Amazon.com

Is television responsible for a series of brutal murders in a peaceful suburban town? Or is a more sinister force at work behind the glow of the picture tube? The agents uncover evidence of government experimentation on the populace in Wetwired, a white-knuckle thriller that brings Scully in touch with a new level of paranoia.

In Talitha Cumi, a mysterious healer may hold the key to many mysteries, including a possible connection between Mulder's mother and the Cigarette Smoking Man. The first part of a two-episode story, this one's got it all: aliens, clones, and covert government operations. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Well . . .
While I can't say it's my favorite, I have to disagree with the one-star reviews. "Wetwired" isn't GREAT, but the scene with Mrs. Scully confronting her crazed, psychotic daughter in order to save Mulder--even placing herself in danger to do so--is a highlight. "T.C." was a cliffhanger. Oh--and that aforementioned scene in Wetwired might be a clue to the fact that Margret Scully KNOWS how Dana feels about Mulder. Just for all those shippers out there--myself included. If you don't know what a shipper is, it's a person who's devoted to, even bent on seeing Scully and Mulder together romantically.

I have to disagree, I liked this one
I found the one-star reviews surprising. "Wetwired" admittedly wasn't the best episode I've seen, but it had its moments. And "Talitha Cumi" was an engrossing cliffhanger. We literally shrieked when "To be continued" flashed across the screen--and then spent an hour, late at night, driving from one video store to the next looking for part 2.

UGH!
This episode is bad; Avoid this one. It's not as good as the more better X-Files episodes. Besides the plot seem like a 5-year old wrote it.

The Worst Episode Ever!

WORST EPISODE EVER! WHAT WAS CHRIS CARTER THINKING?
Chris, you can make a better X-File Episode than this one. UGH! I hated this episode. Don't get me wrong, I do loved the X-Files. But this episode is horrible. Very Bad Idea and some of the acting wasn't good. It's a comedy.

People have strange symptoms, everytime they looked at a random videotape. Then start killing people. That's just stupid.

... Read more

Reviews (9)

Surprisingly Good
This horror/comedy kind of take-off on Night of the Living Dead was surprisingly good. It goes under the assumption that the Night of the Living Dead movie was based on a true happening. Except it really was a failed top-secret government experiment.

As this whole thing is explained to two unsuspecting young men, they accidently release the top secret gas that starts to animate all dead things. The dead come walking demanding "brains." In this one it seems it is impossible to totally kill any of these re-animated dead. Even dismember them, the individual body parts keep coming looking for brains.

Rather than the slow scarry looking creatures from the Romero flicks, these creatures can move just as quickly as living people, can talk, and in many cases are humorous looking.

The humor is so well done that it never feels corny.

"Return" has BRAINS!!!!
Part remake, part parody of George Romero's "Night Of The Living Dead", RETURN is one of those great cult films that you must see. A group of bumbling wharehouse workers accidentally release a top-secret government chemical that causes the dead to rise from the graves. These creatures want only one thing... HUMAN BRAINS!!!! This causes problems for both the wokers and a group of diliquents hanging out in the graveyard.

"Return" is in not a sequel to "Night" despite what the title might make you think. It is a brand new and highly original film from Dan O'Bannon of "Alien" fame. The movie is very good at mixing its horror elements with comedy. The story never takes itself too seriously and the comedy elements never get so silly that it hurts the horror portion of the movie either. If you are looking for a good old-fashioned fun movie then "Return Of The Living Dead" is an excellent choice.

Easy!
I can sum this film up easy! If your a horror fan and haven't seen it, your not a fan. This is one of those greats that creates us horror buffs. When I see a Zombie film to date I complare it to this classic. My words "Cool Zombie movie, but nowhere close to Return Of The Living Dead".

P.S. I've been all over Louisville and can't find the wharehouse or cemetary.........my guess is that it isn't really based on a true story! LOL

end note: To the reviewer that writes as if he likes it and gave it one star? What planet are you from?

Punk Rock and zombies how can that not be good.
Punks against zombies enuff said.

