yes, that's the one, but that didn't bother me, I thought it was fine.

This one was filmed on the campus of an aerospace defense contractor HQ in California. It does indeed have an abandoned parking lot feel to it, but that sorta works for this episode.

Season one of Star Trek was reasonably well-received by critics and was nominated for several Emmys, but didn't pull in big ratings for the network. Its saving grace was that it attracted younger viewers who may have found the usual Cowboy/Western fare of the time a bit stale. What I don't think the network understood was that it had on in its hands one of TV's first "cult" followings of numerically small but supremely devoted fans.

I think this is easily the best single season in the franchise, with at most 1-2 terrible episodes (I'm still on the fence about Mudd's Women) and several legitimate candidates for GOAT ST episode: The Corbomite Maneuver, The Naked Time, Devil in the Dark, and The City on the Edge of Forever.

Merry Christmas.

http://www.wimp.com/singssnow/

So I finally got around to seeing Star Trek: Into Darkness. Going in, I was fully prepared to hate it, because I didn't like the last Abrams movie, and I'm not on board with the idea of ST as an action/explodey franchise. Honestly, I had a blast watching it. Great visuals -- JJ just knows how to work a sci-fi action scene.

I do like Cumberbach, but casting him as a genetically-perfect Indian supermensch seemed like a dubious move. Can't stand the oddly-shaped screwball Pegg as the hard-drinking, fist-swinging Scotty. Overall, though, I had fun with it, wouldn't mind in the least if the same crew makes another Trek movie.

okay, time to start season 2, with 1 this week, then 1 every Monday and Friday till it's done. Join in if you want to

Amok Time SEASON 2 EPISODE 1



Wiki Entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amok_Time

T'Pau: Live long and prosper, Spock.
Spock: I shall do neither: I've killed my captain and my friend.


Let's make no bones about it (no pun intended), this is my favourite episode. The one where Spock and Kirk have to fight to the death. I love this one. The premise is awesome, Nimoy, Kirk and Bones are given some great dialogue to use, and they do it to perfection. We see Chekov for the first time, and we get a look at the Vulcan homeworld. We see the interplay between the three main characters as rounded, complex and concerned for each other, and we get their verbal sparring as a reflection of their friendship, not just the occasional drift into self-parody you see in some episodes. It's just so damn awesome.

I know some episodes are actually even better quality (say City On The Edge of Forever), but this remains my favourite.

Treat yourself, watch it again.

Redshirt Count: 4

Classics -
Amok Time (S2E01)
The City on the Edge of Forever (S1E28)
The Naked Time (S1E04)
The Corbomite Maneuver (S1E10)
Balance of Terror (S1E14)
The Enemy Within (S1E05)
The Squire of Gothos (S1E17)
Devil in the Dark (S1E25)
Arena (S1E18)
Miri (S1E08)
A Taste of Armageddon (S1E23)
Charlie X (S1E02)
Space Seed (S1E22)

Very Good
This Side of Paradise (S1E24)

Decent -
Return of the Archons (S1E21)
Mudd's Women (S1E06)
Operation Annihilate (S1E29)
The Menagerie (S1E11+12)
Shore Leave (S1E15)
Court Martial (S1E20)
The Conscience of the King (S1E13)
Where No Man Has Gone Before (S1E03)
The Man Trap (S1E01)
What Are Little Girls Made Of (S1E07)
Dagger of the Mind (S1E09)
Galileo Seven (S1E16)
Errand of Mercy (S1E26)
Tomorrow Is Yesterday (S1E19)


Terrible -
The Alternative Factor (S1E27)[/QUOTE]

Seems like we've been declaring every other episode to be an elite episode, but even so I still have no problem calling this one top tier trek. Engaging story that really plays to the strengths of the Shatner/Nimoy chemistry. We get to see the Vulcan homeworld and learn more about their civilization. There's also a classic Shatner fight scene with that unforgettable fight music and a fun twist ending in which Spock finds himself out-logic'd.

Oh, and Chekov makes his first appearance. No backstory or introduction, he just sort of arrives out of the blue.


Misc: This is the first use of the Vulcan salute and the "Live long and prosper" greeting.

Who Mourns for Adonais SEASON 2 EPISODE 2



Wiki Entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Mourns_for_Adonais%3F

Interesting premise of ancient race coming to earth in the past, to be treated as gods. In this case, the Greek pantheon, and specifically Apollo. Most likely an inspiration for that idiot Von Daniken, and Alien Versus Predator. I did like the premise of the gods/aliens gaining power through worship, as Apollo was offering a lot as long as he was worshipped.

