50th Anniversary Rewatch Thread
- Thread starter dahj
- Start date
The first use of DNA profiling in a criminal investigation occurred in 1986 -- twenty years after the episode was filmed.
That's because nowadays we all have dirty minds!
I don't hold it against them for not predicting those advances, it's that they don't predict any advances (they did the vocal thing, granted, but it was demonstrated as unreliable).
Also, the courts of the future apparently still put human memory above any possible scientific evidence, and studies in recent years are consistently showing that human memory really sucks, so they failed to predict that too
Leighton never showed up for the party, so presumably she killed him before coming there and meeting Kirk. Don't know why she lead him to the murdersite though...
Speaking of odd choices, why did Kirk decide to move Riley to engineering anyway?
Presumably so he'd be down in the secondary hull and not running into Karidian.
The flaw for me was always that the daughter was so obviously creepy and unpleasant that it was obvious she had to be the murderer.
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The eugenics came in when Karidian chose who lived and who died according to who was most worthy, in his opinion, rather than at random.
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One scene is new to me, which always was cut before-- the one where McCoy is drinking on the job. He's generally unpleasant, as if they were setting him up to be the ship's troublemaker.
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The eugenics came in when Karidian chose who lived and who died according to who was most worthy, in his opinion, rather than at random.
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One scene is new to me, which always was cut before-- the one where McCoy is drinking on the job. He's generally unpleasant, as if they were setting him up to be the ship's troublemaker.
50 years ago this week:
New on the U.S. charts:
"(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," The Monkees
(#20 US)
"Nashville Cats," The Lovin' Spoonful
(#8 US; #26 UK)
"Standing in the Shadows of Love," Four Tops
(#6 US; #2 R&B; #6 UK; #464 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time)
"Snoopy vs. The Red Baron," The Royal Guardsmen
(#2 US; #8 UK)
And airing Thursday night:
New on the U.S. charts:
"(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," The Monkees
(#20 US)
"Nashville Cats," The Lovin' Spoonful
(#8 US; #26 UK)
"Standing in the Shadows of Love," Four Tops
(#6 US; #2 R&B; #6 UK; #464 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time)
"Snoopy vs. The Red Baron," The Royal Guardsmen
(#2 US; #8 UK)
And airing Thursday night:
And Friday night, it's Captain Pike vs. the Green Hornet!
(R.I.P. Van Williams)
(R.I.P. Van Williams)
I like the Shakespearian aspect of the episode. I love Barbara Anderson crazy eyes. I wonder why the security guard was so incompetent to let her take his phaser from him. it is good to see Riley again in a more serious role. He should have been in more episodes. It is great to see Spock confront the Captain. I note that Spock wants McCoy there. He must know that McCoy will back him up when questioning Kirk. It is always good to see those three have their debates. Fine episode.
He's just glad he survived to tell about it.
Submarines... in space!!!
While most of the physics of a submarine battle that were ripped off for this episode shouldn't really be applicable in space none of that really matters because the episode is so darn good.
The Romulans are instantly sold as one of the best villains Star Trek will have with basically very little dialogue that establishes pretty much everything we need to know about their society. Mark Lenard's commander manages to simultaneously present himself as a great character as well as introduce us to the entire concept of the Romulan Star Empire. Also, they look cool which is a plus, so well done wardrobe department.
Kirk shines as well by having a strong opponent. McCoy and Spock take opposite sides of the peace/war angle. We see input from other bridge crew as well, and the doomed couple also manages to avoid looking tacked on, their few scenes together bringing us an element of human tragedy to the proceedings.
By the way, did they intentionally not use the term "torpedoes" so as not to be too much on the nose with the submarine stuff? Or was this episode really the first one to prompt them to think "hey maybe there should be two types of weapons on board..."
(very minor) nitpicks:
- "there may be spies on board" comes out of nowhere
- Janice is only there to be embraced in time of peril
- firing "phasers" is done from a special room which was never done before or after
- Romulans evidently build starship interiors out of plaster
"He's a sorcerer that one..."
While most of the physics of a submarine battle that were ripped off for this episode shouldn't really be applicable in space none of that really matters because the episode is so darn good.
The Romulans are instantly sold as one of the best villains Star Trek will have with basically very little dialogue that establishes pretty much everything we need to know about their society. Mark Lenard's commander manages to simultaneously present himself as a great character as well as introduce us to the entire concept of the Romulan Star Empire. Also, they look cool which is a plus, so well done wardrobe department.
Kirk shines as well by having a strong opponent. McCoy and Spock take opposite sides of the peace/war angle. We see input from other bridge crew as well, and the doomed couple also manages to avoid looking tacked on, their few scenes together bringing us an element of human tragedy to the proceedings.
By the way, did they intentionally not use the term "torpedoes" so as not to be too much on the nose with the submarine stuff? Or was this episode really the first one to prompt them to think "hey maybe there should be two types of weapons on board..."
(very minor) nitpicks:
- "there may be spies on board" comes out of nowhere
- Janice is only there to be embraced in time of peril
- firing "phasers" is done from a special room which was never done before or after
- Romulans evidently build starship interiors out of plaster
"He's a sorcerer that one..."
