The Star Trek Thread

[B-Man]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RochesterRob]

  This week's review will be of the episode The Alternative Factor airing Wednesday June 15 on WHEC 10.5 Rochester Heroes & Icons.  In short a routine exploration mission gets turned on its ears when a human appears on a planet that previously indicated had no such life.  This same human appears on the surface to have multiple personalities while the planet and the surrounding region exhibit unusual physical phenomena.  Kirk and Spock deduce this is all due to a interuniversal doorway sprung open threatening our galaxy so both variations are in the end trapped in that doorway's corridor sparing our universe devastation.

 

 

  Guest Stars : Robert Browne as Lazarus a human thrust in to our galaxy when an interuniversal door is opened.  The back story here is Drew Barrymore's dad was originally cast for the role and was a no show when shooting was to commence.  I'll give Browne credit for learning his lines on the fly for a character that in terms of dialog was front and center for this episode.  The quality of his work is acceptable and he shows range as he bounces from a calm variation of his character to a very excitable one.  Janet MacLachlan as Lieutenant Masters an assistant in the Engineering Dept.  MacLachlan gets short changed as her role is greatly reduced as NBC fearing a cultural backlash from the Southern US did not want the character involved in any romantic story.   Too bad for the viewer as I thought the sampling we got showed a very intelligent capable woman of color.  Better than what Nichelle NIchols put out in many episodes.  MacLachlan showed up in some 1970's shows such as Wonder Woman where her character is part of an alien council deciding the fate of Earth.

 

 

  Plot : This is an episode where many have had issues with this episode in terms of plot.  I tend to blame the editing as we know a better episode was out there on film but due to edicts some of that material such as a romantic angle for Masters was cut.  The editing made the whole story choppy to the point of being somewhat incoherent.  The insertation of the doorway between universes did not help me at least in terms of my initial view of the episode.  OK, interstellar phenomena with a spinning box did not really get across the idea of a doorway in space.  I have no problem with a "good" Lazarus going all out including using dilithium crystals from the Enterprise to ward off imminent destruction of two universes.  I wish that the unused film was still around to make a "good" version of this episode.  

 

 

  Enterprise Crew.  I thought that this was actually a fairly good episode for Spock as he explains what is unfolding in terms of an interuniversal door so the viewer can better follow the story.  A fair amount of action was thrown Kirk's way which Shatner did rather good with.  McCoy makes his presence felt with his by now stock and trade of bluster.  Rare opportunity for Mr Leslie to pull helm duty.  I should not pick on Eddie Paskey for what he was which was expected.  But even for a guy that was hired because he looked good in a Starfleet uniform he was quite flat with his lines at the climax.  

 

 

  Writing : I thought that the pacing was fairly well and short scenes such as the commodore checking in on the Enterprise smart.  The dialog I thought was fairly evenly distributed.  As I said before the problems lay more with editing and actor issues.

 

 

  Music : The familiar scores really almost mock the scenes that they are used in which is very rare for the series.

 

 

  Special Effect Spotlight : The planet as per usual gets a face lift in the remaster.  I wish more could have been done to spice up Lazarus' ship as it bugged me that it was a little too 1950's flying saucer in appearance.  But I also understand that due to budget the crew for doing the upgrades had to pick and choose due to budget.

 

 

  Summary : I'm not going to pretend that this was a great episode.  I do like the work of the guest stars even if they were chopped off at the knees from a production standpoint.  The story is reasonable but is also kneecapped from the same production issues and not getting the support needed from special effects and music.  A fair episode for our crew in doing their work.  All in all this episode had issues and maybe some here want to chime in with their take on it.  I'll give it a C.

Edited June 12, 2022 by RochesterRob

[B-Man]

 

 

 

Let me get this straight,

 

Lazarus is out there fighting, saving our universe, for the rest of eternity.........

 

and you give him a "C"

 

😎

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                    

 

 

.

[B-Man]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RochesterRob]

  This week's review will be of the episode The Changeling airing Tuesday June 21 on WHEC 10.5 Rochester Heroes & Icons.  In short a mystery device is responsible for the destruction of the Malurian System killing 4 billion lives.  After ceasing its attack on the Enterprise it is transported aboard and found to have an origin that includes Earth.  After determining that its hostile ways will not cease Kirk verbally bombards it with seeming illogic which sends it into overload once beamed into space ending its existence.  

