Season 3 Unfair "Bad Reputation?"

[Ssosmcin]

But what's most lacking in these shows, compared to the first two seasons, is humor. Even an excellent episode like "Spectre of the Gun" has Kirk too formally addressing Spock as "Science Officer" in the opening scene. Just feels wrong.

I get the impression, since this was the first episode of the season filmed, that certain phrases were used to "clarify" a few roles to anyone new, in the event it was aired first (Likely? Not likely? No idea). Spock as "science officer" (twice in the that scene) and calling the phasers "phaser guns" like they were by Bailey in "The Corbomite Maneuver." Uhura, Chekov and Spock all had dialog to showcase their backgrounds (well placed to display the Mekotian telepathy). Actually, the whole teaser is a mass of exposition for new folks, but the "first contact" introduction helps mask some of it.

Kirk: This is Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise, representing the United Federation of Planets.

Now we know who Kirk is and who he works for and on what ship.

Then we get this...

Kirk: Lieutenant Uhura, advise Doctor McCoy and Engineer Scott to meet me in the transporter room.

Now we know who McCoy and Scotty are (but not why they're essential to the mission - which they really shouldn't be) and a minute later, we know Scotty is in charge of the transporter and McCoy is cranky about the machine. Imagine you're seeing the show for the first time. You're pretty much up to speed on the basics of the format and the key players. The rest you can get along the way.

So, in that context, I can see why Kirk addressed Spock so formally.

 

[Lance]

On the face of it, I'd list a good portion of Season 3 as being above average.

"The Enterprise Incident"
"The Paradise Syndrome"
"Spectre of the Gun"
"Day of the Dove"
"The Tholian Web"
"Wink of an Eye"
"Elaan of Troyus"
"Whom Gods Destroy"
"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"
"All Our Yesterdays"

So, that's about half the season, that I'd be happy to list alongside the first two seasons in any list of the better TOS episodes. Not a bad batting average IMO.

To be sure, they aren't perfect by any means, and the budgetary limitations of that third season really push HARD against them sometimes. But in concept, and at times in their execution as well, most of the above are pretty good. Some of them are nearly exceptional.

 

[Marsden]

On the face of it, I'd list a good portion of Season 3 as being above average.

"The Enterprise Incident"
"The Paradise Syndrome"
"Spectre of the Gun"
"Day of the Dove"
"The Tholian Web"
"Wink of an Eye"
"Elaan of Troyus"
"Whom Gods Destroy"
"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"
"All Our Yesterdays"

So, that's about half the season, that I'd be happy to list alongside the first two seasons in any list of the better TOS episodes. Not a bad batting average IMO.

To be sure, they aren't perfect by any means, and the budgetary limitations of that third season really push HARD against them sometimes. But in concept, and at times in their execution as well, most of the above are pretty good. Some of them are nearly exceptional.

I agree, I'd even add For the World is ... to your list of good episodes,
but in my agreement I've notice something.

We just recently had Botany Bay's ranking of Season 1, showing only 1 real stinker, (I still find it fun to watch, though) and only 2 others that might be considered average that then had some people run to their defense.

No one really is running to the defense of And The Children Shall Lead.

So by acknowleging that half the season is just as good, that leaves the other half that.... isn't. And I am one who's always defened the third seasons value and hate the dissmissal of it as inferior. I stick by that. Savage Curtain is one of my favorites of any Star Trek season and a lot of people seem not to like that one, so I guess I'm a biased judge in this matter.

 

[Vger23]

I forgot about "Savage Curtain." I believe that's a good one as well. Certainly notable for introducing key pieces of Trek history in Surak and Kahless.

 

[EnriqueH]

Let That Be Your Last Battlefield wasn't as good as I remembered (though still enjoyable), but man, I loved that self-destruct scene.

Kirk at his most captainly cockiest.

"MINE...is the FINAL command."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOvuzrpHqwo

Glorious Kirk moment.

 

[Lance]

Yeah, I must agree Marsden, when I was writing that defence list and I got to the bit where I said "that's half a season of good episodes", the niggling feeling in my mind too was "But that means half the season isn't good..."

But hey-ho. I still don't think it's a bad average, compared to the accepted hyperbole that the whole season was somehow flawed (when it isn't).

 

[erastus25]

But what's most lacking in these shows, compared to the first two seasons, is humor. Even an excellent episode like "Spectre of the Gun" has Kirk too formally addressing Spock as "Science Officer" in the opening scene. Just feels wrong.

