THIS EPISODE IS WHY REMASTERS WERE MADE!

Episode Title:  The Doomsday Machine

Air Date: 10/20/1967

Written by Norman Spinrad

Directed by Marc Daniels

Cast: William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk    Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock             DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard H. McCoy AKA “Bones”              James Doohan  as Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott AKA “Scotty”        George Takei  as Lieutenant  Hikaru Sulu              Elizabeth Rogers as Lieutenant Palmer          John Winston as  Lieutenant Kyle            Eddie Paskey as Lieutenant Leslie                 Bill Blackburn as Lieutenant Hadley     Richard Compton as Lieutenant Washburn         Roger Holloway as Lt. Roger Lemli                        John Copage as Ensign Elliott            Tim Burns as Crewman Russ               Jerry Catron as Crewman Montgomery               Jeannie Malone as unnamed Yeoman              William Windom as Commodore Matthew Decker   

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701, USS Constellation NCC-1017, Einstein NCC-1701/6, Doomsday Planet Killer Device

Planets:  Not Anymore

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The episode begins with the Enterprise traveling through solar systems whose planets have been destroyed yet their stars are intact.  Considering a supernova is the only known power that could destroy planets that quickly this makes finding out what did a priority.  In addition to that another Federation starship the USS Constellation had reported to have been in this sector but it hasn’t been heard from since.    Lt. Uhura is apparently on vacation so Lt. Palmer is filling in but she hasn’t been able to raise the other ship.

They manage to find the Constellation but when they do they see their sister ship is badly damaged.   The Constellation is just drifting in space.  According to readings taken from Mr. Spock the only thing that seems to be working on the ship is life support and just barely.  There are hull breaches in numerous places including the bridge. 

It doesn't get much worse than this!

Kirk leaves Spock in charge of the Enterprise and beams over to the Constellation with Dr. McCoy, Scotty, and an engineering team.  The engineering team must have been made up of crew members that just recently got their jobs because none of them are wearing a red engineering shirt.  Either that or realizing they going on an away mission traded shirts with their colleagues to increase their survival changes.  If that was true then it was a good plan because they all survive.

The one thing they all notice as they tour the wrecked halls of the Constellation is that no one from the crew is on board.  Not only are they not finding survivors, they aren’t finding bodies.   Kirk gets Scotty and his engineers to see if they can get the ship running again.  Kirk heads to the auxiliary control room—which is what they are calling the emergency bridge.  When he gets there he finds the ship’s captain, Commodore Matthew Decker, sitting at the helm in a state of shock.  He babbles incoherently as Kirk questions him.  When asked where his crew was Decker says he sent them to the third planet, which means they were all lost when it was destroyed.

Captain Kirk finds a broken man on a broken ship!

   As they play back Decker’s captain’s log, the distraught Commodore starts to regain his focus.  He describes a thing in space that was huge, with a gigantic mouth, and a weapon where it fires a beam of pure anti-protons.    Kirk has Spock analyze the data from the Constellation’s computers on the bridge of the Enterprise.  Mr. Spock determines that what the object that destroyed the planets and crippled the Constellation was not a ship but a device that is fully automated and destroys planets so it can use the remains for fuel.  He speculates that it the device is from outside our galaxy and Spock determines that its current course puts it on the path some of the most populated planets in space.  Its hull is made of solid neutronium so no individual Federation starship could damage it.

Horror story to tell!

After speaking with Spock, Kirk turns to McCoy and asks if he has ever heard of a doomsday device, to which Bones just throws up one of his classic “doctor” lines.  Kirk tells him that these things were weapons whose purpose was to be threatened not used, because if you were to use it that would be then end of everything.  That is what Kirk thinks they are fighting and those that created this device are now long dead having been destroyed by their own weapon that they used to destroy their enemies.

Kirk convinces Decker to go back to the Enterprise with Dr. McCoy by promising him that they will tow the Constellation with them.   Shortly after they get the Commodore on board the planet killer arrives.  Kirk orders the shields temporarily lowered so they can all get back but a blast from the device knocks the two starships apart!  Communications are out both ways.   The away team is stuck on a dead starship while the Enterprise doesn’t have her Captain at a time of need.

