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Star Trek 2.13 (Obsession)

Cast:

Stephen Brooks (Ensign Garrovick)

Jerry Ayres (Ensign Rizzo)

Writer: Art Wallace

The obsession in the title is one of Kirks - three members of the Enterprise crew (redtops, naturally) are killed by a cloud on a planet, and Kirk is convinced it was a creature that he encountered 11 years ago when serving aboard the USS Faragut and won't let it lie. And despite the fact that the medical evidence supports his claim that it is the same creature, nobody believes him. I find this very difficult to understand - the way the men died was very usual - all of the "red corpuscles" (I assume they mean Red Blood Cells) were missing from the corpses, which is exactly what happened 11 years ago.

Kirk starts behaving erratically - snapping with people, questioning their loyalty. You can sort of understand why he would be upset by it - half of the crew, including the Captain died, and it was also his first deep space mission. But coupled with the fact they are supposed to rendez-vous with a medical ship with vital drugs for a planet that had a disease that is killing lots of people... I don't believe Kirks reaction, which underpins the point of the whole episode.

About halfway through, McCoy and Spock bring his behaviour to Kirks attention, and after this it suddenly works. He clearly doesn't want to slow down when they are pursuing the creature in space, but he does. That moment is far more believable than any of those that precede it, and it seems that Spock and McCoys little "pep talk" did the trick.

The second half of the episode is pretty good, it finished the story nicely and Kirk is able to give both himself and Ensign Garrovick (son of the Captain of the Faragut, now in Security aboard the Enterprise) the closure they need, as well as destroying the creature.

Crew Deaths: 4

Total Crew Deaths So Far: 39

Score: 6/10

Star Trek 2.12 (The Deadly Years)

Cast:

Charles Drake (Commodore George Stocker)

Sarah Marshall (Dr. Janet Wallace)

Felix Locher (Robert Johnson)

Carolyn Nelson (Yeoman Doris Atkins)

Laura Wood (Elaine Johnson)

Beverly Washburn (Lt. Arlene Galway)

Writer: David P. Harmon

I remember this episode as a kid - I think it was one of the very first ones that I saw. I recall being terrified at the obvious ageing of the characters.

Many many years on you do tend to look at this episode a little differently. Firstly, we know what the actors actually looked like when they were that much older, and whilst some of the ageing makeup is quite good for it's day, they do look rather different in this episode than they do for real now.

The story is going okay then takes a massive nosedive when they do a competency hearing. Of course Kirk isn't fit for command - we see that he is forgetting stuff very early into the episode. Why the hell McCoy didn't declare him unfit for command (something we know for later stories is the prerogative of the chief medical officer) I don't know. This portion of the episode is a waste of time. As are the arguments of the main crew. It would have been far better to have them lucid and just having the odd memory lapse (enough to get them declared unfit for command) and

having to deal with what comes next...

Then when Commodore Stocker takes command (as everyone else is too senile) he makes the decision to go the most direct route to the Starbase - and this happens to be through the Romulan Neutral zone.

We don't see the Romulans properly in this one - we see their ship trying to blow the crap out of the Enterprise, but luckily McCoy (even in his advanced aging state) comes up with a suggested drug that might reverse the effects, and luckily Jim is able to take command of the ship again before they are blown to kingdom come (using the corbomite bluff used in the first season!)

Ooh, and the radiation drug hyronalin gets mentioned, I think this is the first reference but we get to hear a lot about if in future generations...

This is okay fair, there is much better, there is much worse...

Crew Deaths: 1

Total Crew Deaths So Far: 35

Score: 6/10

Star Trek 2.11 (Fridays Child)

Cast:
Julie Newmar (Eleen)
Tige Andrews (Krag)
Michael Dante (Maab)
Cal Bolder (Keel)Ben Gage (Akaar)
Kirk Raymone (Duur)
Bob Bralver (Crewman Grant)

Writer: D.C. Fontana

There are some amazing episodes during the run of the original series of Star Trek. Sadly, this isn't one of them.

