I’m watching The Original Series again
- Thread starter The Laughing Vulcan
- Start date
Re: Where No Man Has Gone Before
You know how it is. Stuff happens, life and whatever. It's happening again right now. But I've got about 5 reviews on the HD that I can trickle out over the next few weeks, and maybe get a couple more episodes watched in the meantime.
You know how it is. Stuff happens, life and whatever. It's happening again right now. But I've got about 5 reviews on the HD that I can trickle out over the next few weeks, and maybe get a couple more episodes watched in the meantime.
The Enterprise Incident
Captain Kirk is out of sorts, cranky enough for McCoy to note it in his medical log. His behaviour is irrational, and his orders even more so. The Enterprise is sent careening across the Romulan Neutral Zone, deep into Romulan territory, on what seems like a whim. There’s nothing around them, nothing on scanners, when all of a sudden three Klingon cruisers appear, only they’re not Klingon, they’re Romulan. The Enterprise is surrounded, at the Romulans' mercy, but they aren’t all that eager to destroy what could be a glittering prize. The Romulan Subcommander demands their surrender, offers them an hour to decide, and when it transpires that the Enterprise first officer is a Vulcan, he invites them over to explain the incursion. The truth behind the invitation becomes apparent when they are met by the Romulan Commander, a powerful and adept woman who is fascinated by her distant cousin aboard the Federation ship. Surprisingly, Spock speaks against his increasingly irrational Captain, testifying that he acted without orders, and on his own initiative to invade Romulan space. Kirk flies into a fury and has to be restrained, but the Romulan Commander is convinced that there is no grand Federation plot, and agrees to let the crew go, after being processed on Romulus, and of course keeping the ship. This is something Scott, now in command of the Enterprise will not countenance, but the Romulan Commander sees promise in Spock, and she decides to offer him a recruitment pitch, with her own unique charms as an inducement. Kirk meanwhile is meant to be languishing in the Romulan brig, but an encounter with a forcefield requires the attention of Doctor McCoy. When the Commander and Spock join them, Kirk, screaming treachery and betrayal throws himself at Spock. The Vulcan in self defence, instinctively uses the Vulcan Death Grip…
Astounding! The Original Series only made two Romulan episodes, and both of them turned out to be absolute classics. It’s a testament to the writing, that the fascination with this enigmatic species engendered reams of subsequent Trek Lit and fanon. Whereas Balance Of Terror was a classic wartime cat and mouse drama, this episode turns out to be a perfectly paced espionage thriller, one that builds the tension effortlessly and manages to play with audience perceptions. It’s one thing to see Kirk going off the deep end and behaving like a Ron Tracey, but to see Spock apparently commit treason and betray all he holds dear is especially galling. But the way the episode plays it; both of these turns of events are quite plausible. Even if the twist halfway through is hardly unexpected (a show like this wouldn’t casually dispose of its lead character back in the sixties), it works well in the context of the story. Incidentally, I wonder if the Vulcan Death Grip inspired Ridley Scott’s facehuggers in Alien?
There’s quite a bit of thought gone into just what has brought the Federation to this juncture, attempting to maintain the balance of power, and it all unfolds in the first few minutes of the episode. We see when the ship enters Romulan Space, that there is nothing at all on scanners. All of a sudden, it’s Klingon ships that appear on the screen albeit in Romulan colours, signifying an alliance between the two powers. Then Spock announces, as if for the first time that the Romulans have developed a cloaking device. Naturally for newcomers to the show, unaware of that little bit of continuity from Balance Of Terror, the little bit of technobabble has to be reiterated. But also consider that the Romulans in the earlier episode were using an imperfect Invisibility Screen, partially detectable by the Enterprise’s scanners. This new Cloaking Device is absolutely impenetrable, evinced by the fact that the three Romulan ships weren’t detected until they decloaked. I like seeing the Klingon ships again, that’s a design so good, that it needs more screen time than the fleeting glimpse of Elaan of Troyius, and we get our money’s worth here. Anyway, it’s understandable why the Federation resort to subterfuge in this instance, no matter how unpleasant it gets.
The Romulan Commander is an excellent character, certainly a match for Spock and Kirk in terms of presence, intellect and charisma. It turns out that her weakness is Spock, she’s fascinated by him, with Romulan stories about Vulcans, combining with the chance to interact with the real thing practically disarming her. Spock plays up to this, but it’s interesting to note that as per the Romulan Legend, he doesn’t actually lie. He’s even more taciturn than usual; his less is more approach merely serving to attract the Romulan even more. But it’s also apparent that Spock has met his intellectual equal, and he is in turn attracted to her, as far as his mission allows. Just as in Balance Of Terror, which ends with the Romulan opining that in another universe he and Kirk could be friends, there is another case of ‘if only’ tantalisingly hinted at here. What I wonder at here is the opinion of the Romulan Commander that Vulcans are treated as second class citizens in the Federation. She sees a solitary Vulcan on the Enterprise bridge, subservient to a human, and wonders why with his superior intellect he doesn’t command. It’s a fair enough question, but to draw from that the idea that Vulcans as a whole are downtrodden doesn’t make sense, unless she is transferring her own feelings of inferiority when it comes to the Federation and the Romulan Empire. If anything, the Enterprise prequel indicates that Vulcans are far from the ‘wife’ in the human-Vulcan relationship. I get the sneaking suspicion that there is some scurrilous misinformation spilling across the Federation Romulan border, but for what purpose escapes me.
Two points of trivia to note… All you need to make a cloaking device is half a Nomad and a Sargon Sphere. The moving starfield behind the apparently static ships always annoys me.
