My perceptions of the mirror universe were tainted by some of the DS9 episodes which returned to it, but this episode shows why they thought it was a good idea to try. It features a classic, "I'm a doctor Jim, not an engineer," and introduces the idea that the evil form of a man is the one with a beard. As a bearded individual I find this highly questionable (or my theory is correct and we live in the mirror universe already).
The episode begins seemingly at the end of an episode we missed. The captain is wrapping up negotiates with the planet of the neutrals (I don't remember the name, but they are clearly what inspired Futurama). The neutrals won't let the Federation have their dilithium crystals because even though they are good now, they might turn out to be evil someday or kill a fly or something. Kirk beams back up along with Scotty, McCoy, and Uhura. But the ion storm they are in messes things up and they are sent to a violent mirror universe. Spock tortures a man for a minor mistake and things get worse from there. Chekov tries to kill the captain, but Kirk is saved by a man disloyal to Chekov.
Scotty starts working on a plan to get them home and Kirk uses the computer to figure out it is possible, but security chief Sulu and first officer Spock are on to them. Kirk returns to his cabin and finds a beautiful woman waiting for him. She thinks he has stopped loving her because if his odd behavior, but he convinces her he still loves her, which is good because she has access to his magic box that assassinates people remotely. Kirk ordered the ship to not kill and the neutrals and Spock informs him he is orders to kill Kirk if Kirk doesn't carry out his orders in 4 hours.
But they don't have even that long as the gap between the universes is clenching shut fast. Uhura distracts Sulu on the bridge while McCoy and Scotty divert power to the transporters. Spock confronts them in sickbay and is injured as they disable him. McCoy stays behind to save Spock while the other rush to the transporter room. Spock awakens and mindmelds with McCoy and figures out what is happening. He decides to help them to get his Kirk back, but not before good Kirk talks him into maybe being a little less evil.
Reviewishness: One of the best alternate universe stories ever told Mirror, Mirror inspired numerous knock offs, for some reason more that The Alternative Factor. The episode is a fun chance to see the actors playing different versions of themselves. Other than Spock who is still Spock, but adapted to different circumstances. Sulu is especially good as evil Sulu.
8 out of 10
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
TOS: The Changeling
Growing up I was told that The Motion Picture was based on a TOS episode, but I had never seen it before tonight. I can see why they picked this one, but I wish they had used it's pacing and not just its plot. This episode has a dalek, I mean V'ger, I mean nomad for a villain, although it is more of a dangerous god child than a villain. This episode features the second, "he's dead Jim," a mindmeld with an AI, and the second destruction of a computer by Kirk using nothing but paradox.
Changeling begins with the ship arriving at a populated system to check on some researchers, only to find the population of over 4 billion completely gone. The ship is suddenly hit with an energy weapon, "as strong as 90 photon torpedoes," traveling at warp 15. Apparently they changed the rules for how warp factor is calculated by the time I learned them, but at any rate the ship is in grave danger. Just as the shields are knocked down Kirk hails and this time they get a response. It is in some television writers idea of binary to start with, but after some data it speaks in English. The ship they are talking to is less than a meter in length so they agree to beam it aboard.
The probe is named Nomad and Spock quickly realizes it is at least partly a probe from earth launched hundreds of years ago, and that it thinks Kirk created it. While trying to work things out it kills and then heals Scotty and erases Uhura's memory, but don't worry, they can reeducate her (yeah, this is actually the plan, and by the end of the episode she is, "at college level"). Spock mindmelds with Nomad and learns that it was damaged and encountered an alien probe that it merged with. Their programming also merged and it took Nomads desire to look for life and mixed it with the alien probes desire to sterilize soil samples. This might be a problem.
Kirk accidentally reveals that he is not a machine and Nomad decides it doesn't have to be pushed around by a bag of guts any more. After killing at least 6 red shirts it makes its way to engineering. Kirk confronts it and convinces Nomad that it must eliminate all that are in error, and that it is in error. Scotty beams it off into space just before it detonates and Spock mourns the loss of such a logical being.
