Star Trek: The Original Series: Reviews
93 reviews
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Catspaw (2x07)
lilly September 16, 2024, 12:09 ET
Space Witches, Haunted Castles, and Kirk’s Worst Halloween Ever: A Cosmic Spooktacular
In Catspaw, the Star Trek episode where the crew of the Enterprise stumbles into a cosmic Halloween special, Captain Kirk and his team get more than they bargained for when they encounter space witches, haunted castles, and a villain who looks like he’s auditioning for a role in a gothic horror film.
The episode begins with the Enterprise crew arriving at a seemingly deserted planet only to discover a spooky castle that looks like it was designed by someone who had a very intense dream about haunted houses. The crew's investigation quickly turns into a farcical adventure as they encounter bizarre and ridiculous traps, including a disembodied voice that insists on treating them like they're in the middle of a bad horror movie.
Kirk, Spock, and McCoy find themselves trapped in a series of hilariously absurd scenarios. There’s a talking cat (yes, a cat) that acts like it’s been taking acting lessons from Shakespeare, and a host of eerie effects that include everything from floating candles to creepy, disembodied laughter. It’s as if the Enterprise crew has walked onto the set of a space-themed haunted house, and they’re the unsuspecting guests who never signed up for the attraction.
The villains of the piece, a pair of extraterrestrial beings who are playing dress-up as witches, have their own twisted sense of humor. They’re trying to make the crew’s lives miserable by throwing all sorts of supernatural shenanigans their way. The witches’ plan? To scare the crew into submission, which sounds like the universe’s worst method for world domination. Instead of terrorizing, they end up providing some of the most comedic moments in Star Trek history.
Kirk’s reaction to the whole situation is priceless. He’s stuck trying to keep a straight face while navigating through a maze of haunted castle clichés. At one point, he’s even compelled to deliver his lines with an over-the-top dramatic flair, as if he’s in the middle of a melodramatic stage play. Watching Kirk try to keep his composure while dealing with a laughable plotline is like seeing a professional actor try to maintain their dignity in the worst school play ever.
The climax of the episode is a riot. Kirk and the crew finally confront the witches and manage to expose their ridiculous plan, which involves a lot of dramatic shouting and somewhat comical effects. The witches’ big reveal is as anticlimactic as it is humorous, as their grand scheme is essentially just an elaborate prank gone horribly wrong.
In the end, Kirk and his crew escape from the haunted castle, leaving behind a planet that probably needs a new interior decorator. The episode wraps up with the Enterprise crew heading back to their ship, no worse for wear but with a newfound appreciation for the mundane safety of their regular space adventures.
Overall, Catspaw is a hilarious and delightfully absurd episode that combines cosmic horror with a hefty dose of camp. It’s a reminder that even in space, the line between scary and silly can be hilariously thin, and sometimes, the scariest thing is how seriously the crew takes the whole haunted house experience. Kirk’s Halloween adventure proves that even in the far future, some things are best left to the imagination—and preferably without the talking cats and witches in tow.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Amok Time (2x01)
lilly September 16, 2024, 12:09 ET
Kirk’s Love Triangle and Vulcan Wedding: When Space Politics Meets Intergalactic Dating Drama
In Amok Time, the Star Trek episode that turns Vulcan’s most sacred rituals into a cosmic soap opera, Captain Kirk and his crew dive headfirst into a Vulcan love triangle that’s so complicated it could use a flowchart. It’s a wild ride of passion, politics, and pointy ears, proving that even in space, romantic entanglements can lead to serious drama.
The episode kicks off with Spock acting like he’s got a serious case of the Monday blues, except it’s every day for him. Turns out, Spock’s got some serious biological issues—he’s in the throes of Pon Farr, the Vulcan mating frenzy that makes human “mid-life crisis” look like a day at the spa. Spock’s gotta return to Vulcan to take care of some urgent business, which in Vulcan terms means he’s about to become a walking, talking bundle of hormones and ceremonial rituals.
Kirk and the crew head to Vulcan, where things quickly get out of hand. They discover that Spock’s return is for an arranged marriage, and it’s not exactly the smoothest ride. Spock’s fiancée, T’Pring, is about as thrilled with the arrangement as you’d be about being forced to attend a family reunion with your least favorite relatives. She’s got a secret plan to get out of the marriage, which involves the classic “let’s pit two people against each other in a deadly combat” routine. Because, of course, that’s the logical way to handle a love triangle.
Kirk is roped into a duel to the death, because nothing says “I care” like risking your life to help a friend. The duel, however, is less about martial prowess and more about seeing how many awkward stares and intense standoffs can fit into a single scene. Watching Kirk and Spock go from “best pals” to “fighting to the death” is like seeing your two favorite characters in an epic wrestling match where everyone’s too polite to actually land a punch.
The highlight of the episode is the dramatic duel in the Vulcan arena. Kirk, who’s just trying to avoid dying, manages to bring the same level of charm and bravery to the fight that he does to every other life-or-death scenario. The battle is so intense it’s almost like watching a really tense game of chess, except with a lot more sweating and grunting.
The episode’s climax involves Spock realizing that T’Pring’s plans were all a ruse to get out of the marriage, and he’s left to deal with the emotional fallout. It’s like a bad breakup scene but with added ceremonial knives and Vulcan mind-melds. Kirk, meanwhile, gets to deliver a heartwarming speech about friendship and loyalty while trying to hide his relief that he survived the duel.
In the end, Spock’s situation is resolved with a mix of Vulcan tradition and human empathy. The episode wraps up with the crew heading back to the Enterprise, leaving Vulcan behind and Kirk probably swearing to never get involved in another intergalactic love triangle.
Overall, Amok Time is a hilarious and dramatic episode that blends Vulcan customs with romantic entanglements in a way that only Star Trek can. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions and action, proving that even in space, love and politics are a complicated mess best handled with a good dose of humor and a lot of bravery.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Apple (2x05)
lilly September 16, 2024, 12:09 ET
Fruitful Follies and the Birds and the Bees: Kirk’s Space-age Sex Ed Adventure
In The Apple, the Star Trek episode that turns a seemingly idyllic planet into a hilariously misguided exercise in pre-space-age romance, Captain Kirk and his crew land on a world where the inhabitants are so clueless about sex that they think “making love” involves sending a fruit basket.
The episode begins with the Enterprise crew landing on a planet that looks like it was designed by someone who took a farm-to-table concept way too literally. The locals, a bunch of overly friendly cave-dwellers, live in a fruit-filled paradise under the strict rule of Vaal, a glowing red orb that has apparently replaced common sense with a fruit salad.
Everything seems peachy until Kirk and his team discover that the planet’s inhabitants are blissfully ignorant about some very basic aspects of human interaction, particularly when it comes to romance and procreation. The locals are so wrapped up in their fruit-worshipping rituals that they don’t have a clue about the concept of making babies—or as they call it, "fruit production"—which makes them about as knowledgeable about human relationships as a bag of potatoes.
Kirk’s attempts to explain the birds and the bees to these innocent folks are both hilarious and cringe-worthy. The conversations are like trying to explain modern art to someone who’s never seen a painting; it’s awkward, confusing, and everyone’s left feeling like they’re missing a fundamental piece of the puzzle. The locals seem to think that if they just keep tending their fruit and worshiping Vaal, everything will work out on its own—kind of like if your idea of parenting was to give your kids a garden gnome and hope for the best.
The best part? The “love” scenes, or rather the lack thereof, are portrayed with the kind of baffling innocence that makes you question whether these people have ever had a proper biology lesson. They seem to think that creating new life involves some sort of mystical ritual involving fruit offerings and maybe a few well-placed chants. It's like a bizarre combination of fruit picking and matchmaking.
Kirk’s frustration with the situation reaches new heights when he realizes that the locals’ complete lack of understanding about reproduction is the result of Vaal’s totalitarian regime. Vaal’s control over the planet is so extreme that it’s managed to make the concept of human intimacy a complete mystery, leading to a comedic mix of misunderstandings and desperate attempts to educate.
In the end, Kirk and his crew manage to free the inhabitants from their fruit-centric overlord, and the locals are left to figure out the mysteries of love and reproduction on their own terms. It’s a classic Star Trek wrap-up where, despite the comedic chaos, there’s a hopeful note about the power of self-discovery and breaking free from outdated customs.
Overall, The Apple is a laugh-out-loud episode that combines space farming with a crash course in human relationships. Kirk’s space-age sex ed adventure is a reminder that even in the far future, some planets still need a serious lesson in the basics of human intimacy—preferably without the fruit baskets and orbs of doom.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Dagger of the Mind (1x09)
lilly September 16, 2024, 12:09 ET
Mind Control and Space Mental Health: Kirk’s Most Bizarre Therapy Session Yet
In Dagger of the Mind, the Star Trek episode that takes “psychiatric treatment” to a whole new level, Captain Kirk and his crew get tangled up in a space-age mental health facility where the therapy involves, wait for it, mind control. Because nothing says “healing” like hijacking someone’s brainwaves, right?
The episode kicks off with the Enterprise arriving at a remote, high-tech psychiatric facility that’s so advanced, it makes your average therapy session look like a chat with a therapist over coffee. Here, patients are treated with a device called the “Neural Neutralizer,” which sounds like a fancy sci-fi term for “brain microwave.” It’s supposed to fix mental health issues, but instead, it looks like something a mad scientist would whip up during a particularly bad day.
Kirk and his team arrive just in time to discover that the facility’s chief physician, Dr. Van Gelder, is more like Dr. Van Cuckoo, thanks to his brain being scrambled by the very device he’s supposed to be using for good. It’s like finding out your trusted technician has been using your car’s diagnostic system to play bumper cars. Classic Star Trek move.
Things get hilariously out of control when Kirk’s mind gets hijacked by the evil Dr. Adams, who has apparently decided that mind control is the best way to deal with mental health issues. Kirk starts acting like a puppet on a string, spouting off nonsensical lines and generally making a mess of things. It’s like watching someone try to play Twister with a bunch of marionette strings.
The climax of the episode is a riot. Kirk, now under the influence of the mind control device, gets into a face-off with Dr. Adams in what can only be described as a “mental showdown.” It’s the ultimate brain battle where the stakes are higher than a caffeine addict’s coffee order. You get to see Kirk looking like he’s wrestling with invisible ghosts, while Dr. Adams looks on with a mixture of villainous glee and existential dread.
Meanwhile, Sulu and McCoy are having their own fun trying to figure out how to un-scramble Kirk’s brain. They end up playing a twisted game of “find the needle in the haystack,” only the haystack is Kirk’s confused mind and the needle is the antidote to mind control. Watching them scramble to save Kirk is like watching a very high-stakes game of Operation, but with more space lasers and less beeping.
By the end of the episode, Kirk is back to his old self, and Dr. Adams’ evil plans are thwarted. The facility gets a much-needed overhaul, probably with a new “no mind control” policy and maybe a few less brain-scrambling gadgets.
Overall, Dagger of the Mind is a hysterical romp through the world of space psychiatry gone awry. It’s a classic Star Trek episode that proves sometimes the best way to handle a serious situation is to add a touch of ridiculousness and a whole lot of mind-bending chaos. Kirk’s bizarre therapy session might not be the most conventional, but it’s definitely one of the funniest.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Miri (1x08)
lilly September 16, 2024, 12:09 ET
A Planet of Peter Pan Syndrome: Kirk's Awkward Playdate with Space Kids
In Miri, the Star Trek episode that turns a planetary exploration into a bizarre game of “what if kids ruled the world,” Captain Kirk and his crew stumble upon a planet full of children who never grow up. It’s like Lord of the Flies meets Star Trek, but with less flying and more Starfleet uniforms.
The episode starts with the crew landing on a planet that looks like a typical 1960s Earth replica, but with a twist: it’s populated entirely by kids who have apparently skipped over the whole “becoming adults” part of life. These kids live in a world where adulthood is a myth, like that time you convinced yourself you’d grow up to be a rock star but ended up as an accountant instead.
Kirk, Spock, and McCoy find themselves in the middle of a full-blown kiddie apocalypse. These aren’t your typical, sweet-as-pie children; they’re more like pint-sized tyrants who run around causing chaos and treating adults like they’re ancient relics. Picture the world’s worst daycare, but with more tantrums and less nap time.
The fun really starts when Kirk and his team try to navigate this planet of eternal youth, only to find out that the children are afflicted with a disease that causes them to age rapidly once they hit puberty. This makes the whole scenario even weirder: it’s like a cosmic puberty party gone wrong where everyone is stuck in a perpetual state of “teen angst.”
Kirk tries to play the role of responsible adult, but his attempts at diplomacy come off like he’s trying to convince a group of hyperactive toddlers that nap time is fun. One minute he’s trying to reason with them, and the next, he’s chasing them around like he’s just another playground supervisor. The crew’s attempts to blend in and keep the children calm are like watching someone try to teach a cat to fetch—hilarious, but ultimately futile.
The episode also features the classic Star Trek moment of awkwardly fitting a serious plot into a very silly situation. Kirk’s dramatic speech about the importance of growing up and the value of adulthood is delivered while he’s surrounded by pint-sized people who treat him like their new plaything. It’s like giving a motivational talk at a kindergarten graduation but with more laser beams and existential dread.
In the end, Kirk manages to figure out how to save the kids and restore order to their chaotic little world. He gives a touching speech about how growing up is hard but worth it, while the kids probably think he’s just another weird grown-up who doesn’t understand their epic playground battles.
Overall, Miri is a hilarious and oddly heartwarming episode where Kirk and his crew try to navigate a world where childhood never ends and maturity is a distant dream. It’s a reminder that even in the far future, some planets still have their share of “growing pains”—and sometimes, those pains involve a lot of running around and trying to reason with space-crazy kids.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
What Are Little Girls Made Of? (1x07)
lilly September 16, 2024, 12:09 ET
Androids, Love Triangles, and Kirk’s Awkward Reunion: A Lesson in Robotic Romance
In What Are Little Girls Made Of?, the Star Trek episode that answers the pressing question of what happens when you mix androids with love triangles, Captain Kirk reunites with his ex-flame and discovers that her new beau might be a bit too perfect. Or, in other words, made of metal and wires.
The episode kicks off with Kirk, Spock, and McCoy visiting a remote planet to check out the research of Dr. Roger Corby—an old flame of Kirk’s who has apparently been busy playing Dr. Frankenstein in space. But wait, there’s a twist: Dr. Corby is in love with an android, which makes the whole situation super awkward, kind of like finding out your ex is now dating a life-sized action figure.
As Kirk and company arrive, they’re greeted by Andrea, who is literally the most glamorous robot since C-3PO, and who seems to have a Ph.D. in “how to make humans uncomfortable.” Her mannerisms are so off-the-charts robotic that you’d think she was programmed to flirt awkwardly. Every interaction with her feels like you’re watching a very bad soap opera.
The real fun begins when Kirk, with his usual charm and confidence, finds out that Corby’s grand plan is to create a race of perfect androids who are essentially programmed to be better than humans. You know, because nothing says “future utopia” like a bunch of robot supermodels and engineers. And did we mention that Corby’s new girlfriend is also an android? Classic love triangle dilemma: human vs. robot.
Kirk’s reactions throughout the episode are priceless. He’s trying to keep a straight face while discovering that Corby’s new “perfect” woman is actually a robot. The scene where Kirk realizes this is like watching someone slowly putting together a jigsaw puzzle, only to find out all the pieces are just different parts of the same creepy robot.
Meanwhile, Dr. Corby is absolutely convinced that his android creation is a step forward for humanity, even though they tend to act like they’re auditioning for a part in a really bad sci-fi play. The highlight? The climactic showdown where Kirk faces off against Corby’s android army, which is just a bunch of very confused-looking robots shuffling around in perfect unison, like they’re performing a poorly choreographed dance routine.
In the end, Kirk gets to deliver his usual monologue about the superiority of human emotion over cold, mechanical logic while the androids get deactivated. Corby’s dream of a robot utopia ends in chaos, proving once again that robots are cool and all, but they really don’t handle love triangles well.
Overall, What Are Little Girls Made Of? is a hilarious romp through robot romance and awkward reunions. It’s an episode where you’ll laugh, cringe, and wonder why anyone thought a metal girlfriend was a good idea. Kirk’s charm and the sheer absurdity of the situation make it a classic Star Trek episode that’s perfect for a good chuckle and a reminder that even in space, love is a complicated mess—especially when robots are involved.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Mudd's Women (1x06)
lilly September 16, 2024, 12:09 ET
Space Pimps and Pretty Pills: Starfleet’s Most Awkward Adventure Yet
In Mudd’s Women, we learn that the final frontier isn't just full of dangerous aliens, but also sketchy space con men peddling "beauty pills" to desperate women. Enter Harry Mudd: intergalactic hustler, part-time pirate, and full-time mustache enthusiast, who looks like he could host the galaxy’s weirdest game show.
Mudd’s grand scheme? He’s trafficking three women to marry lonely space miners by using beauty-enhancing crystals (because sci-fi). These women arrive on the Enterprise like intergalactic supermodels, causing the male crew to completely lose their professional cool. Apparently, in the future, no one told Starfleet to keep it together when there are space brides aboard. Instead of investigating this sketchy situation, Kirk and company spend the episode wide-eyed and confused, like they’re at a space bachelor party they weren’t prepared for.
The real comedy gold, though, is Mudd himself. With his big hat, ridiculous voice, and shadier-than-thou attitude, he’s like a used spaceship salesman who’s running from three alimony checks. He somehow manages to swindle and sass his way through the entire episode while Kirk looks perpetually irritated, as if wondering why Starfleet didn’t prepare him for this in command school.
