. Eve explains that whatever it is, is a cheat. He searches his room for something and finally finds it, it’s some sort of pill. The women take it and become beautiful again. it’s some sort of drug.

Kirk meets with the miners and they discuss payment for the lithium crystals. They want the women for the crystals, a straight across swap. They have also agreed to have the charges on Harry dropped. Harry bursts in with the women and they take over the situation.

Kirk Spock and Mudd Beam down to the planet and find that the women are already down there. Kirk gives in but they won’t deliver the crystals because they’re too busy with the women. One of the women Eve is having a hard time with trying to seduce them. A fist fight breaks out over the women between the miners. Eve rushes out into the extreme climate of the planet, harsh winds and a magnetic storm. Kirk follows. One of the miners also follows.

Kirk beams back up and uses the ship’s scanners to find the girl. They’re running dangerously low on power. The miner manages to find the girl and bring her back to safety Eve cooks some food for the miner and has done some chores for helping her. Eventually The Enterprise finds them.

The miner notices that Eve is changing back. Then Kirk and Mudd bursts in and Mudd spills the beans about the drugs. They’re called Venus drugs and they make people more beautiful. The miner is rightfully pissed about being deceived. Eve demonstrates how the drug works, more out of anger than anything.

However Kirk swapped the drugs for colored Jell-O and proved that there’s no need for the drug at all. the miner gives them the crystals and Eve agrees to stay with the miner. Back on the enterprise they get the crystals in place. There’s some banter and they leave orbit.

Roll end credits.


Fist fights: 3
space babes: 4
God like beings: 4
Engine trouble: 5
Vulcan neck pinches 2
Redshirts killed: 15
Total body count: 39


Harry Mudd is a great character, a lying, thieving, conniving crook. He’s a rogue and a knave and he’s amazingly fun to watch. He’s got enough charm to make a convincing con artist and is unlike anyone else we've met before.

I began to feel for Eve, she just wants to find a man and feels that she needs a drug to attract one, but she begins to doubt that and feels the drug is nothing more than a cheat. That a love created by a lie is not really love. She’s right of course and its nice to see the miner realize it as well. as for the others. Well we don’t quite know their fate. I think they stayed with the other miners.

Despite the lack of combat, this episode is fun and easy to watch, I give it 4 out of 5 little red jell-o cubes.

Next episode: what are little girls made of?

[DigoDragon]

It can be a neat balance for the Enterprise to go between exploring the edges of Federation space and then playing sheriff around these frontier locales.

[TheThan]

It's interesting and it's also a bit funny. They recognize he's a criminal but they don't really understand why he chooses to do the things he does. It's like the concept of a criminal is almost completely foreign to them. in fact, they played this up in TNG with the idea being COMPLETELY foreign to them.



The enterprise just enters standard orbit around a planet named Exo III. Nurse Chapel is on the bridge. She’s worried about someone named Rodger on the planet below and has not been heard from in five years. The planet is an ice planet, with temperatures ranging 100 degrees below zero.

This person they’re searching for is named Rodger Corby. And he’s a noted biologist, having deciphered medical information from some Orion ruins that lead to a revolution in space medicine. They receive a message from the good doctor and we cut to the opening credits.

They prepare to beam down but Dr. Corby requests only Kirk beam down. Nurse Chapel was once engaged to him. They decide Nurse Chapel and kirk should beam down. They do and arrive in at the location inside a cave with a glass wall giving them a view to the frozen world. Dr. Corby is not there and Kirk orders two redshirts beamed down to accompany them. they leave one at the beaming location and one goes with Kirk and Chapel.

They wonder around and eventually come across the doctor’s assistant; his name is brown. Suddenly the redshirt falls into a chasm and is gone. It seems a big alien pushed him. Kirk gives orders to the other redshirt but the alien gets him from behind and kills him. The assistant gives them the lowdown on what they’ve been doing. They meet a beautiful young woman named Andrea. Then we meet Dr. Corby and he’s still smitten by Chapel. They kiss and Andrea has absolutely zero reaction. odd. Huh.

Kirk tries to contact the Enterprise and Corby’s assistant pulls a gun on him. He orders Andrea to take Kirk away. He then grabs her and uses her as a shield before taking cover. Kirk fires his phaser and blows a massive hole through him. He’s a robot. The big alien dude enters and lifts kirk up with one hand and throws him against the wall.

On the enterprise Spock receives a message from Kirk, which is actually the alien mimicking his voice. Brock the android, the big guy, has been left there to maintain the machinery left behind by the aliens on the planet. He’s totally played by the actor that plays Lurch on the Adam’s family.

Andrea and Chapel have brief discussion and then Corby and the others arrive. Dr. Corby keeps trying to convince them that he needs to explain it to them. Andrea is an android like the assistant and Lurch. Chapel immediately suspects kinky stuff has been going on. Corby explains that it’s not like that and there is no emotion in them. Chapel isn’t convinced.

They show Chapel how they create an android, from Kirk. They place him on a table with a foam cut out of him and spin it around rapidly. Soon there are two of them. Kirk awakes and hears their plans to replace Kirk with the android and comes up with a plan. He fills his mind hatred towards his best friend, Spock, hoping that this will tip them off that the android is an imposter.

Kirk and chapel eat and have a conversation and it’s reviewed that Kirk is an android. They then have a really cleverly shot scene where the android and Kirk sit and talk, both of them on the screen at the same time.

Corby tries to convince that he can transfer the consciousness of a person into the body of a machine and grant them immortality and keep people safe from the dangers of space. Kirk isn’t buying it. Corby suggests that they infiltrate modern society with androids; replacing people. Kirk then takes a rope from his chair and strangles Corby, just long enough to escape. Corby sends Brock after him. Then Chapel goes off in search of them both giving Lurch the order not to harm him. I doubt that’s going to work.

Kirk goes after Brock with an unintentionally phallic looking club but that doesn’t work. He’s thrust off a cliff but catches himself on the leg, lurch helps him up.

Back on the enterprise, android Kirk takes the information about their next destination, and gives Spock the suspicion that he’s not who he is. Meanwhile the original Kirk is trying to seduce Andrea. Kirk suggests that the androids do have feelings. Brock interrupts them and he confronts brock about not having emotion; and asks him about the original builders of the machines, the “old ones’.

Kirk manages to turn Brock against Corby. Revealing that they turned against their creator and destroyed them all. Corby comes in and Brock prepares to attack him but he shoots Brock and disintegrates him. Kirk and Dr. Corby have a brief scuffle and it’s reveled that he’s an android himself. He transferred his mind into the mind of the machine.

They have intruders and Corby orders Andrea to find them and destroy them. She finds the android Kirk and shoots him, mistaking him for the real Kirk. Andrea can’t seem to handle that she made a mistake. Kirk points out that they are not perfect. Andrea kisses Dr. Corby, professing her love for Corby and shoots the both of them, killing them both. Classic murder/suicide.

With all the androids dead they go back to the enterprise and leave. Roll end credits.


Fist fights: 4
space babes: 5
God like beings: 4
Engine trouble: 5
Vulcan neck pinches:2
Redshirts killed: 17
Total body count: 46

This episode is mostly ok. Bones isn’t in it at all, and Spock only briefly. It’s primarily about Kirk and Nurse Chapel. Which honestly doesn’t quite work; Kirk really needs someone like Spock or McCoy to play off of and Majel Barret, at least at this stage in her career, is pretty awful. It also has the most onscreen deaths yet at seven. The guy that plays Brock, err lurch, is really impressive physically, he’s incredibly athletic; he lifts Kirk up and throws him against the wall, later he hurls him across the room and it looks like Shatner weighs nothing and he moves very well, smooth and fast. So either there’s some camera trickery mixed with good physical acting to make him look super strong, or this guy is beastly. I'm primarily familiar with his work as Lurch from The Addam's Family, in which he he doesn't get o do much in that show aside from play a harpsichord and answer the door. They padded out his costume to make him look even more huge than he was; hah.

I like how the Dr. wants to subtly replace people with androids, its diabolical. Also that outfit Andrea is wearing is rather risqué, even by today’s standards it would turn heads. Also get it, Andréa, android. Har har.

Anyway I give this one 2 out of 5 Lurches.

Next episode: Miri

[Gnoman]

S1E7: what are little girls made of?


This episode is one of the ones that wound up with a sequel novel, Double Double. The basic premise is revisited (due to an android that was stuck in a cave during the events of the episode deciding to proceed with Corby's plan), and handled better.



Scotty is NOT happy. In perusing Mudd’s ship they burnt out several lithium crystals which are used for something or other. But the point is that they have one left and everything is being channeled through it. Basically they have engine trouble. They realize that they can make it to a planet called Rigel XII where they can get replacement lithium crystals since it’s a place where they mine them.



This is the result of a retcon - what they call "lithium" in this episode and the second pilot (the core concept and parts of the script date back to Roddenberry's original sales pitch for the show) becomes the famous "dilithium crystals" in all subsequent references when the writers decided to replace a lot of the real-world terms used in fantastic devices to fictional equivalents (much in the way "Phasers" replaced "Lasers".

[Zaydos]

I will always have a fondness of What are Little Girls made of. Other than The Cage it and Miri are the first episodes I can remember seeing, and the first time I watched the Cage is very hazy in my mind and Miri I've grown to really not like.

[TheThan]

Yeah.
I immediately thought of Lithium Ion batteries when they mentioned the crystal.
Then I looked up Lithium to see if it was found in crystal form. I was disappointed.

But you never know when real world science creeps into a science fiction adventure show.

[DigoDragon]

I will always have a fondness of What are Little Girls made of. Other than The Cage it and Miri are the first episodes I can remember seeing

My first episode ever was Devil in the Dark. I remember it was Sunday morning and the family couldn't go to church because the family car broke down. So while my pops was fixing it, I turned on the TV because I didn't know what they played on Sunday mornings. Found Star Trek and instantly loved the concept, so I bought myself a VHS tape and started recording episodes when I could. :3



But you never know when real world science creeps into a science fiction adventure show.

Or the other way around! We now have hand-held communicators, pocket computers, and even limited-function tricorders (including the medical type). You could compare modern 3D printing as the forerunner to replicators.

[brionl]

I was 7 when TOS first aired, and I used to watch it as often as I could. Even getting to stay up late to watch it.

I also used to get to stay up late to watch Laugh In, and laughed a lot. Then I watched it on Nick at Nite when I was all growed up, and laughed even more at all the stuff I missed when I was a kid.

[Gnome Alone]

It can be a neat balance for the Enterprise to go between exploring the edges of Federation space and then playing sheriff around these frontier locales.

I feel like the element missing from most iterations of Star Trek that TOS has in spades is the whole "space western" thing. Though DS9 does have elements of it; Sisko's kind of a Wild West frontier sheriff.

[TheThan]

The Enterprise picks up an old style SOS and they investigate. Where is Uhura? Spock gives the stats on the plant and Yeoman Rand points out that it’s earth. Looking at the screen you can clearly see Africa.

Roll opening credits.

Now orbiting around this earth. They decide to beam down near the distress signal. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Yeoman Rand and two redshirts beam down and they find themselves in ruins with 40s era technology. Spock states the obvious but suggests that the era is in 1960 or so. A redshirt, wanders off we see a door close behind him.

Someone bursts out of nowhere and tackles McCoy. Kirk and Spock pull him off and they fight him. This guy is upset over the tricycle they were looking at. He goes into some sort of seizure and then dies. McCoy says its metabolic rate is sky high like he aged a century in a few minutes.

They hear a noise and go investigating. Why doesn’t yeoman rand have a gun, everyone else seems to? Anyway they find a girl, and yeoman rand calms her. Meanwhile Spock and the redshirts leave to go gather samples; so they can figure out what has happened (never split the party). They get the girl, Miri talking. She says the thing that attacked Bones is called a “grup” (Grown Ups”), and that there was a plague of some sort; or somesuch and everyone died except for the “onlies” (the only people left).

Meanwhile Spock and the redshirts do some more looking around. Spock hears a noise from above and starts up a fire escape to find out what it was. Then they hear the sound of children and they continue onward. Someone drops balls on their head and they hear children teasing them. They realize that they can’t catch them, they know the area too well.

Spock reports back to the captain. Kirk asks miri if she knows where the buildings where the doctors were and she says it’s a bad place. But Kirk insists and it’s clear that Miri is totally smitten with him. Great. Miri, sees that Kirk has a mark on his hand; it’s part of the disease that makes people into the grumps.

They find the building and McCoy is on the job figuring it out. The only one that isn’t affected is Mr. Spock. McCoy asks the enterprise to beam down some more equipment and Kirk tells them not to beam down any more personnel to prevent further contamination. Spock and McCoy give each other some verbal jabs.

They figure out that the disease infects people when they enter puberty. But that doesn’t track, since they are only children around, how could they sustain a population. They figure out that the Miri has a crush on Kirk. Spock figures out their plan was to create a life prolongation plan. A person would only 1 month for every 1 hundred years. However something went horribly wrong and they wiped themselves out in short order instead. However they think that the children are all very ancient, being stuck in eternal childhood. Kirk thinks that despite being ancient, they are still children.

Kirk convinces Miri to go with him to find the other children. We finally meet the kids, and yeah they’re all children. Their leader, John plans to take their communicators. Kirk and Miri get close and they hide. They go in the building but Kirk is attacked by a Grup. He throws her off and phasers her. his phaser is on stun but it still killed the grup. Her name was Lisa and she was just a little bit older than Miri.

Spock figures out how much time they have before they go mad and start killing each other. They figure out that the disease affects them when they enter puberty and that Spock is still a carrier despite not being affected by it. They have 170 hours (seven days).

McCoy figures out that they created a series of diseases, a chain reaction of viruses essential to prolong the life of the human cell. The children begin chanting and lure them out of the research facility, while John steals their communicators. They don’t realize that Kirk and company are trying to help them but without their communicators they will have a much harder time coming up with a cure.

They figure out that the children only have a few weeks worth of food and that their tempers are getting out of control because of the disease. Yeoman Rand starts cracking under the strain; the disease ruining her looks; she even admits that she has feelings for Kirk. Even though she can’t act on her feelings. Bones finds the actual disease on a slide so at least they have a chance to figure it out. Miri however has other plans, she’s suddenly very jealous of Janice Rand and plots to get rid of her with the other children.

Spock and bones think they have the cure, but they don’t know about the proper dosage. Yeoman Rand is captured off screen. Kirk asks Miri about yeoman Rand and gets no answer. They need the communicators to run the cure through the ships computers so they know if it works or not. Kirk convinces Miri to help him.

Miri takes Kirk to the onlies and he lays it down for them in such a way that they can understand it. but they attack Kirk. However Kirk convinces them that they’re going to all die since they don’t have any more food.

Spock loads a Hypospray and then leaves to go check on Kirk. After he leaves McCoy tests their serum on himself, like an idiot. McCoy yells out and then collapses. the others charge in and find the collapsed doctor; the blemishes on his face are fading and he’s apparently cured. Hurray.

Kirk walks off and John asks if it’s a good thing. All cured the crew of the enterprise are back on the ship and are flying away. Roll end credits.


Fist fights: 5
space babes: 4
God like beings: 4
Engine trouble: 5
Vulcan neck pinches 2
Redshirts killed : 17
Total body count : 48


I get it, I get it. I’ve read Lord of the Flies; Children are monsters when left unattended. It’s no different here. They’re perfectly capable of killing people when provoked and don’t quit understand the significance of what that is. Anyway there’s some weird things going on, this planet looks exactly like Earth, with Earth tech, and even human children on it. How? why? was this place terraformed to resemble earth? is it naturally an exact copy? how did the human population get on it hundreds of years ago? This show takes place in the 2260s, these kids are more than 300 years old, so they were around 100 years before today... and we get no explanation as to why. it's just this huge mystery they totally sweep under the rug.

Shockingly no redshirts seem to have died despite them putting themselves into the prime redshirt death territory of wondering off away from the main cast.

The idea that nobody lives past puberty is kinda frightening because that means eventually everyone dies and nobody is able to create more babies. Another horrible thing is that these children are stuck as children, in adolescence; as soon as they enter puberty they start dieing . That sucks when you think about it. The other interesting thing is that the people that accidentally created the disease did indeed succeed, at least in a bizarre way since the children do live for a very long time.

But I wonder how they manage to supply themselves. Anything made by the grownups, like clothing would have rotted away or worn out long ago. There is plenty of shelter and they mentioned food and they can sort of build. Kids aren’t stupid but there’s a big difference between kids and adults. How come there are no infants. the youngest only we see is about 6. if they only age a month for every hundred years then there should be infants around. Now if they've all died from lack of care, then well, that's the greatest tragedy I could ever conceive.
wow talk about ending on downer.

I give this episode 3 out of 5 purple blemishes

Next up: Dagger of the mind’s eye

[Gnome Alone]

I wish the crew would act exasperated upon encountering yet another suspiciously Earth-like planet. "God, another one? *angry sigh*" Though I guess this is the first one. Pretty lame how often they show up though.

[Kislath]

A little trivia tidbit for you- the little girl who played Miri was William Shatner's daughter.

[TheThan]

A little trivia tidbit for you- the little girl who played Miri was William Shatner's daughter.

that's pretty cool tibit of trivia, didn't know that.

[TheThan]

This episode opens with the enterprise circling a ringed planet. They have some Infra-Sensory drugs to deliver to a doctor Tristan Adams, at the Tantalus Penal Colony. They can’t beam it down through their force field. And Kirk has to ask them to turn it off so they can beam it down. They then beam up some classified material. It looks like they have a stow away on board. He takes out a reshirt and then we roll opening credits.

Kirk and Bones talk, apparently penal colonies are swanky places nowadays. Uhura calls out that they are receiving a message, which notifies them about the stowaway. Meanwhile the stowaway switches uniforms in an attempt to hide amongst the crew. Kirk calls for a security alert. They corner the guy but he attacks a redshirt and manages to get a phaser.

There’s some great back and forth between Spock and McCoy then the stowaway rushes onto the bridge. He demands to see the captain and requests asylum. Kirk distracts him before Spock neck pinches him. They take him to sickbay and then head back to the prison colony. McCoy says this guy is really messed up.

This guy’s name is Simon VanGelder, he’s the director of the penal colony. He tries to explain what happened to him but he can’t quite get it out and bones has to give him a sedative. Apparently he’s a doctor and was assigned to the colony. Kirk asks Dr. Adams who is in charge of the facility but McCoy says he doesn’t buy it. Dr. Adams wants Kirk to beam down and look into the situation himself.

Kirk, a shrink named Dr. Noel beam down; Dr. Noel is a beautiful brunette and Kirk is caught off guard. But he quickly recovers. Down on the planet they enter the turbo lift and the thing drops them abruptly fast. They exit and they meet Dr. Adams.

We meet Miss Lethe, who seems to be somewhat off putting with little emotion. They conduct a tour and we see the device that supposedly drove Dr. VanGelder nuts. Back on the ship, VanGelder reveals that he’s been hit with something called a neural neutralizer. But they have to sedate him before they get any information out of him.

Dr. Adams explains what the neural neutralizer does and why they keep using it even though they think it doesn’t work. Dr. Noel seems to be convinced that nothing at all is wrong. We learn that this place a place of horrors. Dr. Adams excuses himself and Kirk and Spock can talk freely. Kirk and Dr. Noel don’t think they’re in any danger and decide to stay the night. Since Spock is in the sick bay with VanGelder and bones; VanGelder warns them not stay the night.

Spock mind melds with him. Meanwhile Kirk decides to investigate on his own and takes Dr. Noel along with him to check out the neural neutralizer. Spock finds out that the Neural neutralizer can erase memories and implant new thoughts. Kirk, stupidly, tests the beam out on himself (not one of his brightest moments). The machine does exactly what the good Dr. VanGelder says it does. Dr. Noel plants a false memory in Kirks mind as further proof that the machine works. However Dr. Adams inter-ups the experiment and Adams plants a false sensation, the sense that he’s madly and desperately in love with Dr. Noel and will do anything to be with her. He takes Kirks phaser an communicator.

He passes out but then wakes up in his quarters and he immediately starts to get romantic with Dr. Noel. But she tries to get him to remember and he does. Dr. Noel goes through the ductwork to find the power plant and shut it down. Meanwhile Kirk goes through another round of torture. Dr. Noel gets to the power plant and manages to shut the power down accidentally killing a guard via electrocution. While the power is out Kirk escapes and spock manages to beam down while the power is out. In the power plant he misses Dr. Noel but turns the power on and the force field off.

When the power comes on; the Neural Neutralizer hits Dr. Adams and since no-one is there to monitor him, it bakes his brain. Meanwhile Kirk and Dr. Noel meet back up, and share an embrace but Spock interrupts their embrace and they rush to check on good Dr. Adams and find him dead. The Neural neutralizer completely emptying his mind.

They dismantle the Neural Neutralizer; Kirk says something profound and they leave the planet.

Roll end credits.


Fist fights: 6
space babes: 6
God like beings: 4
Engine trouble: 5
Vulcan neck pinches 3
Redshirts killed: 17
Total body count: 49

We get some excellent examples of the Shatner school of acting. He acts as if he’s in tremendous pain in the chair. So much so that he stands up, turns around and then looks back into the light. He could have totally just walked out and been fine. But somehow this beam keeps you in the room. the chair doesn't even have any restraints and there's no door. Lousy torture chamber if you ask me.

The sub plot with the forced love between Kirk and Dr. Noel could have gone, it makes no sense for Dr. Adams to implant that particular thought into Kirk’s mind. Dr. Adams has no real motive and no real reason to experiment on perfectly healthy people so he’s an unconvincing villain; just moustache twirling evil, which I do like, but this guy was done poorly. Spock walking in on Kirk and Dr. Noel is quite funny however.

I give this one 2 out of 5 Spockblocks.

Next up :The Corbonite Maneuver

[Gnome Alone]

Hey, this is that one where McCoy says "a cage is a cage." Damn right. <3 McCoy 4eva

If memory serves, The Cormobite Maneuver is a fantastic episode.

[TheThan]

Since i missed posting one or two yesterday, i'm giving you three!



The Enterprise is flying along, creating star maps. Sulu spots something on the sensors and it’s approaching at light speed. Uhura is back in the gold uniform. This thing, a gigantic spinning cube stops in front of them. They try to fly around it but it keeps its pace and blocks the Enterprise’s efforts to get out of its way.

Roll credits.

The ship’s at full stop and Kirk is getting a physical because why not? He gets to be shirtless. Spock calls down to Sickbay and shows them what’s up and Kirk goes to the bridge. Kirk Strolls through the corridors shirtless and decides to go shower first.

Kirk finally gets to the bridge, and nobody knows what the cube really is. It can match them in speed and stays with them; holding right on their nose. Even Scotty doesn’t know what it is composed of. Spock thinks it’s either some kind of space buoy or some sort of fly paper. They decide to try to pull away from the cube.
However it doesn’t seem to yield or do anything else for that matter. It just sits there blocking their way. Then the thing starts spewing radiation. Kirk orders the ship into full reverse but it continues to stay with them, the radiation getting dangerously high. They shoot it with the main phasers which destroys the cube.

Kirk and Spock speculate about what could have sent out the cube. Then Kirk orders simulation test drills, and then Kirk and Bones share a drink; Bones is worried about some of the crew; specifically a guy named Bailey. Yeoman rand enters with dinner, a salad. Kirk complains that he doesn’t want woman yeoman and that he already has a woman to worry about, the Enterprise. Sulu interrupts them over the comm with a red alert signal. There’s another object approaching it’s much larger than the first cube.

Next a super sized golf ball flies towards them and captures them in a tractor beam. Kirk sends out hails and they get one back. It is Commander Balok, of the flagship Fesarius, of the "First Federation", the cube they destroyed was a warning buoy marking their territory.

They give the Enterprise ten minutes to say their prayers before blasting them out of the stars. Not very friendly especially since they cut off Kirk’s explanation of their actions; not wanting to hear it. They wouldn’t even allow the Enterprise to fire off a recording of their conversation, to warn other star fleet vessels to stay away. jackasses.

They try to leave but they won’t let the enterprise leave. The navigator, Bailey, flips out in hysterics and Kirk relieves him of duty. Again Kirk tries to explain but they aren’t listening. Kirk, argues with Spock about Bailey and that gives Kirk the idea to try to bluff them.

He lets out a ship wide broadcast, Kirk says there is a substance called Corbonite onboard that will cause a reverse reaction against any ship that attacks the enterprise and destroy the attacker.

The bluff works, and the ship isn’t destroyed at the end of the countdown. They contact the enterprise and delay the destruction of the ship in order to see the corbonite for themselves. Kirk denies them. They decide to tow the enterprise to a planet where they wish to take Kirk as a prisoner and then destroy the enterprise. Clearly they want the corbonite.

The enterprise tries to break away from the smaller ship towing them and manage to break free although they nearly blow the engines doing it though. The towing ship has also blown out its engines and its life support is failing. Balok is on the ship. Kirk decides to rescue him and make their high sounding words mean something.

Kirk, McCoy and Bailey beam over and learn that the creature they thought was the commander of the ship is just a puppet; the real commander is a kid with a dubbed voice. Balok is very amenable for someone who threatened to destroy them. He suggests an exchange of information and Mr. Bailey volunteers to stay behind and act as an ambassador. He takes them on a tour of the ship and we roll end credits.


Fist fights: 4
space babes: 6
God like beings: 4
Engine trouble: 6
Vulcan neck pinches 2
Redshirts killed: 17
Total body count: 49

This one is pretty entertaining. For starters the remaster special effects really shine. I’m glad they’ve finally come across an alien species that isn’t’ a monster or god like. They’re only slightly more advanced than the Enterprise. Kirk’s bluff actually works and the big reveal at the end is almost comical but it makes sense; making everything on the smaller ship too short for them is a nice touch. Plus the puppet Balok uses looks like a puppet from the onset so yeah.

I give this one 4 out of five yellow golf balls.


Kirk, McCoy and spock beam down to starbase 11. The woman that greets them looks a little drunk. They meet with the commander of the base Commodore Jose Mendez, has not ordered the Enterprise there despite Kirks insistence that he had. He takes them to meet captain pike who is in an electric wheelchair and can only speak with “yes” and “No” flashing lights. He took a hit by Delta rays and that is what crippled him.

Spock has a plan for Captain pike but pike does not want to go through with it. spock says he understands it treachery and mutiny but he feels he has no choice.

Roll opening credits.

Kirk is convinced that Spock did indeed receive orders to take the Enterprise to star base 11 while the good commodore insists no such order was ever given; which suggests the Spock falsified the orders. Commodore asks the computer technician to check again and make sure that they didn’t miss anything. Spock sneaks in and Vulcan neck pinches him and then starts messing with a computer.

Kirk, Commodore Mendez and a girl make small talk, it sounds like Kirk’s reputation as a skirt chaser precedes him. Captain Pike couldn’t send the message. Meanwhile Spock is sending the Enterprise a fake order that’s covertly punched into the computer.

Kirk is watching Pike and he keeps blinking No repeatedly. McCoy comes in and explains that Pike’s mind is just fine, he just can’t move. Kirk decides that someone falsified the orders and suspects Spock. McCoy reminds him that Spock, being a Vulcan is incapable of lying (false) but McCoy reminds him he’s half human. Kirk reminds Bones that Spock has completely repressed that part of him. Either way Kirk is bound and determined to find out who’s interfering with his command.

Bones is called back to the ship. Melendez gives Kirk a file on Talos IV. Apparently going to Talos IV is the only death sentence Starfleet still has. Kirk starts reading it. Spock steals Pike and makes off with the enterprise. On the enterprise Spock shows McCoy Pike and gives him fake orders from Kirk telling him to ask no questions and just take care of Pike.

Kirk and Mendez take a shuttle craft and try to catch him but they run out of fuel before they get back. Plus they only have a few hours of air left. They have no idea why Spock would be heading to Talos IV. McCoy figures out that the captain is in the shuttle. Spock orders Kirk to be beamed aboard and then has himself arrested for mutiny. McCoy orders him confined to quarters. They learn that Spock has locked everyone out of the computer. Scotty is on the case, and he’s a bit irritated with what Spock has done.They currently have no choice but to go to Talos IV.

They prepare a preliminary court-martial hearing. Spock waives counsel and rights to the hearing and just court martial him. Spock points out that they can do a court martial because of the presence of Captain pike (they require three command officers).


Spock proceeds to present his case before the court. From here we get a recap of the enterprise. Apparently the events of the Cage was 13 years ago. Spock has a recording with evidence that is difficult to believe because no in flight recorder takes such good quality recordings. But they watch it anyway. The evidence is the “the Cage”; seemingly uncondensed.

They cut back to the trial and the commodore accuses Spock of manufacturing evidence but Spock asks Pike if this is real, and he blinks yes. They decide to continue; Pikes vote breaking a deadlock and continues the evidence spock presents and we get to continue watching more of “The Cage”. Continuing viewing the evidence forces them to continue on to Talos IV as Spock won’t release the ship unless Pike says to.

They get interrupted by, apparently they are receiving a transmission from Talos IV. It’s the evidence that they are watching. Commodore Mendez is order to take command and orders Spock to relinquish the ship, he refuses. Spock is determined to force everyone to view the evidence. Commodore Mendez calls for a recess and we cut to credits.





We get a brief recap of the previous episode. And then cut to opening credits.

They continue to view the footage from Talos IV despite the commodore’s complaints. Spock reveals that the Talosians are able to create illusions so real that they are essentially real. Someone caught in these illusions can see, taste, feel the same reality as someone not caught in the illusions. Back to the recap of the Cage.

Back to the episode, they take a break because Captain Pike is fatigued. When they reconvene we learn that they are only an hour out from Talos IV. After a bit we turn to the briefing and they realize that the talosisans initially want Pike for breading stock although they think it’s for their zoo. But Spock says it’s not for their zoo. And now back to the recap. We get to the famous Orion slave girl dance and we pull back to the trial. They talk about the Slave girl, and then explain that they wanted to breed human slaves. And we’re back to the recap.

They vote guilty as charged for Spock, unanimously. They however reach Talos IV. but the Talosians have control of the Enterprise and they have to watch the end of the Cage; however they don’t create an illusion of Pike to stay with Vina. Instead they cut that part. And we seen Pike beam up to the Enterprise. Back on the Enterprise, Commodore Mendez disappears. His presence has been an illusion. The whole court martial was a sham, an illusion created by the Talosians to make sure Kirk allows the Enterprise to reach Talos IV. Uhura recives a communications from the good commodore back at Starbase 11; temporarily suspending the standing orders about Talos IV. Captain Pike beeps that he is willing to beam down to Talos IV where he can live out the rest of his life in a fantasy. They show the illusion of Pike fully healed and The Talosians give Kirk a send off and we roll end credits.

Dramatic Fist fights: 4
space babes: 6
God like beings: 4
Engine trouble: 6
Vulcan neck pinches 3
Redshirts killed: 17
Total body count: 49

These two are hard to watch, not because it’s a recap episode of The Cage. But because of personal reasons. I have a beloved uncle that is dying from ALS (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amyotrophic_lateral_sclerosis) (AkA Lou Gehrig’s Disease). In fact, he's in ICU right now and may not be long for the world. So seeing Captain Pike as an invalid reminds me a lot of him.

Anyway I’m not counting anything in this one since it’s nothing new.

I give this one 3 out of 5 court martials

Next episode: The conscience of the king

[janet]

Nice to see there's alot of interest.
http://wigunpics.science/17/g.png

[TheThan]

We open with a Shakespearian play, MacBeth. The man next to Kirk is convinced the man playing MacBeth is someone named Kodos the executioner. Then we roll opening credits.

The enterprise has been diverted to some planet they don’t name. The reason, Dr.Tomas Leighton has discovered a new synthetic food that will totally end the threat of famine on sigma minor. The Dr. is convinced that the actor in the play is indeed Kodos. This guy is responsible for 4 thousand deaths. This guy has an eyepatch and a huge covering over half his face, he’s probably really scarred.

Anyway only a hand full of people have actually seen Kodos, including Kirk and the good doctor. Kirk leaves and looks up Governor Kodos of Tarsus IV. Also known as the executioner; as well as Anton Karidian, the Shakespearian actor Dr. Leighton thinks is Kodos, in the ships computer.

Kirk compares their photographs and they do look quite a bit alike. Boy facial recognition software in the 2360s is craptastic. Anyway, at the party Dr. Leighton mentioned, the band is playing the star trek TOS theme song and that tickles me hah. Kirk meets Karidian’s daughter, Lenore, and immediately hits on her. While taking the girl out on a midnight stroll they come across a body. This is Dr. Leighton.

