Watching TOS Again From The Beginning

[Tulin]

Well, it's been DECADES since I last watched TOS regularly. In the mid '80's, Channel 9 here in Perth ran the series between 5:00 and 6:00pm, before the 6:00 nightly news. I know I never saw it all but I remember it was my FIX and I LOVED it!

Having recently seen STID, I wanted to wash the not so good taste out of my mouth. That and the fact my partner has never seen a single episode and I decided it would be wonderful to go back and watch TOS from the beginning, to show him where it all started!

I have the remastered versions because I know it's going to be hard for my partner to be watching it as it is. The least I could do was get the upgraded effects.

I started watching last Monday(24/6)and we are actually watching the eps in air date order(starting with "The Man Trap"), something I now regret. C'est la vie, we've started and it's too late to back out now.


Reviews, thoughts and whatever I feel like posting when I feel like it, will follow.

 

[bbailey861]

I just finished my TOS rewatch about a month ago. Have fun with it.

 

[Dale Sams]

"How I envy you, for you the journey is just beginning."

 

[BillJ]

I don't understand why most of these threads need to take digs at the Abrams-verse?

 

[Kolinahr]

I don't understand why most of these threads need to take digs at the Abrams-verse?

I agree. I am currently watching TOS after being first introduced to the Abrams-verse. Please, guys, can you just be civil to the reboots? Or at least tell me what you think is so bad about them? (Through private message, preferably, as I don't want to get this topic too derailed.)

That aside, I do enjoy TOS and am steadily working through it. Hope you have fun rewatching

 

[Galileo7]

I just finished my TOS rewatch about a month ago. Have fun with it.

Agree. Enjoy TOS.

 

[Maurice]

Why is it too late to stop viewing in airdate order? Just see which episodes you've not already watched and view them in production order. Easy.

 

[Tulin]

I don't understand why most of these threads need to take digs at the Abrams-verse?

I didn't know this was a "thing".

I am sorry if this trend bothers you but I can only state part of the reason why *I* am doing it and that involves re-connecting with the original crew, of whom I was OBSESSED when I was younger.

I was born in 1970 and thus for the first seventeen years of my life, they were ALL I had when it came to ST. I awaited each of the original films like a dehydrated man in the desert awaits a cup of water.

I HUGELY enjoyed the ST reboot film in '09 and can remember like it was yesterday leaning over to my partner at one point during the film saying, "This is REALLY entertaining!" The newest film, however, is a mess. There are posters here with whom I have had regular private conversations regarding my EXTREME desire to not have Khan as the villain(eighteen months before the film came out). I also do not like that we have gone to great pains to create a new ST universe but now just want to re-tread old ground. For something like ST that should be creating a new mythos it seems lazy and redundant to just bring back watered down versions of old bad guys.

Whatever.

And again, I am sorry if lots of other people are bashing it - I was unaware of that and can and WILL ONLY speak for MYSELF. I take no responsibility for what other people post in their viewing threads and will not stifle myself if even one hundred others have said the same things. The bad taste left in my mouth from STID was only PART OF THE REASON I wanted to re-watch TOS. I also will not apologize for the affect STID had on me.


In the meantime I will continue to enjoy a show that I revered and loved as a child and teenager.

 

[Desert Kris]

I don't understand why most of these threads need to take digs at the Abrams-verse?

I didn't know this was a "thing".

I am sorry if this trend bothers you but I can only state part of the reason why *I* am doing it and that involves re-connecting with the original crew, of whom I was OBSESSED when I was younger.

I was born in 1970 and thus for the first seventeen years of my life, they were ALL I had when it came to ST. I awaited each of the original films like a dehydrated man in the desert awaits a cup of water.

I HUGELY enjoyed the ST reboot film in '09 and can remember like it was yesterday leaning over to my partner at one point during the film saying, "This is REALLY entertaining!" The newest film, however, is a mess. There are posters here with whom I have had regular private conversations regarding my EXTREME desire to not have Khan as the villain(eighteen months before the film came out). I also do not like that we have gone to great pains to create a new ST universe but now just want to re-tread old ground. For something like ST that should be creating a new mythos it seems lazy and redundant to just bring back watered down versions of old bad guys.

