[Ron]

49 . Return to Tomorrow

This week’s episode is ‘Return to Tomorrow’

Liked this one and what the three members of the crew agree to is I think, for Star Trek, a new idea.

It’s best in context but this is William Shatner’s great monologue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiFEzc_gsuw

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Last Watched: Aftermath, Jan 2020

[Ron]

50 . Patterns of Force

This week’s episode is ‘Patterns of Force’

The writer chose this topic (Nazi rule), apparently, because of his fascination with the functioning of totalitarian regimes. For me this episode sits awkwardly in the Sci-Fi series. Writers have too much say!
Liked the twist that the girl was a resistance member.
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Last Watched: Aftermath, Jan 2020

[Ron]

51 . By Any Other Name

This week’s episode is ‘By Any Other Name’

I liked this episode. It’s just believable that superior aliens might not foresee the flaw in their plan. I would maybe have made the alien leader behave less like a human; less relaxed, maybe more agressive. Seems a good plot to me though.


Captain Kirk helps save the crew of the Enterprise!
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Last Watched: Aftermath, Jan 2020

[AnnaGrant]

Classic.

See also having a fight and getting shirt ripped! (As checked in Galaxy Quest.)

[Ron]

52. The Omega Glory

This week’s episode is ‘The Omega Glory’

It’s strange now to hear the mention from the Star Trek future of biological weapons back in the 1990’s. Got me thinking what date the 5 year mission is set in, and this seems to be a matter of opinion, but it’s still a good bit in the future.

Still think Deforest Kelley’s acting just gets better and better. He played an important part in keeping it real.

Most exciting scene is when Kirk enters the cell with the two Yangs. Maybe that’s the dress from the film One Million Years B.C!

[Ron]

53. The Ultimate Computer

This week’s episode is ‘The Ultimate Computer’

I was a bit surprised at how Spock readily accepts the new computer technology, the M5 Multitronic System (even if he was going by logic). For once he wasn’t so right! We must have been wondering about computers back then because there were a few other rogue computer stories on TV and in film in 1968:

HAL in ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ – very sinister in pleading not to be shut down and jettisoning the astronaut.

REMAK (Remote Electro-Matic Agent Killer) in the Avengers episode 'Killer' – absolutely lethal until Steed, with a bit of tongue-in-cheek daring and the benefit of knowing that ear-plugs might be a good idea, outwits it.

Star Trek’s Ultimate Computer kills more people and it’s all on a grander scale.

[Futsie]

On Radio 4 last night I heard an article about algorithmic trading on the stock market, where computers are left to automatically make decisions according to set rules and then trade on the markets... Apparently this recently caused a high frequency instability in the New York Stock Exchange where it lost something like 200 points and then regained them half an hour later , and the automatic systems had to be shut down to allow humans to regain control and make (supposedly) more informed decisions...
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[Ron]

Yes, people are more concerned about computers regarding financial security now, which I don’t remember ever being featured back then.

54. Bread and Circuses

This week’s episode is ‘Bread and Circuses’

Almost like a Doctor Who ‘historical’ one but mixed together with the 20th Century. One of the writers’ aims must certainly have been to give the younger audience an insight into ancient Rome. Also, just for a refreshing change, Spock uses brawn instead of brain. The exchanges between him and McCoy are getting more and more interesting. Good that Uhura gets a few lines at the end and to stop the show becoming completely about Kirk, Spock and McCoy, but I’ve noticed that for all the hype around Chekov’s appearance at the start of Series 2 he hasn’t featured as much as I had expected. Whether it was right to assume that the society was about to change (as it had done in Earth history) or not, they did keep the prime directive.

Really looking forward to next weeks Series 2 finale as it appears in some ‘top ten’ lists.

[Ron]

55. Assignment: Earth

This weeks episode marks the end of Season Two
.
After last week’s educational theme this clearly has a more educational/political feel, with the warning about the danger of accepting a nuclear-weapon balance situation. But there are lots of sub-plots going on too. For me, a really good element is how Kirk decides if Seven is telling the truth.