I get the impression, since this was the first episode of the season filmed, that certain phrases were used to "clarify" a few roles to anyone new, in the event it was aired first (Likely? Not likely? No idea). Spock as "science officer" (twice in the that scene) and calling the phasers "phaser guns" like they were by Bailey in "The Corbomite Maneuver." Uhura, Chekov and Spock all had dialog to showcase their backgrounds (well placed to display the Mekotian telepathy). Actually, the whole teaser is a mass of exposition for new folks, but the "first contact" introduction helps mask some of it.

Kirk: This is Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise, representing the United Federation of Planets.

Now we know who Kirk is and who he works for and on what ship.

Then we get this...

Kirk: Lieutenant Uhura, advise Doctor McCoy and Engineer Scott to meet me in the transporter room.

Now we know who McCoy and Scotty are (but not why they're essential to the mission - which they really shouldn't be) and a minute later, we know Scotty is in charge of the transporter and McCoy is cranky about the machine. Imagine you're seeing the show for the first time. You're pretty much up to speed on the basics of the format and the key players. The rest you can get along the way.

So, in that context, I can see why Kirk addressed Spock so formally.

That's a great point. I never noticed that.

 

[Marsden]

Yeah, I must agree Marsden, when I was writing that defence list and I got to the bit where I said "that's half a season of good episodes", the niggling feeling in my mind too was "But that means half the season isn't good..."

But hey-ho. I still don't think it's a bad average, compared to the accepted hyperbole that the whole season was somehow flawed (when it isn't).

I've seen quite a few shows that would love to be half good, I think it's easy to see the first 2 seasons and be spoiled that they were all going to be that good.

I know tastes vary, but for me, I'd take S3 over all seven years of voyager, or ds9, and I would prefer it over some of the TNG seasons, although that's getting harder to make a flat out statement.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

On the face of it, I'd list a good portion of Season 3 as being above average.

"The Enterprise Incident"
"The Paradise Syndrome"
"Spectre of the Gun"
"Day of the Dove"
"The Tholian Web"
"Wink of an Eye"
"Elaan of Troyus"
"Whom Gods Destroy"
"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"
"All Our Yesterdays"

So, that's about half the season, that I'd be happy to list alongside the first two seasons in any list of the better TOS episodes. Not a bad batting average IMO.

To be sure, they aren't perfect by any means, and the budgetary limitations of that third season really push HARD against them sometimes. But in concept, and at times in their execution as well, most of the above are pretty good. Some of them are nearly exceptional.

Pretty strong list. I enjoyed the serious tone between the cast in S3; I thought it was a natural progression suggesting the universe was an increasingly dangerous place to explore, and the 1701 crew matured with it.

 

[Lance]

That is very true. There is a general degree of 'darker and edgier' about season three, compared to the flights of fancy that characterized the second season in particular.

 

[Green Shirt]

I feel they did a decent job, considering the circumstances.

 

[johnnybear]

Let us not forget that for once their uniforms actually fit them and look very flashy compared to the washed out, shrinking outfits they had for the last two years!
JB

 

[spockboy]

Well I don't want to assign blame because we all know the many many circumstances surrounding Trek's last season and demise, but the whole season just FEELS wrong. Watch a first season episode then pop in a 3rd season one. The tone is radically different. All the magic is gone. Everybody is phoning it in. A lot of the cast became over simplified caricatures of their own characters.
-Kirk became much less dynamic and heroic and started to become more William Shatner than Captain Kirk. He used many more subtle acting techniques with his face in the first two seasons. Perhaps it was Jerry Finnermans close-ups or the directors that made that happen.
-Spock became so flat and unemotional. Nimoy also had many subtle facial expressions in season one and two that were all but gone by season 3.
-McCoy was mostly grumpy and pissed off at Spock but in seasons one and two he could be philosophical, gentle, very humorous.
-Scotty just became a panicking worry wart which was only one aspect of his character in the first two seasons in which he could be tough, a fighter, a drinker, or full of humor.
-Sulu didn't change much but he never had the energy he did in The Naked Time.
-Chekov was MUCH funnier in season 2 than season 3.
-Uhura was still very sexy and interesting but she became much more serious and kinda boring. Her character lost all of her humor as well.
-Nurse Chapel's Spock interest faded away and she became pretty much extraneous by season 3 although her character was always teetering on the brink of that anyway.
-Yeoman Rand wasn't there, Lt Riley wasn't there.

Season 3 had MANY embarrassing moments, Spock's Brain, Kirk on all fours imitating a horse in Plato's Stepchildren, And the Children Shall Lead with the pseudo masturbating kids and the guy in the shower curtain outfit, Lights of Zetar, Mark of Gideon, on and on. Crap episode after crap episode.

