Revisiting Star Trek Continues...

[Bixby]

Ahhh, how could I resist this opportunity...I watched some of these again a couple of years ago, and it still holds up visually as far as cinematography and FX. Their achilles heel throughout the series was their lack of experience and skill at plotting and final drafting. Dialogue was less of a problem since a few of the cast were accomplished actors.

Pilgrim started one of STC's biggest problems, where characters like Apollo, the Mirror Universe inhabitants and super-espers like Gary Mitchell are frightening in the original series but are mishandled and lose a lot of their intimidation factor in their STC callback.

For Pilgrim I am referring to the scene mid-episode where Apollo does a heel turn and uses his force of mind to levitate Kirk and hold him defenseless, which was so filled with problems and cringe (one, it looks so underwhelming compared to what he could do in Who Mourns for Adonais, and two, the football team of officers standing still and silent in the background as their Captain may be getting killed just looks so bad!)

Apollo's appearing/vanishing wig i realize was to give a visual cue of his fluctuating level of power, but at midway when he is supposed to be once again recharged, perhaps they shouldn't have shown his body which wasn't returning to greek god stature.

i think what really annoyed me from this episode was how badly Scotty was depicted. In WMFA he was completely emasculated and even temporarily killed by Apollo, and Scotty doesn't even react emotionally when the former God appears on the bridge. He does get to act a tiny bit outraged at the midpoint, but he never has a face to face with the alien who stole a woman he was in love (?!?) with, left him and his ship to go die less than 2 years later. Honestly, i wish they had jettisoned all of that nonsense with the crusty ship's hull and do a proper arc with Scotty and Apollo (but since throughout STC Doohan never got more than a few lines at a time, they probably limited his screentime because of lack of experience).

It's just too bad STC didn't have the script editor they so needed, but they still put out a nice product.

 

[XCV330]

Ahhh, how could I resist this opportunity...I watched some of these again a couple of years ago, and it still holds up visually as far as cinematography and FX. Their achilles heel throughout the series was their lack of experience and skill at plotting and final drafting. Dialogue was less of a problem since a few of the cast were accomplished actors.

Pilgrim started one of STC's biggest problems, where characters like Apollo, the Mirror Universe inhabitants and super-espers like Gary Mitchell are frightening in the original series but are mishandled and lose a lot of their intimidation factor in their STC callback.

For Pilgrim I am referring to the scene mid-episode where Apollo does a heel turn and uses his force of mind to levitate Kirk and hold him defenseless, which was so filled with problems and cringe (one, it looks so underwhelming compared to what he could do in Who Mourns for Adonais, and two, the football team of officers standing still and silent in the background as their Captain may be getting killed just looks so bad!)

Apollo's appearing/vanishing wig i realize was to give a visual cue of his fluctuating level of power, but at midway when he is supposed to be once again recharged, perhaps they shouldn't have shown his body which wasn't returning to greek god stature.

i think what really annoyed me from this episode was how badly Scotty was handled. In WMFA he was completely emasculated and even temporarily killed by Apollo, and Scotty doesn't even react emotionally when the former God appears. He does get to act a tiny bit outraged at the midpoint, but he never has a face to face with the alien who stole a woman he was in love (?!?) with, left him and his ship to go die less than 2 years later. Honestly, i wish they had jettisoned all of that nonsense with the crusty ship's hull and do a proper arc with Scotty and Apollo (but since throughout STC Doohan never got more than a few lines at a time, they probably limited his screentime because of lack of experience).

It's just too bad STC didn't have the script editor they so needed, but they still put out a nice product.

Scotty is still extremely angry over the events of WMFA and disagrees with Kirk and Spock, but he's also had some experience since the original events. And it probably helps that Apollo comes back as a defeated enemy. I mean, Scotty watched Athena die in his arms. It was sad. Chris Doohan wasn't about to win an Emmy, but his "I don't believe it!" outburst was pretty damn believable.

