WHICH OR WITCH?

 

Episode Title:  That Which Survives

Air Date: 1/24/1969

Written by John Meredyth Lucas and Dorothy C. Fontana

Directed by Herb Wallerstein

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          Booker Bradshaw as Dr. Joseph M'Benga         Arthur Batanides as Lieutenant  D'Amato            Naomi Newman as Lieutenant Rahda              Frank Da Vinci as Lieutenant Brent        Bill Blackburn as Lieutenant Hadley     Roger Holloway as Lieutenant Lemli   Brad Forrest as unnamed Ensign                  Kenneth Washington as Crewman Watkins              Jeannie Malone as unnamed Yeoman          Lee Meriwether as Losira         

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701

Planets:  Kalandans’ artificial planet

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The Enterprise comes across a planet that doesn’t make a lick of sense. It is rather small but its gravity is like Earth and it even has an Earth-like atmosphere. Given the apparent age of the planet that shouldn’t even be possible.  Kirk forms a landing party of himself, Dr. McCoy, Lt Sulu, and a science officer D’Amato. 

When you suddenly regret transporting but you are mid-beam!

As the party begins to transport down a woman, who may just be a catwoman, suddenly appears before them and asks them not to go.  However, she is too late because the transporting process has already begun.  In response she grabs the transporter operator and he collapses.  As the landing party materializes on the surface the planet a massive earthquake begins knocking all four men over.  The quake is so intense it even rocks the Enterprise in orbit.  Soon the ship is hurled a thousand light-years in space.

The landing party immediately tries to make sense out of their chaotic situation.  Sulu checks his tricorder and comes to conclusion that the Enterprise may have been destroyed.  This conclusion draws a very negative reaction from Kirk towards Sulu.  Kirk insists that Sulu can’t possibly be right and insists that it is almost unprofessional of him to make such a conclusion.   Even through Kirk turns out to be right I think he should still give Sulu and apology.  After all it is Sulu’s job to help come up with possible explanations even ones you might not want to hear. However, it is still a great character moment for Kirk showing how much he loves his ship.  Kirk correctly surmises that the ship is still together but out of range.  So, their immediate response is to go into survival mode. Unfortunately for them there doesn’t appear to be anything on this planet that they can eat or drink.

survival maybe a bit of a problem

When the Enterprise is finally stabilized it takes a while for the crew, except Spock, to accept the reality of what has just happened to them.  The find the transporter operator dead, according to Dr. M'Benga, Dr. Sanchez’s performed an autopsy and discovered that every cell in his body had been disrupted.  Spock keeping his cool leads the Enterprise back in the direction of the strange planet that just threw them so far away.  Scotty promises to try to give the ship a little extra juice.

Trying to figure out where they are!

 The bad news continues for the landing party.  Every attempt to find any food or water is coming up short.  They do notice some strange magnetism and a life form that appears and disappears on the tricorder. D’Amato is looking for anything that could help them when he is confronted by the woman who had appeared to them earlier.  She says she needs to touch him.  She kills him and when his body is discovered, McCoy finds the same thing his staff found with the dead Ensign: that every cell has been disrupted. Kirk tries to bury the dead Lieutenant but his phaser won’t cut through the planet’s surface.  It is at this point that Kirk begins to speculate that the planet might be artificial in nature.

Not the away mission he expected.

Scotty contacts Spock to share with him a concern.  He tells the First Officer that the ship “feels wrong.” Now to one such as Mr. Spock this is the stupidest thing you could say to him. When Scotty can’t explain what he means by it, Spock serves him a tongue-lashing to which he makes clear to the Chief Engineer that he should not wasting the ship’s time with such ridiculous notions. 

What to do?

Back on the planet the woman returns this time targeting Mr. Sulu.  Sulu tires to fight her off using his phaser but that doesn’t do any good.  Eventually he retreats and she follows.  She manages to graze Sulu on the shoulder causing immense pain.  Kirk and McCoy arrive and put themselves in between her and Sulu.  She touches Captain Kirk and discovers that she cannot harm him.  She claims to be for Sulu but with the two other men blocking access she teleports away.  McCoy tends to Sulu’s shoulder and claims that if she had him for any longer, he would be dead. 

