Favorite Third Season Episodes?

[ToddPence]

OUTSTANDING:
"The Paradise Syndrome"
"Is There in Truth No Beauty?"
"The Empath"
"The Tholian Web"
"The Day of the Dove"
"All Our Yesterdays"

ABOVE AVERAGE:
"Elaan of Troyius"
"The Enterprise Incident"
"For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky"
"Whom Gods Destroy"
"The Cloudminders"
"Requeim for Methuselah"

FLAWED, BUT STILL WORTHWHILE:
"Spectre of the Gun"
"Wink of an Eye"
"That Which Survives"
"The Mark of Gideon"
"The Way to Eden"
"Turnabout Intruder"

BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:
"And the Children Shall Lead"
"Spock's Brain"
"Plato's Stepchildren"
"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"
"The Lights of Zetar"
"The Savage Curtain"

 

[JustKate]

Please, will some of you poor misguided souls () who adore "The Paradise Syndrome" tell me just what it is that you see in the dang thing, besides the scenery? I don't mean to insult you - this episode, yes; my fellow Trek fans, no - but I can think of no redeeming characteristics for this episode besides the nice scenery. Well, and some of the acting isn't bad (Shatner is at his hammy worst, though), especially considering the material the actors are given to work with. But whenever this episode comes up, a few people pop up out of the general loathing to say how much they like it, but I can't remember any reasons besides the scenery, so if you could explain your reasoning for me, I'd appreciate it. I probably won't agree, seeing as I've loathed it for several decades now, but I'd still like to hear your reasons. I mean, really, Todd - "outstanding"? Aaaaaaaaauuuuuugh!

 

[KeepOnTrekking]

The Enterprise Incident
Day of the Dove
The Tholian Web
The Empath
All Our Yesterdays
The Savage Curtain

 

[Botany Bay]

Kate, I'd been meaning to watch the episode again and give you a decent reply, but I can't track it down here - it hasn't yet been released on BluRay in Australia, and I have to go from memory (at least two years since I saw it).

Anyway, we agree the scenery is terrific, I also think the obelisk is one of the best set construction efforts (apparently they lost control of costs while building it, and finishing it strained the paltry third season budget even further).

The 'Preservers' concept is an intriguing one, and makes a lot of sense. If we have the ability to move hundreds of people across space, it's inevitable someone will use that power to intervene and 'rescue' cultures by relocating them.

This episode is unique in that it takes place over months - Kirk had plenty of time to mourn his losses when the Enterprise limps off for the long trip to get repairs. And, besides, did we ever see Kirk in his quarters mourning Edith Keeler? It doesn't seem to take the shine off City, that its events were never followed up.

Shatner's acting : well, hugging himself to show us how contented he is living with the Indians isn't one of his best acting choices, to be fair.

Arguably, this episode features the best special effects work of the series (I'm talking the original craftspeople, not whatever the CGI team did).

Unfortunately, I have little knowledge of Native American culture, or how well the episode represents it, may be it is a completely ridiculous, cliche-riddled depiction, but I wouldn't know - on the other side of the world it looks fine to me.

I don't mean to eleveate this episode to the top shelf of TOS viewing, but I think it is generally underrated around here, and a stand out in a massively below-par season.

 

[Vonstadt]

Liked and why :
Day of the Dove - I loved Kang and his wife and the whole Enemy of my Enemy feel to it.

Elaan of Troyius - I loved the intrique and watching Kirk treat the Dolman like a spoiled brat that she was. Plus it showed just how much Kirk loved his ship.

Enterprise Incident - i loved the whole mission within a mission aspect and some of the classic bits like the Vulcan Death Grip :P

Savage Curtain - I loved seeing the way the actor who played Lincoln came across, a charming little lesson episode.

