Tag Archives: Spock

2024-09-30 · 10:30

The Alternative Factor (TOS)

Last time I talked about one of my favourite episodes of TOS. This time we’re looking at one at the other end of the spectrum.

When people talk about bad TOS Spock’s Brain is often talked about. I submit that Spock’s Brain isn’t that bad. The Alternative Factor, to the best of my memory, has no redeeming qualities. It is boring and stupid.

As we go through this lets see if that descriptor holds up…

The Enterprise is in orbit of a planet engaged in the dull side of exploration. They are performing a scan. While doing this there is a sudden, and to my mind, ill-defined disaster. Spock reports that everything within range of the sensors ‘winked out’. This is represented by overlaying stars across the screen.

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Let’s talk for a moment about stakes. The stakes in this episode is the entire galaxy maybe the entire universe. In my opinion that is far too much. It is hard to get ones mind around those kinds of consequences. Not to mention that if our heroes can save the universe it makes it look silly that anything can challenge them.

This type of story can work in some circumstances. Doctor Who has done a universe in peril story a few times. I feel this kind of story works for Doctor Who in a way it doesn’t for Star Trek. The Doctor is, for all intents and purposes, a demigod. He understands time in all its wibbly-wobbly glory and can go anywhere in the universe. The Enterprise is very limited by comparison.

When I see an episode like The Alternative Factor I can’t help thinking about the other races in the universe. The Romulans must have detected the winking out too. Yet they can do nothing about it and, I realise this is personal taste, that never quite sat right with me.

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After the ‘winking out’ they detect a life form on the planet. Kirk, Spock, and four security men head down. They discover a small craft. To borrow from Doctor Who – if the Doctor has a sports car this thing is a space hopper. (I know making fun of how this thing looks is a cheap shot.) They find the pilot, Lazarus, and he collapses, hinting at some great danger, after falling off a rock. (I was going to say mountain but that is rather more fatal.)

Scotty is absent from this episode so the engineering duties (technically science) are fulfilled by Lieutenant Masters. It is an odd omission as the story deals with an engineering matter. Nevertheless Janet MacLachlan does a fine job in the role. It is also wonderful to see another black woman being in a position of authority – even if only for this episode.

Lieutenant Masters reports that the effect drained the ship’s dilithium crystals. Kirk orders her to ‘Re-amplify ‘ the crystals. I don’t know enough science to know if that makes sense. I am going to guess it doesn’t – technobabble isn’t just for Voyager! Since the lack of crystals would cause the orbit to decay you would think re-amplifying would be standard practice. Also when something is in orbit doesn’t it stay in orbit? I don’t know. Again I know nothing.

Spock cannot explain what is going on. In other words they are screwed! The one thing he can say it is strongest on the planet below.

More good news is received when they are contacted by Starfleet. They believe that the ‘winking out’ is a prelude to invasion. And yet they will not give Kirk any additional ships. (What could be more important than the possible end of everything?) Also how can someone invade an entire universe?

Incidentally the dialog indicates that Starfleet has a presence, or is at least aware of, goings on outside of the galaxy. This would not be true later on. I am not blaming the episode for this. TOS was not a show where continuity was important.

I am supposed to be explaining this episode’s plot. I am not 100% sure it has one…here’s a stock photo of an angel and a devil.

Lazarus is brought to Kirk’s quarters. He says that he is perusing a being that destroyed his entire civilisation. He escaped because he was inspecting ‘magnetic communications satellites’ – I don’t think that makes sense but it does in the world of Trek.

I don’t think it makes sense both in terms of the words but also in an advanced civilisation wouldn’t there always be many people off world?

Kirk arrives on the planet with Lazarus. Lazarus now has a cut on his forehead that wasn’t there before. Then we get the first of many appearances of a blue effect of two figures fighting. I think it is supposed to be in some null space. The planet is shaken by what every it was. Lazarus (or Robert_Brown, his actor, if you prefer) gets to over act. Which is quite a statement as he is next to William Shatner. (Sorry SFdebris but you’re right.) He gets to say kill over and over – that’s always fun.

The biggest stumbling block in this episode, as mentioned up top, is the sheer scale of what is going on. Even if they do lampshade it, Kirk says it is hard to believe. It doesn’t make it work.

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Suspension of disbelief is going to be a factor in any science fiction story. For some people a ship powered by crystals might be too much. For me that was grandfathered in. I started watching Star Trek when I was 7. A ship powered by mushrooms breaks my stupid meter.

So does this episode. The universe is in peril from one person? It is not like the anti-Lazarus has a doomsday weapon. He is just some guy.

We get a scene with McCoy and Kirk where the former uses the phrase ‘As you know’ twice in as many minutes. One of them was ‘as we both know’ but let’s not slit hairs. I don’t hate that phrase as much as others but it certainly is over used. (And rarely makes sense in any context.)

What McCoy does say that is interesting (in theory) is that he treated Lazarus for a wound. Then, a little later, the wound was gone.

Not only is the wound gone but so is Lazarus. McCoy is rather blasé about that. Here’s a wild idea. Maybe a visitor to a military (I will die on that hill.) ship, who you know nothing, should have a security escort. Granted Starfleet security couldn’t stop a toddler from stealing from the cookie jar but still. Turns out he is just in the mess hall.

Kirk and McCoy find Lazarus. This is not from a coordinated search they just happen upon him! He does have the plaster on his forehead. McCoy takes it off and the wound is back.

Kirk seems to think that McCoy is just kidding around. I have to ask just how dumb is Kirk? Does he really think that McCoy would do that in a crisis? I don’t know that just doesn’t sit right with me. Then again in The Corbomite Manoeuvre he doesn’t tell Kirk about the red alert lights. McCoy is also seen drinking on duty…never mind.

On the bridge they have detected a rip in the universe. Spock was able to find it using the dilithium crystals crystals. Okay, people. Ready for a geeky diversion?

As I said I have been watching Star Trek since I was 7. I started with TNG and saw TOS much later. As such I might have a rather skewed view of things. TNG, DS9 and Voyager are more consistent with each other than they are with TOS. I cannot recall another time when the dilithium was used to find something. I am guessing it was acting like a compass. I don’t know. I’m just a writer not a science officer.

Lazarus wants the crystals to trap the other one. Kirk, naturally, refuses as they are essential to the operation of the ship.

Lazarus leaves the bridge with a security guard but when we next see him he is alone and no explanation is given. How did he get away from the guard? Incompetence?

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That is the real problem with this episode. The story they are trying to tell is stupid but, on top of that, we have these little extra things of the crew being idiots.

Even doing this review I am having a hard time fully understanding what in the hell is going on.

The injured Lazaruses – has an episode (For want of a better term – I mean this in the clinical sense of the word.) and then we see the uninjured one. I think they are switching places each time.

