A nice bit of continuity and finally addressing what's been bugging him. Why is everyone most honest when compromised, physically, time travel-psychologically, etc..?
Production Order Group Viewing 2018
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A nice bit of continuity and finally addressing what's been bugging him. Why is everyone most honest when compromised, physically, time travel-psychologically, etc..?
This is an excellent point. After all their feuding over the years and Spock just taking McCoy's insults openly, it's actually a very good moment to find out how the first officer really feels. I'd be willing to bet that McCoy doesn't insult him now for the rest of the series
Having researched the medieval period extensively through re-enactment over the course of many years I can confidently say that while history of centuries past are great places to visit, I really wouldn't want to live there. People used to die of common diseases all the time. Medicine was non-existent. Superstition and intolerance ruled supreme. Quite frankly, unless you were in a position of power your life expectancy was rather short
Obviously Kirk, Spock and McCoy spent more than three hours in their relative pasts! The timeline in the Library was the only thing that counted for them as the hours spent in Sarpeidon's past were not relative to the story! Only Kirk's adventure might have been a lot shorter than the frozen wastes of his comrades!
JB
JB
Wait a sec. When a disc is put on the stand, wouldn't it start at the beginning point? So when Kirk calls out to Spock/McCoy through the door, wouldn't it be at the exact same moment they entered the portal, so, almost instantaneously as Spock/McCoy get to the other side, they should hear Kirk calling to them...I'm confused. 
The whole "choose your adventure" process in the library seems overly aggressive to me - simply viewing a time period (even if someone else in the library is also browsing at that moment) seems to lock you to that one, regardless of whether you wanted that zone or not!
All we know for sure is that when Kirk finally gets back to the library, there's just 17 minutes before the supernova. Since they had 3 hours 13 minutes to begin with and spent a bit of time wandering around the library first, as little as 2½ hours of library time might have passed while the trio were trapped in the past - that's pushing it for Kirk and highly unrealistic for the Spock/McCoy scenario.
It's worth noting that in neither historical adventure are any of the characters obsessively counting down the minutes until the supernova, even though that should be foremost on their minds - all they talk about is getting back to the library and reuniting with one another. The only time where the time zones had to sync up was when they communicate zone-to-zone or library-to-zone, something which seems to happen merely by standing near to a portal.
Otherwise the time zones can run slower in relation to each other, no problem at all!
So, maybe Kirk spent the better part of a day in the cells?
It would also allow a more realistic time for McCoy to recuperate from severe frostbite as well as give Spock and Zarabeth a more decent interval to...enjoy each other's company
I think this is worth exploring:
All we know for sure is that when Kirk finally gets back to the library, there's just 17 minutes before the supernova. Since they had 3 hours 13 minutes to begin with and spent a bit of time wandering around the library first, as little as 2½ hours of library time might have passed while the trio were trapped in the past - that's pushing it for Kirk and highly unrealistic for the Spock/McCoy scenario.
It's worth noting that in neither historical adventure are any of the characters obsessively counting down the minutes until the supernova, even though that should be foremost on their minds - all they talk about is getting back to the library and reuniting with one another. The only time where the time zones had to sync up was when they communicate zone-to-zone or library-to-zone, something which seems to happen merely by standing near to a portal.
Otherwise the time zones can run slower in relation to each other, no problem at all!
So, maybe Kirk spent the better part of a day in the cells?
It would also allow a more realistic time for McCoy to recuperate from severe frostbite as well as give Spock and Zarabeth a more decent interval to...enjoy each other's company
Maybe the time periods are not running slower or at any time speed from the Library's time point. The time moment at the portal in the past period is determined by the time code viewed on the history disc. So, if you fast forward the viewing disc one year, then one historic year passed at the portal instantaneous for people in the Library, but one full year actually passed for people in the historic past. Kirk must have left the disc running he was viewing on the stand which allowed him to return to the Library. Kirk's adventure may have lasted many hours but ~2.5 hours Library time if the disc was viewing at a slightly higher rate than real time. I imagine that there is a speed knob on the viewer stand to fast forward or reverse to see and go into the exact time moment you want.Otherwise the time zones can run slower in relation to each other, no problem at all!
How to find the exact moment to call to Spock/McCoy? The portal must be able to "project" signals like sound from the Library simultaneously over a range of time into the past. For example, Time Travelers who jaunt back to the past for a short time might use a homing beacon to find their way back to the portal. For this to work, the beacon signal must be broadcasting over the time spectrum of their visit period which allows the Time Travelers to find and return on their schedule. If only Kirk and Spock had the proper receiver equipment (besides their ears) when they time traveled. If Kirk thought about it, he might have used his communicator to contact Spock and set up a homing beacon to find the portal. If he thought of it...
Time is relative in the projection and moved at it's own rate oblivious to normal time in the Library almost as if it was a storybook I'd say! The image you see on the small screens must be programming your brain unless you switch to another disc before making your choice as Mr.Atoz had said!
