Most Underrated TOS Episode?
- Thread starter tranya
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I just watched "Paradise Syndrome" again. I just like this one. It has some great things going for it.
Location shooting, very few of these 3rd season due to cost.
The Obelisk, an extremely cool on-location prop. Very impressive in size and design, I relate to Spock's fascination with it. Must have cost a bundle to make.
Great score by Gerald Fried.
Spock in command, always interesting to see him and McCoy at each others throats, also a big strength of "Tholian Web"
Some pretty neat sci-fi concepts, like the Preservers and the asteroid deflector (though it was pretty dumb of the Preservers to put them somewhere where they so badly needed to have one, must be in an asteroid rich solar system). We see *another* earth-like planet with humans, but this time there is actually a reason for it, nice.
Location shooting, very few of these 3rd season due to cost.
The Obelisk, an extremely cool on-location prop. Very impressive in size and design, I relate to Spock's fascination with it. Must have cost a bundle to make.
Great score by Gerald Fried.
Spock in command, always interesting to see him and McCoy at each others throats, also a big strength of "Tholian Web"
Some pretty neat sci-fi concepts, like the Preservers and the asteroid deflector (though it was pretty dumb of the Preservers to put them somewhere where they so badly needed to have one, must be in an asteroid rich solar system). We see *another* earth-like planet with humans, but this time there is actually a reason for it, nice.
This weekend I watched episodes that I've only seen once since I bought the DVD sets. Of course before than I didn't watch much of Star Trek so these are episodes I've only seen once or twice:
Elaan of Troyious - Decent episode even though I didn't like the quick flip from bitchy to lover from Elaan. Yeah I know she had the whole love potion thing, but still. The actress who played her was great though, as was the stuff with the Klingons
Wolf in the Fold - Other than the laughable ending with Jack the Ripper acting all clownish, this was a great episode.
The Empath - Another contender for underrated shows. Love the message of human compassion and how teh Vians were doing exactly the opposite of what they were observing. Also, the Empath herself, Gem wasn't too bad and the revelation made it all the worth while
Return to Tomorrow - Honestly, I think this was the second best (Behind Empath) episode I've seen this weekend. Yeah it's another one of those outer body experience type shows, but in comparing to the other two series (TNG doing Lonely Among Us and DS9 doing The Passenger), this one was the best and dang Maulder was hot as Mulhil.
Elaan of Troyious - Decent episode even though I didn't like the quick flip from bitchy to lover from Elaan. Yeah I know she had the whole love potion thing, but still. The actress who played her was great though, as was the stuff with the Klingons
Wolf in the Fold - Other than the laughable ending with Jack the Ripper acting all clownish, this was a great episode.
The Empath - Another contender for underrated shows. Love the message of human compassion and how teh Vians were doing exactly the opposite of what they were observing. Also, the Empath herself, Gem wasn't too bad and the revelation made it all the worth while
Return to Tomorrow - Honestly, I think this was the second best (Behind Empath) episode I've seen this weekend. Yeah it's another one of those outer body experience type shows, but in comparing to the other two series (TNG doing Lonely Among Us and DS9 doing The Passenger), this one was the best and dang Maulder was hot as Mulhil.
"That Which Survives" has always been an eerie-feeling guilty pleasure.
I just watched "That Which Survives" again a couple of days ago. (I am watching the whole series with my 7 year old, we are mostly into the 3rd season stuff now). I've always liked it also, one of those that gets beat up alot for some reason that I still like. Like "Omega Glory" or "Return of the Archons".
The last one we watched was "All Our Yesterdays". Really, it is too bad they didn't have the money or artistic energy like this for all the 3rd season episodes. The kid liked it also, except for the "kissy" parts with Spock and Zarabeth that made him squirm...
The last one we watched was "All Our Yesterdays". Really, it is too bad they didn't have the money or artistic energy like this for all the 3rd season episodes. The kid liked it also, except for the "kissy" parts with Spock and Zarabeth that made him squirm...
Obsession. The older you get, the better it gets. Try it.
While "Survives" has loopholes of logic, the eerie hologram projections and spooky mood music when it folds into a thin line and disappears more than make up for the WTF? aspects of the script.
What a lot of fans did not take away from watching "That Which Survives" was that it was about an internal conflict waged within the Kalandan Outpost computer. At the very end of the episode, Kirk & Spock realize, after viewing Losira's video log, that Losira had transferred a copy of her mental & emotional essence into the base computer. In the Captain's own words, "The computer was too perfect. It copied so much of Losira's personality into the replica that it felt guilt, regret, at killing, and that bought us the time we needed to destroy it."
In other words, the Kalandan Cube Computer was schizo.
Losira's personality was replicated so thoroughly into the computer that it began to clash with itself. What we see then is Losira's caring, benevolent nature vs. the cold, brutal logic of a machine programmed to defend.
Why was the Enterprise catapulted 990.7 light-years away instead being simply destroyed? Losira won that round, at the expense of Ensign Wyatt, the transporter operator, who the computer was able to force Losira to kill off.
The computer succeeds in forcing Losira into killing Watkins in engineering & geologist D'Amato as he searched for water. She almost kills Sulu with her deadly touch & very nearly destroyed Kirk & the landing party by overloading a phaser to explode.