As for the women? They discover (spoiler alert!) the magic beauty pills are really placebos, and their confidence is the true source of their power. Because apparently, even in space, 1960s moral lessons have to sneak in there somewhere.
Mudd’s Women is a bizarre mix of space sleaze, outdated gender politics, and Shatner’s signature "I’m-annoyed-but-still-in-command" performance. It's a must-watch if you’re in the mood for something campy, a little cringe-worthy, and downright hilarious. Plus, it raises important futuristic questions like, “Is there no Space eHarmony?”
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Enemy Within (1x05)
lilly September 16, 2024, 12:09 ET
Two Kirks, One Spaceship: Shatner’s Ego vs. Shatner’s Eyeliner
The Enemy Within answers the burning question: What would happen if Captain Kirk’s worst enemy was... Captain Kirk? Spoiler alert: it involves a lot of dramatic eye shadow and overacting.
The plot kicks off with a transporter malfunction (because of course it does), which splits Kirk into two versions: Good Kirk, who’s sensitive, hesitant, and enjoys a good tea; and Evil Kirk, who’s a sneering, leather-glove-wearing maniac who probably drinks straight espresso while petting an evil space cat. Evil Kirk spends the episode running around like he just escaped from a space asylum, terrorizing the crew with his wild eyes and aggressive monologues, while Good Kirk mopes around wondering if he’s too soft to command a starship.
The highlight? William Shatner in a one-man acting duel with himself. It's a glorious display of hammy acting, with Evil Kirk growling like a feral animal and Good Kirk looking perpetually confused, like someone who just lost their parking spot at Space Costco. The crew doesn’t seem overly concerned that their captain has been cloned into a walking temper tantrum, because, let’s face it, they’ve seen weirder.
Also, we get the unforgettable image of Sulu, stranded on a freezing planet, casually calling up to the Enterprise like he’s placing a takeout order: “Hey, could you beam us up before we turn into popsicles? No rush, but we might lose a finger or two.”
Science? Who needs it. The episode never explains why splitting Kirk also splits his decision-making ability into two totally useless halves, but who cares? Watching Shatner dramatically wrestle with himself is what we're here for. At one point, Kirk even hugs Evil Kirk into submission—because of course love and moral responsibility win in the end, right?
In conclusion, The Enemy Within is a must-watch if you enjoy Shatner at his most Shatner-y, with a healthy dose of transporter mishap nonsense. It's a Kirk-tastic battle for the ages, and you’ll be left wondering why every sci-fi show doesn’t feature more evil, eyeliner-wearing doppelgängers.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Naked Time (1x04)
lilly September 16, 2024, 12:09 ET
Space Madness and Shirtless Kirk: A Triumph in Sci-Fi Absurdity
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a starship crew lost their minds and all sense of professionalism, look no further than The Naked Time! This episode of Star Trek boldly goes where no one has gone before—into the realm of space madness, spontaneous shirtlessness, and wildly entertaining chaos.
The premise? A mysterious virus infects the crew of the Enterprise and makes everyone act like they just stumbled out of a cosmic frat party. Sulu runs around shirtless, brandishing a fencing sword like he's auditioning for The Three Musketeers, and Spock has a full-blown emotional meltdown in a turbo lift, questioning his Vulcan logic as if he's the star of an alien soap opera. Kirk, of course, dramatically fights the urge to take off his shirt... before eventually giving in. Naturally, this is peak William Shatner.
The real highlight is watching the crew fall apart in the most ridiculous ways possible. Someone plays a futuristic space accordion, which only makes sense in the context of 1960s sci-fi fever dreams, and the ship almost plummets into a planet because, well, no one’s paying attention to that minor detail when there are existential crises to be had!
As for science? Who cares. This is pure, unadulterated space-fueled nonsense, and we love it. The writers probably made the technobabble up over coffee, and it’s wonderful.
Overall, The Naked Time is a delightful mess of emotions, outlandish behavior, and a reminder that sometimes the best way to save the galaxy is to throw logic out the window and embrace the weirdness.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Where No Man Has Gone Before (1x03)
lilly September 15, 2024, 12:09 ET
The One Where Kirk’s Best Friend Gets Godlike Powers and an Ego to Match
Where No Man Has Gone Before kicks off Star Trek with a big existential bang—because what's more fun than exploring the final frontier? How about giving your best friend infinite power and watching him become the universe’s worst narcissist?
It all starts when the Enterprise hits a mysterious energy barrier at the edge of the galaxy (because, of course, there’s a "wall" around the galaxy). Enter Gary Mitchell, Kirk's old buddy, who gets zapped by the space energy and suddenly evolves into a walking omnipotent nightmare. At first, it's just some light ESP and glowing eyes—no big deal, right? But then Gary starts turning into Space God 2.0, with a massive superiority complex. He starts moving things with his mind, reading thoughts, and doing that annoying "I know everything" thing we all hate in friends.
Kirk is stuck trying to deal with the cosmic upgrade of his bestie, and it’s not going well. Gary’s newfound powers come with a side of megalomania, and he starts talking about remaking the universe because, hey, why not? He even tries to convince Kirk to join him on his divine quest, but Kirk’s not really into the whole “conquer the cosmos” thing—especially when Gary starts referring to everyone else as "ants."
Meanwhile, Dr. Elizabeth Dehner, a fellow crew member, also gets hit with the space upgrade, but she’s more "reluctant goddess" than "power-hungry maniac." Still, it’s hard to focus on her inner struggle when Gary’s over here throwing telekinetic temper tantrums like a spoiled deity.
Things come to a head when Kirk realizes there’s no talking Gary down from his newfound god-complex, so he does what any good captain would do—he challenges him to a good ol' fashioned fistfight on a desolate planet. Spoiler alert: it’s not easy punching a guy who can move mountains with his mind, but Kirk makes it work with pure grit and some conveniently placed rocks.
In the end, Kirk is forced to take Gary down for good, and Dehner sacrifices herself to help him do it. The moral of the story? Absolute power corrupts absolutely, especially when your best friend gets space zapped into an all-knowing super-being.
Where No Man Has Gone Before reminds us that while exploring strange new worlds is fun, sometimes you just want to keep your crewmates as regular old humans—preferably the non-glowing-eyed variety.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Charlie X (1x02)
lilly September 15, 2024, 12:09 ET
The One Where a Teenage Space Jerk Gets Superpowers and Awkward Vibes
Ah, Charlie X, the Star Trek episode that proves space puberty is worse than we ever imagined. Enter Charlie Evans, a 17-year-old who spent his formative years stranded on a planet without any humans—so naturally, he’s a little… socially awkward. But wait! He’s not just a moody teen; he’s got god-like powers to boot. Combine unchecked superpowers with raging hormones, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for disaster (or, at least, some very uncomfortable Thanksgiving dinners on the Enterprise).
Things start off innocently enough. Charlie just wants to be part of the crew, maybe show off his card tricks. But it quickly becomes clear that he's the galaxy’s worst dinner guest. He turns crew members into lizards, makes women disappear for not liking him back, and mentally zaps people who try to correct his terrible space flirting. And oh boy, does he make things awkward when he crushes on Yeoman Rand. His approach to impressing her? Staring creepily and throwing tantrums when things don’t go his way. Classic.
Kirk’s doing his best “space dad” routine, trying to teach Charlie about life, manners, and the importance of not turning people into mannequins when they annoy you. But even Kirk can’t solve the hormonal hurricane that is Charlie. At one point, the kid tries to wrestle Kirk in the gym because… what’s a sci-fi show without a little shirtless wrestling?
Things spiral out of control when Charlie decides to literally take over the ship. The crew is powerless to stop him—until the super-advanced aliens that raised him show up like the cosmic parents he desperately needs. They beam him away to space time-out, and we’re all left wondering if he’ll ever learn how to ask someone out without melting them into a puddle.
In the end, Charlie X is a cautionary tale: never give god-like powers to an angsty teenager who doesn’t know how to handle rejection. And if you do, keep your distance—at least 1 galaxy away.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Man Trap (1x01)
lilly September 15, 2024, 12:09 ET
The One Where Kirk’s Crew Gets Sucked Dry—Literally
Ah, The Man Trap, a Star Trek classic where the monster is basically a salt-obsessed shapeshifter who’d probably clear out your kitchen spice rack in one sitting. This episode opens with a visit to Professor Crater and his "wife" Nancy, who looks like a blast from Dr. McCoy’s past. But wait—each crew member sees her differently. Maybe it's just future Botox, but nope, turns out it’s something far worse: a creature with a face like a dehydrated Halloween mask!
The monster in question—Nancy (or as we should call her, the Salt Vampire)—is on a quest for one thing and one thing only: salt. It’s like watching a creature version of a sodium-deficient diet gone horribly wrong. She kills by literally sucking the life out of people through their faces. Starfleet needs a pamphlet for this sort of thing.
Captain Kirk? Oh, he’s doing his usual “punch first, ask questions later” routine, but it's hard to feel sorry for the crew when this thing is sneaking around like it’s at a space cosplay convention, morphing into different people at every turn. You'd think someone would at least get a salt lick for the thing before it goes on a killing spree.
The standout here is McCoy, who spends most of the episode in an emotional tailspin over his past fling with "Nancy," while the rest of the crew is too busy getting their salt vacuumed out to offer any dating advice. It all ends in a standoff, and Kirk has to convince McCoy to shoot what looks like his old flame. Ouch. You know it's a bad date when it ends with a phaser blast.
In conclusion, The Man Trap teaches us all a valuable lesson: always carry a spare salt shaker in space. You never know when it might save your life—or at least help you avoid being a snack for an intergalactic vampire.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Cage (1x00)
lilly September 15, 2024, 12:09 ET
When Space Cowboys Meet Big-Brained Aliens with Bad Wi-Fi
Ah, "The Cage," the original, unaired pilot of Star Trek, where Captain Pike first grumbles his way into the captain's chair and the bridge looks like it was designed by someone who really liked 1960s office furniture.
Right off the bat, you know this is a different breed of Trek. No Kirk, no Spock eyebrows doing the People's Eyebrow, and Captain Pike is basically Space Hamlet, brooding around his ship like he’s got 99 problems, and they’re all crew-related. He doesn’t even want to be a starship captain anymore! Can you imagine Kirk saying that? Kirk would probably respond to existential dread with, “Let’s seduce it!”
The alien villains? Big-brained, telepathic... toddlers. The Talosians look like they’ve been speed-reading How to Train Your Human but forgot to read the last chapter on proper headwear. Their giant craniums suggest they've either mastered the secrets of the universe or just have a really bad migraine.
Then there’s Vina, the supposed love interest who turns out to be a human space ragdoll made of spare parts. And how do the Talosians try to entice Captain Pike to stay? They show him a vision of an idyllic life... riding a horse! That’s right, they think the pinnacle of human fantasy is horseback riding in the desert. I mean, I get it—Pike’s basically the cowboy of space—but that’s not even the best vacation package!
Oh, and Spock? Spock smiles. He smiles. It’s like seeing a cat bark. Let’s just say it’s a good thing they decided to dial back the cheeriness in later episodes.
Overall, The Cage is a fascinating look at what could have been, but thank the stars someone decided to crank up the camp, toss in Kirk, and give us the Star Trek we know and love. It’s like they started with Shakespeare and then thought, “Nah, we need more space karate and green women.”
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Charlie X (1x02)
Pike August 1, 2024, 12:08 ET
Who's Charlie?
CHARLIE
Captain Kirk has to welcome Charlie onboard. Charlie is an odd character, which we don't know about. When he meets a girl for the first time, he simply slaps her ass - hello 1960's. This is a time before the #MeToo movement. Or even hashtags for that matter.
CHILL OUT
It was interesting to see the crew chill out, with Spock playing some music and Uhura's singing. This could have been easily ridiculous, but the director was actually able to pull this one off. But unfortunately, there is actually a scene at the gym that is ridiculous, with Kirk topless wearing tight red pants, trying to teach Charlie how to fall and fight.
MUSIC
I was impressed by the original score. This is a time before cheap synthesizer TV music, thank God.
WHO IS HE/IT?
Overall, the episode is definitely enjoyable. The great thing is that we keep wondering about Charlie until the end of the episode. In a way, this episode is very similar to The Man Trap, the previous episode, where we would be left wondering about Nancy until the end of the episode (she was actually a monster).
The end is really satisfying and most of the episode is actually good, simply because of Robert Walker Jr., the great actor portraying Charlie.
SUMMARY
I give it 4 out of 5. Very good.
Oh, and 3D chess!
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Man Trap (1x01)
Pike July 31, 2024, 12:07 ET
The last of its kind
STAR TREK REBOOT
The first episode of Star Trek is actually the second, if you count "The Cage", the unaired original episode. In a way, it is the very first reboot ever known of a TV series.
CAPTAIN PIKE
The biggest difference with "The Cage" is the change of the lead actor. Jeffrey Hunter, who played the role of Captain Pike, has been replaced with William Shatner. Asked about why he did not reprised his role, Hunter said \"I was asked to do it, but had I accepted, I would have been tied up much longer than I care to be. I have several things brewing now and they should be coming to a head in the next few weeks. I love doing motion pictures and expect to be as busy as I want to be in them.\"\r\nSoon after, Hunter would be broke, following his second divorce, as well as a dispute with his manager. Eventually, he would die at only 42, after a bad fall in the stairs, fracturing his skull.\r\n\r\n
CAPTAIN SMIRK... KIRK
And here comes Captain Kirk, or shall I say, Captain Smirk? Except for his, at times, aggressive attitude, Kirk is nothing like Pike. Captain Pike was keeping his feeling for himself and you'd still understand what he was going through. He would learn that one of his female crew mates would have fantasies about him and he wouldn't lift a finger. On the opposite, Kirk is full of himself. He's cocky and has a big smirk on his face most of the time. Kirk is "in your face", which much better translates for a TV series. He walks like a rock star and can talk like a crooner.
I also like the chemistry he has with his co-stars. You can see and feel the relationships he has for instance with Dr. McCoy. At times, you see that they are friends, but when the stakes are high and one of his crew members died, he acts like the leader he is and demands answers.
DR. McCOY
Which leads me to Dr. McCoy. I think it was a wonderful decision to cast another and much younger actor to play the doctor of the Enterprise. The doctor in "The Cage" was very old and therefore would have felt out of place in action scenes. Here, not only McCoy is portrayed by a much younger actor, but he brings an appeasing tone to the team.
BUDGET
The episode is clearly not getting the same budget as "The Cage". It feels much cheaper. Obviously, we know that we are always on sets, but there is no depth in the ones from this episode, compared to the ones from The Cage. Still, the episode is not bad. What I liked the most was the intrusion of "Nancy" into the ship. It reminded me of The X-Files' alien bounty hunter, only cheaper but equally exciting!
EMOTIONLESS SPOCK
Spock is the only character that remained, following the first pilot, "The Cage". I really love that not only they kept this character which has since become known across the globe, but that it's a more focused version of Spock. Physically, his haircut and eyebrows are much more appealing, and most importantly, the way he displays no emotion in even the most dire situations is very entertaining. A classic character, right from the start.
50 MINUTES
As much as the episode is interesting, the episode is still a bit too long. It would have been better to use a 43-minute format, which later became a standard.
SUMMARY
I give it 4 out of 5. Very good.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Cage (1x00)
Pike July 31, 2024, 12:07 ET
The (sex) cage
CAPTAIN... PIKE?!
"The Cage" is the episode zero of the original Star Trek series. Instead of Captain Kirk, we get another Captain of the ship. Captain Pike. And I must say the actor is quite believable and that the (pre)pilot works very well.
WELL CRAFTED FOR ITS TIME
While the episode may feel dated when watched today, you can clearly see that the episode got quite a budget. Let's remember that this is 1965. This is before Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, before Planet of the Apes, both released in 1968. There are so many sets and well crafted, it's really astonishing.
Yes, it feels cheap when watching it sixty years later, but if you look beyond that and appreciate the episode for what it is, it is very enjoyable and at times even fun.
STORY
It all starts with Captain Pike and his crew receiving a signal that was sent out for 18 years. Soon after, they beam onto the planet and discover that this was "some sorte of a trap", as Spock says. Some aliens with a higher form of intelligence put Pike into a cage to study him while putting him in front of illusions. The story is quite interesting, I liked the way that the aliens are building alternate realities for Capt. Pike.
SEX
It may be pure science-fiction, but it relates, somehow to a sense of reality that is always highly important in such stories. We might be far into an unknown galaxy, facing endless possibilities and all we think about... is sex.
Let's be real, like perhaps everything in life, this episode is about sex. Captain Pike spends most of the episode trying not to succumb to his urges to penetrate Vina, the good-looking blonde fantasy. This desire reaches its culmination point when Vina dances for him in a lubricious pose, half-naked.
A few mundane things:
- The sounds in the ship are quite funny, whether the alarms or the doors closing and opening.
- The idea of the beaming system and its execution are brilliant.
- The back of the alien heads look really like... asses!
- Also, I've never seen an episode with so many actors having piercing blue eyes.
SUMMARY
I give it 4 out of 5. Excellent, imaginative and provocative. A great concept which, as with all sci-fi stories, will produce great episodes and horrendous ones. There's rarely a place for in-between when it comes to sci-fi.
Engage!
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Turnabout Intruder (3x24)
Pike May 19, 2020, 12:05 ET
If only. If only.
