Which Episode Did The TOS Stars Love Or Hate?

[Spock's Barber]

There have been numerous threads here that ask members which episode was their most loved or most disliked. That got me to wondering what the regular stars opinions were. Does anyone have any anecdotes about whether Shatner, Nimoy, Kelley, Doohan, et. al. expressed positive or negative comments about an episode?

For instance, Shatner was quoted as saying he liked any episode where he played dual roles because he got twice as much airtime, but I took that as a typical Shatner lighthearted comment.

Your thoughts?

 

[Maurice]

Kelley loved "The City On the Edge of Forever".

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Jimmy Doohan's stated favorite was "The Doomsday Machine." Grace Lee Whitney's was "Miri," because her kid was in it. Or kids, I can't remember.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Shatner wrote in his book Star Trek Memories that "Devil in the Dark" was his favorite because of how supportive the cast and crew was to him when his father passed away during shooting.

Nimoy usually talked up "Amok Time" and "Journey to Babel" as good Spock episodes in interviews. I think he was a bit cooler on "The Trouble with Tribbles" because Spock didn't have as much to do in it.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Nimoy greatly disliked "And the Children Shall Lead," which I'm pretty sure is stated in his book I am Not Spock. He wasn't too keen on Fred Freiberger, in the same anecdote.

And he disliked "Whom Gods Destroy" for not letting Spock use logic to tell which Kirk was really Garth. He was right, too. The show could have staged the same "two Kirks fighting" bit after Spock's simple questions exposed the truth. Garth would mix the matter up again by starting the fight and twisting them around.

 

[publiusr]

Arena was TOS’ EXORCIST injury wise.

That did not look like fun.

 

[Phaser Two]

And he disliked "Whom Gods Destroy" for not letting Spock use logic to tell which Kirk was really Garth. He was right, too. The show could have staged the same "two Kirks fighting" bit after Spock's simple questions exposed the truth. Garth would mix the matter up again by starting the fight and twisting them around.

Definitely true, but I sort of liked Spock's practical solution, as well as its lampshading in Kirk's dialogue at the end. I'm also glad you didn't endorse the "he should have stunned them both" argument, which has a few issues.

One of the highlights of my Star Trek life, and really life in general, was going to a convention as a little kid with my dad and asking Jimmy Doohan what his favorite episode was. He had obviously answered that question many times before and would have answered it from any audience member, but what a treat. (He did say "The Doomsday Machine" and cited all of the engineering-related plotting and dialogue.)

 

[Richard S. Claus]

Shatner wrote in his book Star Trek Memories that "Devil in the Dark" was his favorite because of how supportive the cast and crew was to him when his father passed away during shooting.

I recall that he said this, but later said his favorite was City on the Edge of Forever on a DVD.

Both solid choices.

 

[I am not Herbert]

Nimoy greatly disliked "And the Children Shall Lead," which I'm pretty sure is stated in his book I am Not Spock. He wasn't too keen on Fred Freiberger, in the same anecdote.

IIRC, he compared ATCSL unfavorably to Miri, about which he said flattering things.

More generally, if you haven't already I recommend you check out Doohan, Kelley, Koenig and Harlan Ellison being interviewed by Tom Snyder as to the Star Trek phenomenon sometime in the mid to late 1970s. Ellison is being his usual obnoxious self and Koenig (his friend) is also a bit cool toward ST, but Doohan and Kelley are as proud and protective as you'd hope they'd be. Even accounting for the fact that they already had a financial incentive for continuing to speak well of ST, they both clearly had an actual fondness for the show.

 

[Starflight]

iirc Shatner really likes "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" for the message.

 

[Methuselah Flint]

I'm also glad you didn't endorse the "he should have stunned them both" argument, which has a few issues.

Is there an issue?

Garth would revert to himself.

Or is it because if Spock stunned Kirk first, Garth would have time to jump Spock?

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Is there an issue?

Garth would revert to himself.

Or is it because if Spock stunned Kirk first, Garth would have time to jump Spock?