Kirk decides to pick the acting troupe and Karidian’s daughter beams up and convinces Kirk to transport them, to their next place. Even though this is totally Kirk’s doing, since he called the ship that was going to pick them up and waived them off. Kirk barters a performance for the crew for their passage. She leaves the bridge and Yeoman Rand walks on board and gives her a dirty look, although she’s oblivious. Yeoman Rand is Savvy to Kirk’s ways.

Kirk gets a list of the nine people that are direct eye witness to the atrocities that Kodos committed. Turns out there is another one on board besides Kirk that is an eye witness. Apparently this is Kevin Riley whom I believe we last saw in ‘The Naked Now”, taking over Engineering and singing to the crew. Spock thinks he’s asking strangely and asks McCoy what he thinks. McCoy makes an interesting comment about Spock’s race being conquered… hrrm.

Anyway Kirk continues to seduce Lenore. Oh gosh she’s totally making innuendos and Kirk does not miss it at all. But he tries to pump her (get your mind out of the gutter) for information about her daddy. Spock, meanwhile, does his own digging and relays this information to Bones; and we learn what happens on Tarsus IV. Turns out that 9 of the eye witnesses to the genocide Kodos committed are dead except for Riley and Kirk.

We finally get to see Riley and he is the same guy from “The Nake Now” that took over engineering. He’s on duty down in engineering but he’s bored out of his skull down there (I guess they decided he liked it so much he could stay). He calls up to a reck-room and Uhura plays Spocks’ Lyre and sings for him since he’s so bored. Ooh a creeping shadow. There is a tray of snack food; someone sprays something into a glass of what looks like Chocolate milk. Riley takes a drink and immediately chokes and collapses. But they get him to sickbay and McCoy is trying to cure him.

Spock confronts Kirk, and they argue. Kirk defends his position but he’s not sure if he’s after justice or revenge. Spock surprisingly is already convinced that Kodos and Karidian are the same person. Kirk isn’t and must find sufficient proof. As they talk, a phaser begins to overload, they hear it and being searching for it. Kirk signals for everyone to evacuate the section if it blows, it’ll take out the whole section. Kirk finds it flushes it down the garbage shoot. Nice. Clearly an assassination attempt.

Kirk charges into Karidian’s quarters and straight up confronts him. He gives an ambiguous answer. Kirk has him read something into the comm. Unit on the wall and they plan on using that to compare to the voice of Kodos. I know what you thinking, but Kirk tells him that altering his voice won’t matter. Lenore comes into the room and they have a conversation. Kirk isn’t convinced yet. But the girl is upset that Kirk used her. Meanwhile Lt. Riley has recovered and learns the Kodos might be on board.

They play Hamlet for the crew. Meanwhile Kirk and Spock finds out that the recordings match but not perfectly. Bones is intentionally late for the play, some sort of tradition amongst doctors but he finds out that Riley is missing. Security reports that a phaser has been stolen, it’s probably Riley. A search begins. Kirk goes back stage searching for Riley. He finds Riley and orders him back. Riley says that he is the man that murdered his parents. Riley hands over his weapon and returns to the sickbay.

Karidian is Kodos, it turns out he is haunted over what he had done and hearing Riley makes him start to crack. However it’s also revealed that his daughter is the one that killed the seven witnesses. Kodos is upset about what she’s done. She’s a total nut. She grabs a phaser and shoots at kirk but Kodos leaps in front of him. the shot kills him. Lenore quotes some shakespear and then breaks down into tears quoting the famous line from MacBeth. The Haul her off to the loony bin and they have some quick banter before they leave orbit and credits roll.



Dramatic Fist fights: 4
space babes: 7
God like beings: 4
Engine trouble: 6
Vulcan neck pinches 3
Redshirts killed: 17
Total body count: 50

I’m not going to count the 4000 people that Kodos killed since that was 20 years before the episode nore am I counting the 6 people Lenore killed previous to the show I think it would skew our counter ridiculously.

Anyway this one is only ok. Everyone except Kirk is positive that Karidian and Kodos are the same person. It got a little old “I just have to be sure” guh. That being said, the girl being the real killer surprised me. This is also the first time Star Trek has mined Shakespeare, but hardly the last.


I give this one 2 out of 5 shakperian plays

[DigoDragon]

I’m not going to count the 4000 people that Kodos killed since that was 20 years before the episode nor am I counting the 6 people Lenore killed previous to the show I think it would skew our counter ridiculously.

That seems fair enough; Just count the deaths that occur during the episode. Too bad they didn't try Shakespeare in the original Klingon. :smallwink:

[comicshorse]

I'm currently watching the third season of Star trek and just watched 'Whom Gods Destroy' where Spock comments that there are now only about a dozen insane people in the whole Federation yet strangely enough the Enterprise keeps coming across these people who are a rarer than a interesting Vulcan :smallsmile:

[hamlet]

Dramatic Fist fights: 4
space babes: 7
God like beings: 4
Engine trouble: 6
Vulcan neck pinches 3
Redshirts killed: 17
Total body count: 50

I’m not going to count the 4000 people that Kodos killed since that was 20 years before the episode nore am I counting the 6 people Lenore killed previous to the show I think it would skew our counter ridiculously.

Anyway this one is only ok. Everyone except Kirk is positive that Karidian and Kodos are the same person. It got a little old “I just have to be sure” guh. That being said, the girl being the real killer surprised me. This is also the first time Star Trek has mined Shakespeare, but hardly the last.


I give this one 2 out of 5 shakperian plays

I've actually always liked this episode a lot.

1) There's a good bit of better than average acting and a lot less of the silly over-acting that populates some of Trek. The whole case, basically, reported themselves like good stage actors, which is to their credit.

2) Shakespeare. Because . . Shakespeare.

3) Kirk wasn't wishy-washy. In my mind, it speaks to his credit that he didn't fly off the handle right away and wanted proof before he just out-right murdered the guy and was trying to find something closer to justice than revenge. It's a major character development for him and proves that he's a lot more than a space going hormone. Go back and watch again, especially the parts about how Kodos chose who lived and who died. Kirk is, in the world of Trek, one of the absolute best. He's captain for a reason and he survived Tarsis for a reason. Dude's awesome.

[thompur]

A little trivia tidbit for you- the little girl who played Miri was William Shatner's daughter.
Actually, no. Miri was played by Kim Darby (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0200981/?ref_=nv_sr_1). Shatners daughter played one of the younger children in the group scenes.:smalltongue:

[MikelaC1]

. Spock is obviously still being fleshed out, as he offers a genuine smile at the foliage that we will see from him in the series only once more, and that's when he finds out that he didn't kill Kirk.

Theres one other one, he has a big smirk on his face when he introduces Mudd and his women to Kirk.

[TheThan]

Ok sorry for not getting any new posts up for a few days. My uncle I mentioned above passed away so the family is dealing with that.


I've actually always liked this episode a lot.

1) There's a good bit of better than average acting and a lot less of the silly over-acting that populates some of Trek. The whole case, basically, reported themselves like good stage actors, which is to their credit.

2) Shakespeare. Because . . Shakespeare.

3) Kirk wasn't wishy-washy. In my mind, it speaks to his credit that he didn't fly off the handle right away and wanted proof before he just out-right murdered the guy and was trying to find something closer to justice than revenge. It's a major character development for him and proves that he's a lot more than a space going hormone. Go back and watch again, especially the parts about how Kodos chose who lived and who died. Kirk is, in the world of Trek, one of the absolute best. He's captain for a reason and he survived Tarsis for a reason. Dude's awesome.

I didn’t say Kirk is wishy washy. It just seems to take Kirk so long to decide if Karidian and Kodos are the same people. That being said, the acting is fine, I have no complaints about it. Kirk is a commander of a starship, a man accustomed to making important decisions. Yet he’s incredibly indecisive about whether he thinks this man is really Kodos or not hardly the actions of a StarFleet captain. Besides as we learned in Dagger of the mind’s eye, Federation prisons are practically resorts… when they’re not being ran by madmen.

Anyway onto the next episode.



This episode opens with Captain Kirk is performing a wedding. Unfortunately it gets interrupted by a distress single. An earth outpost is under attack and is signaling for aid . Kirk calls for a red alert.

Roll opening credits.

The enterprise is patrolling the neutral zone; between Romulan space and Federation space. Kirk mentions Romulus and Remus so the Remans from Star trek: Nemesis is nothing new. Cool. Anyway Kirk brings up a star map showing the situation. He then addresses the crew and lets Spock gives us the lowdown.

Lt. Stiles has a family history with the Romulans. Several members of his family were involved in the previous war a century ago. Spock says that some of the federation bases along the netrual zone have been completely destroyed. Kirk calls for Battle stations. We get some nice banter between our two not quite newlyweds down the weapons control room.

They receive a message from an outpost that’s under attack. The commander of the station relays information but is destroyed. The ship that attacked them can become invisible and has a very powerful weapon.

They get a blip on their motion sensors and decide to follow it. Carefully, in such a way that makes them seem like a sensor shadow. Suddenly, Lt. Stiles suggests they might have a spy onboard. Uhura picks up a message and they manage to get a glimpse of Romulans for the first time. Everyone is stunned that they look like Vulcans. Lt. Stiles immediately shows some bigotry and Kirk dresses him down for it. The enterprise continues to follow the Romulan bird of prey.

On the Romulan ship, the commander figures out that he sensors reflection is a federation ship and he orders the cloak engaged. He figures that the commander of the ship (Kirk) is trying to gather information. The Romulan commander dresses down a guy for sending a transmission and breaking their rule for silent running. The captain is cautious and cleaver; doesn’t fear politics and doesn’t really like war but he is a professional and will do his duty despite his personal feelings.

The Enterprise continues to follow and they are only an hour away from the neutral zone. They have brought aboard debris from the outpost that was destroyed. Lt. Stiles suggest the enterprise should attack the Romulan ship. He says that if they don’t put up a fight now, then they will indeed be back and start a war. Spock agrees. They see that a comet is passing by and the Romulan ship is going to enter it’s tail, thusly revealing it.

Kirk plans a trap and they go to battle stations. When the romulans enter the comet then the enterprise will swing around and catch them in the comet. Hopefully destroying it.

The Romulans plan on using the comet to find out for certain if they are being followed and plan on swinging back and destroying them. But when their sensor reflection disappears the Romulan Commander guesses kirk’s move and performs evasive maneuvers to dodge the attack. The Enterprise opens fire blindly, and gets lucky, hitting the ship and damaging it. The Centurion, the commander’s friend is injured. They fire back but the enterprise almost outruns it; the hit does minor damage. However the phasers suffer a malfunction; they will have to make repairs.

They return to following the Romulan ship. The Romulans are running out of fuel. On the enterprise Spock and McCoy are debating what will happen if they enter the neutral zone. Kirk decides to end this before the romulan ship crosses over into it.

Kirk gets lucky again and damages the romulan ship. Kirk then tells Uhura to signal the nearest starbase and tell them that he feels like they must pursue the Romulan vessel into the neutral zone. Onboard the Romulan vessel, the centurion dies and the captain dumps out some debris and the body of the centurion; hoping to fool the Enterprise into thinking they were destroyed.

Spock figures out that it’s a trick but they’ve lost the romulan ship. The enterprise goes stationary and plays the silent, waiting game. Apparently the romulan cloaking devise somewhat blinds them so they can’t just see the enterprise.

In his quarters, Kirk wishes he could shrug off his responsibility but bones comforts him about him being in the right place at the right time. Spock accidently allows a signal to escape while repairing something. The Romulans hear and start an attack. Kirk opens fire and gets lucky for the third time and hits him.

The Romulan commander orders more debris to be launched with a nuke. Kirk shoots at it and detonates it. Doing surprisingly little damage to the enterprise; although Bones reports 22 people injured. The Romulans commander initially wants to turn and go home.

The enterprise only has one phaser array functioning and Lt. Stiles volunteers to go man it. The Rommulan commander decides to attack. Meanwhile, there is a leak of purple gas their one working phaser bank. The romulans appear and Kirk gives the order to fire. The men manning the phasers can’t and Spock rushes in and gets fires the phasers and then pulls them out of the room. They hit the ship and damage it badly. Kirk offers to medical aid to the Romulans but they turn him down and detonate their ship.

Lt. Stiles apologizes to Spock for being an arse. The enterprise unfortunately loses one, the guy that was going to be married back in the beginning. Kirk goes to comfort the almost-widow and yeoman Rand gives Kirk a communication from the starbase saying they will back whatever play Kirk has to make… well a little late is better than nothing.

Roll end credits.


Dramatic Fist fights: 4
space babes: 7
God like beings: 4
Engine trouble: 6
Vulcan neck pinches 3
Redshirts killed: 18
Total body count: 53

This one is probably my favorite episode from the series. It’s intense and recalls old Submarine movies. We get the sense that Kirk and the Romulan commander are skilled warriors. In fact, The Romulan commander refers to Kirk as a sorcerer with his ability to guess where they are. This episode also calls into mind a lot of the politics that was prevalent at the time; the cold war was very much raging. The Cuban missile crisis was only a few years ago. The Korean War only a decade before and the USA was right in the middle of the Vietnam War.

The Neutral zone is very much like the DMZ established at the 39th parallel at the end of the Korean War. They discuss how if they enter they will violate the treaty but the Romulans have already done so but they have no proof to use against them.

I like the Romulan commander. He’s smart, savy and clever. He’s a loyal patriot but he’s weary of war. The romulans don’t come off as just a bunch of moustache twirling bad guys. They come off as people doing their duty; they’re not demonized or anything.

The only real downside is Lt. Stiles, he comes out of the gate hating Spock for no apparent reason. They clearly state that they don’t know what the Romulans look like. Stiles suggesting that Mr. Spock is a spy before they discover what they look like feel slightly out of place. Why would he suspect Spock of being a spy if he doesn’t know what a Romulan looks like? It makes much more sense that he starts to suspect Spock after they learn what the romulans look like.

I give this one 5 out of 5 sorcerers.

Next episode: Shore leave.

[BannedInSchool]

It’s intense and recalls old Submarine movies.
It's just too much directly lifting a submarine duel for my tastes, down to Spock "dropping a wrench" to give away their position. Some of the digits of the serial number are still visible from the filing. It just shocks me into noticing it's a TV show adapting a submarine movie to spacesubs...er, ships. :smallwink: Not that it's a bad episode in itself, just jarring for me.

[DigoDragon]

This one is probably my favorite episode from the series. It’s intense and recalls old Submarine movies.

That's sort of one of the reasons I love the second movie, Wrath of Khan. Has a bit of a submarine movie feel to it as well (and even comments about 'two dimensional thinking' in the final combat. :3

[Gnoman]

This was always one of my favorites, and I suspect it comes off better now than it did in the 60s (which was before my time) because of all the later development of Vulcan pacifism and their extreme reluctance to use violence (which I don't think had been established when this episode aired.) It gives Spock's pronouncement that the Romulan ship must be destroyed at all cost so much more gravity.






Bit of trivia - the Enterprise Mirror Universe episode "In a Mirror, Darkly" contains an easily missed reference to this episode. When Mirror Archer is reviewing the bios of the regular universe crew in the Defiant's history files, Hoshi Sato's biography was (according to the writer of the episode) supposed to end with her being one of Kodos's victims, but that section wound up not appearing on screen.

[hamlet]

The Romulan commander is one we'll be seeing again, or at least his actor.

Mark Leonard for the win!

[MikelaC1]

Original Star Trek re-used actors many times.

[Cristo Meyers]

Original Star Trek re-used actors many times.

Star Trek in general did that: Gul Dukat's and Quark's actors have been three different people across two different Treks, for example.

[TheEmerged]

RE: Conscience of the King. This episode also has probably the biggest "How the <expletive> did they slip THAT passed the censors?" line of the series :smallredface: I remember it because when I was a kid watching it with my dad, he suddenly switched off the TV at one point in the episode and wouldn't explain why. I'm pretty sure now it was that line.

[TheThan]

This episode begins with the NotYeomanRand , giving Kirk a back massage (OOH MY). Everyone is bushed and needs a break. McCoy and Sulu are planet side and they decide to see if Kirk will authorize shore leave. Sulu starts taking some plant samples and McCoy sees the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland… followed by Alice. McCoy is totally stunned and calls for Sulu who (har har, the rymed) doesn’t see anything.
Roll opening credits.

Kirk has ordered shore leave and Spock doesn’t have need for rest. McCoy reports back to the ship about what he saw and Kirk doesn’t believe him; he thinks it’s just a ploy by McCoy to get him to beam down. Spock insists that kirk beam down and relax.
On the planet, a Crewwoman and a redshirt are doing there thing when Kirk and NotYeomanRand beam down. There is a gun present. McCoy, kirk, NotYeomanRand and Bones meet up and Bones shows Kirk the huge rabbit tracks (those aren’t rabbit tracks). Kirk postpones shore leave and then they hear someone firing a gun.

They investigate and find Sulu shooting the gun. He just found it lying around, its something he’s always wanted. They investigate around some more, splitting up. A TV antenna targets them; our third sign that something weird is going on. Kirk talks about an upper classman that always give him crap back in his academy days. They split up, following the tracks they’ve found. Kirk comes across the guy that used to give him crap. Kirk is about to fight him when he hears NotYeomanRand scream. They find her and she’s been attacked but she’s ok other than a torn uniform (oh My). McCoy says the description sounds like Don Juan. She says that she was thinking about Don Juan when he came out of nowhere and tried to ravish her.

Kirk goes off after Sulu and comes across a beautiful woman. Her name is Ruth and Kirk knows her. He’s enchanted and basically ignores McCoy’s communication. However the redshirt helps him snap out of it a little and Kirk manages to give orders despite his distraction. Spock finally finds something; a power field that is draining the ships power. It’s underground and could be some sort of industrial complex. Kirk heads back to meet up with the rest of the survey team. McCoy begins to hit on NotyeomanRand and they find a dress she was talking about. McCoy seems suspicious but then suddenly doesn’t seem to care. He suggest that she tries it on. She does, and then McCoy gets a call from the redshirt informing him that he should meet up with everyone.

Then we cut to the redshirt and the other girl, they’re being cornered by stock footage of a tiger. But their communicators are failing. Fortunately the stock footage of the tiger wanders off. Kirk and Spock are trying to figure out what’s going on. He sees a flock of geese. Sulu is attacked by a samurai, his phaser doesn’t work and he bolts, running into Kirk. Kirk’s phaser doesn’t work either. Then Spock beams down, although the transporter barely gets him down. Spock reports that they are stranded since they can’t beam up or down any more people. They hear the stock footage of the tiger and then McCoy and NotYeomanRand encounter a knight. McCoy thinks it s a hallucination and gets run through for his trouble. Kirk and company arrive to see Bones get run through, Kirk shoots the Knight with the handgun he took from Sulu.

The Yeoman is in hysterics blaming herself. Kirk calms her down while Sulu checks out the body of the knight. It’s some sort of dummy. Spock takes some tricorder readings and discovers that it’s a machine. Suddenly an airplane flys over the heads of the other two reshirts and it opens fire, trying to strafe them. McCoy’s body has disappeared along with the black knight.

The guy that Kirk nearly fought reappears and taunts Kirk, he pursues him and eventually catches him. They immediately fight. Kirk wins, and spock and Kirk figure it out. They run a gauntlet of things imagined by the away team and finally meet up with the rest of the away team. Finally someone appears and tells kirk what this place is. This guy is the care taker and he tells him what is going on. This place is an amusement park that provides their guests with whatever they can imagine. Bones shows up with two space babes in his arms wearing pink and yellow fury bikinis. He’s fine obviously.
NotYeomanRand is not happy about the space babes. The caretaker says he’s happy to accommodate the ship if they use the proper care in controlling their thoughts. Kirk goes to get laid by the lady he dreamed up previously.

Back on the ship they are all relaxed and they leave the planet. Roll end credits.



Dramatic Fist fights: 5
space babes: 10
God like beings: 5
Engine trouble: 6
Vulcan neck pinches 3
Redshirts killed: 18
Total body count: 53


This one is totally ridiculous; there are too many holes in it, I keep asking myself questions like:

Where’s yeoman Rand, and who’s this hussy in her place?

Why don’t they advertise what their planet is about so any other visitors won’t be “wtf white rabbits”?

Why was the planet draining the ship’s energy? It serves no purpose other than to strand them there. That’s like getting stuck in Disney land. Eventually you’ll want to leave.

Why does no one notice that whatever they were just thinking of suddenly appear out of nowhere?

why are they being so covert in their attempts to provide people with fun?

what happened to the original creators, where are they? are they still out there? have they died out? transcended physical bodies? what's the deal?

Why can their creations actually kill, yeah it provides realism, but they admit that it shouldn't had happened because human minds aren't ready for it. Which is bull**** when you consider they had no idea what was going on when McCoy was struck by the knight. I mean seriously, what do they think will happen when they don't tell newcomers what their planet is all about? I mean these beings are super advanced (read god like aliens), but they don't realize there are other living beings with space travel? are they so far above us that we are like amoeba? ARRGH. it just boggles my mind that any living being would do this?


It's nice to get one that's pretty light hearted after Balance of terror, but still this one just goes off past left field and into the stands.

I give this one 1 out 5 of TV antennas.

Up Next: The Galileo Seven

[comicshorse]

RE: Conscience of the King. This episode also has probably the biggest "How the <expletive> did they slip THAT passed the censors?" line of the series :smallredface: I remember it because when I was a kid watching it with my dad, he suddenly switched off the TV at one point in the episode and wouldn't explain why. I'm pretty sure now it was that line.

Ok I'm curious. What line is that ? (Forum rules allowing)

[TheThan]

Ok I'm curious. What line is that ? (Forum rules allowing)

Don’t say I didn’t warn you:

Lenore: This ship, all this power surging and throbbing, yet under control. Are you like that Captain?
Kirk: walks across hall to her, knowing look on his face
Lenore: all this power at your command, all the decisions you have to make-
Kirk: comes from a very human source
Lenore: and are you captain? Human?
Kirk: you can count on it.

Yeah, hard to miss unless you’re eight.



This episode, the Enterprise is delivering medical supplies to Makus III they pass by Murasaki 312, a quasar like formation of four stars. Someone named Farris is on board he’s a galactic high commissioner (whatever that is). This guy is trying to push Kirk around, but he’s got orders and he’s going to follow his orders regardless of what this guy says.

They Launch the shuttle craft Galileo with Spock, Scotty, Bones and four redshirts. They almost immediately crash land, they have no communications. The enterprise loses them. Kirk admits it’s going to be really hard to find them.

Roll opening credits.

The ship’s sensors are useless in the area. Mr. Farris is angry that they’re being delayed; but Kirk’s not about to leave them out there. Uhura reports that there is one habitat planet they could have possibly landed on. Kirk gives orders to go there.

The Galileo has crashed but everyone seems ok despite crashing from space. One of the redshirts explains what happens. Bones says that the atmosphere is breathable. Spock orders everyone out of the ship so Scotty can get to work being a miracle worker.

On the enterprise they have found no trace of the Galileo. Kirk orders the Columbus (another shuttle) to be prepared for launch for a ground search mission. The commissioner tries to pull rank but Kirk just blows him off, since he’s Captain Kirk. Bones and Spock have some banter about being in command. Scotty informs Spock that they need to lose five hundred pounds (the weight of three people) to break free of the atmosphere.

Two of the redshirts wander off (at least they’re armed) they hear strange noises and smartly decide to bail and get out of there. A creature with a primitive spear throws it at one of the redshirts and kills him. Well at least they don’t have to leave three people behind anymore. Spock catches up to them and examines the huge spear. The two other redshirts decide they don’t like spock’s command style.

Meanwhile the Columbus returns with no luck. The transporters and the sensors are not working right due to ion storms. The commissioner keeps prodding Kirk about his deadline. Back at the Galileo, they manage to lighten the load a bit but not enough. They argue about who should bury the redshirt. Soon afterward, they screw up and lose the rest of their fuel, now they can’t get lift off at all. They hear the same strange noises they heard earlier when the redshirt is killed. Everyone thinks they can attack, but Spock decides on a different course of action and they’re not happy about it. So they go off looking for trouble.

Someone throws a spear at them, Spock fires and doesn’t hit anything. The guy drops his shield which is huge. They fire some warning shots which seems to do the trick. Spock damns another redshirt to death by ordering him to stand guard while him and the other return to the ship. Back at the shuttle, Scotty has an idea. He can use the energy from the phasers to give them enough power to get into orbit. Spock says it’s their only hope they’re going to be dead either way.

The engineers manage to get the transporters working and they prepare some search parties. Meanwhile back on the planet, the redshirt on guard duty is killed. But we get a look at the inhabitants of the planet, they’re giants. Spock gives McCoy his phaser and the phaser of the redshirt that was just killed, the only thing they can find of him. Spock goes off looking and finds the body and brings it back to the shuttle. The inhabitants start chucking spears at him on the way back but he makes it.

McCoy and Spock have another back-and-forth about logic and how it can’t predict emotional responses. Then they’re under attack by a giant with a rock beating on the shuttle. Spock is perplexed that his logical approach has not worked as well as he expected. They are then attacked by the inhabitants with giant rocks, Scotty uses the ships’ batteries to electrify the hull of the Galileo and shock them, which drives them off.

Meanwhile on the enterprise is slowly working on getting their instruments working enough to find the Galileo. But the commissioner is pestering Kirk to leave and threatens to pull rank on kirk to make him leave to continue on his other mission.

A search party has returned but two of its members are dead. The commissioner returns and by issue of Federation law takes control of the ship ordering Kirk to abandon their search. Back on the ship, they’re ready to lift off but they need to lose everything that’s not bolted down and hopefully can take off and maintain orbit for a few hours.

The other shuttle lands and Kirk orders the ship to leave at a very slow pace. Meanwhile the others are attacked and make a quick getaway. They manage to make it into orbit. Even though Spock says they should have left him behind. Spock admits he might have made a mistake. Spock jettisons the fuel and ignites it, hoping that the enterprise picks it up.

The enterprise does but they don’t get there before the shuttle hits the atmosphere. They get beamed aboard in the nick of time. Kirk orders the ship back on course and we get another back and forth between Kirk and spock, trying to make him admit to an emotional outburst.

Roll end credits



Dramatic Fist fights: 5
space babes: 10
God like beings: 4
Engine trouble: 6
Vulcan neck pinches 3
Redshirts killed: 21
Total body count: 56

So this one is pretty good. The remastered special effects stand out particularly well in this episode. We get to see some of that Vulcan pacifism that was mentioned above. The creatures on this planet can’t be reasoned with; they attack on sight and don’t easily retreat. Not exactly the sort of creatures you can afford not to fight.

I’m actually surprised that two of the four redshirts survived. I expected the woman to live but the three guys to die. Color me surprised. Spock does get one man killed pointlessly by putting him on guard duty far enough away from the ship that they can’t see or hear him, much less come to his aid. I don’t see the reason for putting him way out there. Putting him closer where he can cover the ship, and get cover from the ship would have been a much smarter and logical play IMHO. What makes Spock think that these creatures are going to understand that their phasers are formidable weapons? I mean they barely have Stone Age spears. Even an 18th century musket is beyond these guy’s comprehension until someone gets killed by one at least.

The space commissioner (whatever that is) has his own worries, thousands of people on the brink of death vs seven people. The choice is obvious who to save. But he comes off as an uncaring ass that just likes to pull rank and leave people marooned on a planet. He could have used some more fleshing out to make him less of a jerk. Oh well.

Other than that and some of Spock’s command decisions, this episode is very good; really worth watching. I would score it higher if it wasn't for these flaws.


I give this one 4 out of 5 giant spears

Next episode: The Squire of Gothos

[MikelaC1]

But he comes off as an uncaring ass that just likes to pull rank and leave people marooned on a planet. He could have used some more fleshing out to make him less of a jerk. Oh well.

They don't bother to flesh out any administrative personnel in Starfleet, they leave them all as uncaring jerks. In Original and Next Generation for that matter. You get left with the impression that the Enterprise is pulling against a giant collection of tools. The only person who seemed to learn anything while on board was Ambassador Fox (who you will come to at some point).

[comicshorse]

The administrative types not understanding/caring how it is for the poor guys in the field is a recurrent cliche ( and sometimes overused, 'Stargate ' I'm looking at you). I wonder if Star Trek was what really popularized it

[Gnoman]

The administrative types not understanding/caring how it is for the poor guys in the field is a recurrent cliche ( and sometimes overused, 'Stargate ' I'm looking at you). I wonder if Star Trek was what really popularized it

It's a general military trope that, despite becoming more popular during the Vietnam War, probably dates back to Cyrus The Great.

[TheThan]

The enterprise is heading to Colony Beta 3 with supplies. They have to travel through a massive “void” in space; basically absolutely nothing, just cold hard vacuum. They pick up something on their sensors and it’s a rogue planet. Kirk orders the ship to avoid it and they’ll check up on it later. Then Kirk and Sulu are Jump cut off the bridge of the enterprise.

Roll opening credits
The Enterprise orbits the rogue planet and has been scanning it for signs of Kirk and Sulu and can’t find them. McCoy and a redshirt request permission to beam down and conduct a search, however Spock says no, the plant is not safe for human habitation.

Then Uhura gets a text message. The message doesn’t make sense to them. Spock sends an away team down to the planet. They beam down to the source of the Text message which seems like a nice place, not the volcanic nightmare they scanned from orbit. However they have no communications, even the beacon they brought doesn’t work. Naturally they split up and one of them finds a medieval castle. They enter, weapons drawn (smartly). This place is well furnished at least. There’s even a harpsichord. There’s the Salt vampire from the man trap, but it’s like a piece of taxidermy, held in suspended animation or a statue. They all jump at it being there. They find Kirk and Sulu but they’re being held in a field of some sort I saw Kirk’s eye blink. Kirk and Sulu are let out of the field when a guy in fancy dress appears and starts to play the harpsichord. He introduces himself and Kirk begins asking what’s going on. He has made earth his hobby; observing them from a distance. Unfortunately he’s made an error in time and everything he’s familiar with is 900 years in the past. This guy is interesting in earth’s military history. He admires Napoleon and he’s recognizes people’s ancestry by their last name. One redshirt is French another German (and the get along? Really?), McCoy is obviously Irish and Sulu is obviously Japanese but he doesn’t seem to be interested in them. Once he learns bones is a doctor, he gives him a highly respectful bow. He calls himself Trelane. But he won’t let them leave until he’s done with them.

One of them tries to stun him from behind but he renders him immobile and takes his phaser. He then shoots the salt vampire and another stuffing; he LOVES the phaser. Kirk is not amused and takes the weapon. Trelane explains his technology he has technology similar to the enterprise’s transporter only much more sophisticated.

Back on the enterprise, they manage to locate where Trelane is and hatch a plan to blindly beam up whomever they find down there. Trelane meanwhile shows his prisoners around. McCoy does not pick up any signs of life from him. Kirk figures out he may be powerful but he’s not all knowing. Kirk makes a bit of a mistake and mentions women and He decides to bring one down. He doesn’t like being told no. they manage to get beamed up to the enterprise.

They immediately make space dust and leave orbit. However Trelane appears on the bridge of the enterprise. He forces the enterprise back, and forces everyone on the bridge back on the planet via jump cut. Spock tells him how it is, he dislikes intellect without discipline and power without constructive purpose. Trelane then forces Uhura to play the harpsichord while he dances with the Yeoman of the week. It’s weird he recognizes that Uhura is a different race from the others but not Sulu. McCoy says the food he’s prepared has no taste, not even the brandy (what a shame). Kirk decides to play along until they can think their way out of this. Spock deduces that Trelane knows all of the earth forms but none of its substance. Which means he’s fallible and not all powerful, Kirk deduces there’s something granting him his power..

They think it’s the mirror he is hovering around. Kirk thinks he can handle it and confronts Trelane. Kirk challenges him to a duel, and Trelane has a case with a brace of dueling pistols. Trelane insists on shooting first, and threatens to murder one of his crew if he doesn’t allow it. Kirk agrees and he shoots at the ceiling and leaves his fate in Kirks hands. Kirk shoots out the window and everything goes haywire. He disappears through the wall but not before he threatens the Enterprise again.

They once again beam back up to the ship and try to flee. But the rogue planet somehow appears in front of them. They barely dodge it… several times in fact. Kirk is mad, and he goes down to the planet to end it. Trelane instead has created a court room and intends on putting on a sham trial, followed by a first class hanging.

They argue and Kirk doesn’t get through to him. Kirk goads him into to a royal hunt. Trelane is the predator and Kirk is the prey. Kirk does manage to up the stakes and convinces him to let the ship go. However it doesn’t appear that He is playing by the rules they agreed upon. Since Trelane keeps appearing at his location and attacking him. He even claims it’s too easy.