JB
JB
Another thing to note was that the three travellers unless processed would die in the past! 
JB
JB
Methinks this is a flawed system...Another thing to note was that the three travellers unless processed would die in the past!
JB
Only flawed because the three Starfleet officers were unaware of where everyone had gone!!! 
JB
JB
Cowboy diplomacy again? 
JB
JB
TURNABOUT INTRUDER
Another week, another rescue mission…
Okay, so the concept of this episode is bonkers but so are several other high concept Star Trek episodes. The biggest weakness is that we never met Janice Lester before this episode, so half the usual fun from a “body swap” story is missing. Sandra Smith does a fine job portraying our captain at his most rational and inventive best, although Shatner had the harder task because Lester’s character traits are completely unknown. Shatner imbues Lester (in Kirk) with various little ticks that set her apart from the genuine article such as an increased formality of technical terminology, addressing people by their full title, repeating his hail into the communicator and so on. Some other ones (touching hair, filing fingernails) are less creative, instead invoking stereotypical female traits.
Overall, this puts us in the same position as the Enterprise Officers, seeing someone we know acting just a little (and later a lot) unusually. This is...alright I guess?
This episode features what might be one of the most infamous lines in Trek, due to its perceived problematic nature:
While Sandra Smith's performance is decent, the character of Lester (as depicted mostly by Shatner) doesn’t fare so well in the writing department: Yet again we have an antagonist that is (or at least) acts crazy. This trope has been extremely overused this season…
Also, going by her various tirades Janice Lester is a real misogynist – unusual for a female. It’s a shame to have one of the rare depictions of a female baddie be a desperately jealous, emotionally unstable lunatic. Trek has done better, even this season.
As with many S3 episodes the resolution is bit weak – in that the main dilemma literally reverses itself! However, watching Kirk as he out-Shatners himself in one hammy scene after another is tremendous silly fun and the reactions of the senior staff dealing with the situation so professionally makes for watchable TV without a doubt. I certainly wasn’t bored!
The way the plot started (careless Kirk) and ended (sorted itself) could have been better, but the majority of the middle section was fine.
Ideally I would have liked something better to finish of TOS but given how uneven so many recent episodes have been, I’ll happily take this middle-of-the-road Trek and be on my way
Unless, perchance there’s another Star Trek series out there?
In a different media format perhaps?
NEW SETS
Doctor Janice Lester is held in a new room at the opposite end of the corridor to Sickbay, in the “Astro-Medicine Isolation Ward” (according to the sign). While the absence of the usual sickbay ward is strange, the separation from the exam room allows much of the drama to take place, so I see why they did it.
In fact, they make excellent use of the entire corridor length in this one as well as many of the less common sets like the sickbay lab and even the brig!
FINAL EPISODE TREATS
OTHER THOUGHTS
There’s a well documented objection that Shatner raised with the director, when Kirk storms out of the courtroom for recess, as he is not heading towards the main Briefing Room doors. However, we know from The Way To Eden that there is another exit in the corner after all (even if was rarely used or seen). Sorry, Bill!
So, who’s up for rewatching The Animated Series in production order?
Another week, another rescue mission…
Okay, so the concept of this episode is bonkers but so are several other high concept Star Trek episodes. The biggest weakness is that we never met Janice Lester before this episode, so half the usual fun from a “body swap” story is missing. Sandra Smith does a fine job portraying our captain at his most rational and inventive best, although Shatner had the harder task because Lester’s character traits are completely unknown. Shatner imbues Lester (in Kirk) with various little ticks that set her apart from the genuine article such as an increased formality of technical terminology, addressing people by their full title, repeating his hail into the communicator and so on. Some other ones (touching hair, filing fingernails) are less creative, instead invoking stereotypical female traits.
Overall, this puts us in the same position as the Enterprise Officers, seeing someone we know acting just a little (and later a lot) unusually. This is...alright I guess?
This episode features what might be one of the most infamous lines in Trek, due to its perceived problematic nature:
However, even taking TOS in isolation I tend to lean on the interpretation of this line to mean that Kirk’s career driven worldview is what stopped them being together. After all, we saw “Number One” from The Cage who was not only explicitly on the command track (second in command of the Enterprise) but actually assumed command of the Enterprise once Pike was captured!
While Sandra Smith's performance is decent, the character of Lester (as depicted mostly by Shatner) doesn’t fare so well in the writing department: Yet again we have an antagonist that is (or at least) acts crazy. This trope has been extremely overused this season…
Also, going by her various tirades Janice Lester is a real misogynist – unusual for a female. It’s a shame to have one of the rare depictions of a female baddie be a desperately jealous, emotionally unstable lunatic. Trek has done better, even this season.