Despite Spock’s annoyance, Scotty decides to have his feelings checked out and sends one of his engineers on an errand.  His man is tasked with checking some of the systems in person instead of relying on the computer to tell them something is wrong.  However, the mysterious woman appears and touches the poor engineer.  One redshirt down and he never left the ship.

Despite appearances this is not a good day at work!

Kirk concludes that woman can only harm the one she is designed for, and since she can’t keep that a secret, they can use that to their advantage.  When she reappears, she calls for Kirk so the other two men protect him.  She seems frustrated but also something else is the matter. Kirk concludes that it might be guilt and calls her out on it.  She retreats by teleporting away.

Sulu trying to defend himself

Scotty discovers his dead man and calls up to the bridge with even worse news.  They have been sabotaged.  The emergency overload bypass of the matter-antimatter integrator has been fused although that shouldn’t be physically possible.  Scotty will try to repair it manually but they only have fifteen minutes to the ship is destroyed. 

While the Chief Engineer is only inches away from death Spock, remembering Scotty saying the ship “felt wrong,” runs an analyst through the computer comparing the Enterprise to her ideal condition. He finds that the ship had been sent a thousand light-years away via a giant transporter device.  This isn’t something the ship is used to doing and was materialized out of sync.  With this information it is discovered that Scotty just needs to reverse the polarity in order to save them.  He does and the Enterprise is safe. 

On the planet the three Starfleet officers find what appears to be the control center of the artificial planet.  However, the lady re-appears, they are primed however to act as soon as they find out who she is after.  To their surprise two more duplicate ladies show up, each looking for a different man.  It looks like they’re in trouble but the artificial women are still hesitating.  Kirk realizes he is getting through to them and it is only a matter of time before he talks them all into suicide.  It turns out he doesn’t have to because Spock and a security team beam down, and Kirk just has Spock destroy the operating computers with phasers.

Now you're in trouble!

With the treat neutralized they get a visual on the view screen.  It turns out the machine created its defender in the image of a woman Losira.  It turns out a species named the Kalandans created the planet.  However, while they were building it, they also accidentally created a disease that the population of the colony. Oops!  Losira had created the defense mechanism so none but their kind would grace this planet that killed all of its makers.  Losira is the last survivor and she died before any help got there.  The weird part is the computer revealed that eventually her people did come, got infected by the same illness, and went home to spread it to everyone there.  Kalandans are now all extinct.   Losira and her fellow scientists were the worst thing that ever happened to their people.  Nevertheless, Kirk finds her to have been a remarkable woman.  I think Kirk needs to raise his standards somewhat.

Additional thoughts: When I was a kid watching this episode, I use to get the title confused. I use to think it was called “That Witch Survives.”  This sounded the same but of course has a different meaning.  You had a woman who appeared and disappeared seemingly at will, who had the touch of death, and could make the Enterprise disappear from one place in the galaxy and appear in another.

This was also a great episode for the crew.  I generally love episodes that focus on the CREW of the Enterprise acting together as a team to save the day.  Don’t get me wrong I love Captain Kirk, he is one of my most important heroes but he doesn’t need to be shown doing everything he just needs to be the leader.  In this episode has Spock, McCoy, Scott, Sulu, and Uhura all doing their part. 

Even better while Star Trek shows can often turn into the “senior officers show” it is always nice to see those who work for their departments to have a chance to shine.  We have Lt. Rahda filling in for Sulu as he leaves with the landing party.  She has some great dialogue with Spock.  We see engineers other than Mr. Scott assigned to tasks to help the ship.  We here from doctors from sickbay who are not named McCoy.   The number two medical officer, Dr. M'Benga gives Spock and update on Dr. Sanchez’s work on the autopsy.

It is good to see the crew even the non-stars play an active role.

Is it just me or does Mr. Spock seem extra “Spockish” in this episode?  It is like he decided to turn up his normal Vulcan stoicism to the nth degree today.  It was kind of like how we saw him much earlier in his career such as “The Corbomite Maneuver.”  The super logical Vulcan who often finds himself super annoyed with these irrational Earth-lings and all their illogic.  The way he snaps at Scotty is a good example.  He did seem really fond of the back-up helmsman, Lt. Rahda, as she gave him some cold logic back.

