I don't normally use this blog for personal stuff, but I wanted to note the passing of my Uncle Don Barnes, who died early this morning at the age of 94.
Don had suffered from Alzheimer's for the last 5 years so in a sense, he's been gone for a while. Nonetheless, I wanted to make a short note about this person who had a real influence on me.
Uncle Don, who along with my late Aunt Faith lived in the Rapid City area the entire time I was growing up; the Barnes' were a regular part of our lives during those years. We visited their house a lot when I was younger and if you could see what the place looked like, you'd understand the influence. Don was a retired electrical engineer (he worked for the FAA for some of his career IIRC) and a real pack rat. His garage and basement were stuffed full of all sorts of fascinating old electronics junk. I spent a lot of time in that basement (it was a fun place to play for us kids) and have vivid memories of the place. Don was one of the reasons I'm as into technology as I am. He was pretty much always interested in new tech and we had fun talking about whatever the latest stuff was. I often brought over some piece of audio gear, often in non-working condition. He was always ready to dive in and either get his soldering iron warmed up to fix it or show me what had to be done with it. I learned a lot about how electronics work from him and also have my background knowledge of old tech thanks to him (and my Dad, of course).
Don was also extraordinarily generous, as anyone who knew him could tell you. While he collected a lot of old stuff, he didn't hesitate to provide it to anyone who needed it. When I was done with high school and didn't have a car to drive, he gave me his unused 1962 Mercury Meteor. This old car, which was black with a red interior (and often dubbed "The Batmobile") and had rear fins, got me through several years of regular use.
So Don will not be forgotten in my family. His struggle with Alzheimer's was not easy to watch but we're fortunate that we had so many years with him. RIP, Uncle Don: we all miss you.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
TOS Rewind #34: "Catspaw"
Happy Halloween! We happened to hit this episode, one that's actually Halloween-themed, this week. Funny...OK, so we're a little late. Boo!
So we have Catspaw (10/27/1967), the one original series holiday special, so to speak.
Eric and Rob joined me on the podcast:
So here we have the single holiday-themed episode in Trek history (I think). Sure, it's no Star Wars Holiday Special, but it's pretty weak for a second season episode.
I think the big issue here is that the writers couldn't seem to figure out whether this was going to be a silly/campy "Jiffy Trek" or something with serious concepts. There's a bit of both here, really and the mix just doesn't work. There a number of jokey references which, while amusing by themselves, just add to the muddled nature of this episode. The ending, as Rob points out on the podcast, is a bit odd as well. The idea seems to borrow from other Trek material and the idea of aliens assuming human form and not being able to deal with the accompanying "sensations," (ahem!) gets used again in future episodes. Another problem is that we don't really get what the aliens actually want from Kirk and co.
The acting here ranges from just okay to quite mediocre. I didn't think the actor playing Korob was too bad, but the woman playing Sylvia was often laugh-inducing. Part of it was her lines and costumes. Speaking of costumes, who thought the fuzzy wig on Chekov was a good idea? It looks really bad. They had the good sense to ditch it later, thankfully. The worst performance/character had to be DeSalle, the guy who's left in command when Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down (Scotty and Sulu were already missing). He comes off as this stuck-up, annoying throw-back to bad WW2 combat movies: "Maybe we can't break it, but I'll bet you credits to navy beans we can put a dent in it!" Uh, yeah. That'll show 'em! Another great quote: "I can squash you! And that would be an interesting sensation, yes." Tee hee. The scene where Sylvia is trying to get it on with Kirk made Stacie laugh a lot. Of course, right after that when she finds out he's just messing with her is pretty fun. There's also a sequence where Sylvia, in the form of a black cat, grows to giant size to threaten Kirk and the landing party. It looks so incredibly silly that I was instantly reminded of the scene in Team America: World Police where the puppets are attacked by a black house cat.
Growing up, I would watch this one and say the 1970s equivalent of "Meh." Now, it doesn't hold up so well. It happens. I watched the BD/remastered version and aside from a re-done view of the outside of the castle, there wasn't a whole lot to see.
Now let's see what Eric made of this one:
---
It recently occurred to me that my written reviews of late have been nothing more than recaps of our podcasts, so starting with this review, I'm going to attempt a literary analysis (or something bearing a vague resemblance to a literary analysis) of our chosen episode. And I'll ask your forgiveness in advance--it's been a loooong time since I've written anything like this.
To begin, I'm certain there are many who would argue strenuously that there is nothing literary about Star Trek worthy of analysis. I, of course, disagree. As I've mentioned before, almost all of the original Star Trek episodes had underlying themes that were interesting and sometimes even profound. They not uncommonly suffered from poor presentation and/or inadequate development, but they are still there. And with a little coaxing, they can be brought out and examined. So, here goes...
"Catspaw" is about the use and abuse of power and the attendant consequences. Throughout the episode, the experiences and fates of Korob, Sylvia, and Captain Kirk show that a person must have the courage to use power and the wisdom and strength not to abuse it.
Consider Korob. He is the alien who has control of the transmuter, and thereby wields extraordinary power, but he doesn't use it to stop Sylvia until it is almost too late. When he is talking to Captain Kirk, he alludes that Sylvia's instability is the reason their introduction to our galaxy wasn't peaceful. So early on, Korob knew, or at least suspected, that there was a problem and didn't have the courage to act preemptively to head off the impending disaster. Of course, it can be argued that such suspicions aren't adequate to warrant neutralizing one's partner, but Korob also harangues Sylvia for abandoning her duty to their superiors, which should've been sufficient reason for him to act. Again, he lacks to courage to do what must be done, so it isn't until Sylvia has killed, enslaved, and goes on a murderous rampage, threatening to wipe out all human life, that he finally takes action. This gives Kirk the opportunity to defeat Sylvia, but in the process, Korob is killed.
Conversely, Sylvia has no problem whatsoever with using power. In all fairness, her situation is much like that of a drug addict. In taking human form, she is suddenly exposed to a host of intoxicating sensations that overwhelm her. This is understandable, if tragic. She uses her power not so much for the sake of power itself, as is true of so many villains, but rather to get her "fix" of sensations. In any case, regardless of her motivations, Sylvia grossly abuses her power--she commits heinous crimes (murder and slavery) and threatens genocide (credibly, one must assume) against the human race. Her fate, much like Korob, is defeat and death. And along the way, she is manipulated by Kirk, just as she used members of the Enterprise crew.
So now we come to Kirk's role. He is also unafraid to use power, which he has shown numerous times. It could be said that he is irresponsible because he takes sexual advantage of Sylvia, who doesn't understand sexuality or sexual politics. But at this point the question becomes: Do Kirk's actions demonstrate a lack of responsibility and morality, or do they show the strength and courage Korob lacked? The answer lies in Kirk's motivation in manipulating Sylvia, which is to gain the information and influence necessary to save the Enterprise and its crew, and (somewhat melodramatically) all of humanity. As a Starfleet captain, he swore an oath to protect not only his crew but also the entire Federation, so his motivation is rooted in sworn duty, and, in a larger sense, the moral obligation any decent human being would feel when faced with a threat to the human race. Also, perhaps even more tellingly, Kirk does not manipulate Sylvia out of malice or for his own benefit or pleasure. He does what he must do. He has the strength to use his power (masculine wiles?), and although he may be ruthless, he uses that power responsibly. As a result, he survives and is successful.
So "Catspaw" shows us that it is wrong not only to abuse power, but also to allow fear to prevent one from using power when it is called for. The ideal is to be strong enough to use power when needed and to temper that usage with wisdom so that it does not become abuse.