 

 

  Guest Stars : Director Marc Daniels has his imaged used in a photo of the object's creator named Jackson Roykirk.  No speaking lines for Daniels.  Daniels had a long association with Desilu starting with being the primary director on I Love Lucy.  It should be noted that when he was asked to direct on Star Trek he had some apprehension as he felt unfamiliar with science fiction but soon realized that drama is drama regardless of where it takes place.  Vic Perrin does the voice over for the probe in question named Nomad.  Perrin would appear later in the second season as the Halkan leader in the episode Mirror Mirror.  Perrin's golden era was the 1960's with appearances on shows such as The Outer Limits.  

 

 

  Plot : A device the size of two office trash cans stood one on top of the other can generate power sufficient to destroy planets and seriously roll the Enterprise.  Probably the most extreme stretch of the series.  Its new mission after encountering the "other" is to sterilize planets including the life on them.  Sterilizing being a synonym for eliminating said life.  Would a probe have "feelings" in any sense as to sentimentality to its creator?   That's what the stop in attack amounts to once Kirk mentions his name which has a similar phonetic sound to creator Jackson Roykirk.  I don't see a reason based in logic for a reprogrammed probe to cease attack as it should consider its biological creator just as defective as any other biological entity.  Also, vulnerable to any suggestion of failure in operation or mission.  Doubtful that Nomad would have gotten the Daystrom treatment in terms of being made self aware especially from another probe designed to do exploration.   Modify warp engine output without so much as a crescent wrench?   

 

 

  Enterprise Crew :  I did not like the generally hysterical attitude given Scotty here.  Similar problem with McCoy as he seems to be extremely emotionally elevated.  He's not a doctor at Strong Memorial where his concerns are narrowly focused but on a ship of exploration where lots of what it encounters has anything but a human touch.  Uhura singing thus inviting a curious Nomad was interesting though it created a serious memory loss for her.  Spock while present really did not stand out.  Not a noteworthy outing for Shatner.  Bad episode for the red shirts as they seemed completely unable to handle something such as Nomad.  Being ship's security seems to be the result of some sort of intellectual equal opportunity program where if you cannot hack it as a transporter chief or shuttle craft maintenance tech then you go into security where you get outwitted by Khan or Lazarus or whoever the villain of the week is.

 

 

  Writing : Too much time spent in the initial encounter with Nomad.  Nomad seemed far too unfamiliar with humans when it seemed that humanoids are very predominant throughout the Trek galaxy.  But then again its only mission is to be rid of them versus study them.  Overall the script comes off as unprepared even though The Changeling is early in the second season when ideas should be plentiful as producers have a few months to recharge intellectually.

 

 

  Music : Good use of scores including the rush of the now debilitated Nomad to the transporter room. 

 

 

  Special Effects Spotlight : The Enterprise as in other remastered episodes is redone to have more multidemensional aspects versus the 1960's model.  The initial attack on the ship and Nomad's final destruction receive upgrades.  

 

 

  Summary : A lot to digest in terms of plot.  I really was not enamored with the use of the regular characters here.  I have never considered this episode to be a showcase for the series.  I never could understand the heavy borrowing done from this for The Motion Picture.  Somebody help me.......help me!  OK, that was Landru but.........   I give it a D +.

Edited June 19, 2022 by RochesterRob

[CarpetCrawler]

I do have some appreciation for that episode based on the use of logic and illogic by humans to combat an AI type machine.

[RochesterRob]

11 minutes ago, CarpetCrawler said:

I do have some appreciation for that episode based on the use of logic and illogic by humans to combat an AI type machine.

  A recommendation to check out on Youtube the TAS (The Animated Series) inspired Logical Thinking.  Even though done after some of the TOS actors have passed on some of the voices are fairly respectable.  

[CarpetCrawler]

13 hours ago, RochesterRob said:

  A recommendation to check out on Youtube the TAS (The Animated Series) inspired Logical Thinking.  Even though done after some of the TOS actors have passed on some of the voices are fairly respectable.  