Kirk runs back to the castle but is cornered when a cage jump cuts in. Trelane here complains that Kirk cheated when kirk takes his sword and breaks it. Then Trelane’s parents show up, two green glowing lights. They chastise him and take him away. Trelane has been a child the whole time. They apologize to Kirk for being bad parents. Kirk beams back up toe the enterprise and they make way towards their destination. They banter then we roll credits.




Dramatic Fist fights: 6
space babes: 10
God like beings: 5
Engine trouble: 6
Vulcan neck pinches 3
Redshirts killed: 21
Total body count: 56

I really don’t like this one. Maybe it’s my aversion to god like beings. That being said, Trelane does come off as a child, particularly near the end. He’s obsessed with war but he doesn’t understand it. He’s fascinated with the act of war, fighting and kill etc. but he doesn’t understand the purpose or meaning behind it. when he gets the chance to experience it (or at least somewhat an approximation) he treats it as a game, not understanding that if he kills Kirk, Kirk will be no more.

Another thing about this episode is that it tries to teach us the same lesson we already learned back in Charlie X, where no man has gone before and shore leave. That we’re not ready for god like powers. Trelane isn’t ready for it; after all he’s just a child that needs adult supervision. it's a theme they keep bashing us over the head with. pretty soon we're going to get a headache from it.

I give this one 1 out of 5 harpsichords
Next episode: arena

[MikelaC1]

I agree that in all of the Star Treks, this one ranks really close to the bottom. Not only with the whole "child thing" and Trelayne's power going from ultimate to nothing in two seconds, but also because there was absolutely no hint through the whole show that it was coming. It was almost a case of "deux ex machina" in that nothing the crew and Kirk did worked, and then the "parents" showed up and shut him down.

[TheEmerged]

Yeah, the seemingly omnipotent but woefully ignorant being is in fact a horrifying cliche of the original series. Really the only redeeming quality of this episode is the resulting fan theory that we're seeing a young Q here. I think there's actually a piece of published fanfiction* suggesting a connection as well.

*This is how I refer to the Star Trek novels that were so common in the 80's & 90's in particular that they needed their own section of the bookstore. Remember bookstores, kids? :smallredface:

[comicshorse]

Yep, 'Q-Squared' by Peter David
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q-Squared

[DigoDragon]

I didn't much care for god-like beings, though John Delancie at least gives Q a pretty amusing personality.


The only Trek novel I read was Federation.
Worth it for the chapter where the Enterprise D physically rams a Romulan Warbird and survives.

[factotum]

Well, they did pretty much exactly the same thing with the Enterprise-E in the movie "Nemesis"... :smallsmile:

[TheThan]

*This is how I refer to the Star Trek novels that were so common in the 80's & 90's in particular that they needed their own section of the bookstore. Remember bookstores, kids? :smallredface:
I think I’ve been in a bookstore once…
Seriously, though yeah, I remember star wars books were much the same way.


Yep, 'Q-Squared' by Peter David
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q-Squared

Q?
They guy who was teaching his newborn how to knock planets out of orbit (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxaSTlg-djg). (Baby Q is really adorable though)


Brilliant fatherly figure. I can’t think of anyone more suited to the job than Q…
He has charge over an infant with godlike powers. brilliant. this can't possibly go wrong.



I didn't much care for god-like beings, though John Delancie at least gives Q a pretty amusing personality.

I think John De Lancie is the only reason why Q stayed around. He’s so fun to watch.


Well, they did pretty much exactly the same thing with the Enterprise-E in the movie "Nemesis"... :smallsmile:

Nemesis is a bit underrated. I think it holds up a lot better than people seem to think. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the best Trek movie, but it’s not bad. That being said there’s one thing about the movie that angers me. But this isn’t a thread about star trek movies so I’ll save you the rant.

[BannedInSchool]

Brilliant fatherly figure. I can’t think of anyone more suited to the job than Q…
He has charge over an infant with godlike powers. brilliant. this can't possibly go wrong.

There was also a pretty forgettable TNG episode with the "Human" Q whose parents were Q who went to live on Earth as humans. They were supposed to forsake their godlike powers and when the apparently didn't the Q Continuum spawned a tornado directly over their house, but she survived. Q tested her by putting Riker and later the whole Enterprise in mortal danger to see if she'd react and stop it with her godlike powers she didn't really know she had. On being informed and instructed by Q she does abuse her powers by abducting Riker for some nookie, but Riker turns her down. She forsakes her powers, saying she wants to be a human and not go off to be a Q, but a minute later she fixes a polluted planet, sighs, and goes off with Q. :smallwink:

ETA: Oh, and the point of bringing that up is that Q was kind of being a mentor there too, also judge, jury, and executioner if necessary.

[DigoDragon]

ETA: Oh, and the point of bringing that up is that Q was kind of being a mentor there too, also judge, jury, and executioner if necessary.

I think one of the more amusing Q episode was Déjà Q in TNG, where the continuum strips his powers and dumps him on the Enterprise.

[BannedInSchool]

Oh, and since Q revisits the Enterprise they're not reusing the plot where the characters figure out that they're up against an unknown seemingly omnipotent being and have to figure out how to thwart/escape them. It's not, "Godlike aliens? I hate those guys!" It's, "What do you want, Q?!?". :smallsmile:

I happened across a semi-marathon of TNG on TV, and one reused plot was discovering new life that they didn't think was alive initially. It's just funny to have episodes back-to-back with characters essentially saying, "What? That can't be alive. Don't be silly," with Beverly in one episode being all philosophical about what it means to be alive and in another ripping off a list of criteria spontaneously. And another game to play is whenever someone says something malfunctioned you say "again" after it. :smallbiggrin:

[TheThan]

Yeah, I vaguely remember the one with the girl. Mainly just the part where they’re standing on the hull of the enterprise. the one where Q gets is powers stripped from him is fairly amusing.



Kirk, Spock, bones and a few redshirts beam down to the planet Cestus III to meet with a Commodore. Once on the ground they discover that the place has been destroyed.

Roll opening credits.

Kirk sends to red shirts out alone; while Him, spock, bones and the third redshirt investigate a life sign. They find a survivor, and he’s pretty hurt. Spock picks up some other life signs they’re not human. One of the redshirts sees something and then is disintegrated. The Enterprise can’t beam them up because the ship is under attack. Meanwhile the away team is getting pounded by artillery which they refer to as disruptors.

They find some cover and kirk sends the redshirts out to die again in a flanking maneuver. Spock thinks they have found the location of the mortars. Kirk rushes out and does some tumbling while explosions go off near him. Meanwhile in space, the enemy ship proves a match for the enterprise. They use both Phasers and photon torpedoes. Which I think is the first time (and one of the few times) we ever them use both in the same episode. Planet side, Kirk does some more tumbling.

. The survivor is going to die soon unless they get him to a sick bay or some such. Now Spock gets to do some tumbling and they set up their own mortar to fire back. They lose a second redshirt. Kirk launches a photon grenade (read blue ball) and it seems to have dealt with the problem. Turns out the enemy ship has broken off their attack, beamed up their personnel and are fleeing.

Kirk and company beam up and start chasing the enemy ship. The survivor explains what happens. This guy is a lieutenant. They also learn that the messages inviting to the planet were faked. As usual the enterprise is the only protection the federation has in this sector (unless I missed it, this is the first mention of the federation). Kirk decides that they must pursue and destroy the enemy; in an attempt to scare them off.

Kirk orders the ship to overtake the ship and calls for battle stations. They go into some unexplored space and Spock says they have nothing but unconfirmed reports and space legends. The enemy ship has increased its speed and Kirk orders the Enterprise to overtake. Spock doesn’t think they should destroy them, and Kirk says that they have to or more Earth outposts will be destroyed. He’s right.

The enterprise begins to catch the enemy ship and then Uhura reports that they are being scanned by a nearby solar system. The aliens are scared of this solar system and are heading away from it. The alien starts slowing down and drops to sublight speed before it stops dead in space. They prepare to destroy the enemy ship, closing. Suddenly they drop out of warp and come to a dead stop with the enemy ship in sights. Spock figures out that something from the solar system they were heading away from is holding them .

Then some god like aliens introduce themselves as the Metrons. They decide to send Kirk and the alien captain down to a suitable planet and allow them to fight to the death. We learn the aliens are called the Gorn. They don’t want such violent races around their planet. So the metrons are forcing an end to their confrontation in some sort of trial by combat. Kirk is then jump cut off the bridge.

We get our first shot the Gorn captain. A big bipedal reptile. They grab some wooden clubs and go at it. Kirk is unable to actually hurt him, not even his most signature moves seem to hurt him. Kirk hurls a foam rock at him and he tanks it like a boss. The Gorn picks up an even bigger foam rock and throws it at kirk missing. Kirk is forced to flee.

Meanwhile on the Enterprise they’re unable to get the ship going and can’t figure out what is actually holding them. Kirk starts recording a log in the translator/recorder the Metrons gave him. Kirk realizes he has no chance against the Gorn without a weapon. Back on the enterprise McCoy seems to think that Spock can do something; which he can’t.

Kirk finds some bamboo, but doesn’t quite know what to do with it. Meanwhile the Gorn sets a man trap. Kirk finds some diamonds. He hears the Gorn and finds him flint knapping a rock into a primitive dagger. Kirk sees his chance to bring a bolder down on him and takes it. He manages to catch the Gorn by surprise and drops the rock on him. But the Gorn is mostly uninjured. Seeing this kirk must flee and runs into the trap that the Gorn set earlier; entangling him. The Gorn catches up to him and is about to finish him with the stone. But Kirk is quick enough to escape.

Meanwhile Spock is trying to contact the Metrons and talk to them, they’re not listening. Kirk finds some yellow powder, Sulfur. The Metrons contact the enterprise and tell them that their captain is losing the battle and that they ought to be preparing funeral arrangements. McCoy pleas with them and they provide video of the struggle between the Gorn captain and Kirk. Kirk finds some Potassium Nitrate and Spock starts to get an idea. Too bad he can’t tell it to Kirk. The Gorn Captain starts talking to Kirk through the communicator. He challenges Kirk to one last fight. They argue and it’s revealed that the Federation unwittingly established an outpost in Gorn space. The Gorn felt they were just protecting their domain.

Spock and McCoy tell us what we have already figured out that the federation is somewhat in the wrong. Meanwhile Kirk returns to the bamboo and finds a big piece of it; then he returns to the potassium nitrate, diamonds and then gets lucky and comes across some coal. He has the basic components for a primitive cannon.

He starts mixing it up and building his cannon. But the Gorn is bearing down on him. He finishes building in just in time and blasts the Gorn with a shotgun spray of diamond. Ouchy. It doesn’t kill him but he’s down The cannon knocks Kirk for a loop as well. Kirk grabs the Gorn’s weapon and is about to finish him off but decides not to. He calls out to the Metrons and tells them that he won’t kill him (even though he could die from his wounds). A metron appears and tells him that he did good and they are surprised that he didn’t kill him, showing mercy). They offer to destroy the Gorn ship but Kirk says they will work something out diplomatically.

They jump cut Kirk back to the enterprise and they find that they have been jump cutted across the galaxy. Kirk orders the ship back to the colony that was destroyed.

Roll end credits.


Dramatic Fist fights: 7
space babes: 10
God like beings: 6
Engine trouble: 7
Vulcan neck pinches
Redshirts killed: 23
Total body count: 58

Ok so this one is a famous episode. It has the awesome Gorn captain in it and he’s really cool. I wonder why they never brought the Gorn back to the franchise. They stand out so dramatically from the standard rubber forehead aliens that they should be an instant hit with fans. Heck I think they are an instant hit with fans. I mean we get some cheap CGI in Enterprise but that’s it.

Despite the presence of god like aliens, this one is so incredibly fun to watch that I can’t knock it too much. They could have removed the Metrons and contrived some way for the two captains to meet on Cestus III. But I digress.

I give this one 5 out of 5 blue balls

Next episode: Tomorrow is Yesterday

[Zaydos]

I figure the metrons are there because godlike aliens were used in the short story (of the same name) by Fredric Brown.

[Gnoman]

Ok so this one is a famous episode. It has the awesome Gorn captain in it and he’s really cool. I wonder why they never brought the Gorn back to the franchise.

They do appear in the Star Fleet Universe of tabletop wargames, as well as the first two Starfleet Command PC games that were based on the Star Fleet Battles ruleset.

[BannedInSchool]

Yeah, I vaguely remember the one with the girl.
The backasswards TNG twist is that she users her powers to make Riker love her for maybe fifteen seconds before deciding that it's not right and reversing it, but then she "fails" later by saving a planet and showing she can't be trusted to not use her powers at all. Can't have godlike aliens running around saving planets from ecological disasters, oh no. That would be an abuse of power. Just see the episodes where the Enterprise are the godlike aliens ("I hate those guys!"). :smallbiggrin:

[factotum]

Ok so this one is a famous episode. It has the awesome Gorn captain in it and he’s really cool. I wonder why they never brought the Gorn back to the franchise. They stand out so dramatically from the standard rubber forehead aliens that they should be an instant hit with fans.

You're looking at that from the viewpoint of modern Trek. Rubber forehead aliens weren't so much a thing in TOS--most aliens either looked human (Klingons) or were properly alien-looking (see the silicon-based lifeform, forget which episode that was in). Compared to most of the other aliens they encountered the Gorn was rather obviously a man in a rubber suit, and I think the fans at the time noticed that!

[Kislath]

I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready for a new Trek series.

[DigoDragon]

Kirk hurls a foam rock at him and he tanks it like a boss.

Best part of the review. :smallbiggrin:

I remember the cannon thing from this episode. Kind of cheesy, but I got used to it by the time I saw this episode. I too wonder why we don't see more Gorn in Trek shows. Or really more alien-looking creatures in general.

[Yora]

Because it's expensive. And with extensive masks you can't get any facial movement and CGI still looks crap.

[TheThan]

Best part of the review. :smallbiggrin:

I remember the cannon thing from this episode. Kind of cheesy, but I got used to it by the time I saw this episode. I too wonder why we don't see more Gorn in Trek shows. Or really more alien-looking creatures in general.

Thanks, I try to be entertaining.

You know, I’m willing to accept the total cheesiness of a guy in a rubber suit over the blandness of the rubber forehead aliens we see predominantly in TNG. For exactly that reason, a guy in a crazy if not cheesy suit is more entertaining than a guy with rubber glued to his head.

The cost however, that’s a problem.

[TheThan]

On earth, we see two air force men watching the radar, and find a blip on their radar. They think it’s a real UFO. And they launch an F-104 interceptor. We then see an image of the Enterprise in the sky.

Roll opening credits. Kirk’s captains log fills us in. they were on their way to star base nine when a black star with high gravity gabbed them and they warped out but that caused them to be flung across the galaxy like shooting something through a rubber band. Everything on the enterprise is out except for secondary systems. Kirk tells Uhura to contact the Federation and warn them. Spock figures out that they have been flung to earth. Kirk Orders the ship to get into orbit before they drop out of the sky.

They pick up a radio frequency and they learn they’ve been thrown backwards through time. Back to the 60s. Spock picks up the Jet the air force sent out to and they’re trying to gain altitude before they’re any problems.

The pilot of the jet gets close enough to give a solid description. The jet is given orders to force the enterprise to land. Spock says the jet’s weapons might be able to damage them.

Kirk orders the ship to grab it with the tractor beam (I think this is the first use of the tractor beam). However the tractor beam is too much for the ship and they tear it up but they beam the pilot aboard.

Kirk introduces himself and the guy starts asking questions. They pass a woman in the hall and the pilot is surprised to see a girl on the ship. Kirk tells him that they have 12 ships like the enterprise and that their agency is called “The United Space Probe agency”. In the turbo lift Kirk tells him that they’re from the future and He doesn’t seem to buy it even though the tech basically proves it. He’s sort of taken aback that there is an alien, Spock, onboard. Spock says that they can’t send the pilot (named Captain Christopher) back to earth because well, his new found knowledge could be used to alter the future in a bad way.

There is something wrong with the computer it’s got a sexy voice and keeps addressing Kirk as Jim dear. Slightly embarrassing considering he’s got company. Spock explains that they pulled into a planet for repairs and they decided to give it a personality. They tell him that Captain Christopher can’t go home because he could inadvertently change their past. Captain Christopher doesn’t fully buy it and he admits its his duty to report.

Scotty gets the engines back up and running, somewhat. Oh gosh the computer gets pouty. Spock finds some more information. But they can’t locate Captain Christopher, whom is wondering the halls in a Starfleet uniform. They find him in the transporter room and Kirk takes him down.

In sickbay, they discuss what could happen if they can’t get back home and what happens if they take him back home. Spock finds out that he made a slight mistake and they have to return him because his offspring is somewhat important. Leading the first manned expedition to Saturn. Cool.

Captain Christopher reveals that his jet has taken pictures and that his radio transmutations have been recorded as well. They’re in a bit of a pickle. Spock figures out that they may have a way to send them back to their time. Captain Christopher tries to volunteers to help but they won’t allow him to go down. Instead he sketches a layout of the base they will have the recorded information.

Kirk and Sulu beam down into the base and start looking around. They’re fascinated by the old memorabilia that they come across. They use some sort of electronic lock pick to open the door to the records room and start looking for the information. Oh gosh, 60s era computer. Kirk calls it primitive and I’m forced to agree. Kirk and Sulu are found out, caught red handed. The enterprise tries to singal them and accidently beam up the guard that caught them.

The guy is stunned still. Kirk and Sulu manage to take the gigantic spools of tape they need and head into another room this time with 60s era projectors. They go into the darkroom looking for the pictures. However opening the door triggers a silent alarm and the other guards get it. Kirk fights them in classic Kirk fashion. Kirk is an even match for three trained military guards. Wow. But they still capture him. Sulu however has been beamed up with the evidence but now they have another problem. they have Kirk prisoner.

Scotty has managed to get the engines working. They question Kirk and he doesn’t give them any information; shining them on. They wouldn’t believe him even if he told them.

Captain Christopher trades them information on where they would be holding Kirk for his freedom. Spock, Sulu and The Captain beam down, leaving the poor guard in amazement. They feed him and he’s still stunned. They spring Kirk but Captain Christopher takes a gun when they’re not looking. He wants to stay behind. Spock neck pinches him again and they beam back up to the ship.

Spock figures out how to sling shot the Enterprise around the earth’s sun. Information they file away later. Scotty warns of the danger of doing this but Kirk decides to go with it anyway. They start their maneuver, fly past Mercury and then their clock starts going backwards. They approach their break away point and pull out of. Everyone leans to the left and then to the right. But they pull out of the maneuver.
They beam the captain and the sergeant back to earth, and prevent the timeline from being distorted.

Somehow the captain and the sergeant seem to have lost their memory of what happened. They approach their time and begin slowing down. Then they get pitched about again but they arrive in their time and everything is fine.

They receive a message from star fleet control confirming that they are home.
we roll end credits.




Dramatic Fist fights : 8
space babes : 10
God like beings : 6
Engine trouble: 8
Vulcan neck pinches 5
Redshirts killed : 23
Total body count : 58

Ok this one is rather stupid but it’s important because it plants the seed for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. I like how the Captain is able to cope with being on a space ship, and how the sergeant isn’t. The remastered special effects really come into play nicely as we see them actually slingshot the enterprise around the sun. This episode is only OK.

I give this one 2 out of three giant reels of tape.
Up next: Court Martial

[TheThan]

This Episode opens with the enterprise having to pull into Star Base 11 (which we last saw in “the Menangerie Part 1” for repairs. They’ve been through a sever ion storm and have lost a crewman. However, Commodore Mendez is not there, instead we get Commodore Stone. He pulls a work crew from the Intrepid, and assigns them to the Enterprise. Kirk has had to give a sworn deposition. Spock beams in with a data card and before Spock can say anything The Commodore grabs it. Then a girl comes in and explodes at Kirk accusing him of murdering the crewman; saying he hated him. This dead crewman is named Finny. The Commodore says that Kirk has committed perjury and that he ejected the pod Finny was in before ordering the red alert. I dunno how that matters considering considering how many people have died since this started, but I digress. Anyway this totally smells like a setup.

Roll opening credits.

Kirk and McCoy step into a bar or officer’s lounge, and several other officers are in there, and they’re not very friendly with Kirk; apparently they’ve heard Kirk is under investigation and they’ve already made up their minds. Kirk leaves and a chick walk in, McCoy hits her.

They begin the investigation. Apparently Finny was a Lt. Commander. Kirk explains that he has a history with Finny and that he caught a Major mistake that could have destroyed a ship, NCC 1371 The Republic. He logged the incident and Finny had been sent back to the bottom of promotion list. He blamed Kirk for him not being promoted.

Kirk tells what happened on the Enterprise, explaining his position. Kirk assigned him to a job simply because he was at the top of the duty roster. Makes sense. The Ion storm they were passing through was bad enough that Kirk signaled for red alert. He then gave Finny plenty of time to escape the pod before it was jettisoned. The ships record indicates it was still Yellow alert when he ordered the pod ejected.

Kirk has Spock check over the computer. They stop the recorder and the commodore and Kirk have a talk, and he offers to bury it and Kirk decides not to allow it to be buried and asks for the court martial believing himself to be in the right. Kirk meets up with the space babe in the bar. Apparently she’s a lawyer in Starfleet J.A.G. She tells him what he’s in for legally speaking. She recommends a different Lawyer and reveals that she’s the prosecutor in his case.

Kirk goes into his room planet side and goes to get some brandy but his lawyer is there. Turns out he’s decided to move in and is a little eccentric. At the trial; apparently the space babe is indeed Starfleet. They begin the trial. Kirk pleads not guilty to the charges and we are on the way. Prosecution calls Spock to the stand. Spock gives his testimony. Then she calls the personnel officer, she gives her testimony. Then she calls McCoy and he gives his testimony.

Kirks’ attorney calls Kirk to the stand. Kirk is highly decorated; and the attorney makes it a point to show his record. Kirk gives his testimony. Then the prosecution plays a recording of what happened. He signals for a yellow alert. Then he jettisons the pod. Why can he jettison something from his command chair? That makes no sense. Anyway Kirk says that’s not the way it happened.

Back in Kirk’s Quarters, The attorney suggests that he can change his plea. Kirk decides to trust his own judgment. Kirk gets a call from Spock and Kirk gives Spock an idea. Then Finney’s daughter comes in and apologizes for being so mad. Spock is playing chess with the computer and McCoy is mad at him. But he has beaten the computer four times. Indicating a problem with the computer.

They beam down to the planet in time to keep the trial going by giving the defense their new evidence. The attorney gives an impassioned speech. He convinces the tribunal to reconvene back on the enterprise.

Up on the Enterprise. Spock, under oath reveals that someone has tampered with the ship’s computer banks based on his experience crushing the computer at chess. They learn that there are three people with the capability to tamper with the ship’s computer like this, Spock, Kirk and Finny. Kirk explains that he had a search conducted, but they could not find him. The lawyer suggests that the dead guy is not dead and that he has set up Kirk. He orders everyone to leave the ship except for the command crew and the court. They track down Finny using the ship’s audio pick up capabilities. They pick up all the heart beats of everyone left on board the ship and slowly rule out everyone. There is still one person left on board. It’s Finny.

Kirk goes to find him; phaser in hand. They beam up Finney’s daughter to make him easier to handle. Kirk finds him in engineering; Finney gives out some damming evidence against him. He’s tapped out their primary energy circuits; he’s trying to crash the ship. We get a fist fight. Then Kirk gets the ship repaired just in time to keep the ship from crashing into the planet.

The Commodore rules the trial to be dismissed and all charges dropped. Kirk and the prosecutor share a kiss and we learn that Kirk’s Lawyer is defending Finny. Comedy.

Roll end credits.




Dramatic Fist fights : 9
space babes : 11
God like beings : 6
Engine trouble: 9
Vulcan neck pinches 5
Redshirts killed : 23
Total body count : 58

this one is not bad aside from how weird it is that they're only prosecuting him for one death where we've seen 23 of his crew go down, not to mention a number of other people not crewmen. The evidence against Kirk is pretty damning even though no-one not even Kirk considered that the computer could have been tampered with until Spock uncovered it. They're assumption of Kirk hating and plotting to kill Finny is totally absurd and backwards, why would he plot to kill him? he has no motive whatsoever. They just assume that because Kirk and Finny have a history that Kirk has been wanting Finny dead. This isn't just a trial to determine if Kirk made a seriously bad mistake. it's a preliminary trial leading into a murder investigation. Which implies that kirk had motive, he did not.


I give this one 3 out of 5 tampered computers

Next episode: The Return of the archons

[McStabbington]

I do think it's a bit interesting how much this season is shaping up to be a microcosm of the later franchise: a surprisingly high percentage of out and out classic science fiction ideas mixed in with a large number of absurdly-powerful aliens and plots with at least one big glaring hole that have been patched with better-than-expected performances. Sometimes all at once.

In the case of Court Martial, they really did confuse motive with opportunity and means. Finney has every reason to hate Kirk, but Kirk? Dude just carried out his duty; heck later on he even lets the man serve aboard his ship. No apparent ill intent is demonstrated against Finney whatsoever. What reason would Kirk have to want him dead?

From the first few episodes, we're seeing a lot of staples of Trek being invented, but we're also seeing a lot of cases where they'll take something and really improve it later on in the franchise. I can think of several court martial episodes (offhand, DS9 seemed to really like the idea), and they were almost always about either creating some strong external threat to the person, or creating some conflict that really threatened to blow up in the character's face. Here? Not so much.

[Gnoman]

this one is not bad aside from how weird it is that they're only prosecuting him for one death where we've seen 23 of his crew go down, not to mention a number of other people not crewmen.

Thus far, every death has been in the line of duty, with the worst that can be said about any of them being errors in judgement. Captains of any ship are not generally prosecuted or held responsible for such deaths, as people in a dangerous profession know the risks they are taking, and if you send men and women into battle, some of them will not come back. In this case, the accusation is that Kirk either deliberately took advantage of a dangerous situation to kill a crewmember, or that he killed Finney out of cowardice.

[Yora]

From the first few episodes, we're seeing a lot of staples of Trek being invented, but we're also seeing a lot of cases where they'll take something and really improve it later on in the franchise. I can think of several court martial episodes (offhand, DS9 seemed to really like the idea), and they were almost always about either creating some strong external threat to the person, or creating some conflict that really threatened to blow up in the character's face.

I think DS9 mostly had internal affairs investigations because a lot of really messed up stuff happens on that station and the superiors on Earth are demanding an explanation. I don't remember any actual trials without looking it up.

[MikelaC1]

I think that the series tried to steer away from trials, simply because they didnt want to explain what relationship Starfleet had in the Federation. Because the focus of the show was on the ship, some people tend to think that the Federation=Starfleet, but in fact Starfleet was just the exploration/military arm of the Federation government

[hamlet]

I think DS9 mostly had internal affairs investigations because a lot of really messed up stuff happens on that station and the superiors on Earth are demanding an explanation. I don't remember any actual trials without looking it up.

There was Worf's extradition hearing, though not sure that counts. Starfleet itself wasn't particularly interested in holding him responsible for what was very clearly a . . . problematic . . . command decision and it was the Klingons who wanted him, but for different, political, reasons.

Usually, in DS9, when Starfleet or the Feds showed up and caused a hassel, it was probably a setup or a clue that something wasn't kosher back on Earth.

[TheEmerged]

In the case of Court Martial, they really did confuse motive with opportunity and means. Finney has every reason to hate Kirk, but Kirk? Dude just carried out his duty; heck later on he even lets the man serve aboard his ship. No apparent ill intent is demonstrated against Finney whatsoever. What reason would Kirk have to want him dead?

I have a friend with a pet theory that Kirk had <expletive>-off enough people higher in the chain of command that they were looking for an excuse to remove him from command and that's what this gave them - an excuse. He applies this to a couple of episodes (the one about AI is the only other one I explicitly remember right now).

The reality is... courtroom drama was a popular genre at the time and made for an easy script.

[Yora]

And small cast with limited locations and no special effects. About the cheapest episode you can do short of reusing footage from old episodes.

[comicshorse]

I think DS9 mostly had internal affairs investigations because a lot of really messed up stuff happens on that station and the superiors on Earth are demanding an explanation. I don't remember any actual trials without looking it up.

They had the one where O'Brien was put on trial by the Cardassian's, those neatly putting two staples, courtroom drama/making O'Brian suffer, into one episode

[Kitten Champion]

I love Trek court-room episodes, it creates and frames a conflict where eloquent argument on both sides isn't weirdly out of place and all generally without the contrivances surrounding a usual message show where they have to go into often silly or bald-faced allegory.

[TheThan]

Sulu and a redshirt run through modern streets dressed in 19th century fair. They’re being chased by cloaked bad guys. Sulu calls for them to be beamed up. The redshirt panics and flees then Sulu gets hit by something… and then beamed up. His brain has been screwed with. Sulu is saying the planet is paradise.

Roll opening credits.
The Enterprise are obit around beta III, they are searching for a ship called the Archon which disappeared 100 years ago. Everyone has vacant looks on their face. Someone talks to them; and he makes little sense. But when the clock strikes 6 all hell breaks loose and everyone starts a riot and basically going nuts. . They call this the red hour.

They crash into a building and we learn that they have something called the lawgivers and someone called Landrew. They are offered a room and accept it. One of the three people they are talking to realizes they probably shouldn’t be there and goes to rat them out. Kirk lets it slip that they don’t intend to attend the festival (the rioting going on outside) and that he’s interested in this Landrew character. But we don’t get any information yet.

Kirk and company start working on what is going on. The riot lasts from 6pm to 6 am. When the clock strikes 6 everyone becomes all peaceful and vacant again. they hear a girl screaming and go down stairs the daughter of the guy that’s putting them up is beside herself. After going through such a thing yeah. No kidding. They speak about Kirk and company not being “of the body” and they have no idea what is going on.

They think Kirk and company are Archons. Whatever that is. The lawgivers come in and kills one of the people that are helping them. They order them to go with the lawgivers and Kirk refuses, this confuses them. They go stiff and the guy helping them tries to get them to safety while they’re “communing”. But Landrew begins to corner them by slowly swarming them with armed people. Kirk stuns a bunch of them with his phaser and this is the first time we see a phaser set on wide beam. But there are more coming. They find their missing crewman in one of the groups of people Kirk stuns.

They manage to get safety. The guy pulls out a flat light bulb and they say it’s far too advanced for their tech level. They learn of an under ground resistance group. Apparently Landrew is telepathic and is controlling everyone. Apparently the Archons are the people from the missing ship. Landrew has the power to bring a ship out of orbit. Kirk calls the enterprise and we learn that Landrew is attacking the Enterprise, it’s taking all their power to keep their shields up.

They get probed and we finally see this Landrew. Landrew gives his spew about how he’s made everything peaceful, content and perfectly good. Then they all get hit with something that lays them out. They awake to find themselves in prison their gear gone. McCoy and two others are gone. Apparently they got hit by hypersonic sound waves. Spock suggests that the lawgivers act like computers but can’t explain why. They bring McCoy and the others back in the room and Bones has been brainwashed.

They take Kirk away to be brainwashed and Spock asks what will happen to him. Bones explains what will happen. Kirk is placed into a torture chamber and we meet a new character. Spock can’t snap McCoy out of it. They come in and take Spock away. It seems like Kirk has been brainwashed as well. They put Spock in the machine and then leave. His name is Marplon. He releases Spock and reveals he’s part of the underground, hasn’t brain washed Kirk and gives Spock back some of their weapons. Spock plays along.

Back in the cell; they formulate a plan but have to dodge around McCoy spying on them. We get our first mention of the Prime directive. Kirk says it doesn’t apply in this case. But McCoy over hears them and They have to knock kirk out. Fortunatly some lawgivers enter and they take them out disguising themselves as them. So now they can escape. They decide to destroy Landrew and need Marplon to guide them to where he communicates with them.

Kirk contacts Scotty and he says they have six hours to shut off the heat beams attacking the ship. Kirk wisely orders a guard to be put on Sulu. They explain what happened, war was destroying the world and Landrew saved them from destruction but at the cost of freedom. One of them panics at the thought and Spock has to neck pinch him. At the Hall of Audiences They enter to confront Landrew.

Landrew appears and says they have to be destroyed and all that have seen them. Landrew is a projection and they blast through the wall into a computer room. Turns out Landrew is a computer. They go to blast him but it disables their phasers. Kirk starts talking down the computer. Thanks to Kirk and Spock; landrew melts down. Kirk contacts the ship and the heatbeams have turned themselves off and everyone is back to normal. They then leave; but they have left some people behind to help them adjust to living sans- mind control. We get some nice banter and then we cut to credits.

Roll end credits.



