Why all the hate for "The Immunity Syndrome" ?

[scotpens]

How many tractor beam emmiters does the Enterprise actually have?

As many as the script requires.

Same thing about the speed of the turbolifts. They can go from one end of the ship to the other in seconds, or they can take several minutes to go up or down a couple of decks, depending on how much dialogue the characters have while in transit.

 

[TheJosmo]

This episode probably has the best interaction between Spock and McCoy, as you can see in my sig.

 

[Mytran]

How many tractor beam emmiters does the Enterprise actually have?

As many as the script requires.

Same thing about the speed of the turbolifts. They can go from one end of the ship to the other in seconds, or they can take several minutes to go up or down a couple of decks, depending on how much dialogue the characters have while in transit.

It's not so much the speed of the turbolifts that are the problem (traffic jams do happen after all) but those "motion markers" that are the most inconsistent! At first glance it appears that they are windows, showing bands of light from the lift tube as they pass by. However this quickly becomes ridiculous, unless the enterprise really does have 78 decks?

 

[scotpens]

]It's not so much the speed of the turbolifts that are the problem (traffic jams do happen after all) but those "motion markers" that are the most inconsistent! At first glance it appears that they are windows, showing bands of light from the lift tube as they pass by. However this quickly becomes ridiculous, unless the enterprise really does have 78 decks?

I was never under the impression that each band of light represented the turbolift moving one deck up or down. It was simply an easy-to-rig visual device to give the viewer an impression of motion in both the vertical and horizontal dimensions.

 

[Mytran]

I agree entirely - but the speed and frequency of the bands mean that they could have represented that in the original design thinking. Certainly that seems to have been Drexler's notion when he drew this.

 

[Ward Fowler]

Count me in as one of the people who didn't know there was a lot of hate for the episode. I love it. I would say that it's in my top 10, reason being all the great character moments throughout the episode. It firmly established that while Spock and McCoy bicker a lot, they really do care for each other.

 

[Wingsley]

Like any TOS ep, or any sci fi TV show for that matter, the story takes risks. Either you buy into the premise of the series and the specific plot of this ep, or you simply don't.

There's actually alot to both love and hate in "The Immunity Syndrome". In order to love the ep, you have the get over a few hurdles in order to suspend your disbelief.

1. GIANT SPACE AMOEBA - the idea of starships and whole star systems suddenly being drained to death by an 11,000-mile-long single-celled bacteria, free-floating in space, is a bit of a row to hoe. You either accept this or you don't.
   
2. THE DEATH SCREAM THING - The notion that Spock "felt the Interpid die" was a rather weird Vulcan TOS moment. Again, you're either entertained or you're annoyed by it.
   
3. THE ENTERPRISE SOMEHOW PLUNGES INTO THE SPACE AMOEBA. I assume this thing is made of water... and so the Starship Enterprise takes a swim???

I file all of these things under a kind of well-done "flight of fancy" category without any difficulty. I look at "The Immunity Syndrome" as actually being better-done than "Operation: Annihilate!" which had some conceptual similarities. I took "Immunity" as Roddenberry and Coon's salute to FANTASTIC VOYAGE. (Which, BTW, became its own movie and TV cartoon series.)

Of course, there other minor nit-picks in this one, like here we have yet another Federation starship suddenly and silently biting the dust. (We don't even bother to look for the wreckage this time.) And the horn music used during the first direct probe launch of the Organism is very, very parochial, very 60s. But these turn out to be very minor and can be ignored.

"Immunity" is not the best of TOS. But one great thing about TOS is that there was a cast and crew (then hungry unknowns) who were making a name for themselves by taking risks. "Immunity" as a kind of Roddenberryan FANTASTIC VOYAGE, winds up succeeding despite some stumbles. In the end, though, "Immunity" is like TOS as a whole, you either accept it and enjoy it for what it is or you don't.

I think it was great, but it could've been better.

 

[scotpens]

And the horn music used during the first direct probe launch of the Organism is very, very parochial, very 60s. But these turn out to be very minor and can be ignored.

