Star Trek TOS Re-Watch

[Tallguy]

It probably feels less broad because he's playing Kirk imitating these guys

Precisely this.

Tribbles builds to the big pile on Kirk, but that's pretty much the only over the top gag. The rest are all in-character bits.

Very true. I think the difference for me is just how Shatner plays several of the bits. He never (almost never?) throws away a laugh line the way that he does in almost every other episode that has funny bits but isn't a comedy.

"I have never questioned the orders or the intelligence of any representative of the Federation."

Waaaaaaaait for it.

"Until now."

Never let Shatner know that he's expected to be funny. It reminds me of the difference between Leslie Nielsen and Lloyd Bridges in Airplane. Bridges kept trying to be "funny" and they had to tell him to stop. Nielsen figured out very quickly that the funniest thing he could do was play it totally straight.

Everyone else plays their characters no differently than at any other time. Nimoy knows that Spock being just as deadpan as always is funny. Kelley is as funny as he is anyplace else. Walter is the plucky comic relief anyway. He's practically Guy Fleegman. And Doohan? I mean, imagine Doohan trying to be MORE broad than usual?

So the variable is Shatner.

Not to cross, or at least bend the streams, but I think More Tribbles More Troubles is less of a comedy than TTWT is. The couple of overt comedic beats are just echoes of TTWT (and probably contribute to it's reputation as a total rehash) but otherwise it's an adventure story that happens to have Cyrano Jones in it.

Of all the episodes to get a Fotonovel in the 70's, man was I disappointed this was one over the more visually interesting Doomsday Machine or Corbomite Maneuver.

I can't argue with that.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Mirroring your final line, I can't argue with being sure to not tell Shatner to be funny. He pushes it. He did it with I, Mudd well past tolerance levels, but that goes over better considering they're all doing it. Kirk was, for the most part, the straight man. I definitely see your point.

I actually get a bigger laugh out of a very subtle line reading in The Omega Glory. Kirk has been cold cocked by a guard, dragged off and tied up, punched and karate chopped by Tracey, had a brawl with Cloud William, got cold cocked again (and HARD), was unconscious for hours, finally escapes with Spock and they make their way to Bones who greets them with:

McCoy: "Good morning, Jim."

Shatner's exasperated "good morning?" goes by so fast, it's easy to miss, but it's hysterical and totally in character. An underplayed delivery in an episode with over the top acting galore.

 

[Commander Troi]

"The Gamesters of Triskelion" by Margaret Armen

This is an odd episode. I can't really call it "good", but it's not really "bad" either. It has some great bits in it, especially between Spock and McCoy. But as a whole, I found it a little... meh.

The Enterprise is to check on an unmanned station, but as Kirk, Chekov, and Uhura prepare to beam down, they disappear. They find themselves on the planet Triskelion, where Thralls (read "slaves") fight each other for the amusement of their Providers, who love to gamble. They are to be trained as new Thralls: Uhura by Lars (who also is supposed to mate with her), Chekov by Tamoon, and Kirk by Shahna. The Master Thrall, Galt, fits them with obedience collars.

Meanwhile, Spock searches for them, finding no trace. A crew member finds an ion trail and Spock decides to follow it, to the dismay of McCoy and Scott.

Uhura has a nice moment when she refuses to fight a restrained Thrall who's being punished. Instead of letting her be punished, Kirk subs in for her and fights Kloog, a big silent guy with a whip. Kirk eventually gets the better of Kloog and the Providers start bidding for the humans.

Our Heroes try to escape several times. In between, Kirk tries to get information from Shahna and also seduces her.

I'm not sure why Chekov seems so put off by Tamoon. She looks perfectly normal (if yellow). Shahna, on the other hand, is so skinny I can't take her seriously as a fighter.

The Enterprise gets to Triskelion and is stopped by the Providers. Kirk finally gets to see them and they're disembodied brains. Kirk does a nice job using their gambling addiction against them. He battles 3 Thralls at once, beating them and eventually fights Shahna, whose life he spares. The Providers free everyone and promise they will teach the Thralls to govern themselves. Shahna wants to join Kirk in the stars, but he tells her she needs to learn from the Providers first.

My favorite moments are Spock shutting McCoy's and Scott's complaints down by asking if they're going to mutiny and Shahna's lovely, haunting, "I will learn, and watch the lights in the sky, and remember."

 

[Farscape One]

"The Gamesters of Triskelion" by Margaret Armen

This is an odd episode. I can't really call it "good", but it's not really "bad" either. It has some great bits in it, especially between Spock and McCoy. But as a whole, I found it a little... meh.