Next time: "I Mudd"
So we have Catspaw (10/27/1967), the one original series holiday special, so to speak.
Eric and Rob joined me on the podcast:
So here we have the single holiday-themed episode in Trek history (I think). Sure, it's no Star Wars Holiday Special, but it's pretty weak for a second season episode.
I think the big issue here is that the writers couldn't seem to figure out whether this was going to be a silly/campy "Jiffy Trek" or something with serious concepts. There's a bit of both here, really and the mix just doesn't work. There a number of jokey references which, while amusing by themselves, just add to the muddled nature of this episode. The ending, as Rob points out on the podcast, is a bit odd as well. The idea seems to borrow from other Trek material and the idea of aliens assuming human form and not being able to deal with the accompanying "sensations," (ahem!) gets used again in future episodes. Another problem is that we don't really get what the aliens actually want from Kirk and co.
The acting here ranges from just okay to quite mediocre. I didn't think the actor playing Korob was too bad, but the woman playing Sylvia was often laugh-inducing. Part of it was her lines and costumes. Speaking of costumes, who thought the fuzzy wig on Chekov was a good idea? It looks really bad. They had the good sense to ditch it later, thankfully. The worst performance/character had to be DeSalle, the guy who's left in command when Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down (Scotty and Sulu were already missing). He comes off as this stuck-up, annoying throw-back to bad WW2 combat movies: "Maybe we can't break it, but I'll bet you credits to navy beans we can put a dent in it!" Uh, yeah. That'll show 'em! Another great quote: "I can squash you! And that would be an interesting sensation, yes." Tee hee. The scene where Sylvia is trying to get it on with Kirk made Stacie laugh a lot. Of course, right after that when she finds out he's just messing with her is pretty fun. There's also a sequence where Sylvia, in the form of a black cat, grows to giant size to threaten Kirk and the landing party. It looks so incredibly silly that I was instantly reminded of the scene in Team America: World Police where the puppets are attacked by a black house cat.
Growing up, I would watch this one and say the 1970s equivalent of "Meh." Now, it doesn't hold up so well. It happens. I watched the BD/remastered version and aside from a re-done view of the outside of the castle, there wasn't a whole lot to see.
Now let's see what Eric made of this one:
---
It recently occurred to me that my written reviews of late have been nothing more than recaps of our podcasts, so starting with this review, I'm going to attempt a literary analysis (or something bearing a vague resemblance to a literary analysis) of our chosen episode. And I'll ask your forgiveness in advance--it's been a loooong time since I've written anything like this.
To begin, I'm certain there are many who would argue strenuously that there is nothing literary about Star Trek worthy of analysis. I, of course, disagree. As I've mentioned before, almost all of the original Star Trek episodes had underlying themes that were interesting and sometimes even profound. They not uncommonly suffered from poor presentation and/or inadequate development, but they are still there. And with a little coaxing, they can be brought out and examined. So, here goes...
"Catspaw" is about the use and abuse of power and the attendant consequences. Throughout the episode, the experiences and fates of Korob, Sylvia, and Captain Kirk show that a person must have the courage to use power and the wisdom and strength not to abuse it.
Consider Korob. He is the alien who has control of the transmuter, and thereby wields extraordinary power, but he doesn't use it to stop Sylvia until it is almost too late. When he is talking to Captain Kirk, he alludes that Sylvia's instability is the reason their introduction to our galaxy wasn't peaceful. So early on, Korob knew, or at least suspected, that there was a problem and didn't have the courage to act preemptively to head off the impending disaster. Of course, it can be argued that such suspicions aren't adequate to warrant neutralizing one's partner, but Korob also harangues Sylvia for abandoning her duty to their superiors, which should've been sufficient reason for him to act. Again, he lacks to courage to do what must be done, so it isn't until Sylvia has killed, enslaved, and goes on a murderous rampage, threatening to wipe out all human life, that he finally takes action. This gives Kirk the opportunity to defeat Sylvia, but in the process, Korob is killed.
Conversely, Sylvia has no problem whatsoever with using power. In all fairness, her situation is much like that of a drug addict. In taking human form, she is suddenly exposed to a host of intoxicating sensations that overwhelm her. This is understandable, if tragic. She uses her power not so much for the sake of power itself, as is true of so many villains, but rather to get her "fix" of sensations. In any case, regardless of her motivations, Sylvia grossly abuses her power--she commits heinous crimes (murder and slavery) and threatens genocide (credibly, one must assume) against the human race. Her fate, much like Korob, is defeat and death. And along the way, she is manipulated by Kirk, just as she used members of the Enterprise crew.
So now we come to Kirk's role. He is also unafraid to use power, which he has shown numerous times. It could be said that he is irresponsible because he takes sexual advantage of Sylvia, who doesn't understand sexuality or sexual politics. But at this point the question becomes: Do Kirk's actions demonstrate a lack of responsibility and morality, or do they show the strength and courage Korob lacked? The answer lies in Kirk's motivation in manipulating Sylvia, which is to gain the information and influence necessary to save the Enterprise and its crew, and (somewhat melodramatically) all of humanity. As a Starfleet captain, he swore an oath to protect not only his crew but also the entire Federation, so his motivation is rooted in sworn duty, and, in a larger sense, the moral obligation any decent human being would feel when faced with a threat to the human race. Also, perhaps even more tellingly, Kirk does not manipulate Sylvia out of malice or for his own benefit or pleasure. He does what he must do. He has the strength to use his power (masculine wiles?), and although he may be ruthless, he uses that power responsibly. As a result, he survives and is successful.
So "Catspaw" shows us that it is wrong not only to abuse power, but also to allow fear to prevent one from using power when it is called for. The ideal is to be strong enough to use power when needed and to temper that usage with wisdom so that it does not become abuse.
Next time: "I Mudd"
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
TOS Rewind #33: "The Doomsday Machine"
And now we get to one of the series true classics: The Doomsday Machine (10/20/1967).
The podcast we did for this one can be found here:
This episode has always been a personal favorite and still is today. The episode has a very entertaining action/sci-fi story. Adding to this are some interesting concepts and decent performances from the cast.
Growing up, the whole idea of the wandering planet killer, along with seeing a copy of the familiar Enterprise was just irresistible. Despite the fact that the wrecked Constellation was a cheap toy Enterprise model kit (it was an actual AMT kit) that they altered, it was enough to evoke visions in my imagination of a real wrecked Enterprise sister. Sure, the planet killer looked like a glowing ice cream cone/wind sock dipped in cement (IIRC, that's actually what they used!), but it did the job. Plus, the odd look actually works better than some design with a more conventional look. The weirdness tends to make it more believable as an alien object (at least it always did to me).
Today, the episode still packs a punch and even has some interesting ideas behind it. The scene where Kirk and the landing party encounter Decker aboard the Constellation has a couple of notable points. One, when it's revealed that there is this planet killer/robot out there slicing/dicing planets, Kirk does some thoughtful speculation as to its origin and purpose. That bit of dialogue helps the antagonist rise above the "monster of the week" thing and draws parallels to cold war issues. The planet killer can also be interpreted as an environmental statement (thanks Lee for pointing that out) in that future generations are having to reckon with the destruction wrought by man-made machines. Sure, aliens in another galaxy may have built this thing and could be long-dead, but *someone* has to clean up the mess. This time, it just happened to be our heroes.
