Current Events > Star trek watchthrough. Ongoing spoilers.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Decided to finally watch this, since the first few shows are on netflix and don't seem to be going anywhere.

Before this I had already seen a few episodes of ds9 and voyager ( and played a few of the games) and I know of a few basic ideas from pop culture like the existence of klingons, borg etc.

Starting with TOS. Already seen the first 19 episodes, so, might be a bit of post spam at first (plus my memories are less fresh, so, i might fail to mention something).

Episode 0 : The Cage

Liked this one. The design of the talosians is pretty cool with the throbbing veins. It actually threw me seeing Pike since I didn't know about this being a rejected pilot at first. Honestly expected to see Kirk for far longer than I should have. The musical plants are a fun, whimsical idea and Spocks smile is adorable. (It's clear from these first few episodes that, similar to Doctor Who, the rules of the world, like how stoic Spock is meant to be, are yet to be settled on and that there'll be some early weirdness).

Pike explaining his weariness and Rigel VII is a bit expositiony, but I like how intelligent he is and how quick he is to learn and try and mask his thoughts. Primitive, emotional thoughts being unreadable is a cool idea. The fact that it's all a big zoo/slave breeder is subtly terrifying.

I like that one of Pike's fantasies is a slave harem. It's a dark and nasty thought, but it seems quite honest and real, especially for 60s television.

Number One is an enjoyable character and clearly the prototype for Spock. Vina has one hell of a tragic story. An attempt at compassion and mercy, turned into a cruel hell because of simple ignorance. Shouldn't have taken the talosians as long as it did to figure out that humans don't care for captivity.

I like the message of needing to actually face real life, rather than hiding behind familiar comforts and illusion. The decision to have Vina stay doesn't feel like it defeats the point, so much as it shows there is nuance to it.

One thing I'm going to mention here, since it crops up in most episodes: I don't care for the rampant sexism. Far too many of the female are practically begging for men to notice them, to the point where its their only character trait. I appreciate its a different time, but it's difficult to watch sometimes. Number One is probably the best female character in these first 19 episodes ( the phaser overload is brilliant), yet she gets a derogatory comment thrown her way from a subordinate, practically apologises for being good at her job and then roped into being a candidate for Eve. The general vibe of progress is absolutely wonderful, but they're definitely stumbling on a few steps.

Feel free to post your thoughts on my thoughts, interesting trivia ect. It'll break up a few hours of post spam.

Be warned that you will see almost the entirety of The Cage again as they didn't expect anyone would see the pilot

Also TOS largely sucks

So does Season 1 of TNG. Then it picks up

I watched some of TOS before skipping to TNG.

Yours thoughts on The Cage are pretty much what I thought when I watched it last year.

Episode 1 The Man Trap:

One thing I like in these early episodes is the idea that humanity (the writers haven't settled on the federation idea yet, so, its basically just Earth at this point) has a bunch of outposts and other installations that are very disconnected from each other. Since this is basically a space western, its nice that they commit to that idea.

The salt vampire is a cool idea that wouldn't be out of place in Doctor Who. Its true form is a triumph of design and not just by 60s standards. I didn't much care for Bones' reaction at the end, though. I get its taking its form from people's minds, but by this stage you already know its not Nancy. I doubt your real ex could take Kirk and Spock in a fight. Mind you, Crater also knows better and he still wants to live with it.

I liked Kirk's thorough psych Eval on Crater. It makes sense that a show about discovery and exploration would be against staying in small, fake worlds, whether its the illusions of last episode or the blatant lie of a happy couple in this.

Need to get better at mobile gamefaqs. I'm accidently posting too early.

Rand is an unfortunate waste of a character. Could've been as enjoyable as Number One (maybe not as stoic and professional, since Spock has taken that role, but still watchable) Instead her character basically just begs Kirk to notice her for the 7 or so episodes she's in. I have the tv tropes page up to help refresh my memory since it's been a few weeks since I've seen this and I honestly forgot she existed in this till I read a line about her. The actress seems cool, though. I like how the miniskirts were her idea.

Uhura got a nice bit of character building with the salt vampire speaking swahili to her. It's not much, but it's better than being a phone operator and speaking the exact same line several times an episode. Same sentiment towards Sulu's hobbies. It's the little moments sometimes. The hell is the Great Bird of the Galaxy all about, though?

Plum is a much better nickname than Bones.

I mentioned that the sexism is hard to watch. The constant bullying of Spock isn't much better. It's a bit more tolerable because of the need to establish that Spock is an alien every episode in case a new viewer chimes in, but it's still uncomfortable.

A fun romp, but not the best I've seen.

I'm a little halfway through season 2. Just watching two to four episodes a week. So far, my least favorite and my favorite episode are back to back, which is very representative of my experience with the show as a whole so far. But I think it's strong points are strong enough that I definitely call this a great show. It definitely feels like a game changer, scratching at the so far established limits of television at the time.

Episode 2: Charlie X

God like beings show up a lot, don't they? So far (19 eps in) each has taken the idea in a mostly new direction, but I'm wondering how fresh it can remain.

King of the incels was all I was thinking whenever Charlie was on screen. It's hard to feel any sympathy for him, even with his backstory. The begging and pleading at the end when his adoptive parents came to collect just about made me feel for him, though. I like how Kirk tried to make a case for him, even after all the havoc he caused. It's a bit muddy at times (especially when it concerns women) but the show is clearly trying for a strong moral core and its honestly refreshing how blunt it is with these messages.

Spock and Uhura have a sweet moment and Rand almost got to be a character. Attempting to throw that lass at Charlie is hilariously ruthless. I love how shit Kirk is at teaching Charlie anything. Charlie's ...... look whenever he uses his powers is much less intimidating than its supposed to be. The uses though have an understated but effective air of terror about them. Removing faces, showing Spock's talent for poetry.

Forcing every system to be on at once is a clever way of buying some time.

Another good one, overall.

Episode 3: Where No Man Has Gone Before

Presumably, the Valiant was crewed entirely by women, then?

A magnetic barrier at the edge of the galaxy is of the kind of concept that I like most in my Sci-fi shows. Find some weirdness, learn the rules of it. Little bit quaint that they were trying to push ESP as a legitimate science. How do you defeat a god like being? Psychology. An elegant solution and much better than Charlie's parents coming to collect.

Some highlights were Mitchell's speed reading, his knowing glance towards the camera and how unhinged, yet refreshed he sounded with his waking up speech. I also liked Spock's note about how humanity would become an annoyance to Mitchell and Kirk screaming about gods needing compassion. Not a subtle point at all, but it seems almost more respectful for how blatant it is.

That said, the Eden stuff was maybe a bit too blatant. Christian parallels are a bit overused ( I had a similar issue with the Cage, but I neglected to mention it). I did like and was surprised by how far they went with literally forcing Kirk to pray. It's hard to shake the expectation that classic TV would be sanitised, so, whenever they break from it, it's always welcome.

Falling into the grave was obvious, but poetic and I liked Kirk being respectful enough to keep their service records clean.

Pretty great episode, probably should have been the first to be shown.

IShall_Run_Amok posted...

I'm a little halfway through season 2. Just watching two to four episodes a week. So far, my least favorite and my favorite episode are back to back, which is very representative of my experience with the show as a whole so far. But I think it's strong points are strong enough that I definitely call this a great show. It definitely feels like a game changer, scratching at the so far established limits of television at the time.

Let me know what they are when I get there.(not before, though, I want to avoid biasing myself).

Agree with you on it being a game changer, not just with the concepts but with the progressive (though occasional muddled) attitude and morals. Black lady on tv and she aint no maid. It's why I don't fully get people who whine about the later shows being woke. I've admittedly not seen any of the Discovery era shows, so maybe there is a writing quality problem, but a lot of the vitriol directed towards them seems to be of the stereotypical basement dweller variety.

New Doctor who has a similar problem ( even before Chibnall, although I don't mind his tenure as much as some do) and I guess it just bewildering how so many fans can claim to adore these franchises, yet not understand the point of them.

Rant over.

splodeymissile posted...

One thing I'm going to mention here, since it crops up in most episodes: I don't care for the rampant sexism. Far too many of the female are practically begging for men to notice them, to the point where its their only character trait. I appreciate its a different time, but it's difficult to watch sometimes. Number One is probably the best female character in these first 19 episodes ( the phaser overload is brilliant), yet she gets a derogatory comment thrown her way from a subordinate, practically apologises for being good at her job and then roped into being a candidate for Eve. The general vibe of progress is absolutely wonderful, but they're definitely stumbling on a few steps.

