Star Trek TOS Re-Watch

I guess its a matter of how much you rewatch it. I haven't watched it again and again. I watch what I like, and focus on the characters, over the VFX. I skip title sequences and theme music always, doesn't matter what show I'm watching. I watched "Return of the Archons." and personally I didn't see the difference.

But, you've watched this stuff longer than I've been alive so more power to you.

 

That's really what it boils down to mostly (and I do realize there are exceptions): generations. If you watched it from the 60's on, the new effects will feel "new and different from the original" more than it would for people who watched it more recently and less often. How much that matters to the viewer is a personal reaction.

Also, the "rewatching" part probably isn't as strong with people of more recent vintage because, well, they don't do it the same way anymore. We watched it when it was on, watched it every rerun, tape recorded it off the TV, bought the Fotonovels and poster books, bought the VHS tapes and Laserdiscs and watched them until they wore out, bought the DVDs, etc. We memorized episodes. Trek fans were famous for it. If you were, say 10 or 15 when TOS-R was released, or that was the version you started with, you didn't care what was changed, it was a cool show you happened to like a lot. Maybe you didn't see the original effects until after the fact. Or, simply, it's just not than important to you. Fair enough, totally.

Return of the Archons has relatively few effects shots. The orbit shots were replaced, that's about it. But, and this is my age showing, I loved the original montage of shots of the Enterprise during the episode credits. For me, that was a perfect start to act one and the TOS-R version took that away. Pretty much "I prefer it the way it was."

 

I mean, I did all that and still use VHS for some of my favorite works, or VHS transfers. I read TOS novels, the concordance front to back, etc.

I just don't have an affinity for VFX. They just...are.

 

Fair enough. Everyone sees with their own eyes.

 

Moving onto...

For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky **½

Meh. This one feels off. It's not awful, it's not good. It's actually kind of dull, which is the worst thing this series can do. Starts off okay as mysterious missiles are aimed right at the Enterprise. Then McCoy reveals he only has a year to live and that he'll be perfectly fine to keep working if Kirk keeps it a secret. Kirk fails spectacularly at this, first immediately telling Starfleet and orders up a replacement. Then treats him like in invalid and finally telling Spock after fully admitting Bones wouldn't have told him himself. I mean, yeah, Spock is the first officer and has a right to know, but come on.... Then McCoy gets creamed in a fight because he distracted by a lovely priestess who coincidentally falls for him too. The Yamada situation made the "extraordinary act" of contacting starfleet necessary. Why is that extraordinary? I feel like they were always giving Kirk crappy orders about not taking Spock to Vulcan, listing to Nils Barris, or warning him of Lazarus or something.

At least McCoy deciding to stay and live out his last months with a lovely woman rather than be treated like a leper and shipped off ASAP by his closest friend makes some kind of sense (but after he's married he stays in uniform). And to McCoy's credit, he makes his decision to leave before he's cured. But everything here just feels lazy and padded. Nice fight in the first act though and Kirk kicks a guards hat right off his head, which is cool. Usually even Bad Trek had some kind of manic energy or camp value, but this one is lifeless.

Day of the Dove *****

KANG: You attacked my ship! Four hundred of my crew dead. Kirk, my ship is disabled. I claim yours. You are now prisoners of the Klingon Empire against which you have committed a wanton act of war!

So begins what is easily the last, great episode of classic Star Trek and one of my all time favorites. Michael Ansara brings to Kang intelligence, dignity, and incredible intensity. He is a perfect match for William Shatner (who is a little unhinged here - but rightly so) and one of Kirk’s greatest adversaries. On par easily with Ricardo Montalban and John Colicos, Ansara dominates every scene is in and creates an unforgettable character. Kang was popular enough to bring back as an older (and updated) version in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. To this day, I wish he was brought in for the villain role in Star Trek IV: The Undiscovered Country.

The episode is exceptionally well written; a commentary on the futility of war, how soldiers are manipulated into killing for the good of a higher organization’s ideals, and how mutual cooperation can give even the most hated enemies common ground. The title refers to the “hawks” and “doves” of the Viet Nam era, with the “Doves” wanting peace and the “Hawks” advocating war. Sadly, the meaning of the title diminished over the decades.

