I always loved "THE TIME TRAP". "THE VOID" in VOY's season 7 definitely has the bones of this episode embedded in it. (Which is my favorite episode of that season, though the pickings were rather slim to choose from.)
Star Trek TOS Re-Watch
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Can't argue with that. I love this episodes. One of the TAS eps that I adore that I know I don't really have an entire leg to stand on. You know, I've kind of gotten used to saying that but now I'm thinking "What's wrong with this episode anyway?" It's awesome!
Awwww. Stephen Kandel died in October? Well here's Mudd in yer eye!
Time Trap is one of my faves. It also gave us the Bonaventure. Until First Contact this was the first Warp Ship. But I don't know of anyplace that used the ship as shown. (It's an Enterprise with a glandular disorder.) Most / All of the ships in the Time Trap are actually unused concept art from Beyond the Farthest Star. Or so the story goes.
I've never heard this. But then I'm realizing that I'm not sure what color it is now.
For some reason, they recolored it to be black, in all but one or two spots (IIRC, on monitor(s)? where you can still see the original brick red color).
It's not a bad episode - I enjoyed the Nu Yawk huntress hitting on Jim! I think it suffered a bit in comparison to the other eps we watched right before it.
Yeah, I was sad to hear it. Whatever one thinks of his episodes, he and Roger created a unique character.
That was cool.
Interesting. There were definitely some cool designs in there. I also liked the Council itself.
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"Space Seed" by Gene L. Coon and Carey Wilber (and re-written by Roddenberry)
It was really interesting to see this after so much time. I've seen Wrath of Khan far more recently, and that Khan, driven by revenge and hate, overshadowed this earlier version in my memory. Here, Montalban plays Khan as sharp, cunning, ambitious, and (mostly) calm and controlled. He appreciates Kirk's strategy at the dinner party of watching while Spock pokes him. He's pleased when they discover who he is. He enjoys not only winning, but beating an opponent. He's absolutely magnetic on screen. Even given McGivers' romantic attachment to strong men of the past, it's easy to see why she's drawn to him. And he IS a Superman - he even bends a "gun" (phaser)!
The Enterprise comes across an old ship, broadcasting a Morse code call signal. It's an Earth ship, last built in the 1990s (note that the 90s are mentioned SEVERAL times in this episode - it's amazing where they thought we'd be by then). There are signs of equipment and life. Her hull says "SS Botany Bay," but there is no record of her. "Records of that period are fragmentary, however."
Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, and historian McGivers beam onto the ship. McGivers recognizes it's a sleeper ship, "Necessary because of the time involved in space travel until about the year 2018." But no sleeper ship has been used for this long. The ship has been triggered by their arrival and wakes the leader, but then malfunctions. The leader is beamed to sickbay.
He turns out to be Khan Noonien Singh, a tyrant from the WWIII/Eugenics Wars era. He seduces (it wasn't hard) McGivers and, with her help, revives the rest of his surviving crew and takes over the Enterprise. Eventually, McGivers has a change of heart, saves Kirk, and he and Spock take the ship back (Kirk sensibly using a weapon to take out Khan, who is definitely stronger). Kirk thinks it would be "a waste to put them in a reorientation centre," and instead drops them - and McGivers - off on an untamed planet they can conquer.
That's the plot, very summarized. What really makes this episode are the characters and their interactions. Kirk teases both Spock and McCoy, but cuts off their bickering with each other when there's work to be done. McCoy, Kirk, and Scotty discuss Khan with admiration, which boggles Spock. The bridge crew refusing to give in to Khan, even with Kirk's life on the line, is a beautiful scene. Uhura looks like she's ready to kill the superman who hits her.
But the heart and soul of this episode is Khan and McGivers. It can be cringe-inducing to watch Khan invade McGivers' space and re-arrange her hair. The entire scene where he gets her to agree to help him is tough to watch as a modern woman. But his actions completely fit his character - and her reactions completely fit hers. It's not what we would consider a healthy relationship, but even though he may just be using her in the beginning, there is a strength in her that eventually makes him consent to take her with them ("A superior woman. I will take her.")
It's easy to see why the ending got Harve Bennet to make a sequel.
SPOCK: It would be interesting, Captain, to return to that world in a hundred years and to learn what crop has sprung from the seed you planted today.
I can honestly say the episode is just Damn Good. Good writing (except for maybe Kirk letting Khan review the Enterprise's technical manuals - but it's in character), great character work, good dialogue, and nicely shot. I was engaged all the way through.
