Over a period ot time I had gained the impression that TOS had a generally flippant superficial attitude on death and loss--mostly from the memory of a few egregious epilogues that stood out in my memory.
Was the series really adverse to downbeat or somber endings?
So I decided to make a list on the subject, starting naturally, with season 1.
WNMHGB---The pilot gets it right. In a particularly devastating episode--12 crew deaths including the likeable Kelso, Dehner and Kirk’s best friend Mitchell.
The epilogue is appropriately somber including the nice touch of Kirk actually sporting bandages indicating that even in the future not all wounds heal immediately--implying that the emotional ones also take time. The only nod to optimism is Kirk’s statement that there is hope for Spock. Great job.
Man Trap---the first regular episode with crew deaths doesn’t dwell too much at the end on the lost crew, but an earlier exchange where the transporter operator when told by Kirk that a crewman was dead on the surface replies, “We’ll bring him home sir.”---is telling of the early trend toward the family loss that they feel when they lose a crewmate.
The epilogue ends with Kirk contemplating the “buffalo”---which is rather touching considering that the “salt-vampire” was a pretty ruthless killer. The idea that they were the instrument of a species extinction bothers Kirk--as it should.
Naked Time---Tomorlen’s death affects the crew but the near loss of the entire ship pushes it into the background. But still, the experience seems to have been taken seriously and Kirk’s “Not those last three days.” shows that it wasn’t a fun time.
Charlie X---although the Thasian’s return Kirk’s crew whole, the crew’s dismay at Charlie’s fate and Kirk’s realization that he can’t solve all the problems he encounter’s is powerful. Pretty daring stuff for 1960s tv.
Balance of Terror---great episode in many ways----the humanizing of the enemy commander, the examination of predudice among the crew, the loss of Tomlinson on his wedding day. All great touches. There is no cheer or joy on winning the battle and Kirk’s brief meeting with the bride to be in the chapel is fantastic. He is the father of his crew and Shatner’s transformation from grief to strong leader after he emerges from the chapel is classic.
What Are Little….---Although they don’t spend much time on the early deaths of the two guards--the ending where the only characters we really met were androids, is very sad. There is no joy in the destruction of Korby, Andrea or even Ruk or Brown. I was always saddened by the fact that Korby has lost his battle of trying to retain his humanity.
Dagger of the Mind---An interesting episode that reflects the universal fear of imprisonment in an institution run by a madman. The only deaths are an unnamed guard and the evil Dr Adams but the writers manage to make the audience even feel a twinge of sadness for the Dr himself when Kirk reflects on the notion of dying of loneliness. To end the episode with Kirk saying, “Not when you’ve sat in that chair.”--is brave.
Conscience of the King---An episode I didn’t give a hoot about when I was a kid has grown into a top ten episode for me. It turns a mass murderer into a character we can understand no matter how much we hate him. A killer who knows the extent of his crimes and can never change them is so much more interesting than a raving lunatic with no conscience. Having the killer turn out to be his daughter trying her best to erase her father’s crimes--rather than the tyrant himself was a great idea. Having Kirk use her and then fall for her is doubly sad. Dr Leighton and the other witness’ dead, Lenore driven mad is truly a sobering ending and once again justice may have been served but there is no joy.
Galileo Seven---All streaks come to an end and TOS’ streak of fine handling of death and sacrifice comes to a screeching halt. Pretty much the equivalent of hitting a brick wall at 100mph. How an episode can have so many fine points--near mutiny by the landing party, the specter of prejudice rearing it’s head again--the loss of 3 crewmembers---Kirk nearly having to leave his crew behind, can end with so pathetic a spectacle of the crew doubled over in laughter, tears rolling down their faces because of Spock not admitting he acted emotionally when “sending out a flare” is mind -boggling. This to my mind is the first time they blatantly placed the main crews popularity ahead of story-telling logic.
Arena---the deaths of the Cestus 3 colonists and the two crewmembers happens so early and so much happens later that it’s easy to accept the epilogue dwelled on the fact that Kirk, once again showed his humanity in not taking the Gorn’s life. It is more than understood that such a man who abstains from killing a reptilian killer is respectful of all life.
Alternative… --- Even a truly crappy episode can show the series’ heart when they decide to end it with Kirk lamenting Lazarus’ fate. “what of Lazarus?” may be the best thing about the episode.
Space Seed--- no one dies, Khan is given a second chance, but the ending is not only sober but actually a little ominous.
