OK, back in the saddle with a real classic from Season 2: The Immunity Syndrome (1/19/1968)
Eric, Rob, and I did a podcast for this one:
I'm starting things off this time:
This episode falls into the classic formula where the Enterprise finds something out in space and has to deal with it. For me, this kind of story line is one of the core narratives in Star Trek and also one of the most appealing. This exploration narrative has some real science fiction meat to it; the ideas here are quite compelling. One of the aspects of Trek that I have always been attracted to is the idea of the Enterprise being out there in space, just exploring and sometimes they find some very bad things. In this case, the menace is a totally mindless and yet very deadly life form that must be destroyed before it gets too far into populated space. On the surface, this has some similarities to the challenge presented in "The Doomsday Machine," back in Season 1. Hell, there is even a prior failed attempt by another Federation starship. However, the way the crew goes about handling the creature in this episode is different.
Having the Intrepid, first ship to encounter the creature manned entirely by Vulcans is an interesting twist. The way the Intrepid is portrayed in the episode makes it a good addition to Spock's character and the entire Vulcan development on the show. When the crew of the Intrepid dies, Spock feels them die, even from a relatively vast distance away. This sense of connectedness is nicely used in the dialogue when Spock explains this to Kirk and McCoy with a comment about how humans just might have had fewer bloody wars if they had this kind of sensitivity; humans care deeply about individuals, yet can be quite indifferent to mass suffering. George Lucas would later use this idea in the first Star Wars movie when Obi Wan Kenobi (hey, did you know that MS Word recognizes "Obi Wan Kenobi" in its dictionary?!) feels the people of Alderaan cry out before they are blown to smithereens; Vulcan Jedi mind tricks indeed.
The pacing of this episode from when the Enterprise is trapped in the void of the creature is very effective. It is established that the crew is already tired and due for some down time. The fact that the creature saps energy from the ship and the people aboard is nicely integrated into the story and the way the characters act as the story plays out.
Perhaps one of the best things I see in this episode is the way that the Kirk/Spock/McCoy dynamic is used, especially between Spock and McCoy. The way that the two fight about which one of them is more suited to go on the shuttle mission, which is sure to be a one-way trip, is handled very well. Not only are both of them driven by their scientific curiosity, but also in a last way to one-up the other and go out in a blaze of glory. Spock's human side is on full display this time. The most effective scenes are when Spock asks McCoy to wish him luck before he gets aboard the shuttle; McCoy says nothing, but wishes him luck after the doors have closed. Later, when it looks like Spock is doomed, he makes a last jab at McCoy, "Doctor, you should have wished me luck." Wow, that is actually very powerful stuff for those two. Between those lines and the reaction of McCoy and Kirk packs quite the emotional wallop. The character dynamic of these characters really didn't get much better than that.
This episode has always been a favorite of mine, even when I was growing up. There isn't any real space combat, but the dramatic tension, sense of danger, and space exploration ideas really worked for me. The addition of weird creature shots in space combined with the ships being menaced by a humongous space amoeba-like thing did the trick.
I once again watched the BD version with the new effects shots. I was pretty happy with the way they did the new shots although I always felt that the original effects worked remarkably well on this episode so I don't know how much there really was to improve upon. As always, the image quality was top notch.
---
Now let's see what Eric has to say on this one:
When I saw that "The Immunity Syndrome" was coming up, I felt a bit of trepidation. It had been years since I'd seen it, and I had to wonder if the premise of a giant space amoeba would hold up or be unbearably campy. As it turned out, I was pleasantly surprised.
All the usual plaudits apply: good story, acting, direction, and production. But what puts this episode in my top 20 (maybe top 10) is that it has heart. The script manages to be genuinely dramatic (no cliché or self-parody), and the character interactions, particularly those between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, are poignant and touching without being maudlin. My favorite line is Spock's: "Tell Dr. McCoy he should have wished me luck."
Another aspect of "The Immunity Syndrome" I appreciate is that it introduces some really cool SF concepts in an intelligent, believable way. My initial concern about the "giant space amoeba" element of the story was unfounded. The way McCoy describes the creature is simply to compare it to an amoeba as the closest analog in our science. And the idea that there could be an entity so huge that to it we're nothing more than microscopic particles is a delightfully mind-bending concept.
Thanks to John, I got to see the remastered version of this episode, and unlike some of the other remastered episodes, this one is a worthwhile improvement over the original. The new special effects of the creature and its interaction with the Enterprise are subtle but impressive.
For me, there are no real negatives associated with "The Immunity Syndrome." As fas as I'm concerned, we can chalk up another home run for original Star Trek.
Next time: "Return to Tomorrow"
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
TOS Rewind #44: "A Piece of the Action"
Up this time: A Piece of the Action (01/12/1968)
We recorded a podcast for this one:
Eric starts us out:
It had been quite a while since I'd watched "A Piece of the Action," so I was thoroughly delighted to see it again. This is one of my favorite episodes. It's not profound but it is tremendous fun.
After the success of "The Trouble with Tribbles," it was deemed that comedic Star Trek episodes were viable, so "A Piece of the Action" became the twentieth episode produced in the second season. Actually, though, it is based on a synopsis titled "President Capone" that Gene Roddenberry included in his first series proposal in 1964.
Through its many iterations, the story was sometimes more serious, but it ultimately was fully as funny as "The Trouble with Tribbles." The "Fizzbin" scene still cracks me up, and Kirk and Spock's adventures in the antique car are hilarious. I also get a kick out of Scotty's attempts at using the admittedly stylized gangster lingo. And the guest stars seem to relish their roles. Anthony Caruso turns in a great performance as Bela Oxmyx, and Vic Tayback is spot on as Jojo Krako. (Note that Vic Tayback is perhaps better known for his role as Mel Sharples in the 1974 movie "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" and the subsequent TV series "Alice.")
Now that I think of it, my opening assertion that this episode isn't profound isn't entirely accurate--I did discern a subtle message upon rewatching it. A case can be made that "A Piece of the Action" is actually a stinging commentary on organized religion. Consider that the government and society of Sigma Iotia II are based on slavish, fanatical adherence to the interpretation of the information in a scholarly book left by an earlier Federation expedition. The "Book" (as the Iotians refer to it) is revered as a sacred text, as evidenced by Bela Oxmyx's indignant demand: "I don't want no more cracks about the Book!" The parallels between the Book and the Judeo-Christian Bible are obvious. In fact, at one point, Dr. McCoy refers to it as the bible of the inhabitants of Sigma Iotia II. Interestingly, though, their adherence to their bible has produced a corrupt, brutal society where murder and treachery are the norm. The Book's influence has also produced a fragmented society in crisis because all the different factions constantly war with each other. Again, the parallels with the woes of human societies preoccupied with and devoted to religion and religious texts are numerous.
So, as it turns out, "A Piece of the Action" is not just a wonderfully funny, well-told story, it is also an insightful, biting commentary on religion. Quite an impressive accomplishment, when you think about it.
---
Like The Trouble With Tribbles and a few other Trek episodes, this is another fairly lightweight episode compared to most. This episode takes an intriguing concept and makes a farcical episode out of it while not completely losing sight of the ideas expressed. The events leading up to this episode would seem to obviate the need for The Prime Directive which did not exist when the earlier Federation ship visited the planet in this episode. It is fun to ponder the idea of an entire planet's society structuring itself on a book about the Chicago gangs of the 1920s. Now, the Enterprise encounters a world that looks like the backlot at Paramount! The way these residents behave reminds me most of older Hollywood gangster movies; I kept waiting for James Cagney to walk into the room during some scenes. The humor comes at a full tilt in this episode with the bits involving a made-up card game and Kirk trying to drive a stick shift standing out. The way Spock gives Kirk so much grief about his lack of driving skills is hilarious. Some of the plot points are paper-thin, but when we're having this much fun watching the characters go at it, we really don't care that much.