It was really interesting to see this after so much time. I've seen Wrath of Khan far more recently, and that Khan, driven by revenge and hate, overshadowed this earlier version in my memory. Here, Montalban plays Khan as sharp, cunning, ambitious, and (mostly) calm and controlled. He appreciates Kirk's strategy at the dinner party of watching while Spock pokes him. He's pleased when they discover who he is. He enjoys not only winning, but beating an opponent. He's absolutely magnetic on screen. Even given McGivers' romantic attachment to strong men of the past, it's easy to see why she's drawn to him. And he IS a Superman - he even bends a "gun" (phaser)!
The Enterprise comes across an old ship, broadcasting a Morse code call signal. It's an Earth ship, last built in the 1990s (note that the 90s are mentioned SEVERAL times in this episode - it's amazing where they thought we'd be by then). There are signs of equipment and life. Her hull says "SS Botany Bay," but there is no record of her. "Records of that period are fragmentary, however."
Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, and historian McGivers beam onto the ship. McGivers recognizes it's a sleeper ship, "Necessary because of the time involved in space travel until about the year 2018." But no sleeper ship has been used for this long. The ship has been triggered by their arrival and wakes the leader, but then malfunctions. The leader is beamed to sickbay.
He turns out to be Khan Noonien Singh, a tyrant from the WWIII/Eugenics Wars era. He seduces (it wasn't hard) McGivers and, with her help, revives the rest of his surviving crew and takes over the Enterprise. Eventually, McGivers has a change of heart, saves Kirk, and he and Spock take the ship back (Kirk sensibly using a weapon to take out Khan, who is definitely stronger). Kirk thinks it would be "a waste to put them in a reorientation centre," and instead drops them - and McGivers - off on an untamed planet they can conquer.
That's the plot, very summarized. What really makes this episode are the characters and their interactions. Kirk teases both Spock and McCoy, but cuts off their bickering with each other when there's work to be done. McCoy, Kirk, and Scotty discuss Khan with admiration, which boggles Spock. The bridge crew refusing to give in to Khan, even with Kirk's life on the line, is a beautiful scene. Uhura looks like she's ready to kill the superman who hits her.
But the heart and soul of this episode is Khan and McGivers. It can be cringe-inducing to watch Khan invade McGivers' space and re-arrange her hair. The entire scene where he gets her to agree to help him is tough to watch as a modern woman. But his actions completely fit his character - and her reactions completely fit hers. It's not what we would consider a healthy relationship, but even though he may just be using her in the beginning, there is a strength in her that eventually makes him consent to take her with them ("A superior woman. I will take her.")
It's easy to see why the ending got Harve Bennet to make a sequel.
SPOCK: It would be interesting, Captain, to return to that world in a hundred years and to learn what crop has sprung from the seed you planted today.
I can honestly say the episode is just Damn Good. Good writing (except for maybe Kirk letting Khan review the Enterprise's technical manuals - but it's in character), great character work, good dialogue, and nicely shot. I was engaged all the way through.
Doesn't the Enterprise have a less classified version of such for passengers and exchange with alien races, filled with more basic information and fewer details?
If it does, and that's what they gave Khan, I could see Kirk underestimating Khan's ability to extrapolate from the limited data given to him.
It is. Because it said NOTHING about prefix codes.
"Hey! Why does this say 'Baby's First Dilithium Assembly?"
This Side of Paradise by D. C. Fontana and Jerry Sohl
The Enterprise is sent to the colony Omicron Ceti Three, expecting to find everyone dead from Berthold rays. However, not only are they still alive, they're all in perfect health. We meet colony leader Sandoval and botanist Leila Kalomi.
Quick shoutout to Jill Ireland - the change of expression when she sees Spock is excellent.
Another odd thing: there are no animals or even insects (which should preclude agriculture, but okay).
Leila was in love with Spock, but he didn't reciprocate. She offers to show him how they survived and he's hit with confet... I mean, spores from a plant. Suddenly, he's in love with her and acting stoned. Eventually, the rest of the landing party are infected, except for Kirk, who now has a mutiny on his hands. He was ordered to take the colonists away from the planet, but now an Extremely Southern McCoy has beamed the plants up to the ship and the entire crew beams down the planet to join the colony. Shatner gives a very nice performance while alone on the ship, but eventually Kirk is exposed too and planning to beam down.