Thanks, I will.

[devnull]

Pluto (Free streaming app) has a Star Trek channel 150 running TNG episodes

 

Channel 152 is Stargate channel for some more classic Sci Fi

[B-Man]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RochesterRob]

  This week's review will be of the episode Metamorphosis airing Tuesday June 28 on WHEC 10.5 Rochester Heroes & Icons.  In short our heroes are taken off course in a shuttlecraft to be forced down on a planetoid.  This is later to be discovered the work of a non-corporeal being who is seeking company for a human who is none other than the inventor of warp drive.  The passenger who the Enterprise officers was transporting dies from health complications but whose entity is merged with the previously mentioned being to be a long term solution for the human's loneliness.  

 

 

  Guest Stars : Elinor Donahue as Commissioner Hedford.  I really thought that her portrayal was harsh to the point of being somewhat unbelievable.  Yes, she needs to make a conference to head off an interplanetary conflict but to continue to be nasty in light of the facts is too much.  I guess the thinking was that she was a woman and women under stress are supposed to be borderline hysterical even if the situation is readily comprehensible.  Donahue was known for playing the daughter on Father Knows Best and the first love interest of Sheriff Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show.  On those shows Donahue showed more aptitude than in a drama centered show.  Glenn Corbett as Zepfram Cochrane the inventor of warp drive and currently the inhabitant of the planetoid.  Not a standout but shows range in being generally affable but at the same time somewhat uncomfortable in his living arrangement.  Corbett did a fair amount of 1960's and 1970's television including being a regular on the early 1960's television show Route 66.  Elizabeth Rogers voices the non-corporeal being dubbed the Companion.  Does fairly well given more work than being a background player.   I could feel a level of caring that the Companion expressed towards Cochrane.  Rogers' other ST appearances consist of being Communications Officer Lt Palmer in the highly regarded The Doomsday Machine and also in The Way To Eden.  

 

 

  Plot : Pretty low stakes episode as the Companion was going to allow Kirk, Spock, and McCoy to go on their way at some point.  Taking the shuttlecraft off course was the setup required to get Hedford to a point to confront her purpose in life and her degree of happiness in it.  I'm hardly woke but the point seemed to be that for a woman there was little satisfaction in being a Federation official and she just needed that right man to settle down with.  

 

 

  Enterprise Crew : Not a showcase for Kirk , Spock, or McCoy even though they are pushed front and center into this episode.  They are relegated to be observers for the audience in terms of seeing the loneliness Hedford and Cochrane are undergoing.  The best Star Trek episodes are when at least one of them undergoes a personal connection to the story.  

 

 

  Writing : There just was not enough material there to make the shuttlecraft incident the sole focus of an episode.  Something should have been done for an Enterprise board story to soak up some of the time spent listening to Hedford complain.  

 

 

  Music : Nothing stands out so it really does not prop up the episode.

 

 

  Special Effects Spotlight : The remaster offers some good viewing in terms of the shuttlecraft, planetoid, and rendition of the Companion.  

 

 

  Summary : A small story but perhaps interesting to those who find personal relationships important.  Guest Stars that really do nothing to lift the story.  Not a noteworthy episode in terms of the regular characters.  I give it a C -.  

[RochesterRob]

  This weeks' review will be of the episode The Trouble With Tribbles airing Tuesday July 5 on WHEC 10.5 Rochester Heroes & Icons.  In  short the Enterprise is summoned to Space Station K7 to protect a shipment of grain.  K7 is a frontier type facility which is open to the Klingons and other travelers.  A move is made to damage the grain for humanoid consumption but the offending parties are caught and made to pay due.