Dramatic Fist fights : 9
space babes : 11
God like beings : 7
Engine trouble: 10
Vulcan neck pinches 6
Redshirts killed : 23
Total body count : 59

I'm not sure if this is some social commentary by the writers or not. If it is then it speaks about cult like organizations, Communism or popular opinion. if it's about cult like organizations, then it's saying that people use tactics like brainwashing and other forms of mind control to trick people into believe what they offer is better than anything else. if it's about Communism then it's saying that no matter how much a government tries to suppress a people, they cannot be totally suppressed and crave freedom; even going so far as to fight for it. if it's about popular opinion then it says that just because opinion X is what's popular, that it's not necessarily right, good or correct.

Maybe I'm just reading too much into it.

I give this one a 1 out of 5 hollow tubes.

Next episode space seed

[PallElendro]

Oh, I can't wait for you to see Space Seed.

[hamlet]

Oh, I can't wait for you to see Space Seed.

A truly excellent episode, but one with a title that always makes me giggle a little bit thinking of those truly terrible dime store adult books that crop up with titles like that.

[TheThan]

The Enterprise has stumbled across an old, seemingly derelict space craft. Uhura picks up a Morse code signal. It’s an old DY-100 class vessel, century’s ago, back in the 1990s. McCoy picks up some life signs and they see that the ship is functioning somehow. They pull up along side and we roll opening credits.

After about an hour McCoy says there are about 60-70 separate life signs. Spock learns it’s the SS botany bay. He informs us that the era this ship was launched in was during the last World War, which they refer to as the eugenics war. A failed attempt to improve the race. They decide to beam over to the ships. We meet Lt. MacGyver, our love interest for the evening.

They beam over and find a bunch of people in stasis. This is a sleeper ship; cryogenic freezing was necessary for space travel (up until 2018, only a few years away). Naturally they do the sensible thing and wake them up. The ships automation comes on and one Khan Noonien Singh (who will be our villain for the episode) defrosts.

Lt. MacGyver’s instantly smitten with Khan. Khan’s freezer tube malfunctions and they bust him out he’s fine though; Khan’s a tough guy. He asks Kirk how long he’s been asleep and Kirk tells him about 2 centuries.

They beam some people over and they start to get the ship ready to start de-thawing them. Some haven’t survived the trip and there are a total of 72 left. Meanwhile Spock finds no record of the ship and says it’s not designed for long range space travel. So they must have taken a very big risk. Kirk realizes that Botany Bay was a penal colony in Australia at that time. But they have no clue how the Botany bay survived or why they took such a big risk anyway.

Kirk decides to tow the Botany Bay to starbase 12. McCoy figures out that Khan is superhuman. Kirk feels the need to dress down Lt. MacGyver for getting a little smitten during their look around the Botany bay. Ironic considering we’re talking about Kirk here. Khan awakens with a superhuman hangover. Fortunately some streaching solves that. He grabs a old style scalpel off the wall, and puts it to McCoy’s throat.

McCoy isn’t intimidated at all haha. Khan lets him go. McCoy fills him in a little and then gets Kirk. Kirk and Khan talk, he’s upset that so few of his people survived. Khan dodges some questions. Khan asks for technical manuals so he can read up on engineering stuff. Spock fills us in on the Eugenics wars. Khan and Lt. MacGyver meet and Khan immediately hits on her. They decide to set an impressive table for Khan. Kirk is slightly worried about Lt. MacGyver. Khan continues to hit on Lt. MacGyver before they go to the meal. Lt. MacGyver likes to paint, and paint paintings of “bold men” as Khan puts it. She’s interested in powerful men.

At the dinner, Khan explains why he and his ships is out there. He has the opposite opinion of his time from Spock. Khan realizes this is a ploy and calls Kirk out on it. Khan slips up and lets his real purpose slip, realizing his mistake he excuses himself and returns to his quarters. Lt. MacGyver shows and he continues to hit on her. He crushes her hand and tells her he’s going to take over the ship. She changes sides fast.

Meanwhile Kirk and the others are having a briefing and we learn who Khan is. A conqueror from the past that controlled a full quarter of the earth during his time. They reveal that Khan was the best of the tyrants of his time. Kirk is appalled that they would admire such a man as Khan. Kirk says that humans are capable of admiration of people even though they are against them.

Kirk questions Khan and he finally gets some answers. Khan is not impressed with how little humanity has evolved, despite the march of technology. He leaves with the information he wanted.

Khan forces the door and beats up the guard who gets launched down the hall. Meanwhile Lt. MacGyver has the transporter chief at gunpoint. Khan enters and beams over to the other ship. He starts freeing is people from their tubes.

On the bridge Kirk learns khan has escaped. Khan has sneakily captured engineering. He’s turned off life support and plans to asphyxiate the bridge.

They all suffocate but Khan doesn’t allow them to die. He’s got them under gunpoint and gives a diabolical speech and tries to get them to join them. ohh they slapped Uhura… bad form. Lt. MacGyver gets Uhura to turn on the view screen and we see Kirk in a decompression chamber. Khan is going to make him go pop unless they do as he says. He threatens to throw each of them in the decompression chamber.

The view screen cuts off and khan assumes Kirk is dead. They then decide to start on Spock. Lt. MacGyver takes out the guard in the Decomp chamber with a hypo and lets kirk out. She’s not all bad. But she’s got ulterior motives. He jumps the guard and spock neck pinches him.

Kirk and Spock gases everyone. It’s knockout gas. Khan makes it to engineering and cuts it off. Kirk heads down there but Khan has set the engines to overload. We get a classic dramatic fist fight. Khan can throw Kirk around like a ragdoll but Kirk gets a pipe and beats him up with it then turns off the engines so they won’t overload.

They decide to hold a formal trial and maroon khan and his followers along with Lt. MacGyver on Seti Alpha V. They take Khan away and then they have some banter and we roll end credits.


Dramatic Fist fights : 10
space babes : 12
God like beings : 7
Engine trouble: 10
Vulcan neck pinches 7
Redshirts killed : 23
Total body count : 59

Khan is the perfect antagonist for Kirk. Smart, charming and physically powerful. With those two in the room it fills with Machismo, and the doors, any more would burst open from all the rugged manliness. He's the most obvious choice for a villain to re-introduce to the masses in a movie. The Romance between Khan and MacGyver is so swift that it makes me wonder if he's simply using her to take control of the ship, or if he really cares for her. Regardless, I now want fan fic of Lt. MacGyver living up to her famous name on this rugged isolated world, holding her own and proving that you don't need to be genetically engineered to survive and be awesome. But that's just me.


I give this one 5 out of 5 led pipes.

Next episode: A taste of Armageddon


A truly excellent episode, but one with a title that always makes me giggle a little bit thinking of those truly terrible dime store adult books that crop up with titles like that.

Oh i already noticed alot of these titles are unintentionally erotic. Space seed, the naked time, Charlie X, where no man has gone before, the man trap. the list goes on. either that or we just have dirty minds.

[PallElendro]

Oh i already noticed alot of these titles are unintentionally erotic. Space seed, the naked time, Charlie X, where no man has gone before, the man trap. the list goes on. either that or we just have dirty minds.

If it's of any relevance, there are some plans to film erotic material in space. Like, for real.

[hamishspence]

[Regardless, I now want fan fic of Lt. MacGyver living up to her famous name on this rugged isolated world, holding her own and proving that you don't need to be genetically engineered to survive and be awesome. But that's just me.

If you want authorized fan-fic of this - Greg Cox's To Reign in Hell is it. And yes, she survives and is awesome, for quite a while.

[MikelaC1]

If you want authorized fan-fic of this - Greg Cox's To Reign in Hell is it. And yes, she survives and is awesome, for quite a while.

I thought in the movie he referenced the fact that she was one of the first people killed by that brain parasite?

[DigoDragon]

If you want authorized fan-fic of this - Greg Cox's To Reign in Hell is it. And yes, she survives and is awesome, for quite a while.

At least until Ceti Alpha IV explodes... :smallbiggrin:

[Fragenstein]

Khan is the perfect antagonist for Kirk. Smart, charming and physically powerful. With those two in the room it fills with Machismo, and the doors, any more would burst open from all the rugged manliness. He's the most obvious choice for a villain to re-introduce to the masses in a movie.

I may be the only one disappointed with Cumberbatch as Khan. Ricardo Montalban was just so perfect for the role. But, then, I'm tired of seeing random British personae thrown around for no apparent reason other than some weirdly accented fetish. I suppose he did a better job than Banderas managed in Expendables 3.

This was probably my second favorite Original Series episodes -- right behind Doomsday Machine. I'm glad you liked it.

[DigoDragon]

I may be the only one disappointed with Cumberbatch as Khan.

I was disappointed as well. In fact, Cumberbatch was really good as just "John Harrison". Should have played up that angle of him as some secret operative within Starfleet that goes rogue, using his charms and smarts rather than try and be a super-human from the past (Cumberbatch simply does not have the muscular presence Montalbán had).

[hamishspence]

I thought in the movie he referenced the fact that she was one of the first people killed by that brain parasite?

Yup. But there's several years between the nearby planet exploding, and the parasite problem really kicking off.

He doesn't say she's the first, only that "It killed 20 of my people - including my beloved wife" (or whatever the number was).

[MikelaC1]

I now want fan fic of Lt. MacGyver living up to her famous name on this rugged isolated world, holding her own and proving that you don't need to be genetically engineered to survive and be awesome

Also to be perfectly accurate, her name was actually MacGivers, so its not quite the same.

[Zaydos]

Watching MacGyver flourish in the colony would be wonderful.


I may be the only one disappointed with Cumberbatch as Khan. Ricardo Montalban was just so perfect for the role. But, then, I'm tired of seeing random British personae thrown around for no apparent reason other than some weirdly accented fetish. I suppose he did a better job than Banderas managed in Expendables 3.

This was probably my second favorite Original Series episodes -- right behind Doomsday Machine. I'm glad you liked it.

Was really disappointed in Cumberbatch as Khan. Ricardo Montalban was a lion, Cumberbatch makes me think of a serpent. A good choice for a villain (especially the enemy within Star Fleet), but not for Khan.

[TheThan]

ok sorry for not posting up any new updates. been a bit busy. but finally got a chance to watch an episode or two.



The Enterprise is on a diplomatic mission for once. They plan on establishing contact with a planet and open negotiation with the. They’re even carrying an ambassador for the mission. Uhura receives a message warning them off. The ambassador tells them to ignore it and go in anyway. The ambassador pulls rank and exits the bridge.

Kirk orders the ship to Yellow alert.
Roll opening credits.

This planet is called Eminiar VII. Spock gives us the lowdown on these guys. They’ve had space travel for some time, don’t venture out of their solar system and have been at war with their closest Neighbor. The first ship to go to come into contact with them was the USS Valiant and it’s listed as missing in space.

Spock says they’ve been scanned but otherwise have been left alone. They leave the ambassador on board and go down to have a look. They beam down and we find there is a welcoming party. They’re friendly enough. The welcoming party consists of a space babe and two guards. She tells them it’s dangerous there but they have to treat them as honored guests, civility and all. She takes them to meet the people in charge of the planet.

They talk and we learn that they are still at war with their Neighbor; the Vendicars for 500 years. He explains that they suffer a tremendous amount of losses to direct enemy attacks each years. Something in the Neighborhood of a million or so lives. Despite the beautiful appearance of their cities and the lack of any actual damage.

The city is hit and there are no explosions or any other effects of an attack. We learn that they these attacks are entirely simulated. The man in charge explains that while the attacks are simulated, the casualties are quite real. Those that are “killed” must report to a disintegration booth within 24 hours.

He explains that this method of warfare allows them to preserve their culture while their people still die. Kirk is amazed that people are totally willing to suicide. Kirk They claim that the enterprise has been destroyed in their game and that in order to ensure their cooperation they have ordered Kirk and company to be arrested.

They haul them off and lock them up. The space babe talks to Kirk and she explains what would happen if they don’t do it this way. Kirk demands to speak to the leader again. Meanwhile up on the enterprise McCoy and Scotty are getting worried; it’s been too long since they report in. They try to pull a fast one and offer shore leave using kirks voice to the crew of the enterprise. They don’t buy it and analyze the recording and find out it’s a trick.


Spock uses his limited telepathy to trick the guard to open the door. They make their escape. They witness people stepping into the disintegration booth. They bump into the girl and keep her from going into the disintegration booth. Spock takes out the guard and takes his weapon. The civilians just stand there and don’t do anything haha.

Kirk blasts the disintegration booth and flee. The council learns of this and orders a manhunt. They also take aim at the Enterprise. the Enterprise has it’s shields up when they get hit by the planetary disruptors. Their shots aren’t powerful enough to punch through their shields but are powerful enough to destroy the unshielded Enterprise.

For some odd reason they can’t shoot their phasers through their shields but they can fire photons. WTF. The Ambassador pulls rank and orders them to not fire back. Scotty doesn’t like Ambassadors. Kirk and company have acquired some clothes and more weapons as well as a comm.. unit. However it’s not powerful enough to reach the enterprise. Kirk gets the space babe to help,

The ambassador makes contact with the cancel and they give the ambassador a bunch of lies. They plan on getting the Enterprise to lower its shields so they can destroy them. The ambassador buys it and he tells Scotty to lower their shields and he tells him no. Scotty’s going to be in trouble but he accepts it.

Kirk confronts the leader of the counsel. The leader admits that he’s just as barbaric as Kirk is. The man offers Kirk a drink and manages to contact security covertly. They have a talk and this guy is sneaky but not sneaky enough to fool Kirk. He has to fight two guys and unfortunately he loses and they take him away.

The ambassador and his aid beam down and talk with the leader. They escort him directly to a disintegration chamber. Spock manages to get his comm. Unit to reach the enterprise but he’s too late to stop anyone from anyone from beaming down. Spock goes after Kirk and the ambassador. Spock catches up to the ambassador and destroys the disintegration booth. The Ambassador tells Spock that Kirk has been taken to the council chamber.

The leader tries to explain to Kirk their position again. But he’s got something up his sleeve. They contact the enterprise and give them an ultimatum but Kirk gives general order 24. Kirk says that general order 24 is to destroy the planet. The Enterprise moves out of range. Spock and company make their way to Kirk, however the ambassador’s assistant is shot and killed.

Scotty give his ultimatum. Kirk gets a weapon and Spock shows up. Kirk gives them a dramatic speech while Spock messes with the attack computers. He explains that the computers on each planet are tied to each other; which is how they each side knows if they break the treaty. Kirk blasts it.

Kirk explains that they have two choices; wage war or Diplomate and not fight. Kirk explains that it’s a choice and they can make it. The Ambassador volunteers to offer his services to help them reach a compromise and end the war.

Back on the bridge they receive a message from the Ambassador and negotiations are under way. Kirk explains his logic and then they leave. They leave orbit and re roll credits.







Dramatic Fist fights : 11
space babes : 13
God like beings : 7
Engine trouble: 10
Vulcan neck pinches 8
Redshirts killed : 23
Total body count : 62

This is the episode Futurama based their suicide booth gag around. Honestly it’s colossally stupid. This is clearly a case of Roddenberry political commentary. These people willingly throw their lives away in a completely orderly fashion. However they miss the point of war. It’s not just to die.

People don’t go to war just to throw their lives away, they fight out of a sense of duty (or at least for self preservation), and a desire to defend their country. We generally refer to that as patriotism. Somewhere the people of this planet forgot that and figured just tallying up bodies is the way to go. Kirk is mostly right, war is a dirty, bloody, destructive and terrifying affair; good reasons to avoid it. However Kirk didn’t say that despite that, sometimes a nation may have to fight, when diplomacy fails, or never gets the chance to take place.

I like to think that most people know this already and don’t need to be beat over the head with it. Anyway its nice to see an ambassador or other high ranking official that is not a total prick to the crew of the enterprise.

Anyway I give this one 2 out of 5 Suicide booths.

Up next: This side of Paradise

[DigoDragon]

This was perhaps the 2nd or 3rd episode I ever saw of Trek. Looking at how the two cultures were using computers to do all the war games, I started thinking about modern warfare evolving to using drones and robots to do the fighting. Then I remembered that there was a Voyager episode that kind of did that very thing.

Anyway, yeah the bit about stepping into suicide booths was pretty dumb. Maybe if the booths were disguised and the citizens were ignorant to their true nature. "This is an elevator... yeah, an elevator to the bomb shelters below. Step right this way!"

[MikelaC1]

. Anyway its nice to see an ambassador or other high ranking official that is not a total prick to the crew of the enterprise.

Actually, through most of the show, he was a total prick and only came around near the end. Probably the one time that a bureaucrat has been forced to see things Kirk's way.

[Yora]

Anyway, yeah the bit about stepping into suicide booths was pretty dumb. Maybe if the booths were disguised and the citizens were ignorant to their true nature. "This is an elevator... yeah, an elevator to the bomb shelters below. Step right this way!"

No, it's still stupid. War is not about killing people, but about taking control of key strategic locations, infrastructure, and resources. Dead people, and especially dead civilians, are only relevant as a means to get the enemy to surrender before you've destroyed their industrial capability to continue fighting.

This is quite possibly one of the dumbest things ever done in Star Trek, and that includes Threshold.

[DigoDragon]

No, it's still stupid. War is not about killing people, but about taking control of key strategic locations, infrastructure, and resources. Dead people, and especially dead civilians, are only relevant as a means to get the enemy to surrender before you've destroyed their industrial capability to continue fighting.

'Duck and Cover' was also stupid, but a large chunk of the population at the time bought into it anyway because they didn't know any better. I'm just thinking that having a situation set up like that on the planet would be more believable than watching people willingly walk into a disintegration booth because a computer simulation said so. The overall dumbness is there, granted, but at least it alleviates one part of it.

[hamlet]

No, it's still stupid. War is not about killing people, but about taking control of key strategic locations, infrastructure, and resources. Dead people, and especially dead civilians, are only relevant as a means to get the enemy to surrender before you've destroyed their industrial capability to continue fighting.

This is quite possibly one of the dumbest things ever done in Star Trek, and that includes Threshold.

Except the show wasn't actually talking about war in the sense of WWII and all. It was talking specifically about the specter of Mutually Assured Destruction and the push button nature of nuclear war (i.e., get mad enough and push the button that launches all the nukes and basically kills off . . . most everybody).

It's still a little stupid, but it's not nearly as stupid as Threshold. Nothing is that stupid.

[TheThan]

Anyway, yeah the bit about stepping into suicide booths was pretty dumb. Maybe if the booths were disguised and the citizens were ignorant to their true nature. "This is an elevator... yeah, an elevator to the bomb shelters below. Step right this way!"

The problem is that people are going to go nuts when they realize the people that went into the bomb shelters didn’t return.


Actually, through most of the show, he was a total prick and only came around near the end. Probably the one time that a bureaucrat has been forced to see things Kirk's way.

Acctually no, once he finally beamed down and saw what the situation is, he was totally ok with Kirk’s actions. After all they were lining him up for a session in the suicide booth.


'Duck and Cover' was also stupid, but a large chunk of the population at the time bought into it anyway because they didn't know any better. I'm just thinking that having a situation set up like that on the planet would be more believable than watching people willingly walk into a disintegration booth because a computer simulation said so. The overall dumbness is there, granted, but at least it alleviates one part of it.

Duck and cover was thought up for several reasons. It in theory helps protect people that are outside of the blast zone from flying debris. Secondly it helped calm the population by convincing them there’s something that they can do. Although if you’re caught in the blast radius of the nuke, you’re a gonner; there’s not much you can do about the fallout either.


Threshold… Isn’t that the voyager episode where they break the warp ten barrier and de-evolve back to slugs, then like slug Paris and slug Janeway mate or somesuch. If so thanks guys, I totally needed that memory brought back.

anyway, back to our irregularly scheduled programming.



The Enterprise arrives at Omicron Seti III. There is a small colony. Unfortunately they have learned that the colony has been killed because of long term radiation exposure. They plan on going down and having a look.

Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Sulu and two red shirts beam down onto a western set. It turns out that the colony is not dead. They are alive and well. The guy introduces himself as Elias Sandoval; the leader of the colony.

Roll opening credits.

They speculate as to why they aren’t dead, Sulu suggests that Sandoval actually is dead. Does he mean undead? Android? Hologram? What?

They go to get some answers. We learn that they split into two colonies. We also meet Lela, she’s an old friend of Spock’s. We also learn that they’ve done away with all their tech (which explains a lot) and are living the simple life. Sulu and a redshirt go and investigate a barn. They notice that they don’t have any animals, no pets, no livestock; nothing. Lela and Elias discuss spock. Meanwhile McCoy has examined some of the settlers and they are all in perfect health, and he means perfect.

Spock radios in and tells reiterates the same information Sulu noticed. Elias takes Kirk to go look at their fields. He explains that this world is perfect for agriculture. A redshirt reports in and confirms what Elias just told us however the also tells us that they have only planted enough food to sustain them. No big fields or anything. Which makes a certain amount of sense.

McCoy learns that Elias had some problems before he came and that those imperfections are no longer there. Lela tries to seduce Spock but it doesn’t work because Vulcan. He gets her to reveal how they’ve survived this time despite the radiation. Kirk tells them that they have to evacuate the colony because of the radiation danger. Sandoval refuses. He dodges questions about the animals.

Meanwhile Spock and Lela arrive at a big ass plant and it sprays confetti all over Spock. He immediately doubles over. It’s hurting him but suddenly he’s not fine. he gets all emotional and professes his love for Lela and they share a kiss.

Sulu and a redshirt arrive with a report, they’ve checked out everything. Spock and one of the red shirts are missing. Spock and Lela are cloud watching and ignoring his communicator. Also he’s wearing one of the olive drab jumpsuits the colonists are wearing. He explains how he’s never stopped to appreciate the beauty of something like a rainbow.

They finally answer Kirk’s call and he’s being difficult since now he’s got a girl on his arm. Haha Spock is hilarious when he’s being obstinate. McCoy is going to take over the landing party while Kirk goes off looking for spock.

Kirk, Sulu and the redshirt find spock, and he’s climbing a tree and laughing. Meanwhile the others to beam out sight. One of the redshirts has two of the confetti spewing flour. Spock and the girl take them to a stand of the confetti flowers and Sulu and a redshirt get sprayed even though Kirk was actually hit as well even though he’s not affected… oops.

Kirk finds Bones and he’s been sprayed as well. He beams up and the crew have all been affected. Uhura has short circuited communications and she’s the only one on the bridge. Nobody is looking following orders and is all ready to beam down to the planet. McCoy is talking with a southern drawl and Kirk can’t get him to help him.

Kirk beams down and confronts Silas and Spock. These spores create a symbiotic relationship; they give complete health and peace of mind in exchange for a place to live, in your body. They thrive on the radiation that is bombarding the planet and I assume protects it from the radiation. They call it paradise but Kirk doesn’t buy it and instead questions it.

Kirk heads up to the ship and it’s empty. It looks like he’s all on his own. Kirk needs his crew to fly the ship and has no communication. He’s effectively marooned and he’s at a loss as to what to do. he doesn’t see the special effects man off stage holding a confetti flower at him and kirk gets sprayed with confetti. Now he’s infected. He goes to his quarters to pack then heads to the transporter. But once there he starts to fight it and it works. Kirk realizes that anger defeats the spores. He develops a plan and convinces Spock to beam up to the Enterprise. Armed with an impromptu club.

Kirk starts off with insults and it works. They fight and the Spock is cured. Now there are two of them. They start building a transmitter that will make the rest of the people on the planet angry enough to destroy the spores. Lela contacts the ship and she asks to be beamed up. Spock beams her up and she immediately realizes that Spock is cured and she tries to convince Spock to go back but can’t. the spores are destroyed in her too, apparently it’s not just strong anger, its any strong emotion; even sorrow.

They get their jury rigged transmitter to work and fist fights start breaking out. McCoy gets angry that his skills as a doctor are not needed. He and Sandoval get angry at each other and he takes a swing at McCoy but he ducks it and slugs him back. They’re both cured and Sandoval realizes that he’s done nothing the whole time. They realize they can’t stay because of the radiation and they beam up to the enterprise.

Now that everyone is cured. They leave orbit; Kirk, McCoy and Spock have a back and forth and we roll end credits.




Dramatic Fist fights : 12
space babes : 14
God like beings : 7
Engine trouble: 10
Vulcan neck pinches 8
Redshirts killed : 23
Total body count : 62

This one is stupid. No I mean really stupid. The acting is par for the course so I have nothing to complain about there. it’s the plot; which is really stupid. flowers that spray you with confetti and make you perfectly content with everything, never wanting to leave? *groan*. anger breaks the effect? guh.

The obvious message is that life isn’t perfect and anything that seems perfect isn’t real. Duh. Its like the Princess bride “ life is pain, anyone that says different is trying to sell you something”. You know what, he’s right.

I don’t know if this is subtle political commentary speaking out against communism; or not. If it is, then color me impressed that they didn’t deliver it with the typical blunt force that trek is known for. However something tells me that it isn’t because well it’s not delivered via a sledge hammer.


I give this one 1 out of 5 pieces of confetti

Next episode: The Devil in the Dark

[DigoDragon]

Threshold… Isn’t that the voyager episode where they break the warp ten barrier and de-evolve back to slugs, then like slug Paris and slug Janeway mate or somesuch. If so thanks guys, I totally needed that memory brought back.

Dang it. I had forgotten that was the Threshold episode. Now I'm remembering the near-hour I'm not getting back. :smalltongue:



This one is stupid. No I mean really stupid. The acting is par for the course so I have nothing to complain about there. it’s the plot; which is really stupid. flowers that spray you with confetti and make you perfectly content with everything, never wanting to leave? *groan*. anger breaks the effect? guh.

Euphoric gas plants that prey on meaty victims might have made for a neat alien concept, but instead we got this. :3
The anger bit was the worst part. Laughably bad even.

We apparently hit a string of really weak episodes here.



Next episode: The Devil in the Dark

Oh boy! The very first Trek episode I ever saw! This is gonna be good.

[Fragenstein]

I don’t know if this is subtle political commentary speaking out against communism; or not.

It's pretty obvious that someone behind Trek development was a massive hippie. Maybe it was Roddenberry, or maybe it was someone else. A lot of pacifism and other 'enlightened' philosophies that aren't thought through well, and yes -- delivered with the subtlety of a Muppet with a jackhammer.

But this episode seems to be speaking against the self-sedation and opiate abuse that invaded the counter culture as it evolved. It's either a criticism of '60s drug abuse, in which case I applaud the show, or it's an endorsement of Marxism through the whole "Opiate/Opium of the masses" routine.

Regardless, I just don't see it as a shot against Communism.

[BannedInSchool]

Threshold… Isn’t that the voyager episode where they break the warp ten barrier and de-evolve back to slugs, then like slug Paris and slug Janeway mate or somesuch. If so thanks guys, I totally needed that memory brought back.
No. They evolved into what humans would be in the future, which were swamp amphibians, and then got it on and left future human babies in the swamp when they got rescued, IIRC.

[TheEmerged]

RE: This Side of Paradise

I believe it was Alan Moore who said that "...there is room for things to mean more than they mean." That saying applies here, I think.

[Zaydos]

I always liked This Side of Paradise for one reason and one reason alone: the Kirk v Spock fight. As a kid it was fun to see and I managed to miss both Amok Time and Arena (Arena would have been my favorite fight as a child) as a kid.

[TheThan]

I see it as a knock against communism. That episode presents this beautiful quaint world where people only work just enough to produce food for themselves. Which is alot like communism, under that system, the government tells farmers to produce x amount of crops, or factory workers to produce Y amount of manufactured goods, you get the idea. the problem is that both of these situations produce people with no drive. Why should a farmer produce more than X food when he isn't getting paid for the extra work? Why should a factory worker work harder than the bare minimum and be adequate at their profession. Under a free trade system, the farmer is able to produce as much as he can and sell it for profit, he has incentive and drive to do more. Near the beginning of the show, they mention that the colonists only were only producing enough food for them and at the end when the leader is cured, he's ashamed that they've spent all this time on this planet and haven't really accomplished anything.
anyway done explaining myself on to the next show.



This episode opens at a mining colony. We see a worker walking through some caves, he’s armed. A few more come out of one of the passengers. They talk about a monster that’s already killed 50 people. We learn the Enterprise is on its way. They leave; posting one obviously scared guy on guard duty (guarding what?). We hear some terrible noise and he’s dead; turned into a grease stain.

Roll opening credits.

We see the Enterprise has arrived and Kirk, Spock and bones have beamed down to meet with the leader of the colony; chief engineer Vanderberg. This planet, Janus VI is a magnificent mining resource. He says that they have a monster that’s been killing people and destroying machinery. McCoy goes off to examine the most recent body.

They have a witness; he describes it as big and shaggy. He even shot it and his phaser did nothing. Spock asks about a silver ball Vanderberg has; he explains it’s a silicon module, interesting but worthless. Bones returns and informs Kirk that the body was not burned to death, it was corroded by acid; extremely corrosive acid. They start planning.

Meanwhile another worker is killed and the creature takes out the colony’s reactor. Spock and McCoy start taking readings. Without the component that was destroyed the plant will melt down. They don’t have the parts to repair it. Without the reactor; they either asphyxiate or die from the reactor’s own radiation. Apparently the creature has taken part of the reactor.

Scotty practically laughs at the old tech they have to work with but is willing to lend his aid in repairing it. Spock speculates that this creature is not a carbon based life form but a silicon based life form. McCoy doesn’t think it can exist.

Kirk orders some security personnel to beam down to help track down the creature. Spock thinks the silver ball is somehow related to their problem. but he won’t reveal what he thinks. Scotty gets the reactor working again but it’s not a permanent solution; no telling when it’ll quit on them. Next we see the biggest collection of redshirts in the show thus far. Kirk briefs them and they get their assignments and move out.

Kirk sends the eldest (he’s got grey hair) down to the level they found the silver balls at. The redshirts start coming the tunnels. Kirk and Spock are also searching. Spock sets his tricorder for silicon and picks up a life form. They start tracking it down. Meanwhile a redshirt is taken out. Spock continues to search and finds a perfectly round tunnel cut into the foam rock. The creature comes out and Kirk fires at it. it retreats. Through the wall. They took a chunk out of the being. They realize that this creature really is a silicon creature. The creature is tough and their modified phaser only wounded it.

Kirk sends the redshirts off. They realize that there is only one. Spock doesn’t want to kill it believing it’s the last of its kind. They both realize they will have to destroy it. After giving more orders to the redshirts they send out the search parties. Kirk has to put his foot down on having to kill the creature. Kirk orders Spock to go help Scotty with the reactor. But he manages to talk Kirk into letting him stay.

Scotty calls, telling them that the reactor has gone out and he can’t get it fixed. They have ten hours to get out. Kirk orders the miners to beam up to the enterprise while they continue the hunt. But they are being watched. Kirk and Spock split up in search for the creature. Kirk enters a room filled with silver orbs and Spock says not to destroy any of them.

The creature is there and drops the roof on Kirk. But he’s ok. Kirk thinks it’s a cave in. Then it burrows back into the room to basically confront Kirk. After a brief standoff Kirk realizes that it’s sentient. Kirk sees it’s injured. Spock arrives and suggests a mind meld with the creature. Kirk allows it. Spock mind melds with it and we find out it’s in tremendous pain. The creature burns in the words “no kill I” into the rock. Spock reveals that he learned the creature is called a Horta.

Kirk has McCoy beam down and see if he can help the Horta. Spock tries to reestablish communication via his mind meld this time touching it. Meanwhile Kirk gets in touch with his security personnel and tells them not to allow the miners to disturb them until they can work something with the Horta.

Spock learns that the Horta has been protecting itself and calls the humans murderers. McCoy shows up and scans it; he doesn’t think he can help it but he gives it a try. Spock is spouting what seems like nonsense it’s revealed that the part for the reactor is in the “chamber of the ages”. Kirk finds a chamber filled with thousands of orbs. Kirk returns with a piece of one of the orbs. He’s figured out that the silicon modules are eggs.

The miners overpower the redshirts and charge into the room. Kirk and Spock tell them what’s been going on. Kirk suggests that they talk to the Horta and work out an agreement. They are natural miners after all. McCoy manages to cure the creature with some silicon based cement.

Back on the enterprise Vanderberg calls up and tells them the Horta have begun to hatch and they’ve already struck new deposits of minerals to mine. Kirk, bones and Spock have an amusing back and forth and we roll end credits.



Dramatic Fist fights : 12
space babes : 14
God like beings : 7
Engine trouble: 10
Vulcan neck pinches 8
Redshirts killed : 24
Total body count : 64

This one is a really good episode. It's unique in that it takes place entirely underground. we don't really see any interior shots of the enterprise or surface shots of the planet. it's all underground. It's also a great episode because it has an alien that doesn't look like a human in hippy clothes. The Horta is cool, even though I remember seeing it as a kid and though it was a rug thrown over a person crawling around. With the remastered version you can see it is much more detailed than that and it looks incredible. It's odd that the Horta didn't attack Kirk on sight but plot armor exists for a reason.