 

[Bixby]

Scotty is still extremely angry over the events of WMFA and disagrees with Kirk and Spock, but he's also had some experience since the original events.

I wouldn't say "extremely" angry at all. What experience do you mean? As I said, Apollo emasculated Scotty in WMFA, AND it's revealed in this episode that Carolyn died. Fresh wounds like that don't just disappear. If they didn't want Doohan to display his righteous anger towards Apollo at this point in the story, they should not have had him on the bridge in the opening.

And it probably helps that Apollo comes back as a defeated enemy. I mean, Scotty watched Athena die in his arms. It was sad.

Chekov was also on that bridge AND on Apollo's planet...PLUS he's the biggest hothead. Really, the two of them should have made a big fuss and lunged for Apollo the second the episode "came back from commercial", i.e.: before we even know what happens to Athena. (same hypothesis about the actor playing Chekov, who really didn't say anything during this episode: Mignona probably wasn't ready to give him big scenes yet)

Chris Doohan wasn't about to win an Emmy, but his "I don't believe it!" outburst was pretty damn believable.

Too little, too late. In fact, Doohan should have been the one to reveal in the episode that Carolyn was dead, NOT Michelle Specht.

 

[Warped9]

Ahhh, how could I resist this opportunity...I watched some of these again a couple of years ago, and it still holds up visually as far as cinematography and FX. Their achilles heel throughout the series was their lack of experience and skill at plotting and final drafting. Dialogue was less of a problem since a few of the cast were accomplished actors.

Pilgrim started one of STC's biggest problems, where characters like Apollo, the Mirror Universe inhabitants and super-espers like Gary Mitchell are frightening in the original series but are mishandled and lose a lot of their intimidation factor in their STC callback.

For Pilgrim I am referring to the scene mid-episode where Apollo does a heel turn and uses his force of mind to levitate Kirk and hold him defenseless, which was so filled with problems and cringe (one, it looks so underwhelming compared to what he could do in Who Mourns for Adonais, and two, the football team of officers standing still and silent in the background as their Captain may be getting killed just looks so bad!)

Apollo's appearing/vanishing wig i realize was to give a visual cue of his fluctuating level of power, but at midway when he is supposed to be once again recharged, perhaps they shouldn't have shown his body which wasn't returning to greek god stature.

i think what really annoyed me from this episode was how badly Scotty was depicted. In WMFA he was completely emasculated and even temporarily killed by Apollo, and Scotty doesn't even react emotionally when the former God appears on the bridge. He does get to act a tiny bit outraged at the midpoint, but he never has a face to face with the alien who stole a woman he was in love (?!?) with, left him and his ship to go die less than 2 years later. Honestly, i wish they had jettisoned all of that nonsense with the crusty ship's hull and do a proper arc with Scotty and Apollo (but since throughout STC Doohan never got more than a few lines at a time, they probably limited his screentime because of lack of experience).

It's just too bad STC didn't have the script editor they so needed, but they still put out a nice product.

Dude, where ya been? Nice to see you back. Or have you just been lurking?

This being a first effort I found myself cutting them some slack in some respects. I do agree that we do see a beginning of some issues, but for the sake of some here who might not have seen these productions yet I’ll reserve my remarks for when I actually revisit each episode in turn—kinda trying to minimize the spoilers.

Yes, it’s rather fannish to revisit a previously encountered character, but as I said the way it’s done here I don’t think it undermines the original episode. And as it’s been noted upthread in this event Apollo is a weakened and defeated antagonist compared to what he was before. As for the crew in the hallway not reacting immediately to Apollo throwing Kirk around I could attribute that to shock given no one in that corridor was on the planet with Kirk and the landing party when they faced Apollo in person. Spock and Uhura were aboard the ship back then. If anyone should have reacted it should have been Spock, but his remarks to Kirk moments later seems to suggest what he observed he didn’t think Apollo would actually seriously hurt Kirk. Yeah, it’s a weak rationalization and take from it what you will.

