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TOS' worst episode.

One of the lame parts of TLOZ was the shoehorning of a romance into an episode to fill time. Season 3 had lots of that pointless romance with characters we knew we would never see again. Chekov and Irina, Spock and Droxine, McCoy and Natira, Chekov and Sylvia from Spectre. The thing with Scotty was so sad. In Adonais we see Scotty hovering over Carolyn and in the very teaser McCoy comments that it appears that Carolyn isn't really into him! So In both cases Scotty seems to be a lot more into the girl than vice-versa. That weakens his character more than it helps. And I also hated Mira's attitude and general nervousness. I think her character is a worse statement on women in Starfleet than Janice Lester. Lester's comments can be attributed to someone who is a homicidal nut-job. Maybe women aren't really as discriminated as much as she states because she wants to blame someone rather than herself. Mira genuinely seems to be in over her head on the ship and comes off as immature.
The scary aspects of Zetar are good. The creepy Zetar voice, the dark Memory Alpha base with the dead people, the weird voice coming from the Tech, the disconcerting viewer image of the "cloud" returning to the station. I wish they had added more scary, weird imagery and cut the romance entirely and the whole quasi "court-room" discussion of Mira.
 
One of the lame parts of TLOZ was the shoehorning of a romance into an episode to fill time. Season 3 had lots of that pointless romance with characters we knew we would never see again. Chekov and Irina, Spock and Droxine, McCoy and Natira, Chekov and Sylvia from Spectre. The thing with Scotty was so sad. In Adonais we see Scotty hovering over Carolyn and in the very teaser McCoy comments that it appears that Carolyn isn't really into him! So In both cases Scotty seems to be a lot more into the girl than vice-versa. That weakens his character more than it helps. And I also hated Mira's attitude and general nervousness. I think her character is a worse statement on women in Starfleet than Janice Lester. Lester's comments can be attributed to someone who is a homicidal nut-job. Maybe women aren't really as discriminated as much as she states because she wants to blame someone rather than herself. Mira genuinely seems to be in over her head on the ship and comes off as immature.
The scary aspects of Zetar are good. The creepy Zetar voice, the dark Memory Alpha base with the dead people, the weird voice coming from the Tech, the disconcerting viewer image of the "cloud" returning to the station. I wish they had added more scary, weird imagery and cut the romance entirely and the whole quasi "court-room" discussion of Mira.

As a Star Trek romance, TLOZ isn't for everyone. Even though I strongly disagree with you on several points, I nevertheless respect that you have your own opinion. We all do. I'm sure there are "Turnabout Intruder" and "Plato's Stepchildren" fans out there somewhere, and they must have their own reasons for loving these episodes. :shrug:

Romance isn't everyone's thing, obviously, and that seems to be especially true in the world of ST. Re: Carolyn Palamas, she was polite to Scotty, but that was all. She never had the same level of interest in him that he did in her. Even McCoy saw that. It happens, so we live and learn and move on. Mira Romaine, however, is an entirely different story. She is beautiful, highly intelligent, sexually attractive, sweet, kind and very much a woman of substance which is fitting because our beloved Chief Engineer is very much a man of substance. And yes, they are both very much attracted to one another and also very much in love. Scotty and Mira represent a May-December romance in its most beautiful form. I don't want to take up too much space in this reply, but I invite you to visit my blog for an in-depth discussion of this episode which will hopefully shed some light on the characters and plot. I will, however, address two points.

As for Mira's attitude, we need to keep several things in mind. It is while she is on her first assignment for the Federation that she and Montgomery Scott meet and fall in love. It wasn't something either of them anticipated or planned on--it just happened. Mira naturally wanted to do well on her first assignment and she was until the Zetar's first attack on the ship. Embarrassed at being the only person out of 430 who passed out, she simply wanted the ordeal to be over with so she could return to duty. She was fearful of saying something that could jeopardize her assignment (new jobs are stressful enough as it is), and this is why she appeared to be uncooperative and answered McCoy rather sharply. It's not out of malice, dislike or disrespect for the doctor, but just out of embarrassment, frustration and a silent but growing fear of the strange, terrifying thoughts and images that are beginning to take over her mind. She tries to listen to what Scotty is telling her about the effect that deep space travel can have on people, but deep down she fears it's far more serious than space sickness. Let's recap: falling very much in love while on one's first Federation assignment AND attempted alien possession nearly resulting in death. Seems to me that's a helluva lot to have going on in your life all at the same time. How well would any one of us handle that emotional overload?