I give this episode 5 out of 5 silver balls

Next episode: Errant of mercy

[Gnome Alone]

Yeah, I think this episode is one of the best. Always dig when what seems like a malice turns out to be a misunderstanding. I mean, I like that in general, but I think it's particularly thematically appropriate for Star Trek.

Also, damn, but those redshirt corpses are starting to pile up.

[DigoDragon]

I'm glad that it was a good episode like this that got me into Star Trek. Haven't seen the remastered version, so my impression of the "rug over someone" for the creature was amused. But then this was back when special effects were all like that. I recall laughing at some of the Baker Doctor Who stuff but liked it anyway.

[MikelaC1]

The only thing that bothered me about this episode is that Hortas have existed for thousands of years, and at some times, hundreds of them exist. And the holes they bore into the planet do not reform. The planet is not infinite in size, it would have been bored into non-existence, long ago.

[DigoDragon]

Maybe tunnels collapse or... um... magma flows?

[Gnome Alone]

Whenever you notice something like that...a wizard did it!

[Yora]

You seem to seriously underestimate the size of a planet.

[MikelaC1]

You seem to seriously underestimate the size of a planet.

Thousands of years with hundreds of Hortas. The planet isnt infinite in size.

[DigoDragon]

Hmm... I still can only think of an active tectonic system on the planet that would continuously fill in the tunnels over the years.

[brionl]

Thousands of years with hundreds of Hortas. The planet isnt infinite in size.


Planets are big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly hugely mindbogglingly big they are.

Also, if that planet is still tectonically active ,tunneled out rock will be subsumed, and all new crunchy rock will be spooted out of the volcanoes on a fairly regular basis.

[Kantaki]

Horta is the name of the species? I always thought it was how this specific one was called. Mostly because the german episode-title says so, but it always seemed to make sense to me. The really annoying part of the (german) title is that it gives away the twist.:smallannoyed: I mean "Horta protects her children" (german: Horta beschützt ihre Kinder)? Thank you for telling me, now I have to find something else to do.

[Olinser]

No, it's still stupid. War is not about killing people, but about taking control of key strategic locations, infrastructure, and resources. Dead people, and especially dead civilians, are only relevant as a means to get the enemy to surrender before you've destroyed their industrial capability to continue fighting.

This is quite possibly one of the dumbest things ever done in Star Trek, and that includes Threshold.

Threshold was unbelievably stupid, but not because of the plot.

It was stupid because IT SOLVED THE ENTIRE SERIES.

They broke the transwarp barrier. They had a CURE for the 'side effect' of the journey. Literally all they had to do was transwarp back to Earth and then cure themselves. Bam, series ended.

[Zaydos]

Yeah Devil in the Dark is one of my all time favorites in any Trek show and one of the ones that is most enduring in it. The horta is probably my favorite Trek alien.

[DigoDragon]

Threshold was unbelievably stupid, but not because of the plot.
It was stupid because IT SOLVED THE ENTIRE SERIES.

They broke the transwarp barrier. They had a CURE for the 'side effect' of the journey. Literally all they had to do was transwarp back to Earth and then cure themselves. Bam, series ended.

This^



Yeah Devil in the Dark is one of my all time favorites in any Trek show and one of the ones that is most enduring in it. The horta is probably my favorite Trek alien.

Notable for being actually alien and not a rubber-forehead person. Or Someone in a toga >.>

[Olinser]

This^




Notable for being actually alien and not a rubber-forehead person. Or Someone in a toga >.>

Yeah I have an increasingly poor view of Voyager as years go on because so many of the plots were just complete asspulls and when you actually stopped to think about it, Voyager should have been home inside a year or two with all the opportunities they had.

Then the fact that they reduced the Borg from one of the greatest potential villains of all time to a bumbling slave race that couldn't even handle a single Federation ship (although in fairness First Contact started it).

I mean the thing that cheeses me off the most is they had so many great ideas that became poor or mediocre episodes.

Case in point, Threshold. The idea of breaking the transwarp barrier to get home is a great idea. Introducing terrible side effects of crossing the barrier is likewise solid. Then they magically cured it at the end of the episode and it is never mentioned again.

Nearly as poorly done with the Omega particle. Again, the concept of an artificial particle that could compromise any ability to travel at warp is a solid idea. Then we come to a ham-fisted 'lol we blast in and steal it and magically destroy it immediately' C grade plot that ends with the particle destroyed. And if you stop and think for 30 seconds, NOTHING ACCOMPLISHED. So a few scientists on a base are dead. The race you just stole the particle from is going to immediately go back and try again. They solved absolutely nothing but it is never mentioned again.

[Kitten Champion]

Nearly as poorly done with the Omega particle. Again, the concept of an artificial particle that could compromise any ability to travel at warp is a solid idea. Then we come to a ham-fisted 'lol we blast in and steal it and magically destroy it immediately' C grade plot that ends with the particle destroyed. And if you stop and think for 30 seconds, NOTHING ACCOMPLISHED. So a few scientists on a base are dead. The race you just stole the particle from is going to immediately go back and try again. They solved absolutely nothing but it is never mentioned again.

The solution to that would seem obvious given that they "suspended the prime directive" for the duration of that episode and the aliens main goal was to solve their energy issues - which apparently means they can perform advanced research on this incredibly obscure branch of quantum physics that deals with this magic particle but not the exceedingly easier Warp travel - that Voyager should have given them technology to power their society in exchange for dumping any and all research on this Omega particle.

It could have been a meditation on the Prime Directive and the morality of it relative to the overarching need of the Federation and all space-faring races to have FTL capabilities.

Instead of just having an under-thought "shocking" Janeway's going to leave them all to die to serve party doctrine moment - which is about what it amounted to - it could have been the aliens doing the research were engaged in a generations-long war with one another, and the particle would've ensured victory for one side over the other. The aliens don't care about the galactic-level consequences of the particle when they're facing existential annihilation, so simply trying to scare them wouldn't work, and Voyager militarily engaging them and forcibly stopping the research would be nigh impossible with their resources. However, if Voyager gave them their technology in a deal to scrub their Omega research it would certainly mean that faster-than-light travel would be preserved, but also that likely a lot of people are going to die as a result and who knows what other consequences would come. So, comes the moral dilemma, is it worth it?

For once they can't use the Prime Directive as some dogmatic shield to defend their actions absolutely, because it's not just some pre-warp civilization their inaction would doom to a miserable death, but everyone else could be dragged down with them. Echos of the decision in Scorpion and whether their safety, or some shadow directive from the Federation, can tidily excuse going against the "ethics" they've been taught their whole lives and regularly treat as sacrosanct.

Obviously it can, I mean, no force in the universe would get in the way of Janeway being right.

[Yora]

You are talking about bad Voyager episodes in a non-Voyager thread. That already killed a couple of other threads.

*waves the broom*

I shall never again mention Voyager in a Star Trek thread.

[Kitten Champion]

At least you didn't mention Enterprise.

[MikelaC1]

Has the Watch TOS project hit a roadblock? I was enjoying the discussion.

[TheThan]

Has the Watch TOS project hit a roadblock? I was enjoying the discussion.

Naw, it's just had to take a backseat to some more important things. But I'm not giving up on it. I'll try to get the new one posted up soon.

[TheThan]

The enterprise has received orders to go to the planet Organia and take steps to stop the Klingons from taking it over as a military base. Relations with the Klingon empire has gone south and Star fleets expects a surprise (I guess not such a surprise) attack.

Spock fills the captain in on the specifics of Organia, it’s fairly primitive but the inhabitants are somewhat friendly and peaceful. Kirk references Armenia and Belgium; people that are in the way of a stronger group. The Enterprise comes under attack from a Klingon battle cruiser and we get a battle. The Enterprise blasts the cruiser out of the stars. Awesome. after the battle, Uhura informs Kirk that they have received a code 1 from Starfleet. Code one is war. Kirk orders the ship to Organia at high speed he’s still got a job to do.

Roll opening credits.

Around Organia, the Enterprise learns that a fleet of Klingon ships are nearby. Kirk and Spock beam down but not before giving Sulu orders to bail on them if the Klingon fleet shows up. They meet the reception committee and he’s nice. This guy; who’s name I can’t being to spell; the chairman of the council of elders and he’s basically the guy currently in charge. Spock wanders around the village with his tricorder while Kirk talks to the council. Kirk explains the difference between the Klingons and the Federation but the organians don’t think that they need anyone’s help even though they are ripe for invasion. Kirk can’t get through to them.

the council discuss it amongst themselves. Spock enters and tells Kirk that these people have been technologically stagnate for many years. The council recommend that the Enterprise leave before they find themselves in trouble. Kirk gives a good pitch for allowing the federation in. Sulu calls down and tells them that the Klingons have arrived and they have opened fire. Sulu must abandon Kirk and Spock on the planet.

Meanwhile one of the counsel elders reveals that he knows that the Klingons have arrived on planet, with no visible means of doing so. They offer to hide Kirk and Spock. Meanwhile the Klingons arrive. Kirk is disguised as one of them, and Spock gets to role-play as a Vulcan trader. The klingons enter and their leader is Kor. They proceed to take over the place. Kirk has a hard time being as passive as the Organians. He chooses Kirk as representative of the Organia people because he won't cow to them like the actual native; his job is to report directly to Kor. They take Spock away and interrogate him.

They take up shop in an old castle on the hillside they briefly showed. They return Spock; he’s fine. Apparently their interrogation techniques are not good enough to break Spock’s mental barriers. But it can render a normal person a vegetable. They have their eye on Spock. Kor tells Kirk his job is to keep the population in check. basicly he's being forced to be a stooge. Kirk and Spock decide to go become resistance fighters since nobody will stand up to the Klingons and plan to detonate a munitions dump. That night they sneak over to it and plant a sonic grenade. The munitions go up spectacularly. Kirk tells the Organians that they did it. They are appalled at Kirk’s actions. Kor however is quite crafty as he’s planted a bug and learns that they are responsible.

The Organians reveal who Kirk is to the Klingons. Kirk’s mad at them for not fighting back and refuses to die for them since they won’t fight back. Kirk and Kor talk, Kor says he thinks that they are surprisingly similar. The Federation conquers through diplomacy, and the Klingons conquer through military action. He threatens to dissect Spock unless Kirk gives Kor the information he desires. Kirk is then sent to a cell with Spock in it. Kirk and Spock talk about the Organians and decide they have to do something. Then the door opens and the Organia leader lets them out. These guys cannot permit them to do violence unto the klingons even though they are the invaders. They take them back to the council chamber. The klingons find out that Spock and Kirk have escaped and can’t explain it. Even their guards are gone.

Kor kills 200 Organians and threatens to kill more unless Kirk and Spock are turned over to them. The Organians just sit there and smile tottally unfazed. Kirk gets their phasers and communicators and intends to stand up to the klingons in order to prevent more Organian deaths; they say they will probably die doing it. The Organians are amazed that Kirk would do such a thing. Kirk and Spock sneak into Kor’s base. Meanwhile the Organians are doing… something… mental I think. They burst into Kor’s office phasers in hand. Kor tells them the federation fleet is on its way and that the Klingon fleet orbiting Organia will meet them in battle. Kor is very happy about this, confident and thirsting for a good scrap.

Klingon guards burst in on them and then a brawl nearly breaks out but the Organians stop them with mental powers or somesuch. Kirk comms in to the enterprise and Sulu reports the same thing has happened to them. everyone and everything has literally just stopped. The leader of the Organians tells them that they will not fight, and that the leaders of both sides see him. Kirk and Kor argue.

We learn that the Organians are god like beings and have evolved past the need of both physical form and violence; and that Kor did not kill any of them, that they are incapable of killing any of them. They turn into purple lights, and disappear. Realizing that neither side can fight, they both back off and return to their ships.

Back on the enterprise, Kirk and Spock have a back and forth and we roll end credits.



Dramatic Fist fights : 12
space babes : 14
God like beings : 8
Engine trouble: 10
Vulcan neck pinches 9
Redshirts killed : 24
Total body count : 64

Well this one started out great. Then it went downhill quickly. The Organians were much more interesting as a group that was being pushed around by the klingons and didn’t realize they needed Federation help. It easily references real world events with Eastern Europe and communism etc. Kirk even references real world events. But Nooo they had to pull the BS card and make them god like aliens; and force them to not fight. Because fighting is bad. (we know fighting is bad already arrgh). this one is hard to call, the organians are so pacifistic that they switch sides mid episode, then switch sides again. they side with whichever side does the least violence. Kirk explains in no uncertain terms what the klingons will do, with zero sugar coating and they are totally unfazed. Then we learn that they are totally invulnerable to anything and posses god like powers.
it leaves the entire set up of this episode feeling like wasted potential. it also makes the entire point they begin to build useless.

I give this one 3 out of 5 purple glowing things.

Next Up: The alternative Factor

[Zaydos]

See I always took it as an anti-imperialist message about how we can go in there with the best intentions to try and help, but just because we think they need our help they don't necessarily and we go into a lot of these situations knowing next to nothing about what is going on. There is also an element of not just "fighting is bad" but "pulling other people into our fight in the name of protecting them is bad" and a big message against using buffer states in a cold war scenario. Having the Federation come in and save them would have undermined that message hard and even reversed it. Now of course making them god-like aliens was still a cop-out and a cheap way out.

[Olinser]

See I always took it as an anti-imperialist message about how we can go in there with the best intentions to try and help, but just because we think they need our help they don't necessarily and we go into a lot of these situations knowing next to nothing about what is going on. There is also an element of not just "fighting is bad" but "pulling other people into our fight in the name of protecting them is bad" and a big message against using buffer states in a cold war scenario. Having the Federation come in and save them would have undermined that message hard and even reversed it. Now of course making them god-like aliens was still a cop-out and a cheap way out.

The problem is that it just came off as incredibly tone deaf and hamfisted. The Federation wasn't using them as a buffer state, and wasn't pulling them into the fight. They were already IN the fight. The Federation would have been perfectly happy to ensure that NEITHER side had control of the planet and the Organians could happily raise goats in peace, but the Klingons were going to take the planet regardless of how they acted. Regardless of the Organians personal feelings the Klingons occupying the planet was a huge threat to the Federation and the Klingons would use it to threaten MUCH more than the Organians.

The moral of the story is apparently 'LOL ALL VIOLENCE BAD', regardless of whether it was done by a race of brutal conquerors that crush peaceful populations under their bootheels or a relatively well intentioned entity that would be perfectly content with you continuing to exist independently.

The Organians don't come off as wise or evolved. They come off as smug pieces of **** that act holier-than-thou from an ivory tower of invincibility that assures that they never have to face any consequences for refusing to act.

[McStabbington]

The problem is that it just came off as incredibly tone deaf and hamfisted. The Federation wasn't using them as a buffer state, and wasn't pulling them into the fight. They were already IN the fight. The Federation would have been perfectly happy to ensure that NEITHER side had control of the planet and the Organians could happily raise goats in peace, but the Klingons were going to take the planet regardless of how they acted. Regardless of the Organians personal feelings the Klingons occupying the planet was a huge threat to the Federation and the Klingons would use it to threaten MUCH more than the Organians.

The moral of the story is apparently 'LOL ALL VIOLENCE BAD', regardless of whether it was done by a race of brutal conquerors that crush peaceful populations under their bootheels or a relatively well intentioned entity that would be perfectly content with you continuing to exist independently.

The Organians don't come off as wise or evolved. They come off as smug pieces of **** that act holier-than-thou from an ivory tower of invincibility that assures that they never have to face any consequences for refusing to act.

. . .And yet, for all their differences, each at the end was perfectly willing to kill the other, and either kill the Organians outright or at least risk their extinction, for control of what the Organians possessed.

You guys seem to be missing something very crucial: The Federation is certainly going to be more benevolent to the Organians than the Klingons once the Organians were under their aegis, but they was also quite emphatically a choice given to them. They could have written off the planet and fought the war at a strategic disadvantage, which would have been bad for the Federation but would a) have guaranteed that the Organians lived, and b) was what the Organians kept telling them they wanted, or they could actively fight over the planet. Kirk chose the latter option. The Federation chose the latter option. And Kirk knew that Organians were dying as a consequence of his choices. And he chose to do it anyway.

I don't care what your rationalization is, or what you think is more important than life: if you are quite explicitly choosing your strategic advantage over their lives, you DO. NOT. get to points for being nice to them while you are doing so. A person that chooses to run over a pedestrian rather than be late for a "life or death" event does not get to call themselves a good citizen, a good motorist, or a good person if they later on make certain to buy that pedestrian flowers and pay their hospital bills. Good citizens, good motorists and good people all choose life over convenience.

And that is what the Organians are trying to tell the Federation. The Organians may be a bit condescending at the end, but that's only after they've spent the last 50 minutes telling Kirk, over and over and over again: "We value life over everything," only to have this "enlightened" member of the vaunted Federation tell them "No, life is less important than liberty, and look how much liberty the Federation offers you! And look at how the dirty nasty Klingons want to take that liberty away! And aren't you a bunch of bumbling yokels that I despise because you won't see how amazing all this freedom I'm waving in your face and forcing your people to die for despite you telling me repeatedly you don't want it."

Kirk is absolutely, completely right to feel chagrin in the wake of that, because the arrogance is all his. He walked onto a planet that he knew absolutely nothing about and presumed to dictate to these primitives what their values ought to have been, and felt nothing but contempt for them when they disagreed. No, wait, did I say that he just presumed to dictate their values to them? Both the Federation and Klingons can end life on a planetary scale, and in a shooting war, "strategic objectives" tend to get neutralized rather than allow the enemy to have them. So what I meant to say was that he risked the extinction of all life on their planet, and felt nothing but contempt for them when they felt differently about the value of that life.

Call me crazy, but the Organians were entitled to a little condescension at that point. And far from the moral of the story being that all violence is bad, it's that you don't get to rationalize that away, or feel good about yourself because you have some belief that makes it so very easy to make that rationalization. Power. Liberty. At the end of the day each of these were just competing reasons to get the Organians wiped out, and the fact that we like one more than the other doesn't make that okay.

[Olinser]

. . .And yet, for all their differences, each at the end was perfectly willing to kill the other, and either kill the Organians outright or at least risk their extinction, for control of what the Organians possessed.

You guys seem to be missing something very crucial: The Federation is certainly going to be more benevolent to the Organians than the Klingons once the Organians were under their aegis, but they was also quite emphatically a choice given to them. They could have written off the planet and fought the war at a strategic disadvantage, which would have been bad for the Federation but would a) have guaranteed that the Organians lived, and b) was what the Organians kept telling them they wanted, or they could actively fight over the planet. Kirk chose the latter option. The Federation chose the latter option. And Kirk knew that Organians were dying as a consequence of his choices. And he chose to do it anyway.

I don't care what your rationalization is, or what you think is more important than life: if you are quite explicitly choosing your strategic advantage over their lives, you DO. NOT. get to points for being nice to them while you are doing so. A person that chooses to run over a pedestrian rather than be late for a "life or death" event does not get to call themselves a good citizen, a good motorist, or a good person if they later on make certain to buy that pedestrian flowers and pay their hospital bills. Good citizens, good motorists and good people all choose life over convenience.

And that is what the Organians are trying to tell the Federation. The Organians may be a bit condescending at the end, but that's only after they've spent the last 50 minutes telling Kirk, over and over and over again: "We value life over everything," only to have this "enlightened" member of the vaunted Federation tell them "No, life is less important than liberty, and look how much liberty the Federation offers you! And look at how the dirty nasty Klingons want to take that liberty away! And aren't you a bunch of bumbling yokels that I despise because you won't see how amazing all this freedom I'm waving in your face and forcing your people to die for despite you telling me repeatedly you don't want it."

Kirk is absolutely, completely right to feel chagrin in the wake of that, because the arrogance is all his. He walked onto a planet that he knew absolutely nothing about and presumed to dictate to these primitives what their values ought to have been, and felt nothing but contempt for them when they disagreed. No, wait, did I say that he just presumed to dictate their values to them? Both the Federation and Klingons can end life on a planetary scale, and in a shooting war, "strategic objectives" tend to get neutralized rather than allow the enemy to have them. So what I meant to say was that he risked the extinction of all life on their planet, and felt nothing but contempt for them when they felt differently about the value of that life.

Call me crazy, but the Organians were entitled to a little condescension at that point.

Wrong. The fault was 100% with the Organians.

The Federation attempted to warn the Organians of an impending attack from a ruthless conquering race that at BEST was going to rule them in an incredibly oppressive dictatorship, and at worst was simply going to wipe them out so they didn't have to worry about them.

Literally 15 seconds of dialogue on the Organian's part would have ended everything in the peace that they ALLEGEDLY wanted. "Hey we're actually godlike beings and the Klingons aren't capable of harming us. Go ahead and leave, we're fine'. Likewise, a single communication and demonstration of their power to the Klingons would have ensured that they never even attempted to take over the planet. Now they are left in peace and all it took was 2 communications and possibly a small demonstration of power.

The Organians had the power to prevent EVERY shred of violence that they allegedly hated with incredible ease. Instead they sat around acting like stupid fools that didn't think the Klingons were actually that bad, and did nothing until the situation had spiraled totally out of control. So naturally Kirk tried to save them from their own stupidity by resisting the Klingons.

[McStabbington]

Why is that the Organians' obligation?

No, I'm not being facetious here. Why are the Organians obligated to explain anything to either the Federation or the Klingons? It's their home. Kirk is just a guest. They tell him repeatedly that they are in no danger, which they are not, that the Klingons cannot hurt them, which they cannot, and they tell him to please leave as soon as possible. Exactly what obligation are the Organians under to explain anything to anyone?

[Kitten Champion]

It's a neat sort of allegory for the sort of paternalism the West has over third world countries especially during the Cold War. Neither party had the right to tell them what to do, as conquerors or "for their own good". This is just the sort of thing the Prime Directive at it's most ideal is made to prevent, despite the potential clash with their own humane instincts.

It's interesting that Kirk is portrayed as so contemptuous of the Organians, it gives the story added depth that the best Trek episodes tend to have.

[Gnoman]

Why is that the Organians' obligation?

No, I'm not being facetious here. Why are the Organians obligated to explain anything to either the Federation or the Klingons? It's their home. Kirk is just a guest. They tell him repeatedly that they are in no danger, which they are not, that the Klingons cannot hurt them, which they cannot, and they tell him to please leave as soon as possible. Exactly what obligation are the Organians under to explain anything to anyone?

From everything Kirk could see, the Organians were in the same position as a child surrounded by a pack of wolves who thinks the wolves are friendly dogs - almost certain to be torn to bits at any moment and too ignorant to even recognize the danger. As far as anybody but the Organians knows, the Organians are a primitive culture with absolutely no weapons or defensive technology that is naively assuming that not taking sides in the war will protect them from harm, while their only REAL choice is between the Federation providing protection or the Klingons providing enslavement and death. From a story standpoint, it is nothing but one of the nonsensical throwaway Utopian fantasies that would later get Roddenberry fired, and any allegorical point that they might have been going for was made in far better ways in later, better episodes.

[TheThan]

Why is that the Organians' obligation?

No, I'm not being facetious here. Why are the Organians obligated to explain anything to either the Federation or the Klingons? It's their home. Kirk is just a guest. They tell him repeatedly that they are in no danger, which they are not, that the Klingons cannot hurt them, which they cannot, and they tell him to please leave as soon as possible. Exactly what obligation are the Organians under to explain anything to anyone?

Because it's their home and they don't want either side there.
We have locks on our doors to keep strangers from barging in and taking our stuff. when someone tries, we call the police and grab a weapon. The Organians have the strength to repel both the Klingons and the Federation simultaneously. They have no reason not to tell the Federation that they can handle the klingons without their help. as others have said a simple "We have far more power than you do, the klingons are not an issue, so please take your quarrel elsewhere or we'll make you go elsewhere."

That's exactly what the Metrons did back in Arena, and it worked out pretty well. But instead, they nearly allow a major space battle between the federation and the Klingons to break out over head before they really did anything about it. That space battle would have turned their cold war hot and we would get an entirely different trek.

[McStabbington]

Because it's their home and they don't want either side there.
We have locks on our doors to keep strangers from barging in and taking our stuff. when someone tries, we call the police and grab a weapon. The Organians have the strength to repel both the Klingons and the Federation simultaneously. They have no reason not to tell the Federation that they can handle the klingons without their help. as others have said a simple "We have far more power than you do, the klingons are not an issue, so please take your quarrel elsewhere or we'll make you go elsewhere."

That's exactly what the Metrons did back in Arena, and it worked out pretty well. But instead, they nearly allow a major space battle between the federation and the Klingons to break out over head before they really did anything about it. That space battle would have turned their cold war hot and we would get an entirely different trek.

Okay, back that argument up a step: why is it my obligation to have a lock on my door as opposed to your obligation not to come in and break or steal my stuff? And of course, the question answers itself: burglary does not cease to be burglary if the door is merely closed as opposed to locked.

What you are confusing is prudence with obligation. From what Kirk could see, based entirely on roughly five minutes of observation, the Organians were acting imprudently. Had that observation actually proven to be accurate, he may even have been right to think they were acting imprudently. And had they acted prudently, their interests may have even aligned with the Federation.

But who is Kirk to tell them that? Again, he's an outsider who came to their world and summed them up in five minutes of observation. You don't get to decide for yourself that someone is being an idiot based on five minutes of observation, especially if you have a vested stake in that person reaching the answer that is amenable to your interests. What is more, even if the Organians had been acting imprudently, this is their home. They have every right to act imprudently in their home. It is not their responsibility to be prudent for the benefit of someone else on their own world.

That's the point of the episode: Kirk clearly means well. Kirk, despite being under enormous pressure, is still nevertheless trying to look out for the Organians' natural rights. But all the well-meaning in the world didn't stop Kirk from catastrophically misjudging the Organians' interests. They told him their interests. They said over and over what their interests were. But despite all his well-meaning, he nevertheless contemptuously thought himself their superior, and as such what he thought was best for them should override what they repeatedly told him was best for themselves. Even the best meaning in the world didn't stop Kirk from holding them in that contempt. Which at the end of the day put him in exactly the same position as Kor.

[Gnoman]

That's the point of the episode: Kirk clearly means well. Kirk, despite being under enormous pressure, is still nevertheless trying to look out for the Organians' natural rights. But all the well-meaning in the world didn't stop Kirk from catastrophically misjudging the Organians' interests. They told him their interests. They said over and over what their interests were. But despite all his well-meaning, he nevertheless contemptuously thought himself their superior, and as such what he thought was best for them should override what they repeatedly told him was best for themselves. Even the best meaning in the world didn't stop Kirk from holding them in that contempt. Which at the end of the day put him in exactly the same position as Kor.

If somebody's about to be devoured by a rabid animal, all the "I got this" declarations in the world won't get rid of the rabid animal, nor does it absolve you of responsibility when the rabid animal was hunting you when it got distracted. The Organians did everything but hang out a "we're defenseless, come eat us" sign, and only the most callous and evil of people would have said "Oh, you defenseless pastoral people don't need protecting from the massive invading space armada we inadvertently brought to your world? Ok, enjoy slavery!".

[TheThan]

Okay, back that argument up a step: why is it my obligation to have a lock on my door as opposed to your obligation not to come in and break or steal my stuff? And of course, the question answers itself: burglary does not cease to be burglary if the door is merely closed as opposed to locked.
I personally believe that each individual has an obligation to themselves and their family to protect and provide for them. This prudence as you put it, works out to the same thing. If I fail to protect myself and/or family by not being prudent, then I also fail in my obligation to myself and family. After all, if I don’t look out for myself, who will? Who else is obligated to do so? You? No, the government? Not really (even though they try). It’s up to me and me alone to be self reliant.



But all the well-meaning in the world didn't stop Kirk from catastrophically misjudging the Organians' interests.

Kirk didn’t misjudge anything. The organins intentionally misrepresent their own strength for reasons I can’t fathom. Spock goes about with his tricorder and picks up no signs that they are even advancing in technology past what looks like a medieval level of tech. It’s not like they’re dropped huge hints or said anything about them not actually needing the federation’s help in repelling the klingons and then Kirk ignoring it. No, quite the opposite they show no signs of even being capable of resistance. By kirks perspective they’re about to be bugs on a windshield and he’s trying his level best to stop it; he’s even willing to lay down his life for them (to their amazement nonetheless).

They are the contemptuous ones by playing them all for fools, by allowing them to nearly start a war without even a whisper that they don’t need or want either of them and that they can swat both fleets like they were flies. The entire scenario could have been prevented by the organians if they had bothered to be prudent and tell people that they can stop the klingons from invading.

[hamishspence]

They are the contemptuous ones by playing them all for fools, by allowing them to nearly start a war without even a whisper that they don’t need or want either of them and that they can swat both fleets like they were flies. The entire scenario could have been prevented by the organians if they had bothered to be prudent and tell people that they can stop the klingons from invading.

Its possible that they had "force the Federation and the Klingons to make peace" in mind all along, and were specifically doing their best to look like an easy target - "playing bait" so to speak.

[McStabbington]

If somebody's about to be devoured by a rabid animal, all the "I got this" declarations in the world won't get rid of the rabid animal, nor does it absolve you of responsibility when the rabid animal was hunting you when it got distracted. The Organians did everything but hang out a "we're defenseless, come eat us" sign, and only the most callous and evil of people would have said "Oh, you defenseless pastoral people don't need protecting from the massive invading space armada we inadvertently brought to your world? Ok, enjoy slavery!".

That is simply an incorrect reading of the threat. The Klingons are not rabid animals. They are not the Crystalline Entity. They are not going to kill the Organians unless and until the Organians specifically oppose them, and by opposing, threaten to destroy their chances to win the war against the Federation. Enslave, yes. Brutalize, yes. But not kill.

That is not a minimal distinction: it makes all the difference in the world. Because if you are going to evaluate whether these people are, to use just the words that have been used to describe them in this thread, "children", "bugs" and "idiots," it helps to understand exactly what is at stake for them. And what is at stake, according to Kirk himself, is not their lives. According to Kirk, they are going to become enslaved cogs in the Klingon war machine. Not a particularly pleasant prospect, I'll be the first to grant you. And if they side with the Federation, the Federation promises not to enslave them and do their best to protect them from the Klingons.

But what happens if the Federation loses and the Klingons take Organia despite the Organians' actions? I mean, for the moment lets just assume that the Organians are what they appear to be: a low-tech people on a strategically vital world. Do you foresee Kor being merciful to the Organians? Because I see him putting the entire population to death purely as an object lesson to every other low-tech planet in the quadrant. For that matter, what happens if the Organians side with the Federation and Organia tips the balance? Do you foresee Kor being beyond sending out a few ships on a suicide mission specifically to torch the planet? Because I can see Kor doing that without hesitation as well.

By contrast, if the Organians side with the Klingons out of a desire to avoid the worst-case scenario, what will the Federation do? Obviously Kirk won't hurt the Organians, and it certainly isn't the Federation's reputation to enact reprisals on low-technology planets. But are you going to announce that to the Federation representative's face while he has a ship in orbit that can launch photon torpedoes? How much are you willing to gamble on what you've heard about the reputation of this Federation when that Federation can, with a push of a button, launch multiple warheads each with explosive yields that measure in well into the gigatons of TNT range without any possibility of you retaliating or defending yourself?

You want a reason for the Organians not to explain their reasoning to Kirk? There's your reasoning: the downside of siding against the Federation is a stern talking to by Kirk, unless Kirk is a lot worse than he seems or gets supremely cheesed off by our rejection. The downside of siding against the Klingons is planetary annihilation. So let's reject the Federation's help, but we'll play it safe and phrase our rejection as "Uh . . . thank you for offering your help, but we'll stay neutral for now. Could you please leave? Preferably by leaving orbit? We're seriously fine here now. Thank you. Have a nice day. Goodbye."

That's simple, straightforward application of game theory. It is gaming out what happens if each side wins and loses, and whether or not you support them, and picking the option with the least-bad set of outcomes as opposed to the option with the highest upside. It may not be the bravest choice, but it certainly isn't childlike, or buglike, or idiotic.

Oh wait, actually that isn't entirely correct. You see, what happens if they actually want to remain autonomous and in control of their own destiny? Because what Kirk immediately demonstrates is that if the Organians do not pick the outcome that favors his side, he's going to take actions that cause Organians to die for his war regardless of what the Organians want, or choose, or ask for. Hrm, I seem to recall a word in our language that describes a man who will make decisions for you, regardless of your wishes, that kill your people. That word is not a derivative of the root word "liberty."

