Who Saw Spock's Brain In It's Original Run on NBC?

[QuasarVM]

We've touched on this briefly before...but, who saw this third season premiere on NBC -- and even more importantly: what were your impressions of the episode way back on that 1968 evening?

Was the fact that Spock's Brain was stolen shocking in a sort of horror-film kind of way or...did you laugh? Did you think this was the end of quality Star Trek -- an aberration? Or did you love it?

Dig back into the recesses of your memories and let us know what you thought at the time...if you can remember.

 

[JustKate]

I did see it on its original run, but...nah, I can't really remember my impressions. But heck, I was only about 9, so I wasn't really the most demanding audience. I doubt if I laughed.

I do remember thinking the part where McCoy hooks up Spock's "empty," so to speak, to be really hokey. And those coverall-thingies - very odd. That might not have been the first time I saw it, but if not it was pretty soon thereafter. And "What is this brain?" is funny no matter what age you are, IMO!

 

[Ronald Held]

I did but do not recall my opinion of it.

 

[Jeri]

Yeah, about this...I used to love the Wild Wild West when it played first run; however, when it came out on DVD, it was like I had never seen it, except for memories of the cast. It's been interesting watching the episodes like new.

I guess the difference is a function of TOS reruns in syndication, whereas I don't recall watching Wild Wild West in syndication. If I'd never seen TOS in syndication, I probably wouldn't remember it either, even though I liked it a lot and was a regular viewer.

So to make a short story long, I don't remember my reaction to Spock's Brain on NBC.

 

[Shawnster]

Wild Wild West has been in syndication. Just not as widely or as popular as Trek.

 

[Mallory]

I did see it on its original run, but...nah, I can't really remember my impressions. But heck, I was only about 9, so I wasn't really the most demanding audience. I doubt if I laughed.

Same here, but I was 11 at the time. I probably took it seriously and enjoyed it though. I loved Star Trek during its original run.

 

[Esteban]

Oddly enough, I remember quite clearly being disappointed.

I was 8 or 9, and had really gotten into ST during its 2nd season. Really dug Ultimate Computer and Assignment Earth at the time.

Then, after those reruns, I was so excited for the new season. But Spock's Brain scared me, for all the wrong reasons.

Even at that young age, I recall thinking "this isn't very good". Got mildly excited over Enterprise Incident. Then it was just hanging on.

To this day, I think I had better taste as a 9er than a 49er. Now I can find redeeming qualities in Paradise Syndrome and All Our Yesterdays.

But then, when I was pure, I knew it was a different show.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Didn't see until syndication in the 70s. We moved to Japan during the third season. No Star Trek in the Land of the Rising Sun.

 

[Too Much Fun]

Talking about Season 3 opinions, I've been watching the show for the first time and am really disappointed by how poor this season is. I thought "The Enterprise Incident" was okay and thought "Day of the Dove" was a strong episode, but everything else has been really lame or boring, including "Spock's Brain", which kind of set the standard for the awfulness that has followed . I truly hope none of the other remaining episodes reach the lows of "Plato's Stepchildren" - AN ABOMINATION!

 

[Jeri]

Wild Wild West has been in syndication. Just not as widely or as popular as Trek.

Indeed; and that was the point: I said I did not remember watching it in syndication. I think TOS's popularity and pop-culture familiarity had a lot to do with widespread and longtime syndication.

 

[Saxman1]

I was 8 when the ep aired. I don't remember having any particular reaction to it. These days, I find it and much of season 3 a hoot, whether intentional or not.

 

[Hambone]

I was 8 when the ep aired. I don't remember having any particular reaction to it. These days, I find it and much of season 3 a hoot, whether intentional or not.

I was 8 years old as well, and I loved Trek. I was the only kid in the neighborhood with a color TV, so most of my friends came over to watch (Trek was the most colorful show ever).

I loved Spock's Brain and still do today. I think it's unfairly maligned because of it's camp content...but 98% of all Trek is campy, so what's the problem? Whenever someone tells me they're "getting into Star Trek" I always tell them "You gotta watch Spock's Brain".

 

[QuasarVM]

I was 8 when the ep aired. I don't remember having any particular reaction to it. These days, I find it and much of season 3 a hoot, whether intentional or not.

I was 8 years old as well, and I loved Trek. I was the only kid in the neighborhood with a color TV, so most of my friends came over to watch (Trek was the most colorful show ever).

I loved Spock's Brain and still do today. I think it's unfairly maligned because of it's camp content...but 98% of all Trek is campy, so what's the problem? Whenever someone tells me they're "getting into Star Trek" I always tell them "You gotta watch Spock's Brain".

Yeah, I like it too. It had an interesting sci-fi concept behind it at least (albeit, borrowed from the film "Donovan's Brain" and the Outer Limit's episode "The Brain of Colonel Barham" among others). Sure, the execution could have been better but, even so, it's a good episode as-is for the funny aspects if nothing else.

One thing I find interesting about the episode is that it kind of plays like part one of a potential two part episode. I've always felt the part where McCoy starts to forget how to restore Spock's Brain should have been a cliffhanger. Kirk's log entry during that always feels like a kind of setup for a part 2.