The plot is dull - the crew beam down to a primitive planet that has dilithium in order to negotiate a treaty to mine the ore. The Klingons have beaten them to it and also have a representative there to agree a similar treaty.

Like many primitive cultures in this show, this one is just unbelievable, their leader gets killed early on in a badly orchestrated coup and the person who favours the Klingon bid ends up in charge. So Kirk, Spock and McCoy escape (with the heavily pregnant wife of the former leader) and escape from a camp where the sky is a sort of greeny purple into some location shots where they sky is... well, blue. And whilst I am moaning about colour, when Spock uses sonic vibrations to cause a rock fall, the rocks that fall down are grey but the hills are sandy coloured.

I can't think of anything nice to say about this one, apart from the fact that I am surprised the prime directive allows them to make such contact with such a primitive culture. Perhaps they hadn't thought of that yet.

This episode also marks the mid point in the run - there were 39 before, there are 39 after. Let's hope some of them are better than this.

Crew Deaths: 1
Total Crew Deaths So Far: 34
Score: 3/10

Star Trek 2.10 (Journey to Babel)

Cast:

Jane Wyatt (Amanda)

William O'Connell (Thelev)

John Wheeler (Gav)

James X. Mitchell (Lt. Josephs)

Reggie Nalder (Shras)

Writer: D.C. Fontana

I am such a geek. I like this episode for a number of reasons: firstly, of course, the wonderful Mark Lenard as Sarek (Spock's father) and all the aliens. Some of them are not created that well (the pig like Tellarites for example) what it lacks in visuals it has in plot, which more than makes up for it.

Talking of Tellarites, the first one killed was executed using a Vulcan method called "Tal Shaya" (I don't know if the subtitles are spelled correctly, but that is how it is spelled in the subtitles). Now, the Romulan secret service is called the "Tal Shiar." Probably a coincidence, but I enjoyed that nonetheless.

I like the set up as well - Kirk gets attacked and unable to command, Sarek gets ill and only a blood transfusion from Spock will save him, but because of all of the crap going on aboard the ship, Spock believes that his duties as commander of the ship are more important than his fathers life. McCoy and Kirk manage to pull a fast one and trick Spock into thinking that Kirk is okay, but then, during the delicate operation the Enterprise is attacked and it all nearly goes wrong.

It's good stuff, and I am so glad that on the strength of this performance alone we get to see Sarek a further five times - in three of the films as well as two episodes of The Next Generation. Cracking!

Crew Deaths: 0

Total Crew Deaths So Far: 33

Score: 8/10

Star Trek 2.9 (Metamorphosis)

Cast:

Glenn Corbett (Zefram Cochrane)

Elinor Donahue (Commissioner Nancy Hedford)

Writer: Gene L. Coon

An old man is rejuvenated and held on a planet by a gentle force called the Companion, but he is lonely so it ensnares the occupants of a passing shuttle to keep him company. The old man is Zephram Cochrane, the occupants of the shuttle are Kirk, Spock, McCoy and an annoying ambassador (Nancy Hedford) in the middle of a peace conference being rushed to the Enterprise for some emergency medical treatment.

Cochrane is an interesting character - like Spock's father Sarek, he is one of the few characters to make it it into various forms of Star Trek (albeit played by a different actor). He also gets to meet Picard and co (in his past, in Star Trek: First Contact) and even has a cameo in a couple of episodes of Enterprise.

It is a bit of a hokey love story bewteen Cochrane and the shimmering being Cochrane calls the Companion. Although he only finds out that it adores him when the Enterprise crew build a translation device and it turns out to be female. I am torn as to whether Cochranes initial reaction makes sense or not - this thing has sustained him for 150 years and yet suddenly when he finds out it has a crush on him he gets all pissed off? Then again perhaps he saw it as a betrayal. I don't know. Anyhow, the resolution is that is merges with Nancy (who, as it happens isn't too ugly even by 60s standards) and suddenly as the Companion is in a sexy female body as far as Cochrane is concerned it's game on!!