Captain Kirk and Mr. Scott immediately try to start repairing the damaged ship.  While on board the Enterprise the Commodore quickly grows tired with what he views as Spock’s passiveness towards this doomsday device.  In reality Spock is proceeding exactly as he should in these circumstances but Decker, in his state of delusion, can’t see that.  He pulls rank using his authority as a commodore to seize command of the Enterprise from Mr. Spock.   McCoy can’t believe what is happening and demands Spock do something.  Spock reminds the Doctor of his authority to declare a commanding officer unfit. This excites McCoy until Spock points out that he has to document the reason this fills McCoy so much fear that he forgets that he found Decker in state of shock and brought him to the Enterprise to be looked after.   Now seeing as there is nothing either of them can do the Commodore takes over and McCoy has to leave the bridge. 

Decker wants a new shot with a new ship!

The Commodore immediately goes on attack mode.  He reasons his earlier mistake was firing from too far a distance.  He flies the ship in closer and fires phasers.  As Spock predicted the planet killer is undamaged and it fires back.  The Enterprise takes on heavy damage but the Commodore still refuses to withdraw until Mr. Spock tells him that his current course is suicide and if he persists he could be relieved on that basis.  The Commodore complies and orders withdrawal but it is too late for the planet killer has them in a tractor beam and it’s pulling them in. 

Kirk finally fixes the Constellation’s viewer in the auxiliary control room and is able to witness the battle between his ship and the planet killer.  Seeing that the Enterprise is doomed unless something happens, Kirk asks Scott if he can get the impulse engines online.  Mr. Scott, who’s worth his weight in gold, tells him not only can they move but he can fire phasers.  Kirk leaps into action with the repaired Constellation attacking the planet killer causing it to release the Enterprise.   

Commodore Decker or Captain Ahab

Decker, excited that two ships are now attacking, is happy to contact his old ship with the now restored communication system.  However the moment Kirk can be heard he accuses Decker of being a lunatic and orders Spock to relieve Decker on his authority.  Spock complies and the Commodore is escorted off the bridge.  I don’t see how Kirk can do that seeing as he is only a captain and Decker is a commodore, but I guess since he took responsibility this gave Spock the freedom to act.

Decker shows like Captain Kirk he too has great fighting skills and beats up his security guard. He goes and steals the shuttle craft Einstein.  He decides to fly it into the planet killer.  Both Spock and Kirk try to talk him out of it over the communication system.  Decker claims he was prepared for death the moment he lost his crew.  He crashes into the giant mouth of planet killer destroying the shuttle craft and killing himself.  However Lt. Sulu notices that for a moment that the planet killer seemed to have been effected.  

 

I can captain two ships at once.

After going over the results they think they can do more serious damage if they fly the wrecked Constellation in there with a more controlled explosion.  Kirk sends everyone back except him and Mr. Scott.  Scotty rigs up the self-destruct device and Kirk begins to fly it in.  The Enterprise’s transporter was damaged in the battle so they can only get one of them at a time.  They take Mr. Scott first and then try to take the Captain.  They almost don’t get him but through the actions of Mr. Scott they manage to beam him over. The Constellation flies into the planet killer and blows up.  They win and the planet killer is destroyed.

Back on the Enterprise Kirk and Spock discuss doomsday devices and how they never want to see another one.   

Additional thoughts: Every now and again when I re-read these reviews I will notice a glaring typo that somehow escaped the editing process.  I am always very embarrassed and I imagine anyone involved with a show’s production suddenly noticing that the shuttle craft looks to be the same size as the starship as it heads into the planet killer might feel similar.  However it is not simple errors rather enhanced technological gain in graphics to why the series was remastered.  I can appreciate older cinema and I could always watch the original series fine before, but I have fallen in love with the new remasters.  And in this case they took an episode that was already great and made it even more amazing. 

(old effects video)

So Commodore Matthew Decker is an interesting character.   He is kind of like a broken Kirk.  We see in him as the shadow of the man he used to be only a few short days ago.  That Kirk-like captain has now been replaced by a Captain Ahab figure who is sole reason for living is his pursuit of that great white whale.  After losing his own ship in crew he ignores the perils for Captain Kirk’s.  In the end he loses his own life, it is too bad for him that he didn’t hear Kirk’s plea of “we are stronger with you than without you.” However his sacrifice did give them to tools to end the doomsday machine.

