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"Mirror, Mirror"
When their mission to secure a mineral trade ends in failure, a freak ion storm catches Kirk, McCoy, Uhura, and Scotty in mid-beam-up and sends them to a parallel dimension where Federation leaders are as ruthless as the Klingons, and Star Fleet promotions are attained by assassination. They find themselves on an alternate Enterprise, peopled with evil counterparts to the people they know (all attired in glittery, glam-rock uniforms), including most famously an evil, goateed Spock whom Kirk must convince to overthrow the empire. Kirk and his landing party try to fit in with this crew of villains who are threatening with annihilation the planet where the mineral trade went sour, while searching for a way back to their world and fending off assassination attempts. Mirror, Mirror achieves the best of what Star Trek is capable, which is to say space opera brought to a high pitch by melodrama. Everyone appears to be having great fun turning their characters to the dark side, especially George Takei, whose evil Sulu beams when making his assassination attempt against Captain Kirk, and Leonard Nimoy, who makes Spock's shift from the meditative logician to the ruthless goateed one seem, well, quite logical. This episode in particular fueled popular culture in such a way that in some circles it is now impossible to sport a goatee without being called "the evil Spock." The story of the evil Spock is continued in the Deep Space Nine episode Crossover. --Jim Gay

"The Deadly Years"
While on the planet Gamma Hydra IV, Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty are infected with an unknown disease that causes premature aging. The only member of the party unaffected is Chekov (Walter Koenig), who becomes McCoy's guinea pig while searching for a cure back on the Enterprise.A nifty idea with some poignant overtones, the story by David P. Harmon startles a viewer with the sight of these familiar folks rapidly graying, wrinkling, weakening, and suffering memory loss. At the same time, Harmon is careful to age each character as a unique individual. Kirk slows down more than the longer-lived Spock, while McCoy remains mentally keen, if physically brittle. As for poor Scotty, well...

The dramatic subtext in "The Deadly Years" concerns the perennial conflict over when and how to decide that someone has become too old to execute crucial responsibilities. In that sense, this episode feels constantly relevant and uniquely entertaining: let's just say some of these actors play "old" a little better than others. (Director Joseph Pevney has reported that there was a lot of conflict over who was stealing old-guy moves from whom.) With all this going on, one might not notice that guest star Charles Drake is a truly familiar face, having been cast in The Maltese Falcon and Now, Voyager. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Getting to see some different faces of the Enterprise crew
The common element to the two episodes included on Volume 20 of the Star Trek DVD series is that we get to see alternative versions of some of the Enterprise officers. In "Mirror Mirror," the Halkan council has declined to give the Federation mining rights to dilithium crystals, because they fear the crystals would be used for non-peaceful purposes. When Kirk, McCoy, Scotty and Uhura beam back to the Enterprise an ion storm sends them to a very different Enterprise. In this Mirror Universe, the Federation is an evil empire and Kirk is captain because he has a nice little weapon in his quarters that makes his enemies suddenly disappear. Even worse, Sulu is a sadist with a giant scar and Spock wears a goatee that makes him look even more like Satan than usual. Do not try to get this all to make sense in terms of all the previous Star Trek episodes, just go along for the ride and make sure none of your friends want your job, since assassination is the main means of promotion over there. As alternate realities go, this is one of the better ones to pop up on Star Trek, but while I know Kira looks good in a cat suit, Deep Space Nine did overdo it with all those Mirror Universe episodes. On the other hand, it was cool when the Cartman from another universe on "South Park" had a Spock-like goatee. Certainly, "Mirror Mirror" resonates more than most Star Trek episodes.

Then, in "The Deadly Years," the Enterprise discovers everyone on Gamma Hydra IV has either died or is in the process of dying from old age. Back onboard their ship, Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Scott all begin to age rapidly as well because of some unusual kind of radiation. Meanwhile, there is a Commodore Stocker on board who forces Spock to relieve Kirk as being unfit for command and then does the same to Spock. But the Commodore has been flying a desk his entire career and in no time at all he has the ship in the Neutral Zone, surrounded by Romulans. Seeing all the senior officers in old person make-up is a bit hokey, but this is redeemed by Kirk's performance during his competency hearing and the way Kirk uses his earlier mistakes to save the day in a nice ironic touch. Usually when the writers come up with a gimmick like this they do not come up with a worthwhile story in which to play it, but that is not the case with "The Deadly Years." This could have been a really lame episode, but it is well-above average. Neither of these episodes is in my personal Top 10, but there are certainly in that next tier

Beatniks & Geezers
Ah, the fun I have watching classic Star Trek™! I just love the over-the-top acting of our stalwarts, the even-more-over-the-top acting of the guest star(s) who play the bad guy(s), the primitive effects, and those seemingly-impossible-to-get-out-of predicaments our heroes seem to get themselves into show after show. In short, great entertainment for the cheese-hungry!

This particular presentation showcases the landmark alternate-universe eppie 'Mirror, Mirror', where Jimmers & Co. get transported onto an alternate-universe Enterprise in a galaxy where the Federation has now become a ruthless interstellar empire! Not only do we get to see Spock looking truly satanic with his mod goatee, the mirror Mr. Sulu's sporting a pretty nasty if somewhat hokey-looking facial scar (oh my)! As usual, Kirk bags the babe, and with the help of beatnik-Spock they manage to transport themselves back to their own dimension! Strangely enough, red-shirt casualties here were pretty much nil...

Oh yes, then there's 'The Deadly Years', where we see our gallant crew age before our very eyes! Fortunately, a remedy for the problem is found, courtesy of Dr. McCoy Mr. Chekov. Wow, I guess Chekov really WAS useful for something, hmm? Anyhoo, the aging-fx makeup shown here is relatively primitive compared to NextGen's more advanced approach; check out the 'de-aging' Admiral Jameson from TNG's 'Too Short A Season' & you'll see what I mean. Still, their simulated aging in this eppie looked a helluva lot better than the real-life aging they had to endure over the next 35+ years! Whenever I watch this particular show, I think about that fact, and I have to stifle a chuckle or two. Especially in front of my more- ardent UberTrekkie buddies who get on my case every time I convey even a hint of irreverence towards Star Trek™! Ah, the hell with 'em-- I'll chuckle all I want! How do ya like THEM apples, huh?!

'Late!

VERY VERY GOOD
Ive always loved "Mirror Mirror" The crew gets in an ion storm thats sends them to an opposite galaxy where thier mirror images are evil and desperate. The good kirk must convince the opposite spock that there is no logic in remaining evil. For some reason the last line before there return to home sticks in my mind. Kirk says to the mirror Spock " in every revolution there is one man with a vision". I recommened all these discs really. Star trek was ahead of its time.

One must-see and another well above average show
Mirror, Mirror-The 'real' alternate universe episode, featuring an evil Enterprise, is a real gem. From the spooky string music accompanying the ion storm at the start to the ensuing more dramatic music and orbit-change, Mirror Mirror has Trek's best teaser. It doesn't let up much thereafter. Drama is maintained throughout, as the good guys try to keep up with the wily machinations of Chekov, Sulu (even Sulu turns in a good performance here!), and just about everybody else. The gorgeous Luna also turns in a nice performance. The episode is very dramatic and threatening, yet by the end a hard-fought optimism has been interjected, thanks to some of Kirk's strongest salesmanship ever (he has to work on both the Harkan council and Spock here). By the end of the episode, I was totally absorbed, and even found myself believing that maybe good can conquer evil (certainly it's hard to imagine the 'evil' Federation ever growing strong in the first place with all that intrigue and double-dealing). It just goes to show how a good story can knock down our cynical defenses. (5 stars)

The Deadly Years-This episode, in which the crew experience accelerated aging, is another winner. The best thing going for this show is the most simple; it's a good story. Add to that the fact that it is developed nicely and at it's own pace, and you have another thoroughly engaging show, in which we actually feel suspense as to how the crew will get out of this jam. The acting performances are also enjoyable from the big 3 in particular. (4 stars)

I.S.S. Enterprise and the U.S.S. Enterprise in two episodes.
"Mirror, Mirror"

Caught in the beginnings of an ion storm, Kirk, McCoy and Uhura interrupt their negotiations with the Halkans for dilithium crystals, to return to the U.S.S. Enterprise. Scotty beams the landing party aboard as a burst from the storm hits the starship. The transporter short-circuits, sending Kirk, McCoy, Scotty and Uhura into a parallel universe. In this world, they soon discover the "Galactic Empire" is maintained by fear and assassination. Now, aboard the parallel version of the U.S.S. Enterprise, the four must find a way to remain undetected until they can return to their own universe.

