TOS Episode Titles

[Marsden]

"Return To Tomorrow" has the "Risk is our business" speech. Impossible for it to utterly suck as an episode!

Maybe he meant the titles only? I thought all three episodes were good.

Plus, Nimoy as Hanoch was great.

Yes!

"Operation: Annihilate!", as I understand it the early versions of script have Kirk "nuking" Deneva to stop the parasites and basically killing everyone, which fits the title, but this one is pretty lame. How about, have a line in the intro as they are noting the path of dead systems pointed at Deneva like an arrow, and some title like "Arrow of Madness" (or something better )

I'm just going to throw out there:

"Attack of the: the Pancakes of Doom"

 

[Greg Cox]

"Return To Tomorrow" has the "Risk is our business" speech. Impossible for it to utterly suck as an episode!

We're not criticizing the episode. We're just criticizing the title.

 

[ToddPence]

I forgot about "Return to Tomorrow," but you're absolutely right. And "Return to Tomorrow" is a terribly generic and forgettable title for that episode. I honestly had to look it up just because I couldn't remember if this was the one with the Kelvans or not . . .

They might as well have called it "Back to the Future".

 

[CorporalCaptain]

"Return To Tomorrow" has the "Risk is our business" speech. Impossible for it to utterly suck as an episode!

Maybe he meant the titles only? I thought all three episodes were good.

Plus, Nimoy as Hanoch was great.

Yes!

"Return To Tomorrow" has the "Risk is our business" speech. Impossible for it to utterly suck as an episode!

We're not criticizing the episode. We're just criticizing the title.

Ah, gotya. I was a little confused. The OP was discussing a contrast between titles versus the actual episodes, but that was a segue into discussing just titles. I probably didn't read peoples' posts as carefully as I should have!

Agreed that "Return To Tomorrow" is an awful title. I can't make any sense out of it, really.

 

[HarryM]

The only sense I can make of it is the Sargon's civilization was our future, so when they are discovered/resurrected we are returning or revisiting their past, and our future. Bit of a stretch though.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I always always to remind myself which episodes "Metamorphosis" and "The Changeling" are. The titles are so generic they don't trigger any memories of the plots for me. The same goes for a lot of the TNG/VOY-style one-word titles.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I always always to remind myself which episodes "Metamorphosis" and "The Changeling" are. The titles are so generic they don't trigger any memories of the plots for me. The same goes for a lot of the TNG/VOY-style one-word titles.

I always want to call "The Changeling" "Nomad".

 

[Iamnotspock]

Although come to think of it, "Blood Fever" wouldn't be a bad title...

It wasn't.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Although come to think of it, "Blood Fever" wouldn't be a bad title...

It wasn't.

Heh. That shows you how much I watched VOY.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I always always to remind myself which episodes "Metamorphosis" and "The Changeling" are. The titles are so generic they don't trigger any memories of the plots for me. The same goes for a lot of the TNG/VOY-style one-word titles.

I have to disagree that "The Changeling" is generic. From Wikipedia, a changeling:

[...] is typically [...] the offspring of a fairy, troll, elf or other legendary creature that has been secretly left in the place of a human child.

While that's not a perfect metaphorical description of what happens to Nomad, since it's partly still the actual Nomad, the applicable idea in common is that it is not the real Nomad, but something in place of Nomad and purporting to be simply Nomad, however with developmental defects but also superior abilities. Kirk summarizes that in the episode, and it's always worked for me.

As for "Metamorphosis," I do agree that that is pretty generic. I think it works as a metaphor for a radical transformation undergone by a creature, in this case of the Companion metamorphosing into Nancy, which is how it's meant to play, I think. Again, though, that's somewhat inaccurate, since it's actually either about two creatures becoming one, or one creature taking over the body of another in the other's death and creating an undead creature, depending on your point of view. (Interesting that both episodes fail the analogy of their titles for similar reasons.) I do have to catch myself, though, from being reminded first of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, a story that leaves quite an impression! It might have been good advice to find another title for that reason alone. "I Married a Space Zombie" doesn't sound very romantic, despite it's accuracy, so I wouldn't have recommended that one either.

 

[ToddPence]

Some STAR TREK episode titles shared with other televison series:

"A Piece of the Action" - BATMAN,, TRAPPER JOHN M.D., THE ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR, THE FBI

"Metamorphosis" - SUPERNATURAL, SMALLVILLE, STARGATE SG-1, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, COLD CASE

"The Enemy Within" - BCIS, STARGATE SG-1, 7th HEAVEN, LAW AND ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT, MACGVER, NOWHERE MAN, UNDER THE DOME

"Obsession" - NCIS, SMALLVILLE, LAW AND ORDER, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, SLIDERS, DIAGNOSIS MURDER, HIGHLANDER

"Balance of Terror" - BURKE'S LAW, THE PROTECTORS, STUDIO ONE IN HOLLYWOOD

"What are Little Girls Made Of?" - BAD GIRLS CLUB, BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE

"The Changeling" - STARGATE SG-1, THE WALTONS

"Court Martial" - GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, THE BIG VALLEY, UFO

"Shore Leave" - COLD CASE, OIL STRIKE NORTH, THE SKYLARKS

"Errand of Mercy" - THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, SPACE PATROL, CAPTAIN VIDEO AND HIS VIDEO RANGERS

"All Our Yesterdays" - 77 SUNSET STRIP

"Catspaw" - MANNIX, IT TAKES A THIEF

"The Immunity Syndrome" - SPACE 1999

"The Ultimate Computer" - THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. has "The Ultimate Computer Affair", not an exact match but considering that all UNCLE titles are "affairs", the similarity should be noted.