I’m left with one question. What was Plan A? I can’t believe that the plan was as simple and as foolhardy as what we see develop here before the opening credits. I mean, Kirk acts cranky to give plausible deniability, takes the ship into Romulan territory, rings their alarm bells, and then waits to encounter a ship with a cloaking device. Good enough so far, but then what? If Federation Intelligence was sharp and capable enough to know just who commands what ship in the Romulan Empire, what the patrol routes are and the patrol schedules, to know which commander has an unhealthy fascination with all things Vulcan, and will most likely find Spock a suitable hunk to lust after, then surely they would be sharp enough to steal the cloaking device themselves, without sending a valuable starship into enemy territory. I’m sure that Kirk and Spock saw the opportunity present itself, and decided to wing it, meaning that the original plan must have been even more risky and perilous. Maybe there is an alternate universe story to be told here.
Captain Kirk is out of sorts, cranky enough for McCoy to note it in his medical log. His behaviour is irrational, and his orders even more so. The Enterprise is sent careening across the Romulan Neutral Zone, deep into Romulan territory, on what seems like a whim. There’s nothing around them, nothing on scanners, when all of a sudden three Klingon cruisers appear, only they’re not Klingon, they’re Romulan. The Enterprise is surrounded, at the Romulans' mercy, but they aren’t all that eager to destroy what could be a glittering prize. The Romulan Subcommander demands their surrender, offers them an hour to decide, and when it transpires that the Enterprise first officer is a Vulcan, he invites them over to explain the incursion. The truth behind the invitation becomes apparent when they are met by the Romulan Commander, a powerful and adept woman who is fascinated by her distant cousin aboard the Federation ship. Surprisingly, Spock speaks against his increasingly irrational Captain, testifying that he acted without orders, and on his own initiative to invade Romulan space. Kirk flies into a fury and has to be restrained, but the Romulan Commander is convinced that there is no grand Federation plot, and agrees to let the crew go, after being processed on Romulus, and of course keeping the ship. This is something Scott, now in command of the Enterprise will not countenance, but the Romulan Commander sees promise in Spock, and she decides to offer him a recruitment pitch, with her own unique charms as an inducement. Kirk meanwhile is meant to be languishing in the Romulan brig, but an encounter with a forcefield requires the attention of Doctor McCoy. When the Commander and Spock join them, Kirk, screaming treachery and betrayal throws himself at Spock. The Vulcan in self defence, instinctively uses the Vulcan Death Grip…
Astounding! The Original Series only made two Romulan episodes, and both of them turned out to be absolute classics. It’s a testament to the writing, that the fascination with this enigmatic species engendered reams of subsequent Trek Lit and fanon. Whereas Balance Of Terror was a classic wartime cat and mouse drama, this episode turns out to be a perfectly paced espionage thriller, one that builds the tension effortlessly and manages to play with audience perceptions. It’s one thing to see Kirk going off the deep end and behaving like a Ron Tracey, but to see Spock apparently commit treason and betray all he holds dear is especially galling. But the way the episode plays it; both of these turns of events are quite plausible. Even if the twist halfway through is hardly unexpected (a show like this wouldn’t casually dispose of its lead character back in the sixties), it works well in the context of the story. Incidentally, I wonder if the Vulcan Death Grip inspired Ridley Scott’s facehuggers in Alien?
There’s quite a bit of thought gone into just what has brought the Federation to this juncture, attempting to maintain the balance of power, and it all unfolds in the first few minutes of the episode. We see when the ship enters Romulan Space, that there is nothing at all on scanners. All of a sudden, it’s Klingon ships that appear on the screen albeit in Romulan colours, signifying an alliance between the two powers. Then Spock announces, as if for the first time that the Romulans have developed a cloaking device. Naturally for newcomers to the show, unaware of that little bit of continuity from Balance Of Terror, the little bit of technobabble has to be reiterated. But also consider that the Romulans in the earlier episode were using an imperfect Invisibility Screen, partially detectable by the Enterprise’s scanners. This new Cloaking Device is absolutely impenetrable, evinced by the fact that the three Romulan ships weren’t detected until they decloaked. I like seeing the Klingon ships again, that’s a design so good, that it needs more screen time than the fleeting glimpse of Elaan of Troyius, and we get our money’s worth here. Anyway, it’s understandable why the Federation resort to subterfuge in this instance, no matter how unpleasant it gets.
The Romulan Commander is an excellent character, certainly a match for Spock and Kirk in terms of presence, intellect and charisma. It turns out that her weakness is Spock, she’s fascinated by him, with Romulan stories about Vulcans, combining with the chance to interact with the real thing practically disarming her. Spock plays up to this, but it’s interesting to note that as per the Romulan Legend, he doesn’t actually lie. He’s even more taciturn than usual; his less is more approach merely serving to attract the Romulan even more. But it’s also apparent that Spock has met his intellectual equal, and he is in turn attracted to her, as far as his mission allows. Just as in Balance Of Terror, which ends with the Romulan opining that in another universe he and Kirk could be friends, there is another case of ‘if only’ tantalisingly hinted at here. What I wonder at here is the opinion of the Romulan Commander that Vulcans are treated as second class citizens in the Federation. She sees a solitary Vulcan on the Enterprise bridge, subservient to a human, and wonders why with his superior intellect he doesn’t command. It’s a fair enough question, but to draw from that the idea that Vulcans as a whole are downtrodden doesn’t make sense, unless she is transferring her own feelings of inferiority when it comes to the Federation and the Romulan Empire. If anything, the Enterprise prequel indicates that Vulcans are far from the ‘wife’ in the human-Vulcan relationship. I get the sneaking suspicion that there is some scurrilous misinformation spilling across the Federation Romulan border, but for what purpose escapes me.
Two points of trivia to note… All you need to make a cloaking device is half a Nomad and a Sargon Sphere. The moving starfield behind the apparently static ships always annoys me.
