Star Trek: TOS 3.4 - The Enterprise Incident

Review 58 - Episode 59

The One that's a bit like Oceans 11

And we're back. A nice holiday break came at just the right time as I have been toiling through these end days of TOS. It's hard to tell if I'm simply prejudging them as being Season 3 bad or if they just aren't up to scratch - actually, strike that. Season 3 is rough, but I still go in expecting diamonds, and while this is a solid episode, it doesn't quite shine as brightly as I'd like.

Kirk has gone mad with stress and orders the Enterprise into Romulan space, where 3 Romulan/Klingon birds of prey decloak and surround them. Kirk is then killed by Spock (!) and Spock turns towards helping the Romulan empire and gets very close with the female commander. If all this sounds unlikely, it's because it is and I think the episode is weak because it plays out this bluff too long. We know something is up, but not exactly what, but the first half of the episode tries too long to fool us and I can't imagine even 60's audience members believing it.

The second half is better as Spock's relationship becomes surprisingly erotic in a subtle way and Kirk is alive again (surprise), but goes back as a Romulan to nick the cloaking device. I like the idea of the Federation being rather underhand and devious, but the whole gambit is ridiculous and the answers as too why Kirk is acting erratic and strange don't really hold up. The dialogue is slightly disappointing as well considering it's Fontana, which was a surprise.

The rest of the cast are largely anonymous (especially McCoy who you always think will have a big part, but never does), though Scotty has some nice one liners.

It's good and ambitious, but I admire it's goals more than it's actual execution.

3/5

Overall Star Trek Franchise Rating so far: 168/290

Star Trek: TOS 3.3 - The Paradise Syndrome

Review 57 - Episode 58

The One with the Indians

Surprisingly good episode this with some interesting things to say. There are 2 very separate plots here. In the A plot, Kirk has his memory wiped and is trapped on a planet with a village of Indians who he joins, takes a wife and is happy. In the B plot, Spock tries to deflect an asteroid heading for the planet, fails, and limps back to the planet while trying to solve the riddle of the obelisk. This takes over place over 56 days.

I'll get my gripes out the way first. Yet another planet with old earth customs and history? There's an interesting theory about it later on, but I'll let it slide this time. The whole idea of Kirk finding peace and being given over a month to live a total different life is interesting, but the execution doesn't work. I'm not really bothered about Kirk becoming an Apache Indian and his acting is pretty shaky here. It's a nice concept and will be reused to better effect in TNG with "The inner light", but I found it dull, which is a shame as I appreciate them trying something different.

The B plot is excellent as Spock trys to deflect the asteroid and ignores all Scottys warnings about burning out the engines (I also liked Spocks explanation to Bones with the rocks about why they had to leave the planet - his frustration and patience were in perfect balance). His plan fails and they only have minimal speed to try and stay 4 hours ahead of the asteroid. This leads to excellent scenes with Bones and Spock discussing what had happened and Spock agonising internally, yet trying to come up with a new solution. An interesting discussion was talking about the Preservers, a race of aliens who "seeded" humanoids across the galaxy, hence all aliens look the same. It would be touched upon in TNG and obviously the real answer is budget reasons, but it's good to see them address it and while the answer is never followed up, I was happy with the explanation I didn't really feel the passage of time on the Enterprise, but that's the only real flaw.

The obelisk was also a very impressive set design, as was the village and the location shooting. This is apparently the only outdoor episode of Season 3 and I was noticing the lack of extras on the ship. Hopefully it won't affect to many episodes, but they really seem to have spent it all on this episode.

It 's very good, but the Kirk story drags for me and I wouldn't really want to watch it again for a long time, so I have to mark it down slightly, but worth a watch.

3/5

Overall Star Trek Franchise Rating so far: 165/285

Star Trek: TOS 3.2 - Elaan of Troyius

Review 56 - Episode 57

The One with the new Klingon Ships

Ah, so finally we get to see the Klingon ships from the movies that we all know and love. What a great design, it really stands the test of time. Having said that, I seen the flyby of the ship so many times in this episode that by the end I was sick of it.

That isn't even the main story here though. That belongs to Elaan, a Helen of Troy type figure who being escorted to be married. Her and Kirk argue, then fall in love and I suppose it's all watchable enough, but I wasn't really buying it. I was more interested in the Klingon ship to be honest. The lighting was really strange on the bridge as well, very dark and casting shadows. I can't help feeling their budget was away and they didn't have enough money to pay for lights.

The battle was a bit boring as well, using the same stock footage of the Klingon ship over and over again.

Not bad exactly and there are some nice scenes, but it fell flat for me overall.

2/5

Overall Star Trek Franchise Rating so far: 162/280

Star Trek: TOS 3.1 - Spectre of the Gun

Review 55 - Episode 56

The One set in the Old West

The start of a new Season is always a good boost for a series. Changes have normally been made, some subtle like lighting and sounds, others major like new cast members. There's nothing hugely different here, beyond Scotty's hairdo and the lack of a budget, but if feels fresh all the same.

