I’m watching The Original Series again
- Thread starter The Laughing Vulcan
- Start date
The Apple
The Enterprise has been ordered to Gamma Trianguli VI in order to investigate some odd readings, as well as make contact with the locals. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Chekov, and Yeoman Martha Landon beam down accompanied by four security officers, Caplin, Marple, Mallory and Hendorf. Scotty is left in charge of the ship, while he investigates some anomalous readings from the antimatter pods. They beam down a fair distance from the nearest village, so as to enjoy a leisurely stroll through paradise. Only they soon learn that Paradise has fangs when a poisonous plant explodes near Hendorf, killing him instantly. As they make their way towards the village, it soon becomes apparent that the planet is far more lethal than they had realised, as an instant thunderstorm claims the life of Caplin with a vengeful lightning bolt, and Mallory steps on an exploding rock. By the time Kirk gets the hint, it’s too late. Scotty has called down with the worrying news that the antimatter pods have been rendered completely inert by a power drain emanating from the planet’s surface. Soon the ship is in the grip of a tractor beam, doomed to burn up in the atmosphere within 16 hours unless the landing party resolve the situation. When the survivors get to the village, they find a worrying situation. The natives, a curious red skinned and blond-haired people possessing an alarming naivety, live and worship at the metaphorical feet of Vaal. A huge dragon’s head represents Vaal and in this head they regularly place offerings, in exchange for a temperate climate, health and happiness. All they have to do is nothing, nothing at all, no progress, no development, no children, nothing to strive for, just eternal idyllic stagnation. It’s a cue for another debate between Spock and McCoy over human free will and what constitutes a healthy society. It appears that the non-interference directive will restrict the landing party, but all bets are off when it becomes obvious that it is Vaal that has doomed the ship.
It’s the fight of the Century, no rules, no limits, last one standing wins. It’s Kirk versus God, seconds out, round 57. Ding! It’s another in a long line of Kirk kills God stories, but I have a fond appreciation for The Apple with its biblical allusions. There is something about this episode that makes me enjoy it more than other similar efforts, and it isn’t just the tribe of surfers that the Enterprise crew encounter, complete with uber-tans and beach blond hair. They’re libido free Californians! While the episode is utterly familiar and the story rehashed for the umpteenth time, what is special is that this is one of those episodes where the writing, dialogue, pacing, performances, production design and effects all come together to produce an episode that is more than the sum of its parts.
I suppose the big philosophical debate here is the one that echoes through the ages about superior cultures infecting and eventually destroying primitive, peaceful idylls. A society that defines progress as a good thing can only look on stability and constancy as stagnation. Here that stagnation is conferred from without, but since a society’s environment ultimately defines it, that argument could be applied universally. It’s just that Vaal is a more immediate bugbear. Here McCoy and Spock do a great job in debating the rights and wrongs of the situation, and given that Star Trek was such a forward looking show, it is a remarkably fair and balanced argument. It’s worth noting that Kirk only decides to act against Vaal when his ship is directly threatened. If that hadn’t happened, then I would guess that regardless of the dead redshirts, he would have just packed his tent, loaded up his wagon and got the hell out of Dodge.
Debate alone doesn’t make an episode, and this one is a nice blending of light and dark. There’s room for comedy and romance in between the redshirt deaths, with Chekov getting close to Yeoman Landon, much to Kirk’s infuriation. The dialogue is sharp and witty, with more than one Spock-McCoy interchange, as well as Yeoman Landon requesting a lesson in the facts of life from Spock, who finds he has a frog in his throat. Drama is also strong here, and for those who complain about Kirk’s foolishness, forgetting to raise shields against the Reliant in The Wrath Of Khan, they get another opportunity to see our heroic Captain engage in bitter self-recrimination as his third redshirt dies, railing that he should have beamed back up to the ship at the first sign of trouble. Oddly enough it is Spock, not McCoy who supplies the pep talk, and it’s interesting to hear that Kirk has the leeway to disregard his orders if he feels it is warranted. It’s an exemplary performance from Shatner in this episode, and it is easy to empathise with his pain, as his ship spirals down to its doom, while a malicious planet scythes through his security division. I love the set up with Scotty, where the two joke over the communicator about Scotty’s abilities and his job security. It pays off when the chips are down and it seems all is lost. Kirk, in his anguish can think of nothing else to say to the engineer but “You’re fired!” Yet it is delivered with such pathos that I can’t help but feel for him at that moment. But the choice line has to go to Spock, who after Marple is clubbed to death (you didn’t think that any redshirt survived did you?), he remarks that McCoy need not have worried about the free will of the surfer people, after their grasping the ability to kill. It’s a line that is delivered with perfectly judged irony, and is a stand out moment in an episode filled with such moments.
If there is a negative point to this episode, it’s that I would have preferred a little more background to Vaal, where did such an entity come from, how did the society come into existence? It’s the only flaw in an otherwise well-rounded episode. Incidentally, a couple of reviews ago I remarked on sixties television and censorship, stating that belly buttons were a no-no. This is something I got from I Dream Of Jeannie, and assumed that it applied to all network television with equal severity. Yet in this episode Sayana gets through 50 minutes with navel on show, (and delectable a navel it is). Either Star Trek snuck it past the censors, or I’ve been wrong all these years.
The Enterprise has been ordered to Gamma Trianguli VI in order to investigate some odd readings, as well as make contact with the locals. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Chekov, and Yeoman Martha Landon beam down accompanied by four security officers, Caplin, Marple, Mallory and Hendorf. Scotty is left in charge of the ship, while he investigates some anomalous readings from the antimatter pods. They beam down a fair distance from the nearest village, so as to enjoy a leisurely stroll through paradise. Only they soon learn that Paradise has fangs when a poisonous plant explodes near Hendorf, killing him instantly. As they make their way towards the village, it soon becomes apparent that the planet is far more lethal than they had realised, as an instant thunderstorm claims the life of Caplin with a vengeful lightning bolt, and Mallory steps on an exploding rock. By the time Kirk gets the hint, it’s too late. Scotty has called down with the worrying news that the antimatter pods have been rendered completely inert by a power drain emanating from the planet’s surface. Soon the ship is in the grip of a tractor beam, doomed to burn up in the atmosphere within 16 hours unless the landing party resolve the situation. When the survivors get to the village, they find a worrying situation. The natives, a curious red skinned and blond-haired people possessing an alarming naivety, live and worship at the metaphorical feet of Vaal. A huge dragon’s head represents Vaal and in this head they regularly place offerings, in exchange for a temperate climate, health and happiness. All they have to do is nothing, nothing at all, no progress, no development, no children, nothing to strive for, just eternal idyllic stagnation. It’s a cue for another debate between Spock and McCoy over human free will and what constitutes a healthy society. It appears that the non-interference directive will restrict the landing party, but all bets are off when it becomes obvious that it is Vaal that has doomed the ship.
It’s the fight of the Century, no rules, no limits, last one standing wins. It’s Kirk versus God, seconds out, round 57. Ding! It’s another in a long line of Kirk kills God stories, but I have a fond appreciation for The Apple with its biblical allusions. There is something about this episode that makes me enjoy it more than other similar efforts, and it isn’t just the tribe of surfers that the Enterprise crew encounter, complete with uber-tans and beach blond hair. They’re libido free Californians! While the episode is utterly familiar and the story rehashed for the umpteenth time, what is special is that this is one of those episodes where the writing, dialogue, pacing, performances, production design and effects all come together to produce an episode that is more than the sum of its parts.
I suppose the big philosophical debate here is the one that echoes through the ages about superior cultures infecting and eventually destroying primitive, peaceful idylls. A society that defines progress as a good thing can only look on stability and constancy as stagnation. Here that stagnation is conferred from without, but since a society’s environment ultimately defines it, that argument could be applied universally. It’s just that Vaal is a more immediate bugbear. Here McCoy and Spock do a great job in debating the rights and wrongs of the situation, and given that Star Trek was such a forward looking show, it is a remarkably fair and balanced argument. It’s worth noting that Kirk only decides to act against Vaal when his ship is directly threatened. If that hadn’t happened, then I would guess that regardless of the dead redshirts, he would have just packed his tent, loaded up his wagon and got the hell out of Dodge.
