Reviews (18)

Wait...DO NOT buy this DVD
Dismal picture quality (it looks like it was literally recorded off the air by somebody using a consumer DVD recorder). WAIT until somebody decides to release quality sets. I am sure the original masters exist; they are valuable enough that at some point the whole series will be released. MONEY and greed talk. In the meantime, just tape or DVD record your OWN episodes off TV for free...you'll get better quality.

Antenna quality- Can anyone do any better????? PLEASE
This particular DVD set is NOT of very good quality. But being a true TAGS fan, I'll take what I can get. I still LOVE watching the hilarious comedy while overlooking the poor picture and sound. It's true what they say "You get what you pay for", this set's quality matches the price. For now, this is about the best you can get, if you are willing to overlook the quality. Just pretend it's 1963. It's about the same quality sound and picture as back then, if you had good antenna reception.
But can anyone do any better? PLEASE
Some years ago a company put out the Andy Griffith Show on VHS, four episodes per tape. (Great Quality)
It's time for them to do the same on DVD. PLEASE?
I speak for all TRUE TAGS Fans, when I say, We WILL buy it.

Don't be fooled!
Ok, I am one of the biggest fans of the Andy Griffith show. And I'm even more of a fan of Don Knotts. BUT, this DVD is worthless for one reason - its video quality is worse than broadcast television (I'm not kidding). I bought this at a local store that won't take returns on opened DVD's, so I lost out. What a waste of money. Don't buy it!

If you want a great Don Knotts movie on DVD, buy "The Shakiest Gun in the West". Its absolutely perfect in every way! (as far as Don Knotts movies go)

Don't even have to buy it to know
You only have to read two reviews to know what this is--a piece of garbage.

It is truly a shame that whoever owns these shows doesn't clean up THE ORIGINALS & release them as per-season box sets. Other shows of this era are being released--Why not this one?! Are they so mired in legal matters that it can't be done? I've often wondered.

Can you begin to imagine how many they could sell? You just know that at least a million customers would go out & buy all 5 of the B&W seasons. That's $125 (5 box sets) x 1,000,000 = 125-million bucks at least. 'Not enough return I suppose.

Best DVD available for this show!
I grew up just after the shows original run ended and watched this show frequently in syndication. It is a great show that blends comedy, drama and moral lessons. In recent years I have tried to tape the entire 8 year show off of tv and have found that usually several minutes of the show are cut out to make room for more commercials. This really ticks me off!! When a show like TAGS is already made to fit commercials in why do tv and cable stations feel the need to remove 3 to 5 minutes of the show to fit in additonal commericals?

Anyway, I've looked forward to TAGS on DVD and recently my wife purchased this 16 episode 2 DVD package for me. My version does not have the original theme song during the opening and ending credits but rather some poorly done replacement tune. This is a real downer as I, like everyone else, enjoy the original theme song. It helps set the mood for TAGS. However, the shows themselves are fine and the picture quality good. It also has the complete shows.

My version of this DVD has some retro commercials in between some of the episodes. It also has some old cartoons such as POPEYE between the episodes. I rather enjoy these old commercials and cartoons. It reminds me of my childhood when I would watch TAGS in the afternoon in syndication followed by the afternoon cartoons.

So while I eagerly await a boxed set of season by season episodes of TAGS along with the original theme this DVD will tide me over. ... Read more

Description

Once upon a time, Jill, Sabrina and Kelly were police officers whose skills were being wasted in menial duties such as answering phones and filing. A mysterious millionaire named Charles Townsend took them away from all that by having them work for his private detective agency. Starring Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith, David Doyle. 250 minutes.ANGELS IN CHAINS The Angels discover that the sheriff, prison authorities and the local County Manager are partners in an extortion-murder scheme in which wealthy young women are arrested and virtually enslaved as prostitutes until they sign over all their assets in exchange for an "early release" and then are killed. THE SEANCE The Angels are called in when rich widows and widowers are hypnotized into thinking their deceased spouses still manage their business affairs from the "other side." DANCING IN THE DARK Lured by a gigolo, wealthy women studying ballroom dancing are blackmailed for all they're worth. CONSENTING ADULTS A computer dating service, fronting for prostitutes and their robber accomplices, starts an underworld war by stealing hot diamonds from a syndicate courier. HELLRIDE Sabrina becomes a race car driver while Kelly, Jill and Bosley assume unusual disguises to learn why a pretty woman driver lost control of her car and died in a flaming wreck. They discover a conspiracy that extends far beyond the track. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Talent
I've seen most of the 1st 2 seasons and some of 3 and 4.
I saw seance for the 1st time the other week and thought it was really well done and a great performance by Jaclyn Smith.

A Fun Blast From The Past
When these shows first came out, I was eleven years old. I really didn't get a chance to see much of this first season when it ran in 1976, but I knew all about the three women who were the Angels thanks to tons of magazine coverage. The show was a phenomenom. Everybody had the Farrah poster!

Jump to today. This set is a very nice, complete view of season 1 (the only season Farrah was on the show). It includes the pilot and 22 episodes. Some are good and hold up with time. A couple are clinkers. But, the sound and video reproduction are good and it is easy to see why everyone was so spellbound by the show - Kate, Farrah and Jackelyn were stunning. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Assignment: Earth"
The final broadcast episode of Star Trek's second season was this clever and funny story in which the Enterprise travels back in time to 1968 (the year this program aired) to discover how the nuclear arms race came to an end. Captain Kirk (William Shatner) encounters a strange fellow named Gary Seven (Robert Lansing), who claims to have been trained by extraterrestrials in sabotaging the escalating nuclear threat. With the ambivalent aid of a nervous secretary (Teri Garr), Seven (yes, there was a Trek character with that name before Voyager) attempts to carry out his assignment, but Kirk isn't sure if he can be trusted.Lansing's droll and somewhat imperious performance is nicely counterpointed by Garr's cute confusion, and the eerie presence of his familiar--a black cat named Isis--adds a hint of hoodoo exotica. (Don't blink at the end or you'll miss the really exotic creature Isis briefly turns into.) "Assignment: Earth" was actually the pilot for an intended Gene Roddenberry-produced TV series that never happened. Too bad... But speaking of eerie, Spock (Leonard Nimoy) at one point refers to an important assassination that will soon take place. A week after this episode's original airdate, Dr. Martin Luther King was murdered.

"Spectre of the Gun"
In this taut, exciting episode, the Enterprise trespasses Melkotian space and is punished in a unique fashion. Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Scotty (James Doohan), and Chekov (Walter Koenig) are all transported to the planet's eerie surface, where they are trapped in a re-creation of 1881 Tombstone and mistaken for the Clanton brothers, doomed principals in the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral.Despite their efforts to avoid trouble, Kirk and company can't seem to avoid their fateful duel with the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday (Sam Gilman). When Chekov is shot dead by Morgan Earp (Rex Holman), the danger is all too clear. The strange Twilight Zone look and atmosphere of this episode--tumbleweeds and Old West facades popping up in a black void--grips one's imagination and doesn't let go until the very end. Fans of Captain Kirk's street-fighting style will especially enjoy the thrilling climax. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Star Trek episodes burdened with overcoming weak premises
Although each is interesting in its own way, I must admit I have never been particularly enamored of either of the Star Trek episodes included on Volume 28 of the DVD series. "Assignment: Earth" features Robert Lansing as Gary Seven, who I used to watch on "Twelve O'Clock High," my favorite show as a kid. Seven suddenly pops up on the Enterprise, claiming to be a human being who has been living on a distant planet. He is now heading to Earth to help humanity survive a dangerous situation. Now what is sort of strange about this episode is that this is all happening in 1968, where the Enterprise has gone back in time (remember, they learned how in "Tomorrow is Yesterday") to do historical research. Really? The Federation is risking the time continuum just to do data gathering? Did Kirk and Spock not tell anybody about what happened in "The City on the Edge of Forever"? I like Lansing, and who does not like Terri Garr, but this is just too wild a set up to accept. By the time I get around to being willing to suspend my disbelief, the episode is pretty much over.

DeForrest Kelly played Morgan Earp in the 1957 film, "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral," which provides an interesting level of irony to the third season episode, "Spectre of the Gun." The Enterprise ignores the warnings of a Melkotian space buoy and orbits the planet. Apparently he has orders to establish contact at all costs. Well, the costs might be pretty high because the Melkotians order the execution of the landing party, taking the infamous gunfight at the O.K. corral from Kirk's mind as the setting for their deaths. Of course, the Enterprise officers are the Clayton gang and they are about to be gunned down by the Earps and Doc Holliday. There is a nice sense of "unreality" to the entire affair, somehow reminiscent of the dream ballet from "Oklahoma." Ironically, the Earps are actually portrayed rather realistically as the pistol-whipping thugs they were in Tombstone way back when. Again, there is a weakness in the premise, what with Kirk being order to force contact with the Melkotians, which is not exactly enlightened behavior on the part of the good guys (think Commodore Perry being ordered to "open" Japan). But strange situation is played out well and the best part of this episode is that it is Spock who effectively saves the day. "Specter of the Gun" ends up being an above average episode of Star Trek.

AN ODD PAIR OF EPISODES BUT STILL WONDERFUL!!!
Volume 28 of The Star Trek DVD series may be the most bizarre DVD in the series. Partly because it contains the last episode of the second season and the first epiosde of the third. These two episodes differ greatly and it is interesting to compare and contrast between them however both of these episodes are above average Trek tales despite their strange differences.

ASSIGNMENT: EARTH was the season finale of the second season. Essentially it was a pilot for a proposed series by the same name. At the time Star Trek was going to be cancelled and it was quite apparent that Roddenberry developed this to have something to fall back on once the network had made their decision. I'm assuming Roddenberry was planning to have Robert Lansing and Terri Garr as the main charcters in this new series and have the Star Trek cast make various guest appearnaces. Anyways as it turned out Star Trek managed to stay on for a further season and Roddenberry and the network ditched the whole 'Assignment:Earth' idea. All we were left with was this strange episode of Star Trek (which makes you wonder if the show had been cancelled and Assignment:Earth had been accepted by NBC). The episode finds the Enterprise crew travelling back to 1968 (at the time this was aired: modern day earth). Upon arrival they cross paths with Gary Seven (Robert Lansing) and he has come to earth in order to slow down it evolutionary process to put a stop to destroying themselves. He does this by sabotaging U.S. rockets and Kirk feels he will change the course of time. However Seven insists he is doing this for the good of mankind. The episode is rather strange and complicated as most of the screen time is given to Lansing rather than Shatner which is quite a change. The rest of the episode involves Kirk and Spock chasing Seven around trying to stop him. In the end everything turns out fine as usual and the course of time is not affected but many viewers may be left scratching their heads after this episode is over. It is good but rather hard to follow. Terri Garr makes one of her first appearances as Roberta Lincoln a hip chick who applies for a secretary job for Mr. Seven. The casting was great in this one (Both Lansing and Garr are excellent) and perhaps Roddenberry should have salvaged the Assignment: Earth idea after Star Trek was cancelled in June of 1969? Sadly this was never done.

The other episode here is SPECTRE OF THE GUN which kicked off Star Trek's inconsistant third and final season. There is such a big change between this and ASSIGNMENT:EARTH. It's amazing that Star Trek was able stay on for a third season but it's obvious that the production budget was way tighter (which explains the true reason why there are incomplete sets in this episode). Still this is one of the better episodes in Star Trek's haphazard final season.
The Enterprise is abducted by a mysterious alien race called the Melkotians Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty and Chekov beam down to their planet only to end up in a situation where they are the Clampetts in the middle of the historic 'Gun Fight At The OK Corral' against the Earp's. This episode is ironic because Deforest Kelley did play Morgan Earp in the classic 1957 film. Despite being another bizarre Star Trek outing SPECTRE OF THE GUN is an awesome episode of Star Trek in my opinion especially for the majority of lackluster scripts submitted in the third season. Besides the casting of the Earps is impressive and the gunfight at the end is kinda cool.

Overall a bizarre pair of episodes but both are wonderful and interesting in their own ways. SPECTRE OF THE GUN is more enjoyable to watch than ASSIGNMENT:EARTH in my opinion but they are both special. Highly recommended.

Two unusual episodes bridge seasons 2 and 3
Assignment: Earth-This episode, which featured the crew returning to Earth in 1968 to observe a rocket launch, was certainly unusual. it becomes much more than an observation once they are forced to decide whether Seven's role is a positive or negative one in the prevention of nuclear war. Any viewer unaware that this was a pilot episode of a proposed spy show would be forgiven for wondering how the crew ended up in a such a mundane setting. While Robert Lansing and Terri Garr are a big step up from your average Trek guest stars, there is a reason the show was not picked up. Nevertheless, the plotline is entertaining enough to yield one quirky episode.

Tidbit: Kirk was never any rounder than he was right here; well, not until the Trek movies anyway. (3 stars)

Spectre of the Gun was the first third season episode to be produced, and one need watch no more than the teaser to sense that the show would have a very different feel during the 1968-1969 season. First off, those shiny, synthetic-looking uniforms that replaced the corderoys of the first two seasons. A minor point, yes, but perhaps a metaphor for other changes. The third season shows have a slick quality about them, an emphasis of style over substance. There is a sense that everyone is somehow in the know, no longer willing to invest themselves in the simple morality tales so common in the first season. This process was certainly well underway by the midpoint of season 2, when we began to see action (and high camp in the seminal case of I, Mudd) episodes that were light, devoid of moralizing, and somewhat tongue in cheek. By the third season, it could no longer be reigned in. Gone was the moral foundation of the show, but also gone was the feeling that the actors were having fun. What's left is highly formalized episodes.

It should be added though that stylistically season was 3 was by far the most developed season. Musically, scores became more florid and psychadelic, unusual camera angles and cuts became more common, and character' actions became less predictable. I for one enjoy the fluidity, trippyness, and dark tone of the third season. I know I'm in the minority (to say the least) here though.

But this is supposed to be a review of Spectre of the Gun, in which the crew are forced to participate in the events leading up to the gunfight at the OK Corral. Overall this is a pretty good episode, with more action than most 3rd season shows. Better though is the fact that this episode is very atmospheric, with a stong score, wind, and effects contributing to the sense of unreality and futility. But this too is an illusion. We end with the positive message that the crew were tested, and found worthy, for not killing. They are not judged on the basis of wanting to kill, but rather for not killing (although upon scrutiny even this worthiness is undermined somewhat by the fact that at that point the crew knows the Earps are unreal).

This episode doesn't hammer the moral theme as earlier seasons did. Surprising is the extent to which the crew must focus on their own survival, even to the extent of accepting demeaning abuse the Earps.

This episode has it's flaws though. Most notably, only Kirk seems phases by Chekov's death; of course the others were no doubt constrained by the new production team. (3.5 stars)

"I can't just kill them!!!"
REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 28- Assignment: Earth © / Spectre of the Gun ©

ASSIGNMENT: EARTH © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into the Ground: Messin' with the space-time continuum; trusting the motivations of complete strangers

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: Three incapacitated

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:

Was 'Assignment: Earth' just another rip-roaring Star Trek adventure, or was it the teaser for a possible spinoff show? Well, let's see now... the guest stars (Gary Seven and his not-so-trusty receptionist Roberta Lincoln) are given an extensive amount of screen time and character development, much more than what most other guests have been granted on classic 'Trek. The screen time that Kirk, Spock and company use up is minimal, with most of the celluloid dedicated to Gary Seven embarking on and completing his mission, and Roberta getting in the way in a supposedly humorous fashion. And if those two bits of evidence don't seal the deal for ya, there's Mister Spock's statement at the end of the show where he predicts "interesting experiences in store for them (Seven and Lincoln)". I dunno 'bout the rest of ya's but it definitely looks like a set-up to me...

