In Defense of "Spock's Brain"

[KirksStuntMan]

Well at least we didn't see a giant celery alien.

You mean...like this infamous Irwin Allen monstrosity? Ugh!!!

That was a relief, but how did Spock know how to complete the operation at all. McCoy was a doctor and on the outside of the situation. what made Spock so smart?

IMO, by the time Gene Coon/Lee Cronin got to the final act of "Spock's Brain" he was just looking for a way to end the episode as quickly as possible. Ugh!!!!

 

[T'Girl]

Spock: "Give me some sugar Baby."

 

[JustKate]

Well, I not only like - I r-r-r-r-r-r-elish this episode. I think it's a hoot. I like to think it was supposed to be a hoot, but even if it wasn't, it wins out over dreadful clunkers such as "And the Children Shall Lead" and "The Paradise Syndrome" (which is beloved by some but beloathed by me, deeply, madly and fiercely) because at least it isn't so. damn. pretentious. and doesn't take itself so. damn. seriously. Unlike those episodes, "Spock's Brain" doesn't pretend to have a Serious Message and then make that Serious Message ridiculous by awful writing and casting and, well, pretty much awful everything (though "The Paradise Syndrome" does at least have nice scenery). It's just supposed to be a light-hearted adventure - the only question is, do you enjoy that adventure or not? I do, though I can understand why others might not.

But gosh, it's called "Spock's Brain," one of the great, goofy titles of TV sci-fi. What's not to love about that?

 

[scotpens]

Yea some of these middle episodes could have used some major development. I'm thinking of 'The Lights of Zetar' (a science ep.written by a woman as well). 'The Mark of Gideon' was written by that chick with the puppet. i liked her and that puppet act alot with the lipstick. Actually it was a very sexy puppet, but what did she know about writting science fiction or was she one of GR's casting couch clients.

“The Lights of Zetar” was the one written by Shari Lewis (the puppet lady) and her husband Jeremy Tarcher. The story is that Shari lobbied to play the role of Lt. Mira Romaine herself, but was turned down.

 

[Christopher]

I should say even by TOS standards "Spock's Brain" has a lot of internal illogic. The civilization has ion power-which is beyond Federation technology and in addition they have two other inhabitable planets right in their own solar system. So they don't use their ships to colonize as their planet turns into an ice cube.

Maybe they did. Sigma Draconis had two other inhabited planets.

Then you have the idea of the men only living on the surface and the women underground. How did that happen? Better yet why is it maintained?

My impression is that it was something the original Controller-brain-guy established as a population-control measure. The surviving population only had finite space and resources underground and thus couldn't be allowed to breed freely.

Then you have the issue of men becoming primitives and the women idiots--again why?

Living on the surface with limited resources would've left the men little recourse but to revert to more "primitive" means of subsistence. And the implication is that the women lost their intelligence because they became too dependent on the Controller to make all their decisions for them, so they lived their entire lives as pampered children.

 

[Timo]

Maybe they did. Sigma Draconis had two other inhabited planets.

Exactly. And assuming that those inhabitants are colonists from Sigma Draconis VI means that our heroes could not tell by a simple orbital scan that said inhabitants were biologically unlike the chick who took Spock's noggin contents - filling in a potential plot hole.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Maximara]

Maybe they did. Sigma Draconis had two other inhabited planets.

Exactly. And assuming that those inhabitants are colonists from Sigma Draconis VI means that our heroes could not tell by a simple orbital scan that said inhabitants were biologically unlike the chick who took Spock's noggin contents - filling in a potential plot hole.

The problem with the idea that Sigma Draconis VI colonized the other planets in the solar system is you have the issue of why the Tech of the other planets was so far below what home planets started out with.

Another problem is Sigma Draconis is an actual star only some 18 light years from Earth that has been surveyed but Uhura picks up regular high energy generation from planet 6...just what did the other survey team do to miss that?

The more you look at it the less sense the episode makes.

 

[Ghrakh]

Well, I like Spock's Brain myself. It can't hold a drop of water under scrutiny, but to me that's not a problem given it's entertainment value. The sudden shots of Spock staring vacantly into the camera are really creepy. Bones' panic attack at the operating table was well done I thought. Most of the rest was fascinating just for how inexplicable it was.

