Star Trek: TOS 3.11 - Day of the Dove

Review 65 - Episode 66

The One where Klingons and humans are tricked into fighting.

Yet another strange swirly alien makes an appearance as it fees of negative emotion and has the crew and Klingons fight one another.

The Klingons are good, giving a new dimension to their previous appearances and Chekov has some good scenes with his anger. It just feels a bit samey and familiar, plus the ending of them all laughing at the creature comes across as silly.

Still, I've seen worse this Season.

3/5

Overall Star Trek Franchise Rating so far: 188/325

Star Trek: TOS 3.10 - For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky

Review 64 - Episode 65

The One with the Asteroid Ship

A rare McCoy episode this and quite entertaining, if a bit daft and predictable in places. Bones is dying and has a year left to live. The Enterprise discovers an Asteroid ship on a collision with a planet controlled by a mad computer.

The scenes with Kirk and Spock knowing about McCoy are quite touching actually and it was nice to see Bones not only get the woman, but be well written again. The Ark ship is an interesting concept as well, though the budget can't quite match the episodes ambition.

The downsides of this episode is the Computer that has gone haywire (how many is that now?) and the fact the incurable disease has an antidote on the Asteroid which of course cures Bones. But the ending was a nice touch with Kirk promising to take McCoy to see them in a year. not bad all told.

3/5
Overall Star Trek Franchise Rating so far: 185/320

Star Trek: TOS 3.9 - The Tholian Web

Review 63 - Episode 64

The One where Kirk is a ghost

A good little episode this, but a couple of things really bug me. Bones is such a dick in this story, basically accusing Spock of wanting to lose Kirk to gain a command. It's so far over the line it's not even funny. The writers sometimes push McCoys irritability with Spock to the point that he looks an Idiot. The worst thing you could say is that Spock was too human in trying to save Jim, isn't that what Bones would want? If Spock just fucked off and left Kirk to die he'd be saying he was cold and logical. You can't win with this version of Bones and all the apologies in the world don't change the fact that he's an arsehole at times (like he was when Spock had the command in The Paradise syndrome)

Anyway, that's off my chest now. The idea is quite good, if never totally explained (at least, not until much later on Enterprise). The Defiant, the Enterprises sister ship, is phasing in and out of space. An away team (in nifty new space suits ) goes over and Kirk has to stay behind, when he is "phased " out of our space. The Tholians then arrive and start to destroy the enterprise with their nifty weapon, a laser web that spins in front of the ship. The crew are also going slightly mad.

There's lovely scenes for all the crew (barr Sulu who is ignored again), even Uhura getting a nice scene in her room. Kirk being avsent for most of it gave the crew room to breathe. And I liked the recording Kirk left for Spock and Bones and the ending. But McCoy ruins this episode for me and that's a pity as this is probably the only possible 5 rating episode of season 3. Shame

4/5
Overall Star Trek Franchise Rating so far: 182/315

Star Trek: TOS 3.8 - The Empath

Review 62 - Episode 63

The One where the Trio are tortured

Back to basics episode here. The Trio are captured and tortured to see how far an Empath can heal them. There's some excellent dialogue between them, especially when McCoy puts himself forward to die. It's fairly tame by today's standards, but still effective and quite shocking.

The sets are also very sparse giving it a feel of a stage play or stripped down drama, much like spectre of the gun was. Of course, it's because there's no dosh in the kitty, but it makes for compulsive viewing none the less.

The end scenes, when Kirk talks them into not killing them, is a standard Trek cliche, but works for me and doesn't ruin the episode.

An unexpected gem in amongst the dross that is Season 3

4/5

Overall Star Trek Franchise Rating so far: 178/315

Star Trek: TOS 3.7 - Is There in Truth No Beauty?

Review 61 - Episode 62

The One where Spock goes mad.

Entertaining enough, and Nimoy can act different scenes so well that it saves a sometimes pedestrian episode.

An alien ambassador is on board who cannot be viewed or you go insane called a Medusan (geddit?) and lives in what looks like a box.

What follows is a 3 part mini series I like to call Spocks big adventure. In the 1st part he starts to bond with the Medusans carer, Dr Jones (Pulaski again!! - I had no idea she was so prevalent in Trek lore), talks about his IDIC medallion (which apparently was just a plug for merchandise, but is a nice idea) and faces a murderous love rival, a former designer of the Enterprise, Marvick.

Marvick goes insane and sends the Ship on a transdimensional trip where the only way home is Spock melding with the Medusan. This leads to warm human Spock laughing, etc which is still affecting and surprising even though they pull it out every 10 episodes.

Finally, he sees the ambassador without his visor and goes mental, but Dr Jones rescues his mind. It's a Spock tour de force this episode, but it doesn't quite click for me the way previous episodes have.

I think there's too many plot lines going on here. McCoy and Kirk have some nice lines, and the rest of the crew are just kind of THERE as always.

Not bad, but average.

3/5

Overall Star Trek Franchise Rating so far: 174/305

Star Trek: TOS 3.6 - Spock's Brain

Review 60 - Episode 61

The One where Spocks Brain is nicked

Sheeeeit man, this is bad. So bad it's good, but bad none the less.

A bunch of women steal Spocks brain - Kirk wants it back. It is simply impossible to take this episode seriously and I can't believe they used this as the Season 3 premiere. I mean, part of me loves it as it's so funny because it's played so straight. Not once did I see any actors wink or lose their game face.

I can't be bothered writing much for this episode. It doesn't deserve it and the scene where Spock TALKS McCoy through his own brain transplant operation seals it. Worth watching for the unintentional laughs, but dire, dreadful nonsense.

1/5

Overall Star Trek Franchise Rating so far: 171/300

Star Trek: TOS 3.5 - And the Children Shall Lead

Review 59 - Episode 60

The One with the annoying kids

This one started out average, then went downhill fast, but there are some nice moments. The Kids are rescued from a planet after their parents have committed suicide, but they have weird powers.

I liked the red shirts being beamed out into space and the horrible realisation that they weren't on the planet below. It was the first time I've really seen how dangerous transporters can be, although I find it hard to believe that there are no safety measures in place.

Kirk, Bones and Spock discussing the situation on the planet and the kids is also interesting and reminded me of the good old days in Season 1-2. However, any scenes with the Kids are awful and their constant shaking of the fist becomes incredibly tedious and annoying. I don't know why the alien looks like a Victorian ghost either,

The fears are quite strange as well and a bit insulting: Uhura looks old and falls apart, Sulu hates swords (?!) flying around and Chekov, well they didn't bother giving Chekov a fear angle.

Pretty bad, but the chemistry of the regulars saves it.

2/5

Overall Star Trek Franchise Rating so far: 170/295