As with many S3 episodes the resolution is bit weak – in that the main dilemma literally reverses itself! However, watching Kirk as he out-Shatners himself in one hammy scene after another is tremendous silly fun and the reactions of the senior staff dealing with the situation so professionally makes for watchable TV without a doubt. I certainly wasn’t bored!
The way the plot started (careless Kirk) and ended (sorted itself) could have been better, but the majority of the middle section was fine.
Ideally I would have liked something better to finish of TOS but given how uneven so many recent episodes have been, I’ll happily take this middle-of-the-road Trek and be on my way
Unless, perchance there’s another Star Trek series out there?
In a different media format perhaps?
NEW SETS
Doctor Janice Lester is held in a new room at the opposite end of the corridor to Sickbay, in the “Astro-Medicine Isolation Ward” (according to the sign). While the absence of the usual sickbay ward is strange, the separation from the exam room allows much of the drama to take place, so I see why they did it.
In fact, they make excellent use of the entire corridor length in this one as well as many of the less common sets like the sickbay lab and even the brig!
FINAL EPISODE TREATS
- Spock and McCoy totally on the same page - always awesome!
- Kirk pushing the foot-blocks! First featured in The Corbomite Manoeuvre
- The destination of Benecia Colony is a place first mentioned in Conscience Of The King
- In yet more continuity as Kirk (in Lester) recalls several past episodes.
- Music from Amok Time, Is There In Truth No Beauty and The Man Trap which is the first episode broadcast. What synchronicity!
OTHER THOUGHTS
- The final episode and the final landing party consists of…Kirk Spock and McCoy – which actually makes sense, given that the nature of the mission is essentially a deathbed medical one.
- True, a few more doctors might not have been a bad idea, but I’ll take what I can get at this stage!
- Yet again, Kirk’s carelessness attitude (fiddling with the alien artefact) creates the whole situation that fills out the episode. He’s getting to be a real klutz; time to kick him upstairs!
- Lester (in Kirk) as well as Dr Coleman keep bandying around the term “radiation” like it’s some new fangled thing they just discovered. Because SPAAAACE…
- So, Janice is suffering from some “unknown” radiation, eh? That McCoy can’t pick up any symptoms of? And that has all the signs of celebium poisoning? Whatever could it be?
- Nurse Chapel is back! And is now a brunette for some reason…
- Lester (in Kirk) records a mental log at one point. Since we’ve seen regular Kirk record Captain’s logs on many other occasions without access to recording equipment, the natural conclusion is that he has a recording chip implant in his skull (see also the novelisation of TMP).
Admittedly Kirk (in Lester) does try the same thing later on as well, but that might just have been force of habit (and he quickly stops) - Doctor McCoy’s scene where he argues his medical authority against his strangely acting captain is delivered very well by Kelley
- The first scene with Lester (in Kirk) on the Bridge is an excellent example of the myriad responsibilities of a starship captain and why just anyone can’t do the job.~
She does much better with McCoy where she can just bully him on one subject at a time. - How on earth does Lester (in Kirk) pass that final test by McCoy? She’s a totally different person! Kirk must have been having a really bad day when he took the initial test...
- All of the security are suddenly totally beholden to the captain’s whim, like they’re his personal servants or something. It's a weird change so late in the series.
- It’s a real shame that Nichelle Nicols had another gig and couldn’t be present for this episode – it would have been wonderful moment to have all the regulars side as one against the imposter Kirk – a very powerful scene.
There’s a well documented objection that Shatner raised with the director, when Kirk storms out of the courtroom for recess, as he is not heading towards the main Briefing Room doors. However, we know from The Way To Eden that there is another exit in the corner after all (even if was rarely used or seen). Sorry, Bill!
So, who’s up for rewatching The Animated Series in production order?
I actually quite like Turnabout Intruder. I think Lester-Kirk is really well portrayed but it's yet another season 3 episode whose potential could have been stretched over two episodes. Kirk-Lester unravels a bit too quickly and it might have been more fun to see her deal with some sort of crisis, perhaps even doing a decent job before moving towards a confrontation with Spock over some lesser infraction, trying to edge him out as a planned tactic.
Chapel could have been part of the initial landing party for sure and, she's clearly unhappy with how she's being told to treat Lester. I would have liked to see her rely more on her instincts for once. She already knows that mental transference is possible from her intro episode with Korby. Surely Lester-Kirk could have successfully appealed to her with their shared experience? It would have been great to see Chapel and Spock bonding over their shared trust in Kirk.
The loyalty of the crew to Kirk is tested. It feels a bit forced, although I like the little conversations they have about the extent to which they are prepared to follow orders that are strange. Clearly they aren't going to obey execution orders. That was a bit too far, although Leslie might have just fired on muscle memory alone.
This would have a great episode to feature Yeoman Rand. I've toyed with notion of editing in a scene, cribbed from Enemy Within where Kirk bumps into her by the Turbolift, calling her by the name of one of the other random yeomen from season one, giving some some order cribbed from dialogue from a different episode, and then heading off, to which she looks puzzled and quips to herself, "Suppose he's going space happy or something?"
