3rd Season Slow Motion Episode

The Alternative Factor is one of the weaker entries in season one, but the mystery of Lazarus and the action at least hold my attention. Plus much of it take place on the Enterprise, which is always a win for me. I find episodes like The Empath or Requiem For Methuselah to be far more of an effort to sit through.

Fortunately in TOS, there are many episodes that can be skipped entirely without spoiling the overall effect of the series. The important, core episodes that relate to the later mythos happen also to be the better stories!

 

I guess the episode writer was an ethusiast of Plato, so he decided "Hey! I'll write a Star Trek episode revolving somewhat around a Utopian society. It can't be any worse than any other 3rd season episodes, can it?"
Yes, it can!

 

I meant that "The Alternative Factor" has an utterly inscrutable title. The Platonians spent time on Earth among the Greeks, undisclosed as aliens, and knew Socrates and Plato. I actually find that title interesting, even literary.

 

Well said! I also enjoy stories that take place on the Enterprise just to see and hear it; such a treat. But TAF even bungles that by inexplicably not using the Engineering set, not featuring Scotty, and having Lt. Masters in a blue uniform without a rank stripe. It's just . . . incredibly uninspired.

 

I think it's called Freibergering my Lord Beard sir!
JB

 

I don't mind seeing a new part of Engineering - it makes the ship feel bigger if all the engineering action doesn't take place in the same room all the time (something that became a real problem in TNG)

The background behind TAF is fascinating to me. It could have been quite a different story if everything had gone to plan! As for what we ended up with...well, as I said earlier, there are worse (i.e. more tedious) episodes of Trek out there, so I'll stick with my dinosaur man jumping off cliffs

 

....or, this

...or, this episode is really Freibergered Up!