Kirk gets frustrated at the thought of leaving Enterprise and finds that the strong emotions have broken the spores' hold on him. He plans something stupidly dangerous: he gets Spock to beam up and then insults him until Spock attacks. Spock is then free of the spores. ("Elf with a hyperactive thyroid" is my favorite of the insults.)
Nimoy does a beautiful job here. When he says, "I don't belong anymore," I really felt how painful that was for him. Then Leila comes aboard and Spock breaks her heart. "I am what I am, Leila, and if there are self-made purgatories, then we all have to live in them. Mine can be no worse than someone else's." Ow. The emotions free Leila of the spores.
Kirk and Spock broadcast an irritating subsonic frequency to the crew's communicators, which gets everyone fighting and then free. The crew and the colonists all beam up to the ship. The nice bit is that the perfect health lasts even after the spores' influence is gone.
It's a relatively light episode, except for poor Spock. As he says at the end, "I have little to say about it, Captain, except that for the first time in my life I was happy."
The Enterprise is sent to the colony Omicron Ceti Three, expecting to find everyone dead from Berthold rays. However, not only are they still alive, they're all in perfect health. We meet colony leader Sandoval and botanist Leila Kalomi.
Quick shoutout to Jill Ireland - the change of expression when she sees Spock is excellent.
Another odd thing: there are no animals or even insects (which should preclude agriculture, but okay).
Leila was in love with Spock, but he didn't reciprocate. She offers to show him how they survived and he's hit with confet... I mean, spores from a plant. Suddenly, he's in love with her and acting stoned. Eventually, the rest of the landing party are infected, except for Kirk, who now has a mutiny on his hands. He was ordered to take the colonists away from the planet, but now an Extremely Southern McCoy has beamed the plants up to the ship and the entire crew beams down the planet to join the colony. Shatner gives a very nice performance while alone on the ship, but eventually Kirk is exposed too and planning to beam down.
Kirk gets frustrated at the thought of leaving Enterprise and finds that the strong emotions have broken the spores' hold on him. He plans something stupidly dangerous: he gets Spock to beam up and then insults him until Spock attacks. Spock is then free of the spores. ("Elf with a hyperactive thyroid" is my favorite of the insults.)
Nimoy does a beautiful job here. When he says, "I don't belong anymore," I really felt how painful that was for him. Then Leila comes aboard and Spock breaks her heart. "I am what I am, Leila, and if there are self-made purgatories, then we all have to live in them. Mine can be no worse than someone else's." Ow. The emotions free Leila of the spores.
Kirk and Spock broadcast an irritating subsonic frequency to the crew's communicators, which gets everyone fighting and then free. The crew and the colonists all beam up to the ship. The nice bit is that the perfect health lasts even after the spores' influence is gone.
It's a relatively light episode, except for poor Spock. As he says at the end, "I have little to say about it, Captain, except that for the first time in my life I was happy."
On my last, recent watch, I noticed a new detail:
Captain's log, stardate 3417.5. The pod plants have spread spores throughout the ship, carried by the ventilation system. Under their influence, my crew is deserting to join the Omicron colony, and I can't stop them. I don't know why I have not been infected, nor can I get Doctor McCoy to explain the physical-psychological aspects of the infection.
Kirk knows the spores have spread through the whole ship and only he is not affected but he doesn't know why. I guess he is continuously so angry/upset with the situation that the spores can't get a hold on him. Later, while sitting on the bridge alone, his emotion changes from angry to despair, perhaps a more attunable emotion to the spores, then he gets hit with a concentrated dose of spores, or maybe its just the concentration level that does the trick. Also, breaking the spores' influence seems to be a two step process with Kirk; firstly, when he looks at his medal in his quarters and what his Starfleet career means to him, then in the transporter room just before he beams down and about to loose his ship. Another repeated theme in TOS: Kirk does love his ship more than anything!
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I just finished rewatching TOS with my wife (first and almost certainly only time for her). It didn't really hit me until now that each season has an almost completely different music style.
I mean, I knew the music for each episode, but it didn't really hit me until now. And I find that I really like each season's own take on their musical choices... I think it even elevates season 3 a bit because of it.
I mean, I knew the music for each episode, but it didn't really hit me until now. And I find that I really like each season's own take on their musical choices... I think it even elevates season 3 a bit because of it.
Another repeated theme in TOS: Kirk does love his ship more than anything!
Until Kruge had David killed, at least.