The execution, however, is ho hum. Very ho-hum. I had more fun watching Checkov's dodgy wig (it definitely looked like a wig in this one) than with the story. Kirk was also fun, not taking any crap from this Apollo dude, and the way Scotty kept getting zapped reminded me of the Futurama episode pastiche-ing Star Trek ('Welshy').

I had more fun trying to think of how other TV shows, movies, etc handle this premise of gods gaining/losing power depending on how many worship them. I thought of a movie called Malpertuis (mostly forgotten now, and pretty hard to get hold of), and most recently Neil Gaiman's American Gods.

Redshirt Count: 4

Classics -
Amok Time (S2E01)
The City on the Edge of Forever (S1E28)
The Naked Time (S1E04)
The Corbomite Maneuver (S1E10)
Balance of Terror (S1E14)
The Enemy Within (S1E05)
The Squire of Gothos (S1E17)
Devil in the Dark (S1E25)
Arena (S1E18)
Miri (S1E08)
A Taste of Armageddon (S1E23)
Charlie X (S1E02)
Space Seed (S1E22)

Very Good
This Side of Paradise (S1E24)

Decent -
Return of the Archons (S1E21)
Mudd's Women (S1E06)
Operation Annihilate (S1E29)
The Menagerie (S1E11+12)
Shore Leave (S1E15)
Court Martial (S1E20)
The Conscience of the King (S1E13)
Where No Man Has Gone Before (S1E03)
The Man Trap (S1E01)
What Are Little Girls Made Of (S1E07)
Dagger of the Mind (S1E09)
Galileo Seven (S1E16)
Errand of Mercy (S1E26)
Tomorrow Is Yesterday (S1E19)

Ho-Hum
Who Mourns for Adonais? (S2E02)

Terrible -
The Alternative Factor (S1E27)

Stargate (movie) and SG-1 (TV) were primarily based around the villains (and some allies) being aliens having posed as gods in ancient Earth civilization. SG-1 even incorporated the gaining power through worship for its new villains in its final 2 seasons.

I'm mid way thru season 2 in my blurays... just about where you are diebitter, just finished catspaw and I, Mudd.

one thing I am finding really interesting as I go back and watch these in order is the strong nature of James T Kirk and Spock characters and the ability of Spock to "act" without feeling. I remember all the episodes, but seeing them again with age behind my understanding really makes this series one for the ages.

Chekov actually did have a wig in his first few episodes, because the producers thought they should capitalize on The Monkees' popularity with the young girls, so they wanted Chekov to be a Davey Jones knock off.

^yeap... confirmed. I think he started with no wig... then went to the wig... then went back to no wig.

there are also some episodes where uhura was not the communications officer.

folks came in and went out of the episodes very often that I really just give it no mind. at least in STNG they covered it up by saying they were on "vacation"

I forgot, I did a commentary track on this episode in 2011 for a podcast. Here you go: http://traffic.libsyn.com/goodbadand...110707_005.mp3

It's not a bad episode, but the problem with Who Mourns for Adonais is that the premise of a godlike being with bad interpersonal skills has already been played to death in season one. After Charlie X, Where No Man Has Gone Before, and The Squire of Gothos, this one doesn't bring much new to the table.

On the plus side, we do get to see Chekov's dubious understanding on Russian history on display for the first time. I'm convinced he's just trolling everyone.

In one of the very first episodes, Sulu is a science officer.

The Changeling SEASON 2 EPISODE 3



Wiki Entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cha...iginal_Series)

One of those episodes (I think there are two like this but I could be wrong) where they find a deep-space probe that somehow merged/crashed with an alien probe and got its programming messed up so it now scans for 'perfect' life forms and destroys life forms that aren't perfect (ie all of them), but allows the Enterprise to survive because it thinks Kirk is its creator. They overcome it by using the ole 'logical paradox' trick.

Yeah, a kind of non-action story, all talk. And they used it as the basis for the first Star Trek movie...

Yeah, it's decent enough, and there's a lol scene where Uhura has her mind wiped and has to learn to read again in a 'the dog has a....bone?' scene that's pointless, but she was singing just before it, so she deserved a mind wipe. We also get 2 redshirts vapourised , 3 if you count Scotty being killed (he gets revived, so I'm not going to count it).

I also enjoyed the final scene (Kirk: My son...the doctor.)

I missed Chekov in this one, I wanted to see that wig and his Russian history trolling again.