Meanwhile, the I.S.S. Enterprise versions of Kirk, Scott, McCoy and Uhura have been beamed on board the positive U.S.S. Enterprise. Their behavior is so different from their counterparts that Spock immediately realizes something is wrong. He puts the four in the brig until the transporter could be checked and repaired.

On the I.S.S. Enterprise, the parallel Chekov is foiled in an attempt to assassinate Kirk. When Kirk refuses to give an order to destroy the Halkans, who have refused to give up their dilithium crystals, the bearded Spock becomes suspicious.

The Imperial Starfleet sends a secret message to the bearded Spock, telling him to kill Captain Kirk and assume command of the starship I.S.S. Enterprise. Finding an unexpected ally in the bearded Spock, Kirk continues to stall while his three comrades gather the information needed to send them back to their own universe. Scotty tells Kirk that if the four don't leave in three hours, they will be trapped forever in the mirror universe.

The bearded Spock has no desire to become captain, and therefore a mark for assassination. Along with Lieutenant Marlena Moreau, who wants the parallel Kirk back because she is "the Captain's woman," they help return the four U.S.S. Enterprise officers to their own world. Before he goes, Kirk talks to the bearded Spock, telling him the advantages of a Federation-system over the anarchy of this universe. Spock seems almost convinced that he should in fact get rid of his Kirk, seize control of the I.S.S. Enterprise, and manipulate the Imperial Starfleet into working toward a more civilized universe. With the dimension barrier about ready to collapse and seconds to spare, the small U.S.S. Enterprise crew beam on their own ship. Kirk can only hope that the parallel Kirk will find changes from the bearded Spock.

"The Deadly Years"

On the way to Starbase 10, the U.S.S. Enterprise stops to deliver supplies to the colonists of Gamma Hydra IV. A landing party, consisting of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scott, Lieutenant Galway and Chekov beam to the planet's surface. They find that accelerated aging has taken place, killing most of the colonists. Chekov is terrified when he discovers the first body. The only survivors, an elderly couple who claim to be in their twenties, die shortly after meeting the U.S.S. Enterprise crew. When the landing party returns to the U.S.S. Enterprise, the aging acceleration begins to affect the entire crew ... except Chekov, who remains unaffected. While Kirk wants to remain in orbit around Gamma Hydra IV until a cure can be affected, one of his passengers, Commodore Stocker, wants to proceed to Starbase 10 where he feels the best medical aid can be found.

Each person on the U.S.S. Enterprise begins to show the effects of old age and soon Kirk is unable to command, as are Scotty and Spock. Command falls to Commodore Stocker, who, while an efficient desk officer, has no deep space training. Thinking he will save time, Stocker plots a course through the Romulan Neutral Zone on his way to Starbase 10. The Romulans are waiting and begin an attack.

Stocker, panicked and inexperienced, has no idea what to do. As the U.S.S. Enterprise is surrounded, McCoy comes up with an antidote to the aging sickness ... adrenaline. Chekov, he explains, wasn't affected because his fear at finding the bodies on Gamma Hydra IV had already kicked his natural adrenaline into high gear.

McCoy restores Kirk to normal in time to save the U.S.S. Enterprise by reusing his famous "corbomite" bluff and telling the Romulans that the U.S.S. Enterprise would destroy anything within a 200,000 kilometer radius. McCoy distributes the antidote and restores everyone to their normal state. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Two more must-see episodes
This Side of Paradise-Yet another excellent episode, this one concerns a planet where plant spores have caused an epidemic of joyful inebriation. Like many of the best early shows, the slow pacing here allows a sense of mystery to develop before the hook is revealed to us. This is one of the more convincing of the 'Enterprise in danger' episodes, but it is more than that. The plot device enables several crew members to flesh out their characters, most notably Leonard Nimoy. It is difficult not to feel angry at Kirk as he goads Spock with racial slurs, even as we understand why he says what he does. Certainly the conflict between the happiness provided by drugs and alcohol on the one hand vs. their 'unnatural' tendency to hinder personal development and achievement is as resonant today as it was in 1967. (4.5 stars)

Devil In the Dark-Yet another in the string on winning episodes, this one concerns a conflict between miners and a silicon-based life form. This unusual episode has a strong element of suspense, since we are not only trying to figure out just what's happening, but also worried about what lurks in the dark tunnels. The episode is more than just suspenseful though. Themes explored include the rights of all creatures to survival, and the mammal bias inherent in our notions of both ugliness and maternal love. Star Trek must have been one of the first shows to devote so much thought to ecological/environmental questions, which like so many themes explored by Star Trek has only grown in importance. More research is of course devoted today than ever before to boundary conflicts, and more generally to finding ways to balance our human resource needs with the survival of other species.

Tidbit: William Shatner's father died during the production of this episode. (4.5 stars)

Alien Encounters
Volume 13 of Paramount's complete Star Trek reissue contains two episodes long popular with fans.

This Side of Paradise is known primarily as the episode where Spock falls in love. This sensitive story was written by D. C. Fontana, who wrote many of the series' best scripts. Spock had been mostly asexual since the beginning of the series, but when Leonard Nimoy began to receive large quantities of fan mail, the writers decided to come up with a romance for Spock. This episode allows Nimoy to stretch his acting muscles and prove he can do more than merely raise his eyebrow. Seeing Spock come under the influence of the alien spores ("I love you. I can love you.") and finally escape his self-imposed purgatory of logic is akin to watching a butterfly escape from its cocoon. The scene with Kirk alone on the abandoned bridge is a searing portrait of the loneliness of command, excellently acted by Shatner.

William Shatner has referred to The Devil in The Dark as his favorite episode. It's easy to see why: the story, dealing with the crew encountering a new life form which makes the crew reconsider their actions, summarizes everything that Star Trek is about. The timelessness of the story makes it possible to overlook the rather dated Horta costume. This episode was also close to Shatner's heart for a very different reason: while filming the Horta mind-meld scene with Leonard Nimoy, he was notified that his father had passed away. Ever the professional, and knowing that he would not be able to catch a flight for several hours, Shatner refused to abandon that day's filming--although the scene remained unfinished until he returned from his father's funeral. Nimoy remained at his side for the remainder of the day, which cemented their relatively new friendship. Fortunately, there are no continuity problems resulting from the break in filming. In a reversal of the norm, Shatner underplays his performance during Spock's agonizing mild-meld with the Horta, allowing Nimoy to shine.

The picture has never looked better, with great colors and flesh tones, particularly in the outdoor scenes. The sound has been remastered in multichannel stereo.

Pure 60¿s cheese, as you like it
"This Side of Paradise" - 3.865 stars

(a.k.a., "James T. Kirk: Wet Blanket")

"For the first time in my life, I was happy" - so says Mr. Spock, when asked to comment upon his experience on Omicron Ceti III. Of course, the duty-bound Joe Friday of space, Captain Kirk, would have none of this nonsense. Perfect health? Bah! Peace? Hooey! Love? He'd rather fight than switch. What a creep. "Man was meant to struggle" Kirk/Friday somberly intones, perfectly embodying the hair shirt anti-pleasure ethic. Living in harmony with nature and one another bad; tearing up the landscape to "accomplish" (i.e., build more starships to endlessly repeat the process) good.

Don't ever invite this guy to a party, unless you want it to end.

"The Devil in the Dark"- 2.135 stars

(a.k.a., "Super Smackdown with The Rock")

Our heroes are summoned to a Federation mining operation on Janus VI that is being troubled by one man-eating monster, and quite a few bad actors. Well, they've got quotas to meet, mister, and production is suffering. Who cares about environmental rape - hey, that's what other planets are for! Shoes for industry! The creature looks like a heapin' helpin' of Hamburger Helper dumped on a chenille rug, and man is it ticked off. Good thing Spock can connect because, unlike most of the other aliens in the Star Trek universe, it's English-speaking skills are lacking.

It's writing skills, however, are surprisingly good.

Spores & Aliens
"This Side of Paradise" A planet laced with plants that shoot out spores which make everyone happy & content infects the crew of the Enterprise. How will they break free?

"Devil in the Dark" An underground monster is killing a bunch of miners. Why? Watch & find out.