The Enterprise is to check on an unmanned station, but as Kirk, Chekov, and Uhura prepare to beam down, they disappear. They find themselves on the planet Triskelion, where Thralls (read "slaves") fight each other for the amusement of their Providers, who love to gamble. They are to be trained as new Thralls: Uhura by Lars (who also is supposed to mate with her), Chekov by Tamoon, and Kirk by Shahna. The Master Thrall, Galt, fits them with obedience collars.

Meanwhile, Spock searches for them, finding no trace. A crew member finds an ion trail and Spock decides to follow it, to the dismay of McCoy and Scott.

Uhura has a nice moment when she refuses to fight a restrained Thrall who's being punished. Instead of letting her be punished, Kirk subs in for her and fights Kloog, a big silent guy with a whip. Kirk eventually gets the better of Kloog and the Providers start bidding for the humans.

Our Heroes try to escape several times. In between, Kirk tries to get information from Shahna and also seduces her.

I'm not sure why Chekov seems so put off by Tamoon. She looks perfectly normal (if yellow). Shahna, on the other hand, is so skinny I can't take her seriously as a fighter.

The Enterprise gets to Triskelion and is stopped by the Providers. Kirk finally gets to see them and they're disembodied brains. Kirk does a nice job using their gambling addiction against them. He battles 3 Thralls at once, beating them and eventually fights Shahna, whose life he spares. The Providers free everyone and promise they will teach the Thralls to govern themselves. Shahna wants to join Kirk in the stars, but he tells her she needs to learn from the Providers first.

My favorite moments are Spock shutting McCoy's and Scott's complaints down by asking if they're going to mutiny and Shahna's lovely, haunting, "I will learn, and watch the lights in the sky, and remember."

I have always had a soft spot for this one. A lot of great moments here, many of which you mentioned.

Regarding Chekov, I think he is put off by the voice. It's a very... odd one. Sometimes a person's voice can just get to you.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Chekov is put off be because Tamoon is presented to be unattractive and masculine. Time hasn't been kind to that bit, but watching reruns in the 70's & 80's, it still landed.

This one is pulpy fun. It's actually a pretty good example of what average viewers think of when they hear "Star Trek." Green haired beauties being romanced by Kirk who fights a lot and makes speeches. But it's got a charm I can't shake with some lovely action sequences. Shatner does his own stunts and his fight with Lars in the teaser is fantastic.

Note he crunched his communicator when he rolled on the ground when they popped onto Triskelion.

The arguments between Spock, McCoy and Scotty felt like filler, with McCoy off the charts bitchy without Kirk there, as usual. Both men forgot a starship isn't a democracy.

I dunno, I like this one. Late second season episodes are high concept fun.

 

[Warped9]

Chekov is put off be because Tamoon is presented to be unattractive and masculine. Time hasn't been kind to that bit, but watching reruns in the 70's & 80's, it still landed.

Attractiveness is a very personal thing. You cannot force someone to find someone else attractive. The littlest thing can turn you off.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Attractiveness is a very personal thing. You cannot force someone to find someone else attractive. The littlest thing can turn you off.

Certainly, but they didn't throw a beauty queen in there and have Chekov balk. They stacked the deck by making Tamoon pretty androgynous and with unflattering makeup. Nobody was looking that deep into Chekov's standards of beauty. It was a gag scene in an episode that needed some levity. And I can see how that may be regarded as off putting to some people today.

I watch everything in context of the times. Like you, I also grew up with it, so none of it bothers me.

 

[Forbin]

"What are you doing to Lieutenant Yoo-hoorah??"

 

[Ssosmcin]

"What are you doing to Lieutenant Yoo-hoorah??"

"What's happening to Lt. You Hear-ha!!"

Srsly, no second take for that one?

Also showcases Star Trek's habit of badly overdubbing stock female screams without blocking out the on set actor noises. So Uhura, like Vina, is screaming and gasping simultaneously.

 

[Rowdy Roddy McDowall]

Attractiveness is a very personal thing. You cannot force someone to find someone else attractive. The littlest thing can turn you off.

Still recovering from Miranda Jones's distorted-nose close-up.....

"What are you doing to Lieutenant Yoo-hoorah??"

I hear it as ''Tuhura'' due to the speedy tension of it all.

But Tamoon is a galactic treasure.

 

[Commander Troi]

"A Piece of the Action" by David P. Harmon and Gene L. Coon

This episode is not *quite* as silly as I remembered. In fact, I'd argue it showcases Kirk's problem solving abilities and adaptability very well.

