Hey, I never noticed that before....

[Timo]

On the other hand, fifty men dying in a mine is a working day as far as the world today is considered. And especially the world in the 1960s! In the Space Age, risks in general might go up rather than down, and losing fifty is again mundane - and appropriate for the scale TPTB could not afford to demonstrate except through matte paintings and dialogue references.

It might be the beast was blamed for a cave-in that killed dozens - and it might be a justified accusation, even. But with tensions running high, "fifty dead" could be sheer bias, too.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Henoch]

For fifty miners to die, and the operation keeps running, there would have to be a huge mining crew down there. Much bigger than the episode had the budget to portray. It would be a city's worth of guys, at least. A big city. And Kirk's search as portrayed would be hopeless.

The mining facility is largish, but not city size (note man is lower, right for scale)...maybe they only work there and live elsewhere.

 

[FormerLurker]

The mine itself is probably underneath that set of structures, accessed through that office complex on the right. That looks more like the processing facility and storage of processed ore, but I'm just guessing.

 

[Commishsleer]

Watched Amok Time today.
What a great episode.
Was wondering why Kirk and McCoy didn't beam away after finding out it was a fight for the death.
Was it because Kirk would have looked bad to TPau?

 

[Discofan]

Watched Amok Time today.
What a great episode.
Was wondering why Kirk and McCoy didn't beam away after finding out it was a fight for the death.
Was it because Kirk would have looked bad to TPau?

I think Pon Farr is deadly unless it is resolved. So Kirk beaming away would have meant the death of Spock.

 

[Timo]

It would mean Spock would die - T'Pring would choose a champion who'd assuredly kill him.

Why they wouldn't beam Spock out in turn is likely to be because they buy into all that nonsense about this fight being good for Spock's health, and McCoy being powerless to cure him on his own. So Kirk stays, thinking he'll sacrifice himself so that Spock may live; and McCoy stays because the wily old sawbones already has a plan.

How he came up with the plan, we don't know exactly. It rather depended on the next weapon being a garrotte, after all! Perhaps he had the opportunity to glimpse what the armourers were holding?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Commishsleer]

I think Pon Farr is deadly unless it is resolved. So Kirk beaming away would have meant the death of Spock.

But staying would mean death for either Spock or Kirk.
There was a chance that Spock might beat someone else.

 

[Henoch]

In Return to Tomorrow, when Sargon destroys the three globes in Sickbay (off screen, behind closed door), the Enterprise is shaken three times. I assume a powerful blast occurred, one for each globe destroyed. On the bridge, Henoch doesn't seem to care about what's happened nor care how Kirk is resurrected. At a stretch, maybe he thought Thalassa did the deeds and killed herself, too. Even if he figured his globe destroyed, he could stay in Spock's body or just jump bodies when needed. He said he was reading everyone's thoughts, so, how much did he know? McCoy knew Sargon was alive. Chapel had Spock's mind in her and was in on the plot. Were some thoughts blocked or more likely erased by Sargon like that he was still alive and behind a plot to take Henoch out? Henoch demonstrated mind altering powers on Chapel, so, that's my realization.

 

[plynch]

Vulcans are all about rationality, which the show calls "logic."

Yet they've maintained this ancient, wacky tradition with vestments and mumbo-jumbo words (in Trek religious words are always not translated for us, thus indicating their special magic power). I personally have no problem with traditional rites and traditions, but it seems out of keeping with the uber-secular-rationalist-Enlightenment people they generally want to be.

One wonders what other holdovers they've chosen to maintain.

I just noticed how odd this is, after 54 years of viewing.

Roykah!

 

[Discofan]

But staying would mean death for either Spock or Kirk.
There was a chance that Spock might beat someone else.

But Kirk et al. do that kind of stuff all the time.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Watched "Space Seed" on MeTV. Just noticed when Khan tries to suffocate the bridge crew, he says "I have shut off the life-support system to your Bridge, and jammed up your exit routes." That's routes plural, meaning the script was conscious of the set's need for a second way out. It makes canon the idea that a wall panel near the main viewing screen, or possibly a whole station on the perimeter, can be pulled aside as an exit.

Then Kirk wants to know what's wrong in Engineering, and he goes to the correct station as shown in The Making of Star Trek floor plan. And when he tells Spock to flood all decks with neural gas, Spock goes to the logical station for that to be located, Environmental Engineering. It's a little thing that didn't matter to anyone in the 1967 audience, but they did it right anyway and I love that.

 

[Commishsleer]

Watching Doomsday Machine and saw Doohan duck under a pipe on the Enterprise unlike The Final Frontier.
And was watching Obsession with my daughter the other day and she asked me why it was so colourful.
I said because they were trying to sell color TVs.
Is that the most colourful episode I wonder?

 

[StarCruiser]

Though - keep in mind that it's quite common to color code piping in ships and various chemical plants and the like. Certain color for water, hot gas etc...

 

[johnnybear]

Obsession is the only episode available on Netflix here in the UK that still has the original effects or at least it was the last time I looked! I wonder why both versions were not available? to us the viewers anyway?
JB

 

[ZapBrannigan]

And was watching Obsession with my daughter the other day and she asked me why it was so colourful.
I said because they were trying to sell color TVs.
Is that the most colourful episode I wonder?

I don't find "Obsession" to stand out in that regard. For some reason, I've always found "The Lights of Zetar" to have the most vivid and vibrant color palette. It must be a combination of rich lighting, a really good batch of Kodak film that week, and possibly new blue and red uniforms (meaning the fabric was freshly dyed and hadn't been to the cleaners much).

So I find "Zetar" gorgeous with color saturation, plus it has lots of the Enterprise, no unconvincing "outdoor" set with fake rocks, a guest star I find attractive, and great re-use of music from WNMHGB. At that point, the story only has to be serviceable, and for me it's a damn good show.

 

[Methuselah Flint]

Yes I love TLOZ for all the points you raise.

I also agree that it's one of the brightest lit episode not only of the third season, but as a series. Gradually, the lighting became less dark and moody from S1 to S3 - as a general sweep - and none more so than here. The Way to Eden is another example that springs to mind. Again, bright lighting, good condition of costumes and the colourful planet.

As an aside... I've read on here before, possibly from you, the suggestion regarding new uniforms for TLOZ. Do you or anyone have any documented evidence? Not due to disbelief, but would be fascinated to look at any behind-the-scenes stuff.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

As an aside... I've read on here before, possibly from you, the suggestion regarding new uniforms for TLOZ. Do you or anyone have any documented evidence? Not due to disbelief, but would be fascinated to look at any behind-the-scenes stuff.

I'm probably the source of that theory. I base it on knowing that Theiss bought all the tunic and mini-dress fabric in white, and then dyed it. And every trip to the cleaners would slightly dull the color. Yet TLOZ uniforms look especially bright and crisp. Mira's dress looks new and tailor-made for her, whereas many times the guest uniform is a hand me down.

But I'd be pretty stunned if Theiss' accounting book for work and cleaner's bills survived today.

 

[Discofan]

Did you see how Uhura runs in TAS? That's weird!

 

[Timo]

You don go-go boots on ice!

Timo Saloniemi

 

[johnnybear]

They always looked like they were running on a conveyor belt I thought! Which might emphasise the horror of the monsters or strange force that they were trying to escape from!
JB