Redshirt Count: 6

Classics -
Amok Time (S2E01)
The City on the Edge of Forever (S1E28)
The Naked Time (S1E04)
The Corbomite Maneuver (S1E10)
Balance of Terror (S1E14)
The Enemy Within (S1E05)
The Squire of Gothos (S1E17)
Devil in the Dark (S1E25)
Arena (S1E18)
Miri (S1E08)
A Taste of Armageddon (S1E23)
Charlie X (S1E02)
Space Seed (S1E22)

Very Good
This Side of Paradise (S1E24)

Decent -
Return of the Archons (S1E21)
Mudd's Women (S1E06)
Operation Annihilate (S1E29)
The Menagerie (S1E11+12)
Shore Leave (S1E15)
Court Martial (S1E20)
The Conscience of the King (S1E13)
Where No Man Has Gone Before (S1E03)
The Man Trap (S1E01)
What Are Little Girls Made Of (S1E07)
Dagger of the Mind (S1E09)
Galileo Seven (S1E16)
The Changeling (S2E03)
Errand of Mercy (S1E26)
Tomorrow Is Yesterday (S1E19)

Ho-Hum
Who Mourns for Adonais? (S2E02)

Terrible -
The Alternative Factor (S1E27)

tie into Star Trek: The motion picture.

Mirror Mirror SEASON 2 EPISODE 4



Wiki Entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror,...iginal_Series)

Man, this was a fun episode. A transporter malfunction (*cough* The Enemy Within *cough*) causes Kirk, McCoy, Scotty and Uhura to appear in a mirror universe (*cough* The Alternative Factor *cough*), where the peaceful federation has been replaced by a fascist 'empire'. We have a beardy Mr Spock, a sneaky, cowardly Chekov (no wig ), a ambitious, murderous Sulu, and my personal favourite, Uhura in a two-piece uniform. To expand on Uhura's outfit and look, HUBBAHUBBA WOOF WOOF!

This is great fun, because of the alternate universe is riddled with backstabbers and murderous ambition, and our more moral heroes have to navigate this. We get fights (where beardy Spock bitchslaps Kirk instead of punching him), we get Uhura cockteasing Sulu and then pulling a knife on him when he gets too rampant, and we get 3 redshirts evaporated.

There's also a bit near the end where Kirk and McCoy try and trashtalk Spock, but Spock puts them down like the bitches they are.

And we even get a speech from Kirk trying to persuade the beardy Spock to start a revolution against the evil Empire. Now, THAT'S a story that should have also been sequeled in the movies. Imagine if Star Trek 5 was Kirk and crew getting flung back into this universe, to find evil Kirk as head of the empire, and beardy Spock as the head of the rebellion? How marvellous would that have been?

Also, did I mention Uhura's two piece?


Redshirt Count: 9

Classics -
Amok Time (S2E01)
The City on the Edge of Forever (S1E28)
The Naked Time (S1E04)
The Corbomite Maneuver (S1E10)
Balance of Terror (S1E14)
The Enemy Within (S1E05)
The Squire of Gothos (S1E17)
Devil in the Dark (S1E25)
Arena (S1E18)
Miri (S1E08)
A Taste of Armageddon (S1E23)
Charlie X (S1E02)
Space Seed (S1E22)

Very Good
This Side of Paradise (S1E24)
Mirror Mirror (S2E04)

Decent -
Return of the Archons (S1E21)
Mudd's Women (S1E06)
Operation Annihilate (S1E29)
The Menagerie (S1E11+12)
Shore Leave (S1E15)
Court Martial (S1E20)
The Conscience of the King (S1E13)
Where No Man Has Gone Before (S1E03)
The Man Trap (S1E01)
What Are Little Girls Made Of (S1E07)
Dagger of the Mind (S1E09)
Galileo Seven (S1E16)
The Changeling (S2E03)
Errand of Mercy (S1E26)
Tomorrow Is Yesterday (S1E19)

Ho-Hum
Who Mourns for Adonais? (S2E02)

Terrible -
The Alternative Factor (S1E27)

I Star Trek and bearded Spock.

That is all.

Surprised this didn't make it into your Classics. Would be in my top 5. (Although I do think the story is pretty lol. Like a constantly backstabbing and conniving society is ever going to grow in tandem with one that isn't. On the other hand tho war is the greatest spur to invention. Hmmm maybe not as lol as I think)

Of all 8 ST series' episodes that took place in this universe, my favorite scene is the cold open to the Enterprise 2-parter.

The opening titles are great too

Do you mean Broken Bow?

No, he means In A Mirror, Darkly