The episode re-used music cues written by Sol Kaplan for “The Doomsday Machine.” It's a magnificent heroic score with echoes of Wagner, IMHO. I'm not quite sure what you mean by “parochial.”

 

[Wingsley]

^ That's not the parts I'm talking about. I'm talking about the one part this ep shares with "Return To Tomorrow" and "The Deadly Years".

 

[Warped9]

While reading various posts, i've noticed a lot a criticism for what i believe to a very fine episode. The concept itself is way cool (a giant cell devouring everything, including one's own life energy) great effects (even without remastering) and brilliant direction by Joseph Pevney. So as Kirk one said to Spock "What's your beef?"

I've never understood dislike for this episode. It was pure Star Trek, pure space adventure drama, and well done. Not the best, but quite good.

 

[CaptMurdock]

I do like this episode; it's not the greatest thing ever to come out but it's enjoyable and the plot is not too far out there.

Great moments:

• Spock tells Kirk what he felt when the Intrepid dies (a touch of death) and when Kirk asks what he thought they felt: "Astonishment!"
• McCoy walking Spock to the shuttle, bitching all the way. Spock asks him to grant him his own kind of dignity -- failing that, "...wish me luck." McCoy keeps silent until Spock is gone, then says "Good luck, Spock."
• Aboard the shuttle, obviously weakening, Spock records what could be his final log entry. As that great music theme plays, he gives his commendation to the captain, officers and crew of the Starship Enterprise -- the finest ship in the fleet. *sniff*
• And of course: "Shut up, Spock! We're rescuing you!" "Why, thank you -- Captain McCoy!

 

[Myko]

I actually don't like the Spock/McCoy interaction in this episode. Spock and McCoy both volunteer for the mission and present their cases. Kirk chooses Spock to go, and McCoy accepts this begrudgingly. Spock however, proceeds to be a complete jackass and goes on about how he was the superior choice and how McCoy would never have survived. There's a bit too much animosity in the dialogue for it to truely work for me.

 

[Warped9]

While reading various posts, i've noticed a lot a criticism for what i believe to a very fine episode. The concept itself is way cool (a giant cell devouring everything, including one's own life energy) great effects (even without remastering) and brilliant direction by Joseph Pevney. So as Kirk one said to Spock "What's your beef?"

I've heard some criticism over the years mostly regarding the idea of a giant amoeba, but nothing I'd call hate. This is actually quite a fine episode and definitely a "final frontier," "where no man has gone before" and "finding new life" story.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I like "The Immunity Syndrome," but it's basically a C+ episode: some charming character moments, an unusually silly premise and some excitement recycled from better stories.

 

[T'Bonz]

I like the ep. I'd give it a B.

 

[LeadHead]

This episode has been one of my favorites for a long time. Sure the space amoeba thing is a little oddball, but it works for the episode.

The Spock vs. McCoy stuff is fantastic and works exceedingly well. Some of the best interactions of the series.

I'm really surprised at the negativity mentioned for this episode.

 

[Zakk]

One of my least favorite episodes, but in an way i still have little love for it

 

[Tan Ru]

I find this episode rather dull; some good character moments, sure...

But overall it's a chore to watch for me.

As a Trekkie however, I should give it another go I suppose.

 

[freak]

This episode I really enjoyed mainly because of the character banter between Spock and McCoy and about how that amoeba drains the Enterprise's energy, thus making the crew restless. Spock even risked his life to save the crew as well which I thought was a nice touch!

 

[numatrix]

This episode fascinated me as a child and really helped to cement the interconnecting character contrasts between Kirk, Spock, McCoy that are often hinted at but not always quite so fully developed as they are here. A couple things I noticed rewatching this episode ...

Continuity: In the closeup shot it's not actually McCoy's arm hitting the button after Spock's line "wish me luck". The person hitting the button is wearing a long sleeved blue shirt with a gold band on the sleeve. McCoy, in this scene is wearing a short sleeved shirt. Clearly not his arm. Also, in this same shot, the panel displays "HANGER DECK PRESSURE" and should have read "HANGAR". I don't suppose they have spell check in the 23rd century.