There have been different Spocks and with different reasons for being who they are and what their stories mean. But this is the Spock that captured the hearts of the world and became an icon. If you don't know this episode you don't know Spock. There's more, obviously, but this episode will get you over 50% of the way.
Nimoy's TOS Spock is unique, even within his own later portrayals of Spock.
This is the most Spock line of all time.
I have heard it suggested that if they were going to do a prequel Spock with a relationship then it should have been Leila, not Chapel. 1) I adore Spock and Chapel in SNW even thought 2) they have nothing to do with the characters from TOS. So I can certainly see the point. (Not that SNW always troubles itself about such things, but Leila would still be in SNW's Spock's future at this time in the show.)
Yes, Nimoy broke my heart in this episode. It is quintessential Spock.
But Leila? I'm not sure he ever loved her so much as he wished he *could* love her. It seemed fairly one-sided from her description.
But Leila? I'm not sure he ever loved her so much as he wished he *could* love her. It seemed fairly one-sided from her description.
I believe it was actually puffed rice cereal.
Snap, crackle, stoned?
On my last, recent watch, I noticed a new detail:
Captain's log, stardate 3417.5. The pod plants have spread spores throughout the ship, carried by the ventilation system. Under their influence, my crew is deserting to join the Omicron colony, and I can't stop them. I don't know why I have not been infected, nor can I get Doctor McCoy to explain the physical-psychological aspects of the infection.Kirk knows the spores have spread through the whole ship and only he is not affected but he doesn't know why. I guess he is continuously so angry/upset with the situation that the spores can't get a hold on him. Later, while sitting on the bridge alone, his emotion changes from angry to despair, perhaps a more attunable emotion to the spores, then he gets hit with a concentrated dose of spores, or maybe its just the concentration level that does the trick. Also, breaking the spores' influence seems to be a two step process with Kirk; firstly, when he looks at his medal in his quarters and what his Starfleet career means to him, then in the transporter room just before he beams down and about to loose his ship. Another repeated theme in TOS: Kirk does love his ship more than anything!
For decades, I was on the verge of eye rolling because Kirk was right next to Sulu when Sulu got spored. Yet nothing happened to Kirk. And then, yup, you hit it. Kirk was in a heightened emotional state almost throughout. The more his crew succumbed to the influence of the spores, the more upset he got. It took that one massive concentrated dose to push him over the edge. I never though of that before. You fixed that part of the episode for me!
Wow, two months since my last review. Okay here goes:
Elaan of Troyius ***½
Another goodie with some fun interaction between Ambassador Petrie and Kirk. Elaan is a strong presence, if a little annoying, but she's entertaining to watch. i love how she tricks Kirk into touching her tears and the look on her face when he does. She is manipulating him, but the damned power of Kirk won her over nonetheless and it backfires. She falls for him herself. In the end, Elaan is a tragic character, trapped in a role she doesn't want, is ill suited for with a man she doesn't love. While the object of her "entrapment" gets to shake it off and go on.
I really wish this episode was run before the next two episode showing the Klingon ships, because it a great introduction to the model. Yeah, the battle is nothing but stock shots of the Enterprise intercut with the new D7 footage, but it works beautifully. The editing, pacing and score, along with the great Lucas direction (off his own script) make this one of my favorite classic Trek space battles. I compared it to the TOS-R version and what the CGI gains in more realism it lacks in energy. Sped up stock shots of the Enterprise and intercutting have a lot more power than slow turning starships and a Klingon tailgating the Enterprise. I respect the TOS-R versions have their fans but I will be one of them.
Insane score by Fred Steiner, his Klingon theme is excellent. Really strong episode which would have worked just fine in the second season.
The Paradise Syndrome ***
Not as legendary as The City on the Edge of Forever, but this episode for my money gives us Kirk's real true love in the series. His relationship with Miramanee is given a lot more focus and time to breathe than with Edit Keeler and is more realistic and believable as a result. Unfortunately, the bad outdoor overdubbing ruins Sabrina Scharf's performance and she comes off stilted. The fact that she's just a simple Indian girl who isn't given a lot of opportunity to show much intelligence doesn't help either. However, Kirk/Kirok does fall in love with her, marries her and gets her pregnant. This is Kirk's "The Inner Light" - where he steps out of himself, creates a life and a family, only to have it ripped away from him. It's a heartbreaking story that is both helped and hindered by the location shooting. The outdoor scenes open the episode up like few others, but, again, the necessity to loop the dialig hurts the performances. Shatner reported hated looping sessions, so his dialog is never as good as it could have been delivered. This is one where he does go further over the top than I like (the giant whisper "I'm so happ-eeeee!" is cringeworthy) and it's a shame because he gets some great material here.