Mmmm... Meat Loaf...
REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 13: This Side of Paradise© / The Devil In The Dark©

THIS SIDE OF PARADISE© PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: "Man stagnates if he has no ambition, no desire to be more than what he is"- Captain Kirk

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: None

REVIEW/COMMENTARY: All I can say is, it's about time Spock be mackin' the-mad hottie-of-the-week instead of the charming Captain Kirk! Especially entertaining is the setup to this little romantic romp: the official Star Trek love theme starts up, followed by alternating reaction shots of guest-star Jill Ireland (as the crush-ridden Leila Kalomi) and Mr. Spock as they stare at each other in "that way"! Well, actually she stares in "that way"; Spock looks a bit confused by it all. But don't worry, he'll come around! A nice touch to this initial scene is the gentle glowing aura surrounding the love-struck lady! Kudos to the show's lighting department for getting this effect just right!

The real fun begins when Spock cops a whiff of some intoxicating flower spores, which cause him to become a way-too-cheerful ball of sickly-sweet happiness who is now deeply in love with Charles Bronson's future wife. He also acquires a penchant for literally hanging out on tree limbs like he was some kinda monkey! Ironically, for a man who's no longer afraid to show his emotions, Nimoy didn't put much feeling into his character's dialogue here. Fortunately, Jimmers finds out how to relieve Spock's (and subsequently everyone else exposed to the spores, including the entire ship's crew) newfound dorkiness by making insulting remarks to his face regarding his mom and dad, with a few racial slurs thrown in for good measure! But before Jimmers can bring the Spockster around, he has to snap outta his own little trip to La-La-Land. He manages this with his angered utterance of "I... Can't... LEAVE!", spoken in that distinctive manner that has become a staple of many a second-rate standup act! Adding to this scene's funkiness, our beloved captain's face is illuminated in a spooky quasi-fluorescent, light-blue hue! Needless to say, the dramatic lighting department was in rare form for this eppie!

Another memorable lowlight to goof on here: Dr. McCoy breaking into a way-too-overdone Deep South accent after his exposure to the happy-spores. I am aware that DeForest Kelley hails from Georgia, but never the less his character's drawl was a bit too much, even for a native southerner! Adding to the overdone good-ol'-boy charm is his concoction of a mint julep! Sheesh, why doesn't he just break out the grits and pickled pigs' feet while he's at it!

THE DEVIL IN THE DARK© PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: Don't mess with Mom!

Historical Milestone: Spock's first mind-meld with a non-humanoid life form

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: 1 Dead, 3 Incapacitated

REVIEW/COMMENTARY: 'Devil' features one of the most entertaining cheeseball moments in Star Trek history: Spock's mind-meld with the rock-creature-thingy! His anguished utterances of pain and sorrow are very similar to Counselor Troi's little trances whenever she uses her empathic abilities to check out the entity-of-the-week's emotional state on NextGen. Speakin' of emotional states, am I the only person who gets a hankerin' for meat loaf (no, not the singer, silly!) whenever I grab a glimpse of the creature-thingy? I can't be the only one...

Another especially goofy scene-well, several scenes, actually-- are the reaction shots of the doomed miners and/or red-shirts right before they get toasted by the vengeful creature. Most of 'em seem to have enough time to get off a phaser shot or two before they start to feel the burn, but instead they spend their last two seconds of life all petrified and screaming like the total sissies they are (were?)! These amusing moments reminded me of the death-by-steam-roller scene in 'Austin Powers'! Actually, a better parallel would be the death of Darth Maul in 'Star Wars Episode I'! In any case, it appears the average human's reflexes in the face of certain doom ain't gonna improve all that much in the next three hundred years...

'Late ... Read more

Description

"A Private Little War," Ep. 45 - Kirk and company beam down to a primitive planet visited by Kirk 13 years ago. But some of the once-peaceful natives now have sophisticated weapons, courtesy of the Klingons. "The Gamesters of Triskelion," Ep. 46 - Kirk, Uhura and Chekov are enslaved on the planet Triskelion. There they are trained in the art of combat so that their unseen masters, the "Providers," can make wagers on the outcome. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

One winner, one loser
A Private Little War-This underrated 'cold war' episode featuring a gorilla-unicorn, is another taught thriller from the second season. In addition to the non-stop action (shootings, Mugatu bites, Klingon intrigue, etc.) we have a well-reasoned ethical debate about the dual perils of intervention and non-intervention by a superpower. Kirk even acknowledges some ambivalence about the arming of the Hill people (think Vietnam) at the end of the show. Other pluses in this episode are the culture of the planet, as well as Nona. Her healing scene with Shatner is pretty racy, even by today's standards. (4 stars)

The Gamesters of Triskelion-This episode, in which the enslaved crew are forced by giant brains to engage in arena combat, was a big step down from prior episodes. In fact, I would argue that the drop in quality attributed to the 3rd season really started here; only one of ten remaining second season shows was truly strong (A Piece of the Action). I for one would take the first ten shows of the 3rd season over the remaining ten from the second season.

But that's another story. The Gamesters of Triskelion is a very nasty episode. In addition to violence for it's own sake, there is the strong suggestion that Uhura is violated as the show fades to commercial. It's really unforgivable that the subject is never adressed in the rest of the episode. We also have one of the true bimbos of Trek in the nubile Shana, who is made to utter some truly stupid lines. There isn't much going for this episode; with a bit less action, it would belong in the latter part of season three.

Tidbit: Angelique Pettijohn, who played Shana, went on to adult film fame. (2 stars)

"Cheek-ooff... that's a nice name..."
REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 23: a Private Little War © / The Gamesters of Triskelion ©

A PRIVATE LITTLE WAR © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: Maintaining a balance of power to preserve both sides; cultural contamination

Notable Gaffe/Special Defect: In the long shots of Kirk battling the mugato, it's fairly apparent that the good captain has been replaced with a stunt stand-in.

Historical Milestone: The first (and so far the only) appearance of the dreaded mugato!

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: None

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:

There ain't too much I can say 'bout this particular show, mainly 'cuz I had quite a bit o' trouble tryin' to figure what to discuss and opine about! All I can say is that the healing ceremony scene between Nona and Jimmers after the mugato attack seems almost- well, kinda naughty, if you get my drift. It's a scene that lends credence to those Hollywood legends regarding Gene Roddenberry's libido, and how he'd try to write subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) sexual undertones into his work. Then again, it could just be some amazing coincidence. Yeah, RIGHT...

Oh yes- Spock manages to recover from a gunshot wound that would've been fatal had he been fully human. That's right, kiddies- you're treated to yet another showcase of his amazingly different (and highly resilient) anatomy that the show's writers loved to exploit at least three times a season! I guess you could say that Spock is the Timex of Star Trek: he takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!

THE GAMESTERS OF TRISKELION © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: The folly of complacency; the human need for freedom; humanity's strange duality of both propensity for and abhorrence of violence

Notable Gaffe/Special Defect: Kirk is strangling a monstrous, saber-toothed humanoid with a leather strap. But if you take a close look at the piece of strap that's visible between Kirk's hands, you'll notice that it's completely slack!

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: None

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:

The beginning of this particular eppie features one of the more memorable crew-versus-heavies hand-to-hand combat scenes. Al I'll say about it, is that it's reminiscent of somethin' you'd see on a WWE® pay-per-view event- just not as realistic. The three-on-one death match at the climax is also filled with some delightfully cheeseball moments of mayhem!

As you might expect: leave it up to Jimmers to get the ET babe-of-the-week as his drill thrall (sortuva gladiatorial DI) after he, Uhura and Chekov get captured by a trio of disembodied brains! And speaking of Jimmers, much of the entire show is one hammy bit of Shatnerian method acting after another! Watch his exaggerated look of surprised pain as he's punished repeatedly by his captors for his insolence! Watch him work on his drill thrall Shahna with that wonderfully herky-jerky delivery of lines (Jim, you smoothie, you)! And to top things off, he gets in top form as he lays down the big wager to his gray-matter-laden antagonists! How... can-you-NOT... enJOY-that?

Oh, how can I forget to mention one of old-school Trek's greatest intentional bits o' humor? Watch Chekov get somewhat fidgety and very uncomfortable over the attention his drill thrall (a rather... imposing alien female) is throwing at him! Hey, them's the risks ya takes when ya put that there uniform on, ya know?

'Late

Kirk battles Klingons for a planet's Hearts and Minds
This is another great Trek pairing.