Debate alone doesn’t make an episode, and this one is a nice blending of light and dark. There’s room for comedy and romance in between the redshirt deaths, with Chekov getting close to Yeoman Landon, much to Kirk’s infuriation. The dialogue is sharp and witty, with more than one Spock-McCoy interchange, as well as Yeoman Landon requesting a lesson in the facts of life from Spock, who finds he has a frog in his throat. Drama is also strong here, and for those who complain about Kirk’s foolishness, forgetting to raise shields against the Reliant in The Wrath Of Khan, they get another opportunity to see our heroic Captain engage in bitter self-recrimination as his third redshirt dies, railing that he should have beamed back up to the ship at the first sign of trouble. Oddly enough it is Spock, not McCoy who supplies the pep talk, and it’s interesting to hear that Kirk has the leeway to disregard his orders if he feels it is warranted. It’s an exemplary performance from Shatner in this episode, and it is easy to empathise with his pain, as his ship spirals down to its doom, while a malicious planet scythes through his security division. I love the set up with Scotty, where the two joke over the communicator about Scotty’s abilities and his job security. It pays off when the chips are down and it seems all is lost. Kirk, in his anguish can think of nothing else to say to the engineer but “You’re fired!” Yet it is delivered with such pathos that I can’t help but feel for him at that moment. But the choice line has to go to Spock, who after Marple is clubbed to death (you didn’t think that any redshirt survived did you?), he remarks that McCoy need not have worried about the free will of the surfer people, after their grasping the ability to kill. It’s a line that is delivered with perfectly judged irony, and is a stand out moment in an episode filled with such moments.
If there is a negative point to this episode, it’s that I would have preferred a little more background to Vaal, where did such an entity come from, how did the society come into existence? It’s the only flaw in an otherwise well-rounded episode. Incidentally, a couple of reviews ago I remarked on sixties television and censorship, stating that belly buttons were a no-no. This is something I got from I Dream Of Jeannie, and assumed that it applied to all network television with equal severity. Yet in this episode Sayana gets through 50 minutes with navel on show, (and delectable a navel it is). Either Star Trek snuck it past the censors, or I’ve been wrong all these years.
Mirror, Mirror
It’s a stormy day on Halkan, as Kirk tries to negotiate for the use of their dilithium crystals. The pacifist Halkans aren’t selling though, and the rough weather necessitates a beam up. It’s one of those pesky ion storms however, and the Enterprise is suffering more in orbit than the landing party on the planet’s surface. The beam up isn’t without incident either, and after a few agonising extra seconds, Kirk, McCoy, Scotty and Uhura appear on the Enterprise transporter pad… It isn’t their Enterprise though, as becomes immediately apparent when they are greeted by a martial salute from a goateed Spock. Their uniforms are changed as well, adorned with weaponry and with a rather revealing number for the communications officer. The horror becomes apparent when Spock punishes transporter operator Kyle for the worrisome beam up by applying an agoniser to his shoulder. The landing party have passed into a parallel universe, one where Starfleet is a martial organisation bent on conquest, where advancement occurs through assassination, and officers cultivate support from the crew while they plot against each other. Kirk finds himself in command of a ship that has been ordered to obtain the dilithium crystals of Halkan if it means destroying their world to do so. As time runs out, the out of place landing party must find a way back to their own universe without being discovered by the alternate crew, and if possible save the Halkans from destruction as well. Not only must Kirk manage this without being assassinated by his own officers, but he also he finds he has to deal with the Captain’s woman, waiting obediently in his quarters for his return. Meanwhile, their counterparts are on ‘our’ Enterprise.
This is another one of those episodes that ranks as iconic, noteworthy even beyond the broad confines of Trek fandom. This first brief glimpse into an alternate, twisted reality was enough to inspire countless revisits, first in the comics and then literature, as well as in both the sequel and prequel eras. Yet few, if any of those returns to the Mirror Universe ever achieved a fraction of the impact of the original episode, I was utterly disappointed with the Mirror Universe Saga comic book, while DS9’s missions to the other side varied from entertaining to downright silly. All that the glimpse into the world of alternate Captain Archer managed was to engender more nostalgia for the real thing. Most of the subsequent efforts missed out a fundamental point of the original Mirror, Mirror, that it really only works as a solo one time effort, as an opportunity for the actors to subvert their characters, and a blank canvas to paint an alternate vision of the future. The world it presents just doesn’t bear up under scrutiny however, any even modest consideration rapidly points out the flaws in the concept, which is why the mirror universe happily remained a solitary 50 minutes in the Trek canon. The subsequent revisits bring out all the idea’s flaws in stark relief, which is why the DS9 and ENT episodes aren’t half as satisfying.
They also missed the thrust of the original episode, by assuming that the mirror universe was fun; it was dark and sexy, filled with cat-suited lesbians, rampant hedonists, and S&M dungeons. Admittedly that is one aspect of the original series episode that does rankle me somewhat, the idea that cruelty, violence and sexuality go hand in hand. I suppose that it boils down to the seven deadly sins, and the idea that any one chooses their carnal desires as having priority over their lives is a lesser, flawed individual. Sex is considered synonymous with sin in many quarters, even today, so it’s no surprise that it would be any less so in a sixties television show. But what Mirror, Mirror provides that no other foray into the alternate reality does is context. While the other episodes were about being ‘kewl’, Mirror, Mirror was very much a product of its time, coming just two decades after the last world war, in the middle of a cold war, with half the world in thrall to a totalitarian ideology. This episode was about the flipside of the coin. We had seen the best of what humanity could be, seen what we could aspire to with a Federation intent on peaceful exploration, a ship full of enlightened, tolerant explorers travelling the cosmos, exporting the finer qualities of the species. The Empire on the other hand was a stark reminder of what darkness lies in the depths of our souls. This is the Federation redux, what we could be if our path is guided by the Hitlers, or the Stalins. This is the most important point that DS9 and ENT missed out on. Mirror, Mirror reminded us that while we could aspire to greatness, we still have a long way to go, and that the darkness that lies in our souls will have to be fought constantly for our better natures to prevail. Indeed it was the early Season One episode The Enemy Within, which made clear that darkness is an essential part of our make up.
As a concept designed for maximum impact, this episode excels. But if you give it any serious thought, then the idea simply collapses. If you have an organisation built on plotting and backstabbing, then the cream most certainly won’t rise to the top. If your professionals have to worry about torture and death for the slightest mistake, then scientific progress will be greatly limited. With all energies focused inwards, there will hardly be any time for conquest, and the system will be geared to destroy itself very quickly. Kirk makes the point about the Empire being doomed to fall to rebellion, and alternate-Spock posits a lifespan of 240 years, but this is a system that is doomed to self-destruction. In the real world, totalitarian states aren’t run by moustache twirling, pussycat stroking megalomaniacs, but by ruthless charismatic individuals who inspire their followers and create disciplined systems of control, as opposed to the lack of discipline here. Even then, said Empires rarely last beyond the lifetime of the charismatic leader.
Also there is the implication that everyone in the alternate universe has a predilection for psychopathy. Again that goes beyond common sense, an arena where all are predators and none are prey is an unstable system. The predators soon turn on each other, as we see in this episode, the ship probably has to return to base every few days to replenish its crew. Again this is the shorthand for evil that the show adopts, where such a malevolent force doesn’t have the discipline to organise and stay focussed for long. One wonders how the Empire got to be such a dominant force. Still, there is hope offered in this universe, with alternate McCoy described as sentimental and soft, while alternate Spock agrees to consider the benefits of societal change. One wonders how such change would ever take hold in a society filled with such villainous antitheses of our universe’s well-adjusted and varied individuals.
The mirror universe doesn’t hold up to scrutiny as I said, and I’d like to think it was a temporary construct that budded off Kirk’s dark psyche when the transporter accident occurred, trapping the four members of the landing party in one of those warp bubbles that so plagued Wesley’s mother in TNG. Said universe existed for the duration of the episode, then popped into non-existence once the end credits rolled. The episode itself is tremendous fun, as we can see the actors subvert their characters and twirl those metaphorical moustaches. As Kirk et al explore this alternate universe it’s fun to see their reaction as they find the horrors of this world. Kirk learns that his counterpart rose to the Captaincy by assassinating Pike, McCoy find a ‘chamber of horrors’ where his sickbay used to be, although I would guess that medical progress isn’t high on the AU’s priority list, and he merely reacted to a sickbay similar to the way he reacted to a twentieth century hospital in The Voyage Home. I’ve probably been completely wrong about female belly buttons and sixties TV, as we get to see Uhura wear a delightful little number from the summer collection, wholly impractical for everyday starship work, but ideal for attracting the lecherous attentions of a slimy security chief. We also learn that Vulcans are scary in the mirror universe. And I love the alternate Captain’s chair.