Segment of review: The idea of an earth probe merging with an alien probe is kinda silly, but once you get over that assumption this is a good episode. Nomad is a fairly cheesy prop that floats in just such a way that the top or bottom is always mysteriously out of frame, but there are some cool low angle camera shots that manage to make it imposing. The whole Uhura losing her memory but being fine thing still bothers me so it is:
6 out of 10
Changeling begins with the ship arriving at a populated system to check on some researchers, only to find the population of over 4 billion completely gone. The ship is suddenly hit with an energy weapon, "as strong as 90 photon torpedoes," traveling at warp 15. Apparently they changed the rules for how warp factor is calculated by the time I learned them, but at any rate the ship is in grave danger. Just as the shields are knocked down Kirk hails and this time they get a response. It is in some television writers idea of binary to start with, but after some data it speaks in English. The ship they are talking to is less than a meter in length so they agree to beam it aboard.
The probe is named Nomad and Spock quickly realizes it is at least partly a probe from earth launched hundreds of years ago, and that it thinks Kirk created it. While trying to work things out it kills and then heals Scotty and erases Uhura's memory, but don't worry, they can reeducate her (yeah, this is actually the plan, and by the end of the episode she is, "at college level"). Spock mindmelds with Nomad and learns that it was damaged and encountered an alien probe that it merged with. Their programming also merged and it took Nomads desire to look for life and mixed it with the alien probes desire to sterilize soil samples. This might be a problem.
Kirk accidentally reveals that he is not a machine and Nomad decides it doesn't have to be pushed around by a bag of guts any more. After killing at least 6 red shirts it makes its way to engineering. Kirk confronts it and convinces Nomad that it must eliminate all that are in error, and that it is in error. Scotty beams it off into space just before it detonates and Spock mourns the loss of such a logical being.
Segment of review: The idea of an earth probe merging with an alien probe is kinda silly, but once you get over that assumption this is a good episode. Nomad is a fairly cheesy prop that floats in just such a way that the top or bottom is always mysteriously out of frame, but there are some cool low angle camera shots that manage to make it imposing. The whole Uhura losing her memory but being fine thing still bothers me so it is:
6 out of 10
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
TOS: Who Mourns for Adonis?
After failing to defeat countless godlike beings last season I suppose it is time Kirk finally got to defeat one on his one (well, Kirk+Spock and the Enterprise). This is one of those episodes everybody remembers as being the, "greek gods one," and that is fair. I guess it is better than the last few godlike aliens who for some reason have never been heard from before or since (no, I don't count novelizations, sorry). Also as a fan of American Gods it is cool to see such a similar idea carried out in science fiction form.
The episode begins by introducing us to Lt. Carolyn Palamas, Scotty's love interest in this episode. While they flirt on the bridge the ship is scanning an uninhabited M class planet, well, seemingly uninhabited. Suddenly a giant green hand extends from the planet and grabs the ship stopping it. The a face appears and addresses them. Kirk is defiant as usual, but gives in after the green hand almost crushes the ship. Kirk beams to the surface with Scotty, McCoy, Chekov and Palamas. They are greeted by the figure who appears before them in space, only this time on a throne in a Greek looking temple. He tells them he is Apollo and after some shows of force they are at least convinced he has some power.
The men are unimpressed, but Palamas falls for Apollo and he changes her into a sexy god outfit and they go off into the woods after Apollo blasts Scotty for protesting. Back on the ship Spock has the crew search the surface for the source of Apollo's power and tries to break away several times. Off in the woods Apollo explains that the rest of the gods dispersed into space and he is the only one left and that he needs their worship for his power. Kirk starts to believe that Apollo is in fact the same as the one who inspired the Greeks, but is still determined to get back to his ship. Kirk and company continue to defy Apollo and it appears to drain him of his power.
