“For
the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky”
Air
Date: November 8, 1968
The longest title of any
episode and it gets worked smoothly, directly into the dialogue. At least there’s some creativity this
season.
Another computer based
religion is breeding for pacifism using obedience instruments like Vaal, the Eyemorgs and the Providers. The Fabrini writing
looks like that on the obelisk and they even used the same footage of the
asteroid aiming for Mirimanee’s world.
Plus it’s another race on an exodus from ten thousand years ago. Sorry, but I find believing in a giant extra galactic invasion conspiracy cushions the blow of them running out of ideas. That and previously figuring out how to read the obelisk makes Spock suddenly understanding a brand new ancient language make more sense.
Plus it’s another race on an exodus from ten thousand years ago. Sorry, but I find believing in a giant extra galactic invasion conspiracy cushions the blow of them running out of ideas. That and previously figuring out how to read the obelisk makes Spock suddenly understanding a brand new ancient language make more sense.
McCoy has contracted a
typical “plot” disease. It’s rare,
fatal, has no known cure, fatigue like symptoms and is non-contagious.
Of course he gets
better, but not before falling for the high priestess du jour. Kirk may have his ladies’ man rep, and Spock
has epic romances, but Bones does quite well for himself over the seasons.
You old dog you.
The Big Three have a few
moments in this one. Spock immediately
reacts when he sees evidence of McCoy’s condition with restrained but obvious
emotion. When they are in true danger of
breaking up, Kirk flies into a series of threats and rants. All Spock says is Bones’s choice is,
“illogical,” but accepts it. Spock always
is the softie when it comes to letting people be happy with their loves.
However, using the “Jim
moment” theory- if you want to understand the people that really care about the
good doctor: Natira only calls him,
“McCoy.” Jim calls him “Bones.”
The crew plays Satan
once more in yet another culture, bestowing upon them knowledge instead of
faith. Religion gets another lashing via
a group of people running on blind belief based on a book they haven’t read and
having their entire system run on fear of punishment. It would be heavy commentary if it wasn’t
A) A rehash of stuff
they’ve done before
B) Completely
ineffective as Natira says, “This is my universe,” and rejects their knowledge.
Kirk shows that he is a
true friend by displaying happiness at Bones’s decision to stay on the
Enterprise, and more importantly arranging an interplanetary booty call for the
Doctor once Yonada gets home.
“The
Tholian Web”
Air
Date: November 15, 1968
Mom
Title: “Vanishing Kirk”
Another bright spot in
the final season, using the previously successful “double bottle” formula. Basically this one is
a ghost story.
First a haunted, vanishing ship, followed by visions of the spirit of Captain Kirk.
First a haunted, vanishing ship, followed by visions of the spirit of Captain Kirk.
The aliens in the title
are almost an after thought to force the ship to remain stuck allowing the character
study to continue.
Safety protocols have
gotten marginally better. They all beam over in protective suits, showing they
learned something from “The Omega Glory.”
Of course it’s still the Big Three heading off in to the unknown. (And Chekov,
because they need someone to be the first to freak out again)
The security team is to be sent AFTER the department heads. Maybe they’re reading the manual backwards.
The security team is to be sent AFTER the department heads. Maybe they’re reading the manual backwards.
Also, you’d think with
the Starship winking in and out of existence on all their scanners like that,
using a shuttle would be a better way to head over.
Scotty’s in charge again
during the exploration, and we get to see a fine example of how engineers run
projects. That is, he runs off the bridge
to fix the transporter himself.
This story is similar to
“Blink” in Doctor Who. It shows the influence of Captain Kirk,
particularly on the Big Three, by his absence.
They are so well connected that the Captain’s recorded message has an
active conversation with the other two, including the knowledge that McCoy
would demand its playing due to impatience with Spock’s slower, more logical
methods. Kirk’s function is to remind
them of the strengths they draw from each other.
McCoy and Spock’s drink
together (Scotty once more going off to attempt to “enhance the drink) and
solidarity at keeping the secret from Jim at the end shows an increased bond in
the two scientific members of the Big Three following this adventure.
Character growth – a sure sign that the wheels haven’t totally come off the series.
Character growth – a sure sign that the wheels haven’t totally come off the series.
There’s some from other
episodes as well for Spock. He demonstrates a better understanding of human’s
need for funerals than he did in “The Galileo Seven.” He also continues to show almost paternal
concern for his protégé, Chekov.
