LogFAQs > #969163998

Episode 6: The Counter-Clock Incident

Backwards time is always a fun concept, even if it doesn't make a lick of sense in execution.

Is that Shatner playing young Kirk? Because although there's a good effort to make him sound a bit whiny and nasally, some of the line readings came off a bit flat. Just doesn't fit with how good an actor I know him to be. Spock is in exposition mode, but he's mercifully kept to a minimum. McCoy shows up just long enough to creepily flirt with a married woman.

Everyone had some proper good design work for their younger selves. Some of these designs were only seen for a single shot which makes it quite an impressive way to bow out for a limited animation show. Wish we could see young Scotty, though. Baby Arex is surprisingly adorable.

April gets a lot of mileage out of his lore importance. The actual character seems to mostly repeat exposition and pine for the glory days. He's harmless enough. Dr April carries herself with some typical dignity. Neither one is a particularly deep character, but they're decent enough. Karla and her family aren't all that interesting, except as an excuse to show off some examples of backwards time.

The exposition goes on for a bit, but it's not as tedious as some other episodes. Karla's ship is a nice design. The background of the other universe is surprisingly beautiful, given how simplistic the effect is. I get a kick out of seeing the Enterprise fly backwards.

While it's mostly a standard adventure, they do end it in probably the best way possible. April is obviously facing forced retirement due to his age, despite clearly still having a keen mind. Naturally, his age makes him the only person capable of saving the day. Sort of standard, so far. What I admire about the ending (and I don't much care that it makes little physical sense), though, is the decision to have him and his wife return to their old bodies and having the forced retirement renewed. While the specific mechanics of backwards time might work against it (if you can lose acquired knowledge, maybe to can regain lost knowledge. In other words, they could've come close to accidentally implying that he had dementia and was ultimately cured of it), I'm actually impressed that they managed to grasp a moderately deep anti ageism message out of an otherwise perfectly average story.

Decent way to see us off.

Best episode:

How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth (Who Mourns for Adonais? Done right)

The Pirates of Orion was also a contender.

Worst episode:

Bem (I don't think it knows what it's trying to do)

The Practical Joker almost took it, but, as much as I fundamentally disagree with what it's doing, it at least does it competently.

Film night, next, with The Motion Picture.