Also why is Decker a commodore?  Up until this point every commodore we’ve seen is in charge of a starbase.  Has Decker just recently been promoted and now he was waiting his new assignment so he could transfer from being a starship’s captain to a starbase commander?  I suppose if he had been another captain he might not have been able to take control of Kirk’s ship so easily.

Lt. Uhura sure picked a good time to take a vacation.  Okay maybe not if the Enterprise was destroyed she would probably be consumed with survivors’ guilt.  Although it did help the plot somewhat after her quick work in “Who Morns for Adonais” I think she probably would have had the ship to ship communication up sooner thus preventing the loony Decker from going gun ho with the Enterprise.   

Lastly I think Kirk and Mr. Scott should have traded places and have the Chief Engineer's survival at stake before getting beamed away at the last minute.  Even among those who watched this episode as it came out did anyone really think Kirk is going to die?  The opening credits right after “Star Trek” says “Starring William Shatner.”  We know he is not going anywhere, now Scotty on the other hand is only in the closing credits and sometimes his character isn’t even in an episode.  Fans might have sweat a little more.

 FINAL GRADE 5 of 5

SPOCK HAS SOME LOVE PAINS

Episode Title:  Amok Time

Air Date: 9/15/1967

Written by Theodore Sturgeon

Directed by Joseph Pevney

Cast: William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk    Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock             DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard H. McCoy AKA “Bones”              George Takei  as Lieutenant  Hikaru Sulu              Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura          Majel Barrett as Nurse Christine Chapel          Eddie Paskey as Lieutenant Leslie                 Bill Blackburn as Lieutenant Hadley     Walter Koenig as Ensign Pavel Chekov      Byron Morrow as Admiral Komack     Celia Lovsky as T'Pau              Frank Da Vinci as Vulcan Ceremonial Aide              Arlene Martel as T'Pring             Lawrence Montaigne as Stonn             Walker Edmiston as voice of Space Central                Charles Palmer as Vulcan Litter Bearer    Joe Paz as Vulcan Ceremonial Aide               Russ Peek as Vulcan Executioner                Mary Rice as T'Pring as Child          Mauri Russell as Vulcan Litter Bearer             Gary Wright as Vulcan Litter Bearer

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701

Planets:  Vulcan

My Spoiler filled summary and review:  The episode begins with Dr. McCoy confiding to Captain Kirk that he concerned about Mr. Spock.  He reports that the normally stoic Mr. Spock is seemly becoming emotionally unbalanced.  Kirk can’t believe it but when they see Nurse Chapel try to give Mr. Spock some soup that he likes they become witness to Spock throwing the bowl across the room and smashing it on the wall.  When Spock makes eye contact with Kirk he makes a request for leave on Vulcan.

The Enterprise’s current mission is to go to Altair VI for an important diplomatic visit.  Altair has an inauguration for its new president and Starfleet wants to make a good impression for strategically located vital ally against the Klingons.   Kirk would like to find out what was wrong with Spock so he would stop acting weird.  When he inquires about the First Officer taking leave elsewhere Spock refuses demanding Vulcan.  Kirk decides that Spock has done enough for them over the years and orders the ship to Vulcan before stopping on Altair.

Kirk and McCoy check in on Chapel 

Unfortunately as with all the best laid plans of mice and men Kirk’s plan falls astray.  Turns out the new President of Altair wants to have his inauguration early so the Enterprise no longer has time to stop at Vulcan.  Kirk apologizes and Spock says he understands.  Later, Kirk starts to feel guilty about not letting Spock go so he calls Chekov to see if they went at maximum warp would they be able to drop Spock off and attend the inauguration.  Chekov is confused because they were already heading back to Vulcan under orders from Mr. Spock.

 Kirk confronts Spock about him changing the course of the ship to which Mr. Spock claims he doesn’t remember changing the course but thinks it is very likely that he may have given his current condition.  Kirk then orders Mr. Spock to go to sickbay.  Spock goes reluctantly and submits to Dr. McCoy’s exam under the protest of “for all the good it will do us.” Ironically it does do both of them a lot of good.  Although Dr. McCoy can’t explain it he comes to the conclusion that whatever Spock’s condition is if it’s not treated it will be fatal.  The best place for Mr. Spock is on Vulcan.  Then McCoy advocates this in front of Captain Kirk who decides to speak with Spock one more time.