The cast, including the guest actors, have a ball doing these silly characters (or is it caricatures?), and it shows. Shatner and Nimoy get to have many fun back and forth sequences with plenty of verbal jabs to keep us occupied. Doohan's bewildered performance is perfect as he struggles to figure out why all these people are acting so strangely. Concrete galoshes indeed. The resolution to the issue of unifying the chaotic structure, or lack thereof, of the planet is far from detailed, but has an interesting creative twist. We end the episode not really knowing what the people of this world are going to do going forward. Maybe we don't really need to worry about that too much, for after all, it's pretty much a jiffy-Trek. Religious angles aside, of course. I always liked this episode growing up. It's hard to go wrong when you have Kirk and co. running around in pin stripe suits sporting Tommy guns.
The remastered version had the usual detailed picture, some new planet effects shots, and a re-done Enterprise phaser blast on the street. The image always looks so good on these episodes where they either shoot out on location or use a movie-quality set like a backlot. This one was no exception.
Next time: "The Immunity Syndrome"
We recorded a podcast for this one:
Eric starts us out:
It had been quite a while since I'd watched "A Piece of the Action," so I was thoroughly delighted to see it again. This is one of my favorite episodes. It's not profound but it is tremendous fun.
After the success of "The Trouble with Tribbles," it was deemed that comedic Star Trek episodes were viable, so "A Piece of the Action" became the twentieth episode produced in the second season. Actually, though, it is based on a synopsis titled "President Capone" that Gene Roddenberry included in his first series proposal in 1964.
Through its many iterations, the story was sometimes more serious, but it ultimately was fully as funny as "The Trouble with Tribbles." The "Fizzbin" scene still cracks me up, and Kirk and Spock's adventures in the antique car are hilarious. I also get a kick out of Scotty's attempts at using the admittedly stylized gangster lingo. And the guest stars seem to relish their roles. Anthony Caruso turns in a great performance as Bela Oxmyx, and Vic Tayback is spot on as Jojo Krako. (Note that Vic Tayback is perhaps better known for his role as Mel Sharples in the 1974 movie "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" and the subsequent TV series "Alice.")
Now that I think of it, my opening assertion that this episode isn't profound isn't entirely accurate--I did discern a subtle message upon rewatching it. A case can be made that "A Piece of the Action" is actually a stinging commentary on organized religion. Consider that the government and society of Sigma Iotia II are based on slavish, fanatical adherence to the interpretation of the information in a scholarly book left by an earlier Federation expedition. The "Book" (as the Iotians refer to it) is revered as a sacred text, as evidenced by Bela Oxmyx's indignant demand: "I don't want no more cracks about the Book!" The parallels between the Book and the Judeo-Christian Bible are obvious. In fact, at one point, Dr. McCoy refers to it as the bible of the inhabitants of Sigma Iotia II. Interestingly, though, their adherence to their bible has produced a corrupt, brutal society where murder and treachery are the norm. The Book's influence has also produced a fragmented society in crisis because all the different factions constantly war with each other. Again, the parallels with the woes of human societies preoccupied with and devoted to religion and religious texts are numerous.
So, as it turns out, "A Piece of the Action" is not just a wonderfully funny, well-told story, it is also an insightful, biting commentary on religion. Quite an impressive accomplishment, when you think about it.
---
Like The Trouble With Tribbles and a few other Trek episodes, this is another fairly lightweight episode compared to most. This episode takes an intriguing concept and makes a farcical episode out of it while not completely losing sight of the ideas expressed. The events leading up to this episode would seem to obviate the need for The Prime Directive which did not exist when the earlier Federation ship visited the planet in this episode. It is fun to ponder the idea of an entire planet's society structuring itself on a book about the Chicago gangs of the 1920s. Now, the Enterprise encounters a world that looks like the backlot at Paramount! The way these residents behave reminds me most of older Hollywood gangster movies; I kept waiting for James Cagney to walk into the room during some scenes. The humor comes at a full tilt in this episode with the bits involving a made-up card game and Kirk trying to drive a stick shift standing out. The way Spock gives Kirk so much grief about his lack of driving skills is hilarious. Some of the plot points are paper-thin, but when we're having this much fun watching the characters go at it, we really don't care that much.
The cast, including the guest actors, have a ball doing these silly characters (or is it caricatures?), and it shows. Shatner and Nimoy get to have many fun back and forth sequences with plenty of verbal jabs to keep us occupied. Doohan's bewildered performance is perfect as he struggles to figure out why all these people are acting so strangely. Concrete galoshes indeed. The resolution to the issue of unifying the chaotic structure, or lack thereof, of the planet is far from detailed, but has an interesting creative twist. We end the episode not really knowing what the people of this world are going to do going forward. Maybe we don't really need to worry about that too much, for after all, it's pretty much a jiffy-Trek. Religious angles aside, of course. I always liked this episode growing up. It's hard to go wrong when you have Kirk and co. running around in pin stripe suits sporting Tommy guns.
The remastered version had the usual detailed picture, some new planet effects shots, and a re-done Enterprise phaser blast on the street. The image always looks so good on these episodes where they either shoot out on location or use a movie-quality set like a backlot. This one was no exception.
Next time: "The Immunity Syndrome"
Monday, June 21, 2010
TOS Rewind #43: "The Gamesters of Triskelion"
Up today: The Gamesters of Triskelion (01/05/1968)
Eric, Rob, and I did a podcast;
We tried a different method of recording our tracks this time. I've had to record our Skype sound on my end only. This did work, but it isn't the best audio quality, depending on how all our 'net connections were faring that evening. This turned out a little better, but if you listen you'll be able to tell that we or I have some more work to do.
Eric got the jump on me this time, so here's his review:
I just noticed that "The Gamesters of Triskelion" was the first Star Trek episode aired in 1968. Knowing that this was, to say the least, an eventful year, my curiosity was piqued to find out just what happened. I was actually surprised--here are some of the highlights:
· The Vietnam War escalated with the Battle of Khe Sanh, the Tet Offensive, and the Mai Lai massacre.
· Martin Luther King, Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated.
· 2001: A Space Odyssey premiered.
· The Beatles created Apple Records and released their self-titled album, commonly known as the White Album.
· France detonated its first hydrogen bomb.
· Nixon was elected president.
· Elvis Presley made his concert return with the '68 Comeback Special.
· The Zodiac Killer began his murder spree in San Francisco.
· Apollo 8 entered orbit around the Moon allowing astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders to be the first humans to see not only the far side of the Moon but also the planet Earth as a whole.
I note this to give a sense of the times Star Trek commented on and reflected. Also, the success of movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey and the public fascination with the space program set the stage for science fiction on TV.
And while Star Trek is arguably the pioneer of serious television SF, "The Gamesters of Triskelion" is perhaps not the best example of classic Trek. It's not a bad episode, but its message is rather muddled and diluted, and I find the laughable production values to be more of a distraction than usual.
Despite these complaints, I did find an interesting theme. Obviously, there's Kirk's passionate defense of freedom and the human spirit (echoes from episodes like "The Menagerie" and "Metamorphosis), but beyond that, I saw this episode as an indictment of professional sports, particularly boxing. Admittedly, professional boxers aren't slaves...exactly. They are not the property of their "managers" and "promoters," and those at the pinnacle of the sport enjoy considerable wealth and prestige. But the rest (those who aren't at the very top) have to perform adequately, or they find themselves discarded and on the street. And even if they continue to please their handlers, boxers are generally washed up once they hit their early to mid-thirties. This is where the parallel to "The Gamesters of Triskelion" comes in. A central plot point is that the thralls are not educated--they're kept in a perpetual state of ignorance and dependence in order to provide entertainment for the providers. And when they can no longer compete, they're discarded. This insidious cycle isn't broken until the providers lose their wager with Kirk and have to free and educate the thralls.