The interesting part is that Star Trek ALWAYS had interesting concepts even in season 3. Many of the 3rd season episodes were conceptually interesting, but suffered from poor execution.

I tried watching some season 3 on Netflix as I hadn't watched them in years for fear of tainting my Trek experience
It was just the way I remembered it. All the magic was just sucked out it. Like a big 'ol deflated balloon of the Enterprise.

As an editor I tried to think of ways to spruce them up. A lot of the 3rd season music isn't as good as season one and two, with a few exceptions, so I tried that but as I said all of the magic, the wonder, the energy, the newness is just not there. I would just be polishing turds. Perhaps they just set the bar so high (especially in season one) that they lost interest (contract negotiations etc) or had the energy, or the money to keep the quality up.

Obviously this is all my humble opinion
If you agree at all, what do you guys think caused most of the downfall?

 

[Warped9]

I think they they were all under enormous pressure. They had always been, but the pressure was escalating with slashed budgets and the loss of Roddenberry, Coon, Fontana and Justman. It could simply be a case of fatigue setting in after struggling so hard for two years already.

Although I don't take such a dim view of Season 3 as a whole I also acknowledge where they stumbled. And, to me, they stumbled when they lacked the more thorough thinking and more deft touch they seemed to have in the prior seasons. And that, to me, smacks as a result of being tired.

There are days you're just going to say, "I'm tired. I don't give a shit."

 

[Maurice]

...-Kirk became much less dynamic and heroic and started to become more William Shatner than Captain Kirk. He used many more subtle acting techniques with his face in the first two seasons. Perhaps it was Jerry Finnermans close-ups or the directors that made that happen.
-Spock became so flat and unemotional. Nimoy also had many subtle facial expressions in season one and two that were all but gone by season 3.
-McCoy was mostly grumpy and pissed off at Spock but in seasons one and two he could be philosophical, gentle, very humorous.
-Scotty just became a panicking worry wart which was only one aspect of his character in the first two seasons in which he could be tough, a fighter, a drinker, or full of humor.
-Sulu didn't change much but he never had the energy he did in The Naked Time.

Agreed.

-Chekov was MUCH funnier in season 2 than season 3.

That's a tone change in the show in general. The Coon "funny Trek" era was very much over.

Uhura was still very sexy and interesting but she became much more serious and kinda boring. Her character lost all of her humor as well.

Not picking on you, but it's sad how common it is that the first attribute of a woman men list is their sex appeal.

Nurse Chapel's Spock interest faded away...

A female character who was defined by her interest in a man. She was embarrassing with her one-dimensional crush. I actually prefer her without it, albeit she really has no "character" at all.

-Yeoman Rand wasn't there, Lt Riley wasn't there.

Rand hadn't been for a season and a half, and Riley was a two-shot guest star. So what's your point?

 

[spockboy]

Not picking on you, but it's sad how common it is that the first attribute of a woman men list is their sex appeal.

No offense taken, I take your point. Uhura was sold as a sexy person. An exotic lovely black woman in a tight miniskirt with a soft beautiful voice and melting brown eyes (just like the Queen of Sheba's apparently) She became interesting when she had more to say than "Hailing frequencies open sir" She seemed very professional except when she was forced to say things like "Captain, I'm frightened"

Rand hadn't been for a season and a half, and Riley was a two-shot guest star. So what's your point?

I thought Rand and Riley added a nice feel to the series and would have come in VERY handy in the 3rd season.

 

[Talos IV]

I just noticed that the first aired episode of the third season without Bob Justman ("Whom Gods Destroy") not only changed the closing theme music back to the version heard in season 2, but also the photos accompanying the end credits were mostly from first- and second-season episodes.

Maybe everyone had just about given up at this point and thought, "Hey, we might as well hark back to the show's glory days."

 

[johnnybear]

Whom Gods Destroy was a bad episode! It was banned for many years by the BBC for showing the criminally insane in a bad light but the real reason was that it wasn't much good!
JB

 

[Joel_Kirk]

Whom Gods Destroy was a bad episode! It was banned for many years by the BBC for showing the criminally insane in a bad light but the real reason was that it wasn't much good!
JB

lol

 

[Melakon]

"Spectre of the Gun" has always been one of my favorites (just watched it yet again), and the final act may be some of the best continuous 10 minutes in the series. The mind-meld sequence, intercut with the Earps' funeral march to the OK Corral, is mysterious and suspenseful. There's an interesting suggestion of unreality with the Earps, dull-eyed automatons walking that last mile amid wind, thunder, and lightning, and the mind-meld scenes with the coming storm almost minimal in weather effects.

YMMV.