I’m left with one question. What was Plan A? I can’t believe that the plan was as simple and as foolhardy as what we see develop here before the opening credits. I mean, Kirk acts cranky to give plausible deniability, takes the ship into Romulan territory, rings their alarm bells, and then waits to encounter a ship with a cloaking device. Good enough so far, but then what? If Federation Intelligence was sharp and capable enough to know just who commands what ship in the Romulan Empire, what the patrol routes are and the patrol schedules, to know which commander has an unhealthy fascination with all things Vulcan, and will most likely find Spock a suitable hunk to lust after, then surely they would be sharp enough to steal the cloaking device themselves, without sending a valuable starship into enemy territory. I’m sure that Kirk and Spock saw the opportunity present itself, and decided to wing it, meaning that the original plan must have been even more risky and perilous. Maybe there is an alternate universe story to be told here.
And The Children Shall Lead
A distress call sends the Enterprise to Triacus. It’s the site of a scientific colony investigating the remains of an ancient fallen civilisation, and so distant from Federation space, the scientists have taken their families with them. Only when the big three beam down, they find a scene of carnage. All the scientists are dead, excepting Professor Starnes, who survives long enough to issue a cryptic warning, before dying in Kirk’s arms. Everything that McCoy finds points to suicide, which is when the children show up, five of them, playing amongst their parents’ corpses. Bemused as they are to see the children oblivious to the tragedy that has taken place, Kirk orders them beamed back to the Enterprise. McCoy diagnoses a form of traumatic amnesia, and warns Kirk not to force the issue with the children, no matter what questions need answering. Spock has a more ominous opinion, in that he believes that the mass suicides are the result of an alien attack. That opinion appears to be confirmed, first by a rather chilling exploration of a cave, and then by the recovered colony logs. It’s little preparation for the truth, when the children call forth Gorgan, the Friendly Angel, who has plans to use the starship to spread his evil far and wide through the galaxy, giving the children a massive playground in the process.
I’m procrastinating again, trying to put off writing about this episode as long as I can. I’ve tried looking for an in, a way to begin this review, usually I look for the positive in an episode and begin with that, leaving the negative for later. But now we come to an episode with very little positive, and a whole lot of negative, and I’m stuck for words. I suppose I could point out the promise in the premise, the exploration of how children deal with grief. I could also admit that the teaser is most effective, the build up of the mission, and the shock of finding corpses strewn all over, with the children playing amongst them. But that is scant compensation for fifty minutes of poorly written, badly acted tripe. Actually it’s so depressing, that I would rather ignore it and move on. Only the prospect of Spock’s Brain stops me in my tracks.
With so much to berate about this episode, what annoys me personally? A large part of it is the ham offered by Shatner, which does no good for my cholesterol. Acting is about showing, not telling, and I don’t need to hear how anxious he is in the cave. When it comes to “I’m losing command, I’m losing command. This is it… command being lost here… losing… no wait… I’m getting it back again. S’Ok, Command. Restored.” I’d laugh if I weren’t reaching for the off switch.
This episode loses it when it describes Gorgan as ‘Evil!’ Blanket descriptions of good and evil are fine for fairy tales, but for mature drama, the catchall description doesn’t actually mean a thing. So we have a moustache twirling villain, looking like the Ghost Of Christmas Past, and sounding like he’s presenting a Scientology seminar, appear on the bridge to motivate the children into doing his bidding by masturbating their way into galactic domination. Why is he doing this, this last vestige of a lost race? Who knows, who cares? He’s evil, that’s all we need to know. It’s about as effective as Armus in Skin Of Evil, less so as Armus was a pathetic figure, we don’t even get that much character from Gorgan. We have no idea of his motivation, and even evil must have a motive. Redjac for instance needed the terror of his victims for sustenance. What does Gorgan actually want?
There are a couple of effective moments in this episode, moments that sent chills down the spine. First was when the security team was beamed out into space, the second was when Kirk contemplated killing the children to save the ship. But neither moment makes up for the stupidity of the story.
Frankly, the children are as guilty as hell. They should rot inside a Federation rehabilitation colony for decades. Old Friendly Angel had no power of his own, other than to glow menacingly. He noticed alienation between children and parents, when the children felt left out as their parents worked, and he preyed on it. He gifted the children with the power to create illusions, which they did with a semi-obscene fisting motion. It was they who created the illusions that plagued the Enterprise crew, that distorted their perceptions and behaviour, and it must have been them that did the same to their parents. Note that at no time were any of the Enterprise crew possessed by an alien influence, neither were the children. I’d say that the children killed their parents at Gorgan’s persuasion. But in the end they have a little cry, get an ice cream, and then off to Starbase 4. Meanwhile a security team on Triacus waits and waits for a starship Captain that has forgotten they exist…
A distress call sends the Enterprise to Triacus. It’s the site of a scientific colony investigating the remains of an ancient fallen civilisation, and so distant from Federation space, the scientists have taken their families with them. Only when the big three beam down, they find a scene of carnage. All the scientists are dead, excepting Professor Starnes, who survives long enough to issue a cryptic warning, before dying in Kirk’s arms. Everything that McCoy finds points to suicide, which is when the children show up, five of them, playing amongst their parents’ corpses. Bemused as they are to see the children oblivious to the tragedy that has taken place, Kirk orders them beamed back to the Enterprise. McCoy diagnoses a form of traumatic amnesia, and warns Kirk not to force the issue with the children, no matter what questions need answering. Spock has a more ominous opinion, in that he believes that the mass suicides are the result of an alien attack. That opinion appears to be confirmed, first by a rather chilling exploration of a cave, and then by the recovered colony logs. It’s little preparation for the truth, when the children call forth Gorgan, the Friendly Angel, who has plans to use the starship to spread his evil far and wide through the galaxy, giving the children a massive playground in the process.
