Pick 1 Episode, Add, Modify or Delete One Thing To Improve It

In "Alternative Factor" change the story to an invasion from the Mirror Universe. Lazarus must go into the Mirror Universe and destroy the device allowing transport across the universe barrier. He saves our universe but sacrifices his life here in the process and he is trapped there.

With his ultimate fate unknown, the episode ends with Kirk contemplating "what of Lazarus?"

 

I like it too...I just think it could have been improved without some of that silliness.

 

I liked the Gorn. You make a good point, JB. I wonder why they didn't have a return visit in a future episode. From what I understand, Bob Justman had both Gorn costumes sitting in his office, sometimes in provocative poses.

 

What silliness? The whole episode was silly.

But it was silly in a fun way. Or maybe I just like Adam's singing voice. That's sufficient reason all by itself to like this episode. I appreciate good singers.

There's a fanfic story in the series linked in my sig that explores this episode more fully, and in that one, the surviving Eden group aren't as cornflake-brained as they present themselves. There's something more going on, and several of the Enterprise crew end up infiltrating the group to find out what's really going on.

 

Which is why I also said something about And the Children Shall Lead. I just thought it should be pointed out about how well the Gorn suit was actually done is all.

 

Agreed

Also in that same vein, don't have the Mirror Mirror people beam into each other's clothes. I know it was done for dramatic effect and to skip a clothes changing scene I suppose. When they were chatting in sickbay they could have changed clothes. Evil Captain Kirk doesn't have to justify his wardrobe to anyone.

 

In "The Changeling," eliminate the bit where Nomad completely wipes Uhura's memory. Then we'd be spared the ridiculous scene of her being "re-educated."

As to what happened to Leighton's face and why, I think the viewer's imagination is more powerful than anything a screenwriter could come up with.

The revelation that Balok was really a harmless-looking, childlike alien was kind of the point.

That was no dwarf, that was Clint Howard (who was seven years old at the time). And he was wearing a bald skullcap. Today, Clint still has the same wonky teeth -- and he doesn't need the bald cap!

Without the clothing switch, when the landing party materialized aboard the Evil Enterprise, they'd have been recognized immediately as a different Kirk, McCoy, Scotty and Uhura.

Besides, haven't you ever awoken in a strange place wearing someone else's clothes?

 

Yeah, the reveal of him being harmless and childlike was the point, and should stay in. But while the idea is good, the execution is... not. There are far better examples of depicting "innocent" aliens than here. This is one of the rare cases, were the make-up and actor actually completely took me out of the suspension of disbeliev on TOS.

So yeah: Maybe cast an actual actor who is capable of delivering both the child-like aspects, as well as give him make-up actually looking believable as an harmless alien?

 

Yep. One of the most disastrously bad scenes in the entirety of TOS. It is the one scene that dates the series more than any other.

 

Howard had been acting for about three years when cast in Star Trek.

 

But was he "harmless"? He seemed to have a great amount of power at his command.

 

Maybe he was into Gorn Porn?
JB

 

Not lately no!
JB

 

I agree with what scotpens said about the Uhura memory issue in "The Changeling."

Make it more about "blocked memory" rather than a wipe...so that it's not literally re-education we're being asked to buy...but more the process of bringing her memories and experiences back to the surface.

 

I'd change phasers to photon torpedoes in the Balance of Terror and think of a way to make the notion of the ship being a threat with simple impulse power less silly (maybe limited warp drive and the mention of a warp capable vessel hiding just beyond the neutral zone) to avoid taking a decade to travel between targets.

 

I've always taken it that way anyway. Uhura is unchanged personality-wise afterward, which would be impossible, as personality relies too much on experience to duplicate in the short term. The more she's re-educated, the more she remembers of herself. Nomad's wipe isn't erasure, just the mind protecting itself from the scan Nomad does.

 

^And if her memory was completely wiped, there's be no way she could revert to Swahili while being taught English.

 

Bingo...totally agreed!

 

A private Little War SOUNDS great but is horrible to WATCH for two reasons. The horrible wigs on the hill people and mugato costume. A great story but hard on the eyes. Would love to see both fixed.