More to the point, where is Helen Noel when we need her.
Chapel could have been part of the initial landing party for sure and, she's clearly unhappy with how she's being told to treat Lester. I would have liked to see her rely more on her instincts for once. She already knows that mental transference is possible from her intro episode with Korby. Surely Lester-Kirk could have successfully appealed to her with their shared experience? It would have been great to see Chapel and Spock bonding over their shared trust in Kirk.
The loyalty of the crew to Kirk is tested. It feels a bit forced, although I like the little conversations they have about the extent to which they are prepared to follow orders that are strange. Clearly they aren't going to obey execution orders. That was a bit too far, although Leslie might have just fired on muscle memory alone.
This would have a great episode to feature Yeoman Rand. I've toyed with notion of editing in a scene, cribbed from Enemy Within where Kirk bumps into her by the Turbolift, calling her by the name of one of the other random yeomen from season one, giving some some order cribbed from dialogue from a different episode, and then heading off, to which she looks puzzled and quips to herself, "Suppose he's going space happy or something?"
More to the point, where is Helen Noel when we need her.
I've always wondered why James Blish adapted Turnabout Intruder for his fifth Trek novel rather than at the end of the line like he did the Corbomite Maneuver?
JB
JB
I don't think Blish was picking them. I'd say he was getting a box of scripts in the mail, one book's worth, and if the studio liked the resulting book, they'd send him the next box. And of course, we're told he fell into a deep depression and couldn't work at some point, but they needed that money, so his wife and her mother secretly took over the writing and finished the series.
Spock must still be getting over his brain removable...Mind transference occurred in Season 2 Return to Tomorrow (note my personal knowledge on the topic 
) Globe mind transfers with human mind. To prevent a Henoch switch back, Sargon destroys the globes. Sounds like Lester's plan to kill Kirk in Lester's body, making the transfer permanent. In Turnabout Intruder, a similar transference is done with the aid of a machine. Why would anyone build such a machine in the first place? To advance the plot?Maybe the machine was meant to be a form of capital punishment. Guilty young person's mind is swapped with an old person's mind, then kill off the old body. The old good citizen is rewarded with a new, younger body. (You may swap out "good" with "rich", and "guilty" with "poor"...) What do we learn about Camus Two besides its the ruins of another dead civilization?
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Turnabout Intruder
It's the last episode! Oh, this is going to be good. You just know they would go all out and make sure they finished with one of the best episodes of the series, right?
I noticed that the past few episodes all start with the same music and shots of the Enterprise flying in space. It became their go-to opening at the end.
How many former girlfriends does Kirk have? Carol Marcus, Ruth, Janice Lester, Areel Shaw, Helen Noel (not really). Did I miss anyone?
JANICE: Your world of starship captains doesn't admit women. It isn't fair.
KIRK: No, it isn't.
Oh, that controversial line. With our 21st century sensibilities, and liking Star Trek as we do, and wanting to think that Starfleet of the future would be more advanced than we are, we don't like to think that women and men aren't equals there. I've seen posters and I've done it myself in my head try to rationalize the line to somehow end up not meaning that there are no female starship captains. Having gone through this rewatch, though, I think we have to accept that that is the case.
I think we have to accept that the attitudes and beliefs on gender roles in our 1960's held sway in the Star Trek universe hundreds of years longer, men getting jobs to support the family, women staying home to raise the kids and manage the home. Only sometime before Pike became captain did women start to attend Starfleet Academy and then get jobs on starships. As of The Cage, women were only just starting to get the elite bridge jobs so that Pike could remark he couldn't get used to it. By Kirk's day, women on the bridge were common, and Kirk makes no comment of it, but Kirk and McCoy could still lament the loss of talented female crew members as it was expected that they would quit Starfleet once they got married. By Return to Tomorrow we meet Dr. Mulhall and see that women have now achieved the rank of Lt. Commander. But I think we have to say as of Turnabout Intruder that indeed, there are no female starship captains. Janice asserts a glass ceiling. Kirk doesn't disagree. I think it is what it is. But we can take heart in the knowledge that by Picard's time, female starship captains and admirals are common.
This must have been Shatner's dream episode. He gets to ham it up here like in no other episode.
So if Lester's body doesn't really have radiation poisoning, then what is troubling Kirk-in-Lester? Shock of the transference I assume.
Lester's making log entries of her scheme? Isn't anyone going to listen to those things? All those log entries this whole time. I assumed higher ups were going to listen to them. What if no one ever really listened to them?
Lester could play it cool, just do what's expected and get away with it for a long time. But I guess she was stressed about getting rid of Kirk. This plan never was going to work. But then, she is nuts, so...
Kirk filing his nails is a weird image.
