"WHOM GODS DESTROY" has always been a favorite of mine, and it's the actors/actresses that make it great. Definitely a case of the performer elevating the material.
Star Trek TOS Re-Watch
- Thread starter Commander Troi
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Well... They don't have warp drive yet. So that's FINE.
Going from memory, the look of predatory satisfaction when she "gets" him seems to indicate intent.
I don't believe (including TAS) that there was ever an episode where the Enterprise ever faced a Klingon battle cruiser unimpaired.
Totally is.
And Xander Harris remembers.
TOS S2 Friday's Child - Although we the audience didn't see the actual battle (if there was one) - just the preamble for said battle, as it were.
The indication was that there wasn't a battle. That's my point: The only times that we've seen a Klingon warship try to go against the Enterprise there were either superior numbers or subterfuge like in Elaan of Troyius.
I'm starting to think the D-7s weren't really all that impressive no matter how cool they looked. (Or that the Enterprise was so much more impressive than the Klingons. Take your pick.)
"ERRAND OF MERCY" - except for getting hit by that preemptive strike at the start, the Enterprise was able to win that battle pretty quickly. They weren't sabotaged or anything like that.
"Quickly"? The battle was over in a single shot. Which is WHY you sabotage the Enterprise.
In “Elaan Of Troyius” the Enterprise took several hits while impaired and still able to keep fighting then took out the Klingon D7 in one volley. And it seems to suggest the D7 got hit with one photon torpedo damaging it sufficiently so it had to retreat from the fight. So it's either a really lucky shot or the Constitution-class has serious firepower.
Throughout the series the impression made directly or indirectly was the Constitution-class were seriously powerful ships that could even lay waste to an entire planet. That's one of the reasons I never bought into the idea the Enterprise was so seriously and easily crippled in "The Paradise Syndrome."
Throughout the series the impression made directly or indirectly was the Constitution-class were seriously powerful ships that could even lay waste to an entire planet. That's one of the reasons I never bought into the idea the Enterprise was so seriously and easily crippled in "The Paradise Syndrome."
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In TOS the Enterprise was Superman. You can't beat Superman. You have to figure out why (as a writer) the Enterprise doesn't win. Unless you're running up against gods or ridiculously overpowered other civs that we will never see again.
Modern Star Trek (and here I'm saying "anything after 1986") has decided (like Superman) that this is too hard to write or not interesting. So the Enterprise (and her ilk) routinely encounter neighbors that totally outmatch Starfleet.
I mean, even the ROMULANS have ships that are soooo much bigger and more powerful than the Enterprise. This is the massive, way bigger than the TOS ship Enterprise.
Modern Star Trek (and here I'm saying "anything after 1986") has decided (like Superman) that this is too hard to write or not interesting. So the Enterprise (and her ilk) routinely encounter neighbors that totally outmatch Starfleet.
I mean, even the ROMULANS have ships that are soooo much bigger and more powerful than the Enterprise. This is the massive, way bigger than the TOS ship Enterprise.
IDK - in TOS S3 Elaan Of Troyius the Klingons were trying to get the 1701 destruction to look like an accident. Once that failed, they didn't want to be seen as effectively assassinating the Head Of State of one planet and the Ambassador of the neighboring planet as they were most likely trying to negotiate a deal to mine dilithium from Troyius themselves.
(And yes, in TNG they doubled down on "The Klingons conquer everything they see..."; but in TOS I think the intention was to show BOTH the Federation and the Klingon Empire had misconceptions. YES the Klingons were a "Hunter species", but they often attempted negotiations and subterfuge at times (See TOS S2 A Private Little War.)
My point being: in Elann Of Troyius I don't think the Klingon D-7 was going all out to destroy the 1701 - they wanted to get Elann and work a deal; but got overconfident during the fight and then when the Klingon Captain found the 1701 was back to 100% and had been caught flatfooted, he ran and Kirk didn't persue.
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I don't mind the fight scene, but I kept waiting for Spock to say something like, "I knew it was you because you put the ship first." I was disappointed.