While there's definitely some gross sexism, keep in mind that sex appeal was seen as majorly empowering at the time. The mini-skirt, in particular, was a symbol of freedom and control.

Episode 4: The Naked Time

Another cool concept with an infection that acts much like alcohol.

The general chaos that ensues over the course of this episode is amazing. Details like apocalyptic messages all over the walls are and one crewmans ectasy at the sight of a paintbrush. It feels like a step up from previous episodes in making the Enterprise feel like an actual world in its own right with an actual crew, albeit one gone mad.

Spock's assistant is a complete idiot, of course, but it's still impressive that he figured out how to kill himself with the bluntest knife imaginable. We also get some nice scenes of the side characters, like Sulu,actually being characters. I love that his greatest inhibition involves harassing folk with a sword.

Spock's breakdown over his mother is heartbreaking and I love that what snaps him out of it is empathy and vulnerability from Kirk. That it's Chapel's confession to him that sets him off is an amazing bit of character plotting. Feeling shame over their friendship is a more real and complex emotion than I'd ordinarily expect from 60s television. Riley is a delight and his views on ice cream make for a sound policy.

The intermix formula is ridiculous technobabble and, while I don't expect Sci-fi to be realistic (it can limit story possibilities), it does amuse me that so many shows around this time gave antimatter far more exotic properties than it actually has.

The time travel is out of place, but can't really be helped. Splitting a two parter into unrelated stories is always going to cause problems. Kirk and Spock are remarkably casual about having it practically at their finger tips.

Hilarious, well crafted and emotional. Even with the dodgy ending, it's one of the best so far.

Episode 5: The Enemy Within

Apparently, transporter malfunctions are a common theme going forward. Not sure I'd be brave enough to use them.

The dog creature is adorable. Even though good and evil halves are hardly a new concept, even for the time, I like the attempt to add some nuance with good Kirk being impotent and evil being cowardly. The fact that they're both dying is a nice idea, too. Almost like good is wasting away, while evil is burning out.

The rape scene and everything involving it is uncomfortable, especially since they apparently tried to make it 'glamorous'. Spock's aside is just nasty, as is the fact that Rand apologises for it.

Usually whenever Spock and McCoy have a debate, I err to Spock's side, but I was with Bones on this one. Yes, this is a subject of potentially interesting study, but also your best friend is fucking dying. There's a difference between suppressing your emotions for pragmatism's sake and not feeling them at all.

I did like that suggesting that good Kirk might lose control of his ship is what snapped some will back into him and that evil had a breakdown over his inevitable death. The empathy between the two halves was also beautiful. The message was also good: that we need to accept the negative aspect of ourselve, not just because its irremovable from us without causing severe damage, but also because its straight up useful.

Oh, and Sulu got some decent snark in, but his subplot was mostly just there.

Middling for me, overall.

Gonna end it here for today. The next episode I'm watching is Court Martial, but I'll continue typing up my thoughts on the other episodes tomorrow.

Overall, I'm enjoying the series. Even though im pointing out the bigotry, its not been a deal breaker. ( I've seen Mudd's Women. You'll read my thoughts tomorrow) Calling it the American doctor who is a massive oversimplification, but it does give me similar vibes of just enjoying the adventure of the week, along with the mostly progressive politics (although I'm actually watching an episode a day. I'll catch up with myself, eventually. Also, I plan on watching the other Star Trek shows and movies up to Strange New Worlds, so, this topic series will last a good while yet.) Hope you're enjoying my thoughts and feel free to chime in with your own thoughts. Because I'm typing this a couple of weeks after seeing the episodes, I may have forgotten things worthy of comment, so, ask me if you want to hear my thoughts on anything specific. Please keep spoilers to a minimum.

I'm enjoying the topic. Star Trek is such a great franchise

MorbidFaithless posted...

I'm enjoying the topic. Star Trek is such a great franchise

Looking back, it has three or four of the best television series ever made, and one of the best popular movie franchises ever made. At least by reputation. I know there's been a few bad entries in the series, again at least by reputation, but I can't think of any other popular television era franchise with such a high reputation.

Gonna start typing up my thoughts on the rest, before I watch Court Martial.

Episode 6: Mudd's Women

Considering my distaste of sexism, you can all probably guess my thoughts on this. The leering camera angles and stupid faces on much of the crew is difficult to watch.

Ironically, Mudd himself almost comes up smelling of roses. While he is selling women as cargo, he has some genuine conversations with them, treats them with a measure of respect and seems to have them in on the money making scheme. That said, I'm not sure how they stand to benefit. Any money they make will be shared with the new husband, the venus drug will eventually run out, they can't easily leave due to the isolated nature of the settlements and if Mudd is constantly hanging around, someone is gonna smell a rat, sooner or later. It helps that he sells loveable rogue quite well. I also like how he figures out Spock's species pretty quickly and his futile attempts at lying to the computer.

Kirk and Spock do well for themselves too, being resistant and immune to the charms. It seems that Uhura can't decide on which uniform to wear. The mining colony is interesting. Even though, canonically, the federation is well established by this point, the writers are still building the rules as they go. So, we have almost a mini-state in its own right, insisting on fair trade. A possible headscratcher for continuity types, but it fits the western in space idea.

The moral of confidence in oneself is a good one, but the surrounding episode leaves it lacking. I don't even mind Eve magically getting the effects of the drug just from self-belief, so much. Its more that her reward is a husband who could barely tolerate her at the start. The two of them on an isolated rock. Yay.....

Kirk threat of withholding federation protection is a nice show of ruthlessness. Definitely needs his "evil" side to get anything done.

Had some good, had a lot of bad. Not unwatchable, but it's definitely the weakest so far.

Episode 7: What Are Little Girls Made Of?

Considering the subject matter of the previous episode, this title had me worried. I do like that Star Trek uses lines from various poems, plays ect for its titles. Its clear they wanted to present this as serious television from the very beginning.

Outpost scientists going mad is another common theme, it seems. I saw Korby being an android pretty early on, but it's still effective. His plan is typical megalomaniac nonsense, but it's still fun. The idea that his conversion has killed off his ability to process basic human concepts is horrifying and the actor sells the idea of trying desperately to grasp a thought just beyond reach really well. It helps that losing mental functions is one of my biggest fears.

Andrea is definitely a sex bot. I don't care what Korby says. Her costume is a wonderful disaster waiting to happen. I don't mind sex appeal at all, I just want sexy characters rather than sexy props. When the general theme of an episode seems sexist, like with Mudd, any sex appeal starts to feel nasty. This episode doesn't have that problem as much as others, so, its actually enjoyable in this context. She takes a lot of joy in slapping Kirk. Interesting that she's evolving and developing love in contrast to Korby's devolution. Killing fake Kirk over unrequited love seems about right for her character and her confusion when she sees real Kirk afterwards calls to mind a child suddenly and guiltily realising a mistake. Shame she died.

Ruk is an intimidating beast of a machine, though its difficult not to be reminded of Addams Family whenever I see him. I love his elation at rediscovering the survival equation and how it allows him some free will. There is a sweet sort of naivete to the androids which makes their extinction all the more tragic. Kirk could have probably found a better weapon than a Styrofoam penis, though.

Chapel gets to be more of a character than some of the other women, but I don't actually have much to say about her. McCoy has a similar problem. Not just in this episode, but across the series so far. Perfectly fine character, show wouldn't be complete without, but he mostly just argues with Spock and I want to avoid repeating myself whenever possible. I do like her suspicion over Korby and Andrea's relationship, though.

Kirk's intelligence consistently surprises me. His first thought on learning that his brainwaves can be copied is to deliberately act out of character, so, that he can hopefully sabotage his double. Too many main characters in various shows have to act dim for the sake of plot, so, its nice to see. Gets in some good lines during his conversation with the fake, as well.

I love that Spock was genuinely hurt by the speciesist remark. It seems consistent with his character that while he can tolerate bigotry from most people (and occasionally respond with sarcasm), hearing it from his best friend makes him retreat for a moment. He quickly figures out what's going on, though.

Quite liked this one. Cool concept, interesting characters and the regulars are on fine form.

Tag

Episode 8: Miri

The copy of Earth is kind of wasted as a concept. I get it, though. Any excuse to reuse old sets. Plus, it's a big universe. Why shouldn't there be a randomly occurring identical out there?