Ha! This episode DOES pass the Bechdel Test, no? Or doesn't it count since it's really Kirk talking to Christine? Hmmmmmmm.
Oh! Lester-in-Kirk dishes a severe Kirk Fu chop to Kirk-in-Lester. Lucky Lester didn't kill Kirk right there. Lester has no idea of the power of Kirk Fu.
Mention of Tholians! And Vians! Nice callbacks.
There must be a million things Spock could ask Kirk-in-Lester to prove that it's really Kirk, things no one else could know, but the mind meld is a logical step.
From the Menagerie...
KIRK: A mutiny requires a trial board of no less than three command officers.
So here we have "Kirk" and Spock, and Spock is on trial. Don't we need a couple more command officers for this? The crew should ignore the whole thing as illegitimate.
But at this hearing there must be a million things these crew members who know Kirk so well could ask Lester-in-Kirk and know that it's not Kirk and a million things they could ask Kirk-in-Lester that only he would know to know that he/she/whatever is Kirk.
Security guards in this episode are assholes. "You're as mad as she is." You're a guard, you don't get an opinion here. Plus the guards laughing at Kirk-in-Lester at the trial. You guys are guards. Shut up.
I like the conversation between Scotty and McCoy in the hall. Nice and dramatic. Scotty pushing what has to be done, McCoy reluctantly coming around. I'm on the edge of my seat! What's going to happen? Interesting to see how far they will go to do what's right.
This business of Lester having their conversation played back. Does the ship's computer automatically record everyone's conversation on board? Because that would be all kinds of creepy. Or did Lester just specifically order their conversation to be recorded? I'll assume the latter because there are all kinds of uncomfortable implications to the former.
General Order 4 still carries the only death penalty. That reads
http://www.st-minutiae.com/articles/treaties/general_orders.html
"If contact is made with hitherto undiscovered intelligent lifeforms, under no circumstance shall Starfleet personnel, either by word or deed, inform said lifeforms that worlds other than their own or intelligent life-forms other than their own exist outside the confines of their own space or answer questions by said lifeforms pertaining to the existence of other species outside said space."
This sounds like the Prime Directive. This has certainly evolved over the course of the series. It seemed like not such a deal early on for the crew to influence alien cultures. Later, in Bread and Circuses we learn that a starship captain is supposed to let himself, his crew, his ship die rather than influence an alien culture. Now it actually carries the death penalty? What happened to visiting Talos IV as carrying the only death penalty?
Do Lester and Coleman love each other? Are they expecting to carry on a homosexual relationship now that Lester is Kirk?
I actually wonder, since Lester's hold on Kirk's body is so tenuous, if she succeeded in killing Kirk-in-Lester, if there would come a time when she would lose her hold on Kirk's body and with her own body no longer available to return to, if she and Kirk would just die.
So I'm thinking there's a social message here, but I'm not sure what. A comment on the glass ceiling women faced in the 60's? The fact that some women wished they were men in order to get through it and have the freedom to do as they wanted? Do I detect a comment on men being believed more readily in trials than women? Kirk was raped, and now he's in a woman's body. A commentary on women rape victims not being believed at trial? Kirk was literally laughed at. Or am I reaching and it's just about a crazy woman?
Okay, it falls short of one of the best episodes. We all wish the series ended on a better note. I was on the edge of my seat during the trial, so there's that. Sandra Smith does a good job considering she's really playing two parts. For some reason I liked it more watching it this time.
Alien Watch! No new aliens! It's a wrap!
Season 1
Talosians
That big ugly Rigellian guy Pike fought in illusion
Vina as an Orion girl in illusion
Vina's backup band of aliens (remarkably human looking)***
Glimpse of other aliens captured by Talosians
Ron Howard's brother
That dog from Enemy Within
Salt monster
That hand plant...Gertrude
Spock (duh)
Charlie's parents (Thasians)*
Romulans!
(Ruk)
Miri's planet kids (bonk bonk)
Giant ape creatures of Taurus II
Shore Leave Caretaker guy
Trelaine and his folks*
Gorn
Metrons*
The Lazerii
The remarkably human-looking aliens of Beta 3. (RotA)
The remarkably human-looking aliens of Emineminar VII (AToA)
The Triffids of Omicron Ceti III (TSoP)
The refreshingly non-human-looking Horta
Organians*
Klingons! (Remarkably human looking).
(The Guardian of Forever)
Flying pancakes
Season 2
Sylvia and Korob
The Companion
The remarkably human looking (though tall) Cappellans.
Native Pollux IV-ians (Apollo and his gang)
Full-blooded Vulcans
The remarkably human looking citizens of Argelius II (WitF)
Redjac
The People of Vaal (Gamma Triangulians)
Crew of the ISS Enterprise
The remarkably human-looking** (except for maybe a dot on their forehead) Halkans
Tribbles (not at all human looking)
The remarkably human-looking citizens of...892-VI. Is that what they call this planet? (The Roman one.)
