Grade "The Man Trap"

[Elemental]

I've been looking for an excuse to rewatch my Star Trek collection and review them a bit more thoroughly and the release of the new Remastered DVDs has given me just that. I'm interested in hearing others thoughts as well and a rating on a scale of 1-5 with:
5 = excellent
4 = very good
3 = good
2 = fair
1 = poor

Poll is open for 1 week. More poll threads to follow.

 

[Elemental]

3/5 - Good
A good start to the series. The salt monster is an interesting and frightening enemy but in true Star Trek fashion, we can feel sympathy for it as well. Great introduction to the dynamics of Kirk-Spock-McCoy. McCoy however ends up looking too stupid in his refusal to attack the monster despite all the evidence to the contrary about it being Nancy. Spock's "is this Nancy, Doctor?" moment is also cringe-worthy.

 

[egonbeeblebrox]

4/5

Not a PERFECT episode, but a damn good one, and a fine way to introduce new viewers to the series. You really feel for McCoy. Oddly, I think I've seen this one more than any other.

 

[Noname Given]

1/5 - Poor

Here was an episode that misfired on nearly every step. And, considering they (imo) captured the essence of 'Star Trek' with the first regular episode filemed - The Corbomite Manuever - I don't buy the 'it was an early episode' excuse as this was the 6th hour (counting the two pilots) produced.

In the long run, here we have an intelligent creature ('new life'); and the lat of it's kind; and while Dr. Crater is neglegent in trying to conceal the creature's nature; Kirk doesn't help by denying the salt request until he's 'satisfied'.; etc.

Hell, the creature (masquarading as McCoy in a briefing near the end of the episode) even brings up the fact to Kirk that the creature is intelligent and perhaps could be reasoned with and an accord struck; but at that point Kirk states in no uncertain terms that the creature needs o be killed.

And don't get me started on the final scene with Spock yelling at the top of his lungs, "Shoot! It's KILLING the Captain!" - yep good, un-emotional 'in character' writing for Mr. Spock there.

Again, overall, I find this to be the WORST episode (yes, even worse than The Alternative factor); in an otherwise, mostly stellar first season of TOS.

YMMV.

 

[ToddPence]

3/5 - Good

"The Man Trap" has certainly received its share of criticism over the years. There is no question that it is one of the weakest of the earliest first season episodes from the standpoint of the storyline (it is in fact an archetypical example of a "monster of the week" epsiode). Thus the selection of it as being the inagural episode initially aired has been subjected to second-guessing.
However, for all of the episode's shortcomings, one factor works in its favor: it shows off the ensemble cast well. Both George Takei and Nichelle Nichols get good scenes in this one which show off their character's personality, something that would prove to be an unfortunate rarity for the two of them for the balance of the series.
So my final verdict is - not the best or most original epsiode by any means, but hardly "dreadful", as William Shatner called it in Star Trek Memories.

 

[Brutal Strudel]

3/5. A damn fine little monster movie.

 

[Lord Garth]

3/5

The story on the planet's surface in and of itself doesn't impress me so much as the character interaction (and the music). Things pick up when the Salt Vampire boards the Enterprise. Ironically, my favorite scenes are the aforementioned ones with Sulu and Uhura; and Rand.

 

[Elemental]

^Yes, it was a few days since I watched the epsisode and had been trying to remember the other good points I had forgotten, and the ones mentioned with the supporting cast were definitely highlights.

 

[Duane]

3/5. Love the feeling of the scenes which take place on the planet. Nice atmosphere and spooky wind noise. Otherwise, the episode has several flaws that I can live with.

Also gotta love the shots from what seems to be a hand held camera on the bridge. I think it's when the monster disquised as McCoy talks to Sulu and Uhura. The camera follows the Monster/McCoy out of the turbo lift (if memory serves) and we didn't often get to see that kind of stuff.

 

[Steven Of Nine]

3/5

A good primer for the uninitiated. Good interplay between characters, and good humanity, in the form of McCoy's lost love; Crater's empathy for the creature; the longing for salt that drives an intelligent 'beast' to murder.

And Rand looks hot. Of course.

 

[Esteban]

Good. My biggest criticism is that the story missed the target: by making the Salt Vampire a monster, they robbed the pathos of being forced to kill "the last of its kind".

Think what a much better tale it would have been if you really felt sorry for it in the end. The creature, that is, not the show.

As for the other reasons mentioned ( the overall richness of the early episodes), I can still watch the show, but not with the same passion I reserve for, say, Naked Time.

 

[Kegek]

3/5, good. An entertaining plot, interesting dialogue, and one of Star Trek's best monsters - not evil, just hungry. A beautifully designed costume by Wah Chang that manages to be both monstrous and mournful, his best costume work for the series. Generally good performances, and some nice moments of wit (Uhura trying to provoke an emotional reaction from the clinically logical Mr. Spock). My main criticism is that, well, it doesn't 'gel' as good as better episodes, it meanders a bit.

 

[KeepOnTrekking]

2/5 Fair.
This script could have benefitted from the hindsight of how the characters of Kirk and Spock evolved later. Kirk was ready to kill the salt vampire but not the Horta. Maybe since the salt vampire was running amok thru his ship he was more defensive than one loose on a planet. Or maybe he loosened up a little after "Errand of Mercy" and "Arena" about seeing the others' point of view.

Spock yelling was an annoyance but common in the early episodes before the Vulcan thing was locked down. It was nice to see Uhura have the insight of knowing that Kirk is the closest thing to a friend that Spock has around the same time as "The Naked Time" where Spock can't even admit it to kirk before the Psi 2000 virus.

Great moments for the supporting characters (Uhura,Sulu, Rand) that tended to get shoved aside later in the series.

This one could have been another "Devil in the Dark" with a rewrite and some polishing.