"i just wanna party!"
i recently (finally) saw this movie and i really enjoyed it. my favorite type of horror movies are the ones with zombies and this movie pulls it off. i especially like the fact that it is uber 80's it was awsome ... Read more

Amazon.com

An overwrought, highly-stressed Captain Kirk blunders into Romulan space and finds the Enterprise surrounded by enemy vessels, all equipped with strategically valuable cloaking technology. Along with Spock, Kirk is invited to meet with the Romulan commander (Joanne Linville) to discuss the situation, leading to a crisis when the captain suffers a breakdown following Spock's apparent betrayal. Written by story editor Dorothy Fontana (who was unhappy with the final results) and directed by John Meredyth Lucas (who briefly took the producing reins from Gene L. Coon during season two), the episode has a colorful espionage angle, but depends heavily on an improbable romance between Spock and Linville's character. Still, there are things to savor here, especially Kirk's one-and-only appearance with Vulcan/Romulan pointed ears. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (10)

One of the incidents you can't miss
The Enterprise is captured by some Romulans in "The Enterprise Incident." Captain Kirk is taken hostage and charged with espionage. The commander of the Romulans particularly likes Spock because he is a Vulcan (a distant relative of the Romulans). This Enterprise incident might turn out to be one of the toughest challenges that Kirk and the crew have encountered so far.

"The Enterprise Incident" has one of the best plots of any of the episodes from Star Trek. Spock gives one of his best performances and you won't believe what Captain Kirk does in order to get back onboard the Romulan ship.

"The Enterprise Incident" is one of the best incidents that has ever happened to the original Star Trek series. I recommend everybody to get "The Enterprise Incident."

Mr. Spock kills Captain Kirk with the "Vulcan death grip"
"The Enterprise Incident" is the classic Star Trek episode in which Kirk apparently goes off the deep end, ordering the Enterprise into Romulan space. Quickly urrounded by Romulan ships, Kirk and Spock meet with the Romulan commander (Joanne Linville) in which the First Officer declares Kirk acted alone, without authority, in a blatant attempt to grab some glory. An enraged Kirk attacks Spock who then uses the "Vulcan death grip" to kill the captain. Of course, that was the last episode of the show and nothing was heard from Star Trek ever again. Actually, it is all a complicated plot for Starfleet to get their hands on the Romulan's cloaking device. But while Kirk goes undercover as a Romulan, it is up to Spock to keep the Romulan commander distracted. Leonard Nimoy and Joanne Linville deserve a lot of praise for this episode, because their scenes are arguably the most erotic in the entire series. Take that William Shatner! "The Enterprise Incident" is on my Top 10 list of Star Trek episodes and I know I am not alone in that regard.

Probably the strongest episode from season three
This Romulan intrigue story is one of the 3rd season's most solid offerings. It offers a tight and dramatic plot, with plenty of twists and surprises. The teaser is particularly well-executed, and may be second only to Mirror, Mirror's opening in dramatic effect. I also enjoy the moral ambiguity of this episode. By that I mean not only that we are left to ponder whether the ends justify the means, but also that WE are left to ponder that question, rather than being beaten over the head with it and having it answered for us. Would a 1st season episode have been comfortable with this ambiguity, let alone keeping it implicit? No normative judgments implied, but Star Trek had in some sense grown up by the Fall of 1968, for better or worse.
Tidbits: Spock was able to stay fairly true to himself in this romance; others weren't so lucky in their 3rd season romances, which generally yanked crewmembers far out of character. As a result, here the sacrifice Spock makes is a real one, in which he compromises himself. The production team did a nice job of giving the Romulan ship interior a different feel.

This is also very cool.
I like this episode because it's very cool. It's cool, because it has alot of action as well as drama. It's absolutely the greatest Star Trek episode since Space Seed. I highly recommend this.