Too long, dull and wordy, and the few scenes featuring the Enterprise seem thrown in just so you don't forget they exist, they are incidental to the plot. (Nice to see Scotty in command again though).

So all in all, very very average, only elevated by the fact we see Cochrane again.

Crew Deaths: 0

Total Crew Deaths So Far: 33

Score: 5/10

Star Trek 2.8 (I, Mudd)

Cast:
Roger C. Carmel (Harcourt Fenton "Harry" Mudd)

Richard Tatro (Norman)

Alyce Andrece (Alice #1 through 250)

Rhae Andrece (Alice #251 through 500)

Kay Elliot (Stella Mudd)

Mike Howden (Lt. Rowe)

Michael Zaslow (Ensign Jordan)

Writer: Stephen Kandel, David Gerrold

Oh dear. After a run of decent episodes (apart from Catspaw) we get this utter drivel.

The episode is a sequel to last season's Mudds Women and sees the return of Harcourt Fenton Mudd (Harry to his friends). He has become trapped on a planet run only by robots, and he uses one of them to infiltrate the Enterprise and divert it to the planet. Then, the robots take over the Enterprise and beams down all the crew. Just as Harry is about to leave, the robots turn on him and he has to stay as well.

The rest of the episode sees the crew attempting to confuse the robots and they eventually get back to the ship.

There is one moment that I quite liked. It is suggested early on that Uhura finds the idea of becoming immortal in the form of an android to be quite seductive, which I thought was out of character for her, so when it is later revealed as a trick I was relieved. The background cast often get a shoddy deal and their characterisation is often not up to much, and had Uhura really decided she wanted to be an android it would have made this shoddy affair just about bearable.

Crew Deaths: 0

Total Crew Deaths So Far: 33

Score: 4/10

Star Trek 2.7 (Catspaw)

Cast:

Antoinette Bower (Sylvia)

Theodore Marcuse (Korob)

Michael Barrier (II) (Lt. Vincent DeSalle)

Rhodie Cogan (Witch #1)

Gail Bonney (Witch #2)

Mary Esther Denver (Witch #3)

Writer: Robert Bloch

Having just watched a Trek tour de force, I suppose that it makes sense that the episode that follows it is a bucket of old poo. I cannot think of anything better to say about this episode. It makes sense for shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer to have halloween episodes. But what the hell was this all about? The opening moments (especially the three witches) was just embarassing and awful.

This has the trappings of episodes like The Squire of Gothos and Who Mourns for Adonais (aliens that have almost magical powers that they can use to do almost anything, who have a piece of equipment that gives them their power, the destroying of which destroys their power). Those episodes have some merits (although neither are, in my opinion, examples of Trek at it's best) but there is something about the way this episode is acted that makes the two protragonists down on the planet even more unbelievable than the characters in the aforementioned shows. The fact that neither are acted very well doesn't help. You cannot empathise with either.

And I think Sylvia was supposed to be sexy. No she isn't (Kirk really must have forced himseld to kiss her... no, I forgot, this is Kirk we are talking about) and I think somehow they should have cast someone who could move in a somewhat feline way (we do also see her transform into a cat after all). And whilst I am on the subject of the things that piss me off, the moment where she puts the model Enterprise over that bloody candle just winds me up. I don't know why. It is just so cringeworthy. It is the kind of moment that people who don't like this show could latch into as a good reason not to watch "s**t like that" and sadly they'd be right. Coupled with the scenes with the giant cat... awful. Just awful.

And the final revelation of what the aliens really look like. They look like they should be from some dreadful BBC kids 1970's puppet show. This is an episode that fans should only watch if they, like me, are watching them in sequence. One of my least favourite episodes of Star Trek. Ever.