Spectre of the Gun - I am a sucker for Westerns and the little bits of humor in the episodes. Like the only thing real for Chekov was the girl

Way to Eden - A guilty pleasure now after all of these years...its a VERY dated story BUT..Adam was worth the episode alone..we reached :P I still have fun watching this one. Anyone who doesnt well they are a 'Herbert'

Let That Be Your Last Battlefield - Yes it is a very non subtle message delivered in a very non subtle way. However as a child it was one of the first 'message' episodes that I got and it remains a favorite...plus Frank Gorshin was great as Loki's pursuer. That and the images along with the chilling music of what had happened on Cheron as the two are running from deck to deck trying to escape was very haunting to me as a kid and it remains with me each time I see this episode or hear its name.

Vons

 

[JustKate]

Kate, I'd been meaning to watch the episode again and give you a decent reply, but I can't track it down here - it hasn't yet been released on BluRay in Australia, and I have to go from memory (at least two years since I saw it).

Anyway, we agree the scenery is terrific, I also think the obelisk is one of the best set construction efforts (apparently they lost control of costs while building it, and finishing it strained the paltry third season budget even further).

The 'Preservers' concept is an intriguing one, and makes a lot of sense. If we have the ability to move hundreds of people across space, it's inevitable someone will use that power to intervene and 'rescue' cultures by relocating them.

This episode is unique in that it takes place over months - Kirk had plenty of time to mourn his losses when the Enterprise limps off for the long trip to get repairs. And, besides, did we ever see Kirk in his quarters mourning Edith Keeler? It doesn't seem to take the shine off City, that its events were never followed up.

Shatner's acting : well, hugging himself to show us how contented he is living with the Indians isn't one of his best acting choices, to be fair.

Arguably, this episode features the best special effects work of the series (I'm talking the original craftspeople, not whatever the CGI team did).

Unfortunately, I have little knowledge of Native American culture, or how well the episode represents it, may be it is a completely ridiculous, cliche-riddled depiction, but I wouldn't know - on the other side of the world it looks fine to me.

I don't mean to eleveate this episode to the top shelf of TOS viewing, but I think it is generally underrated around here, and a stand out in a massively below-par season.

The Native American elements are, of course ridiculous - for one thing, out here in Reality Land there is no such thing as a Native American culture; there are instead many separate and distinct cultures. Here it looks as though the writers took their dinner plates down the Indigenous Peoples of North America Buffet and selected a few bits here and there, as it struck their fancy, with no consideration about how well those bits fit together, fit the landscape, or fit the costumes (which they appear to have borrowed from the props department of a Western that favored Generic Plains Indians as its native people of choice). I hate that. But I talked about this earlier in the thread so I'll try not to berate the point. Too much, anyway.

I am also a bit puzzled by your admiration for the concept of the Preservers. Surely we've seen this concept a LOT before, even on Trek? The show is full of mysterious alien objects/computers/systems/thingies that take care of races that apparently can't be trusted to take care if themselves: Landru in "The Return of the Archons" (cue spooky computer voice: "You will be absorbed") and the androids in "I, Mudd." Ooh, and even closer parallel that I just thought of is the God/Computer thing in "The Apple" - I can't remember its name right now. That episode is also notable as the winner of Worst Wigs in Trekdom Award, BTW.

In fact, right there in season three, though I admit this is after "The Paradise Syndrome," we have the ship in "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" and the supercomputer in "Spock's Brain."

So the whole Preserver concept, or so it seems to me, was already more than a bit overdone when the episode first ran, and it hasn't improved with age.

I'd just like to point out that most of the strengths that you mention are all...well, superficial. How a episode looks is a factor in its quality, but at least for me, its importance is well below that of the writing and the acting. And here, neither one is very good, IMO. Well, OK, some of the acting is fine, but Shatner's is not, and since he's the star, this is a big problem for me.

But hey, if you enjoy it, more power to you. We just started watching all of TOS in order, so I think - unless I'm not feeling strong enough that day - that I'm going to watch it when it comes along in the cue. I don't expect to enjoy it, but I could be wrong. If so, I'll let you know.

