Revisiting Star Trek TOS/TAS...

[Tallguy]

We immediately start to see some new visual shots of the Enterprise and they're nice.

We do not either. In Specter there is one shot from Season 2 (The Ultimate Computer), one from Season 1, and one from Where No Man Has Gone Before. Season 3 has one new shot of the Enterprise and you won't get to it for a while.

And even this early on I sense yet another welcome change: a change in overall tone, not as light as Season 2 and seemingly more serious minded alike Season 1. This is a difference I welcome in principle.

For all that S3 gets bagged on and as tough as their budget was I think that in terms of cinematography S3 is much more sophisticated. Even Spock's Brain.

I might not like the fabric of the S3 uniforms but they sure do fit better. And I wish Shatner had gotten a haircut.

 

[Warped9]

^^ The opening shot of the Enterprise's approach in "Spectre Of The Gun" is a new one for Season 3. The rest is from prior footage. And I was speaking generally for the season overall when I say that we will get new shots of the Enterprise.

 

[evilnate]

And on to Season 3...

Season 3 starts off with some noticeable changes. We immediately start to see some new visual shots of the Enterprise and they're nice. The accompanying music sounds different and fresh. In the openings theme the accompanying vocals so evident in Season 2's opening credits seem to have been toned down---a welcome change.

Another noticeable change is in the crew's uniforms. It's the same design and colour scheme, but they're obviously made of a different fabric that is more form fitting than those of the previous two seasons.

And even this early on I sense yet another welcome change: a change in overall tone, not as light as Season 2 and seemingly more serious minded alike Season 1. This is a difference I welcome in principle.


“Spectre Of The Gun” ****

An alien race sentence Kirk and his crew to die...in 1880s Tombstone, Arizona.

When I was younger I was not a fan of this episode. I thought it was just okay and admittedly part of what bothered me was the incomplete sets of the supposed western town that the landing party is dispatched to. But over the years I've learned to appreciate this episode more because I grew to understand the symbolism and surreality involved. And I like the music with the harmonica which really helped set the atmosphere.

Everyone in the story except Kirk and company see everything around them as complete and real. And yet, as McCoy states, the town and buildings look incomplete to the Enterprise landing party. The symbolism is that Kirk and company are in something of a twilight state of mind, much like dreaming, where often the environments in our dreams make little sense to us when remembered while awake, and yet we behave as if those surroundings are real when we're there in our dreams when asleep. And it's that surreality that's the clue to what's really going on long before Spock figures out why their antiquated gas grenade fails to work as expected.

The ending of the episode nails it: the Enterprise never actually passed the Melkot buoy to establish orbit for Kirk and company to beam down planetside. The entire sequence of events was a powerful telepathic fiction of the Melkots. And it all starts with each member of the bridge crew first hearing the Melkotian buoy's message in each of their own language.

"Spectre Of The Gun" is a variation of "The Corbomite Maneuver" in that the Melkot are testing the Enterprise crew in their own way much as Balok tested them by threatening them with certain destruction.

My opinion of this episode and story rose as I learned to better understand how it was all supposed to work. It also speaks of using a budgetary limitation and turning it into an asset...at least as far as this story is concerned. It also delivers what I think is a powerful message: mankind ready to kill...and choosing not to.

It's a cool sounding title too.

This is a good episode, and like you I didn't care for it when I was younger. However, what it does is very effective and in many was is more like a surreal Twilight Zone episode than Trek, but that's a good thing. It's a strong start to the season (well, production order that is) but unfortunately, there aren't many high points after this. Having read your reviews of TOS and TNG, I do expect that you might like a couple of episodes that will challenge the conventional wisdom. I do!

 

[Tallguy]

^^ The opening shot of the Enterprise's approach in "Spectre Of The Gun" is a new one for Season 3. The rest is from prior footage. And I was speaking generally for the season overall when I say that we will get new shots of the Enterprise.

The opening shot is from The Ultimate Computer. It's the shot that was used for the four ships flying in formation. It gets used a LOT in season 3 and it is gorgeous.

In the season overall there is one shot used in two episodes (That Which Survives and Let That Be Your Last Battlefield) that was not seen in previous seasons. Otherwise we've seen all of the Old Girl that we're ever going to. *sigh*

 

[BillJ]

“Spectre Of The Gun” ****

An alien race sentence Kirk and his crew to die...in 1880s Tombstone, Arizona.