The other real point here is the scene where Decker reveals the fate of his crew. Windom, the actor playing Decker, really goes all out in the scene and goes right to the edge of scenery chewing. The performance, in the context of the material is right on. The emotionally-charged lines along with his effectively haggard appearance come across as genuine. Shatner is relatively subdued in this episode, which works well. Nimoy has some very good material to work with. In particular, his confrontations with Decker after he's assumed command of the ship are subtle and still dramatic. The looks on his face really convey the logical realization that Decker's actions will almost certainly assure all their deaths. This realization is even more effective after it's made clear that Spock can't prevent it, at least not yet. There is also a compelling bit of a strategy game going on with Spock and Decker: Spock's strategy will work, but only if he can relieve Decker of command before he kills them all. Decker wants to destroy the thing at all costs. If that means his own death, then so much the better at this point.
McCoy doesn't really get to do much, other than harass Decker. Scotty has some good scenes repairing the wrecked Constellation including some fun interaction with Kirk (Scotty, you've just earned your pay for the week.").
It sounds to me like there were some new musical cues written for this episode. The cues used when the ships are battling the machine sound different and are quite effective in an old-school movie music style: dramatic suspense-building music.
I watched this episode on BD and came away impressed. This is, by far, the best the show has ever looked on video and I liked being able to watch either the original or remastered effects. I've generally been lukewarm on the new effects work, but here it really did make a difference, particularly with the shots of the Constellation. There is real detail to the damaged ship and the debris field around it. They really got this one right. The new planet killer looks more menacing, though they went a bit overboard on the "molten" look of the interior. I know Lee preferred the original 'killer, but I think its modern look was mostly an improvement.
---
And now, Eric chimes in:
We apparently have gotten to the point in the second season where excellent episodes alternate with execrable ones: "Mirror Mirror" (a superb classic) followed by "The Apple" (see our previous reviews/podcast), and now time we're up to "The Doomsday Machine," one of the best original series episodes. After this is "Catspaw" (not completely fetid, but not great either)--It's starting to feel like a roller coaster...
Anyway, on to "the Doomsday Machine," which is certainly one of my top ten favorite episodes, and may be one of my top five. Once again, I'm not going to rehash our entire podcast, but this episode scores high just about every respect. The director, Marc Daniels (who also directed classic episodes such as "the Menagerie," "Space Seed," and "Mirror Mirror") turns in what may be his best work. The acting is well above par--Shatner is good, Nimoy is excellent, and William Windom, who plays Commodore Decker, is outstanding. His portrayal of Decker's haunted anguish is both wrenchingly believable and moving. And the story, written by SF veteran Norman Spinrad, is both an interesting cold war analogy and a great science fiction yarn. In "The Apple" we weren't given any clues or tantalizing hints about the nature/origin/purpose of Vaal (the malevolent mechanism du jour), which worked to the considerable detriment of the episode. With "The Doomsday Machine," however, these questions are asked and some thought-provoking answers are suggested.
But the story is successful as more than an imaginative SF tale, it is also excellent action/adventure. As such, the special effects are extremely important. This is probably the most effects-laden episode in original Trek, and while the original SFX were good (for the time), this is the one instance when I recommend the remastered version. The new digital effects actually enhance the storytelling. The wrecked USS Constellation has always been an affecting sight and presence, but the version in the remastered episode is even more disturbing--it's like seeing our beloved Enterprise crippled and ruined. And the planet killer, always menacing, looks even more macabre and otherworldly.
A few interesting bits of trivia:
· Commodore Decker is the father of Captain/Commander Will Decker in the "Star Trek: The Motion Picture."
· One of the Star Trek novels proposes that the planet killer was constructed by a race from our galaxy as a weapon to fight the Borg.
· Commodore Decker makes a subsequent appearance (yes, after his apparent death) in a fan-produced episode that takes place in the 20th century.
· At Gene Roddenberry's request, Norman Spinrad came up with a design for the planet killer that portrayed it as a massive battleship, bristling with all sorts of evil-looking weapons. He was reportedly disappointed in the design the ended up being used, saying it looked like a "wind sock dipped in cement." Roddenberry's response was that they ran out of money for the episode and had to make do. I think the design actually is more effective--it's quintessentially alien and ominous.
So this is episode is a real gem: excellent direction, superb acting, and a great story. I just wish I could be as enthusiastic about the following episode...
Next time: "Catspaw"
The podcast we did for this one can be found here:
This episode has always been a personal favorite and still is today. The episode has a very entertaining action/sci-fi story. Adding to this are some interesting concepts and decent performances from the cast.
Growing up, the whole idea of the wandering planet killer, along with seeing a copy of the familiar Enterprise was just irresistible. Despite the fact that the wrecked Constellation was a cheap toy Enterprise model kit (it was an actual AMT kit) that they altered, it was enough to evoke visions in my imagination of a real wrecked Enterprise sister. Sure, the planet killer looked like a glowing ice cream cone/wind sock dipped in cement (IIRC, that's actually what they used!), but it did the job. Plus, the odd look actually works better than some design with a more conventional look. The weirdness tends to make it more believable as an alien object (at least it always did to me).
Today, the episode still packs a punch and even has some interesting ideas behind it. The scene where Kirk and the landing party encounter Decker aboard the Constellation has a couple of notable points. One, when it's revealed that there is this planet killer/robot out there slicing/dicing planets, Kirk does some thoughtful speculation as to its origin and purpose. That bit of dialogue helps the antagonist rise above the "monster of the week" thing and draws parallels to cold war issues. The planet killer can also be interpreted as an environmental statement (thanks Lee for pointing that out) in that future generations are having to reckon with the destruction wrought by man-made machines. Sure, aliens in another galaxy may have built this thing and could be long-dead, but *someone* has to clean up the mess. This time, it just happened to be our heroes.
The other real point here is the scene where Decker reveals the fate of his crew. Windom, the actor playing Decker, really goes all out in the scene and goes right to the edge of scenery chewing. The performance, in the context of the material is right on. The emotionally-charged lines along with his effectively haggard appearance come across as genuine. Shatner is relatively subdued in this episode, which works well. Nimoy has some very good material to work with. In particular, his confrontations with Decker after he's assumed command of the ship are subtle and still dramatic. The looks on his face really convey the logical realization that Decker's actions will almost certainly assure all their deaths. This realization is even more effective after it's made clear that Spock can't prevent it, at least not yet. There is also a compelling bit of a strategy game going on with Spock and Decker: Spock's strategy will work, but only if he can relieve Decker of command before he kills them all. Decker wants to destroy the thing at all costs. If that means his own death, then so much the better at this point.
McCoy doesn't really get to do much, other than harass Decker. Scotty has some good scenes repairing the wrecked Constellation including some fun interaction with Kirk (Scotty, you've just earned your pay for the week.").
It sounds to me like there were some new musical cues written for this episode. The cues used when the ships are battling the machine sound different and are quite effective in an old-school movie music style: dramatic suspense-building music.
I watched this episode on BD and came away impressed. This is, by far, the best the show has ever looked on video and I liked being able to watch either the original or remastered effects. I've generally been lukewarm on the new effects work, but here it really did make a difference, particularly with the shots of the Constellation. There is real detail to the damaged ship and the debris field around it. They really got this one right. The new planet killer looks more menacing, though they went a bit overboard on the "molten" look of the interior. I know Lee preferred the original 'killer, but I think its modern look was mostly an improvement.
---
And now, Eric chimes in:
We apparently have gotten to the point in the second season where excellent episodes alternate with execrable ones: "Mirror Mirror" (a superb classic) followed by "The Apple" (see our previous reviews/podcast), and now time we're up to "The Doomsday Machine," one of the best original series episodes. After this is "Catspaw" (not completely fetid, but not great either)--It's starting to feel like a roller coaster...
