Name That STAR TREK Episode...

[MAGolding]

By Any Other Name?
1. ?
2. Contradiction: the energy barrier at the galaxy's edge now poses no problem for the Enterprise, but almost destroyed them in WNMHGB.
3. "No good deed goes unpunished."

No, I wasn't thinking of "By Any Other Name",

Whom Gods Destroy?
1) Kirk and Spock using a chess game as a means of security identification? Surely a very poor choice? Are the moves prepared? Surely there are better methods of security identification.
2) Contradicts Dagger of the Mind - penal colony obviously isn't the only mental health facility.
3) Something about absolute power corrupting? In this case, Garth is broken, but the medicine helps to heal his madness, and technically he doesn't "fall" but steps onto a path of being healed.

No, not "Whom Gods destroy".

I guess I'll have to think of a fourth clue. Something cryptic enough not everyone guesses right immediately, and yet helpful enough that I don't get banned from the BBS. I'll have to think.

CLUE # 1:

In my considered opinion, the plot hole in this episodes is by far the biggest logical contradiction in all of TOS.

CLUE # 2:

Some fans think that there is a contradiction between this episode and an earlier episode of TOS, and have discussed possible explanations of it.

CLUE # 3:

This episode shows that in science fiction and fantasy a specific well known English language saying, proverb, or expression that I am thinking of is not always accurate and correct.

CLUE # 4:
A character in this episode has an unusual ability and uses it in the same unusual way another character in another episode does.

 

[MAGolding]

List of good but inaccurate answers so far:

"Obsession"

"Tomorrow is Yesterday"

"The Alternative Factor"

:"The Enterprise Incident".

"By any Other Name"

"Whom Gods Destroy"

Okay, I guess its time for another clue:

Recap of the previous clues:

CLUE # 1:

In my considered opinion, the plot hole in this episodes is by far the biggest logical contradiction in all of TOS.

CLUE # 2:

Some fans think that there is a contradiction between this episode and an earlier episode of TOS, and have discussed possible explanations of it.

CLUE # 3:

This episode shows that in science fiction and fantasy a specific well known English language saying, proverb, or expression that I am thinking of is not always accurate and correct.

Clue # 4:

A character in this episode has an unusual ability and uses it in the same unusual way another character in another episode does.

And now, I guess I'll try:

CLUE # 5:

It may be equally valid to interpret the title literally or figuratively.

 

[Methuselah Flint]

Hmm just off to work, but am thinking That Which Survives? Losira's destruction of cells is similar to the Cloud Creature sucking blood in Obsession?

 

[Henoch]

Long shot: Where No Man Has Gone Before?
1. ?
2. The contradiction is the uniforms; by production order, WNMHGB came after two other episodes which had different uniforms.
3. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely."
4. Gary Mitchell's powers are similar to Trelane.
5. The title does take Mitchell to where no man has gone before.

 

[MAGolding]

Hmm just off to work, but am thinking That Which Survives? Losira's destruction of cells is similar to the Cloud Creature sucking blood in Obsession?

No, that is not the similarity I was thinking of.

Long shot: Where No Man Has Gone Before?
1. ?
2. The contradiction is the uniforms; by production order, WNMHGB came after two other episodes which had different uniforms.
3. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely."
4. Gary Mitchell's powers are similar to Trelane.
5. The title does take Mitchell to where no man has gone before.

#2 Yes the uniforms did change when watching by airdate order, but I was thinking of a definite contradiction between episodes instead of a mere change over time.
3. The episode I am thinking of doesn't exactly "disprove" that saying, in fact it sort of "proves" it.
4. Yes, their powers are similar, but the two characters in two episodes I am thinking of used the same power in very similar ways.
5. Yes, this episode is another example having both literal and metaphorical meaning. But I was thinking of another episode.

The episodes eliminated so far are:

"Obsession"

"Tomorrow is Yesterday"

"The Alternative Factor"

:"The Enterprise Incident".

