TOS Revisited (for the umpteenth time)
- Thread starter Willieck
- Start date
People losing jobs to machines was kind of a new phenomenon back then and disconcerting to a lot of Americans. The Twilight Zone did a few episodes on the theme as well. In one, a greedy CEO keeps replacing his workers with machines until eventually he’s the only one left with a whole bunch of machines working for him, then in the episode’s money shot the CEO himself is replaced by Robby the Robot.
“The Ultimate Computer” benefited enormously from the commanding presence and talent of William “Blacula” Marshall as Dr. Richard Daystrom.
One thing about that episode that's always bugged me is Commodore Wesley's “Captain Dunsel” remark. Even if it was meant in jest, it seemed out of place, unprofessional, and unmilitary to denigrate a fellow officer that way, especially one as accomplished and respected as Kirk. It's the sort of thing one might hear if Wesley and Kirk were having a drink together in private, but not over an open subspace channel with the whole bridge crew listening.
BTW, the word “dunsel” seems to have been coined specifically for this episode. Did anyone ever hear this word used prior to Star Trek?
One thing about that episode that's always bugged me is Commodore Wesley's “Captain Dunsel” remark. Even if it was meant in jest, it seemed out of place, unprofessional, and unmilitary to denigrate a fellow officer that way, especially one as accomplished and respected as Kirk. It's the sort of thing one might hear if Wesley and Kirk were having a drink together in private, but not over an open subspace channel with the whole bridge crew listening.
BTW, the word “dunsel” seems to have been coined specifically for this episode. Did anyone ever hear this word used prior to Star Trek?
Getting briefly off-topic, the TZ episode “The Brain Center at Whipple's” was directed by Richard Donner -- and was progressive for its time (1964) in featuring a black actor (Thalmus Rasulala, born Jack Crowder) in a non-race-specific role as a computer technician.
That is my understanding as well.
Kirk’s reaction to the word with his dazed walk to the turbolift is... ugh. I don’t know whether to blame Shatner, the director (John Meredyth Lucas), or both.
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Bread and Circuses
I don't really know what to make of this one. It is quite enjoyable on a superficial level. It is spoilt for me really by being so completely unbelievable (even for Star Trek!) The ending is too twee by far if that's the word.
Assignment Earth
Definitely one of my favourites. I love all the time travel ones.
I love Mr Seven AND his cat and Terri Garr did a brilliant job as the dippy Roberta. Nice cliffhanger ending even when you have seen it several times and know the outcome. Great stuff!
I will now boldly go on to Season three.
Bread and Circuses
I don't really know what to make of this one. It is quite enjoyable on a superficial level. It is spoilt for me really by being so completely unbelievable (even for Star Trek!) The ending is too twee by far if that's the word.
Assignment Earth
Definitely one of my favourites. I love all the time travel ones.
I love Mr Seven AND his cat and Terri Garr did a brilliant job as the dippy Roberta. Nice cliffhanger ending even when you have seen it several times and know the outcome. Great stuff!
I will now boldly go on to Season three.
To me, that always played as gallows humor acknowledging the two men's shared distaste at what the "propeller-heads" were trying to do to them. Wesley was essentially saying, "Christ, Jim, they want that machine to show you the door! And most likely they'll be wanting to fling my butt out right behind you!"
I think that was kinda the point; even though it was an open com-channel, it was an inside joke between him and Kirk, so the others wouldn't have realized its unprofessional meaning.
I'm pretty sure "dunsel" is an old naval term. I'm checking...
Enterprise Incident
Lots of good stuff in this one. I would describe it as a "spiffing yarn". The Romulan Commander reminded me a little bit of a Romulan Janeway. The only thing I did not like was the "romantic" interlude between Spock and the Romulan commander. Made me want to reach for the sick bag.
One thing that did occur. When Kirk used the uniform of one of the Romulan hostages he was addressed as Centurion. I find it extremely unlikely that a centurion would have been sent as a hostage. They would probably have sent two of the lowest ranking officers on the Romulan vessel whatever that might have been.
The Paradise Syndrome
The sad ending always gets to me.
Lots of good stuff in this one. I would describe it as a "spiffing yarn". The Romulan Commander reminded me a little bit of a Romulan Janeway. The only thing I did not like was the "romantic" interlude between Spock and the Romulan commander. Made me want to reach for the sick bag.
One thing that did occur. When Kirk used the uniform of one of the Romulan hostages he was addressed as Centurion. I find it extremely unlikely that a centurion would have been sent as a hostage. They would probably have sent two of the lowest ranking officers on the Romulan vessel whatever that might have been.
The Paradise Syndrome
The sad ending always gets to me.
Yeah, sending a Centurion makes only slightly more sense than using the Captain of the Enterprise as the Romulan infiltrator or depending on an Aspie to seduce the commander of the Romulan fleet.
But then, why should a low ranking crewman on the Romulan ship be told just who was sent over as hostages?
Apparently, what differentiates the low ranking Romulan, who apparently spent the rest of the episode in his underwear, from a centurion is the helmet. Now, had Kirk gone back to the Romulan ship with the helmet, looking like the low ranking shlub he got the uniform from, he wouldn't have been able to bluff his way by the guy he met when he beamed over, nor would he have been able to get close enough to the other two, who he wound up having to knock out anyway.