Whatever.

And again, I am sorry if lots of other people are bashing it - I was unaware of that and can and WILL ONLY speak for MYSELF. I take no responsibility for what other people post in their viewing threads and will not stifle myself if even one hundred others have said the same things. The bad taste left in my mouth from STID was only PART OF THE REASON I wanted to re-watch TOS. I also will not apologize for the affect STID had on me.


In the meantime I will continue to enjoy a show that I revered and loved as a child and teenager.

Yeah, the Abrams non-love is definitely a thing, from what I've seen.

It helps that you explained how you have enjoyed at least half of the rebooted ST universe; it makes a difference compared to random people signing up for the forum all of a sudden, declaring their hatred of the whole reboot for fanatical reasons, acting as if their opinion is fact, and wishing they could remove the Abrams movies from existence and thusly deprive those of us who enjoyed them for the sake of a fanatically applied principle. Glad you liked the first one, hope the next one will be more original and/or to your liking.

I've been going through a bunch of the old episodes myself, I started watching a couple of them as a lead-in to the new movie just for fun...but they're so addicting, frankly, that I've found myself carrying on even after I'd seen the new movie twice (I liked it as well as the 2009 movie, I know, YMMV). I haven't been watching them in any particular order, simply bouncing around all over between all three seasons, picking which ever ones I wanted to watch.

It's nice that I'm not even put off by some of the stories that are usually regarded as average or below average, so they've all been fun. I'm watching the non-remastered versions, because it wouldn't be the same without those reliable stock shots of the Enterprise that they use endlessly, that are so engrained in my head.

Have fun with it!

 

[Tulin]

Thanks for the response Kris!

I should clarify - I am very much aware of the Abrams hate; what I was not aware of(since I so rarely came to the TOS forum)was that there was a trend for people using their "viewing" threads of the original series as a platform to further bash Abrams.

It seems I kind of stumbled into a wasp's nest - anyway!

As for STID, I thought visually it was INCREDIBLE and, if nothing else, it bodes well for SW VII in 2015. I LOVED the Scotty subplot(reminded me of the "lesser four" doing their own thing in STIII)and nobody can deny the sense of fun and energy these new films have. Personally I feel elated whenever the crew are RUNNING through the corridors, rather than leisurely strolling, during an emergency.

It will be EXTREMELY interesting to see where it all goes with the next film.

 

[erastus25]

I don't understand why most of these threads need to take digs at the Abrams-verse?

Short answer: They have some REALLY nice moments, but in general they're just not very good.

 

[BillJ]

I don't understand why most of these threads need to take digs at the Abrams-verse?

Short answer: They have some REALLY nice moments, but in general they're just not very good.

Still doesn't make sense to me. When I talk about The Next Generation TV series, I don't feel the need to take shots at the movies or Voyager.

I was born in 1970 and thus for the first seventeen years of my life, they were ALL I had when it came to ST. I awaited each of the original films like a dehydrated man in the desert awaits a cup of water.

1971 here.

 

[OBXTrekkie]

Another 1970 baby here!

I totally get where you're coming from in your comments on the Original Series. I remember having that desert feeling too waiting for each new film to come out!

Personally I loved both reboot films, but I certainly wouldn't begrudge anyone their opinion.

I'm rewatching the series right now with my 8-year-old daughter and it's been fantastic, not only to enjoy the old series again, but also to bond with my child over something that was such an amazing part of my own youth.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I started watching last Monday(24/6)and we are actually watching the eps in air date order(starting with "The Man Trap"), something I now regret. C'est la vie, we've started and it's too late to back out now.

I would not have started someone out with "The Man Trap." It's kind of a downer and short on excitement. But the first season is bound to have something they like.

Depending on their personality, maybe "Shore Leave" and "This Side of Paradise" will click.

