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Let me tell you something funny. I have, largely, been doing these reviews using the script. Which is stupid I know. Well today I am going to write while the episode plays and pause when needed… here we go.
Incidentally I always play these with the enhanced effects.
Tense music plays as we approach Omicron Ceti III. The Enterprise is following up on a previous expedition from some years prior.
There is no expectation of any surviving colonists. The planet is being bombarded by deadly Berthold rays. These were not discovered till after the colony was established. So that the plot can happen these rays are not deadly immediately.
Star Trek has this kind of story a lot. In TOS and TNG the Enterprise is often called to investigate a ship, research team, or colony that has ceased communication. This colony only has 150 people. A bit small for a colony.
The landing party beams down. The buildings are made out of wood. So either the colonists brought timber with them or used local wood. Neither seems very likely.
Kirk laments the ‘Dream that failed.’ With excellent timing, they are welcomed by Elias Sandoval. They are not dead. (Jim)
I find it interesting that Sandoval still calls the planet Omicron Ceti III. That is an astronomer’s name. Omicron Ceti is a real star so Omicron Ceti III would just be the third planet. I would think that a name would have been decided by now. It is only a nitpick – and given what happens later it makes sense. Anyway it was just something I noticed.
In soft focus, and with romantic music, we are introduced to Leila. She says that she has met Mr Spock before. Spock says nothing to her. I suppose even Vulcans have trouble with the idea of meeting the ex. Actually maybe especially Vulcans. Spock in particular would not want to show emotion in front of the crew.
Sandoval explains that they have a philosophy of living a less complicated life. This, essentially, boils down to a life without machines. Star Trek does that quite a lot. Just wait till we get to the DS9 episode Paradise. (Shudder)
I have never understood the appeal. I could stand to spend less time looking at screens. However I have no desire to be technology free. Can you imagine doing laundry with a bucket of water and a mangle? The only way I would give up the internet is if someone was really offering one of those challenges that appear on Facebook from time-to-time. (I could really use £1,000,000)
Sulu and a blue shirt look around. They have been ordered to check to see anything that could be wrong. Sulu says he knows nothing about farming. There is a weird looking plant about 60 centimetres from him. On the one hand you could say that that is something that doesn’t belong. On the other hand this is still an alien planet.
They check the barn and note that they have not seen any animals. Later iterations of Star Trek would state that humans don’t use animals for food any more. To be clear I am not nitpicking here. I simply find it interesting how the world building was developed. Although, even with artificial gravity, carrying animals on a star ship for a year sounds difficult – and not to mention smelly.
Meanwhile we get a scene between Sandoval and Leila. Leila says that she once loved Spock. She also says that there will be no choice but for Spock to stay – because that is not ominous at all.
McCoy completes his examinations of several members of the colony. He finds them to be in perfect health. Including, mentioned a little later on, the fact that Sandoval has regrown his appendix.
The biologist reports that the crops planted are only enough to sustain the colony. This is a bit of a head scratched. If the colony was supposed to be for the purpose of food production then logically it would have been for exports. According to my googling potatoes, specifically mentioned, only take 80 days to grow. So how did no one think to check on these people?
The real focus of this episode is the romance between Spock and Leila. Spock being a Vulcan (or Vulcanian as they are still saying) doesn’t experience emotions. He is more interested in discovering the mystery of this planet than any thing else.
I feel that this episode is trying too hard for this to be a mystery. Spock’s scans show no insects. The natural question is how do the plants grow? I feel the story didn’t need this part. The planet has life aside from the colony and what they brought after all. Also how the planets grow without insects is not answered.
Leila and Spock each take half of two different conversations. She wants to discuss her feelings for him and he wants answers to his questions.
Spock attributes Lelia’s evasiveness to her gender. I don’t think I want to touch that one with a ten foot pole but we do get something interesting to round this conversation out.
Emotions are alien to me. I’m a scientist.
Someone else might believe that. Your shipmates, your Captain, but not me.
Spock and Lelia (Star Trek: TOS: This Side of Paradise)
Pon Farr wasn’t established for the show at this time. However it is interesting to note in hindsight that Spock and Lelia’s relationship could very well have coincided with his last Pon Farr. Like I say though that is a complete coincidence.
Kirk receives orders to evacuate all the people from the planet. I am not really sure why. If the rays haven’t killed them yet there is no reason to think they are going to kill them now. Although the rays did, apparently, kill the animals. Sandoval will not explain how that happened. Why Starfleet Command is able to give orders that affect civilians is not explained.
I have been writing for quite some time and have still not got to the crux of the story. Well this happens now…
Leila takes Spock to some flowers and suddenly he is strayed in the face. Spock is in pain from this, as he is experiencing emotions, but after a little while the pain clears and he tells Leila that he can love her.
Kirk tries to contact Spock but he is too busy looking at the clouds. Incidentally he has changed into one of the uniforms worn by the colonists. This could be a nitpick but there has been a bit of time between the kiss and now – there could have been a commercial break too.
I really appreciate that McCoy and Kirk notice immediately that something is wrong. Too often in speculative fiction a change comes over a character and it is not spotted. In real life this would be understandable but in a world of alien possession, shapeshifters, and robots, people should be more alert. Kirk goes off alone to find Spock – after ordering McCoy to make sure no-one spends time alone.
When Kirk reaches Spock he is accompanied by Sulu and his partner – he still left McCoy alone.
Spock is hanging upside down from a tree and calls Kirk by his first name. Something is afoot. If that wasn’t enough the ‘something weird is happening’ music is playing.
Sulu and the blue shirt are sprayed with the spores and then shit goes downhill very fast. Apparently Starfleet hasn’t heard of quarantine.