Sadly, 'Assignment: Earth' didn't grab me as a show that would've had much promise if it were made into a series. Robert Lansing's portrayal of Mister Seven could have used a bit more charisma, especially during his bizarrely comic exchanges between himself and the rookie receptionist. Speaking of which, Teri Garr didn't impress me as the young and slightly dense Roberta Lincoln, whose personality consisted of an annoying meld of ditzy naivete and "whoa, far out, man"-style hippiness. She also has way-too-easy access to her new boss' hi-tech equipment, which she always seems to discover by accident. The addition of the shape-shifting feline Isis and her pathetically fake meows (what, they couldn't record a real cat meowing and dub it in where needed?) adds the final death knell to any hope of seeing these folks venturing beyond the confines of the original Star Trek series. Which is probably just as well...

SPECTRE OF THE GUN © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: Reality versus unreality and illusions that kill; Humans dealing with and overcoming their instinct for violence

Historical Milestone: Star Trek's second temporary death of a core cast member (Mr. Chekov). This is also one of the small handful of eppies where a crew member other than Kirk (Chekov again) bags the babe-of-the-week. Hah, take THAT, you overacting, starship-commanding horndog!

Notable Gaffe/Special Defect: During the climactic scene at the OK Corral, the lightning strikes cause the trees to cast shadows on the "sky" (back wall) of the indoor set where the scene is being shot.

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

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:

The Melkotians told ya to stay away, but no-o-o-o-o, that wasn't acceptable to you, was it Jim? You just had to butt in where you weren't welcome! I guess "boldly going where no man has gone before" includes disrespecting the wishes of other beings, as well as trespassing on their territory! And then you had your three head specialists and Chekov beam down with you on the Melkotians' home planet so they could share your punishment! It's a good thing Mr. Spock had special abilities that helped save you and your fellow crewmen's sorry hides from certain death in the end (except for Chekov of course) or else you'd have been-- well, dead I guess. Or would the death have been merely an illusion? Wow, man... that's kinda deep. I gotta sit down and think that one through...

Taking into consideration all of the other historical eras and characters the Enterprise has encountered during its three-year run (Nazis, mobsters, a modern-day Roman empire, the Great Depression, hippies, 19th-century American Indian tribes, an angry Greek god), it was only a matter of time before the wild west got its day in the Star Trek spotlight. Throw in Gene Roddenberry's past work as the self-proclaimed "head script-writer" of the classic western series 'Have Gun, Will Travel', and the status of this episode goes from "destined-to-happen" to... um, "destined-to-happen-and-then-some" I guess. I wish I could describe the whole thing better, but I'm still tryin' to wrap my mind around that whole 'illusionary death' thing I brought up at the end of the previous paragraph...

'Late

Teri Garr on Star Trek? You betcha!
See the planned spin-off of "Star Trek" called "Assignment: Earth"...a blatant Dr. Who rip-off...it's a miracle Gene Roddenberry didn't get sued! The story is good, however..."Spectre of the Gun" is better...Kirk gets to play "cowboy" by being a part of the shootout at OK Corral. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

The Lighter Side Of Trek TOS
Both of the Episodes on this DVD (Vol. 9) display the lighter side of the original series' cast members. In "Shore Leave" you see definite character expansion for the doctor, the navigator and the captain. Dr. McCoy shows more of his "country doctor" persona as he strolls along a lakeside path, Sulu displays his special interest in weaponry, taking the time to shoot of several rounds, while Captain Kirk reveals his long held desires to "get even" with a past star fleet academy classmate. You indeed see Kirk become a wild adolescent on this planet, when level headed Spock raises a concern about a pending crisis and Kirk shouts, "Go warn the others, I've got a score to settle!" and then bolts off to do some long overdue backside kicking! I think you'll enjoy watching both of these episodes again when your focus is on what these characters do to handle themselves in curious situations.

two of the best
Theodore Sturgeon only wrote two Star Trek episodes (a treatment for a third was novelized recently) but his influence on Star Trek was great, since it was his daring that introduced the idea of Vulcan sexuality, in an era when television was almost devoid of any mention of sex. In fact, a lot of the Vulcan backstory comes from his episode "Amok Time". On this DVD we get "Shore Leave", which in 52 minutes pins down the characters of several Star Trek regulars were were just shirts before this. "The Squire of Gothos" is another pivotal episode in the Star Trek mythos.

Rick Norwood

dvd order
Great! Would buy from this seller again. Rec'd order in reasonable time.

Two above average, if bizarre, episodes
Shore Leave-I find this episode, in which anything that pops into one's mind is almost immediately realized, to be funny, entertaining, and original. Certainly much of the material is very hoaky, but it's never good to watch Trek with too critical an eye. This episode's premise also introduced a flexibility which helped flesh out some of the characters. Examples include the look at Kirk's academy days and McCoy's waggish ways with the ladies here. Overall, an off-beat and upbeat tone prevails, despite the episode's substantial (if temporary) negative twist. (4 stars)

The Squire of Gothos-Another bizarre and campy episode, this one features a spoiled child who has designed himself a baroque castle. Like the former episode, this one presents us with a phantasmagoria of seemingly random, if stereotypical, scenarios. The tone is more ominous here, however, thanks in large part to some well-conceived shots (such as the shadow of the noose during Kirk's trial). The castle's blend of gilded glitz with incomplete realization increase the sense of unreality.

Unlike later shows (most notably 3rd season ones), the unreality here is not dreamlike however. There is a sharpness about this episode; the dialogue is literal and more crisp than in most 3rd season shows, which often felt more detached non-commital and ambivalent, while being softer-edged and more atmospheric.

Campbell, who later returned for The Trouble With Tribbles also gives a strong performance. After a while the gags start to lose their novelty though, and the episode seems to struggle to fill time. Another possible critique (although it doesn't really bother me) is that the episode ultimately doesn't have a lot to say. Still most of us, at some point in our lives, have had the experience of having to jump through hoops at another's whim; there isn't always a lot of meaning behind that either. (3 stars)

Appealing episodes
"Shore Leave" The crew visits a planet in which your very thoughts become reality...no matter how deadly they are.

"Squire of Gothos" Kirk confronts Trelane, an alien who thinks that the crew of the Enterprise are his toys to play with. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"The Empath"
"The Empath" is an absolute must for fans of Star Trek's recurring shirtless-Kirk-being-tortured motif. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are taken to a strange laboratory and tortured by powerful aliens while a mute woman is forced to watch--a woman whose empathic abilities are being put to the test. There is, of course, a broader scheme to it all--this is one of the early manifestations of Trek's eternal conflict between the needs of the many and the needs of the few, or the one. Keep an ear out for one of the all-time great Bonesisms ("I'm a doctor, not a coal miner!") and hang on to those fragile but oh-so-important human emotions. --Ali Davis

"The Tholian Web"
"The Tholian Web" was conceived when writer Judy Burns went looking for a new angle on ghost stories. A physics student suggested she somehow use the theory of infinite dimensions, and out of that came Burns's script, which finds Captain Kirk (William Shatner) trapped between different kinds of space, floating in and out of view of the Enterprise crew. Adding to the dilemma are time constraints (Kirk's oxygen supply is running low), an effort by the arachnid-like Tholians to trap the Enterprise in a gigantic web, sub-space dementia affecting the crew, and rising hostilities between Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), the latter none too happy with the way the Vulcan is running the ship in Kirk's absence. Burns's original conception was to make Spock the spectral Starfleet officer locked in interspace, but the show is quite effective in the way various characters mourn the presumed death of their leader and figurehead. The Tholians don't make another appearance in Trek lore until The Next Generation, but this particular episode won the original series its first Emmy for special effects. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Two Thought Provoking Treks
Volume 32 of Paramount's complete reissue of Classic Trek contains two outstanding third season episodes.

The Empath is a sensitive story written by Joyce Muskat. The Vians, like the Talosians from The Cage, are an advanced race possessing superior intellect, but seemingly lacking a moral center. Since most of this episode's budget was spent creating the Vians' makeup, the producers used a minimalist setting--so nearly the entire episode is shrouded in black. Guest Star Kathryn Hays does an excellent job in what is essentially a mime role.

The Tholian Web is another great story. The script is scientifically plausible, and features fine dialogue and character conflict. It's interesting to see how the crew interracts in the absence of Captain Kirk. It's equally interesting to observe how, no longer having to compete with William Shatner's broad performance style, the cast alters their performances. James Doohan, in particular, has some subtle moments here. The Tholian Commander's appearance, along with the "web" effects, are some of the best of the series.

The picture restoration is excellent here, with deep blacks during much of The Empath, and clear reproduction of the visual effects from The Tholian Web. The sound has been tastefully enhanced for multichannel systems.

I'm givin' ya fair warnin' here...
I was planning on reviewing this and four other 2-episode original Star Trek DVDs I hadn't yet gotten to before I heard the news. And what news would this be, you're askin' yourself? Well, I'll tell ya: I've discovered that Paramount will be re-releasing the original series in full-season DVD box sets, complete with a shebang of extra features, some time later this year. It's yet another sad example of what I call "the dreaded DVD double-dip ploy" (read about this annoying phenomenon at www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/guides/guide-display/-/3CVFIEG84F2PF/ref=cm_aya_av.sylt_sylt/002-5334556-6482418 ) that the major Hollywood studios like to pull on videophile consumers. #ell, they've already got the full-season box sets out in parts of Europe already, so you know they'll be comin' stateside fairly soon as of this writing. BTW why do parts of Europe get to have the old-school Trek season box sets before we do (U.S.)?! Shouldn't the country where the show was shot in be the first to have those discs?! That's kinda like Honduras getting "Monty Python" on DVD before the UK does! Or Brazil gettin' "Akira" before Japan! It's just not right I tell ya...

Anyhoo: if you wanna get alla' the eppies of old-school Trek on DVD (well, perhaps all but the last season, anyway), I recommend you wait 'til the full-season sets come out later this year, or some time next year. I'm sure your gradually disintegrating Columbia House Collector's Edition VHS tapes will last a few months longer. In the meantime, I gotta find a way to palm my own collection of classic Trek platters off on some unsuspecting Trekkies!

Wish me luck...

'Late

Post Script: I know some folks will read this and think of me as some whiny, ungrateful little fiend who doesn't appreciate the fact that Paramount at least bothered to put the show out on DVD. All I can say is... do you people own stock in the company or something?! What are you, members of their sales and marketing department?! Yeah, I should REALLY be grateful for them tryin' to hose me and all the other Trekkie DVDphiles by gettin' us to buy (pretty much) the same stuff twice! Hey, they did it with the Star Trek movies, why NOT the classic TV show?! Howzabout puttin' the best possible product out the first time out, huh?! Buncha avaricious, money-hungry jerks...

'Later

A Little Too Late...
Both The Empath & The Tholian Web could have been much better scripts.

In The Empath the flaws center around the cheesiness of the sets (no backgrounds? what set?) and the repeating S&M theme. Even in late '60's TV sadism & masocism had a place.

The Tholian Web had a great new adversary, just enough hard science to hold the story together (the Tholian Web stands out as well as the subspace jump the Enterprise uses to escape it) and a great emotional ride with the disappearance of Kirk. This would have been my favorite over-all episode (yes, despite its' being part of a terrible 3rd Season) if Spock only used his 'logic' and left Kirk 'floating in sub-space hell'.

Yes, you read that right.

Shatner's thirst for power took Star Trek away from the 'ensemble cast' that it was trying to develop, as seen in some of its' best episodes. I wonder what would have happened in an "Alternative Universe" without Kirk? Maybe Kirk should have been strung up and whipped in 'The Empath', he would have gotten the girl-of-the week again, and again...

One unusual episode, one classic Trek
The Empath-Here is another off-beat and dark 3rd season offering, in which the triumvirate spend their time in the dark with a mute 'named' Gem. We meet the Vians, some of the most frightening and sadistic aliens every encountered in the original series. Yet the refreshingly innocent Gem provides a wonderful counterpoint, giving a light to the episode despite the most minimalistic sets ever seen in TOS. Nothing is as it seems in this episode, and the most creepy and dreamlike scenes actually occur in the light (Kirk running in slow motion to Scottie). While the episode ultimately suffers from a thin plot and shaky motivations for the aliens, it is, like many episodes from the first half of the third season, refreshingly unique and stylistically more advanced than earlier episodes. (3 stars)

The Tholian Web-This episode, in which Kirk disappears and a web is built around the Enterprise, in many ways belongs in another season. It has a lot of action and a straightforward plot. However, it also has some signatures of the third season, such as the trippyness of a winking-out Kirk floating through space, as well as a subtle pitting of illusion vs. reality. Plus it's always nice to meet new aliens--the Tholians even have a visible ship!(4 stars)

TWO WONDERFUL EPISODES FROM STAR TREK'S FINAL SEASON!
Volume 32 of the Star Trek DVD series includes two of the finest episodes from the third season. Both these episodes are extremely well written and are different in there own ways.

THE EMPATH is one of Star Trek's most sensitive episodes ever. The Vians are a superior race with a lack of morals who use inferior beings in their tests of the mute empath who can heal. They torture the beings (sometimes to death) and they put the empath's healing abilities to the test. Kirk, Spock and McCoy however end up being the next subjects for the test! This episode is probably the most intimate Star Trek story ever. A well written plot overshadowed the obvious tight budget. There is no doubt that most of this episode's budget went to the Vian's costumes and make-up which ends of leaving the set almost always a completely black background. However the acting in this episode is excellent especially the guest star Kathryn Hays who plays Gem the mute Empath (somewhat of a mime role).

THE THOLIAN WEB is another excellent episode. The Enterprise ventures into unknown space territory in search of a fellow starship The Defiant. They find the ship but Cpt.Kirk is lost in space when the crew attempts to return to their own ship. This episode is different cause we get to see the crew function without Cpt.Kirk. William Shatner only appears in the beginning and the end, so he takes a back seat and allows Leonard Nimoy and Deforest Kelley to have most the screen time. We also see character development in the rest of the crew members, particularily Scotty. A great episode, good story, nice effects, great acting and scientifically plausible. Definetly one of the third seasons best.

Overall Volume 32 is definetly one of the DVD's from this series to get. Containing two different but both excellent episodes fro Star Trek third season (which is hard to come by, since most of the third season epiosdes were fairly weak). Nonetheless this one is definetly worth a look. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Description

"A Piece of the Action," Ep. 49 - Kirk and the U.S.S. Enterprise crew visit a planet that has developed a civilization based on a book a previous Starfleet crew left: Chicago Mobs of the Twenties. "By Any Other Name," Ep. 50 - The U.S.S. Enterprise is commandeered by the Kelvans, a group of aliens from the Andromeda galaxy who have assumed human form and plan to take over the Milky Way galaxy. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Right? Unquestionably. RIGHT? RIGHT!
Volume 25 of Paramount's complete reissue of Classic Star Trek contains two stories showcasing superior writing and offering plenty of action.

A Piece of the Action remains one of Trek's most popular episodes. In essence, it's a time travel episode, without the time travel, which frees the story from the usual "Don't alter the future" constraints. The hands of Gene L. Coon, who co-wrote this episode, are evident in the colorful writing, and in the banter between the characters. Deliberately, the Iotians are all made to speak using a nonstop stream of 1920s cliches. When Kirk adopts these cliches, and eventually persuades Spock to adopt them, the course is set for maximum comedy.