The episode wraps up with Kirk convincing Palamas her duty to the Enterprise is more important than living with a god and Spock finds that the temple is the source of Apollo's power. Palamas enrages Apollo by refusing his love and Spock blasts the temple from orbit. Apollo's power is broken and he dissolves in to nothingness. Kirk is somewhat reticent to have destroyed something so important to earths past, but then the episode wraps and they are off to more adventures.
Tasting and Judgement: This isn't the most tense episode of all time, but it isn't dull in any way. Sure it is a bit cheesy to have a guy acting like a god, but the actor gives a go(o)d performance and keeps this one from being too campy. We are now entering the part of Star Trek that SNL parodied to good effect, but this episode manages to stay a bit above average.
7 out of 10
The episode begins by introducing us to Lt. Carolyn Palamas, Scotty's love interest in this episode. While they flirt on the bridge the ship is scanning an uninhabited M class planet, well, seemingly uninhabited. Suddenly a giant green hand extends from the planet and grabs the ship stopping it. The a face appears and addresses them. Kirk is defiant as usual, but gives in after the green hand almost crushes the ship. Kirk beams to the surface with Scotty, McCoy, Chekov and Palamas. They are greeted by the figure who appears before them in space, only this time on a throne in a Greek looking temple. He tells them he is Apollo and after some shows of force they are at least convinced he has some power.
The men are unimpressed, but Palamas falls for Apollo and he changes her into a sexy god outfit and they go off into the woods after Apollo blasts Scotty for protesting. Back on the ship Spock has the crew search the surface for the source of Apollo's power and tries to break away several times. Off in the woods Apollo explains that the rest of the gods dispersed into space and he is the only one left and that he needs their worship for his power. Kirk starts to believe that Apollo is in fact the same as the one who inspired the Greeks, but is still determined to get back to his ship. Kirk and company continue to defy Apollo and it appears to drain him of his power.
The episode wraps up with Kirk convincing Palamas her duty to the Enterprise is more important than living with a god and Spock finds that the temple is the source of Apollo's power. Palamas enrages Apollo by refusing his love and Spock blasts the temple from orbit. Apollo's power is broken and he dissolves in to nothingness. Kirk is somewhat reticent to have destroyed something so important to earths past, but then the episode wraps and they are off to more adventures.
Tasting and Judgement: This isn't the most tense episode of all time, but it isn't dull in any way. Sure it is a bit cheesy to have a guy acting like a god, but the actor gives a go(o)d performance and keeps this one from being too campy. We are now entering the part of Star Trek that SNL parodied to good effect, but this episode manages to stay a bit above average.
7 out of 10
Monday, March 9, 2015
TOS: Amok Time
The second season opens with a bang! Theodore Sturgeon returns for his second episode and both expands the Star Trek canon substantially, but also plays of the audience expectations at the beginning of a new season. Unlike a midseason episode I suspect the audience at the time might have been willing to believe Kirk had actually been killed and was going to be replaced for the new season (I have no idea how the rumor/leak machine worked back then). It marks the first visit to Vulcan and introduces us to the concept of pon farr. Also far more importantly it introduces the Vulcan salute and greeting of, "live long and prosper."
The episode begins with McCoy expressing concern about Spock's condition. Kirk doesn't believe him until Spock angrily tells nurse Chapel to leave is quarters and throws a bowl of soup after her. Spock initially refuses to explain what is going on, but requests a stop at planet Vulcan for leave. Kirk refuses to do so without answers, but gives in to the idea in the middle of the night only to learn Spock has redirected the ship against orders. Spock finally explains that as a part of Vulcan biology they must return to their homes to mate when their biology dictates. Kirk agrees to divert, but is ordered not to by an admiral who he promptly ignores. The whole time Spock is extremely agitated holding sharp objects behind his back ominously.