I'm sure everyone knows about the Agony Booth review, but if you don't it's well worth a look.

 

[UnknownSample]

I'm very tired of people looking at plot elements that aren't totally explained on-camera, and assuming them to be "stupid" plot holes. We shouldn't need all the information spoon-fed to us. A lot of the aspects that people are complaining about, which seem to ruin the episode for them, are the most interesting parts, because they raise questions and lead you to try to figure out the answers yourself-- or at least that's how it's supposed to work.

"Spock's Brain" is like most of season three, the result of a talented, dedicated team making ST, at odds with a network that seems to have looked at ST and science fiction as childish trash, that wanted to play up that supposed childish trashiness for big ratings from SF viewers, whom they assumed to be idiots. F. Frieberger I see as their stooge or representative. The fact that the rest of those working on ST managed to keep the quality as high as they did is remarkable. What these efforts seemed mostly to consist of, though, was doing emergency CPR on bad story ideas and scripts that they didn't get to choose.

"Spock's Brain" is a combination of embarrassing elements and great moments. Not for one moment have I ever seen it as camp or comedy, as a child or now. I wonder whether if the costumes and speech of the Space Bimbos were less silly, the whole ep. might be seen differently. The scene in Sickbay is effective, dead serious, and jarring. The impossibility of the task added a strange sombre mood, since usually their challenges are right there in front of their faces. Spock's semi-dead body walking around while we imagine the empty skull we know is behind those dead eyes, that's a new sort of horror for ST. Best of all, DeForest's acting with the teacher and operation... As for Spock keeping his hair and chatting away afterward, guess what, this is supposed to be a distant future where there are almost inconceivable technological advances. This goes a bit too far, but they wouldn't be doing their jobs if the operation weren't jarring, surprising, and much further advanced than now.

I like the conference on the Bridge, the debate, and Uhura getting us back to the heart of the matter, asking WHY they'd want someone's brain... There are nice SF elements and implied backstory-- the idea of an organic brain being used to control all functions of a community as it does the body, the isolation and insanity of a fallen-apart civilization dealing with a new ice age, which may happen to us, and degenerating because of it...

"Spock's Brain" is actually one of the most interesting (and darkest and moodiest) s3 stories, but also with embarrassing bits. I choose not to let these ruin the story for me.

 

[Maximara]

I'm very tired of people looking at plot elements that aren't totally explained on-camera, and assuming them to be "stupid" plot holes. We shouldn't need all the information spoon-fed to us. A lot of the aspects that people are complaining about, which seem to ruin the episode for them, are the most interesting parts, because they raise questions and lead you to try to figure out the answers yourself-- or at least that's how it's supposed to work. =

There is a huge difference between "spoon feeding" and things that just don't make sense. Sure it is a credit to the cast that they managed to salvage something from this as opposed to "And the Children Shall Lead". The sad thing is there was a good concept here but the way it was presented was just plain stupid.

 

[Timo]

The problem with the idea that Sigma Draconis VI colonized the other planets in the solar system is you have the issue of why the Tech of the other planets was so far below what home planets started out with.

Sigma VI fell from grace somehow, and devolved to the Stone Age. Surely the same would have happened to the other worlds in the Sigman Empire, too? They just struggled back to their feet faster, thanks to the more forgiving climates on the respective planets.

Another problem is Sigma Draconis is an actual star only some 18 light years from Earth that has been surveyed but Uhura picks up regular high energy generation from planet 6...just what did the other survey team do to miss that?

Arrived when there wasn't hectic activity there involving Spock's brain?

There is a huge difference between "spoon feeding" and things that just don't make sense.

I don't think so, really. The oddities of "Spock's Brain" don't actually stand out in comparison with the rest of TOS. Favorite episodes, such as "Balance of Terror" or "City on the Edge", are also based on seemingly unsound premises and odd one-off applications or quirks of the otherwise familiar technologies and operating practices.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Gov Kodos]

Any woman who put the thing on would run her world. Why would she ever take it off?

This lady tried the Teacher out and now she's the new Federation ambassador to Uranus.

I'd like to say she's attractive but its impossible with all the garbage that comes out of that mouth.

But can't you picture her saying "Brain, brain, what is brain?'