Anyway, on to "the Doomsday Machine," which is certainly one of my top ten favorite episodes, and may be one of my top five. Once again, I'm not going to rehash our entire podcast, but this episode scores high just about every respect. The director, Marc Daniels (who also directed classic episodes such as "the Menagerie," "Space Seed," and "Mirror Mirror") turns in what may be his best work. The acting is well above par--Shatner is good, Nimoy is excellent, and William Windom, who plays Commodore Decker, is outstanding. His portrayal of Decker's haunted anguish is both wrenchingly believable and moving. And the story, written by SF veteran Norman Spinrad, is both an interesting cold war analogy and a great science fiction yarn. In "The Apple" we weren't given any clues or tantalizing hints about the nature/origin/purpose of Vaal (the malevolent mechanism du jour), which worked to the considerable detriment of the episode. With "The Doomsday Machine," however, these questions are asked and some thought-provoking answers are suggested.
But the story is successful as more than an imaginative SF tale, it is also excellent action/adventure. As such, the special effects are extremely important. This is probably the most effects-laden episode in original Trek, and while the original SFX were good (for the time), this is the one instance when I recommend the remastered version. The new digital effects actually enhance the storytelling. The wrecked USS Constellation has always been an affecting sight and presence, but the version in the remastered episode is even more disturbing--it's like seeing our beloved Enterprise crippled and ruined. And the planet killer, always menacing, looks even more macabre and otherworldly.
A few interesting bits of trivia:
· Commodore Decker is the father of Captain/Commander Will Decker in the "Star Trek: The Motion Picture."
· One of the Star Trek novels proposes that the planet killer was constructed by a race from our galaxy as a weapon to fight the Borg.
· Commodore Decker makes a subsequent appearance (yes, after his apparent death) in a fan-produced episode that takes place in the 20th century.
· At Gene Roddenberry's request, Norman Spinrad came up with a design for the planet killer that portrayed it as a massive battleship, bristling with all sorts of evil-looking weapons. He was reportedly disappointed in the design the ended up being used, saying it looked like a "wind sock dipped in cement." Roddenberry's response was that they ran out of money for the episode and had to make do. I think the design actually is more effective--it's quintessentially alien and ominous.
So this is episode is a real gem: excellent direction, superb acting, and a great story. I just wish I could be as enthusiastic about the following episode...
Next time: "Catspaw"
Monday, September 21, 2009
TOS Rewind #32: "The Apple"
Up now is The Apple (10/13/1967)
Eric, Rob, and I did a podcast. As Kirk might say in this episode, "Podcasts...IN PARADISE!"
Eric gets the first shot:
This apple has a worm in it. Where the previous episode, "Mirror Mirror," is a great example of Star Trek at its best, "The Apple" is a great example of the dregs of the series. It's odd, actually, because the next episode, "The Doomsday Machine," is another classic. I guess the producers, and/or network, decided a sub-par episode might not be noticeable if it aired between two that are superb.
I'm not going to spend a great deal of time repeating the critique we did in our podcast, however. (Go listen to it!) By way of a quick recap, this episode fails in pretty much every category: the acting is wooden, the special effects (especially the paper mache model that was used for Vaal) are pathetic, and worst of all, the story is derivative and devoid of anything resembling a compelling plot. On the plus side (very narrow), there are some good character moments, particularly for Scotty. And the idea underlying the story isn't bad, the problem is that it's an underdeveloped rehash of "The Return of the Archons" from the first season. If the writer and producers has bothered to explain, or at least hint at, how and why Vaal came to be, the episode might have been okay. But they didn't...
All this being said, as I pointed out in the 'cast, original Trek was produced at a breakneck pace on a frayed shoestring budget, so it's amazing a much higher percentage of episodes weren't of the low caliber of "The Apple." And as I mentioned earlier, the next episode is a classic!
---
This episode is a bit of a stinker. I don't think it's one of the worst, but it really stands out within the second season as the rest of the episodes are generally quite good. The ideas expressed here might be more interesting if we hadn't seen them before in the far-superior "Archons." Landru, the society-guiding cyber intelligence of "Archons" at least had a back story and was a much more interesting adversary to the crude and poorly defined Vaal in this episode. Of course, having a planet with a stagnant computer-managed human society where Kirk has to decide whether or not to violate the Prime Directive is a good idea for an episode. Unfortunately, very little time is devoted to it. Much of the running time of the episode is spent killing off Red Shirts (this episode really establishes the tradition with four of them getting knocked off), Kirk repeatedly throwing paradise-lost-themed lines out, and bad "love" scenes between Chekov and Yeoman Landon. In its defense, the Red Shirt sequences are actually pretty funny and can be fully appreciated in the episode's trailer: it stitches together many of the bad/funny scenes in this episode.
Without the subplot of the Enterprise being attacked, perhaps there would have been time to actually explore the implications of Kirk interfering with the society, something that's only really given lip service here. Like the spore-shooting plants and exploding rocks ("Garden of Eden, with land mines." tee hee), the action in orbit is just there to juice up the tension. Of course one could argue that plenty of Next Generation episodes went in the other direction: all character/ideas with too little action. In the end, for this episode, it all comes off as silly and we find it hard to take any of the ideas seriously.
As Rob pointed out in the podcast, Shatner seemed to have dramatic difficulty doing tense scenes without a real villain to play of off. His performance if definitely off. Nimoy goes between overreaction and blandness much of the time here. Not that there aren't points of fun with the characters. I've always liked the back/forth between Kirk and Scotty in this episode and Spock/McCoy get some of their usual sparring in. There's also a very amusing scene between Spock and Chekov where they create a distraction.
As Eric pointed out, the facade of Vaal looks pretty shabby, though I remember it being somewhat more impressive when I saw it growing up. Another victim of large, high resolution screens. The planet sets look like rejects from Gilligan's Island, pretty sad. It's a good thing that the next episode brings the level back up...
Next time: "The Doomsday Machine"
Eric, Rob, and I did a podcast. As Kirk might say in this episode, "Podcasts...IN PARADISE!"
Eric gets the first shot:
This apple has a worm in it. Where the previous episode, "Mirror Mirror," is a great example of Star Trek at its best, "The Apple" is a great example of the dregs of the series. It's odd, actually, because the next episode, "The Doomsday Machine," is another classic. I guess the producers, and/or network, decided a sub-par episode might not be noticeable if it aired between two that are superb.
I'm not going to spend a great deal of time repeating the critique we did in our podcast, however. (Go listen to it!) By way of a quick recap, this episode fails in pretty much every category: the acting is wooden, the special effects (especially the paper mache model that was used for Vaal) are pathetic, and worst of all, the story is derivative and devoid of anything resembling a compelling plot. On the plus side (very narrow), there are some good character moments, particularly for Scotty. And the idea underlying the story isn't bad, the problem is that it's an underdeveloped rehash of "The Return of the Archons" from the first season. If the writer and producers has bothered to explain, or at least hint at, how and why Vaal came to be, the episode might have been okay. But they didn't...
All this being said, as I pointed out in the 'cast, original Trek was produced at a breakneck pace on a frayed shoestring budget, so it's amazing a much higher percentage of episodes weren't of the low caliber of "The Apple." And as I mentioned earlier, the next episode is a classic!