Arriving at Vulcan, Spock asks Kirk and McCoy to beam down with him as his closest friends. They agree and beam down to a barren, hot arena like setting. Spock rings a gong and the wedding party enters led by an important Vulcan leader, T'Pau, "the only person to ever turn down a seat on the Federation Council." The ceremony begins only his bride, T'Pring insists on a challenge, but instead of picking the Vulcan man ogling her the entire time, she picks Kirk as her champion. After some hesitation Kirk accepts, and then learns it is a battle to the death with unpleasant bladed weapons.
Kirk holds his own for a while, but Spock is clearly too much for him. T'Pau calls a break and McCoy injects Kirk with a hypo to help him breath the Vulcan air and round two begins, this time with bolas like weapons. Spock manages to get it around Kirks neck and chokes him to death. McCoy beams back to the Enterprise with Kirk's body and Spock demands an explanation from T'Pring. She explains it was the best way to be sure to get with her lover and Spock beams back to surrender himself. Fortunately for him Kirk is alive and well back on the ship, McCoy drugged him with magical knock out drugs to fake his death. Even better T'Pau has requested their presense to Kirk isn't even in trouble for violating the admirals orders.
Examination: In addition to the well paced, tense story this episode has a fantastic soundtrack. Not just the Vulcan fight theme, but throughout the episode the music helps build the drama. This is also a classic trio episode and all three are at their best.
9 out of 10
The episode begins with McCoy expressing concern about Spock's condition. Kirk doesn't believe him until Spock angrily tells nurse Chapel to leave is quarters and throws a bowl of soup after her. Spock initially refuses to explain what is going on, but requests a stop at planet Vulcan for leave. Kirk refuses to do so without answers, but gives in to the idea in the middle of the night only to learn Spock has redirected the ship against orders. Spock finally explains that as a part of Vulcan biology they must return to their homes to mate when their biology dictates. Kirk agrees to divert, but is ordered not to by an admiral who he promptly ignores. The whole time Spock is extremely agitated holding sharp objects behind his back ominously.
Arriving at Vulcan, Spock asks Kirk and McCoy to beam down with him as his closest friends. They agree and beam down to a barren, hot arena like setting. Spock rings a gong and the wedding party enters led by an important Vulcan leader, T'Pau, "the only person to ever turn down a seat on the Federation Council." The ceremony begins only his bride, T'Pring insists on a challenge, but instead of picking the Vulcan man ogling her the entire time, she picks Kirk as her champion. After some hesitation Kirk accepts, and then learns it is a battle to the death with unpleasant bladed weapons.
Kirk holds his own for a while, but Spock is clearly too much for him. T'Pau calls a break and McCoy injects Kirk with a hypo to help him breath the Vulcan air and round two begins, this time with bolas like weapons. Spock manages to get it around Kirks neck and chokes him to death. McCoy beams back to the Enterprise with Kirk's body and Spock demands an explanation from T'Pring. She explains it was the best way to be sure to get with her lover and Spock beams back to surrender himself. Fortunately for him Kirk is alive and well back on the ship, McCoy drugged him with magical knock out drugs to fake his death. Even better T'Pau has requested their presense to Kirk isn't even in trouble for violating the admirals orders.
Examination: In addition to the well paced, tense story this episode has a fantastic soundtrack. Not just the Vulcan fight theme, but throughout the episode the music helps build the drama. This is also a classic trio episode and all three are at their best.
9 out of 10
Sunday, March 8, 2015
TOS: Operation - - Annihilate!
In addtition to the most interesting punctuation in an episode title, this managed to be an exciting tale of space adventure. I know I have seen this one a few times before, but somehow I missed how much the Futurama episode The Day the Earth Stood Stupid was a reference to this ep. The giant brain cell props are pretty cheesy, but the menace of sticking a tentacle into your spinal cord and spreading it through the body was pretty ominous. When reading the episode description I was confused because I didn't remember an episode with Kirk's brother, but that is because he dies before we even meet him.