The episode is a bit of a dog however. Kirk is warned of a planet, but ignores it and visits anyway. They're punished by being sentenced to death by means of a distant memory in Kirks brain, mainly the gunfight at the OK Corral. However, since Trek can't afford a budget, the sets are all extremely basic and it has the appearance of a stage play, especially since they're playing other characters.

It's slightly surreal watching it and Kirk really is an idiot for forging ahead with visiting the planet. The solution is logical and it's interesting seeing Spock mind melding with all of them, but the lesson learned at the end has been done to death, where Kirk spares his opponents life and the alien see's he is peaceful. Also, alien with God like powers? Hello, I though we'd done that to death by now.

Watchable for the strange setting, but rather dull and cheap looking.

2/5

Overall Star Trek Franchise Rating so far: 160/275

Star Trek: TOS 2.26 - Assignment: Earth

Review 54 - Episode 55

The One that's not really a Star Trek episode.

Bit of background for this episode, though I'm sure you know it. Star Trek was teetering on the brink of cancellation, so Roddenberry decided to sneakily put a Pilot episode into Star Trek which would have been called Assignment: Earth.

This is why we have such ridiculous concepts as the Enterprise "popping back" in time to see what's happening in 1969 and the fact that the bridge crew are relegated to guest stars and being ineffective in their own show.

I would probably still be pissed off even if it was a decent concept, but it's a lot of shite about Gary seven and his cat, plus a ditsy secretary saving humanity from it's self. Frankly, if Gene has made some decent season finales, perhaps the show would have survived instead of this garbage. It's not even Trek really. So not impressed with this idea.

Anyway, that's the end of season 2 (way to bow out on a downer). There have been some classics, but I've struggled with this Season and in all honesty I'm quite glad there's only one more to go. I'll probably be sad when it's done, but episodes like this make it harder than it should.

Not technically as bad as Catspaw, but for sheer cheek and the fact "our" guy's were so crap and I don't give a toss about Gary and his cat, it's getting nil points. Avoid.

0/5

Overall Star Trek Franchise Rating so far: 158/270

Star Trek: TOS 2.25 - The Omega Glory

Review 53 - Episode 54

The One with the American planet

Quite a strange episode this. It starts interestingly as Kirk finds the USS Exeter in orbit round a planet with it's crew dissolved. They beam down and find they're infected and can't leave, but Captain Tracey has violated the prime directive. It then turns out that the planet is actually a parallel world that has a stars and stripes flag and is basically old America!!

I mean, WTF is going on here. I've never seen an episode change storys so fast in my life and not in a good way. The virus story, while similar to Miri, has been done before but is interesting, as is the prime directive violation. If he thought he was going to die, then Kirk may have used his phaser as well. Tracey's too much of a villain to have any grey areas though, so it's never really developed.

Then this crazy story comes in about Yankees and the constitution, on an alien planet, and no one seems interested? What's more shocking is that this was considered for a pilot!! Spock's mind controlling is too powerful and thankfully never seen again.

It's all over the shop this episode and not very good. The basic banter between the trio and the 1st half save it from total disaster.

2/5

Overall Star Trek Franchise Rating so far: 158/265

Star Trek: TOS 2.24 - The Ultimate Computer

Review 52 - Episode 53

The One with the computer with a mind of it's own.

Good episode this, though a couple of things let it down. Commodore Wesley comes across as a total buffoon, even though the characters all love him. First he makes almost all the crew leave the ship, then he insults Kirk with his Captain Dunsel remark and finally he's so thick he thinks Kirk is firing at his fleet of ships, even though he knows the experimental computer is running the ship. I mean, for fucks sake, this guy is a complete moron and he riled me up everytime he was on screen. Daystrom is also idiotically blind when it comes to M-5, but I'll let that go as he was supposed to be a bit crazy at this point.

The good scenes involve Kirk facing his possible future without a starship and talking to Bones about it over a drink (McCoy's always drinking in these episodes!) There's also a lovely subtle little scene with Spock and Kirk, where Spock, who has defended M-5 and Daystrom, tell's Jim he has no desire to serve under a computer. No big histrionics, just a nice quiet speech. Shatners good this episode as well, facing his impending retirement. There are also lines here reminiscent of Star Trek 5, especially the poem, which is nice.

Needless to say, the computer goes mental, starts attacking ships and Kirk talks it to death as he has many times before. It's also a shame the fleet is old reused footage of the Enterprise (not to mention space seed).

D.C Fontana for me can do no wrong and a lot of Trek's success should lie at her feet. She absolutely nails these characters.

3/5

Overall Star Trek Franchise Rating so far: 156/260