Crew Deaths: 1

Total Crew Deaths So Far: 33

Score: 2/10

Star Trek 2.6 (The Doomsday Machine)

Cast:

William Windom (Commodore Matthew Decker)

Jerry Catron (Crewman Montgomery)

Tim Burns (Crewman Russ)

John Copage (Crewman Elliot)

Richard Compton (Crewman Washburn)

Elizabeth Rogers (Lt. Palmer)

Writer: Norman Spinrad

I admit a bias towards this episode, not quite sure why. It's not like it was one of the first episodes I ever saw or anything like that. I like this one simply because it's great.

This is the first time (I think) we get to see another StarFleet vessel, certainly inside it. Okay, so it's the Entperprise sets smashed up with some rubble thrown in, but you don't get to see that very often.

Secondly, the guest actor (William Windom as Matt Decker) is excellent. His performance as he tells Kirk what happened to the crew of his ship, the USS Constellation, is amazing, you can feel his anguish at what happened. This part in the hands of a less capable actor could have ruined the episode - has Decker not convinced then a lot of what happened would have looked like hokey nonsence. Escpecially his suicide at the end. (If he died. New Voyages fans will think otherwise!)

Then there is the premise. An ancient robotic weapon is heading in a straight line to the most densely populated part of our galaxy (the thing that smashed up the Constellation) and must be stopped. We don't know what it is or why it is there, Kirks theory that it is a leftover doomsday weapon from some ancient war is plausible but never proved. I think that is another reason I love this episode so much - in later versions of Trek they would have beamed aboard and found some database that they could translate and so on. No explanations here. This thing just is and must be stopped.

And finally there is the pacing. If all gets sorted in the last moments that it could be sorted (of course) and even the transporter needed to save Kirk from certian death breaks down thirty seconds before he will die. Again, a bit of a Trek cliche but here it is excellent.

Can't say anything bad. It only doesn't get a ten as I don't give them. One of the best Star Trek episodes from any of the series.

Crew Deaths: 0

Total Crew Deaths So Far: 32

Score: 9.5/10

Star Trek 2.5 (The Apple)

Cast:

Shari Nims (Sayana)

David Soul (Makora)

Celeste Yarnell (Yeoman Martha Landon)

Keith Andes (Akuta)

Mal Friedman (Hendorff)

Jerry Daniels (Marple)

Writers: Gene L. Coon, Max Ehrlich

This is the kind of episode that I dread when watching a large number of original Star Trek episodes. Indeed, my dread of stuff like this actually account for why I it is taking me so long to get through these original episodes.

The crew of the Enterprise encounter a giant paper mache dragons head thing that contains a massive computer thing that is running the lives of all of the people on the planet (not that there are many, and no children). The computer stops the population from shagging and has put crap antenna in their heads that look rather like twisted bits of tin foil glued just behind their ears.

Some of the scripting is just awful as well. Before the opening titles, a member of the crew is killed by a plant that shoots poisanous spikes. So rather than beam back up to the ship and continue in some form of environment suit, they carry on and it is actually Kirk who nearly falls foul of them again. Add to these rocks that are chemically so unstable that treading on them makes them explode like a land mine and you are somewhere unfit for humans. After the death of a second crewmember (who trod on the wrong type of rock) Spock says that Kirk has behaved correctly and there was nothing else he could have done. Yeah, right.

Add to it the "it came from Russia" gag that is already wearing thin and the fact that the race on the planet learn about physical contact from watching Checkov snog some Yeoman... just skip this one. It's crap.

Crew Deaths: 2

Total Crew Deaths So Far: 32

Score: 3/10

Star Trek 2.4 (Mirror Mirror)

Cast:

Barbara Luna (Lt. Marlena Moreau)

Garth Pillsbury (Wilson)

Pete Kellett (Farrell)

Writer: Jerome Bixby

Every now and then there comes an episode from the original series that merits the hype that surrounds it. This is one of those.