By Any Other Name is mostly standard action fare, involving the Enterprise being hijacked by an invading force of Kelvans from another galaxy. These esoteric aliens have taken Human form to be able to function in a human environment. The solution is to introduce them to the pleasures of the senses, which creates a chance for James Doohan to shine as Scotty gets a Kelvan, and himself, drunk. This episode also highlights one of Kirk's finest characteristics: his willingness to forgive. Even after the Kelvan leader has killed one of his crew, Kirk is willing to extend the hand of friendship and offer the Federation's help.

Both sound and picture are fine.

Sometimes the Star Trek universe is a very funny place
Comedy is the telling commonality for the two Star Trek episodes included on Volume 25 of the DVD series. "A Piece of the Action" has the Enterprise visiting Sigma Iotia II, where a hundred years early the USS Horizon visited. Apparently this was before the Prime Directive, because one of the Horizon crew left behind a book: "Chicago Mobs of the Twenties." Now, once you get past the fact that (a) someone was toting a book into Deep Space and (b) it happened to be that particular book, you can really enjoy this one. Bela Oxymy wants the Federation to supply his gangsters with weapons so he can take over the planet, taking down Krako and the other bosses. My favorite part is when Kirk makes up a very complicated card game to play with the gangsters holding him hostage and Spock has to admit having never calculated the odds on the rarest of possible hands. Then there is also the bit where they try to drive an automobile. In the end, Kirk decides if you cannot fight them, join them. "A Piece of the Action" may well be the second funniest Star Trek episode, after "The Trouble With Tribbles," of course.

In "By Any Other Name" a group of Kelvans take ove the Enterprise using advanced technological weapons that allow them to reduce the crew to small blocks of chemicals until only Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Scotty are left. Rojan, the leader of the Kelvans, wants to modify the Enterprise so his group can get back to the Andromeda Galaxy in only 300 years, at which point his descendants will inform their government that the Milky Way is suitable for conquest. Fortunately, the Kelvans have assumed human form, which means they are now susceptible to sensory inputs, a fact that Kirk and the others seek to exploit. Scott introduces one Kelvan to liquor (the "green" type), McCoy slips them stimulants, and Kirk hits on Kelinda, while Spock helps Rojan experience the wonderful world of jealousy. It is rather surprising that "By Any Other Name" goes the comic route, but it does get pretty funny. You know, it is important to have fun when you are out trekking around the universe on a five-year mission.

TWO GREAT SECOND SEASON EPISODES!!!
Volume 25 of the Star Trek DVD collection has two great episodes from the second season. Although season 1 of Star Trek was far more diverse and fresh, season 2 just happend to spawn some of the series most classic and memorable episodes. This DVD contains just two of these great episodes.

A PIECE OF THE ACTION may very well be one of the top five most popular episodes of the original series. The Enterpirse crew arrives at Sigma Iotia II to find a civilization similar to the Chicago Mobs of the 1920's. The planet itself has been divided by gang wars and Kirk feels he must reunite the planet so it can have good relation with the Federation. Kirk resorts to him and Mr. Spock donning mobster gear and talking in slang which leads to A PIECE OF THE ACTION being one of the funniest Star Trek episodes. The episode itslef is quite good and very entertaining especially Kirk driving the old jalopy, the card game and Spock acting like a gangster. However the episode wraps up unevenly and it really makes you think: Kirk completely disobeyed the Prime Directive in this episode! However this episode doesn't fail to please and the end left this plot open for a sequel. Unfortunetly it has never been produced. A PIECE OF THE ACTION is an excellent episode of Star Trek though.

BY ANY OTHER NAME may be one of the strangest episodes of Star Trek ever! Kirk and the crew are abducted by Kelvans who take on a human form. The Kelvans demand control of The Enterprise so they can take a voyage to find a planet suitable for colonzation since there own ship was destroyed. The Kelvans are so ruthless they even go to the extent to killing an innocent enterprise crew member to get what they want. This makes BY ANY OTHER NAME seems like a serious episode that is until the crew discovers the Kelvans weakness: human sense and emotion. This results in Kirk flirting with the beautiful Kelinda, Spock making Rojan feel jealousy, and Scotty getting himself and another Kelvan drunk. This results in BY ANY OTHER NAME to be a comical episode of Star Trek but it's strange how the mood changes. The first half hour is somewhat dark whereas the second half hour is bright and funny. The episode ends with The Kelvans making peace with the Federation even after the death of a crewmate. BY ANY OTHER NAME is an uneven but above average episode of Star Trek.

In conclusion I highly recommend this DVD for it does have twoo great episodes. The picture and quality are fine too! Highly recommended!

One classic and one solid show, with hints of trouble ahead
A Piece of the Action-This gangster episode, and Tribbles, were the two Trek comedies that really worked. While I wouldn't exactly call the humor here subtle, it is intertwined in a fairly traditional action plot. We are able to enjoy Kirk and Spock's thuggishness for its own sake while simultaneously staying focused on the plot, for the simple reason that their behavior is called for by the story, rather than being a gimmick. The idea of a highly impressionable alien race who's cultural evolution could depend so thoroughly on a random event (the leaving behind of the book) is an interesting one as well. This episode is also helped by strong guest acting, most notably from Tayback. (4.5 stars)

By Any Other Name-An average episode, this one sees the enterprise crew reduced to salt (Styrofoam?) crystals for future use by the colonization-bent Kelvans. As others have pointed out, this is an interesting episode in that it has two tones. The events of the first half are frightening (although not as eerily stylized as 3rd season shows), as Kirk seems powerless to prevent the Kelvans' cold blooded homicide and control of the Enterprise. The ominous sense that anything goes is augmented by the surprising turn of having a female crew member killed. The tone changes dramatically in the second half of the show though, as the remaining crew exploit the Kelvans' newfound emotions, with entertaining results. These scenes are not just entertaining, but also insightful; it reminds the viewer that much of our own (only semi-successful) acculturation is devoted to reigning in our emotions.

But one wonders whether the blend of the dark and the comic seen here was for the best; it still worked here to some extent, but the episode's schism is somewhat jarring, and we're not quite as able to go along with the blend as we were in say Friday's Child, or A Private Little War. Why? Because a growing lack of introspection was beginning to border on cynicism. Did this gradual moral drift taint the show? Certainly the shows were becoming more calloused, a process that would accelerate in season 3. Season 3 certainly had other problems, but I believe some of the roots of future problems can be found, ironically enough, even in some of the strong episodes from season 2.

But back to By Any Other Name. Other pluses include Kirk's willingness to forgive even a defeated and cruel foe. And don't forget the lovely Kelinda. (3 stars)

Flivvers, Fizzbin, and a centuries-long trip to Andromeda
REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek Original Series DVD Volume 25: A Piece of the Action / By Any Other Name

A PIECE OF THE ACTION PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: The consequences of cultural contamination

Historical Milestone: Kirk 'introduces' a few skells to the fictional card game 'Fizzbin'

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

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:
This is one of the series' most cheesy and fun-filled hours. It's rather apparent that Shatner had the time of his life playing the part of a stereotypical 20s/30s movie mobster. The combination of his legendary acting and the colorful mobster lingo make for some of the most amusing bits of Star Trek hamminess out there! Not to be outdone, Nimoy does an admirable job of playing the straight man to Jimmers' mafioso shenanigans! Makes ya wanna get on the blower and tell alla' yer trekkie buds all about it! Or maybe drive on over to their house in your flivver, and let 'em in on the deal personally! That sound jake to ya, kid?

Notable guest star: the late Vic Tayback, best known on the sit-com 'Alice' as the crusty diner owner/cook Mel, keeps the fun flowin' as Jojo Krako, the chief rival of main heavy Bela Oxmyx. I could almost see one of his molls turning to him and uttering, "kiss mah grits"!

BY ANY OTHER NAME PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: The advantages and pitfalls of being human; human frailties and learning to control and deal with them

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: One dead

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:
Ah, the ol' shrink-the-crew-down-into-weird-geometric-blocks episode... pure old-school Trek silliness! Throw in Mr. Scott gettin' hooched-up with one of the Enterprise crew's captors, and Jimmers seducing the alien babe-of-the-week (SURPRISE!) in order to regain control of his vessel from his captors, and you've got... well, nothin' you haven't seen before in previous old-school Trek eppies, really. Still, I find it entertaining in its own funny way, and by golly that's all that matters!

'Late ... Read more

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"Whom Gods Destroy"
It's the supporting players who provide the most watchable performances in the 1969 "Whom Gods Destroy," one of the best episodes from Star Trek's final season on NBC. Running an errand to the planet Elba II, an inhospitable place housing a remote hospital for the hopelessly insane, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) discover that a longtime patient and Starfleet icon, Captain Garth (Steve Ihnat), has overtaken the facility. Suffering delusions of absolute power, Garth declares himself master of the universe, though his mastery fails to lure the rest of the Enterprise crew into a trap.With Kirk and Spock subdued prisoners of the brutal Garth, the story opens to Ihnat's flamboyant yet sympathetic performance. You can see behind the character's crazy veneer to the bold starship commander whose exploits fired Kirk's imagination as a cadet. Equally good is Yvonne Craig as Garth's would-be queen, the very sexy Marta, a compulsive killer whose seductive dances, wayward intelligence, and exotic, green skin make her one of the most striking females from the original series. Newbie Trekkers will be happy to know that the story by Lee Erwin and Jerry Sohl clarifies a couple of biographical points about Kirk and Spock, including the captain's own reference to his Starfleet career track before becoming an explorer. --Tom Keogh

"The Mark of Gideon"
Every now and then, the meager budget for Star Trek was helped along by stories set almost entirely on the Enterprise, which required shooting within established sets. "The Mark of Gideon" was a clever way to mitigate the visual monotony of such episodes. Captain Kirk (William Shatner) beams himself down to the planet Gideon, but instead finds himself alone in a mock-up of his own starship. (Translation: it's Shatner on the Enterprise set without the rest of the cast.) Almost alone, that is: Kirk finds himself accompanied by the beautiful Odona (Sharon Acker), an inhabitant of Gideon selected for infection by an outsider, in hopes that a plague of some sort will help the planet's overpopulation problem. Despite, or even because of, the set-bound nature of the story, "The Mark of Gideon" is actually one of the boldest and freshest ideas in the series, and like "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield," took on a hot topic of controversy (population control) in the issue-driven 1960s. The script, incidentally, was cowritten by Stanley Adams, who played Cyrano Jones in "The Trouble with Tribbles." --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Both stories need a little 'birth control'
Whom Gods Destroy is another visit to an insane asylum, no better that the 1st season show 'Dagger Of The Mind'. At least Dagger introduced the 'Vulcan Mind-Meld". Even the actors looked either 'nut's' or heavily medicated. Note Kirk & Spock slouching in the "table room" scene with more than mild disinterest in their faces (even for a Vulcan!)

The Mark Of Gideon screams for an obvious message. Duh! Birth Control. Anyway, why would a supposedly intelligent race free of disease allow its' population to run amok! Do I see Soylent Green?

2 signs that Trek was getting ready for bed
Whom Gods Destroy (2 stars)-The second of the insane asylum/ penal colony episodes is no better than the first (Dagger of the Mind). The episode has the cold, impersonal feel that was becoming a staple at this point in Trek's run (at least in part attributable to the actors having to act of character [witness the recondite Spock here], the executive producer's let's get this over with approach, and a growing sense that the run was over.) A telling scene has Kirk and Spock seated, with Garth and his cohorts standing behind them. Are the slouching Kirk and Spock's snickering, knowing, and tired expressions aimed at Garth's entourage of misfits, or at us, the audience? Most of the make-up, costumes, and equipment are retreads, and the plot too has nothing new to say. As in other third season shows, we have sadism for its own sake. The cruel and childish antics are reminiscent of the recently finished Plato's Stepchildren. But as in the real world, evil for evil's sake would surface all too often in the 3rd season.
In this sense the stylistically trippy 3rd season is actually more realistic than the idealistic 1st season. Oh well, at least this episode's finale holds out some hope for Garth and company's redemption. Too late for the viewer! (2 stars)

The Mark of Gideon-Another episode struggling to fill up its allotted 50 minutes, this one features Kirk and a beautiful lady alone on the (?) Enterprise. I know I've said in other reviews that I don't hold Star Trek to a high plausibility standard, but this episode even offends my sensibilities. Rebuilding a ship like the Enterprise, to perfection? Spock, and the transporter system in general, getting fooled again (as in the prior episode)? Not to mention the extent of the overcrowding on Gideon!
The episode's few pluses include the subtle, macabre twist on the Kirksploitation element seen in Wink of An Eye (even if it too is farfetched here, and there for that matter), as well as the return of some of the eerie atmospherics of some of the earlier 3rd season shows. Examples of the latter include the faces seen in the windows and the camera shots of Kirk alone on the bridge. Props should alsi be given for the fact that the episode addresses overpopulation, however crudely. (2 stars)

GOOD STAR TREK THIRD SEASON DVD!
Volume 36 of the Star Trek DVD series includes two of the better episodes from the tail end of the TV series' third and final season on NBC. Both these epiosdes are fairly decent despite the typical third season flaws.

WHOM THE GODS DESTROY is simply a fun Star Trek episode. Kirk and Spock beam down to the prison planet Elba II to find that Garth of Izar (Steve Ihnat), an infamous Star Fleet Captin who wiped out an entire race, has taken control of the prison complex from Governor Cory. Using his ability to shapshift into different characters Garth attempts to take over the Enterprise. This episode is actually pretty laughable. Garth's evil plan is way too far fetched to even work. But perhaps the producers wanted to point out that the character was utterly insane. It's the cast of colourful characters and the over the top acting that save this one. Ihnat is great as the bantering Garth and Yvonne Craig (Batgirl from the TV show Batman) makes a great acting appearance as Marta (the green alien woman). Ironically the third Batman guest star to appear in a consecutive Star Trek episode. Too bad Adam West, Burt Ward, Burgess Meredith and Caesar Romero never showed up as guest stars huh?

MARK OF GIDEON is a little more serious and almost creepy. Another Star Trek issue oriented episode. This time tackling overpopulation problems and contraception. Most of the screen time is given to Shatner and guest star Sharon Acker who plays Odana. There is great chemistry between the two and the acting in this episode is quite good. Good casting and a strong plot overshadow the obvious production budget flaws on this episode (most of it was filmed on the Enterprise set). The Gideon council leader, Hodin, is played by David Hurst, who made a hilarious appearance as Baron Von Klutz on the Monkees TV series. Here though he plays a suprisingly serious role as the main antagonist.

Overall a good set of third season episodes. One laughable one a little more dark and serious. Considering that the tail end of the final season was filled with bad episodes this is quite refreshing to watch becuase these are a few better episodes from the wildly uneven third season. Highly recommended!

How lucky can one man get?
Two more great episodes from TOS in which Kirk gets AN ORION SLAVE GIRL in "Whom Gods Destroy". He dukes it out with an insane Starship Captain as well who can morph into anyone he chooses.
In "Mark of Gideon", TOS tackles the problem of overpopulation & birth control...and Kirk gets the girl AGAIN!

Appearances Are Deceiving...
...as Captain Kirk discovers, in these two pretty good episodes.