I’m procrastinating again, trying to put off writing about this episode as long as I can. I’ve tried looking for an in, a way to begin this review, usually I look for the positive in an episode and begin with that, leaving the negative for later. But now we come to an episode with very little positive, and a whole lot of negative, and I’m stuck for words. I suppose I could point out the promise in the premise, the exploration of how children deal with grief. I could also admit that the teaser is most effective, the build up of the mission, and the shock of finding corpses strewn all over, with the children playing amongst them. But that is scant compensation for fifty minutes of poorly written, badly acted tripe. Actually it’s so depressing, that I would rather ignore it and move on. Only the prospect of Spock’s Brain stops me in my tracks.
With so much to berate about this episode, what annoys me personally? A large part of it is the ham offered by Shatner, which does no good for my cholesterol. Acting is about showing, not telling, and I don’t need to hear how anxious he is in the cave. When it comes to “I’m losing command, I’m losing command. This is it… command being lost here… losing… no wait… I’m getting it back again. S’Ok, Command. Restored.” I’d laugh if I weren’t reaching for the off switch.
This episode loses it when it describes Gorgan as ‘Evil!’ Blanket descriptions of good and evil are fine for fairy tales, but for mature drama, the catchall description doesn’t actually mean a thing. So we have a moustache twirling villain, looking like the Ghost Of Christmas Past, and sounding like he’s presenting a Scientology seminar, appear on the bridge to motivate the children into doing his bidding by masturbating their way into galactic domination. Why is he doing this, this last vestige of a lost race? Who knows, who cares? He’s evil, that’s all we need to know. It’s about as effective as Armus in Skin Of Evil, less so as Armus was a pathetic figure, we don’t even get that much character from Gorgan. We have no idea of his motivation, and even evil must have a motive. Redjac for instance needed the terror of his victims for sustenance. What does Gorgan actually want?
There are a couple of effective moments in this episode, moments that sent chills down the spine. First was when the security team was beamed out into space, the second was when Kirk contemplated killing the children to save the ship. But neither moment makes up for the stupidity of the story.
Frankly, the children are as guilty as hell. They should rot inside a Federation rehabilitation colony for decades. Old Friendly Angel had no power of his own, other than to glow menacingly. He noticed alienation between children and parents, when the children felt left out as their parents worked, and he preyed on it. He gifted the children with the power to create illusions, which they did with a semi-obscene fisting motion. It was they who created the illusions that plagued the Enterprise crew, that distorted their perceptions and behaviour, and it must have been them that did the same to their parents. Note that at no time were any of the Enterprise crew possessed by an alien influence, neither were the children. I’d say that the children killed their parents at Gorgan’s persuasion. But in the end they have a little cry, get an ice cream, and then off to Starbase 4. Meanwhile a security team on Triacus waits and waits for a starship Captain that has forgotten they exist…
Re: And The Children Shall Lead
This has to be the best thread ever on this board. Although the third season does have some of the worst episodes especially the next 6 or 7 after Spock's Brain.
Most of these reviews are right on though. I disagree with some points and a few of your views on some episodes. But nobody is perfect.
This has to be the best thread ever on this board. Although the third season does have some of the worst episodes especially the next 6 or 7 after Spock's Brain.
Most of these reviews are right on though. I disagree with some points and a few of your views on some episodes. But nobody is perfect.
Spock’s Brain
A mysterious silver ship, bristling with advanced technology (Ion Drive) intercepts the Enterprise. A strange woman appears on the bridge, and renders the crew unconscious. When they awake, Spock’s body lies in sickbay, his brain elsewhere. It’s obvious that the woman took it, although for what reason is beyond speculation. Following the ion trail, the Enterprise chases after the ship. For although Spock’s body is on life support, and McCoy has no idea how to restore the brain even if they do find it, Kirk is determined to force the woman to do the impossible and restore his friend. With only 24 hours before the body expires completely, the trail ends at the Sigma Draconis system, with three habitable planets to choose from, one mediaeval, one mid-21st Century equivalent, and one in an Ice Age. Kirk chooses the frozen wasteland because of an anomalous energy reading. Beaming down, they find a bizarre civilisation. Oversized hairy men live on the surface, with no knowledge of females, and fearing The Others, the bringers of pain and delight. Below the surface in an ancient and buried city, live the females in a state of degenerate luxury, none of whom have the intellectual capacity to comprehend an advanced world, let alone build and operate an ion drive ship, or remove a brain intact from a Vulcan. Yet somehow they have, as Spock’s brain is now installed in the city, regulating its vital functions. Kirk, McCoy and Scotty are taken prisoner by the women, who aren’t hesitant in offering the pain, although they aren’t as forthcoming with the delight. It looks like an impossible task to escape and find Spock’s brain as the hours tick away. Fortunately, they have a remote control Vulcan at their beck and call.
There was a DS9 episode, The Magnificent Ferengi, which had a Vorta corpse operated by remote control. That was pretty funny. Steve Martin made a movie whose name I refuse to remember about brain transplants. Hell, my favourite anime is Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex, about a cyberpunk future where cybernetic technology is so advanced that some people have their brains installed in cybernetic life support systems, and in which changing prosthetic bodies is little more than an outpatient procedure. What I’m getting at here, is that the premise isn’t all that daft, and given the right approach, you can get laughs, as well as a serious story out of it.
Spock’s Brain is neither. But let’s face it; criticising Spock’s Brain is like shooting fish in a barrel, with an atomic warhead. My heart really just isn’t in it. It’s not even one of those so bad it’s good shows, with a laughable script, pitiable dialogue, and actors who look as if they can’t believe they’re being paid for this crap (McCoy trying to tell Kirk that Spock’s brain is missing). The production values are variable. The ion ship looks like it has escaped from an episode of Dr Who of the period, but the Ice Planet looks excellent.