The Best Original Series Show
This was the best show for the original series. I couldn't believe it when Spock 'killed' Kirk. Then his reaction when he saw Kirk was alive was so funny. I'm just surprised Bones controlled himself from teasing Spock for it. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

An Illya Special
These two episodes are obviously designed for the fans of Illya. He's in both of them, and Solo is nearly non-existant. The Arabian Affair has fun with Illya convincing a tribe of Bedouins that he is the son of Lawrence of Arabia. Michael Ansara, as always, makes a good Arab sheik, and Phyllis Newman isn't bad as his headstrong daughter. She gets to hold her own in some exchanges with Illya. The plot, as always, is ever so slightly over the top, but everyone seems to be taking it with the non-serious attitude that made this show fun.

The second show, the Foreign Legion Affair has Illya parachuting off into the desert with a pretty stewardess to escape the Thrush villians. This results in an out -of-the-frying-pan into-the-fire situation, since they are promptly captured by a Foreign Legionnaire commandant, played by Howard da Silva, who thinks they are spies (well, he's partially right) but also doesn't know the legion has been disbanded. Like Phyllis Newman in the Arabian Affair, the stewardess gets to hold her own against Illya, and he actually smiles at her. They made a good match in this episode, inspite of her habit of biting people, Illya included, when she gets stressed out. One of the best scenes is on the plane when she asks him if he'd like coffee, tea, or milk, and to get rid of her, Illya retorts in a snappy way, "borscht". She doesn't turn a hair and answers, "cabbage or beet?" Obviously, this is an interesting woman, and unlike most of the heroines of the time (the mid 60s) she gets to take an active part in her own rescue! A good episode.

"The Arabian Affair" and "The Foreign Legion Affair"
This is a must have for Illya-philes. Both episodes showcase him extensively and, I think, well. There are some great shots of "The Illya Look" where everyone around him want to run screaming. Not too much by way of stupid moves in this one, definitely a plus.

"The Arabian Affair": Illya gets knifed and taken by a band of desert dwellers. The daughter of the leader is intent on selling him for a new camel. The Russian gains the support of the tribe by pretending to be Lawrence of Arabia's son. He then leads them on a raid on a THRUSH outpost where they are doing experiments on some flesh-melting chemical. All and all, an enjoyable romp. Even my 10 year old son liked this one.

"The Foreign Legion Affair": Not as good as the first, but still worth watching. Again, some great shots of "The Look". Illya is carrying microfilm that THRUSH wants. He ends up having to jump out a plane in a tandem jump with the stewardess and they land in the middle of the desert hundreds of miles from civilization. They find an old outpost of the Foreign Legion where the commandant and his faithful Lt. are the only ones left. The commandant does not realize the Legion is now defunct. A few moments of "Illya you know better than to do that", but what can we expect from the 60s? Another entertaining watch.

If you are a Robert Vaughn/Napoleon Solo fan, this is probably not the best video for you because there isn't much of him in it.

Not a good example of UNCLE's best, but still watchable
Volume 10 has "The Arabian Affair" and "The Foreign Legion Affair", both which appeared in Man from UNCLE's 2nd season. Although "Man from UNCLE" is my favorite TV show, as I said, these two episodes are not a good example of UNCLE's best, but still enjoyable in a way.

Episode 36, "The Arabian Affair" has Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum) going to the Arabian desert to find THRUSH's new vaporizing machine. Instead he is captured by a local tribe. Though he emplores the tribe chief Sulador (Michael Ansara) to let him go, Sulador refuses, saying that his daughter, Sophie (Phyllis Newman), wants to keep Him to trade him for a camel. In New York, Napoleon Solo (Robert Vauhn) finds out that THRUSH agents are always eliminated when the retire. With this valuable information, he convinces a retiring THRUSH agent, David Lewin (Robert Ellenstein), to learn where THRUSH's base in Arabia is. Lewin and Napoleon are taken to the base, where they meet up with Illya and the tribe, whose confidence he had gained. Together, they launch an attack on the base. * Kind of a stupid plot if you ask me. Some of the humor was funny, some weren't. The next episode if you ask me is much more fun.