Kirk sees Spock in his quarters; Spock is still hesitant to talk.  Kirk reasons with him that if he has to lose his best officer at the very least he has the right to know why.  He tells his First Officer that he will treat whatever information Spock gives him in the strictest of confidence.  Spock begins by asking him if he ever wonder how Vulcans choose their mates.  Kirk says that most assume that the choice was a logical one.  This is where explains that Vulcans are like salmon.  They have to return to the point of origin in order to take a mate and reproduce or die in the attempt.   They have a ritual called pon farr where they shroud the whole thing in ceremony.   If he doesn’t go and complete the ceremony he will die.

Kirk contacts Starfleet Command and speaks with Admiral Komack.  He tells the Admiral that they can’t go to the inauguration and he can’t tell him why but is an emergency.  The Admiral is not at all impressed and tells Kirk he better be there or else.   Kirk thinks about it and realizes Spock has saved his life so many times that if cost him his career no big deal.  Kirk orders the ship to Vulcan.

Spock seems to calm down as the ship heads to Vulcan.  He even asks Nurse Chapel to make him some of that soup from earlier.  When they arrive at Vulcan they are received and the Vulcan government even arranges for a lady Vulcan named T’Pring to communicate with Spock.  When they ask Spock who she is he responds with “She’s my wife.”  However we later learn they are not quite married yet but they are more than betrothed.

T'Pring spoils the party

As he is about to leave Spock requests that Kirk and McCoy accompany him as it is his right to have his closest friends with him at the ceremony.  The three beam down together to the hot climate that is Vulcan.  They arrive at the ceremony and Spock has to strike a gong twice and then a parade of Vulcans arrive.  All sorts of Vulcans, some of them are very mean looking.  Among the company is a woman named T’Pau.  T’Pau is a big deal in the Federation and the only person to down a seat in the Federation Council.  Kirk is almost in immediate fanboy mode when she arrives.   He tells McCoy that he had no idea Spock’s family was so important. 

Everything seems to be going as planned until T’Pring prevents Spock from striking the gong again and demands kal-if-fee.  Kirk and McCoy are told that she has rejected Spock and demands he fight for her.  She continues to shock everyone when naming her champion to fight Spock she chooses Captain Kirk.  One Vulcan, named Stonn, objects claiming that he should be the one to fight, but T’Pau tells him to shut up.  Spock tries to get T’Pau to let Kirk off.  T’Pau gives Kirk and out but McCoy said he didn’t think Spock could take Stonn in his present condition.  Realizing that his fighting skills are supreme and famed throughout the universe, Kirk reasons he might be able to knock Spock out quickly.  If not he could just quit.  He then makes a mistake by not asking more about the rules and tells T’Pau he accepts.  Then T’Pau now decides to let him know that this is a fight to the death.

 The battle begins Kirk and Spock each fight with traditional Vulcan weapons.  Kirk’s is the greatest fighter in known universe but he is fighting with restraint not wanting to hurt Spock, while Spock is a blood lusted horny Vulcan who must kill to get laid.  In addition to that it is also very hot, so hot that McCoy is convinced that Kirk has no chance.  McCoy directly challenges T’Pau, unlike Kirk he is not a fanboy so he is not so intimidated.  He tells her that the contest is rigged without giving Kirk a chance.  She doesn’t understand what can be done and McCoy says that he can inject Kirk with medicine that will counter act the heat.  She agrees and McCoy does so.   Kirk says while being injected that he can’t believe he might have to kill Spock which was the opposite of why they came. 

  

Kirk is like "this isn't my party!"

The fight continues with Spock gaining the upper hand and strangling Captain Kirk to death.  Strangling Captain Kirk is apparently better than sex as Spock is then immediately cured.  Realizing what he has done however he is in a bit of shock.  McCoy says he is in command now and he orders the Captain’s body to be brought to the Enterprise and to have them plot a course to the nearest Starbase so he can turn himself in.

Yeah this not what Kirk thought he would be doing today!