The uninjured one goes to engineering and attacks Masters and her assistant. Security reports that Lazarus is missing. See what I mean about incompetence?

Kirk meets with the injured Lazarus in the briefing room. He says it was the other one who is guilty. Kirk also asks how the other got aboard. I am guessing that because they can switch places where one goes the other goes.

Back on the planet the crew investigate the ship. The crystals are not aboard. Lazarus ends up in the blue zone – with the back up fight music playing (That is my term it is not the famous Trek fight music) – after this fight the injured one emerges and… well he falls off the mountain…again.

In sickbay they get more information. Lazarus says he is from Earth but from another time. The other Lazarus is also a time traveller.

McCoy objects to the security officer – for reasons.

Then Kirk and Spock are illogical. Admittedly I might not have caught this myself. (Thanks Sfdebrs) They say that because the Enterprise’s sensors are designed to scan everything in the universe, and that they are not getting a clear scan, that the radiation they have detected must be from another universe. They conclude the existence of a parallel universes occupying the same space and time. A minus universe. (Rather than concluding that they have discovered something new. Something strange. A strange new world you might say.)

They figure out that Lazarus is two men. I feel it was too subtle – or maybe I am just an idiot.

Spock says ‘Madness has no purpose…but it may have a goal.’ That might be the dumbest thing Spock has said. Purpose and goal are pretty close in definition. I am not quite sure if they are synonyms or not.

There is an anti-matter and a matter universe and they cancel each other out. If the two Lazarus meet there will be annihilation. Not just of them but of the whole universe. How can a few kilograms of a person be a universe level threat?

Injured Lazarus removes something from a panel causing a fire. The crew evacuates and he sneaks in to steal the crystals.

Lazarus knocks out the transporter operator, beams down, and clips the crystals into his space hopper – I mean ship.

Kirk arrives and he ends up in the blue zone. He emerges on another planet. Here he meets the uninjured Lazarus who greets him. So Kirk is now in the antimatter universe.

Kirk agrees to help. The blue zone is an interconnection between the two universes, a corridor. A plan is put together: force the other Lazarus into the corridor and destroy his ship.

For some reason Kirk tells the guards to stand back. Kirk wins, duh, they take the crystals back, and blow up the ship. Lazarus is now trapped forever with his mad doppelganger. The implication is that they will not age.

This episode is a mess. I think it could have worked if the script had been given another pass and a polish but, as it stands, it is a mess. As is this review. I have done a speed run to the end here because I want to get to a more interesting episode. Which isn’t saying much as they are all more interesting than this one.

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.

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Tagged as science fiction, Spock, star trek, Television, tv

2024-07-02 · 14:46

The Devil in the Dark (TOS)

This is one of my favourite episodes of TOS. I would go so far as to say this is one of the quintessential episodes. If someone asked me what Star Trek is about this is the perfect episode to show. It seems like a simple monster hunt story. However this is Star Trek. For the crew of the Enterprise life is rarely so simple.

The episode starts with someone other than our heroes. I don’t think we have seen that before. We are in a mine. The miners discuss a monster that has killed 50 people. One of them, Schmitter, is told he will be fine. He is killed not two seconds later. Specifically he is burnt to a crisp.

After the opening credits we get the captain’s log. The colony is Janus Six and they are mining pergium. Pergium is an element which is vital to the Federation. The Enterprise is tasked with finding and killing the monster in the tunnels – or the devil in the dark.

The conversation between Kirk and Chief Engineer Vanderberg does have a bid of an ‘as you know’ problem but we do get information about the creature and its capabilities.

McCoy examines the body of Schmitter, from the beginning, and says that there isn’t much left. It is as though he had been thrown into a large vat of acid.

Spock notices a silicon nodule on Vanderberg’s desk. You can already see the cogs going in Spock’s brain like he is formulating ideas. I think he already has some notion that it might be important.

On the wall there are maps of the tunnels. I know it is petty to point it out but these maps just make me smile. This colony can’t afford to have maps on a computer just ones sticking out of the wall – like posters in a music shop.

Down in the tunnels we have another hapless victim. After the attack we see the creature go through the wall as if it was air.

The creature takes the colony’s circulating pump. They don’t have a spare and without this device the reactors will explode.

Maybe it is just me but if I had a thing in my home that, if broken, would cause my house to explode I would probably have a back up for it.

Naturally Kirk calls Scotty to see what he can do. The thing is the part is antiquated. Scotty says he hasn’t seen one in 20 years. This is a bit of a head scratcher. If the pergium from this world is so important why is it operating on such old equipment?

Nevertheless I love Scotty in this scene. His knowledge and expertise is expressed in such a nice way. Doohan really sells it that Scotty is an engineering expert and enthusiast.

The out of universe explanation is obvious. The need to recover the device gives the story a sense of urgency.

Incidentally, and slightly off topic, I have always found the idea of urgency in a story to be interesting. In a show like Star Trek we know our heroes are going to succeed – so the idea that they might not doesn’t always create a sense of jeopardy.

In this story the taking of the pump does serve another purpose. It proves the creature is intelligent and that it wants the colonist off the planet.

The big question is why now? The colony has been established for over 50 years. There is discussion here about the possibility of a silicon based life form. I am no scientist so I can’t comment on that. (I can’t even comment based on Trek science either.)

The upshot is that the Enterprise crew have more powerful weapons and they might be able to affect the creature.

Spock is still fascinated by the silicon sphere. He is unwilling to be drawn on exaclty what it is.

Kirk talks to the security personnel. They are led by Lieutenant Commander Giotto. It is not outright stated but it would seem he is Enterprise’s chief of Security. Insistently this scene is quite meme-able as it is Kirk talking to a bunch of red shirts.

Predictably it isn’t long before one of them buys the farm. Kirk and Spock are alerted by the scream.

I really enjoy the creature design in this episode. Science fiction is always at the mercy of its budget. The Horta design works because it is not humanoid. It is, at least in my book, much easier to suspend disbelief in this instant.

When Kirk and Spock shoot the creature they manage to hurt it. Spock declares the skin to be like ‘fibrous asbestos’ as he examines the piece they blew off.

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I want to go off on a slight tangent now if you’ll indulge me. Why is killing the creature considered acceptable to Kirk and Spock? Because they need the resources of this world. However previous episodes show that the Federation will not take from those that do not want to trade.

This has got me thinking about something I haven’t seen discussed before. When does the prime directive kick in?

In the episode Mirror, Mirror the Halkan’s refuse to trade with the Federation. For Kirk that is the end of the matter and his team departs.

In this episode killing a native creature is seen as acceptable. Here is my question… at what point does a creature become advanced enough that the prime directive affects them? I don’t have an answer to that question but I find the whole thing fascinating. We know that contacting pre-warp societies is a big no in trek. The question I have is what constitutes a society?