 

[scotpens]

I forgot about "Return to Tomorrow," but you're absolutely right. And "Return to Tomorrow" is a terribly generic and forgettable title for that episode.

Agreed that "Return To Tomorrow" is an awful title. I can't make any sense out of it, really.

Yes, I never "got" that one. Who returns to tomorrow? What does returning to tomorrow mean, anyway?

Same deal with "The Immunity Syndrome" (i.e. "Attack of the Giant Space Amoeba"). Nothing in the episode is immune or is made immune to anything.

Another nonsensical title is "The Alternative Factor" -- although I suppose it's appropriate for an entire episode that makes no sense.

I'm just going to throw out there:

"Attack of the: the Pancakes of Doom"

"Attack of the Flying Fake Vomit" and "Attack of the Flying Eggs Over Easy" could also work.

 

[telerites]

Although one of my favorite episodes, I didn't get "Balance of Terror," as a title. Neither captain seemed to be in terror. Always thought the word balance made sense but something other than terror. With that said, the title without knowing the episode story would grab me.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Although one of my favorite episodes, I didn't get "Balance of Terror," as a title. Neither captain seemed to be in terror. Always thought the word balance made sense but something other than terror. With that said, the title without knowing the episode story would grab me.

I was curious, too, so I looked it up and got this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balance_of_terror:

The phrase "balance of terror" is usually, but not invariably, used in reference to the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

It describes the tenuous peace that existed between the two countries as a result of both governments being terrified at the prospect of a world-destroying nuclear war. The term is usually used for rhetorical purposes, and was probably coined by Lester Pearson in June 1955 at the 10th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter: "the balance of terror has replaced the balance of power".

The Neutral Zone would be like the Iron Curtain, then. I'd say that the analogy of Federation/Romulans with Americans/Soviets is driven home by the mention of atomic/nuclear weapons in the episode.

 

[Albertese]

...


Same deal with "The Immunity Syndrome" (i.e. "Attack of the Giant Space Amoeba"). Nothing in the episode is immune or is made immune to anything.

...

This title is a reference to the Enterprise itself. The space amoeba is threatening (by its mere existence) to eventually destroy big patches of our galaxy and they were the ones who had to prevent this from happening. They often refer to the space amoeba as a virus invading the Galaxy. Consider this exchange:

MCCOY: It's a disease, like a virus invading the body of our galaxy.
KIRK: Yes, it is, isn't it? How many cells does the human body have?
MCCOY: Millions.
KIRK: This thing, this cell, this virus. It's eleven thousand miles long, and it's one cell. When it grows into millions, we'll be the virus invading its body.
MCCOY: Now, isn't that a thought? Here we are, antibodies of our own galaxy, attacking an invading germ. It would be ironic indeed if that were our sole destiny, wouldn't it?
KIRK: Antibodies. Antibodies. (goes to desk monitor) Bridge.

The immunity the title refers to is the galaxy's immunity thanks to the Enterprise "antibodies."

--Alex

 

[telerites]

Although one of my favorite episodes, I didn't get "Balance of Terror," as a title. Neither captain seemed to be in terror. Always thought the word balance made sense but something other than terror. With that said, the title without knowing the episode story would grab me.

I was curious, too, so I looked it up and got this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balance_of_terror:

The phrase "balance of terror" is usually, but not invariably, used in reference to the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

It describes the tenuous peace that existed between the two countries as a result of both governments being terrified at the prospect of a world-destroying nuclear war. The term is usually used for rhetorical purposes, and was probably coined by Lester Pearson in June 1955 at the 10th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter: "the balance of terror has replaced the balance of power".

The Neutral Zone would be like the Iron Curtain, then. I'd say that the analogy of Federation/Romulans with Americans/Soviets is driven home by the mention of atomic/nuclear weapons in the episode.

Thanks. I had no idea. Good analogies too. Well now it all comes together great episode with a great title that is episode relevant.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Thanks. I had no idea. Good analogies too. Well now it all comes together great episode with a great title that is episode relevant.

I think so, too!

The immunity the title refers to is the galaxy's immunity thanks to the Enterprise "antibodies."

This is how I always interpreted it. But I'm still a little unclear what is precisely syndromic about it.

 

[Nebusj]

Some STAR TREK episode titles shared with other televison series:
[ ... ]

"Court Martial" - GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, THE BIG VALLEY, UFO

I don't know why it makes me so happy to know that Star Trek and Gilligan's Island had a common episode title.

 

[Greg Cox]

Some STAR TREK episode titles shared with other televison series:
[ ... ]

"Court Martial" - GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, THE BIG VALLEY, UFO

I don't know why it makes me so happy to know that Star Trek and Gilligan's Island had a common episode title.

Sadly, Gilligan was cancelled before they could do "The Doomsday Machine."

 

[Marsden]

Some STAR TREK episode titles shared with other televison series:
[ ... ]

"Court Martial" - GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, THE BIG VALLEY, UFO

I don't know why it makes me so happy to know that Star Trek and Gilligan's Island had a common episode title.

I don't know why, but I felt exactly the same.