 

 

  Guest Stars : William Campbell as Captain Koloth the commander of the Klingon vessel seeking a shore leave for his crew.  Campbell understood his role well as he gives it a light touch that while the Klingons and the Federation have an uneasy peace that K7 is not the place for a confrontation.  He even gives a somewhat sincere offering that his crew will not go out of their way to make trouble (but does not promise to behave to Federation standards).  Stanley Adams as Cyrano Jones a trader who conducts business at K7.  Adams also understands that his character while important is not to overshadow the larger story of the Federation and the Klingons.  He sells the notion that Tribbles are less than a complete menace to the people that buy them and those exposed to them.  The Jones character would be completely unlikable otherwise so we can feel for him at the end that the tribbles wipe out most of the grain shipment.  That he will likely spend into his old age picking up those tribbles.  William Schallert as Nilz Baris the administrator of the Sherman's Planet development project.  Schallert has a good read on his character as he needs to be a prick to function in a world to gain the cooperation of others who might otherwise pooh pooh him such as Kirk.  Schallert played many light roles on early 1960's shows so it was nice to know he could play a hardass.  Whit Bissell as Mr Lurry the head of K7.  Not a lot to do but certainly does not disrupt the flow of the story.  Michael Pataki (any relation to former Gov George?) as Korax a Klingon who throws insults at the Enterprise shore leave party lead by Scotty.  I love that he threw himself into the part including a jab mimicking Scotty's dialect.  He also plays being drunk quite well going by my experiences in bars.   He certainly gets the audience wanting to throw a punch his way in short order.  Charlie Brill as Arne Darvin a planted Klingon agent to be an apparent assistant to Baris.  Does his part but fortunately his role here is overshadowed by the fact he was a comedy/entertainment team with his wife Mitzy McCall.  Definite cool factor here. 

 

 

  Plot : Most plot devices tend to weigh heavy in the story they are used in but the Tribbles fit perfectly in my mind.  Trade of animals is perfectly acceptable here just like it was for the 5,000 plus years humanity has been civilized to the point of conducting trade.  Nothing magical or out of the ordinary for them to just being there.  Probably the most practical application of the Organian Peace Treaty in terms of providing a food source for a developing world.  Also, logical that a competing power in the Klingons would want to derail the Federation's efforts in feeding Sherman's Planet.  The Tribbles as a sort of Klingon geiger counter.  Just an extension of the notion that cats and dogs can often be accurate readers of human personality.  I get along fantastically with cats and dogs.  Just in the last year I won over the heart of a cat my inlaws had that everybody said she was anti-social.  I did go more than half way in the process by realizing she does not have good hearing or eyesight so I always approach her talking so she can get a fix on me.  Klingons and Starfleet personnel in close proximity?  While not normal it is another extension of the Organian Peace Treaty.  When humanity spreads that far into the galaxy it no doubt will be asked to share space with others of whom it has very little understanding of or natural bond to.  

 

 

  Enterprise Crew : Scotty shines here as he is seen in a social situation versus a purely Starfleet duty.  The perfect trifecta in defending his ship's honor, letting his captain know that the ship comes first and captain comes second, and taking his "punishment" being confined to quarters as more of a pleasure.  Good work by James Doohan that Scotty is more than a miracle worker and blind loyalist to Kirk.  Also, excellent work by Shatner in fleshing out Kirk.  Quadratriticale may not be personally important to Kirk but he realizes that it is important to the organization he is sworn to protect.  As with most people in a similar situation it is a slow warmup.  To follow the real world his duty leads him to only care about the Federation's interest and minimally cares about Baris and his role in things.  I enjoyed the mild hurt displayed by Kirk when he is debriefing Scotty as to the bar fight.  Chekov is given something to do other than indicate that shields are up or phasers are locked on target.  He does well to push on Scotty when the Klingon throws insults out about Kirk.  Spock is excellent in support of Kirk but does not headline here.  Not to Nimoy's fault as there is only so much story to spread around.  Uhura has an interest in animals?   Nice to know and I like it when the characters get a little fleshing out.  

 

 

  Writing : David Gerrold according to legend was a college student when he wrote the episode.  He learned a lot and so did we when his experiences were recounted in his book about the production of Star Trek.  As to the episode itself the pacing and dialog were excelllent.  It was good to see an episode that had some stakes to it but in an everyday light.  The war is won with many small victories and gestures versus one giant encounter.  I thought that nearly all the characters were well thought out in terms of motivation.  That their motives were highly believable.

