Star Trek (TOS): Episode By Episode Thread

Well, someone impregnated Miramanee in "The Paradise Syndrome"...

 

Yeah, I recall watching this originally and thinking "now wait a minute. Spock was just down in sickbay. In his slow speed relative to the Scalosians, it would have taken him hours and hours to get back to the bridge."

But it was a forgivable plot hole because the subject was so interesting. I always liked this one.

Harry

 

That lucky dog...

 

I agree with you and Luke in that yes...it was a truly fascinating concept but definitely one with flawed execution and plot holes one could steer a starship through.

I can still enjoy the episode occasionally, but I would go with a generous B- if asked to rate it.

I still am amazed that they were able to get the "boot scene" past the NBC censors.

No ambiguity there...

I bet Gene Roddenberry, though far removed from the production at this point, had a bit of a chuckle over that one ...

 

Maybe Kirk had only taken his boot off to scratch his foot.

 

lol


Except that Deela is also brushing her hair in a definite post coital blissful kind of a way ...which they also managed to get by the NBC censors now that I think about it

 

There are many plot holes in "Wink Of An Eye", but one that stands out for me is how did the aliens get on board the Enterprise? Wouldn't the transporter detect the increase in mass, let alone not having enough pads for the crew and "guests"?

And wouldn't Scotty notice a half dozen or so aliens in the beams as they materialize? I mean, things being transported don't move until the process is over.

The episode is similar to the "First Contact" film - namely aliens getting aboard the Enterprise undetected and starting to assimilate the crew. The queen of the aliens then makes promises to one member of the crew, said crewman feigns acceptance, eventually thwarting the aliens' plans.

 

#67: The Empath

Original Air Date: 12/6/68

Stardate: 5121.5

Kirk, Spock and McCoy suddenly find themselves in an underground laboratory where they meet a young woman who is not only mute but also an empath who can absorb someone else's pain. When their captors make themselves known, they refuse to explain why the three men have been taken prisoner or why they and the young woman, whom McCoy has named Gem, are there. Inexplicably, they set about torturing them for no apparent reason. Fortunately, Gem's empathic powers allow her to take away their pain, but only at great sacrifice to herself. When their captors tell Kirk that he must choose which of his men to die, their selflessness comes to the fore. They all soon learn that the object of the experiment is Gem herself.

This episode does 3 things very well. First, Kathryn Hays does a nice job bringing some depth to a mute character, making the audience care about her. Second, they found an excellent way to make a cheap episode. The sets cost next to nothing, which was key under the budget constraints of Season 3. But what really make this episode are the interactions between Kirk, Spock and McCoy. You always knew that they are like brothers, but it is never highlighted better than this episode.

However, this episode certainly has weaknesses. It feels in many ways like a retread of the pilot. The aliens are very similar, and the notion of the Captain being captive, and interacting with a strange woman in some kind of experiment are all too familiar. Also, the aliens method of choosing a planet (based on one random inhabitant who is tortured) is ridiculous and right down cruel. If we were to view the aliens as evil, that might work, but it seems we are supposed to agree with their reasoning in the end. Overall, a story that is not very strong is lifted by some wonderful character interactions.

Personal Rating: 3 Stars

 

Trivia:

In the final scene, Scotty refers to the story of 'the pearl of great price'. This refers to a parable told by Jesus in Matthew 13:45-46.

There is no reason why the Vians' labels would be written in English with the Latin alphabet. The Star Trek universal translator only works with speech, so their labels should be written in an alien script.

 

"The Empath" has a wonderful score. It's almost like an operetta without singing!

 

Flawed episode, but still good. I like how the deal with the idea of being empathic and empathetic. This show was where I learned the word and what it means, when I was about 10-12 years old. Few shows from this era would teach words and concepts like that.

I liked how Bones tricked Spock.

 

I used to loath "The Empath"...

It was one I'd turn off whenever it was on.

I mean, it had "sets" that were on par with the ones used in the third season of Batman (a few props on a dark soundstage), and story that doesn't make a lot of sense when you think about it (why couldn't the Vians ask the Federation to help save both planets?).

But, after buying the blu-ray set a few years ago, I tried watching it again.

While I still don't rate the episode very high, I discovered one scene that must have been cut out of the old syndication prints - the one where Spock tries to comfort the dying McCoy, and Bones commends him for his bedside manner.

This scene cuts through all of the petty nonsense between the two men and shows that they really do care for each other.

I was floored when I saw this scene. It suddenly turned an episode I hated into one that had some merit in it after all.

 

Michelle66: Yeah, you say it well. I avoided this one for about 20 years, and then I finally realized it was the last original series episode that I hadn't ever watched with my kids. And so we sat down together and watched it. As you say, the McCoy-Spock interaction is the biggest attraction of this one.

 

My feelings for this episode pretty much mirrors yours Michelle66, including that one scene between Spock and McCoy, which pretty much rescues the episode for me.

As I mentioned in my Tholian Web post, I think that it is obvious that Spock considers McCoy as much more of a friend than an adversary, as does McCoy feel about Spock, though they both seem to only reveal that to each other under heavy duress. His reaction to McCoy's suffering here shows that underlying level of caring and friendship nicely.

I will say that I think Kathryn Hays puts in a beautifully acted performance, definitely making the most (and more) of what she was given to work with. Her facial expressions are very moving at times .

 

Darryl

 

"Gem," played by Kathryn Hays, guest stars in an episode of Mannix I'm watching right now, called "End of the Rainbow," which is also from 1968. It's interesting to see her with closer to her normal face, and talking with what I assume is close to her normal voice. In 1978, she began appearing on As the World Turns (which I've never seen), and stayed with the show until her retirement in 2010.