Putting on the full Spock treatment!

I like when Sulu was speculating about what type of lifeforms, they may be facing he brings up the Horta from “The Devil in the Dark.”  I love it when they dive into their own history at times when it makes the most sense.  I realize that the series is mostly episodic but I see no reason why they shouldn’t often reference their past adventures when it makes sense to do so.

Scotty once again shows of his fine engineering skills and saves the ship at the extreme risk of his own life.  Spock may have come up with the plan but it was Scotty who carried it through.  They saved the day by choosing to “reverse the polarity”!  What a great move!  I wonder if that will come up again.

Reverse the polarity! I wonder if this will be a thing?

Once this lady was revealed to be an artificial intelligence it was over for her.  Kirk was already thinking for how to convince her to destroy herself.  However, we didn’t have to sit through it because Spock showed up in time it to use a phaser on it quick.  Thank you, Mr. Spock.  

FINAL GRADE 4 of 5

AS FAST AS THE FLASH!

Episode Title:  Wink of an Eye

Air Date: 11/29/1968

Written by Arthur Heinemann and Gene L. Coon

Directed by Jud Taylor

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          Bill Blackburn as Lieutenant Hadley     Roger Holloway as Lieutenant Lemli   David L. Ross as Lieutenant Johnson         Walter Koenig as Ensign Pavel Chekov                 Majel Barrett as Nurse Christine Chapel      Geoffrey Binney as     Crewman Compton              Jeannie Malone as unnamed Yeoman          Dick Geary as unnamed Security Guard         Eddie Hice as unnamed Security Guard        Dick Geary as unnamed Security Guard/ Scalosian          Jay D. Jones as unnamed Engineer            Kathie Browne as Deela      Jason Evers as Rael          Erik Holland as Ekor          

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701

Planets:  Scalos

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The episode begins with Scotty, not Kirk, making the opening entry into the ship’s log.  We are told that the Enterprise received a distress call from the planet Scalos.  The ship has arrived and a landing party is sent down but there doesn’t seem to be anybody on the entire planet.  In fact, the tricorders and ship’s sensors seem to indicate that there are no life signs on the planet at all.  However, Kirk notices annoying buzzing noise that insects typically make.  Some of the structures seem recently occupied while others haven’t been in centuries.  As they are getting ready to go Crewman Compton disappears in front of McCoy’s eyes.

Well that is the fastest red-shirt to get lost on a landing party!

The remaining landing party returns to the Enterprise and that is when a number of malfunctions on the ship seem to crop up all at once.  The ship’s medical supplies have been tampered with, and a strange device was found connected to the Enterprise’s environmental controls.  The device is protected by a force field that selectively allowed Kirk and Spock to view the device but no one else.  Kirk keeps hearing that strange insect sound.

Only Kirk and Spock are allowed to pass!

Spock feeds the information to the ship’s computer and it comes the conclusion that the ship has been invaded, there is nothing they can to stop this adversary, and they need to negotiate a surrender. Kirk isn’t willing to do that instead he just thinks they should wait for their opponents to make the next move and hope they make a mistake that the crew can take advantage of.

Their next move comes sooner than expected.  At that moment a yeoman was handing out coffee to the bridge crew something happens to Kirk’s cup.  As he drinks, he begins to notice that everyone is slowing down around him to the point everyone seems frozen.  Kirk then comes face to face with Deela, the Queen of the Scalosians.  She informs him that he has been pulled into flash time (Okay, she doesn’t use that word.  She uses the word “accelerated.” However, we all know what is going on and Kirk is clearly in Flash time.)  Kirk tries to stun her with a phaser to which she just steps out of the way. 

Like the very first Star Trek adventure Deela explains that her motive is reproductive.  Scalosians are dying out due to industrial damage to their planet.  The men all became sterile so now they have to reproduce with any passing aliens.  So how aliens match with Scalosian women better than their own men is never really explained but okay.  Deela wants Kirk to be her baby daddy.  They have been doing this for generations to the point they can even predict what will happen to the men who they turn.  First, they resist, then they accept, then they mate, and then they die because someone scratches them. 