 

[Keith1701]

Based upon recently re watching several third season episodes in the last year, I would rank these as my favorites in approx. order of preference.

The Enterprise Incident
The Tholian Web
Whom Gods Destroy
Day Of The Dove
The Empath
All Our Yesterdays
The Cloud Minders
Requiem For Methuselah
Turnabout Intruder
Platos Stepchildren
The Savage Curtain
Is There In Truth No Beauty?
Spocks Brain

My favorites for thrid season would be as follows:
The Enterprise Incident
The Tholian Web
Turnabout Intruder
The Savage Curtain

 

[MANT!]

3rd season Star Trek is the most VISUALLY oriented of the seasons..

The special effects crew was hitting it's stride (for the time)... The music was getting better with each episode..The actors really knew their roles..and played 'em to the hilt..

Just one problem...the stories simply weren't given the care they had in earlier seasons..(No Gene Coon/Gene Roddenberry involvement?)

It's all,as Warped9 stated up-thread, a matter of execution..

My favorites..

The Enterprise Incident--Our heroes channel "Mission Impossible" and "Man from U.N.C.L.E." including disguise, deception, seduction, and hand to hand combat.. what's not to like!! And Spock is the seducer!!!

The Tholian Web--a feast for the eyes 60's style..madness, mystery and loss of our Intrepid Captain (if only for a few minutes) excellent.

Day of The Dove-- The first inkling of Klingon honor in Trek (later to be beaten to death in following series) And foreshadowing the later series as well..Klingons and Federation crew members unite to defeat a common enemy...

Requiem For Methuselah--Excellent story, often used in literary Science Fiction, the immortal and the loneliness of immortality...

dropping down to the following turd-burgers

Spock's Brain-- Why oh Why didn't anyone think about what was going before the camera...the dialog takes an exciting concept ( degenerated civilization can't repair or operate it's own machines so it uses an alien mind to operate the tech.) and thoroughly murders it with inane plot holes and the worst dialog in all TOS ..

And the Children Shall Lead -- Couldn't anyone see the train-wreck that this was?
Child actors that can't act.. Mercenary attorney as a guest star? Sulu afraid of SPACE KNIVES?? gets a big WTF each and everytime I see it..

Let That be Your Last Battlefield -- Look, I love the allegorical stories Star Trek uses, but this is the equivalent of baseball bat with nails in it being bashed over one's head to get the point in... no subtle message here..this is a blunt instrument..

Gem...I want to see the Shat emote...NOT THE GUEST STAR..

Finally, Turnabout Intruder-- As stated above, I do like to see the Shat emote..but there has to be a limit.. And Shatner's chewing up the entire episode..walls and all.

Added to the fact that this is the final episode of TOS.. not on a high note at all...

 

[maryh]

I am amazed to see all the "Paradise Syndrome" love because I truly looooooooathe that episode. It may be my very least favorite TOS episode, I hate it so so so much.

But I think "Tholian Web" is (for the most part) an excellent episode. "Spock's Brain" is not...but I love it anyway.

Reading your negative opinion of "The Paradise Syndrome" I think you, yourself, sum up why some like it. They know that "Paradise Syndrome" is not an excellent episode, but they love it anyway.

There is something emotionally stimulating about the concept of a brief but forbidden experience of paradise. "We'll always have Paris" generates some special and rare emotions. It was like "This Side of Paradise" without the fake, drug induced happiness to taint the emotional response.

 

[JustKate]

^ Yeah, but...I love "Spock's Brain" because it's silly and cheesy and makes no bones about it. What I love about it is its badness. (I have a collection of really bad 1950s scifi movies, and that's what Spock's Brain really reminds me of.)

But I am under no illusions that it's actually good.

"Paradise Syndrome," on the other hand, takes itself very very very seriously, and - correct me, please, if I'm wrong - those who like/love it do as well. It's not cheesy and nobody is enjoying its cheesy goodness, as I do "Spock's Brain." It's either promising and moving (if you like it) or pretentious and shallow (if you don't). Or so it seems to me.