The Enterprise taken back to earth in an interesting ‘Time Travel’ one.

Although perhaps season two sometimes seems to stray from purely space-discovery stories of season one, it’s understandable, as the story makers had to find something new. Star Trek’s still great because it isn’t just about space voyages but about the compassion and concern people have for each other. Star Trek - The Original Series is an amazing piece of 60’s Television production; so I plan to ‘do’ Season 3 early next year again!

[Ron]

SEASON THREE

Plan to discuss one a week again. Hope you are interested.

56. 3- 1 20 Sep 68 Spock's Brain
57. 3- 2 27 Sep 68 The Enterprise Incident
58. 3- 3 4 Oct 68 The Paradise Syndrome
59. 3- 4 11 Oct 68 And the Children Shall Lead
60. 3- 5 18 Oct 68 Is There in Truth No Beauty?
61. 3- 6 25 Oct 68 Spectre of the Gun
62. 3- 7 1 Nov 68 Day of the Dove
63. 3- 8 8 Nov 68 For the World is Hollow and I have touched the Sky
64. 3- 9 15 Nov 68 The Tholian Web
65. 3-10 22 Nov 68 Plato's Stepchildren
66. 3-11 29 Nov 68 Wink of an Eye
67. 3-12 6 Dec 68 The Empath
68. 3-13 20 Dec 68 Elaan of Troyius
69. 3-14 3 Jan 69 Whom Gods Destroy
70. 3-15 10 Jan 69 Let That Be Your Last Battlefield
71. 3-16 17 Jan 69 The Mark of Gideon
72. 3-17 24 Jan 69 That Which Survives
73. 3-18 31 Jan 69 The Lights of Zetar
74. 3-19 14 Feb 69 Requiem for Methuselah
75. 3-20 21 Feb 69 The Way to Eden
76. 3-21 28 Feb 69 The Cloud Minders
77. 3-22 7 Mar 69 The Savage Curtain
78. 3-23 14 Mar 69 All Our Yesterdays
79. 3-24 3 Jun 69 Turnabout Intruder

56. Spock’s Brain

This Weeks episode is ’Spock’s Brain'

As often happens it’s straight into the action and the first five minutes are pretty good. The security guards entering the bridge seemed to act without waiting for authority from Captain Kirk, I thought.

Quite a good discussion later between Kirk, Chekov, Sulu and Uhura about which planet they should visit. A Star Trek episode with more planets than an episode of Blakes 7 – quite unusual, and nice to see some space scenes! Not many sub-plots going on in this rather basic story though, except maybe for Spock’s brain helping quite a bit.

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Last Watched: Aftermath, Jan 2020

[Ron]

57. The Enterprise Incident

This Weeks episode is ’The Enterprise Incident'

Quite a few unexpected twists in this one which centres on Spock. I'm watching each of these season three ones for the second time this year. On the first viewing I thought this was well written and acted and I want to add well directed. After a rather worrying first episode of season 3 it is good to see Star Trek back with a good one. The space shots are pretty well put together with the soundtrack for dramatic effect :

I also liked the moment when the cloaking device takes effect which was very slick. Other members of the crew get a little to do too, but Spock is the central character, with the apparently stressed Kirk being given a less favourable part. This is an example of how the recipe for the earlier episodes had to change to keep a variety of stories on offer I think. The Romulans come across as weaker than the Klingons and it was interesting to hear the explanation by the female captain of their races relationship. It gave a feeling of the number of civilisations there are in the Star Trek universe!
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Last Watched: Aftermath, Jan 2020

[Futsie]

I haven't got series 3 but it's interesting to read this
So the cloaking device was from the original series? I didn't realise that; I thought it didn't appear til the movies... (resists the temptation to say "they kept that well hidden" )
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[KevinD]

If I'm not mistaken, the cloaking device mechanism had Nomad's head stuck on it! (poor chap )

[Mary Lou Jensen]

[Futsie]