I don't talk about McCoy much, but he had some nice moments. Inspecting the tricycle, working night and day on the cure, even testing it on himself and screaming for Spock to help him. It all sticks in my mind in a way that he usually doesn't.

I like the concept of the episode, but they're insultingly slow at revealing it. Figured out the kids were centuries old quite quickly. (The alternative theory is quite ghastly). Should be more language drift than just grown ups to grups, though.

Miri is a fine character. Her precocious crush on Kirk is adorable, as is her wrath when she starts thinking he's got a thing for Rand. Kirk's ruthlessness in stringing her along, in case she proves useful is pleasantly surprising. Speaking of Rand, she got to be a character this time. I don't like it when a woman's only character trait is pining for a man, but she and Kirk do have some chemistry. Wirh the infection making them increasingly irrational and desperate, begging Kirk to look at her legs seems like it's less titillation and more an understandable character beat.

Jahn is a fine character with a fine actor, but unlike Miri, he cannot pretend to be a child to save his life. Didn't ruin the episode or anything, though.

Kirk's blah blah blah speech towards the end was surprisingly moving, despite how ridiculous it is at face value. Manipulating the kids with both shame and compassion is a pretty good solution.

No idea why the BBC banned this episode. Its occasionally creepy, sure, and deals with dark subject matter, but Doctor who has done worse.

Overall, a pretty good episode.

splodeymissile posted...

The hell is the Great Bird of the Galaxy all about, though?

Inside joke, it was a nickname that Gene Roddenberry got.

Episode 9: Dagger of the Mind.

Another Shakespeare reference. Ain't complaining.

McCoy's line that a cage is still a cage no matter how you dress it up is a beautifully simple, yet resoundingly honest statement. I agree and I like that the show mentions it. Forcing Noel on Kirk is hilarious. Actually, Kirk runs a surprisingly loose ship and tolerates a lot of pranks, banter, arguments and, sometimes, insubordination from his crew. Works to his benefit as a captain, though. You want a somewhat family atmosphere when you're deep in the void and in high stress situations on the regular.

Another scientist lost his marbles. Mind you, Adams maintains a mask of sanity for surprisingly long. Typical megalomaniac, though. The Nueral Neutraliser is a terrifying piece of kit and even without Adams manning it, I wouldn't inflict it on the worst of the worst. Fitting and scary that his fate is to be head empty, no thoughts.

Van Gelder is a fine character. I love the clear strain he feels whenever he tries to speak. And he helps highlight just how terrifying the machine is. Seeing the Vulcan Mind meld for the first time was pretty cool. McCoy's clearly into voyeurism. The hypnosis disclaimer is ridiculous. I'm keeping myself clued up on production trivia as I go, but knowing why it's there doesn't stop it from being daft. There is a degree of affection to the whole thing that we don't usually see Spock indulge in. I can understand why it's a private affair. Holding humanity to account over what constitutes official, allowed violence is also a nice touch.

Kirk's on fine form. I like how much he values both McCoy and Spock's advice, willing to be skeptical of Adams even though he clearly hero worships him, all because of McCoy's gut feeling. Doesn't take Adams' word on anything, but actually tries to use the machine himself to concern. Noel, though, I'm in two minds on. She annoyed me at first for crawling up Addams' arse for the first half, but redeemed herself with the Neutraliser and by killing that guy in the power room.

I'd argue that what she does to Kirk is basically rape with extra steps, but it feels like a real human emotion to the point where its hard to hate her or the episode for it. I'm perfectly aware that if the positions were reversed, I'd probably be much harsher. Maybe I'm just inconsistent.

Lethe is delightfully creepy and should've shown up more.

Another good episode.

I think even today that TOS is some of the finest television you'll ever see. Obviously some episodes suck or are completely off the wall, but when it's good it's good. Overall I like TNG better but TOS is just incredible. After you finish those three seasons, you might want to jump to Strange New Worlds which was recently made but takes place before TOS. I wouldn't recommend watching it before TOS though because there are callbacks to all sorts of things.

Probably gonna watch the shows in production order, but I'm definitely excited to see more.

Episode 10: The Corbomite Maneuver

Not to be confused with the Corbynite Maneuver.

Balok's puppet is a brilliantly terrifying design and its nice to know the context behind Kif's dodgy mugshot in Futurama. I kind of feel that the child form is actually creepier, but never mind that. The Fesarius is an amazing design. There's so much to love in this episode that I'm not sure where to start. Perhaps with the characters.

Kirk has never been better. While he gives Bailey far too long a leash, he's quick to shut down the shoot first suggestion and his brief speech about how there's no such thing as the unknown is beautiful and could probably serve as a summary for the franchise as a whole. His endless attempts to reason with Balok aren't just borne out of desperation, but a genuine desire to make friends and allies with whoever they encounter. The bluff plan is genius and showing mercy to Balok is a fitting show of common decency that only highlights the points of his speech. It's especially fitting, since everything is ultimately a bluff on Balok's part, anyway. McCoy needs to learn that there's a time and a place.

Bailey is annoying and I don't like him, but he's meant to be that way, so, I'm not holding it against the episode. He's there to demonstrate how wrong an overly aggressive attitude would be. Sending him off with Balok for mutual learning is the best possible ending.

Spock's response of "fascinating" just about sums up his character, as does comparing Balok to his father. Scotty's response made me laugh. Almost apologising is dweet. His snark at Bailey is well deserved and I like Sulu clearly showing him respect. Clearly, Sulu is getting extra messages from Balok. I knew he would.

Similar to Naked Time there's a gradual ratcheting up of tension, alongside many character beats that serve to make it so that no scene or shot is wasted. They cram as much as they can, without wrecking the pacing. It's masterfully competent.

One of the things I love most in speculative fiction is characters discovering something new and gradually figuring out the rules of it. They encounter a spinning cube that follows them and immediately start measuring it and suggesting theories. Kirk summarises the attitude to Spock that they're here to find new things for its own sake. In the end, they save the day with some quick thinking and occasionally teach a moral.

While I knew Kirk would try to save him, I honestly thought Balok would see the error of his ways and become a friend. Instead, he wad bluffing too. I expected a good ending and got an excellent one.

Far and away the best episode out of at least the first 19. If production were different, this probably should have been the pilot. Cool concepts, intriguing plot, brilliant characters, exceptional production and a minor twist ending that enhances the themes and sums up not only the episode, but arguably the franchise as a whole.

Rand using a phaser to make coffee is pretty cool, too.

Episodes 11 and 12: The Menagerie

Bundling these together. I understand why it's a clip show episode, but that doesn't stop it from being difficult to watch. Probably won't be a long post.

Pike being practically a vegetable is a nasty image and the bulky wheelchair thing that communicates only in beeps is like a personal hell. Nice that he got to dream seamlessly with Vina, though. A fantasy world is less dark when you've got someone real to share it with.

Because I had already seen the pilot, figuring out what Spock's plan was, wasn't exactly difficult. It was nice seeing him act hyper competent without explanation throughout the first episode, though. His plea for Jim to not stop him was heartmelting. For all that he gets called unemotional, he not only has the biggest heart of the crew, but the most opportunities to express it too. I love Kirk and McCoy's unwavering faith in him. Scotty storming away, grumbling, when the engines were playing up was a funny moment.

Feels like this is the first episode where we actually see the federation, even though its still obviously early days. I like that they were ultimately ok with the whole affair.Kirk was clearly touched at how far Spock was willing to go for his former captain. Could have done without the internal monologues and recaps. I get why it's there, doesn't mean I have to like it. Rewatching the pilot was a bit of a slog, especially in part 2. It's not a bad episode, but I've already seen it.

Hard to rate. The new stuff is great, even if Mendez being a Talosian illusion is a dodgy twist. There's just not enough of it. Can't really judge it, since it's a slave to production quirks.

Episode 13: The Conscience of the King

It you're gonna magpie Shakespeare, might as well go the whole hog.

It's nice getting a bit of backstory to this world. Kirk being a survivor of Kodos the Executioner is a rare look into a main character's past. I like how subtle and clearly troubled by everything he is. There's a lot of moral ambiguity in this one. Kirk Ruthlessly charming Lenore to get to Karidian, asking a captain to abandon them ect. He goes to a dark place and McCoy's questioning of whether he's going to parade his head down the corridors is heavy stuff. Spock noticing early on that there's something up and researching it himself is a nice moment.