The creation of the Mirror universe, with it's differences (some huge, some tiny) is a work of genius, and the imagery from the episode has been lampooned on many occasions (I point you to the episode of South Park where you only know characters are from an alternative, evil universe because of their beards) and even though the story is very simple, it is compelling. Okay, so you know that the changes made to the uniforms and set design are minimal, but they are fasctinating much the same. It is almost a shame that this was not a two parter that featured more of the "evil" versions on "our" Enterprise (not going mad with anger as was shown here) but there are also some cool similarities - the fact that Spock is not as nasty as some of the others in this universe actually makes sense, had it not then the end of the story would have been quite ridiculous.

This was such a huge success that Deep Space Nine revisited this universe on several occasions (some episodes were great, some just plain silly) and even Enterprise went here as a kind of prequel in its final season.

So, all in all, a really enjoyable episode. Loads of crewmembers died, but sadly none of them count as they were in the other universe!

Crew Deaths: 0
Total Crew Deaths So Far: 30
Score: 8/10

Star Trek 2.3 (The Changeling)

Cast:

Barbara Gates (Astrochemist)

Blaisdell Makee (Lt. Singh)

Arnold Lessing (Lt. Carlisle)

Meade Martin (Engineer)

Arnold Lessing (voice of Security Guard)

Writer: John Meredyth Lucas

On paper, this episode does not look all that good. A machine that left Earth hundreds of years ago is on its way back, looking for it's creator. Now, from that bried synopsis you might think that I am talking about Star Trek: The Motion Picture but obviously I am not. The computer (Nomad) has a mission to destroy anything that is not perfection, (including the Enterprise) although, unlike V'ger in the aforementioned film, it does not wish to kind it's creator.

Another similarity is the mind meld that Spock performs on the machine (though how a Vulcan can meld with this I am not sure!) And we finally get some crew deaths in this episode - I am not bloodthirsty but we have not had a crew death in many episodes and in this one four rouge-cladded extras are sent to their graves!

Although in the end Kirk talks the machine into suicide, I don't dislike this episode as much as I should. The main part that I hate is the fact that Uhura seems to have her brain totally erased, but five minutes later she is reading basic english and within a week she will be fit to return to duty! So that means that StarFleet Academy should be able to turn out officers in the same amount of time. Also, if her brain was erased then surely she is no longer the Uhura that we know? I am assuming that the brain erasure is not as complete as made out in the episode (she tries to speak Swahili at one point, suggesting that not everything is gone) but that part is still nonsense!

Crew Deaths: 4

Total Crew Deaths So Far: 30

Score: 7/10

Star Trek 2.2 (Who mourns for Adonais?)

Cast:
John Winston (Lt. Kyle)
Leslie Parrish (Lt. Carolyn Palamas)

Michael Forest (Apollo)

Writers: Gene L. Coon, Gilbert A. Ralston

This episode is well remembered, although arguably not as one of the absolute classic episodes. I think the shot of the Enterprise being held in space by a giant hand is an enduring image from this series, although I would expect most people may not be sure what else happens in the episode.

Well, not much as it happens. Apollo brings some of the crew down to tell them that they have to dismantle the Enterprise, and beam down to the planet and worship him. Everyone thinks this is a rotten idea - everyone except anotehr weak willed female member of the crew, Carolyn Palamas (who Scotty has a thing for) who falls for Apollo. I find this very annoying and rather unlikely, just like the woman who fell for Kahn in Space Seed. I hate the way they feel they have to include these pathetic female characters who fall for someone poweful even though they are obviosuly dodgy. Palamas ultimately makes up for it and is instrumental in saving the day, but I just don't believe that she would have fallen for him in the first place.

I also was annoyed by the sexism towards the females in this show - McCoy comments that Palamas will leave the service when she finds the right man - the idea that she could marry and stay in StarFleet just doesn't enter his head. This is clearly sixties thinking, so is less annoying than the previous point, but it still rankles a little.