---
This episode is a bit of a stinker. I don't think it's one of the worst, but it really stands out within the second season as the rest of the episodes are generally quite good. The ideas expressed here might be more interesting if we hadn't seen them before in the far-superior "Archons." Landru, the society-guiding cyber intelligence of "Archons" at least had a back story and was a much more interesting adversary to the crude and poorly defined Vaal in this episode. Of course, having a planet with a stagnant computer-managed human society where Kirk has to decide whether or not to violate the Prime Directive is a good idea for an episode. Unfortunately, very little time is devoted to it. Much of the running time of the episode is spent killing off Red Shirts (this episode really establishes the tradition with four of them getting knocked off), Kirk repeatedly throwing paradise-lost-themed lines out, and bad "love" scenes between Chekov and Yeoman Landon. In its defense, the Red Shirt sequences are actually pretty funny and can be fully appreciated in the episode's trailer: it stitches together many of the bad/funny scenes in this episode.
Without the subplot of the Enterprise being attacked, perhaps there would have been time to actually explore the implications of Kirk interfering with the society, something that's only really given lip service here. Like the spore-shooting plants and exploding rocks ("Garden of Eden, with land mines." tee hee), the action in orbit is just there to juice up the tension. Of course one could argue that plenty of Next Generation episodes went in the other direction: all character/ideas with too little action. In the end, for this episode, it all comes off as silly and we find it hard to take any of the ideas seriously.
As Rob pointed out in the podcast, Shatner seemed to have dramatic difficulty doing tense scenes without a real villain to play of off. His performance if definitely off. Nimoy goes between overreaction and blandness much of the time here. Not that there aren't points of fun with the characters. I've always liked the back/forth between Kirk and Scotty in this episode and Spock/McCoy get some of their usual sparring in. There's also a very amusing scene between Spock and Chekov where they create a distraction.
As Eric pointed out, the facade of Vaal looks pretty shabby, though I remember it being somewhat more impressive when I saw it growing up. Another victim of large, high resolution screens. The planet sets look like rejects from Gilligan's Island, pretty sad. It's a good thing that the next episode brings the level back up...
Next time: "The Doomsday Machine"
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
TOS Rewind #31: "Mirror, Mirror"
Up this time: Mirror, Mirror (10/06/1967).
We recorded a podcast with Eric, Rob, Lee, and myself.
Eric starts us out:
"Mirror Mirror" is generally regarded as one of the very best classic Star Trek episodes; it is certainly in my top 10. The story is great SF--it's certainly not hard science fiction (i.e. SF that actually respects and does justice to science), but I can't think of any science fiction TV shows that are (or have been) hard SF. That said, Mirror Mirror is a great example of the kind of wildly imaginative science fiction that you find in the short stories and novels from the 50s through the 70s. It's pure geeky fun.
One of the best aspects of this episode is that there are great parts for all of the characters, not just Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. This is the only episode in which Scotty calls Kirk by his first name, and he's got several good pieces sprinkled throughout. Uhura is at her best--she gets to show her claws, which is always fun. Mirror Sulu is a delightfully malicious and lecherous diversion from his clean-cut counterpart in our universe, and who would've thought sweet little Chekov could be such a conniving, murderous shit? The version of these characters we're used to are shining examples of exceptional human beings, very upstanding and moral and proper, so it's delicious to see them stripped of their veneer of civilization.
Speaking of which, I really would've liked to see more of mirror Kirk, McCoy, Uhura, and Scotty. They are in the brig on "our" Enterprise for the whole episode, but if this had been a two-parter, it would've been great to see them attempt a breakout and takeover. The best mirror character, however, is Spock. He's essentially the Spock we know, but there's a hard edge there that makes him extremely cool. And what's fascinating is that Spock seems to be the constant in both universes. Despite being rather brutal and ruthless in the mirror universe, he's still intelligent, decent, and ethical, and it's this consistency that allows our Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura to return to our universe. It's also the factor that promises a heap o' trouble for mirror Kirk when he gets back to his Enterprise.
I'll leave my review there. There's much more that can be said about this episode (and we cover much of it in our podcast--go give it a listen). Mirror Mirror is classic Star Trek at it's best!
---
I believe we were all in agreement: this is top-drawer Trek. This episode isn't just thought-provoking, it's also a lot of fun. I have always loved this episode. The charge of seeing Spock with facial hair was something else. It isn't really that big of a deal, but when I was a kid, it certainly seemed like it. The idea of our familiar Enterprise being run by a group of futuristic thugs who happened to look like our heroes was irresistible.
It's easy to poke holes in the concept and science on display here, but the good/evil character ideas are still compelling. It's interesting to contemplate how this mirror universe actually operates. The episode doesn't give us a lot to work with, but we know there is central authority crossed with a gangster/pirate element (example: the hired goons used by the officers). As Lee pointed out in the podcast, this system probably wouldn't get very far in real life, but they manage to pack some interesting ideas into a very limited frame.
The character elements, as Eric pointed out, are the real draw here. Kirk and the landing party adapt to the new situation well. Uhura really does a 180 from being scared, clinging to Kirk, to taking on evil Sulu (complete with facial scar!). Sulu and Chekov are appropriately slimy. Hell, even the uniforms are different. Nimoy really does a great performance as the alternate Spock. His mannerisms are slightly different and he never overdoes it. "Mirror" Spock has this command authority we seldom see from the "good" version. Of course, we all think the Mirror Spock is WAY cooler than the regular one. His costume is cooler, and he's even more of a badass. Some things in the alternate universe aren't so different, like Kirk's relationships with women. This exchange between Kirk and Marlena (evil Kirk's, um, girlfriend?) got a chuckle out of me:
Marlena: "I've been a captain's woman, and I like it. I'll be one again, if I have to go through every officer in the fleet."
Kirk: "You could... I simply meant that you could be anything you wanted to be."
Wow...
Another thing I really like about this episode is how they created the atmosphere of the mirror universe with relatively few changes to the sets and costumes. They obviously couldn't change things too much, but it's enough to get the point across. Besides, the characters are what really convince us that Kirk and co. aren't in Kansas anymore.
Like Eric, I think it would have been fun to have seen more of the evil Kirk/landing party in our universe. The one scene we see has Kirk acting like a bombastic gangster trying to bribe Spock to get out of the brig. This particular plot was mined in other Trek shows to good effect. We would have enjoyed seeing the aftermath with bearded Spock after the evil Kirk returned.
The remastered version had a few enhancements. The Agony Booth got some effects, so we don't just see Chekov sweating in that plexiglass tube. There are a few zapping effects when Spock hits Mr Kyle with the agonizer hoopajoop.
So there you have it. Definitely an episode I always like to watch and one that really makes the most of its limited time/budget. "Captain Kirk, I shall consider it!"
Next time: "The Apple"
We recorded a podcast with Eric, Rob, Lee, and myself.
Eric starts us out:
"Mirror Mirror" is generally regarded as one of the very best classic Star Trek episodes; it is certainly in my top 10. The story is great SF--it's certainly not hard science fiction (i.e. SF that actually respects and does justice to science), but I can't think of any science fiction TV shows that are (or have been) hard SF. That said, Mirror Mirror is a great example of the kind of wildly imaginative science fiction that you find in the short stories and novels from the 50s through the 70s. It's pure geeky fun.
One of the best aspects of this episode is that there are great parts for all of the characters, not just Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. This is the only episode in which Scotty calls Kirk by his first name, and he's got several good pieces sprinkled throughout. Uhura is at her best--she gets to show her claws, which is always fun. Mirror Sulu is a delightfully malicious and lecherous diversion from his clean-cut counterpart in our universe, and who would've thought sweet little Chekov could be such a conniving, murderous shit? The version of these characters we're used to are shining examples of exceptional human beings, very upstanding and moral and proper, so it's delicious to see them stripped of their veneer of civilization.