Oddly, things that looked daft back then (and still look daft now) are remarkably plausible. Apparently according to the story, human bodies can exist indefinitely without their brains if on life support. Medical science is remarkably close to that now. The incredulity of Spock guiding McCoy through his own brain operation now fades, as I’ve read about brain operations that are performed under local anaesthetic so that the surgeon can have a dialogue with the patient. And Ion Drive is already a reality, although I doubt that it would cause Scotty a fangasm.
But an uncertain approach does for this episode, with no idea if it is a comedy or serious, and played both ways it fails on every level. The dialogue is bad. I’ve already mentioned that, but it’s so bad it needs to be said again, and it may just be me, but watching this episode, I feel like I’m watching an actor tantrum unfold on screen. The original script must have been passable, after all the James Blish adaptation is hardly as bad as what is on screen, but I get the feeling (probably unjustified) that Nimoy complained about a lack of screen time, which is why Remote Control Spock made such a laughable impact here. Also, there is a three vs. two fight on the planet, with Kirk, McCoy & Scotty taking on two of the Neanderthals. Yet it is Kirk who puts them both down.
A dismal episode that I will have great pleasure in never watching again.
A mysterious silver ship, bristling with advanced technology (Ion Drive) intercepts the Enterprise. A strange woman appears on the bridge, and renders the crew unconscious. When they awake, Spock’s body lies in sickbay, his brain elsewhere. It’s obvious that the woman took it, although for what reason is beyond speculation. Following the ion trail, the Enterprise chases after the ship. For although Spock’s body is on life support, and McCoy has no idea how to restore the brain even if they do find it, Kirk is determined to force the woman to do the impossible and restore his friend. With only 24 hours before the body expires completely, the trail ends at the Sigma Draconis system, with three habitable planets to choose from, one mediaeval, one mid-21st Century equivalent, and one in an Ice Age. Kirk chooses the frozen wasteland because of an anomalous energy reading. Beaming down, they find a bizarre civilisation. Oversized hairy men live on the surface, with no knowledge of females, and fearing The Others, the bringers of pain and delight. Below the surface in an ancient and buried city, live the females in a state of degenerate luxury, none of whom have the intellectual capacity to comprehend an advanced world, let alone build and operate an ion drive ship, or remove a brain intact from a Vulcan. Yet somehow they have, as Spock’s brain is now installed in the city, regulating its vital functions. Kirk, McCoy and Scotty are taken prisoner by the women, who aren’t hesitant in offering the pain, although they aren’t as forthcoming with the delight. It looks like an impossible task to escape and find Spock’s brain as the hours tick away. Fortunately, they have a remote control Vulcan at their beck and call.
There was a DS9 episode, The Magnificent Ferengi, which had a Vorta corpse operated by remote control. That was pretty funny. Steve Martin made a movie whose name I refuse to remember about brain transplants. Hell, my favourite anime is Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex, about a cyberpunk future where cybernetic technology is so advanced that some people have their brains installed in cybernetic life support systems, and in which changing prosthetic bodies is little more than an outpatient procedure. What I’m getting at here, is that the premise isn’t all that daft, and given the right approach, you can get laughs, as well as a serious story out of it.
Spock’s Brain is neither. But let’s face it; criticising Spock’s Brain is like shooting fish in a barrel, with an atomic warhead. My heart really just isn’t in it. It’s not even one of those so bad it’s good shows, with a laughable script, pitiable dialogue, and actors who look as if they can’t believe they’re being paid for this crap (McCoy trying to tell Kirk that Spock’s brain is missing). The production values are variable. The ion ship looks like it has escaped from an episode of Dr Who of the period, but the Ice Planet looks excellent.
Oddly, things that looked daft back then (and still look daft now) are remarkably plausible. Apparently according to the story, human bodies can exist indefinitely without their brains if on life support. Medical science is remarkably close to that now. The incredulity of Spock guiding McCoy through his own brain operation now fades, as I’ve read about brain operations that are performed under local anaesthetic so that the surgeon can have a dialogue with the patient. And Ion Drive is already a reality, although I doubt that it would cause Scotty a fangasm.
But an uncertain approach does for this episode, with no idea if it is a comedy or serious, and played both ways it fails on every level. The dialogue is bad. I’ve already mentioned that, but it’s so bad it needs to be said again, and it may just be me, but watching this episode, I feel like I’m watching an actor tantrum unfold on screen. The original script must have been passable, after all the James Blish adaptation is hardly as bad as what is on screen, but I get the feeling (probably unjustified) that Nimoy complained about a lack of screen time, which is why Remote Control Spock made such a laughable impact here. Also, there is a three vs. two fight on the planet, with Kirk, McCoy & Scotty taking on two of the Neanderthals. Yet it is Kirk who puts them both down.
A dismal episode that I will have great pleasure in never watching again.
Is There In Truth No Beauty?