While Khan is widely considered Kirk’s greatest enemy – a point hammered home by the franchise’s refusal to stop using the character or his descendants - I find Kang to be a much more compelling adversary. Kirk and Kang are equals. Both starship commanders and contemporaries and Kang still takes over the ship – much more quickly than Khan did and all without making Kirk look like an idiot. Ansara’s chemistry with Susan Howard (Mara) is tight and her turn to help Kirk doesn’t mean betrayal of Kang. She merely recognizes the need to cooperate to defeat a common enemy. The alien is manipulating them from the moment the landing party beams down, so everyone is on edge from the start. The hijacking of the Enterprise is well done and Kirk's revenge punch is a great moment. McCoy flips out, Scotty freaks, Spock nearly caves the guy's head in and Shatner loses is $hit. Chekov going on his rampage is chilling and his thwarted rape of Mara is edgy and very uncomfortable. Everything in this episode works for me and while the regulars are unable to control themselves, Kang is quiet, controlled, menacing. And not only do we get so many Klingons, we get the makeup just right. They haven't looked this good in seasons.

Sulu even gets some cool things to do: make some repairs, do some fencing and deliver a karate chop. Lost of good cast action here.

The rest of the season still has a couple of gems, but this is, I feel, the apex of the season. If Freiberger had reason to be proud of any one episode, this would certainly be one of the top picks.

 

How so? The dove has been a universal symbol of peace since early Christian times.

 

And Picasso made it more famous in 1949. https://www.forbes.com/sites/neloli...ide-symbol-of-hope-and-unity/?sh=211f005b17d1

 

I meant in general population. It had a more common use during the Vietnam Anti-War movement to represent both sides. We (or I, rather) don't hear it tossed around these days as it has fallen out of common use and in terms of the title of the episode, time may have dulled the meaning.

 

I think hawks and doves is still in common usage. Go read any contemporary articles on people's attitudes towards the conflict in Ukraine for example.

For the World... If you read Roddenberry's Star Trek: The Motion Picture novel he references three episodes: Amok Time because he mentions the seven year Vulcan mating cycle and Doomsday Machine because he has the character of Decker. But he mentions McCoy and his study of Fabrini medicine at least twice!

Day of the Dove is my exhibit A when anyone tries to say that all of season three is garbage. And Ansara is a big part of the success of this episode.

I also point out that when Mara says " I've heard of their atrocities, their death camps. They will torture us for our scientific and military information." we rightly dismiss her as being lied to (by... Rumors? Official Klingon media?) Kirk tells a similar story about the Klingons in Errand of Mercy. Not only is he not contradicted by Kor rolls in and proceeds to act out exactly what Kirk described.

These is not just "Hey, these are two societies with different points of view".

It's funny that the jarring thing about McCoy is not that he's a virulent racist, but only that he's now pro warfare as well. The one that's surprising to hear call Spock a freak is Scotty.

This is also one of the many episodes that I point to when I say "Bottle shows are awesome!"

 

Indeedydingdangdong. That's why I'm adding THOLIAN WEB as Exhibit B. Less Shatner, tastes great. And just to balance things out, I'll also add a planet show.....perhaps the third year's best. You don't even need to be a disciple of PLATO to enjoy it. You only must not ignore its message. You will need to tolerate 30 seconds of Horsey-Shatner, of course....

Exhibit C: PLATO'S STEPCHILDREN.

 

BTW, listening to the news today of the Iranian missile attacks this weekend, I feel like I need to take a shot every time someone says "hawks" or "doves". But I can't drink that much while I'm working.

I can't stand that episode, but I appreciate your enthusiasm. Denise Okuda hates it way more than I do.

 

I hear it a lot of the time with people I discuss politics with.

 

"Plato's Stepchildren"? Feh. Like many third-season episodes, it feels like a half-hour script padded out to an hour. Our heroes are forced into degrading and humiliating performances again and again and again, to the point where you feel embarrassed -- not for the characters, but for the actors. I want to say, "Okay, enough already. We get it!" I don't know which is more cringeworthy -- Shatner's bad imitation of a horse or Nimoy's bad imitation of a folk singer.

 

Yes, this! I'm looking forward to seeing it again in my re-watch. I'd say it also lays the groundwork for the more honorable Klingons in the movies and TNG with Kang and Mara.

I always took that to show there's always propaganda on both sides (even if some things are true). "In war, truth is the first casualty."

 

Good VFX both illustrate and enhance stories that require them. Galileo 7, Doomsday Machine, Balance of Terror are all good examples.

But let's also be realistic here, I love TOS warts and all, and some of those old effects can really take you out of things.