When Kirk gets back to McCoy he is speaking with an exaggerated southern drawl. He has also beamed up around 100 of the sport plants to the ship.
I have to call BS on this. McCoy is the ship’s CMO. I don’t question that he would be authorised to beam up alien plants. However the transporter room staff should know to follow some kind of quarantine procedure.
When Kirk gets to the bridge Uhura has already been affected by the spores and sabotaged the long range communication system.
Kirk finds a queue outside the transporter room. The whole crew is leaving the ship. Kirk speaks to Leslie telling him that this is mutiny. All he gets in response is agreement. This is interesting. I thought mutiny was specifically taking over the ship. Apparently it is broader than that.
Kirk has been unaffected by the spores. However with no crew he has no way to counteract them. Everyone affected by them has no interest in doing so. Kirk sums up the theme of the episode.
No wants. No needs. We weren’t meant for that. None of us. Man stagnates if he has no ambition, no desire to be more than he is.
Kirk (Star Trek: TOS: This Side of Paradise)
I feel I want to say something about this line. I am not sure I can fully express it but here goes.
I have been watching Red Dwarf recently. I want to talk about Arnold Rimmer.
For those of you who don’t know the show Rimmer can be summed up thusly.
…an incompetent vending machine repairman with a Napoleon complex…
Kyten (Red Dwarf: Justice)
Rimmer greatly desires to be more than he is. Unfortunately he is barely able to do his actual job. The result is a bitter and petty man. Rimmer will cling to any scrap of power he can get. When this happens it ends rather badly.
Rimmer’s ambition brought him nothing but grief. (Not to mention getting people killed) Without his ambition might he have been happier? Would it be better to be happy exactly as you are rather than unhappy because your goals are out of reach? Technically it might be stagnation. Another word could be contentment?
You might be saying that this is all moot. You would be correct. In this episode the contentment is chemically enforced. Nevertheless Kirk seems to have a problem with, as he calls it, stagnation beyond that.
Kirk returns to the Enterprise. He is now the only one on board. The ship can be maintained in orbit but without a crew he is marooned. I think technically Kirk could fly the Enterprise alone. It is just that if there was a malfunction he would be screwed. Just as he is lamenting this he is sprayed by one of the plants.
In his quarters Kirk gathers a few things to join the colony. He discovers his medals. These remind him of his duty. He gets angry and the spell of the spores is broken. Kirk is determined – he cannot leave.
Why does this only happen to Kirk? Hasn’t the whole crew pledged an oath of allegiance? Don’t some of them have families? No? Only Kirk?
Kirk has a terrible plan. Provoke Spock to anger him and free him from the spores. An alternative might have been to wait. Sooner or later the Enterprise will be overdue and Starfleet will send a ship. Maybe there is a reason that wouldn’t work.
Spock is much stronger than Kirk. Why pick Spock? I understand that he needs Spock’s expertise but free someone else first and then you have backup. Also surely Scotty knows the systems as well as Spock.
Kirk beams Spock aboard and starts to insult him. This includes a reference to a circus. Which feels anachronistic. It feels that way now let alone in the 23rd century. Still the plan does work and Spock is back as he was.
…to initiate a brawl with over five hundred crewmen and colonists is hardly logical.
Spock (Star Trek: TOS: This Side of Paradise)
Despite this it is, for all intents and purposes, what they do.
First though there is the matter of Leila. Spock beams her up. Incidentally she says she has never been on a star ship before. At first glance this looks like an error. However in Charlie X it is said that “star ship” is a classification and not just a generic term for a vessel. It is backed up in TNG. In Relics Scotty uses the term in a list of other types of ships he has served on.
It doesn’t take long for her to realise that Spock is no longer one of them. The emotional upset breaks the spell for Leila. Spock wipes away her tears.
So the Enterprise lowers its microphone unto the upper atmosphere of the planet and activates its subsonic transmitter. Kirk likens it to itching powder. I am surprised that that is still a relevant reference in his time.
Fights start to break out on the planet. Including McCoy punching Sandoval. This is enough to help Sandoval realise how little they have achieved. With the influence of the spores gone the colony is evacuated without any further issues.
The Enterprise departs and the final, rather sombre, note is left to Spock.
…for the first time in my life I was happy.
Spock (Star Trek: TOS: This Side of Paradise)
This is an interesting point to end on. I feel that it merits wider discussion and that I am the wrong person to do it but I will try.
If a human had said that it might mean he was mostly unhappy. This has been a question on my mind lately.
The meditation app I use asks me to evaluate my mood each day. The emoji that accompanies that option suggests that the creators of the app think ‘unsure’ is a negative state. I disagree, to me, unsure is a neutral state.
The idea of not having emotions fascinates me. The Vulcan perspective is that emotions cause more harm than good. Spock says has never been happy before. Perhaps, to him, it is worth it if he also doesn’t experience depression, anxiety, and despair.
This is not one of my favourite episodes. It is also not bad. I disagree with the message that we need to struggle to live a full life. Maybe I took Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs too much to heart – or misunderstood it entirely.
In this story it makes sense to leave “paradise” because it was chemically enforced. However what if we removed the spores from the equation? What if those people were content for real? Why would that be a problem? Each day would be the same routine. Maybe even the same meals. Maybe the same walk in the woods. If a person, or a group of people, were genuinely happy like I don’t see a problem. Kirk and I disagree on this point.
I just wanted to say that I have checked this post. I really have. Unfortunately my particular combination of dyslexia and dyspraxia makes it really hard for me to spot typos. Please enjoy and I’ll try not to make too many errors.
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SDuKYJBkJm
Unstable Orbit 