Kirk not happy to have been changed.

Kirk learns about this die-by-scratching when he runs into Crewman Compton whose earlier disappearance was also caused by acceleration to flash time.  Compton is now all about helping the Scalosians.  However, when Kirk is confronted by the one who is a total jerk, a man named Rael, and is attacked, Compton comes to his defense.  Compton is scratched in the fight.  He quickly ages and dies. Kirk is then warned that unless he wants to be prematurely age again and be killed, he better toe the line as they ask him to.

Scalosians happy to be invincible 

Kirk however continues to try to contact his crew.  The Scalosians don’t even try to stop him.  Deela finds his attempts amusing particularly when he tries to record himself for his crew.  It appears as if Kirk has lost and he gives in to Deela, to the continued annoyance of Rael.  However, Deela underestimates our Mr. Spock.  In trying to determine the origin of the buzzing insect like sound, he discovers that it is sound sped up.  Then when McCoy finds a tape in the computer that wasn’t supposed to be there full of buzzing, he sends to Spock.  Spock is able to come up with a way to slow it down so they get Kirk’s entire message. 

Now that they know what they are looking for McCoy can isolate the compound in Kirk’s left-over cold coffee and both duplicate and come up with an antidote.  Spock takes the compound in order to join Kirk in flash time. 

He places a lot of trust in Dr. McCoy

Except for a moment when Rael nearly destroys Kirk, Kirk seems to be doing good with the Scalosians.  He even goes to bed with Deela.  Unfortunately for Deela, Kirk who was only sleeping with her to get her weapon finds Spock and together they destroy the machine. 

Deela is disappointed but understands.  Kirk explains that the Federation is willing to help if they would let them.  Despite the fact that Dr. McCoy was able to come up with a human antidote in the span of minutes, still doesn’t seem to fill her with any hope.  The Scalosians accept their fate and head back to their planet.  Kirk takes McCoy’s cure but Spock holds off so he can fix the starship in record time.  When complete he returns to his normal speed  They leave as Kirk looks at the image of Deela and her people one last time.

Additional thoughts: Okay I think anyone who watches the Flash can really enjoy this episode, as Kirk spends most of it in flash time.  I wish they had only used the speed to more practical affects, such as vibrating or creating a speed vortex.  The one thing I wondered through the episode is how they move from deck to deck.  Whenever we see them, the doors are always open.  However, since this is not always the case are they just plot lucky?  If the transporter was a slow process imagine a turbolift ride.  Speaking of the transporters, how did they work on them anyway, shouldn’t they have detected extra patterns in the buffer?

                How come no one noticed a phaser blast randomly going off on the bridge right after Kirk disappeared.  Wouldn’t even the stun setting have damaged the wall?  That seems to be a pretty big plot hole.  Maybe the Scalosians cleaned up the damage before anyone noticed anything.

So here the door is open for Scotty!

Of course, the real interesting revel in this episode is they allow drinks on the bridge.  Not just the Captain, but anyone.  Coffees for everyone.  You would think considering how often the ship shakes the seems to be a heck of a risk.  What if it spills on something? Since the ship has never heard of surge protectors having coffee flying around really can’t be that good.  So why does Captain Kirk allow it?

Not the case here!

I would have hated to be in Kirk’s position.  To have to go all that time and make sure you are never even scratched.  I would find that impossible as I am too much of a klutz.  Deela did say they don’t live very long.  Although I am still at loss to explain why alien would somehow be able to reproduce with the Scalosians better with their own.  Over time would they even be the Scalosians anymore?  Also, could it be possible that Deela may have been pregnant and not have told Kirk? Kirk may have a speedster son or daughter.

Oh and happy Star Trek Day! 55 years!

