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