"Mark of Gideon" isn't terribly plausible, but it is fun, and actually kind of creepy. Captain Kirk beams down to an isolated planet on a diplomatic visit - but never arrives there. Instead, he finds himself still on board the Enterprise, but all alone. Yet the Enterprise can't find him aboard, despite the insistence of the planet's inhabitants that Kirk never materialized among them. Eventually, Kirk encounters a beautiful alien girl (is there any other kind, where he's concerned?) named Odona, who falls in love with him (come on, you knew that, right?). It's all part of a nefarious plot by the planet's inhabitants to thin out their overpopulation - but as to how, you can find that out yourself. The early scenes, with Kirk haunting an empty Enterprise like his own ghost, are rather eerie, and Sharon Acker is delightfully appealing as the childlike Odona.

"Whom Gods Destroy" is just plain fun, no matter how you slice it. The inmates have taken over the asylum on an isolated prison planet, but Kirk doesn't find out until he's beamed into the situation and found himself held prisoner. The man who freed his fellow inmates is a fellow Starfleet captain gone mad named Garth (Steve Ihnat), who learned the unique talent of being able to rearrange his molecular structure to appear like anyone he chooses, and intends to impersonate Kirk and commandeer the Enterprise. Spock smells something wrong, but can't get into the facility to arrange a rescue attempt. While he works that little problem out, Kirk has an assortment of adventures with the mad Captain Garth and his erstwhile concubine, the equally mad green alien dancer girl, Marta (Yvonne Craig).

Ihnat was a lesser-known character actor of the time, whose premature death unfortunately deprived us all of seeing more of him - he's quite good here, as he was in everything he did - and anything with Yvonne "Batgirl" Craig is always a delight. ... Read more

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"Bread and Circuses"
Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), and First OfficerSpock (Leonard Nimoy) discover that Captain Merik (William Smithers), commanderof the long-missing Starfleet vessel S.S. Beagle, has become "FirstCitizen of the Empire" in a re-creation of ancient Rome on an obscure, unnamedplanet. Under orders from the Emperor, Merik forced his own crew to die ingladiator battles and lured other Starfleet personnel to the same fate. Now withKirk, McCoy, and Spock in hand, the Emperor's barbaric (and televised all overthe planet) amusements carry on another day. While the script takes a swipe ortwo at the sometimes less-than-elevated tastes of global audiences, theepisode's most interesting idea is the existence of a long-suffering cult of sunworshippers, a parallel to the suppressed Christian groups in Roman times. ForTrekkers, however, this one is full of the essentials: a surreal premise, ahostile planet, lots of fighting, and Scotty (James Doohan) on the bridge.--Tom Keogh

"Journey to Babel"
Years before George Lucas knocked us out with his wildly imaginative bar scenein Star Wars (in which a broad mix of exotic creatures mill about),Star Trek did much the same thing in "Journey to Babel." Serving as atransport for a variety of extraterrestrial diplomats, the Enterprisebecomes a warp-capacity hotel for truly eclectic visitors. (Director JosephPevney credits the makeup artist with this episode's impressive array of alienspecies.) The story finds murder committed aboard the ship and an attack onCaptain Kirk (William Shatner), all in an effort to sabotage the imminentsigning of a peace treaty. But against this mystery is an even more curiousfamily drama featuring Spock's conflicts with his parents, the Vulcan ambassadorSarek (Mark Lenard), who disapproves of his son, and his human wife, Amanda(Jane Wyatt). Story editor Dorothy Fontana wrote the script after deciding itwas time to show us the oft-mentioned mother and father of theEnterprise's first officer (Leonard Nimoy). We can thank her forinventing all the fascinating details of a complicated family relationship thatultimately became crucial to a couple of feature films and even a memorableepisode of The Next Generation. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Ambassador Sarek and his wife Amanda ARE Spock's parents
There really is not an obvious connection between the two second season episodes of Star Trek included on Volume 22 of this DVD series, but the cover photograph of Mark Lenard as Sarek tells you why you want this one in your collection. Following the wreckage of the SS Beagle, the Enterprise comes upon another one of those planets that is essentially Earth with a twist (remember Hodgkins' Law of Parallel Planet Development for future reference). In "Bread and Circuses" the twist is that the Roman Empire has never fallen. The Enterprise discovers some of the Beagle crew are still alive because they are being used as gladiators in the Roman's televised Circus. But the worst news is that Merrick, the Beagle's captain, has been helping Proconsul Cladius Marcus in violation of the Prime Directive. When the away team is captured, Marcus tries to get Kirk to help by making Spock and McCoy fight in the arena. But as Merrick tries to explain to Marcus, Kirk is a starship captain who will not give in to coercion. "Bread and Circuses" is an average Star Trek episode, although there is a nice scene between Spock and McCoy as they sit in their cell worrying about Kirk and Uhura's explanation of planet's religion of "sun" worshippers is a surprising twist for network television in the Sixties.

Certainly "Journey to Babel" has the best teaser in Star Trek history. The Enterprise crew is decked out in their formal dress to welcome the Vulcan Ambassador Sarek aboard. Kirk and McCoy are surprised when Sarek snubs Spock and go into complete shock when Spock tells that Ambassador Sarek and his wife are his parents. Sarek is one of several delegates bound for a conference that will debate the admission of Coridan to the Federation (the planet is rich with dilithium). When one of the delegates shows up dead, Sarek is a prime suspect until it is revealed he has a heart condition. McCoy is all ready to perform surgery with Spock serving as a blood donor when Kirk is also attacked by the assassin. With the captain incapacitated, Spock cannot relinquish command, even if it costs his father his life. Mark Lenard as Sarek is absolutely the ultimate Vulcan and even Leonard Nimoy seems to be acting more Vulcan-like in this episode. Jane Wyatt as Amanda is clearly too emotional for a woman who has been living with Vulcans most of her life, but she looks great when she smiles and casting Mrs. Anderson from "Father Knows Best" is just a tad short of being as great as that of casting Lenard. "Journey to Babel" is just a wonderful episode with every scene involving Spock and his parents a treat, especially when father and son comment on Amanda's emotional outburst on the subject of logic. It is just so clear these two love her so much. Simply a wonderful, wonderful episode that deserves to be on everyone's list of Top 10 Star Trek episodes.

Some "Bread" for your "Journey..."
Volume 22 of Paramount's complete Star Trek collection contains one outstanding and one fair episode.

"Bread and Circuses" is another yet episode featuring a "parallel world" mirroring Earth's history in some way (interesting that they never show parallel worlds which mirror Vulcan or other planets). This time, the crew encounters a 20th Century Roman Empire, complete with ratings driven television, gladiator fights, and even persecuted Christians. Although this story sucseeds in some areas (especially the scathing satire of television executives) the episode as a whole does not rise above standard action oriented fare.

"Journey to Babel" is another story indeed. This is one of the very few episodes of Classic Trek which allows the viewer to see the plethora of races in the Federation (even if the makeup for the pig-faced Tellarites is not very convincing). The list of guest stars is very impressive here. Mark Lenard, who played the Romulan Commander in "Balance of Terror" appears as Spock's father, Sarek; Jane Wyatt plays Spock's mother, Amanda; and veteran character actor Reggie Nalder, who played the Assassin in Hitchcock's 1956 The Man Who Knew Too Much, appears as Andorian Ambasador Shras. Striking as these aspects are, however, the heart of the story is Spock's relationship with his parents, the conflicts of which are brought to the forefront when Sarek suffers a heart attack. Leonard Nimoy and Jane Wyatt shine during a heartbreaking scene set in Spock's quarters, where Amanda implores Spock to come to his father's aid.

Paramount has done a fine job restoring the picture and sound. Colors are deep and clear, and there is remarkably little grain on the film (except for stock shots of the Enterprise).

One solid show, and one top tier episode
Bread and Circuses-The Roman episode was the first in a slew of parallel earth episodes, and was one of the better ones. The episode features a lot of action and a number of exterior shots. There is also much violence, and some of it is fairly chilling. While there is some editiorializing on 1) our society's bloodlust this is in my opinion negated by the Pro-Christian bias (I don't have anything against Christianity-I just prefer religion to be dealt with more subjectively on Trek).

For better or worse, the show was becoming less introspective. An argument could be made that some of these episodes should have been reigned in a bit. But Star Trek was riding high at this point on a string of strong stories and fun episodes; few could have guessed that the quality would start to deteriorate in just a few episodes.

Tidbit: This episode and Elaan of Troyius were the two that took the longest to get from production to the TV screen. In Elaan of Troyius I always assumed the delay was due to the spacecraft special effects. What was the explanation here? (3 stars)

Journey to Babel-In another classic Trek, we meet Spock's parents, and the Enterprise turns into a veritable 'who's who' of alien dignitaries. Like so many second season shows, this episode is fast paced and dramatic. There are actually several plot lines going at once. Not only do the subtleties of Spock's relationship with his parents play well here, the show is augmented by the fact that so much else happens (murder, Kirk and Sarek's physical troubles, a spy aboard the ship, a Klingon vessel, etc.) A lot to juggle, but the writer and director managed it well, even bringing everything together at the end. True, it's absurd that Kirk and company would know so little about Spock's family, but the bombshell does make for a dramatic close to the teaser. (4.5 stars)

Gladiators & Generation Gaps
REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 22: Bread and Circuses © / Journey to Babel ©

BREAD AND CIRCUSES © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

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

REVIEW/COMMENTARY: Before I go into the review proper, it has come to my attention that the guys at Paramount™ put these original series DVDs out to the market without respect to neither the episodes' canonical-chronological order nor their date-of-broadcast order. This particular volume is a case in point: The first show, Bread and Circuses ©, was originally broadcast on March 14, 1968 (Stardate 4040.7), while the following show, Journey to Babel, was shown on November 17, 1967 (Stardate 3842.3). At first, I was kinda taken aback by this haphazard arrangement of eppies; after all, they could've at least TRIED to release classic 'Trek in some logical fashion, right? But after envisioning the throes of agony that the more anal-retentive/OCD-suffering UberTrekkies would suffer due to this strange quasi-random release of episodes, I actually found myself rejoicing at Paramount™'s brazenness. Anything that gives the uberfans major hissy fits is just fine and dandy in my book!

A rather intriguing 'what-if' type story where the elimination and/or delayed reaction of a an apparently vital historical element (in this case, "son worship" or Christianity) could have a major impact on the course of human history (in this case, the Roman Empire still exists in the 20th century). Throw in a few less-than-skillful-looking gladiatorial death matches and a turncoat starship captain (similar to the rogue C.O. in The Omega Glory ©), and you've got... um... hey, remember that scene in Airplane!™ where Peter Graves asks that kid, "Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?" I'm reminded of that scene every time I catch this particular episode! And my name isn't Joey, either! Strange, no?

JOURNEY TO BABEL © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: The importance of family; learning to overcome differences; family duties versus career duties

Historical Milestone: First appearance of Spock's parents

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

REVIEW/COMMENTARY: Out of all the crewmen that serve aboard the Enterprise™, who'da ever thought Spock™ would have to deal with family strife? Well, it's true, kiddies- apparently pops isn't quite an approving parent where his son's career choice is concerned. But with the help of a whodunit murder mystery, a bit of espionage intrigue, and Sarek's life-threatening condition that only Spock can help treat, father and son manage to patch things up a little in the end. Which delights mater no end of course. Throw in a ridiculously silly fight sequence between Jimmers and an ersatz Andorian, and you've got a nice dollop of cheesiness to make the whole Spock-family-soap-opera that much tastier!

'Late

SEASON TWO'S HIGH POINT!!!
Volume 22 of the Star Trek DVD collection contains two episodes from season two's high point. By high point I mean that half way through the second season a sudden burst of classic excellent episodes were being produced including the likes of TROUBLE WITH TRIBBLES, A PIECE OF THE ACTION and JOURNEY TO BABEL etc; The beginning of the second season was good but just didn't seem to compare to the first until half way through when these episodes were made.

The first episode here is BREAD AND CIRCUSES. The Enterprise crew finds the wreckage of a fellow starship the U.S.S. Beagle and decide to investigate the planet below it. When they arrive on the planet they meet up with a band of sun worshippers and later are captured and taken to a city that looks like Earth's ancient Rome. It turns out that The Roman Empire rules the planet into somewhat modern times where Gladiator games are brodcasted on tv like WWF wrestling. Kirk finds out that Capt. Merik (who was the Beagle's Capt) betrayed his crew and became first citizen of the Empire and is now a close friend to Proconsul Cladius Marcus (played by Logan Ramsey). Marcus demands Kirk to beam down his crew to fight in the arena but Kirk refuses and tries to convince Merik that fighting is wrong in the arena. When Spock and McCoy are forced to fight all hell breaks loose and in the end Merik sees the error of his ways and allows Kirk to escape but unfortunetly Merik is killed by Marcus. This is a very well written episode but the end is somewhat weak. Kirk, Spock and McCoy merely escape. They do not really seem to save all the planet's innocent slaves or anything even Cladius Marcus gets away with all his evil deeds. It's a good episode but has an uneven ending.

The other episode here is the real winner JOURNEY TO BABEL. The episode that features the debut of Spock's father (played by Mark Lenard who also played the Romulan commander in BALANCE OF TERROR). The episode is somewhat of a murder mystery when the Ambassador Gav is killed on the way to the planet Babel. All fingers point to Spock's father until it is revealed of his heart condition. An operation is needed in order to save his life but Spock feels he must Captin the ship after Kirk was almost murdered by a "Andorian" who actually murdered Gav. This episode is another great classic from the second season and should be a favourite among many. Mark Lenard is great as Sarek. He should have appeared on the show far more often.

Overall I highly recommend this DVD because of JOURNEY TO BABEL but BREAD AND CIRCUSES is worth a look too. But Sarek sells this one as he should. After all he is on the DVD cover. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Armegeddon & Khan!
"A Taste of Armegeddon" is a very well written episode about 2 planets that are fighting a war with computers with real casualties. "Space Seed" See the TOS episode that inspired "Star Trek II"

ENTER: KHAN NOONIEN SINGH!!!
Volume 12 of the Star Trek Original Series DVD collection has two classics. However this DVD is highlighted by the introduction of the space tyrant Khan Noonien Singh into the Star Trek world. Khan became one of Trek's greatest villians and returned in the 1982 Star Trek film THE WRATH OF KHAN. Because of his appearance on this DVD it tends to over shadow the other episode.

By the other episode I mean A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON. This episode is a classic in it's own right. The story finds Kirk and the crew dealing with Ambassador Red Fox(who seems to be a real jerk) who demands to beam down to the planet Eminiar VII despite the planet warnigs to stay away. Upon their arrival at the planet it is revealed that the planet has been at war for 500 years with a neighboring planet named Vendikar. Although the planet says it has been at war the crew are puzzled for their are no real signs of destruction the planet is prosperous and peaceful looking. That is until the council members reveal how they fight the war. They use computers no destruction or devestation casualities are recorded and sent to an antimatter chamber and vaporized. In other words the war is pointless and to make matter worse the crew has been recorded as casualities and are demanded to enter a discintgration chamber at once. When Kirk refuses they are taken prisoner. This episode plot is quite fascinating and this is actually one of the Trek series better tales.

The second episode here is the one that sells this DVD. THE SPACE SEED is the notorious episode that introduces Khan to the Trek lore. Kirk and the crew discover an old 20th century ship in the vast depths of space and investigate. Aboard the ship they find a group of humans in hypersleep they revive one of them (of course it's Khan) and beam him aboard the Enterprise. McCoy tests prove that the man is superhuman and Spock believes that Khan is one of the many superhuman from the late 1990's who conquered the world. Khan appears to be somewhat arrogant and evil as he takes advantage of Marla McGivers one of the crew members and plans to take over the Enterprise and revive his crew. After a little research it is proven that Khan is actually Khan Noonien Singh a tyrant from the late 1990's who ruled one quarter of the world from 1992 to 1996 when he was eventually defeated Khan escaped with several superhumans and have been in hyper sleep for 200 years. Now the tyrant is bent on taing of the Enterprise and conquering the galaxy. This is another one of Trek best episodes of season 1. It is a classic that introduces one of Trek most notrious villians. Definetly a must see!