Kudos himself is fascinating. I got the impression that a combination of old age, constant acting, guilt and wishful thinking left him genuinely unable to reconcile his past with who he is know. Considering that a lot of Shakespeare's work deals with questions of identity and guilt (Hamlet is the most obvious), using the Bard as a theme for this sort of story makes sense. Reading his old speech and gradually lifting his head up and getting more rehearsed until he's reciting from memory is a highlight. I'm not convinced by his argument about possibly being a hero. Even if the ships didn't arrive, he'd still be selecting victims based on a philosophy that was outdated when it was new.

Figuring out that Lenore was the killer wasn't too difficult. I'd question the logic of her plan (if Kirk didn't get her aboard the Enterprise, how did she Intend to kill him and Riley?), but it's clear she's not particularly lucid. Her actress plays madness really well. Nice that someone broke Kirk's heart for once.

It was nice seeing Riley again. Apparently, this was a happy quirk of casting. I'll take whatever continuity I can get.

The acting could occasionally get a bit hammy for its own good. And lenore's recitation of Shakespeare went on for a bit, but otherwise this was a damn fine episode.

Episode 14: Balance of Terror

More like episode 9!!!!!!

It's nice seeing another galactic power. One which has had history with the federation, as well. The Romulans are a cool race. A bit more than just space romans, each member we see is actually a character in their own right. The commander is a highlight. Weary and reluctant to the point that he actually wants to lose, but unable to actually stop trying. Both sides are actually against restarting the war here, but the commander can't disobey.

Seeing Kirk and the commander try to one up each other throughout the episode was fun and using warp to briefly outrun the projectile is a pretty obvious but cool application of ftl travel. I like how the invisibility works both ways, as it logically should. I keep highlighting ruthlessness and pragmatism, but using your friends corpse to fake destruction takes the cake.

Decius is a fool, but an all too common one. Glory seeking moron who got his whole group killed and nearly restarted a war. The Enterprise isn't much better, with Kirk giving the reminder that the past is not their war. Offering mercy to the commander is pretty moral of him, and, while Futurama used it for a parody, the final speech is still nice. Speaking of speechs, McCoy gets a nice moment of trying to perk Kirk up when he's doubting himself.

The reveal that Romulans look like Vulcans was spoiled for me by general pop culture, but I still like that Stiles' bigotry was shut down immediately. Kirk even makes him squirm for a bit by asking him to repeat it, emphasising just how wrong that attitude is.

I probably should have seen the death of the groom coming, but I didn't. Maybe I assumed that the show is older than that trope. Still enjoyed seeing some of lower ranking crew for a bit.

Another brilliant episode.

Episode 15: Shore Leave

Really fun episode this. Only real complaint is that it took the cast a bit too long to figure out what's going on. Definitely a more comedic one, though.

McCoy got some good flirts in. Its nice that he's professional enough to question his own sanity when the White Rabbit shows up. Also, Spock is such a Chad that even figments of McCoy's imagination want to fuck him. Kirk's initial reaction to McCoy's report continues to reflect the general leniency he shows his crew. I like it.

Speaking of Spock, tricking Kirk into ordering his own holiday is a sweetheart move. Apparently, he's in the habit of giving massages too. I'm wondering if, similar to Troughton and Hines in Doctor Who, Shatner and Nimoy deliberately included as many innuendos and similar as they could get away with.

Sulu seems to enjoy old weapons in general. It's a nice bit of consistency. The antenna is an idea that Doctor Who would delight at. Finnegan is ridiculous in all the best ways and steals the show. His fight scenes are camp even by the shows usual standards. Didn't care much for Barrows' dress.

Thought that Spock was a fake when he first beamed down. Didn't buy McCoy's death for a second. The unmasked knight creeped me out.

It's another god like being, but it gets points for being more original than most, since he's benevolent. I like that Kirk takes it in his stride once the misunderstanding is cleared up.

A nice, pleasant, funny episode.

Episode 16: The Galileo Seven

Didn't much care for this.

I did like the general idea of investigating a quasar and crashing on a primitive planet. Giving Spock a focus episode that isn't a clip show is always good. Scotty getting on with shit is nice. Also, they did a good job at upping the tension throughout.

Primitives are a not terrible design.

Here's what I didn't like.

The premise is a bit stupid. There's a plague in town, surely getting supplies to the colony sooner is ideal. If you need a time limit, make up some bollocks about the ion storm ruining Enterprise's shields. Hover around the quasar for too long and everyone dies. The Seven are protected by the atmosphere, but still stranded.

Kirk's b plot is just there. He has very little to do and Ferris could and should be replaced by a clock. The worst of it is, is that he's right. Investigating the quasar immediately was the wrong call.

Most of the Seven are useless ninnies who deserve a spear in the back. Spock is suddenly an idiot who has no grasp of emotions. Compare the man who broke down over not telling his mother he loved her, tricked his clearly fatigued best friend into having holiday, can easily recognise when someone is acting strangely and risked death to give Pike some measure of happiness to this clown. The show already has a dodgy relationship with what logic actually is, but this is just insulting. Much is made about this being Spock's first command (acting captain doesn't count, apparently?), but the plot and especially the characters go out of their way to completely undermine him. The insubordination would shock Kirk into turning fascist and borders on the sort of bigotry that this show has so far been blatantly against.

Usually I ignore the "everyone laughs" endings because I have little to say about them and they don't really bother me, but this one left a bad taste since it comes after yet another bigoted barb.

There are a few small things to like. It's still watchable, but it feels like a Spock centered episode written by someone who hates Spock.

Episode 17: The Squire of Gothos

Another god like being. Surprisingly, it hasn't gotten old yet, but we'll see how long that lasts.

Trelane is a delight. Even when it's pointed out how anachronistic he is, he keeps up the 18th century design. Everything from his greeting to the Enterprise, his attempts at being respectful to the various nationalities present, up to his glee at trying to kill Kirk makes him wonderful to watch.

The intelligence of the characters is a nice touch, constantly trying to figure out anything that could be useful, whilst Trelane can barely bring himself to care. I saw the twist coming a mile away (Futurama helped), but the road to get there was a joy.

Seeing the Salt Vampire again was nice, but the coolest concept is when they try to leave the planet and it keeps moving in front of them. A surprisingly terrifying idea. Reminds me of how black holes warp space so much that all directions become forwards. Another nice idea is that Trelane is Earth 900 years in the past. I guess timeline theorists have headaches about this one. I like that the food and drink are completely bland, as well.

Kirk defeating (well, buying time) Trelane through insulting his intelligence and inability to think is a fine solution. Psychology seems like the best way to defeat gods. While the resolution was still a deus ex machina, it works better than Charlie X because of the reveal that Trelane is a child.

Sulu's sarcasm is wonderful. It's good that the side characters are getting to join the action more often.

A brilliant episode really.

Episode 18: Arena

The battle scene at the outpost is fairly decent considering the time. Feels like Kirk is acting out of character here, chasing the Gorn as far as he does and not really considering diplomacy until the end. He's also a bit stupid, as he looks for futuristic weapons after already being told that he will have to make them. The device he was given is clearly just so that we can have some semblance of captain's log.

The fight goes on for far too long and the peanut gallery's commentary doesn't add anything. The process of describing and making the cannon goes on for a while too.

Don't really care for the Metrons. Another god like alien, except they don't really have anything cool about them. Setting up the fight reeks of hypocrisy and lecturing Kirk on the advanced trait of mercy seems a bit high and mighty.

Two things I do like are the attempt to make peace at the end and the design of the Gorn.

Doesn't feel like there was much to this episode. Rather middling in all honesty.

Final one in the spam. I've caught up with my self.

Episode 19: Tomorrow is Yesterday

First time travel story.

I mean, a black star is basically a black hole, right? Anyways, its another funny one.

The Enterprise flying through Earth's skies is a nice shot. Getting caught on radar is as good a start as any for our Comedy of Errors. Christopher is an alright character. Catches on quick and has some decent lines. The moral dilemma of what to do with him is a nice bit of drama.

The other military characters are just props for Kirk to have his crappist fight scene yet with, but it's all good fun. Spock is a snarky bastard and seems to be in a bad mood all episode. Everyone seems to get at least one good line, though.

