Corbomite Maneuver - Ensemble Cast

[Methuselah Flint]

I know we focus primarily on Kirk/Spock/McCoy, as the serious develops, but I was re-watching this episode last night, and an ensemble feel really shines through here, especially in the Balok bridge scenes, with every regular (except Chapel) *actively* involved in the story through their various departments and piping-in comments, even to the point of the Rand/coffee moment. It's a shame these moments gradually became lost as the series progressed. Can anyone think of another ensemble-like episode as closely matching as this? We get a similar feel in The Immunity Syndrome, but I kinda feel in The Corbomite everyone works really closely together, with a sense of intimacy. Thoughts?

 

[Terok Nor]

Mirror Mirror made use of almost everyone too.

 

[Methuselah Flint]

Ah yes!

 

[Christopher]

Yeah, early TOS did a great job feeling more like an ensemble show about people doing a job in space. "The Corbomite Maneuver" does it best, which is one of the reasons it's my favorite episode. "The Man Trap" (which I don't like nearly as much overall) also has a lot of that ensemble feel and everyday-life stuff like people having meals together and teasing each other about hobbies and asking for help repairing their cabin doors and stuff. It's a feeling that was lost in later seasons as it became more just about the three leads, and as the everyday attitude gave way to a more larger-than-life space-heroes feel.

By the way, "Corbomite"'s director Joseph Sargent also directed the movie Colossus: The Forbin Project, which has a similar directorial style, with a lot of overlapping chatter going on between background players in the control room and such.

 

[Pauln6]

I have always preferred the ensemble episodes, although there are some that focus on the Big 3 that are very cool. I might have been more satisfied if they had stuck with the original premise of 4 leads and just rotated the fourth one to give everybody some decent air time.

 

[Seven of Five]

Yes I love the ensemble feel we had in season one, particularly with the earlier episodes. It gave a bit more life to some of the characters. I've said it before as well that I missed Rand's presence on the show. She added to the ensemble feel as well.

Charlie X is another good one.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Mirror Mirror made use of almost everyone too.

I feel that "The Trouble With Tribbles" also did a very nice job of utilizing the entire cast. I've long felt that that's part of the reason behind the popularity of those two episodes.

 

[Green Shirt]

I, Mudd — while a mediocre episode, made good use of most of the cast.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I, Mudd — while a mediocre episode, made good use of most of the cast.

I was rewatching that one the other day, and I always forget that Sulu's in the very beginning. It's rather odd how he just disappears from the episode. I wonder what he was doing while the rest of the bridge crew was plotting away on Mudd's planet?

 

[Phaser Two]

It rarely gets credit, but Spock's Brain features some good interplay between Kirk and Scotty as the latter slides into the first officer role with Spock's incapacitation, and also has the fantastic (and fairly long!) scene on the bridge between Kirk, Sulu, Uhura and Chekov as the captain seeks his officers' counsel as to how to proceed with the search.

 

[Green Shirt]

I was rewatching that one the other day, and I always forget that Sulu's in the very beginning. It's rather odd how he just disappears from the episode. I wonder what he was doing while the rest of the bridge crew was plotting away on Mudd's planet?

Getting fitted for a green beret?

 

[Lance]

Interestingly, despite it coming well after Shatner and Nimoy had firmly established their 'stardom' over the series, there are a few in Season 3 that I think actually make an effort to use the ensemble more fully.

 

[TwoJakes]

A Private Little War has a nice ensemble scene where the bridge crew discusses the appearance of the flint locks. Somewhat like in Spock's Brain, Nimoy's absence makes it possible for the "second string" actors to have more to do.

 

[johnnybear]

I was rewatching that one the other day, and I always forget that Sulu's in the very beginning. It's rather odd how he just disappears from the episode. I wonder what he was doing while the rest of the bridge crew was plotting away on Mudd's planet?

I would never have remembered that and yes it is odd that George isn't in the rest of the show and where he was supposed to be considering he was part of the main bridge crew! Maybe it was here that George had to nip off to film with John Wayne's Green Berets?
JB

 

[Pauln6]

Possibly they used footage from a previous episode?

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I would never have remembered that and yes it is odd that George isn't in the rest of the show and where he was supposed to be considering he was part of the main bridge crew! Maybe it was here that George had to nip off to film with John Wayne's Green Berets?
JB

Very possibly. I think Walter Koenig once commented that he got a larger part in "The Trouble With Tribbles" because George was away, and that episode was shot right after "I, Mudd." I believe it was originally supposed to be Sulu that was shopping with Uhura on the space station.

Possibly they used footage from a previous episode?

Nope. He had dialogue. Sulu just disappears from the episode.

 

[johnnybear]

So while Kirk and crew were down on the androids planet Sulu had packed his bags for a few weeks away with John Wayne!
JB

 

[johnnybear]

Strange that Sulu being a well known member of the bridge crew wasn't put with Kirk and the others in their quarters, especially since Harry Mudd would have remembered him from their previous encounter! Unless Chekov got his lines...again?
JB