Episode 51, "The Foreign Legion Affair" finds Illya stealing THRUSH code documents. While flying over a desert in a private airplane, the plane is hijacked by THRUSH agents. Illya manages to parachute out of the airplane with a stewardess, Barbara (Danielle DeMetz) with the documents. They wander in the desert and after a time finds an abandoned Foreign Legion post run by Captain Basil Calhoun (Howard Da Silva). The Captain, thinking that Illya and Barbara are enemies, holds them prisoner while Napoleon races to find them before THRUSH does. * A much better episode than "The Arabian Affair". One reason is because of Danielle DeMetz. She is one of my favorite UNCLE guest stars, her starring in also "The Come with Me to the Casbah Affair" (3rd season) and also "The Five Daughters Affair" (3rd season). In all three episodes she plays a great role. She's so funny! Another reason is that this episode has plenty of David McCallum to see.

If you want my advice and you want to by some UNCLE tapes, I suggest you buy Volume 1, 3, 10, 17, and 21 before you buy this tape. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Perfect Bride
Sammi Davis stars as a psycho bride who wants to prove to herself that her new husband is not like most men - piggish and self-occupied - and when she is eventually deceived, she plots his murder and the murder of friends and family of his who get in the way. Even the chase scene towards the end and the performances of Kelly Present and Davis can't make up for the otherwise bore and amateurish feeling of this film. The script is written as though it were a SCT skit, and the stunts are terrible. It's often entertaining in some ways, but the majority of the time, you're left sitting there looking at the screen and thinking: "Did I once have that sort of haircut?"

Very Good Suspense Movie
I really enjoyed it when it first came on the USA network 1990 i watched 3 different times. Sammi Davis is awesome as the Bride who kills people who gets in the way of her finace. If saw another one I recommend is Called Hush Little Baby it is the same type pf movie. There are some very talented people in The Perfect Bride like Kelly Preston (John Travolta's wife) Liden Ashby (from The defunct Melrose Place) Tamara Clatterbuck (Alice Johnson from The Young and The Restless. So i really hope u liked it like I did. It keeps u on the end of your seat. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A nifty idea: the Greek god Apollo turns out to be quite real, apowerful extraterrestrial (Michael Forest) waiting some 5,000 years for thehuman race to develop enough to meet him out in the cosmos. Catching sight ofthe Enterprise, he immobilizes the ship and demands that the members of alanding party--Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley),Chief Engineer Scott (James Doohan), Chekov (Walter Koenig), and antiquities specialist Lieutenant Carolyn Palamas (Leslie Parrish)--bow beforehim and prepare to spend the rest of their lives being cherished through hisinsistent love. A doubting Kirk recruits his people to secretly find themechanical source of Apollo's power to throw lightning bolts, become a giant, and punish his naughty Enterprise children by tossing them aroundlike rag dolls. The stern god gives Kirk a sword, so to speak, by falling forLt. Palamas, setting the stage for some stormy drama late in the game. Written by television veteran and Greek myth aficionado Gilbert Ralston (with a polishby producer Gene L. Coon that enhanced the story's relationships), anddirected by Marc Daniels, "Who Mourns for Adonais?" is one of those classicTrek episodes that lingers in the memory for the creative incongruity of its story line (starships and Olympians) and principal set (anAthenian temple with a few trees, shrubs, and confused Starfleet personnel). Wonderful stuff. A subplot involving Scotty's big-time crush on Palamas providesa rare glimpse into the emotional life of one of the supporting players--even if his gallant efforts to save her from Apollo's wooing result in a concussion ortwo. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Strong show
This is a strong show about the Greek god Apollo. When Trek was at its best, it generally combined thought-provoking and socially relevant questions with tight, internally consistent, and action-packed stories. Who Mourns for Adonais is one such episode. In addition to the interesting idea that the Gods may have been real, we have the very real themes of 1) the pros and cons of hero worship/letting others make decisions for you, 2) the quest for power, and 3) the pros and cons of a simple, care-free life. The guest acting is pretty good here, too, and there aren't too many holes in the plot.