There are many animals on earth that live in reasonably sized groups and use tools. Would that count? If, for example, the Enterprise encountered a planet where the most intelligent life was orangutans could they visit? Based on what I know of this universe the answer is yes. So at what point does a species go from an animal we can exterminate to a civilisation we have to respect? I have no answer just food for thought.

In another briefing with the security men Spock tries to order that the creature be captured if possible. Kirk countermands the order restating that the creature must be killed. Again this seems like an odd thing for a starfleet officer to say.

Kirk orders Spock to assist Scotty with his work around for the stolen part. Spock states that Scotty has far more knowledge of nuclear reactors than him. I like this because it shows how the Enterprise is really a team. It is all too easy, sometimes, to create the impression that most characters in an ensemble are just dead weight.

With the place likely to explode within 10 hours Kirk orders an evacuation. However Vanderberg, and some of his men, are staying behind to deal with the creature. When Kirk says they do not have enough phasers Vandenberg says they can use clubs.

Two things come to my mind when reading this. Firstly why does the Enterprise have so few phasers? Secondly is a club really going to be effective against this creature? Well, Kirk seems to think so and is quite happy to accept the help. (Perhaps he is thinking he will loose fewer of his own men.)

The atmosphere of this episode is done very well. It is tense and you really feel the danger the crew are in.

Kirk and Spock separate, which never feels like a good idea, and Kirk finds a room full of the silicon nodules. Spock tells him to be sure he doesn’t damage any of the nodules. The nodules are eggs.

The creature approaches Kirk. This time it doesn’t make any overtly aggressive moves. It backs off when Kirk raises his weapon. Suddenly it is Spock who is saying to kill the creature. It is odd for Spock to advocate killing in any situation. Here though it is simply that Kirk’s life is in danger.

Spock’s Vulcan abilities prove invaluable. He is able to make a telepathic link with the creature. He discovers that it is in terrible pain, from the phaser wound, and that it is called a Horta. The creature writes a message ‘No kill I’

In order for Spock to get more information he needs to mind meld with the Horta. Touching a creature with acid skin doesn’t seem like a good idea. My guess is that the Horta can control its secretions. Meanwhile Kirk orders McCoy down to the planet to help to heal the Horta.

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It is here that the full story comes together. The Horta has been defending its children. The attacks have only recently started because it is only now that the miners have reached the level of the ‘chamber of the ages’.

The Horta, through Spock, tells Kirk where to find the missing pump. The fact that the Horta didn’t just destroy it might suggest that she was open to some kind of accommodation.

Meanwhile Starfleet security proves, once again, that it is really lacking. The redshirts are overpowered by the miners.

There is a wonderful bit with Vanderberg. When he is informed that his people have killed thousands of Horta, by destroying the eggs, he is obviously bothered by it. I like this characterisation very much. He is more complex than this type of character often is. His men might have died but this changes the situation for him. Very well done.

By golly, Jim, I’m beginning to think I can cure a rainy day.
Doctor McCoy – The Devil in the Dark

The episode ends with them making a deal with the Horta. The Horta will be left alone to mine and the humans will extract the minerals. Interestingly it is mentioned that the miners are going to be very rich – so the idea of money being a thing of the past hasn’t come in yet. Actually I am not sure that it ever will in TOS.

This is one of the best episodes of the show and is certainly in my top 10. (Well probably I haven’t written that list just yet.)

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2024-05-08 · 12:19

This Side of Paradise (TOS)

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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2024-03-30 · 09:31

A Taste of Armageddon (TOS)

This is one of my favourite episodes of TOS. There is something so engaging about a war fought in this way. The story shows the inherent stupidity of war. I am not going to say there are no just wars. However humans seem to manage to find reasons to kill each other all too easily. The people of this planet are technically not human – but this is 1960s science fiction – there was no budget for anything else.

I have recently been watching the early Doctor Who. That show had a very different approach to the alien characters. In episodes like The Web Planet (1965) the aliens were people in costumes. TOS, the Gorn notwithstanding, tended just to go with different clothes. This is not a judgement of better or worse it is just different. Although I have strong suspicions as to why they did this. It would be difficult to make a man in an ant costume look sexy. I suppose it boils down to two options. You can either have an obvious man in a costume or an alien who looks human.

Without further ado let’s get into it.

At the start we are introduced to Ambassador Robert Fox. Fox is listed on TV Tropes in their ‘ass in Ambassador’ page and it is easy to see why.

Fox seems incompetent, bordering on dangerously incompetent. The Enterprise receives a signal warning them off. Not only does Fox not know what the code means but he also orders Kirk to proceed to the planet anyway. Fox’s reasoning is making contact will save lives – Kirk says it could start a war. And, by the end of the episode, had it not been for Scotty, everyone on the Enterprise would be dead.

Fox wants to establish diplomatic relations at all costs. What is the point of diplomatic relations if everybody’s dead, Dave? (I so wish there was a Dave here but I am making that joke anyway.)

Kirk refuses to let Fox beam down until the situation has been evaluated. This is a nice little character moment. The whole reason they are here is because Fox has the authority to order it. Kirk also has his orders. One of those is to keep the ambassador safe. This means that Fox can’t insist on coming along without undermining the whole reason they are here.

The landing party beams down. We have Kirk, Spock, a Yeoman, and two nervous looking security guards – well no, but if I were them I would be.

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An interesting thing, that is not directly referenced, is that the people on this planet have numbers. The landing party is met by Mea 3 who introduces them to Anan 7. My Googling has come up empty on why this is. It might be the equivalent of a regnal number. I don’t know if this is explained in Beta canon – nevertheless I really appreciate this shot at making the people seem more alien.

Anan 7 says that establishing diplomatic relations is impossible because of the war. Of course there is no war. At least none as far as Spock can determine. What is going on? The war is fought with computers. The attacks are calculated and then the “casualties” are required to step into disintegration chambers. It’s like playing a game of… here’s where I pretend to know computer games… Halo and the losing team has to off themselves.

Anan 7 reports that the crew of the Enterprise have been declared dead and orders Kirk and his party to be detained till the crew report. Yeah. Good luck with that.

The war has been going on for 500 years. This is the only part of the story that I don’t like. It feels to me a little too long. On the other hand that might be the point. Without the damage to infrastructure that a war causes perhaps it could last that much longer. Nevertheless can you imagine a war started in 1524 that we are still fighting today?

The people die, but our culture goes on.
Anan 7 (Star Trek: the Original Series – A Taste of Armageddon)

Then we get a scene that never made any sense to me. When Mea 3 takes the landing party to a holding room she says she has been declared a casualty. (And she isn’t allowed to take the rest of the day off?) However she was standing right next to Kirk when the “attack” happened – so why is only she “dead”. The question isn’t answered but it is interesting – at least it is interesting to me.