The Enterprise has been assigned to transport the Medusan ambassador Kollos home. It’s also an opportunity to improve starship navigation techniques, as Medusans are renowned as the galaxy’s finest navigators. To that end, accompanying the ambassador are Larry Marvick, one of the original designers of the Enterprise, and Dr Miranda Jones, a rare human natural telepath who has undertaken Vulcan training. A telepath is needed, as Medusans are totally non-corporeal creatures. There is considerable peril involved as well, as no human can look upon a Medusan without going irreversibly insane. To that end, Medusans who travel off-world do so safely contained in what amounts to a box. Even still, contact has to be severely restricted, and when necessary, protective visors need to be worn. The mission seems difficult enough, but it turns downright hazardous with the personalities involved. Miranda Jones is a haughty, defensive woman who guards what she perceives to be her territory with strength, and that territory is Ambassador Kollos. She’s been trained for the mind-link, and cannot countenance anyone else taking her place. The Vulcan Spock immediately threatens her, especially when he professes interest in exchanging thoughts with the ambassador. Marvick on the other hand is desperately in love with Jones, a love that remains unrequited. He can’t understand how she can turn him down to bear a lifetime of ugliness with Kollos. When she senses someone intending to commit murder during a dinner in her honour, it heralds Marvick’s attack on Kollos, one that is thwarted when he looks upon the ambassador with his naked eyes. Insane with delirium, he goes on the rampage in engineering, and sends the Enterprise careening out of the galaxy at Warp 9.5, before dying of his mania. Lost in unrecognisable space, only a risky mind meld with the Medusan will get the ship back where it belongs. But Miranda Jones will be difficult to convince, especially as it seems that she has looked upon the ambassador without the benefit of a visor, and may be concealing a deeper insanity of her own.
I think that I have already stated in my review of Return To Tomorrow that Diana Muldaur is far from my favourite actress. Her dry delivery and slightly husky monotone is enough to send me to sleep, and I usually avoid her appearances on television. Yet her role as Miranda Jones works in this episode, and I manage to stay alert and interested during the run time. Perhaps it’s because Jones is a passionate, obsessed, envious and prickly character. For Diana Muldaur, that’s almost lively. But then again, of all my opinions, that’s probably my most subjective, and should be taken with a pinch of salt, with one eye on one’s blood pressure as always.
This is a really good episode though, with human emotions and failings at its heart, motivating the story. It doesn’t get weighed down in babble, or bloated in frippery, but tells its story in as efficient and appealing a way as possible. That’s given the rather stilted product placement, and a couple of silly moments that leave me scratching my head.
Given what other shows have placed on screen with Truman Show levels of subtlety, the IDIC is practically understated in comparison. The simple triangle and circle design is certainly eye-catching, but I don’t find the philosophy it is supposed to represent particularly well written into the show. It certainly isn’t the sort of thing that gives mixed messages, and I don’t quite see why Jones took such offence at Spock wearing it in her honour. I also find it hard to see Larry Marvick as one of the Enterprise’s original designers, although at this point the age of the ship was hardly canonised. We only know that Pike had command prior to Kirk, and that is the extent of the ship’s history. It could conceivably be possible that the ship is only ten years old at this point. But with subsequent speculation about the ship’s age, and its original commander being Robert April, then Larry Marvick looks a little young to have worked on the ship, especially given that the design phase would have taken place several years prior to the launch of the first ship in that class. He’s pretty sprightly looking for a man who should be in his late fifties or more. Unless of course he worked on the ship’s refit between Pike and Kirk. Once again, the ship is cast beyond the Galactic Barrier into uncharted space, although no one turns silver eyed and godlike in the process. What annoys me is the Voyager like babble involved. There is the sheer unlikelihood that the ship can be cast out of the galaxy in a matter of seconds, even at Warp 9.5, unless they were already at the edge. If that were the case, you’d expect to see a pink glow in the background of some of the ship visuals. Anyway, when the ship reaches Warp 9.5, it apparently enters a space-time continuum, whatever that is. Returning from this continuum needs good navigation and a speed of Warp 1, resulting in a journey time similar to that of the Warp 9 rush. It makes no sense.
But then again, who cares? For this episode is not about the babble, it’s about people, about feelings, and about character growth. The prominent emotion under the narrative microscope this week is jealousy, Marvick’s homicidal jealousy of Kollos, who he believes is taking Miranda away from him, Spock’s stunning admission of envy that Miranda will get to mind link with the Medusan, and most important of all is Miranda’s jealousy itself. She’s fiercely proud of her abilities, and highly defensive of them as well. She finds Spock’s own telepathic ability threatening, given the possibility that he will join with Kollos instead of her. She shouldn’t be concerned of course, as her blindness makes her the logical candidate to join with a being that can drive those who look at it insane. But rationality is never a factor when overriding jealousy is the case. Looking at it dispassionately, her negative feelings would lessen her ability to join with Kollos; surely her jealousy and pride would taint any communication between them. Her feelings are tested when it becomes obvious that it is necessary for someone with the ability to pilot the ship to join with Kollos. When Spock forgets his visor when dissolving the bond after saving the ship and descends into insanity (complete with obligatory fish-eye lens), it becomes clear that only Miranda can save him. She’s reluctant, but Kirk holds up a harsh mirror to her, to show her what she has become. She’s forced to choose between her childish pride and jealousy, and doing the right thing.
That’s what makes it awesome storytelling. Introduce flawed, imperfect characters, highlight those flaws, challenge them and in the process make the characters grow and become better and stronger. The Miranda Jones that leaves the ship is not the one that came aboard. She’s more comfortable with herself, more confident and less defensive, and you can see that she is much better placed to serve as a mind-link partner to Kollos. It’s excellent stuff that makes the episode’s flaws seem insignificant.
I also am fond of the Kollos-Spock entity, which gives Leonard Nimoy a chance to let some emotion show. It’s almost as if the joining lets Spock speak his heart and true feelings to his friends for the first time. He quotes poetry to Uhura, which makes McCoy doubt his identity, and then confirms it by citing the Byron reference. It’s a moment that makes me smile each time. Good episode!