 

 

  Music : Kind of a weird episode in this regard.  Does not disappoint but there were times I was not listening for cues.  The story was strong enough that they if not available were not needed for most of the episode.  Contrast this with episodes such as Obsession and The LIghts of Zetar which I thought was over scored to the point of being somewhat mocking.

  

 

 

  Special Effects Spotlight : I liked the cleaned up perspective in the remaster of the Klingon battlecruiser and the Enterprise as seen from Lurry's office.  K7 looks better than being an ATM model but still does not fully hit the mark for at myself.

 

 

  Summary : I fall on the side of feeling that the Tribbles positively aid the story.  One of the top episodes in terms of guest stars and how they are used.  I like the aspect of giving us a slice of what everyday life is like out in the frontiers of space.  Good depiction of Enterprise characters.  There is more to say but sometimes it is best to give others a chance to voice their opinions.  I give it an A.   

Edited July 3, 2022 by RochesterRob

[B-Man]

6 hours ago, RochesterRob said:

  This weeks' review will be of the episode The Trouble With Tribbles airing Tuesday July 5 on WHEC 10.5 Rochester Heroes & Icons.  In  short the Enterprise is summoned to Space Station K7 to protect a shipment of

 

Great review, great episode.

 

 

[RochesterRob]

  I forgot to mention the Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner in my review.  While panning the audience the camera stops on William Schallert for a few seconds.  I believe that this was an inside joke as Schallert's character Baris mentions that he will have Kirk "roasted" in front of a board of inquiry.

[RochesterRob]

16 hours ago, RochesterRob said:

  This weeks' review will be of the episode The Trouble With Tribbles airing Tuesday July 5 on WHEC 10.5 Rochester Heroes & Icons.  In  short the Enterprise is summoned to Space Station K7 to protect a shipment of grain.  K7 is a frontier type facility which is open to the Klingons and other travelers.  A move is made to damage the grain for humanoid consumption but the offending parties are caught and made to pay due.

 

 

  Guest Stars : William Campbell as Captain Koloth the commander of the Klingon vessel seeking a shore leave for his crew.  Campbell understood his role well as he gives it a light touch that while the Klingons and the Federation have an uneasy peace that K7 is not the place for a confrontation.  He even gives a somewhat sincere offering that his crew will not go out of their way to make trouble (but does not promise to behave to Federation standards).  Stanley Adams as Cyrano Jones a trader who conducts business at K7.  Adams also understands that his character while important is not to overshadow the larger story of the Federation and the Klingons.  He sells the notion that Tribbles are less than a complete menace to the people that buy them and those exposed to them.  The Jones character would be completely unlikable otherwise so we can feel for him at the end that the tribbles wipe out most of the grain shipment.  That he will likely spend into his old age picking up those tribbles.  William Schallert as Nilz Baris the administrator of the Sherman's Planet development project.  Schallert has a good read on his character as he needs to be a prick to function in a world to gain the cooperation of others who might otherwise pooh pooh him such as Kirk.  Schallert played many light roles on early 1960's shows so it was nice to know he could play a hardass.  Whit Bissell as Mr Lurry the head of K7.  Not a lot to do but certainly does not disrupt the flow of the story.  Michael Pataki (any relation to former Gov George?) as Korax a Klingon who throws insults at the Enterprise shore leave party lead by Scotty.  I love that he threw himself into the part including a jab mimicking Scotty's dialect.  He also plays being drunk quite well going by my experiences in bars.   He certainly gets the audience wanting to throw a punch his way in short order.  Charlie Brill as Arne Darvin a planted Klingon agent to be an apparent assistant to Baris.  Does his part but fortunately his role here is overshadowed by the fact he was a comedy/entertainment team with his wife Mitzy McCall.  Definite cool factor here. 

