Star Trek TOS Re-Watch
- Thread starter Commander Troi
- Start date
I preferred serialized. Episodic is ok, like McDonalds. But it's not my everyday fare. TOS is great but I don't want it everyday.
'Fringe' had stand alone episodes linked to a multi-layered series arc- the arc in season would becomd a smaller part of another arc with large misdirections. That was until the final season where the show rebooted into an alternate future reality (hated that season).
I must confess that while I loved the stand alone episodes 'The X Files' lost me with the huge conspiracy series arc. I missed several shows and could never get back with it- every time they cut to smoking guy they lost me.
I do agree that 'Babylon 5' did it perfectly
I must confess that while I loved the stand alone episodes 'The X Files' lost me with the huge conspiracy series arc. I missed several shows and could never get back with it- every time they cut to smoking guy they lost me.
I do agree that 'Babylon 5' did it perfectly
I think that was more of a function that Straczynski plotted out an actual beginning, middle and end for that show before it even started. The earlier seasons had more non-arc filler episodes that usually weren't nearly as good. I think we actually got lucky the production became worried they wouldn't get five seasons and those were dropped so they could cram everything he originally planned to do into four. Of course, when it did end up being five seasons, we get an unplanned fifth season that's largely forgettable.
"Arena", "Bread and Circuses", and "The Gamesters of Triskelion" all have the bridge crew watching, not whole episodes, but at least Star Trek fight scenes on TV. I'm glad they didn't do it for the fights in "Amok Time." That would have been one time too many.
I am guilty of this, although I watch TOS anyway.
The Savage Curtain instead of Bread and Circuses, maybe? I don't remember the crew as spectators in the latter, but the former is definitely part of the You May Now Watch Your Captain Fight for Your Lives on the Viewscreen Trilogy, along with the other two you mentioned. On the other hand maybe I forgot a key scene in Bread.
I forgot to include "The Savage Curtain," thanks.
While it's not technically canon, I believe Scotty had to be watching Name the Winner in "Bread and Circuses." The teaser demonstrates that they can watch Empire TV news on the bridge. Scotty comes up with a plan to disrupt Kirk's captors with a brief power outage. And then he times it to the second. How could he get the timing perfect if he wasn't following the broadcasts?
You don't see proof in the episode, but I think that was due to a mistake in post production. Kirk's near-execution was supposed to be on the main viewing screen when Scotty says "Now, Mr. Chekov," and it just didn't get put there for some reason.
Could be monitoring by radio.
I learned all the episode titles and storylines from the Star Trek quiz book by Bart Andrews and Brad Dunning by Sphere books in 1978. The questions on the individual episodes began at #22 with The Man Trap and ended at #100 with Turnabout Intruder and when referencing the shows in my mind I still think of them with those episodic numbers to this day! 
JB
JB
I wouldn't call it a mistake, just a cost saving...I agree, Scotty must have been clued into the broadcast to time the blackout, but just not on the main viewer. It would be okay to have the image of the planet on the main viewer since Chekov was on the verge of blacking out the whole planet and he could use visual feedback of the planet going dark (in the dark regions at least).
Lard!!!!!
I do hope you meant to call him that and this wasn't a typo, Foxhot! 
Ha,Ha! I nearly called you Foxtrot too! 
JB
Fantastic job CT! A little like my "Bigger, Badder, Balder", though more succinct. And of course you did it first. I'm going to be reading this thread in conjunction with my own, and also my exploration of the role of women in TOS, so expect some comments. Most likely all good. I've only read your first two posts so far but they rock, and I will take great pleasure reading through the whole thread. You have something similar to my own approach to writing. Sorry about that.
Yes, but the point is that in The Menagerie, they were watching scenes from The Cage - not other scenes from the same episode they were currently in.
Moving on to the next couple in production order:
A Taste of Armageddon. **** my favorite episode in the latter half of the season but not an episode that shows up on anyone's "top 10" lists. Solid adventure, great guest cast and a wonderfully cold “General Order 24” which is either the Federation at their most hard-assed or a killer bluff by Kirk. It would totally be in Kirk’s nature to have a bluff to that degree in place but nothing the dialog says it’s anything but a genuine order. Anyway, really great episode.
Space Seed ***½ good solid episode elevated by Montalban and dragged down just a little by the McGiver’s character and Kirk’s short sightedness: “sure, take a look at our tech manuals, stranger from the Eugenics Wars.” McGivers, a woman so “meh” she’s annoyed she has to work instead of painting, a person so bland and useless to Kirk that he doesn’t even remember her name. Is Khan’s Kirk’s greatest enemy? Nah, he’s just his most famous, thanks to the movie. Kirk still kicked Khan’s ass with a paper towel roll to the back. It is fast paced, though, and the scenes between Kirk and Khan crackle with tension.
A Taste of Armageddon. **** my favorite episode in the latter half of the season but not an episode that shows up on anyone's "top 10" lists. Solid adventure, great guest cast and a wonderfully cold “General Order 24” which is either the Federation at their most hard-assed or a killer bluff by Kirk. It would totally be in Kirk’s nature to have a bluff to that degree in place but nothing the dialog says it’s anything but a genuine order. Anyway, really great episode.
Space Seed ***½ good solid episode elevated by Montalban and dragged down just a little by the McGiver’s character and Kirk’s short sightedness: “sure, take a look at our tech manuals, stranger from the Eugenics Wars.” McGivers, a woman so “meh” she’s annoyed she has to work instead of painting, a person so bland and useless to Kirk that he doesn’t even remember her name. Is Khan’s Kirk’s greatest enemy? Nah, he’s just his most famous, thanks to the movie. Kirk still kicked Khan’s ass with a paper towel roll to the back. It is fast paced, though, and the scenes between Kirk and Khan crackle with tension.
Last edited:
Indeed.
Shatner was prone to mispronunciation, but Kirk was intentionally written to not really know who McGivers was. She was far beneath his notice and expressed disregard for her usefulness.
"This will give that historian something to do for a change, what's her name...? Ma-give-ers?"
And he didn't even hide it when she walked into the transporter room.
I guess I can understand why she felt for Khan, he at least expressed appreciation for her.
"This will give that historian something to do for a change, what's her name...? Ma-give-ers?"
And he didn't even hide it when she walked into the transporter room.
I guess I can understand why she felt for Khan, he at least expressed appreciation for her.
Except that's all followed up with the wonderful scene with her sickbay in which Kirk demonstrates total mastery of psychology, command, and self-confidence. He wouldn’t have bothered if he didn't care about McGivers. I like to think this contributes to her decision to save him later. "Bolder? More colorful?" Hm, maybe.
Similar threads