So, there is a message to be found here (even if it's obscured). I would state it this way: Those who derive wealth and entertainment from the athletic abilities of others are little better than parasites, and they owe the people they feed on the means and opportunity to be self-supporting and self-determining.
---
Pity the Tool.
I went into this episode fully expecting to laugh at the cheesy costumes, gummy brained aliens, and a douchebag named Lars. In this respect, the episode did not disappoint. Lars was still a douchebag, the "Providers" still looked like rubbery brains in a large jar, and the costumes were...ahem!
One of the problems with this episode, even discounting the above, is that I feel like it covers familiar ground in the ideas department--I have a feeling I'll be repeating this statement before we're done with the series. The plot setup, which includes the Providers, aka highly evolved aliens who are now very powerful glowing brains in a glass case, abducting the landing party for use in a pseudo-gladiatorial slave colony. It is a rather obvious setup for a rousing speech about freedom and the evils of slavery. Not to mention the moral superiority of America/The Federation; and the combat is an excuse for Shatner to run around without a shirt, looking as Rob pointed out, rather paunchy. Kirk's talk about the free spirit of humanity is also a convenient way for him to talk his way into Shahna's (Kirk's "drill thrall") shorts. Shahna actually utters the line, "I will train you well." I'll bet you will! Like other episodes, Kirk uses his charms to take advantage of his current love interest. Shahna naturally almost kills him later in the episode and I do like the fact that she actually beats him. It makes up a bit for her being such a sucker.
One of the things that surprised me this time around was the scene where Lars goes into Uhura's cell looking for some slave on slave action. It could easily be read as an off-camera attempted (?) rape scene. It's pretty clear that Uhura fights him off, but the scene is actually intense and plays a bit edgy for 1968 television. Plus it comes at a commercial break where there's a natural tension, so this seemed like a bigger deal than I used to give it credit for. I just have to ask, what is the deal with Lars, anyway? He just has a lousy costume, not even some funky face makeup. The writers didn't even give 'ol Lars an alien sounding name, unless Lars was sufficiently foreign for 1968 audiences. I have to believe that Lars has pre-determined douchebaginess (is that even a word?) and that the character has no real choice in the matter. Lars is just a tool. I almost pity the guy...almost. I think we missed an opportunity to dissect this character on the podcast. Who knows, maybe there's some fascinating insight buried within this character that could even open up something really compelling about this episode. Or maybe not; just seeing if anyone's paying attention.
Meanwhile, Spock and the rest have to figure out where the hell Kirk and the other have gone. My main problem with this "B" story is that it seems to run out of steam before the plot requires them to show up. There are some good traded barbs of the usual sort between Spock and McCoy, but it plays like it could have used a bit of trimming.
The hand-to-hand combat, which is the main action, other than Kirk's little jaunt in the ruins with Shahna, that is. I appreciate the interesting camera angles and the three segment design of the floor and the choreographed combat isn't too bad, by Trek standards. The whole fighting set reminded me a little of the gladiator school sets from Spartacus. Of course the final fight where Kirk has to fight three other thralls is easy to ridicule; they often seem to be taking turns attacking him! Lars is satisfyingly offed by Kirk, so that's something at least.
In the end, Kirk turns the tables on the gummy brain aliens and they have to "challenge" themselves to turn their little slave colony into an actual society. We were asking ourselves, "what's a quatloo?" I think it's the cool new name for an advanced porta-potty: the Quat-Loo! Eric covered the episode's possible indictment of spectator sports as a society-crushing exploitve endeavor. I think boxing is perhaps the closest analog we have to what's portrayed here. And hey, if the sports comments don't get us some feedback, what will?!
I'm not sure the production values are really that far below what we've seen in past episodes. I think Eric was beginning to recognize the reuse of old sets and props from previous episodes and combined with the neon-colored rubber brains, was perhaps too much. I could also be accused of being to easy on old Trek. As I pointed out on the podcast, we will probably look back at this "so-so" episode with fond memories when we get deep into the third season!
I have a dim memory about watching this one while I was growing up and thought it was fairly OK. The action helps, plus there's nothing like watching Shatner writhe around on the floor under the pain of those collars. Sure, there aren't any space battles, but some hand-to-hand combat, complete with odd weapons, still does the job when you're 12.
The BD version of this episode looked great. Galt, the head thrall, had a poor man's Dracula costume and the HD image made his makeup look like it was a powder coat. The new effects were limited to a couple of planets, so nothing big here. I continue to be impressed at the overall quality of these BDs. They actually look better, in some ways, than the BDs of the Trek movies. There's something wrong about that; but that's another blog entry.
Next time: "A Piece of the Action"
Eric, Rob, and I did a podcast;
We tried a different method of recording our tracks this time. I've had to record our Skype sound on my end only. This did work, but it isn't the best audio quality, depending on how all our 'net connections were faring that evening. This turned out a little better, but if you listen you'll be able to tell that we or I have some more work to do.
Eric got the jump on me this time, so here's his review:
I just noticed that "The Gamesters of Triskelion" was the first Star Trek episode aired in 1968. Knowing that this was, to say the least, an eventful year, my curiosity was piqued to find out just what happened. I was actually surprised--here are some of the highlights:
· The Vietnam War escalated with the Battle of Khe Sanh, the Tet Offensive, and the Mai Lai massacre.
· Martin Luther King, Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated.
· 2001: A Space Odyssey premiered.
· The Beatles created Apple Records and released their self-titled album, commonly known as the White Album.
· France detonated its first hydrogen bomb.
· Nixon was elected president.
· Elvis Presley made his concert return with the '68 Comeback Special.
· The Zodiac Killer began his murder spree in San Francisco.
· Apollo 8 entered orbit around the Moon allowing astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders to be the first humans to see not only the far side of the Moon but also the planet Earth as a whole.
I note this to give a sense of the times Star Trek commented on and reflected. Also, the success of movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey and the public fascination with the space program set the stage for science fiction on TV.
And while Star Trek is arguably the pioneer of serious television SF, "The Gamesters of Triskelion" is perhaps not the best example of classic Trek. It's not a bad episode, but its message is rather muddled and diluted, and I find the laughable production values to be more of a distraction than usual.
Despite these complaints, I did find an interesting theme. Obviously, there's Kirk's passionate defense of freedom and the human spirit (echoes from episodes like "The Menagerie" and "Metamorphosis), but beyond that, I saw this episode as an indictment of professional sports, particularly boxing. Admittedly, professional boxers aren't slaves...exactly. They are not the property of their "managers" and "promoters," and those at the pinnacle of the sport enjoy considerable wealth and prestige. But the rest (those who aren't at the very top) have to perform adequately, or they find themselves discarded and on the street. And even if they continue to please their handlers, boxers are generally washed up once they hit their early to mid-thirties. This is where the parallel to "The Gamesters of Triskelion" comes in. A central plot point is that the thralls are not educated--they're kept in a perpetual state of ignorance and dependence in order to provide entertainment for the providers. And when they can no longer compete, they're discarded. This insidious cycle isn't broken until the providers lose their wager with Kirk and have to free and educate the thralls.
So, there is a message to be found here (even if it's obscured). I would state it this way: Those who derive wealth and entertainment from the athletic abilities of others are little better than parasites, and they owe the people they feed on the means and opportunity to be self-supporting and self-determining.
---
Pity the Tool.
I went into this episode fully expecting to laugh at the cheesy costumes, gummy brained aliens, and a douchebag named Lars. In this respect, the episode did not disappoint. Lars was still a douchebag, the "Providers" still looked like rubbery brains in a large jar, and the costumes were...ahem!