Bottom line Volume 12 should not be passed up. Both episode are great and the added extra of having Khan's debut is definelty a good reason to get this DVD! Highly recommended!

Another of the best Trek DVDs
A Taste of Armaggedon-This thoughtful episode concerns a planet that has sanitized war. The episode explores important themes such as 1) the sacrifice of the individual good for the societal, and 2) the drawbacks of all types of war. The latter issue in particular remains a timely one as science continues to pursue technologies that may (at times unwittingly lead to more efficient and sanitized killing. This is one episode where Kirk offers a convincing and fresh argument against a society's folly. Another plus of the episode is that it admits shades of gray rather than oversimplifying the issues. Add in a plot twist that brings the Enterprise and crew more directly into the action, and you've got a winning show. Strong guest acting, from Opatoshu, Babcock, and Lyons also boost this episode (4.5 stars)

Tidbit: Barbara Babcock would reappear in Plato's Stepchildren during season three.

Space Seed-This classic episode first introduces us to the eugenically bred Khan. Here we have another thoughtful episode that prophesizes an issue ('unnatural' selection) that would feature prominently in the headlines today. It is interesting to see Kirk and company portrayed as 'inferiors' (in a narrow sense of the word) for much of the episode. The scene that ends with Khan threatening Kirk is particularly tense and threatening. Ricardo Monteblan is also effective in his scenes as leader and seducer.

The acting performances and tight script lend an air of subtle believability to this episode that wouldn't always be present on Star Trek. The conflict and drama are well developed. Also interesting is Kirk's ultimate compassion, which of course distinguishes him from the 20th Century leader. Trek, like many great westerns, often found a way to show that compassion and humanity did not have to be synonymous with weakness, passivity, or the absence of charisma. These are important messages for young viewers. Left open here is whether that compassion here will ultimately come back to hurt the Federation. The difficult question is whether one must follow their conscience even when the long term consequences may be detrimental.

Tidbit: This episode features one of Star Trek's most notorious bloopers, in which a dropped phaser visibly distresses several onlookers, particularly DeForest Kelley. (4.5 stars)

Complete season format?
This is not really a review but rather a question. I would love to own the entire Star Trek Original Series on DVD but I have a serious problem with buying them two episodes at a time, which I refuse to do. Does anyone know if the origianl series will ever be released by season in a boxed set format similar to the TNG and DS9 sets? #1) If I were to pruchase them in the current two episodes per disc format it would be way too expensive for me to buy them all. #2) Not to mention that it would take too much storage space. I would NOT be reluctant, however, to purchase a boxed set of each season in the...say $$ to $$$ range. By releasing ST:TOS in this format I believe that Paramount could profit from people like me who do not want to waste their time or money purchasing ST:TOS DVDs in the current format. If anyone has any info on the possible future release of ST:TOS boxed sets, please let me know. Thank you.

Greg West

Apocalyptic Politics
Politics gone wrong is the theme behind these two early Trek winners.

"A Taste of Armageddon" is what Captain Kirk and his landing party get on Ameniar 7, a planet that theoretically has been at war with one of its neighbors for centuries. But Kirk and his party find nothing wrong on the planet - no ruins, no signs of violence, no injuries or bodies. Bureaucrat David Opatoshu sadly informs the landing party that they and their ship were blown up in orbit - and since Kirk and the others are obviously quite well, and a quick call on their communicators confirms that, yes, the Enterprise is, too, the mystery deepens. Opatoshu explains that, in order to avoid the bloodshed of real war, Ameniar and its enemies long ago decided to fight their wars by computers. Those areas listed as casualties are obliged to report their populations to disintegrator booths, for neat disposal. Now, if the Captain and his crew will merely oblige, by walking into the disposal ovens...

A solid script, and a chilling premise. Opatoshu is a squirrelly and cagey bureaucrat, the charming Barbara Babcock a credible tender trap, and Gene Lyons really shines as a humorless by-the-book Starfleet diplomat who nearly gets the Enterprise destroyed by his own lack of common sense.

"Space Seed" was the forerunner story to the second movie in the later film series, "The Wrath of Khan." The Enterprise encounters a centuries-old derelict in space, with the cryptic enough name of "Botany Bay." It contains several dozen cryogenically frozen perfect human specimens, the leader of whom, Khan, is awakened for questioning. Khan turns out to be Khan Noonian Singh, the leader of an uprising of eugenically created Nitzschean supermen that nearly destroyed Earth in an atomic war at the turn of the 21st century. With the aid of the Enterprise's romantic Lieutenant Marla McGivers - who is helplessly smitten with Khan's physique and dominant persona - Khan attempts to take over the Enterprise, and conquer the universe it will give him access to in this new age.

Ricardo Montalban lends his unique charisma to the role of Khan, and Madlyn Rhue sympathetically plays the lieutenant of divided loyalties. One of the more satisfying melodramas of the series, it also contains at least one of Star Trek's famous amusing bloopers, if you pay attention - a crewmember who runs straight back into a gas-filled room he was easily escaping, as if responding to the off-camera director signalling, "No! Go back! Go back!"

Both quite good, "Space Seed" especially. ... Read more

Description

"Spock's Brain," Ep. 61 - A mysterious woman appears suddenly on the Enterprise, renders the crew unconscious and then disappears with Spock's brain. "Is There in Truth No Beauty," Ep. 62 - Kirk must deal with a possessive female telepath, a jealous engineer and an alien ambassador whose appearance drives men insane. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Brain and Brain! What is Brain?
Two very different episodes, which underscore the uneven quality of Star Trek's third season, are contained in Volume 31 of Paramount's complete Trek reissue.

Spock's Brain is generally acknowledged as the worst episode of Classic Trek ever. Viewing it again confirms this. The concept is inane, the plot medically and scientifically ridiculous, and the dialogue laughably bad. About the only positive aspect of this episode was the installation of a rear projection screen on the bridge set, which allowed for new camera angles. Parts of this episode were brilliantly lampooned on TV's The Wonder Years. As with the episode And The Children Shall Lead, this story is best ignored or saved for gag viewing during a party.

Is There in Truth No Beauty? is the antithesis of Spock's Brain. The story is intellectually engaging, and the dialogue at times borders on the poetic. The plot deals with several interesting themes: how non-corporeal and corporeal life would "relate" to each other; love and rejection; beauty/ugliness; and the role of the handicapped in 23rd Century society. The acting is some of the best ever seen on Trek. Leonard Nimoy, in particular, shines during his mind-meld scene with the Medusan Kollos. Diana Muldaur, who has a radiant yet wounded quality, is perfectly cast as Miranda Jones. Some new visuals were created for this episode, and a rarely seen shot of the Enterprise from Trek's 1964 pilot The Cage is used briefly.

The sound restoration is excellent. The picture is mostly fine, except for a few instances of wear visible in Is There in Truth No Beauty. This episode also contains a "flipped" shot of William Shatner, which has never been corrected.

INTERESTING SET OF EPISODES!!!
Volume 31 of The Star Trek DVD Series includes two decent episodes from the haphazard third and final season of the show.

Indeed SPOCK'S BRAIN has become a punching bag for Star Trek critics over the years since it's airing in 1968. I'll agree that it isn't one of the best Star Trek episodes out there but it receives way too much criticism. Yes the episode is too out of this world to comprehend completely however it's still not a terrible epiosode. The plot is entertaining as a race of Imorg humanoids steal Spock's brain. You gotta give the cast credit for this one especially Leonard Nimoy who not only had to play a unemotional Vulcan for three years but also had to play an unemotional Vulcan without a brain! This episode is actually quite nice despite it's constant criticism. There is a delightful helping of eye candy as well with the women humanoids who steal Spock's brain. They will bring "delight" to male viewers indeed!

IS THERE NO TRUTH IN BEAUTY is another average episode from Star Trek's third season. Another episode that focuses on Spock. A strangely dark yet compelling episode with a few thrilling twists and turns. As the crew tries to transport the Medusan Ambassador (whose apparently so hideous that one look at him will drive a human insane) but end up being lost in space! A nice guest star appearance by Diana Muldaur (who appeared perviously in RETURN TO TOMORROW in season 2) Despite her appearance (as a different character then she was in season 2) IS THERE NO TRUTH IN BEAUTY remains an average episode at best.

Overall a nice DVD collection of decent episodes but there is notihng too special about this one. Recommended!

One high camp, and one very original show
Spock's Brain-Many have asked whether airing 'Spock's Brain' first sealed Star Trek's fate. More to the point, any brain trust that thought 'Spock's Brain' the strongest of the early episodes was almost bound to produce more lemons the rest of the way. Particularly destructive is the fact that while the episode is high camp, unlike 'I, Mudd', here the cast attempts to play it straight (presumably Frieberger and Daniels were holding up weapons offstage). This must have contributed to the gradual loss of conviction about the product-always a pernicious thing.
Anyway, about the episode, in which Spock's brain is stolen. The basic premise is silly, and most of the plot far fetched. Just a few examples: 1) Carting Spock's brainless body about, 2) Brain and body surviving independently, 3) the reconnective surgery. There is also seemingly little thought behind the separation of the sexes, although we can thank that premise for the description of women as 'the givers of pain and delight." The S & M theme would make a few appearances before season 3 concluded.
As a third season fan, I can't resist pointing out a couple things I like about the episode. First, there is a pervasive mysterious and surreal feel about the episode. The score introduces several dramatic vignettes that would be repeated (and repeated, and repeated..) throughout the 3rd season. There are also some cool shots of the bridge during an interesting scene in which the officers are invited to participate in some decision-making. Finally, the teaser is pretty strong. (2 stars)

Is There In Truth No Beauty? (4 stars) Here's another 3rd season show (see the Paradise Syndrome and the Empath for other nearby examples) that was refreshingly original (it wouldn't stay that way). It involves the seemingly quotidian transport of an Ambassador too ugly (or is it too beautiful?) for the eye. We have a central character with complex and unique motivations, who is more than just a muse for Kirk's latest escape from danger. One of the most original scores of all Star Trek episodes, plus some very trippy fisheye camerawork and psychadelic special effects, contribute to the episode's unusual feel. This thoughtful, even cerebral episode, nevertheless has a couple surprising plot twists. Also admirable is the strong female character with her own interests and passions, whom the males (not surprising) attempt to control.
Like all 3rd season shows, this episode has faults. Muldaur is as wooden here as in Return to Tomorrow, Marvick is only there as a plot device, and both Spock and Kirk's failures to wear the visor are inexplicable (although for very different reasons). (4 stars)

One good One Bad
While I agree that Spock's Brain is not the best effort of the third season, I would rather sit through this episode than "Plato's Stepchildren" or "The Way to Eden" or "The Mark of Gideon". I think these three should have been scrapped before they were aired in 1968-69.
"Is There In Truth No Beauty" has always been one of my favorite episodes since I was a kid. It would be interesting to bring the Medusans back in a future episode to test their great navigational skills. Lots of sequel potential here.

Brain and Brain, What is Brain?
Maybe you'll all think I'm an idiot, but I loved this episode. For 35 years, I would recall one of my favorite phrases coined for my own amusement. After all, Star Trek is supposed to be amusing! I will admit it's hard to think what the moral to this story would be, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment. Also, I never get tired of hearing, "I never should have re-connected his vocal chords" (or was it mouth?) Guess it takes all kinds of Trekkers, or is it Trekkies? I can't keep up. ;D ... Read more

Reviews (27)

A fine tribute to John Colicos
The late John Colicos of "Battlestar Galactica" fame shines as the Klingon commander Kor in "Errand of Mercy," an episode which has an ambiguous title. Whose "errand" is it anyway - the Federation's? As it turns out, the mercy is shown by the Organians who act to prevent an interstellar war, establishing one of the political cornerstones of the Star Trek future history. Given the significance of the so-called "Organian Peace Treaty" which is referred to in many later episodes, I always felt this episode was too subdued; we don't see the two starfleets in space and the Klingon occupation forces on Organia are small in number. Still, Colicos' scenes with Shatner are well acted and establish the aggressive nature of both captains, a theme which comes up again and again. DVD lets us see the fog around the Organian castle as well as the writing on the Klingon occupation notices - they're printed in English!

SF writer Harlan Ellison is known to have hated the TV adaptation of his story "The City on the Edge of Forever" and we can see why. Although it is undeniably one of Star Trek's more emotionally powerful episodes (Bill Shatner's last line still sends chills up and down my spine), as a science fiction story it does not hold up to repeated viewings. But this is a strong pairing on DVD; if only there were more interactive options and liner notes. By the way, somebody goofed on the package design - there's a photo from a different episode ("Metamorphoses") for "City on the Edge of Forever."

Why this was the Best Star Trek Episode
The original Star Trek was far superior to the followups for many reasons and City on the Edge of Forever, the pinnacle of that series. Harlan Ellison's legendary feud over script revision with Gene Roddenberry is well known, and supposedly the original script is even better than the one used. Nevertheless I've not seen any other TV script that approaches the profundity of this. Kirk and Spock track Bones through a time/space portal to 1930 and meet Edith Keeler, a person who changed history after being saved by Bones. Kirk falls in love with her, but has to decide between love and the Allied WWII victory. This whole episode is thought provoking, the characters are believable, the fact that this was done in 1967 shines through in its creativity and emotional intensity. Such a contrast to the ridiculous follow-up series and films. All episodes of the original are worth seeing, but this is the best.

One well above average, and perhaps the best
Errand of Mercy-This thoughtful episode introduces us to the Klingons, who along with the Federation are seen here currying the favor of the peaceful and pastoral Organians. While thoughtful and somewhat slow, this episode is not without it's share of tension. We share the anxious feeling of time having stopped before the onset of war; only the Organians seem curiously subdued. The episode eventually hits us with a very nice twist, which is intelligent in that it eventually forces us to see the Klingon and Federation positions as more similar than different; the real distinction is with the more advanced Organians. This is one of those examples of how watching Star Trek could be simultaneously humbling in its depiction of our current society and uplifting in its optimistic vision of a possible future. (3.5 stars)

The City on the Edge of Forever-The final issue in an unprecedented string of six consecutive well-above average episodes was probably the greatest of them all. Here we have the classic episode in which The Triumvirate pass through a portal into Depression Era Earth, where they must try to reverse changes that have been made to history. This episode in addition to being packed with tension, somehow feels more professional than most other episodes; as one reviewer noted, it truly does feel like you're watching a short movie. And while most of the other past/parallel Earth episodes relied primarily on the comedic aspects, those are clearly secondary here (all though by no means absent). This is a serious show, and the actors and production team took it as such. Kirk's love affair with Keeler is probably Trek's most convincing, and it is no coincidence that she is one of the strongest female characters to appear on the show (the lack of more was in my opinion perhaps Trek's greatest failure). And lets face it, for the climax of the episode everything gels; the scene simply feels 'right' to an extent almost never witnessed on network TV. We feel Kirk's choice and his loss, but realize it had to be. Sacrifice. The tone is carried over perfectly to the final scene, in which Shatner issues the final, bitter and disgusted line of the episode perfectly. (5 stars)

Two of the finest episodes of the original Trek
Gene L. Coon's Errand of Mercy and Harlan Ellison's City on the Edge of Forever (extensively rewritten by Coon, Gene Roddenberry and story editor D. C. Fontana although it's true to Ellison's original concept)are two of the finest episodes produced for Trek. I would argue the point that City is the best (there were others equally as good if not better and, in fact, Ellison's original script was much, much better than the version that was shot and aired). The former was totally Coon's creation. Coon was the unsung hero of Trek writing many of the original series finest episodes and using his experience as a hands on writer/producer to help Roddenberry fine tune his vision for the series.