The Enterprise has been assigned to transport the Medusan ambassador Kollos home. It’s also an opportunity to improve starship navigation techniques, as Medusans are renowned as the galaxy’s finest navigators. To that end, accompanying the ambassador are Larry Marvick, one of the original designers of the Enterprise, and Dr Miranda Jones, a rare human natural telepath who has undertaken Vulcan training. A telepath is needed, as Medusans are totally non-corporeal creatures. There is considerable peril involved as well, as no human can look upon a Medusan without going irreversibly insane. To that end, Medusans who travel off-world do so safely contained in what amounts to a box. Even still, contact has to be severely restricted, and when necessary, protective visors need to be worn. The mission seems difficult enough, but it turns downright hazardous with the personalities involved. Miranda Jones is a haughty, defensive woman who guards what she perceives to be her territory with strength, and that territory is Ambassador Kollos. She’s been trained for the mind-link, and cannot countenance anyone else taking her place. The Vulcan Spock immediately threatens her, especially when he professes interest in exchanging thoughts with the ambassador. Marvick on the other hand is desperately in love with Jones, a love that remains unrequited. He can’t understand how she can turn him down to bear a lifetime of ugliness with Kollos. When she senses someone intending to commit murder during a dinner in her honour, it heralds Marvick’s attack on Kollos, one that is thwarted when he looks upon the ambassador with his naked eyes. Insane with delirium, he goes on the rampage in engineering, and sends the Enterprise careening out of the galaxy at Warp 9.5, before dying of his mania. Lost in unrecognisable space, only a risky mind meld with the Medusan will get the ship back where it belongs. But Miranda Jones will be difficult to convince, especially as it seems that she has looked upon the ambassador without the benefit of a visor, and may be concealing a deeper insanity of her own.
I think that I have already stated in my review of Return To Tomorrow that Diana Muldaur is far from my favourite actress. Her dry delivery and slightly husky monotone is enough to send me to sleep, and I usually avoid her appearances on television. Yet her role as Miranda Jones works in this episode, and I manage to stay alert and interested during the run time. Perhaps it’s because Jones is a passionate, obsessed, envious and prickly character. For Diana Muldaur, that’s almost lively. But then again, of all my opinions, that’s probably my most subjective, and should be taken with a pinch of salt, with one eye on one’s blood pressure as always.
This is a really good episode though, with human emotions and failings at its heart, motivating the story. It doesn’t get weighed down in babble, or bloated in frippery, but tells its story in as efficient and appealing a way as possible. That’s given the rather stilted product placement, and a couple of silly moments that leave me scratching my head.
Given what other shows have placed on screen with Truman Show levels of subtlety, the IDIC is practically understated in comparison. The simple triangle and circle design is certainly eye-catching, but I don’t find the philosophy it is supposed to represent particularly well written into the show. It certainly isn’t the sort of thing that gives mixed messages, and I don’t quite see why Jones took such offence at Spock wearing it in her honour. I also find it hard to see Larry Marvick as one of the Enterprise’s original designers, although at this point the age of the ship was hardly canonised. We only know that Pike had command prior to Kirk, and that is the extent of the ship’s history. It could conceivably be possible that the ship is only ten years old at this point. But with subsequent speculation about the ship’s age, and its original commander being Robert April, then Larry Marvick looks a little young to have worked on the ship, especially given that the design phase would have taken place several years prior to the launch of the first ship in that class. He’s pretty sprightly looking for a man who should be in his late fifties or more. Unless of course he worked on the ship’s refit between Pike and Kirk. Once again, the ship is cast beyond the Galactic Barrier into uncharted space, although no one turns silver eyed and godlike in the process. What annoys me is the Voyager like babble involved. There is the sheer unlikelihood that the ship can be cast out of the galaxy in a matter of seconds, even at Warp 9.5, unless they were already at the edge. If that were the case, you’d expect to see a pink glow in the background of some of the ship visuals. Anyway, when the ship reaches Warp 9.5, it apparently enters a space-time continuum, whatever that is. Returning from this continuum needs good navigation and a speed of Warp 1, resulting in a journey time similar to that of the Warp 9 rush. It makes no sense.
But then again, who cares? For this episode is not about the babble, it’s about people, about feelings, and about character growth. The prominent emotion under the narrative microscope this week is jealousy, Marvick’s homicidal jealousy of Kollos, who he believes is taking Miranda away from him, Spock’s stunning admission of envy that Miranda will get to mind link with the Medusan, and most important of all is Miranda’s jealousy itself. She’s fiercely proud of her abilities, and highly defensive of them as well. She finds Spock’s own telepathic ability threatening, given the possibility that he will join with Kollos instead of her. She shouldn’t be concerned of course, as her blindness makes her the logical candidate to join with a being that can drive those who look at it insane. But rationality is never a factor when overriding jealousy is the case. Looking at it dispassionately, her negative feelings would lessen her ability to join with Kollos; surely her jealousy and pride would taint any communication between them. Her feelings are tested when it becomes obvious that it is necessary for someone with the ability to pilot the ship to join with Kollos. When Spock forgets his visor when dissolving the bond after saving the ship and descends into insanity (complete with obligatory fish-eye lens), it becomes clear that only Miranda can save him. She’s reluctant, but Kirk holds up a harsh mirror to her, to show her what she has become. She’s forced to choose between her childish pride and jealousy, and doing the right thing.
That’s what makes it awesome storytelling. Introduce flawed, imperfect characters, highlight those flaws, challenge them and in the process make the characters grow and become better and stronger. The Miranda Jones that leaves the ship is not the one that came aboard. She’s more comfortable with herself, more confident and less defensive, and you can see that she is much better placed to serve as a mind-link partner to Kollos. It’s excellent stuff that makes the episode’s flaws seem insignificant.
I also am fond of the Kollos-Spock entity, which gives Leonard Nimoy a chance to let some emotion show. It’s almost as if the joining lets Spock speak his heart and true feelings to his friends for the first time. He quotes poetry to Uhura, which makes McCoy doubt his identity, and then confirms it by citing the Byron reference. It’s a moment that makes me smile each time. Good episode!
Re: Spock’s Brain
I believe it already existed in the Trek universe. Wasn't the shuttle in "The Maenagerie" equipped with ion drive?