Apparently, what differentiates the low ranking Romulan, who apparently spent the rest of the episode in his underwear, from a centurion is the helmet. Now, had Kirk gone back to the Romulan ship with the helmet, looking like the low ranking shlub he got the uniform from, he wouldn't have been able to bluff his way by the guy he met when he beamed over, nor would he have been able to get close enough to the other two, who he wound up having to knock out anyway.
Well, its that universal translator thingy I expect.Good thing Kirk spoke fluent Romulan, eh?
And the Children Shall Lead
I know that this is not one of the all time favourite episodes amongst Trekkies generally so I was determined to approach it objectively. I came to the conclusion that it was another missed opportunity. The story started out reasonably enough but rapidly went downhill when the kids started their magic spell or whatever it was, and the "angel" appeared.
The idea of an alien race taking over through children was not such a bad idea but in reality it was handled very clumsily.
I know that this is not one of the all time favourite episodes amongst Trekkies generally so I was determined to approach it objectively. I came to the conclusion that it was another missed opportunity. The story started out reasonably enough but rapidly went downhill when the kids started their magic spell or whatever it was, and the "angel" appeared.
The idea of an alien race taking over through children was not such a bad idea but in reality it was handled very clumsily.
Is there in Truth No Beauty
Quite an intriguing episode this one. It is worth watching if only for the brilliant performance of Diana Muldaur. I was a little puzzled about the opening of the story and the inconsistency about the use or lack of use of the visors. Dr Jones arrived on the transporter pad wearing a visor even though the Medusan was safe in his box. She then removed her visor as did Spock and a little later we see them carrying the box wearing their visors again. Did they think he might pop out like a jack in a box and say "boo" ?
The other point was the appallingly patronising attitude of the the senior officers towards the doctor. At least she got her own back at one point when they made the toast.
Nitpicking though. It was a good episode.
Spectre of the Gun
One of my favourites. I like all the pseudo western episodes in the various ST series. e.g. A fistful of Datas
Quite an intriguing episode this one. It is worth watching if only for the brilliant performance of Diana Muldaur. I was a little puzzled about the opening of the story and the inconsistency about the use or lack of use of the visors. Dr Jones arrived on the transporter pad wearing a visor even though the Medusan was safe in his box. She then removed her visor as did Spock and a little later we see them carrying the box wearing their visors again. Did they think he might pop out like a jack in a box and say "boo" ?
The other point was the appallingly patronising attitude of the the senior officers towards the doctor. At least she got her own back at one point when they made the toast.
Nitpicking though. It was a good episode.
Spectre of the Gun
One of my favourites. I like all the pseudo western episodes in the various ST series. e.g. A fistful of Datas
One of my absolute favorites because if its execution. The mood, the photography, the moral lessons, and OH, the music. A truly beautiful episode, as befits its intent.
Day of the Dove
I quite liked this one as again it had a message. Although I prefer the "new" Klingons (with the foreheads) I thought Kang was quite good.
The ending was a bit abrupt though and I wondered how they disposed of the Klingons on the Enterprise. If they took them to a Star Base or back to the Klingon home world, either way there would have been trouble. Perhaps we are better not knowing.
For the World is Hollow.......
Not one of my favourites. They never explained why the missiles were sent out at the beginning of the episode and it was never referred to again once they got on board the "asteroid". Also I think that McKoy might have been just a tad more upset when the high priestess was going to kill his friends. I would certainly not have trusted her after that, even if I had fancied her, which I didn't. Bit of a weird bird.
The Tholian Web
A load of Dingo's kidneys.
I quite liked this one as again it had a message. Although I prefer the "new" Klingons (with the foreheads) I thought Kang was quite good.
The ending was a bit abrupt though and I wondered how they disposed of the Klingons on the Enterprise. If they took them to a Star Base or back to the Klingon home world, either way there would have been trouble. Perhaps we are better not knowing.
For the World is Hollow.......
Not one of my favourites. They never explained why the missiles were sent out at the beginning of the episode and it was never referred to again once they got on board the "asteroid". Also I think that McKoy might have been just a tad more upset when the high priestess was going to kill his friends. I would certainly not have trusted her after that, even if I had fancied her, which I didn't. Bit of a weird bird.
The Tholian Web
A load of Dingo's kidneys.
I have always been unable to follow the logic of the visors as well, and if I'm remembering correctly, as the medusan is beamed off the ship in the finale, Spock who has some natural protection as a Vulcan is wearing the visor, but the vulnerable human Kirk is also watching the beam out with no visor at all.
In groping for a rationale for the use of the visor while beaming him out, is the assumption that as the molecules of the medusan and the box are taken apart or put back together, that there might potentially be a brief glimpse of his hideousness through the box before all the molecules settle into position?
In groping for a rationale for the use of the visor while beaming him out, is the assumption that as the molecules of the medusan and the box are taken apart or put back together, that there might potentially be a brief glimpse of his hideousness through the box before all the molecules settle into position?