Meanwhile Anan 7 thinks that Scotty is an idiot. He calls the Enterprise, with a voice modulator, and orders all personnel to beam down. Scotty checks with the computer and it confirms this is not the captain.

One of the best things about this episode is it gives Scotty time to shine. TOS is mostly about the big three so I appreciate the times when the other characters have their moment.

All the Star Trek series (at least from 1966-2005) have the special character. The character who is unaffected by whatever mess they have got themselves into this week. This was Spock for TOS. Here Spock is still calling himself a Vulcanian. He is able to influence the mind of a guard, through a wall, and the landing party makes their escape.

After escaping Kirk destroys one of the disintegration chambers. I originally wrote this as an ‘F’ the prime directive moment. Now I am not so sure. Given these devices were going to be used to kill the crew it seems more reasonable.

Discussion of the prime directive could be an entire post in itself. It is interesting how the different captains deal with it. Kirk sees it as “guidelines”. Picard follows it most of the time. In DS9 it rarely comes up. Although when Sisko does break it he can live with it. Janeway will follow the PD to the point of stupidity. And Archer, whose existence predates the PD, will still follow the same idea because genocide is more fun.

Yep. We are going to have a lot of fun if I ever make it to Enterprise – at the current rate that is going to be a long time in the future.

This episode has a number of technobabble issues. I say technobabble as a blanket, and perhaps disingenuous, term for real science and Star Trek science.

The Enterprise is attacked using sonic weapons. I am no scientist but surely that should not work in space. However I am not willing to completely dismiss this. If two people in spacesuits put their heads together, literally, they can talk to each other. So if the sonic weapon was contained in something else then maybe it could work. It would be like throwing a grappling rope and using that to slide something down to your target.

When dealing with science fiction technology there is a fair amount of leeway. Having said that if they wanted to destroy the Enterprise with sound playing awful music would almost be more believable. Then the crew either cover their ears, so no one is at the controls, or they crash into the nearest star.

Then we get a Star Trek technobabble issue. Scotty says that they can’t fire ‘full phasers’ with the screens up. I do not recall that ever being an issue before. (Or since, but that is less important.)

Fox thinks this has all been a misunderstanding. I would tend not to give the benefit of the doubt to someone whose woopsy could get me killed. And that is with ignoring the faked message – as McCoy points out.

On the planet the landing party returns to the room they escaped from. Kirk reasons that it is the last place anyone would look.

Mea 3 is still anxious that she needs to die. Kirk is able to talk her round – it is kind of this shtick – To be more accurate he at least convinces her that he is trying to help.

Meanwhile Anan 7 is having a bad day. I get the impression that, despite presiding over a war, this is the first day in his administration where things have not gone according to plan. Interestingly he says that the loss of one disintegration machine has caused them to fall far behind on quotas. I would have thought the loss of only one would not have had that kind of effect.

Ambassador Fox calls for an explanation of the attack. Anan claims the attack on the Enterprise was accidental. Fox, because he is an idiot, buys this completely. After the channel is closed he orders Scotty to lower the screens. Scotty refuses the order. Fox threatens him but he stands firm and Fox leaves the bridge.

Well, Scotty, now you’ve done it.
Aye. The haggis is in the fire for sure, but I’ll not lower my defences on the word of that mealy-mouthed gentleman down below. Not until I know what happened to the Captain.
McCoy and Scotty (Star Trek: TOS: A Taste of Armageddon)

Apparently this is not a common Scottish phrase but I love it. Like I said at the top it is rare for the supporting characters to get their moment to shine so when they do it is marvellous. Incidentally this refusal to obey orders was based off a real event in James Doohan’s military career.

Kirk makes his way to Anan’s quarters. He is armed but Anan seems unconcerned and we get an interesting discussion about the similarities between humans and Eminians. Anan calls us ‘barbarians.’

The guards get the drop on Kirk and he is taken to the council chambers.

There is a bit of a continuity snafu here in that Fox and his aid make it down to the planet. How they got down without Scotty lowering the shields is not explained. I will now cobble together an explanation… even though it doesn’t make a lick of sense.

In TOS they were still working out the universe. In this episode alone the Enterprise is said to be part of the UFP and to be a ship from Earth. Technically these two things do not contradict. However it is like calling a British Royal Navy ship a Portsmouth ship. Equally they were still working out how the technology worked. It is possible that they were toying with the shields being one way. So you could beam people down but couldn’t bring them back. That still doesn’t explain why Scotty would let Fox and his aid beam down. The lack of effective security would!

Beaming down is a very bad idea. Anan quickly informs them that they are to be killed. I feel so sorry for the Ambassador’s aid. He is forced to work with this nincompoop.

Fortunately our heroes are there to save the day. The Eminians use the standard one-size-fits all uniforms. The Enterprise security guards put them on. (Yes. They are still alive.)

Spock and the two guards save the ambassador and his aid. (So the Ambassador lives to screw up another day.)

Nearly being killed convinces Fox that this is indeed a deadly situation. He agrees to help Spock.

Anan once again tries to convince Scotty to start to beam down the crew for execution. However since the alternative is that the landing party being killed this doesn’t really work well as any kind of incentive.

The open channel allows for Kirk to give Scotty an order. He is to initiate General Order 24 in 2 hours.

When I first saw this episode I thought Kirk was bluffing. I assumed that GO24 was something else. I thought that Kirk’s statement that the Enterprise would destroy the surface of the planet was just his way of ‘negotiating’ for the release of his people. I was wrong…

All cities and installations on Eminiar Seven have been located, identified, and fed into our fire-control system. In one hour and forty five minutes the entire inhabited surface of your planet will be destroyed. You have that long to surrender your hostages.
Scotty (Star Trek: TOS: A Taste of Armageddon.)

The idea that Starfleet has a general order to commit this kind of act seems antithetical to what they stand for – especially as we have the prime directive.

With trident we could obliterate all of Eastern Europe.
Sir Sir Humphrey Appleby (Yes, Prime Minister: The Grand Design)

Incidentally that quote isn’t as dark as it seems. Go watch the show for context. You should anyway. I make no apology about recommending it. My reason for using it, tenuous I know, is to highlight the era of MAD in regard to nuclear war.

Kirk destroys the war computers. This means that Vendikar, the enemy, will assume the agreement has been broken so that now both planets face a real war.

Kirk gives the Kirk speech. It is a good speech but, and sorry to dog on this, but Shatner has a rather odd delivery. I am not going to try to replicate it in text. I am sure it is on YouTube.

We’re human beings with the blood of a million savage years on our hands, but we can stop it. We can admit that we’re killers, but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes. Knowing that we won’t kill today.
Kirk (Star Trek: TOS: A Taste of Armageddon.)

And with that we are done. Thankfully Kirk remembers to cancel the implementation of General Order 24 – wouldn’t that have been embarrassing? Fox stays on the planet to assist in the negotiations.