This Side of Paradise---So once again no-one dies and everyone actually is healed by the spores of their previous illnesses, but this time they make a comment on the feeling of one of the main cast insightful. No matter how many times I hear Spock say, “for the first time in my life I was happy.”---I am still touched by it.
Devil in the Dark---admittedly a great episode, but after all the good points and outside the 1960s box tv storytelling they gave us---did they really need to end the episode with Spock bragging that the Horta likes Vulcan ears better than any other humanoid feature? Ugh. More pandering to the Spock is cute and lovable notion. I mean 50 miners, 1 Enterprise crewman and thousands of horta babies died and let’s end the episode with them chuckling about Spock’s denying his ego?
Errand of Mercy---thanks to the Organians no one dies, but it was pretty brave for the writers to have the Federation (standing in the for the good old USA) told by a greater power, that they are immature and still haven’t outgrown savagery. Kirk is embarrassed by the fact that he briefly felt anger at being denied the right to go to war by an outsider.
City On the Edge….---The penultimate TOS episode and it ups the ante on death to the highest level. Kirk loses not an honorable enemy or a crewmember, or even a best friend, but a soul-mate. It happens “tv fast’ but it is forgivable and the audience understands that though their time was brief--Kirk and Edith were meant for each other. What a cruel twist of fate for Kirk to first wreck, then be responsible for repairing Earth’s utopian future at the cost of meeting, falling in love with and then having to sacrifice someone like Edith Keeler. If the series had ended right there----it would still have been legendary, provided enough people got to see what they had done in one brief season.
And thank you, thank you, thank you to whoever made the bold decision NOT to end the episode with the Enterprise flying away from the planet accompanied by stirring music---as it does in, what?, 76 other episodes.
Operation…---I can find very little to praise about the season ender. I hate so many things about the episode--the fact that they can’t figure out that light affects the creature that Spock willingly goes blind because the people on the planet won’t have goggles (so f-ing what?), the deaux ex machina “Spock really isn’t blind!” revelation & the fact that the death of Kirk’s brother and sister-in-law has less impact to both the audience and Kirk than any of a dozen other tragedies he has faced so far. Sad way to end season 1.
So any impression I had about TOS being flippant about death and always having happy endings was clearly wrong. Maybe later seasons gave me that impression. Let me think on that
Was the series really adverse to downbeat or somber endings?
So I decided to make a list on the subject, starting naturally, with season 1.
WNMHGB---The pilot gets it right. In a particularly devastating episode--12 crew deaths including the likeable Kelso, Dehner and Kirk’s best friend Mitchell.
The epilogue is appropriately somber including the nice touch of Kirk actually sporting bandages indicating that even in the future not all wounds heal immediately--implying that the emotional ones also take time. The only nod to optimism is Kirk’s statement that there is hope for Spock. Great job.
Man Trap---the first regular episode with crew deaths doesn’t dwell too much at the end on the lost crew, but an earlier exchange where the transporter operator when told by Kirk that a crewman was dead on the surface replies, “We’ll bring him home sir.”---is telling of the early trend toward the family loss that they feel when they lose a crewmate.
The epilogue ends with Kirk contemplating the “buffalo”---which is rather touching considering that the “salt-vampire” was a pretty ruthless killer. The idea that they were the instrument of a species extinction bothers Kirk--as it should.
Naked Time---Tomorlen’s death affects the crew but the near loss of the entire ship pushes it into the background. But still, the experience seems to have been taken seriously and Kirk’s “Not those last three days.” shows that it wasn’t a fun time.
Charlie X---although the Thasian’s return Kirk’s crew whole, the crew’s dismay at Charlie’s fate and Kirk’s realization that he can’t solve all the problems he encounter’s is powerful. Pretty daring stuff for 1960s tv.
Balance of Terror---great episode in many ways----the humanizing of the enemy commander, the examination of predudice among the crew, the loss of Tomlinson on his wedding day. All great touches. There is no cheer or joy on winning the battle and Kirk’s brief meeting with the bride to be in the chapel is fantastic. He is the father of his crew and Shatner’s transformation from grief to strong leader after he emerges from the chapel is classic.
What Are Little….---Although they don’t spend much time on the early deaths of the two guards--the ending where the only characters we really met were androids, is very sad. There is no joy in the destruction of Korby, Andrea or even Ruk or Brown. I was always saddened by the fact that Korby has lost his battle of trying to retain his humanity.