This episode is also rather cheap. There are the Enterprise sets (and all we really see is the bridge) and the planet (which is basically Apollo's temple and a few shrubs) and that is all we see.

The notion at the end that perhaps this was the real Apollo is quite interesting, although I feel that Kirk accepts this idea rather too easily. For all he knows this could have just been another Squire of Gothos, especially as he is defeated in exactly the same way, the destruction of a "hidden" power source.

It really isn't that original even for early Star Trek.

Crew Deaths: 0
Total Crew Deaths So Far: 26
Score: 5/10

Star Trek 2.1 (Amok Time)

Cast:

Walter Koenig (Ensign Pavel Chekov)

Celia Lovsky (T'Pau)

Arlene Martel (T'Pring)

Byron Morrow (Adm. Komack)

Lawrence Montaigne (Stonn)

Writer: Theodore Sturgeon

I commented on the final episode of series one that there was nothing special about it. Well, there is something special about the opening episode of season 2. This episode is all about Spock (arguably one of the more fascinating characters from the original series) and introduces us to some stuff that will continue throughout the franchise. It is in this story that we find out that Vulcan (males?) only have the urge to mate every seven years (no wonder the little buggers are such good card players, oops, wrong series) and if they don't get their end away they die. So Kirk breaks some direct orders to take Spock back to Vulcan so that he can get some nookie.

Only it's not that simple. His betrothed now wants to bone someone else (absense makes the heart grow fonder my arse) so Kirk and Spock end up having to have a fight to the death.

Some aspects of this episode are not great. The Vulcan set is a bit shit (a typical classic Trek badly dressed and lit soundstage) but on the plus side is a very alien culture in the Vulcans. So whilst this will never be one of the top ten, it is a crucial and pivotal episode nonetheless.

Oh, and of course we are introduced to Chekov.

Crew Deaths: 0

Total Crew Deaths So Far: 26

Score: 7/10

Star Trek 1.29 (Operation -- Annihilate!)

Cast:

Joan Swift (Aurelan Kirk)

Maurishka Taliferro (Yeoman Zahra Jamal)

Craig Hundley (Peter Kirk)

Fred Carson (Denevan #1)

Jerry Catron (Denevan #2)

Writer: Stephen W. Carabatsos

Because of the modern days of television where the season ends on either a massive finale or a huge cliffhanger, there is somehow something slightly unsatisfying about this episode. I understand that I am applying a modern day sensibility onto this episode, so for the purposes of this review we will look at it as just another episode.

This is the first time that we have seen the family of any of the regulars as far as I recall - Shatner has an uncredited cameo as the corpse of his brother George. The people of whatever planet they are on are on the path of some form of insanity, so they visit the planet in the hope of preventing whatever has been going on, but when they get there it has already arrived.

Spock gets infected by the same alien species, and this is the first part that I don't like about this episode. Rather than persuading Kirk to let him go back to the planet (on the grounds that no further people are at risk since he is already infected) he tries to pull a gun on Scotty and force him to beam him down, a sign (to me anyway) that he is not himself.

Kirk ends up in a situation where he may have to kill the million colonists to prevent further spread of the madness, but of course we all know that he manages to defeat the aliens and save the day. So it is very average indeed - an obvious ending to a rather obvious story.

Crew Deaths: 0
Total Crew Deaths So Far: 26
Score: 5/10

Star Trek 1.28 (The City of the Edge of Forever)

Cast:

David L. Ross (Lt. Galloway)

John Winston (Lt. Kyle)

Bart La Rue (voice of The Guardian)

Joan Collins (Edith Keeler)

John Harmon (Rodent)

Hal Baylor (Policeman)

Writer: Harlan Ellison

When you ask a Star Trek fan to list their very favourite episodes, this one nearly always comes in the top three. Why. Does it deserve it or not?