Uhura gets some decent
material this time out as well. For one,
we get to see she has by far the coolest and most elegant quarters on the
ship. Her skills of observation are
brought to the forefront again; as she’s the only one who notices Chekov is
angry instead of scared. Unlike the
(many) episodes where everyone goes nuts, Nichelle Nichols excellently portrays
someone who is dealing with evidence that makes them doubt their sanity, but inherently
knows they aren’t crazy, wavering between concern and relief.
Notice Uhura demands to
talk to Mr. Spock, because she knows he’ll believe her.
Considering the minor
amount of screen time it gets, their bond is a thread throughout the whole
series.
“Plato’s
Stepchildren”
Air
Date: November 22, 1968
Mom
Title: “Famous Kirk Uhura Kiss”
An almost exclusively
Big Three story as we return to the “stupid yet terrifying” realm. This one
sits much further away from the terrifying side though.
The biggest deal about
this story is the groundbreaking, first scripted interracial kiss on TV and all
of the controversy and complaints it generated. That’s kind of ironic
considering the main message of the episode comes through in Kirk explaining:
“Alexander, where I come from, size, shape, or color makes no difference, and nobody has the power.”
“Alexander, where I come from, size, shape, or color makes no difference, and nobody has the power.”
To cover up reusing
ideas again, let’s tie this in to the galaactic invasion conspiracy. They escaped a nova millennium ago by means
of travelling huge distances. Perhaps
they came from Andromeda, and passing through the galactic barrier heightened their
powers? Was Apollo one of them? You’d think one of the Big Three would have
remembered meeting Ancient Greeks before?
And how do Ancient
Greeks know about Lewis Carroll and Flamenco Dancing? Considering the way they acted, they’re
probably a planet of immature Trelanes, copying what they saw through a
telescope and making up the rest. Since Spock had a better understanding of
Plato than those who supposedly studied under him, I’m going with that theory.
The actions are bizarre,
but there’s a couple of salvageable moments.
Leonard Nimoy sings (showcasing a voice that will be on several albums). Uhura, who knows him better, is more visibly pained at this than Chapel, who has a crush on him.
William Shatner must have filmed this “horsey ride” scene with Alexander before his well known equestrian passion began. The noise he makes isn’t one that ever came from a horse.
Leonard Nimoy sings (showcasing a voice that will be on several albums). Uhura, who knows him better, is more visibly pained at this than Chapel, who has a crush on him.
William Shatner must have filmed this “horsey ride” scene with Alexander before his well known equestrian passion began. The noise he makes isn’t one that ever came from a horse.
These may just be the most
shallow, evil, cowardly and cruel beings the Enterprise has ever run into. I have no idea why they weren’t just vaporized from the space
once they beamed out with Doctor Loveless.
Parmen tried to bluff Kirk that they’d changed, but you can’t bluff the
master.
Even Spock hits them
with:
“That would be highly
uncharacteristic. We must expect, Parmen, that the moment we leave here, your
fear would be gone and you would again be as sadistic and as arrogant as your
twenty five hundred years have made you.”
Which is the Vulcan
equivalent of, “Horse Hockey!”
Knowing how to recreate
the powers won’t protect every ship passing by.
I’m pretty sure the entire federation isn’t injecting themselves to be
telekinetic just in case.
That brings up probably the
MOST ENORMOUS PLOT HOLE in all of Star
Trek.
Doctor McCoy has created supreme mental powers in a syringe, and they’re going to tell everyone in the Federation about it for when they pass by this planet. Yet we never hear about is again. Shouldn’t there be a swarm of Gary Mitchells showing up in Starfleet pretty quickly. Also, shouldn’t every episode after this have taken only five minutes to resolve. The more mature “Organians” and other energy beings must have disciplined these wayward Platonian children and wiped the Enterprise crew’s memory.
Doctor McCoy has created supreme mental powers in a syringe, and they’re going to tell everyone in the Federation about it for when they pass by this planet. Yet we never hear about is again. Shouldn’t there be a swarm of Gary Mitchells showing up in Starfleet pretty quickly. Also, shouldn’t every episode after this have taken only five minutes to resolve. The more mature “Organians” and other energy beings must have disciplined these wayward Platonian children and wiped the Enterprise crew’s memory.
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