  

Spock goes to T’Pring and demands to know why she invoked the challenge and selected Kirk as her champion.  She explains that Spock has basically become a celebrity on Vulcan because of his adventures and she did not want to be the wife of a celebrity.  In addition to that she and Stonn have fallen in love.  If Stonn had fought there was a chance he would lose and die.  By choosing Kirk she was assured that however won would be so disgusted with her that neither would have her.  Spock agrees to let her go and warns Stonn with one of Spock’s greatest quotes:

“You may find in time that having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting.  It is not logical, but it is often true.”    

With that he says his good-byes to T’Pau and when she tells him to live long and prosper he responds by saying he will do neither.  He is full of guilt having killed Captain Kirk.  Fortunately for Mr. Spock his grief is short-lived as turns out Kirk is alive and well on the ship.  Turns out McCoy gave him a drug that would slow his body functions and simulate death.  Not only is Kirk alive but his career is saved as well.  T’Pau called Starfleet Command and explained that the Enterprise was at Vulcan on her request so Starfleet Command backed down and retroactively gave permission for everything that happened. 

There is just one more thing.  McCoy challenges Spock on his emotional outlet upon seeing Kirk alive, to which replies he was just showing the proper respect for Starfleet not losing such a fine captain.  So McCoy then asks if he is implying is that his response was based solely on logic.  Spock confirms it was.  As Kirk and Spock walk off McCoy says loudly “In a pig’s eye!”

Additional thoughts: Before “Amok Time” Mr. Spock was the only Vulcan fans had ever seen, and he was only half-Vulcan.  Fans often wonder what other Vulcans were like.  Well in this episode not only did we see other Vulcans but we get to go to Vulcan and see some of the inner working of their culture.  One of the major things we learn is that Vulcans are like salmon.  They are calm creatures who go crazy during mating season.  They must mate or strangle Captain Kirk, which is just as good as mating.

Our first post-Spock Vulcan is T’Pring, Mr. Spock’s intended.  Her name should be T’Prick because what a horrible person she is.  At first she seems sympathetic, she doesn’t want to go through an arranged marriage with a man who is now a celebrity and has she fallen in love with someone else.  However when she decides to pair two friends against each other in a fight to the death in order to traumatize the winner that is when she loses my sympathy.     She had other options; T’Pring could have reached out to Spock before pon farring starts and asked to be released.  Giving Spock’s high ranking family and celebrity status I think he could have easily found himself another mate. 

Everyone's least favorite Vulcans

Next we get T’Pau, the frail woman who is more powerful than Starfleet Command.  In her old age she doesn’t seem to be involved in a lot of planning ahead of things.  After all why didn’t she just tell Starfleet to bring Spock to her?  That would have avoided a lot of drama.  Also when Kirk gets invited to the challenge you think, given that Kirk is not from there, that she would have explained the rules better before he accepts.  I mean she did try to give him and out but you think she could have lead with “so you want to be in a fight to the death with your friend?”

All of Vulcan in one package!

I think a great deal of trouble could be avoided if human and Vulcan alike just learned to lie better.  If Spock has just said “I need to go to Vulcan to deal with a medical condition that only Vulcans can treat.” Would Kirk have been so hard on him?  Likely, if Kirk had said something of the same to the Admiral would the flag officer have given him such a hard time?

Spock says his good-byes and starts a tradition of Star Trek Fandom

Speaking of admirals we finally get to see one.  Another first from this to go along with planet Vulcan, Vulcans, pon farr, the Vulcan salute, and “live long and prosper;” we get our first admiral.  Up to this point every time we meet one Kirk’s Starfleet superiors it was always a commodore.  It was a good scene too, we got to see him rip Kirk a new one because Kirk can’t tell a little white lie.  Given the information Kirk was giving him I can’t blame him for his response. 

In the end everything turns out okay.  Spock and T’Pring both get what they wanted, Kirk is alive and his career is saved, and the crew of the Enterprise didn’t have to attend that boring inauguration.  All is well that ends well.

FINAL GRADE 5 of 5

KIRK AND CREW MEET APOLLO

Episode Title:  Who Mourns for Adonais?