The episode, unfortunately, ends with a joke. Star Trek (TOS) does this a lot. Usually it is at Spock’s expense because only a fool would actually be respectful to the ship’s executive officer(!) Spock observes that Kirk took a big risk. Kirk isn’t so sure. He points out that a real war would not have killed any more people than the fake war. However it would have led to real destruction. So, one way or another, the war would have come to an end.

Captain, you almost make me believe in luck.
Why, Mister Spock, you almost make me believe in miracles
Kirk & Spock (Star Trek: TOS: A Taste of Armageddon.)

Small criticisms aside this is an excellent episode. Kirk’s point that we all have the capacity for violence is well made. (Although he makes it sound like not killing someone is a daily struggle.) I think it is an important point. It is very easy to think, especially in the Star Trek universe, that we are above such things. Kirk has already faced this in Arena where he decides not to kill the Gorn captain.

I experienced something interesting a little while back. I received a picture message from a friend showing me a graze on her face. My immediate assumption was that someone had hurt her. I wanted to hurt them. As it turned out she was fine. It was just make up for a play. I find it interesting, especially in light of this episode, that my first assumption was that she had been attacked – and that I wanted to retaliate. Even though this was all in my head it is, for me, a good reminder that the instincts of our ancestors are still inside us.

I hope you have enjoyed my look at this episode and I will see you in the next one.

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2024-02-13 · 11:45

Space Seed (TOS)

Space Seed is perhaps the best known episode of TOS. Fifteen years after this episode came out there would be a follow up: The Wrath of Khan. Of course when this episode was written there was no notion at all that this would happen.

One thing I really appreciate about TOS is that they do villains well. From the the Romulan Commander in ‘Balance of Terror’, to Kor, at the end of this season, and even the Gorn captain in ‘Arena’ it is never as simple as just someone being the bad guy. Khan is no exception.

Of course it helps that Khan is played by Ricardo Montalban who does a great job with this character. So without further ado lets get into the episode.

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We get right into the action with the Enterprise coming across an Earth ship.

The ship is identified as SS Botany Bay. While Spock can’t find a record of the ship specifically he does know that the last one of this class was built in the 1990s.

Looking at this in 2023 (now 2024 because I am so slow) it is strange that they put such a specific date in the script. The invention of Stardates was supposed to hide what century we were in. This episode would suggest the 22nd century – other episodes suggest later – but eventually 2267 was settled on as the year of season 1. Star Trek is wildly inconsistent.

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The landing party includes a new character Lieutenant McGivers – or, to borrow from Amanda Tapping, Lieutenant McUseless.

McGivers is the ship’s historian. I am not sure why the Enterprise would need an historian. It would seem Kirk agrees. He comments that this will be an opportunity for her to do some work and also he can’t remember her name.

McGivers seems to spend most of her free time painting. She particularly likes painting powerful men from history.

This feels like an odd thing for a 23rd century woman to admire. Wouldn’t she see such men as barbaric? Today we might recognise the achievements but would not add reverence to that.

Take the British Empire for example.

George, the British Empire at present covers a quarter of the globe, while the German Empire consists of a small sausage factory in Tanganiki.
Blackadder (Blackadder Goes Forth)

Britain is a tiny country and yet it was once a global superpower. Notwithstanding the awful things we did that is an impressive achievement. However I don’t think many today would talk of the leaders of the Empire as something to aspire to. I should note that my knowledge of the British Empire is patchy at best. I know most about the Klingon Empire.

We get a nice character moment establishing Dr McCoy’s dislike of using the transporter. I always appreciate these little moments where characters talk and it is not integral to the plot.

Once aboard Scotty gets his moment. Growing up Scotty was always my favourite character in TOS. As I got older Spock became my favourite. Nevertheless I love Scotty’s enthusiasm for the ship. He wants to learn. And not because of duty or necessity but just to learn and that, to me, is a most admirable quality.

The Botany Bay is a sleeper ship. McGivers gives 2018 as the date where FLT, or at least faster ships, happened. So it may or may not be a retcon when, much later, we learnt of 2063 being the the date of Earth’s first warp flight

The systems of the vessel start to come on. McGivers is so distracted by Khan, immediately finding him attractive, that she barely hears Kirk’s questions. She does soon confirm that, on this type of ship, the leader would be awoken first. That way they can determine if the situation warrants waking the others.

Ten hours later…’He’s alive, Jim.”

Khan awakens and takes a scalpel off the wall. I believe this is the only episode where McCoy has a scalpel on the wall. Very convenient. Khan holds it to McCoy’s throat and grabs his neck. I love McCoy in this scene.

Well, either choke me or cut my throat. Make up your mind.
Doctor McCoy (Star Trek: the Original Series – Space Seed)

McCoy refuses to answer any questions until Khan releases him. He even goes so far as to tell Khan the best place to cut his throat. Khan stands down and clearly respects McCoy’s bravery.

Kirk comes to sickbay. He tells Khan that the rest of his people will not be revived till they reach starbase. I mention this because it is good to see caution being employed. All too often in Star Trek the characters blunder in and don’t take enough precautions.

The exposition in this episode is given out in small chunks so as not to be overwhelming. We learn a little more from Spock about the genetic engineering of the 20th century and perhaps the most important line of the episode.

Because the scientists overlooked one fact. Superior ability breeds superior ambition.
Spock (Star Trek: The Original Series – Space Seed)

It makes me wonder what a genetically engineered introvert would be like. My ambition is mostly to be left alone!

Lieutenant McGivers comes to visit Khan. However he is more interested in her hair than in talking about his ship and its mission.

Here I have a question. Was Khan actually interested in her or did he notice her attraction and realised he could use her to take over the ship? The answer could be both. I do find it interesting to think about. On the other hand, I think I have three hands at this point, he could just be trying to get rid of her.

McGivers suggests a formal dinner to welcome Khan to the, what I am going to call, the 23rd century. First Khan visits her in her quarters.

Khan is honoured to have been included in her paintings of dictators. Clearly McGivers already knows who he is. He kisses her and she responds. Apparently that is all it takes for her to betray her crew. Can you imagine Captain Sisko’s reaction if Eddington’s motivation had been because of some beautiful Marquis woman? I am getting ahead of myself. We are a long way off covering DS9.

The dinner scene is short. Spock is quickly able to get Khan to reveal himself as one of the dictators of 1990s Earth.

One man would have ruled eventually. As Rome under Caesar. Think of its accomplishments.
Khan (Star Trek: the Original Series – Space Seed)

Khan seems quite pleased at having been rumbled. This is what I meant about Star Trek villains having nuance. Being discovered like this is hardly going to help Khan’s plans. Nevertheless Khan is pleased. Why? I think Khan likes the idea of a worthy adversary. There is no glory in defeating an enemy with no cunning or skill.

