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Which Episode Grew On You?

Spock's Barber

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Rear Admiral
Which TOS episode did you initially dislike intensely, but gradually came to see some merit in it?

For me it was "Is There In Truth No Beauty?". When I first watched it, I thought "WTH is this?"

However, after a few years I started to appreciate this episode and its significant meaning. It's still not my favorite, but it has moved up on my list.
 
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That's a good choice. For me, "Miri" was a stupid kid-centric show (I was a kid at the time and I felt patronized. When didn't I?). Later, though, I started to appreciate the way the characters worked together as a team. Instead of Kirk or Spock coming up with the answers, I believe the one of the better examples of the landing party acting as a unit.
 
For myself I would include 3 on the list, "Miri", "Conscience of the King" and "That Which Survives"; all of which I enjoy now. Go figure! These were the ONLY trek episodes I would miss when they came on.
 
"The Conscience of the King" comes to mind for me. It's still no favorite by any stretch, but I think I appreciate what it was doing a lot more now than I did as a teenager.
 
The Way to Eden.

Hated it when I was young (back when there were still hippies). Seeing it recently, I found it far better than I remembered it.

Comparing it to all the other 60s television "obligatory hippie episodes," (Batman, Lost in Space, etc.) it holds up quite well.
 
What are little girls made of? Really did not like the premise and found it depressing. Rewatched it recently and found I liked the psychology behind Korby's insanity and how it dawns on Kirk how evil his whole plot was. Find I now kind of like this ep.
 
There's quite a few actually:

First is The Way To Eden. I was always somewhat embarrassed by this episode because all I could see were the "space hippies". Watching it now, I can see discern the plot that was there all along; that Sevrin was a manipulative and older person preying on the idealism of the young to achieve his own wishes. Even better, I actually like the songs now as well which don't sound nearly as hackneyed as I remembered and give the episode a interesting change of pace.

A few others, like The Lights Of Zetar and Spectre Of The Gun play better to me now that I'm an adult than they did when I was a kid. I thought it was kind of goofy for Scotty to fall so hard for Mira Romaine but now find the in-story rationale behind the romance and it's portrayal quite sweet. I was never a fan of westerns so Spectre Of The Gun didn't do much for me as a kid but now I consider it to be one of my favorite episodes for various reasons.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Star Trek:The Motion Picture which I found difficult to watch for many years. It wasn't until the BluRay disc came out that I suddenly could watch the movie and divorce myself from all the disappointments I felt back in 1980 and think that they changed everything. Now I consider it to be my favorite Trek film. It's not perfect but I find myself watching more than nearly any other Trek film made.
 
There's quite a few actually:

First is The Way To Eden. I was always somewhat embarrassed by this episode because all I could see were the "space hippies". Watching it now, I can see discern the plot that was there all along; that Sevrin was a manipulative and older person preying on the idealism of the young to achieve his own wishes. Even better, I actually like the songs now as well which don't sound nearly as hackneyed as I remembered and give the episode a interesting change of pace.

A few others, like The Lights Of Zetar and Spectre Of The Gun play better to me now that I'm an adult than they did when I was a kid. I thought it was kind of goofy for Scotty to fall so hard for Mira Romaine but now find the in-story rationale behind the romance and it's portrayal quite sweet. I was never a fan of westerns so Spectre Of The Gun didn't do much for me as a kid but now I consider it to be one of my favorite episodes for various reasons.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Star Trek:The Motion Picture which I found difficult to watch for many years. It wasn't until the BluRay disc came out that I suddenly could watch the movie and divorce myself from all the disappointments I felt back in 1980 and think that they changed everything. Now I consider it to be my favorite Trek film. It's not perfect but I find myself watching more than nearly any other Trek film made.
Agreed about TMP, I have also grown to appreciate it over the years. It was the most ambitious of the original-cast movies, and the closest in concept to the original series.
 
I'd have to say that it's "The Empath." I hated that episode when I was a kid...but now I think it's a pretty damn good piece of science fiction
 
I'd have to say that it's "The Empath." I hated that episode when I was a kid...but now I think it's a pretty damn good piece of science fiction

I believe that some of our members from England said that The Empath was banned from being broadcast by the BBC for many years because of the torture scenes.
 
The Way to Eden.

Hated it when I was young (back when there were still hippies). Seeing it recently, I found it far better than I remembered it.

Comparing it to all the other 60s television "obligatory hippie episodes," (Batman, Lost in Space, etc.) it holds up quite well.
Same here. I think Remastered somehow toned the effect down somewhat, it seems less "wacky" and more serious.
 
A Piece of the Action

When I first saw it, I pretty much dismissed it. "Oh great, YET another planet that was influenced in every facet of its evolution by some human artifact that was left behind..."

Humor...a difficult concept. It is not logical.

Years on, this episode is essential just because of how much fun it is. Shatner going full gangster was a real delight.
 
A Piece of the Action

When I first saw it, I pretty much dismissed it. "Oh great, YET another planet that was influenced in every facet of its evolution by some human artifact that was left behind..."

Humor...a difficult concept. It is not logical.

Years on, this episode is essential just because of how much fun it is. Shatner going full gangster was a real delight.

I think it will be a few more years (or decades) before I can add APotA to my watchable list. :ack:
 
I can't think of any episodes that "grew on me". Been a fan for too long, 40+ years, and cant think of any episodes of TOS that I disliked as a kid and started liking as I got older. But the reverse....APotA is an example of an episode I recall liking when I was younger, and that I ceased to like by my mid 20s. I, Mudd is another such example. I may like a bit here and there from each, but mostly consider those two episodes to be idiotic and have for most of my adult life.

I think it will be a few more years (or decades) before I can add APotA to my watchable list. :ack:

For me, only if I get so old that I regress to an infantile state.:)
 
I believe that some of our members from England said that The Empath was banned from being broadcast by the BBC for many years because of the torture scenes.
Two the episodes that have featured in this thread were of the original 4 banned by the BBC I.e. Miri and The Empath. The other Two being Whom the Gods Destroy and Plato's Stepchildren.
 
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