The one sticking point in this episode for me is the ease with which the landing party solve their problem. Basically, Kirk asks the computer what is wrong and how to solve it, and it does. If only all other scientific breakthroughs could be as easily accomplished. I tried asking my PC how to travel faster than light yesterday, and it responded with the blue screen of death.
Mirror, Mirror is one of those classic episodes that is great entertainment, with a neat little message wrapped up inside. Shame the other forays into the alternate universe forgot that.
It’s a stormy day on Halkan, as Kirk tries to negotiate for the use of their dilithium crystals. The pacifist Halkans aren’t selling though, and the rough weather necessitates a beam up. It’s one of those pesky ion storms however, and the Enterprise is suffering more in orbit than the landing party on the planet’s surface. The beam up isn’t without incident either, and after a few agonising extra seconds, Kirk, McCoy, Scotty and Uhura appear on the Enterprise transporter pad… It isn’t their Enterprise though, as becomes immediately apparent when they are greeted by a martial salute from a goateed Spock. Their uniforms are changed as well, adorned with weaponry and with a rather revealing number for the communications officer. The horror becomes apparent when Spock punishes transporter operator Kyle for the worrisome beam up by applying an agoniser to his shoulder. The landing party have passed into a parallel universe, one where Starfleet is a martial organisation bent on conquest, where advancement occurs through assassination, and officers cultivate support from the crew while they plot against each other. Kirk finds himself in command of a ship that has been ordered to obtain the dilithium crystals of Halkan if it means destroying their world to do so. As time runs out, the out of place landing party must find a way back to their own universe without being discovered by the alternate crew, and if possible save the Halkans from destruction as well. Not only must Kirk manage this without being assassinated by his own officers, but he also he finds he has to deal with the Captain’s woman, waiting obediently in his quarters for his return. Meanwhile, their counterparts are on ‘our’ Enterprise.
This is another one of those episodes that ranks as iconic, noteworthy even beyond the broad confines of Trek fandom. This first brief glimpse into an alternate, twisted reality was enough to inspire countless revisits, first in the comics and then literature, as well as in both the sequel and prequel eras. Yet few, if any of those returns to the Mirror Universe ever achieved a fraction of the impact of the original episode, I was utterly disappointed with the Mirror Universe Saga comic book, while DS9’s missions to the other side varied from entertaining to downright silly. All that the glimpse into the world of alternate Captain Archer managed was to engender more nostalgia for the real thing. Most of the subsequent efforts missed out a fundamental point of the original Mirror, Mirror, that it really only works as a solo one time effort, as an opportunity for the actors to subvert their characters, and a blank canvas to paint an alternate vision of the future. The world it presents just doesn’t bear up under scrutiny however, any even modest consideration rapidly points out the flaws in the concept, which is why the mirror universe happily remained a solitary 50 minutes in the Trek canon. The subsequent revisits bring out all the idea’s flaws in stark relief, which is why the DS9 and ENT episodes aren’t half as satisfying.
They also missed the thrust of the original episode, by assuming that the mirror universe was fun; it was dark and sexy, filled with cat-suited lesbians, rampant hedonists, and S&M dungeons. Admittedly that is one aspect of the original series episode that does rankle me somewhat, the idea that cruelty, violence and sexuality go hand in hand. I suppose that it boils down to the seven deadly sins, and the idea that any one chooses their carnal desires as having priority over their lives is a lesser, flawed individual. Sex is considered synonymous with sin in many quarters, even today, so it’s no surprise that it would be any less so in a sixties television show. But what Mirror, Mirror provides that no other foray into the alternate reality does is context. While the other episodes were about being ‘kewl’, Mirror, Mirror was very much a product of its time, coming just two decades after the last world war, in the middle of a cold war, with half the world in thrall to a totalitarian ideology. This episode was about the flipside of the coin. We had seen the best of what humanity could be, seen what we could aspire to with a Federation intent on peaceful exploration, a ship full of enlightened, tolerant explorers travelling the cosmos, exporting the finer qualities of the species. The Empire on the other hand was a stark reminder of what darkness lies in the depths of our souls. This is the Federation redux, what we could be if our path is guided by the Hitlers, or the Stalins. This is the most important point that DS9 and ENT missed out on. Mirror, Mirror reminded us that while we could aspire to greatness, we still have a long way to go, and that the darkness that lies in our souls will have to be fought constantly for our better natures to prevail. Indeed it was the early Season One episode The Enemy Within, which made clear that darkness is an essential part of our make up.
As a concept designed for maximum impact, this episode excels. But if you give it any serious thought, then the idea simply collapses. If you have an organisation built on plotting and backstabbing, then the cream most certainly won’t rise to the top. If your professionals have to worry about torture and death for the slightest mistake, then scientific progress will be greatly limited. With all energies focused inwards, there will hardly be any time for conquest, and the system will be geared to destroy itself very quickly. Kirk makes the point about the Empire being doomed to fall to rebellion, and alternate-Spock posits a lifespan of 240 years, but this is a system that is doomed to self-destruction. In the real world, totalitarian states aren’t run by moustache twirling, pussycat stroking megalomaniacs, but by ruthless charismatic individuals who inspire their followers and create disciplined systems of control, as opposed to the lack of discipline here. Even then, said Empires rarely last beyond the lifetime of the charismatic leader.
Also there is the implication that everyone in the alternate universe has a predilection for psychopathy. Again that goes beyond common sense, an arena where all are predators and none are prey is an unstable system. The predators soon turn on each other, as we see in this episode, the ship probably has to return to base every few days to replenish its crew. Again this is the shorthand for evil that the show adopts, where such a malevolent force doesn’t have the discipline to organise and stay focussed for long. One wonders how the Empire got to be such a dominant force. Still, there is hope offered in this universe, with alternate McCoy described as sentimental and soft, while alternate Spock agrees to consider the benefits of societal change. One wonders how such change would ever take hold in a society filled with such villainous antitheses of our universe’s well-adjusted and varied individuals.
The mirror universe doesn’t hold up to scrutiny as I said, and I’d like to think it was a temporary construct that budded off Kirk’s dark psyche when the transporter accident occurred, trapping the four members of the landing party in one of those warp bubbles that so plagued Wesley’s mother in TNG. Said universe existed for the duration of the episode, then popped into non-existence once the end credits rolled. The episode itself is tremendous fun, as we can see the actors subvert their characters and twirl those metaphorical moustaches. As Kirk et al explore this alternate universe it’s fun to see their reaction as they find the horrors of this world. Kirk learns that his counterpart rose to the Captaincy by assassinating Pike, McCoy find a ‘chamber of horrors’ where his sickbay used to be, although I would guess that medical progress isn’t high on the AU’s priority list, and he merely reacted to a sickbay similar to the way he reacted to a twentieth century hospital in The Voyage Home. I’ve probably been completely wrong about female belly buttons and sixties TV, as we get to see Uhura wear a delightful little number from the summer collection, wholly impractical for everyday starship work, but ideal for attracting the lecherous attentions of a slimy security chief. We also learn that Vulcans are scary in the mirror universe. And I love the alternate Captain’s chair.
The one sticking point in this episode for me is the ease with which the landing party solve their problem. Basically, Kirk asks the computer what is wrong and how to solve it, and it does. If only all other scientific breakthroughs could be as easily accomplished. I tried asking my PC how to travel faster than light yesterday, and it responded with the blue screen of death.
Mirror, Mirror is one of those classic episodes that is great entertainment, with a neat little message wrapped up inside. Shame the other forays into the alternate universe forgot that.
Re: Mirror, Mirror
I think that its because of two reasons that it gets less appreciation. One, it's another in a long line of Kirk v God episodes, and so soon after Who Mourns For Adonais, it may seem like overkill. Two, that papier mache lizard head doesn't help much with the suspension of disbelief.