 

 

  Plot : Most plot devices tend to weigh heavy in the story they are used in but the Tribbles fit perfectly in my mind.  Trade of animals is perfectly acceptable here just like it was for the 5,000 plus years humanity has been civilized to the point of conducting trade.  Nothing magical or out of the ordinary for them to just being there.  Probably the most practical application of the Organian Peace Treaty in terms of providing a food source for a developing world.  Also, logical that a competing power in the Klingons would want to derail the Federation's efforts in feeding Sherman's Planet.  The Tribbles as a sort of Klingon geiger counter.  Just an extension of the notion that cats and dogs can often be accurate readers of human personality.  I get along fantastically with cats and dogs.  Just in the last year I won over the heart of a cat my inlaws had that everybody said she was anti-social.  I did go more than half way in the process by realizing she does not have good hearing or eyesight so I always approach her talking so she can get a fix on me.  Klingons and Starfleet personnel in close proximity?  While not normal it is another extension of the Organian Peace Treaty.  When humanity spreads that far into the galaxy it no doubt will be asked to share space with others of whom it has very little understanding of or natural bond to.  

 

 

  Enterprise Crew : Scotty shines here as he is seen in a social situation versus a purely Starfleet duty.  The perfect trifecta in defending his ship's honor, letting his captain know that the ship comes first and captain comes second, and taking his "punishment" being confined to quarters as more of a pleasure.  Good work by James Doohan that Scotty is more than a miracle worker and blind loyalist to Kirk.  Also, excellent work by Shatner in fleshing out Kirk.  Quadratriticale may not be personally important to Kirk but he realizes that it is important to the organization he is sworn to protect.  As with most people in a similar situation it is a slow warmup.  To follow the real world his duty leads him to only care about the Federation's interest and minimally cares about Baris and his role in things.  I enjoyed the mild hurt displayed by Kirk when he is debriefing Scotty as to the bar fight.  Chekov is given something to do other than indicate that shields are up or phasers are locked on target.  He does well to push on Scotty when the Klingon throws insults out about Kirk.  Spock is excellent in support of Kirk but does not headline here.  Not to Nimoy's fault as there is only so much story to spread around.  Uhura has an interest in animals?   Nice to know and I like it when the characters get a little fleshing out.  

 

 

  Writing : David Gerrold according to legend was a college student when he wrote the episode.  He learned a lot and so did we when his experiences were recounted in his book about the production of Star Trek.  As to the episode itself the pacing and dialog were excelllent.  It was good to see an episode that had some stakes to it but in an everyday light.  The war is won with many small victories and gestures versus one giant encounter.  I thought that nearly all the characters were well thought out in terms of motivation.  That their motives were highly believable.

 

 

  Music : Kind of a weird episode in this regard.  Does not disappoint but there were times I was not listening for cues.  The story was strong enough that they if not available were not needed for most of the episode.  Contrast this with episodes such as Obsession and The LIghts of Zetar which I thought was over scored to the point of being somewhat mocking.

  

 

 

  Special Effects Spotlight : I liked the cleaned up perspective in the remaster of the Klingon battlecruiser and the Enterprise as seen from Lurry's office.  K7 looks better than being an ATM model but still does not fully hit the mark for at myself.

 

 

  Summary : I fall on the side of feeling that the Tribbles positively aid the story.  One of the top episodes in terms of guest stars and how they are used.  I like the aspect of giving us a slice of what everyday life is like out in the frontiers of space.  Good depiction of Enterprise characters.  There is more to say but sometimes it is best to give others a chance to voice their opinions.  I give it an A.   

 

[B-Man]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Crap Throwing Clavin]

23 hours ago, RochesterRob said:

 

  Writing : David Gerrold according to legend was a college student when he wrote the episode.  He learned a lot and so did we when his experiences were recounted in his book about the production of Star Trek.  As to the episode itself the pacing and dialog were excelllent.  It was good to see an episode that had some stakes to it but in an everyday light.  The war is won with many small victories and gestures versus one giant encounter.  I thought that nearly all the characters were well thought out in terms of motivation.  That their motives were highly believable.

 

 

It's a reliable legend.  I've had communications with him off and on over the years.

 

His book on the making of The Trouble With Tribbles is a great read.  Obviously dated...but even today, if you want to know how TV shows are made, it's a pretty good place to start.

[RochesterRob]

23 minutes ago, Crap Throwing Monkey said:

 

It's a reliable legend.  I've had communications with him off and on over the years.

 

His book on the making of The Trouble With Tribbles is a great read.  Obviously dated...but even today, if you want to know how TV shows are made, it's a pretty good place to start.