FINAL GRADE 4 of 5

THE EPISODE WITH THAT KISS

 

Episode Title:  Plato’s Stepchildren 

Air Date: 11/22/1968

Written by Meyer Dolinsky

Directed by David Alexander

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”        Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura          Bill Blackburn as Lieutenant Hadley     Majel Barrett as Nurse Christine Chapel      Jeannie Malone as unnamed Yeoman         Michael Dunn as Alexander         Liam Sullivan as Parmen       Barbara Babcock as Philana           Ted Scott as Eraclitus         Derek Partridge as Dionyd

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701

Planets:  Platonious

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The Enterprise answers the distress call from a previously unknown planet.  Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down to the planet they soon learn is called Platonious.   The first Platonian they meet is a Dwarf man named Alexander.  Alexander describes himself and his people as followers of Plato of Ancient Athens.  His role is that of court jester and a player of games.  He lets them know that he is a very good loser.

Philana and Alexander

They are then introduced to a familiar looking woman named Philana.  Philana explains that the patient is the philosopher-king Parmen.  As Dr. McCoy tries to treat Parmen we learn that he had great telekinetic powers. He uses his mind to life McCoy’s tools from him and tries to treat himself.  It is from Philana that Kirk receives a more detailed explanation of their origins.  They were bread using eugenics on the planet Sahndara.  This gives them extremely long lives.  Philana and Parmen are both well over 2,000 years old. The Platonians it turns out had actually been to ancient Greece.  They became so obsessed with Greek culture that when they saw it fade, they took to the stars to form their own colony. 

McCoy treating a dying Parmen, this was a mistake!

Philana tells Captain Kirk that despite their long life and telekinetic powers they have virtually no medical knowledge and no trained practitioner in the medical arts, as their long life and near perfect health make that unnecessary.  She then makes a startling statement, a rather stupid admission given their soon-to-be-reveled intentions, that they are exceptional vulnerable to disease and infection due to their isolation.  She says that even a scratch can led to an infection and kill them. 

  Parmen starts to grow delirious and when he does his power goes crazy, objects start flying around the room, McCoy is pinned back, and even the Enterprise is caught up in the storm. Working diligently McCoy is able to cure Parmen’s condition.  With that done Kirk now wants to leave but when he calls up to the Enterprise Scotty informs him that the ship is stuck in orbit and cannot move. Kirk confronts Parmen about this and Parmen uses his telekinetic powers to force Kirk to smack himself in the face while Parmen shouts “What are you doing? Stop hitting yourself!” (Actually, he didn’t say that but it would have been cool if he did.  Since Kirk was a younger brother, it probably would have brought back some childhood memories.)

Parmen and Philana

Later while discussing their options the three of them are forced to move like puppets, just like Alexander was earlier, into the chambers for an audience with the philosopher-king.  Parmen apologizes for the smack yourself game.  He tries to blame it on his thoughts always becoming reality.  They give each officer a gift and then they invite Dr. McCoy to stay with them forever.  (Like anyone would want to stay with these people forever.)  As punishment for McCoy not agreeing to stay Kirk and Spock are forced to dance and sing Beetlejuice Style.  However, unlike the Deetzs, they are not having a good time.  They even have little Alexander get in on the action by having him ride on Kirk’s back like a donkey.

After their humiliation torture, the Starfleet officers have a conference with Alexander.  First, they conclude that they are not going to tolerate Dr. McCoy staying.  Not only because allowing someone to blackmail a Starfleet officer is wrong but even if they were to give up McCoy it wouldn’t save the ship.   Parmen and his Platonians would not want the Enterprise alerting others of their presence.  As soon as the Platonians had the Doctor they would just destroy them.  Second, they realized that the Platonians cannot combine their power.  If they could Parmen is such a bad leader that a group of them would have probably overthrown him long ago.  

The three of them ask Alexander if the Platonians had always had this telekinetic ability.  Alexander states that they didn’t, they started to display it after being on Platonious for about six months.  Spock inquiries about their supplies, and Alexander lets him know that they had four months-worth.  This means the Platonians developed their abilities after two months of eating the planet’s food.  Armed with this information McCoy was able to isolate the compound kironide in the food of Platonious that gives them the power.  Parmen has the most in him that is what gives him the greatest power.  The reason why Alexander never received the power is because he lacks the growth hormone which also triggers the kironide.  Kirk has McCoy put so much kironide in them that they will be able to defeat any Platonian including Parmen.  McCoy can also fix it that Alexander can access the power as well, but Alexander chooses not to because he doesn’t want to become like those he hates.