Essentially this is a conflict between the Federation (read the United States) and the Klingon Empire (read the Russians or Chinese however you want to look at it). It details a power struggle over a backwater planet where each group wants the planet as part of an ongoing power struggle. Kirk wants Organia to join the Federation as they are strategically valuable. The Klingon Empire invades the planet. They know Kirk and Spock are there and threaten to kill the inhabitants one at a time or in groups unless they give up Kirk and Spock. The Organians refuse as they've got a couple of tricks up their sleeves.

City dealt with time travel. The Enterprise discovers a planet that is almost unstuck (to borrow from Vonnegut)in time. There are portals all over the planet that provided the original inhabitants with gateways to the past. Accidently injected with a powerful but dangerous drug, McCoy loses his mind, attacks crew members and escapes from the ship. Kirk, Spock and a landing party pursue him. They discover the portals, their purpose (they're intelligent and alive in a sense) and McCoy at the same time. McCoy travels into Earth's past to escape the landing party and, somehow, changes the past so World War Two is won by the Axis powers. The result is a stranded landing party and a nonexistant Federation to save them. Kirk and Spock choose to travel to the past to undo whatever damage McCoy has done.

Featuring top notch art direction, effects (for 1967), performances (Shatner is, for the most part, very restrained and very, very effective in both)and direction, both episodes rate highly in the Trek canon and science fiction. City won the Hugo award and Ellison's original (much more emotionally complex)script won the Writer's Guild of America Award (where it was pitted against all episodic television shows submitted for that year).

While City IS a classic and a great episode of Trek, you owe it to yourself to read Ellison's original script which has been published as a trade paperback with introductions by original series writer David Gerrold, story editor/writer D. C. Fontana, Next Gen writer Melissa Snodgrass, actors Nimoy and Walter Koenig. It's a great piece of writing and it's a pity that it has never been produced. Errand, on the other hand, is fairly close to Coon's original conception (although Roddenberry may have had a hand in rewriting it).

My Favorite "Original" Episode But....
The City On The Edge Of Forever is the best series episode despite the rewrites that nearly ruined it. Real Drama in Science Fiction....what a concept! Very few atttempts at TV Science Fiction have come close to this one episode.

But I digress....where does Paramount get off packaging this series in 40 separate sets? There are now two other ST series available in a much more convenient package (season sets).

If ST:TOS would be packaged this way I'd grab the first two seasons in a heartbeat....the third season should be burned!

Just My Opinion.... Live Long And Prosper! ... Read more

Description

"Return to Tomorrow," Ep. 51 - Kirk, Spock, and Dr. Ann Marshall allow noncorporeal beings to inhabit their bodies so that these aliens can prepare androids for themselves. But one entity secretly plans to remain in Spock's body. "Patterns of Force," Ep. 52 - On a routine check of planet Ekos, nuclear missles are fired at the U.S.S. Enterprise. Kirk and Spock investigate and find the planet is controlled by latter-day Nazis. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Second season slump
Return to Tomorrow-In this offbeat episode, aliens change venue from giant spheres to crewmember bodies. Most of this episode lacks the action feel of many of its neighbors; it has an operatic, schmaltzy feel more akin to Metamorphosis or several 3rd season shows. Yet, I actually feel the episode takes a turn for the worse when the plot takes several predictably threatening turns. The action and drama are turned up, but at the expense of some of the episode's uniqueness; it becomes just another Enterprise in danger episode. It might not have been so bad to have the occasional feel-good show in which an interaction with aliens was synergistic from the get go.

Tidbit: This episode must beat out Spectre of the Gun for the 'longest teaser' award. Doohan, as was so often the case, played the voice of Sargon here. Muldaur would reappear in the superior Is There in Truth No Beauty?, as well as on The Next Generation. (3 stars)

Patterns of Force: The Nazi episode has to rank near the bottom of Trek offerings, if only because it is in such poor taste. What were they thinking? I'm tempted to give the episode at least some support for the fact that it has plenty of action, but after being reminded by other reviewers just have off-base Kirk's speech was (the one that seems to equate the Nazis with other holders of absolute power), I can't give the episode any extra props. There could be no better example than this episode of the dangers inherent in drifting too far away from the tenets the show was founded upon. At times it worked, like in A Piece of the Action, but you can almost watch things getting out of hand as the second season progressed. Bread and Circuses flirted with the line; Patterns of Force crossed way over it. (1.5 stars)

(Mostly) Benevolent Body-Snatchers and Goose-Steppers
REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 26: Return to Tomorrow © / Patterns of Force ©

RETURN TO TOMORROW © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: Coping with human frailties; taking risks

Milestone Moment: First appearance of Diana Muldaur on Star Trek, as Ann Mulhall. She would appear in a later episode of the original series ("Is There in Truth no Beauty?"), and spend the second season on NextGen as Dr. Crusher's replacement.

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

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:
The rehashing of the aliens-who-take-human-form-and-start-acting-human-but-cannot-handle-it story (also covered in 'By any Other Name' and 'Requiem for Methuselah') doesn't exactly make this particular outing a paragon of originality. Fortunately, Shatner's exaggerated gestures and pantomimes during the scene where Sargon's consciousness takes over Kirk's body helps lighten things up quite a bit. I also loved the piping up of the Star Trek love theme when Kirk grabs his first glance at Ms. Mulhall. Man, the guy just ain't got no self-control at all, does he! It's like he's the Bill Clinton of Starfleet- well, except he has far better taste in women!

Oh, and let's not forget his "risk is our business" spiel, which I consider to be THE most overdone bit of heavy-handed monologue in the whole series! Talk about driving your point home with a sledgehammer...

PATTERNS OF FORCE © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: Cultural contamination; the horrific result of a cause gone wrong; the folly of hatred

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:

All right my fellow Trekkies, let's go down our list:
A planet of 1930s-era mobsters (A Piece of the Action)- check. A planet populated by an American Indian tribe ('The Paradise Syndrome')- check. A world where Kirk and crew are forced to live-and perhaps die- in a western ('Spectre of the Gun')- check. A world where the Roman Empire survived and continued conquering all the way to the 20th century ('Bread and Circuses')- check.

All right, looks like all of Earth's most significant historical periods have been exploited to their fullest extent by our gallant Enterprise stalwarts, and- what's that, you say? Nazi Germany? Well, um... wouldn't that be kind of touchy? Oh, we're NOT gonna go with the parallel-planet evolution/history theory gimmick to explain this one? Well, that's new, but how- oh, some ET-studying professor's gonna ignore the Prime Directive (can't blame Jimmers on THIS one!), and come up with the bright idea to unite and guide an alien society using a form of government that led to earth's most horrific conflict? Wow, what a GREAT idea! Why didn't I think of that? Fortunately (or in this instance not-as-unfortunately), Jimmers and everbody's fave 'pointed-eared hobgoblin' manage to keep things from gettin' worse, as well as teach the TV audience a lesson in what results when you mess with another culture. Go team!

My favorite moments in this particular eppie are the ones where Kirk and Spock are disguised in their Nazi military uniforms. Every time I see them in their fascist garb, flashes of the bumbling Colonel Klink and his incompetent sidekick Sgt. Schultz from 'Hogan's Heroes' run through my mind! They just look so goofy in their getups, it's almost laughable (Kirk and Spock, that is). Adding to the hilarity, albeit unintentionally, is the ironic fact that William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy are Jewish!

'Late

TWO MORE EXCELLENT SECOND SEASON EPISODES!!!
Volume 26 of the Star Trek DVD collection contains two more excellent episodes from the second season. Both the episodes here are very well written and are classics!

RETURN TO TOMORROW has some wonderful acting performances by the cast which tends to overshadow the story. Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Dr.Ann Mulhall (played by Diana Muldaur) discover a lost race of beings on a distant planet. The only surivivors left of this race are Sargon, his wife and Henoch (an old enemy of Sargon's). The aliens ask for the use of Kirk, Spock, and Mulhall's bodies to construct robot structures for themsleves to live in. In return the beings will give the Enterprise crew all the advanced knowledge they possess. Things work at first but Henoch decides he likes Spock's body and turns against Sargon in order to keep the vulcan's body. Now it's up to Kirk and Sargon to try and get Spock back into his own body! RETURN TO TOMORROW has some memorable performances particularily by Diana Muldaur whose character was excellent and I thought she should have been a regular on the show. With all do respect to Nichelle Nichols and Majel Baret but I don't know if they could have pulled this performance off. This episode really brought out the fact that Star Trek lacked a strong female role indeed, and perhaps Dr. Ann Mulhall was the character the series needed. Unfortunetly her character was never used again and Muldaur only returned in the third season as a different character. RETURN TO TOMORROW is a very good Star Trek episode and it's priceless to see Kirk's bonding with Sargon because we get to see Wiliam Shatner overreacting at his best.

PATTERNS OF FORCE is one of my favourite Star Trek episodes and I am amazed at how many reviewers have lamb-basted this episode. I always thought this episode was one of Star Trek's finest. It dealt with a real life Nazis and the fear of a Holocaust. It was well written and well acted and in my opinion it may be on of the best Star Trek episodes ever. The Enterprise crew arrives at Ekos where Federation cultural observer John Gill was working to find a planet run by a Nazi government and John Gill being The Furor. The Zeon people, from a neigbouring planet of the same name, are considered to be a plague to the Ekosians and the Nazi government will stop at nothing to wiped this race of people off the galaxy. Kirk and Spock beam down to find themselves sneaking around in Nazi uniforms trying to figure out what caused this madness and how to correct it. PATTERNS OF FORCE tackles the holocaust issue head on and that may be the reason why some reviewers were offended by this episode. However PATTERNS OF FORCE is an excellent episode of Star Trek. The hatred that Ekosians have for Zeons is simliar to that of the hatred the Nazis had for Jewish peope. Keep in mind that this was the 1960's and it's amazing that PATTERNS OF FORCE was even excepted passed first script reading, being as offensive as it was (especially to Shatner and Nimoy who are both Jewish and being asked to run around in Gestapo outifits). To this day it remains the only Trek episode banned in Germany but PATTERNS OF FORCE is still one of Star Trek's gutsiest scripts written. This episode's message comes on strong and clear and the story is quite compelling. This makes PATTERNS OF FORCE one of the finest Star Trek episodes ever in my opinion.

Overall Volume 26 is wonderful. Both episodes are some of the best and PATTERNS OF FORCE must definetly be seen. I found that episode fascinating and it brought out the sad truth of how absolute power corrupts even with the best intentions. A few sounds problems in the episode apparently but other than that this one is a keeper! Highly recommended!

Kirk and Spock deal with alien possession and Nazis
"Return to Tomorrow" is one of those delightful Star Trek episodes where the characters have their bodies taken over by aliens, giving the actors a chance to show their skills. On an uncharted planet Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Dr. Ann Mulhall find a trio of entities confined to spheres, representing all that is left of a once great race that destroyed their civilization in a horrible war. The three--Sargon, his wife, Thalassa, and Henoch, a former enemy--want to transfer their minds, temporarily, into the bodies of Kirk, Mulhall and Spock, so they can build android bodies. Promising such great wonders as warp engines the size of walnuts, everyone agrees. But then, of course, Henoch decides he really, really likes Spock's body and wants to keep it. By the way, "Return to Tomorrow" highlights the fact that the original Star Trek really lacked a strong female character. Dr. Mulhall pops up out of nowhere as the requisite female body. This is still the second season and "Plato's Stepchildren" is not until the third season, but why not use Uhura? That would have been interesting. So would having Nurse Chapel be the body and then having Sargon in Spock's body. That would have been even more interesting. But then it is always fun watching Spock play the heavy. Of course, the only realistic scenario would be to use two other males besides the Captain and First Officer, but then what fun would that be for Shatner and Nimoy? "Return to Tomorrow" is one of those episodes where the performances overcome the liabilities of the story.

The Enterprise visits Ekos, another one of those fun planets that is like Earth with a twist in "Patterns of Force." This time around they show up to check on John Gill, a Federation cultural observer, who has been sutdying the progress of the planet's primitive and warlike people. Instead they find a society patterned on Nazi Germany, with people from the neighboring planet of Zeon serving as the scapegoats for the Ekosians. Eventually it becomes clear that Gill introduced Nazism to make it more efficient (the whole trains running on time bit), but, gee, the "bad" side of Nazism seems to have taken hold along with the "good." I always thought this episode was was an implicit attack on academics, who like to get involved in spirited debates on such things but usually lack the power or opportunity to put their theories into practice. You have to remember this was still the Sixties and the Nazis were still the big villains of the day; it would be another decade before they were replaced in Hollywood by psychotic Vietnam vets as the top villains. In the end this episode justifes the Prime Directive, which is not exactly a vote in its favor. But "Patterns of Force" certainly makes a compeloling case for its anti-revisionist argument. Yet there is still that subversive element that those black Gestapo uniforms look pretty good on Kirk and Spock.

A Mixed Bag
Volume 26 of Paramount's complete reissue of Classic Trek contains one of the series' finest stories, coupled with an episode which never should have been made.

Star Trek has touched upon the concept of non-corporeal life before, but in Return to Tomorrow the issue is more fully explored. Sargon's race is a cross between the Talosians and the Organians. Kirk's pep talk in the briefing room has been lampooned in the movie Free Enterprise--but it is actually well acted, well written, and encapsulates everything Star Trek is about. Diana Muldaur, who would later appear during the second season of The Next Generation, makes her first appearance here. The voice of Sargon was supplied by James Doohan, Trek's best all-around vocal talent.

Patterns of Force is a standard action-adventure story which never should have made it past the first script-reading. Setting the story in an alien version of Nazi Germany offered no historical lesson, and only served to rub salt into what was then a rather fresh wound. By using Nazi Germany as the historical example for this story, the writer has managed to trivialize both the Nazi regime and the Holocaust almost as badly as Hogan's Heroes did. In addition, the handing of the historical parallels is fatuous, substituting the phrase "final decision" for "final solution" and "Zeon" for "Zion." (This remains the only Trek episode to be banned in Germany.) One wonders how William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, both of whom are Jewish, felt about the dubious proposition of donning Nazi uniforms and participating in such fluff. Kirk's "lesson" at the end of the episode, to the effect that the problem with the Nazi's was not that they were evil, but rather that "power corrupts," is dead wrong. History has been filled with leaders, from Augustus Caesar to Franklin Roosevelt, who could wield great power, without needing to "play God." The problem with the Nazi's was, indeed, that they WERE evil, motivated by racial hatred, led by a lunatic, and had no redeeming value.

