Does ANYONE like Alternative Factor?

[Cakes488]

I'm just curious...there just has to be someone who genuinely likes this episode...that someone is not me of course.... but I like plenty of "bad" ep's and readily admit it....so don't be shy...be proud and shout from the mount..."I like the Alternative Factor".....!!

 

[Michael]

I hate it with a passion, but I know of at least one poster (Kegek is his name) who liked this episode, but he hasn't posted here in a long time. He used to defend this episode whenever the discussion came up.

 

[Cakes488]

I hate it with a passion, but I know of at least one poster (Kegek is his name) who liked this episode, but he hasn't posted here in a long time. He used to defend this episode whenever the discussion came up.

Me too..really I do...from the first time I saw it. I'd be interested to hear the defenses of this episode since there is so little banter on the other side...most of us TOS fans are in the same camp with this one....pure hatred.... Muuuaaahhhh.

 

[sbk1234]

Nope. Nobody likes it.

 

[JiNX-01]

If I have to say yes, I'm afraid I'll have to pass on posting here ... well... after I post this.

 

[JoeD80]

Yes, actually it's one of the episodes I enjoy quite a bit. I thought it was fun. Not top quality, but fun to watch.

 

[Michael]

I'd be interested to hear the defenses of this episode ...

Here's a post were Kegek talks about the reasons why he likes the episode. There also seem to be other people in that thread that feel the same way (like M'Sharak). (Oh, and I wouldn't recommend resurrecting that year-old thread.)

Nope. Nobody likes it.

How can you say that when just two posts before yours I confirmed the opposite?

 

[JustKate]

You know...I don't love it, but...it's one of those Big But Truly Weird Concepts that TOS had a strange fascination for (Twilight Zone did as well), and I do just kinda dig it. I think Robert Brown does a good job with a couple of extremely oddball roles, though it's a shame about that peculiar facial hair that they gave him (another of those things that TOS had a strange fascination for).

So yeah. I know the science is sketchy and/or nonexistent, to put it charitably, and the script has some major problems, but still, in the right mood, and at longish intervals, I can enjoy it. So shoot me.

 

[Hambone]

I like the idea; the story outline is pretty good. The execution was all wrong; I suspect this episode was a victim of the rush to get 1st Season episodes in the can. This episode is a good example of Murphy's Law; it seems that everything that could go wrong, did.

But the concept is good. I think with a few magic Roddenberry rewrites, this episode could have been one of the best.

 

[JoeD80]

I suspect this episode was a victim of the rush to get 1st Season episodes in the can.

They did run into at least one problem with this one: the original actor scheduled bailed at the last minute and they had to get Robert Brown in a hurry so there was zero prep time.

 

[Kelso]

I like it.

I wouldn't call it a good episode... but it's fun enough.

 

[Botany Bay]

I have seen posts on here suggesting that large portions of the plot were hastily re-written on-set. Specifically a romance between Lazarus and Masters was cut. I'd really like to see that original script.

Speaking of the lovely Lt. Charlene Masters, she is a big plus for this one

(+) There was loads of outdoor shooting

(+) Bones (as always) has a few nice moments.

(+) Mr. Leslie speaks (a bit)

(+) Really nice shot of the Enterprise firing phasers

Would having the original actor playing Lazarus have helped? I'm not sure. Robert Brown did a great job for someone called up literally at the last second when John Drew Barrymore decided not to turn up to work for some reason
(Studio boss Herb Solow took legal action against Barrymore, earning him a six-month suspension from his union).

 

[Therin of Andor]

After seeing ST:TMP in 1979, I began buying up Blish TOS episode adaptations, and we also had a guy showing six episodes of TOS each month on a cinema screen! "The Alternative Factor" was probably one of the first episodes I read/saw in 1980.

I hadn't realised how truly awful it was until aussie started his own "everything in production order" TV marathon a few years ago!

 

[Bri]

Wasn't I JUST talking about this one in another thread?

Oh, its horrible, but I love it.

The original parallel universe story.

It's so bad that it's absolutely hysterical, and currently is holding my nomination for most hysterical ep of all time.

Bri

 

[Bri]

LOL cakes, right after I wrote that last post I saw the other thread where you told me to get over here. lol

I want FACTS NOT POETRY!!!

Oh man, anybody else think Bill and Leonard were fighting on set that day for the opening shots?

How many times does Lazarus fall screaming from a height?

Just HOW many times did we really need to see the 2 Lazarus's fighting very badly in the "corridor".

I haven't laughed this hard in a long time, this episode is HYSTERICAL.

Woot!

Bri

 

[Bri]

I have seen posts on here suggesting that large portions of the plot were hastily re-written on-set. Specifically a romance between Lazarus and Masters was cut. I'd really like to see that original script.

Speaking of the lovely Lt. Charlene Masters, she is a big plus for this one

(+) There was loads of outdoor shooting

(+) Bones (as always) has a few nice moments.

(+) Mr. Leslie speaks (a bit)

(+) Really nice shot of the Enterprise firing phasers

Would having the original actor playing Lazarus have helped? I'm not sure. Robert Brown did a great job for someone called up literally at the last second when John Drew Barrymore decided not to turn up to work for some reason
(Studio boss Herb Solow took legal action against Barrymore, earning him a six-month suspension from his union).

This is interesting stuff, aussie. I wasn't aware of any of it.

http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=94088

Forgot to link my original comments in the other thread to this one.

Bri

 

[Botany Bay]

After seeing ST:TMP in 1979, I began buying up Blish TOS episode adaptations, and we also had a guy showing six episodes of TOS each month on a cinema screen! "The Alternative Factor" was probably one of the first episodes I read/saw in 1980.

I hadn't realised how truly awful it was until aussie started his own "everything in production order" TV marathon a few years ago!

Be glad you didn't make it into Season 3, some of that was hard work even for me

 

[RandyS]

Nope. Nobody likes it.

Speak for yourself. Not only did I love it. I thought it was better than "City on the Edge of Forever".

You heard me.

 

[sbk1234]

I'd be interested to hear the defenses of this episode ...

Here's a post were Kegek talks about the reasons why he likes the episode. There also seem to be other people in that thread that feel the same way (like M'Sharak). (Oh, and I wouldn't recommend resurrecting that year-old thread.)

Nope. Nobody likes it.

How can you say that when just two posts before yours I confirmed the opposite?

Very easily. You see, I clearly didn't read through carefully enough. Oh, well. So it goes.

 

[Jeyl]

Ya, this was bad, but not really the fault of the writers, actors or director's. The guest character was supposed to be played by someone else and the whole entire flow of the episode changed when a multi-racial romance was deemed a nono. So now we have a bunch of walking around, our guest character falling off cliffs and our main characters acting VERY out of character. Kirk bashing Spock? What the heck?

I don't think this episode would have......uh.... hold on. Let me just grab this ledge here......Oh snap, watch out!

*slips & falls off the mountain*

AHHHHH!