"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" by Oliver Crawford (based on a story by Gene L. Coon, writing under his pen name "Lee Cronin")
The Enterprise is on a mission to help decontaminate the planet Ariannus, when sensors detect a Federation shuttlecraft that was reported stolen. It appears to be damaged and the inhabitant incapacitated, so they tractor beam it and bring it aboard. The passenger collapses and is taken to sickbay. McCoy has never seen his species before but manages to get him conscious. He introduces himself as Lokai. Kirk says they're taking him to the starbase the shuttlecraft is from to face charges.
Another ship is following them, but can't be seen. It gets close to Enterprise and disintegrates. It's pilot appears on the bridge and introduces himself as Commissioner Bele. He is of the same species as Lokai - each has half their face black and half white. Bele claims to have been chasing Lokai for 50,000 Earth years for treason.
Kirk takes Bele to see Lokai and they argue, almost coming to blows. Bele demands Kirk take them to their planet, Cheron. Kirk says he has a mission first and then will take them to Starbase 4 so they can plead their case to the Federation, as they have no treaties with Cheron. Bele (somehow) takes over the ship with his "will" and puts them on course to Cheron. Kirk is angry and says he'd rather destroy the ship than have it out of his control, beginning the sequence to self-destruct (considering this is used again in TSFS, it's kind of cool to see it here first). Bele gives in and Enterprise completes its decontamination mission.
Lokai talks to crewmembers in the rec room, talking about his people's struggles. Bele talks to Kirk and Spock and reveals that Lokai's people are white on the right side and therefore "inferior" to his people, who are black on their right side. Kirk and Spock both look boggled by this. Spock even talks about how Vulcans nearly destroyed themselves with hatred, but Bele is completely convinced of his own rightness. A message from Star Fleet confirms that Lokai must have due process.
Bele takes control of the ship again, disabling the self-destruct. When they get to Cheron:
SPOCK: Several large cities, uninhabited. Extensive traffic systems, barren of traffic. Lower animals and vegetation encroaching on the cities. No sapient life-forms registering at all, Captain. There is no evidence of natural disaster, yet there are vast numbers of unburied corpses in all cities.
Everyone is dead. Lokai runs off, Bele following. Eventually, both beam down to Cheron, trapped in their hatred.
UHURA: It doesn't make any sense.
SPOCK: To expect sense from two mentalities of such extreme viewpoints is not logical.
SULU: But their planet's dead. Does it matter now which one's right?
SPOCK: Not to Lokai and Bele. All that matters to them is their hate.
UHURA: Do you suppose that's all they ever had, sir?
KIRK: No, but that's all they have left. Warp factor two, Mister Sulu. Set course for Starbase Four.
As heavy-handed as this episode is (and it really is), I'd like to point out that the "difference" isn't pointed out by Bele until after the halfway point of the episode. As a kid, this episode effected me in showing how STUPID racism is and how hatred can blind people to reality. The ending is very sad and is sold well by Shatner and Nichols. Frank Gorshin and Lou Antonio are both excellent. The director made some really weird choices in some of his shots. How Bele can control the ship but Lokai can't is left unexplained and is a big hole to me. It's also a little disconcerting how the episode puts Bele and Lokai on equal footing when it appears that Lokai has real grievances.
The Enterprise is on a mission to help decontaminate the planet Ariannus, when sensors detect a Federation shuttlecraft that was reported stolen. It appears to be damaged and the inhabitant incapacitated, so they tractor beam it and bring it aboard. The passenger collapses and is taken to sickbay. McCoy has never seen his species before but manages to get him conscious. He introduces himself as Lokai. Kirk says they're taking him to the starbase the shuttlecraft is from to face charges.
Another ship is following them, but can't be seen. It gets close to Enterprise and disintegrates. It's pilot appears on the bridge and introduces himself as Commissioner Bele. He is of the same species as Lokai - each has half their face black and half white. Bele claims to have been chasing Lokai for 50,000 Earth years for treason.