Speaking of which, I really would've liked to see more of mirror Kirk, McCoy, Uhura, and Scotty. They are in the brig on "our" Enterprise for the whole episode, but if this had been a two-parter, it would've been great to see them attempt a breakout and takeover. The best mirror character, however, is Spock. He's essentially the Spock we know, but there's a hard edge there that makes him extremely cool. And what's fascinating is that Spock seems to be the constant in both universes. Despite being rather brutal and ruthless in the mirror universe, he's still intelligent, decent, and ethical, and it's this consistency that allows our Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura to return to our universe. It's also the factor that promises a heap o' trouble for mirror Kirk when he gets back to his Enterprise.
I'll leave my review there. There's much more that can be said about this episode (and we cover much of it in our podcast--go give it a listen). Mirror Mirror is classic Star Trek at it's best!
---
I believe we were all in agreement: this is top-drawer Trek. This episode isn't just thought-provoking, it's also a lot of fun. I have always loved this episode. The charge of seeing Spock with facial hair was something else. It isn't really that big of a deal, but when I was a kid, it certainly seemed like it. The idea of our familiar Enterprise being run by a group of futuristic thugs who happened to look like our heroes was irresistible.
It's easy to poke holes in the concept and science on display here, but the good/evil character ideas are still compelling. It's interesting to contemplate how this mirror universe actually operates. The episode doesn't give us a lot to work with, but we know there is central authority crossed with a gangster/pirate element (example: the hired goons used by the officers). As Lee pointed out in the podcast, this system probably wouldn't get very far in real life, but they manage to pack some interesting ideas into a very limited frame.
The character elements, as Eric pointed out, are the real draw here. Kirk and the landing party adapt to the new situation well. Uhura really does a 180 from being scared, clinging to Kirk, to taking on evil Sulu (complete with facial scar!). Sulu and Chekov are appropriately slimy. Hell, even the uniforms are different. Nimoy really does a great performance as the alternate Spock. His mannerisms are slightly different and he never overdoes it. "Mirror" Spock has this command authority we seldom see from the "good" version. Of course, we all think the Mirror Spock is WAY cooler than the regular one. His costume is cooler, and he's even more of a badass. Some things in the alternate universe aren't so different, like Kirk's relationships with women. This exchange between Kirk and Marlena (evil Kirk's, um, girlfriend?) got a chuckle out of me:
Marlena: "I've been a captain's woman, and I like it. I'll be one again, if I have to go through every officer in the fleet."
Kirk: "You could... I simply meant that you could be anything you wanted to be."
Wow...
Another thing I really like about this episode is how they created the atmosphere of the mirror universe with relatively few changes to the sets and costumes. They obviously couldn't change things too much, but it's enough to get the point across. Besides, the characters are what really convince us that Kirk and co. aren't in Kansas anymore.
Like Eric, I think it would have been fun to have seen more of the evil Kirk/landing party in our universe. The one scene we see has Kirk acting like a bombastic gangster trying to bribe Spock to get out of the brig. This particular plot was mined in other Trek shows to good effect. We would have enjoyed seeing the aftermath with bearded Spock after the evil Kirk returned.
The remastered version had a few enhancements. The Agony Booth got some effects, so we don't just see Chekov sweating in that plexiglass tube. There are a few zapping effects when Spock hits Mr Kyle with the agonizer hoopajoop.
So there you have it. Definitely an episode I always like to watch and one that really makes the most of its limited time/budget. "Captain Kirk, I shall consider it!"
Next time: "The Apple"
Friday, July 31, 2009
TOS Rewind #???: Sci Fi in Movies DorkCast
Eric, Rob, Lee, and myself recently had a fun chat where we talked (at length!) about the science fiction genre in movies and some television. We had a lively discussion and listening to it would be a true test of your dorktastic geekiness! Sure, it isn't strictly about Trek, but if the shoe fits...
Monday, July 27, 2009
TOS Rewind #30: "Who Mourns for Adonais" and "The Changeling"
Wow, aren't we the efficient bunch: two episodes in one post!
We did a double-header podcast for this one as well.
Our episodes this time are Who Mourns for Adonais (09/22/1967) and
The Changeling (09/29/1967)
Eric will be starting us out:
"Who Mourns for Adonais" is another episode that was good, but not great. There were some good points, but there were glaring flaws too. John, Rob, and I covered it pretty thoroughly in our podcat, so I'll just recap. Rob pointed out, quite correctly, that this episode has a strong anti-feminist vibe. In fact, it strongly resembles "Space Seed" (from the first season) in this respect. Lt. Carolyn Palamas is overwhelmed by Apollo and rushes headlong into a romance much like Lt. Marla McGivers and Khan in "Space Seed." And in another parallel to that episode, Lt. Palamas betrays her new found love in order to save the crew. To my mind, this redeems her to a certain degree and also mitigates the anti-feminism, but it's still certainly there. Of course, as we note in the podcast, we have to remember that this episode was written and produced in 1967 and naturally reflects the attitudes toward women at that time.
Another aspect of this episode I don't like is that Scotty is portrayed as a hot-headed, testosterone-charged dolt intent on getting himself killed. I mean seriously, Apollo demonstrates quite clearly (early on) that he controls considerable power and Scotty is an expert engineer and a grown man. Regardless of his outrage, he has to know that attacking Apollo with a piece of statuary is ridiculous, pointless, and highly dangerous. Scotty is a great character and deserves better treatment.
What I like about this episode is the speculation that the ancient Greek gods were actually humanoid aliens who settled on Earth and influenced the flourishing of the Bronze Age Greek civilization. It's a well-used (perhaps hackneyed) theme in SF these days, but it was still relatively fresh in 1967. I also like the fact that Chekov gets some development, but what I enjoy most is the poignancy of Apollo's remorse that he (and gods in general) are no longer needed by humanity. This, however, brings up a contradiction. At one point, Kirk says: "Mankind has no need for gods. We find the one quite adequate." This is, in itself, a contradiction--either humanity needs gods (or one god, as the case may be) or we don't. Which is it? The line is all the more peculiar given that Gene Roddenberry was a staunch secular humanist. And with one notable exception, references to god(s) and religion were either vague and equivocal or nonexistent in the rest of the series. If I were a betting man (and actually, I am), I'd wager that "We find the one quite adequate" was inserted at the insistence of the network censors.
Another interesting deletion that was apparently made due to the censors, was a closing scene aboard the Enterprise where McCoy informs Kirk that Lt. Palamas is pregnant by Apollo. It makes me wonder how different (controversial?) original Trek would've been if Roddenberry hadn't been hobbled by network censors...
---
Rob, who sadly doesn't join the written part of the blog, made the quip, "it's Misogynist Week" on the blog/podcast. This episode surely qualifies, though there are examples sprinkled throughout the series. This, admittedly normal for the time, attitude is established right off the bat where Kirk and McCoy are commenting on women Starfleet officers leaving the service upon meeting the right men. This is of course being aimed at the Lt. Palamas character, who Eric skewered, who is being lusted after by Scotty. Like Eric, I was annoyed at the way Scotty was written in this episode; he really comes off poorly.