Lastly, many people criticize poor Scotty for his actions in this episode. He's deeply in love with Mira (which I think is just beautiful), so how do people expect him to act? Say to her, "Gee Mira, I hope everything works out okay for you. If you live, let's go have dinner and shag tonight, okay?" Really? :eek: Speaking from the female perspective, Montgomery Scott is worth his weight in gold (as well as dilithium crystals), and what woman wouldn't want a man who is that much in love with her? :luvlove: Just my humble thoughts.....
 
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I would go for "Plato's Stepchildren" - it's so bad that I don't think I have ever been able to sit through the whole thing.

Most of the weaker episodes are definitely from the 3rd season - for budgetary reasons as much as anything else - but there are odd clunkers in season two - "Return to Tomorrow", "Gamesters of Triskellion".

First season is almost perfect - good science fiction drama that has never been bettered by any other season of Star Trek in any of its incarnations.
 
Kathie Browne was certainly pretty, but rather bland as an actress. I'd say it was more the Bill Theiss costume that made her sexy. "Excuse me, Miss, but I think you just lost half your dress!"

She was also a bit skinny for me too, let's face it she was no Irene Kelley now was she! :drool:
JB
 
She was also a bit skinny for me too, let's face it she was no Irene Kelley now was she! :drool:
JB

One little scratch from her and you end up like this....

winkofaneyehd0705.jpg
 
Lets get into the dirt and talk about TOS' worst efforts.

I think these are poor although perhaps not outright bad:
“The Apple”
“I, Mudd”
“A Piece Of The Action”
“Spock’s Brain”
“The Mark Of Gideon”
“Turnabout Intruder”

I think these ones, well, kinda smell bad:
“And The Children Shall Lead”
“Wink Of An Eye”
“Whom Gods Destroy”

Hey, "The Apple" gave us the lovely 'Yeoman Martha Landon'. I always had a crush on her, when I watched this episode. Lovely Celeste Yarnall at that age.

I quite enjoy both "Whom Gods Destroy" and am I the only one who likes the "Turnabout Intruder?" I like Shatner's performance in that episode.
 
I quite enjoy both "Whom Gods Destroy" and am I the only one who likes the "Turnabout Intruder?" I like Shatner's performance in that episode.

I like WGD, even though Bob Justman seriously questioned the episode as being a semi-repeat of DOTM.

TI is okay. It's not my favorite, nor is it my worst episode. It just exists as a TOS episode, that's all.
 
The Paradise Syndrome, All Our Yesterdays, and The Way to Eden all are equally as annoying to me.........I mean I still like them and Season 3 had a few really good ones........but to me these are stinkers.
 
Hey, "The Apple" gave us the lovely 'Yeoman Martha Landon'. I always had a crush on her, when I watched this episode. Lovely Celeste Yarnall at that age.

I quite enjoy both "Whom Gods Destroy" and am I the only one who likes the "Turnabout Intruder?" I like Shatner's performance in that episode.

Even though I don't care for either WGD or TI, I'm glad that you do! :) A lot of people don't care for my favorite episode either (TLOZ), but it's great that TOS fans can find good in all episodes! My main problems with TI are 1) Janice Lester seems to be a HIGHLY unlikely female for Kirk to have ever been seriously involved with, her mental issues notwithstanding. She just isn't the type of female I can imagine Kirk being interested in--ever. 2) I hate when Janice/Kirk tries to have the senior commanding officers (including my man Scotty!) put to death. Gasp! :wtf: Completely crappy way to end the series IMO.
 
Mudd's women! Just plain boring with a boring character (Mudd). The only redeeming factor are the women:biggrin:
 
"The Lights of Zetar"....never liked it, never will. I'm 52 and I doubt I'll ever invest the time to watch it again...but I could say that about a lot of episodes (the great majority of them from Season 3)
 
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