That's how I would have written it -- then introduced another element to the story that gives it a twist for part two.

Who knows? It could have been the "Best of Both Worlds" of it's time. Like that episode, the plot of Spock's Brain provides true life-threatening peril to a member of the main cast. The stakes couldn't be any higher for Spock.

That aspect of this episode I like...and I like the premise.

The truly awful year three episodes are "And The Children Shall Lead", "The Way to Eden" and "Plato's Stepchildren" ("first interracial kiss" notwitstanding) -- in my opinion of course.

 

[Gary7]

I think I was in kindergarten at the time I first saw it. As a child, I found it a bit disturbing. I was really convinced that his brain had been removed... and seeing McCoy trying to put it back in--gave me the willies. I didn't like that episode.

When I saw it again in syndication, as a pre-teen, I found it amusing. But relatively speaking, a dull episode aside from the whole women dominating men thing.

 

[Gary7]

The truly awful year three episodes are "And The Children Shall Lead", "The Way to Eden" and "Plato's Stepchildren" ("first interracial kiss" notwitstanding) -- in my opinion of course.

I too found them quite dull and ridiculous. The ideas could have been developed differently and made for some interesting episodes. But the writing on these was awful. They're part of the Star Trek canon, though, each having their own merits. If I had to pick one of them and discard the rest, I'd take "Eden". I liked the whole "space hippy" interpretation. And certainly seeing Mary-Linda Rapelye in the glory of her stunning youth was worth the price of admission.



And Spock jamming with the band...

Otherwise, for the other two...
"Hail, hail, fire and snow. Awful episodes, you should know. Lousy acting. Lousy writing. These crummy episodes should not be!"

 

[M'Sharak]

I would have been ten when "Spock's Brain" first aired. I'm pretty sure I knew then that it wasn't one of the best episodes I'd ever seen, but I know that I didn't take it as being funny, either -- unintentionally or no. Looking at it later, after repeated viewings, yeah, it strains credulity in a lot of places, but there are some nice bits still.

 

[QuasarVM]

The truly awful year three episodes are "And The Children Shall Lead", "The Way to Eden" and "Plato's Stepchildren" ("first interracial kiss" notwitstanding) -- in my opinion of course.

I too found them quite dull and ridiculous. The ideas could have been developed differently and made for some interesting episodes. But the writing on these was awful. They're part of the Star Trek canon, though, each having their own merits. If I had to pick one of them and discard the rest, I'd take "Eden". I liked the whole "space hippy" interpretation. And certainly seeing Mary-Linda Rapelye in the glory of her stunning youth was worth the price of admission.



And Spock jamming with the band...

Otherwise, for the other two...
"Hail, hail, fire and snow. Awful episodes, you should know. Lousy acting. Lousy writing. These crummy episodes should not be!"

That's great!

Well, of the three, only Eden had a chance. I just wish they had used Dorothy Fontana's "Joanna" script as she wrote it. It would have probably been a much better episode.

I wish they had written in a confrontation with the Romulans once they enter the neutral zone though...that would have made it more interesting too.

 

[miraclefan]

I have seen almost every episode of TOS season three, And to be honest I think it ranks right up there with as one of THE worst season's of trek history. In my opinion the TOP five worst trek season's were ( in no particular order ) TOS-S3, DS9-S1 & 2, TNG-S2, ENT-S1 ( it ties with ENT-S2 ) Especialy ENT-S1, I mean it was so bad I actualy got DROWZY from watching most of the episodes! In fact funny story, I bought the ENT-S1 box set at wal-mart, I Only cought a few eps before hand so I was not expecting the season to be as BAD as it was! So I called w-m to see if I could get a refund ( I spent $125.00 ) I told them the dvds were defectived( couldent tell them the truth, I was so emberrased) and wanted my cash back! But to my dismay it wasnt going to happen

 

[Sky]

I can easily rewatch Spock's Brain even though I find it baaaaaad, but Plato's Stepchildren I skip every time. It's just awful and cringeworthy and I am sure I hated it even when I saw it at the age of 10.

 

[QuasarVM]

I have seen almost every episode of TOS season three, And to be honest I think it ranks right up there with as one of THE worst season's of trek history. In my opinion the TOP five worst trek season's were ( in no particular order ) TOS-S3, DS9-S1 & 2, TNG-S2, ENT-S1 ( it ties with ENT-S2 ) Especialy ENT-S1, I mean it was so bad I actualy got DROWZY from watching most of the episodes! In fact funny story, I bought the ENT-S1 box set at wal-mart, I Only cought a few eps before hand so I was not expecting the season to be as BAD as it was! So I called w-m to see if I could get a refund ( I spent $125.00 ) I told them the dvds were defectived( couldent tell them the truth, I was so emberrased) and wanted my cash back! But to my dismay it wasnt going to happen

I disagree with you on TOS-S3 and TNG-S2. The others, yeah...right there with you on those. I started my DS9 collection with Season 3. The only Enterprise season I would consider getting is Season 4.

You definitely did the right thing returning ENT-S1! Were you drunk when you bought it though? I mean...sheesh!