Mind, you I do have a soft spot for Hutch and the surfer people. :thumbsup:
I think that its because of two reasons that it gets less appreciation. One, it's another in a long line of Kirk v God episodes, and so soon after Who Mourns For Adonais, it may seem like overkill. Two, that papier mache lizard head doesn't help much with the suspension of disbelief.
Mind, you I do have a soft spot for Hutch and the surfer people. :thumbsup:
Re: Mirror, Mirror
No big "Apple " fan myself. And, while I find your analysis of "Mirror, Mirror" to be incredibly insightful, the TOS Trekkie in me says "And?" Indeed, the logical discrepancies you point out only make me like the episode more--the older I get, the more I see TOS as one part Shakespeare, two parts Buster Crabbe--none of those three parts is really very much consumed with hammering out every last detail but all of them are concerned with good, tight story-telling.
Let's face it, even if we disregard all the reasons why the MU makes no sense in your review, we still have the chain of chance problem: in a universe whose very fiber is so radically different, how could so many things and people match up so well? But again, "So what? Big deal," as the Black Lectroids might say.
Hey, Dr. Who totally ripped this episode in the Pertwee adventure "Inferno." Just thought I'd point that out.
No big "Apple " fan myself. And, while I find your analysis of "Mirror, Mirror" to be incredibly insightful, the TOS Trekkie in me says "And?" Indeed, the logical discrepancies you point out only make me like the episode more--the older I get, the more I see TOS as one part Shakespeare, two parts Buster Crabbe--none of those three parts is really very much consumed with hammering out every last detail but all of them are concerned with good, tight story-telling.
Let's face it, even if we disregard all the reasons why the MU makes no sense in your review, we still have the chain of chance problem: in a universe whose very fiber is so radically different, how could so many things and people match up so well? But again, "So what? Big deal," as the Black Lectroids might say.
Hey, Dr. Who totally ripped this episode in the Pertwee adventure "Inferno." Just thought I'd point that out.
The Deadly Years
Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Chekov and Lieutenant Galway beam down to Gamma Hydra IV, to check on a scientific expedition following the passage of a rogue comet through the system. Kirk had been talking to the team leader barely an hour previously, and noted that he seemed out of sorts, distracted and befuddled. Now the planet seems deserted. Chekov gets the fright of his life when he discovers a corpse, then a couple of pensioners show up, part of an expedition where no elderly members were listed. They are amazed to find that they are in fact Robert and Elaine Johnson, respectively 29 and 27 years old. The landing party returns with the couple to the Enterprise, so that McCoy can study what caused their premature aging. Aboard ship is Commodore Stocker, newly appointed commander of Starbase 10, who is eager to take up his new post, as well as Dr Janet Wallace, old flame of Captain Kirk. Before McCoy can find a solution, the two survivors of the expedition die, but the crew’s problems aren’t over yet. First Lt Galway reports to a greying McCoy complaining of a loss of hearing, and then Kirk appears to develop advanced arthritis. The shocking truth is soon apparent; the landing party are aging at a rapid rate, and soon will be incapable of continuing their duties, before finally succumbing. That is with the exception of Pavel Chekov, who for some reason is immune to whatever has afflicted the others. Soon he is complaining of being a guinea pig, donating samples to the increasingly desperate McCoy. But much worse is afflicting the landing party than grey hair and wrinkles. Their mental faculties are going as well, and when Kirk begins to repeat himself on the bridge, forgetting important security updates from Starfleet, then Commodore Stocker becomes concerned. He is convinced that the Starbase can help the ailing crew, and following a competency hearing he assumes command of the Enterprise. His first order is to take the ship directly to Starbase 10, straight across the Romulan Neutral Zone.
The Deadly Years could have been an intriguing episode. There is something of worth in examining how society regards the old and how they contribute. The idea of taking a character and altering what they are to see how they function is one that is revisited again and again. Dr Pulaski had her own run in with premature aging in Unnatural Selection, while the other officers had to face life as children in the later Rascals. It might have been more relevant to the era to see the command crew of the Enterprise have their gender reassigned, to see how they would function in a Starfleet that ‘has no room for women’, but considering how that idea worked out in Turnabout Intruder, it’s better perhaps that they didn’t bother here. No matter, we got premature aging induced by the radiation of a passing comet. And as usual, the same old problems with old age make up rear their ugly heads here. None of the actors are given realistic old age appearances, Scotty looks as if he has been in an explosion in a flourmill, Lt Galway dies of latex overdose, and Kirk’s appearance alters from scene to scene. Frankly old age make-up has never worked in Trek, and I can usually look past it if the story and the performances are good enough. Here the problem isn’t so much the performances as the writing. I quite like Shatner’s take on old age Kirk, while McCoy’s deepening of his Southern charm is delightful. What hurts the episode is the assumption that aging requires everyone to turn into an ‘ornery ol’ coot’. It’s as if the only direction that the actors received was, more cantankerous, curmudgeonlier. It’s a dimensionless caricature that hurts the story. On the other hand, it does make for fascinating viewing to compare how the actors have actually aged, to how a makeup artist assumed they would age. It’s worth noting that the actors were actively making Trek movies at an age beyond that which required the characters removal from duty here, and subsequent Treks would see a 147-year-old Admiral McCoy touring the Enterprise, as well as a Spock active in diplomacy well into his second century. And judging by Trek Lit, none of the TOS command crew will ever actually die.
One weakness may be the assumption of what old age does to a person, but the other weakness is the supporting characters. Janet Wallace is an old flame of Kirk’s that doesn’t actually go anywhere, beyond an amusing accusation from Kirk that she has a fetish for older men. There is no chemistry between the two, she doesn’t actually contribute to the story, and her appearance in this episode is barely above the level of eye-candy. Stocker on the other hand actually avoids one of my most hated clichés, that of the fifth wheel, annoying outsider, disruptive influence, that wreaks havoc on the bridge simply because of his rank. For a change he is no Ambassador Fox, but actually a well-meaning and amiable character. He’s even somewhat in awe of the Enterprise and Kirk, and it’s not his fault that he is a deskbound bean-counting paper-pusher. His arguments are convincing, one can understand why he removes Kirk from command and even agree with his decision to take command himself. It’s just that the character is so bland. Our heroes have to look heroic and all, but I can’t believe that that a bureaucrat would be given command of a military installation. He’d have to have some command experience, and anyone commanding a Starbase close to the Romulan Neutral Zone had bloody well better know the treaty inside and out, know that crossing the border is an act of war, and not worth risking the lives of 400 on the off chance that a starbase’s facilities can help four sick men. I’d think that after this episode, someone else would be facing a competency hearing.
There are things to like about this episode, most of them are Chekov. There’s also a nice hark back to the first season with the mention of the Corbomite Device. It’s just that none of these moments really redeem an episode that loses its way early on, and is hampered by a bunch of ornery ol’ coots where characters used to be. I’m surprised no one produced an ear-trumpet and yelled “Whut?!?”
Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Chekov and Lieutenant Galway beam down to Gamma Hydra IV, to check on a scientific expedition following the passage of a rogue comet through the system. Kirk had been talking to the team leader barely an hour previously, and noted that he seemed out of sorts, distracted and befuddled. Now the planet seems deserted. Chekov gets the fright of his life when he discovers a corpse, then a couple of pensioners show up, part of an expedition where no elderly members were listed. They are amazed to find that they are in fact Robert and Elaine Johnson, respectively 29 and 27 years old. The landing party returns with the couple to the Enterprise, so that McCoy can study what caused their premature aging. Aboard ship is Commodore Stocker, newly appointed commander of Starbase 10, who is eager to take up his new post, as well as Dr Janet Wallace, old flame of Captain Kirk. Before McCoy can find a solution, the two survivors of the expedition die, but the crew’s problems aren’t over yet. First Lt Galway reports to a greying McCoy complaining of a loss of hearing, and then Kirk appears to develop advanced arthritis. The shocking truth is soon apparent; the landing party are aging at a rapid rate, and soon will be incapable of continuing their duties, before finally succumbing. That is with the exception of Pavel Chekov, who for some reason is immune to whatever has afflicted the others. Soon he is complaining of being a guinea pig, donating samples to the increasingly desperate McCoy. But much worse is afflicting the landing party than grey hair and wrinkles. Their mental faculties are going as well, and when Kirk begins to repeat himself on the bridge, forgetting important security updates from Starfleet, then Commodore Stocker becomes concerned. He is convinced that the Starbase can help the ailing crew, and following a competency hearing he assumes command of the Enterprise. His first order is to take the ship directly to Starbase 10, straight across the Romulan Neutral Zone.