  I'd be interested in hearing more about your communications with Gerrold.  I did not get my copies of The Making of Star Trek and The World of Star Trek until 1977 or 1978 to learn more about the show.  The first that I heard of Gerrold was watching the old 1970's late afternoon talk shows and I don't remember which one anymore.  I think that it was tie in for a science fiction convention happening in LA. 

[B-Man]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RochesterRob]

  This week's review will be of the episode By Any Other Name airing Tuesday July 12 on WHEC 10.5 Rochester Heroes & Icons.  In short an investigation of a planet leads to a hostile force seizing control of the Enterprise.  On the surface the invaders seem invulnerable as they have a device that reduces humanoids to simplistic matter.  Spock deduces that these invaders are extremely vulnerable to emotion which turns out to be the key to defeating them.  

 

 

  Guest Stars : Warren Stevens as Rojan the leader of the Kelvan's who have aims of taking over our galaxy.  Stevens does well to portray a forceful leader bent on taking over.  I also liked his indifference as to reducing his opponents to simple matter.  Also, good at displaying jealousy.  Stevens main claim to fame was appearing as the doctor in Forbidden Planet (1956) which Roddenberry used as a template to build Star Trek.  I always found Stevens to be a good actor who appeared on 1960's and 1970's television quite a bit.  I just saw him on a Quincy, M.E. episode this past Saturday.  Barbara Bouchet as Kelinda a member of Rojan's invasion force.  Hot and in barely there wardrobe she displays an example of how vulnerable these aliens are as she subjects to Kirk's charm.  Julie Cobb as Yeoman Thompson.  Not much to do but has the claim to fame of being Lee J Cobb's daughter.  Stewart Moss as Hanar another member of Rojan's team.  Moss previously appeared on Star Trek as Tormolin a crew member who succumbs to the compound which resembles intoxication in The Naked Time.  

 

 

  Plot : Both good and bad here.  Very creative in terms of making these aliens new to human emotions which is the key to defeating them.   But even so it is a disappointment that they lack the ability to run the Enterprise in their true form which is close to being squid-like.  This solution was arrived at due to budgetary reasons as no costumes would need to be made that would not be convincing anyways.  Also, no need for new props as new control consoles would not need to be made.  Which is a disappointment as it appeared so often that control consoles were made to look extremely simplistic.  I would have bought some kind of mind control apparatus that lacked switches and dials.  The bad is these aliens fouled up a most simplistic mission.  They are conquerors by nature but yet they can be talked into compromise.  And that they can be talked into going back to the planet that they started out from?  Why expend the energy if that world would take care of their immediate needs.  Obviously, we do not know the true nature of the Kelvan's situation but 300 years seems like a long time to delay a decision on colonization if Kelvan was in dire straights due to resources.  But all in all this was a 1960's analogy for major political powers to work together to solve issues of resources versus fighting.

 

 

  Enterprise Crew : Another strong Scotty episode as he not only helps in devising the plan to blow the Enterprise in the barrier reef but also drinks the Kelvan under the table.  Another notch in the growing belt of Kirk charming the pants off of a pretty female alien to gain the upper hand in the story.  Adequate episode for Spock and McCoy.

 

 

  Writing : I thought that the ship board portion of the story dragged out too long.  Already looked at in the plot portion of the review but I would have liked a different angle for the alien's motivation.  One that would have been logical in order to undergo a centuries long mission.  Rojan individually I thought was supported fairly well.  That he was going to ramrod his goals if need be.  

 

 

  Music : Supported fairly well including the score showing the Enterprise entering the barrier.

 

 

  Special Effects Spotlight : The remaster gets the obligatory remake of the planet plus the Enterprise going into the barrier.  I'll have to look to see if this episode got its face lift ahead of Where No Man Has Gone Before.  

 

 

  Summary : Liked Warren Stevens and his character.  I also have a soft spot for Stevens as he was a good convention guest that interacted quite well with fans.  Interesting concept in terms of defeating the aliens by playing on their new found emotions.  Hard to take my eyes off of Bouchet.  Just not a very strong story in general.  I give it a B -.