Spock's crisis is also well done and I wish this episode spent more time with him exploring it. Also a word of explanation why they didn't leave a search party behind while the ship took off for the asteroid would have been welcome. Gerald Fried's music is to die for. The ending is shattering. ADR notwithstanding, this is a strong episode. "Dances with Miramanee."
The Enterprise Incident ***½
Fun! Shatner shows off his bag of tricks when he goes crazy. The control that man has over his voice and body is simply stunning. While I think the Spock/Commander love affair was stretching it (what if the commander was actually Tal?), I liked the sneaky spy mission. As this aired earlier, the audience was introduced to the Klingon battle cruisers here...used by someone other than Klingons. Grrrr. As much as I enjoy Joanne Linville as the Commander, Jack Donner is amazing as Subcommander Tal. He's got exactly the right bearing and creepy, steady manner. The Romulans are very well used here, one their second in-person appearance, and I enjoy them a lot. I love how Spock lies by saying Vulcan's don't like. I wish Harve Bennett remembered that.
Alexander Courage score isn't as good as the previous, but better than the next...
Oy and now...
And the Children Shall Lead *
Well, the streak had to end sometime. After four very strong episodes, as good as any in the previous two seasons, we're handing this steaming pile of tribble droppings. The concept? Fine. Actually it's great. The execution is a freaking mess. The kids are how middle aged adult screenwriters see kids. Giant, gawky Tommy Starnes would be the last one to be ringing around the rosie - he'd be chasing pretty yeomen, Charlie Evans style. Craig Huxley and Pamelyn Ferdin are both great. And they get the lion's share of dialog. Pamelyn in particular is adorable, and scary and charming, she was extremely talented, so it makes sense she had such an active career as a child actress. The rest? Brian Tochi got nothing to really do (he and Pamelyn would be cast in Space Academy about 10 years later). The worst is Caesar Belli, cast no doubt because his father was the Friendly Angel. The kid is stiff as a starched collar and frequently looks at the camera. Mark Robert Brown as Ray is okay, I guess, except he keeps skulking off in the Aux Control Room. Melvin Belli is incredibly bad and the hand gestures the kids make is up there with the rock Kirk holds while waiting for Ruk. The music is alternately good and irritating.
The episode is filled with nonsense. Kirk has no idea they're not in orbit of Triacus when they beam down the guards (why do they need to guard an abandoned ruined colony?), they never go back for the two they meant to beam up, Uhura has a mirror that is not there in long shots (I have to imagine the kids conjured the mirror in her mind), Leslie can't understand Kirk, but Kirk is OBVIOUSLY speaking to him, but the guy doesn't react. Shatner is off the charts when they finally get to him. The name "Gorgon" comes out of nowhere, Professor Starnes tries to out act Shatner (and fails) and McCoy vanishes from the story, only to appear in time to see kids crying, which he takes tremendous pleasure in.
Still, I try to find some good in the bad: the UFP flag is seen for the first time. The landing party beaming down to the site of a group suicide is chilling and something I imagine the 10pm time slot made it easier to sell to the network. We see the expanded rec room and Chapel has something to do that has nothing to do with Spock. Doohan is creepy when possessed and even Chekov is effective when he tries to arrest Kirk.
With much better writing and casting, this episode could have been a fine horror entry. The concept is there, but the final product is Star Trek at its worst. The legendary Spock's Brain, which is my next stop, isn't nearly this level of crapulence.
I'll disagree because Edith is Edith. Kirk was always going to be instantly head over heels. Because she's Edith. And the reason why City is the all time classic that it is is because the performers back that up. It's not just on the page. They actually make it work.
But I've never been a big fan of Paradise Syndrome. Parts of Shatner's performance are so on the money. But some of it... Sheesh.
Although the Enterprise part of the story is fascinating. I don't think there is another episode that spans this much time, is there?
It's an amazingly natural performance. One of those moments where you think "She could have been like this the whole time?!?"
Not even in the same league, really.
Funny that you managed to pick four with original scores.
It occurs to me as I read these recaps that the "public perception" of Star Trek leans heavily on this season. It's the loudest, most garish, most stereotypically 60's, really the most like Batman. It's even when there really started to be the "girl of the week" like on other contemporary shows like Wild Wild West.
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