Hey, I never noticed that before....

[Phaser Two]

There's only so much a good director can do with a bad script.

Yeah—the script as filmed for "The Alternative Factor" is just so badly done, both from plotting and dialogue standpoints. The editing is also atrocious. I don't know if any of that was Oswald's fault. I agree that Oswald's direction—along with Shatner's amazing performance—made "The Conscience of the King." Arnold Moss was no slouch, either. And frankly, Barbara Anderson sold Lenore pretty well too, including without limitation her descent into madness.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

I believe it's one of the best-directed episodes in all of Star Trek (I'll always be in denial that the same Gerd Oswald also directed "The Alternative Factor").

There's only so much a good director can do with a bad script.

So, a few pieces of trivia regarding Gerd Oswald from my 'Outer Limits Companion'.
His father, producer-director Richard Oswald, directed the first film version of 'Around the World in Eighty Days' in 1919.
Young Gerd appeared on stage in Berlin with Hedy Lamarr.
His family fled Germany in 1933, settling in Austria, before moving to America in 1938.
He was AD on several Monogram and Republic pictures and serials in the 1940s.
His directorial debut was 1955's 'A Kiss Before Dying' staring Robert Wagner.
He directed the parachute assault on the French village of St. Mere-Eglise, which featured Red Buttons, in 'The Longest Day'.
Gerd directed 14 episodes of the 'Outer Limits' first season.

 

[Surfin' Santa]

Anton Moss was no slouch, either.

Arnold Moss as Anton Karidian.

 

[Phaser Two]

Arnold Moss as Anton Karidian.

Yes! Corrected with apologies! Thanks.

 

[Spock's Barber]

Arnold Moss as Anton Karidian.

…or Arnold the Pig as Anton Chekhov.

 

[Spock's Barber]

As Kirk, McCoy and Barrows run towards where Sulu is target shooting, they run along a path that appears to have been freshly mowed.

***TrekCore supplied this image***

 

[Santa Kang]

As Kirk, McCoy and Barrows run towards where Sulu is target shooting, they run along a path that appears to have been freshly mowed.

***TrekCore supplied this image***

Kirk was thinking about mowing the lawn at his parents place when he was kid.

 

[Spock's Barber]

All of these years of watching TOS and I never really noticed the disassembled Communicators in Patterns of Force. I have a good excuse; it’s one of my least favorite episodes so I kind of sleepwalk through it.

***Thanks to TrekCore for the image!!!***

 

[Adventerprise]

Keeper

The Keeper or caretaker of the Shore Leave Planet was a male from an advanced alien race. He was the last individual of this race who resided on the Shore Leave Planet, where he was responsible for overseeing the proper operation of the planet. In 2267, crew from the USS Enterprise visited this...

memory-alpha.fandom.com

Use of the phrase "ceased to function" - did the computer write his epitaph, or did he, prior to his death?

It reminds me of this:

The Watchmaker's Epitaph

 

[Surfin' Santa]

All of these years of watching TOS and I never really noticed the disassembled Communicators in Patterns of Force.

Looks like a circuit board from one of those Sony pocket radios.

 

[Phaser Two]

All of these years of watching TOS and I never really noticed the disassembled Communicators in Patterns of Force. I have a good excuse; it’s one of my least favorite episodes so I kind of sleepwalk through it.

***Thanks to TrekCore for the image!!!***

As a Trek equipment lover, I really enjoy those elements of "Patterns of Force." (I also like the ep generally, an unpopular opinion here.) Whereas many landing party TOS episodes involve lost or confiscated equipment that is never explained or accounted for, POF has the cool moments of Spock making one communicator using parts from both, and the fun line that the "alien pistols" (the phasers) were sent to Gestapo HQ for further analysis.

 

[tharpdevenport]

As Kirk, McCoy and Barrows run towards where Sulu is target shooting, they run along a path that appears to have been freshly mowed.

***TrekCore supplied this image***

And a tree trunk marked with red spray paint, even in the plants leaves in front of it. Some kind of mark for filming?

I don't have the episode handy or remember it at all, so I can't say if that's part of the episode plot/action.

 

[Adventerprise]

That or it was supposed to be cut down at one point.

 

[B.J.]

My first thought was a hiking trail marker, but it seems a bit too irregular for that. Hard to tell from just a still image though.

 

[Just a Bill]

My first thought was a hiking trail marker, but it seems a bit too irregular for that. Hard to tell from just a still image though.

This episode always perplexed me a bit with various scenes having odd red/brown patches on the flora. As a kid sitting in front of a 1960s TV, I couldn't figure out why Yeoman Barrows' blood was all over that tree.

***TrekCore supplied these images***

 

[B.J.]

Yeesh. Maybe they were trying to make the plants look a little more "alien", and stopped when they figured out it wasn't working well. Or maybe someone stopped them.

 

[Spock's Barber]

This episode always perplexed me a bit with various scenes having odd red/brown patches on the flora. As a kid sitting in front of a 1960s TV, I couldn't figure out why Yeoman Barrows' blood was all over that tree.

***TrekCore supplied these images***

TOS film crew member Rufus T. Firefly was in charge of the red spray paint supply on that day…

 

[Spock's Barber]

Day of the Dove…

I just noticed that Kirk and his landing party beamed down to the same, exact spot that Kang and his goons did later on. Convenient, I guess.

***TrekCore supplied images***

 

[Adventerprise]

Stands to reason that the characteristics which make it a good spot to beam to are universal.

 

[Spock's Barber]

Stands to reason that the characteristics which make it a good spot to beam to are universal.

…and the film crew can get multiple shots in the can without changing camera location and lighting setup.