So yes, the lovely and (perhaps) talented Palamas (OK, that was bad!) finally sees that shagging Apollo long-term might not be the best thing for the rest of the Enterprise crew. Of course she has to be lectured by Kirk before considering this. The idea that Palamas was pregnant at the end of the episode is pretty interesting, but I really can't imagine the network censors touching that one. Trek was an envelope-pusher, but 1967 NBC was not ready for something like this. The other characters also have their moments. Spock, who after being dissed by Apollo for looking like Pan, stays behind on board to find a way out of Apollo's giant energy hand (aka Bigby's Groping Fist). Spock really seems more at ease being in command, much more so than he was in "The Galileo Seven." He even gives Uhura some positive reinforcement. The landing party seems to spend a lot of time sitting around on the temple set, waiting for their next confrontation with Apollo. This waiting time is obviously needed so big A has time to put the moves on Palamas, complete with stock "paradise" footage. Ooo la la! The guy playing Apollo does have the chops to out-scenery-chew Shatner (WELCOME TO OLYMPUS, CAPTAIN KIRK!!!). Shatner seems to play this episode with a clear sense of Kirk's machismo being eclipsed: he looks really annoyed!
I'm also in agreement with Eric about the good aspect of this episode: the concept of advance alien visitors being worshipped as gods in ancient Greece. Cliched, yes, but still a good topic for Trek at that time.
I was mixed on this one, growing up. It had some cool phaser fire and Scotty being struck by lightning bolts, but had sections that were a bit of a bore.
On the enhanced version I watched, the new effects did improve one part. When the hand comes out to grab the Enterprise, it reaches out from the planet they're orbiting. The old effect, IIRC just appears in space. So, some upgrade on this part.
Now, Eric takes a look at "The Changeling."
---
I've always liked "The Changeling." It's an imaginative, interesting story and a well-done episode. (There is vigorous disagreement about this in our podcast, but I'll let that speak for itself.) There are numerous elements of this episode that are recycled in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, most notably, the idea of a probe from 20th century Earth meeting and merging with a much more advanced alien probe. But an in-depth discussion of this will have to wait until we get to reviewing the Star Trek movies.
In "the Changeling" I like that we get to see Spock use the mind meld again, particularly because this is the only time he does so with an artificial intelligence. It should be noted that Nomad is an extremely sophisticated artificial intelligence, which is why Spock is able to form the mind meld. This brings up a subtle and interesting point about artificial intelligence: when does it become so sophisticated that it can be considered to have a mind? And when this happens, does it become a life form?
Anyway, another aspect of this episode that I enjoy is the way Nomad is portrayed. It's voice and appearance, combined with the way it is shot, gives a convincing air of menace. What I like most, however, is the idea of a primitive probe from Earth coming into contact with an alien probe somewhere in deep space and combining. It makes me wonder if the alien probe it met could've been a Borg probe. Given the immense power Nomad demonstrates, it's at least possible. It also makes sense given the Borg directive to assimilate other entities.
And while it has much to be commended, this episode certainly has its share of flaws. As with "Who Mourns for Adonais," I really object to portraying Scotty as a stupidly impulsive hothead who feels the need to physically attack beings or machines that have clearly demonstrated their ability and willingness to kill humans. But the worst flaw is the idea that Nomad could wipe Uhura's memory, or some selected portion of it, and that McCoy and his staff could "re-educate" her in a matter of days so that it was as if nothing at all had happened. Ridiculous.
But we take the good with the bad. I still enjoy this episode every time I watch it. And next time we get to review one of the best original Trek episodes!
---
Here we are with what turned out to be almost a prototype for The Motion Picture (I am looking forward to discussing that one of these days). Eric summed up the concept very well and I am totally on the same page, as far as that goes.
The scene where Spock mind melds with Nomad. I am mixed on that one. On one hand, the idea that Nomad is an artificial form of intelligence that Spock can connect with is interesting and thought-provoking. On the other hand, the scene borders on silliness with Nimoy's robotic "Coneheads" voice. He sounds even more robotic than the actual robot!
Security nitpick. I understand that Red Shirts are there to be vaporized, but it gets absurd when a second set of guards fires on Nomad minutes after another set were fried after doing the same thing. Plus, after knowing that Nomad has extinguished entire civilizations, why would a simple force field contain it? Points for effort I suppose.
Kirk is fun to watch in this episode as he learns to deal with this mechanical menace he's brought aboard his ship. The fact that he seems to wait until the last possible moment to beam Nomad into space seems silly, but is certainly dramatic. I love Spock's line after Kirk has successfully talked Nomad into its own destruction: "Your logic was impeccable, Captain - we are in grave danger." Nomad itself was actually well done for the capabilities of the time. The camera angles and other effects gave the relatively simple robot model a certain amount of life as well as adequate menace.
Of course the thing we all agreed on was how stupid the "Uhura re-education" bit was. Of course the choice line about Uhura (after she'd had her brain wiped) was:
Nomad: "That unit is defective. Its thinking is chaotic. Absorbing it unsettled me."
Spock: "That 'unit' is a woman."
Nomad: "A mass of conflicting impulses."
Wow. But not to worry, she'll be back on the job in a week (complete with her memories?)! I realize that this was done to portray how Nomad had no experience with things like music and singing, but they really should have found a less laughable way to get it across. And what the hell is up with Scotty? Two in a row where he physically challenges powerful alien things and gets zapped.
Growing up, I liked this one about as much as I do today. The idea seemed cool and there was a fun space fight at the beginning. And hey, four Red Shirts get offed!
The remastered version had slick energy weapon effects during the opening scenes, but otherwise didn't really add much. After all, the main action happens on the ship.
One thing that bothered me that I don't remember focusing on before. At the end of the show, after Nomad has dispatched itself, there's this jokey scene on the bridge between Kirk and Spock. "It's not easy to lose a bright and promising son." This seems like an odd place for a "going out of orbit joke." After all, Nomad had killed billions of people and could very well have made it to Earth.
But, all in all this one was pretty good.
So the next episode we cover will be what I am sure are personal favorites for all of us: "Mirror Mirror." It may not be the absolute best of the series, but is certainly one of the most fun. Beards Ahoy!
We did a double-header podcast for this one as well.
Our episodes this time are Who Mourns for Adonais (09/22/1967) and
The Changeling (09/29/1967)
Eric will be starting us out:
"Who Mourns for Adonais" is another episode that was good, but not great. There were some good points, but there were glaring flaws too. John, Rob, and I covered it pretty thoroughly in our podcat, so I'll just recap. Rob pointed out, quite correctly, that this episode has a strong anti-feminist vibe. In fact, it strongly resembles "Space Seed" (from the first season) in this respect. Lt. Carolyn Palamas is overwhelmed by Apollo and rushes headlong into a romance much like Lt. Marla McGivers and Khan in "Space Seed." And in another parallel to that episode, Lt. Palamas betrays her new found love in order to save the crew. To my mind, this redeems her to a certain degree and also mitigates the anti-feminism, but it's still certainly there. Of course, as we note in the podcast, we have to remember that this episode was written and produced in 1967 and naturally reflects the attitudes toward women at that time.
Another aspect of this episode I don't like is that Scotty is portrayed as a hot-headed, testosterone-charged dolt intent on getting himself killed. I mean seriously, Apollo demonstrates quite clearly (early on) that he controls considerable power and Scotty is an expert engineer and a grown man. Regardless of his outrage, he has to know that attacking Apollo with a piece of statuary is ridiculous, pointless, and highly dangerous. Scotty is a great character and deserves better treatment.