Kirk takes Bele to see Lokai and they argue, almost coming to blows. Bele demands Kirk take them to their planet, Cheron. Kirk says he has a mission first and then will take them to Starbase 4 so they can plead their case to the Federation, as they have no treaties with Cheron. Bele (somehow) takes over the ship with his "will" and puts them on course to Cheron. Kirk is angry and says he'd rather destroy the ship than have it out of his control, beginning the sequence to self-destruct (considering this is used again in TSFS, it's kind of cool to see it here first). Bele gives in and Enterprise completes its decontamination mission.
Lokai talks to crewmembers in the rec room, talking about his people's struggles. Bele talks to Kirk and Spock and reveals that Lokai's people are white on the right side and therefore "inferior" to his people, who are black on their right side. Kirk and Spock both look boggled by this. Spock even talks about how Vulcans nearly destroyed themselves with hatred, but Bele is completely convinced of his own rightness. A message from Star Fleet confirms that Lokai must have due process.
Bele takes control of the ship again, disabling the self-destruct. When they get to Cheron:
SPOCK: Several large cities, uninhabited. Extensive traffic systems, barren of traffic. Lower animals and vegetation encroaching on the cities. No sapient life-forms registering at all, Captain. There is no evidence of natural disaster, yet there are vast numbers of unburied corpses in all cities.
Everyone is dead. Lokai runs off, Bele following. Eventually, both beam down to Cheron, trapped in their hatred.
UHURA: It doesn't make any sense.
SPOCK: To expect sense from two mentalities of such extreme viewpoints is not logical.
SULU: But their planet's dead. Does it matter now which one's right?
SPOCK: Not to Lokai and Bele. All that matters to them is their hate.
UHURA: Do you suppose that's all they ever had, sir?
KIRK: No, but that's all they have left. Warp factor two, Mister Sulu. Set course for Starbase Four.
As heavy-handed as this episode is (and it really is), I'd like to point out that the "difference" isn't pointed out by Bele until after the halfway point of the episode. As a kid, this episode effected me in showing how STUPID racism is and how hatred can blind people to reality. The ending is very sad and is sold well by Shatner and Nichols. Frank Gorshin and Lou Antonio are both excellent. The director made some really weird choices in some of his shots. How Bele can control the ship but Lokai can't is left unexplained and is a big hole to me. It's also a little disconcerting how the episode puts Bele and Lokai on equal footing when it appears that Lokai has real grievances.
Kill us both, Spock!
Although...that line never actually appears in WGD, not in so many words anyway.
KIRK: (on floor) He's right, Spock. You must shoot, but shoot both of us. It's the only way to ensure the safety of the Enterprise.
The original concept featured a demonic-looking being pursued by an angelic-looking one. In the end, they learned their peoples had long ago made peace and they'd been in conflict for nothing.
Coon was supposed to write the script but didn't/couldn't so they gave it to Crawford.
People often connect it to Barry Trivers' "Portrait In Black and White" script in the first season, which NBC's Stan Robertson flatly rejected (it's uniformly terrible and offensive; we've read it), but the only thing they have in common is a race theme. "Portrait" is Kirk beaming down into a "parallel worlds" American Civil War where Blacks keep whites as slaves. The stories are really nothing alike.
"The Mark of Gideon" by George F. Slavin and Stanley Adams
Captain's log, stardate 5423.4. We are orbiting the planet Gideon, which is still not a member of the United Federation of Planets. The treaty negotiations have been difficult because Gideon has consistently refused the presence of a delegation from the Federation on its soil, or any surveillance by the ship's sensors. They have finally agreed to a delegation of one. They insisted it be the Captain of the Enterprise. I am, therefore, beaming down at once.
Kirk beams down... but appears to still be on the Enterprise. But there's nobody else on the ship.
Meanwhile, the Ambassador from Gideon wants to know where Kirk is. Spock has Uhura contact Star Fleet. Gideon will not let them search. Snarky things are said about diplomacy and diplomats.