SERIES FINALE
Saying that the series finale of Star Trek is a bad final episode would be an understatement. A series as imaginative as Star Trek deserved a far, far, better farewell gift than this. But remember, not only are we in 1969 (where series finales weren't events like they are today), but the series was actually cancelled after only three seasons. Therefore, this episode has not a single element of a series finale—except if perhaps you could see the mutiny as the ultimate token of respect and admiration of the crew towards Captain Kirk.
KIRK AS A WOMAN
The story of the episode could have been interesting. Kirk's body is being transferred with the one of a woman. In a split second, a woman is suddenly inside Kirk's body, and William Shatner tries to portray a woman and does not go the subtle way. The result is quite poor and actually equally sexist, as the woman is being portrayed as a complete erratic and hysteric person—even McCoy says so. Of course, she is the bad guy of the episode. But to the point, she should have been a man. Well... she was in this episode. But what I mean is that the story should have exchanged the bodies of men. That would have removed not only the element of sexism, but the ridiculousness about it. Imagine Kirk and Spock exchanging bodies, that would have been fun to watch.
VERDICT
I give it 1 out of 5. Very bad.
At the end of the day, the episode will not be remembered, but the series will. A series filled with great original ideas as well as ridiculous ones. A canvas of both the great imagination and lack of maturity. While I am only at the beginning of my journey—I still have many episodes and movies to watch—I will remember fondly of Jim Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu and Chekov. There was a great sense of camaraderie in the series and the actors did quite a spectacular job, equal as the one of the casting director.
Now, let's go and watch The Animated Series. Mr. Sulu, warp factor 2, please.
Engage!
Star Trek: The Original Series:
All Our Yesterdays (3x23)
Pike May 19, 2020, 12:05 ET
Penultimate
PENULTIMATE
The penultimate episode from Star Trek is a solid one. It seems that the episode had a bigger budget than usual. The locations were, for once, really top notch and the story was not ridiculous at all.
SPOCK/MCCOY
Obviously, what I liked the most was the relationship between Spock and McCoy, but especially because Spock suddenly acted in a much different and darker way. He can be seen manipulating his way into staying with the girl, and later would be very aggressive towards McCoy. I really liked it, and especially because it was embedded within the story and not just a gimmick. Not only that, but for once, Kirk is not the one to fall for a woman. This makes the love story much more powerful.
While the story itself was not wildly entertaining, it was enough to make for a good episode, produced with care.
VERDICT
I give it 4 out of 5. Very good.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Savage Curtain (3x22)
Pike May 18, 2020, 12:05 ET
Unbelievably believable — Yes, I'm Abraham Lincoln
ORIGINAL
The Savage Curtain is a very peculiar and original episode.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
The first half of the episode is about the crew meeting... Abraham Lincoln in space. You have to see it to believe, both on deck and behind the television screen.
SQUID GAME
The second part of the episode is a sort of Squid Game version in space. A giant rock comes to life and opposes two teams: one team of so-called "good" people and one team of violent people.
GOOD v BAD
The story is an excuse to show us a metaphor about good versus evil. The problem is that, like in the previous episode—where we had a story on a divided society—the metaphor is really, really not subtle. A big stone transforms into what anyone could refer to a big pile of warm poo, and then the war between good and bad people starts.
PART I: BELIEVE THE UNBELIEVABLE
As much as I did not like nor the theme nor the overall story, I must admit it was not as ridiculous as I initially expected when discovering the episode and that it is well executed and very... unbelievably believable. The first half was interesting and intriguing.
PART II: JUST BAD
But from the moment they beam down onto the planet, the second half of the episode is really bad.
VERDICT
I give it 2 out of 5. Weak. Only two episodes to go. I want my life back. Kirk out.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Cloud Minders (3x21)
Pike May 18, 2020, 12:05 ET
Germinal in space
CLOUD CITY
The concept of the cloud city was actually quite clever, as a way to tell us about our own cloud cities—meaning our ivory towers in which we feel secure while the less fortunate often are pushed aside further and further away from the city centers.
Go to Vancouver in Canada for instance and spend some time in the city center, then move just a few blocks down to East Hastings and you'll understand what I mean by that.
GOOD CONCEPT AND EXECUTION
Not only the concept was interesting, but the execution was rather good. Or at least decent. I liked the orange backgrounds.
TOO BASIC
But unfortunately, the episode ended up being quite boring and not really satisfying. The story itself was not great. I liked the starting point, but having to put the negative behavior of the surface people on the gas was really dumb if you ask me. "Just give 'em masks!"
It starts like an Émile Zola novel about classes but fail to really deliver on an intellectual level. And the dialogue on the overall metaphor was quite blunt and not really mature.
VERDICT
I give it 2 out of 5. Weak.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Way to Eden (3x20)
Pike May 18, 2020, 12:05 ET
Headin' out to Eden, yea, brother — This review will change your mind
THIS REVIEW WILL
CHANGE YOUR MIND
I promise!*
THE WORST EPISODE EVER
The Way to Eden was considered to be the worst episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, or at least one of the worst ones. In this outstanding review, I will convince you otherwise and tell you why The Way to Eden is a cool episode!
STARTS REAL BAD
When I first saw the hippies on screen, I was ready to mark this episode a 1. Hippies with lame costumes? Thanks, but no thanks.
CLEVERER THAN YOU'D THINK
Many would only focus on the laughable costumes, but the story itself is actually quite good. What I really enjoyed about this episode is that, for once, a group of men manipulate their way into the Enterprise, instead of going full frontal like the dumb Klingons.
Think with me for a second, what is more pervasive? An angry face telling he will destroy you? Or a smiley face singing catchy tunes and telling how much he adores you? Come to think of it, those hippies were the most terrifying enemies of the Enterprise. I really liked that.
ROCK IN SPACE
And yes, the songs were awesome! I just digged 'em both. Say what you want, but they knew how to make rock music in the 60's. And I loved to witness how much the main singer absolutely loved singing. He keeps singing with the biggest smile on his face. I find it great.
I also liked Spock joining the band for a space jam session. It's quite ironic, because Spock is supposed to not be emotional and what more emotional than music? But at the same time, music is math and highly based on mathematical sequences, so I would actually say that music fits Spock perfectly.
CHEKOV LOVE STORY
Sure, the episode is not brilliant and has big flaws. For instance, I didn't like the sub-story with Chekov at all.
So, this review is probably different from what most would say, but I persist and sign: I liked it.
VERDICT
I give it 3 out of 5. Enjoyable.
Headin' out, yea, brother.
* Satisfied or refunded
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Requiem for Methuselah (3x19)
Pike May 17, 2020, 12:05 ET
Forget her
MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!
REVEAL THE SPOILER!
The episode showed a very interesting story of a secluded man who REVEAL THE SPOILER!. This reminded me of the movie REVEAL THE SPOILER!, which basically tells the exact same story but in a more modern fashion.
Here, obviously the budget is cheap and the result as well. But still, the story is more than compelling and doesn't require any complex set up.
PIANO
As a complete sucker for piano, I just loved that little moment stuck in the air where Spock plays a Brahms walz, whilst Kirk dances with the female android. Calm and beautiful. There is no need for aliens when you've got music.
A BRILLIANT THEME
This is another instance of an episode which I didn't particularly enjoy upon the first watch. And now, as I watch it for a second time, I have a deeper appreciation for the story and the fact that the story was told the right way, with taking the time. Yes, the old man character's backstory was not very clever and I think the episode would have worked much better with an even simpler setting. But still, the theme is fascinating and I am absolutely, without any shadow of a doubt, convinced that one day we will have androids such as the female character from this episode. And we will be finally in front of mankind's biggest challenge yet: decide to give or not human rights to androids. Because androids will learn to suffer and to love (and to hate). Therefore, would torture be allowed against androids? Why would we accept the suffering of humans and not the suffering of almost similar replicas? Why would the human brain deserve better attention than a highly sophisticated processor? I'm not trying to share my view, as I actually don't want to deep dive into such a vast topic in this review, but as humans become more and more technological (starting with the computer, the smartphone and then wearables and brain chips), technology will become more human. That is the very nature of evolution, whether we want it or not; whether we accept it or not.
And I find it fascinating. And this is why I love Star Trek. Star Trek is not a show showing yet another weekly murder to solve. It's far beyond. It's high in our imagination, nurturing our brains and showing us a future that could be.
VERDICT
I give it 4 out of 5. Very good.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Lights of Zetar (3x18)
Pike May 17, 2020, 12:05 ET
Excellent
10/10 TEASER
Opening sequence: 10/10. Just perfect. The acting, the words, the camera. The look on Scotty's face. The response in Mira's face. The face of actors is the landscape, as a famous filmmaker once said. This is so true. Perhaps I'm exaggerating because the series rarely gives us any romance outside of the weekly girl given to Kirk. Suddenly, having Scotty falling in love makes the emotions go sky high.
STORY
The story itself was excellent. The special effects not too far out there and ultimately very believable, even though clearly paranormal. Once again the proof that abstract phenomenons are usually the best and often working perfectly.
DIRECTING
Not only that, but the directing of the episode was top notch too. The opening sequence says it all. Star Trek shows its potential to be bigger than just on the relatively small TV screen from the late 1960's.
SCOTTY
And Scotty is such a genuine person with a big heart and a good soul that seeing him opening his heart to a woman felt truly great. Pure emotions.
MISSED CONCLUSION
The only downside is that we didn't get to see the conclusion and ultimately separation between Scotty and Mira.
VERDICT
I give it 4 out of 5. Very good.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
That Which Survives (3x17)
Pike May 17, 2020, 12:05 ET
Touch me, babe
SOLID
After so many bad episodes from season 3, I didn't expect much from this one. But the story is actually quite good and the execution is top notch.
HE'S DEAD, JIM
As soon as I saw Kirk, McCoy, Sulu and a new crew man we never saw before all alone on a planet, I was sure the new guy would die, even if he wasn't wearing a red shirt.
A few minutes later, he was already vertical and McCoy was trying to find a sentence that didn't include "He's dead, Jim."
TOUCH ME
The episode could be seen as a tribute to the eponymous song from The Doors:
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Now, touch me, babe
Can't you see that I am not afraid?
What was that promise that you made?
Why won't you tell me what she said?
What was that promise that you made?
Now I'm gonna love you
Till the heavens stop the rain
I'm gonna love you
Till the stars fall from the sky
For you and I
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Now, touch me, babe
Can't you see that I am not afraid?
What was that promise that you made?
Why won't you tell me what she said?
What was that promise that you made?
I'm gonna love you
Till the heavens stop the rain
I'm gonna love you
Till the stars fall from the sky
For you and I
I'm gonna love you
Till the heavens stop the rain
I'm gonna love you
Till the stars fall from the sky
For you and I
Stronger than dirt
SPOCKY SPOCK
Spock was quite interesting in this episode, but perhaps his "spockyness" was pushed a little too far.
SCOTTY SCOTT
I also really liked Scotty trying to fix the ship from inside.
VERDICT
I give it 4 out of 5.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Mark of Gideon (3x16)
Pike May 16, 2020, 12:05 ET
Almost good
EMPTY ENTERPRISE
I liked a lot the concept of the episode, with Kirk coming back to an empty Enterprise and trying to live on his own. I also liked the idea of a world with over-population. It was very original.
SLOW PACE
The pace of the episode was extremely slow but worked well. The episode is extremely focused, which is quite good. But unfortunately that didn't last for long. The second half of the episode is extremely boring.
ANOTHER TREK GIRL
Meanwhile, Kirk gets yet another beautiful woman. Even James Bond doesn't seem to get such a magnetism.
At least, no horrible costumes and ridiculous characters.
VERDICT
I give it 3 out of 5. Enjoyable. Finally something decent after so many poor episodes in this final season.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Let That Be Your Last Battlefield (3x15)
Pike May 16, 2020, 12:05 ET
It's black, it's white, hoo!
BLACK & WHITE v WHITE & BLACK
The episode is very simple: two individuals hate each other. The reason? One is white on the left side of the body and black on the right side, whilst the other is black on the left side and black on the right side.
I couldn't go past the bad makeup of the two guest characters. If Star trek had had a higher budget and more time (meaning less episodes per year), it could have been much better. Here, we face again ridiculous characters, which is difficult to virtually impossible to go through.
It would have been far more interesting to make the characters a single color and for instance having a green character hating a purple one. I understand that the goal of the half-black, half-white faces is to make the futile argument of racism even more compelling.
But I don't think this was the solution.
The episode is as profound as lyrics from a Michael Jackson song:
It's black, it's white
It's tough for you to beat, yeah (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's black, it's white (It's white)
It's black, it's white
It's tough for you to beat, yeah (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's black, it's white, hoo!
Also, the second part of the episode was about Kirk and Spock lecturing the bad guy(s) and telling them how bad they are. Completely anti-climatic and, well, cheesy.
The scene of the (almost) self-destruction of the starship Enterprise was very interesting though. I liked the closeups to the crew members and the effect of suspense.
So, I watched the episode but cannot really tell you what it even was about. It felt like tasting a bad steak, you don't continue to see if the rest of the meat was good. And apologies to the vegetarians for this bad taste comparison.
ENDING
(Spoiler alert) Yes, the ending was fascinating and only something Star Trek could do. Unfortunately, for budget reasons, we didn't get to actually see the scene, but we are told that the two characters REVEAL THE SPOILER!.
I would have imagined a shot from above, with the camera slowly zooming out and just showing two small dots fighting on a dead planet. Quite magnificent. Similar to that one shot of the two characters fighting from Interstellar, showing us the futility of physical violence.
VERDICT
Perhaps that last scene would have deserve the episode to get a 2, but I still give it 1 out of 5. Very bad.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Whom Gods Destroy (3x14)
Pike May 16, 2020, 12:05 ET
An amazing start! A boring follow-up
OUTSTANDING TEASER
The episode started in the perfect way! A strange and dark planet with a prison for psychos. I simply loved it. It was very well executed, even with low budget.
BUT...
Unfortunately, while the first minutes are great, the rest of the episode is quite bad and losing momentum very quickly. Once again, a missed opportunity.
REPETITION
Also, the episode does exactly the same as its predecessor, by putting a female in the arms of Kirk, only to have that woman trying to stab him.
SPOILER
Spoiler alert, REVEAL THE SPOILER!, imagine how great this would have be in a great episode. Unfortunate, really.
And the fact that we are not allowed to get scenes outside "because of budget constraints" doesn't help.
Finally, both the green lady and the so-called emperor characters were really uninteresting.
I'M THE REAL KIRK!
Still a classic scene of "I'm the real Kirk!" Which might not be that classic at the time. Since then, it was overused in pretty much every sci-fi series.
BORING
And this sequence in the third season is so boring. I am dying. The episodes really shouldn't last for more than 45 minutes.
VERDICT
I give it 2 out of 5. Weak.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Elaan of Troyius (3x13)
Pike May 16, 2020, 12:05 ET
A little brat with a knife
A LITTLE BRAT
This episode's level of maturity is close to zero. There is no nuance. The guest character of this episode (Elaan, portrayed by France Nuyen) is completely irrational and goes from being the rudest person ever (translation: a little brat) to a vulnerable one. It's actually quite ridiculous, as at some point, she literally stabs someone in the back. That alone should have made the crew put her into jail or beam into space.
24.050632911392405%
And suddenly, in a split second, she goes from trying to stab Kirk to... "loving" him. Sure. And for the countless time, Jim Kirk is kissing a beautiful lady. I wonder how many women he kissed in the course of the show. Actually, I just checked, 19. Out of 79 episodes overall, that means he kissed a new woman 24.050632911392405% of the time. (I don't know why I've added all those decimals, I guess that's a given when you watch Star Trek).
SPACE BATTLE
The last part of the episode is a space battle with Klingons. It makes the ending a bit more interesting.
VERDICT
I give it 2 out of 5. Weak but clearly an improvement over the previous episode, The Empath.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Empath (3x12)
Pike May 16, 2020, 12:05 ET
Not ridiculous
For once, the costumes and make up SFX were really well done. You couldn't see the strings.
The story was a bit more focused than usual. And I liked the fact that our characters were in an environment with a black background. That made is less worse than the usual lame backgrounds. Sometimes, no money is interesting.
But at the same time, it felt like the cowboy episode where the sets were just not completed. In season 3, Star Trek almost becomes a play: a small location with not to much. This is theater.
The concept could have been very interesting, although quite classic in science-fiction: aliens making experiments with humans.
ALIENS
I found the aliens well done and similar to the ones from the original pilot The Cage.
Still, the episode was not so great and ultimately very boring. Also, I did not care for the empath, since she never talked.
VERDICT
I give it 2 out of 5 because it wasn't ridiculous for once. Exactly the same formula as the previous episode. Weak.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Wink of an Eye (3x11)
Pike May 16, 2020, 12:05 ET
Rushed (pun intended) sex slaves
KIRK IN
The episode's idea is quite clever and not too far out there. I liked the concept.
What I didn't like was that, once again, we go through the same scenario. A beautiful woman falls for Kirk—we even see a scene in which Jim and the lady can be seen putting back their clothes, rearranging their hair (aka "the boot scene"). Jim scores again.
NOT WELL CRAFTED
While the episode could have been good, I didn't like the rationale of the lady and her friend. It was not interesting. And the script didn't well use the great concept of going slow-motion versus fast, etc.
VISUALLY INTERESTING
But it was still visually interesting, with the camera always tilted to show the alternate reality.
LOCATIONS
Meanwhile, the so-called locations were almost non-existent. You can see the budget going down as you watch the entire series.