One of the problems with this episode, even discounting the above, is that I feel like it covers familiar ground in the ideas department--I have a feeling I'll be repeating this statement before we're done with the series. The plot setup, which includes the Providers, aka highly evolved aliens who are now very powerful glowing brains in a glass case, abducting the landing party for use in a pseudo-gladiatorial slave colony. It is a rather obvious setup for a rousing speech about freedom and the evils of slavery. Not to mention the moral superiority of America/The Federation; and the combat is an excuse for Shatner to run around without a shirt, looking as Rob pointed out, rather paunchy. Kirk's talk about the free spirit of humanity is also a convenient way for him to talk his way into Shahna's (Kirk's "drill thrall") shorts. Shahna actually utters the line, "I will train you well." I'll bet you will! Like other episodes, Kirk uses his charms to take advantage of his current love interest. Shahna naturally almost kills him later in the episode and I do like the fact that she actually beats him. It makes up a bit for her being such a sucker.
One of the things that surprised me this time around was the scene where Lars goes into Uhura's cell looking for some slave on slave action. It could easily be read as an off-camera attempted (?) rape scene. It's pretty clear that Uhura fights him off, but the scene is actually intense and plays a bit edgy for 1968 television. Plus it comes at a commercial break where there's a natural tension, so this seemed like a bigger deal than I used to give it credit for. I just have to ask, what is the deal with Lars, anyway? He just has a lousy costume, not even some funky face makeup. The writers didn't even give 'ol Lars an alien sounding name, unless Lars was sufficiently foreign for 1968 audiences. I have to believe that Lars has pre-determined douchebaginess (is that even a word?) and that the character has no real choice in the matter. Lars is just a tool. I almost pity the guy...almost. I think we missed an opportunity to dissect this character on the podcast. Who knows, maybe there's some fascinating insight buried within this character that could even open up something really compelling about this episode. Or maybe not; just seeing if anyone's paying attention.
Meanwhile, Spock and the rest have to figure out where the hell Kirk and the other have gone. My main problem with this "B" story is that it seems to run out of steam before the plot requires them to show up. There are some good traded barbs of the usual sort between Spock and McCoy, but it plays like it could have used a bit of trimming.
The hand-to-hand combat, which is the main action, other than Kirk's little jaunt in the ruins with Shahna, that is. I appreciate the interesting camera angles and the three segment design of the floor and the choreographed combat isn't too bad, by Trek standards. The whole fighting set reminded me a little of the gladiator school sets from Spartacus. Of course the final fight where Kirk has to fight three other thralls is easy to ridicule; they often seem to be taking turns attacking him! Lars is satisfyingly offed by Kirk, so that's something at least.
In the end, Kirk turns the tables on the gummy brain aliens and they have to "challenge" themselves to turn their little slave colony into an actual society. We were asking ourselves, "what's a quatloo?" I think it's the cool new name for an advanced porta-potty: the Quat-Loo! Eric covered the episode's possible indictment of spectator sports as a society-crushing exploitve endeavor. I think boxing is perhaps the closest analog we have to what's portrayed here. And hey, if the sports comments don't get us some feedback, what will?!
I'm not sure the production values are really that far below what we've seen in past episodes. I think Eric was beginning to recognize the reuse of old sets and props from previous episodes and combined with the neon-colored rubber brains, was perhaps too much. I could also be accused of being to easy on old Trek. As I pointed out on the podcast, we will probably look back at this "so-so" episode with fond memories when we get deep into the third season!
I have a dim memory about watching this one while I was growing up and thought it was fairly OK. The action helps, plus there's nothing like watching Shatner writhe around on the floor under the pain of those collars. Sure, there aren't any space battles, but some hand-to-hand combat, complete with odd weapons, still does the job when you're 12.
The BD version of this episode looked great. Galt, the head thrall, had a poor man's Dracula costume and the HD image made his makeup look like it was a powder coat. The new effects were limited to a couple of planets, so nothing big here. I continue to be impressed at the overall quality of these BDs. They actually look better, in some ways, than the BDs of the Trek movies. There's something wrong about that; but that's another blog entry.
Next time: "A Piece of the Action"
Friday, June 18, 2010
Crushed Entry
2015 update: another old entry from the previous blog, brought over mainly for curiosity.
I have recently had or observed a few conversations with friends about an old, mostly harmless topic: crushes on people in the world of entertainment. This of course is about as flimsy and trifling a topic as I talk about here. This has little to do with real romance or even sex (at least for most of us!) but perhaps it tells us something about ourselves. Maybe. Let's face it, this is fantasy land and sure, I could be prognosticating about politics or the future of technology (I have the word "technology" in my job title, so I must be an expert on it, no?) but sometimes you just want to swim in the shallow end of the pool. I would love to hear from any of you about this topic, but I thought I should go first. So, in a desperate ploy to generate comments, I present my list of those in the entertainment universe who I, shall we say, dig. Dig?
Helen Hunt. Helen is one of my earliest actress crushes; she and I go way back, so to speak. I remember noticing her cuteness back in the 1980s on the TV show St. Elsewhere where she played a minor love interest of...hmm, I don't seem to remember the other character, but she apparently stood out. She has done some good and bad movies, plus her long sitcom run on Mad About You in the 1990s. I'll always have a soft spot for Helen, even in the not-so-good movies.
Meg Ryan. After seeing When Harry Met Sally back in 1989, I really thought Meg was simply the hottest thing on the screen. I am positive that I was far from alone in my appreciation for Ms. Ryan's blend of sweet naivete and pure hotness. Although my old crush on her has faded over the years, I still emit a slight sigh whenever I see that movie today.
Inara George. Inara is the vocal half of the pop music duo The Bird and the Bee. My crush here is entirely on this woman's voice, which I just can't get enough of. To borrow the expression: I could listen to Inara sing the phone book (if I had one)!
Mary-Louise Parker. I first began to appreciate Parker during her stint on The West Wing Parker's delivery of Sorkin's smart, lightning-fast dialogue with her vivacious presence was irresistible. Parker has done some other interesting character roles, often non-leading parts in movies. No matter where I see her, she's damned sexy. I am currently getting a kick out of watching her play the pot-dealing (smokin'!) suburban mom in the cable show Weeds
So how about it? Does anyone want to share? If so, leave it in the comments someplace.
I have recently had or observed a few conversations with friends about an old, mostly harmless topic: crushes on people in the world of entertainment. This of course is about as flimsy and trifling a topic as I talk about here. This has little to do with real romance or even sex (at least for most of us!) but perhaps it tells us something about ourselves. Maybe. Let's face it, this is fantasy land and sure, I could be prognosticating about politics or the future of technology (I have the word "technology" in my job title, so I must be an expert on it, no?) but sometimes you just want to swim in the shallow end of the pool. I would love to hear from any of you about this topic, but I thought I should go first. So, in a desperate ploy to generate comments, I present my list of those in the entertainment universe who I, shall we say, dig. Dig?
Helen Hunt. Helen is one of my earliest actress crushes; she and I go way back, so to speak. I remember noticing her cuteness back in the 1980s on the TV show St. Elsewhere where she played a minor love interest of...hmm, I don't seem to remember the other character, but she apparently stood out. She has done some good and bad movies, plus her long sitcom run on Mad About You in the 1990s. I'll always have a soft spot for Helen, even in the not-so-good movies.
Meg Ryan. After seeing When Harry Met Sally back in 1989, I really thought Meg was simply the hottest thing on the screen. I am positive that I was far from alone in my appreciation for Ms. Ryan's blend of sweet naivete and pure hotness. Although my old crush on her has faded over the years, I still emit a slight sigh whenever I see that movie today.
Inara George. Inara is the vocal half of the pop music duo The Bird and the Bee. My crush here is entirely on this woman's voice, which I just can't get enough of. To borrow the expression: I could listen to Inara sing the phone book (if I had one)!
Mary-Louise Parker. I first began to appreciate Parker during her stint on The West Wing Parker's delivery of Sorkin's smart, lightning-fast dialogue with her vivacious presence was irresistible. Parker has done some other interesting character roles, often non-leading parts in movies. No matter where I see her, she's damned sexy. I am currently getting a kick out of watching her play the pot-dealing (smokin'!) suburban mom in the cable show Weeds
So how about it? Does anyone want to share? If so, leave it in the comments someplace.