Kirk's computer flirting with seems like his greatest fantasy and we see the start of food replicators, apparently. Uhura dragging Christopher away from the panel in the background gives me similar vibes to Naked Time where not a single shot is wasted.

The resolution makes no sense whatsoever (i wouldn't know where to start for a fan theory explanation), but I wasn't expecting it to.

A nice, funny romp.

I'm watching Court Martial next. My thoughts on that will be the last of today's posts. From then on, it'll be one a day.

Episode 20: Court Martial

Another ion storm. Keeps happening, apparently. Jame is insufferable. Initially thought Stone was suspicious, but it turns out he's alright. The way he was looking at Uhura's control panel at the end made me think he was going to sabotage something.

McCoy wastes no time, the dirty dog. Shaw's dress is vomit. The bar is a nice design. Kirk's friends are dicks. The initial hearing is quite tense.

Shaw should not have been allowed to be there given past history. Nice of her to recommend someone, though. Cogley is cool, at first, but his rights speech goes on a bit and not all of it seems relevant. I have some, but not infinite sympathy for luddites. Insisting on hearing Kirk's many accolades just to annoy Shaw is a wonderfully dickish move. Got some nice worldbuilding with various names flying about. None of it means much, mind.

Checking the program banks should probably be routine along with the mechanical checkup. Chess giving Spock some inspiration is appropriate. Finney is a spiteful piece of work and the acting, especially during his breakdown when he learns they've bought Jame aboard, is sublime.

Does the personnel officer have a name? Could've been an interesting recurring character. Uhura getting to do more is nice, but it's still hard to say much about her.

Pretty good episode. Spock and McCoy snarking about Kirk's love was a perfect way to end it.

Tomorrow we have The Return of the Archons.

Episode 21: The Return of the Archons

I always appreciate when an episode starts in media res. Let's us try to figure out the rules of the world, whilst the characters can get on with stuff. Beta 3 is a creepy place and Sulu and McCoy got to act nicely disturbing for a bit.

Spock's shawl is silly. I get why he's wearing it, but he looks like his husband just died. Nice touch that he can barely be arsed to pretend to be absorbed.

Figured out that Landru was a computer even before they started dropping hints. Kirk and the rest did too, but they left it mostly unsaid which is some impressive respect for the audience.

Seamlessly going from Stepford puritanism to anarchic mayhem to zombie apocalypse added to the terror of the concept and the music helped sell it, too. I don't usually notice music (apart from the Enterprise's theme), but I definitely did here. Reger and the rest being reluctant to actually move against Landru was a nice human touch that didn't overstay its welcome. Maybe it's all in my head, but I'm sure a rape was implied through silhouette during the Purge.

A slightly throwaway mention of the Prime Directive. With this and Starfleet finally figuring out its name in the last episode, the lore is beginning to solidify. Curious how some relatively minor things are picked up on to be important over others. Kirk was in the right: The culture was stagnant and needed a shakeup.

Beating Landru through paradox was a fine solution. I had a dark thought about having the Enterprise hold the population of the planet hostage in order to get Landru to back off, but even with Kirk's ruthlessness, that's probably a bit too bleak.

Seeing Scotty was nice, even if he's just a clock for this episode.

Early Sci-fi really had some strong paranoia over computers. Usually it comes off as slightly cringey by today's standards, especially when they start ranting about souls (I've mentioned that Cogley started to annoy me), but here I didn't mind it. Wasn't subtle by any stretch of the imagination, but does it need to be? Considering that Star Trek is clearly big on utopianism, suggesting that its less a destination and more a march of progress is a pretty mature perspective. Ending with an observation on the uptick of squabbles and brawls is a perfectly human way to end a very human episode.

Simply brilliant, this one.

Tomorrow is Space Seed.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


How is Lower Decks? I like Rick and Morty well enough, but something about an "official" parody rubs me the wrong way.

Episode 22: Space Seed

Superb writing and directing going on here. Nothing is wasted. The banter between the main three is impeccable. Kirk and Spock lightly correcting each other at the start, especially.

Actually, Spock gets a lot of nice moments here. His utter outrage (insomuch as a Vulcan [Vulcanion, still?] can express outrage) and disgust at everyone's admiration of Khan is one highlight of many.

Speaking of Khan, what a fantastic villain. Aside from exuding class and power with everything he does, while his ambitions and eugenics sympathies are nasty, the central crux of his philosophy that he explains to McGivers, of doing what you want (a nice moment in its own right) gives some extra dimension to him. While I don't know the details, I do know that he returns at least once more and, frankly, I'm not surprised.

McGivers is interesting. The initial appearance of her, with her paintings in the background of the shot, is both indicative of the amazing direction of this episode, but also gives her more character than most female characters. The simpering over Khan is a bit much, but she's still head and shoulders over most. The sexual chemistry feels more authentic than most of the other attempts so far. Khan's line of being disappointed in her during the decompression scene is a perfect moment. Uhura got a fantastic moment of initially refusing to listen to Khan's demands. The show is getting better at using all of its regulars.

Kirk's compassion and decency is, of course, misplaced, but it feels true to his character to keep giving Khan chances. While I don't believe for a second it was planned this far in advance, its clear that The Wrath of Khan (along with any other appearances he may make) will hold these decisions to account. It's an absolutely idiotic decision on Kirk's part, but I think the episode is actually stronger for it.

The eugenics war is a nice bit of backstory. Khan and his people have many sets of wonderful clothes. The dinner scene is immaculately tense. McCoy's snarky courage was beautiful to witness.

An absolutely sublime episode.

Tomorrow is A Taste of Armageddon.

Episode 23: A Taste of Armageddon

Never gonna say no to an antiwar story. Having it be a theoretical war run by computers is pretty interesting and a clear metaphor for how arbitrary deaths typically are. Don't particularly mind blatantly stated points, so, hammering home how messy even a sanitised conflict like this is was appreciated and went much further than I expected a 60s show to take it.

Fox isn't much of a character and what little he does have is annoying, but he's better than most one shots. Tamara didn't get enough to do, but considering how female characters usually fair, leaving me wanting more is probably the best I can hope for. Mea is a waste of potential. All she had to do was seriously question whether being a mere statistic was a good idea and she would have instantly become one of the best female one shots.

Anan is a good villain. Can't hold a candle to Khan or even Kodos, but his genuine fear of the horrors of war, along with a resignation to humanity's instinct for conflict gives him enough depth to be more than watchable. Being scarily competent at lying (even if it doesn't fully work) helps too. I have to wonder what culture he's referring to, though. A world where you and/or your loved ones can lose a lottery and be ordered into a suicide booth doesn't seem like it would have much to its daily life. Like Beta 3, it was stagnant and needed a kick up the arse.

Kirk had another episode of being at his best. Alternating between being decent and respectful, with wanting to leave the area as soon as he's asked, and ruthless and pragmatic, with holding the entire planet hostage. I briefly expected that with Landru, but considered it too dark for this show, so, to have it happen a few episodes later is a pleasant surprise from a series that keeps supplying them.

Spock got to simply get on with shit and had some good lines, such as telling Tamara to sit on Mea. Scotty got the B plot (such as it is) and was competent throughout. Telling Fox no was a fantastic scene. I wish Uhura could consistently amount to more than a broken record/reaction shot.

Kirk's final speech, although good, had some of those dodgy pauses and speed shifts that parodies often latch onto. It's happened before, but it's especially noticeable here. Even though I've pointed out some nice moments from the main players, a lot of this episode, compared to some of the great ones, felt like it was simply functional. The directing seemed to be merely workmanlike. The Eminian hats are silly and Vendekar is a wonderful name for a planet.

It's good, but it's missing a few little touches that the great episodes have. Oh, and apparently its finally the United Federation of Planets now.

Next is This Side of Paradise.

Episode 24: This Side of Paradise

Anything that forces happiness and contentment on people always manages to be more terrifying than a monster could ever hope to be. I initially thought this was going to be planet of the amish but, it obviously becomes a bit more than that. Anger and other base emotions fighting off the spores is a poetic solution and I like that we've had another episode which stresses how much we actually need so called negative aspects of ourselves.

Sandoval is an alright character. His blunt no at the order to evacuate had some surprising power behind it and his realisation at the lack of accomplishments is harrowing. Layla breaks the curse of annoying female one offs by having her romance, aside from the subtle unease this concept inevitably causes, seem like an actual character trait, rather than being a lovesick prop. Actually felt it when Spock broke her heart. There are still some issues (I could do without hearing the "love" theme everytime a woman is onscreen), but the show's getting better at this.