The issue is one of realism. If it's fast and loose, don't-think-about-it TV, then stun away. Mannix got knocked unconscious 55 times and he was fine. Clobber him to your heart's content.

But anything that knocks a real person unconscious will put a cost on his brain. It's at least a minor injury. You don't stun your superior officer, the captain of a capital ship no less, if you can talk your way around it. And all Spock had to ask was, "What was discussed, specifically, at our semi-weekly working breakfast on Tuesday?" That would do it.

 

[BK613]

Nimoy greatly disliked "And the Children Shall Lead," which I'm pretty sure is stated in his book I am Not Spock. He wasn't too keen on Fred Freiberger, in the same anecdote.

IIRC, he compared ATCSL unfavorably to Miri, about which he said flattering things.

Don't know about I Am Not Spock but here's what's attributed to him in Star Trek Lives!

And when the writers start giving you material, or the producers start giving you material, that doesn't give you the opportunity to get your creative juices going, and you complain to him, and tells you to just go out and do it -- "I know what I'm doing and this is going to work." Then you have a total impasse. Death sets in. That's death.​

On which he elaborates:

...when we were doing the script, maybe one of our worst ever, with the kids in the third season, "And the Children Shall Lead," I thought it was terrible--terrible...So I went to Fred Freiberger and said, "Well, we've got some problems with the script." He said, "This script going to be what 'Miri' should have been."​

Well "Miri" was a lovely story, lovely story, beautifully told and beautifully played. And we had all loved "Miri" as an episode. And he was saying that "Miri" was a piece of trash...There's no communication.​

That's when death starts to set in.​

 

[Cap'n Claus]

The issue is one of realism. If it's fast and loose, don't-think-about-it TV, then stun away. Mannix got knocked unconscious 55 times and he was fine. Clobber him to your heart's content.

But anything that knocks a real person unconscious will put a cost on his brain. It's at least a minor injury. You don't stun your superior officer, the captain of a capital ship no less, if you can talk your way around it. And all Spock had to ask was, "What was discussed, specifically, at our semi-weekly working breakfast on Tuesday?" That would do it.

Well not necessarily. I'm sure most of us have been knocked out for a surgical procedure or oral surgery or whatever. It's not the same thing as being cracked over the head with a blackjack, like Joe Mannix. Phasers aren't causing concussions.

Anyway, Kirk was knocked out more than once before Whom God's Destroy (he got a hell of a whack in The Omega Glory). Kirk would do the same to anyone with one punch. Star Trek was no different than any other show in that regard. Why would it suddenly be an issue now?

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Well not necessarily. I'm sure most of us have been knocked out for a surgical procedure or oral surgery or whatever. It's not the same thing as being cracked over the head with a blackjack, like Joe Mannix. Phasers aren't causing concussions.

Anyway, Kirk was knocked out more than once before Whom God's Destroy (he got a hell of a whack in The Omega Glory). Kirk would do the same to anyone with one punch. Star Trek was no different than any other show in that regard. Why would it suddenly be an issue now?

Yeah, I was imposing more medical realism than Trek actually had (I still think a phaser stun is bad for you; whether the brain or the heart receive an insult, something is getting knocked). But even with magical phaser technology or a TV show's disregard for harming fictional characters, it's still a big deal to stun your Captain, and that goes double for a loyal Vulcan.

 

[Phaser Two]

Yeah, I was imposing more medical realism than Trek actually had (I still think a phaser stun is bad for you; whether the brain or the heart receive an insult, something is getting knocked). But even with magical phaser technology or a TV show's disregard for harming fictional characters, it's still a big deal to stun your Captain, and that goes double for a loyal Vulcan.

"This won't kill you . . . but the stun effect is not very pleasant."

(Kirk's own words, about three episodes earlier.)

 

[SantaTom]

Well not necessarily. I'm sure most of us have been knocked out for a surgical procedure or oral surgery or whatever. It's not the same thing as being cracked over the head with a blackjack, like Joe Mannix. Phasers aren't causing concussions.

I have been under general anesthesia for surgery. I came through it just fine, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it unless absolutely necessary and it is definitely not without risks or ill effects.