Well, yes is the brief answer. For a start is introduces the concept of the Guardian of Forever, which is used to great effect down the line on an episode of Star Trek: New Voyages. It is also quite a clever story - high on a medication that is injected in error, McCoy goes through the portal and changes history so badly that the Enterprise no longer exists. Spock and Kirk follow (although the actually arrive first), and Kirk meets Edith Keeler (Joan Collins) and falls for her. Sadly, when Spock gets his tricorder working again he realises that her death is that turning point, and by saving her McCoy changes the future, so in a nutshell he has to let her die when he knows he can save her.

This is a really nice tale - set in the past, it has some nice dialogue and the interplay between Kirk and Spock is great, especially the moment where they explain Spocks ears to a cop! It is nice seeing our regulars as fish out of water in an environment they don't really understand, but a lot of the episode revolves around Spock having to build a rudimentary computer to view the information stored on the tricorder. So what kind of tit designs a handheld unit that can store loads of data that cannot be accessed without a larger computer?

Oh, and the insistence of the director of doing all of the close up shots of Keeler in soft focus really gets very annoying very quickly. When every other shot is nice and sharp, those are just annoying.

And those really are the only gripes, the rest is great. It is regarded as a classic, and deservedly so.

Crew Deaths: 0

Total Crew Deaths So Far: 26

Score: 8/10

Star Trek 1.27 (The Alternative Factor)

Cast:
Eddie Paskey (Lt. Leslie)

Robert Brown (XI) (Lazarus)

Janet MacLachlan (Lt. Charlene Masters)

Richard Derr (Commodore Barstow)

Arch Whiting (Assistant Engineer)

Christian Patrick (Transporter Chief)

Writer: Don Ingalls

Hey, I'm back. (Wanting to watch a Trek episode on my new TV had nothing to do with it, honest!) This is an interesting episode. It's one of those average shows - it's not awful but it's not great. The central idea, that two identical looking guys from opposite universes (presumably one ours, one other) are locked in a fight, the ramifications of which are creating instability across the entire galaxy and beyond. The Enterprise is closest, so they draw the short straw to investigate.

Obviously, what is happening is not immediately revealed - Lazarus initially just looks like a schizoid nutter - but I liked the idea that they cross the universes though what is described as a tunnel that is like a "safety valve". Having watched the Doctor Who story "Logopolis" recently, the concept sounds rather like the CVE that is used to cross into another universe, but I suspect that they didn't nick it from here as the way the idea is used is very different.

Some silly stuff here. Lazarus is supposed to be this violent, dodgy geezer, yet they let him run around the Enterprise rather than keeping him locked up. And curiously, the scene set in the alternative universe is filmed on a soundstage rather than the location used for the scenes set in our universe. I don't really understand why - surely it would have been cheaper just to film this sequence when they were on location? Or maybe someone thought the look had to be different enough so that even the stupid viewed could pick up on what was actually going on.

So, an okay concept averagely executed.

Crew Deaths: 0
Total Crew Deaths So Far: 26
Score: 6/10

Star Trek 1.26 (Errand of Mercy)

First Aired: March 23, 1967

Cast:

John Abbott (Ayelborne)

John Colicos (Kor)

Peter Brocco (Claymare)

Victor Lundin (Klingon Lieutenant #1)

David Hillary Hughes (Trefayne)

Walt Davis (Klingon Soldier #1)

George Sawaya (Klingon Lieutenant #2)

Writer: Gene L. Coon

Blimey, been months! Anyhow, this is a very special episode, since it contains the first reference and appearance of the Klingons, and the brilliant John Colicos as Kor.

The first thing I notice is what Kirk says to the Organians about the Klingons: they apparently run slave labour camps, and take hostages. At one point Kirk grabs a Klingon soldier and threatens to kill him if he does not give Kirk some information. The Klingon complies, which a later Klingon would not have done. They are a people who have a love of war. All of these things are later contradicted - Klingons have a love on honour, which suggests that most of the things above are not part of their culture.It is interesting to theorise about this - did Kirk exagerate the danger to try and convince the Organians to accept their help, or did the Federation use propaganda to ensure that their own people were more scared or angry at the Klingon race? Not very Roddenberry-esque, but interesting all the same.