What I like about this episode is the speculation that the ancient Greek gods were actually humanoid aliens who settled on Earth and influenced the flourishing of the Bronze Age Greek civilization. It's a well-used (perhaps hackneyed) theme in SF these days, but it was still relatively fresh in 1967. I also like the fact that Chekov gets some development, but what I enjoy most is the poignancy of Apollo's remorse that he (and gods in general) are no longer needed by humanity. This, however, brings up a contradiction. At one point, Kirk says: "Mankind has no need for gods. We find the one quite adequate." This is, in itself, a contradiction--either humanity needs gods (or one god, as the case may be) or we don't. Which is it? The line is all the more peculiar given that Gene Roddenberry was a staunch secular humanist. And with one notable exception, references to god(s) and religion were either vague and equivocal or nonexistent in the rest of the series. If I were a betting man (and actually, I am), I'd wager that "We find the one quite adequate" was inserted at the insistence of the network censors.
Another interesting deletion that was apparently made due to the censors, was a closing scene aboard the Enterprise where McCoy informs Kirk that Lt. Palamas is pregnant by Apollo. It makes me wonder how different (controversial?) original Trek would've been if Roddenberry hadn't been hobbled by network censors...
---
Rob, who sadly doesn't join the written part of the blog, made the quip, "it's Misogynist Week" on the blog/podcast. This episode surely qualifies, though there are examples sprinkled throughout the series. This, admittedly normal for the time, attitude is established right off the bat where Kirk and McCoy are commenting on women Starfleet officers leaving the service upon meeting the right men. This is of course being aimed at the Lt. Palamas character, who Eric skewered, who is being lusted after by Scotty. Like Eric, I was annoyed at the way Scotty was written in this episode; he really comes off poorly.
So yes, the lovely and (perhaps) talented Palamas (OK, that was bad!) finally sees that shagging Apollo long-term might not be the best thing for the rest of the Enterprise crew. Of course she has to be lectured by Kirk before considering this. The idea that Palamas was pregnant at the end of the episode is pretty interesting, but I really can't imagine the network censors touching that one. Trek was an envelope-pusher, but 1967 NBC was not ready for something like this. The other characters also have their moments. Spock, who after being dissed by Apollo for looking like Pan, stays behind on board to find a way out of Apollo's giant energy hand (aka Bigby's Groping Fist). Spock really seems more at ease being in command, much more so than he was in "The Galileo Seven." He even gives Uhura some positive reinforcement. The landing party seems to spend a lot of time sitting around on the temple set, waiting for their next confrontation with Apollo. This waiting time is obviously needed so big A has time to put the moves on Palamas, complete with stock "paradise" footage. Ooo la la! The guy playing Apollo does have the chops to out-scenery-chew Shatner (WELCOME TO OLYMPUS, CAPTAIN KIRK!!!). Shatner seems to play this episode with a clear sense of Kirk's machismo being eclipsed: he looks really annoyed!
I'm also in agreement with Eric about the good aspect of this episode: the concept of advance alien visitors being worshipped as gods in ancient Greece. Cliched, yes, but still a good topic for Trek at that time.
I was mixed on this one, growing up. It had some cool phaser fire and Scotty being struck by lightning bolts, but had sections that were a bit of a bore.
On the enhanced version I watched, the new effects did improve one part. When the hand comes out to grab the Enterprise, it reaches out from the planet they're orbiting. The old effect, IIRC just appears in space. So, some upgrade on this part.
Now, Eric takes a look at "The Changeling."
---
I've always liked "The Changeling." It's an imaginative, interesting story and a well-done episode. (There is vigorous disagreement about this in our podcast, but I'll let that speak for itself.) There are numerous elements of this episode that are recycled in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, most notably, the idea of a probe from 20th century Earth meeting and merging with a much more advanced alien probe. But an in-depth discussion of this will have to wait until we get to reviewing the Star Trek movies.
In "the Changeling" I like that we get to see Spock use the mind meld again, particularly because this is the only time he does so with an artificial intelligence. It should be noted that Nomad is an extremely sophisticated artificial intelligence, which is why Spock is able to form the mind meld. This brings up a subtle and interesting point about artificial intelligence: when does it become so sophisticated that it can be considered to have a mind? And when this happens, does it become a life form?
Anyway, another aspect of this episode that I enjoy is the way Nomad is portrayed. It's voice and appearance, combined with the way it is shot, gives a convincing air of menace. What I like most, however, is the idea of a primitive probe from Earth coming into contact with an alien probe somewhere in deep space and combining. It makes me wonder if the alien probe it met could've been a Borg probe. Given the immense power Nomad demonstrates, it's at least possible. It also makes sense given the Borg directive to assimilate other entities.
And while it has much to be commended, this episode certainly has its share of flaws. As with "Who Mourns for Adonais," I really object to portraying Scotty as a stupidly impulsive hothead who feels the need to physically attack beings or machines that have clearly demonstrated their ability and willingness to kill humans. But the worst flaw is the idea that Nomad could wipe Uhura's memory, or some selected portion of it, and that McCoy and his staff could "re-educate" her in a matter of days so that it was as if nothing at all had happened. Ridiculous.
But we take the good with the bad. I still enjoy this episode every time I watch it. And next time we get to review one of the best original Trek episodes!
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Here we are with what turned out to be almost a prototype for The Motion Picture (I am looking forward to discussing that one of these days). Eric summed up the concept very well and I am totally on the same page, as far as that goes.
The scene where Spock mind melds with Nomad. I am mixed on that one. On one hand, the idea that Nomad is an artificial form of intelligence that Spock can connect with is interesting and thought-provoking. On the other hand, the scene borders on silliness with Nimoy's robotic "Coneheads" voice. He sounds even more robotic than the actual robot!
Security nitpick. I understand that Red Shirts are there to be vaporized, but it gets absurd when a second set of guards fires on Nomad minutes after another set were fried after doing the same thing. Plus, after knowing that Nomad has extinguished entire civilizations, why would a simple force field contain it? Points for effort I suppose.
Kirk is fun to watch in this episode as he learns to deal with this mechanical menace he's brought aboard his ship. The fact that he seems to wait until the last possible moment to beam Nomad into space seems silly, but is certainly dramatic. I love Spock's line after Kirk has successfully talked Nomad into its own destruction: "Your logic was impeccable, Captain - we are in grave danger." Nomad itself was actually well done for the capabilities of the time. The camera angles and other effects gave the relatively simple robot model a certain amount of life as well as adequate menace.
Of course the thing we all agreed on was how stupid the "Uhura re-education" bit was. Of course the choice line about Uhura (after she'd had her brain wiped) was:
Nomad: "That unit is defective. Its thinking is chaotic. Absorbing it unsettled me."
Spock: "That 'unit' is a woman."
Nomad: "A mass of conflicting impulses."
Wow. But not to worry, she'll be back on the job in a week (complete with her memories?)! I realize that this was done to portray how Nomad had no experience with things like music and singing, but they really should have found a less laughable way to get it across. And what the hell is up with Scotty? Two in a row where he physically challenges powerful alien things and gets zapped.
Growing up, I liked this one about as much as I do today. The idea seemed cool and there was a fun space fight at the beginning. And hey, four Red Shirts get offed!
The remastered version had slick energy weapon effects during the opening scenes, but otherwise didn't really add much. After all, the main action happens on the ship.
One thing that bothered me that I don't remember focusing on before. At the end of the show, after Nomad has dispatched itself, there's this jokey scene on the bridge between Kirk and Spock. "It's not easy to lose a bright and promising son." This seems like an odd place for a "going out of orbit joke." After all, Nomad had killed billions of people and could very well have made it to Earth.
But, all in all this one was pretty good.
So the next episode we cover will be what I am sure are personal favorites for all of us: "Mirror Mirror." It may not be the absolute best of the series, but is certainly one of the most fun. Beards Ahoy!
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