"By any Other Name"

"Whom Gods Destroy"

"That Which Survives"

""Where No Man Has Gone Before"

And here are the clues so far which haven't be very helpful I guess.

CLUE # 1:

In my considered opinion, the plot hole in this episodes is by far the biggest logical contradiction in all of TOS.

CLUE # 2:

Some fans think that there is a contradiction between this episode and an earlier episode of TOS, and have discussed possible explanations of it.

CLUE # 3:

This episode shows that in science fiction and fantasy a specific well known English language saying, proverb, or expression that I am thinking of is not always accurate and correct.

Clue # 4:

A character in this episode has an unusual ability and uses it in the same unusual way another character in another episode does.

CLUE # 5:

It may be equally valid to interpret the title literally or figuratively.

So I guess I should think of another clue.

CLUE # 6:

Beings mentioned in this episode might or might not be the same as beings mentioned in an earlier episode.

 

[Methuselah Flint]

Arena?

1) The Enterprise does not uses sensors or anything to check the planet before being down. They surely would know by now that the Cestus III colony was destroyed, before beaming down. I don't think such blatant carelessness has happened in TOS any other time.

2)?

3) Absolute power does not always corrupt absolutely. The Metrons are an advanced, peaceful, intelligent race, who attempt to teach the humans and the Gorn a lesson in respect.

4) The Metron at the end, is similar to both Trelane's parents and the Thasians.

5) Arena physically is a place of fighting for Kirk and the Gorn, but also the arena is metaphorically the animosity throughout the episode, both races have to each other.

6) As number 4.

 

[MAGolding]

Arena?

1) The Enterprise does not uses sensors or anything to check the planet before being down. They surely would know by now that the Cestus III colony was destroyed, before beaming down. I don't think such blatant carelessness has happened in TOS any other time.

2)?

3) Absolute power does not always corrupt absolutely. The Metrons are an advanced, peaceful, intelligent race, who attempt to teach the humans and the Gorn a lesson in respect.

4) The Metron at the end, is similar to both Trelane's parents and the Thasians.

5) Arena physically is a place of fighting for Kirk and the Gorn, but also the arena is metaphorically the animosity throughout the episode, both races have to each other.

6) As number 4.

Unfortunately that good guess is not correct.

1) that is a story flaw. But the episode I am thinking has a very big logical contradiction much bigger than this one. The plot hole in "Arena" could be solved by suggesting that a Klingon saboteur released stupidity gas into the air circulation system that day as part of a plot to distract the Federation with a Gorn War right before the Klingon invasion.

3) Yes this is another episode indicating that absolute power doesn't corrupt absolutely. (Though of course for all I know there could be a novel or fan fiction in which the 1,500-year-old Metron boy is the only good citizen left in their corrupt society). Unfortunately that is not the saying or expression or proverb that i happened to be thinking of in regard to the episode in question, although some people might say that yoursaying is relevant to the episode.

4) I was tinking of a particular specific power or ability, used in the same specific way in both episodes. I wasn't thinking about the Metron's power level being similar to those of Thasians, Organians, or Trelane's parents.

5) Since I wasn't thinking of "Area", that was not the title literal/figurative duality I was thinking of.

6) No, I wasn't thinking about the possible relationship of the Metron with other beings.

Good thinking though.

So now I should think of yet another clue:

CLUE # 7:

One character has a different appearance in this episode than in every other episode that character appeared in.

 

[UssGlenn]

Based solely on clue 7 I'm guessing Turnabout Intruder since it's the only episode with a brunette Nurse Chapel.

 

[Methuselah Flint]

Mirror, Mirror? Spock's beard, Sulu's scar and red shirt...

 

[MAGolding]

Based solely on clue 7 I'm guessing Turnabout Intruder since it's the only episode with a brunette Nurse Chapel.

Mirror, Mirror? Spock's beard, Sulu's scar and red shirt...

No to both. I was thinking of a different character in in a different episode who looking different than they did in any other episode.

I thought of a possible clue number 8 yesterday. Let me see if I can remember it.

I don't remember that clue, so I'll use another one:

CLUE # 8:

Some people may remember a unique special effect in this episode.