The episode begins with the Enterprise investigating a colony on Deneva that has gone silent. They don't respond to any frequencies and even the private transmitter Kirk orders Uhura to contact doesn't reply. Spock points out that a straight line can be drawn from this system through four other systems that were all destroyed by an outbreak of madness. Upon reaching Deneva the only sign of life is a single person vessel the flies from the planet into the sun. Just before burning up the colonist broadcasts a message that he is free. McCoy points out that Kirk's brother lives on the planet and Kirk gives him a good, "duh, that is why I am trying so hard to reach a seemingly random transmitter on the planet," look.
Kirk beams down with Spock and an away team to investigate. The find the planet strangely quiet other than a group of men with clubs who try to attack them. They go to Kirk's brother's office and find him dead, his son unconscious, and his wife raving mad. She is sedated and beamed aboard. Despite the drugs McCoy gives her she is still awake and tells Kirk that creatures came to the planet on a ship and took over. She is overwhelmed by pain and dies. Kirk beams back down just as the team goes to investigate a strange humming. They find it coming from strange blister like creatures. There phasers manage to stun one (despite being set to kill) but decide to move on for some reason and as soon as their backs are turned it attacks Spock. Kirk pulls it off easily, but Spock is overwhelmed by pain and beamed back to the ship.
McCoy finds a hole in his back that the creature used to insert something into his nervous system. Spock suddenly regains consciousness and runs to the bridge where he tries to seize control. This time when they take him to sickbay they restrain him. But his Vulcan mind overcomes the pain and he regains control. And uses his new control to break through his restraints and attempts to beam down, but is stopped by a well armed Scotty. Spock convinces Kirk that only he can beam down since the creatures can't do anything more to him. Kirk agrees and Spock manages to shoot a creature long enough to stun it. He takes it back to the ship in a metal tool box and McCoy begins trying to figure out how to kill it.
They somehow decide/figure out that it is part of a giant brain that spans dimensions or something and that normal weapons won't work. No dose of radiation or heat seems to effect it, but Kirk remembers the sun-diving Denevean from the opening and suggests they try bright light. It works! Exposure to extremely bright light kills the creature and they test it on Spock. It works again! Only Spock is left blind just as the nurse returns with the lab results on the dead creature showing they only needed to use a narrow bandwidth of harmless light. McCoy is devastated and Kirk proceeds to blast the planet with that specific frequency of light with a set of satellites they apparently carry for just this purpose. The planet is saved, and just as Kirk is writing his log entry Spock returns to the bridge with the news that he forgot Vulcans have a special second eye lid so it is cool. Ear joke and roll credits.
Interpretation: This is the last episode of the first season and while it wasn't quite as deep as last nights episode, it is very exciting and nothing stands out as totally BS which is nice.
8 out of 10
The episode begins with the Enterprise investigating a colony on Deneva that has gone silent. They don't respond to any frequencies and even the private transmitter Kirk orders Uhura to contact doesn't reply. Spock points out that a straight line can be drawn from this system through four other systems that were all destroyed by an outbreak of madness. Upon reaching Deneva the only sign of life is a single person vessel the flies from the planet into the sun. Just before burning up the colonist broadcasts a message that he is free. McCoy points out that Kirk's brother lives on the planet and Kirk gives him a good, "duh, that is why I am trying so hard to reach a seemingly random transmitter on the planet," look.
Kirk beams down with Spock and an away team to investigate. The find the planet strangely quiet other than a group of men with clubs who try to attack them. They go to Kirk's brother's office and find him dead, his son unconscious, and his wife raving mad. She is sedated and beamed aboard. Despite the drugs McCoy gives her she is still awake and tells Kirk that creatures came to the planet on a ship and took over. She is overwhelmed by pain and dies. Kirk beams back down just as the team goes to investigate a strange humming. They find it coming from strange blister like creatures. There phasers manage to stun one (despite being set to kill) but decide to move on for some reason and as soon as their backs are turned it attacks Spock. Kirk pulls it off easily, but Spock is overwhelmed by pain and beamed back to the ship.