Overall, a strong episode, although I for one at times tire of the more 'literal' episodes, enjoying instead the dreamy, surreal, and menacing ones. I see no reason why we should expect to encounter a moral code (or any system for that matter) similar to our own in outer space. Also there are quite frankly limits to just how good a 'literal' take can consistently be, especially after 35 years and given the time and budget constraints of an episode. That is why I am drawn to the more off-beat shows.

Having digressed, I must return to the fact that this is one of the better of the 'literal' shows.

The missing element in later "Trek" incarnations!
""Adonis" ranks as having the sexiest guest stars ever to appear in the Roddenberry classic. Michael Forrest, as the god Apollo, and Leslie Parrish, as the object of his affections, exudes some vicious heat in their respective roles.

While the episode may not be an overwhelming "classic" to many, it still entertains and the cast seems comfortable in the rather outlandish premise.

And the sexual tensions bouncing all over the place make this episode a standout. The subsequent series, while technologically more advanced and possessing better acting and writing, failed to "ignite" the basic sensuality of the original.

Boy, did the original cast know how to "have fun"!

The Enterprise gets to worship the Greek God Apollo
There is nothing like the REALLY old time religion, as Kirk and crew discover in "Who Mourns for Adonais?" The Enterprise is just going merrily along through space when a giant hand grabs the ship. Then the face of the Greek god Apollo appears and he invites Kirk and the crew down to a planet to worship him for eternity. Of course, Kirk and the crew take exception to this, especially Scotty, who, in the attendant sub-plot complication, has taken a liking to Lt. Carolyn Palamas. You see, she is the ship's expert on ancient civilizations--you sure need one of those when you are a buhjillion light years from earth and have a Starfleet computer--and Apollo likes her best of all. Since Apollo pretty much fits your standard textbook definition of a God, Kirk has to use the guile of Mercury and the golden tongue of, well, Apollo, rather than the strength of Atlas to get out of this situation. "Who Mourns for Adonias" never really made perfect sense to me as a title, but we do get to see the crew decked out in togas for the first time and the mystery of what happened to the Greek Gods is settled once and for all. Actually, this is not as bad an episode as you might think at first and Kirk does get to give another one of his rousing speeches in defense of humanity.

The crew meets the Greek God Apollo
The Enterprise and its crew are minding their own business when a force that resembles a giant green hand in space comes over the ship and holds it in place. Captain Kirk and some of his crew go to a planet and encounter a man saying he is the Greek God Apollo. Apollo demands that the Enterprise crew worship him, and he wants to take Lieutenant Palamas (Leslie Parrish) as his wife. If the crew doesn't cooperate, Apollo has weapons such as lightning to try to make them behave.

"Who Mourns for Adonais?" isn't one of the top 20 episodes of Star Trek - The Original Series, but it is pretty good. It has an interesting plot, good acting, and good special effects. I recommend any Star Trek fan who likes the episodes where somebody in history encounters the crew to get "Who Mourns for Adonais?"

The Greek Myths on Star Trek.
The crew of the Enterprise meet the Greek God, Apollo and discover the history behind Greek Mythology. Wonderful episode dedicated to the poems of the Greek poet Homer. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Not what you expect....
Hot women on the cover, caged and bound, oh yeah, this looks good and steamy, GUESS again. Actually this is more like a Power Rangers epsiode, and they'll be mighty morphed be a electrocuteing bra, ho-hum. If your looking for babes in space look else were because you won't find it here.

not as hot as you expect
You have the two words "Caged" and "Heat" in the movie title but the movie doesn't live up to its title. Yes, there is nudity but it's not hot. The acting, writing, and plot are not good.

Naked Women in (Futuristic) Prison movie...yawn
Sometimes, after watching a lot of bad movies, you begin to wonder how many faulty brain cells there are in Hollywood. There must be a lot, and a lot of them must have collaborated on this project - Caged Heat 3000.

No one, and I do mean no one, from this film can defend this movie as a serious attempt at anything. It is just that bad. No one was thinking, "Heck, let's make a bra that electrocutes it's victims, and that'll be a means of legitamite torture in the future."