 

I have yet to be taken out by old effects in older series, or films I have been watching, save maybe a handful of times, usually with reverse projection.

TOS I can't think of one off the top of my head. But, again, if I'm along for the moment in the story the VFX is likely not going to jump out at me

 

For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky

Star Trek, and not just TOS have lots of problems telling romantic stories. One gender or the other is usually behaving immaturely. I don't think this episode is any different.

The only real satisfaction I got was the defeat of the Soulless Minions of Orthodoxy. You get a point for that episode.

5 out of 10

Day of the Dove

I like this episode. There remain some practical questions such as exactly who and what can survive what injuries and so on, but the episode is clearly meant to be a take on the peace movement of the 60s and isn't meant to be taken literally. Modern audiences may feel this episode is dated, and the bloodless violence seems absurd, but the message is there: if we can get along with violent people (or goateed alien mongols) there may be a chance for us all.

I'll go for that.

9 out of 10

 

TOS mainly uses quick cuts and establishing shots, so there aren't as many as later shows.

I'm thinking of a few things: establishing shots where the ship is a mess of grainy, low-rez compositing heading straight for my eyeballs. Ships sort of lose their majesty with that.

The droopy Constellation from Balance of Terror.

Several transparent shots of the Enterprise as it glides in by the screen.

In addition, some things that aren't there are better in the remaster, like Memory Alpha, etc.

 

"Catspaw" by Robert Bloch

Star Trek's Halloween episode (aired 10/27/67). Written by the writer of "Psycho" and "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper." He also wrote the episode "What are Little Girls Made Of?"

Sulu, Scotty, and Jackson are missing on a planet with no signs of life. Jackson calls for beam up, but he's dead when he gets aboard. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down to the planet to investigate. Fog appears with no weather-related reason and 3 witches from the Scottish play warn them off. (One of my fave lines: SPOCK: Very bad poetry, Captain.)

They read life signs and follow them to a creepy castle with a gorgeous black cat. Then they fall in a pit trap and wake chained to the wall. Scotty and Sulu, mind-controlled, come to fetch them and they try to overcome them but are suddenly in another room. There they meet Korob, who looks like a wizard. Korob seems to consult with the black cat like a familiar. Korob admits they are not native to this world. He invites them to eat, then tries to bribe them with gems. (They have no value because "We could manufacture a ton of these on our ship.")

The cat leaves and in walks Sylvia, wearing a diamond pendant just like the cat. She states that she killed Jackson with sympathetic magic, and demonstrates with a model Enterprise over a flame. Allowing Kirk to contact the ship, he finds they're burning up. Kirk surrenders and Korob puts the Enterprise model into crystal, which acts as a force field, keeping anyone from beaming down. (KOROB: Captain, you've seen something of our science. Now tell us about yours.) KIrk and Spock are taken back to the dungeon while Sylvia interrogates McCoy. Kirk and Spock speculate they pulled their scenarios from the unconscious. McCoy comes back zombified.

Korob and Sylvia argue. Sylvia is enjoying the new sensations their humanoid forms give them. Kirk is brought to her and Korob leaves. She admits they come from a world without sensation, so Kirk tries to seduce her. She realizes he's playing her and gets pissed off. Meanwhile on the ship, they manage to put a dent in the force field.

Korob frees Kirk and Spock and has freed Enterprise. But Sylvia has transformed herself into a very large cat and is stalking them. They end up back in the dungeon and Sylvia pushes the door open onto Korob, killing him. Kirk grabs his wand and he and Spock go back up through the hole they fell through. They end up having to fight off Sulu, Scotty, and McCoy, knocking them out.

Sylvia appears, grabs Kirk and transports them back to the dining hall. She tries to win him over then threatens him with a phaser. Kirk smashes the wand, breaking their transmuter. There is a flash of blinding light and the crew - back to themselves - find themselves outside. Nearby are Korob and Sylvia as they really are, and they die.

For some reason, I thought I recalled this as a bad episode and it isn't. It's not top tier, but it's a perfectly acceptable adventure. Shatner does a nice job messing with Sylvia and Theo Marcuse does his usual fine job as Korob. Antoinette Bower does well at showing how Sylvia is enjoying her new sensations. The aliens' true forms are creepy looking puppets that are actually kind of pathetic. I felt a little sorry for them. I love Sylvia's outfit btw. Maybe I'll cosplay her someday.

 

Bloch also wrote the episode "Wolf in the Fold".