McCoy finds a hole in his back that the creature used to insert something into his nervous system. Spock suddenly regains consciousness and runs to the bridge where he tries to seize control. This time when they take him to sickbay they restrain him. But his Vulcan mind overcomes the pain and he regains control. And uses his new control to break through his restraints and attempts to beam down, but is stopped by a well armed Scotty. Spock convinces Kirk that only he can beam down since the creatures can't do anything more to him. Kirk agrees and Spock manages to shoot a creature long enough to stun it. He takes it back to the ship in a metal tool box and McCoy begins trying to figure out how to kill it.
They somehow decide/figure out that it is part of a giant brain that spans dimensions or something and that normal weapons won't work. No dose of radiation or heat seems to effect it, but Kirk remembers the sun-diving Denevean from the opening and suggests they try bright light. It works! Exposure to extremely bright light kills the creature and they test it on Spock. It works again! Only Spock is left blind just as the nurse returns with the lab results on the dead creature showing they only needed to use a narrow bandwidth of harmless light. McCoy is devastated and Kirk proceeds to blast the planet with that specific frequency of light with a set of satellites they apparently carry for just this purpose. The planet is saved, and just as Kirk is writing his log entry Spock returns to the bridge with the news that he forgot Vulcans have a special second eye lid so it is cool. Ear joke and roll credits.
Interpretation: This is the last episode of the first season and while it wasn't quite as deep as last nights episode, it is very exciting and nothing stands out as totally BS which is nice.
8 out of 10
Saturday, March 7, 2015
TOS: The City on the Edge of Forever
This episode is often mentioned as the best Star Trek episode of all time, and it is about to get a lot of mentions like that from me. It basically has it all: hard science fiction, personal drama and sacrifice, and stakes as high as the destruction (or rather removal from history) of the Federation itself. This was one of my favorite episodes as a kid, and it fully stands up to the test of time. Contrasting with last nights episode, this one doesn't waste any time. Every scene drives the plot forward and the pay off at the end makes it all come together perfectly. Harlan Ellison really wrote a winner with The City on the Edge of Forever (even the name is great!).
The episode opens with the Enterprise investigating waves of time distortion coming from the surface of a planet. The ship is rocked violently and Sulu's control panel explodes violently knocking him unconscious. McCoy arrives to help and gives him a dose of a scifi drug that Kirk doesn't seem to approve of, but it works perfectly and Sulu is miraculously better. Just then another wave of time distortion hits and McCoy falls on his hypo taking an overdose of the drug. He is driven mad and flees to the planets surface. Kirk beams down with Spock and a landing party to look for him.
They find the ruins of an ancient city with a portal that is emitting the waves of time distortion. It speaks to them and describes itself as the guardian of forever. It starts showing them earth's history when McCoy suddenly jumps through. Uhura suddenly realizes they can't talk to the Enterprise. The Guardians calmly tells them that is because their history is now gone and there is no Enterprise. Luckily Spock was recording the timestream and figures they can go through and try to stop McCoy from changing things. Kirk tells the away team to go through and try again if they fail before jumping through with Spock.
They find themselves on earth in the 1920's and don't exactly fit in. Kirk realizes this and attempts to steal clothes, but they are immediately caught by a policeman. Spock gives them the old neck pinch and the two of them flee into a basement. They are again caught immediately, but this time by Edith Keeler, the beautiful head of the mission they have stumbled into. She offers to give them work and finds them a place to stay. Spock starts work on a primitive computer to help him read the information on his tricorder to see if they can determine what McCoy changed. Meanwhile Kirk is falling in love with Edith. Spock gets things working and determines that either Edith will be important to history, or she will die that very year, but before he can find out which his computer overloads and burns.