 

[Methuselah Flint]

Catspaw?

1) How could the Enterprise break free from a solid block of glass, as Korob suggested nearly happened?

2)?

3)?

4) Sylvia changes appearances, much like the Salt Vampire does in The Man Trap. Equally, Isis in Assignment: Earth has both cat and human forms.

5) Literally, the landing party encounter and defend themselves from the catspaw - the paws of Sylvia. Equally, the catspaw is the lure, the trap.

6) The Old Ones here could be the same beings as the Old Ones in What Are Little Girls Made Of?

7) DeSalle wears a redshirt in this episode only.

8) The awful string puppetry revealing Sylvia and Korob's true appearance.

 

[Methuselah Flint]

Any update on this?

 

[MAGolding]

Catspaw?

1) How could the Enterprise break free from a solid block of glass, as Korob suggested nearly happened?

2)?

3)?

4) Sylvia changes appearances, much like the Salt Vampire does in The Man Trap. Equally, Isis in Assignment: Earth has both cat and human forms.

5) Literally, the landing party encounter and defend themselves from the catspaw - the paws of Sylvia. Equally, the catspaw is the lure, the trap.

6) The Old Ones here could be the same beings as the Old Ones in What Are Little Girls Made Of?

7) DeSalle wears a redshirt in this episode only.

8) The awful string puppetry revealing Sylvia and Korob's true appearance.

Yes that is it! Thank god I don't have to think of any more clues.

You have the conn. The next question is yours.

Arrgh! I wrote a long answer showing which of the clues you got right and which you didn't, and now it has disappeared.

 

[Methuselah Flint]

Could you explain each of your clues please

 

[MAGolding]

Could you explain each of your clues please

Bold type for my clues. Methuselah Flint's guesses and my comments in regular type.

CLUE # 1:

In my considered opinion, the plot hole in this episodes is by far the biggest logical contradiction in all of TOS.

1) How could the Enterprise break free from a solid block of glass, as Korob suggested nearly happened?

That is not what I was thinking of.

In my opinion, the little ship that was dangled in flame and later encased in Lucite was not the actual Enterprise but served the purpose of a voodoo doll. The three foot model in "Requiem for Methuselah" was supposed to be the actual Enterprise shrunken in size. But Sylvia explained she was performing something similar to sympathetic magic, and the little Enterprise was a model to help focus her mental powers on the real Enterprise.

My big plot hole is how was the situation resolved at the end of "Catspaw" by destroying the transmuter. It would be a very badly designed illusion in which someone's vital weakness was shown as being exactly where it was in real life, so that grabbing for the illusion enables one to grab the real vital weakness.

And when the illusion ended, Kirk & Co . were not covered with bruises and scratches like they should have been if they were stumbling around on rough ground studded with tall rocks while thinking they were walking through a castle that wasn't there.

Maybe Kirk and the others were immobilized during the illusion so they couldn't move and hurt themselves. And if so, how could Kirk actually grab and smash the transmuter?

MCCOY: Too late. All of this, just an illusion.
KIRK: No illusion. Jackson is dead. Kirk to Enterprise. Come in.

Maybe the castle wasn't an illusion, Maybe Korob and Sylvia used the transmuter to change their forms so they could survive in Pyrus VII, and when Kirk arrived created an actual physical castle where Kirk moved around, and so Kirk could smash the transmuter.

But why was the transmuter for Sylvia and Korob bult with such a long handle, several times their native body lengths? That would have been very hard for them to handle in their native forms. Maybe they only added the long, long handle when they took on Human form. But then the knob at the end of the wand,which apparentlyhad all the power of the transmuter, would still be quite large compared to their native forms. So how did they move the transmuter around to keep it within touching distance? Did they roll it along the floor like dung beetles?e

CLUE # 2:

Some fans think that there is a contradiction between this episode and an earlier episode of TOS, and have discussed possible explanations of it.

2)?

I was thinking of how Kirk thought that the huge (natural?) diamonds in "Arena" would have been worth a fortune.