Kirk seems to have some missing time and a bruise on his arm. He finds Odona on the ship. She's obviously enjoying the space. She claims to not know where she's from or how she got there.
The people of Gideon have no sickness or death and so are crowded together so much they're miserable. They infect Odona with a disease from Kirk's blood so she'll die. They plan to keep Kirk to make more and hope Odona will inspire volunteers.
Spock breaks orders and beams down to the fake ship. He finds Kirk and they take Odona to the real sickbay and cure her. She will use the pathogens in her blood to help her people.
This is not a good episode. Spock thinks they built the duplicate Enterprise to confuse Kirk and make him more susceptible to their plans, but it really doesn't make sense. OK, sterilization isn't an option because the people's organs regenerate. But then Kirk brings up contraception and the Ambassador gives this BS:
HODIN: But you see, the people of Gideon have always believed that life is sacred. That the love of life is the greatest gift. That is the one unshakable truth of Gideon. And this overwhelming love of life has developed our regenerative capacity and our great longevity.
So they'd rather kill people than practice birth control? Absolutely insane! (I wonder if my attitude was influenced by this episode as a young'un).
The crowds looking in the viewscreens and in the hallways are creepy af and work quite well though. David Hurst is good as the Ambassador. Sharon Acker is fine as Odona/The Love Interest.
Captain's log, stardate 5423.4. We are orbiting the planet Gideon, which is still not a member of the United Federation of Planets. The treaty negotiations have been difficult because Gideon has consistently refused the presence of a delegation from the Federation on its soil, or any surveillance by the ship's sensors. They have finally agreed to a delegation of one. They insisted it be the Captain of the Enterprise. I am, therefore, beaming down at once.
Kirk beams down... but appears to still be on the Enterprise. But there's nobody else on the ship.
Meanwhile, the Ambassador from Gideon wants to know where Kirk is. Spock has Uhura contact Star Fleet. Gideon will not let them search. Snarky things are said about diplomacy and diplomats.
Kirk seems to have some missing time and a bruise on his arm. He finds Odona on the ship. She's obviously enjoying the space. She claims to not know where she's from or how she got there.
The people of Gideon have no sickness or death and so are crowded together so much they're miserable. They infect Odona with a disease from Kirk's blood so she'll die. They plan to keep Kirk to make more and hope Odona will inspire volunteers.
Spock breaks orders and beams down to the fake ship. He finds Kirk and they take Odona to the real sickbay and cure her. She will use the pathogens in her blood to help her people.
This is not a good episode. Spock thinks they built the duplicate Enterprise to confuse Kirk and make him more susceptible to their plans, but it really doesn't make sense. OK, sterilization isn't an option because the people's organs regenerate. But then Kirk brings up contraception and the Ambassador gives this BS:
HODIN: But you see, the people of Gideon have always believed that life is sacred. That the love of life is the greatest gift. That is the one unshakable truth of Gideon. And this overwhelming love of life has developed our regenerative capacity and our great longevity.
So they'd rather kill people than practice birth control? Absolutely insane! (I wonder if my attitude was influenced by this episode as a young'un
).The crowds looking in the viewscreens and in the hallways are creepy af and work quite well though. David Hurst is good as the Ambassador. Sharon Acker is fine as Odona/The Love Interest.
Yeah, a few of the "creepy alien people in tight bodysuits staring at us through windows" scenes were very effective and eerie and the sound design of this episode is excellent, but it's in my Bottom 5 TOS episodes even on its best day.
The creepiness and eerie qualities do help "THE MARK OF GIDEON", but it really is pretty dull. Definitely bottom tier TOS.
MoG is definitely a product of "We're going to run out of FOOD and AIR and EVERYTHING in the next TEN YEARS!" of it's era. I don't know if it has been stated one way or the other, but one would suspect that Cyrano Jones (the writer) had read The Population Bomb.
One of the episode's bright spots, though, is the guts with which the writers and producers referenced birth control, population control and overpopulation. For late 1968 those were some gutsy story content for a science fiction show airing in the Death Slot at 10 P.M. on Friday nights.
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