Nice seeing Sulu again and the shovel fight is hilarious. Uhura got a nice moment of cheerily sabotaging communications. It was under the spores' influence, true, but I'll take what I can get. McCoy got some nice sarky lines in, especially when his mind starts getting freed. He becomes an absolute riot whilst he's under control, though.

Spock is an absolute sweetheart and there's something wonderfully surreal about him watching the clouds. Like McCoy, his every interaction with Kirk whilst under the spores' control is hilarious. His last lines are heartbreaking. Given that he's allowed to go through a range of emotions and demonstrate what really makes him tick, this feels more like a Spock centred episode than Galileo did.

Kirk's increasing bewilderment and stunned silence at the crew's antics is brilliant. I love him inspecting the branch Spock was hanging from (another great surreal moment), as though he's genuinely trying to figure out the appeal. You can feel the misery and loneliness at being the only one left on the ship and the direction keeps us lingering on this shot for an appropriately uncomfortably long time. Being resistant due to his sheer ambition and anger tracks well with his character and the silent inspectionof the medals was nice, as was sheepishly explaining how the brig is probably a bad idea.

The sets on the colony are beautiful and give off the idea of a superficial Eden quite well. The irony of Sulu musing about his ignorance of farms, just as the flowers come into view is fantastic storytelling. (isn't botany a hobby?) Another nice shot is the line of crewmembers outside the transporter room. Kirk's speechs suffers from the consistent problems of dodgy pauses, but, along with Spock and Sandoval's last words, it perfectly encapsulates the morals of the episode: while happiness is part of a healthy life, it isn't all there is to it and stagnation without ambition isn't living.

A brilliant episode.

Next is The Devil in the Dark

Episode 25: The Devil in the Dark

The Horta is fine creature with a fascinating life cycle, that's sort of ruined by a silly 60s design. I'm tolerant of the oddities of classic TV production because it would be quite unfair not to be, but my tolerance can only go so far. That said, they manage to fit a lot of character into this lumpy rug and I found myself sympathising with her even before Spock started the Mind meld. The slightly off nature of their speech helps convey a deep, but very alien intelligence. I pegged that the nodules were eggs and that the Horta was the victim immediately, so, it seemed weird that Spock kept his theory to himself for so long and that Kirk didn't figure it out earlier.

Speaking of Kirk, he seemed very trigger happy this episode. Arena had a similar problem of making him seem out of character. Considering how relatively tolerant he is of Balok and the Romulans' antics in some of the best episodes we've had, it doesn't seem like it fully tracks. Looking back, The Man Trap had him quite aggressive, too. It works better here because upon being alone with the Horta he immediately started sympathising and showing his usual regard for life. It enhanced the themes of the episode, whereas Arena seemed like a tacked on afterthought in comparison. Also, he was just trying to get rid of Spock, due to the light insubordination, wasn't he?

A nice note was how Spock went the exact opposite route when he discovered that the Horta was alone with Kirk. Any moment when he drops his stoicism and starts calling him Jim is always going to be a highlight. Empathising with the Horta gave us some damn fine acting, too. McCoy got some nice lines and his treatment was quite clever.

Scotty is always a delight. I liked his amusement at how obsolete the mining equipment is. Noticed Osborne's name. We seem to be getting a consistent staff of lesser crew members. I was pleasantly surprised that all the miners were reasonable. There's usually some arsehole that ruins things in stories like these.

Had some alright music. I'm starting to notice it more, beyond just the regular themes. The cold open starting without any of the regular crew members is pretty cool. I think that's the first time we've had something like that. The caves were a bit samey.

The prime directive really is just a suggestion at this point at this point, isn't it? As soon as any creature was discovered on that planet, humanity lost any right to be there. I like the moral of trying to work alongside the natural environment and not judging too hastily, but I'm wondering if a better resolution might have been for the miners to willingly leave. Its nice of the Horta to start a partnership, but she has no obligation to do so. Probably wouldn't fit with the idealistic themes, though, so, I'm not holding it against the episode.

Pretty good episode.

Next is Errand of Mercy.

Guns_of_Verdun posted...

Also TOS largely sucks

Excuse me whilst I laugh hysterically at that utter crap.

The Original Series is the best going. There has always been something magical about Captain Kirk and the crew of The USS Enterprise NCC 1701.

It is the series that got me into Star Trek when I first saw it in 1986. Nothing has come close to beating it.

@Splodeymissile

Welcome to the greatest TV franchise on the planet.

I do not need to worry about your spilers as I have been watching TOS since 1986 had the entire series on VHS. I know the series so well that if you gave me a snippet of an episode I can name it in about 10 seconds no exaggeration.

Episode 26: Errand of Mercy

I find that I'm falling into something of a pattern in writing these reviews. I'll typically begin by describing my thoughts on the main concept/plot, go on to discuss the characters in roughly descending order of importance, point out any technical qualities in notice (set design, music etc.) and finish with a paragraph on the theme/moral of the episode. The reason for this structure is to try and have something vaguely interesting to say about every aspect of the production. Just wondering if there's any area you lot think I'm neglecting or could stand to improve my writing on. I want this to be enjoyable to read, else there's no point in making it, so, hit me up with some criticisms if you've got them.

Despite all that, I'm going to start with the characters this time around. Kor is a fine villain. Only a few steps below Khan. He has some unfortunate yellow peril vibes to his design, but he's ruthless, fair and quite respectful at times. He shows clear appreciation for Kirk, even when he's in disguise, is savvy enough to have the council room bugged and shows remarkable decency to his lieutenant after the escape. Similar to the Romulan commander, there's a note of regret in some of his duties. He's clearly angry that the organians won't fight back and shares Kirk's clear contempt for their pacifism. It's funny how he inserts himself into Kirk and Spock's dynamic after the twist, what with asking followup questions to Spock's observations and suggesting he and Kirk team up. Pretty fantastic character. I can tell why Klingons got a redesign, though. Also, he is completely right: you shouldn't trust people who smile too much.

Kirk and Spock are basically a single unit this episode. Their banter is impeccable and often hilarious. They are practically finishing each others sentences. Kirk gets a nice solitary moment when his compassion wins out over his frustration and he states he will still "protect" the organians, despite his clear dislike of them.

Sulu got to be captain for a bit, though we unfortunately didn't see much of him. I'll take what little I can get, though. Uhura is still being shafted for the most part which I don't like much.

Ayelborne (an absolute monster of a name to type out) started off annoying me, but quickly rose to become perhaps the best character of this piece. Or at least second to Kor. The twist that they are a godlike race was easy to see coming. In fact, the main reason I disliked him was because he refused to explain that fact, despite hinting at it at least thrice. Mind you, Kirk should cottoned on immediately.

Production wise, the design of the Organians' facsimile of a society is pretty nice. Every scene with Kirk and Kor talking is tense, especially when he's in his, frankly see through, disguise. Speaking of, Spock is clearly a Doctor Strange cosplayer.

But the big thing to talk about is the theme. This is a blatant parable of the cold War and how both the US and the ussr were both after proxy states to fight in it. The key question is about whether anyone has a right to interfere in other cultures. "Let us liberate/protect you" probably doesn't sound too different to "we will conquer you" if you're having foreign occupation and military bases built in you home however you slice it. What makes it better than just that though is the issue of the Prime Directive.

Upon hearing that organian culture has apparently stagnated, Kirk immediately tries to sweeten the deal by, effectively, imposing his culture on them. And this is where the character of Ayelborne absolutely sings to me. I figured out that they were incredibly powerful really early (though it wasn't exactly hidden), but I still thought that we were tending towards a mediocre anti pacifism story. Then, when it became clear that Ayelborne can use his powers, albeit in subtle ways, I thought we would be having a clichd pro pacifism story, like what Arena did. Instead, I got an excellent cold War analogue, but it didn't stop there. Stagnation has so far been a justifiable reason for intruding on a culture, one that I've agreed with. To some extent, I might be being led by the narrative: after all, any competently written script with a point is, by definition, a persuasive argument. But to have my own viewpoint set up and then, along with Kirk's, viciously torn down and to have him keep dismantling it for an excruciatingly long time is fucking fantastic. Ayelborne breaks his own prime directive and commits an act of hypocrisy against a government of hypocrits. I could write an essay about this episode (I basically already have). Kor almost gets off lightly, because at least he's honest. But I'll leave it here.

