TOS Alternate Monster Costumes

[Deledrius]

Here's something I'd generally advise doing if I was in charge of TOS costumes - making something more like the Daleks on Doctor Who. Their design was timeless and unique. In TOS, it was mostly only ever humanoids, and more humanoids.

Somewhat ironically, the story upon which Arena is based had a much more alien creature. It's been decades since I read it, but as I recall it was a strange, somehow-living red ball/sphere creature that moved in a peculiar manner. Obviously, this would have been difficult to do convincingly with the budget on the show in a way that wouldn't have just ended up looking like a red beachball on strings... but is the Gorn that much better? I don't know. It's definitely a shame that "humanoid" was the go-to alien on TOS, because it really set the stage for the franchise in the (relative lack of) diversity of alien designs (even so far as becoming canon in "The Chase").

[Yukaphile]

I think that's another reason the Horta became so memorable - not just a strong story with a satisfying conclusion, but in that it's an alien lifeform devoid of humanoid feature, and it definitely speaks to the vast possibility of alien life. If only it would come back in Trek... no scratch that, these incompetent writers would ruin it. Refer to the Borg, the Q, and the Klingons and Nausicaans to see what I mean.

[Nealithi]

I think that's another reason the Horta became so memorable - not just a strong story with a satisfying conclusion, but in that it's an alien lifeform devoid of humanoid feature, and it definitely speaks to the vast possibility of alien life. If only it would come back in Trek... no scratch that, these incompetent writers would ruin it. Refer to the Borg, the Q, and the Klingons and Nausicaans to see what I mean.

I think you can add Vulcans to your list. Though I actually liked them fleshing out the Andorians a bit.

[Deledrius]

I think that's another reason the Horta became so memorable - not just a strong story with a satisfying conclusion, but in that it's an alien lifeform devoid of humanoid feature, and it definitely speaks to the vast possibility of alien life.

I agree. And more than just being alien, it was relevant to the story itself. Perhaps a simple message, but still a meaningful one.

[Yukaphile]

I'd wish for it to come back in the TNG or DS9 era, but not the reboot or STD era. Egads, imagine the horror?

[Wild_Kraken]

Thread moved from Video Reviews to Sci-Fi and Fantasy.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Thread moved from Video Reviews to Sci-Fi and Fantasy.

Noticed the update in the Sci-Fi section and wondered both if it had been moved and subsequently why I didn't notice it shouldn't have been in the Videos section in the first place.