Tall guys, short guys, Andorians, Tellurites, purple lady, Orion made up like an Andorian. (JtB)
The remarkably human-looking people of Neural. (APLW)
The awesome Mugato!
Shahna, Lars, Tamoon, Kloog, Thrallmaster Galt, and the Providers
The Cloud from the Tycho system.
The BIG FREAKIN' AMEBA!!!!!
The remarkably human-looking Iotians. (Gangsters)
Kelvans! Who really look like big, cool squids but choose to look remarkably human.
Sargon and the gang of not-quite-omnipotent aliens.
Remarkably human looking Zeons of Zeon and Ekosians of Ekos. (PoF)
The remarkably human looking Yangs and Coms of Omega IV.
Isis! Who looks remarkably like a cat until she wants to look remarkably human.
Season 3
The decidedly non-human looking Melkotians.
The remarkably human-looking Elasians and not so human looking Troyians.
Lawyer in a muumuu. Remarkably human-looking but maybe that was on purpose.
The remarkably human-looking Morgs and Eymorgs of Sigma Draconis.
Kollos the Medusan
Gem the Empath (remarkably human looking)
Vians (the OTHER bumpy-headed aliens)
Tholians!
The remarkably human-looking Fabrini of Yo Mama.
The malicious swirly ball of hate (DotD)
The remarkably human-looking Platonians who are douchebags except for Alexander
The fast, but still remarkably human looking Scalosians.
The remarkably human-looking image of Losira.
The Cheron boys, Bele and Lokai
Lackey's of Garth's some of whom are more human-looking than others.
Way too many remarkably human-looking Gideons.
Discorporated Zetarians and some recently departed Federation scholars and researchers of various races.
The remarkably human-looking Ardanians and their amazing midriffs.
Sevrin is Tiburonian, Rad is Catullan. If the others are aliens, they are remarkably human-looking.
Yarnek is Excalbian, Zora is a Tiburonian.
The remarkably human-looking Sarpeidonians.
*Alien Watch sublist: omnipotent aliens!
**By request
***Happy now, mb22?
It's the last episode! Oh, this is going to be good. You just know they would go all out and make sure they finished with one of the best episodes of the series, right?
I noticed that the past few episodes all start with the same music and shots of the Enterprise flying in space. It became their go-to opening at the end.
How many former girlfriends does Kirk have? Carol Marcus, Ruth, Janice Lester, Areel Shaw, Helen Noel (not really). Did I miss anyone?
JANICE: Your world of starship captains doesn't admit women. It isn't fair.
KIRK: No, it isn't.
Oh, that controversial line. With our 21st century sensibilities, and liking Star Trek as we do, and wanting to think that Starfleet of the future would be more advanced than we are, we don't like to think that women and men aren't equals there. I've seen posters and I've done it myself in my head try to rationalize the line to somehow end up not meaning that there are no female starship captains. Having gone through this rewatch, though, I think we have to accept that that is the case.
I think we have to accept that the attitudes and beliefs on gender roles in our 1960's held sway in the Star Trek universe hundreds of years longer, men getting jobs to support the family, women staying home to raise the kids and manage the home. Only sometime before Pike became captain did women start to attend Starfleet Academy and then get jobs on starships. As of The Cage, women were only just starting to get the elite bridge jobs so that Pike could remark he couldn't get used to it. By Kirk's day, women on the bridge were common, and Kirk makes no comment of it, but Kirk and McCoy could still lament the loss of talented female crew members as it was expected that they would quit Starfleet once they got married. By Return to Tomorrow we meet Dr. Mulhall and see that women have now achieved the rank of Lt. Commander. But I think we have to say as of Turnabout Intruder that indeed, there are no female starship captains. Janice asserts a glass ceiling. Kirk doesn't disagree. I think it is what it is. But we can take heart in the knowledge that by Picard's time, female starship captains and admirals are common.
This must have been Shatner's dream episode. He gets to ham it up here like in no other episode.
So if Lester's body doesn't really have radiation poisoning, then what is troubling Kirk-in-Lester? Shock of the transference I assume.
Lester's making log entries of her scheme? Isn't anyone going to listen to those things? All those log entries this whole time. I assumed higher ups were going to listen to them. What if no one ever really listened to them?
Lester could play it cool, just do what's expected and get away with it for a long time. But I guess she was stressed about getting rid of Kirk. This plan never was going to work. But then, she is nuts, so...
Kirk filing his nails is a weird image.
Ha! This episode DOES pass the Bechdel Test, no? Or doesn't it count since it's really Kirk talking to Christine? Hmmmmmmm.
Oh! Lester-in-Kirk dishes a severe Kirk Fu chop to Kirk-in-Lester. Lucky Lester didn't kill Kirk right there. Lester has no idea of the power of Kirk Fu.
Mention of Tholians! And Vians! Nice callbacks.