The big thing that surprised me about this episode was how wordy it was. Given that the Klingons have a reputation for violence, there is very little in evidence in the show - it is implied but not seen on screen. Really the episode is a two hander between Shatner and Colicos, with some cracking dialogue between them. The other surprise, given how wordy the episode is, is how quickly it went - it did not drag at all. The final revelation that the Organians are far more advanced than we thought they were was something I had remembered was coming, but I guess it would not have been much of a twist even if you knew it was coming - these guys did not seem resigned to their fate, simply not bothered by what was going on, and logically there could have been no other explanation.

So the Organians prevent a war, they even predict that the Klingons and Federation will get on in the future.

Quite a satisfying episode, and an interesting introduction to the Klingon race.

Crew Deaths: 0

Total Crew Deaths So Far: 26

Score: 7/10

Star Trek 1.25 (The Devil in the Dark)

First Aired: March 9, 1967

Cast:
Ken Lynch (Chief Engineer Vanderberg)
Brad Weston (Ed Appel)
Biff Elliot (Schmitter)
George E. Allen (Engineer)
Jon Cavett (Guard)
Barry Russo (Lt. Cmdr. Giotto)

Writer: Gene L. Coon

It's been a while - I watched a run of tedious episodes too quickly and they just borerd me to the point where I had to have a rest.

Anyhow, this is another reputed classic. Actually, it's pretty good compared to the ones I have just recently watched, although it is a rather typical preachy morality tale. Basically, a silicone based life form (ie a rock) is protecting it's nest, on a planet where some Federation miners are, erm, mining. Of course, it takes most of the episode to work out what is going on, and eventually everything is solved. The rock creature - a Horta - is badly realised, and in some of the books based on the series, one becomes a member of the Enterprise crew. Thank fuck they never did that in the TV show.

There are a couple of good moments, my favourite being when McCoy cures the creature of a phaser wound using cement. The mind meld is less good, with Spock sensing so much "pain" that I almost thought Deanna Troi had turned up twenty years too early!

It has it's moments, but this episode is too predictable. When Spock first picked up a silicone nodule the whole audience must be crying out "it's a fucking egg you green pillock!" And the thought that the colonists will suddenly work with this thing when it has killed fifty of them is rather difficult to believe.

So, okay, but not great.

Crew Deaths: 1
Total Crew Deaths So Far: 26
Score: 5/10

Star Trek 1.24 (This side of paradise)

First Aired: March 2, 1967

Cast:

Jill Ireland (Leila Kalomi)

Frank Overton (Elias Sandoval)

Michael Barrier (II) (Lt. Vincent DeSalle)

Dick Scotter (Painter)

Grant Woods (Lt. Commander Kelowitz)

Writer: D.C. Fontana

So the crew go along to a planet thinking that all of the settlers have died - they have had no contact with them and the planet is being bombarded by Berthold Rays. So when they get there and everyone isn't dead it really makes no sense! They shouldn't be alive - all of their animals are dead, there doesn't seem to be anything indigenous to the planet apart from plant life.

Then Spock is infected with spores from a plant and then pretty much everyone else gets infected and everyone decides to stay on the planet. The whole crew mutiny and decide to beam down to the planet. But somehow Kirk resists this paradise, when everyone else falls under it's spell. YEAH RIGHT! Eventually, Kirk is the last person left on the Enterprise. Then a cunningly left spore plant gets him then he decides to beam down...

But then he gets angry! And is miraculously cured. So he beams Spock up, makes him angry then cured him! Then they make everyone get angry and everyone is cured.

This episode gets remembered because we get to see Spock lighten up (when he is under the influence of the spores).

I suspect that this episode is rated as an all time classic. God knows why.

Crew Deaths: 0

Total Crew Deaths So Far: 25

Score: 4/10