Here are some gifts so you can't say we exploited you!

McCoy applies the kironide to the three of them but explains it may take hours or days to kick in.  While they are waiting Lt. Uhura and Nurse Chapel are beamed down.  They apparently are being controlled by the Platonians.  I guess Parmen and his friends have decided it is time for some more adult entertainment.  They have Spock and Kirk sing and serenade the women.  After that they physical embrace them and that is where we get the famous kiss.

Kirk being forced against his will!

Alexander decides he has seen enough and, before things start to get too physical between the Starfleet officers, he tries to stab Parmen.  Parmen sees this and forces Alexander to turn the knife on himself.  However, Alexander is saved at the last minute.  Kirk’s powers have turned on.  Kirk and Parmen battle over the direction of their knife with their powers and Kirk wins.  Alexander chooses to disappoint me and not kill Parmen.  I mean really disappointment me, I wanted to watch that POS die. Instead, Alexander chooses to lecture him about how he could have had his power but choose not to.  I will never understand Alexander. In defeat Parmen cowers like a kitten, he agrees with all of Kirk’s demands and the five Starfleet officers beam back to the Enterprise with Alexander.

Spock being forced to laugh!

Additional thoughts: Okay so let’s talk about the kiss.  Famed for being the first interracial kiss but that is false.  However, the fact that people thought it was for so long is a testament to the popularity of Star Trek and the Star Trek franchise.  So, I guess we can call it the “first interracial kiss that anyone remembered.”  Having the lead man of European descent kiss one of his supporting stars who was a woman of African descent was a big deal.  The problem however is in its execution. 

Kirk as a character has already established that he does not like to date his subordinates.  Having a romance with beautiful aliens that is one thing, but being romantic with someone that reports to you that is a different thing.  The only time Kirk ever seemed tempted to do that is in the episode Mirror Mirror when he met the prime universe, Marlena Moreau.  Also given Star Trek’s serialized format the writers would not want to get the Captain in any type of ongoing relationship that could develop.  So, anything that happens has to happen in a way it can be reset to zero.

Thus, we have this disaster Kirk and Uhura kiss because Parmen is having them put on a show. So basically, Kirk and Uhura (and Spock and Chapel as well) are being simultaneously sexually assaulted by Parmen. If had not been for Alexander we have no idea how far this was going either, but the Platonians seemed to be enjoying the show.

Kirk and Spock in their new outfits!

Frankly I think this could have been done much better if they decided to the famous kiss a year earlier.  In the episode Return to Tomorrow, instead having Diana Muldaur as Dr. Ann Mulhall a character we never see again, they could have had Uhura fill that part and have her carry the mind of Thalassa.  Their famous kiss could have been between two lovers of Sargon and Thalassa who had not had physical form in over 1,000 years.  Not only would have this been actually romantic but it also would solve the problem of needing the relationship to be over by the end of the episode.

I have a confession to make.  I have read The Republic by Plato and I found it to be very boring. I respect and appreciate what that work has contributed to Western Civilization but I often found it a chore to get through.  Now Kirk and Spock point out that this society is more like Plato in a fun house mirror but I would hate to be trapped with a bunch of people who wanted to talk about that book all the time first and foremost.  For a group of near immortals these are the dullest we have ever come across. When it was looking like Dr. McCoy was going to have to stay with them, I imagine he must have wished he was still on Yonada.  

The Enterprise crew in their new style!

Okay so I have issues with this time line that we are giving. They said the Platonians had traveled to classical Greece.  Yet if we crunch the numbers Philana gives us we find that they were born during the time that ancient Rome was transforming from the Republican government to the Imperial one.  Parmen himself was born on the very year Julius Caesar was assassinated.  Now granted the Greeks flourished under the Romans who also admired Greek culture but that wasn’t the impression that these characters had created.

Kirk trying to get control of Alexander from Parmen

Will someone please explain to dear Alexander that just because you have superpowers does not mean you have to be evil.  Alexander doesn’t want the power because he doesn’t to be like his enemies but in doing so, he hampers his own ability to resist their exploitation.  And resisting is something that he really wants to do, we see this when he tries to attack Parmen who is exploiting Kirk and Uhura.