I did think Scotty was a hothead in this, but he is also supposed to be a disciplined Starfleet officer so maybe he has learned something since a couple of years ago. I do agree it would have been more on target to have had a face-to-face between Scotty and Apollo wherein Scotty reveals the fate of Carolyn Palamas. But this is the way they chose to do it to utilize the McKenna character. And in fairness Michelle Specht came across as distinctly more polished than Chris Doohan in their respective performances.

I, too, didn’t really care for the stuff on the ship’s hull storyline, but I can see that they wanted to lay the groundwork for what would later happen to Uhura and subsequently Apollo’s new found ability in reviving her.

 

[Bixby]

Dude, where ya been? Nice to see you back. Or have you just been lurking?

Nice to see you too, amigo, thanks! a little bit of both, actually..

This being a first effort I found myself cutting them some slack in some respects. I do agree that we do see a beginning of some issues, but for the sake of some here who might not have seen these productions yet I’ll reserve my remarks for when I actually revisit each episode in turn—kinda trying to minimize the spoilers.

I won't be spoiling too much stuff, since I did indepth review novels the first time around..Just a suggestion, but you could add the Youtube link for each episode as you move to the next one.

Yes, it’s rather fannish to revisit a previously encountered character, but as I said the way it’s done here I don’t think it undermines the original episode. And as it’s been noted upthread in this event Apollo is a weakened and defeated antagonist compared to what he was before. As for the crew in the hallway not reacting immediately to Apollo throwing Kirk around I could attribute that to shock given no one in that corridor was on the planet with Kirk and the landing party when they faced Apollo in person. Spock and Uhura were aboard the ship back then. If anyone should have reacted it should have been Spock, but his remarks to Kirk moments later seems to suggest what he observed he didn’t think Apollo would actually seriously hurt Kirk. Yeah, it’s a weak rationalization and take from it what you will.

The problem with the immobile crew is likely due to not having done enough storyboarding or an animatic before shoot days and no one had noticed this potential problem.

I did think Scotty was a hothead in this, but he is also supposed to be a disciplined Starfleet officer so maybe he has learned something since a couple of years ago. I do agree it would have been more on target to have had a face-to-face between Scotty and Apollo wherein Scotty reveals the fate of Carolyn Palamas. But this is the way they chose to do it to utilize the McKenna character. And in fairness Michelle Specht came across as distinctly more polished than Chris Doohan in their respective performances..

I still think Scotty was robbed here...oh, here's a related tidbit I don't understand: McKenna made it sound like she knew Carolyne Palamas and that she died, but earlier in the episode she spoke to Kirk as if she was a brand new crewmember...so when did she meet Palamas and how?

I, too, didn’t really care for the stuff on the ship’s hull storyline, but I can see that they wanted to lay the groundwork for what would later happen to Uhura and subsequently Apollo’s new found ability in reviving her.

All in all, the script for this one seems fairly solid, apart from what I pointed out. that might be due to a longer lead time between their first short and when they shot this one. AFAIR, their second episode is probably their best scriptwise, but I credit that one to that episode's director (who never repeated, for some reason)

 

[Warped9]

I won't be spoiling too much stuff, since I did indepth review novels the first time around..Just a suggestion, but you could add the Youtube link for each episode as you move to the next one.

Good suggestion. I’ve added the link to the first episode in my review post.

I just realized I completely overlooked a few tidbits in my review.

The opening scene is quite unusual for a TOS episode as we open in what appears to be an Old West setting with a cowboy dressed in black pointing a old west six-shooter right at Kirk’s face who is still in uniform. At first, emphasized by the accompanying music, one might think it is some sort of callback to “Spectre Of The Gun.”

Nope. STC was having some fun here on a number of levels.