"A Private Little War" is Trek's take on what was then our expanding participation in Viet Nam. Here, Kirk and crew journey to an idyllic Eden of a world populated by noble nomads and settled villagers and, unfortunately for everybody, fair game for the Klingon empire. Though barely on the edge of the industrial revolution, villagers are now armed with flintlocks, and have engaged in a genocidal war against the nomads -a noble band led by the heroic Tyree. A close friend of Kirk's on his last sojourn their, Tyree allows Kirk to hide within his tribe while he and McCoy investigate Klingon backing of the villagers. Spock is unluckily struck by one of the primitive flintlocks and spends much of the episode in the Enterprise's ICU. Down below, between ducking Klingon's, Kirk and McCoy bitterly debate the morality of bringing the tribes into technological parity with the villagers, with Kirk in favor of giving Tyree's people a fighting chance, and McCoy arguing how that would only prolong a bloody and suicidal war (almost a completely win-win situation for the Klingons).

This was a great episode, deftly referring both to Viet Nam and treatment of indigenous tribes in 19th century America. McCoy especially shines in his moments arguing with the Captain, while the script gives Kirk the coldly logical position normally reserved for Spock (it would probably have been too cold; perhaps that's why they had him shot down in the opening scene). Also look for 1960's TV fixture Nancy Kovack as Nona, Tyree's bewitching wife. Kovack had a recurring role as Darrin Steven's former flame on "Bewitched", exposing her to all sorts of nose-twitching witchcraft. As Nona, a "Kunutu" woman, she now gets to cast the spells.

"Gamesters of Triskelion" is perfectly campy Trek, with Kirk, Uhura and Chekov kidnapped during transport by a highly advanced race of beings (is there any other kind?) called "Providers" who force Kirk and crew to battle in mortal combat with other kidnapped aliens (one of them, a beautiful humanoid who's wicked in the ring). You'd think the Providers would have long tired of the repetitious gaming (they bet using "quatloos", but you never see one) and would have long settled on developing the slaves to try living normal lives as a more amusing form of entertainment. "Gamesters" is campy trek, using interior sets (even for outdoor scenes) and featuring Shatner in full "lounge mode" as he courts his fellow prisoner. One caveat though, this episode features a moment in which Uhura is assaulted just out of camera shot. It's very suggestive, but by the end of the episode, there's just about no closure. It was perhaps a bit too campy for its own good.

TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF GREAT STAR TREK EPISODES!
Two of Star Trek's second season episodes that are quite memorable appear on the Volume 23 of this DVD collection. One tackles a huge issue of the 60's while the other is just a classic Star Trek episode.

A PRIVATE LITTLE WAR obviously attacks the Vietnam War issue that plagued the world at the time (the late 60's). This had been attempted to a lesser extent in the earlier episode FRIDAY'S CHILD. However A PRIVATE LITTLE WAR is far more successful at getting the message across. Kirk and McCoy arrive at a peaceful primitive planet which Kirk had visited years earlier. However upon their arrival they find the planet has been divided and they're using flintlocks. As it turns out the Klingons have been supplying villagers with weapons to kill tribesmen. One of these tribesmen is Tyree a good friend of Kirk's from years earlier. As Kirk tries to help he realizes that he is violating the prime directive. And in the end the peaceful Tyree even falls into the hatred and bloodshed when his manipulative wife Nona is murdered by villagers. This episode ends on a real down note. For it is extremely tragic what happens to this peaceful planet because of the Federation and Klingons. It really relates to the Vietnam war when you think about it. This episode is one of the more serious Star Trek outings however the Mugatu ape beast is somewhat cheesy looking and so this episode does have a few funny moments. There is a great lesson to be learned from A PRIVATE LITTLE WAR but it's never been a personal favourite of mine. It is a good episode though.

The other one here is the classic GAMESTERS OF TRISKELION. I am greatly suprised at the amount of negative reviews for this episode however. I always found this to be one of Star Trek's finest and a true classic. Kirk, Chekov, and Uhura are abducted by superior beings and forced to fight "drill thralls" in a gladiator like fashion. The superior beings (known as the Providers) end up being talking brains that bid over these gladiator battles. This episode has tons of colourful characters including a beautiful green haired humanoid named Shahna whom Kirk falls in love with (kinda predictible huh?). Meanwhile Spock and the Enterprise crew search for the missing crew members until they are captured when they find them. The episode ends in Kirk making a bet with the providers if he can defeat three drill thralls the providers will let everyone go free and Kirk and his crew may return to the Enterprise and if he fails the entire Enterprise crew will be forced to become part of these gladiator games. I dunno if that was the best bet for Cpt. Kirk to make but he was successful and thats what's important. I have always loved this episode it is a classic. It is a typical 'superior beings play with inferior beings' episode but the gladiator fight scenes have to be watched! It's memorable!

Overall I highly recommend Volume 23. It has two great episodes from Star Trek's second season, one tragic and one classic but both are great. Highly recommended!

Kirk having a couple of bad days making key decisions
If there is a theme to the pair of Star Trek episodes found on Volume 23 of the DVD series, then it would have to be highly questionable decisions made by Captain Kirk. In "A Private Little War," Kirk returns to a planet he surveyed 13 years earlier to visit a peaceful little village and is surprised to find the Hill People. When he discovers they are fighting with flintlocks instead of bows and arrows, Kirk becomes suspicious. But before he can investigate further the captain is attacked by a mugato and only Nona, the Kahn-ut-tu of his old friend Tyree, can save him. Eventually Kirk learns the Klingons are arming the Village People and decides to achieve a balance of power by giving the Hill People flintlocks. But Tyree does not want to give up his peaceful ways and McCoy thinks Kirk is violating the Prime Directive. "A Private Little War" is one of the most thoughtful Star Trek episodes dealing with the problematic Prime Directive, although Kirk has an easy out since the Klingons are already interfering. But there is an inherent sense of sadness to what has happened to the people on this planet.

But Kirk's decision-making ability takes a turn for the worst in the next episode on this disc. "The Gamesters of Triskelion" is another one of those episodes where superior beings play with the crew of the Enterprise for their own amusement. Kirk, Uhura and Chekov suddenly disappear from the Enterprise to find themselves being held captive by a being named Galt who informs them they are not thralls, who will fight others for the amusement of the Providers, who are just a bunch of brains looking for a good time. When the Enterprise shows up and the Providers decide the humans should be destroyed, Kirk offers a wager: if he can beat three thralls then the Enterprise goes free; but if he loses the Enterprise crew will beam down and be the Providers play things. I guess sometimes the needs of the one (or the three) outweighs the needs of the many. But, seriously, this has got to be the worst decision in Kirk's career as he risk enslaving his entire crew! Just contrast this with all the times Kirk told the Enterprise to save themselves and leave him to his fate. Of course, they never listened, but that is not the point here. "The Gamesters of Triskelion" is a below average episode; even without Kirk's stupid wager we have seen this type of thing done before and done much better (e.g., "The Squire of Gothos"), although I must admit the chessboard fighting area is kind of cool. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This first DVD volume of episodes from the original Star Trekbegins with a show that saved the series even before it launched. "Where No Man Has Gone Before" was actually the second Trek pilot produced byGene Roddenberry after NBC rejected "The Cage" (now a subject of cultfascination). A retooled cast now included William Shatner as Captain James R. Kirk (the middle initial T came later), Leonard Nimoy asMr. Spock,George Takei as Ensign Sulu, and James Doohan as Chief Engineer MontgomeryScott. (DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, and Walter Koenig signed on insubsequent episodes.) A lot of thought went into scriptwriter Samuel L.Peeples's story about a crewman named Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood) who has aclose relationship with Kirk and some natural ESP abilities. When theEnterprise approaches an energy barrier at the edge of the galaxy,Mitchell metamorphoses into a godlike being with silver eyes, awesome psychicabilities, and a rapidly developing ego. As Mitchell becomes an increasingthreat to the ship, Kirk is faced with making a terrible choice to save his crew.

The episode locked in the very character and themes of Star Trek:science fiction stories told in mortal terms, the conflict betweenrelationships and duty, and a strong emphasis on exploring personalities.Lockwood's disciplined, modulated performance was a big plus. (He went on, ofcourse, to play astronaut Frank Poole in 2001: A Space Odyssey.)

The second show in this volume was the tenth to air, "The CorbomiteManeuver." While exploring an uncharted region of the galaxy, the Enterpriseencounters a cube-shaped alien probe (a predecessor of Borg vessels?) thatKirk promptly destroys. That action brings the wrath of a spaceship calledthe Fesarius, which locks the Enterprise in a tractor beam fromwhich itcan't escape. The show is perhaps best known for something of a surpriseending when the "captain" of the Fesarius (played by Clint Howard,brother of Ron and child star of TV's Gentle Ben) is revealed. Directed by JosephSargent (Colossus--The Forbin Project). --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (77)

TWO EPISODES PER DISK IS NOT ACCEPTABLE
I sent the following to Paramount at webmaster@pde.paramount.com:

I recently purchased the DVD Star Trek: The Original Series, Vol. 1. The "digitally enhanced and remastered" episodes 2 & 3 looked great. This is the best that the original series has ever looked. It didn't look this good when originally broadcast. I remember.