In conclusion, I was taken for a painful, relentless ride and I liked it. An absolute gem of an episode.

Next: The Alternative Factor

As much as the show leans into immortal or omniscient beings, they somehow tend to wind up being memorable episodes, and this is one of my favorites.

IShall_Run_Amok posted...

As much as the show leans into immortal or omniscient beings, they somehow tend to wind up being memorable episodes, and this is one of my favorites.

It probably helps that they keep finding new ways to use them, whether in the main plot or otherwise. On the face of it, Charlie X and The Squire of Gothos are practically the same story, but there's quite a lot that feels different. The worst have probably been the Metrons, if only because their condescension wasn't quite as earned as in other cases. Also, their dialogue at the end is clunky in a way that I'd typically expect from a parody. I'm actually warming to Arena the more I think about it, though. They're keeping godlike beings far fresher than I would've thought possible.

Episode 27: The Alternative Factor

Difficult to know what to say about this one.

The concept is outstanding. Alternate universes always appeal to me and seeing the Enterprise crew try to make sense of it from the ground up is a delight. Quite a chilling idea, that literally everywhere is experiencing the tremors and winking outs. Equally chilling, even though it makes little sense, is the fact that the sensors cant detect anything from the other universe. The antimatter science is, of course, also total bollocks, though its less egregious than most examples. I usually try to avoid mentioning scientific inaccuracies (id be here all day), but antimatter always seems to have the same tropes associated with it. Actually, not making clear sense describes a lot of this episode. Perhaps im just having an especially stupid day, but it didn't seem fully clear what Lazarus' breakdowns were. Throughout most of the episode, i thought he had a split personality going on. Even when they properly introduce the corridor, the exact details seem murky. Best guess is that if one Lazarus enters the corridor, the other "warps" in, as well and both universes feel "reverberations" from their fight. Having both Lazaruses trapped forever in a null space is a harrowing thought. A nice, bleak note to end the episode on.

Feel like Starfleet should have sent reinforcements. I mean, they figure out that the planet is the focal point pretty early. Jumping straight to potential invasion seems like a large leap of logic.

Speaking of logic, Spock seems slightly out of character here. It's not just jumping to the idea of an alternate universe a bit too quickly, it's also the, as Kirk put it, "poetry". He's acting more human than usual. I do know that Nimoy deliberately tried to inject as much character development as possible, so, I mind it at all. It just seems like he made a bit of a sudden leap.

Kirk didn't do much for me. He seemed to alternate (appropriate word) between being stupidly patient with Lazurus and needlessly aggressive, never finding a happy medium. A little bit nasty to McCoy, too, who got to demonstrate his human side, which is always lovely, and wound being the best character in this, despite comparatively little screen time.

Masters is a nice character who got to do far more than I expected. Quite like her. Wouldn't mind seeing her again. Despite being the centrepiece of the episode, Lazarus didn't stand out much. Having an irrational, quasi religious hatred of his other self helps give a human note to an abstract story, but the acting seemed to veer between understated and hammy. Good Lazarus is noble and all, but that's about it.

The superimposed nebula is a frankly crap and annoying effect. The negative colours for the corridor is pretty cool, as is the pulsing light for the gap in the universe. Some nice location work. Some gratuitous closeups of Kirk and Spock's faces when they're discussing the possible destruction of both universes make the experience a bit cringey. The writing is probably the weakest part, though. I've mentioned some ooc moments and logical leaps, but the whole production hinges on a mystery that seems to dawdle for the first half and then throw out more clues than it has plot for. Kirk's left repeating lines so often, you'd think he was Uhura and Shatner seems like he can barely be arsed to act. I was actually suckered into Lazarus' lie about being a time traveller, even though I figured out it was an alternate universe almost immediately. It feels like a red herring that had no purpose in existing. Lazarus seems to break away from his guards with ease and apparently can teleport around the ship. McCoy says he's not leaving sickbay and then fails to even pretend to keep him there. Kirk refuses to engage common sense with dealing with a lunatic on board and Starfleet's role is entirely superfluous. It's difficult to adequately describe why this episode feels like a confusing mess. I did like seeing

Utterly baffling. It's possible that I'm the problem and that I'm having a slow day, but this episode really does seem like a brilliant concept, marred by ropey execution. It's not offensively bad like some, but it's definitely in the middle.

More than most episodes, I'd like to hear other people's thoughts on it.

Next: The City on the Edge of Forever

splodeymissile posted...

Next: The City on the Edge of Forever

Prepare your mind to be blown. It's easily one of the best episodes ever!

Episode 28: The City on the Edge of Forever

Had high expectations for this episode, since its apparent greatness is one of those pop culture points that it's impossible to avoid. For the most part it met, even exceeded, them, but with one big caveat that I'll get into at the end. (CassandraCroft basically hit the nail on the head, but I'll give my own thoughts on the subject). First, though, the good, which is almost everything.

Time travel is a plot point I'll never tire of. Investigating temporal disturbances is a nice reminder of the Enterprise's scientific mission. The Guardian of Forever is a fantastic design, with a unique method of time travel and a massive potential for backstory and lore, which I'm sure the expanded universe has run with and ruined (some mysteries should stay mysterious). The 1930s is a pleasantly surprising era to visit. I would've expected them to visit the wild west, next, but this is frankly better. They do a decent job of highlighting the pains of living in that period, though they obviously can't go too far. Having their timeline erased around them is some good understated horror.

The characters are fantastic. The Guardian is more of a plot device, but he gets some good lines that hint at him being a figure of temptation. Edith is great. I could do without the romance (it's a little surplus to requirements given what her point is) and the filters and love music, but she's intelligent, insightful, compassionate and has good banter with both Kirk and McCoy. The tragedy of her being ahead of her time was a little obvious, but the script mostly makes it work, although her initial optimistic speech about the future seemed to go beyond merely being insightful. Little bit clunky.

Kirk and Spock's banter has been perfected. I'm loving how comfortable Spock gets when it's just the two of them. He's definitely getting more human. He's even fallible in a way we haven't seen before (forgetting to record the living history). One highlight is how they play off each other just before neck pinching the cop.

McCoy's delusions are a hilarious delight. Trying to figure out the strange world he's in once he's lucid is a nice demonstration of his intelligence. I love how resigned he is to the possibility of being insane. Having his compassion for someone he's barely met be the crux of the episode is the kind of wonderful character moment he rarely gets and is perfectly true to what we know of his character. The hug when they reunite is pretty sweet, too.

Sulu and Scotty get to show up which is perfectly alright. Sulu got to give a creepy smile when he woke up. Uhura actually got to do something. It wasn't much, but at least she's no longer chained to her panel.

The ruins around the Guardian give of a sublime ethereal vibe. The 1930s are realised quite well. There's building, alleyways and scruffy vagrants wondering around. Helps give a feeling that its a real city. The soup kitchen was a nice set. I'm a big fan of old style technology, so I enjoyed seeing Spock piss about with vacuum tubes and the like.

Onto the big caveat. Ethics in time travel stories have an unfortunate tendency to devolve into hand wringing over the trolley problem. Preserving the world you come from is all well and good, but there's something uncomfortably Conservative about insisting that time has a natural order that must be maintained. Any time any story suggests that a sacrificial lamb is necessary, I tend to naturally gravitate towards the individual's right to live. Doctor Who has a similar problem with its fixed points and I dislike it there too.

They do try to extol the virtues of the Prime timeline by having Edith and Kirk (and to a lesser extent, McCoy) bond over the wonder and possibilities of space travel. They even include mention of the nazis winning to cheaply add impetus towards the goal of "fixing" the world. The problem is Edith's convictions of peace and pacifism. The timeline changed because she convinced America to be better. But America has to play the "good guy with a gun" role in stopping Germany (let's ignore what the rest of the world was doing), which is an especially unpleasant theme given the ridiculous gun culture over there. So, her ideas are ahead of her time (as Kirk puts it).

Well, there's a solution: let her go to the future. Show her that the world she dreams of exists. Let her live in it. Subvert the tragedy and stay true to the themes of the show by making the Guardian into a benevolent, but tricksy, figure who set this up to rescue someone who's world was ill suited for her ideals. Instead, a damn fine character is forcefully defined by an insulting pointless subversion of the great man theory of history and also by the fact that Kirk loves her. That's the only reason they concede that maybe she should get to live: Kirk is horny. When it's all finished and the Guardian temps them with more possibilities, who can blame Kirk for muttering "let's get the hell out of here"? After what we've just seen, why bother with time travel again? You know exactly how it ends and you won't even enjoy it.