In Khan’s quarters Khan tells McGivers his intention to take over the ship. When she doesn’t immediately agree to help him he squeezes her hand and forces her down to her knees. It is a rather uncomfortable scene to watch. She agrees to help him.

This is a difficult topic to cover. It might be easy to come down against McGivers. She is betraying her ship and crew just because Khan is her ideal man. On the other hand this could also be seen as an abusive relationship with her as a victim. I would tend to fall down on this side of things. Which makes Kirk’s actions at the end of the episode questionable at best.

Help me out here. We now get to part of the story that doesn’t make much sense. Up till now there has been some question as to who Khan is. However all the staff know the name Khan Noonien Singh – and they even comment on him. Shouldn’t they have been able to put two and two together a bit sooner? They have a picture of him.

It is tricky to put this into modern terms because cryogenic freezing doesn’t exist. So lets pretend that Admiral Nelson hadn’t died at the Battle of Trafalgar but had in fact gone missing. Then in 2005 a man named Nelson was found in a 19th century naval uniform in some sort of preservation box. I realise I am struggling for a metaphor here. My point is that this ‘mystery’ of Khan’s identity doesn’t feel like it completely holds up to me.

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Khan is able to get the door to his quarters open, because he is just that strong, and get passed the security guard. Although circumventing starfleet security is not exactly hard.

Meanwhile McGivers has a gun on the transporter operator. Khan comes in, knocks the poor dope out, and he and McGivers set to work freeing the rest of Khan’s people.

It seems to be a fairly typical story beat in TOS that the ship is taken over. This one is a little better than most. At least hear Khan had help from the inside and is shown to be a good tactician – it makes far more sense than a hippies or mind-controlled children!

Kirk quickly loses control of his ship. Khan and company make it to engineering. They disable the anti-intruder systems and switch off the oxygen on the bridge. Kirk decides to use up what remains of the air to record commendations for the crew. Perhaps doing it in text would have been better.

The senior staff, plus some other personnel, are taken from the bridge and brought to the briefing room. All except for Kirk. Kirk is placed in a medical decompression chamber.

Khan demands that a colony planet be selected for his people to rule. Naturally the crew do not acquiesce to Khan’s demands. He selects Spock to go into the chamber next – perhaps he is planning to go through the crew in rank order.

McGivers has finally come to her senses. She incapacitates the guard and frees Kirk from the chamber. She asks Kirk not to kill Khan. I really don’t understand this woman.

Kirk orders all decks to be gassed, except for the one they are on, so that the enemy is contained. I don’t know that this is the best strategy – the Enterprise crew still outnumber the invaders even if they are very strong.

It soon comes down to just Kirk and Khan – and if you were expecting anything else you don’t know this show well. Khan boasts that he has five times Kirk’s strength but Kirk wins the day – it is his show after all.

After all is said and done Kirk, for no conceivable reason, drops all charges and decides to maroon Khan and his people on Ceti Alpha V. Since they were en route to a starbase they could have incarcerated them properly. My guess is that Kirk felt it was too much of a risk to do otherwise.

Then there is the question of what to do with McGivers. Kirk gives her the choice of going with Khan and his people or being court martialed. She chooses to go with them. An odd choice given that prisons in the Federation (not named as such yet) have been described as being ‘like resort words.’ They’re probably akin to Norwegian prisons in the modern world.

Khan has already committed actions that McGivers deemed to be unacceptable. So I am wondering why now she would choose to stay with him and his people.

I am also doubting if Kirk made the right decision – at least in regard to McGivers. Traitor or not she is still a member of his crew and his responsibility. Do Starfleet captains have the authority to maroon an officer on a barren planet?

I have no answer to that question.

Khan references Milton when asked how he feels about this situation. Kirk explains it to Scotty and the rest.

The statement Lucifer made when he fell into the pit. ‘It is better to rule in hell than serve in heaven.’
Captain Kirk (Star Trek: The Original Series: Space Seed)

The final word of this story goes to Spock – well technically Kirk – you’ll see what I mean.

It would be interesting, Captain, to return to that world in a hundred years and to learn what crop has sprung from the seed you planted today.

Yes, Mister Spock, it would indeed.
Kirk and Spock (Star Trek: The Original Series: Space Seed)

As we now know it would not take more than 15 years to discover the crop. And six months later the neighbouring planet exploded – I…I don’t know how that happens.

Space Seed is a classic episode of TOS. Even if The Wrath of Khan didn’t exist it still would be. It is amazing that that film is so good when obviously this episode wasn’t written with any thought of a conclusion in mind.

Khan is a great villain. He is a credible threat to Kirk. I would question how Kirk was able to get the upper hand. Then again I do know that when it comes to hand-to-hand combat strength is not everything.

Minor quibbles aside this is a great episode. It certainly qualifies as one of the best in the series.

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2021-06-29 · 13:59

The Conscience of the King (TOS) (Review)

The episode starts with a dagger being dramatically raised. Kirk is watching a production of Macbeth. Star Trek references Shakespeare on many occasions – and here is where it started. I have a complicated relationship with Shakespeare – I really want to like his plays but half the the time I understand where Blackadder was coming from when he decks the bard!

Maybe I am just an uncultured so-and-so.

Captain Kirk is watching the play with Dr Thomas Leighton. Leighton is convinced that the man playing Macbeth, Anton Karidian, is Kodos the Executioner. We have no context for who that is but we have a possible secret identify and with this, and a name like Kodos the Executioner, the episode demands to be watched.

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After the credits we learn that Leighton has a disfigurement. Half his face is covered in what looks to be a stiff fabric. I am unclear what it is supposed to be. My guess is it is some sort of bandage or reconstructive surgery – this is a 1960s show it isn’t going to look perfect. Kodos is implied to have done this to him.

Here is the summery from Memory Alpha:

Kodos is notorious because he seized control of the doomed Earth Colony Tarsus IV in 2246 and ordered the execution of half its population of 8,000. Of the 4,000 survivors, only nine, including the young Kirk and Leighton, ever saw the face of the revolutionary governor.

Here is where we get into a bit of problem. Kirk is able to compare Kodos to Karidian via photograph. The whole plot hinges on so few people being able to identify him but this scene shows that anyone could do it. I am willing to overlook this though. The rest of the episode is well done and little plot holes are understandable. That said the plot could have been adjusted to them being witness and not corroborating identity. These days we would talk about DNA too but that kind of testing wasn’t around in the 1960s. (At least that is what I can glean from a 30 second Googling!)

Photo by **Charlotte May** from **Pexels**

Kirk attends a cocktail party at Leighton’s home and we meet Anton Karidian’s daughter, Lenore, who is named after a fabric softener for some reason.