As much as I like the high quality of the video and sound provided by the DVD, there are a few things about it I don't like. The main problem is that the DVD contains only two episodes. Two episodes per video tape made sense because that was the most that could be recorded and still provide the best picture of which tape is capable. That is not the case with the DVD format. A DVD could store six episodes without loss of quality. I don't expect that though, since I understand Paramount wants to maximize its profits from Star Trek. However, four episodes could be included on each DVD and if the price were increased to maintain the cost per episode of two per DVD, the total price for a four episode DVD would be within the range of DVD movies and so be practical to market. Why is it important to me to have more episodes per DVD, enough so that I am willing to pay more for that DVD? Partly it is that I hate to see the waste involved in using only a fraction of the storage space on each disk. That waste directly effects me by taking up more shelf space to store the DVDs. Merely doubling the number of episodes per DVD would halve the storage space required for the entire collection. Right now, I doubt I will buy the entire series because of the problem of storing them (I never purchased the video tapes for the same reason). Instead, I will probably buy just the DVDs that contain my favorite episodes. Understand that I am a serious collector of DVDs. I have over 50 movies on DVD already, and expect to continue to buy more (speaking of which, when are the Indiana Jones movies going to be released on DVD?). But the size of my DVD collection already means that storage space is at a premium. Also, the ineffieciency of using only a fraction of the DVDs capability offends my conservative nature. It's bad ecology as well.

To sum up, I love the quality of Star Trek on DVD but I hate the packaging (or is it marketing?).

One more thing. I'd like to see more bonus materials on the Star Trek DVDs. Its nice to have the preview trailers, but there is so much more that could be included. How about interviews with the cast, or commentaries such as those shown on the Sci-Fi Channel when it rebroadcast the original series? Anything about the special effects or design of the show would be great. I have been very impressed with the DVDs from New Line Cinema or Columbia Tristar and recommend them to my friends who are just entering the world of DVD. I'd like to be able to recommend Paramount also.

Will Paramount pay any attention to my letter? Probably not, if it's the only one they receive. If you feel that two episodes per DVD is a waste, why not let them know?

Two Great Early Trek Episodes
Volume 1 contains two great early Star Trek episodes: "Where No Man Has Gone Before," and "The Corbomite Maneuver." In WNMHGB, Kirk's friend and fellow officer (played by Gary Lockwood) encounters a presence that gives him incredible powers, making the rest of the crew little more than pests in his "new" eyes. Kirk must decide whether he can save his friend without endangering the crew. "The Corbomite Maneuver" is a great cat-and-mouse game between Kirk and the hostile alien Balok. These episodes look and sound better than ever on DVD. Paramount has wisely released two episodes per disc rather than one, for which we can be thankful. Sadly, however, there are no extras except for the "Next Voyage" trailers. Like another reviewer, I wish Paramount and the Sci-Fi Channel could strike a deal permitting the addition of the behind-the-scenes information featuring the actors and guest stars. With these additions, the DVD's would no doubt fly off the shelves. But, the episodes are so good, they probably will anyway.

Stop screwing around! Release the box set already!
I've already got the other sets. What's the holdup?

YOU'RE ALL A BUNCH OF DIRTY CROOKS
Don't get me wrong.I love the series (as in the big picture concept) but not every episode is a gem. To own this show would cost anywhere from $740.00 to $950.00 depending on where your able to access these discs.Even the low end is ridiculously over priced.But I don't lay all blame on the distibutors.I also blame you trekkies or trekkers or whatever it is you liked to be called.You've placed this enjoyable tv show on such a an abrurdly high pedestal, it's finally come back to bite you on the ass.The trouble is though,the general public at large has to suffer for your folly.As William Shatner said on Saturday Night Live "It's just a tv show" a tv show I would love to own on dvd for a reasonable price.Judging by the Amazon sales ranks none of the series discs are doing that well. Seasons 1 and 2 should not exceed $100.00 each and season 3 should only cost a dollar per episode.I hope the box sets will be released as one reviewer claims they will be.LIVE LONG AND PROSPER.Just remember this though. You can't prosper if you dump the astronomical amount that they're asking for on this show.

1 STAR FOR PARAMOUNT, 5 FOR THE SERIES!!
Ok my quick gripe here, 18.00 a vol., only two episodes a vol.
NO WAY!! I just paid almost 700.00 for the entire seven seasons of TNG, Paramounts money grubbing little fists will have to do better on TOS if they want any more of my cash.
Put 3 box set's out there, 1 per season. At about the same price (or maybe less because we know you wont put jack worth of extras in it) as TNG's. Stop trying to rip-off your largest fan base Paramount!!! ... Read more

Description

"Plato's Stepchildren," Ep. 67 - Kirk, Spock and McCoy suffer humiliating experiences via an alien with telekinetic abilities. This episode also features the first interracial kiss on network television. "Wink of an Eye," Ep. 68 - A Scalosian queen sabotages the U.S.S. Enterprise and makes Kirk her love-slave, planning to use him to help repopulate her planet. Can Kirk escape her charms and save his crew? ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A classic that's one of my favorites!
Plato's Stepchildren is one of my top four favorite episodes, along with Space Seed, the City on the Edge of Forever, and Mirror Mirror. I've been waiting a long time for it to be released on DVD and am very happy that it will be soon. It also has historic value in the fact that the first inter-racial kiss on national television took place in that episode. Don't let overly sarcastic commentary spoil your fun!

Not prime "Star Trek."
Plato's Stepchildren has an intriguing set-up, but the episode simply goes way too far in silliness when Kirk and Spock are being forced to perform. Apparently this was necessary in order to fill up time, but it's an insult to the viewers and an example of how the creator's abused the endless possibilities idea of the future. It has interesting moments, though, but forget the infamous interracial kiss--it was forced and completely unemotional. In this episode, Nichelle Nichols is absolutely gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous in that classic gown, but she is outdone by the more stunning Barbara Babcock, who gives a wonderful performance here.

Wink of An Eye is also very intriguing, and superior to Plato's Stepchildren, but it bites off more than it can chew. The situation with hyperaccelerated existence and normal existence is very interesting and fun, but it is carelessly done, and the episode becomes more confusing than anything else. An average, but passable episode.

Two solid, transitional episodes
Plato's Stepchildren-Another menacing and sadistic 3rd season episode, this time involving an Ancient Greek-like people
with telekenetic powers. This is one of those episodes-there would be many more ahead--that doesn't have a lot to say. It is most noteworthy for the kiss between Kirk and Uhura (too bad it had to be forced upon them), the absurdly camp antics performed by Kirk and Spock in particular, and the icy malevolence of Parmen and his cohorts. Whatever moral the episode conveys could probably best be summarized as "absolute power corrupts absolutely." There's nothing very deep about the crew's 'escape' either, although they are able to teach Alexander some valuable lessons before they go. (3 stars)

Wink of an Eye-This episode, involving an accelerated species, has always been a favorite of mine. It is a very dreamlike episode; the scene depicting Kirk's acceleration must be one of the show's most bizarre segments. Tilting the camera and returning to music used in 'The Cage' were nice ways of embellishing acceleration. The idea also struck me as quite original (although I must confess I've read very little science fiction). Others have noted that when you sit down and work out the times involved, there are a lot of inconsistencies and implausible outcomes, but I do not look to Star Trek for that kind of realism.
Kathy Browne does a nice job as Deela. While clearly serious about the business of reproduction, she has a light, flirtatious quality which, along with her power, forces Kirk out of his usual domineering role. Of course, the two of them generated a scene for the sensors to miss nonetheless!
One final note: Even after several viewings I'm still not sure I understand the final scene, when Kirk utters the cryptic line, "That's..no malfunction." Did the production team just run out of steam at the end of the episode? Or did Deela intentionally leave the tape nearby (for Uhura to mistakenly pick up) as a momento to Kirk? Not clear. What is clear is that things were starting to get sloppy by the middle of the 3rd season; it would only get worse.
Nevertheless, I feel this episode, number 12 of 24) sits solidly on the winning side of what would be a turning point for the show. The remaining shows as a rule wouldn't feel as stylized as those from the first half of the third season, and were somehow less quirky and more formulaic. Given that they also tended to have thin plots, this would be a formula for disaster. (4 stars)

One of the best Star Treks!
I absolutely love this episode! Of course, this may have something to do with the fact that I'm a huge Spock fan, and love to see him act more human, which is rare. But there are also a lot of other great things about this episode. It's really fun, although you should probably watch it twice if you want to experience the fun in the silliness as much as possible, since you're worrying too much the first time about whether they'll ever get out! And, of course, the show itself took great strides with the showing of the first inter-racial kiss, between William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols, not to mention the one shared by Leonard Nimoy and Majel Barrett! But that's really what Star Trek is all about, isn't it? "To go where no one has gone before' and in this episode, they did that with a lot of fun involved.