That's the thing you guys seem to be missing about what Kirk is doing. This isn't a choice between freedom and tyranny. It's a choice between how enlightened you prefer your despotism, because neither side evidently cares what the Organians want or prefer or ask for. If the Organians actually care about their freedom, then the only choice is exactly the choice they made: to refuse to choose at all. If they had any questions about the Federation's willingness to respect their freedom, Kirk's choices answered it for them, and he answered it wrongly. Hence his (quite earned) shame once he looked back on his actions.

[Olinser]

That is simply an incorrect reading of the threat. The Klingons are not rabid animals. They are not the Crystalline Entity. They are not going to kill the Organians unless and until the Organians specifically oppose them, and by opposing, threaten to destroy their chances to win the war against the Federation. Enslave, yes. Brutalize, yes. But not kill.

That is not a minimal distinction: it makes all the difference in the world. Because if you are going to evaluate whether these people are, to use just the words that have been used to describe them in this thread, "children", "bugs" and "idiots," it helps to understand exactly what is at stake for them. And what is at stake, according to Kirk himself, is not their lives. According to Kirk, they are going to become enslaved cogs in the Klingon war machine. Not a particularly pleasant prospect, I'll be the first to grant you. And if they side with the Federation, the Federation promises not to enslave them and do their best to protect them from the Klingons.

But what happens if the Federation loses and the Klingons take Organia despite the Organians' actions? I mean, for the moment lets just assume that the Organians are what they appear to be: a low-tech people on a strategically vital world. Do you foresee Kor being merciful to the Organians? Because I see him putting the entire population to death purely as an object lesson to every other low-tech planet in the quadrant. For that matter, what happens if the Organians side with the Federation and Organia tips the balance? Do you foresee Kor being beyond sending out a few ships on a suicide mission specifically to torch the planet? Because I can see Kor doing that without hesitation as well.

By contrast, if the Organians side with the Klingons out of a desire to avoid the worst-case scenario, what will the Federation do? Obviously Kirk won't hurt the Organians, and it certainly isn't the Federation's reputation to enact reprisals on low-technology planets. But are you going to announce that to the Federation representative's face while he has a ship in orbit that can launch photon torpedoes? How much are you willing to gamble on what you've heard about the reputation of this Federation when that Federation can, with a push of a button, launch multiple warheads each with explosive yields that measure in well into the gigatons of TNT range without any possibility of you retaliating or defending yourself?

You want a reason for the Organians not to explain their reasoning to Kirk? There's your reasoning: the downside of siding against the Federation is a stern talking to by Kirk, unless Kirk is a lot worse than he seems or gets supremely cheesed off by our rejection. The downside of siding against the Klingons is planetary annihilation. So let's reject the Federation's help, but we'll play it safe and phrase our rejection as "Uh . . . thank you for offering your help, but we'll stay neutral for now. Could you please leave? Preferably by leaving orbit? We're seriously fine here now. Thank you. Have a nice day. Goodbye."

That's simple, straightforward application of game theory. It is gaming out what happens if each side wins and loses, and whether or not you support them, and picking the option with the least-bad set of outcomes as opposed to the option with the highest upside. It may not be the bravest choice, but it certainly isn't childlike, or buglike, or idiotic.

Oh wait, actually that isn't entirely correct. You see, what happens if they actually want to remain autonomous and in control of their own destiny? Because what Kirk immediately demonstrates is that if the Organians do not pick the outcome that favors his side, he's going to take actions that cause Organians to die for his war regardless of what the Organians want, or choose, or ask for. Hrm, I seem to recall a word in our language that describes a man who will make decisions for you, regardless of your wishes, that kill your people. That word is not a derivative of the root word "liberty."

That's the thing you guys seem to be missing about what Kirk is doing. This isn't a choice between freedom and tyranny. It's a choice between how enlightened you prefer your despotism, because neither side evidently cares what the Organians want or prefer or ask for. If the Organians actually care about their freedom, then the only choice is exactly the choice they made: to refuse to choose at all. If they had any questions about the Federation's willingness to respect their freedom, Kirk's choices answered it for them, and he answered it wrongly. Hence his (quite earned) shame once he looked back on his actions.

You are missing the key point here. Kirk COULD NOT leave the planet. That was explicitly stated at the start of the episode.

And here is where your little analogy falls flat. Kirk is stuck in a position of conflict. The Organians very clearly had the power to either send him out of harms way, or to ensure the Klingons couldn't stop him from leaving. The fact that they not only refused to do so, but refused to state that they were too powerful for the Klingons to harm, DIRECTLY lead to all conflict in the episode. If they had taken 60 seconds to say, "Oh, hey, we're actually god like aliens in no danger. We will disable the Klingon weapons, please go back to your ship and leave," 90% probability Kirk would have left.

IF the Organians were actually a normal, weak race, then it might have been a much better episode. Maybe Kirk would actually have to do some soul-searching about dragging them into the conflict.

Instead the Organians are LOL GOD ALIENS, who could have solved the entire episode in 30 seconds, and have faced absolutely no consequences from either their or Kirk's actions because they are invulnerable.

And THAT is where the episode simply crashes in on itself. Clearly the writers were ATTEMPTING to demonstrate 'violence is bad', but it falls stupidly flat on its face because at multiple points in the episode the Klingons demonstrated conclusively they couldn't care less about the Organians feelings and that they were going to be ground under their bootheel. Instead the episode effectively demonstrates, "Violence and power are the only things aggressive conqueror races respond to". The Klingons did not pull back until the Organians FORCED them to.

At the end of the day, their whole 'no violence' thing is revealed to be complete bullcrap because they resort to a demonstration of power to stop the violence.

[TheEmerged]

Also, I'd just LOVE to hear how the Organians are going to be an example to all those other low-tech worlds that don't have electricty, or any other way of getting signals from across their own planet let alone another one... :smallwink:

Frankly, bad episode is bad, and should feel bad. Once Upon A Time(tm), the local rerun station let fans that won a contest run a month worth of "theme" weeks. One of those weeks was, "The Trek Episodes that we *wish* would become lost episodes" and, yes, this was one of those episodes. The others, IIRC, included "Wink In The Eye", "Spectre of the Gun", and "Turnabout Intruder" (there was a fifth one but I'm blanking on it).

I think the one about making guns for a primitive people did it better.

[factotum]

(there was a fifth one but I'm blanking on it).


I would *hope* it would be "Spock's Brain" given that you didn't name that already... :smallsmile:

[Olinser]

I would *hope* it would be "Spock's Brain" given that you didn't name that already... :smallsmile:

That episode was so bad I intentionally forgot it existed until you brought it up.

[hamishspence]

The Way to Eden has a bit of a reputation as well, as "the one with the hippies".

[MikelaC1]

That episode was so bad I intentionally forgot it existed until you brought it up.

Brain and Brain, what is brain?

[Vercingex]

For me, the most interesting thing about Errand of Mercy was the way that their mutual contempt for the Organians brought Kirk and Kor together. Both men believed in the need to be willing to stand up and fight, and in the end, the two had far more respect for each other than the Organians.

[McStabbington]

Also, I'd just LOVE to hear how the Organians are going to be an example to all those other low-tech worlds that don't have electricty, or any other way of getting signals from across their own planet let alone another one... :smallwink:

Frankly, bad episode is bad, and should feel bad. Once Upon A Time(tm), the local rerun station let fans that won a contest run a month worth of "theme" weeks. One of those weeks was, "The Trek Episodes that we *wish* would become lost episodes" and, yes, this was one of those episodes. The others, IIRC, included "Wink In The Eye", "Spectre of the Gun", and "Turnabout Intruder" (there was a fifth one but I'm blanking on it).

I think the one about making guns for a primitive people did it better.

That's actually because Roddenberry fans hated this episode. Quite obviously, this was an episode that the Prime Directive should have been mentioned and discussed, and yet it wasn't. A lot of Roddenberry fans felt that this was so out of character for the rest of Trek that it should have been considered Canon Discontinuity. The quality of the episode doesn't enter into it: it doesn't fit the High Roddenberry-ist conception of the Prime Directive view of complete and total non-interference that was being spouted by Picard in the first two seasons of TNG, so it's got to go.

Myself, I think it's fascinating precisely because they delve into why the Prime Directive matters, regardless of whether it has been (badly) misapplied in later iterations of the series. The Federation in this case has a very strong interest in getting Organia on their side. So do the Klingons. Kirk's orders precisely reflect this fact. And it is because of that strong interest, and Kirk's equally strong conviction that he is serving the Organians' interest by defending them, that he keeps missing both the continuous reminders that the Organians are more capable than they appear, and what they keep telling him.

Kirk is not being a bad guy in this case. He's brave and loyal to the point of completely self-sacrificial acts of valor to people he doesn't feel deserve it. And, to be honest, I can completely sympathize with his feelings in this matter. But those great intentions don't save him from critically miscalculating the Organians' interests. And it isn't until the Organians provide the final turn of the screw and act (in what seems to be complete exasperation) exactly as patrician and condescending to the Federation and Klingons as they had been to the Organians, and not incidentally, stop a war that he didn't want to fight, that he finally seems to rethink what he's doing.

As a meditation on the need not just for courage, but wisdom and recognition of one's own limits in understanding, and how easy it is, even for the very best of reasons, to slip into a brutal contempt of "lesser" people because they don't value the same things you do, it's one of Trek's best, honestly. What is more, it introduced the Klingons in spectacular fashion. I can easily see why they became THE opponent of the Federation despite the Romulans being an older enemy introduced in an even better episode. Kor is one of my favorite Trek characters, and it's not hard to see why because he was such an immediately charismatic and compelling figure.

And honestly, I would say as a final note that this is actually one of the best uses of the "all-powerful aliens" we keep seeing pop up in TOS. Usually, they are just jerks with amazing powers who make our characters dance for forty-five minutes until Kirk can come up with a clever plan, but here we see them actually trying to live by an alien psychology, and Kirk's mission goes pear-shaped because he thinks he already understands them and just isn't inclined to listen to what they have to say. He actually forces them to break part of their code to uphold another part and to teach a genuine moral lesson, and they get legitimately bent about it.

[Gnome Alone]

I'm right there with you on...pretty much everything you're saying, McStabbington. "How enlightened you prefer your despotism" indeed. I ain't working for Caesar's Legion or the NCR, thank you very much.

I can't add much, except that I don't they're really not obligated to explain anything about themselves, including their "god-like being" status. It's their planet, it's their way of life; they don't have to justify that to every passing riled-up cowboy captain.

[Olinser]

I'm right there with you on...pretty much everything you're saying, McStabbington. "How enlightened you prefer your despotism" indeed. I ain't working for Caesar's Legion or the NCR, thank you very much.

I can't add much, except that I don't they're really not obligated to explain anything about themselves, including their "god-like being" status. It's their planet, it's their way of life; they don't have to justify that to every passing riled-up cowboy captain.

They ARE obligated to take 30 seconds to explain and justify themselves when their words and actions are DIRECTLY CAUSING THE CONFLICT that they claim they hate.

Every shred of conflict and violence is due to the (mistaken) impression Kirk has of them as helpless, naïve morons that need protecting, and the Klingons have of them as weak fools ripe for conquest. Whether it is true is irrelevant, with the data they have they both have made the correct conclusion and the Organians not only make zero effort to change their conclusions, but they actively act to hide the fact they are highly evolved beings - most obviously when the Klingons 'execute' 200 of the Organians. Their deception actually took MORE effort and power than just ignoring the Klingon's attempt to 'execute' them because they had to produce a convincing illusion of 200 people dying.

For at least the 3rd time, if the Organians had taken 30 seconds of time to explain their power to Kirk and the Klingons, THERE WAS NO CONFLICT. Kirk leaves, the Organians ignore the Klingons, and if the Organians made a small demonstration of their power sufficient to convince the Klingons to leave, there is most definitely no fight over the planet.

[Gnome Alone]

I wouldn't put it past "god-like Star Trek aliens" to be doing all of that deliberately for didactic purposes, though.

I don't see how they're causing the conflict. They're caught in the crossfire of a conflict between two space empires who are bringing it to them unwillingly. They repeatedly ask to be left alone. Seems like enough to me. It'd be more convenient for everybody if they'd just, yeah, take 30 seconds to explain themselves, but Justify Your Existence is only fun on the AV Club.

[MikelaC1]

The whole point is, the Klingons wont leave them alone until they are given the proverbial bloody nose. And how can Kirk report back to Starfleet..."yeah, they said just leave us alone so we left" without some justification.

[Yora]

Prime Directive: "They told us to leave."

Though not sure if that was already invented at that point.

[MikelaC1]

Prime Directive, Part 2: You are relieved of command and will be court-martialed.

[Olinser]

I wouldn't put it past "god-like Star Trek aliens" to be doing all of that deliberately for didactic purposes, though.

I don't see how they're causing the conflict. They're caught in the crossfire of a conflict between two space empires who are bringing it to them unwillingly. They repeatedly ask to be left alone. Seems like enough to me. It'd be more convenient for everybody if they'd just, yeah, take 30 seconds to explain themselves, but Justify Your Existence is only fun on the AV Club.

They ARE causing the conflict by intentionally representing themselves as unevolved weaklings. When your intentional misdirection causes BOTH sides to act on that information, you are at fault.

[Kitten Champion]

They ARE causing the conflict by intentionally representing themselves as unevolved weaklings. When your intentional misdirection causes BOTH sides to act on that information, you are at fault.

Sort of like blaming Chris Hansen for the behaviour of would-be molesters.

[Timeras]

They ARE causing the conflict by intentionally representing themselves as unevolved weaklings. When your intentional misdirection causes BOTH sides to act on that information, you are at fault.
No. They didn't cause it. Their apparent weakness is no excuse for the actions of either the Federation or the Klingons. Both sides always had the option to do the right thing: leave them alone.

[TheThan]

No. They didn't cause it. Their apparent weakness is no excuse for the actions of either the Federation or the Klingons. Both sides always had the option to do the right thing: leave them alone.

False

Leaving them alone is not the right thing to do. The Klingons are interested in it for its strategic importance; the Organians mean nothing to them. It’s in their best interests as expanding conquerors to take control of the planet, it’s the right thing for them to do according to their ethics. Even if the Organians didn’t even exist, there would still be a conflict over the planet. If the klingons take control of it, then they have a gateway into federation space.

The federation, being interested in their own survival and way of life have a vested interest in taking control of the planet first to prevent the klingons from being able to establish a foothold in their territory. Oh and they get to save some seemingly primitive natives from the Klingons in the process. Fighting off an oppressive conqueror and preserving their way of life is the right thing for them to do, according to their own ethics.

What the Organians should have done was reveal their true nature as soon as they became aware that the conflict was coming to their planet, then show and tell both of them that they do not want them around their home and to take their conflict elsewhere or they will force them to. Hell if they allowed both sides on their planet and then revealed their true nature right away, then the conflict would come to an end and the klingons and Federation would have have nearly come to blows in a fleet engagement.

Both the klingons and the Federation respect strength and power, they would have listened. Doing this would create a buffer zone between the two factions, a buffer zone that could not be overcome by either side, thus opening the gates for diplomacy and a truce. Additionally the Organians, being a peace loving people, could have offered to hold diplomatic talks on their world and act as mediators; this idea never arose.

[Gnoman]

Prime Directive: "They told us to leave."

Though not sure if that was already invented at that point.

Even after it was introduced, the TOS-era Prime Directive was very different from what it became later on - once development was disrupted by another advanced society it no longer applied, and saving primitive species from natural disasters was a routine mission.

[Olinser]

False

Leaving them alone is not the right thing to do. The Klingons are interested in it for its strategic importance; the Organians mean nothing to them. It’s in their best interests as expanding conquerors to take control of the planet, it’s the right thing for them to do according to their ethics. Even if the Organians didn’t even exist, there would still be a conflict over the planet. If the klingons take control of it, then they have a gateway into federation space.

The federation, being interested in their own survival and way of life have a vested interest in taking control of the planet first to prevent the klingons from being able to establish a foothold in their territory. Oh and they get to save some seemingly primitive natives from the Klingons in the process. Fighting off an oppressive conqueror and preserving their way of life is the right thing for them to do, according to their own ethics.

What the Organians should have done was reveal their true nature as soon as they became aware that the conflict was coming to their planet, then show and tell both of them that they do not want them around their home and to take their conflict elsewhere or they will force them to. Hell if they allowed both sides on their planet and then revealed their true nature right away, then the conflict would come to an end and the klingons and Federation would have have nearly come to blows in a fleet engagement.

Both the klingons and the Federation respect strength and power, they would have listened. Doing this would create a buffer zone between the two factions, a buffer zone that could not be overcome by either side, thus opening the gates for diplomacy and a truce. Additionally the Organians, being a peace loving people, could have offered to hold diplomatic talks on their world and act as mediators; this idea never arose.

Exactly what SHOULD have happened if the Organians actually cared about peace and ending violence. That might have actually made a decent episode.

[Olinser]

Even after it was introduced, the TOS-era Prime Directive was very different from what it became later on - once development was disrupted by another advanced society it no longer applied, and saving primitive species from natural disasters was a routine mission.

I don't recall TOS saving any primitive species, which episode was that? TNG and Voyager both directly stated that the Prime Directive prevented them from saving a species from natural disasters - a statement that I found unbelievably stupid (not to mention they then directly contradicted it by doing it anyway in a different episode).

To not contaminate a species cultural and technological development is one thing. To stand by and allow a species to become extinct due to a natural disaster (that they didn't cause) makes no sense.

It's one thing if, say, a species mined the core of their planet and destabilized it, or if they had a nuclear war and destroyed themselves, etc. A species destroying itself as a direct consequence of their actions is perfectly logical.

But to allow volcanic eruptions to wipe out a primitive species (Star Trek Into Darkness, although Kirk did it anyway), or a couple other instances in both TNG and Voyager, is utterly and completely stupid. And is nothing but allowing pure blind luck to completely wipe out a species. There's nothing logical about it.

[Gnoman]

I don't recall TOS saving any primitive species, which episode was that?


The Paradise Syndrome.

[MikelaC1]

Well, this episode has certainly provoked a lot of heated discussion.

[McStabbington]

False

Leaving them alone is not the right thing to do. The Klingons are interested in it for its strategic importance; the Organians mean nothing to them. It’s in their best interests as expanding conquerors to take control of the planet, it’s the right thing for them to do according to their ethics. Even if the Organians didn’t even exist, there would still be a conflict over the planet. If the klingons take control of it, then they have a gateway into federation space.

The federation, being interested in their own survival and way of life have a vested interest in taking control of the planet first to prevent the klingons from being able to establish a foothold in their territory. Oh and they get to save some seemingly primitive natives from the Klingons in the process. Fighting off an oppressive conqueror and preserving their way of life is the right thing for them to do, according to their own ethics.

What the Organians should have done was reveal their true nature as soon as they became aware that the conflict was coming to their planet, then show and tell both of them that they do not want them around their home and to take their conflict elsewhere or they will force them to. Hell if they allowed both sides on their planet and then revealed their true nature right away, then the conflict would come to an end and the klingons and Federation would have have nearly come to blows in a fleet engagement.

Both the klingons and the Federation respect strength and power, they would have listened. Doing this would create a buffer zone between the two factions, a buffer zone that could not be overcome by either side, thus opening the gates for diplomacy and a truce. Additionally the Organians, being a peace loving people, could have offered to hold diplomatic talks on their world and act as mediators; this idea never arose.

You're describing their interests rather than what the right thing to do is. Which is the crux of the episode. That the Klingons and Federation respect power is irrelevant to the Organians, because that's not something they care about. In point of fact, exercising violent control or even seeing it displayed in their presence causes them emotional pain. Trying to get an Organian to conform to the dictates of realpolitick is a bit like trying to bribe a Vulcan with a night of unbridled passion: it goes against their nature. Or to look at it from the Organians' perspective, this whole situation is to them like a species of ant coming to your house and offering to lace it with a pheremonal scent that will keep all other species of ant out in exchange for keeping a small hive in the kitchen. We don't even detect ant pheremones, and even if we're not the kind of people who kill bugs on sight, we'd probably prefer no ants in our kitchen at all.

As for the PD, it does exist in this time, but it operates on a much looser standard than it will later. Think of it as the difference between a rebuttable presumption and an absolute law. In this time, it's simply a strong presumption that non-interference is the best policy, but in certain cases like the threat of extinction from a meteor impact or, as in the case of the forthcoming "A Private Little War", when another species has already interfered, Captains do sometimes step in and act on their own initiative. The standard seems to be that if the Captain can interfere with a minimum of later involvement and a minimum of damage, then it's okay; it's only when the interference requires prolonged involvement or when the cultural contamination is extreme that it's not ratified by Starfleet Command. It's a far cry from the PD of the early TNG era, which will be upheld even when they can save a species from extinction without any recognition by that culture of outside interference at all.

To my mind, I vastly prefer the way the Prime Directive is handled in the TOS era, but it would seem to apply here in the case of an Organian refusal of Federation assistance. And ordinarily, I think Kirk would have accepted that without hesitation. It's only the extreme threat posed by the Klingons that's driving him past what would otherwise be acceptable.

[hamishspence]

The Paradise Syndrome.

Wasn't that more "human colonists who have forgotten that they were ever spacefaring"?

[DigoDragon]

Well, this episode has certainly provoked a lot of heated discussion.

Yeah... and it's one that I watched once and don't remember it so I don't have anything to add. XD

[BannedInSchool]

Yeah... and it's one that I watched once and don't remember it so I don't have anything to add. XD
Maybe the comic recap will jog your memory? http://www.mezzacotta.net/planetofhats/episodes/0026.html :smallsmile:

[TheEmerged]

Well, this episode has certainly provoked a lot of heated discussion.

Believe it or not, I've seen this happen on 2 other boards I used to participate in.

RE: The Fifth "We Wish It Were Lost" Episode. I honestly don't remember, which is part of why I don't think Spock's Brain was the answer (personally, "Spock's Brain" is on a short list that I actively dislike). If an episode I hate were the final member, I think I'd be more likely to remember it.

RE: Responsibility for the incident in "Errand Of Mercy". My late father used to have a saying I've picked up that has served me well over the years: "Guilt is not a percentage thing". I've adapted that to be "a zero-sum scenario" since that's more what he meant - Just because party A is somewhat responsible for what happened in a situation in no way reduces how responsible party B is for the same situation.

The Klingons were responsible for the Organian situation by forcing the territory "into play" in a military sense. The Organians were responsible for the situation by trying to avoid\deflect it instead of dealing with it. The Federation was responsible for the situation for violating their principles*

Such as they were; in my experience arguing about the Prime Directive is the Trekkie equivalent of Politics & Religion (that is, something most people can't have a rational discussion about). I'll leave it at saying I find it... amusing... that apparently ShooShooing with alien cultures doesn't count as interfering with them.

[DigoDragon]

Maybe the comic recap will jog your memory? http://www.mezzacotta.net/planetofhats/episodes/0026.html :smallsmile:

Pffthahahaha, oh this is gold. XD

I want to see an "Abridged" version of the episode like this.

[Timeras]

False You are wrong.


Leaving them alone is not the right thing to do. The Klingons are interested in it for its strategic importance; the Organians mean nothing to them. It’s in their best interests as expanding conquerors to take control of the planet, it’s the right thing for them to do according to their ethics. Even if the Organians didn’t even exist, there would still be a conflict over the planet. If the klingons take control of it, then they have a gateway into federation space. What you describe as the right thing to do for the Klingons is what is in their interest, without considering a moral standpoint.


The federation, being interested in their own survival and way of life have a vested interest in taking control of the planet first to prevent the klingons from being able to establish a foothold in their territory. Oh and they get to save some seemingly primitive natives from the Klingons in the process. Fighting off an oppressive conqueror and preserving their way of life is the right thing for them to do, according to their own ethics. What you describe as the right thing to do for the Federation is what is in the Federation's best interest, again ignoring moral aspects.


What the Organians should have done was reveal their true nature as soon as they became aware that the conflict was coming to their planet, then show and tell both of them that they do not want them around their home and to take their conflict elsewhere or they will force them to. Hell if they allowed both sides on their planet and then revealed their true nature right away, then the conflict would come to an end and the klingons and Federation would have have nearly come to blows in a fleet engagement. What you describe as the right thing to to the Organians is what would have been easier for the Federation and the Klingons. You expect moral behavior from them (and with inappropriate expectations of what would be moral. They had no obligation to give the lesser creatures any information.) without regarding their interests. Which was to be left alone without revealing ther true nature. And the Organians had more right to act according to their on interests than the other parties, because the whole thing was happening on their planet.

[MikelaC1]

What you describe as the right thing to to the Organians is what would have been easier for the Federation and the Klingons. You expect moral behavior from them (and with inappropriate expectations of what would be moral. They had no obligation to give the lesser creatures any information.) without regarding their interests. Which was to be left alone without revealing ther true nature. And the Organians had more right to act according to their on interests than the other parties, because the whole thing was happening on their planet.

You are ignoring the point that the Klingons are the BBEG of Star Trek. BBEG in any setting do not leave people alone because they ask nicely, that's WHY they are considered evil. And if Kirk complies with the Organian wishes, he leaves the heart of the Federation open to direct attack by the Klingons. Yes, the Organians would stop them, but he DOESNT know that, and has no evidence to support such a hypothesis.

[Timeras]

You are ignoring the point that the Klingons are the BBEG of Star Trek. BBEG in any setting do not leave people alone because they ask nicely, that's WHY they are considered evil. And if Kirk complies with the Organian wishes, he leaves the heart of the Federation open to direct attack by the Klingons.
Not the Organians' Problem.

[TheThan]

You are wrong.

What you describe as the right thing to do for the Klingons is what is in their interest, without considering a moral standpoint.


Their moral standpoint is that it is honorable to fight and die in battle, to wage war and conquer. They want war, they crave war, Kor himself is looking forward to the federation fleet arriving. It’s completely different from our moral perspective, but it’s there. Honestly I thought it was pretty obvious so I didn’t mention it. just becuase their moral beliefs are different from ours, doesn't mean they don't have one.



What you describe as the right thing to do for the Federation is what is in the Federation's best interest, again ignoring moral aspects.


Doesn’t the federation have a moral obligation to protect their citizens from the klingons? Doesn’t the federation have a moral obligation to protect these seemingly helpless primitives from the wrath of the klingons? Controling that planet would accomplish both of these moral obligations. Again I thought this as so obvious I didn’t need to bring it up.



What you describe as the right thing to to the Organians is what would have been easier for the Federation and the Klingons. You expect moral behavior from them (and with inappropriate expectations of what would be moral. They had no obligation to give the lesser creatures any information.) Without regarding their interests. Which was to be left alone without revealing ther true nature. And the Organians had more right to act according to their on interests than the other parties, because the whole thing was happening on their planet.

No I described what is morally acceptable for their culture. They dislike violence and war. Fine I can respect that. But war was coming to their planet and they did absolutely nothing to stop it until the last second. While it’s true they are not obligated to reveal themselves, it’s the morally right thing to do to step in and stop the other two parties from slaughtering each other over their own homeworld. Even if they have to reveal their true status. They have the power to put an end to it and don’t exercise that power for their own or anyone else’s benefit until the last second.


Not the Organians' Problem.

It is the organian’s problem since this battle is about to break out over their homeworld and on their soil. They clearly establish they abhor violence and bloodshed so they have a moral obligation according to their own beliefs to step in and stop it. Plus, the actually have the power to prevent it, yet they do nothing until it’s almost too late. They own the planet, aren’t they responsible for what happens on it?

[Timeras]

Doesn’t the federation have a moral obligation to protect their citizens from the klingons? Doesn’t the federation have a moral obligation to protect these seemingly helpless primitives from the wrath of the klingons? Controling that planet would accomplish both of these moral obligations. Again I thought this as so obvious I didn’t need to bring it up. No. They (and the Klingons) have a moral obligation to leave those who want to be left alone alone. THIS should have been obvious.


No I described what is morally acceptable for their culture. They dislike violence and war. Fine I can respect that. But war was coming to their planet and they did absolutely nothing to stop it until the last second. While it’s true they are not obligated to reveal themselves, it’s the morally right thing to do to step in and stop the other two parties from slaughtering each other over their own homeworld. Even if they have to reveal their true status. They have the power to put an end to it and don’t exercise that power for their own or anyone else’s benefit until the last second.



It is the organian’s problem since this battle is about to break out over their homeworld and on their soil. They clearly establish they abhor violence and bloodshed so they have a moral obligation according to their own beliefs to step in and stop it. Plus, the actually have the power to prevent it, yet they do nothing until it’s almost too late. They own the planet, aren’t they responsible for what happens on it?
Yes, the Organians waited untill the last second for the primitive savages to see reason. And when it became clear that neither side would, they stopped them. Nothing wrong with that.

[DigoDragon]

So, how about that Alternative Factor? :smallbiggrin:

*Reads synopsis*
Ah, this one is going to hurt science...

[TheEmerged]

Maybe the comic recap will jog your memory? http://www.mezzacotta.net/planetofhats/episodes/0026.html :smallsmile:

I'd like to thank you for that link. It lightened the day quite a bit :)

[Kantaki]

Should the Federation and the Klingons have left the Organians alone? In a ideal world they would have. Would the Klingons have done so? No. Should Kirk have left a - to his best knowledge - helpless civilization to be enslaved and killed by the Klingons? Again no. Yes, they could defend themselves and weren't ever in danger, but Kirk didn't know this.
Even if the world wouldn't have been a bridgehead into Federation-space stopping the Klingons would have been the right thing. I mean if the Organians really had been as helpless as they seemed and Kirk had left when they told him so, leaving them to the Klingons whims, would it still have been the right thing?

[MikelaC1]

No. They (and the Klingons) have a moral obligation to leave those who want to be left alone alone. THIS should have been obvious.

But they don't leave people alone, they enslave and conquer. Arguing about what someone else should do from your own moral viewpoint will not let you see what others WILL do.

[Olinser]

No. They (and the Klingons) have a moral obligation to leave those who want to be left alone alone. THIS should have been obvious.


Yes, the Organians waited untill the last second for the primitive savages to see reason. And when it became clear that neither side would, they stopped them. Nothing wrong with that.

For the Klingons IT IS NOT MORAL.

Wagging your finger at them and whining about them not conforming to YOUR morality accomplishes nothing but making them laugh at you while they continue conquering.

THEIR morality says they will conquer, fight and die gloriously in battle. They are acting perfectly in accordance with THEIR morality. To ignore this is simply the height of naïve stupidity.

The Organians, on the other hand, are not in keeping with THEIR OWN stated morality. They claim to hate violence and at every turn they take actions that all but guarantee that violence will continue and escalate. They refuse to actually reveal their own power, they allow Kirk to remain and escalate violence against the Klingons, they allow the Klingons to think they have 'executed' hundreds of them, and they don't even make an attempt to stop Kirk when he explicitly states he's going out for more violence.

At every single possible point the Organians fail the test of their own stated morality. The Klingons are 100% moral beings, according to THEIR own morality.

[Timeras]

Should the Federation and the Klingons have left the Organians alone? In a ideal world they would have. Would the Klingons have done so? No. Should Kirk have left a - to his best knowledge - helpless civilization to be enslaved and killed by the Klingons? Again no. Yes, they could defend themselves and weren't ever in danger, but Kirk didn't know this.
Even if the world wouldn't have been a bridgehead into Federation-space stopping the Klingons would have been the right thing. I mean if the Organians really had been as helpless as they seemed and Kirk had left when they told him so, leaving them to the Klingons whims, would it still have been the right thing?Yes, because they asked him to after Kirk had explained the Klingons` intentions.


For the Klingons IT IS NOT MORAL.

Wagging your finger at them and whining about them not conforming to YOUR morality accomplishes nothing but making them laugh at you while they continue conquering.

THEIR morality says they will conquer, fight and die gloriously in battle. They are acting perfectly in accordance with THEIR morality. To ignore this is simply the height of naïve stupidity.
You apply Klingon morals to the Klingons` actions. Then you should also apply organian morals to the Organians`actions. Tey followed their own morals much more than the Klingons followed theirs. An attack on the helpless people the Organians seemed to be would not have been a glorious battle.

[BannedInSchool]

Yes, because they asked him to after Kirk had explained the Klingons` intentions.
Aha! So the solution is to do what you want without asking anybody! :smallbiggrin:

[MikelaC1]

The Federation had a moral obligation to leave the Organians alone.
The Federation had a moral obligation to protect their own citizens.
Those two moral obligations could not be fulfilled at the same time, if they leave the Organians alone, the Klingons establish a military base and slaughter billions of Federation citizens. You cannot use the knowledge that the Organians would not have let it happen, since you are not in possession of that knowledge from their actions. Kirk chose to protect Federation lives.