No, sir, this film is just two orgies shy of being just another soft-core porno flick. Women in prison, trying to escape an unjust system. Yawn. No fresh angles. No original thought processes involved.

Here's a thought - If you want T&A, rent a porno. Otherwise, pass this one by at the video counter. Your money is best spent elsewhere. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Years before George Lucas knocked us out with his wildly imaginative barscene in Star Wars (in which a broad mix of exotic creatures mill about),Star Trek did much the same thing in "Journey to Babel." Serving as atransport for a variety of extraterrestrial diplomats, the Enterprisebecomes a warp-capacity hotel for truly eclectic visitors. (Director JosephPevney credits the makeup artist with this episode's impressive array of alienspecies.) The story finds murder committed aboard the ship and an attack onCaptain Kirk (William Shatner), all in an effort to sabotage the imminentsigning of a peace treaty. But against this mystery is an even more curiousfamily drama featuring Spock's conflicts with his parents, the Vulcan ambassadorSarek (Mark Lenard), who disapproves of his son, and his human wife, Amanda(Jane Wyatt). Story editor Dorothy Fontana wrote the script after deciding itwas time to show us the oft-mentioned mother and father of theEnterprise's first officer (Leonard Nimoy). We can thank her forinventing all the fascinating details of a complicated family relationship thatultimately became crucial to a couple of feature films and even a memorableepisode of The Next Generation. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (7)

More top Trek
In another classic Trek, we meet Spock's parents, and the Enterprise turns into a veritable 'who's who' of alien dignitaries. Like so many second season shows, this episode is fast paced and dramatic. There are actually several plot lines going at once. Not only do the subtleties of Spock's relationship with his parents play well here, the show is augmented by the fact that so much else happens (murder, Kirk and Sarek's physical troubles, a spy aboard the ship, a Klingon vessel, etc.) A lot to juggle, but the writer and director managed it well, even bringing everything together at the end. True, it's absurd that Kirk and company would know so little about Spock's family, but the bombshell does make for a dramatic close to the teaser.

Ambassador Sarek and his wife Amanda ARE Spock's parents
Certainly "Journey to Babel" has the best teaser in Star Trek history. The Enterprise crew is decked out in their formal dress to welcome the Vulcan Ambassador Sarek aboard. Kirk and McCoy are surprised when Sarek snubs Spock and go into complete shock when Spock tells that Ambassador Sarek and his wife are his parents. Sarek is one of several delegates bound for a conference that will debate the admission of Coridan to the Federation (the planet is rich with dilithium). When one of the delegates shows up dead, Sarek is a prime suspect until it is revealed he has a heart condition. McCoy is all ready to perform surgery with Spock serving as a blood donor when Kirk is also attacked by the assassin. With the captain incapacitated, Spock cannot relinquish command, even if it costs his father his life. Mark Lenard as Sarek is absolutely the PERFECT Vulcan, achieving a naturalness that is the envy of every other actor who has ever had to play a Vulcan. Even Leonard Nimoy seems to be acting as "Vulcan-like" in this episode as he ever had in the entire run of Star Trek. Jane Wyatt as his mother Amanda is clearly too emotional for a woman who has been living with Vulcans most of her life, but she looks great when she smiles and casting Margaret Anderson from "Father Knows Best" is almost as great as that of casting Lenard. "Journey to Babel" is just a wonderful episode with every scene involving Spock and his parents a treat, especially when father and son comment on Amanda's emotional outburst on the subject of logic. It is just so clear these two love her so much (arguably the most romantic moment in Star Trek history!). Simply a wonderful, wonderful episode that deserves to be on everyone's list of Top 10 Star Trek episodes.

Another top episode..A bit about Spock as well
This is another top episode of the original series. In this episode viewers find out that Spock's half human and half Vulcan. Spocks father is Sarek (Mark Lenard) and mother is Jane Wyatt, the twist is that Sarek is Vulcan's ambassador to the Federation and has not accepted the fact that Spock chose to join the Federation instead of the Vulcan Science Academy. A bit of a strained situation follows.

