What if the Enterprise came to visit present-day Earth? Look no further than Tomorrow Is Yesterday for your answer. Of course, time travel has rarely been done, and it's not a very well understood procedure, so the Enterprise has to approach the whole thing with kid gloves, which means some interesting hijinks will ensue. The episode's best material involves Captain Christopher aboard the Enterprise, and Captain Kirk at the airbase. Christopher's situation isn't too funny, and provides some dramatic weight, but Kirk's is plenty hilarious, ensuring that this episode has lots to offer. A great scenario, well executed.
Tomorrow Is Yesterday
- Thread starter Mendon
- Start date
I know a lot of people love this episode, but I've never been able to get into it. It's not a bad episode just not that interesting to me. Maybe just because I'd rather not see the Enterprise in the 20th century. I know what the 20th century looks like I'd rather see more of what the 23rd century looks like. Although I am a big fan of Operation Annihilate so maybe I'm just full of it.
I think this one's best served up as a comedy. If you get all serious and try to figure out the "science" of it, it doesn't hold up too well. That said, it's always been one of my favorites...the "gotcha" teaser and Christopher's chase of the Enterprise through the atmosphere are terrific.
This is an episode that really, really benefits from the remastered special effects. In the original, when they do the slingshot around the sun, there's just a bunch of randomly strung-together stock shots of the Enterprise. In the remastered, your really get a feel that the Enterprise is on a roller-coaster ride through the solar system!
This is an episode that really, really benefits from the remastered special effects. In the original, when they do the slingshot around the sun, there's just a bunch of randomly strung-together stock shots of the Enterprise. In the remastered, your really get a feel that the Enterprise is on a roller-coaster ride through the solar system!
The mechanics of time travel are really screwed up in this. They have to travel back before going forward? They beam Christopher and the sergeant back not only replacing them instantaneously, but also wiping their memories? The Enterprise disappears when Christopher is intercepting it? Those events still happened from the Enterprise's perspective so why not to the guest characters?
You really have to suspend any intelligence to watch this one. That said, I've always had a soft spot for it. Must be the sight of the F-104 intercepting the Enterprise. Saw some of the remastered shots on memory-alpha, and I think these will really add to the episode.
You really have to suspend any intelligence to watch this one. That said, I've always had a soft spot for it. Must be the sight of the F-104 intercepting the Enterprise. Saw some of the remastered shots on memory-alpha, and I think these will really add to the episode.
Maybe someone will recognize the mountains in these two Trek Core screen caps:
http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x19hd/tomorrowisyesterdayhd003.jpg
http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x19hd/tomorrowisyesterdayhd004.jpg
http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x19hd/tomorrowisyesterdayhd003.jpg
http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x19hd/tomorrowisyesterdayhd004.jpg
I'll have to totally agree with the remastered version showing the Enterprise climb the atmosphere. The original special effects were really unconvincing, to say the least, but it looks really good in the remaster (I've only seen it once). Overall an average episode for me now, although I used to watch it frequently when I was younger.
As a side note, I think it would've been better if they had that JJ-shake-the-camera feel inside the jet's cockpit.
As a side note, I think it would've been better if they had that JJ-shake-the-camera feel inside the jet's cockpit.
Pretty, indeed. 
I was looking at pictures of El Segundo and Edwards, but neither of them had pictures that look like this particularly. Maybe I'll get a chance to look at some others later, like El Toro or Vandenberg. I'm actually just waiting for somebody to happen by who knows... Might be able to further pin it down by the type of planes the bases flew in the mid-1960's.
I was looking at pictures of El Segundo and Edwards, but neither of them had pictures that look like this particularly. Maybe I'll get a chance to look at some others later, like El Toro or Vandenberg. I'm actually just waiting for somebody to happen by who knows... Might be able to further pin it down by the type of planes the bases flew in the mid-1960's.
I really like "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" even with its screwy science.
One note about the Enterprise disappearing from Christopher's perspective after he's "beamed" (
) back into his plane: previously the Enterprise was damaged, possibly even its impulse drive, and thus couldn't move quickly enough--now its systems are fully operational and the ship can react quickly to "get out of there." But in this instance the repaired Enterprise isn't really there anymore--and why should it have to be (?)--when it can beam Christopher back into his plane form orbit hundreds to thousands of miles up. And so when Christopher's "back" in his plane the whole sequence of events falls apart (from his perspective) and the ship isn't there.
Yeah, I know it's still bullshit, but it's the best I can do and I still love this episode.
One note about the Enterprise disappearing from Christopher's perspective after he's "beamed" (
) back into his plane: previously the Enterprise was damaged, possibly even its impulse drive, and thus couldn't move quickly enough--now its systems are fully operational and the ship can react quickly to "get out of there." But in this instance the repaired Enterprise isn't really there anymore--and why should it have to be (?)--when it can beam Christopher back into his plane form orbit hundreds to thousands of miles up. And so when Christopher's "back" in his plane the whole sequence of events falls apart (from his perspective) and the ship isn't there.Yeah, I know it's still bullshit, but it's the best I can do and I still love this episode.
Similar threads