Anyway, the guy who devised the ion engine for Deep Space One (named in honor of Deep Space Nine) said he was inspired to do so from this execrable episode. 'Tis an ill wind...
I believe it already existed in the Trek universe. Wasn't the shuttle in "The Maenagerie" equipped with ion drive?
Anyway, the guy who devised the ion engine for Deep Space One (named in honor of Deep Space Nine) said he was inspired to do so from this execrable episode. 'Tis an ill wind...
I'm planning on watching season 2 of TOS all over again. Possibly my favorite season all-time for all Treks (probably even high than season 7 of DS9). This was a revelation to me because I just watched season 2 for the first time about 2 years ago, but I'm coming back for more.
Re: Spock’s Brain
Really, "Spock's Brain" brings TOS down, severely.
Indeed, you are right. I recently rewatched ALL TOS episodes, except for this one.
Really, "Spock's Brain" brings TOS down, severely.
Re: Spock’s Brain
I agree that the episode sucks but I can easily think of five or six that are as bad if not worse--"And the Children Shall Lead" leaps to mind.
I know it's popular cant around this forum to say we'd take TOS's worse over modern Trek's best and, believe me, I'm very much a TOS supremacist but really, now: who in their right mind would rather watch these episodes over "Best of Both Worlds," "In the Pale Moonlight" or even "In a Mirror Darkly"? Not me, baby.
I agree that the episode sucks but I can easily think of five or six that are as bad if not worse--"And the Children Shall Lead" leaps to mind.
I know it's popular cant around this forum to say we'd take TOS's worse over modern Trek's best and, believe me, I'm very much a TOS supremacist but really, now: who in their right mind would rather watch these episodes over "Best of Both Worlds," "In the Pale Moonlight" or even "In a Mirror Darkly"? Not me, baby.
Re: Spock’s Brain
The worst of TOS are still bad. TOS wasn't a perfect series - and no, there is no such thing.
I can still watch that episode thinking its a bad episode, yes. But its nowhere near the badness produced by "Spock's Brain". Its worse than the collective bad episodes of season 3 -and they are a few...
I never said that.
The worst of TOS are still bad. TOS wasn't a perfect series - and no, there is no such thing.
Re: Spock’s Brain
^^^Yeah, and I'm sorry that I implied that you ever did. I simply used your post as a springboard to respond to that sentiment. Sorry 'bout that, I'll be careful in the future--well, I'll try.
^^^Yeah, and I'm sorry that I implied that you ever did. I simply used your post as a springboard to respond to that sentiment. Sorry 'bout that, I'll be careful in the future--well, I'll try.
Re: Spock’s Brain
Take it easy - no big deal. I support, in fact, your right to say what you feel out loud.^^^Yeah, and I'm sorry that I implied that you ever did. I simply used your post as a springboard to respond to that sentiment. Sorry 'bout that, I'll be careful in the future--well, I'll try.
Re: Spock’s Brain
I'm watching TOS but online -- there is a web site where nearly all the TOS eps can be watched there, sponsored by CBS.com. Think it was posted here awhile back. The last ep I watched was "The Gamesters of Triskelion," which isn't the best of the second season, but it's fun to watch multi-colored brains argue over trifles like quatloos! -- RR
I'm watching TOS but online -- there is a web site where nearly all the TOS eps can be watched there, sponsored by CBS.com. Think it was posted here awhile back. The last ep I watched was "The Gamesters of Triskelion," which isn't the best of the second season, but it's fun to watch multi-colored brains argue over trifles like quatloos! -- RR
Re: Is There In Truth No Beauty?
Excellent analysis. Despite the many flaws associated with the script, the special effects, and occasional poor acting, this episode (as with many TOS episodes) has many redeeming qualities. And makes me smile, too
Excellent analysis. Despite the many flaws associated with the script, the special effects, and occasional poor acting, this episode (as with many TOS episodes) has many redeeming qualities. And makes me smile, too
Re: Is There In Truth No Beauty?
This is where some confusion creeps in. It’s not really clear where they are. If they did go thru the galactic barrier as twice before, then why are they in this strange colorful and murky void? It seems more like the Enterprise went into some other dimension in space. You have to remember, just because they used footage of the Barrier doesn’t mean it was the barrier at the edge of the galaxy. They were just saving themselves from having to created another similar effect at a point where they had no money. Otherwise, why would they need Kollos to turn them around? Sulu and Chekov could navigate just as well were this just a trip to a space void after the barrier. So, with that in mind, the time it took to get there is not an issue since they could go through any kind of subspace portal without worrying about distance. Nor would this “just like the other” barrier necessarily have an effect on the crew like in Where No Man.
However, let’s say it is the same barrier. There’s no reason to think Starfleet or even Spock couldn’t or wouldn’t devise new shielding to keep the same thing which affected Mitchell and Dehner from happening again.
This is where some confusion creeps in. It’s not really clear where they are. If they did go thru the galactic barrier as twice before, then why are they in this strange colorful and murky void? It seems more like the Enterprise went into some other dimension in space. You have to remember, just because they used footage of the Barrier doesn’t mean it was the barrier at the edge of the galaxy. They were just saving themselves from having to created another similar effect at a point where they had no money. Otherwise, why would they need Kollos to turn them around? Sulu and Chekov could navigate just as well were this just a trip to a space void after the barrier. So, with that in mind, the time it took to get there is not an issue since they could go through any kind of subspace portal without worrying about distance. Nor would this “just like the other” barrier necessarily have an effect on the crew like in Where No Man.
However, let’s say it is the same barrier. There’s no reason to think Starfleet or even Spock couldn’t or wouldn’t devise new shielding to keep the same thing which affected Mitchell and Dehner from happening again.