Meanwhile McCoy arrives and after interrogating a bum who then kills himself accidentally with McCoy's phaser. McCoy finds himself in the mission and only misses seeing Spock by a few seconds before Edith rushes him to a back room to recover. McCoy doesn't realize he passed through the time portal and assumes he is hallucinating. Spock gets his computer working again and learns that if Edith Keeler doesn't die that year she will start a peace movement that delays the US getting into WWII and allows Germany to get the bomb first and win the war. Kirk is devastated by this news and he is now dating Edith. That very night he takes her to the movies, but after crossing the street in front of the mission Edith casually mentions that McCoy is at the mission. Kirk is extremely excited and darts back across the street just as McCoy emerges. They embrace and Edith walks back across the street towards them. McCoy seems a truck barreling towards her but Kirk has to stop him from saving her. Suddenly they are back on the planet and the Enterprise is back. The guardian offers to send them on many more adventures, but Kirk replies with, "lets get the hell out of here."
Critical discussion: This episode is better than most of the movies and feels downright cinematic in it's scope. It manages to tell a story of time travel without feeling at all campy. Even the goofy looking guardian of forever doesn't do anything to mar the quality of the episode. All the acting is fantastic. Not sure there is much more to say other than:
10 out of 10
The episode opens with the Enterprise investigating waves of time distortion coming from the surface of a planet. The ship is rocked violently and Sulu's control panel explodes violently knocking him unconscious. McCoy arrives to help and gives him a dose of a scifi drug that Kirk doesn't seem to approve of, but it works perfectly and Sulu is miraculously better. Just then another wave of time distortion hits and McCoy falls on his hypo taking an overdose of the drug. He is driven mad and flees to the planets surface. Kirk beams down with Spock and a landing party to look for him.
They find the ruins of an ancient city with a portal that is emitting the waves of time distortion. It speaks to them and describes itself as the guardian of forever. It starts showing them earth's history when McCoy suddenly jumps through. Uhura suddenly realizes they can't talk to the Enterprise. The Guardians calmly tells them that is because their history is now gone and there is no Enterprise. Luckily Spock was recording the timestream and figures they can go through and try to stop McCoy from changing things. Kirk tells the away team to go through and try again if they fail before jumping through with Spock.
They find themselves on earth in the 1920's and don't exactly fit in. Kirk realizes this and attempts to steal clothes, but they are immediately caught by a policeman. Spock gives them the old neck pinch and the two of them flee into a basement. They are again caught immediately, but this time by Edith Keeler, the beautiful head of the mission they have stumbled into. She offers to give them work and finds them a place to stay. Spock starts work on a primitive computer to help him read the information on his tricorder to see if they can determine what McCoy changed. Meanwhile Kirk is falling in love with Edith. Spock gets things working and determines that either Edith will be important to history, or she will die that very year, but before he can find out which his computer overloads and burns.
Meanwhile McCoy arrives and after interrogating a bum who then kills himself accidentally with McCoy's phaser. McCoy finds himself in the mission and only misses seeing Spock by a few seconds before Edith rushes him to a back room to recover. McCoy doesn't realize he passed through the time portal and assumes he is hallucinating. Spock gets his computer working again and learns that if Edith Keeler doesn't die that year she will start a peace movement that delays the US getting into WWII and allows Germany to get the bomb first and win the war. Kirk is devastated by this news and he is now dating Edith. That very night he takes her to the movies, but after crossing the street in front of the mission Edith casually mentions that McCoy is at the mission. Kirk is extremely excited and darts back across the street just as McCoy emerges. They embrace and Edith walks back across the street towards them. McCoy seems a truck barreling towards her but Kirk has to stop him from saving her. Suddenly they are back on the planet and the Enterprise is back. The guardian offers to send them on many more adventures, but Kirk replies with, "lets get the hell out of here."