RUSHED ENDING
And the worst part was without any doubt the rushed ending. Either that actually fits perfectly or not at all, depending on how you see the episode's concept – people slowing down and/or being faster). In a few seconds, we go from the evil duo taking over the Enterprise to Jim saving the day and shipping them back to their planet.
VERDICT
I give it 2 out of 5. Weak. I don't give it 1 because it is not ricidulous, but it's very close to this score.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Plato's Stepchildren (3x10)
Pike May 14, 2020, 12:05 ET
Horrible X100000000000000000000 with a kiss
Oh. My. God. This episode is so awful it hurts watching it. It seems impossible that a script like that could have remotely gone through production. Everything is awfully bad. just dumb and ridiculous. Really horrendous. Without any doubt one of the five worst episodes of the series.
JUMP THE SHARK
There is a scene in which Kirk slaps himself. Very hard to watch.
JUMP THE SHARK, AGAIN
In another scene, Kirk and Spock are seen dancing. Then Spock is dancing over Kirk's body. Just completely out of place and horrendous watching. Please, I want my life back. Make it stop.
JUMP THE SHARK, HIGHER!
Then, Kirk is playing a horse and screams with a dwarf on his back. Jesus, I'm dying.
WITH A KISS
But... this episode is actually part of History. This is the first time on American television that a man would kiss a black woman. For the anecdote, Spock was originally supposed to be kissing Uhura. But William Shatner asked to be the one that would kiss her, in order to be part of History.
VERDICT
Apart from the kiss, just a horrible episode. Beyond bad. 1.
PS: And here comes the longest worst streak of bad episodes in the series. This episode is the first of a series of 8 uninterrupted bad episodes. Watching season 3 is quite a daunting task. If you are reading this review and watching all episodes in order, I say to you:
Good luck, and good night.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Tholian Web (3x09)
Pike May 14, 2020, 12:05 ET
Terrific!
Finally! A terrific episode, with a great story, great costumes, great effects, great acting, great scenario, great dialogue, great everything!
As usual, the recipe for a great Star Trek episodes are: high stakes and a paranormal effect not ridiculous (often abstract). This is truly a great episode, in which they used the friendly animosity between Bones and Spock to a great effect and within the story. Just perfect.
SPACE SUITS
This episode marks the only second time that the crew is wearing space suits. The first time was all the way back to the beginning of the first season, in The Naked Time. Yes, the new suits can be criticized today (some tubes seem to go from one place to another back into the suit), but I find it quite refreshing and, suddenly, it makes it much more scary, than having the characters always just walking on planets without any gear whatsoever—except red shirts of course.
SPOCK / LEONARD NIMOY
Spock is simply oustanding. Leonard Nimoy is a rock star. His mental focus makes the audience equally focused in each scene he appears.
UHURA
Finally, we get a scene with Uhura not just saying a couple of mundane words behind her desk. The actress perfectly delivered her lines. She suddenly sees Kirk through her mirror and that scene is fantastic! I loved it. It reminded me of Interstellar.
Even the final scene in which Jim asks Spock and McCoy if they watched his final order on tape was hilarious and top notch.
This is by far the best episode of the season so far and one of the best episodes of the show without any doubt.
I loved everything about it and I apologize for this awful unstructured review, which I'll fix over the next decades.
VERDICT
I give it 5 out of 5. Outstanding.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky (3x08)
Pike May 14, 2020, 12:05 ET
McCoy and ridiculous outfits
GREAT BEGINNING
I was glad to see an episode centered around Dr. McCoy. DeForest Kelley was a great actor and any time spent close to him is always interesting. I liked how he had to face his own fate in the form of a sickness. That was quite clever knowing that he is the doctor of the starship Enterprise.
RIDICULOUS
Unfortunately, as it is far too often the case in Star Trek, the story is not very compelling and ridiculous cheap costumes appear soon after. With ugly horrendous hats, as if it made the characters more believable...
END-LIFE CRISIS
To summarize, after learning that he has a incurable sickness and only one year to live, McCoy jumps on the chance to get laid with a foxy lady. Who would blame him? Sure, she wears way too much mascara, but she seems like a nice gal behind all that makeup.
THE RUSHEST CONCLUSION
The episode ends with McCoy's friends discovering and administering him the remedy against his incurable disease in roughly 45 seconds. Credits roll. This is by far one of the worst and rushest endings of the series. Really awful.
VERDICT
I give it 2 out of 5. Weak. I might have given it 3, but the rushed conclusion is just too bad.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Day of the Dove (3x07)
Pike May 13, 2020, 12:05 ET
In this icy cold of Space — Outstanding episode with a surprise ending!
A THRILLING START!
Day of the Dove starts with the crew beaming down on a planet where a colony of a hundred people disappeared, supposedly killed by a strange force.
As they are investigating, Spock, aboard the Enterprise, warns them about a "Klingon ship closing fast."
Without even firing at it, the Klingon ship gets destroyed. Only a fraction of the crew is able to beam down on the planet where Kirk and his crew are. The Klingons, thinking their ship was destroyed by the Enterprise, decide to take her over.
This is quite an interesting start! The stakes are high, there are no fuzzy costumes and we get instantly invested in a story that actually got two thrilling stories packed into one!
After four bad episodes, let's kick off an exciting one, shall we?
[Opening credits]
ALIEN LIFE FORM
As the characters argue, we see an odd creature in the distance, which then sneaks aboard the ship. I absolutely loved it because it is not a ridiculous alien—meaning an extra wearing a ridiculous outfit—but a fascinating abstract being which does one thing: nurtures our brains.
SPOCK
I'm glad that Spock's brain got reattached during the season premiere, because it works quite well! He's the only one making a growing realization that the events keep getting odder, to such a point he rules out the Klingon for being the sole responsible. I thought it worked extremely well.
AGRESSIVE CREW
(Spoiler alert), what I also really liked was the end of the camaraderie between our crew, which went from friendly to overly agressive towards one another, until even spitting racial slurs. I always like to see the dramatic and dark tone of Star Trek. It is very powerful.
RAPIST CHEKOV
The writer even pushed the boundaries of television in a short scene I loved where Chekov tries to rape a woman. It was extremely well directed, with some extra close-up on Chekov—but with the camera slowly moving, showing the violent emotional uprising of the character—, finally showing his Russian accent like a bad guy. This reminded me of evil Sulu with scar on his face.
A LAUGHABLE ENDING?
Now let's talk about the ending. Kirk and his friends realize that the alien life-form gets off from witnessing violence. Therefore, the episode stops quickly when all the characters decide to put down the weapons and laugh at the creature. The first time I watched the episode, I found it ridiculously bad. Now, upon my second viewing, I actually like it! It's a bold and surprising move and it actually works.
(And allow me one trivial comment: Scott has his third haircut during the series and his second since the season premiere.)
VERDICT
I give it 5 out of 5. Oustanding and the best episode of the third season so far.
But wait!
Who or what was the creature?!
Since we haven't had any explanation, let me go meta and give you mine.
I believe the creature is a representation of Jerome Bixby, the writer of the episode. Why, do you ask? At the 14 minute mark, the creature is changing mundane objects to weapons, so that the characters of the story fight one another. This is the moment I realized that the creature is the screenwriter! What is the role of the screenwriter, above anything else? To entertain us! And what does this creature do? It entertains us by not only setting up the board, but by bringing the characters towards their positions and setting the rules of the game, in order to entertain us!
I would suggest you to rewatch the episode and think about this element, as if the writer was setting his variables in front of us and showing us how it's done. Mission: accomplished, Mr. Bixby.
Kirk out.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Spectre of the Gun (3x06)
Pike May 13, 2020, 12:05 ET
Western with a twist
After the episode about the Greek gods (S02E02, Who Mourns for Adonais?), the one with the Chicago mafia (S02E17, A Piece of the Action), the one with the Nazis (S02E21, Patterns of Force) and the one with the Indians (S03E03, The Paradise Syndrome), we now get an episode with cowboys. Logically, you get the usual suspects, meaning the Sheriff, the bar, the loose canon and all the elements from a Western. Except the series has an even lower budget and everything is shot in a studio with a wide red background that feels very cheap. Even more when you think that it would not have been that difficult to find a Western-type location in Souther California.
The budget of the series has become so low that the characters have to openly found out excuses for the audience:
Spock: Obviously this represents the Melkotian's concept of an American frontier town, circa 1880.
McCoy: It's just bits and pieces. It's incomplete.
Spock: Perhaps the Melkotians have insufficient data about this era.
Anyway, apart from the bad (or absence of) locations, the episode's story is not much better.
ENDING
But, the ending is very interesting, with Spock realizing that they are seeing a false reality, and then convincing the crew members that they cannot be killed. That was really well done. And Leonard Nimoy's deep voice is always working.
WEAK SEASON 3
This is the sixth episode of the third season and there was only one good episode so far. The ratio is becoming to become really difficult to fix with later episodes.
VERDICT
I give it 2 out of 5 and not 1 because of the ending with the crew realizing the reality is not the one they see. Still a weak episode.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Is There in Truth No Beauty? (3x05)
Pike May 13, 2020, 12:05 ET
Decent but too complex
The story of this episode is not too far out there (I said "too far") and at least we don't get to see people wearing ridiculous costumes. And clearly compared to the previous episode, it is much better.
Unfortunately, the story doesn't work quite right and it is very boring.
Still, the end of the episode with the starship being outside the galaxy was interesting. And there is a very fun scene in which the ambassador talks through Spock, which goes out of character in a friendly tone, which is always very rare and always an utter delight.
VERDICT
Overall, this is a rare Star Trek episode that's neither great nor very bad. I give it 2 out of 10. Weak.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
And the Children Shall Lead (3x04)
Pike May 13, 2020, 12:05 ET
Miri II
THE SEQUEL THAT ISN'T
Early in season one, Star Trek featured an episode based on children. The title was Miri and the episode was, by far, the worst episode of the series so far (after only seven episodes, including the original pilot The Cage).
Therefore, what did the producers do in season 3? They tried again! Because not learning from our errors is the best way to progress, right? Right?!
LIKE THE PREVIOUS EPISODE, ONLY THE OPPOSITE
This episode is the opposite of the previous one. The previous episode started very well and ended up quite badly. In this episode, the initial concept is very bad, but as we progress, the children are then taking control over the USS Enterprise.
Once again a missed opportunity.
ANNOYING MUSIC
The music is also extremely annoying, trying to play over the kids. I highly disliked it.
The episode ends with McCoy super happy to see the kids finally crying about their parents being dead.
MCCOY: They're crying, Jim. I don't know how it happened, but it's good to see.
It's definitely better than seeing the episode.
VERDICT
I give it 1 out of 5. Very bad.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Paradise Syndrome (3x03)
Pike May 13, 2020, 12:05 ET
Asteroid, Indians and amnesia
AN INTERESTING CONCEPT
The episode started with a very interesting concept: a planet that will soon be hit with an asteroid. Kirk, Spock and McCoy visit this planet and discover a strange obelisk. This was a good start.
GREAT LOCATION
Not only this, but after so many episodes taking place in small sets, we finally get to breath in the outdoor of a great and real location. I liked it a lot.
BUT...
But unfortunately, all goes to hell soon after that. Kirk is waking up with amnesia and seen as a God by a type of Indian tribe, this is the type of stories I would read as a kid in Scrooge McDuck or Donald. The episode then becomes even worse and worse, until Kirok (Kirk's new Indian name) and his new wife are being stoned with obvious fake stones. Cheap and really bad.
NO EPILOGUE
Finally, the episode has no epilogue. Kirk's wife dies. Credits roll.
VERDICT
I give it 1 out of 5. Very bad.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Enterprise Incident (3x02)
Pike May 11, 2020, 12:05 ET
A small movie!
This episode is purely excellent! It feels like a small movie. From the very first second, everything is great. Dr. McCoy is opening the episode with a medical log, explaining that Captain Kirk is not in his normal state. The rest of the episode is a feast. War, treason, romance, bromance (Scotty seeing Jim back from the dead), you name it!
SPOCK ROMANDE
It was interesting to see the female commander of the Romulan ship falling for Mr. Spock.
VERDICT
I give it 4 out of 5. Very good.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Spock's Brain (3x01)
Pike May 11, 2020, 12:05 ET
Horrible season premiere
SEASON 3 STARTS
Apart from a blue logo and a fancy new haircut for Scotty, the third season of Star Trek starts with the most awful of ways. The concept says it all: someone stole... Spock's brain. You read it right. There are countless quotes where actors say stuff such as "How are you going to find Spock's brain in the galaxy?" and other ridiculous things like that.
HIGH STAKES... BUT STUPID
It's a shame because I really liked to see a season premiere with a dramatic story impacting heavily the main characters. This is going to be a classic ploy years later in TV. But at this time, it is not yet a given.
Unfortunately, as high as the stakes are for the main characters of this episode, the stakes are... stupid.
THE DIALOGUE
And the dialogue is simply ho-rren-dous. Excerpt:
KIRK: Who controls this complex?
KARA: Control? Controller?
KIRK: Yes, the Controller. The Controller. Who controls? I would like to meet, to see him.
KARA: No. It is not permitted. Never! Controller is alone, apart. We serve Controller. No other is permitted near.
KIRK: We intend no harm.
KARA: You have come to destroy us.
KIRK: No, no, no. I promise you.
MCCOY: We just want to talk to somebody about Spock's brain. That's all.
KARA: Brain and brain! What is brain? It is Controller, is it not?
MCCOY: Yes. Yes, in a way it is. The human brain controls the individual's functions.
KIRK: Bones. Scotty. Spock's brain controls
MCCOY: It's not possible.
KIRK: Great leader. Great leader! (He kneels in front of Kara.) We come from a far place to learn from your Controller.
KARA: You lie! You know me. You have said that. You came to take back the Controller.
KIRK: He is our friend. You must take us to him. We beg you. Soon it will be too late.
LUMA: Do not take them, Kara. Do not take them to the Controller.
GAY PLANET
There's a gay planet where women don't exist. I don't want to know how they make babies.
FINAL SCENE
Leonard Nimoy is forced to play without a brain in what is considered by many as the worst episode of Star Trek. This is science without any science. The final scene in which Spock tells Dr. McCoy how to operate on him (live) is beyond bad. I'm quite happy that the series only had three seasons.
MONEY
Some will want to make you believe that the series became worse because of its reduced budget. Don't believe them. Yes, money is obviously a key element for a sci-fi series, but many of the best episodes from Star Trek mostly take place in small locations, with drama between the characters and the events. And most of the elaborate costumes were bad from the beginning. Do you think the lizard from Arena (season 1) was good?
There can be bottle TV episodes that can be magnificent. So my take is simple, it all comes down to one thing: the words. The script. The story. The scenario. Nothing else.
VERDICT
I give it 1 out of 5. Beyond bad.
But... this review is not over!
Spock's Brain is so bad that it is good. What? Good and good! What is good? You might say.
When McCoy is operating on Spock by reattaching his brain, there is a short scene in which the camera fades in and out on the characters. And suddenly, the episode becomes brilliant! It sends us straight to Plan 9 From Outer Space, a place far out there when things are so bad that they become brilliant! Like hating a person so much that you start to fall in love with that person. A song so bad it becomes catchy.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Assignment: Earth (2x26)
Pike May 11, 2020, 12:05 ET
A gigantic mess
This episode is quite the mess. There is a cat, a voyage through time, the opportunity to see the real world from 1968 (when the actual episode was filmed), some rockets, a dumb secretary, etc. In the end, the sauce isn't thickening.
It's a shame because you can see the very high production value from this episode. There are many sets and they were quite good in utilizing images of rockets and merging these with the episode. And most importantly, the guest star was simply amazing! He has a presence that tells me more actors like him should have been used in Star Trek, where sometimes the acting from some guests was flaky.
VERDICT
I give it 1 out of 5. Very bad.
SEASON 2 ENDS
This marks the end of the second season, which clearly is not as good as the first, but still had some amazing episodes and was a delight to go through. My favorite episodes of the second season were:
- Amok Time
- Mirror, Mirror
- The Doomsday Machine
- Metamorphosis
- Journey to Babel
- Obsession
- The Trouble with Tribbles (I think...)
- The Gamesters of Triskelion (bad but worth for the actress)
- A Piece of the Action
- The Immunity Syndrome
- Return to Tomorrow
- Patters of Force
- By Any Other Name
- The Ultimate Computer
As always with sci-fi and definitely in Star Trek, the episodes were either great or very bad. Rarely in between.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Bread and Circuses (2x25)
Pike May 11, 2020, 12:05 ET
The Roman Empire
BAD ROMANS
After visiting a planet made of mobsters, a planet ruled with Nazis, Kirk, Spock and McCoy now visit a planet where the civilization is looking oddly like the Roman Empire. You therefore get the usual cheap sets, the really not epic gladiator fight, you name it.
A GREAT SPOCK/MCCOY SCENE
Still, in this bad episode, there is one particular scene that is simply beautiful and pitch perfect between McCoy and Spock. Their relationship has been pretty tense in this second season, but in this scene you also see the duality between their profound friendship as well as animosity. Just wonderful acting and words.
VERDICT
Unfortunately, still a bad episode. I give it 2 out of 5 and just because of that scene between Spock and McCoy... and Drusilla. Command me.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Ultimate Computer (2x24)
Pike May 11, 2020, 12:05 ET
ChatGPT in 1968
AHEAD OF ITS TIME
Released on March 8, 1968, the episode is clearly ahead of its time, predicting that humans will be made irrelevant by machines. In this episode, the goal is to replace most of the crew by a super computer. Decades later, drones are delivering packages, cars are driving themselves, travel agencies have disappeared. But most importantly, the computer has reduced the workforce and increased productivity immensely. And the world is currently the midst of the AI phenomenon, with Apple having just released their AI technology in iOS 18 and more operating systems this week. And ChatGPT is already the new app that is changing the entire world.