The picture has been restored and looks fine. The sound is mostly fine, except for some deleted foley near the end of Patterns of Force, where a slap across the face and pounding on a door are curiously silent. But, as I have indicated, it's best to skip this episode anyway. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

One of the best Trek DVDs
Miri-One of the most disturbing of the 1st season shows, Miri concerns a fatal fungus-like disease that strikes only adults. The early parts of the episode wield a claustrophobic suspense more akin to a sci-fi/horror movie. The kids are quite chilling as well in the extent to which they have gone wild, and in their capacity for denial in the face of trauma. Kim Darby's performance also boosts the show, injecting an element of hope and a bridge between the 'young' and the 'old.' The taboo subject of adolescent female sexuality is handled gracefully and respectfully. The solution found to the illness is a bit anti climactic, but Star Trek certainly saw worse. At least here McCoy is allowed to shine; by the 3rd season all to often only Kirk, and Kirk alone, was allowed to be hero. (4 stars)

The Conscience of the King-This Shakespearean episode, in which a father and daughter lead an acting troupe being transported by the Enterprise, is one of the most underrated. The episode has a very distinctive feel, from the opening shot of the bloody knife to the medieval-sounding musical score. The parallels between Macbeth (and other Bard works) and the episode are also quite intriguing. Themes explored in this thoughtful show include 1) the impossibility of escaping the past, and 2) the strength (for better or worse) of familial bonds. Add to this the fact that the episode is a murder mystery with three plot twists (one of them is admittedly revealed far too soon), and you have a winner. (4.5 stars)

Two Atypical Star Trek Episodes That Drove the Censors Crazy
This volume of Star Trek on DVD contains two rather unusual episodes. "Miri" starts out with a weak plot point, the crew of the Enterprise stumbles upon a duplicate earth (with no clouds!) and beams down. There is no explanation of how this "other" Earth came to be--no ion storms or parallel universes here. Our heroes beam down and find the planet devoid of all human life except impossibly old children. No more spoilers here, except that we hear several cast members say the forbidden word "puberty."

"Conscience of the King," directed by Sean Penn's father, Gerd Oswald, is an unusual episode in many respects: scoring, sets, and general mood. The only plot points I will give away are that Kirk faces a ghost from his past, and picks up a real looney chick who likes to talk about his "surging and throbbing" starship.

But seriously, even though the network censors were thankfully snoozing when these episodes were screened, these are well crafted stories featuring some fine acting from the consistently underrated William Shatner.

Oh the humanity...
As wretched as these two are, it's worth owning Miri just to witness a 20-something Michael J.Pollard passing as a pre-teen and hearing Shatner emote "NO BLAH-BLAH-BLAH!"

The last two episodes featuring Janice Rand.
Star Trek: The Original Series Volume 6 features two episodes originally aired in 1966:

"Miri:" Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Rand beam down to a planet inhabited by 300 year-old 'children' wherein they are infected by a maddening disease that is fatal to adults. This segment attempts to be a haunting take on the Peter Pan fable about children who never grow old, but fails to sustain interest (one's mind keeps wandering); there's also too many melodramatic scenes that simpy don't work. On the plus side Yeoman Janice Rand figures prominently; her horror at the disease' progress on her body, and hence the deterioration of her beauty, is an excellent analogy of the universal human struggle with the accursed reality of aging and death. Anyway, the episode provides adequate proof that kids and Star Trek don't mix (so why did they end up featuring Wesley Crusher so prominently in Star Trek: The Next Generation two decades later?) (Of course he only lasted four seasons as Trek fans universally despised him -- including me). GRADE: D-

"The Conscience of the King:" Kirk becomes convinced that the leader of a Shakespearean troupe, Anton Karidian, which the Enterprise is transporting, is a notorious political figure responsible for a massacre twenty years earlier. This episode sadly marks the seventh and final appearance of Yeoman Janice Rand played by Grace Lee Whitney. Unfortunately her appearance here is merely a cameo. Apparently the network felt the presence of Rand would hinder Kirk's succession of romantic interests (an argument that really holds no water). Over the years Gene Roddenberry has stated many times that he should have kept Grace as part of the cast. She would return to Trek twelve years later in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Arnold Moss, who plays Karidian, gives an outstanding performance portraying Karidian when he painfully exclaims, "I no longer treasure life, not even my own... I AM TIRED...!!" Powerful! Bottom Line: An original, mature and well-written drama, not to mention heartbreaking -- kids won't like it. GRADE B+

Some fine acting in these shows.
William Shatner was able to put his stage training to very effective useage in Conscience of the King, one of Trek's best shows from the first season. It;s a tale of love, Revenge, and Tragic story elements all coming from the plays of William Shakesphere, and starting the tradition which continues to this day of Star Trek using actors with extensive stage and theater training to appear on both the Trek shows and the movies. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This second volume of episodes on DVD from the original Star Trekincludes the popular and sexy "Mudd's Women," which introduces the characterof interstellar huckster and fugitive Harry Mudd (Roger C. Carmel, later to return in another classic episode, "I, Mudd"). The Enterprise beamsaboard Harry andthree beautiful and scantily clad women whom the con man is carrying as cargo.The transport damages the starship, forcing Captain Kirk (William Shatner) to take a detour to a mining world for a supply of dilithium crystals. Harryuses the women as bait to get the miners to help him flee from theauthorities--but a revelation about his liberal use of anattraction-enhancement drug adds a twist to things. This clever and novelinstallment in the series grafted the unlikely element of a petty, colorful crook onto a science fiction show, an obvious forerunner of Deep SpaceNine's inclusion of Quark among its own major characters.

Also in this volume is another outstanding episode, "The Enemy Within."Written by renowned novelist-screenwriter Richard Matheson (The IncredibleShrinking Man), the story proposes a transporter malfunction that resultsin Captain Kirk being divided into two versions of himself, one aggressiveand brutal, the other sensitive and good. Essentially, the personality mixthat makes Kirk an effective leader and balanced man is scattered like somany marbles, and the result is one captain running around mauling women andwreaking havoc while the other is frightened and indecisive. The production is very effectively done, and Shatner's performance is among his mostinteresting. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Get this one for Shatner
Those who claim Shatner can't act should be shown "The Enemy Within," an episode that shows that, yes, Shatner can act. The premise is simple enough--Kirk is split into two halves, one that is the "good" side of humanity and the other the "evil" half of humanity. Over the course of the hour, Kirk learns he needs both halves not only to command but to be human. It's a powerful and moving episode and it certainly features Shatner at his finest as he brings both half of Kirk to life. This is one of the finest explorations of Kirk's character in the entire original series and this episode proves again and again why the original series is so loved and has endured for so long.

As for "Mudd's Women," this was one of the three scripts for the second pilot that Roddenberry wanted to do. Thankfully, he went with "Where No Man Has Gone Before," and the rest is history. Not that "Mudd's Women" is bad, mind you. It's a standard Trek story that features some nice moments with Kirk. It also deals with how far humans will go to find acceptance and love and certainly has some rather interesting, thought provoking themes. But, overall, it's not one of the stronger early entries the series had.

One Harry Mudd, Two Captain Kirks and Three Beautiful Women
Star Trek starts to find its footing in this pair of early first season episodes collected on Volume 2 of the DVD series. Of course I like the beautiful women in "Mudd's Women," it is Harcourt Fenton Mudd I could never stand. Certainly, the episode is one of those thinly veiled allegories where Star Trek spoke to contemporary concerns, in this case the reliance of women on artificial aids, such as the "Venus Drug," to enhance their beauty. I really think that the entire plotlines would not only function okay but even better without the abrasive Harry Mudd. I also like the brief glimpse at what it is like for people trying to make a life on some barren rock out in the middle of nowhere. "Mudd's Women" is one of the rare Star Trek episodes that gives us a glimpse at life on the final frontier. On balance, this is an average episode. Get rid of Mudd and it would be above average.

"The Enemy Within" proved early on that William Shatner could certainly act when the spirit moved him; maybe the key factor was not playing Captain Kirk, per se. When Kirk beams back from Alpha 177 a transporter malfunction splits him into two halves: one good, the other evil. When Spock and the others catch on that there are two Kirks they are forced to leave Sulu and the rest of the landing party stranded on the freezing planet. Meanwhile, Yeoman Rand finally has a close encounter with the Captain, which turns out to be not all that enjoyable. Yes, it makes absolutely no sense for the transporter to split Kirk's personality in half like this, but that is why they call it science fiction (besides, the transporter was just a cheaper way of showing the crew getting to planets than doing special effects with shuttle crafts). Plus we get the philosophical discourse on how Kirk needs his "evil" side to be a good starship captain. "The Enemy Within" is an above average episode.

Three babes and a psychological study.
Star Trek: The Original Series Volume 2 presents two episodes aired in 1966:

"Mudd's Women:" In this segment we are introduced to the galaxy's most likeable adversary, Harry Mudd. Mudd brings aboard the Enterprise his "cargo" -- three beautiful women. There's a surprising drug angle to the story regarding the illegal Venus drug which supposedly enhances the beauty of Mudd's gals (uh, I don't think the need any help -- especially Ruth and Magda). It's interesting to note that this story was one of the three candidates for the (second) pilot; the two others being "The Omega Glory" and the accepted "Where No Man Has Gone Before." Good choice because otherwise Star Trek wouldn't exist. Anyway, the episode starts to drag a bit in the third act, but other than that it's a fun, enjoyable outing. GRADE: B

"The Enemy Within:" Kirk gets split into two separate versions of himself a la "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Watch out for the dark Kirk's bestial expression at the end of the teaser -- it's great! Note the top two items on the dark Kirk's 'things-to-do' list: 1.) Get some booze off of Dr. McCoy and 2.) Go after sexy Yeoman Janice Rand in her red miniskirt. It is revealed that Kirk's command abilities and decisiveness stem from his carnal side, not his spiritual side. Spock theorizes that the 'evil' side of the human psyche, properly controlled and disciplined, is vital to our strength. Thus with Kirk's negative side removed from him, the power of command starts to elude him. (Though McCoy rightly points out later that a human being's essential courage stems from his/her 'good' side). Bottom Line: A brilliant and captivating psychological exploration; fails to achieve "A+" status only because it starts to plod a bit in the second half. GRADE: A

Still fine-tuning the show
Mudd's Women-This episode, in which we meet Mudd and his three sirens, has never really worked for me. For one thing, it moves like molasses. The 'inquest' scene, for example, in which the women seduce the crew, in addition to being ineffective is at least twice as long as it need have been. Other evidence of low production values at this point in the show include the cheesy music and use of the (grossly) soft lens in the scenes with Mudd's Women. Other problems include the hopeless moralizing and cornball twist at the close of the episode. While it's true that later shows could be too cold, it's also true that first season episodes were often smarmily warm and cloyingly sincere.

The episode is not without it's pluses. It does explore some of the contradictions surrounding perceptions of beauty and the objectification of women, and I suppose makes a statement about drug use. They also did a nice job making the women look ugly (although in my opinion--probably by design--they weren't too eautiful to begin with). (2 stars)

The Enemy Within-With this episode, in which a transporter malfunction creates two wildly different Kirk's, the show begins to hit its stride. Like many first season shows, this one is sharply focused on dynamics of human personality and interaction. We are shown subtle aspects of both the two Kirks, and the thought process of the rest of the crew as the relate to the new Kirk's. Such attention to internal details, for better or worse, really fell off in the 2nd and 3rd seasons as the show become more extroverted. As others have noted, Shatner turns in a nice performance here, although that absurd make-up they put on the male crew members for the early shows is kind of distracting in the close-ups. One other nice thing about this episode is that its central theme, concerning our dual nature, is not presented in an overly simplisitic way; by this I mean that even each of the two sides of Kirk are somewhat nuanced, and the description of how the two parts need to be together not overly cliché. Nevertheless, the show like many early ones, is way too talky. While the show was beginning to hit it's stride, it wasn't there yet; this episode does drag, and feels somewhat clunky despite a fair amount of action (3 stars)

2 great Kirk episodes
Mudd's Women...Kirk beams up Harry Mudd & 3 ultra-sexy women who no man can seem to resist. But are they really that beautiful? Watch & find out.

The Enemy Within...Kirk is duplicated in a transporter accident. See Shatner portray Kirk's "evil side" with absolute brilliance. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Spock and Kirk take their turns facing severe trials
On Volume 7 of the Star Trek DVD series, Spock and Kirk under go severe tests. Spock learns about the burdens of leadership in "The Galileo Seven," when the Enterprise's First Officer is in command of a shuttle mission gone awry. The Galileo is investigating a space anomaly when it loses sensors and crashes on an unknown planet with Spock, McCoy, Scott and four crew members (totaling seven). Meanwhile, the Enterprise has to delivery emergency medical supplies to Markus Three and cannot spend much time looking for the missing shuttle. Back on the planet, Spock discovers the place is inhabited by savage giants who are no more impressed with Vulcan logic than the damaged shuttlecraft. The best parts of this episode have to do with the confrontations between Spock and McCoy, who do not have Kirk acting as a buffer this time around. "The Galileo Seven," one of the better first season episodes of Star Trek, also pretty much proves once and for all which of the pair of senior officers is the most stubborn.

"Court-Martial" finds Captain Kirk on trial for having caused the death of one of his officers, Lt. Commander Benjamin Finney. During an ion storm Kirk had sent Finney into a pod to take measurements. Kirk insists he sounded red alert before jettisoning the pod, but the computer records show the exact opposite. Refusing to accept a ground assignment, Kirk is court-martialed at Starbase 11. During the trial things go from bad to worst, but as all the evidence piles up against the Captain, Spock discovers that he can beat the ship's computer at chess. Certainly people try to fake all sorts of things using computers..., but I find it hard to believe that it would be easier to get away with it in the Star Trek universe. "Court-Martial" is another one of those early episodes from the series where it turns out Kirk has had a long relationship with one of the guest star crewmembers for which we are given insufficient back-story. Like the other episode on this DVD, the best scenes in this one are the exchanges between Spock and McCoy. But the court proceedings are nothing special.

VOLUME 7 IS MEDIOCRE AT BEST!!!
Volume 7 is truly one of the lesser DVD's in The Star Trek Original Series collection. Not that it's bad but it contains some of the standard (and somewhat boring) episodes. Both however are watchable and if you love the original series like me it is a must.

The first episode is titled THE GALILEO SEVEN. The episode finds Kirk under pressure by the Federation to deliver supplies to the plague-ridden Hansen's planet however Spock and six other crew members (including Scotty and McCoy) are sent to inspect a galactic phenomena but are pulled off course and crash land on Taurus II which is inhabited by giant hostile humanoids. As Scotty tries to repair the shuttle Galileo two crew members are killed by the Humanoids. Meanwhile Kirk is being pressured by High Commissioner Ferris to deliver his supplies and abandon Spock and the others. The episode is watchable and entertaining it also devlopes Spock's character quite a bit. Especially his logic against emotion situation.

The other episode is COURT MARTIAL is a court room drama that was done less than an episode later and better in the two part MENAGRIE episode. However it's still worth a watch as Kirk is accused of sacrificing a crewman unnecessarily during an ion storm. The episode has some bizarre twists and turns that make the plot quite interesting. However COURT MARTIAL pales in comparison to the other Trek court room episode THE MENAGRIE. Still it is worth watching though.

Overall volume 7 is a standard Star Trek collection but it is not essential. It is worth a peek though. So if you manage to get you hands on this one get it. Recommended.