Friday, May 21, 2010
TOS Rewind #42: "The Trouble With Tribbles"
Up this time: The Trouble With Tribbles (12/29/1967)
Eric, Rob, and I did a podcast:
The sound quality on this one was rough. I'm working on doing a different method of recording these which should hopefully address the problems.
Ah, the Tribbles. I tend to view this episode as the original series equivalent of "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home." It's a favorite to both serious and casual fans alike. It's really hard not to like this one, especially since it riffs on the familiar characters so well. Kirk spends the episode with equal measures of snark and irritation at having to expend his Captainly (?) energies on something best left to bureaucrats and rent-a-cops (or would that be rent-a-captains?). "I think of this project as very important. It is you I take lightly." Wouldn't you love to use that line at your next work meeting?! Spock and McCoy are even more sarcastic with their verbal jabs than usual. In a normal episode, this would have risen to the level of distraction, yet it fits like a glove in the rarefied air of this episode. The most memorable character interactions, for me actually revolve around Scotty. His dialogue in the bar scene is hilarious and works so well for the character. The aftermath of the bar fight scene is also spot on. It's really fun to see this much time devoted to scenes like this.
Those great character scenes are of course made possible thanks to the plot, which while moderately important is easy to push aside for funny set pieces. I think what really makes it work here is the way that it has just enough credibility. One of the failings of I, Mudd which is quite farcical is that its plot really pushes things to the extreme. Balance is the key to an episode like this and the flow from scene to scene feels right. "Tribbles" is more than just a bunch of jokes at the characters' expense, which makes if rewarding to return to after so many years. Another interesting factor here is the surprising amount of continuity with an earlier point in the series, something this show (and to be fair, most older TV shows) didn't too very often. The Organian Peace Treaty is used in the plot with the Klingons and they'd even planned on re-using the Commander Kor character from that first season episode ("Errand of Mercy"), but the original actor was unavailable. This was actually a good thing as the actor they did use, William Campbell from "Squire of Gothos" turns in a, dare I say it, flamboyant performance that fits the episode as it's written. The Cyrano Jones trader character, with his groovy 1960s shirt (!) is a lightweight version of the Harry Mudd character. Jones lacks some of the menace of Mudd, but again that works well here. Jones is the Tribble delivery system with some comic scenes for good measure. Besides, Kirk doesn't need a Mudd-like nemesis this time, he has the whole Federation bureaucracy for that!
I once again watched the BD "enhanced" version of this episode with its usual high picture and sound quality. The new effects mostly included renderings of the Enterprise, the Klingon ship (not shown in the original shots), and the space station. These were different shots than were made for the DS9 Trials and Tribbel-ations episode (a really fun DS9 original series tribute episode). They really piled on the bonus features for this episode and included a commentary with the episode's writer and lots of other goodies.
---
And Eric's take:
Hmm, this one is actually rather difficult. Don't get me wrong, "The Trouble with Tribbles" is one of my faves (an opinion that I think is shared by most fans). It is also widely-believed to be the best-known episode among non-fans. Why? Put simply, it's hilarious. And amazingly, it manages not to be a complete farce. The story is good, and the acting and direction is solid. The only real problem is that its distinct lack of depth or profundity makes the episode difficult to review.
So how about some favorite scenes. There are so many that are wonderful, but I think the best are Scotty's--his scene in the bar and the ensuing fight with the Klingons is classic, although the subsequent scene with Kirk may be even better. The scenes between the big three (Kirk, Spock, and McCoy) are also great, and both Chekov and Uhura have some fun moments.
It's also worth noting that this episode was the first professional writing credit for David Gerrold (a noted science fiction author). It also spawned a really good entry in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine franchise: "Trials and Tribble-ations," as well as the not-so-good episode, "More Tribbles, More Troubles," from the 1970s animated Star Trek series.
My only gripe is that tribbles (the creatures) were basically plagiarized versions of the Martian flatcats from Robert Heinlein's 1952 novel "The Rolling Stones." But even that does little to diminish my enjoyment of the episode. It was intended to be a whimsical, lighthearted laugh fest, and as such, it succeeds brilliantly. It will always be in my top ten.
Next time: "The Gamesters of Triskelion"
Eric, Rob, and I did a podcast:
The sound quality on this one was rough. I'm working on doing a different method of recording these which should hopefully address the problems.
Ah, the Tribbles. I tend to view this episode as the original series equivalent of "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home." It's a favorite to both serious and casual fans alike. It's really hard not to like this one, especially since it riffs on the familiar characters so well. Kirk spends the episode with equal measures of snark and irritation at having to expend his Captainly (?) energies on something best left to bureaucrats and rent-a-cops (or would that be rent-a-captains?). "I think of this project as very important. It is you I take lightly." Wouldn't you love to use that line at your next work meeting?! Spock and McCoy are even more sarcastic with their verbal jabs than usual. In a normal episode, this would have risen to the level of distraction, yet it fits like a glove in the rarefied air of this episode. The most memorable character interactions, for me actually revolve around Scotty. His dialogue in the bar scene is hilarious and works so well for the character. The aftermath of the bar fight scene is also spot on. It's really fun to see this much time devoted to scenes like this.
Those great character scenes are of course made possible thanks to the plot, which while moderately important is easy to push aside for funny set pieces. I think what really makes it work here is the way that it has just enough credibility. One of the failings of I, Mudd which is quite farcical is that its plot really pushes things to the extreme. Balance is the key to an episode like this and the flow from scene to scene feels right. "Tribbles" is more than just a bunch of jokes at the characters' expense, which makes if rewarding to return to after so many years. Another interesting factor here is the surprising amount of continuity with an earlier point in the series, something this show (and to be fair, most older TV shows) didn't too very often. The Organian Peace Treaty is used in the plot with the Klingons and they'd even planned on re-using the Commander Kor character from that first season episode ("Errand of Mercy"), but the original actor was unavailable. This was actually a good thing as the actor they did use, William Campbell from "Squire of Gothos" turns in a, dare I say it, flamboyant performance that fits the episode as it's written. The Cyrano Jones trader character, with his groovy 1960s shirt (!) is a lightweight version of the Harry Mudd character. Jones lacks some of the menace of Mudd, but again that works well here. Jones is the Tribble delivery system with some comic scenes for good measure. Besides, Kirk doesn't need a Mudd-like nemesis this time, he has the whole Federation bureaucracy for that!
I once again watched the BD "enhanced" version of this episode with its usual high picture and sound quality. The new effects mostly included renderings of the Enterprise, the Klingon ship (not shown in the original shots), and the space station. These were different shots than were made for the DS9 Trials and Tribbel-ations episode (a really fun DS9 original series tribute episode). They really piled on the bonus features for this episode and included a commentary with the episode's writer and lots of other goodies.
---
And Eric's take:
Hmm, this one is actually rather difficult. Don't get me wrong, "The Trouble with Tribbles" is one of my faves (an opinion that I think is shared by most fans). It is also widely-believed to be the best-known episode among non-fans. Why? Put simply, it's hilarious. And amazingly, it manages not to be a complete farce. The story is good, and the acting and direction is solid. The only real problem is that its distinct lack of depth or profundity makes the episode difficult to review.
So how about some favorite scenes. There are so many that are wonderful, but I think the best are Scotty's--his scene in the bar and the ensuing fight with the Klingons is classic, although the subsequent scene with Kirk may be even better. The scenes between the big three (Kirk, Spock, and McCoy) are also great, and both Chekov and Uhura have some fun moments.
It's also worth noting that this episode was the first professional writing credit for David Gerrold (a noted science fiction author). It also spawned a really good entry in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine franchise: "Trials and Tribble-ations," as well as the not-so-good episode, "More Tribbles, More Troubles," from the 1970s animated Star Trek series.
