Without time travel, that is.
Star Trek TOS Re-Watch
- Thread starter Commander Troi
- Start date
Without time travel, that is.
Riiiight. Consecutive time?
Kirk MIA for two months. What must everyone have been thinking?
Ahhh third season. We just don't know what to do with you.And it looks like something designed in five minutes by a middle-school art student.
Great story, great performances, but I never bought the relationship. At least not so much that it's Kirk's "one true love" that fans keep hitting me with (right up there with Khan being Kirk's greatest nemesis).
Yeah, agreed. Some of it is the looping, some of it...isn't. Put this same story in an earlier season, and it would have been magic.
Yeah, when they let Majel have moments like this, where her own charm comes through, she's great. 98% of the time, Chapel isn't allowed that.
Just takin' them in order. The next three have original scores before they start falling back on library music for a few weeks before one more full score. After that, stock music, library cues and the odd bit here and there.
It was the general Pop Art/Culture of the day. Star Trek, while still quite good, became more run of the mill because the showrunner (much as I love the guy) was your average TV producer who was just trying to get a challenging show on the air for less money and with less time. Episodes had to be "good enough."
Still, for all of its perceived faults, a lot of concepts from this season stuck with fandom and Trek in general. The UFP pennant? Third season. IDIC? Third season. Surak? Third season. Tholians? Third season. Kang? Third season. Col. Green? Third season. Hell, "All Our Yesterdays" spawned two successful novels.
Not too bad for the Freiberger run.
Well, we can both agree that Rayna isn't in the running. For either category, I suppose.
I don't know that Kirk really HAD a nemesis. But Khan isn't even Star Trek's greatest villain. He's a great actor in a good episode that spring-boarded to a great movie. (I don't know who the best villain is. Kor?)
It's the Return of the Jedi of Star Trek.
Khan had an obvious weakness waiting be exploited: he had a big ego and couldn’t imagine anyone else could beat him. He likely made the same mistake centuries earlier on Earth when “ordinary” men beat him and chased him into exile.
Khan may well be physically superior, but he was obviously not mentally, or emotionally, superior. And mentally is how he could be beat.
Khan may well be physically superior, but he was obviously not mentally, or emotionally, superior. And mentally is how he could be beat.
After all, Kirk's talked computers to death. How much easier to talk a man (Augment or no) to a psychological checkmate?
Anyone who wanted to take his ship away.
Definitely has some of my favorite moments and Romulan performances.
And those novels are among my favorite.
Kor, and possibly Mudd.
(Or destroy it), and that's a long list, be it man, alien, machine or phenomena.
Sure, but who tried to do it more than once? Damn, maybe it IS Khan? And if it's not Khan then it's... HARRY MUDD?!?(Or destroy it), and that's a long list, be it man, alien, machine or phenomena.
Scary as that is, it might be true...
Cherish it. Because, it is still better than most of the Star Trek and spinoffs that came after it.
The Devil in the Dark by Gene L. Coon
Unusually, this episode opens on a mining colony, where 50 people have died and another does here. McCoy determines he died from corrosive burns. After the credits, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down to investigate.
In the administatrator's office, Spock sees a silicon ball. They're everywhere on the level the mine just got to. This is Chekov's gun (no Chekov yet, that's next season).
The "monster" attacks the colony's reactor, kills the guard and takes a pump, a part which isn't available anymore. Without it, the reactor will go critical and kill everyone.
Spock speculates they're dealing with a silicon-based lifeform. McCoy thinks it's not possible, but Kirk goes along, ordering Spock to adjust Phaser Twos for such a being. Meanwhile, Scotty jerry-rigs a workaround for the reactor.
Search parties with adjusted weapons are sent out. Spock adjusts his tricorder and picks up readings of a silicon lifeform. A redshirt dies, but the monster moves pretty quickly and is already gone. However, it leaves behind a perfect tunnel. It shows up briefly and Kirk and Spock fire on it and it flees. A piece is left behind similar to asbestos. Kirk has the lead redshirt warn his people.
Spock gets readings that there is only one creature, but more tunnels than one could ever create. He speculates it's the last of its kind. However, Kirk reminds him their mission is to get the mining going again, so it must die. Spock, a little passive-agressively, tells the redshirts to capture it if possible. Kirk is upset and orders Spock to assist Scotty - which Spock points out is unneccesary. Kirk then says they can't risk both of them and Spock gives him the odds against both of them dying. Kirk gives in
and the hunt continues.
