Sfdebris.net

http://sfdebris.com/videos/startrek/s012.php

A good review of a dull episode. I'd have given it a little higher myself, but Chuck nails it. Dull, sexist, based on a stupid premise, and also kinda a little responsible for Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (which I now deeply regret never requesting before requests closed, oh well). I was gonna disagree on it not being Gene's meddling that made it so difficult, but Chuck reminded me of that shameless Rand scene and that does have Gene's pawprints all over it. It did result in a decent Star Trek Pocket Books novel (Cry of the Onlies) although that might just be nostalgia talking there, I haven't read it in a couple of decades.

The best thing about this episode is imaging what it would be like if it took place in TNG Season One:
Picard: Hmmm, a planet full of mutant immortal children? Mister Worf; fire all the torpedoes, we'll tell Starfleet the planet exploded and something something Prime Directive we couldn't intervene.

It's not a strong episode, especially when compared to the rest of season one (Is there a big following of this episode? I don't think Chuck's opinion is outside the norm), and the plot has some big holes and errors. In a lot of ways, this episode is closer to the typical tv fare of the time than some of the other, better episodes. Still, I think the episode deserves some credit for a good atmosphere, some creepy scenes, good chemistry among the leads, and some good (if unintentional) humor.

The explanation I have seen for making the planet a duplicate of Earth was supposed to lampshade why everything looked '50s America instead of an alien culture, and they had no further intention of making it part of the story, And the reason why it looked like an American town? They were using the set for Mayberry from "The Andy Griffith Show". You can make out parts of the lettering for Floyd's Barber Shop under the grime in the storefront windows in at least one scene.

Also, I do not believe Nimoy had created the Vulcan neck pinch by the time this episode was produced. The Rand parts feature some development of sexual tension between her and Kirk that was intended to be ongoing before they dropped the Rand character for dubious reasons.

Just a friendly reminder for future posts. When making threads concerning individual video reviews follow this template: -Ep Name- (X) Place the generally accepted abbreviation for the show in question where the X is. For example "Miri (TOS)". And no worries I've already made the proper changes here.

TexasRed wrote:Just a friendly reminder for future posts. When making threads concerning individual video reviews follow this template: -Ep Name- (X) Place the generally accepted abbreviation for the show in question where the X is. For example "Miri (TOS)". And no worries I've already made the proper changes here.

Sorry. I'll get it right next time, I promise.

Happened to catch the end of this episode on tv the other day, and for a bit I totally thought the kid Chuck focused on also played Skaara's friend in Stargate (but, no, different actors).

Credit where credit is due: in the scene with the tricycle, DeForest Kelley is the only actor in the shot to do any acting, and he does a pretty good job of it. It gets lost in the single camera angle, lack of incidental music, aimless directing, and other actors who don't seem to get that the tricycle is a safe-for-broadcast stand-in for a dead child.

i'm rather intrigued with the explanation chuck describes from the novelization: the earth from a parallel universe being displaced into that of the show. it'd make a pretty good premise for one of the patented Star Trek Cautionary Tales (TM) about the future

Mickey_Rat15 wrote:The explanation I have seen for making the planet a duplicate of Earth was supposed to lampshade why everything looked '50s America instead of an alien culture, and they had no further intention of making it part of the story, And the reason why it looked like an American town? They were using the set for Mayberry from "The Andy Griffith Show".

Yeah, that's the impression I got. The whole "it's a copy of Earth!" thing is really a Voodoo Shark to explain the 1950s sets and dressing.

J!! wrote:i'm rather intrigued with the explanation chuck describes from the novelization: the earth from a parallel universe being displaced into that of the show. it'd make a pretty good premise for one of the patented Star Trek Cautionary Tales (TM) about the future

Yeah, I could see an episode focusing on that being interesting, with people from that displaced world who actually pay attention to the sky wondering what the heck happened with the rest of the solar system/all the familiar constellations/whatever. And that in turn might prompt an earlier and far heavier focus on developing space exploration, before the problems with international relations had been solved. And if it was an alternate Earth, that could mean the crew running across a sector of space filled with relatively primitive ships fighting over extensively damaged planets while displaying some impossibly familiar flags, showing what the future may hold if we don't learn to settle our differences peacefully.

Of course that would take away from the botched immortality plot. I swear, you'd think nobody had heard of small scale trials or strict quarantine.