Star Trek-RM: The Lights of Zetar… Grading/Discussion

[AstroSmurf]

This is the grading & discussion thread for Star Trek Remastered airing the weekend of 06/07/08.

The Lights of Zetar

The U.S.S. Enterprise's is sent to deliver Lieutenant Mira Romaine to the Federation central library located on planet Memory Alpha. There she will supervise the transfer of new equipment to the facility. But once the ship reaches orbit, the crew detects a strange energy storm that has obliterated the surface of planet, killing all of the inhabitants and wiping library computer memory banks. And before Kirk can safely take his ship out of danger, it is attacked by the energy storm and host to some unexpected guests.

Official Website for Star Trek

Next Week’s Episode: The Way to Eden
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[cooleddie74]

C+ for the episode. Excellent for the Remastering!

I have to confess, at first thought I didn't think there was anything the Remastering team could really do to the effects in this episode save enhance and tweak the Zetarian light formation somewhat, but I was very impressed by the way they are now an all-new cloud with defined, ethereal edges and brighter, more pulsating lights within. There are also a lot more lights now than in the original opticals. And I really liked the new Memory Alpha planetoid with visible pressure domes and connecting tunnels running through the complex in an almost pentagonal/starburst pattern.

 

[Joanna McCoy-Kirk]

The new "lights" are great!

JL

 

[MANT!]

Generally this episode has always left me a bit puzzled with Scotty just all agog at Lt. Romaine (in any military organization his behavior would get a reprimand) so the episode gets a B from me..but the remaster was quite good...with the views of Memory Alpha and the Zetar cloud...huge improvements made there...and above average remaster...

 

[Swarles Barkley]

Damn. Forgot to put in my remastering vote.

I voted C for the episode, and would have voted Average for the remastering. As far as the episode itself goes, never been a big fan of this one. Scotty's behavior was simply ridiculous for a seasoned officer, regardless of how he felt about Lt. Romaine. And what kind of idiots are running the Federation anyway. "Hey, let's put the accumulated knowledge of all of our member worlds in an unprotected facility in the middle of nowhere, with no offsite backup of any kind!" Oops.

As for the remastering, it was okay. I liked the new Zetar light effects. The Enterprise was looking just too CGI-ish this week though. And is Memory Alpha really huge, or is that planetoid just extremely tiny?

Overall, meh.

 

[Captain Robert April]

Each of the domes is supposed to be around the size of the Superdome, so it's a little of both.

 

[payndz201]

Did they paint out Lt Romaine's enormous coldsore in the Remastered version?

Can't comment on the remastering as I haven't seen it yet, but this is an episode that was a frustrating collision of the genuinely creepy and the incredibly annoying (mostly Scotty acting so out of character that he was practically heading for the dressing room). The patronising of "the girl", er, Romaine throughout was quite mind-boggling by today's standards, as well.

 

[Gepard]

C+ for the episode, Above Average for the Remaster.

The episode is built upon a few interesting ideas, clumsily executed as tends to be the case with season three. It also seems to have squandered its potential by playing out a very dull climax. Oh NOES, a pressure chamber! Also loses points for constantly calling Lt. Romaine "the girl." Gains a few points for the discussion of the right to existence.

The new digital effects were very nice, but there weren't many of them to show off what CBS Digital could do, and the shots of the Enterprise still suffer from a lack of color. C'mon people, get some fill lights! Bonuses were, as mentioned, the new Memory Alpha and the Lights.

 

[Capn Flukie]

C for the story, Above Average for remastering, loved the new 'Lights'.

Like others said, "the girl" garnered a few real-life from me, and Scotty was ridiculous.

 

[boobatuba]

Remastering was pretty good, although they needed to do something a little more "modern" with the graphic showing the lights hitting Memory Alpha.

As for the story, yuck. Another ass-bleeder. Two in a row.

Scotty falling for that fugly ultra-bitch? Sheesh...

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Is this remastering the first time that actual text has appeared on the Enterprise main viewscreen? (the diagrams of the Zetars attacking Memory Alpha)

 

[Hambone]

Not one of Star Trek's better offerings. Shari Lewis should've stuck with Lambchop.

 

[Swarles Barkley]

Is this remastering the first time that actual text has appeared on the Enterprise main viewscreen? (the diagrams of the Zetars attacking Memory Alpha)

Isn't there a map of the Neutral Zone outposts that appears on the main viewscreen in "Balance of Terror"? That had text on it, IIRC. (Or was that only seen on a briefing room screen?)

 

[cooleddie74]

I do like how the Zetarian light formation/cloud now casts reflections on the saucer section in one scene...kind of how Balok's cube probe did in "Corbomite."

 

[Maurice]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=H2V-MzXZ27c

The FX reel

 

[Grant]

The new FX are about the only reason for rewatching some of these 3rd season eps.
It isn't a bad ep because it's sexist--most things still were in 1968--it's a bad ep because the writing sucks. The performances all seemed phoned in and lazy and it's too much like Obsession with the aliens penetrating the ship.

There were a lot of cool sci-fi ideas available to trek in 1968 and they just took some lousy scripts and churned them out instead.
The last 13 eps of TOS are mostly worthless and I'm glad at least a few of them will have a chance for some FX upgrades.

The eden planet on 'Way to..' seems a good choice for some new mattes and of course the cloud city on 'Cloud Minders'

Anyone else who can think of some other FX oportunities in the last 6 or so remastered eps??

 

[Timo]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=H2V-MzXZ27c

The FX reel

Why are there so many reaction shots of out heroes when the Zetarians first attack? What was changed or added? Just light interaction on their faces (there seems to be very little of it), or something more?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[payndz201]

In some of the shots of Mira, you can still see the original 'Lights' effect with the new, CG one superimposed over the top of it.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Is this remastering the first time that actual text has appeared on the Enterprise main viewscreen? (the diagrams of the Zetars attacking Memory Alpha)

Isn't there a map of the Neutral Zone outposts that appears on the main viewscreen in "Balance of Terror"? That had text on it, IIRC. (Or was that only seen on a briefing room screen?)

I don't count that, since AFAIK the map was just a matte painting. It wasn't actual computerized text, like we saw here.

 

[Maurice]

Why does the outline around the lights remind me of the shape of Landru's head?