[Kantaki]

Yes, because they asked him to after Kirk had explained the Klingons` intentions.


You apply Klingon morals to the Klingons` actions. Then you should also apply organian morals to the Organians`actions. Tey followed their own morals much more than the Klingons followed theirs. An attack on the helpless people the Organians seemed to be would not have been a glorious battle.

How is it okay to let someone walk to their doom just because they asked you to? Let's say you could stop a man from walking, naked and without any kind of equipment or weapon, into a winter forest that is full of very hungry predatory animals.
Would you let them go because they tell you they can deal with it? I think I would still stop them.
With the knowledge he had Kirk made a good choice. Trying to help the helpless usually is. And that still ignores the strategic situation. Even if protecting the Organians were wrong Kirk still would have to intervene because the Federation can't afford to let the Klingons have a bridgehead into their territory.


Aha! So the solution is to do what you want without asking anybody! :smallbiggrin:

That sounds reasonable.:smallamused:

[TheThan]

The enterprise is in orbit around a planet. Spock is scanning it and gives us the rundown on the planet. Suddenly they are struck by something. Spock says that the planet and everything else just blinked out of existence for an instant.

Spock picks up a life form on the planet below. They beam down to investigate.

Roll opening credits.

On the planet below, They meet the being on the planet. He has a small ship. This guy he looks like a wreck. He falls off a rock. Back on the ship; we learn the blinking out has drained their dilithium crystals and their orbit will decay if they don’t do something. Uhura receives another Code 1 (war) and Kirk calls for a Red alert. The Commodore tells them that this effect hit EVERYTHING across the galaxy. The Federation feels they feel that this is prelude to invasion and orders Kirk to investigate, suspecting being from outside the galaxy or somesuch. He also tells them that they’re on their own in this. Kirk goes to talk to the guy they picked up. He tells him that’s pursuing someone else that’s in effect a monster. It’s destroyed his entire civilization. Back on the planet, Spock can’t find any evidence of the being the man is perusing. Then the screen shakes and we see stars. This guy, Lazarus; runs off apparently fighting something. We get a very trippy battle sequence.

When that is over, Lazaus is ok although agitated. Back on the ship, Spock and Kirk work on what’s happening. McCoy calls up to the bridge and Kirk heads down to sickbay. He tells Kirk that he patched him up and in an instant he was perfectly healed and left. We see him in a reck room; he leaves and he ends up in another fight with the being. Turns out there’s two of them. and they’re switching places. Kirk and McCoy find him but don’t see the switch.

Spock calls them to the bridge and we see that Spock has found a source of radiation that isn’t really there. Spock refers to it as a rip or tear in space. Lazarus figures out he can use the dilithum crystals to trap the other version of himself; which he doesn’t realize seemingly, that his quarry is his other half.

He leaves the bridge and then switches selves again. This one seems less agitated. He finds himself in engineering and he jumps a redshirt. Kirk orders an experimentation chamber to be prepared and when they are doing that. Lazerus takes her out as well. He’s taken two of the dilithium crystals. They catch him but he’s switched back to the other half.

On the planet, the radiation has disappeared and the missing dilithium crystals are nowhere to be found. Lazurus has another battle with himself. He falls off a cliff. McCoy revives him back on the enterprise. Lazurs finally spills the beans about what what’s going on. He tells them that ship is a time ship and he’s a time traveler.

They leave sickbay and He changes again. Spock suggest that the things they have found are not in their universe. They speculate that this stuff is from an alternative universe. If the two universe meet everything blinks out for a second. They also figure he’s two people and that there is a door between these two universe that they can pass through.

They realize that when the Lazarus meets his other half, they run the risk of annihilating the universe. Lazarus meanwhile cross wires some circuits which blows out the Dilithium recharger. The engineers run away from the fire and Lazarus enters in to grab crystal. He then beams down to the planet. Kirk Follows. Lazarus uses the crystals to repair the sips and Kirk touches something and is zapped into the alternate dimension. He finds the other ship and the other Lazarus. They talk and Lazarus fills Kirk in on what he doesn’t understand.

Kirk agrees to help Lazarus end the confrontation, he needs to force him into his own ship and then destroy them. This will catch lazarus between dimensions and close the doorway between them. This means that they will be locked in eternal struggle but both dimensions will be safe from destruction. They do this and then fly off. Kirk giving a nice little speech and we roll end credits.


Dramatic Fist fights : 15
space babes : 14
God like beings : 10
Engine trouble: 11
Vulcan neck pinches 9
Redshirts killed : 25
Total body count : 64

This one is hard to follow; it’s difficult to distinguish which Lazarus is which. So things get a little confusing. We’ve dealt with alternate dimensions before so nothing really new here. I dunno where the time machine bit comes from; I don’t know if that’s supposed to be some sort of red herring or something else. It’s really out of place. the idea of two being locked in mortal combat or risk the destruction of two separate universe is interesting, but it makes me wonder if Lazarus is somehow special or if this could happen to anyone. plus this one break what we currently know about science; good thing I'm not a theoretical physicist or anything like that' my brain would hurt worse. so there's that.

I give this one 2 out of 5 flashing light shows.

Next up: The City on the Edge of Forever

[Olinser]

The enterprise is in orbit around a planet. Spock is scanning it and gives us the rundown on the planet. Suddenly they are struck by something. Spock says that the planet and everything else just blinked out of existence for an instant.

Spock picks up a life form on the planet below. They beam down to investigate.

Roll opening credits.

On the planet below, They meet the being on the planet. He has a small ship. This guy he looks like a wreck. He falls off a rock. Back on the ship; we learn the blinking out has drained their dilithium crystals and their orbit will decay if they don’t do something. Uhura receives another Code 1 (war) and Kirk calls for a Red alert. The Commodore tells them that this effect hit EVERYTHING across the galaxy. The Federation feels they feel that this is prelude to invasion and orders Kirk to investigate, suspecting being from outside the galaxy or somesuch. He also tells them that they’re on their own in this. Kirk goes to talk to the guy they picked up. He tells him that’s pursuing someone else that’s in effect a monster. It’s destroyed his entire civilization. Back on the planet, Spock can’t find any evidence of the being the man is perusing. Then the screen shakes and we see stars. This guy, Lazarus; runs off apparently fighting something. We get a very trippy battle sequence.

When that is over, Lazaus is ok although agitated. Back on the ship, Spock and Kirk work on what’s happening. McCoy calls up to the bridge and Kirk heads down to sickbay. He tells Kirk that he patched him up and in an instant he was perfectly healed and left. We see him in a reck room; he leaves and he ends up in another fight with the being. Turns out there’s two of them. and they’re switching places. Kirk and McCoy find him but don’t see the switch.

Spock calls them to the bridge and we see that Spock has found a source of radiation that isn’t really there. Spock refers to it as a rip or tear in space. Lazarus figures out he can use the dilithum crystals to trap the other version of himself; which he doesn’t realize seemingly, that his quarry is his other half.

He leaves the bridge and then switches selves again. This one seems less agitated. He finds himself in engineering and he jumps a redshirt. Kirk orders an experimentation chamber to be prepared and when they are doing that. Lazerus takes her out as well. He’s taken two of the dilithium crystals. They catch him but he’s switched back to the other half.

On the planet, the radiation has disappeared and the missing dilithium crystals are nowhere to be found. Lazurus has another battle with himself. He falls off a cliff. McCoy revives him back on the enterprise. Lazurs finally spills the beans about what what’s going on. He tells them that ship is a time ship and he’s a time traveler.

They leave sickbay and He changes again. Spock suggest that the things they have found are not in their universe. They speculate that this stuff is from an alternative universe. If the two universe meet everything blinks out for a second. They also figure he’s two people and that there is a door between these two universe that they can pass through.

They realize that when the Lazarus meets his other half, they run the risk of annihilating the universe. Lazarus meanwhile cross wires some circuits which blows out the Dilithium recharger. The engineers run away from the fire and Lazarus enters in to grab crystal. He then beams down to the planet. Kirk Follows. Lazarus uses the crystals to repair the sips and Kirk touches something and is zapped into the alternate dimension. He finds the other ship and the other Lazarus. They talk and Lazarus fills Kirk in on what he doesn’t understand.

Kirk agrees to help Lazarus end the confrontation, he needs to force him into his own ship and then destroy them. This will catch lazarus between dimensions and close the doorway between them. This means that they will be locked in eternal struggle but both dimensions will be safe from destruction. They do this and then fly off. Kirk giving a nice little speech and we roll end credits.


Dramatic Fist fights : 15
space babes : 14
God like beings : 10
Engine trouble: 11
Vulcan neck pinches 9
Redshirts killed : 25
Total body count : 64

This one is hard to follow; it’s difficult to distinguish which Lazarus is which. So things get a little confusing. We’ve dealt with alternate dimensions before so nothing really new here. I dunno where the time machine bit comes from; I don’t know if that’s supposed to be some sort of red herring or something else. It’s really out of place. the idea of two being locked in mortal combat or risk the destruction of two separate universe is interesting, but it makes me wonder if Lazarus is somehow special or if this could happen to anyone. plus this one break what we currently know about science; good thing I'm not a theoretical physicist or anything like that' my brain would hurt worse. so there's that.

I give this one 2 out of 5 flashing light shows.

Next up: The City on the Edge of Forever

Yeah this one was probably the single worst time travel episode made in Star Trek. But that's OK, they can't all be winners. In fact, the very next episode is also a time travel episode that is considerably better.

[McStabbington]

Yeah, that was Season 1 Voyager bad. It might have worked if they'd made it clearer that there were two people who kept swapping in and out of the alternate dimension . . . or at least, that's how I assumed it worked. Honestly, I'm still not entirely sure, and I'm not going back to figure it out.

[TheEmerged]

I forget, is "Alternative Factor" the one that was originally written as the first part of a two-parter, with "Tomorrow is Yesterday" as the second half?

[Zaydos]

I forget, is "Alternative Factor" the one that was originally written as the first part of a two-parter, with "Tomorrow is Yesterday" as the second half?

That was A Naked Time and is why its ending is the worst thing about the episode. Why the random time travel? That should have massive implications.

[BannedInSchool]

It might have worked if they'd made it clearer that there were two people who kept swapping in and out of the alternate dimension
One of them had a bandage on his head and the other didn't. Pay attention! :smallbiggrin:

[TheThan]

The ship is orbiting the planet but they are passing through ripples in time. The helm explodes spectacularly and Sulu is injured. We learn that the enterprise has been chasing a phenomenon that’s been causing distortions in time and has finally tracked it back to this planet.

McCoy enters the bridge and fixes up Sulu. But the ship buckles again and McCoy accidently injects himself with a massive quantity of the drug he used on Sulu. He immediately flips out screaming almost incoherently. He charges off the bridge before anyone can do anything and we cut to opening credits.

McCoy goes to the transporter, takes out the redshirt, takes his phaser and beams down to the planet. Apparently he has a mean karate chop. Kirk, spock, uhura, Scotty and two redhirts beam down to the planet to track Bones down. They find an archway and spock learns that it’s the source of the time displacement.

Uhura and a redshirt walk right by McCoy who’s hiding behind a foam rock. Kirk and Spock have learned the archway is called the “guardian of forever”. Kirk, Spock and the guardian talk. Scotty and his redshirt pass by McCoy again. Spock deduces that The Guardian is a time portal. The guardian pretty much says “yeah that’s what I am”. McCoy shows up while being chased by the others. But they corner him and Spock neck pinches him.

Bones awakens and charges through the portal. Immediately they lose contact with the enterprise. The guardian informs them that the ship and everything they have done has been changed. Kirk realizes that McCoy has changed something that has caused everything to have been changed.

Fortunately; spock was recording with his tricorder and they can use that to help them get close to the right time. The Guardian informed them that if they are successful that everything will be restored to the way it was. Kirk decides to go though and orders them that if they don’t come back that they should all go through and try themselves at least they won’t be stranded on the planet.

Kirk and Spock goes through. They’re in the 1930s depression. They steal some clothes to blend in however they’re caught by a police officer. Kirk has to come up with a hilarious explanation for Spocks’ ears. The cop doesn’t buy it and they have to neck pinch him and then run. They find a basement to hide in. after a quick change of clothes.

Spock suggests that he could figure out where and when bones entered into the time with his tricorder but he would need a computer and he doesn’t think he can build one with their technology limitations. Kirk goads him into trying to build one out of the current technology anyway. A lady enters and instead of calling the cops, she takes pitty on them and hires them to them to clean and whatnot. Turns out this place is a mission. And Edith, the woman is a social worker that helps out those that are down on their luck. So basicly everyone.

She runs a soup kitchen and they get some soup and she lays it down the way it is. But she sounds like she’s been talking to someone from the future since she has some very forward thinking ideals and futuristic ideas. Naturally nobody buys it. Kirk is obviously smitten. She offers them a place to crash. Spock works on his primitive computer. Spock needs Platinum… in 1930s usa, yeah… Kirk basically tells him good luck finding any.

Edith enters and offers them work. They take the job. Spock steels some precision tools but Edith, finds out and confronts them. She agrees to allow them to keep the tools but she wants Kirk to walk her home. She realizes that they don’t belong there but she doesn’t know where. Kirk walks her home and they have a romantic evening.

Kirk lets it slip that they’re space men. But he’s basically charmed her so no harm done. Spock in the meantime figures out what happened. It has something to do with Edith. Spock tell him that he saw Edit’s obituary. Even though what they saw was an article on Edith and the president meeting. Kirk can’t believe it. She is the focal point in time that they have been drawn to. Her fate changes the fate of the rest of history. They don’t know if she needs to die or not die.

McCoy finally appears. Agitate and crazed. He asks a bum what planet it is and he bails; Kirk and Edith continue to get close; talking about the future. Meanwhile McCoy is still agitated and paranoid. He finally collapses and the bum he’s been hassling takes his phaser and runs off then accidently vaporizes himself.

McCoy wanders the streets and eventually winds up at the mission where edith works. He at seems less agitated but still screwed up. Spock just misses him as Edith takes him to a cot to relax. We also learn that Edith is responsible to delaying the USA’s entry into WWII by creating a peace movement. Which allowed Nazi Germany to finish building the A bomb. Using the A Bomb and their V-2 rockets they conquer the rest of the world. Kirk admits he thinks he’s in love. Though they now know be that Edith must die.

McCoy tells Edith who he is. He doesn’t believe any of this is true. Kirk continues to woo Edith and he’s torn between what he should do and what he wants to do. McCoy seems to be on the mend. He talks to Edith and they become fast friends. On their date; Edith lets it slip that she knows Bones and they rush to meet him. intrigued Edith goes to them but she gets hit by a car. McCoy is upset because she could have saved her. But he’s not as torn up inside as Kirk is. Back on the unnamed planet. The three return and all is well. except if you’re Kirk. The Guardian says everything is as it was before. Kirk orders everyone back to the Enterprise and we roll end credits.


Dramatic Fist fights : 15
space babes : 15
God like beings : 10
Engine trouble: 11
Vulcan neck pinches 11
Redshirts killed : 25
Total body count : 66


This episode is considered by many to be the best episode in the series. It’s even won awards. But I usually hate time travel episodes so I want to dislike it but I just can’t hate it like I would normally. The romance brewing between Kirk and Edith while brief is interesting and sheds whole new light on the relationship Kirk developed with the scientist lady from Star Trek IV: The Voyage home. I like how Kirk has to goad Spock into building a computer with 30s era tech turning what seems like an impossible task into a challenge for Spock to overcome. I also like how this episode is somewhat recalled in the Star trek movie, what with Spock remembering to cover his ears. The tragedy of episode, at the end is well handled and the acting some of the best i've seen yet out of our principle cast. Watching McCoy run around acting all crazy is pretty funny as well.

I’m going to give this one a 4 out of 5 bowls of soup.

Up next: Operation Annihilate!

[Gnoman]

What's so great about this episode is how at-odds it is with the worst utopian visions that Star Trek is plagued with. Kirk has to not only watch an attractive young woman that he's developing serious feelings for get splattered in the street but make sure it happens because she's charismatic enough and devoted enough that she can bring the society he's been raised to see as ideal and sworn to protect into existence a century early - and doom the human race - because all those high ideals and noble motives don't hold the line when the wolf calls at the door. There's no easy "blow up the computer and make the two sides talk to each other" or "put up a token show of force to cow the aggressor" or even "super-powered beings end the war with a thought" solution. It's an episode that could not have been made in the second two seasons of TOS or the first few season of TNG.

[DigoDragon]

It's really weird how 'rail-roady' they had McCoy run into the Guardian for the time travel. Would have been cleaner to have someone on the away team injured and have McCoy have his accident there.

This is one of those episodes I've never seen in its entirety from one sitting. I've seen it all piecemeal in about 3ish...

[McStabbington]

What's so great about this episode is how at-odds it is with the worst utopian visions that Star Trek is plagued with. Kirk has to not only watch an attractive young woman that he's developing serious feelings for get splattered in the street but make sure it happens because she's charismatic enough and devoted enough that she can bring the society he's been raised to see as ideal and sworn to protect into existence a century early - and doom the human race - because all those high ideals and noble motives don't hold the line when the wolf calls at the door. There's no easy "blow up the computer and make the two sides talk to each other" or "put up a token show of force to cow the aggressor" or even "super-powered beings end the war with a thought" solution. It's an episode that could not have been made in the second two seasons of TOS or the first few season of TNG.

Agreed on all counts. This is the "In the Pale Moonlight" of TOS, and I say that not simply because they are two great hours of television. I say it because both episodes are about the limits on and price of paradise. The ideals of the Federation are noble ideals that are worth sacrificing for, but they are also subject to real-world constraints that sometimes render it impossible for those ideals to remain unbroken without being unbent. In that episode, if they didn't bring the Romulans into the war, the Dominion was going to win, end of story. Even limited as they were, the Dominion just had too many troops and ships, and too much capacity to replace both, for the Federation and Klingons to win on their own without the Romulans tipping the balance in their favor.

In this episode, Edith Keeler has absolutely the right ideals of peace and justice . . . but she's faced with an opponent in Earth's history that has no compunctions about either. If the Russians are beaten in WWII and the United States has to fight a nuclear-armed Nazi-occupied Europe alone, then the world goes under the thumb of a genuine, honest-to-goodness LE psychotic madman. The Nazis really are as close as our history has ever seen to those cardboard Evil Empires that often control genre fictional worlds. And in each case, sacrifices have to be made in blood and in moral rectitude in order to make certain that those victories can be achieved. Sometimes, necessary evils really are necessary, and innocents get what they don't deserve. It's a lesson Trek often steered away from, not the least because I think we often trivialize how "necessary" the evils we inflict in our own world really are. But they were necessary here.

Perhaps another way of putting it is that in retrospect, the conflict of "Errand of Mercy" becomes all the more poignant with what happens in this episode. Both of these episodes were about necessary evils in a time of war. But the more you look at it, the starker the relief becomes between the two about the necessity component. The conflict in "Errand" came about not so much because there couldn't be a negotiation, but because negotiations just didn't work out. The Klingons weren't particularly willing to negotiate with the Federation, and the Federation kept hemming in the Klingons in ways that kept pushing their buttons. Given the chance to back down, neither side proved particularly keen to do so. The conflict might well have been reasonably forseeable or predictable, but it was never portrayed as inevitable. Here, however, there really was no negotiation possible. A Nazi Germany that gets to "Our words are backed by nuclear weapons!" is a Germany that really does pose a threat of global annihilation, and Edith Keeler, for all the right reasons in the world, is the person who can make that threat a reality.

I'm probably rambling, and threatening to drag this thread in terrible directions, but what I'm trying to say is that I thought the dramatic stakes presented in this episode are brilliantly conceived and superbly-executed. Admittedly, McCoy's whoopsie-daisy in the first act is a bit of a poor start, but it's a fine finish that actually makes brilliant use of McCoy's unflinching humanity and compassion in contrast to the other two members of the Power Trio.

[TheThan]

The enterprise is en route to Deneva. Spock says they are following a path of mass insanity that is carving its way through space. Sulu is picking up a ship that is headed directly into the Denevan sun. It’s going to get to destroyed. The enterprise picks up a communication from the ship saying something about being free. But he burns up immediately afterwards.

We roll opening credits.

They continue on to Deneva. Apparently Kirks’ brother Sam and his family are stationed on this planet. Uhura finally contacts Kirks’ family but they don’t get much. Only that they should hurry.

Kirk, Scotty, McCoy, bones and some redshirts beam down to the planet. They don’t find anyone, even though Spock’s tricorder picks up people. They go to investigate Sam’s lab and several people, armed with batons show up. They charge away team and are stunned. They were screaming for them to get away despite their actions. McCoy scans them and they’re being violently stimulated by something despite being stunned. They hear a scream in investigate.

We meet Kirk’s family. Sam is dead, Kirk’s nephew peter, is unconscious and his sister in law is in hysterics and passes out. McCoy beams them up to the ship so they can get proper treatment. Kirk and Spock speculate what is going on. Kirk goes up with them; leaving Spock in charge of the landing party.

In sickbay; Bones says that they are all in extreme pain. Kirk’s Sister in law tries to tell them. Visitors brought “things”. The things control people’s mind. McCoy has to give her a stimulant. She clearly has to fight to get answers out. She says “they” uses pain to control people and that they’re being forced to build ships. She screams and then dies.

Kirk is taking the death of his brother and his wife quite well. Kirk beams back down. But Spock and group has only found a weird buzzing sound that they were about to investigate. They look around and find some things that look like frying tortillas to me. They cling to walls and fly around. they shoot one and then decide to leave before they get ambushed. They turn to leave and the thing that they shot flies out and hits Spock in the back. Kirk pulls it off. And they beam back up to the enterprise.

McCoy is examining Spock. There’s not much he can do for him and he has to close up. McCoy shows him what he’s pulled out and is examining him. When these things attack they leave a stinger like a bee. That stinger spreads these tentacle things that allow them to control the creature they’ve attacked. Causing extreme pain. McCoy can’t remove them, it’s too risky. Nasty.

Spock fights it, and storms out of Sickbay. Spock charges onto the bridge and tries to take over helm the restrain him long enough for McCoy to tranquillize him. Because Spock is logical, he can fight his way through the pain and talk; possibly even return to duty.

Kirk comes up with a compromise and allows Spock to return to partial duty. Spock bursts out of the restraints in sickbay and gets up. He then tries to try to beam down and Spock has to neck pinches a red shirt but Scotty pulls a phaser on him. Spock says that he intends to acquire a specimien for study and since he’s already infected, there’s no harm in him going down to the planet. Kirk decides to allow him to do it.

On the planet, Spock is jumped by a guy with a giant bottle opener. He takes him out with a neck pinch. He has trouble maintaining control but he manages alright. He goes into the same building where he got infected, shoots one and puts it in the lunch box he’s been carrying.

Back on the Enterprise. Spock analyzes the creature. We learn that it’s a single celled organism, a gigantic brain cell. It’s only a part of a whole. McCoy can’t seem to find what will kill it. Kirk and McCoy have a conversation. Kirk can’t let this thing spread further.

They have a meeting to discuss their options. They have two answers. Allow it to spread or kill a million people. Kirk wants a third option. They puzzle out that these things are light sensitive. They can use light to destroy them. They test their theory and it takes tons of light to do it. enough to permanently blind a normal person. Spock volunteers to be subjected to the next part of the test. But Spock refuses to use protective goggles (they do nothing anyway) because there won’t be any on the planet.

They conduct the experiment and spock is cured. However he is also blinded. They learn that they don’t have to use the whole spectrum of light at the creature. They only need to throw one. Ooops.

But they have a cure. They drop a bunch of satellites and they activate them killing the creature. They drop like flies and actually burn up. Nice. Uhura gets a report that they are dying (they apparently left a crew on the planet). Kirk and McCoy are torn up over Spock’s blindness. Spock and McCoy enter the bridge and we learn that Spock is fine. Spock has an inner eye lid that blocks high intensity light meaning the blindness was temporary. They have some nice banter and then leave orbit.

Roll end credits


Dramatic Fist fights : 15
space babes : 15
God like beings : 10
Engine trouble: 11
Vulcan neck pinches 13
Redshirts killed : 25
Total body count : 69


I forgot to mention that Kirk has a brother, Sam. He was mentioned way back in “what are little girls made of?” and I think i forgot to bring it up. Oh well he’s dead now.

This is probably the first episode I ever saw way back when I was a little kid. I remember my mom was cooking tacos at the same time it was being played (in syndication, I’m not that old) and I immediately associated the creatures in this episode with the sizzling corn tortillas she was cooking. Haha. I still associate those things with frying tortillas. Naturally this has some nostalgia for me.

It’s a fun episode to watch, with these little things flying around the sets. You do get this sense that this thing is somewhat diabolical. It’s forcing people to build ships so it can continue to move about the galaxy and do what? We don’t know if this thing has any goals but we know it’s sentient enough to control people and make them build ships for it and even kill those that resist.

I like how they screwed up and blinded spock in their hasty attempt to cure the people infected with the parasite. Surprisingly I also like how they blatantly use Spock’s not being human as an excuse to keep him from being permanently blind. It adds a little bit extra to his physiology, like his green blood and pointed ears; despite it being a blatant excuse to undo the damage they caused. Kirk doesn’t seem too bent out of shape over the death of his brother and sister in law. I mean if my brother and sister in law died, I’d be a wreck. But I guess that’s why I’m not a starship captain.

Another thing that I wonder is if there are more than one of these things. If so where are they, why aren’t they moving about the galaxy like this being can. If there is only one, then Kirk just wiped out an entire species.


Anyway I give this one a 4 out of 5 sizzling tortillas.

End Season 1.

Season summery.

Well this season is better than worse on the overall. We have a solid mix of amazing, good, average, mediocre and bad episodes. With most falling into the good category. After all this my sanity is still intact and am actually enjoying it. So we’ll move onto Season 2.

[MikelaC1]

You do get this sense that this thing is somewhat diabolical. It’s forcing people to build ships so it can continue to move about the galaxy and do what? We don’t know if this thing has any goals but we know it’s sentient enough to control people and make them build ships for it and even kill those that resist.

Another thing that I wonder is if there are more than one of these things. If so where are they, why aren’t they moving about the galaxy like this being can. If there is only one, then Kirk just wiped out an entire species.

In the original drafts of the show, they somehow managed to figure out where the "home planet" was and destroyed planet, thus destroying the main brain of the "creature". In STNG, that sort of ending would NEVER fly, and even in this 1960s culture, it had to be changed. Although he still did just wipe out an entire species, it just doesnt look that way and is less cold-blooded.

[BannedInSchool]

I'm probably rambling, and threatening to drag this thread in terrible directions, but what I'm trying to say is that I thought the dramatic stakes presented in this episode are brilliantly conceived and superbly-executed. Admittedly, McCoy's whoopsie-daisy in the first act is a bit of a poor start, but it's a fine finish that actually makes brilliant use of McCoy's unflinching humanity and compassion in contrast to the other two members of the Power Trio.
The original script by Harlan Ellison did have someone other than McCoy escape through the portal, and it wasn't a mistake. Ah, I forget exactly, but he was involved in the black market on the Enterprise or something, and so he was in trouble and ran away. But then he, the wanted criminal, is also the one who's going to save Keeler. Spock is also the one who stops him from saving her in the original (*pinch*) while Kirk just watches, which ends the episode on a very different note.

[TheThan]

We open up season 2 with a bang, the famous Amok Time, which introduces the notorious Pon Farr, which has become a staple excuse for blatant fan-service and shipping ever since it's introduction. So anyway gets get this train wreck a rolling.


This episode open with McCoy stopping Kirk in a corridor, He’s concerned about Spock. They spot Nurse Chapel, she’s got a tray of food and is taking it to Spock. McCoy is telling Kirk about Spock’s unusual behavior. Nurse Chapel goes into Spock’s room and she then charges out of it, with the bowl of soup she had flying against the bulkhead and Spock Yelling. Spock sees the captain and immediately request some time off.
Roll opening credits.

Kirk asks Spock what’s up. Spock won’t give him an answer and is holding a knife. Kirk says Spock can take his leave on the planet they are heading to Altair VI… wait a minute. Isn’t that the same planet in Forbidden planet? *checks* nope that’s Altair IV, darn. Anyway back to the show. Kirk orders Sulu to alter course to Vulcan, fortunately they’re pretty close. Kirk leaves and then Spock puts the knife down.

On the bridge, Kirk gets a message from Starfleet. They are under time constrains and must get to altair VI asap. Chekov (yay Chekov) says they don’t have time to stop off at Vulcan and make it to their destination in time. Kirk orders the enterprise to change course to Altair VI.

Kirk, in his room asks Chekov how far behind schedule they would be if they diverted to Vulcan. Chekov says that Mr. Spock already ordered them to divert to Vulcan. Kirk goes the bridge and asks Spock to go with him. He does and they have a conversation in the turbolift. Spock says he doesn’t remember doing so. He then asks to be taken off duty because he doesn’t want to be seen. Kirk orders Spock to the sickbay for a complete examination.

Spock refuses to succumb to a physical but McCoy talks him into it. Meanwhile on the bridge Sulu and Chekov have a nice back and forth. McCoy goes into Kirks office/ready room/cabin dunno. He says that Spock will die unless they get Spock to Vulcan in a week and explains why. He knows what is going on, but he doesn’t know why and Spock won’t tell him. Kirk goes and demands an answer. Spock finally gives him the lowdown. We all know what this is, it’s called Pon Farr; basically Spock needs to get laid or he’ll die. Kirk tells Spock that he’ll work on a way to get Spock to Vulcan on time, and then tells him he has not heard any of this.

Kirk then contacts an admiral and requests to allow them to divert back to Vulcan. He wants Spock to listen in but he’s irritated at being interrupted while he’s playing his lyre and smashes the monitor. The Admiral refuses his request. Kirk decides to disobey his orders and orders the ship back to on course to Vulcan. Spock and Nurse Chappel has a heart to heart.

At Vulcan, Spock asks Kirk and McCoy to beam down with him and be part of their little ritual they have. On the bridge we meet T'Pring. Spocks’ wife. Which is a big shock to everyone; thanks Uhura, way to make an awkward situation.

Anyway they beam down and head to the ritual place, which looks vaguely like Stonehenge. Kirk gives McCoy a lowdown on what this place is for. They talk about the weather (yeah literally). Then Spock rings a gong and Spock talks about his situation with T’Pring. T’Pring and her group approaches, Spock bangs the gong again. Kirk is impressed that T’Pau is there. T’Pau is very important.

The ceremony begins and we quickly learn that T’Pring doesn’t want Spock, she wants someone else. The little hussy. She instead calls for battle instead of sexy time. She chooses Kirk to represent her chosen combatant instead of the Vulcan man she actually wants. She doesn’t want to risk losing her man to Spock. Cleaver woman but a total bitch.

T’Pau gives Kirk the opportunity to turn down the challenge since he’s not Vulcan. Kirk doesn’t realize that this is a battle to death. Spock is perfectly willing kill Kirk in this state. But he tells Spock that he doesn’t want to do it. Even T’Pau and Spock try to warn Kirk off. But he thinks he can take Spock.

They give them these hilarious oversized butter knives. And they battle. Then kirk learns that this combat is to the death. Oops. Anyway the battle is off. McCoy tells T’Pau that this isn’t a fair combat since Kirk is not used to the heat and thin air. He asks if he can give Kirk a hypo to compensate and she agrees. Afterward they give them these vaguely sling looking weapons and they continue battling. Spock chokes the life out of Kirk and T’Pau calls the end of the duel. McCoy says Kirk is dead.

McCoy orders them to beam up Kirk and company. We also learn that Spock has is back to his old self and tells McCoy that he needs to be taken into custody. He then talks to T’Pring and we get the lowdown on her reasoning. He then gives T’Pring’s consort some sage advice and beams up to the ship.

On the enterprise, Spock tells McCoy, what he has planned and we learn that Kirk is still alive. Spock has an emotional outburst. Kirk explains McCoy’s sneakiness, the shot he gave Kirk didn’t compensate for the heat and thin air, instead it knocked Kirk out and simulated death. They then get a message from Starfleet agreeing to T’Pau’s request for the Enterprise to be diverted to Vulcan with any reasonable delays being acceptable. They have a brief banter and we roll end credits.


Dramatic Fist fights : 16
space babes : 16
God like beings : 10
Engine trouble: 11
Vulcan neck pinches 13
Redshirts killed : 25
Total body count : 69

I can just imagine the enterprise flying back and forth during the first part of this episode. Anyway this one is really good, we learn a bit about Vulcan culture. It looks like the full blooded Vulcan’s don’t care too much for the half-breed Spock, judging from some of T’Pau’s dialog. Plus we get to see Vulcan for the first time. all in all this one is very good.