Critical discussion: This episode is better than most of the movies and feels downright cinematic in it's scope. It manages to tell a story of time travel without feeling at all campy. Even the goofy looking guardian of forever doesn't do anything to mar the quality of the episode. All the acting is fantastic. Not sure there is much more to say other than:
10 out of 10
Friday, March 6, 2015
TOS: The Alternative Factor
Tonight's episode tries to be hard science fiction, but stumbles a bit when it comes to effects and pacing. The episode starts with the Enterprise performing a routine scan of an empty planet when suddenly a shaking image of a nebula pops on screen and the whole ship is shaken. Spock's scans indicate that the entire universe has winked out of existence for a moment. It has something to do with magnetism and this is as much explanation as we ever really get. Starfleet command contacts the Enterprise, apparently the rest of the universe also noticed blinking in and out of existence.
Spock detects a live human on the planet below and they beam down to investigate. They find a raving madman and some sort of odd ship. They beam him back to the Enterprise and get him patched up. His name is Lazarus and he insists he is in a battle with an evil humanoid creature. Whenever he has one of his battles the universe jumps into and out of existence in a most jarring way. Despite no explanation Lazarus insists they help him destroy the creature. There is a lot of messing around and way too much of the shaking nebula and an inverted color effect with a spinning camera. While in the inverted mode two humans are shown at each others throats.
The audience (in this case me) figures out pretty quick there are two Lazari. Both the good and the bad on seem to need the ships di-lithium crystals which now are some sort of flat plate. The bad Laz steals the crystals and beams down to the planet. Kirk pursue and before Laz can stop him Kirk touches the alien vessel and is sent through the inverted color space and meets the good Laz with an identical ship on a soundstage. He confirms there are two of him and he is anti-matter. This episode suffers from the delusion that matter and anti-matter should only be kept apart if they are in fact the same person. Laz agrees to sacrifice himself to struggling with his alternative self forever in limbo if Kirk will only force the bad Laz into the, "corridor," as they are now apparently calling it. Everything works out and the Enterprise is on its way.
Ruling: This is probably the most dull episode so far. It is filled with technobabble and way way too many shots of the two Laz's struggling in limbo. They tried to make things tense by having the fate of the universe on the line, but it is unclear what is going on most of the episode and when they do reveal what is happening it isn't all that exciting. Certainly not the worst of trek, but a bit sub par for what I have seen so far.
3 out of 10
Spock detects a live human on the planet below and they beam down to investigate. They find a raving madman and some sort of odd ship. They beam him back to the Enterprise and get him patched up. His name is Lazarus and he insists he is in a battle with an evil humanoid creature. Whenever he has one of his battles the universe jumps into and out of existence in a most jarring way. Despite no explanation Lazarus insists they help him destroy the creature. There is a lot of messing around and way too much of the shaking nebula and an inverted color effect with a spinning camera. While in the inverted mode two humans are shown at each others throats.
The audience (in this case me) figures out pretty quick there are two Lazari. Both the good and the bad on seem to need the ships di-lithium crystals which now are some sort of flat plate. The bad Laz steals the crystals and beams down to the planet. Kirk pursue and before Laz can stop him Kirk touches the alien vessel and is sent through the inverted color space and meets the good Laz with an identical ship on a soundstage. He confirms there are two of him and he is anti-matter. This episode suffers from the delusion that matter and anti-matter should only be kept apart if they are in fact the same person. Laz agrees to sacrifice himself to struggling with his alternative self forever in limbo if Kirk will only force the bad Laz into the, "corridor," as they are now apparently calling it. Everything works out and the Enterprise is on its way.
Ruling: This is probably the most dull episode so far. It is filled with technobabble and way way too many shots of the two Laz's struggling in limbo. They tried to make things tense by having the fate of the universe on the line, but it is unclear what is going on most of the episode and when they do reveal what is happening it isn't all that exciting. Certainly not the worst of trek, but a bit sub par for what I have seen so far.
3 out of 10
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