My only gripe is that tribbles (the creatures) were basically plagiarized versions of the Martian flatcats from Robert Heinlein's 1952 novel "The Rolling Stones." But even that does little to diminish my enjoyment of the episode. It was intended to be a whimsical, lighthearted laugh fest, and as such, it succeeds brilliantly. It will always be in my top ten.
Next time: "The Gamesters of Triskelion"
Friday, April 2, 2010
TOS Rewind #41: "Wolf in the Fold"
Up this time: Wolf in the Fold (12/22/1967)
As usual, Eric, Rob, and I did a podcast:
This episode has a number of notable things about it.
It was written by Robert Bloch, who is probably best known for the novel that Psycho was based on (he also wrote an earlier episode of Trek: Catspaw).
This is one of the few episodes where Scotty gets a significant role in the story.
The actor, John Fiedler, who played Hengist was also the voice of Piglet in the Disney Winnie the Pooh films and TV/video specials. I remember him appearing in the 1970s "Bob Newhart Show" as a regular character. He was quite the versatile character actor!
What we have here is a murder mystery combined with a science fiction plot. Our heroes are here on the planet Argelius so Scotty can chill out and supposedly get over his "total resentment towards women." This is apparently due to an incident where Scotty was injured due to the error of a female crew member. McCoy seems to think this will be cleared up by some shore leave and hot dancer (prostitute?) action. Uh, Okay! They don't dwell on this very long, which is just as well really. After some extended ogling, Scotty is walking out the door with the dancer and before long, the dancer turns up dead with Scotty holding the knife. Scotty remembers nothing of the incident and can't explain what happened. Before we know it, "the law" shows up and since this planet is usually all peaceful and quiet, they have an off-world law enforcement bureaucrat, Mr Hengist on the scene (he really doesn't come off as an actual cop). Naturally, the law of this idyllic planet dictates that the punishment for murder is "death by slow torture." Gulp! So what the hell's going on? Normally, as Kirk/McCoy point out, Scotty wouldn't be capable of this sort of act, but there's this psychological "resentment" thing in his head. Ruh Roh!
As the investigation continues, there's a seance-like scene where the Argelian Prefect's wife does this empathic ceremony to determine the truth. They first try the high tech solution, scanning Scotty's brain, but the female technician who's conveniently left alone in a basement room with Scotty, is killed before it can be performed. Scotty is now on the hook for another killing. The ceremony commences, quite effectively: there are some fun camera angles and the timing of the lights going out/screaming works very well. And yes, you guessed it: the lights go out and the Leader's wife is found dead--another notch in Scotty's, er post, but not before she is able to utter some names and clues to what's really going on here. Hengist is ready to get out the torture equipment and get all Gitmo on Scotty's ass, but Kirk manages to talk them all into moving the proceedings aboard the Enterprise.
Now that they're all on board, I really don't get why they wouldn't do the mind scan on Scotty before going any further. They say they're going to get around to it, but first we need another Trek Trial (I should trademark that!). After a lot of dialogue, they figure out that maybe someone like, I don't know, Spock(!) should check out those names the Argelian Prefect's wife shouted out before she was killed. This part of the episode reminds me of how differently we look at tools such as computers today. When Spock asks the computer to search for the term "Redjac," it comes up with nothing. Only after he tells it to search for a "name" does it spill the beans. Apparently the Enterprise didn't have its Google Appliance installed yet. This is the point where the episode runs off the rails a bit for me. Once unmasked, Hengist/Redjac or the energy fear-feeding entity, takes over the computer and threatens to kill off everyone. This would have been somewhat more sinister if they'd used someone other than John Fiedler's voice for the "Jack the Ripper" computer. It makes me giggle, frankly. And of course, the bit where Spock announces he's going to make the computer solve Pi, is hilarious: "Nooooooooo!"
McCoy shoots everyone up with "tranquilizers" which happen to work like weed and the entity, after being defeated by Pi, re-enters Hengist's body. I was never clear whether Hengist was just some poor sap who got possessed or whether he was never really a non-Redjac person. Oh well. Hengist makes one last attempt at sowing terror but is shot full of drugs reducing him to a silly psycho. One amusing thing: apparently, the script called for Scotty, McCoy, and Kirk to be drinking booze at the cafe at the start of the episode, but the network objected. Uh, Okay. So they were fine with the entire crew being high on cosmic mushrooms? Anyhow, they drag Hengist into the transporter where his atoms are scattered around the cosmos, presumable never to be heard from again. Cue the jokes and laughter.
Despite the ribbing I gave here, I do enjoy watching this one. James Doohan manages to not overact too much and Shatner even keeps things in check, sometimes more than is called for; he seems a bit underwhelmed by the whole thing. As I said before, the seance scene is very effective and the pacing of the first half is fine. I just find the ending unsatisfying, on the whole. It's like they didn't know how to finish things off. I like the idea that a figure such as Jack the Ripper could be a nearly-immortal fear-feeding energy being; that's good sci fi. John Fiedler actually does pretty well with this role. On the surface, he looks right (Piglet wouldn't do THAT!), but there's something a bit shifty and a bit off about him.
There wasn't much different about the new effects on this episode other than the usual replaced shots of the Enterprise orbiting the planet. As far as I could tell, all of the music was recycled from earlier episodes, including the "exotic" dance music heard at the beginning of the episode, heard earlier in "The Cage" and "The Menagerie." I'm sure I'll hear it again before we're done.
---
And now, on to Eric's review:
"Wolf in the Fold" is another solid original Star Trek episode penned by Robert Bloch, who also wrote the episodes "What Are Little Girls Made Of" and "Catspaw." (More notably, however, he wrote the book "Psycho," upon which Alfred Hitchcock based his famous movie of the same name.) It is essentially a horror story, and as such, it fills the role well. There are genuinely scary scenes. Seeing Scotty holding a bloody knife after a brutal murder is particularly disturbing. The "séance" scene is also very well done. What I still find most fascinating, though, is the concept of Redjac; it's not only interesting SF but also a compelling explanation of Jack the Ripper.
This being said, there some flaws that have become more glaring over the years. One is that the premise--that Scotty becomes a raging misogynist when an accident due to a woman befalls him--is not only ridiculous, it speaks very poorly of Scotty's mental stability and resilience. Further, I find it very hard to believe that Dr. McCoy would prescribe shore leave on a planet that's essentially a worldwide whorehouse as effective therapy. The "Get-him-laid-and-everything-will-be-fine" approach? I think not.
Another less obvious point is that the character Hengist (who turns out to be Redjac's host), is played by John Fiedler, who also provided the voice for Piglet in the original Winnie the Pooh cartoons. Knowing that, it's difficult to be intimidated by him when he's mouthing gruesome threats. I keep picturing Piglet shouting: "Die, die, die, everybody DIE!" and well, it just doesn't work.
Most notably, the last act of the episode, aboard the Enterprise, takes a comic turn that's rather jarring, and it completely destroys the menacing atmosphere of the episode. And while it makes sense, in a way--the crew would be pretty jolly after being loaded up with happy juice--I would've preferred to see the macabre mood maintained throughout.
Still, this is an episode I can, and do, enjoy despite its flaws. All in all, another solid entry in the canon of original Start Trek
Next time: "The Trouble With Tribbles"
As usual, Eric, Rob, and I did a podcast:
This episode has a number of notable things about it.
It was written by Robert Bloch, who is probably best known for the novel that Psycho was based on (he also wrote an earlier episode of Trek: Catspaw).
This is one of the few episodes where Scotty gets a significant role in the story.
The actor, John Fiedler, who played Hengist was also the voice of Piglet in the Disney Winnie the Pooh films and TV/video specials. I remember him appearing in the 1970s "Bob Newhart Show" as a regular character. He was quite the versatile character actor!