This episode aired fifty-five years before ChatGPT, and it had everything perfect. But as much as it was ahead of its time, in a way, the 1960's saw the beginning of the heavy mechanization.
THEME
Once again, an excellent episode at the end of this season. The theme is clearly fascinating and not pure sci-fi. No bad costumes. Just a simple, real and believable story. And high stakes again, as often in Star Trek.
KILLING THE ROBOT
The only negative thing was, to me, the usage of Kirk, once again, killing a robot by merely talking to it. He seems to be doing in every 5 to 10 episodes or so.
VERDICT
I give it 5 out of 5.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Omega Glory (2x23)
Pike May 11, 2020, 12:05 ET
Starts great... finishes horribly
GOOD CONCEPT...
The episode started off with a great concept. Almost the entire crew of a starfleet ship (the USS Exeter) had disappeared, and Kirk and his friends McCoy and Spock were trying to find out what was happening.
...BUT BAD EPISODE
Unfortunately, not long after, Kirk goes to a nearby planet and all breaks loose. The episode ends up being ridiculous and not very interesting.
What was also great was that Kirk met a Captain of another ship, but again during a missed opportunity. This Captain already appeared in season 1, in the episode 1x09 Dagger of the Mind. But to be fair, if I have had to bring back a character from a previous episode, I would seriously not have chosen this one.
TOO MUCH TOO MUCH KIRK
Also, William Shatner is going too far ahead in his interpretation, in my view. I obviously love him dearly and his "too-much attitude" is also why we love him, but in this episode, I think he delivers a few lines by going way too far.
RIDICULOUS
And the end of the episode was really ridiculous, with the pledge to the US flag and the talk on communists.
VERDICT
I give it 1 out of 5. Very bad.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
By Any Other Name (2x22)
Pike May 11, 2020, 12:05 ET
Freeze!
The end of this second seasons is really interesting! This episode is very fun and shows us, once again, what is the recipe for a great Star Trek episode:
- High stakes.
- No cheesy costumes.
- A simple yet imaginative paranormal phenomenon.
- And yes, a sexy lady in an equally sexy costume!
In this one, Kirk and his crew are getting taken over by a small group of people while using a device that freezes people. Very simple yet very effective.
Oh, and Kirk gets to kiss yet another beautiful women (Barbara Bouchet).
But, the ending is clearly botched, with the bad guy just changing his mind and us not getting to witness the return of the people transformed into stones.
VERDICT
I give it 3 out of 5. Enjoyable.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Patterns of Force (2x21)
Pike May 10, 2020, 12:05 ET
Space Nazis
Once again, a great episode where Kirk and Spock both explore a world that isn't made out of ridiculous creatures.
In this great episode, Kirk and Spock are dressed as civils (not for a while) on a planet resembling Earth. This starts in a very similar fashion as the best episode of the entire series: The City on the Edge of Forever (1x28).
NAZI PLANET
Soon after, they discover they are on a planet where Nazis are in power. Yes, there are Swastikas pretty much everywhere, including on the cameras, but it was done well and it worked.
WEAK CONCLUSION
The conclusion of the episode, though, is either dishonest or immature (or both?). In it, all the characters (including Spock and Kirk) agree on the same: the Nazi regime had a negative dimension in being a totalitarian regime, but it also made for a great renewal of Germany and therefore has roots of greatness.
This kind of fascination for the Nazis having rebuilt Germany is out of place to me. We've killed six million Jews, but hey, we created highways! I think this should have been greatly rewritten.
VERDICT
Still, the episode is fun to watch and I'm not the type to be shocked. It's Nazis in space, nothing more, nothing less. I give it 4 out of 5. Very good.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Return to Tomorrow (2x20)
Pike May 10, 2020, 12:05 ET
Evil Spock & Risk. Risk is our business.
STARK CONTRAST
After a completely ridiculously bad episode, Star Trek proves us that it is capable of the worst and the best. This episode is extremely focused right from the beginning, as the starship Enterprise is moving through Space in uncharted territory and stumbles upon a strange voice which leads them to an equally strange planet.
THE STORY
To summarize, Kirk, Spock and a female Doctor are giving their body to an alien life form.
KIRK'S SPEECH: RISK!
I loved the scene in which Kirk convinces the crew to proceed with this risky mission. The music, the long zoom, the acting, it was quite a good scene.
EVIL SPOCK
But the most important thing about this episode is without any doubt Spock, acting in a totally different way for the fourth time in the series (1x24 This Side of Paradise, 2x01 Amok Time, 2x04 Mirror, Mirror). We are used to see William Shatner having to play over the top some paranormal scenes. But when it comes to Leonard Nimoy, those scenes are so rare that the result is far more powerful. He gave a very evil performance and I loved it.
VERDICT
I give the episode 4 out of 5. Very good.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
A Private Little War (2x19)
Pike May 10, 2020, 12:05 ET
Ridiculous everything, an insane Kirk and an S&M Spock
DRAMA WITH NO FOCUS
The opening of this episode is very odd. It tries to be dramatic, by having Spock being shot and soon after a Klingon ship going nearby. But then the episode quickly moves away from it all, to focus on something else.
RIDICULOUS
The something else is a planet with no interesting locations—it's just arid. And then there are ridiculous costumes, ridiculous wigs, ridiculous dialogue.
There is also a big furry creature that was plain ridiculous too.
INSANE KIRK
But most importantly, Kirk is basically spending most of the episode being totally insane, first not wanting to use weapons but then wanting to arm each side during a conflict, basically introducing violence with a non-violent tribe. Now that I think about it, I'm not even sure there was a conclusion to that. Oh and at one point he kisses his friend's wife.
S&M SPOCK
Meanwhile, Spock is laying in bed and asking the nurse to slap him multiple times. This leads to one of the stupidest scenes of the entire series.
ENDING
Even the last shot makes no sense and is not a satisfying ending at all. There is no epilogue. The episode just stops.
VERDICT
I give it 1 out of 5. Very bad. Sci-fi at its worse.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Immunity Syndrome (2x18)
Pike May 10, 2020, 12:05 ET
High stakes
Star Trek is back to its best, meaning no cheesy costumes and utterly bad dialogues, but fascinating and invisible science-fiction with intelligent science to back the story.
The Starship Enterprise is being eaten by a dark matter element. Science Officer Spock risks his life, but his friends, including Dr. McCoy, refuse to give up and launch a rescue mission that could be the last.
The stakes are, therefore extremely high, and the result very cinematic.
VERDICT
I give it 5 out of 5. Excellent. By far one of the best episode of the season so far.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
A Piece of the Action (2x17)
Pike May 10, 2020, 12:05 ET
The Godfather Enterprise
SPACE MAFIA
A kind of different episode, in which Kirk and his friends go to a planet that looks a lot like the Chicago from the 1930's. The beginning didn't please me a lot, but then the episode becomes a kind of comedy and works—somewhat—well. Kirk does his impression of a mafia guy and goes fully at it. And once again, he is never ridiculous, because he is awesome in every situation.
A CAR
I also laughed a lot at Kirk and Spock trying to drive a car.
SPOCK
I also have to say how much I absolutely adore Mr. Spock and his remarks and overall attitude. As highly intelligent as he is, his brilliant mind fails to understand very basic human emotions, such as bad guys lying to him. And the dialogue is simply hilarious:
Kalo: Okay, you three, let's see you petrify.
Spock: Sir, would you mind explaining that statement, please?
Kalo: I want to see you turn to stone.
Oxmyx: Krako's put the bag on your captain.
Spock: Why would he put a bag on our captain?
Oxmyx: Kidnapped him, you dope.
Spock: Ship's log. Mr. Spock reporting. Incredible as it seems, Doctor McCoy and I are once again prisoners of the chief criminal boss of a society patterned after old Earth gangsters.
Spock: Mr. Oxmyx, I understood we had an arrangement, a truce.
Oxmyx: I was hoping you'd think that, dummy.
This episode is once again a proof of the insanely fun and wide spectrum of the show. Star Trek is not, like most people would think, a show about intergalactic people running into aliens. It's much more than this! I wished I had discovered Star Trek decades earlier. I love it.
VERDICT
I give it 3 out of 5. Enjoy.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Gamesters of Triskelion (2x16)
Pike May 10, 2020, 12:05 ET
Gladiators in Space
RIDICULOUS
Another ridiculous episode where Jim Kirk is put in yet another ridiculous costume. I mean, his S&M-like costume is really, really bad. But the man can be put in the most absurd of situation, he'll still be a legend!
LADY GAGA IN SPACE
Oh, and once again a young beautiful woman falls for Captain Kirk, only for him to leave her at the end. Sad. But this worked quite well. This shows we need more emotions and less sci-fi mumbo jumbo.
The lady looks a bit like a Space version of Lady Gaga. Her name was Angelique Pettyjohn and she passed away at only 48 from cervical cancer. After an uneven career in television and films, she appeared in some adult movies in the early 80's, such as Stalag 69 as the Nazi Interrogator.
Kirk spends his time trying to kiss her and seduce her, until he... punches her right into her face, so hard that she becomes unconscious. I'm talking about another era, where this episode aired in front of ten million people and zero tweets asking to cancel the show!
CONFLICT
What is very interesting, back on the ship, is McCoy and Scott constantly contradicting Spock, which is in command. This will be interesting when you start reading my reviews of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
VERDICT
This episode is once again very difficult to rate. Because on one side, it's pretty weak and ridiculous... but it is simultaneously very entertaining at times and the female character of Shahna is mesmerizing.
I still give it 1 out of 5. Very bad.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Trouble with Tribbles (2x15)
Pike May 10, 2020, 12:05 ET
Bisexual fuzzy balls
THE TROUBLE
The trouble with reviewing The Trouble with Tribbles is that it is a very light episode which is at times ridiculous and at times ridiculously fun, and I must admit that upon a second viewing, it becomes enjoyable.
STORY
The screenplay of that episode is particularly bad... or fun? Some fuzzy balls that have constant bisexual sex. Just awful... or brilliant? Can anyone reminds me why am I watching this?
VERDICT
In my initial review, I had given the episode a score of 1 out of 5. I will revisit my thinking and give it 3 out of 5. Enjoyable. But don't ask me to give it a 4, at least not for now.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Wolf in the Fold (2x14)
Pike May 10, 2020, 12:05 ET
A murder at a Space whore-house... then more murders... then WILD!
Captain Kirk is taking his crew to a Space whore-club (you read it right) and leads to Scotty being charged for murdering a prostitute.
The entire episode is about Kirk trying to find out who the killer was.
Except that there are more murders, including the murder of a high-ranking person's wife, which seems not to be affected whatsoever!
The episode is quite bad and not interesting and not working. Most of the time is spent sending red herrings towards the audience (even talking about Jack the Ripper as the killer...), only to reveal the killer at the end.
WILD ENDING!
But, once we discover that the killer is REVEAL THE SPOILER!, the episode becomes fascinating and wild! The killer suddenly morphs into a creature that takes over the Enterprise.
PI
A both funny and laughable scene is when Spock asks a computer to find the last digit of pi. As much as it is interesting, I keep witnessing the crew having access to super computers and robots, that easily break with a simple command such as this one.
Spock: Computer, this is a Class A compulsory directive. Compute to the last digit the value of pi.
Voice: No, no, no, no! No, no!
Spock: As we know, the value of pi is a transcendental figure without resolution. The computer banks will work on this problem to the exclusion of all else until we order it to stop.
Let me input that into an AI system called ChatGPT (who knows if future generations will even know about ChatGPT as I am typing these words) and see what the system comes back with:
The value of pi (π) is an irrational number, meaning it has an infinite number of decimal places without repeating. Consequently, it's impossible to compute pi to the "last digit" because there isn't one. For practical purposes, we often use pi approximated to a certain number of decimal places, like 3.14 or 3.14159.
Well, our robots cannot yet do the same stuff as in Star Trek, but they are surely more... logical. (Raising my eyebrow).
VERDICT
I give it 1 out of 5. Very bad.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Obsession (2x13)
Pike May 9, 2020, 12:05 ET
It's a gas!
The episode starts with a strange gas-like force that kills some crew members. And yes, they wore red shirts.
SMELLING LIKE THE PAST
Suddenly, Kirk realizes that he already witnessed this odour.
REMORSE
This is the best part of the episode and its concept. Kirk becomes obsessed into catching this creature, because he has remorse over facing that creature in the past, when he was a Lieutenant on the phaser station and failed to kill it, leading to the death of a crew member, as revealed by Bones:
McCoy: I was speaking of Lieutenant James T. Kirk of the starship Farragut. Eleven years ago, you were the young officer at the phaser station when something attacked. According to the tapes, this young Lieutenant Kirk insisted upon blaming himself.
AGAINST HIS TEAM
What I also really liked is that, as he becomes obsessed with this creature, he alienates himself against his own friends, which oppose this Space chase to the point of madness. The joyful camaraderie of the crew has morphed into a darker tone, which is really interesting.
VERDICT
I give it 4 out of 5. Very good.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Deadly Years (2x12)
Pike May 7, 2020, 12:05 ET
Boring
BORING
The concept is quite simple. The crew, after visiting a planet, becomes very old. This could have worked, but the episodes drags itself and feels very long and ultimately is quite boring.
It even includes a court room sequence—because court room scenes are always so thrilling in TV series!
MAKEUP
The makeups is also extremely inconsistent. It works very well for some, when done lightly, but for others it fails, such as DeForest Kelley's wig (Dr. McCoy). I really liked the way it was done on Spock, as it was very light and believable. Kirk's hair felt really odd. The white patches were too white. As per Scott, his makeup is simply horrendous.
GOOD CONCLUSION
But, I must admit the conclusion of the episode worked quite well, with Captain Kirk coming back strong and saving the day. It's been a while since there was a space battle, this felt good.
VERDICT
I give it 2 out of 10. Weak.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Friday's Child (2x11)
Pike May 7, 2020, 12:05 ET
As bad as the costumes
RED SHIRT
The beginning of the episode is quite bad. The crew beams down onto a planet and one of the red shirts sees a Klingon and instantly takes out his gun: "A Klingon!!" before immediately being killed. I guess I'll need to buy one of these red shirts, but will never wear it on any other planet.
RIDICULOUS
Once again, a pretty bad episode from the second season. The costumes are totally ridiculous and the story equally bad.
SLAPS
There is also a scene in which McCoy slaps a woman (after she slaps him twice). Just really bad.
VERDICT
I give it 1 out of 5. Very bad.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Journey to Babel (2x10)
Pike May 7, 2020, 12:05 ET
Spock's parents
This episode shows us Spock's parents. What I found odd was that the actor who plays Spock's father was the same who portrayed the first evil Romulan character a season earlier (1x14, Balance of Terror). Therefore, I was a bit surprised and wasn't exactly sure about the character.
Still, an interesting episode, even if Spock's rational not to help his own father was a bit far-fetched.
CANTINA
I also found the scene with all the odd characters very similar to the well-known Cantina scene from Star Wars, released ten years later. I'm wondering if George Lucas drew inspiration from this particular episode. You cannot deny the similarities, especially with the pig-like creature being very angry with a type of in-your-face attitude, similar to the "He doesn't like you" quote from Star Wars.
ANDORIAN
Also, for once, I found an alien race in this episode super interesting and not ridiculous at all! I'm talking about the Andorians. Excellent makeup and costume. I like them all and found them frightening, especially after knowing one of them stabbed Captain Kirk.
The stakes are high in this episode, with the Enterprise being attacked by a strange ship, whilst Spock is giving his blood to his father during an operation that McCoy is performing.
LOGIC
And even though the writers definitely use and abuse the "logic" trick, this episode is a delight, with first Spock logically not wanting to help his father because he needs to handle the command of the Enterprise, and ultimately, after he actually helped his father, his father logically not understanding why he should thank his son for saving his life.
CAMARADERIE
And the episode ends on an odd but, quite frankly, fun scene where Doctor McCoy breaks the fourth wall and looks directly at the camera to say he finally had the last word.
VERDICT
I give it 4 out of 5. Very good.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Metamorphosis (2x09)
Pike May 6, 2020, 12:05 ET
You're food for a starving man (aka All you need is love)
Once again, as I go through my second viewing of Star Trek, I stumble another episode with a completely different understanding of it. This one is no different. For instance, take a closer look at my initial review for this episode:
"A forgettable and very boring episode that is not utterly bad but not even average, as there is not much to even remember. No drama, no story, nothing. Feels like it drags for two hours."
Four years later, I revisit this episode with a completely different take on it. I find it fascinating. It is calm but not boring, it is not ridiculous at all.
The episode tells the story of a man who is prisoner on a planet, which gave him the power to rejuvenate. I'm immediately taken back to Interstellar, when we meet the character portrayed by Matt Damon, left alone on a strange planet. This is quite a daunting and fascinating concept. And I really liked both the script and its execution.
VERDICT
I give it 4 out of 5. Very good.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
I, Mudd (2x08)
Pike May 4, 2020, 12:05 ET
Harry Mudd II: Sex robots
NOT ENOUGH SEQUELS
This episode is the first sequel of a previous Star Trek episode. As I already mention in some other reviews, I believe it to be quite an underutilized method in many television series. Ironically, many television series have a reputation to produce inferior material than cinema. This clearly faded out over the years and television series such as Twin Peaks, The X-Files, Game of Thrones (excluding its bad conclusion) and other series helped making this untrue.