 Speaking of Parmen, boy do I hate this guy. I can’t think of anyone else that Kirk and Spock encountered that was totally just a waste of space as this guy and at one point they fought Nazis.  Kahn was a former dictator who wanted to be a dictator again.  However, he was extremely charismatic and always interesting to watch.  The senior staff also pointed out he was quite a productive and benevolent ruler.  Charlie Evans did stuff that made me hate him but I could also sympathize with his character.  Trelane could be horrible but at least he was entertaining.  Parmen is evil, sadistic, and boring.  Kirk should have let Alexander kill him.

Alexander walking out with the Enterprise crew!

Since they had met these Greek inspired aliens why didn’t Kirk tell them that he already beat Apollo?  I realize that Plato wasn’t that big on the gods but I would have brought it up as Kirk.  What I also would like to know is how long did Kirk, Spock, and McCoy keep those powers?  Do they only work on the planet?  I bet they would be helpful at times.

This episode contains one of Captain Kirk’s best all time lines: “Where I come from, size, shape, or color does not matter. And no one has the power.”

FINAL GRADE 4 of 5

FIGHTING KLINGONS WITH SWORDS

 

Episode Title:  Day of the Dove

Air Date: 11/1/1968

Written by Jerome Bixby

Directed by Marvin J. Chomsky

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          Frank da Vinci as Lieutenant Brent     Roger Holloway as Lieutenant Lemli   David L. Ross as Lt. Johnson         Walter Koenig as Ensign Pavel Chekov                 Dick Geary as unnamed Security Guard         Eddie Hice as unnamed Security Guard        David Sharpe as unnamed Security Guard          Michael Ansara as Kang      Susan Howard as Mara          Mark Tobin as unnamed         Klingon solider          Phil Adams as unnamed Klingon solider             Albert Cavens as unnamed Klingon solider           Jay D. Jones as unnamed Klingon solider               Pete Kellett as unnamed Klingon solider         Hubie Kerns as unnamed Klingon solider          Victor Paul  as unnamed Klingon solider               Charlie Picerni as unnamed Klingon solider     George Sawaya  as unnamed Klingon solider       

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701, unnamed Klingon K't'inga-class battle cruiser

Planets:  Beta XII-A

My Spoiler filled summary and review: Arriving at a Federation colony on Beta XII-A, Captain Kirk and his landing party are horrified to discover that the colony has been wiped out of existence.  The destruction was so through that there is now no evidence of there ever being a colony.  Kirk takes his communicator and contacts Spock on the Enterprise to report what they found.   Spock also has something to tell the Captain: a Klingon ship has entered orbit. 

Klingons vs. Starfleet

The Enterprise has it shields raised but the Klingon ship does not seem prepared for battle.  According to the Enterprise’s sensors there are numerus malfunctions all over the Klingon ship.  A Klingon landing party beams down armed with disruptors and overwhelms the Starfleet landing party.  The leader of the Klingons is the ship’s captain, Kang.  Kang and Kirk each accuse each other of attacking the other one.  Both think the other is lying.  Kang demands the Enterprise as payment for his lost vessel. If Kirk doesn’t hand it over, he will begin torturing the landing party’s members to death.  Chekov then attacks the Klingons because they killed his brother in an earlier attack some years ago.  The Klingons easily contain him and Chekov is the first “volunteer” for torture. 

Scotty finding some weapons!

In order to save Chekov, Kirk agrees to surrender.  However, when communicating with Spock he transmits a secret code that lets Spock know they are prisoners of their “guests.”  When Scotty beams them up only the Starfleet personnel re-materialize.  Mr. Scott has the Klingons patterns in the buffer.  Kirk has the security team come in and when the Klingons are solid again, they are quickly arrested.  The Klingon ship is falling apart, Kirk has the survivors transported on the Enterprise and captured.  Among them is Mara, Kang’s science officer and wife.  With the Klingon ship leaking radiation, Kirk has it destroyed.