What we have here is a murder mystery combined with a science fiction plot. Our heroes are here on the planet Argelius so Scotty can chill out and supposedly get over his "total resentment towards women." This is apparently due to an incident where Scotty was injured due to the error of a female crew member. McCoy seems to think this will be cleared up by some shore leave and hot dancer (prostitute?) action. Uh, Okay! They don't dwell on this very long, which is just as well really. After some extended ogling, Scotty is walking out the door with the dancer and before long, the dancer turns up dead with Scotty holding the knife. Scotty remembers nothing of the incident and can't explain what happened. Before we know it, "the law" shows up and since this planet is usually all peaceful and quiet, they have an off-world law enforcement bureaucrat, Mr Hengist on the scene (he really doesn't come off as an actual cop). Naturally, the law of this idyllic planet dictates that the punishment for murder is "death by slow torture." Gulp! So what the hell's going on? Normally, as Kirk/McCoy point out, Scotty wouldn't be capable of this sort of act, but there's this psychological "resentment" thing in his head. Ruh Roh!
As the investigation continues, there's a seance-like scene where the Argelian Prefect's wife does this empathic ceremony to determine the truth. They first try the high tech solution, scanning Scotty's brain, but the female technician who's conveniently left alone in a basement room with Scotty, is killed before it can be performed. Scotty is now on the hook for another killing. The ceremony commences, quite effectively: there are some fun camera angles and the timing of the lights going out/screaming works very well. And yes, you guessed it: the lights go out and the Leader's wife is found dead--another notch in Scotty's, er post, but not before she is able to utter some names and clues to what's really going on here. Hengist is ready to get out the torture equipment and get all Gitmo on Scotty's ass, but Kirk manages to talk them all into moving the proceedings aboard the Enterprise.
Now that they're all on board, I really don't get why they wouldn't do the mind scan on Scotty before going any further. They say they're going to get around to it, but first we need another Trek Trial (I should trademark that!). After a lot of dialogue, they figure out that maybe someone like, I don't know, Spock(!) should check out those names the Argelian Prefect's wife shouted out before she was killed. This part of the episode reminds me of how differently we look at tools such as computers today. When Spock asks the computer to search for the term "Redjac," it comes up with nothing. Only after he tells it to search for a "name" does it spill the beans. Apparently the Enterprise didn't have its Google Appliance installed yet. This is the point where the episode runs off the rails a bit for me. Once unmasked, Hengist/Redjac or the energy fear-feeding entity, takes over the computer and threatens to kill off everyone. This would have been somewhat more sinister if they'd used someone other than John Fiedler's voice for the "Jack the Ripper" computer. It makes me giggle, frankly. And of course, the bit where Spock announces he's going to make the computer solve Pi, is hilarious: "Nooooooooo!"
McCoy shoots everyone up with "tranquilizers" which happen to work like weed and the entity, after being defeated by Pi, re-enters Hengist's body. I was never clear whether Hengist was just some poor sap who got possessed or whether he was never really a non-Redjac person. Oh well. Hengist makes one last attempt at sowing terror but is shot full of drugs reducing him to a silly psycho. One amusing thing: apparently, the script called for Scotty, McCoy, and Kirk to be drinking booze at the cafe at the start of the episode, but the network objected. Uh, Okay. So they were fine with the entire crew being high on cosmic mushrooms? Anyhow, they drag Hengist into the transporter where his atoms are scattered around the cosmos, presumable never to be heard from again. Cue the jokes and laughter.
Despite the ribbing I gave here, I do enjoy watching this one. James Doohan manages to not overact too much and Shatner even keeps things in check, sometimes more than is called for; he seems a bit underwhelmed by the whole thing. As I said before, the seance scene is very effective and the pacing of the first half is fine. I just find the ending unsatisfying, on the whole. It's like they didn't know how to finish things off. I like the idea that a figure such as Jack the Ripper could be a nearly-immortal fear-feeding energy being; that's good sci fi. John Fiedler actually does pretty well with this role. On the surface, he looks right (Piglet wouldn't do THAT!), but there's something a bit shifty and a bit off about him.
There wasn't much different about the new effects on this episode other than the usual replaced shots of the Enterprise orbiting the planet. As far as I could tell, all of the music was recycled from earlier episodes, including the "exotic" dance music heard at the beginning of the episode, heard earlier in "The Cage" and "The Menagerie." I'm sure I'll hear it again before we're done.
---
And now, on to Eric's review:
"Wolf in the Fold" is another solid original Star Trek episode penned by Robert Bloch, who also wrote the episodes "What Are Little Girls Made Of" and "Catspaw." (More notably, however, he wrote the book "Psycho," upon which Alfred Hitchcock based his famous movie of the same name.) It is essentially a horror story, and as such, it fills the role well. There are genuinely scary scenes. Seeing Scotty holding a bloody knife after a brutal murder is particularly disturbing. The "séance" scene is also very well done. What I still find most fascinating, though, is the concept of Redjac; it's not only interesting SF but also a compelling explanation of Jack the Ripper.
This being said, there some flaws that have become more glaring over the years. One is that the premise--that Scotty becomes a raging misogynist when an accident due to a woman befalls him--is not only ridiculous, it speaks very poorly of Scotty's mental stability and resilience. Further, I find it very hard to believe that Dr. McCoy would prescribe shore leave on a planet that's essentially a worldwide whorehouse as effective therapy. The "Get-him-laid-and-everything-will-be-fine" approach? I think not.
Another less obvious point is that the character Hengist (who turns out to be Redjac's host), is played by John Fiedler, who also provided the voice for Piglet in the original Winnie the Pooh cartoons. Knowing that, it's difficult to be intimidated by him when he's mouthing gruesome threats. I keep picturing Piglet shouting: "Die, die, die, everybody DIE!" and well, it just doesn't work.
Most notably, the last act of the episode, aboard the Enterprise, takes a comic turn that's rather jarring, and it completely destroys the menacing atmosphere of the episode. And while it makes sense, in a way--the crew would be pretty jolly after being loaded up with happy juice--I would've preferred to see the macabre mood maintained throughout.
Still, this is an episode I can, and do, enjoy despite its flaws. All in all, another solid entry in the canon of original Start Trek
Next time: "The Trouble With Tribbles"
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
TOS Rewind #40: "Obsession"
Up next: Obsession (12/15/1967)
Our usual group recorded a podcast for this episode.
"Obsession" has two basic elements to it. One, a story surrounding our heroes battling a deadly alien creature. Two, a closer look into Kirk's personality/backstory and his relationships with the crew.
The monster story here has a fairly conventional arc, right through the climax on the planet where Kirk and Garrovick have their final showdown with the creature. The part in space where the creature turns and attacks the ship is a good twist in the story. The thing I find more interesting about this episode is the focus on Kirk's past and a demon that haunts him from it. This is one of the first times we're given much about Kirk's previous military career other than brief bits of information. The character focus in this episode reminds me a bit of the one in "Conscience of the King." There, like here, Kirk is driven almost single-mindedly to fix something from his past; even if it puts his command or other lives in jeopardy. It's compelling to see Kirk's character stripped of its usual veneer or confidence like this and I believe the inner turmoil on display here is done even better than in that previous episode.
One aspect of Trek that works so well for me is that way that the main characters interact under stress. Most of the time, the familiar characters work together, using their collective strengths to prevail. This time, Kirk spends much of the story working alone or even against his friends and crew to an extent. Kirk seems to forget the trust that Spock and McCoy have in him. This would normally be an inconsistency, but in this instance it reinforces personal nature of the situation. Kirk's feelings of guilt over his past inaction is so intense that he doesn't want his closest friends in on it. The one odd thing about this is the way Kirk seems to leave them clues to the situation. This doesn't always make a lot of sense, but it does make the story flow well with a nice buildup of tension. The way Spock and McCoy team up to figure out what the hell's going on with Kirk helps the story and provides some interesting character development and a few good scenes between them. I also enjoy the scenes with Garrovick who comes off as a genuine character beyond being a cipher for Kirk's self-pity. Garrovick is still new to the whole thing and not 100% sure of himself. Another interesting thing is the way that Spock learns about and tries to deal with Kirk and Garrovick's self-guilt. Spock almost plays ship counselor during a couple of scenes, talking about things such as "wallowing in a pool of emotion." Ha!