Still, if television series are so prompt to reuse old formulas, Deus Ex Machina save and more, I am still surprised that many TV shows did not reuse some of their best episodes and characters to make sequel. For instance, in the entire X-Files run, only a very tiny monsters came back in later episodes.
It is actually so very hard to find sci-fi stories that I think shows like Star Trek should use this method more often.
The only problem in this case is that instead of creating a sequel based out of one of the best episodes of the series, the producers did exactly the opposite and reused... Mudd. Harry Mudd.
Instead, I would have loved to see a sequel of The Cage—and learn about what happened to the excellent and charismatic Captain Pike—Charlie from Charlie X, Kahn from Space Seed—this actually will be done through a feature film years later, or the Guardian—the time machine from the sublime The City on the Edge of Forever.
MUDD IS BACK
So, Mudd is back. The comic relief character was first seen in episode 1x06, where he was basically trafficking prostitutes in Space. Now, he went to the second level and has an army of—let's say it—sex robots. Beautiful young woman made electronically and serving him and calling him "My Lord", until Captain Kirk works with his logic to explain the robots to stop serving Mudd—a trick he uses in every few episodes.
IMPROV!
While the episode is not awful and actually superior to its predecessor Mudd's Women (this one is less boring), the entire conclusion is really bad, I mean totally totally bad. In it, the crew and Mudd go into a type of overly long theater improv that’s really painful to watch. Once again, an episode of Star Trek finds as a way to deal with a robot to make it self-destruct because of a loophole in its logic.
VERDICT
At the end, this is once again a fully inside episode with not much to say. Pretty bad and not memorable again.
I give it 2 out of 5. Weak.
PS
And this is not the last time we will hear about Mudd in Star Trek's universe:
Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS)
"Mudd's Women" (Season 1, Episode 6)
Harry Mudd makes his first appearance as a con man smuggling women to be wives for miners.
"I, Mudd" (Season 2, Episode 8)
Mudd appears again, this time ruling over a planet populated by androids who are serving him.
Star Trek: The Animated Series (TAS)
"Mudd's Passion" (Season 1, Episode 10)
Mudd returns with another scheme, selling love potions that cause all kinds of chaos on the Enterprise.
Star Trek: Discovery
"Choose Your Pain" (Season 1, Episode 5)
Harry Mudd is introduced in the Discovery timeline as a cellmate of Captain Lorca during imprisonment by the Klingons.
"Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad" (Season 1, Episode 7)
Mudd plays a major role as he traps the Discovery crew in a time loop, attempting to hijack the ship and sell it to the Klingons.
"Vaulting Ambition" (Season 1, Episode 12)
Mudd is briefly referenced as part of an offhand comment in the Mirror Universe about being caught smuggling.
"Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2" (Season 2, Episode 14)
Harry Mudd appears as part of a series of flashbacks and voiceovers reviewing the crew's past experiences.
Star Trek: Short Treks
"The Escape Artist" (Season 1, Episode 4)
This episode focuses entirely on Harry Mudd’s antics, showing him captured by bounty hunters and trying to con his way out in classic Mudd fashion.
Star Trek: Lower Decks
"Mugato, Gumato" (Season 2, Episode 4)
Harry Mudd is referenced as a known con artist, though he doesn't physically appear.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Catspaw (2x07)
Pike May 3, 2020, 12:05 ET
Look what the cat dragged in
A horrible episode with ghosts singing like in a ghost train and a giant evil cat.
The end of the episode is so bad it becomes highly laughable.
It is actually so bad that there is no epilogue. The episode simply ends with the crew escaping. The end.
VERDICT
I give it 1 out of 5. Beyond bad.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Doomsday Machine (2x06)
Pike May 3, 2020, 12:05 ET
Exhilarating!
The Doomsday Machine is a classic and one of the best episodes of Star Trek. Everything about it is great.
SERIOUS
I love how Star Trek is able to move on from a completely ridiculous episode with odd costumes to an extremely serious and dark episode, which is the case for The Doomsday Machine. Shall I remind that the previous episode was about a tribe which wasn't making sex? What a stark contrast!
POWER STRUGGLE
I absolutely loved that entire part when Captain Decker, desperate after having made a judgment error which cost the live of his entire crew, goes into a power struggle with Spock over the command of the Starship Enterprise.
ULTIMATE SACRIFICE (Spoiler!)
And what a dramatic and exhilarating conclusion, with Captain Decker doing the ultimate sacrifice in order to redeem himself.
ODDITIES
Overall, I really like when Kirk and his team face a space oddity.
VERDICT
I give it 5 out of 5. A classic.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Apple (2x05)
Pike March 25, 2020, 12:03 ET
A sexless planet
A very bad episode right from the beginning.
SEXLESS
To summarize, Kirk and his crew beam down onto a planet that seems apparently not hostile. But suddenly, they meet killer plants and a tribe of odd people that don't make love.
Suddenly, they realize that sex is good.
Therefore, this is another episode of Star Trek about sex, following some previous cases:
- "The Man Trap" (Season 1, Episode 1)
A shape-shifting alien creature lures victims by transforming into someone they desire, focusing on how desire and attraction can be manipulated.
- "Mudd's Women" (Season 1, Episode 6)
Harry Mudd, a recurring character, brings three beautiful women to a mining colony. The episode explores how physical attractiveness and sexual allure can influence people.
- "Shore Leave" (Season 1, Episode 15)
The crew experiences hallucinations based on their deepest desires. One character encounters a love interest from his past.
- "The Enemy Within" (Season 1, Episode 5)
A transporter accident splits Captain Kirk into two versions, one of which is aggressive and exhibits unchecked desires. The episode examines human nature and how our instincts and impulses, including sexual ones, are part of who we are.
- "Amok Time" (Season 2, Episode 1)
This episode focuses on Spock's biology and the Vulcan mating ritual known as pon farr, where Spock must return to Vulcan to mate or die, exploring primal instincts and relationships in Vulcan culture.
THE RED SHIRT MALEDICTION
This episode is a prime example of the red shirt malediction, meaning that the crew members wearing red shirts have a tendency to always be the ones killed during the episode.
VERDICT
A really awful and boring episode, the worst one this season, along with 2x02 Who Mourns with Adonis.
I give it 1 out of 5.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Mirror, Mirror (2x04)
Pike March 23, 2020, 12:03 ET
Give up the piano, it's time for Rock'n'roll!
AND...
Mirror, Mirror starts in an interesting way, in the middle of a conversation between Kirk and the leader of a planet. This is interesting in the sense that usually, the episodes of Star Trek start with the crew on the deck, with a very slow start. This felt like a novel starting with the word "And".
EVIL SPOCK
Not only that, but after some sort of glitch, we discover that our friendly crew is beamed up onto a possible alternate reality, where we discover a bearded and evil version of Spock.
FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK!
What makes the episode very interesting is that many Star Trek episodes are focusing on thoughts and our imaginary. And you know what? Sometimes it feels damn good to have a good old classic pulp story with evil characters and some good old drama. Mr. Sulu, with a large scar over his face and trying to get Uhura in his bed and trying to manipulate things with evil Spock is stunning! Suddenly, Sulu is no longer the perfect nephew but has some depth. I liked it a lot.
MORALITY
What is fascinating is to discover a parallel universe in which the crew has no morality. They all make plots to take over command and all care about their own place in the chain of command.
CHEKOV
This is the first episode where I appreciated the character of Chekov, which I found annoying since his introduction in season 2.
I liked him being evil and his other version being tortured in the "agony booth".
VERDICT
Mirror, Mirror is supposed to be one of the best episodes from Star Trek TOS.
I give it 4 out of 5.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Changeling (2x03)
Pike June 1, 2019, 12:06 ET
I am perfect (aka If Donald Trump was a machine)
A month after my previous Star Trek review—I took a break to focus on the end of Game of Thrones—I am back with my complete review of the original Star Trek series.
This episode is completely annoying, there are no scenes taking place outside. And even worse, the main character from this episode is... a robot. This makes for a very silly episode that I really disliked.
MORE SEXISM
And, once again, after a very sexist episode, we once again have to sit through some new sexist comments. At one point, Uhura is being analyzed by the robot, which basically thinks she has a complicated and messy mind.
SPOCK CONNECTING WITH THE ROBOT
But the episode becomes even much worse, with Spock trying to speak to the robot in a really awful scene, which is only saved by its great music.
I AM NOMAD
And I couldn't stand hearing the name "Nomad", twenty times per minute.
I AM PERFECT (aka DONALD TRUMP AS A ROBOT)
Just as an anecdote, I picture that if Donald Trump was a robot, he would be exactly like Nomad, constantly repeating that it is brilliant and never ever makes any mistake. I'm quite sure Nomad had a very difficult childhood and was bullied, in order to then try to prove and it is the best at any discipline.
REDUNDANT
Finally, the episode ends exactly like "A Taste of Armageddon" (S01E23), with Kirk being so overly intelligent that he tricks the computer into destroying itself. "Error! Error!"
Therefore, I really don't see the point of this episode, even if I think it's a fascinating concept to have interactions with a robot. Only the script was not good and its execution was interesting but nothing more.
SUMMARY
I give it 2 out of 5. Weak.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Who Mourns for Adonais? (2x02)
Pike May 2, 2019, 12:05 ET
A giant (and sexist) hand
Two things.
First, the episode is ridiculous. When you suddenly see a giant green hand in the middle of Space, you can be the episode will be awful. Then, a giant face appears and here comes Apollo. I would have preferred to see the opponent from Rocky, at least that would have been funny.
Here, everything is dull, boring and unbelievable.
Second, the episode is sexist from the beginning to the end. In the beginning, Kirk thinks that the character of Carolyn may end up with Scotty and already knows that he'll be losing a lieutenant. Oh, well...
But when the crew is on the planet, the sexism only grows, with sentences like "You are wise for a woman."
Actually, a third thing. In the beginning of the episode, the crew on deck is yet again shaken and falling on the floor, etc. At what point will they finally start implementing safety belts? I find it funny that they do galactic wars without wearing any equipment nor safety belts.
VERDICT
I give it 1 out of 5. Awful.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Amok Time (2x01)
Pike April 28, 2019, 12:04 ET
Sex Time
A START WITH A BANG
This episode is, logically, a fan favorite. As much as season one didn't end with any sort of cliffhanger or major episode (the penultimate episode The City on the Edge of Forever was far more exciting!), the second season of Star Trek: The Original Series starts with a bang!
I am not an absolute fan of this episode and did not enjoy it the first time, but I gladly admit that upon my second viewing, I've simply let myself enjoy the episode without focusing too much on the negative.
INTRODUCING MR. CHEKOV
Still, since I usually write my reviews of episodes going through the episode story in order, I have to start with Mr. Chekov, which is a new character introduced in this season premiere. I have no clue what is the feedback from the Star Trek fandom over Mr. Chekov, I will simply share that I did not like this character a lot. Perhaps it is the Russian accent or perhaps it is simply because he is new and therefore, as a viewer, I feel that he is not part of the Star Trek family. Because introducing new characters into a series is a highly complex task. There is a tendency for the audience to dislike new characters. Because series, even more so in the 1960's meant characters joining you in your living room every week, almost being part of your own family.
Yes, I am not ashamed to share that Ross, Chandler, Joey, Rachel, Monica and Phoebe are part of my family. So are Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Walter White, Jesse Pinkman, Saul Goodman, Tony Soprano, Jon Snow, Rick and Morty, BoJack Horseman, Diane Nguyen, Princess Caroline, Todd Chavez, Mr. Peanubutter, Dale Cooper, Ted Lasso, Nate, David, Ruth and Claire Fisher, Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson, Francis and Claire Underwood, Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, Misato Katsuragi are part of my family. So are James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock, Doctor McCoy, Uhura and Scott.
This is one of the beauties of a television series over motion pictures. The connection you have with recurring characters can be magical. And introducing new characters into an already established series is a daunting task.
Still, I probably exaggerate in this case, since Mr. Chekov is only a second character, similar to Mr. Sulu and Uhura. But it feels a bit too much to have the black character, the Asian character, the Irish character. What is good is that, unlike The Phantom Menace, the characters are clearly different from one another, but it feels a bit too much of a Benetton advertising campaign to me.
Moving on.
SEX!
The episode is quite interesting when we learn that Spock, this person so introverted and emotionless, is basically extremely horny and wants to have sex ASAP. He so desperately wants to fuck that he would put his entire career into jeopardy. In this episode, Kirk acts out as his sex therapist.
Ironically, it seems that this so-called logical and even character is acting emotionally in many episodes! It almost becomes a constant, therefore, I suggest (sixty years later) that the following episodes go back to having a normal Spock. You shouldn't play with the formula too much. But since it is the season premiere, it is only... logical to move things around for the sake of it.
THE FIGHT... TO DEATH
The fight to death between Mr. Spock and Kirk is both interesting and still too far-fetched. Even in his intense moment, I cannot stop thinking, as I am watching the episode, that it is unbelievable that Mr. Spock can not control himself to the point of killing his dear friend and captain Kirk. But does it work? If you don't overthink it, it's so damn good classic television.
And I must admit the resolution (spoiler alert: with McCoy faking Kirk's death) was really clever and very well executed. When Spock sees Kirk alive, it works magically!
LIVE LONG AND PROSPER
Another interesting part about this episode is the introduction of the hand sign from Vulcans, which became cult and is known by millions, even sixty years later, as well as the sentence "live long and prosper."
Therefore, as much as I try to not like this episode, it is still a classic entry in the Star Trek saga.
EXECUTION
Also, the execution of the episode is great and the images of angry Spock, with his head down over the red backdrop, is stunning!
VERDICT
I have come to appreciate this episode which I initially disliked. I yield and give it 4 out of 5. A classic.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Operation -- Annihilate! (1x29)
Pike April 27, 2019, 12:04 ET
Uneven script
MY BROTHER IS DEAD... BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY!
The script of this episode is quite uneven. The biggest concern is that we are originally told that we'll meet Kirk's brother, only to discover a couple of minutes after that he just passed away. Kirk sees his body, and... moves forward, showing virtually no emotion whatsoever.
A dramatic event such as this one should have been properly built... the exact same way that Kirk lost his new love in the previous episode The City on the Edge of Forever.
This also is not well crafted, as we never learned anything about Kirk's life, apart from witnessing a person from his past bullying him, and suddenly in two episodes (and even in 20 minutes when watched consecutively), Kirk loses his love then finds his brother dead and just a few minutes later witnesses the death of his stepsister.
It would have been far better to not have these two episodes one after the other, and also we should have spent time with his family before seeing them dying.
CREATURE
Still, the story of the creepy insect-like creature is quite believable and... well... creepy. But here again, the problem is that we are being told that the create is acting like brain cell to a bigger creature, without really understanding if it has another form or if it is just a collection of brain cells.
LIGHT
As per the solution of putting strong light over the creatures, as a die-hard X-Files fan, it reminded me of the X-Files masterpiece from season 1, Darkness Falls, when killer bugs are sensitive to light.
ENDING
Another problem was the resolution, with the U.S.S. Enterprise launching countless satellites with the killing light.
A MILLION PEOPLE... REALLY?
Also, at one point, it is said that a million people would need to die in order to save the planet. In reality, we can hardly see any human beings on the planet at all.
Also, when Kirk says in a captain's log that deciding the fate of over a million people is the most difficult decision he had to face in his life, I must say I disagree. Because in the previous episode, he already decided the fate of many more people, when he helped ensuring the Nazis would not get the atomic bomb. Call me the script doctor!
SPOCK'S EYES
Finally, there is no resolution at all regarding Spock's eyes. Suddenly, he sees. Executive Producer. See you next week! (Well... next year.)
SOLUTION
The solution of this uneven script would have been, according to me, to have Kirk meeting his brother and his brother dying much later in this episode. Or simply not having his brother appearing and referred at all.
SEASON FINALE
Also, this episode being the season finale, I would have easily switched the order with The City on the Edge of Forever, the previous episode. Imagine how cool that would have been?
CAMARADERIE
Still, once more, the episode (and the season) ends on yet another great example of the crew's camaraderie. I simply adore it.
VERDICT
An interesting story with a poor beginning (Kirk's brother) and an equally poor ending. I give it 3 out of 5. Enjoyable.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The City on the Edge of Forever (1x28)
Pike April 27, 2019, 12:04 ET
The gate of forever
A TRUE CITY
The City on the Edge of Forever is a very peculiar episode of Star Trek and, to me, the best episode of the first season, if not of the entire show. Most Star Trek episodes take place either in Space or on some unknown or strange planet, with strange sets and sometimes ridiculous outfits. Here, most of the action takes place in... the New York City from 1930's, a raw and realistic place where, suddenly, everything feels truer.
TIME TRAVEL
The story is a classic time travel story, with Kirk and Spock going back in time in order to save Dr. McCoy, who jumped into a time portal on a strange planet.
Who doesn't like time travel stories? Except for their hugely vast classic loopholes, those stories are always a delight to experience. This episode is clearly working great.
QUANTUM LEAP
In a way, this episode is almost like a pilot for Quantum Leap. A character (in this case, two), sent back in time to put right what once went wrong.
FUNNY
The episode is also quite funny. Especially the scenes in which Kirk and Spock are living their new life.
SETS
The sets of this episode are also wonderful. Of course, they are on a budget of a sci-fi series that had a staggering 30 episodes in its first season (if you count the originally unaired pilot with Captain Pike). But still, this really works great and I almost felt that it was much more difficult to recreate the mid-1930's than to create a science fiction imaginary world.