I swear, I am not trying to talk those of you who love this episode out of that love. How could I? I'm just trying to understand it, so far not with a lot of success, perhaps because I get no "We'll always have Paris" vibe from it. If others do, more power to them.

 

[Keith1701]

Based upon recently re watching several third season episodes in the last year, I would rank these as my favorites in approx. order of preference.

The Enterprise Incident
The Tholian Web
Whom Gods Destroy
Day Of The Dove
The Empath
All Our Yesterdays
The Cloud Minders
Requiem For Methuselah
Turnabout Intruder
Platos Stepchildren
The Savage Curtain
Is There In Truth No Beauty?
Spocks Brain

Mainly: The Enterprise Incident

 

[Atticus]

I don't think S3 deserves quite as bad a reputation as it has - there's a collection of horrible episodes in the middle which pull it down, but there's also a number that I would rank among my favourites full stop.

Spectre of the Gun, Day of the Dove, The Tholian Web and The Savage Curtain are all in my top ten, and The Enterprise Incident, Is There No Truth in Beauty?, The Paradise Syndrome (sorry JustKate!) All Our Yesterdays and Turnabout Intruder are all decent stories too.

And how can you not love Spock's Brain?

 

[plynch]

I swear, I am not trying to talk those of you who love this episode out of that love. How could I? I'm just trying to understand it, so far not with a lot of success, perhaps because I get no "We'll always have Paris" vibe from it. If others do, more power to them.

You are a voice of reason and IDIC here, so I doubt anyone thinks you're trying to talk people out of something, Kate.

What it comes down to perhaps is the mystery of liking. If I already like something I can contrive reasons -- and believe them -- for why it's good and worthy of the liking. And vice versa.

I'll chime in that I do like "Paradise," a liking probably beginning with a childhood viewing on dear ol' channel 50 in Detroit. I fully admit is overwrought, and obviously meant to be "the Indian episode." I still like it. Who knows really why?

Peace and well-being to you and yours.

 

[JustKate]

^ Well, aren't you sweet, Plynch - same to you. And as for liking something partly out of nostalgia, now that I can get.

But oh, dear Lord how I do hate that episode. You "Paradise" lovers (and that includes you, Atticus) do have my curiosity up, though, so in the midst of my current trip through TOS, I will watch it when its time rolls around. I was going to skip it, but what the heck - I'll give it another shot. Eh - it's only 40-some minutes out of my life. And if my opinion changes, I promise I will start a thread specifically on this topic.

I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you, though. I mean, this episode has had several decades to win me over and it hasn't managed it yet. Quite the contrary so far.

 

[Atticus]

^ Well, aren't you sweet, Plynch - same to you. And as for liking something partly out of nostalgia, now that I can get.

But oh, dear Lord how I do hate that episode. You "Paradise" lovers (and that includes you, Atticus) do have my curiosity up, though, so in the midst of my current trip through TOS, I will watch it when its time rolls around. I was going to skip it, but what the heck - I'll give it another shot. Eh - it's only 40-some minutes out of my life. And if my opinion changes, I promise I will start a thread specifically on this topic.

I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you, though. I mean, this episode has had several decades to win me over and it hasn't managed it yet. Quite the contrary so far.

I wouldn't say I loved the episode, but I think it has some depth and is a good exploration of the themes it throws up. It's also quite moving, and the only thing I don't especially like is that we don't have time to see Kirk grieving for Miramanee, which does lessen it a little bit. Still, it's a lot better than dreck like And the Children... and Plato's Stepchildren, both of which I find incredibly difficult to sit though.

 

[maryh]

I swear, I am not trying to talk those of you who love this episode out of that love. How could I? I'm just trying to understand it, so far not with a lot of success, perhaps because I get no "We'll always have Paris" vibe from it. If others do, more power to them.