I starts relatively tense and stays serious (except for the wonderful Fizzbin scene) up until Kirk adopts the speech and manners of the Iotians - but even then, he's playing a part to get to the end he wants.

100 years earlier, before the Prime Directive, a ship called The Horizon visited Sigma Iotia II and left a book there called Chicago Mobs of the Twenties. The Iotians modelled their culture on it.

There are lots of little moments that make this episode work. Shatner in particular goes from confusion to frustration to determination within the course of the hour. I love when he takes apart the radio and makes a tripwire. I love how he handles the kid outside Krako's place. His solution to the contamination of the Iotians' culture is quite clever and I really like how, when Tepo comments on only having seen a few guys, Kirk thinks fast and has Scotty stun the gangsters outside. I also smiled at the delightful grin on Uhura's face as she realizes (a moment before Scotty) that Kirk is having them beam up Krako. And Spock! Nimoy is wonderfully bemused throughout and seems to really enjoy ribbing Kirk about his driving.

Shoutouts to Anthony Caruso as Oxmyx and Vic Tayback as Krako. They're just terrific.

(It doesn't hurt how I feel about the episode that Oxmyx looks like my grandfather. )

 

[Farscape One]

I've always liked "A PIECE OF THE ACTION". It's a fun episode. And it does showcase Kirk's quick thinking on his feet.

And Spock's reaction to Kirk answering his question on how Starfleet will send a ship every year to collect 'their cut'... priceless.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

This is one of those episodes that a lot of people around here actively dislike, along with Charlie X, Miri, and The Trouble with Tribbles, all of which I like a lot.

The Star Trek Giant Poster Book published a whole working set of rules for Fizzbin, in their Nov 1976 issue. In a later issue, they came out with rules for three-dimensional chess.

Trivia: A Piece of the Action marks one of only two times in the entire TV series that TOS characters rode in a land vehicle. The other episode being...

 

[Ssosmcin]

This is one of those episodes that a lot of people around here actively dislike, along with Charlie X, Miri, and The Trouble with Tribbles, all of which I like a lot.

Yeah I'm one of them. This one is a dud with me, along with Charlie X. But Miri has grown on me and I consider Tribbles the best comedy of the original series (I, Mudd is the dregs). But, as long time readers who pay attention to my posts know, I don't enjoy Star Trek as a full on comedy.

Trivia: A Piece of the Action marks one of only two times in the entire TV series that TOS characters rode in a land vehicle. The other episode being...

Well, you stress the series, so Star Trek IV on a bus doesn't count. Neither does The Jihan in TAS. So, you've got me. I can't place any other time we've seen them in a land vehicle on screen.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

Trivia: A Piece of the Action marks one of only two times in the entire TV series that TOS characters rode in a land vehicle. The other episode being...

The answer has to be...

Spoiler

Patterns of Force.

 

[Henoch]

The answer has to be...

Spoiler

Patterns of Force.

Spoiler: Auto

 

[Warped9]

…as long time readers who pay attention to my posts know, I don't enjoy Star Trek as a full on comedy.

Same. On this I’m in agreement with GR who also was not fond of the full on comedic episodes.

At the time when Batmania and camp were all the rage on television it’s not hard to see why some then thought it a good idea Star Trek explore that direction. But GR evidently resisted that mindset and thus put a stop to it.

Even as a kid, while I thought they could be amusing, it still struck me as off and out of place. Roddenberry, and us as fans, wanted Star Trek to be taken seriously yet here were stories that were making a joke of it. TTWT isn’t quite as off-putting, but the other two comedies are just too out there.

Season 3’s return and adherence to a tone similar to Season 1 was welcome, “Spock’s Brain” notwithstanding. And “Spock’s Brain,” contrary to popular myth, was not intended as a comedy. It’s a victim of a poor execution of a valid science fiction concept long explored in SF literature. It needed a serious rewrite and better creative choices.

 

[Tallguy]

I don't see anyone would think Spock's Brain is a comedy. Stupid, sure. But never a comedy.

I also don't think that A Piece of the Action is overtly a comedy. There are laughs. There are laughs in Wrath of Khan. But this a much less absurd situation than, say, The Squire of Gothos.

It's funny to look at Roddenberry's attempts at humor in The Cage, Where No Man Has Gone Before, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He shouldn't try it. Which might be why he got annoyed when other people (successfully) did.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

I think that push to make Star Trek a show people could take seriously is part of the reason it's rated alongside series like Twilight Zone, instead of things like Lost in Space, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and whatever else was on at the time. But the push to make it funny helped too.

 

[Ssosmcin]

The answer has to be...

Spoiler

Patterns of Force.

And there you go.