The Deadly Years could have been an intriguing episode. There is something of worth in examining how society regards the old and how they contribute. The idea of taking a character and altering what they are to see how they function is one that is revisited again and again. Dr Pulaski had her own run in with premature aging in Unnatural Selection, while the other officers had to face life as children in the later Rascals. It might have been more relevant to the era to see the command crew of the Enterprise have their gender reassigned, to see how they would function in a Starfleet that ‘has no room for women’, but considering how that idea worked out in Turnabout Intruder, it’s better perhaps that they didn’t bother here. No matter, we got premature aging induced by the radiation of a passing comet. And as usual, the same old problems with old age make up rear their ugly heads here. None of the actors are given realistic old age appearances, Scotty looks as if he has been in an explosion in a flourmill, Lt Galway dies of latex overdose, and Kirk’s appearance alters from scene to scene. Frankly old age make-up has never worked in Trek, and I can usually look past it if the story and the performances are good enough. Here the problem isn’t so much the performances as the writing. I quite like Shatner’s take on old age Kirk, while McCoy’s deepening of his Southern charm is delightful. What hurts the episode is the assumption that aging requires everyone to turn into an ‘ornery ol’ coot’. It’s as if the only direction that the actors received was, more cantankerous, curmudgeonlier. It’s a dimensionless caricature that hurts the story. On the other hand, it does make for fascinating viewing to compare how the actors have actually aged, to how a makeup artist assumed they would age. It’s worth noting that the actors were actively making Trek movies at an age beyond that which required the characters removal from duty here, and subsequent Treks would see a 147-year-old Admiral McCoy touring the Enterprise, as well as a Spock active in diplomacy well into his second century. And judging by Trek Lit, none of the TOS command crew will ever actually die.
One weakness may be the assumption of what old age does to a person, but the other weakness is the supporting characters. Janet Wallace is an old flame of Kirk’s that doesn’t actually go anywhere, beyond an amusing accusation from Kirk that she has a fetish for older men. There is no chemistry between the two, she doesn’t actually contribute to the story, and her appearance in this episode is barely above the level of eye-candy. Stocker on the other hand actually avoids one of my most hated clichés, that of the fifth wheel, annoying outsider, disruptive influence, that wreaks havoc on the bridge simply because of his rank. For a change he is no Ambassador Fox, but actually a well-meaning and amiable character. He’s even somewhat in awe of the Enterprise and Kirk, and it’s not his fault that he is a deskbound bean-counting paper-pusher. His arguments are convincing, one can understand why he removes Kirk from command and even agree with his decision to take command himself. It’s just that the character is so bland. Our heroes have to look heroic and all, but I can’t believe that that a bureaucrat would be given command of a military installation. He’d have to have some command experience, and anyone commanding a Starbase close to the Romulan Neutral Zone had bloody well better know the treaty inside and out, know that crossing the border is an act of war, and not worth risking the lives of 400 on the off chance that a starbase’s facilities can help four sick men. I’d think that after this episode, someone else would be facing a competency hearing.
There are things to like about this episode, most of them are Chekov. There’s also a nice hark back to the first season with the mention of the Corbomite Device. It’s just that none of these moments really redeem an episode that loses its way early on, and is hampered by a bunch of ornery ol’ coots where characters used to be. I’m surprised no one produced an ear-trumpet and yelled “Whut?!?”
Re: The Deadly Years
This was an episode that reinforced my wife's inability to take this show seriously. She's a Chekov fan, if a fan of anything TOS outside of the movies, and so when this was coming on during one of my own marathons, I reminded her. One look at the bubbling old-age makeup on the actors and she took a pass. There are technical issues here.
Stocker's a great character, and one I appreciate more as I age. True: he's a bureaucrat and not a commander of a Kirk calibre. But Napoleon noted that an army marches on its stomach; talented bureuacrats and supply wizards make the fighting man's job simpler. He's, as you note, well-meaning; well-intentioned, and well out of his depth. But he does give it a try, and you never feel angry toward him, you just wish he'd step aside. Should have let Sulu command.
Nice review.
This was an episode that reinforced my wife's inability to take this show seriously. She's a Chekov fan, if a fan of anything TOS outside of the movies, and so when this was coming on during one of my own marathons, I reminded her. One look at the bubbling old-age makeup on the actors and she took a pass. There are technical issues here.
Stocker's a great character, and one I appreciate more as I age. True: he's a bureaucrat and not a commander of a Kirk calibre. But Napoleon noted that an army marches on its stomach; talented bureuacrats and supply wizards make the fighting man's job simpler. He's, as you note, well-meaning; well-intentioned, and well out of his depth. But he does give it a try, and you never feel angry toward him, you just wish he'd step aside. Should have let Sulu command.
Nice review.
Re: The Deadly Years
This episode was never one of my favorites on a plot level. The performances, however, are a joy to watch. Shatner is a marvel here, transcending the make up issues. However, just as in real life, Kirk’s hair begins to thin and then grow fuller as he gets older. :-)
Stocker is a total numbnuts. Really, do you have to be a military genius to tell Sulu to take evasive action? Try a few things which don’t involve firing phasers and have them fail. THEN start to babble like an idiot.
Janet Wallace is annoying. “Eye candy?” Jeez, she’s not Roddenberry worthy, it’s hard to see why she was cast. A wimpy actress, she shows no leg and her outfit is unflattering. Yeah, that’s sexist of me, but this WAS Star Trek and Gene was big on casting sexy women. Looks like someone else was behind this one. And every single time she speaks to Kirk, that syrupy “romantic” music swells up. Yikes.
Eh. Has it’s high points, some great moments of humor (“don’t just stand there jawin’, Spunk!”, the close up of Kirk’s crotch), but is otherwise a mid-season yawner.
This episode was never one of my favorites on a plot level. The performances, however, are a joy to watch. Shatner is a marvel here, transcending the make up issues. However, just as in real life, Kirk’s hair begins to thin and then grow fuller as he gets older. :-)
Stocker is a total numbnuts. Really, do you have to be a military genius to tell Sulu to take evasive action? Try a few things which don’t involve firing phasers and have them fail. THEN start to babble like an idiot.
Janet Wallace is annoying. “Eye candy?” Jeez, she’s not Roddenberry worthy, it’s hard to see why she was cast. A wimpy actress, she shows no leg and her outfit is unflattering. Yeah, that’s sexist of me, but this WAS Star Trek and Gene was big on casting sexy women. Looks like someone else was behind this one. And every single time she speaks to Kirk, that syrupy “romantic” music swells up. Yikes.
Eh. Has it’s high points, some great moments of humor (“don’t just stand there jawin’, Spunk!”, the close up of Kirk’s crotch), but is otherwise a mid-season yawner.
Re: The Deadly Years
Pardon me?
Pardon me?
Re: The Deadly Years
That's how it comes out of McCoy's mouth. It's funny as hell...
Edit: I watched this episode today and noticed another DVD music screw-up to add to the list. On the DVD, right after Spock and Stocker decide to have the hearing, some very loud music from The Doomsday Machine is laid in. I went to the VHS tapes from the 80's and went to the same scene...there it is, different, quieter, more appropriate music. Totally different.
God, why?
That's how it comes out of McCoy's mouth. It's funny as hell...
Edit: I watched this episode today and noticed another DVD music screw-up to add to the list. On the DVD, right after Spock and Stocker decide to have the hearing, some very loud music from The Doomsday Machine is laid in. I went to the VHS tapes from the 80's and went to the same scene...there it is, different, quieter, more appropriate music. Totally different.
God, why?
Re: Shore Leave
no, no, you don't understand. that scene was a direct nod by the great bird himself to the K/S-ers.
TLV, great thread. I salute you for doing this. I hope some mod saves this thread and that you save these reviews on a website somewhere for us to read and read again. :thumbsup:
scottydog said:
Posted by ssosmcin:
I always thought it was funny when Kirk realized it wasn't Spock giving him a back rub and he suddenly got uncomfortable. "Push! Dig it in there Mr. Sp...thank you, yoeman. That's sifficient."