Kirk talks to her because…well he is Kirk… but also he wishes to use her to learn about her father. The two of them go for a walk, almost kiss, and discover a dead body. These are all normal events in the life of Captain Kirk.

The body is that of Leighton. This begins to convince Kirk, and Leighton’s wife, that there might be something to his suspicions.

Kirk arranges for the Astral Queen to not pick up the Karidian players. This has the effect he hoped for – it manoeuvres Lenore into requesting a lift which Kirk grants.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/aerial-photography-of-rock-next-to-water-body-2382681/

Meanwhile Kirk discovers out that Lieutenant Kevin Riley was also one of the people able to identify Kodos. Kirk has Riley sent back to engineering. This is apparently a demotion. Kirk’s reasoning seems to be that if Riley is on the lower decks he is safe from Karidian (Kodos).

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Spock begins to have suspicions and so goes to see McCoy. This may not be the best idea. McCoy is drinking in sickbay – it is possibly the middle of the day and he might be on duty. Spock doesn’t say anything about it. There is also a weird line in this scene referring to Vulcan having been conquered – it is an evolving show so who can say – but McCoy could also be drunk and Spock doesn’t care enough to correct him.

More weird 1960s references to women comes into play when McCoy refers to Lenore as ‘a pretty exciting creature’ – Spock dismisses Lenore as the cause of Kirk’s odd behaviour. And Spock is right. Kirk would not risk his command for something that trivial.

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Meanwhile Kirk is with Lenore on the observation deck to share some weird dialogue.

Worlds may change, galaxies disintegrate, but a woman always remains a woman.
Captain Kirk (Star Trek: The Original Series – The Conscience of the King)

Lenore also compares the power of the Enterprise to Kirk himself – since she uses the word throbbing in that qustion I would rather not think about it.

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Someone attempts to poison Riley. Fortunately he was listing to Uhura sing over the com so he is rushed to sickbay. Spock and McCoy go to confront Kirk about Kodos.

I don’t like anyone meddling in my private affairs, not even my second in command.
Captain Kirk (Star Trek: The Original Series: The Conscious of the King)

What I like about this scene is that McCoy comes to Spock’s defence. The trio is what makes TOS work. Spock is logical, McCoy is emotional and Kirk has to find his way between the two extremes.

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An awkward scene break and it is just Spock and Kirk. They hear the low hum of a phaser on overload. They find it behind the plastic of the red alert light. Kirk sends it down a disposal shoot, the ship shakes, but no serious damage is sustained.

Enough is enough for Kirk. He goes to confront Koridian to make absolutely certain that he is Kodos. He takes with him a copy of the speech Kodos gave before the executions.

The revolution is successful, but survival depends on drastic measures. Your continued existence represents a threat to the well-being of society. (stops looking at the paper) Your lives means slow death to the more valued members of the colony. Therefore I have no alternative but to sentence you to death. Your execution is so ordered. Signed, Kodos, governor of Tarsus Four.
Koridian (Kodos) (Star Trek: The original Series: The Conscious of the King)

Koridian hardly glancing at the paper convinces Kirk he is Kodos.

Photo by **Monica Silvestre** from **Pexels**

So we come to the final curtain. Please forgive the cliché but in this case there is a literal curtain. The performance is going ahead.

Meanwhile McCoy shows us why dictating a log might not be the best idea. He mentions Kodos within earshot of Riley – who takes a phaser and heads for the theatre.

Kirk convinces Riley to return to the sickbay. What is strange about this ending is that there still seems to be doubt whether or not Kordian is Kodos – even though we saw photographic evidence at the start of the show and Spock said as much – frankly if Spock is certain that is surely good enough for an arrest.

And here we get the big reveal. It isn’t Koridian who has been killing the nine witnesses but Lenore. She grabs a phaser from one of the guards and fires at Kirk. Koridian gets in the way and she kills him instead.

We can argue stun settings but Koridian may have had a heart condition for all we know. I have been watching Bones lately and one thing that comes up again and again is how easy death can happen – even if a weapon is supposed to be non-lethal.

One final quote from Hamlet, curtesy of Lenore over her father’s body, and we get to the end of the episode.

Lenore remembers nothing and is institutionalised. Kirk refuses to answer the question of whether or not he really cared for her.

The Enterprise heads off for its next assignment.

This is one of the best episodes of the original series. As mentioned the plot does have a bit of a hole in it but that is a small quibble as the rest of it is so well done. We get a good look into Kirk’s character as he tries to balance his need for vengeance and his need for justice.

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To help with the quotes used in this review I used: http://www.chakoteya.net/StarTrek/

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Tagged as Kirk, kodos, mccoy, Spock, Star Trek: The Original Series

2020-10-23 · 21:10

The Menagerie (Part 1) Review

Photo by **Magda Ehlers** from **Pexels**

As I go through these reviews it is my hope that each one will be better than the one before. As such I am going to take a different approach this time. I will assume that you have seen the episode in question and instead just talk in general about it.

Photo by **Julissa Helmuth** from **Pexels**

Today we might be inclined to think of this episode as a clip show. However it is not a traditional clip show. The clips, from the first pilot, had not been seen before. Oh and by ‘traditional clip show’ I mean shit – you can see Shades of Grey for an example of that – no…not that Shades of Grey!

We are introduced to Captain Christopher Pike who is confined to iron lung/wheelchair and can only communicate by beeping! You have probably seen this parodied somewhere – it was done on Futurama on at least two occasions. Unfortunately this part of the story doesn’t make any sense.

If Pike can only beep then shouldn’t he be able to use Morse code? Even if, for some reason, it wasn’t there are other options. This was shown in an episode of The Simpsons and also in SG-1.

I could give you the Stargate SG-1 example but for some reason I feel like using The Simpson’s! In Treehouse of Horror XXII – Homer can only communicate by farting. Lisa recites the alphabet to him and he farts when he gets to the right letter. This would be easily doable for Pike – the basic method not the farting.

And yes I did just say the Simpsons did it better. Farting beats beeping.

Yet in the story they act as though the only way would be to question Pike in a Twenty Questions sort of way. All he needs to ‘say’ is that Spock is planning to take him to Talos IV. I realise that I am analysing this in a world where predictive text has been a reality for some time but even so it is hard to believe that the writers wouldn’t have spotted this.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/beach-bottle-cold-daylight-292426/

McCoy and Kirk discuss the message that the Enterprise supposedly received diverting them to the star base. The evidence points to Spock faking a message. McCoy doesn’t believe it.

Me, yes I could run off half-cock, given a good reason. So could you, but not Spock. It’s impossible.
McCoy (Star Trek: The Original Series: The Menagerie: Part 1)

I like that McCoy stands up for Spock here. They frequently have an adversarial relationship but clearly McCoy understands Spock.

Of course McCoy is wrong in this instance!