But that's great, because we don't have a story with Klingons or any wild character. Here, the story is very simple, set in our own world and therefore very relatable and enjoyable to watch. Also, the character of Kirk and Spock feel vulnerable, since they are stuck in time and not only no longer having access to any technology, but even wearing regular clothes.
BONES
Also, this episode marks the first time that actor DeForest Kelley, portraying Dr. McCoy, is able to provide a much more dramatic performance. The actor was always great when portraying a natural comforting side, so it is truly terrific to see him as a violent person for a short time. He really performed it great.
SOUNDTRACK
The soundtrack of this episode is brilliant. It reminded me of a classic soundtrack from Charlie Chaplin's movies. Pure emotions. Also, the way Star Trek shows the beautiful women is sublime. In a way, this show is like a black and white old classic film. Everything is pure and the emotions are real, until a climax that's as fast as it is poignant.
RELATIONSHIP
The relationship between Kirk and Edith Keller is really working great. It was totally believable and this only built up great tension until the climax.
For once, Kirk is not acting like the big boss, commanding everyone. He is showing his incredibly charming side and just having the camera on his face is enough to make some scenes great, with the excellent music.
RESOLUTION
The resolution of the episode is brilliant. The direction and editing were also top notch. The price that Kirk had to pay in order to restore time and peace was simply perfect. This concludes a wonderful episode in the best of ways.
LOOPHOLE
As mentioned earlier in this review, there are definitely some loopholes. The characters could have simply revealed the truth to Edith, or tried to find a young Robert J. Oppenheimer, who was 26 at the time (in 1930) and told him about the creation of the atomic bomb and give the edge to the American scientists. But of course, the sidenote is that the writer could have mentioned that any other attempt might have triggered other events, etc. I simply wanted to mention this in passing.
FINAL SCENE
Also, the end of the episode is so strong and so emotional, that there is nothing to say anymore. Out of respect for the characters, Kirk is simply let with his emotions and simply says "Let's get the hell out of here." His friends' faces say it all. There is nothing more to say. The end.
VERDICT
This is simply put the best episode of the first season from Star Trek, along with Space Seed. I give it 5 out 5. Superb.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Alternative Factor (1x27)
Pike April 26, 2019, 12:04 ET
A complete mess
This episode is a complete mess. Not only the script is bad, but the execution is actually much worse. This is so bad that most of the episode, you don't understand at all what you see on the screen. This is not curiosity or mystery, this is simply bad, very bad.
Rarely I have seen an episode of a film that is so very difficult to follow. And this is not David Lynch here. Just very, very bad storyline.
LAZARUS
I would not have even remotely wanted to portray the character of Lazarus, having to wear this awful beard and then having to say random things, scream, run, faint, without any clear understanding of what he does or say.
ANNOYING KIRK
Also, like in the previous episode, I find Kirk to be quite annoying. Perhaps it is because it is the end of the season.
FIGHT
And the final confrontation between Kirk and Lazarus is really awful. I bet the director struggled with a poor script. Poor script and poor directing and poor costumes and poor sets (the UFO) for a poor episode that cannot be saved.
WHAT ABOUT LAZARUS?
Finally, the last scene on the deck, between Spock and Kirk shows that they had no clue how to conclude the episode. What about Lazarus?... What about Lazarus. Yeah, what about him?
BAD
I find this episode to be the worst since The Return of the Archons (1x21) and the last bad episode of the first season.
The very bad episodes of season one are, to me:
- 1x06 Mudd's Women
- 1x08 Miri
- 1x17 The Squire of Gothos
- 1x18 Arena
- 1x21 The Return of the Archons
- 1x27 The Alternative Factor
Not a long considering that this is a sci-fi series shot in the 60's, decades before the existence of CGI, and that they shot a staggering 29 episodes in one year, if you count the original pilot.
YET...
Yet, there is a fascinating scene between Kirk and Spock. I always love when Star Trek nurtures our brain with interesting conversations about concepts. It reminds me of the early seasons of The X-Files, with Fox Mulder and Dana Scully sharing potential hypothesis and ultimately coming up with the solution together.
VERDICT
I give it 1 out of 5. Very bad.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Errand of Mercy (1x26)
Pike April 26, 2019, 12:04 ET
Annoying Kirk and weak resolution
Errand of Mercy is an interesting episode. Starfleet command and Klingons are about to go to war, when the leaders of a planet decide that war will not take place.
Throughout the episode, we wonder why are the leaders of this planet smiling and not fearing the upcoming war. The resolution is not satisfying to me. We learn that they have a paranormal power, which consists of heating up the warriors and weapons. That felt not great, especially since the episode feels quite long.
ANNOYING KIRK
And this is by far the episode where Kirk is the most annoying. This is quite painful to watch. He basically spends his time being an arrogant agressive character.
KLINGON
Still, the episode introduces the Klingons. But their story is not very interesting at this moment in time in the saga. And why the need to create two evil alien races, on top of the Romulans, which were introduced recently as well?
VERDICT
I give it 3 out of 5. Enjoyable.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Devil in the Dark (1x25)
Pike April 25, 2019, 12:04 ET
From dark to light
MOTHER MONSTER
The episode starts with a monster that seems extremely violent and creepy. It almost starts like an X-Files episode: there is an interesting location (caves) and a mysterious monster killing a worker just before the opening credits. Will Fox Mulder and Dana Scully work on the case?
FROM DARK TO DOCILE
But when we get to meet it for the first time, it is actually very docile and the negative aspect is that all the tension that was carefully built is gone, just like that. I found it negative the first time I watched the episode, but looking at it for a second time, I actually like the concept. Star Trek doesn't want to just scare the audience, like The X-Files wanted to do each week. Star Trek is about the message. And the message is a friendly one, once again. The creature is actually afraid and that makes it for an interesting story even if quite basic.
SPOCK
It was also quite interesting to watch Spock suddenly communicating with the creature and being very emotional. Since it is used rarely, it made for an interesting scene.
Sure, the end is a bit cheesy, but I still enjoyed watching it.
VERDICT
I give it 3 out of 5. Enjoyable.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
This Side of Paradise (1x24)
Pike April 24, 2019, 12:04 ET
Spock's girlfriend
FUN!
I really enjoyed this episode. I'm not sure if it is that good or if it's simply guilty pleasure, but this episode, which could have been easily cheesy and ridiculous, is working quite well. This is what should be a fun episode, not something overly exaggerated with overly funny music. But a real story that provides for fun. But not the big aha laughs. The episode is still serious.
MUCH MORE
What could have been a very bad episode with Spock having a girlfriend is actually much more than this!
POOR JIM-BOY
The scene of Kirk being left alone on the ship is really well directed.
KIRK v SPOCK
And what about that outstanding moment when Captain Kirk finally meets again Spock? "All right, you mutinous, disloyal, computerized half-breed, we'll see about you deserting my ship."
That scene is just so overly exciting I couldn't believe my eyes. Beautifully directed and equally well played.
LAYLA & SPOCK
Also, the final scene between Mr. Spock and his girlfriend Layla is just perfect. The music, the acting, the words. Just perfect.
"Spock: I have a responsibility... to this ship... to that man on the bridge. I am what I am, Layla... And if there are self-made purgatories, then we all have to live in them. Mince can be no worse than someone else's."
Absolute perfection.
SUMMARY
I give it 4 out of 5. Very good.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
A Taste of Armageddon (1x23)
Pike April 24, 2019, 12:04 ET
Incredibly credible
THE PREMISES
The premises of the episode are something only Star Trek could do. Kirk and his crew goes to a planet even though the planet's leadership ask them not to do it. Once arrived, they discover that the planet is at war with a neighbor planet for 500 years. Suddenly, as they talk, an attack! But Kirk and his team cannot hear a sound. How could there be an attack without any sound?
For a few minutes, Star Trek offers our brains to think. Thank you for that. We wonder: are the attacks done silently? Is this a big virtual game of battleships? Soon enough, we are told the concept: after so many centuries of non-ending wars, the two planets came to an agreement: in order not to annihilate one another, computers will select the targets. Once done, targeted civilians will have to report to a disintegration machine. That way, the infrastructure will remain intact and the lives of the will go on.
Is it far fetched? You bet! Is it stupid? Well, not more than fighting actual wars. I'm writing these words in the midst of the war between Ukraine and Russia—hopefully I'll one day revisit this review with both countries being at peace with one another—and I cannot find the story of this episode more asinine than what I see daily on the news, such as women being raped, men being tortured and eviscerated, hospitals being bombed and even nuclear power plants being fired upon.
Is the concept of computers automatically picking targets in a peaceful matter that stupid in comparison? Like Mr. Spock says in this episode, I too understand the logic.
ORGANIZING WARS
Which comes back to the overall topic of "organizing wars". Yes, as insane as it might be, wars have rules. In most wars during recent times, countries have put limits on what they did. Even the horrors have a few yellow lines. In most wars, the usage of biological warfare is prohibited—even though some countries used it still. And the obvious ultimate yellow line should always be nuclear power plants, even if they are also being targeted as just mentioned. Still, at least so far and since 1945, no country has chosen to use atomic weapons—a hopefully final threshold that will never be used, even though time will unfortunately prove me wrong as always.
Once again, Star Trek doesn't just show us the crew chasing aliens, there is often an underlying theme that is explored and I think the beginning of the episode does it very well.
TELPATHIC SPOCK
In this episode, Mr. Spock shows for the very first time a paranormal ability of telepathic control. I'm not entirely convinced about it. On one side, it moves the character forward and offers a mythology that is very interesting. But on the other, in every future episode, fans will analyze things and always remind that he has this ability, which probably could be useful in many occasions and will not be used. So be careful what you wish for.
SCOTT IN COMMAND
I also liked seeing Scott taking over the Enterprise and being in over his head. This is refreshing and fun to watch.
FORMIDABLE KIRK
There is a funny moment when Captain Kirk is taken hostage and just singlehandedly manage to take on ten men in precisely four seconds (I counted). Formidable Captain Kirk!
POINTY HATS
And just a few words on the infamous hats that are really, really awful.
VERDICT
I give it 4 out of 5. Very good.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Space Seed (1x22)
Pike April 24, 2019, 12:04 ET
The Wrath of Khan
Let me start with stating that I absolutely love Space Seed. This episode is truly great.
Right from the start, the story of this episode is truly fascinating: Kirk and his team discover a vessel wandering in space and decide to go aboard the ship. In it, they discover seventy bodies. Those are people sleeping in what is referred to as a "sleeper ship". These men and women have been sleeping for over two hundred years.
This is somewhat similar to the 2016 sci-fi movie Passengers, starring Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, where two characters wake up in such vessel, during a multi-year space travel.
Kirk and his team decide to wake up what they think is the leader of the sleeper ship. His name? Khan.
ANTAGONIST
In lots of ways, this is the very first episode of Star Trek with a real antagonist. There was the Romulan from Balance of Terror (1x14), but since he was staying aboard his own ship, there was never any real confrontation against Kirk and his crew. Here, we get the privilege to see the entire process of the entry of a true bad guy from the discovery of his body to his master plan and his ultimate demise.
RICARDO MONTALBAN
Not only the script is terrific, but the casting of Khan is marvellous. The actor Ricardo Montalban does a phenomenal job, helped with his mystical physique. The actor Ricardo Montalban is giving all he's got and it shows. He doesn't portray the character half-way, he goes fully at it, as if he had dilithium crystals in his pocket. To make a poor analogy, such characters must be played like if you're breaking an egg or joining the highway. You have to go fully at it. No quarter! Therefore, he goes fully at it and it works magnificently. Kahn is a bad ass bad guy, the ones we see in blockbuster films.
COSTUMES
Also, the costumes designed for Khan are absolutely gorgeous. They inspire leadership, magnetism, animality and yes, raw sex. Not only that, but his clothes are often opened at the top, showing his chest like if he was a space version of Julio Iglesias. It makes it very believable that a female crewman would fall under his magnetism. And the way he manipulates her is fascinating to see.
HIGH STAKES
The reason the episode works so well also is that the stakes are very high. I guess you can see the stakes are high when Uhura is being slapped in the face and Captain Kirk is announced dead.
NAPOLEONS
The episode also raises fascinating questions such as the admiration we might have with some ruthless dictators, such as Napoleon or Ceasar. And the last part of the episode is also terrific, with Kirk deciding to let Khan and his men rule a planet, with Spock ending the episode by wondering how the planet will look like a hundred years from now. Just fascinating stuff that's nurturing our brain, which is a big part of why I like Star Trek: The Original Series and sci-fi in particular. I like to think and come up with concepts and this series is offering me to think about some of these.
I WANT TO READ ALL THE TECHNICAL MANUALS, OF COURSE!
The only caveat was the fact that when this mysterious character is waking up, while we can already sense that he may be of a rebellious type—he almost cut McCoy's throat—Kirk doesn't hesitate to offer him to read all the technical manuals about the ship. This was not a very clever move from Kirk but it still worked well in an episode I just cannot find anything negative to say about.
HEROISM
What I also loved about this episode is the moment when the main crew is held captive and has to watch one of Kahn's men slapping Uhura. Scotty vividly ask for Captain Kirk. The reason it works so well is because we've lived with these characters for some time now, and they all showed many times the excellent and friendly (and often snarky!) camaraderie they have altogether. This makes their suffering very real and you can really root for them. I fell like a member of the crew and I wanted to jump through the TV screen to jump at Khan's throat and knock this bastard down!
OPENED ENDING
I also loved the fact that we are clearly left with an opened ending. Something tells me that this not the last time we hear about Khan... I think many television series failed to reuse old storylines and characters, which is always interesting, since they had—especially in that era—to produce so many episodes each year. Writing sequels would have been quite a simple tactic with often great results. Such as when The X-Files reused the monster Eugene Victor Tooms in season 1.
Oh, and I loved the fact that, for the first time, we can see Kirk recording his log, just before collapsing.
SUMMARY
I give it 5 out of 5. One of the best episodes of the first season. I cannot wait to rewatch the second Star Trek movie: The Wrath of Khaaaaaaan!
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Return of the Archons (1x21)
Pike April 23, 2019, 12:04 ET
The Festival
The episode is as brainless as its subject. It starts as some sort of a spoof of The Purge. Suddenly, at midnight (actually, noon), people become crazy. What could have been an interesting idea but poorly executed turns into a very bad story that simply cannot be saved.
SELF-DESTRUCT
The final scene is quite hilarious! Captain Kirk is so gloriously intelligent that he summons the computer to self-destruct. That is easily one of the worst scenes in the first season.
VERDICT
I give it 1 out of 5. Beyond bad.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Court Martial (1x20)
Pike April 22, 2019, 12:04 ET
To watch in a heartbeat!
A GIRL IN EVERY PORT
While Jim Kirk seems not to be married, it still seems that he's got a woman in every port. In only twenty episodes, he must have had at least half a dozen girls with a romantic backstory.
A COURT CASE EPISODE
In the double-episode The Menagerie, Mr. Spock was facing a court martial. Only eight episodes after, this is now the turn to Captain Kirk to sit on trial. Obviously, we know from the start that he'll be free, so the question is: will the court case be interesting? Because we know that Kirk could never harm anyone, especially not a friend. Kirk is the hero of the story. And most importantly, most court case episodes in TV series are painfully boring. One location, lots of endless talk. Well, this is not the case here, as the episode is quite interesting, with the audience wondering how Kirk will be declared not guilty.
THE MACHIIINES!
Also, there is a fascinating concept of the machines almost getting more power than men, and men slowly fading in the machines' shadow, as per the lawyer Cogley:
"And I repeat, I speak of rights. A machine has none. A man must. My client has the right to face his accuser, and if you do not grant him that right, you have brought us down to the level of the machine. Indeed, you have elevated that machine above us. I ask that my motion be granted, and more than that, gentlemen. In the name of humanity, fading in the shadow of the machine, I demand it. I demand it!"
CHESS...
And Spock using one of the familiar concepts from the series (chess) to rule out Kirk's responsibility was also quite interesting.
FOCUSED
One of the great aspects of this episode is that it is very focused. We don't go from one random sci-fi scene to another. The episode is made out of mature characters that have arguments (conflicts!) with a nice resolution at the end.
WHO FRAMED JAMES T. KIRK?
Quickly, I understood that someone was trying to frame James Kirk, but who? I imagined Finney himself, perhaps trying to get his ultimate revenge after Kirk reported on a mistake Finney made in the past, destroying his career without wishing to do so.
HEARTBEAT
And suddenly, an insanely great and imaginative idea arrived. Kirk, McCoy and Spock decide to transmit to the judges all the heartbeats from the crew members and then remove the heartbeat from each person present on the deck. Suddenly, we can hear one single heartbeat in the ship, revealing that Finney was hidden aboard the Enterprise. I just applauded this brilliant idea! That was just pure fun!
FRENEMY
With a friend like Finney, you clearly do not need enemies. The actor is giving "all he's got" to play an evil character. But I actually enjoyed it even if it went too far.
SATISFYING ENDING
The ending is totally satisfying. Oh, and Kirk gets a kiss from the girl in a hilarious scene! We think that they are alone, only to realize that they are actually on the deck, with all the crew. Kirk's reaction is priceless. I've rewatched that scene multiple times.
SUMMARY
What started as an episode that should have been very boring (who wants to see a court martial episode?) morphs into a very clever and exciting episode. I give it 4 out of 5. Very good. One of my favorite episodes of the first season.
fascinating machines against humans, cogley does a brilliant speech humans shadow of machines
chess!
heartbeat! super clever
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Tomorrow Is Yesterday (1x19)
Pike April 22, 2019, 12:04 ET
Back to the future
Tomorrow is Yesterday is an interesting episode with a classic story of going back in time, a solid entry which is a bit too long (once more, the series would work better in a 43-minute format).