You'd think Kirk would be MORE uncomfortable having Spock rub him. I always thought they had this scene backwards!
no, no, you don't understand. that scene was a direct nod by the great bird himself to the K/S-ers.
TLV, great thread. I salute you for doing this. I hope some mod saves this thread and that you save these reviews on a website somewhere for us to read and read again. :thumbsup:
I, Mudd
It’s a routine day on the Enterprise, and McCoy even has the liberty to remark on the uncharacteristic taciturnity of a new arrival to the Enterprise. Mr Norman is unemotional, passionless, and dedicated to his duty, something that irks McCoy no end. Unfortunately, he makes this observation to Spock, which heralds one of their trademark exchanges on the nature of humanity. It’s a shame really, for while they are sniping, Norman is up to no good, quietly diverting the ship, and setting up a booby trap to stop the crew from regaining control. By the time Kirk and his crew realises what is going on, Norman, revealed to be an android is standing deactivated on the bridge, while the ship heads off to a mystery planet. Four days later and the ship arrives, while at the same time that Norman reactivates. He invites Kirk, McCoy, Spock, Uhura and Chekov down to the planet to meet its king. To Kirk’s amazement, that king turns out to be Harcourt Fenton Mudd, who was last seen busy rehabilitating at the Federation’s pleasure. Now Mudd is king of a planet of androids, most to his own, personal, lascivious design, and all serving his every whim, every whim except one that is. They won’t let him leave. The androids are determined to learn all about humanity, and it’s to that end that the Enterprise has been commandeered and brought to the planet. Harry believes that with 400 new humans to study, they won’t mind him leaving. He’s wrong. Having studied the nefarious, greedy, unprincipled Mudd, the androids have decided that humans as a species need to be protected from themselves, and if it takes enslaving them through android servitude, answering their every whim, so be it. Kirk has a whole planet of machines to outwit, or the Federation will fall. But this time it may prove impossible, with his crew being tempted by sex, immortality, ultimate knowledge, and a pretty nifty engineering workshop.
If there is one thing that Star Trek was not renowned for, it’s an excess of continuity. The episodes were usually stand alone, without reference to earlier events, and character development was non-existent, a healthy reset button at the end of each episode salving everyone’s wounds and easing their emotional burdens. Hell, half the first season went by before the background of the Star Trek universe began to settle down. Then out of the blue comes I, Mudd, which not only refers to earlier events, but also is actually a sequel. Mind you, after Khan, Harry Mudd is perhaps the most memorable character to grace Trek, and while Khan eventually got a cinematic revisiting, who can begrudge the intergalactic trickster another bite at the Trek cherry?
And thank God for Mudd, for without him this episode would be just another dreary remix of earlier Treks, with What Are Little Girls Made Of’s dream of an android utopia, combined with The Cage’s benevolent captivity. As usual, Kirk delivers the coup de grace to another uppity computer, and this time the crew get to join in the fun, befuddling and bamboozling intelligent machines left, right and centre. It would all be so tedious, were it not for the larger than life, Technicolor, expansive splendour of Roger C. Carmel as Harry Mudd. His very presence elicits a smile, and with exquisite dialogue such as his, he acts nearly everyone of the screen. He and Shatner have some great moments too, I love the moment when he wearily decries his fate, and chronicles the ill turns in fortune that have led him to such a sorry state, which Kirk duly translates as a list of felonies and misdemeanours.
It’s also fun seeing the Enterprise crew offered temptations by the androids, giving us insight into their characters. Chekov, the red-blooded mop-top that he is, simply gets offered sex, although when he learns that the Alices are ‘fully functional, programmed in multiple techniques’ he quickly gets a handle of Mudd’s character. Spock is offered knowledge, McCoy is offered the chance to research, Scotty gets a new toolkit, but the most interesting temptation of all is the offer of immortality to Uhura, with a full android body prosthesis predating Ghost In The Shell by thirty years. What’s fascinating is that Uhura actually is tempted by the idea of having her brain removed and installed in a machine (Oddly this doesn’t seem as atrocious here as it will in Spock’s Brain). It makes you wonder what Uhura is tempted by, immortality itself, or the idea of eternal youth? Is it vanity or more? It’s another moment that gives the lie to Picard’s evolved humanity, as does Norman’s observation that humanity is aggressive and acquisitive, an appellation later applied to the Ferengi (Mind you, he did solely have the example of Mudd to go on.
Illogic once again saves the day, but in a typically 60s way. Spock recites some atrocious poetry, Chekov and Uhura dance to silence, and Scotty dies under a barrage of whistle phasers. It’s time for the director to break out the old fisheye lens, in one of those zany episodes. The only sticking point in the episode is the gross assumption that Spock makes that the androids are all interlinked and co-ordinated through some central mechanism that they can target. There is absolutely no evidence or justification for this statement, and the way he simply announces it is an example of story dictating the dialogue. There is actually no reason why each android can’t be independent and fully conscious. But the story’s resolution wouldn’t have worked if this had been the case.
The show’s budget does become apparent. We hear that the entire crew has been evacuated from the Enterprise, but we only see Scotty unceremoniously escorted in by a ‘Borgus Frat?!?” The rest of the crew remain invisible for the duration. Despite this, despite some very dated illogical antics, and despite the re-visitation of some staple Trek themes, this episode stands out. It does so quite naturally for Mudd himself, a character who to this day ranks as my favourite guest star, but also for the strong writing. I love the opening, it’s sharp and well-constructed, and the almost flippant way that Kirk reacts when the ship begins to career out of control is very much in character, but restrained panic begins to set in as only as he learns that more and more of the ship’s functions are out of the crew’s control. Also, these androids would fit right into any Asimov novel. These aren’t the malicious terminators of dread robot fiction, but the benevolent overseers governed by the three laws. These are the same robots in that seeing that humanity is inherently self-destructive, will formulate a Zeroth law and endeavour to protect humanity from itself. So we get the flamboyant Mudd, without the drug-dealer/pimp overtones of Mudd’s Women, with a robot story with distinctive Asimovian overtones. I’m in Trek heaven with this episode.
And Kirk really does have a vindictive streak, leaving Harry at the tender mercies of five hundred Stellas.
It’s a routine day on the Enterprise, and McCoy even has the liberty to remark on the uncharacteristic taciturnity of a new arrival to the Enterprise. Mr Norman is unemotional, passionless, and dedicated to his duty, something that irks McCoy no end. Unfortunately, he makes this observation to Spock, which heralds one of their trademark exchanges on the nature of humanity. It’s a shame really, for while they are sniping, Norman is up to no good, quietly diverting the ship, and setting up a booby trap to stop the crew from regaining control. By the time Kirk and his crew realises what is going on, Norman, revealed to be an android is standing deactivated on the bridge, while the ship heads off to a mystery planet. Four days later and the ship arrives, while at the same time that Norman reactivates. He invites Kirk, McCoy, Spock, Uhura and Chekov down to the planet to meet its king. To Kirk’s amazement, that king turns out to be Harcourt Fenton Mudd, who was last seen busy rehabilitating at the Federation’s pleasure. Now Mudd is king of a planet of androids, most to his own, personal, lascivious design, and all serving his every whim, every whim except one that is. They won’t let him leave. The androids are determined to learn all about humanity, and it’s to that end that the Enterprise has been commandeered and brought to the planet. Harry believes that with 400 new humans to study, they won’t mind him leaving. He’s wrong. Having studied the nefarious, greedy, unprincipled Mudd, the androids have decided that humans as a species need to be protected from themselves, and if it takes enslaving them through android servitude, answering their every whim, so be it. Kirk has a whole planet of machines to outwit, or the Federation will fall. But this time it may prove impossible, with his crew being tempted by sex, immortality, ultimate knowledge, and a pretty nifty engineering workshop.
If there is one thing that Star Trek was not renowned for, it’s an excess of continuity. The episodes were usually stand alone, without reference to earlier events, and character development was non-existent, a healthy reset button at the end of each episode salving everyone’s wounds and easing their emotional burdens. Hell, half the first season went by before the background of the Star Trek universe began to settle down. Then out of the blue comes I, Mudd, which not only refers to earlier events, but also is actually a sequel. Mind you, after Khan, Harry Mudd is perhaps the most memorable character to grace Trek, and while Khan eventually got a cinematic revisiting, who can begrudge the intergalactic trickster another bite at the Trek cherry?
