Episode of the Week : Miri
- Thread starter Botany Bay
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Umm, why would Starfleet be concerned about the natives? The planet was of strategic worth, which was why Kirk was sent there in the first place. Was it to protect the natives? Fat chance of that, when Kirk's ship has to flee at the first sign of trouble. Was it to stop the Klingons from gaining a foothold? Then the locals are expendable, certainly?
Why our heroes stop at certain planets is sometimes well explained, sometimes not. Why do they attempt to save Miramanee's world, say? Here at least the reason for the beam-down is simple curiosity without interventionist expectations. But "Errand of Mercy" is all about intervention and exploitation.
Timo Saloniemi
Parallel Earth - fine - but do something with the idea. It just comes across as throw-away and lazy.
The episode has some fun moments - Janice's scabby legs among them - but it also has one of the worst examples of where a crewman just sits around like an idiot waiting for Kirk to show up. I could respect the episode more if Janice had been allowed to at least attempt to talk the children down with some help from Kirk.
The episode has some fun moments - Janice's scabby legs among them - but it also has one of the worst examples of where a crewman just sits around like an idiot waiting for Kirk to show up. I could respect the episode more if Janice had been allowed to at least attempt to talk the children down with some help from Kirk.
Bonk bonk on the head...bonk bonk...
This one always seemed creepy to me, and not one of my favorites, though it did effectively convey how the stress of the situation was taking its toll on Kirk, McCoy and Rand.
This one always seemed creepy to me, and not one of my favorites, though it did effectively convey how the stress of the situation was taking its toll on Kirk, McCoy and Rand.
I always wonder whether those children in that one town are the only people left anywhere on the "twin Earth," or whether anyone is going to find out.
Anyway, it seems that Janice's hairstyle would make her almost completely immune to "bonk bonk on the head."
Also, the final exchange of dialogue in the episode would tend to suggest that Spock, from the science station, is capable of piloting the ship with his mind.
Anyway, it seems that Janice's hairstyle would make her almost completely immune to "bonk bonk on the head."
Also, the final exchange of dialogue in the episode would tend to suggest that Spock, from the science station, is capable of piloting the ship with his mind.
Seeing my heroes in tights (and a cape) just made it all the sweeter!
As for 'Miri' its just a great episode.
And some great performances here. A common science fiction theme about the perils of searching for eternal life.
Of course Rand was useless. That's how they write her. O Kirk save me, look at my legs. But I think the actress does the best she can with the lines she's got.
I used to hate the parallel Earth theme here when they just could have easily made it some old Earth colony or something. Now I think they did it deliberately as some warning tale to 60s Earth of the dangers of biological warfare. A duplicate Earth makes the story more relevant IMO.
I'm not a fan of this one. But at least it's early enough in the series that there are some interesting camera setups.
If you can get past the beehive, Grace Lee Whitney was a major babe. Getting rid of her was about as stupid as cancelling the show, altogether. As I understand it, she took it really hard, too. Hit the bottle and ... and so forth. But actors lose parts sometimes ... only to find others. Couldn't she sing? I heard somewhere, she could sing, so she had that to fall back on, studio session wise, at least, for whatever bands. Grace Lee was very cool in those days and despite the girly girl dialogue they tried to stick her with, or whatever, she never came across as needy as every other babe that Kirk found himself in bed with. So her being along for the ride really helps this adventure. I'm not sure, but this might be her only Landy Party. Again, what a waste of a talented babe. Gene Roddenberry should've looked out for her ...
Grace was indeed gorgeous. Those blue eyes..wow.
I'd say this was Janice's best episode, and the show definitely lost something when she departed. I just wish it had been different for her after Star Trek, but, to her credit she was able to pull herself out of that horrible hole she was in. I must read her book sometime.
Anyway, Miri is an interesting one for me. It terrified me as a kid...you never knew when another monster was going to jump out of the shadows.
You really feel the isolation and desperation of the landing party as they scramble to find a cure. There are no familiar sets, and no familiar faces on the Enterprise - just a nervy looking Farrell filling in for Uhura - the landing party really is on their own, and tempers fray as the clock ticks.
The not so good : "blah blah blah" "bonk bonk on the head" "look at my legs".
7.
I'd say this was Janice's best episode, and the show definitely lost something when she departed. I just wish it had been different for her after Star Trek, but, to her credit she was able to pull herself out of that horrible hole she was in. I must read her book sometime.
Anyway, Miri is an interesting one for me. It terrified me as a kid...you never knew when another monster was going to jump out of the shadows.
You really feel the isolation and desperation of the landing party as they scramble to find a cure. There are no familiar sets, and no familiar faces on the Enterprise - just a nervy looking Farrell filling in for Uhura - the landing party really is on their own, and tempers fray as the clock ticks.
The not so good : "blah blah blah" "bonk bonk on the head" "look at my legs".
7.
Is it wrong that I've always wanted to reach into the set and slap the "bonk bonk" kid? Keep in mind that the actor would actually be several years older than me....
I just cant get to love "Miri" at all
And the so called "children" ?
Micheal J Pollard must be about 28 in this episode ffs
And the so called "children" ?
Micheal J Pollard must be about 28 in this episode ffs
One thing this episode features is a unique (for Star Trek) shot, where McCoy is 'ordering' the equipment he'll need from the ship. We get a voice-over of McCoy in a shot of the orbiting Enterprise, which I believe is the only time we see such a thing in the entire series! 
I never saw "Miri" until weekday reruns began (the third-season episodes were the only ones I watched first-run, because Fridays at 10 p.m. ended a previous conflict with piano lessons), so for several years I only knew this episode through the James Blish short-story adaptation - which doesn't bring the parallel-Earth business into it at all, so to me it seemed even more superfluous than it would have otherwise.
As a showcase for Michael J. Pollard, it's great: "They're Gruh-ups!" I didn't care if he looked too old, or that the local language (including old printed reports about the disease) was English - was that the reason for the parallel-Earth business? The basic concept of ancient children was strong.
Also, for what it's worth, "Miri" has the distinction of being the only episode whose title is in italics.
As a showcase for Michael J. Pollard, it's great: "They're Gruh-ups!" I didn't care if he looked too old, or that the local language (including old printed reports about the disease) was English - was that the reason for the parallel-Earth business? The basic concept of ancient children was strong.
Also, for what it's worth, "Miri" has the distinction of being the only episode whose title is in italics.
You're safe now. That was John Megna, who unfortunately died at 42 in 1995 of an AIDS-related illness.
One thing this episode features is a unique (for Star Trek) shot, where McCoy is 'ordering' the equipment he'll need from the ship. We get a voice-over of McCoy in a shot of the orbiting Enterprise, which I believe is the only time we see such a thing in the entire series!
Obviously I'm not counting the ubiquitous voice-over Captain's logs!
I can't add much to the car discussion, sadly. My '76 Ventura was awesome. I miss that car to this day...
My favourite Janice episode is the Man Trap because we got to see her personality and she had more than a cameo that didn't end up with her being a victim for once.
Janice was due to go on landing party duty again in the Galileo 7 and City on the Edge of Forever. In fact she's back in the graphic novel version of the original script of CotEoF out in June. I'm quite interested to see what contribution she would have made - hopefully a bit more than Uhura.
That does sound cool, Pauln6! And you're right about MAN TRAP being a great Janice Rand episode. For hardly having been in the series, Grace Lee Whitney certainly left a very strong impression on it ...
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