One thing that I'm not crazy about is the way that Kirk seems to "sense" what the creature is up to (reminds me of "Metamorphosis"). Of course we need to know some of this information, but it comes off as a somewhat contrived. I also wonder if the suspense would have been more effective if they had not shown the creature right off the bat. It's not a big deal of course.
The performances here are generally good. Some may find a bit too much Shatner for their liking but considering how Kirk is written in this episode, I don't think it's too far out of line. The rest of the cast is in good form and the guy who played Garrovick got the balance of the role right without overplaying the scenes with too much sullenness.
I liked this episode well growing up as it had lots of drama, dead red shirts, and even some action in space. I noticed that they recycled some of the music from "The Doomsday Machine." As Rob pointed out on the podcast, this is a drawback of watching the series in broadcast order. It becomes easier to catch things like this as you work your way through. The enhanced effects added a little bit this time around. The scenes in space where the creature is pictured look less like a white blob on the screen and they have a new shot of the Tycho planet after the bomb is detonated with an appropriately large hole on it.
Now let's see what Eric has to say:
---
I remember "Obsession" being a favorite episode (in the top 20) when I was younger, and upon rewatching, I was pleased to find that it held up. It has pretty much everything: action, drama, pathos, and some really interesting character interactions. But what I like best is that it is a Kirk episode. It fills in some of his back story, and it develops his character in a surprising way.
One thing I've noticed about 60s TV is that heroic, leading characters are rarely portrayed as genuinely flawed. If there are chinks their armor, they're the kind that are more admirable than detestable. Not so with Kirk in this episode. He's faced by a demon from his past, and in his struggles to deal with it, he acts irrationally, risks lives, and mistreats his crew, most notably Ensign Garrovick--the newly-assigned security officer whom Kirk harshly punishes for a completely normal, and forgiveable, reaction to an emergency. And what is particularly reprehensible is that Kirk is not motivated by fair-minded attention to his command duties; rather, it is a vicarious way for him to do penance for his perceived inadequacy in a similar situation when he was a young officer. The problem, of course, is that Garrovick has to bear the burden of Kirk's self-flagellation, which is not only undeserved and grossly unfair, it also creates, in Garrovick, the same demon that has plagued Kirk for eleven years.
Kirk's behavior is understandable, if not entirely excusable. We can sympathize with having something in your past that haunts you and affects your behavior and ability to function until, and unless, you deal with it. We expect our heroes to deal with such issues better, though, and that's why Obsession is such a good episode. It shows us that the noble James T. Kirk really is a human being just like us, complete with infuriating flaws. Of course, he does ultimately defeat his demon and manages to redeem himself in the process. Which is as it should be--he is, after all, a hero.
Next time: "Wolf in the Fold"
Our usual group recorded a podcast for this episode.
"Obsession" has two basic elements to it. One, a story surrounding our heroes battling a deadly alien creature. Two, a closer look into Kirk's personality/backstory and his relationships with the crew.
The monster story here has a fairly conventional arc, right through the climax on the planet where Kirk and Garrovick have their final showdown with the creature. The part in space where the creature turns and attacks the ship is a good twist in the story. The thing I find more interesting about this episode is the focus on Kirk's past and a demon that haunts him from it. This is one of the first times we're given much about Kirk's previous military career other than brief bits of information. The character focus in this episode reminds me a bit of the one in "Conscience of the King." There, like here, Kirk is driven almost single-mindedly to fix something from his past; even if it puts his command or other lives in jeopardy. It's compelling to see Kirk's character stripped of its usual veneer or confidence like this and I believe the inner turmoil on display here is done even better than in that previous episode.
One aspect of Trek that works so well for me is that way that the main characters interact under stress. Most of the time, the familiar characters work together, using their collective strengths to prevail. This time, Kirk spends much of the story working alone or even against his friends and crew to an extent. Kirk seems to forget the trust that Spock and McCoy have in him. This would normally be an inconsistency, but in this instance it reinforces personal nature of the situation. Kirk's feelings of guilt over his past inaction is so intense that he doesn't want his closest friends in on it. The one odd thing about this is the way Kirk seems to leave them clues to the situation. This doesn't always make a lot of sense, but it does make the story flow well with a nice buildup of tension. The way Spock and McCoy team up to figure out what the hell's going on with Kirk helps the story and provides some interesting character development and a few good scenes between them. I also enjoy the scenes with Garrovick who comes off as a genuine character beyond being a cipher for Kirk's self-pity. Garrovick is still new to the whole thing and not 100% sure of himself. Another interesting thing is the way that Spock learns about and tries to deal with Kirk and Garrovick's self-guilt. Spock almost plays ship counselor during a couple of scenes, talking about things such as "wallowing in a pool of emotion." Ha!
One thing that I'm not crazy about is the way that Kirk seems to "sense" what the creature is up to (reminds me of "Metamorphosis"). Of course we need to know some of this information, but it comes off as a somewhat contrived. I also wonder if the suspense would have been more effective if they had not shown the creature right off the bat. It's not a big deal of course.
The performances here are generally good. Some may find a bit too much Shatner for their liking but considering how Kirk is written in this episode, I don't think it's too far out of line. The rest of the cast is in good form and the guy who played Garrovick got the balance of the role right without overplaying the scenes with too much sullenness.
I liked this episode well growing up as it had lots of drama, dead red shirts, and even some action in space. I noticed that they recycled some of the music from "The Doomsday Machine." As Rob pointed out on the podcast, this is a drawback of watching the series in broadcast order. It becomes easier to catch things like this as you work your way through. The enhanced effects added a little bit this time around. The scenes in space where the creature is pictured look less like a white blob on the screen and they have a new shot of the Tycho planet after the bomb is detonated with an appropriately large hole on it.
Now let's see what Eric has to say:
---
I remember "Obsession" being a favorite episode (in the top 20) when I was younger, and upon rewatching, I was pleased to find that it held up. It has pretty much everything: action, drama, pathos, and some really interesting character interactions. But what I like best is that it is a Kirk episode. It fills in some of his back story, and it develops his character in a surprising way.
One thing I've noticed about 60s TV is that heroic, leading characters are rarely portrayed as genuinely flawed. If there are chinks their armor, they're the kind that are more admirable than detestable. Not so with Kirk in this episode. He's faced by a demon from his past, and in his struggles to deal with it, he acts irrationally, risks lives, and mistreats his crew, most notably Ensign Garrovick--the newly-assigned security officer whom Kirk harshly punishes for a completely normal, and forgiveable, reaction to an emergency. And what is particularly reprehensible is that Kirk is not motivated by fair-minded attention to his command duties; rather, it is a vicarious way for him to do penance for his perceived inadequacy in a similar situation when he was a young officer. The problem, of course, is that Garrovick has to bear the burden of Kirk's self-flagellation, which is not only undeserved and grossly unfair, it also creates, in Garrovick, the same demon that has plagued Kirk for eleven years.
Kirk's behavior is understandable, if not entirely excusable. We can sympathize with having something in your past that haunts you and affects your behavior and ability to function until, and unless, you deal with it. We expect our heroes to deal with such issues better, though, and that's why Obsession is such a good episode. It shows us that the noble James T. Kirk really is a human being just like us, complete with infuriating flaws. Of course, he does ultimately defeat his demon and manages to redeem himself in the process. Which is as it should be--he is, after all, a hero.
Next time: "Wolf in the Fold"
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