And thank God for Mudd, for without him this episode would be just another dreary remix of earlier Treks, with What Are Little Girls Made Of’s dream of an android utopia, combined with The Cage’s benevolent captivity. As usual, Kirk delivers the coup de grace to another uppity computer, and this time the crew get to join in the fun, befuddling and bamboozling intelligent machines left, right and centre. It would all be so tedious, were it not for the larger than life, Technicolor, expansive splendour of Roger C. Carmel as Harry Mudd. His very presence elicits a smile, and with exquisite dialogue such as his, he acts nearly everyone of the screen. He and Shatner have some great moments too, I love the moment when he wearily decries his fate, and chronicles the ill turns in fortune that have led him to such a sorry state, which Kirk duly translates as a list of felonies and misdemeanours.
It’s also fun seeing the Enterprise crew offered temptations by the androids, giving us insight into their characters. Chekov, the red-blooded mop-top that he is, simply gets offered sex, although when he learns that the Alices are ‘fully functional, programmed in multiple techniques’ he quickly gets a handle of Mudd’s character. Spock is offered knowledge, McCoy is offered the chance to research, Scotty gets a new toolkit, but the most interesting temptation of all is the offer of immortality to Uhura, with a full android body prosthesis predating Ghost In The Shell by thirty years. What’s fascinating is that Uhura actually is tempted by the idea of having her brain removed and installed in a machine (Oddly this doesn’t seem as atrocious here as it will in Spock’s Brain). It makes you wonder what Uhura is tempted by, immortality itself, or the idea of eternal youth? Is it vanity or more? It’s another moment that gives the lie to Picard’s evolved humanity, as does Norman’s observation that humanity is aggressive and acquisitive, an appellation later applied to the Ferengi (Mind you, he did solely have the example of Mudd to go on.
Illogic once again saves the day, but in a typically 60s way. Spock recites some atrocious poetry, Chekov and Uhura dance to silence, and Scotty dies under a barrage of whistle phasers. It’s time for the director to break out the old fisheye lens, in one of those zany episodes. The only sticking point in the episode is the gross assumption that Spock makes that the androids are all interlinked and co-ordinated through some central mechanism that they can target. There is absolutely no evidence or justification for this statement, and the way he simply announces it is an example of story dictating the dialogue. There is actually no reason why each android can’t be independent and fully conscious. But the story’s resolution wouldn’t have worked if this had been the case.
The show’s budget does become apparent. We hear that the entire crew has been evacuated from the Enterprise, but we only see Scotty unceremoniously escorted in by a ‘Borgus Frat?!?” The rest of the crew remain invisible for the duration. Despite this, despite some very dated illogical antics, and despite the re-visitation of some staple Trek themes, this episode stands out. It does so quite naturally for Mudd himself, a character who to this day ranks as my favourite guest star, but also for the strong writing. I love the opening, it’s sharp and well-constructed, and the almost flippant way that Kirk reacts when the ship begins to career out of control is very much in character, but restrained panic begins to set in as only as he learns that more and more of the ship’s functions are out of the crew’s control. Also, these androids would fit right into any Asimov novel. These aren’t the malicious terminators of dread robot fiction, but the benevolent overseers governed by the three laws. These are the same robots in that seeing that humanity is inherently self-destructive, will formulate a Zeroth law and endeavour to protect humanity from itself. So we get the flamboyant Mudd, without the drug-dealer/pimp overtones of Mudd’s Women, with a robot story with distinctive Asimovian overtones. I’m in Trek heaven with this episode.
And Kirk really does have a vindictive streak, leaving Harry at the tender mercies of five hundred Stellas.
Re: I, Mudd
Thanks for the review. "I, Mudd" is one of my personal faves-many funny moments! Harry Mudd is a great character. I also like how Uhura, Chekov and Scotty are all a part of the main story.
Thanks for the review. "I, Mudd" is one of my personal faves-many funny moments! Harry Mudd is a great character. I also like how Uhura, Chekov and Scotty are all a part of the main story.
The Trouble With Tribbles
The Enterprise is heading for Deep Space Station K7, a vital port in a quadrant that is in dispute with the Klingons. The terms of the Organian peace treaty state that the ownership of Sherman’s Planet will fall to that power which can develop the planet most efficiently. Then the call comes in from K7, a Code 1 emergency indicative of total disaster. The ship goes racing to the station under strict subspace silence, but arrives to find that station is untouched, no attack is apparent, and no enemy visible. Kirk breaks radio silence to be invited onto the station by Administrator Lurry for an explanation. Kirk is incensed to learn that he has been summoned here by Nils Baris, the head of development for Sherman’s Planet, merely to provide security for some grain. The grain is quadrotriticale, a revolutionary strand that is the only type that will grown on Sherman’s Planet, and Baris is determined that it be protected at all costs. Kirk feels that he is abusing his position of authority, but nevertheless provides a token security detachment. Meanwhile the rest of the Enterprise crew get a much-needed shore leave. During leave, Uhura and Chekov encounter Cyrano Jones, a trader who happens to be hawking his wares on the station. While he doesn’t have much luck with most of his stock, Uhura is enchanted by a tribble, a small furry creature with an abundance of love. But tribbles are phenomenal when it comes to reproduction, and soon the Enterprise and the station are teeming with the creatures. At the same time, the Klingons arrive to throw a spanner in the works, further incensing Baris who is already livid about the pitiful security provided by Kirk, as well as setting off a good old-fashioned barroom brawl. The infestation of tribbles becomes ominous when they get into the Enterprise food stores, and Kirk belatedly realised that they also pose a similar threat to the quadrotriticale. He may have just thrown his career away with his lackadaisical attitude to Baris, but redemption lies at the heart of the ill feelings between Klingons and tribbles.
Some more of that Cold War style brinkmanship between the Klingons and the Federation leads to a classic comedy episode from Star Trek. We get a small inkling of the impending comedy with Chekov’s briefing, with his “close enough to smell them” crack, rewarded with Spock’s observation that it was “an exceedingly small joke”. If Spock is critiquing human humour then we are in for a laugh riot, and that is exactly what unfolds, despite a tense response to the Code 1 emergency. When Kirk and Spock beam over to the station to be met by Baris and Darvin, the dialogue is determinedly humorous, with Kirk’s sarcasm indicative that the characters that we all know and love will be subtly subverted for the next 50 minutes or so. So while Kirk’s tongue will remain determinedly in cheek, Spock will be making wisecracks (or what for him would amount to wisecracks), and Scotty will get to utter what is the most painful pun ever to have been uttered in sci-fi. Actually, one could imagine that the pun came first, and the episode was built around it. While this episode is comedy gold, it is the sort of understated humour that deserves knowing chuckles rather than belly laughs, but it is utterly entertaining. It’s no wonder that the show was revisited for the 30th anniversary by DS9, who cleverly inserted their characters into the footage.
There is of course the added comedy value of Cyrano Jones, a part that would have been equally suited for Harry Mudd, but this trader turns out to be more pitiable that larcenous. He’s one of those hard up drifters who make their living selling bric-a-brac but never really amounting to much, mainly through a succession of poor business choices. His latest get rich quick venture involves tribbles, but his intelligence has to be questioned, hawking a cargo that increases tenfold every twelve hours. The only streak of larceny that we do see occurs during the barroom brawl, as the trader tries to help himself to free beverages during the mayhem. Ah yes, the brawl. Scotty’s finest moment as he squares up to the Klingons. It’s the ultimate of insults that sets him off, when after hearing his beloved Captain abused and showing admirable self restraint, he sees red when the Klingon attention turns to ridiculing his beloved Enterprise. It’s a moment that gives Kirk a chance to double-take when giving the resulting dressing down. The fact that Scotty is ecstatic at his punishment is even more hilarious. The Klingons themselves are interesting, once again nothing like the Klingons of later series. It’s far easier to see the cold war analogy with the two, really quite human looking factions needling each other in the bar. I also like this Koloth; he’s such a genial fellow, concerned with courtesy and propriety, although harbouring a barely hidden steel to his character. It’s also obvious from the dialogue that this isn’t Kirk and Koloth’s first meeting, and they are quite familiar with each other.