In short order however the Enterprise begins to experience its own problems.  The ship starts to veer off course and speed up.  Making matters worse sections of the ship get sealed off giving only forty crew members with access to the entire ship.  Kirk suspects the Klingons are somehow behind this and goes and confronts Kang.  Kang denies the charges but he is amused however.  The two captain’s argument turns physical when Kirk socks Kang for doing the same on the planet.  Then swords appear everywhere and even the Enterprise crew’s phasers turn into swords.  A great battle then erupts across the starship.

Klingons brought over from their ship!

             

Kirk confers with Spock.  The Captain blames the Klingons for this, but Spock has his doubts.  The Science Officer reasons that if the Klingons have this ability, then why do they not give themselves better weapons for which to use?  As the battle rages on neither side can gain grown.  People are getting fatal injuries but instead of dying Dr. McCoy notices they completely recover and then re-join the battle.  This makes the episode the best for red shirts, since there is no damage that they can not recover from. 

Kang and Mara

At one point Kang and his men seize engineering and shut of life support everywhere else in the ship.  However, this victory is taken from him as power and life support return saving the Enterprise crew, but no one among the crew can take credit for it.  Kirk orders Sulu to retake engineering but Chekov want to be the one to do it.  When Kirk orders him to stay at his post, Chekov raises his sword to Kirk and tells him that he won’t let the Captain stop him he must avenge Pyotr.  When Sulu asks who that is, Kirk tells him it was Chekov’s brother.  Sulu informs the Captain that Chekov is an only child.

Klingons in victory!

Spock while doing scans of the ship picks up an energy-based life form on board.  They deduce that if Chekov’s memory has been altered then the reason the landing party saw no colony is that there was none.  The distress call was fake, the knowledge of a nonexistent colony had been forced into their minds.  Kirk realizes he need to communicate with Kang.  There is a bit of a problem at first when McCoy and Spock almost turn on each other but that is short lived.

Kirk leaves the bridge to find the deranged Chekov almost about to rape Mara.  After taking Chekov down he tries to reason with Mara but it takes a while for him to get through to her.  When Kang refuses to yield over the intercom, Kirk goes to engineering himself with no one but Mara.   The two of them try to get Kang to agree to a truce.  Kang refuses again and fighting resumes.  McCoy and Spock lead reinforcements for Kirk.

Kang is awed against Kirk's speed and grace!

During the battle the entity revels itself.  Spock notices it loses power as tensions decrease, and suggests positive emotions might finish it.  Kirk and Kang team up to laugh at the entity and tease it so that it gives up and leaves.  Peace is maintained and the Enterprise will drop the Klingons of a the nearest Starbase so they can be transported home.  Until then the Klingons will be their guests.  

Kirk and Kang laugh at their enemy together.

 

Additional thoughts: When deciding what to call this review my first idea was “The Power of Plot Armor” however that might mislead some poor reader into thinking that I was going to be discussing plot armor in all TV and literature instead of just making a comment on this one.  However, if you need to have a story to explain to a person what plot armor is then you have one here.  I am sorry but the ending doesn’t make any sense.  We have the energy being that is powered by hostel emotions so its pits two powers against each other in unending conflict.  During their fight it makes sure the weapons and numbers are even and then when one side begins to prevail the entity pushes the scale in the favor of the losing side.  It even shows that it has the power to alter memories to further the conflict.  So, if it can do all that why doesn’t it just alter Kirk’s and Kang’s memories so that they can’t communicate effectively and remain at each other’s throats?

I did enjoy other parts of this episode.  I thought there was a great scene when Mara explains some of the background of the Klingons.  That their home world lacks resources and that is what drove them to become an expansionist power.  Kang also was a great antagonist for Kirk as well even if the real bad guy remained hidden for most of the episode.  I really like Mr. Scott’s creative use of the transporter in the beginning.  It shows the writers are really thinking about exploring this technology that was thought up to help with the TV budget. 

When Kang has them in the dark

 I must say my favorite image of this episode is McCoy and Spock leading a number of crewmen against the Klingons.  What makes it so funny is how they are just causally walking with no sense of hurry in them. To be fair it is not good to run with a sword in hand.

One of my favorite sights ever!

This episode really could have used more Sulu. Giving we know how much he loves swords it would have been nice to see him show those Klingons a thing or too.  You know Takei would have had a fun time.

FINAL GRADE 4 of 5