Below average, by season one's standards
The Galileo Seven-This episode, in which a shuttlecraft is forced to land on a planet with giant bear/ape-like creatures, was an average offering by first season standards. The episode has sufficient action, and explores the circumstances under which even otherwise well-behaved crews may be led to (?) mutiny. As others have noted, this episode, one of the few in which Kirk has a secondary role, was seminal to Spock's development. Unfortunately, the logic vs. emotion arguments are overdone, to the extent that they-and the participants-become somewhat tedious. The creatures also looked pretty silly, but as I've said before I try not to hold Star Trek to a high standard when it comes to such things; the effects weren't bad enough to totally compromise the 'primal fear' element so central to this (and few other) episodes. (3 stars)

Court Martial-This courtroom whodunit, featuring Kirk in the hot seat, is a slightly below average episode. As in virtually every courtroom drama ever put to screen, the trial scenes drag. But this whole episode, quite frankly, is dull. Shatner definitely gets up for his "request it?..I demand it!" line, but somehow this episode just feels flat, despite the strong performance by Elisha Cook Jr. as an eccentric lawyer. It doesn't help that the finale's bombshell, pulled somewhat out of left field, just isn't explosive. Themes explored here, including the importance of 1) presumption of innocence, and 2) recognizing the fallibility of machines, would be better explored in other episodes. (2.5 stars)

"Books young man, books!"
Despite what is a goofy, techno-babble ending for "The Court Martial", this episode is one of my favorites for that most wonderful of Star Trek quotes, applicable in 1966 and applicable even moreso in 2003:

(Elisha Cook Jr speaking to Shatner, refering to a computer terminal's sterility over the stacks of books apparent in the scene)

"Books, young man, books. Thousands of them. If time wasn't so important, I'd show you something-- my library. Thousands of books. ... This is where the law is, not in that homogenized, pasteurized, synthesized--Do you want to know the law,
the ancient concepts in their own language, Learn the intent of the men who wrote them, from Moses to the tribunal of Alpha 3?
Books."

By golly if this line isn't worth every deus ex machina and boring, ignorant techno-babble, I do not know what is. It is one of the great lines ever made by Hollywood. More than that, it inspired "My own library. Books. Thousands of them!" And I can't think of a greater gift from Star Trek to my life.

Shuttles & Tribulations
"The Galileo Seven" A band of Kirk's crew is stranded on a planet. How will they get back before the Enterprise is forced to leave?

"Court Martial" Kirk is put on trial for entering a false log entry involving a crewman's death. Riveting! ... Read more

Description

"The Changeling," Ep. 37 - Nomad, a deadly robotic space probe, is on target for Earth. Can Captain Kirk outsmart the killer computer? "The Apple," Ep. 38 - Vaal, protector of Gamma Trianguli VI, tries everything is its power to destroy Kirk and the U.S.S. Enterprise during an ill-fated visit to the strange planet. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Not the best Original Series episodes but stil enjoyable.
At this point, in the TOS run, the number of truly great episodes is starting to dwindle a bit and being replaced more and more by episodes that have good intentions but they aren't always realized on screen. Case in point is "The Apple" (or as I call it--"Spock's Really Bad Day") which is once again an examination of the theme that humanity wasn't intended for a paradise we don't work to achieve and the classic Trek theme of Kirk vs. Computers. Yes, this one has some great moments--Kirk firing Scotty, Spock getting repeatedly abused by plant spores/darts and lightning and Kirk using the Enterprise's phasers to destroy Baal. It's campy at times, but it's still always entertaining (a claim that certain modern Treks can't always claims--namely Voyager).

The other episode on this disc is The Changeling which is an interesting storyline. It's one of about three or four episodes that influenced the storyline of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. It's got nice performances and it works fairly well as a ship in the bottle type of story (done to save money as Trek was an expensive show). However, compared to other ship in the bottle classics such as the Doomsday Machine it falls a bit short.

Classic Trek
These two episodes are great summaries of the original series. "The Changeling" is an inexpensive ship-bound script, with a standard defeating-computers-through-logic riff. It still stands better in its own way than the first motion picture, which used the same theme. Ironically, it stands as an example of what happens when one lets personal criteria determine whether or not an encountered culture should survive -- something Star Fleet's Prime Directive is supposed to prevent, and which is no more clearly violated than in the other episode, "The Apple," where Kirk decides that having a computer make you contented nature children is somehow "unnatural" and therefore has to be ended. This episode is noteworthy both for the number of "red shirts" killed (they have to beam down in two groups there will be so many), and for having a female crewman actually do some hand-to-hand fighting. Good entertainment to be had by all.

These two don't quite measure up to their neighbors
The Changeling-This episode, which features a confused and destructive floating robot, is an unspectacular offering. Like several episodes, it ably enough explores the unfortunate fact that technology is fallible, and that even with the best intentions, things can and do go wrong. This ship-based episode is less exciting than some of its neighbors, although there are a few dramatic scenes. On the negative side, the idea that Uhura could be rapidly re-programmed would be laughable if it wasn't so insulting to her. Also tedious is Kirk's outwitting of Nomad. (3 stars)

The Apple-This episode, in which the crew beams down to a 'pre-fall' planet where the lizard-god still controls his followers, is an unpleasant surprise. Star Trek was in the middle of a strong rhythm that was broken by this silly episode. I suppose the basic biblical premise is OK, but it doesn't go anywhere. The planet is just a vehicle for red-shirt carnage, and none of the guest actors are convincing in their admittedly silly roles. I suppose the question of whether these people will be better off after their paradise is lost is an interesting one, but unlike in Who Mourns for Adonais?, the question is not taken up here. Basically just a half-hearted, 3rd season-like show, but without the trippy style many of the later shows at least contributed. (1.5 stars)

Before V'Ger, there was... NOMAD!
REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 19: The Changeling © / The Apple ©

THE CHANGELING © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: Man vs. Machine / Inperfection

Historical Milestone: The first temporary death of a core character (Scotty™); Spock™'s first mind-meld with a machine life-form

Notable Gaffe/Special Defect: In a few of the long shots of Nomad™, you can just make out the line that keeps him 'suspended' in mid-air.

Expendable Enterprise™ Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: Four dead

REVIEW/COMMENTARY: Out of all the Kirk™-outwitting-the-computer-by-talking-it-to-death episodes, this one is likely the most notable. It also was something of an inspiration to Star Trek: The Motion Picture (and you thought ST:TMP was uninspired!) with the whole The-Enterprise™-crew-must-stop-a-senitent-machine-trying-to-return-to-the-planet-of-its-creators-AKA-Earth-and-eliminate-all-imperfect-lifeforms scenario. Fortunately, unlike its big-screen clone, The Changeling™ isn't chock-full of overlong special effects sequences, nor does it lack primary colors. Bottom line: if you're thinkin' of taking a look at ST:TMP, just watch this eppie instead. You'll thank me for it some day...

Aside from this show's parallels to the Trek crew's first big-screen adventure, The Changeling™ features one of my all-time fave Trek moments: Nomad erases the mind of Uhura after taking a listen to her infernal caterwauling some tin-eared folks would call 'singing'. Now if that ain't a blessing in disguise, I don't know what is! Oh yes, don't forget to check out Uhura's re-education sessions with Nurse Chapel; you'll see what likely inspired the creators of Hooked on Phonics™!

THE APPLE © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: Cultural Stagnation / Self-Reliance

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: Four dead

REVIEW/COMMENTARY: Continuing this volume's Man-vs-Machine theme, once again Kirk™ & Co.
Take a few liberties with the Prime Directive to put a stagnant society of innocent beings back on track towards 'normal' development by destroying a machine that controls them, much like what was done in Return of the Archons™. Throw in a few deadly dart-shooting flowers, land-mine rocks and vaporizing lightning bolts, and you've got a few great ways to off a few red-shirts! And for a twist, let's add Spock surviving a dart-flower attack as a way of showing off the toughness of his amazing half-Vulcan biology! You gotta do that at least twice a season, y'know...

My fave moment in this eppie is at the end, where Kirk alludes to Spock's appearance looking similar to that of Satan. This moment was Roddenberry & Company's little poke at some of NBC's execs statements that Spock looked a bit too satanic for network TV after viewing the series' first pilot. Fortunately, Roddenberry fought to keep the character in the show, and the rest as they say is history...

'Late

STANDARD STAR TREK STORIES!!!
Volume 19 of The Star Trek DVD series contains to standard episodes of the second season. Although neither of the episodes are bad they are definetly far from ground breaking! It's logical to assume that this would not be the first DVD a Star Trek fan would get from this series but if you are a die hard fan then you may as well purchase this (unless you can get a DVD with more than 2 episodes).

The first episode here is THE CHANGELING. The Enterprise runs across the ancient Nomad probe which has gone from galaxy to galaxy destroying biological inperfections. The somewhat damaged probe believes that Kirk is his creator and obeys Kirks commands. However the probe continues to follow out it's function and begins to destroy all biological inperfections on the Enterprise aka innocent crew men! The episode is well written but the Nomad probe looks really cheesy and Kirk arguing with it is even more ridiculous. Still this episode is quite watchable.
(Note: Vic Perrin does the voice of Nomad he also did the voice of Dr. Zin in Jonny Quest and appeared in various Sci-Fi Adventure shows)

THE APPLE is one of those Star Trek episodes where the crew finds a paradise and later finds out it's a living hell. When they arrive on this beautiful planet, 3 crew men are killed, Spock is constantly abused by the planet's plant life and lightning bolts from the sky and the idol worshipping natives with bad wigs and sun burned skin are too ignorant to help the crew. If thats not bad enough the Enterprise is being held by the idol Vaal (that is actually a machine controlling the natives) in a force field. Now don't get me wrong this is a good episode but this is typical Trek. This plot has been done a hundred times better in other Star Trek episodes but this is still decent. This was also the first Star Trek episode I ever saw : )

Overall a decent collection of episodes but nothing very special here. Both shows are good and watchable but I recommend venturing into a different Star Trek collection before buying this one. Recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Two terrific Star Trek episodes
Tomorrow is Yesterday is the first Star Trek episode focusing on time travel and all the paradoxes that entails. (The Naked Time had a brief time travel sequence, but it was not integral to the plot.) Guest star Roger Perry is perfectly cast as John Christopher--a 1969 fish out of water brought onboard the Enterprise. (In many ways, he is a 20th Century version of James T. Kirk) One prophetic moment is when Uhura tunes into a radio news summary which reports on the first manned moon shot "scheduled for next Wednesday." The first moon launch did indeed take place on a Wednesday! The use of stock footage in this episode is very clever and it is well integrated. The effects shots of the Enterprise could have been better, but for 1960s television they hold up fairly well.

The Return of the Archons bears the stamp of Gene Roddenberry. Many of Roddenberry's best stories focused on mind control and thinly disguised theocratic societies. In this case, "God" is a computer (as in the later episode, The Apple) and Kirk "kills" God with a dose of overpowering logic. Both the original series and the Next Generation dealt with this issue, but this was the first and most successfull attempt.

Paramount has once again done a fine job of remastering both sound and picture. Even the stock footage of Air Force jets from the 1960s story line has been cleaned up.

Two solid episodes
Tomorrow is Yesterday-The first of the contemporary earth episodes is a solid offering about a USAF pilot who ends up aboard the Enterprise. One might be forgiven for not realizing they were watching Star Trek here; the Enterprise doesn't show up until the end of this unusual teaser. This episode explores the trappings of time travel, with every effort the crew makes at not altering the future invariably leading to more modification of the future. If the questions of logic posed by the above aren't taken to seriously (they shouldn't be, in my opinion) this episode is watchable enough. The strongest aspects of this show are the humor behind the cultural (temporal?) differences and a fallible Kirk. In truth though, not that much happens here, and the contemporary Earth idea isn't too interesting 36 years later after the fact. (3 stars)

The Return of the Archons-This creepy if hokey episode concerns cloaked figures and a zombie-like populace. This show isn't particularly thoughtful for a first season episode, and the ending in particular is very unoriginal and disconnected from the rest of the show. The first half of the episode certainly packs enough mystery though, with the creepy creatures and music, as well as the Jeckyl-Hyde aspect of the population. Sulu also has one of his larger roles here. (3 stars)

One Of My Favorites
Tomorrow Is Yesterday is one of the best time-travel episodes in all of Trek. It follows all the warnings and some of the potential benfits any time travel story has to reckonize. Too bad they didn't make it the second half of a two-parter along with The Naked Now. I have to give credit where it's due. Leonard Nimoy made this point back on the Sci-Fi Channels Star Trek: Special Edition (back in '99 I think). Anyway, I never forgot the connection of two great stories.

Maybe Return Of The Archons isn't near the top of anybody else's list but I think it's underrated. The story takes on a great number of ideas, from "arrested society" to "technological domination". Despite its flaws it tells a good story. My favorite gaff is the feeling of discontinuity, or was it bad editing?

I always saw this episode as a 'Spock like computer' forcing its' logic on the 'emotional inhabitants' who probably would have destroyed themselves otherwise. This to me explains the 6:00 pm mayhem of the people and shows one of the flaws in machines ruling mankind (machines expecting humans to behave like machines). Remember this the next time you find yourself at a drive-thru ATM. Who's the boss?

dvd order
Great! Would buy from this seller again, rec'd order in reasonable time.

Yesterday & Return
"Tomorrow Is Yesterday" The Enterprise is thrown back in time to the 20th century. How will they get back to their own time?

"Return of the Archons" A computer is ruling a planet & forcing the people to behave strangely. How will it be stopped? ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Fantastic DVD release
CHARLIE'S ANGELS gets a wonderful DVD release with perfect picture and two choice episodes.

Farrah Fawcett-Majors, Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson star in two stories from the memorable first season; "Night Of The Strangler" and "To Kill An Angel". The only main qualm is the lack of chapters in the episodes.

Also included is the entertaining "Angels Forever" retrospective featurette which quizzes fans of the show as well as providing footage from the show and details from later cast members including Cheryl Ladd and Tanya Roberts.

Pretty impressive DVD package all-round!

The Angels are back !!!!!!!
This two-part special edition is definitely a collector's item especially for those die-hard "Charlie's Angels" fans.It features Jaclyn Smith, who deserves the recognition as the "most angelic of them all," and two of the best episodes of the series. We're not talking award-winning stuff in this dvd issue but an outstanding entertainment to "visit" the undisputed queens of the 70s television.

The episode "Night of the Strangler" shows why Jaclyn Smith lasted so long in the series. Her looks and style are timeless plus that scene in her famous white bikini is a must to see. Of course, Kate Jackson and Farrah Fawcett are on hand to complete the trio.

For the episode "To Kill An Angel," new fans will be surprise that the show is not just pure bikini's and guns. It showcases also the dramatic sides of the trio.

The cover alone is worth the trip, so buy it now and collect! A must!

Charlie how do you your Angels get down
OMG, please tell me this is the first of many more to come, Having the Angels on DVD is way fun. One mishap though, NO SCENE SELECTION. But it makes up for that with the Angel Featurette and the digitally enhanced audio and video.

CHARLIE,S ANGELS
WONDEFUL lots of added features and Angels Forever is highlights from alot of the shows.This is a must for any Charlie,s Angels fan. Columbia and Tristar have done a GREAT job. Hope they come out with more. Charlie would give them all a week off with pay ,for a job well done.

Contains an Exclusive Featurette! Must Have For Angel Fans
Just finished viewing The DVD and in addition to the Two Classic epiodes mentioned in the description, the DVD also has an Exclusive Featurette Titled "Angels Forever"! This 20 Minute Documentary tells of The Impact that Charlies Angels has had on Various Fans and includes Vintage Scenes from The Series from The Farrah Year until the Tanya Roberts Last Year! The Special Feature Contains Hilarious Montages made of vintage scenes from the series! It made me realise why I loved Charlies Angels so much as a Kid and Love it even more now as an adult! The Show was Pure Fun and Escapism an I really missed those days when I would eagerly await every Wed Night for a New Angel Episode and to see what the Angels were Wearing(and in many cases not wearing). Hey for a 13 year old, seeing Farrah Fawcett's Nipples was a Big Deal(probably would not even be talked about today). If your an Angel Fan, you really need this DVD. I hope they release more episodes on DVD! ... Read more

Amazon.com

"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