If you don't get the vibe "We'll always have Paris", how about "For one brief shining moment that was known As Camelot". Any vibes yet?

"Naked Time" revealed that Kirk secretly longs for a beach to walk on, a lady to share it with, and to be free of all his responsibilities. "Paradise Syndrome" gave Kirk this then quickly snatched it from him. If you are a Kirk fan, you would be emotionally invested in him enough to enjoy the melodramatic "Paradise Lost" scenario it presents. If you are not, it is going to be what you see as forced, cliched, maudlin, ridiculous and stereotyped. Agreed that it is full of cheap plot devices - amnesia, death of a pregnant wife in his arms (a cheapo devise repeated in nuTrek), the jealous lover, the alleged idyllic life of American Indians.

Those who like it probably do so because of their emotional investment in Kirk. It is similar to the emotional response you can't help but feeling, when Spock says "It's the first time I was happy". Cheesy, but there is a guilty pleasure in the emotional catharsis.

 

[KeepOnTrekking]

"The Paradise Syndrome" wasn't one of my favorite episodes in the beginning either but I've grown to appreciate it a little more over time. Putting plot holes and stereotypes aside, I've focused more on the evolving Kirk-Spock-McCoy friendship.

I consider "The Paradise Syndrome" to be a bookend episode to "This Side of Paradise." In the latter Spock falls under the influence of the spores and enters a artificially induced sense of euphoria or paradise. Kirk has to get Spock mad in order to bring him out of the false paradise. In the former Kirk gets amnesia and has the chance to enter a somewhat similar chance at experiencing a "paradise" by getting away from the burdens of command. Spock uses a mind fusion in order to pull Kirk back from his false paradise.

While Spock resists the spores in the beginning, he stays pretty much content under their influence the rest of the way until Kirk provokes him. Kirk on the other hand breaks the spores influence on his own AND has flashbacks of the Enterprise while having the amnesia induced by the obelisk. He even tries to take over the mind meld when Spock tries to save him. The will appears to be stronger than the intellect.

I read some fanfic online somewhere that basically was a short epilogue to "Paradise Syndrome." It basically had Kirk admonishing Spock afterwards for trying to solve the problem of the obelisk symbols on his own instead of utilizing the resources of his crew as well. Being a leader means getting the job through others otherwise you're still acting like a crewman. Launch an independent line of research of your own to supplement the crew's research if you must (like Janeway often did) but always search out every alternative line of research. Uhura's expertise in languages and music could have been of enormous aid to the problem. Kirk has been always training Spock on how to fine-tune his command skills.

Kirk went on to record the "last orders" that Spock and McCoy eventually watched in "Tholian Web" at this time. From the way Spock and McCoy were bickering at the beginning of both episodes, Kirk's insight that he provided for those last orders was sorely needed by both of them.

 

[Kelso]

Spock's Brain

The Empath

All Our Yesterdays

Day of the Dove

 

[Duane]

I guess I prefer The Empath, The Enterprise Incident, All Our Yesterdays and The Tholian Web.

To this day I still can't figure out how viewers were suppose to understand how the E escaped the Tholian Web.

All Our Yesterdays and The Savage Curtain gave us a lot of great background that was used extensively in later trek. I maybe be wrong, but I can't remember it being mentioned that Vulcans were ruthless barbarians 5,000 years prior to TOS before it was mentioned in All Our Yesterdays. And we met both Surak and Kahless in The Savage Curtain. Both being mentioned (I think) for the first time.

If TOS had been cancelled a few months earlier we wouldn't have gotten those episodes, which appeared (I think) just before Turnabout Intruder.

 

[maryh]

but I can't remember it being mentioned that Vulcans were ruthless barbarians 5,000 years prior to TOS before it was mentioned in All Our Yesterdays.

Something was mentioned in Balance of Terror, and we could conclude that Vulcan had a violent past from TalShia (Journey to Babel), and killing for mates and the weaponry we saw in Amok Time.