There must be a million things Spock could ask Kirk-in-Lester to prove that it's really Kirk, things no one else could know, but the mind meld is a logical step.
From the Menagerie...
KIRK: A mutiny requires a trial board of no less than three command officers.
So here we have "Kirk" and Spock, and Spock is on trial. Don't we need a couple more command officers for this? The crew should ignore the whole thing as illegitimate.
But at this hearing there must be a million things these crew members who know Kirk so well could ask Lester-in-Kirk and know that it's not Kirk and a million things they could ask Kirk-in-Lester that only he would know to know that he/she/whatever is Kirk.
Security guards in this episode are assholes. "You're as mad as she is." You're a guard, you don't get an opinion here. Plus the guards laughing at Kirk-in-Lester at the trial. You guys are guards. Shut up.
I like the conversation between Scotty and McCoy in the hall. Nice and dramatic. Scotty pushing what has to be done, McCoy reluctantly coming around. I'm on the edge of my seat! What's going to happen? Interesting to see how far they will go to do what's right.
This business of Lester having their conversation played back. Does the ship's computer automatically record everyone's conversation on board? Because that would be all kinds of creepy. Or did Lester just specifically order their conversation to be recorded? I'll assume the latter because there are all kinds of uncomfortable implications to the former.
General Order 4 still carries the only death penalty. That reads
http://www.st-minutiae.com/articles/treaties/general_orders.html
"If contact is made with hitherto undiscovered intelligent lifeforms, under no circumstance shall Starfleet personnel, either by word or deed, inform said lifeforms that worlds other than their own or intelligent life-forms other than their own exist outside the confines of their own space or answer questions by said lifeforms pertaining to the existence of other species outside said space."
This sounds like the Prime Directive. This has certainly evolved over the course of the series. It seemed like not such a deal early on for the crew to influence alien cultures. Later, in Bread and Circuses we learn that a starship captain is supposed to let himself, his crew, his ship die rather than influence an alien culture. Now it actually carries the death penalty? What happened to visiting Talos IV as carrying the only death penalty?
Do Lester and Coleman love each other? Are they expecting to carry on a homosexual relationship now that Lester is Kirk?
I actually wonder, since Lester's hold on Kirk's body is so tenuous, if she succeeded in killing Kirk-in-Lester, if there would come a time when she would lose her hold on Kirk's body and with her own body no longer available to return to, if she and Kirk would just die.
So I'm thinking there's a social message here, but I'm not sure what. A comment on the glass ceiling women faced in the 60's? The fact that some women wished they were men in order to get through it and have the freedom to do as they wanted? Do I detect a comment on men being believed more readily in trials than women? Kirk was raped, and now he's in a woman's body. A commentary on women rape victims not being believed at trial? Kirk was literally laughed at. Or am I reaching and it's just about a crazy woman?
Okay, it falls short of one of the best episodes. We all wish the series ended on a better note. I was on the edge of my seat during the trial, so there's that. Sandra Smith does a good job considering she's really playing two parts. For some reason I liked it more watching it this time.
Alien Watch! No new aliens! It's a wrap!
Season 1
Talosians
That big ugly Rigellian guy Pike fought in illusion
Vina as an Orion girl in illusion
Vina's backup band of aliens (remarkably human looking)***
Glimpse of other aliens captured by Talosians
Ron Howard's brother
That dog from Enemy Within
Salt monster
That hand plant...Gertrude
Spock (duh)
Charlie's parents (Thasians)*
Romulans!
(Ruk)
Miri's planet kids (bonk bonk)
Giant ape creatures of Taurus II
Shore Leave Caretaker guy
Trelaine and his folks*
Gorn
Metrons*
The Lazerii
The remarkably human-looking aliens of Beta 3. (RotA)
The remarkably human-looking aliens of Emineminar VII (AToA)
The Triffids of Omicron Ceti III (TSoP)
The refreshingly non-human-looking Horta
Organians*
Klingons! (Remarkably human looking).
(The Guardian of Forever)
Flying pancakes
Season 2
Sylvia and Korob
The Companion
The remarkably human looking (though tall) Cappellans.
Native Pollux IV-ians (Apollo and his gang)
Full-blooded Vulcans
The remarkably human looking citizens of Argelius II (WitF)
Redjac
The People of Vaal (Gamma Triangulians)
Crew of the ISS Enterprise
The remarkably human-looking** (except for maybe a dot on their forehead) Halkans
Tribbles (not at all human looking)
The remarkably human-looking citizens of...892-VI. Is that what they call this planet? (The Roman one.)
Tall guys, short guys, Andorians, Tellurites, purple lady, Orion made up like an Andorian. (JtB)
The remarkably human-looking people of Neural. (APLW)
The awesome Mugato!
Shahna, Lars, Tamoon, Kloog, Thrallmaster Galt, and the Providers
The Cloud from the Tycho system.