Firstly the cowboy character is supposed to be Pallidin, the adventurous gunfighter of the late 19t0’s television series Have Gun—Will Travel. For any youngins about here this was a fantastic series for its time and much of it still holds up well today. In some respects it was rather TOS like in that the writers often tried to address meaningful ideas within an Old West adventure setting. Pallidin wasn’t your average gunslinger as he used his intellect more than his guns and fists. Another noteworthy bit is that a younger Gene Roddenberry wrote a lot of scripts for HGWT and in one or two of them he even had a character named Robert April, a name Roddenberry would reuse when he began putting his idea for Star Trek together. The words spoken by Pallidin in STC’’s opening scene are taken verbatim from a first season HGWT episode. So Gene Roddenberry is the connection between Star Trek and Have Gun—Will Travel.

Next the original Pallidin was played by Richard Boone, a very against type series lead. Boone looked like a tough character and was not Hollywood handsome. But Boone was something of an intellectual and idealist who had very strong ideas about what he wanted to see in a television series he starred in. Sadly Richard Boone died decades ago in 1981. Even if he were still alive today he would be far too old to reprise his younger self as Pallidin. However, in his place STC cast Doug Drexler, a long time Star Trek production veteran and a huge fan of Have Gun—Will Travel. Apparently he even had his own custom Pallidin costume.

The final bit of fun is that the scene we open to is meant to be a demonstration of a holographic entertainment area that Scotty is working on. Many might automatically assume that a holodeck is a very TNG thing and has no business on the TOS Enterprise. Well, that can be argued. Way back when TOS was in production Roddenberry conceived of a holographic recreation area aboard ship where people could interact with fictional characters or communicate with real people via a sophisticated virtual 3D system, rather like a holographic FaceTime setup. They never managed to get around showing us this facility onscreen, but Roddenberry did include the idea in his description of the Enterprise reprinted in the book The Making Of Star Trek.

While the holographic rec-room didn’t appear in TOS it did appear in TAS in the episode “The Practical Joker.” So the “holodeck” did exist long before it was seen in TNG.

I find it interesting that STC did this because they did something TOS would like to have done, but never managed to get around to doing.

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[Mudd]

Both Quinto and Peck do excellent jobs of playing Spock; fan actors like Haberkorn tend instead to try to impersonate Nimoy and that's a losing proposition.

 

[Warped9]

Both Quinto and Peck do excellent jobs of playing Spock; fan actors like Haberkorn tend instead to try to impersonate Nimoy and that's a losing proposition.

Disagree. And while Quinto is meh I think Peck absolutely stinks as Spock. But, whatever.

 

[Phoenix219]

Gene was a horn dog too, and I don't care.

I have really never bought any fan-Spock. Todd Haberkorn is a fine actor, but no one has Nimoy's phyisicality - it height and lankiness were all part of the mystique.


I enjoy most of the STC episodes very much. The first, say, half dozen were awesome. But I too felt they descended into fanwank towards the end of the series. The finale just seemed to be box-checking plot points to get us to "only starship left" and "TMP is next."

As for Phase II, they had some real turkeys in the beginning, and some real gems toward the end. I had an hour to kill recently and popped on the George Takei episode. Just brilliant.

The Takei episode was near the beginning, as was Koenig's. I thought the first few episodes were charming, but they got really sloggish as they went along, the Carol Marcus one, the two part Gerold script, changing the lead actor, trashing multiple recorded episodes to start over, Mindsifter, etc.... the early ones were fun and watchable; the later ones I couldn't make it through. YMMV.

 

[Phoenix219]

Peck is way better than Quinto. Quinto looked the part, but I NEVER bought him as ANY version of Spock.

The line in Pilgrims, where Apollo is looking at the moon launch, and Kirk tells him, yeah, you were remembered, but not as a God, is iconic to me. At one point a few years ago, I had to stop and think about which episode it was actually from, and my mind repeats it to me in Shatner's voice. Thats how much the line blurs for me.

 

[XCV330]

I think Haberkorn and Peck do their own version of Spock, not copying Nimoy, but informed by his performance. Qunto's Spock is more like a ENT era Vulcan.