With the ship speeding back to the Kalandan Outpost, Losira buys time for the Enterprise by sabotaging the engines to exceed its maximum velocity. In doing so, she wins a crucial round against the computer by giving the Enterprise the time it needed to save itself while making it look as though the Enterprise was doomed to fly apart from extreme speed. The computer would have just transported the ship into the insides of a sun if it had its way. With the Enterprise engines going wild but still fixable, it allowed the ship to get back just in time to rescue the landing party from the 3 Losira holograms who were created in answer to the landing party's game of ring-around Losira.
As for why use such a bizzare method of defense, namely Losira's "I Am For You, I Want To Touch You." Death Touch, I see her as the ultimate smart bomb. Each Losira hologram is only lethal towards 1 specific individual. How much more precise of an attack could you possibly get? No collateral damage to worry about. The hologram also profiles like a suicide bomber, being able to actively scout, improvise, & adapt to a dynamic situation. It also doesn't hurt that it's indestructible, as Sulu found out when his phaser blasts had no effect on Losira. Losira's physical beauty also didn't hinder its ability to distract 'D'Amato from calling for help either.
For Losira, her beauty survives in every way, and that's why it's my favorite TOS episode.
In other words, the Kalandan Cube Computer was schizo.
Losira's personality was replicated so thoroughly into the computer that it began to clash with itself. What we see then is Losira's caring, benevolent nature vs. the cold, brutal logic of a machine programmed to defend.
Why was the Enterprise catapulted 990.7 light-years away instead being simply destroyed? Losira won that round, at the expense of Ensign Wyatt, the transporter operator, who the computer was able to force Losira to kill off.
The computer succeeds in forcing Losira into killing Watkins in engineering & geologist D'Amato as he searched for water. She almost kills Sulu with her deadly touch & very nearly destroyed Kirk & the landing party by overloading a phaser to explode.
With the ship speeding back to the Kalandan Outpost, Losira buys time for the Enterprise by sabotaging the engines to exceed its maximum velocity. In doing so, she wins a crucial round against the computer by giving the Enterprise the time it needed to save itself while making it look as though the Enterprise was doomed to fly apart from extreme speed. The computer would have just transported the ship into the insides of a sun if it had its way. With the Enterprise engines going wild but still fixable, it allowed the ship to get back just in time to rescue the landing party from the 3 Losira holograms who were created in answer to the landing party's game of ring-around Losira.
As for why use such a bizzare method of defense, namely Losira's "I Am For You, I Want To Touch You." Death Touch, I see her as the ultimate smart bomb. Each Losira hologram is only lethal towards 1 specific individual. How much more precise of an attack could you possibly get? No collateral damage to worry about. The hologram also profiles like a suicide bomber, being able to actively scout, improvise, & adapt to a dynamic situation. It also doesn't hurt that it's indestructible, as Sulu found out when his phaser blasts had no effect on Losira. Losira's physical beauty also didn't hinder its ability to distract 'D'Amato from calling for help either.
For Losira, her beauty survives in every way, and that's why it's my favorite TOS episode.
"Plato's Stephchildren" - completely misunderstood. Very daring the way it humililates the crew to depict the manner in which absolute power corrupts absolutely.
"Requiem for Methuselah." One of the most literate and thoughtful of all TOS stories, with a bare minimum of flash and effects and a totally character-driven script.
I agree with "All Our Yesterdays". Mariette Hartley as Zarabeth was so beautiful and tragic. The sight of an emotional Spock was pretty unforgettable too.
Another underrated episode is "A Piece of the Action": a whole planet founded on Mafioso principles. Mindless but fun!
Or how about "A Wink of an Eye"? An average episode in most ways, but I couldn't stop staring at Deela and her dress.
Another underrated episode is "A Piece of the Action": a whole planet founded on Mafioso principles. Mindless but fun!
Or how about "A Wink of an Eye"? An average episode in most ways, but I couldn't stop staring at Deela and her dress.
Just rewatched "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" last night -- I never think to watch this episode, but the first half of it at least is pretty great. All the little character moments between McCoy, Kirk, and Spock re: McCoy's terminal illness were well done.
^ ^ That one is a fave; and it had implications for the future. Natira is mentioned in at least one of the novels. She had to marry someone else and get on with her life. I think they did come to the end of their journey and debark. It's been a long time since I read that one.
Ah, don't be afraid of beaker. He's a soft touch!
My favorite underappreciated eps are:
-Let That Be Your Last Battlefield. Sure, the message is obvious, but an interstellar race war superimposed on the story of Les Miserables always appealed to me. The absurdity of racism was summed up in Bele's comment on why his people think Lokai is inferior -- just because his skin is a different color on one side of his body. And the fact they reused the self-destruct sequence in TSFS shows how good the ep is.
-The Empath. The minimalist sets were the result of budget-saving measures, but add to the isolation and sense of mystery behind the Vians and Gem. I also like the music in the ep, quite haunting and unusual.
-Charlie X. Sure, it's similar to the Twilight Zone ep with Billy Mumy, but it's a metaphor for adolescent rage and being misunderstood. Plus, when my brother and I hear people laughing too much, we say, "No laughing," and make the Charlie X eye roll!
I have to say a few eps have fallen in my estimation since rewatching them recently, esp. Whom Gods Destroy (despite the appearance of my favorite Orion woman ever, Marta), and Turnabout Intruder (a dreadful ep, even though it's a fascinating look into the sexism of the time).
Red Ranger
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