Or "The Corbomite Maneuver" and "Balance of Terror."

Or "The Conscience of the King" and "City on the Edge of Forever."

Or something else.

There is going to be a type of episode in there that's perfect for any open-minded, intelligent person who isn't prejudiced against the vintage age of TOS. And then they might open up a little more and accept all types of episodes.

 

[JJohnson]

I grew up with The Original Series, so I hope you enjoy your run-through! I would go with the remastered versions myself, even growing up with the old FX, just because it makes it more watchable to me, and to people I want to share the show with. It's easy to make fun of Mr. Shatner's acting mannerisms, but I think they're overly exaggerated for comedic effect. There's just something in the subtle interplay between Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the others that you really do get the feeling they've been a crew for a while, but that this Kirk earned his place with years of experience, and getting very lucky at times, in his words "cheating my way out of death and patting myself on the back for my ingenuity." Spock's death in the original movies was heavy, meaningful, and it really hit you that this was a big thing for Kirk. In the Abrams-verse, I don't get that it's very deep or meaningful with Spock to Kirk, nor do I get that his version of Kirk really deserves the flagship of the fleet directly out of the academy. I definitely enjoyed the updated FX (in ST 3 and 4, I could see the mattes outlining the ships and it's really distracting to me), but not the updated ship itself (engineering is a brewery, and it's painfully distracting to me, there's a dangerous core with dangerous walkways in the middle of the saucer for no reason, wasting space, the ship's proportions just look distorted to me, and the bridge has enough lens flares blazing in the crew's eyes to blind them). It's great it's gotten people interested in Trek again, but I just feel there's an emotional core to the original movies, particularly Star Trek 2, Star Trek 6, and a number of episodes, that just isn't there in the Abrams movies. These movies seem so fast-paced there's almost no time to let anything sink in or register emotionally. They feel hectic and rushed. That's just me.

Back to your original point, Balance of Terror, Mirror Mirror, Enterprise Incident, City on the Edge of Forever, and Ultimate Computer were always favorites of mine. Which ones have you discovered so far?

 

[Tulin]

Just to reiterate - I grew up watching these episodes, although I know I haven't defintely seen them all, I feel like I have.

I read the Blish novels(and LOVED them!)and had the box set of the novels adapted from the animated series which, IIRC, kind of collapsed two or three episodes into each book, creating a multi-adventure story. I have a vague recollection of these also kind of tying into each other as well. I remember really enjoying them!

I was a hard junkie for the movies and have very strong memories of being fourteen, sitting in the cinema and bawling my eyes out(quietly to myself)as the Enterprise streaked across the sky in STIII.

I remember the sheer ELATION that was the entire experience of STIV - I saw it four times that Christmas and took a bunch of different friends and people of all ages and tastes(some of whom really didn't even care for ST!), and I can still feel that pride swell in my chest and heart at the conclusion when, to a person, they exclaimed as the credits rolled, "That was actually REALLY good!"

So re-watching TOS now is like a homecoming for me and each Monday night I find myself eagerly anticipating it and enjoying it!

 

[terpette]

Where is this Abrams hate? I would like to take part. Most folks in my corners of fandom love the new movies. I loathe them (though I don't care if they like them, I just get tired of them frakkin' raving about them in my presence like they're the best thing since sliced bread... or getting upset with ME because I didn't like 'em.).

A TOS rewatch is an excellent idea. When I finally get the DVR cleaned up, I think that would be a valuable use of my netflix subscription.

 

[Dale Sams]

I think one aspect that "The Man-Trap" and "The Naked Time" get across very, very effectively is that 'space is haunted'.

I don't mean that literally, but via the music and sound effects, those planets really feel dead. Tormolen's monologue is effective in that regard also. And Dr. Crater.

 

[Tulin]

So we are three episodes in. Seen in air date order;

The Man Trap
Charlie X
Where No Man Has Gone Before


I am LOVING my Monday nights being "Star Trek Night". It's such a blast of nostalgia!