Air Date: 9/22/1967

Written by Gilbert A. Ralston and Gene L. Coon

 

Directed by Marc Daniels

Cast: William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk    Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock             DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard H. McCoy AKA “Bones”              James Doohan  as Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott AKA “Scotty”        George Takei  as Lieutenant  Hikaru Sulu              Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura          John Winston as  Lieutenant Kyle            Eddie Paskey as Lieutenant Leslie                 Bill Blackburn as Lieutenant Hadley     Leslie Parrish as Lieutenant Carolyn Palamas         Roger Holloway as Lieutenant Lemli                        Walter Koenig as Ensign Pavel Chekov      Michael Forest as Apollo 

              

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701

Planets:  Pollux IV

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The Enterprise is mapping planets in the Pollux system.  McCoy notices and points out to Kirk that Scotty is rather taken with young Lt. Carolynn Palamas.  McCoy is concerned because although Scotty is taken with her she doesn’t seem to be that taken with him.  McCoy predicts that the right man will come along and she will leave Starfleet for that hypothetical man.  That is a thought that really bothers Captain Kirk.

Scotty trying to flirt!

Then their normal survey expedition is interrupted when a giant human looking hand appears from the planet and grabs the Enterprise!  The crew reacts swiftly but they also can’t get shake the feeling of utter ridiculousness of a “hand” grabbing their ship.  Mr. Spock confirms that the “hand” is actually an energy field.   Kirk orders Lt. Sulu to try to break free but the ship can’t get loose.  Lt. Uhura reports that they are being hailed and on the view screen is the face of a human man.  The man wearing an oak leaf crown commends his “children” on their advancement.   He compares them to famous Greek heroes and wants them to come celebrate with him.  Kirk demands that he free them and even goes so far to make threats.  However the man responds by using a sonic weapon on the crew forcing Kirk to surrender.  He commands some of the crew to come down and join him but rejects Spock as one of the guests as his ears remind him of Pan.  Kirk forms an away team of himself, Dr. McCoy, Scotty, Ensign Chekov, and Lt. Palamas.  Spock will assume command of the Enterprise and will lead the crew in trying to find a solution to this problem from that position.

   

Probably not what they had in mind when they went to explore strange new worlds seeking new life and new civilizations!

When the landing party arrives they find themselves in front of an Ancient Greeks style temple. Their captor appears before them and announces himself as the god Apollo.  To which Chekov then introduces himself as the Tsar of Russia.  Apollo is pleased that they have come all this way but now he wants them all to move down here and kiss his butt like the ancestors did in the good old days.  When he finds the crew unwilling he threatens to crush the Enterprise with the crew inside with his hand.  He punishes the landing party on the surface with lightning bolts from his fingertips.  The hand phasers are useless against Apollo and he destroys them easily. He also has the ability to grow large enough to make the Starfleet officers appear as if toys in front of him.

Apollo seems to get tired at times and has to disappear.  Kirk sees that as an opportunity for he clearly has a weakness.  He asks Lt. Palamas for some back ground information on Apollo and she goes on to explain the basics: that he is the son of Zeus and a mortal woman, the twin brother of Artemis, and the god of light, prophecy, and truth.  Odd she neglects to mention that he is the god of the sun which is what I primarily associated him with.  Kirk then forms a theory.  Although he won’t acknowledge this man as a god, he thinks that he might actually be Apollo.  Kirk theorizes that 5,000 years ago Earth was visited by aliens who had great natural abilities and technology.  Their distant ancestors took these beings for gods.  The visitors liked this and formed a relationship with the local inhabitants.   In this relationship the humans worshiped the newcomers as gods and these newcomers helped them lay the cornerstone of Western Civilization.

This is a god sit!

Apollo develops a fascination with Lt. Palamas, and she allows him to call her Carolyn.  He transforms her uniform into a fancy dress.   Scotty doesn’t like what he is seeing and against orders tries to interfere.  Apollo pushes him aside easily enough and disappears with the Lieutenant.  Kirk is certain that Apollo must have a power source.  McCoy’s tricorder readings find that Apollo’s body can channel energy which confirms for Kirk his belief. 

On the Enterprise’s bridge, Spock also thinks there is must be a power source.  He works with Sulu and Uhura to get communications on-line and find a “hole” in the energy hand that would allow them to contact Captain Kirk and provide aid. 

Alone with Apollo, Lt. Palamas is very flattered by his attentions.  She manages to get him to answer one of the most obvious questions about himself: if he is Apollo then where are the other gods?  Apollo explains that without worshipers gods lose purpose.  The other gods expanded their forms until they completely dissipated into the air.  Hera, according to Apollo, was the first to go.  But he never gave up hope and knew that humans would come back to him.  Palamas is falling for the sun god.