Just watched this yesterday, great episode. Definite four star material.

 

[Warped9]

The opening shot is from The Ultimate Computer. It's the shot that was used for the four ships flying in formation. It gets used a LOT in season 3 and it is gorgeous.

Agreed, but in "The Ultimate Computer" we saw it as only a static long shot and not as a moving approach that we get in Season 3.

Of course it could be it was originally shot as an approach flyby in Season 2 (maybe late in the season) and for some reason never used as such until Season 3.

And I'm pretty sure that the shot of the Enterprise surrounded by Romulan ships in "The Enterprise Incident" (minus the Rom ships) was a new angle.

 

[RAMA]

And on to Season 3...

Season 3 starts off with some noticeable changes. We immediately start to see some new visual shots of the Enterprise and they're nice. The accompanying music sounds different and fresh. In the openings theme the accompanying vocals so evident in Season 2's opening credits seem to have been toned down---a welcome change.

Another noticeable change is in the crew's uniforms. It's the same design and colour scheme, but they're obviously made of a different fabric that is more form fitting than those of the previous two seasons.

And even this early on I sense yet another welcome change: a change in overall tone, not as light as Season 2 and seemingly more serious minded alike Season 1. This is a difference I welcome in principle.


“Spectre Of The Gun” ****

An alien race sentence Kirk and his crew to die...in 1880s Tombstone, Arizona.

When I was younger I was not a fan of this episode. I thought it was just okay and admittedly part of what bothered me was the incomplete sets of the supposed western town that the landing party is dispatched to. But over the years I've learned to appreciate this episode more because I grew to understand the symbolism and surreality involved. And I like the music with the harmonica which really helped set the atmosphere.

Everyone in the story except Kirk and company see everything around them as complete and real. And yet, as McCoy states, the town and buildings look incomplete to the Enterprise landing party. The symbolism is that Kirk and company are in something of a twilight state of mind, much like dreaming, where often the environments in our dreams make little sense to us when remembered while awake, and yet we behave as if those surroundings are real when we're there in our dreams when asleep. And it's that surreality that's the clue to what's really going on long before Spock figures out why their antiquated gas grenade fails to work as expected.

The ending of the episode nails it: the Enterprise never actually passed the Melkot buoy to establish orbit for Kirk and company to beam down planetside. The entire sequence of events was a powerful telepathic fiction of the Melkots. And it all starts with each member of the bridge crew first hearing the Melkotian buoy's message in each of their own language.

"Spectre Of The Gun" is a variation of "The Corbomite Maneuver" in that the Melkot are testing the Enterprise crew in their own way much as Balok tested them by threatening them with certain destruction.

My opinion of this episode and story rose as I learned to better understand how it was all supposed to work. It also speaks of using a budgetary limitation and turning it into an asset...at least as far as this story is concerned. It also delivers what I think is a powerful message: mankind ready to kill...and choosing not to.

It's a cool sounding title too.

This episode is kind of touchy...the Melkots are clearly advanced, but what is the imperative in contacting a "reclusive" race? Why do they NEED to be contacted just because they are there? Why is Tombstone Arizona so at the forefront of EVERY single crewman's mind? Did they do a play on the Enterprise before beaming down? Why spend so much time trying to convince apparitions that they don't belong there? Why does the set look so damn cheap? Damn you NBC! You can kind of see where they want to go with this episode, but unfortunately, it doesn't actually make it there, making Spectre seem like it came out of an episode of Lost in Space. ** 1/2 kind stars

RAMA

 

[Warped9]

^^ It's stated at the beginning in and later reaffirmed that the Melkot said Kirk was to set the pattern of their death. From that the characters deduced that for some reason the Melkot took the fact that Kirk's ancestors pioneered the old west and from there they chose Tombstone from some barely remembered history in Kirk's mind. It's sketchy but they do connect the dots in the episode so contextually the logic is there. And we can assume they chose Kirk to draw their pattern from because Kirk is the leader and gives the order to defy the Melkotian buoy and approach the planet.