The BIG FREAKIN' AMEBA!!!!!
The remarkably human-looking Iotians. (Gangsters)
Kelvans! Who really look like big, cool squids but choose to look remarkably human.
Sargon and the gang of not-quite-omnipotent aliens.
Remarkably human looking Zeons of Zeon and Ekosians of Ekos. (PoF)
The remarkably human looking Yangs and Coms of Omega IV.
Isis! Who looks remarkably like a cat until she wants to look remarkably human.
Season 3
The decidedly non-human looking Melkotians.
The remarkably human-looking Elasians and not so human looking Troyians.
Lawyer in a muumuu. Remarkably human-looking but maybe that was on purpose.
The remarkably human-looking Morgs and Eymorgs of Sigma Draconis.
Kollos the Medusan
Gem the Empath (remarkably human looking)
Vians (the OTHER bumpy-headed aliens)
Tholians!
The remarkably human-looking Fabrini of Yo Mama.
The malicious swirly ball of hate (DotD)
The remarkably human-looking Platonians who are douchebags except for Alexander
The fast, but still remarkably human looking Scalosians.
The remarkably human-looking image of Losira.
The Cheron boys, Bele and Lokai
Lackey's of Garth's some of whom are more human-looking than others.
Way too many remarkably human-looking Gideons.
Discorporated Zetarians and some recently departed Federation scholars and researchers of various races.
The remarkably human-looking Ardanians and their amazing midriffs.
Sevrin is Tiburonian, Rad is Catullan. If the others are aliens, they are remarkably human-looking.
Yarnek is Excalbian, Zora is a Tiburonian.
The remarkably human-looking Sarpeidonians.
*Alien Watch sublist: omnipotent aliens!
**By request
***Happy now, mb22?
Well, that's that. And personally I think we reviewed the HELL out of TOS. Here in this thread these reviews and comments represent a review of TOS unlike any other ever attempted! The contents of this thread should be sold and we should all get a cut. Other reviewers should come here and read in awe. Jammer of Jammer's Reviews should read our reviews and weep.
(He probably would weep, but maybe not for the reason I'm suggesting.)
I come from the perspective of having watched every episode of TOS untold numbers of times through the 70's, and yet some episodes I hadn't seen since then. It's a weird feeling on the one hand being so familiar with these episodes and on the other to have forgotten so much as to be unfamiliar at the same time. I caught new things this time through, paying more attention to each episode and watching them as an adult.
Thanks to those who regularly reviewed and commented on each episode throughout the thread (mytran, pauln6, Henoch, you crazy ball of fun, ZapBrannigan, JohnnyBear, others too numerous to mention). Your comments and reviews were entertaining and informative.
This took a year and a half to get through! I hope the OP can return and see the thread he started.
So what did I learn?
I thought omnipotent aliens were spread throughout the series, but really they only appear in Season One.
Kirk wears the green wraparound much more than I thought and almost all Season Two.
A lot of social messages and bare midriffs in Season Three.
I thought McCoy and Spock both gave as good as they got as far as arguments go, but really, the great majority of the time, it's McCoy harrassing Spock who's just trying to do his job.
Kirk doesn't have sex as much as his reputation would have it.
Serving on a starship is exciting and rewarding, also highly stressful and often lonely.
(He probably would weep, but maybe not for the reason I'm suggesting.)
I come from the perspective of having watched every episode of TOS untold numbers of times through the 70's, and yet some episodes I hadn't seen since then. It's a weird feeling on the one hand being so familiar with these episodes and on the other to have forgotten so much as to be unfamiliar at the same time. I caught new things this time through, paying more attention to each episode and watching them as an adult.
Thanks to those who regularly reviewed and commented on each episode throughout the thread (mytran, pauln6, Henoch, you crazy ball of fun, ZapBrannigan, JohnnyBear, others too numerous to mention). Your comments and reviews were entertaining and informative.
This took a year and a half to get through! I hope the OP can return and see the thread he started.
So what did I learn?
I thought omnipotent aliens were spread throughout the series, but really they only appear in Season One.
Kirk wears the green wraparound much more than I thought and almost all Season Two.
A lot of social messages and bare midriffs in Season Three.
I thought McCoy and Spock both gave as good as they got as far as arguments go, but really, the great majority of the time, it's McCoy harrassing Spock who's just trying to do his job.
Kirk doesn't have sex as much as his reputation would have it.
Serving on a starship is exciting and rewarding, also highly stressful and often lonely.
***Happy now, mb22?
Except, now that I think about it "Miri's planet kids (bonk bonk)" should also be classed as "remarkably human looking"
How many former girlfriends does Kirk have? Carol Marcus, Ruth, Janice Lester, Areel Shaw, Helen Noel (not really). Did I miss anyone?
Janet Wallace ("The Deadly Years") and possibly Helen Johansson (mentioned in "The Menagerie Part I").
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