KIRK: A large deposit of diamonds on the surface. Perhaps the hardest substance known in the universe. Beautifully crystallized and pointed, but too small to be useful as a weapon. An incredible fortune in stones yet I would trade them all for a hand phaser, or a good solid club. Yet the Metrons said there would be weapons, if I could find them. Where? What kind?

KOROB: Hopefully I can change that attitude.
(The food vanishes and their plates are now filled with cut gemstones.)
MCCOY: These look real.
KOROB: They are, I assure you. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires. All the crystalline forms that you cherish above all things. A fortune of them for each of you if you leave here without further inquiry.
KIRK: We could manufacture a ton of these on our ship. They mean nothing to us.

CLUE # 3:

This episode shows that in science fiction and fantasy a specific well known English language saying, proverb, or expression that I am thinking of is not always accurate and correct.

3)?

I was thinking of "Dead men tell no tales".

KIRK: Trouble. (one man materialises) Jackson, where are the others?
(The man falls over and off the transporter platform.)
MCCOY: The man is dead.
KOROB [OC]: (from the mouth of Jackson) Captain Kirk, can you hear me? There is a curse on your ship. Leave this place or you will all die.

Clue # 4:

A character in this episode has an unusual ability and uses it in the same unusual way another character in another episode does.

4) Sylvia changes appearances, much like the Salt Vampire does in The Man Trap. Equally, Isis in Assignment: Earth has both cat and human forms.

Yes! that's one for you. I was especially thinking that Sylvia and Isis are both seen as black cats before appearing as human women.

CLUE # 5:

It may be equally valid to interpret the title literally or figuratively.

5) Literally, the landing party encounter and defend themselves from the catspaw - the paws of Sylvia. Equally, the catspaw is the lure, the trap.

Yes, that's it. Two for you.

CLUE # 6:

Beings mentioned in this episode might or might not be the same as beings mentioned in an earlier episode

6) The Old Ones here could be the same beings as the Old Ones in What Are Little Girls Made Of?

Yes, that's it. Three for you.

CLUE # 7:

One character has a different appearance in this episode than in every other episode that character appeared in.

7) DeSalle wears a redshirt in this episode only.

Yes, but that's not what I was thinking of. Walter Koenig as Chekov wore a wig during "Catspaw", which I think was the only time he did.

CLUE # 8:

Some people may remember a unique special effect in this episode.


8) The awful string puppetry revealing Sylvia and Korob's true appearance.

Yes, that's it. Four for you.

They also made two 3-inch models of the Enterprise for "Catspaw". One was seen again in "The Doomsday Machine", but the one encased in Lucite was only seen in "Catspaw".

Can I ask which clue made you guess "Catspaw"?

 

[Methuselah Flint]

Thanks for your explanations!

Eventually it boiled down to the Old Ones, as they're the only race/races mentioned in two episodes, that may or may not be the same.

I was going to go with Arena and the diamonds, but I didn't, because I always interpretated Kirk to mean that the stones would have been a fortune in terms of study and discovery, not financial gain. Indeed, he later says "mineralogists' dream'.

I went with De Salle because Chekhov does sport the wig in Friday's Child, Amok Time and Who Mourns For Adonais? I believe.

Great clues!

And now....

Clue # 1
A certain regular is probably a crucial player in this episode, but he is nowhere to be seen.

 

[UssGlenn]

Scotty isn't in "Shore Leave". He's dealing with the Enterprise being drained of power, and communication interfere.

 

[Methuselah Flint]

Nope. Shore Leave it is not!

Clue # 2
Some may say the ends don't justify the means, but those few would probably be wrong.

 

[Henoch]

What Are Little Girls Made Of?
1. McCoy was missing for this episode. He could have medically examined Korby and determined him to be an android.
2. Korby's plan to help mankind (the ends) started with killing two security guards (the means).

 

[Methuselah Flint]

Nice one, but no!

This should break the dam, but I like this clue....

Clue # 3
I wonder if a piece of cloth would've helped...