Overall, the episode is really enjoyable. We get to meet people from the Earth from the last 60's, when the series is actually being shot!
SUMMARY
I give it 3 out of 5. Enjoyable.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Arena (1x18)
Pike April 22, 2019, 12:04 ET
Beyond ridiculous
BEYOND RIDICULOUS
The galactic game starts when James Kirk has to fight a reptilian creature (called a Gorn). This is actually the very first scene from Star Trek that I have ever seen. It was a clip of that scene on YouTube, years ago. And this only convinced me at the time that Star Trek was a ridiculous sci-fi show—when actually it was awesome.
There is nothing as stupid as those scenes where the bad guy slowly walks towards the enemy, never rushing.
What is worse is that the creature's costume is really, really awful. Are we supposed to think that this is a real alien? I almost thought that when he beats it, that he would then discovers that this was a costume.
BUDGET
It's a shame, because you can clearly see that this episode benefited from an important budget, compared to other episodes. The locations are really interesting and the images are great.
BAD IS GOOD
But still, the fight with the reptile is actually hilarious, the same way I enjoy watching an utterly bad movie such as Plan 9 From Outer Space. So, even though this is a very bad episode, it still is quite enjoyable.
SUMMARY
I give it 1 out of 5. Beyond bad.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Squire of Gothos (1x17)
Pike April 22, 2019, 12:04 ET
A small boy, and a very naughty one at that
BOTTLE EPISODE
Overall, this is a clear bottle episode taking place mostly within one confined space. The problem is, if you create a bottle episode, you have to ensure coming up with a very interesting concept. And, unfortunately, as much as it was interesting to have a character being able to beam down crew members from the USS Enterprise onto his planet, the character himself is quite annoying and not very interesting.
BAD
Once again, a bad episode from Star Trek. Obviously, the first season is having way too many episodes. Imagine having to produce 29 episodes of a science-fiction show in a year with the tools from the 60's!
NO RESOLUTION
This episode is really forgettable. The worst thing is that even though you have to sit through for almost an hour, there is virtually no resolution. The character Trelane is fighting Jim Kirk for ten minutes and while you'd expect Kirk to find the way to beat him, just like in a video game, actually an awful Deus ex machina saves Kirk. Two beings that we have never seen just appear in the sky, in the form of green lights. And they tell Trelane to stop playing with pets.
Kirk then says that Trelane was only a naughty boy—even though the little boy tried to kill him multiple times and... that's a wrap, folks. See you next week!
SUMMARY
I give it 1 out of 5. Very bad.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Galileo Seven (1x16)
Pike April 21, 2019, 12:04 ET
Fortunately, I'm giving orders
STUCK ON A PLANET
I loved this episode, in which some crew members, including Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy and Scotty, are stuck on a planet. Mr. Spock takes command, which translates into some excellent dialogue between him and the crew members, which are all fed up with his so-called logical decisions. They keep arguing about the best course of action and Mr. Spock always think rationally, which I find... fascinating.
CONFLICTS
This obviously shows how important conflicts are between crew members—something to remember once we move on to Star Trek: The Next Generation...
GREAT MOMENTS
There are some great moments and situations to deal with, such as:
- Since they don't have enough fuel, the Galileo ship will only be able to leave the planet with three people less onboard. Who to choose and how?
- One crew member died. Should the crew spend valuable time burying him or should they solely focus on trying to exit the planet?
- Their phasers can be used as energy to leave the planet. But by doing so, they will leave their only chance of defending themselves against deadly creatures living on the planet. What choice should they make?
THE MARTIAN
And ultimately, the overall story is very exciting: the team has to find a way to leave the planet. This is like The Martian movie from Ridley Scott, only with a few crew members instead of one. And yes, I'll admit it, with not as good special effects.
FINAL LAUGH
Also, the final scene between Kirk and Spock was priceless and hilarious! The main cast is really simply terrific and well written as well. McCoy keeps making snarky remarks at Spock, which keeps being cool but also, like Kirk says, being stubborn. Kirk gives a both commanding and a human side to his character. Star Trek: The Original Series is really a great show and I am feeling more and more in love with it. How can you not with such a cast?
SUMMARY
I give it 5 out of 5. A truly excellent episode.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Shore Leave (1x15)
Pike April 21, 2019, 12:04 ET
One very unusual shore leave
LIGHT
After the epic and dramatic episode Balance of Terror, which introduces the evil Romulan race, we are now witnessing an episode which starts with a far lighter tone, even a comic one! McCoy beams down to an Earth-like planet to rest, only to discover a large white rabbit followed by a young blonde girl.
OUTSIDE
First, it felt refreshing to be outside of the claustrophobic ship, on a planet looking very much like Earth.
FUNNY
The beginning of the episode is quite exciting and funny. Then, we quickly realize that the characters are not only experiencing delighting things, but also death! Probably the episode delves too much on fist-fights and fantasies, but it's still an enjoyable episode.
CONCLUSION
I also happened to like the conclusion, in which the characters are finally—which is very rare in TV series and films—allowed for some good time. Well, after the adventures they went through and all the drama, it's only fair. Enjoy, crew!
SUMMARY
I give it 3 out of 5. Enjoyable.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Balance of Terror (1x14)
Pike April 21, 2019, 12:04 ET
I agree. Attack.
ROMULANS
For the first time in Star Trek, we get to meet the Romulans, an evil alien race. It provides for much drama, by introducing a dichotomous story of good versus bad. Very simple, but since this is Star Trek, there is a twist: the good guys are actually very hostile! Thinking logically, they take a chance and realize that the Romulans are so hostile that if they don't strike first, the Romulans will see this as a weakness and will therefore annihilate the USS Enterprise.
Since there aren't many special effects because this is still shot in the 60's, we end up with a type of space chess game which is very entertaining, especially these moments where the crew does things you would not expect, such as striking first.
It is quite interesting rewatching this episode in the midst of the war between Ukraine and Russia.
SELF-DOUBT
Still, as much as Kirk is showing strength, he shows a more vulnerable side of himself to Dr. McCoy, by asking him if he has done the right choice or not.
RACIAL CONTEXT
Also, the episode opens with a racial subcontext which is very interesting and classic for TOS. Right from the start, Kirk tells the officer to not make any distinction based on race.
FORCED MERCY
The only ones showing mercy are actually the Romulans. Therefore, I don't quite get the point of this episode. Also, one of the crew member passed away and soon after, Captain Kirk is once again smirking. I guess I shall call him Captain Smirk by now.
ABORTED WEDDING
I also found that the substory of the crew couple wanting to get married was giving the story a more personal feeling to the story, especially with the fact that it ends with the male dying.
BOLDLY GOING WHERE EVERY MAN HAS GONE BEFORE
I prefer the more brainy episodes, but I easily understand that this is a fan-favorite, as it has all the ingredients for an epic episode.
SUMMARY
I give it 4 out of 5. Very good.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Conscience of the King (1x13)
Pike April 21, 2019, 12:04 ET
Murder He Wrote
KIRK'S REVENGE
Whether it was conscious or not, Captain Kirk is, in a way, getting his revenge on Spock. In the previous two episodes, Spock manipulated his way behind Kirk's back in order to offer a better life to Captain Pike. In this episode, Kirk is keeping Spock outside of the loop, as if he wanted to get his own personal revenge. Not only that, but Kirk is very direct with Spock, saying multiple times to "follow his orders." Knowing the buoyant character from Kirk, this is no surprise.
MURDER HE WROTE
In lots of ways, this episode feels like an episode from Murder She Wrote. But in this case, Kirk is playing Jessica Fletcher and doing his own investigation in the entertainment world. This makes for a very powerful resolution, even more once you learn who was the killer of the witnesses.
ROMANCE
Also, once again, there's a romance storyline between Captain Kirk and a very attractive lady. Obviously, the young lady he's spending time with is beautiful. But not only that, she has a beautiful quality. Their first kiss with that music and the stars, just great. Once again, Star Trek tries things and it, once again, does not feel ridiculous at all.
UHURA SINGS
For the second time, Uhura sings. This time, it's called Beyond Atares, and it is really great.
JUSTICE
But more than this, the conclusion is very powerful. The other crew member seeks justice, but Kirk is the greater man and shows that you must not judge, as long as there is a single breath of doubt.
SUMMARY
I give it 3 out of 10. Enjoyable.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Menagerie: Part II (1x12)
Pike April 21, 2019, 12:04 ET
The rationale
We finally understand in this episode why Spock did what he did. And the reason is actually interesting.
Pike, facing the dire situation of his handicap and wanting to finish his life in an illusion, is a mesmerizing thought, as we now enter the age of AI (2024).
Still, this second part contains much more flashbacks and therefore is less interesting, when you already have watched The Cage.
SUMMARY
I give it 4 out of 5. Less interesting than its first part.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Menagerie: Part I (1x11)
Pike April 20, 2019, 12:04 ET
Reusing the pilot episode
This episode reuses part of the first pilot of Star Trek, with Captain Chris Pike. Unfortunately, the actor did not reprise his role, which I think was a missed opportunity. It would have been great to see Captain Pike and Kirk interacting. Sure, Pike is back, but in such poor health that he cannot move nor talk.
Still, the episode is quite exciting and keeps creating the mythology of Star Trek. If you have just seen The Cage, then you can fast-forward the flashbacks. At the time, the first pilot was unaired, therefore it was a very clever way to reduce cost whilst adding value to the audience.
SPOCK'S MUTINY
Also, the idea of Spock making a mutiny is interesting, only we don't get to learn the reason in this episode.
CLIFFHANGER
And the cliffhanger is interesting, as Spock risks not only his life and career, but also the fate of Kirk... To be concluded next week!
SUMMARY
I give it 5 out of 5. A great first part.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Corbomite Maneuver (1x10)
Pike April 20, 2019, 12:04 ET
Fascinating!
WE ARE INDEED... IN SPACE
The first part of the episode is, as Spocks says at one time, "fascinating!" For the very first time, we don't have a story about yet another introducer into the ship. For the first time, the U.S.S. Enterprise ship is an active character in the series. Yes, it can shoot things! And we, we are in Space after all! Also, the cube was just very powerful as an imaginative device. I kept wondering what it was.
This episode opens new possibilities on what the saga could be about.
DIALOGUE
The dialogue is very interesting.
BAILEY
I absolutely loved the character of Bailey, which I found very well cast and very interesting.
SEXIST, ALWAYS
Of course, we get a nice sexist comment in the episode, when Captain Kirk complains about having a female Yeoman: "I've already got a female to worry about. Her name's The Enterprise."
ENDING
And what about the ending? The ending is as magical as you'd imagine... because you would never imagine it. Obviously, you'd expect crazy monster aliens. And I will let you discover on your own the end...
SUMMARY
I give it 5 out of 5. Excellent.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Dagger of the Mind (1x09)
Pike April 20, 2019, 12:04 ET
Very, very boring
Dagger of the Mind is a very, very boring episode. But then, the last part of the episode is reminding you that Star Trek is not your typical series. And even in boring episodes, there is always something interesting to find.
For me, it was the part where Captain Kirk is being mind-tortured in the so-called treatment room.
But also, almost every episode is treating women like objects and sexual desires.
Sidenote: X-Philes will remember Morgan Woodward for his creepy role in The X-Files episode from season 2, Aubrey. In this one, his role is really irritating and over the top.
SUMMARY
I give it 2 out of 5. Weak.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Miri (1x08)
Pike April 20, 2019, 12:04 ET
Grotesque
The episode starts with a very interesting story. Captain Kirk and his crew discovers a planet looking exactly like Earth. The only problem is that the rest of the episode is quite bad and the great imaginative possibilities of the planet soon vanish into emptiness.
EARTH II: THE WESTERN
As soon as we arrive on... Earth II, the sets are awful. It feels like a crossover with a bad western TV series.
Unfortunately, for a science fiction TV series, it is very easy to produce a bad episode. And the morale of the story is that a bad script can only go so far. The worst part of the episode is clearly when Captain Kirk is being attacked by... children. That alone should have raised a red flag in the review of the script.
And the episode ends on a very bad and creepy joke, about Captain Kirk not dating kids... I'm laughing as I write these words. "I never get involved with older women, Yeoman."
Star Trek tries once more to talk about a social aspect of life: kids becoming adult. But it simply fails.
SUMMARY
I give it 1 out of 5. Very bad and plain boring.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
What Are Little Girls Made Of? (1x07)
Pike April 20, 2019, 12:04 ET
Android anticipation with average execution
GREAT TOPIC: ANDROIDS
The main topic of this episode is the ability to create androids that ressemble human beings perfectly. This is a topic I find absolutely fascinating.
Mark my words, one day, this episode will be looked back and people will only realize how realistic it was. I can tell you, right here and there, that there will be a day where we'll have android robots looking exactly like humans, feeling like humans and ultimately destroying the human race.
POOR STORY: WHY A MONSTER?
But back to the episode, except being a true anticipation topic, the story is not great and there are virtually no real emotions to feel. Hence, no real conclusion. Also, I was quite sure that Dr. Roger Korby was also an android. Also, I didn't see the point to put a monster in the story.
COSTUME
Also, shall I note the outstanding costume that the lady robot is wearing? Stunning!
KIRK COPY
Finally, two episodes before, we already had an episode with two Captain Kirk. This feels redundant already.
STALAGDICK!
Oh, and should I mention the very disturbing moment when Captain Kirk takes a stalagmite that looks like a... well... let's just say it should have been renamed to a... stalagdick!
SUMMARY
I give it 3 out of 5. Without the great concept I would have given it a 2.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Mudd's Women (1x06)
Pike April 19, 2019, 12:04 ET
A most annoying, emotional episode
FIRST BAD EPISODE
"Mudd's Women" is, to me, the first bad episode of Star Trek. First, it feels overly long and the story is not only not entertaining, but the way the three women are portrayed could even be categorized as sexist. Sure, I understand that they have a special power from a drug, but still, the reactions of the male crew staring at them was extravagant. And I don't even mention the shot on the women's ass.
MUDD IN THE MUD
Also, the storyline of Mr. Harry Mudd was not appealing to me. I found it very cheap. Basically, he's a pimp, transferring prostitutes.
STILL
But... since this is Star Trek we are talking about, the conclusion of the story is quite original. The blonde lady thinks she took her last pill, but she didn't. It was a placebo. And Captain Kirk to add: There's only one kind of woman.
Harry Mudd: Or man, for that matter.
Captain Kirk: You either believe in yourself, or you don't.
What very funny is that Spock himself found the adventure unappealing, by saying it all: "A most annoying, emotional episode."
SUMMARY
I give it 2 out of 5. Very bad.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Enemy Within (1x05)
Pike April 18, 2019, 12:04 ET
Excellent! Excellent!
The Enemy Within is clearly the best episode from Star Trek so far. I was really impressed and surprised by the high quality of it.
You see, I always pictured Star Trek as being this SF series (or saga), loved by geeks and not having real artistic qualities. This episode is a good example of what the show can achieve.
Not only the premises of the story works perfectly - a good old good versus evil story - but it even goes much farther from it and offers a great story. After the first half of the episode, we suddenly realize that things are not easy as it seems.
Finally, William Shatner is going over the top and really showing his great talent. One must not be afraid to play such scenes and not being ridiculous.
SUMMARY
I give it 4 out of 4. Star Trek starts extremely well.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
The Naked Time (1x04)
Pike April 17, 2019, 12:04 ET
I'm in control of my emotions, damnit!
The Naked Time is probably the best episode of the series so far. It contains all the ingredients for an excellent episode.
MEDICAL
After visiting an odd planet, one of the crew members is infected and becomes irrational. We originally think that the mental disease is given through blood, but after some further analysis, we get to realize that it is being shared through perspiration. I really enjoyed the medical aspect of the episode, where Dr. McCoy plays an important role by understanding the disease and then producing a serum.
FUN!
What is obviously very fun is to watch some serious characters going... out of characters! Such as Mr. Sulu running around the ship with a sword and talking like a French knight!
EMOTION... FILLED SPOCK
What is even more exciting is to watch Mr. Spock being taken over by the disease and suddenly being forced into strong emotions!
KIRK VS SPOCK
And what about Kirk slapping Spock to try to wake him up, ending into a fight between the two characters?
SCOTTY
Meanwhile, whilst Dr. McCoy plays an important role, Scotty plays an equally important one, by trying to get the ship to leave the planet's orbit. The stakes are extremely high in this episode, as the ship might be sucked into the planet's atmosphere. This culminates with the ship and crew suddenly going back in time, and Kirk even saying that they might use this equation in the future. It is as if we are witnessing the Star Trek mythology right in front of our eyes.
And beyond that, this short moment literally opens the audience's imaginary.
SUMMARY
I give it 5 out of 5. A classic.
Star Trek: The Original Series:
Where No Man Has Gone Before (1x03)
Pike April 16, 2019, 12:04 ET
Odd people on board... again!
This is only the third episode so far, and already we are at three episodes with odd characters onboard the ship out of... three. This is already starting to become old... and we are only in 1966!
Still, the conclusion of the episode is thrilling. Sure, it feels dated and is close to being ridiculous when watched today, but I actually enjoyed it and it felt like a breath of fresh air to leave the secluded ship for a while.
Also, I think the show would be better if the episodes would last only 43 minutes instead of 50. The pace could be a bit faster.
SUMMARY
I give it 4 out of 5. Very good.