As to the sets I can't help but think that the studio could have used an used western style backlot with more complete buildings. And so their choice in this episode looks deliberate, or that's how I see it---the surrealism is a deliberate part of the story.

It would be interesting to know whether the half finished town was a deliberate choice or a desperate cost saving measure.


Note: From what I've just picked up through searching online my impression is that the original script was intended to be shot on location with a more complete western set yet budgetary considerations precluded that and they had to resort to the sound stage. In that light then they deliberately intended to enhance the surrealism of the situation. In retrospect that may have worked in the story's favour. If you go here you see that the script changed quite a bit right up until the end of shooting.

 

[RAMA]

^^ It's stated at the beginning in and later reaffirmed that the Melkot said Kirk was to set the pattern of their death. From that the characters deduced that for some reason the Melkot took the fact that Kirk's ancestors pioneered the old west and from there they chose Tombstone from some barely remembered history in Kirk's mind. It's sketchy but they do connect the dots in the episode so contextually the logic is there. And we can assume they chose Kirk to draw their pattern from because Kirk is the leader and gives the order to defy the Melkotian buoy and approach the planet.

As to the sets I can't help but think that the studio could have used an used western style backlot with more complete buildings. And so their choice in this episode looks deliberate, or that's how I see it---the surrealism is a deliberate part of the story.

It would be interesting to know whether the half finished town was a deliberate choice or a desperate cost saving measure.

Its extremely sketchy...that Kirk would have any of the detail in his head. They're trying to sell us on fragments of their imagination, but its very difficult to accept in practice.

Once again Kirk gives/is given an order to defy something...I mean, if Kirk had a house, would he constantly be going to the neighbors house and building tree houses on their property and rummaging through their basement?

RAMA

 

[BillJ]

Once again Kirk gives/is given an order to defy something...I mean, if Kirk had a house, would he constantly be going to the neighbors house and building tree houses on their property and rummaging through their basement?

Wait a minute... time and again you ding Kirk as someone who goes against authority. But then you ding him for following orders.

Make up your mind.

 

[RAMA]

Once again Kirk gives/is given an order to defy something...I mean, if Kirk had a house, would he constantly be going to the neighbors house and building tree houses on their property and rummaging through their basement?

Wait a minute... time and again you ding Kirk as someone who goes against authority. But then you ding him for following orders.

Make up your mind.

This is at least the 3rd time he follows a questionable order. I can see maybe if Starfleet wanted to feel the Melkotians out, but Kirk and party land on the planet!! More than one uninvited guest has been met with force for this sort of thing. I have clearly said before that whether its Kirk or Starfleet they can both be complicit for breaking their own rules.

RAMA

 

[BillJ]

Once again Kirk gives/is given an order to defy something...I mean, if Kirk had a house, would he constantly be going to the neighbors house and building tree houses on their property and rummaging through their basement?

Wait a minute... time and again you ding Kirk as someone who goes against authority. But then you ding him for following orders.

Make up your mind.

This is at least the second time he follows a questionable order. I can see maybe if Starfleet wanted to feel the Melkotians out, but Kirk and party land on the planet!! More than one uninvited guest has been met with force for this sort of thing.

RAMA

They never landed on the planet.

 

[Warped9]

^^ Like in some previous episodes Kirk has orders to contact them. When he sends them a responding hail in answer to their warning he's answered with silence. And this is after everyone hears the initial Melkot signal each in their own language.

It must be noted also that when things seem too strange after they beam down Kirk decides they should leave, but they can't contact the ship. Of course, by this point we later understand that even this event is all part of the same telepathic fiction. The Enterprise was still parked beside the Melkot buoy and the aliens were using their telepathic abilities to test the Enterprise crew.

Over the years I've learned to see this is actually quite a clever bit of writing, but you really have to pay attention as everything is not blatantly spelled out. And read some of the original script ideas that didn't make it to film---it's actually for the better the way it was finally shot.

 

[RAMA]

Wait a minute... time and again you ding Kirk as someone who goes against authority. But then you ding him for following orders.

Make up your mind.

This is at least the second time he follows a questionable order. I can see maybe if Starfleet wanted to feel the Melkotians out, but Kirk and party land on the planet!! More than one uninvited guest has been met with force for this sort of thing.

RAMA

They never landed on the planet.