Then we get a scene which makes very little sense to me. Mendez shows Kirk the file on Talos IV. At this point in the story the Enterprise has yet to be hijacked by Spock so why is it considered significant? The only thing I can come up with is that there is evidence of some conspiracy going on and this file is a classified one that Spock and Pike know about. And the base must be relatively close to this world. It is flimsy but that is all I have got.

Perhaps even more bizarre the document is signed by Spock as Half-Vulcan – as if that was his rank. I also have no idea why.

Pike is beamed suddenly from his room and the Enterprise breaks orbit

Photo by **Chris J Mitchell** from **Pexels**

We are also given a nugget of information that visiting Talos IV is the only death penalty left in Federation law. I am not sure if it was called the Federation at this point (they seemed to go through a few names) but it is the one I am going with. It is this threat of death that drives the narrative but that two doesn’t really work.

I am against capital punishment anyway, and a discussion of it is beyond the scope of this review, but if you are going to have it why have it for visiting some random planet and not for a serial killer?

https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-space-rocket-toy-3697818/

Kirk and Mendez go after the stolen Enterprise in a shuttle.

These ‘shuttles’, they are a formidable craft?
Master Bra’tac (Stargate SG-1: The Serpents Lair)

Apparently Starbase 11 has no ships. For some reason in Trek there being no ships available is a common trope. In this case the reason, out of universe, is that the shuttle can’t catch the Enterprise so it forces Spock to reverse course and pick it up – or let Kirk die but Spock won’t go that far. There is no sensible in universe reason that I can see.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/police-fun-funny-uniform-33598/

Spock has himself confined to quarters – creating confusion for the security men since it was Spock who ordered them to the bridge in the first place!

Spock has also locked the Enterprise on course for Talos IV in such a way that the crew cannot disengage it.

Losing control of the ship, either completely or being unable to stop one particular function, happens a lot in Star Trek. Here it is perfectly justified as Spock is the XO and a computer expert. In season three hippies take over the ship but lets not dwell on that at the moment.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/ask-blackboard-chalk-board-chalkboard-356079/

Kirk calls a hearing for Spock which Spock quickly gets turned in to a general court martial. Spock waives his right to council and presents his evidence – clips from The Cage – also known as the historical documents!

If you don’t get that reference go and watch Galaxy Quest right this second!

Photo by **Philippe Donn** from **Pexels**

We see the Enterprise as it was 13 years before and it receives a distress signal from Talos IV – an M class world.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/arid-barren-clay-cracks-216692/

I have no idea what the first episode I ever saw of Star Trek was but it was almost certainly in TNG – and I had seen DS9 before this episode – so it is quite a fun fact for me that M class was something established right from the start.

Actually I tell a lie. I have this vague memory of my parents watching The Devil in the Dark when I was very little. My early memories are third person – and I have the memory of a small me, carrying my duck that I took everywhere and still own, seeing the episode on the tiny TV we used to have and leaving the room. I don’t even know if it is a real memory. However discounting that the first episode I intentionally watched would have been TNG.

So we are introduced to Dr Boyce, in the past, who brings Captain Pike a martini – then we get something odd to say the least…

Pike considers retiring…

Or I’d, I’d go into business on Regulus or on the Orion Colony.
You, an Orion trader, dealing in animal women slaves?
Pike and Boyce (Star Trek: The Original Series: The Menagerie)

Yes Pike considers becoming a slave trader – kind of messes up the perfect future bit doesn’t it? I really have no idea what is going on here!

Commodore Mendez tries to end the proceedings, believing the images to be fake, but Kirk and Pike vote to continue.

So we pick up with the landing party of 13 years ago as they beam down to Talos IV.

The party find the encampment with a group of old men, the scientists from the ship who’s distress signal they picked up, and in the group there is one woman – Vina.

Photo by **Daria Shevtsova** from **Pexels**

While the men are all odd Vina is only 18. Pike immediately takes a liking to her. Meanwhile Doctor Boyce reports that the condition of the survivors is too good for the conditions they have been living in. One of the scientists says there is a reason for this and Vina can show him.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/tunnel-with-lights-60893/

Vina leads Pike away from the group and he is soon taken captive by the Talosians.

I like the Talosian makeup. It is basic, it was the 60s after all, but it gets across very well that these are very intelligent alien beings. We see them speak in the next episode and that too makes them creepy.

The episode comes to an end with it being revealed that these transmissions have been coming from Talos IV. Mendez is ordered to take command of the Enterprise, and to stop it from reaching the plant. Kirk orders Spock locked up.

The mystery in this episode is well built up. We know the character of Spock by now and that he must have a good reason for doing what he is doing but we still don’t have an explanation of why.

As I said there are a number of logical hiccups in this story, mainly the beeping Pike, but overall I like this story. I am not sure why the beeping was necessary. Surely Pike being paralysed and speaking through a computer would still have got the point across – but that might just be the opinion of a guy born two decades after this episode aired.

This was the only two part episode for TOS and I will try to be back with the next part soon. I am still finding my way with doing these reviews.

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Tagged as Dr McCoy, Kirk, Spock, star trek, The Cage, The Menagerie

2014-12-21 · 18:00

Best Sci-Fi Characters of All Time

This will be my last post before Christmas. I don’t want to talk about Christmas.

The other day the BFI uploaded its picks for ‘The Best Sci-Fi Characters of All Time.‘ At the top of the list was The Doctor. This to me is no great surprise. Doctor Who is probably the most versatile science fiction that exists. You can tell any story you can imagine in that universe.

What did surprise me was that Kerr Avon was number 4. This is not because I don’t like the character but rather because I’ve always thought as Blake’s 7 to be a little obscure.

For Star Trek Mr Spock was the highest ranked at number 10. Spock is certainly the most iconic of all Star Trek characters. For me he was always more interesting a character than Kirk. When watching TOS I always wonder why Spock isn’t in charge.

Babylon 5 was well represented too with: G’Kar, Londo Mollari, Susan Ivanova, Captain John Sheridan, Delenn (twice), Alfred Bester, Commander Jeffrey Sinclair, Lyta Alexander, and Michael Garibaldi.

For Stargate SG-1 we have the whole team with the exception of Cameron Mitchell, which I can understand, and Teal’c which I can’t.

So who would my top ten be? Well I’m going to limit myself to names on their list…

The Doctor
Ambassador G’kar
Captain Benjamin Sisko
Ambassador Spock
Captain Picard
Ambassador Londo Mollari
Brigadier General Jack O’Neill
Ambassador Delenn
Colonel Samantha Carter
Admiral William Adama

There are many others I could mention. I may put together my own list of 100 names.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Best of the Season.

See you on the other side.

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Tagged as Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica, Blake's 7, British Film Institute, Captain Kirk, G'Kar, Kerr Avon, Londo Mollari, Spock, star trek, Star Trek: The Original Series, Stargate SG-1, The Doctor