The Enterprise is headed to Babel with a bunch of different ambassadors and Sarek has a tense situation with another ambassador over federation membership. This lead to Sarek's nemisis's murder. But is Sarek the culprit? Plus Sarek has a heart condition which makes him gravely ill? Will Spock help his father or will he remain loyal to Captain Kirk who is also injured by an unknown assassin.

The answers to these will leave the viewer impressed with the plot and as stated before this is one of Star Trek's finest episodes. Plus the music when Sarek and Amanda (Spocks mother) first arrive on the Enterprise is classic!

Highly recommended!

An episode with a plot and many subplots
"Journey To Babel" isn't anything like any of the other Star Trek episodes. It has a plot and many subplots to it. The Enterprise is transporting many passengers to a new place, including Spock's parents. Captain Kirk gets injured and Spock's father, Sarek, needs a blood transfusion in order to have a chance to live. And Spock is the only one capable of giving his father the blood he needs since he's half Vulcan. Also, Spock's father is the leading suspect in the murder of another passenger onboard the Enterprise.

"Journey To Babel" has a lot of interesting characters and it's an entertaining episode. I recommend anybody who likes Star Trek to get this episode.

The best Star Trek Ever.
This is an extremely good Star Trek episode. First we meet Spock's parents, Sarek and Amanda, and we get to see many of the races that belong to the Federation aboard the Enterprise enroute to a conferance on the planet Babel to debate on letting the Coridan planets join the Federation. It is also a good action/adventure story that sees Spock trying to save his father's life via a blood transfusion while the Enterprise battles an unknown alien ship. This was the best Star Trek episode of all, just as Star Trek IV was the best of the Trek movies.Written by D.C. Fontana.Directed by Joseph Pevney.Music Score by Gerald Fried. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

France Nuyen gives an outstanding performance as a shrew
The Dohlman of the planet Elas is a beautiful woman who is pledged to be married to the leader of Troyius, in an attempt to end years of bitter war between the planets. The Enterprise is ordered to ferry the Dohlman to Troyius and the Troyian ambassador is assigned to teach the Dohlman the manners needed to function in Troyian society. Since he knows it will take some time, he asks Captain Kirk to take it slow, so the Enterprise departs at sublight speed.
Because the Dohlman is an arrogant, spoiled shrew the job is impossible. She repeatedly insults the Enterprise crew and the ambassador, refusing to learn what she needs to know. She eventually stabs the ambassador, and Kirk becomes her teacher. After she refuses Kirk's help, he slaps her, which changes everything. After one more childlike fit, she emerges crying and Kirk softens and wipes her tears away.
This creates a problem as the tears contain a chemical, which causes anyone who comes in contact with them to fall hopelessly in love with her.
A member of the Dohlman's entourage is working for the Klingons, sabotaging the Enterprise so that it will self-destruct when it goes into warp. To force this issue, a Klingon ship appears and makes a mock attack run. Scotty finds the sabotage just in time, so the Enterprise does not go to warp. The Klingons then demand the surrender of the Enterprise and attack. The fight is one-sided, as the Enterprise does not have warp power. However, the ceremonial necklace worn by the Dohlman contains dilithium crystals, which allow the Enterprise to regain warp power and they defeat the Klingon ship. The stress of battle cures Kirk of his love for the Dohlman and impresses her so much that she then meekly beams down to her wedding.
This is an episode with a great deal of tension. We can see the conflict in Kirk as he tries to manage the battle and his overpowering love for the Dohlman. The behavior of the Dohlman is very well played and appropriate, as it is needed to provide the proper background for the story. France Nuyen gives one of the best guest star performances of the series. It is not one of the very best episodes of the original series, but I rank it in the top twenty.