Believe it or not, I actually like this episode and I understand why it's considered a classic. Everything production wise is brilliant. I don't even mind the bleak ending, so much. This may be an optimistic show, but to suggest that it can't go against itself every once in a while is to unfairly limit the stories it can tell. But if you are going to subvert something so fundamental to the show, try to actually say something with the subversion. Errand of Mercy managed that and I loved it for that. Tomorrow is Yesterday was clearly a comedy episode and so didn't expect the audience to care. The only point I can scrounge out of this that might vaguely be intentional is that time travel stories are pointless, miserable and should not be pursued. I may have spoiled myself with Doctor Who, which has done a similar story far too often and I dislike it there too.

It's up high, but not at the top. Honestly, I've spent more time writing this review than I have any of the others because I'm adamant about properly articulating my feelings. I'm still not satisfied with how it's turned out, but I can't spent forever on it.

Operation: Annihilate is next.

Episode 29: Operation: Annihilate

A plague of madness spreading from planet to planet is a fantastic hook. Cool idea to have it be a telepathic mass of giant brain cells. Some nice horror from the idea of causing overwhelming pain to control the host. A weakness to light is slightly unexpected, since, like the characters, I expected heat to be the answer.

Bringing in Kirk's family is an interesting and somewhat strange choice. Because of the whole status quo is god thing, he obviously can't be too broken about it, but he was able to convey some good stoic grief, whilst still getting on with shit. He was snappy without being ooc and insisting on the third alternative just about sums his character up. It's the kind if thing I was missing in the last episode.

Spock got to convey a lot of pain, too. Nimoy's acting knocked it out of the park and we got to see all sorts of tenses and twitches, even when he wasn't the main focus of a shot. His Vulcan nature helping him fight the parasite is a great use of his character. I knew the blindness wouldn't stick, but he still sells it. He's also getting better at the end of episode banter. I like how it took 5 guys to restrain him.

Speaking of banter, with Spock partially out of commission, McCoy got to have some good dialogue with Kirk. Its not as funny, but this is a mostly serious episode. There's a tightness to the script that makes every sentence feel like it flows naturally. His clear grief at inadvertently causing Spock's blindness, combined with Kirk's fury at the fact, is a pretty powerful moment.

Scotty continues to be a scene stealer and his confrontation with Spock in the transporter room has that same general tightness of writing. Sulu and Uhura showed up and so did Chapel. Didn't accomplish much, but they were present. Aurelen or whatever her name was, was annoying. Mentioning that she's in unbearable agony does nothing to make her hysteria tolerable. I was sort of glad when she died. I expected to hate Peter, but he was fortunately asleep for the whole episode. (Feels like they almost forgot about him, actually).

Some nice location work for Denever. Not sure about the orange outfits, though. The cliffhanger for the first commercial break was a little weird. Felt like they lingered on the infected Spock a touch too long. The parasites were fake as fuck, even by the show's standards, but they have an alright design. Liked the buzzing, proper unsettling, but could've done without the squeaking. The remastered effects for the satellites are nice enough, though I wonder why UV light appears red.

No themes to speak of. Just a bit of fun, really.

Good, but not great.

End of season 1

Top 7 (no particular order)

Where No Man Has Gone Before (fantastic pilot episode)

The Naked Time (hilarious and occasionally emotional character study with stellar production)

The Corbomite Maneuver (tense thriller, with a fantastic ending. Sums up the ethos of Star Trek perfectly)

Balance of Terror (submarine warfare in space with a villain every bit Kirk's equal)

Space Seed (Khan solos, but everything else is great, too)

The Devil in the Dark ( another perfect summary of the ethos)

Errand of Mercy (subversion with a beautiful point)

Bottom 7 (no particular order)

The Man Trap (unfortunately generic compared to what came after)

Charlie X (Charlie is insufferable and Gothos did it better)

Mudd's Women (actually offensive. I like it less the more I think of it)

The Galileo Seven (I've warmed to it slightly, but I still don't like how it treats Spock)

Arena (I like the message, but the fight goes on for too long, Kirk is ooc and the Metrons are awful)

Court Martial (liking it less and less. Dodgy production quirks and a weird Luddite message)

The Alternative Factor (even with production issues, this is just bizarre)

Miscellaneous thoughts on some of the rest.

The Cage (liked it, but it's unrankable due to being the pilot for a show that was never made [unless you count Strange New Worlds])

The Menagerie (unrankable due to being a clip show. The new stuff is good, though)

The Conscience of the King (almost made the top 7)

The Squire of Gothos (almost made the top 7)

The Return of the Archons (almost made the top 7)

The City on the Edge of Forever (almost made the top 7. I may disagree with the ending, but I recognise its immense quality)

Starting season 2 tomorrow with Amok Time

Start season 2 with the brilliant Amok Time then move on to my top 3 episodes of the season (probably the series) in The Doomsday Machine, The Trouble With Tribbles and Mirror Mirror and then do the rest of the season.

Season 2: episode 1: Amok Time

Exploring Vulcan culture and biology is not only a neat idea, but arguably a little bit overdue. And it makes sense to have it focus on reproduction, since that's probably the biggest question facing this species: giving how logical, suppressed and scientifically minded they all are, why haven't they died out from sexual apathy? So, we get some neat rituals, a fascinating pseudo marriage that doesn't quite conform to our ideas on the subject and a bunch of made up words to make it seem like Vulcan is an actual world. Given how emotionally intimate Kirk and Spock's relationship is (the start of shippin, apparently), having a fight to the death between them is inspired.

Kirk impressed me. He's incredibly tolerant of Spock's behaviour, tries to understand and be respectful of Vulcan culture and risks his career for the sake of friendship. The confidentiality moment surprised me and is just beautiful.

Spock got to be very creepy and unsettling and Nimoy injects so many little touches like his hands twitching to convey his struggle or clutching them in a pseudo prayer to steel himself for a fight. His insult/warning to T'Pring and Stonn is fantastic, as is his clear elation when he sees that Kirk is alive.

McCoy has been added to the opening credits (and I love the modified opening) and gets to do more in this episode than he did in much of the last season. Having it be him who is most worried about Spock's health is a testament to how strong their friendship is, despite all the bickering. Being invited to the wedding is another nice note. Saving the day by understanding and working with the culture, where Kirk caused havoc by ignorantly blundering in is a good nod to his intelligence and understanding.

We're introduced to Chekov, who I already know from the Shattered Universe game (my first introduction to Star Trek). He has some decent banter with Sulu and his exasperation at constantly having to replot their course is a nice look at what ship politics must be like for the ordinary workers. Uhura and Chapel show up. I honestly forget that Chapel is in this show, sometimes.

T'Pau is magnificent. Takes no shit, but is still courteous enough to answer Kirk and McCoy's questions and indulge their outrage a little bit. Having enough of a commanding presence that she can get Starfleet of Kirk's back is the sort of thing I imagined when I wad told how progressive the show was. Speaking of good female characters, I love T'Pring. I expect that that is a minority opinion, but as our pseudo villain, she's brilliant. At once, intelligence, cold and ruthless, yet she seems to be doing it all for Stonn. It's a shame that Stonn is a complete nothing.

The Enterprise got a new, more bombastic theme and the rest of the score is quite nice. Along with the lingering camera shots, it helps convey how tense it is when Kirk orders Spock into the lift to explain why he ordered a new course. The scene with Chapel in Spock's room has a similar feel. The battle music is great, though Futurama sort of ruined it for me (I'm catching a lot of references, actually). Covering Spock's room in red and the general atmosphere of Vulcan is a neat touch. The scene where they cross the bridge in silhouette is breathtaking. There are other details worth pointing out, like how you can see crewmembers moving about in the background or how Kirk wad climbing out of what seemed to be an engineering area at the start. The production team seem to be incredibly confident and firing on all cylinders this time around. I can't even begin to mention everything.

Having the issues come from sexual repression and ancient tradition, gives the show a nice way to preach cultural relativism, whilst also highlighting problems that our own culture was experiencing. A great way to represent the 60s.

A brilliant way to open the season.

Much as I appreciate recommendations, in order to have as pure a viewing experience as possible, I'm still going in broadcast order, so, the next is Who Mourns for Adonais?