I give this one 4 out of 5 sling looking things.

Up next: who mourns for Adonais

[DigoDragon]

Ah the music during the fight is pretty well known. :3

[BannedInSchool]

Ah the music during the fight is pretty well known. :3
I was just singing it as I read your post. Everybody! Dada DA DA DA DA dada DAda!

[Zaydos]

Ah the music during the fight is pretty well known. :3

Curse you I now have to listen to it.

[DigoDragon]

And that music was used in parody on the movie The Cable Guy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5n28hpMFBE). XD

[thompur]

And that music was used in parody on the movie The Cable Guy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5n28hpMFBE). XD

As well as Futurama. It was used as the National Anthem for Dr. Zoidberg's people.:smallamused:

[McStabbington]

I do love that the story hinges on Kirk essentially being too cocky to ask exactly what he's getting himself into. Ordinarily, it would be a huge plot hole, but the character is so well-conceived at this point that it seems entirely in-character for Kirk not simply assume that he's got this and then later get the "Wait, this is to the death?!" surprise.

I also love the smile from Spock at the end. Oh man, that was Vulcans done right. Also, some serious Vulcan shade thrown by Spock at the end there to T'Pring.

[MikelaC1]

So, any new episodes watched?

[Velaryon]

Aw man, I lost track of this thread for awhile and I missed some really fun episodes and interesting discussion. "City on the Edge of Forever" is my favorite episode and I love the way it was handled, though admittedly the setup at the beginning was more than a little clunky.

I always thought the Horta in "Devil in the Dark" looked like some kind of weird pizza monster, and that the neural parasites on Deneva looked like weird flying pancakes. Maybe I shouldn't watch Star Trek when I'm hungry...

[DigoDragon]

I always thought the Horta in "Devil in the Dark" looked like some kind of weird pizza monster, and that the neural parasites on Deneva looked like weird flying pancakes. Maybe I shouldn't watch Star Trek when I'm hungry...

Note to self, don't read Velaryon's posts an hour before lunch...

[TheThan]

Ok guys sorry. My router and modem died like hard so I’ve been sans internet the past week or so, I just got it replaced and am back online.



The enterprise is heading to a planet named Polox IV. Scotty hits on a lieutenant that was telling kirk something, asking her out for coffee. They enter orbit around the planet. Spock gives us the lowdown on it and it’s basically boring.

Then a giant green hand comes out and grabs the enterprise. Ok it’s a little more complicated than that, Spock says it’ an energy field and they try to get away from it but they can’t and it grabs them.

Roll opening credits.

They try to break free, but they can’t move. Spock confirms that it’s an energy field that merely resembles a hand. They try to use the tractor beam to break free but that doesn’t work either. Spock finds something interesting and they punch it up on the big screen. They are being hailed.

We see a floating head of someone who talks to them giving them some sort of invitation. This guy refuses to take no for an answer and he starts to use his energy hand to crush the hull of the enterprise. Kirk tells him he wins. He finishes giving his invitation and tells them that they can’t bring Spock with them. His sort bores him.

Kirk, McCoy, Chekov, Scotty and the lieutenant Scotty was hitting on beam down. They’re in a vaguely Greek temple. They meet the man from earlier and they talk. He introduces himself as Apollo. Apollo immediately starts hitting on the woman. Kirk basically confronts him, asking what he wants. He tells them that they must stay and worship him (I’m sure Scotty’s ancestors worshiped the Greek pantheon... being you know, Scottish and all), Anyway, Apollo shorts out the enterprise’s transporter and the landing party’s communicators.

Kirk argues and Apollo loses his temper and increases his size to about 15 ft tall. On the enterprise, Spock starts giving orders trying to figure out what’s going on down there. Back on the planet, Apollo disappears. Kirk asks the blonde, the lieutenant what she knows and she gives us the lowdown on the ancient Greek god Apollo. Kirk starts giving orders. He needs to know what this thing is and how to handle it.

He takes McCoy aside and asks if Apollo could really be well, Apollo. Apollo returns and tells them what he wants, basicly he wants worshipers again. They say they won’t simply kneel and bow to anyone with a few tricks up their sleeve. Apollo hits on the girl and Scotty isn’t too happy about that. He pulls his phaser and Apollo zap him. Chekov tries to shoot too and finds his weapon is useless. Scotty’s phaser is destroyed.
Apollo then puts the girl in a revealing pink dress and starts to take her away. Scotty goes to stop him and gets backhanded across the courtyard for his trouble. He takes the girl away. when scotty comes around, Kirk has to snap Scotty out of it and get him to focus on his job. Kirk and McCoy puzzles out that it’s quite possible that Apollo and a few others came to earth a long time ago and were taken as gods.

Meanwhile on the Enterprise, They are still trying to break free of the hand that has them. But they slowly start gathering information. Meanwhile back on the planet; Apollo continues to seduce the girl. She learns that the other Olympians are no more; having died out because they have no worshipers. They need worshipers to survive. They came to earth and became like unto gods and then left when humanity turned away from them. Meanwhile Chekov figures out that Apollo has the ability to channel energy through his body. McCoy knows that Apollo is basically human except for an extra organ in his chest that he can’t figure out what it is for.

Apollo appears and declares that the girl is none of their concern anymore. Scotty charges him but is zapped again. Kirk tells him, that he’s just made enemies out of them. he chokes kirk for his insolence. Then he gets tired and disappears. Scotty is kinda messed up but he’s ok. Kirk starts puzzling out that he needs to recharge to be able to handle then when they get disruptive.

Meanwhile on the bridge, Uhura is working on getting a bypass circuit working so they can at least get a signal out. Spock is figuring out they might be able to punch some holes in the force field holding them in place. Back on the planet; Apollo and the woman reappears. Kirk and Apollo argue some more. Then they start laughing at him. Apollo just about kills them, but the girl talks him down.

Apollo gives us a bit of a soliloquy and continues to seduce the girl. The girl returns to the away team. Kirk tries to talk the girl into helping them, even though she thinks she’s in love with Apollo. Afterward she leaves. Back on the enterprise, Uhura gets the communicators working. And they make a plan. It appears that the temple is the source of Apollo’s power. They plan to destroy it. Apparently Kirk got through to the girl and she spurs him. Which pisses him off. In fact he starts calling down the thunder... litterally.

Kirk orders the enterprise and they open fire. Apollo fights back. But the enterprise is holding its own. The temple is destroyed leaving Apollo powerless. He’s crushed; He says his goodbys and grows huge, then disappears.

Kirk gives some last words and we roll end credits.


Dramatic Fist fights : 16
space babes : 17
God like beings : 11
Engine trouble: 11
Vulcan neck pinches 13
Redshirts killed : 25
Total body count : 69

This is another famous episode as it features Apollo. They had to pull the god like alien card early this season. The acting is good although I think the woman was charmed a little too easily but meh, its star trek TOS, women get charmed left and right. Anyway I like how he’s convincing enough that Kirk and Company start to buy that he really is Apollo, and not some god like alien masquerading as him.

The idea that god like alien beings came to earth and established themselves as gods is not unique to this episode, although I wonder how old that trope is. I know i've seen it in later Trek, and also in other shows Babylon 5 to name one.

I like how other characters get a chance to shine outside of the main three.

I give this one 3 out of 5 golden togas

Next episode: The Changling

[Zaydos]

The idea that god like alien beings came to earth and established themselves as gods is not unique to this episode, although I wonder how old that trope is. I know i've seen it in later Trek, and also in other shows Babylon 5 to name one.

I am not really sure except that it got really big in the late 60s, Chariots of the Gods was a big book suggesting it as a real concept outside of sci-fi in 68, but the theory predated it at least. I'm not sure how big it was in Sci-Fi before that either. I know this doesn't tell you much.

[DigoDragon]

He's powerless, but yet can still size shift and... teleport out or something. :3

Maybe he's on battery reserve?

[Yora]

This is another famous episode as it features Apollo. They had to pull the god like alien card early this season. The acting is good although I think the woman was charmed a little too easily but meh, its star trek TOS, women get charmed left and right.
If I remember correctly, the same goes for the men too.

[brionl]

I am not really sure except that it got really big in the late 60s, Chariots of the Gods was a big book suggesting it as a real concept outside of sci-fi in 68, but the theory predated it at least. I'm not sure how big it was in Sci-Fi before that either. I know this doesn't tell you much.

It's given a mention in Skylark III by E. E. "Doc" Smith from 1930, sort of. The Earthicans are on an alien planet, and the alien's ancient legends of "God-like" beings provides an important clue on the location of a third race of aliens that they are looking for.

[Zaydos]

It's given a mention in Skylark III by E. E. "Doc" Smith from 1930, sort of. The Earthicans are on an alien planet, and the alien's ancient legends of "God-like" beings provides an important clue on the location of a third race of aliens that they are looking for.

That reminds me of a 50s book with ancient aliens as Earth not gods, but demons.

Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End

[TheThan]

The enterprise is trying to contact a colony world, yet Uhura can’t raise them on the comm.. Spock says that she will not be able to because they are gone. Nothing left, no life. even though last sensor scan told them there were 4 billion people. Spock rules out war or plague or other known catastrophe. So they have a mystery.

Sulu, calls out their shields have come online and something is coming at them. Kirk orders the ship go to red alert and we see it’s a green glowing orb. It impacts the ship and tosses everyone around.

Roll opening credits.

The energy blast was equivalent to 90 photon torpedoes and knocked their shields down 20%. They can’t take too many more hits. Spock says they can tank three more before one gets through and they get killed. Kirk gives Uhura orders to send out a message to Starfleet. Then a second one comes out, Scotty has been shunting energy from their engines to their shield. These things are coming at warp 15, so they can’t out run them. After the second one hits, They shoot a photon at it but it absorbs it although it seems to stop it. A fourth one comes in and drops their shields.

Spock picks up a ship but it’s very small, only a meter across. They get a signal from the ship but it’s all garbled. Spock says it’s some sort of binary. They figure out that it’s mathematical. It sounds like Morse code to me. They are trying to communicate via mathematics; Kirk orders them to work it out. Then Spocks’ computer shorts out but that’s ok. They get a message.

Kirk offers to beam it over, it’s called Nomad. It’s a machine. Nomad wants to know where they’re from. Scotty figures it out first, it’s a computer. Kirk figures out it’s a probe launched in the early 2000s. We also learn this thing can move about.

Kirk takes Nomad to see their star charts and we learn that Nomad knows all about earth. In fact it is the probe that was launched way back in the early 2000s. (I just totally looked up a list of probes sent out from Earth; I am quite disappointed there isn’t a nomad out there now). We learn that Nomad is programmed to destroy Biological infestations, to destroy anything that is not perfect. This thing is also calling Kirk his creator.

We also learned that it’s been damaged. They put a redshirt on the case of watching it and they leave to talk quietly. Kirk, Spock and McCoy puzzle out what happened. It was struck by a meteor and thought destroyed. However it was sent out to with a peaceful mission. Meanwhile, the redshirt is getting himself into trouble by poking Nomad, whose antenna glows for a second. He talks to Nomad but Nomad doesn’t communicate. Uhura contacts him and gives him a job, he puts her on hold while he checks something and she starts singing. This prompts Nomad to raise an antanna and leave the room while the redshirt’s back is is turned.

Meanwhile in the breifing room, Spock is giving us the lowdown on Nomad. Nomad’s creator is named Roy Kirk. It seems to have mistaken James Kirk for Roy Kirk. Good thing. it’s also a thinking computer programmed to seek out new life forms. But somehow it was damaged and has now been repaired and has some new instructions. Uh ho. Kirk orders security to report to where Nomad is but they learn he’s not there.

It shows up on the bridge and Scotty calls in the captain and tells them. It floats over to Uhura who’s in front of Chekov’s console, even though nobody is stationed there. He asks Uhura some questions and then hits here with some sort of beam. Scotty tries to stop him and he gets zapped. Apparently killed.

Wow… ok this is going to sound really offensive. But they ask Nomad what was doing. It says she’s defective and her thinking is chaotic and absorbing it unsettled it. Spock says she’s not a thing, but a woman and Nomad calls her a mass of conflicting impulses (incert sexist joke here). Nomad asks if Scotty will be repaired and kirk says they can’t. But he offers to fix him. So they give the information to Nomad. He says that humans are inefficient.

When Nomad leaves, Kirk puts two (to few) security people on Nomad. In sickbay; Nomad manages to somehow repair Scotty and he’s back to life. Kirk then orders Nomad to repair Uhura, but he says he can’t since her memory cells have been erased. Kirk orders him to a “waiting area” aka the brig. Kirk puts Spock on the case of figuring out how to neutralize Nomad. Meanwhile, McCoy gets to work on getting Uhura back on her feet. Apparently all they have to do is re-educate her.

Hehe. Kirk has to order Nomad to lower its defensive screens in order for Spock to analyze it. Nomad comments that he finds Spock much more ordered than the rest. Spock just sits there with a satisfied look on his face. Back in sickbay, Nurse Chapel is helping Uhura learn how to read again. She reverts to Swahili (again I wonder if that’s actually Swahili).

Meanwhile, Spock and Kirk learn that they can’t access all of its memory. Spock recommends a Vulcan mind meld… with a machine… ok. Kirk is ok with this and we learn via the mind meld what happened to Nomad. It was struck by a meteor and it somehow merged with another alien probe they repaired each other. The other probe was designed to take soil samples and sterilize them, probably as a prelude to colonization. The combining of the two computer brains has caused it to believe its mission is to seek out imperfect life and destroy it.

Nomad flies through the brig’s force field and the two redshirts stationed outside draw their phasers and fire, but they get disintegrated for their trouble. It then heads into engineering (they really, need to put a lock on that door). Scotty is there and notifies the captain. This thing calls the ship’s engines primitive. It then “repairs” the ships engines. The Enterprise accelerates to Warp ten. Kirk enters and orders nomad to stop. He said he just increased its efficiency by 57%. Kirk explains the ship can’t handle it and Nomad obliges and reworks his modifications (hope scotty took notes).

Kirk gives him orders to go back and do nothing. Nomad says he must re-evaluate before he returns to launch point. They just realized that they’ve made a huge mistake, letting it communicate with the computer. They worry that Nomad will decide that Kirk will need to be killed since he’s an imperfect being. On the way to the brig nomad ignores the guards orders and kills them. Then starts flying around the ship. Kirk and Spock run into him in the sickbay. They learn that it scanned the medical records and zapped Nurse Chapel. Then Scotty comms in, life support has been shut off from engineering. It’s nomad.

Kirk, heads to engineering and confronts Nomad, we see two dead crewmen. He starts using logic to make Nomad realize that he’s flawed. Nomad starts trying to work it out and is on the verge of melting down. They slap some anti-graves and take it to the transporter room and beams it out into space where it explodes.

We get some funny banter between spock and Kirk. Then we roll end credits.





Dramatic Fist fights : 16
space babes : 17
God like beings : 11
Engine trouble: 11
Vulcan neck pinches 13
Redshirts killed : 31
Total body count : 69

this one is pretty good. Kirk can't just use his usual methods of fighting Nomad. So he has to talk his way out of a dangerous situation. I also really like how they have to puzzle out what happened and how to deal with it. The bit with Uhura is a bit lame, I wish they could have done something else, had Nomad Interrogate her or something rather than just suck her brains out. also just "re-educated her" is probably the lamest fix for a dumb Idea i've ever heard, but it actual make some sense. if this machine sucked all her knowledge out then all you have to do is plug that knowledge back in right? right? although all of her memories and personality might be gone.

Also alot of people died in this one, six in fact. we haven't seen that many red shirts go down in some time, Kirk must be slipping.



I give this one a 4 out of 5 antennas

Up next: Mirror, Mirror

[Olinser]

The enterprise is trying to contact a colony world, yet Uhura can’t raise them on the comm.. Spock says that she will not be able to because they are gone. Nothing left, no life. even though last sensor scan told them there were 4 billion people. Spock rules out war or plague or other known catastrophe. So they have a mystery.

Sulu, calls out their shields have come online and something is coming at them. Kirk orders the ship go to red alert and we see it’s a green glowing orb. It impacts the ship and tosses everyone around.

Roll opening credits.

The energy blast was equivalent to 90 photon torpedoes and knocked their shields down 20%. They can’t take too many more hits. Spock says they can tank three more before one gets through and they get killed. Kirk gives Uhura orders to send out a message to Starfleet. Then a second one comes out, Scotty has been shunting energy from their engines to their shield. These things are coming at warp 15, so they can’t out run them. After the second one hits, They shoot a photon at it but it absorbs it although it seems to stop it. A fourth one comes in and drops their shields.

Spock picks up a ship but it’s very small, only a meter across. They get a signal from the ship but it’s all garbled. Spock says it’s some sort of binary. They figure out that it’s mathematical. It sounds like Morse code to me. They are trying to communicate via mathematics; Kirk orders them to work it out. Then Spocks’ computer shorts out but that’s ok. They get a message.

Kirk offers to beam it over, it’s called Nomad. It’s a machine. Nomad wants to know where they’re from. Scotty figures it out first, it’s a computer. Kirk figures out it’s a probe launched in the early 2000s. We also learn this thing can move about.

Kirk takes Nomad to see their star charts and we learn that Nomad knows all about earth. In fact it is the probe that was launched way back in the early 2000s. (I just totally looked up a list of probes sent out from Earth; I am quite disappointed there isn’t a nomad out there now). We learn that Nomad is programmed to destroy Biological infestations, to destroy anything that is not perfect. This thing is also calling Kirk his creator.

We also learned that it’s been damaged. They put a redshirt on the case of watching it and they leave to talk quietly. Kirk, Spock and McCoy puzzle out what happened. It was struck by a meteor and thought destroyed. However it was sent out to with a peaceful mission. Meanwhile, the redshirt is getting himself into trouble by poking Nomad, whose antenna glows for a second. He talks to Nomad but Nomad doesn’t communicate. Uhura contacts him and gives him a job, he puts her on hold while he checks something and she starts singing. This prompts Nomad to raise an antanna and leave the room while the redshirt’s back is is turned.

Meanwhile in the breifing room, Spock is giving us the lowdown on Nomad. Nomad’s creator is named Roy Kirk. It seems to have mistaken James Kirk for Roy Kirk. Good thing. it’s also a thinking computer programmed to seek out new life forms. But somehow it was damaged and has now been repaired and has some new instructions. Uh ho. Kirk orders security to report to where Nomad is but they learn he’s not there.

It shows up on the bridge and Scotty calls in the captain and tells them. It floats over to Uhura who’s in front of Chekov’s console, even though nobody is stationed there. He asks Uhura some questions and then hits here with some sort of beam. Scotty tries to stop him and he gets zapped. Apparently killed.

Wow… ok this is going to sound really offensive. But they ask Nomad what was doing. It says she’s defective and her thinking is chaotic and absorbing it unsettled it. Spock says she’s not a thing, but a woman and Nomad calls her a mass of conflicting impulses (incert sexist joke here). Nomad asks if Scotty will be repaired and kirk says they can’t. But he offers to fix him. So they give the information to Nomad. He says that humans are inefficient.

When Nomad leaves, Kirk puts two (to few) security people on Nomad. In sickbay; Nomad manages to somehow repair Scotty and he’s back to life. Kirk then orders Nomad to repair Uhura, but he says he can’t since her memory cells have been erased. Kirk orders him to a “waiting area” aka the brig. Kirk puts Spock on the case of figuring out how to neutralize Nomad. Meanwhile, McCoy gets to work on getting Uhura back on her feet. Apparently all they have to do is re-educate her.

Hehe. Kirk has to order Nomad to lower its defensive screens in order for Spock to analyze it. Nomad comments that he finds Spock much more ordered than the rest. Spock just sits there with a satisfied look on his face. Back in sickbay, Nurse Chapel is helping Uhura learn how to read again. She reverts to Swahili (again I wonder if that’s actually Swahili).

Meanwhile, Spock and Kirk learn that they can’t access all of its memory. Spock recommends a Vulcan mind meld… with a machine… ok. Kirk is ok with this and we learn via the mind meld what happened to Nomad. It was struck by a meteor and it somehow merged with another alien probe they repaired each other. The other probe was designed to take soil samples and sterilize them, probably as a prelude to colonization. The combining of the two computer brains has caused it to believe its mission is to seek out imperfect life and destroy it.

Nomad flies through the brig’s force field and the two redshirts stationed outside draw their phasers and fire, but they get disintegrated for their trouble. It then heads into engineering (they really, need to put a lock on that door). Scotty is there and notifies the captain. This thing calls the ship’s engines primitive. It then “repairs” the ships engines. The Enterprise accelerates to Warp ten. Kirk enters and orders nomad to stop. He said he just increased its efficiency by 57%. Kirk explains the ship can’t handle it and Nomad obliges and reworks his modifications (hope scotty took notes).

Kirk gives him orders to go back and do nothing. Nomad says he must re-evaluate before he returns to launch point. They just realized that they’ve made a huge mistake, letting it communicate with the computer. They worry that Nomad will decide that Kirk will need to be killed since he’s an imperfect being. On the way to the brig nomad ignores the guards orders and kills them. Then starts flying around the ship. Kirk and Spock run into him in the sickbay. They learn that it scanned the medical records and zapped Nurse Chapel. Then Scotty comms in, life support has been shut off from engineering. It’s nomad.

Kirk, heads to engineering and confronts Nomad, we see two dead crewmen. He starts using logic to make Nomad realize that he’s flawed. Nomad starts trying to work it out and is on the verge of melting down. They slap some anti-graves and take it to the transporter room and beams it out into space where it explodes.

We get some funny banter between spock and Kirk. Then we roll end credits.





Dramatic Fist fights : 16
space babes : 17
God like beings : 11
Engine trouble: 11
Vulcan neck pinches 13
Redshirts killed : 31
Total body count : 69

this one is pretty good. Kirk can't just use his usual methods of fighting Nomad. So he has to talk his way out of a dangerous situation. I also really like how they have to puzzle out what happened and how to deal with it. The bit with Uhura is a bit lame, I wish they could have done something else, had Nomad Interrogate her or something rather than just suck her brains out. also just "re-educated her" is probably the lamest fix for a dumb Idea i've ever heard, but it actual make some sense. if this machine sucked all her knowledge out then all you have to do is plug that knowledge back in right? right? although all of her memories and personality might be gone.

Also alot of people died in this one, six in fact. we haven't seen that many red shirts go down in some time, Kirk must be slipping.



I give this one a 4 out of 5 antennas

Up next: Mirror, Mirror

Yeah the whole bit with Uhura having her memories taken was really weird and unnecessary. If they were just going to have her show up next episode back to normal why didn't they just have her knocked out from the scanning instead?

Because seriously, 're-educating' somebody enough to actually be able to operate on a starship again should have taken YEARS.

[MikelaC1]

Because seriously, 're-educating' somebody enough to actually be able to operate on a starship again should have taken YEARS.

This was my biggest beef with the show...2 weeks from new born level to Starfleet communications officer? And how the hell did she already know Swahili, when she got frustrated with English?

[DigoDragon]

Planet of Hats (http://www.mezzacotta.net/planetofhats/episodes/0033.html) made the best final punchline for this episode. :smallamused:

[Kantaki]

This was my biggest beef with the show...2 weeks from new born level to Starfleet communications officer? And how the hell did she already know Swahili, when she got frustrated with English?

I always thought Nomad didn't deleted all her knowledge (or didn't delete it completly) and she kept Swahili/ relearned it faster because it was her first language.

I'm not sure how much sense that makes, but we are talking about Star Trek.

[DigoDragon]

Maybe the knowledge was in there but blocked off in an 'amnesia' kind of way, so that the re-education program is simply unlocking all those pathways in her mind again?

[McStabbington]

That's pretty much how I took it: Uhura's memory was in the house the whole time. But yes, overall an above average episode, and one of the earliest demonstrations of the patented Captain Kirk method of logic-bombing a machine into self-destruction.

[TheThan]

This one starts out with Kirk, Bones, Uhura and Scotty on a planet with some guys that look like Greeks. There is a thunder storm raging overhead. These guys refuse to let the Federation mine Dilithium crystals on their planet. Kirk is trying to Diplomate, but it won’t work. These guys cannot let Dilithium leave their planet because it would violate their history of total peace. Ok. They say they are willing to die for this cause. Kirk admires them and comms in to Spock on the bridge. These are ion storms and they’re knocking around the ship. They beam up and boom transporter accident.

The landing party ends up on a different version of the enterprise. They all give Kirk a salute and Spock has an beard of evil (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BeardOfEvil). I must say he looks pretty good in that. I also must say Uhura’s been working on her abs yeaozha.

The away team is stunned. Evil Spock asks if they should continue with standard procedure. Kirk agrees and they aim phasers on all the planet’s cities. Oops. Spock disciplines the transporter chief with a device called an agonizer. Ouchy.

We roll opening credits.
Kirk and company head down to sick bay where they can figure out what’s going on. They figure out they’re in a parallel universe and that they switched places with their counterparts. Kirk gives orders and they decide to fake a phaser malfunction to buy them some time. They also decide to use their communicators in fear that the ships intercom may be monitored. Kirk puts Uhura on the job of getting him his orders from Starfleet so he can assess his options while Kirk and bones figure out what’s been happing on Evil enterprise.

On the bridge Sulu, wearing red instead of gold, goes and hits on Uhura. He’s got an evil scar (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GoodScarsEvilScars) running down the side of his face. Kirk enters the bridge just in time to save Uhura. She gives him the lowdown quietly. They want to know if they can open fire, Kirk orders them to stand by.

Scotty makes his way to the phaser room and tries to get in. apparently this is one of the more heavily guarded places on the ship. He calls up to the bridge giving him code that he can’t get in. Kirk contacts the planet, and gives them 12 hours. They tell them if they will not comply. Kirk tells uhura to have McCoy and Mr Scott meet him in his quarters. Chekov hits a couple of controls on his console and then gets up and enters the turbo lift with Kirk.

Kirk gets out and is immediately jumped. Knocked out by redshirts (for shame). Chekov plans to assassinate him so everyone can move up in rank. That’s how things roll in mirror universe. However one of chekov’s men betrays him and shoots the other two and knocks Chekov out. Kirk orders them to take Chekov out of there. Kirk sucker punches the guy that betrayed Chekov (really would you trust someone that’s now known for betraying people) and they take Chekov to the “booth”. He makes it to his quarters and warns Scotty and Bones about assassination. Bones says his sickbay is a chamber of horrors and Scotty says the tech is nothing he can’t handle.

Kirk asks the computer if they’re hypothesis is possible and the computer says that it is. He then asks if they can recreate it using the ship’s power. The computer says it can. Scotty gets to work on the subject. They check into their back stories to make sure they can be in character. Kirk assassinated Captain Pike and is a total monster. McCoy wonders what they’re counterparts are doing on the normal enterprise.

We then cut to Evil Kirk getting manhandled by security. He’s screaming like a madman. They throw him in the brig with the others until Spock can figure out what happened. Evil Kirk keeps offering Spock things he can’t give, power, money etc. it’s funny. Back on the mirror enterprise Kirk and Evil Spock have a bit of a back and forth. I think that he’s trying to figure out what happened to Kirk. We also see Chekov in the booth.

Spock and Kirk discuss the situation, and we learn that Spock will be turn on Kirk if he continues diverting from normal procedure. Meanwhile McCoy and Scotty sneak into engineering and begin rerouting power to the transporter so they can recreate the transporter accident. While they’re on the case, Kirk enters his quarters and finds a beautiful crewoman in his bed. Apparently captaincy has its Perks. Kirk figures it out in a moment, and we learn that this girl is quite sneaky. She tries to press Kirk for information, thinking he’s got a scheme up his sleeve to maneuver his way up the ranks. Kirk plays along then Spock Comms them. Informing them of his new orders direct from Starfleet to wait for dawn over the planet to see if Kirk follows orders; if not he’s to kill Kirk and take command.

We are introduced to something called the Tantalus field which amounts to CCTV over the ship. Plus the power to wipe people out of existence. We learn the evil Kirk acquired this by plundering an alien laboratory; and that it’s the key to Evil Kirk’s power. The girl nearly kills Spock with it, but Kirk stops her. We finally get a name, Marlena. We learn that they have half an hour to get back to their ship. Meanwhile. Spock is snooping around, trying to figure out what Kirk is up to. Spock then notices that Sulu is monitoring his computer activity and contacts him, demanding an answer. Sulu is scheming and wants to work with Spock.

Back in Kirk’s quarters, Marlena returns, this time wearing a dress. She tries to seduce him and Kirk rejects her, since he doesn’t have the time. Although he does make time to kiss her. She realizes that this is not Evil Kirk. He leaves. She goes to the Tantalus machine and watches him. Kirk contacts Uhura and we learn her job is to distract Sulu long enough for Kirk and company to finish their business before. She does this and is able to make it off the bridge but not without pulling her knife.

Spock finds Kirk in the transporter room. He’s got a phaser. Spock takes Kirk to sickbay at gunpoint. Fortunately everyone is there. Kirk turns and a fight breaks out. Even Uhura gets involved. Kirk clocks him over the head with one of McCoy’s skulls. They put Spock on a sickbed McCoy works on him. Marlena watches them via the Tantalus device. Sulu bursts in. His plan is to kill both of them and take charge of the enterprise. Marlena removes his thugs with the Tantalus machine. Kirk drops Sulu (not very good with a knife I guess). Then they leave Bones to treat Spock while they go and secure the transporter. Spock wakes and mind melds with McCoy and learns that they’re not from around there.

In the transporter Marlena is there and wants them to take her with them. Unfortunately they can’t take her along since the transporter is set for four not five. She pulls a gun but Uhura takes her out quickly. Spock arrives and he beams them down. But first Kirk tells Spock that the logic the Terran Empire is faulty and that Spock has the power to change history. He even tells him about the Tantalus device.
They beam away, returning to the original enterprise and their normal uniforms.

Kirk, Spock and McCoy have a back and forth. The Normal Lt. Marena shows up on the bridge and Kirk is having déjà vu. Roll end credits.



Dramatic Fist fights : 18
space babes : 18
God like beings : 11
Engine trouble: 11
Vulcan neck pinches 13
Redshirts killed : 36
Total body count : 80


Another famous episode, this one is quite entertaining. it's fast paced and there's alot going on in a short period of time. I love Bearded Spock, he actually looks quite good in it. Everyone likes the mirror universe; it’s basically the exact opposite of normal universe. Humanity is expansionist and aggressive, taking what they want and killing any that get in their way. It’s refreshing after an entire season of Kirk and company being well… normal.

This universe is so bat guano crazy it’s amazing anything gets done. I mean if the best or only way to get a promotion is to assassinate your direct superior then everyone’s going to be scheming to do just that. Yeah it keeps you on your toes and keeps you from coming complacent, but at the same time you’re going to be so preoccupied with watching your back that you’re not going to be able to actually accomplish your job. But somehow they make it all work.

Personally I think the tantilus field is a bit of a cop out. I would rather Mirror Kirk just be that sneaky, untrustworthy, ruthless, smart and paranoid that he can actually maintain Captaincy of the Mirror Enterprise. It’s really the only thing I can knock this episode for. But it works and it’s used to get them out of a sticky jam.

One question it does bring up though. It’s safe to assume that normal Enterprise and Mirror Kirk go on the same adventures at the same time (sure one has a more ruthless lean, but I digress), since they’re orbiting the same planet, at the same time during the same Ion Storm. However, the presence of the Tantalus field suggests that the two do not experience the same adventures, instead they live to separate lives and this incident is just that, a bizarre incident. Unless normal Kirk met the mad scientist with the tantalus field and didn’t steal it (he’d probably blow it up) and we just haven’t learned of that incident. anyway it's an interesting idea.

I give this episode 5 out of 5 agonizers.

Next episode: The apple

[hamlet]

Mirror Mirror is one of my genuine favorites. A fantastic episode, really, and one that I use to show to those few who actually have never seen Star Trek before in their lives as one of the "introductory" episodes. Start them on the best and hook them early.

It had a few really decent follow up episodes in DS9, though a lot of folks just didn't like them. Enterprise's mirror universe episodes were . . . ok enough.

And yes, Nimoy looks great in a beard of evil. It's inspiring.

[DigoDragon]

Mirror Mirror is a great episode. Evil-Kirk is hammy fun.

[Yora]

One thing with the Mirror Episodes is that they show how Star Trek is often at its best when it's the least like the way the Star Trek universe usually is.

[MikelaC1]

Mirror Mirror is a great episode. Evil-Kirk is hammy fun.

If you like Evil-Kirk in this episode, you love him in the one about 2-3 episodes from now.