Spock realizes they're being watched. He and Kirk check out 2 fresh tunnels. Kirk finds more silicone balls. The creature knocks down some rocks, which Kirk thinks is a cave in. The creature comes in to where Kirk is... and stops. It backs away from his phaser, but they're in a standoff. Kirk doesn't want to kill something that isn't threatening him. Spock comes in and brings up the Vulcan mind meld. He tries it and feels the creature's pain, nearly passing out. The creature moves, leaving "no kill I" burned in the rock. Spock says the Horta is highly intellegent and sophisticated. Kirk calls McCoy to where they are, figuring healing it is a way to gain its trust. Spock touches the Horta (shouldn't that burn?) and establishes a deeper mind meld.
McCoy shows up and is nonplussed by the sight of Spock touching the Horta. Kirk orders McCoy to heal the Horta. Treat it. "I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer." Through Spock, the Horta tells how the children (the silicone balls) were murdered and where the missing reactor part is.
Meanwhile, the miners are getting restless but are held back by redshirts. Kirk finds the broken eggs and the missing part. The Horta thinks it's dying. The miners get past the redshirts and want to kill the Horta. Kirk tells them about the eggs they destroyed. Kirk convinces them to work with the Horta. McCoy manages to heal the Horta.
This episode still effects me. Everyone has their first "the monster isn't one" story, and I think this was mine. It stuck with me. Everyone wins in the end. Kirk teases Spock. It's all Very Star Trek to me.
Unusually, this episode opens on a mining colony, where 50 people have died and another does here. McCoy determines he died from corrosive burns. After the credits, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down to investigate.
In the administatrator's office, Spock sees a silicon ball. They're everywhere on the level the mine just got to. This is Chekov's gun (no Chekov yet, that's next season).
The "monster" attacks the colony's reactor, kills the guard and takes a pump, a part which isn't available anymore. Without it, the reactor will go critical and kill everyone.
Spock speculates they're dealing with a silicon-based lifeform. McCoy thinks it's not possible, but Kirk goes along, ordering Spock to adjust Phaser Twos for such a being. Meanwhile, Scotty jerry-rigs a workaround for the reactor.
Search parties with adjusted weapons are sent out. Spock adjusts his tricorder and picks up readings of a silicon lifeform. A redshirt dies, but the monster moves pretty quickly and is already gone. However, it leaves behind a perfect tunnel. It shows up briefly and Kirk and Spock fire on it and it flees. A piece is left behind similar to asbestos. Kirk has the lead redshirt warn his people.
Spock gets readings that there is only one creature, but more tunnels than one could ever create. He speculates it's the last of its kind. However, Kirk reminds him their mission is to get the mining going again, so it must die. Spock, a little passive-agressively, tells the redshirts to capture it if possible. Kirk is upset and orders Spock to assist Scotty - which Spock points out is unneccesary. Kirk then says they can't risk both of them and Spock gives him the odds against both of them dying. Kirk gives in
and the hunt continues. Spock realizes they're being watched. He and Kirk check out 2 fresh tunnels. Kirk finds more silicone balls. The creature knocks down some rocks, which Kirk thinks is a cave in. The creature comes in to where Kirk is... and stops. It backs away from his phaser, but they're in a standoff. Kirk doesn't want to kill something that isn't threatening him. Spock comes in and brings up the Vulcan mind meld. He tries it and feels the creature's pain, nearly passing out. The creature moves, leaving "no kill I" burned in the rock. Spock says the Horta is highly intellegent and sophisticated. Kirk calls McCoy to where they are, figuring healing it is a way to gain its trust. Spock touches the Horta (shouldn't that burn?) and establishes a deeper mind meld.
McCoy shows up and is nonplussed by the sight of Spock touching the Horta. Kirk orders McCoy to heal the Horta. Treat it. "I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer." Through Spock, the Horta tells how the children (the silicone balls) were murdered and where the missing reactor part is.
Meanwhile, the miners are getting restless but are held back by redshirts. Kirk finds the broken eggs and the missing part. The Horta thinks it's dying. The miners get past the redshirts and want to kill the Horta. Kirk tells them about the eggs they destroyed. Kirk convinces them to work with the Horta. McCoy manages to heal the Horta.
This episode still effects me. Everyone has their first "the monster isn't one" story, and I think this was mine. It stuck with me. Everyone wins in the end. Kirk teases Spock. It's all Very Star Trek to me.
Yeah, it's perfect. Very tight, lots of tension, gradual reveal, then a New Understanding.
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