Small things to note about this episode include the two-person transporter pad in Lurry’s office, who is something of a timid bureaucrat eager to pass the buck. I love the view of the Enterprise through the station windows; it’s simple but effective. Spock is unexpectedly smitten with the tribbles, and the reference to an ‘ermine violin’ is really quite imaginative for the Vulcan. And I noticed something for the first time yesterday, after probably the twentieth time of watching the episode. Later on when Kirk exits the office after yet another confrontation with Baris, he echoes the same words Cyrano Jones used towards him, “I must attend to my ship, Au revoir.” I can’t believe that I missed that before. Oh, and a trained doctor gets his asexual and bisexual confused. Tribbles that swing both ways! The Organian Peace Treaty seems pretty archaic from this 21st Century Perspective. Sherman’s Planet goes to whoever can develop it most efficiently? That’s synonymous with the winner being one to strip-mine it the quickest. Nowadays there would be a clause about preserving biodiversity, living in harmony with the world’s ecology, and keeping things neat and tidy.
The Trouble With Tribbles is a great episode, entertaining from beginning to end, and has much to offer anyone who just wants to dip his or her toe into Star Trek and see what all the fuss is about. As for the message, I’ve sought hard to see what we as audiences are meant to draw from the proceedings beyond sheer enjoyment, whether there are any anti-war or civil rights arguments cloaked in the little fuzzy cute darling little critters. And I found one. This episode came around the hind-end of the baby boom; the world’s population had drastically increased since the end of WWII, and this was about the first time that those predictions of Malthusian doom and resource depletion were first being discussed. How better to point out humanity’s potential folly than to create a species that does nothing but eat and breed, and rapidly exhaust all available resources. Yes gentle readers take heed, for you are that tribble.
The Enterprise is heading for Deep Space Station K7, a vital port in a quadrant that is in dispute with the Klingons. The terms of the Organian peace treaty state that the ownership of Sherman’s Planet will fall to that power which can develop the planet most efficiently. Then the call comes in from K7, a Code 1 emergency indicative of total disaster. The ship goes racing to the station under strict subspace silence, but arrives to find that station is untouched, no attack is apparent, and no enemy visible. Kirk breaks radio silence to be invited onto the station by Administrator Lurry for an explanation. Kirk is incensed to learn that he has been summoned here by Nils Baris, the head of development for Sherman’s Planet, merely to provide security for some grain. The grain is quadrotriticale, a revolutionary strand that is the only type that will grown on Sherman’s Planet, and Baris is determined that it be protected at all costs. Kirk feels that he is abusing his position of authority, but nevertheless provides a token security detachment. Meanwhile the rest of the Enterprise crew get a much-needed shore leave. During leave, Uhura and Chekov encounter Cyrano Jones, a trader who happens to be hawking his wares on the station. While he doesn’t have much luck with most of his stock, Uhura is enchanted by a tribble, a small furry creature with an abundance of love. But tribbles are phenomenal when it comes to reproduction, and soon the Enterprise and the station are teeming with the creatures. At the same time, the Klingons arrive to throw a spanner in the works, further incensing Baris who is already livid about the pitiful security provided by Kirk, as well as setting off a good old-fashioned barroom brawl. The infestation of tribbles becomes ominous when they get into the Enterprise food stores, and Kirk belatedly realised that they also pose a similar threat to the quadrotriticale. He may have just thrown his career away with his lackadaisical attitude to Baris, but redemption lies at the heart of the ill feelings between Klingons and tribbles.
Some more of that Cold War style brinkmanship between the Klingons and the Federation leads to a classic comedy episode from Star Trek. We get a small inkling of the impending comedy with Chekov’s briefing, with his “close enough to smell them” crack, rewarded with Spock’s observation that it was “an exceedingly small joke”. If Spock is critiquing human humour then we are in for a laugh riot, and that is exactly what unfolds, despite a tense response to the Code 1 emergency. When Kirk and Spock beam over to the station to be met by Baris and Darvin, the dialogue is determinedly humorous, with Kirk’s sarcasm indicative that the characters that we all know and love will be subtly subverted for the next 50 minutes or so. So while Kirk’s tongue will remain determinedly in cheek, Spock will be making wisecracks (or what for him would amount to wisecracks), and Scotty will get to utter what is the most painful pun ever to have been uttered in sci-fi. Actually, one could imagine that the pun came first, and the episode was built around it. While this episode is comedy gold, it is the sort of understated humour that deserves knowing chuckles rather than belly laughs, but it is utterly entertaining. It’s no wonder that the show was revisited for the 30th anniversary by DS9, who cleverly inserted their characters into the footage.
There is of course the added comedy value of Cyrano Jones, a part that would have been equally suited for Harry Mudd, but this trader turns out to be more pitiable that larcenous. He’s one of those hard up drifters who make their living selling bric-a-brac but never really amounting to much, mainly through a succession of poor business choices. His latest get rich quick venture involves tribbles, but his intelligence has to be questioned, hawking a cargo that increases tenfold every twelve hours. The only streak of larceny that we do see occurs during the barroom brawl, as the trader tries to help himself to free beverages during the mayhem. Ah yes, the brawl. Scotty’s finest moment as he squares up to the Klingons. It’s the ultimate of insults that sets him off, when after hearing his beloved Captain abused and showing admirable self restraint, he sees red when the Klingon attention turns to ridiculing his beloved Enterprise. It’s a moment that gives Kirk a chance to double-take when giving the resulting dressing down. The fact that Scotty is ecstatic at his punishment is even more hilarious. The Klingons themselves are interesting, once again nothing like the Klingons of later series. It’s far easier to see the cold war analogy with the two, really quite human looking factions needling each other in the bar. I also like this Koloth; he’s such a genial fellow, concerned with courtesy and propriety, although harbouring a barely hidden steel to his character. It’s also obvious from the dialogue that this isn’t Kirk and Koloth’s first meeting, and they are quite familiar with each other.
Small things to note about this episode include the two-person transporter pad in Lurry’s office, who is something of a timid bureaucrat eager to pass the buck. I love the view of the Enterprise through the station windows; it’s simple but effective. Spock is unexpectedly smitten with the tribbles, and the reference to an ‘ermine violin’ is really quite imaginative for the Vulcan. And I noticed something for the first time yesterday, after probably the twentieth time of watching the episode. Later on when Kirk exits the office after yet another confrontation with Baris, he echoes the same words Cyrano Jones used towards him, “I must attend to my ship, Au revoir.” I can’t believe that I missed that before. Oh, and a trained doctor gets his asexual and bisexual confused. Tribbles that swing both ways! The Organian Peace Treaty seems pretty archaic from this 21st Century Perspective. Sherman’s Planet goes to whoever can develop it most efficiently? That’s synonymous with the winner being one to strip-mine it the quickest. Nowadays there would be a clause about preserving biodiversity, living in harmony with the world’s ecology, and keeping things neat and tidy.
The Trouble With Tribbles is a great episode, entertaining from beginning to end, and has much to offer anyone who just wants to dip his or her toe into Star Trek and see what all the fuss is about. As for the message, I’ve sought hard to see what we as audiences are meant to draw from the proceedings beyond sheer enjoyment, whether there are any anti-war or civil rights arguments cloaked in the little fuzzy cute darling little critters. And I found one. This episode came around the hind-end of the baby boom; the world’s population had drastically increased since the end of WWII, and this was about the first time that those predictions of Malthusian doom and resource depletion were first being discussed. How better to point out humanity’s potential folly than to create a species that does nothing but eat and breed, and rapidly exhaust all available resources. Yes gentle readers take heed, for you are that tribble.
Re: The Trouble With Tribbles
I was never a big fan of "Tribbles." It was a comedy in a season with too many comedies.
I very much disagree here. This is an episode that works best when you have some history with the characters. A year and a half into the show, and you can afford to do comedy and the fans will get it. They know, also, the series will go back to normal the next week. Show someone this episode first, and you're setting them up to watch a SF comedy series with silly music and fey Klingons.
Yeah, Koloth is the most unthreatening Klingon I have ever seen.
I was never a big fan of "Tribbles." It was a comedy in a season with too many comedies.
I very much disagree here. This is an episode that works best when you have some history with the characters. A year and a half into the show, and you can afford to do comedy and the fans will get it. They know, also, the series will go back to normal the next week. Show someone this episode first, and you're setting them up to watch a SF comedy series with silly music and fey Klingons.
Yeah, Koloth is the most unthreatening Klingon I have ever seen.