 

#68: Elaan of Troyius

Original Air Date: 12/20/68

Stardate: 4372.5

Kirk and the Enterprise crew are on a diplomatic mission to transport Elaan, a princess of her people, to Troyius where she is to marry the ruler in the hopes establishing peace between their two worlds. Kirk must teach the arrogant, vicious princess the ways of polite society but falls victim to the legendary weapon of Elasian women: their tears act as a love potion. All the while, the Enterprise is being followed by a Klingon vessel that is bent on destroying them. It is also apparent that the Enterprise has a spy on board. Can Kirk, who is distracted by Elaan, save the Enterprise and the peace efforts?

I find this episode to be very flat. The plot is somewhat old hat. Kirk has to deal with a demanding female alien. Kirk is being influenced by a drug, but overcomes it because of his love for his ship. We have seen this all before. I do enjoy the interaction with the Klingons, the spy angle, and introduction of dilithium crystals. But, there is little new to see here.

Personal Rating: 2 Stars

 

Trivia:

This episode features the first appearance of the classic D7 Class Klingon battle cruiser, designed and built by Star Trek art directorWalter M. Jefferies(prior to this episode, Klingon ships had been represented by blobs of light or blips on a computer screen).Star Trek: Day of the Dove(1968), which was filmed later, but aired earlier reused shots of the Klingon battle cruiser from this episode.

France Nuyen, who plays Elaan, starred oppositeWilliam Shatneron Broadway in "The World of Suzie Wong" in 1958.

When Star Trek: The Next Generation raided the original Star Trek series for story ideas to revamp, "Elaan of Troyius" became "The Perfect Mate" (episode #21 of season #5), where Kamala, also the selected mate for an arranged marriage between two warring planets, selected Captain Picard instead but came to adopt the Enterprise captain's sense of duty and went through with the arranged marriage anyway.

This is the first time where an Asian of Vietnamese descent appears on television.

The costumes of the Elasian Royal Guard were made from cheap plastic placemats.

This is the only episode of the series that was written and directed by the same individual.

 

The SYFY Special Edition extras were on youtube for this one, after we had several missing episodes.

 

Good to see the SYFY Special Editions are back. I was wondering if they did these for all season 3 episodes.

Darryl

 

Actually, I quite enjoy (most of) "Elaan of Troyius".

The episode contains a mystery that is resolved nicely, and I find France Nuyen's Elaan to be more interesting than Kirk's usual blond conquests.

I particularly like this exchange:

[Elaan's quarters]
(Elaan is dining like a Tudor royal, ripping poultry apart with her hands.)
ELAAN: So, Ambassador Petri is going to recover? That is too bad. You have delivered your message. Now you may go.
KIRK: Nothing would please me more, Your Glory. But your impetuous nature...
ELAAN: Your Troyian pig was here in my quarters without any permission, so I stabbed him. Just to be Troyian is enough.
KIRK: You Elasians pride yourselves on being a warrior people. You must understand discipline to be able to give and take orders. My orders are to take you to Troyius to be married and to see that you learn Troyian customs.
ELAAN: I despise Troyians. Any contact with them makes me feel soiled.
KIRK: It's been my experience that the prejudices people feel about each other disappear when they get to know each other.
ELAAN: It's not in my experience.
KIRK: Well, we're still faced with the same problem.
ELAAN: Problem?
KIRK: Yes, the problem of your indoctrination to Troyian customs and manners.
ELAAN: I have eliminated that problem.
KIRK: You have eliminated the teacher. The problem still remains.
ELAAN: Oh. And how do we solve the problem?
KIRK: By giving you a new teacher.
ELAAN: Tell me, what can you teach me?
KIRK: Table manners, for one thing. This is a plate. It contains food. This is a knife. It cuts the food. This is a glass.
ELAAN: Leave me!
KIRK: Like it or not, you're going to learn what you've been ordered to learn.
ELAAN: You will return me to Elas immediately.
KIRK: That's impossible.
ELAAN: Everything I order is possible.

It's very calculated when Elaan cries and infects Kirk, but it is here where things fall apart with her characterization. I mean, why does she suddenly become docile once she has Kirk under her power? She should have tried to get the drugged-and-loopy captain to do her bidding a bit more.

In addition to the episode being the first one the classic Klingon ship appear in, the newly-created recreation room set was supposed to have been featured as well (but the scene was cut from the final print).

Back in the 70's, a Star Trek fanzine called "Enterprise Incidents" used a still from this scene for one if its covers:



What's more, the entire deleted scene has been recreated from stills and the original script on this site:
http://www.startrekhistory.com/DS1.html

Apart from Elaan's instantaneous feisty-handful-to-docile-subservient turnaround, I think "Elaan of Troyius" is one of the better third season episodes.

 

My understanding is they did them all with Shatner. Then SYFY ran a second season of them with Nimoy, but did not complete season 3. I do not know where they cutoff was. I guess some of the Shatner ones are not on Youtube.

 

For better or worse, John Meredyth Lucas as a writer/director/producer of the show during season three at least gave the series a stronger identity after Roddenberry left. It was dtill Roddenberry's show but seemed generic after Coon and Roddenberry departed. For a while, it seemed like a different show as the characters behaved in ways that were not in character or said things that clearly were the words of a neophyte writer/producer on the show.

 

Any explanation as to why Uhura is wearing the wrong color outfit in this section?

 

She wore beige in the first two episodes (in production order) - "The Corbomite Manuver" and "Mudd's Women".

Guess they originally thought communications was a command position.