Dagger of the Mind---An interesting episode that reflects the universal fear of imprisonment in an institution run by a madman. The only deaths are an unnamed guard and the evil Dr Adams but the writers manage to make the audience even feel a twinge of sadness for the Dr himself when Kirk reflects on the notion of dying of loneliness. To end the episode with Kirk saying, “Not when you’ve sat in that chair.”--is brave.
Conscience of the King---An episode I didn’t give a hoot about when I was a kid has grown into a top ten episode for me. It turns a mass murderer into a character we can understand no matter how much we hate him. A killer who knows the extent of his crimes and can never change them is so much more interesting than a raving lunatic with no conscience. Having the killer turn out to be his daughter trying her best to erase her father’s crimes--rather than the tyrant himself was a great idea. Having Kirk use her and then fall for her is doubly sad. Dr Leighton and the other witness’ dead, Lenore driven mad is truly a sobering ending and once again justice may have been served but there is no joy.
Galileo Seven---All streaks come to an end and TOS’ streak of fine handling of death and sacrifice comes to a screeching halt. Pretty much the equivalent of hitting a brick wall at 100mph. How an episode can have so many fine points--near mutiny by the landing party, the specter of prejudice rearing it’s head again--the loss of 3 crewmembers---Kirk nearly having to leave his crew behind, can end with so pathetic a spectacle of the crew doubled over in laughter, tears rolling down their faces because of Spock not admitting he acted emotionally when “sending out a flare” is mind -boggling. This to my mind is the first time they blatantly placed the main crews popularity ahead of story-telling logic.
Arena---the deaths of the Cestus 3 colonists and the two crewmembers happens so early and so much happens later that it’s easy to accept the epilogue dwelled on the fact that Kirk, once again showed his humanity in not taking the Gorn’s life. It is more than understood that such a man who abstains from killing a reptilian killer is respectful of all life.
Alternative… --- Even a truly crappy episode can show the series’ heart when they decide to end it with Kirk lamenting Lazarus’ fate. “what of Lazarus?” may be the best thing about the episode.
Space Seed--- no one dies, Khan is given a second chance, but the ending is not only sober but actually a little ominous.
This Side of Paradise---So once again no-one dies and everyone actually is healed by the spores of their previous illnesses, but this time they make a comment on the feeling of one of the main cast insightful. No matter how many times I hear Spock say, “for the first time in my life I was happy.”---I am still touched by it.
Devil in the Dark---admittedly a great episode, but after all the good points and outside the 1960s box tv storytelling they gave us---did they really need to end the episode with Spock bragging that the Horta likes Vulcan ears better than any other humanoid feature? Ugh. More pandering to the Spock is cute and lovable notion. I mean 50 miners, 1 Enterprise crewman and thousands of horta babies died and let’s end the episode with them chuckling about Spock’s denying his ego?
Errand of Mercy---thanks to the Organians no one dies, but it was pretty brave for the writers to have the Federation (standing in the for the good old USA) told by a greater power, that they are immature and still haven’t outgrown savagery. Kirk is embarrassed by the fact that he briefly felt anger at being denied the right to go to war by an outsider.
City On the Edge….---The penultimate TOS episode and it ups the ante on death to the highest level. Kirk loses not an honorable enemy or a crewmember, or even a best friend, but a soul-mate. It happens “tv fast’ but it is forgivable and the audience understands that though their time was brief--Kirk and Edith were meant for each other. What a cruel twist of fate for Kirk to first wreck, then be responsible for repairing Earth’s utopian future at the cost of meeting, falling in love with and then having to sacrifice someone like Edith Keeler. If the series had ended right there----it would still have been legendary, provided enough people got to see what they had done in one brief season.
And thank you, thank you, thank you to whoever made the bold decision NOT to end the episode with the Enterprise flying away from the planet accompanied by stirring music---as it does in, what?, 76 other episodes.
Operation…---I can find very little to praise about the season ender. I hate so many things about the episode--the fact that they can’t figure out that light affects the creature that Spock willingly goes blind because the people on the planet won’t have goggles (so f-ing what?), the deaux ex machina “Spock really isn’t blind!” revelation & the fact that the death of Kirk’s brother and sister-in-law has less impact to both the audience and Kirk than any of a dozen other tragedies he has faced so far. Sad way to end season 1.
So any impression I had about TOS being flippant about death and always having happy endings was clearly wrong. Maybe later seasons gave me that impression. Let me think on that