DON'T BUY INTO THE HYPE.....
Volume 34 of the Star Trek DVD series contains two episodes that have been considered good cause they were supposedly very risqué during the time they aired. Partly because each has it's own "landmark moment in American television". In reality these moments are barely noticable and these two Trek episodes are just as mediocre as the rest that came out of the third season.

PLATO'S STEPCHILDREN opens this one. Yeah I know. I've heard it a thousand times: "tv's first interracial kiss" between William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols. The truth is (according to Shatner himself) that two scenes of this were shot. One that was actually a kiss and the other that wasn't. The latter was chosen in the original airing and they have never bothered to put the actual kiss in any reruns. Therefore technically there is nothing special about this one. The plot is typical Star Trek and this episode showcases some of the actors most embarassing moments. Still this is good for a laugh. Especially when the dwarf Alexander mounts Kirk like a horse and our good Capt. begins to 'neigh'. Apart from those embarassing moments and a few touching acting scenes between Kirk and Alexander this episode is pretty forgettable.

The second episode here is WINK OF AN EYE which fairs little better than PLATO'S STEPCHILDREN. For whatever reason I have always felt the sound in this one was muffled. Maybe it was just me? Anyways the supposed off camera sex scene between Kirk and the girl isn't very noteworthy. As a matter of fact I didn't even notice it until another Amazon.com reviewer mentioned it! The plot to WINK OF AN EYE is interesting but in the long run it's merely the Star Trek crew being invaded by bizarre aliens once again. As I said many times before, it's been done! Anybody else notice that the camera work of this episode was almost always on a slant? Just a thought...

Overall these two episodes are definetly watchable but I find neither them are as special as they claim to be. Keep in mind these were released in 1968 so perhaps they were considered more shocking back then but I find it hard to believe since Star Trek's ratings and popularity were at an all time low when they aired. Not the best but it's classic Trek so go on try it! Recommended! ... Read more

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"The Enterprise Incident"
An overwrought, highly-stressed Captain Kirk blunders into Romulan space and finds the Enterprise surrounded by enemy vessels, all equipped with strategically valuable cloaking technology. Along with Spock, Kirk is invited to meet with the Romulan commander (Joanne Linville) to discuss the situation, leading to a crisis when the captain suffers a breakdown following Spock's apparent betrayal. Written by story editor Dorothy Fontana (who was unhappy with the final results) and directed by John Meredyth Lucas (who briefly took the producing reins from Gene L. Coon during season two), the episode has a colorful espionage angle, but depends heavily on an improbable romance between Spock and Linville's character. Still, there are things to savor here, especially Kirk's one-and-only appearance with Vulcan/Romulan pointed ears. --Tom Keogh

"And the Children Shall Lead"
The Enterprise arrives at a distant research outpost to find all the adults dead and their children eerily cheerful. No sooner are they aboard the ship than the children begin taking over, using strange powers bestowed on them by a malevolent "friendly angel." The kids make for an engagingly creepy episode as they alter the crew's perceptions to play on their worst fears, all with angelic smiles on their faces. Kirk's stiff-necked nature is well played against the manic playfulness of the kids, and legendary attorney Melvin Belli (who enjoyed a moderately busy acting career in the late '60s) does an interesting turn as the smooth-talking angel. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Without Followers, Evil Cannot Prevail
Volume 30 of Paramount's complete reissue of Classic Trek contains two contrasting episodes from Season Three.

The Enterprise Incident is a successful and riveting story, even though its plot--full of Nixonian plotting and plausible deniability--runs counter to Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek philosophy. What makes this episode work is the taut writing, tight editing, powerful scoring, and excellent performances from all involved. The scenes between Leonard Nimoy and guest star Joanne Linville--as the Romulan Commander smolder with erotic tension. The visuals are also superior to most of the series. However, some of the Romulan makeup looks rushed, with some clumsy ear appliances.

Despite an interesting concept, And The Children Shall Lead is not a success. The episode, essentially an allegory about religious cults, is undone by tortured dialogue, weak plotting, and the most egregious incident of "stunt" casting in Trek history: Lawyer Melvin Belli portrays the evil Gorgon. Dressed in a silver gown with a floral patterned collar, Belli looks like a second-rate televangelist in drag. Most of this episode is so laughably ridiculous that it's best ignored or viewed as a party gag. What a wasted opportunity.

No complaints about the picture and sound restoration. However, Al Francis' lighting and camerawork lacks the beauty and subtlety of Jerry Finnerman's, who resigned after the second season.

ONE OF THE BEST AND THE WORST STAR TREK EPISODE EVER!!!
Volume 30 of the Star Trek DVD series will draw the buyer because of the classic ENTERPRISE INCIDENT episode. However it will also repel many because the episode has had the ill luck of being coupled with the worst episode that came out of the original series; AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD.

Those who say the entire third season of Star Trek is bad obviously didn't see THE ENTERPRISE INCIDENT. The episode finds the Enterprise crew venturing into Romulan territory under a secret mission. The episode is well written and well acted. Joan Linville makes a fine appearance as the Romulan Commander. Her scenes with Spock are very memorable. A great action packed story with some great moments make THE ENTERPRISE INCIDENT a classic definetly worth seeing. Especially when Kirk is disguised as a Romulan.

There is no doubt in my mind that AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD is the worst Star Trek episode of the entire series. The plot tries to take a sort of 'Children Of The Damned' status but comes out as a joke. The casting is terrible as several bad child actors were hired as well as lawyer Melvin Belli (of The Rolling Stone's Gimme Shelter fame) who was cast as the evil spirit whom controls the children. The entire episode is totally unconvincing but particularily because Belli looks more like a Christmas tree than a threatening entity. This is best viewed as a joke but watch it at your own risk.

Overall the DVD is worth getting for the classic ENTERPRISE INCIDENT and perhaps if you are bored you should watch AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD but it is the worst episode of the bunch. Recommended but don't get mad at me if your disappointed I warned you about AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD : )

One action episode, one creepily surreal show
The Enterprise Incident-This Romulan intrigue story is one of the 3rd season's most solid offerings. It offers a tight and dramatic plot, with plenty of twists and surprises. The teaser is particularly well-executed, and may be second only to Mirror, Mirror's opening in dramatic effect. I also enjoy the moral ambiguity of this episode. By that I mean not only that we are left to ponder whether the ends justify the means, but also that WE are left to ponder that question, rather than being beaten over the head with it and having it answered for us. Would a 1st season episode have been comfortable with this ambiguity, let alone keeping it implicit? No normative judgments implied, but Star Trek had in some sense grown up by the Fall of 1968, for better or worse. (4 stars)
Tidbits: Spock was able to stay fairly true to himself in this romance; others weren't so lucky in their 3rd season romances, which generally yanked crewmembers far out of character. As a result, here the sacrifice Spock makes is a real one, in which he compromises himself. The production team did a nice job of giving the Romulan ship interior a different feel.

And the Children Shall Lead-Incredibly, the second of the 'children' episodes is even darker than the first (Miri). This atmospheric episode is shrouded in a sense of mystery and dread. I would go so far as to call the episode courageous in it's depiction of evil and willingness to give the children complicity in the adults' deaths. Each individual's insecurities and fears are exploited by the Gorgon, and at the height of the episode Kirk has lost control both of his ship and his entire sense of reality.
While some of the effects are quite gimmicky (the knives), others are effective in their simplicity (such as the summoning of the Gorgon). Overall I found this to be an effective, eerie and surreal episode, although some may dislike the fact that there is no simple moral. The cold finality of much of the death (such as being beamed into deep space) may also upset some. The conclusions/ means of dealing with the Gorgon were also admittedly weak.
Tidbits: It would be interesting to know how attourney Melvin
Belli ended up in this role. (4 stars)

I'm gonna lead myself away from this unfortunate incident...
REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 30: The Enterprise Incident © / And the Children Shall Lead ©

THE ENTERPRISE INCIDENT © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: The balance of power; military one-upmanship

Historic Milestone: the introduction of the fictional "Vulcan death grip"

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: None

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:

Jimmers' libido takes a rest in this outing as Spock takes on the task of romancing the babe-of-the-week. And what a job he does: he melts the heart-- whilst earning the trust-- of a Romulan ship commander with his little routine of logic and lack of emotion following the capture of the Enterprise after encroaching into the Neutral Zone. Adding to his credibility with the Romulan commander is his application of the aforementioned 'Vulcan death grip' on the good captain when it appears he may've gone a bit loopy. Um, the captain that is. Meanwhile, Jimmers' 'corpse' is returned to the Enterprise, where he's revived, disguises himself as a Romulan officer, and sets out to steal the enemy's cloaking device. Scotty's expression of joyful surprise as he sees the good captain in Romulan togs is absolutely priceless! Eventually, the Enterprise makes off with their prize, and with a touch of Scotty's miracle-working, uses it to escape detection. In the end, Spock has the temerity to try and salvage his 'relationship' with the captured Romulan officer after using her like a wad of tissues! And apparently she falls for it to a degree, the silly fool. Oh Spock, you smooth character you!

AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: The folly of giving Melvin Belli a part on a TV show-- or an acting part of ANY kind!

Notable Gaffe/Special Defect: The entire freakin' episode!

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: 2 killed

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:

I was pretty freaked out by the teaser to this particular eppie, featuring a buncha kids playin' and carrying on whilst their parents lie dead all around 'em! Was Stephen King a contributor to the script, or what? Unfortunately, things break down after the teaser, and never improve one iota. Melvin Belli's ultra-stiff performance as the evil Gorgan proved to me that, as an actor, he makes a pretty good lawyer. Actually, his character is very lawyer-like: he produces and feeds off of the anxiety & paranoia of others! Okay, so I made a cheap shot with that last crack. What'cha gonna do about it-- sue me? No wait, I was only kidding... honest! Please put that summons down...

Anyhoo, after pickin' up the adolescent survivors, the Enterprise encounters all sort'sa troubles... like the kids using mind-control to systematically take over the Enterprise, and making Sulu hallucinate huge knives out in space. Fortunately, the Gorgan's power over his prepubescent charges is broken when Jimmers shows 'em a few home movies with their late 'rents. This causes the young'uns to bawl somethin'awful, and frees them from their captor. I can't really blame 'em for their reaction; if I were forced to watch old home movies, I'd be cryin' too...

'Late

The Classic "Enterprise Incident" and the Worst ST episode
Volume 30 of the Star Trek DVD series certainly offers the most uneven pair of episodes in the entire collection. First up is the classic episode, "The Enterprise Incident," in which Kirk apparently goes off the deep end, ordering the Enterprise into Romulan space. Surrounded by Romulan ships, Kirk and Spock meet with the Romulan commander (Joanne Linville) in which the First Officer declares Kirk acted alone, without authority, in a blatant attempt to grab some glory. An enraged Kirk attacks Spock who then uses the "Vulcan death grip" to kill the captain. Of course, that was the last episode of the show and nothing was heard from Star Trek ever again. Actually, it is all a complicated plot for Starfleet to get their hands on the Romulan's cloaking device. But while Kirk goes undercover as a Romulan, it is up to Spock to keep the Romulan commander distracted. Leonard Nimoy and Joanne Linville deserve a lot of praise for this episode, because their scenes are arguably the most erotic in the entire series. Take that William Shatner! "The Enterprise Incident" is on my Top 10 list of Star Trek episodes and I know I am not alone in that regard.

On the other hand I think I actually sat through "And the Children Shall lead" them ONCE in all the years I have been watching Star Trek. The Enterprise responds to a distress call from a scientific expedition on Triacus where they are shocked to find not only that all the adults have killed themselves but that their children do not seem to care. It turns out the children are enthralled to Gorgon, a sort of demon entity that lives on the planet. Lawyer Melvin Belli portrays the evil Gorgon is one of those horrendous casting decisions that get made from time to time. Anyhow, now Grogon wants to find a planet with millions of people he can make suffer and to distract the Enterprise crew he has them each imagine their worst fears coming true. If I bothered to put one together, this episode would be in my Bottom 10 episodes of Star Trek. Actually, I think it is the worst of the bunch, mainly because Belli makes the most unthreatening evil etity you have ever seen while the children do not even come close to "Children of the Damned" status. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Brilliance and fun
Lost love, new enemies, hidden and resurfaced emotions become the underlying theme for these two episdoes, The Man Trap and The Naked Time.

Bringing hidden issues to the surface - confronting what we wish to forget, Star Trek goes boldly where no one has gone before with this innovative series.

In "The Man Trap", lost love of Dr. McCoy's Nancy Carter is isolated on Planet M113. There, during an away mission, crew members mysteriously are killed by being desalinated. Confrontation of emotion vs. fact - this episode yields a heart wrenching and character defining moment for our dear Dr. McCoy.

In "The Naked Time", the crew becomes exposed to a virus which allows them to act emotionally without thought. The virus is passed on through bodily fluids (in this scenario, perspiration) The forefront of sexually transmitted infections is hidden but very much so an issue in this episode.

Overall, two wonderful episodes backed by high quality of sound and picture. This DVD is a must have for the TOS collection.

Two early Star Trek episodes that were really too early
The one thing that the two episodes on Volume 3 of the Star Trek DVD series have in common is that they both should have come much later in the show's run. In "The Man Trap," we find out that once upon a time Leonard McCoy was romantically involved with Nancy Crater, who is working with her husband Robert on the distant planet M-113. When the Enterprise arrives to give the researchers their yearly physicals, crewmen start dying from complete salt deprivation. It turns out that Nancy has been dead for a year, and her place has been taken by a salt vampire. But this is "Episode 6," a point where we are still finding out about McCoy and his relationship to Kirk and Spock; i.e., too soon to really care about his past. Besides, Star Trek never really did all that well with traditional monsters. "The Man Trap" is a slightly below average Star Trek episode.

Then, in "The Naked Time" an away team finds six scientists dead on planet Psi 2000. When one of the crew takes the glove of his isolation suit off, a small drop of red liquid moves onto his hand. When they return to the Enterprise the crewmembers start acting strangely; Sulu runs around with a fencer's foil, Riley takes over engineering and keeps singing "I'll Take You Home Kathleen," and even Spock becomes an emotional wreck. The strange liquid from the planet affects everyone like alcohol and bares their souls. This is absolutely a great idea, but for "Episode 7"? This is just way too early for Spock to have his meltdown. Ironically, STNG made the same mistake with "The Naked Now" being Episode THREE for crying out loud. Of course, in syndication these concerns are less important because we the second/third/nth time you want a Star Trek episode you can put it in the context of the entire series. Still, way back when, they were really getting a bit ahead of the game with this pair of episodes, although "The Naked Time" is an above average episode.

Bare empty DVD....
I'm starting to find these DVDs of the original Star Trek television series to be very poor. Made when DVD production was just getting started in 1999, the last few years have seen whole TV shows released as four disk DVD sets labled with the complete episodes of each season. I am suprised and disapointed that Paramount has not extended this to the original Star Trek episodes either. Or a show to be as loved and admired as it has been, it deserves to be re-released as a four disk set with each season's episodes complete with commentery and behind the scenes featureets on how the show was made. But Paramount has given no indication that it plans to do so. The current management has not been that great in delivering high quality DVDs on Star Trek, and this inconstistency can be seen with the release of the Star Trek movies as Special Edition two disk DVD sets. Paramount seems to be on the decline in recent years. They have not had a big office movie in some time. They have done more with releasing their TV shows as full season disk sets, but why not TOS. There is a large fan base that would like it. Who knows? All I know is that with the recent failure of Star Trek; Nemesis at the movies, and with ENTERPRISE barely making the cut on TV, it seems that for the near future, the space dock is closed.

