One of the disadvantages of being a passionate fan of a 43 year old TV show that is available on video, TV and download, is that you watch it so many times, you stop paying attention to the stories and start picking up production details. Even if you were always aware of certain things, your mind begins to keep track of them.
What I’ve really started noticing more consciously is how wonkily edited some of early Trek is. I don’t necessarily blame them; deadlines were tight and this was a tough show to put out. It was also uncharted territory in many ways. The fact that the episodes themselves hold up well says more about the company than the screw ups do, But that doesn’t stop me from noticing them.
Some examples:
Charlie X has as a number of inserts, close ups and other reaction shots of the actors. Some of it is really mismatched and inconsistent. Focusing on the last act in particular, we have Charlie, after the majority of the episode being a jerk and terrifying, locks on a course to Colony 5. When the incoming signal comes in, he stands behind Uhura who gives him an acid look. Seconds later, he storms off the bridge and the close up of Uhura has her suddenly sad and nearly in tears. The next insert has Bones and Spock (who were not even standing close together in the long shots) side by side looking pensive toward the wall. Now Kirk, his expression one of concern, is facing away from the turbolift. All of these shots were taken from different parts of the episode and it shows. The scene following Charlie’s rampage through the ship has Kirk, Spock and McCoy discussing taking Charlie on. Spock is stone faced when Kirk asks him a question in the medium shot and Spock replies in close up and has a totally different expression and haircut! I think this is actually from another episode, but it escapes me.
Kirk’s sudden uniform change in the turbolift at the end of act 1 is legendary.
Of course, at the end, when Charlie is pleading to stay, we get a VERY odd “when I came aboard!” over a shot of the Thasian. This made me crack up even back in the early 1970s.
The Man Trap is famous for the inconsistent communicator sounds and prop oddities. There’s also a weird “grinding” noise when Kirk steps into the turbolift the first time. And then the shot of Spock during the opening log. This is actually stock from What Are Little Girls Made Of?. Kirk’s run to sick bay taken from the Naked Time (he’s not wearing a phaser in the clip).
Speaking of stock footage, the same close up shot of Kirk looking at the viewscreen is seen in The Man Trap, The Naked Time and Charlie X. He looks bemused and it never seems to match anything.
The Corbomite Maneuver: more famous shots of McCoy’s uniform changes; Balok’s dropped “one minute” (something that should have been fixed in the enhanced episodes) and the funny situation where Scotty has Kirk, Bones and Bailey “bend low – it leads pretty cramped over there” and seconds after materialization, they walk over a few feet and stand upright without a problem. Oh Scotty, that prankster.
Mudd’s Women has more fun with an insert of McCoy in the beginning, taken from Sick Bay when he’s in the transporter room.
The Enemy Within is great for these things. The images were flopped a couple of times (for artistic reasons? Maybe) and it’s obvious some scenes were put in out of order (Kirk being told of the transporter malfunction prior to Janice’s attack). I have a suspicion this was the decision of Leo Penn. He’s had a couple of episodes on other series where his scenes make more sense in a different order.
There are more and it went on here and there throughout the series (flopped shots of Shatner with his part on the wrong side, etc.). It doesn’t do anything to take away from the series and they are merely nitpicks. But, even so, I invite you to share others you’ve found just for grins. As I said, the deadlines for the series were incredibly tight and they did amazing work. Please take these little jabs in the light hearted spirit in which they are presented.
What I’ve really started noticing more consciously is how wonkily edited some of early Trek is. I don’t necessarily blame them; deadlines were tight and this was a tough show to put out. It was also uncharted territory in many ways. The fact that the episodes themselves hold up well says more about the company than the screw ups do, But that doesn’t stop me from noticing them.
Some examples:
Charlie X has as a number of inserts, close ups and other reaction shots of the actors. Some of it is really mismatched and inconsistent. Focusing on the last act in particular, we have Charlie, after the majority of the episode being a jerk and terrifying, locks on a course to Colony 5. When the incoming signal comes in, he stands behind Uhura who gives him an acid look. Seconds later, he storms off the bridge and the close up of Uhura has her suddenly sad and nearly in tears. The next insert has Bones and Spock (who were not even standing close together in the long shots) side by side looking pensive toward the wall. Now Kirk, his expression one of concern, is facing away from the turbolift. All of these shots were taken from different parts of the episode and it shows. The scene following Charlie’s rampage through the ship has Kirk, Spock and McCoy discussing taking Charlie on. Spock is stone faced when Kirk asks him a question in the medium shot and Spock replies in close up and has a totally different expression and haircut! I think this is actually from another episode, but it escapes me.
Kirk’s sudden uniform change in the turbolift at the end of act 1 is legendary.
Of course, at the end, when Charlie is pleading to stay, we get a VERY odd “when I came aboard!” over a shot of the Thasian. This made me crack up even back in the early 1970s.
The Man Trap is famous for the inconsistent communicator sounds and prop oddities. There’s also a weird “grinding” noise when Kirk steps into the turbolift the first time. And then the shot of Spock during the opening log. This is actually stock from What Are Little Girls Made Of?. Kirk’s run to sick bay taken from the Naked Time (he’s not wearing a phaser in the clip).
Speaking of stock footage, the same close up shot of Kirk looking at the viewscreen is seen in The Man Trap, The Naked Time and Charlie X. He looks bemused and it never seems to match anything.
The Corbomite Maneuver: more famous shots of McCoy’s uniform changes; Balok’s dropped “one minute” (something that should have been fixed in the enhanced episodes) and the funny situation where Scotty has Kirk, Bones and Bailey “bend low – it leads pretty cramped over there” and seconds after materialization, they walk over a few feet and stand upright without a problem. Oh Scotty, that prankster.
Mudd’s Women has more fun with an insert of McCoy in the beginning, taken from Sick Bay when he’s in the transporter room.
The Enemy Within is great for these things. The images were flopped a couple of times (for artistic reasons? Maybe) and it’s obvious some scenes were put in out of order (Kirk being told of the transporter malfunction prior to Janice’s attack). I have a suspicion this was the decision of Leo Penn. He’s had a couple of episodes on other series where his scenes make more sense in a different order.
There are more and it went on here and there throughout the series (flopped shots of Shatner with his part on the wrong side, etc.). It doesn’t do anything to take away from the series and they are merely nitpicks. But, even so, I invite you to share others you’ve found just for grins. As I said, the deadlines for the series were incredibly tight and they did amazing work. Please take these little jabs in the light hearted spirit in which they are presented.