Well I never even watched the TOS-R of this episode its been so long since I've seen it...so if that's the case, they still had plenty of signs they are not wanted, right from the bouy to the original silence. Of course its also stated they are reclusive as well.

RAMA

 

[BillJ]

This is at least the second time he follows a questionable order. I can see maybe if Starfleet wanted to feel the Melkotians out, but Kirk and party land on the planet!! More than one uninvited guest has been met with force for this sort of thing.

RAMA

They never landed on the planet.

Well I never even watched the TOS-R of this episode its been so long since I've seen it...so if that's the case, they still had plenty of signs they are not wanted, right from the bouy to the original silence. Of course its also stated they are reclusive as well.

RAMA

Yet they were invited in once Kirk proved their intentions.

 

[Warped9]

Well I never even watched the TOS-R of this episode its been so long since I've seen it...so if that's the case, they still had plenty of signs they are not wanted, right from the bouy to the original silence. Of course its also stated they are reclusive as well.

RAMA

It's a little hard to credit your criticism if your recall of the episode is sketchy.

The buoy issues one verbal warning and then dead silence to Kirk's reply. It is open to interpretation as to whether the silence to Kirk's response is an unspoken yes or not.

 

[RAMA]

^^ Like in some previous episodes Kirk has orders to contact them. When he sends them a responding hail in answer to their warning he's answered with silence. And this is after everyone hears the initial Melkot signal each in their own language.

It must be noted also that when things seem too strange after they beam down Kirk decides they should leave, but they can't contact the ship. Of course, by this point we later understand that even this event is all part of the same telepathic fiction. The Enterprise was still parked beside the Melkot buoy and the aliens were using their telepathic abilities to test the Enterprise crew.

Over the years I've learned to see this is actually quite a clever bit of writing, but you really have to pay attention as everything is not blatantly spelled out. And read some of the original script ideas that didn't make it to film---it's actually for the better the way it was finally shot.

Yes, there are Matt Jeffries drawings of both complete and incomplete sets out there online. Its stated in the Making of Star Trek I believe that it was a cost saving measure...though I'd have to look that up. At least it shows the original intention that the melktotians were to create a realistic illusion, but it wound up looking obviosuly like what it was, a cheat.

RAMA

 

[RAMA]

Well I never even watched the TOS-R of this episode its been so long since I've seen it...so if that's the case, they still had plenty of signs they are not wanted, right from the bouy to the original silence. Of course its also stated they are reclusive as well.

RAMA

It's a little hard to credit your criticism if your recall of the episode is sketchy.

So do you go into yards with beware of the dog signs, or keep out/no trespassing signs?

RAMA

 

[BillJ]

^^ Like in some previous episodes Kirk has orders to contact them. When he sends them a responding hail in answer to their warning he's answered with silence. And this is after everyone hears the initial Melkot signal each in their own language.

It must be noted also that when things seem too strange after they beam down Kirk decides they should leave, but they can't contact the ship. Of course, by this point we later understand that even this event is all part of the same telepathic fiction. The Enterprise was still parked beside the Melkot buoy and the aliens were using their telepathic abilities to test the Enterprise crew.

Over the years I've learned to see this is actually quite a clever bit of writing, but you really have to pay attention as everything is not blatantly spelled out. And read some of the original script ideas that didn't make it to film---it's actually for the better the way it was finally shot.

Yes, there are Matt Jeffries drawings of both complete and incomplete sets out there online. Its stated in the Making of Star Trek I believe that it was a cost saving measure...though I'd have to look that up. At least it shows the original intention that the melktotians were to create a realistic illusion, but it wound up looking obviosuly like what it was, a cheat.

RAMA

I actually think the episode was better for it. Why would the Melkotians create anything more than necessary for the test?

 

[BillJ]

Well I never even watched the TOS-R of this episode its been so long since I've seen it...so if that's the case, they still had plenty of signs they are not wanted, right from the bouy to the original silence. Of course its also stated they are reclusive as well.

RAMA

It's a little hard to credit your criticism if your recall of the episode is sketchy.

So do you go into yards with beware of the dog signs, or keep out/no trespassing signs?

RAMA

You were the guy that refused to answer whether it was okay to shoot someone for stepping on your lawn in regards to The Apple.