"Spies on board" was actually an abandoned subplot. When they see the Rom ship for the first time it's supposed to be clearly stolen Fed technology. Meaning not only might there be spies (and who looks like a Romulan, huh?) but that there ARE Romulan spies somewhere in the Federation! (Shades of BSG!) You can still kind of see that in the Romulan ship design. It has a saucer, a command deck, and nacelles on pylons.
Yeah, they hadn't come up with torpedoes yet. They won't be introduced until Arena. The fact that the visuals, sound FX, and behavior are all just like photon torpedoes meant that I wouldn't realize that they weren't for YEARS after. (Star Fleet Battles didn't help this.)
Corbomite Maneuver does mention phaser crews and we hear Bailey talking to them. I always liked the idea of having actual dedicated weapons teams rather than having Sulu or Chekov with a panel running the whole thing. I realize that present day automation is probably closer to what we see later.
It always cracked me up that The Making of Star Trek (and presumably the writers guide) calls out the "hug the pretty girl in time of peril) as something to avoid as unrealistic. But now we've seen in at least twice. Here and in Where No Man Has Gone Before. Did we see it in Corbomite? Naked Time?
How many Romulans does it take to change a light bulb?
One to change the light bulb, 100 to destroy the ship for failure.
Yeah, they hadn't come up with torpedoes yet. They won't be introduced until Arena. The fact that the visuals, sound FX, and behavior are all just like photon torpedoes meant that I wouldn't realize that they weren't for YEARS after. (Star Fleet Battles didn't help this.)
Corbomite Maneuver does mention phaser crews and we hear Bailey talking to them. I always liked the idea of having actual dedicated weapons teams rather than having Sulu or Chekov with a panel running the whole thing. I realize that present day automation is probably closer to what we see later.
It always cracked me up that The Making of Star Trek (and presumably the writers guide) calls out the "hug the pretty girl in time of peril) as something to avoid as unrealistic. But now we've seen in at least twice. Here and in Where No Man Has Gone Before. Did we see it in Corbomite? Naked Time?
How many Romulans does it take to change a light bulb?
One to change the light bulb, 100 to destroy the ship for failure.
Dagger of the Mind, Kirk and (forget name) in elevator ... At best, the gimmick is transparently forced, and at worst it makes both parties appear weaker than Starfleet people are supposed to be, the men too. That's if they both look so scared that they have to hold each other, or something. Hold my hand to help me through the big scary thing, anonymous woman on the Bridge, says Gary Lockwood without words, by holding his hand out. He'p me Mommy...
It would have made sense in that context, but as I understand it none of that was actually filmed.
So it's weird that they didn't rearrange that existing scene slightly so that the "there might be spies" line comes after the reveal that Romulans and Vulcans look alike and not immediately before.
Anyone know what aired in its slot on the 12/22/66? It could inform my "50 years ago this week" post. Holiday special? Rerun?
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Star Trek
"Balance of Terror"
Stardate 1709.2
In its own way, this one feels every bit as "way too late" in airdate order as WNMHGB.
Then they go to the opposite extreme by having the Enterprise demonstrate the seldom-used ability to actually get visuals from the Romulan bridge when the Romulans are just standing around and stuff...might have made more sense if they'd tapped into an actual visual message.
I do like how the Romulans' own sensors are affected by this version of the cloaking device--a sensible limitation that would be discarded in later iterations. And I love that the plot is informed by subspace communications lag. No real-time communications across interstellar distances is how it should always be. Even FTL signals should still travel at finite speeds.
I had to question the part where Kirk says that the outposts are considered expendable to avoid war. I can see that going for the Enterprise, but the Romulans crossing the Neutral Zone themselves and destroying multiple bases is an act of war already...the equivalent of Pearl Harbor. It'd be different if they'd just caught the ship skulking around spying or something.
_______
Star Trek
"Balance of Terror"
Stardate 1709.2
In its own way, this one feels every bit as "way too late" in airdate order as WNMHGB.
Agreed. Great tension in this one from the first scene. Elements like having never seen a Romulan because they didn't even have visual communications back in the day feel a bit contrived in retrospect, but they paint a picture of an intriguingly primitive 22nd century that ENT would throw out the airlock.
Then they go to the opposite extreme by having the Enterprise demonstrate the seldom-used ability to actually get visuals from the Romulan bridge when the Romulans are just standing around and stuff...might have made more sense if they'd tapped into an actual visual message.
I do like how the Romulans' own sensors are affected by this version of the cloaking device--a sensible limitation that would be discarded in later iterations. And I love that the plot is informed by subspace communications lag. No real-time communications across interstellar distances is how it should always be. Even FTL signals should still travel at finite speeds.
I had to question the part where Kirk says that the outposts are considered expendable to avoid war. I can see that going for the Enterprise, but the Romulans crossing the Neutral Zone themselves and destroying multiple bases is an act of war already...the equivalent of Pearl Harbor. It'd be different if they'd just caught the ship skulking around spying or something.
Yeah, that really jumped out at me this time.
Me, too. Phaser Control could be considered the weapons equivalent of Engineering. It's not enough that Sulu pushes the buttons telling the ship where to go and how fast, Scotty and his crew have to do things below decks to make it happen.
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