Thinking about being  a god's girlfriend!

  When Apollo reappears to the rest of the away team all four men challenge him at once.   Facing demands and accusations from all sides Apollo is about to lash out and overextend his power.  However Lt. Palamas uses herself as a shield and tells Apollo that a loving parent doesn’t harm his children.  With that Apollo backs down and disappears.  This ruins Kirk’s plan. 

Kirk lets Palamas know that she had to reject Apollo that if she doesn’t he will enslave the entire crew to become his worshipers.  She is upset by this because she has seen his better side; however Palamas is convinced by the Captain that rejecting the god is what she must do.  When they are alone again, Palamas lets Apollo know that she is going to have to move on.  She was studying him as a scientist as she naturally must study all alien life forms.  This hurts and rages Apollo although he doesn’t directly harm her.

On the Enterprise the bridge crew scrambles to help those on the surface.  Uhura has fixed the communications system from Apollo’s inference allowing them to again communicate with the away team.  The rest have managed to find a weakness in the force field and Mr. Sulu has located the source of power.  That source of power is Apollo’s own temple.  Under Captain Kirk’s order they clear the area and the Enterprise fires its phasers and destroys the temple.  With that the hand completely disappears and Apollo is de-powered.

Breaking up when your boyfriend is a god

Depressed Apollo talks with Captain Kirk one last time. Kirk tells the defeated god that humanity has outgrown him.  With that Apollo grows giant once more and calls out to his former comrades to take him.  Apollo disintegrates into the air to join his fellow gods.  In reflecting on the value of Greek Civilization to humanity Kirk asks if maybe they should have gathered a few laurel leaves.

Additional thoughts: Ancient Aliens is the main reason I stopped watching the History Channel, although they may have won be back with Grant.   However as a source of science fiction it is a great concept.  How many of our other gods were in fact advanced life forms from afar?

This episode begged a lot of questions.  We did get to find out what happened to Apollo’s fellow Olympians: that they voluntarily dissipated after a long existence without worshipers.  However, if gods need worships to the point that Apollo says they do then why did they leave Earth?  Were they driven out?  Did they need to return to their power source?  Why didn’t they come back?  Also Apollo confirms the legends that he was born of normal Earth woman.  This means like, Mr. Spock who he rejected, Apollo is an alien/human hybrid.   Unlike Mr. Spock, Apollo was born upon Earth.  It was the first home he knew.  I think it would have been nice if that were explored a little more.

I don’t know why they neglected to mention that Apollo was the god of the sun and not just light.  In myth it was believed he pulled the sun up at dawn with his chariot.  Yet when he fights he shoots lightning bolts from his hand like Zeus.  Now I know he is Zeus’s son, but it would have been nice to see natural powers more associated with him. 

 

Game over for Apollo!

In the end it is James Kirk who mourns for Adonais.  That leads me to wonder: did it have to be this way?   Instead of fighting directly with Apollo could they have tried to reason with him more?  Apollo said he needed worshipers and that is why he wanted the crew of the Enterprise.   However there are tens of billions of humans who live in the Federation.   I am sure some of them wouldn’t mind to come to form a community with Apollo.  I bet historians who specialize in Greek antiquity would be tripping over themselves to get a crack at him.  There may even be people who still follow religious Hellenism, who already worship Apollo.  I think he may have pulled the plug too soon.

I think James Doohan missed an opportunity here.  When Apollo blasted his phaser with lighting hurting Mr. Scott's hand he should have held his hand up and said "Ah, my finger!" and that could have been the in continuity explanation to why Mr. Scott was missing a finger.  That way Doohan would not have had to hide his hand all the time. 

  

Take that phaser and finger!

Another thing I enjoyed about the episode is the use of the crew as a whole.  Every character had an important part to play.  Lts Sulu and Kyle developed a way to penetrate Apollo’s force field, Lt. Uhura was able to reestablish contact with the surface by rewiring her communications station, and Ensign Chekov acted as the science advisor in place of Mr. Spock who commanded the bridge.  I prefer this approach as opposed to just Kirk, Spock, and the disposable crew member of the week.

 FINAL GRADE 4 of 5