A hideous salt-sucker and a drunken party.
Star Trek: The Original Series Volume 3 presents two episodes originally aired in 1966:

"The Man Trap:" A shape-shifting creature that drains its victims of their natural salt content terrorizes the Enterprise crew. Even though this segment was the sixth Trek episode produced (if you count the first pilot, "The Cage") it was the public's first taste of Star Trek, debuting September 8, 1966. The creators obviously chose "The Man Trap" to lead off the series because it best exemplified Star Trek's "strange new worlds" concept. This is an excellent horror/mystery story, both haunting and tragic (inexplicably criticized by William Shatner in his book 'Star Trek Memories' as "a dreadful show, one of our worst ever" -- Huh? Did we see the same show?). A great first exposure for the masses, which nicely establishes the tone of the series; but it strangely got mediocre reviews -- the fools! GRADE: A

"The Naked Time:" This is one of my personal faves. The Enterprise crew gets infected by a space virus that causes them to lose all inhibitions resulting in ship-wide pandemonium. This episode answers one of the most burning questions of the series: Why does Kirk go after EVERY female he meets in the galaxy -- including aliens and androids? Because he's not allowed to fraternize with any of the women on his ship! (If this is true then what was he doing with Helen Noel at the ship's Christmas party as revealed in "Dagger of the Mind" [episode #11]? Ms. Noel is so incredibly gorgeous that Kirk can be forgiven this one transgression). Bottom Line: A fan favorite because it's got everything a viewer might be in the mood for -- mystery, drama, comedy, romance, action and suspense. It also happens to be a great episode in which to get to know the characters, seeing as how they all get to 'let loose.' WATCH OUT for the powerful scene in which Chapel admits her love to the emotionally distant Spock. GRADE: A+

Star Trek gaining momentum
The Man Trap-This episode, in which we meet a salt-craving creature with shape-changing abilities, was the first Trek episode to air. While decent enough, it certainly is not an exceptional episode. While it is conceivable that this was the only episode completed in time, more likely it was selected because it was not what NBC had called 'too cerebral'. Other factors that NBC might have liked include the fact that it was largely planet-based and had an alien that 'looked like an alien.' While this episode does touch on loneliness, the subjectivity of beauty, and all creatures' right to survival, it does no more than touch on these themes. As an action episode, it's no more than passable, and again everything from the delivery of the lines to the music is slow, slow, slow (compared to even one year later). The episode is, quite honestly, most memorable for 1) the well-designed vampire, and 2) the shock-value of humans being preyed upon. (2.5 stars)

The Naked Time-This episode, in which a virus causes the crew to lose their inhibitions, was the best offering yet from the new show. The episode commences with an effective teaser, and the story unfolds at a good pace once aboard the Enterprise. The basic premise is a good one, since it enables the cast to both playfully embellish their roles and have some serious ruminations. The episode certainly has its share of action, and is one of the more creative 'Enterprise in danger' shows. We are also introduced to adult themes such as tradeoffs between duty and responsibility on the one hand and joyous, unconstrained intoxication on the other. Some of the soul-searching monologues are a bit much though for characters who weren't exactly our friends yet (this was the 3rd show to air), and as others have noted Nimoy-who seems to really need to believe in the material-was not terribly effective here. The same can (as usual) be said of Takei, and the inclusion of a 'drunken Irishman' character was also somewhat unfortunate. The boomerang premise is also kind of silly, but what the heck, enough hating; this is Star Trek, and it's a good episode. (4 stars) ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Worth getting just for the Arena episode
Star Trek - The Original Series Vol. 10 isn't the best volume of the original series made for DVD yet, but it's not bad either. It has the classic episode, "Arena", where Captain Kirk goes up against a powerful lizard-like creature called a Gorn who wants to kill Captain Kirk. Kirk must find a way to defeat the Gorn in order to get his ship back and in order to stay alive. On the other hand, a lot of people probably won't be too crazy about "The Alternative Factor" because it can be hard to understand. Captain Kirk and the crew deal with a strange man named Lazarus who says he is being terrorized by an evil spirit, or man. Lazarus needs some crystals in order to get his flying-saucer looking ship back into space and off of this evil spirit's planet. And the only place that Lazarus knows of that has the crystals he needs is the Enterprise.

If you're a fan of the original series, I recommend getting Vol. 10 of the original series. It contains one of the best episodes of Star Trek with "Arena" and a mysterious, but likable episode with "The Alternative Factor."

KIRK BATTLES THE GORN IN ARENA!!!
Volume 10 of the Star Trek DVD series contains two episodes that may or may not be considered classics depending on your point of view but none the less both ARENA and THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR are quite memorable.

ARENA is easily considered a classic. In the classic tale Kirk and the crew are in an intergalactic battle with a enemy Gorn ship. The Gorn ship attacks the Enterprise after it invaded their territory. Soon however a "superior" peaceful race captures the two ships and takes Kirk and The Gorn Cpt. to a nearby habitable planet to do beattle. The winner can continue on his mission the loser will be destroyed along with his ship in the interests of peace. The episode sontains two hilarious moments the Gorn (who looks really fake) and the ridiculous superior being whom appears in the end. He asks "Does My Appearance Shock You Captain?" Well it sure shocked me. Later on he says there is hope for the human race and that they can be like the superior race. I don't know but if thats the superior race then I would prefer to stay the way we are! Anyways the episode is a classic. Easily one of the best Trek episodes of the first season.

The second episode here is THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR where Kirk meets a crazed mad man named Lazerus who is bent on destroying his double in a parallel universe. I have always found this episode a headache to watch (similar to the Dagger In The Mind episode). Sure the episode has a deep complex interesting plot but it was not translated well into an episode as it would have belong better in a book. That is why THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR is reviewed so negatively. The episode is quite trippy and complex but I understood it although many viewers don't.

Overall Volume 10 is worth a look particularily for the classic ARENA but you may like THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR depending on your taste. It wasn't my favourite but the plot was quite good. This collection is definetly worth it though.
Highly recommended.

An Alternative Opinion
Being an ORIGINAL trekkie (I care not for johnnie-come-lately Trekkors who have no clue what this series meant in '66), I have strong memories of watching Kirk and Spock every week. When the reruns began to be aired locally (some years after the rest of the country, apparently), I got to see stuff I did not remember. The Alternative Factor became my personal favorite because of the struggles: 1. Kirk and Spock not understanding the nature of the situation 2. Lazarus dealing with his opposite self's actions after they swap universes 3. Stopping anihilation successfully.
The state of budgets and special effects somewhat hurt the visual storytelling, but the rest of the show I find heroic in a very classical sense. I was always blown away by the magnitude of the sacrifice of the rational Lasarus, and Kirk's words at the end chill me even today. Maybe having a friend who looked like, and whose intellect was on the order of Spock's, gives me a different perspective toward this tale. I always felt like Kirk to his Spock, but without a ship to command (Boy, did we need one). Hey, If networks today would pay attention to what Gene and the guys were up to, we'd have shows like...like...like...Enterprise today. Hey, we do! Trek Lives! Long Live Treckkiedom!
This is story telling at it's peak, galactic in scope, human at it's heart, and gut wrenching in it's conclusion. They don't come better than this, even with bigger budgets. This is the stuff that inspires kids to be great achievers, and grown-ups to think about why we do what we do. Great stuff, if you pay attention.

One strong episode, and one very weak one
Arena-This strong episode sees Kirk locked in a life and death struggle with the lizard-like Gorn. The episode commences with the kind of in-the-trenches warfare rarely seen on TV. The brutality of the killing brings out bloodlust in Kirk, who seems ready to exact revenge until control is taken out of his hands. A rather innovative take is then applied to the battle, one which forces Kirk to rely on his wits and keep a level head. It is one of the trademarks of Trek that Kirk eventually shows mercy. Here that mercy is rewarded; if only it were so simple in the real world. (4 stars)

The Alternative Factor-This episode, in which a loner travels between universes in a small ship, just never comes together. Despite the fact that nothing short of the universe is at stake, the episode feels trivial. While Robert Brown certainly has a tough assignment here as the two Laseruses (Laserii?), he seems torn between trying to make each of them 'real' while still being sufficiently different that the viewer will not become confused. Unfortunately he does not succeed in either regard, and the seemingly haphazard storyline doesn't assist the viewer any either. The team also seems to struggle to fill up the episode's allotted hour, but the main problem is the story is presented in a way that doesn't make sense; everything feels arbitrary and desultory. The self-flagellation between universes, while memorable, is not particularly effective either. About the best thing about this episode is the end-the disturbing idea of someone spending eternity battling a madman. (2 stars)

Two Classic Episodes for a Classic Series
"Arena" - Episode 19 - This episode features a duel between our Capt. Kirk and the Gorn. An interesting plot, surreal music, location and the Gorn character give this episode a wonderful campy feeling. Great episode to watch at pitch black night!!

"Alternative Factor" - Episode 20 - An excellent episode that deals with the orignal crew being thrown into unfamilar territory. A man named Lazarus is thrown into an odd state of flux where him and his counterpart switch between a positive and negative universe. An insane Lazarus on one of the sides is bent on destroying both universes. They both eventually meet to fight in the gap between universes eternally. Great epsiode that explores a more complex concept of the universe than the crew usually deals with!! ... Read more