'Worth it just for Nuyen alone!
Episodes like this one, along with "Who Mourns for Adonis?" "Mudd's Women", and "Mirror, Mirror", are probably the reason the original Trek is, by far, the sexiest of the various incarnations. Perhaps, it fortunate that the series initial run was during the "sexual revolution" of the 60's, allowing female characters to be suggestively attired to the obvious delight of males everywhere.

While the story line isn't one of the series best, "Star Trek 57: Elaan of Troyius" does feature an eye-popping turn from guest France Nuyen in the title role. Nuyen is one of the most exotically beautiful actresses to even grace both the big and small screen. And she is more than just a pretty face; she is an excellent performer that has, sadly, not had extensive work.

Her appearance in this episode is one of the many trailblazers from the landmark show.

Nothing wrong with this one, either
Elaan of Troyius, which loosely follows the plot of Taming of the Shrew, is boosted by a strong acting performance from Frances Nguyen. She also brings out the best in Shatner; their scenes together, which run the gamut of emotions, are fairly convincing. The episode also features more action than average, including a dramatic ending, and there are no huge holes in the storyline (although at times it's tough to know exactly what Elaan's motivations are.) The episode is also boosted by a strong score and good costumes for the Dohlman (if not her guards!) One negative aspect is the implicit sexism behind 'the taming'. Overall, a slightly above average episode.

Tidbits: This episode, the second of the season to be produced, was the 13th to be aired. This ties Bread and Circuses for the longest lag of the entire series, and is probably mostly due to the 'high tech' scenes involving the 'Klingon' ship making rapid passes while firing on the Enterprise.

One of Star Trek's best battle sequences!
I know people think this episode is cheesey (which it is) but it's also very memorable. The space battle at the episode's conclusion is extremely well done--the special effects are well above average and the music really heightens the tension. In my opinion, it's every bit as good as the space battle from "Balance of Terror." France Nuyen, playing Elaan, does a spectacular job with not great material; she also gets to wear some of the show's most, uh, memorable costumes. Definitely worth repeated viewing, especially for the space battle sequence.

Captain Kirk has to baby-sit the Dohlman of Elas
James T. Kirk has more than his fair share of success when it comes to romance, but "Elaan Of Troyius" is one of his great falures. The Enterprise is on its way to the Tellun star system to play peacemaker between the planets Elas and Troyius. To achieve peace the king of Troyius will marry Elaan (France Nuyen), the Dohlman of Elas. However, the people of Elas are a warrior race who have so little interest in civilized behavior that the Dohlman stabs the ambassador from Troyius who is supposed to teach her the customs of her new planet. This means that Kirk gets to try and teach the Dohlman some manners and unlike the ambassador, he does not feel inclined to observed diplomatic niceties. After watching Kirk as the great romantic hero of the galaxy, it is rather fun to watch him basically baby-sit a beautiful woman who happens to be a completely spoiled brat. Then, just to make things really interesting, the Klingons show up. Ah, the trials and tribulations of a Starfleet captain. Think "The Taming of the Shrew" rather than "Pygmalion" with this episode since Kirk and Elaan end up falling for each other but are forced by duty to do the right thing. Obviously "Elaan of Troyius" was the inspiration for the excellent STNG episode, "The Perfect Mate," one of my personal favorites. This is an above average Star Trek episode, but I would not put it in my Top 10. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Not the best but definitely entertaining!
"The Concrete Overcoat" is a two part episode made during "The Man from UNCLE"'s third season (1966-1967). The "Man from UNCLE" featured actors Robert Vauhn and David McCallum as spies for an international organization headed by Alexander Waverly played by veteran actor Leo G. Carrol. Robert Vaughn plays Napoleon Solo, the debonair and suave UNCLE spy. With plenty of charm and tongue-in-cheek wit, always expect him to 'get the girl' :). David McCallum is Russian agent Illya Kuryakin, the enigmatic and quiet partner of Napoleon Solo. Together, the two agents make quite a pair as they save the world from villains and evil bad guys from THRUSH.

Episodes #70 & #71, "The Concrete Overcoat Affair Pt. 1 & 2": Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuraykin travel to Italy to discover THRUSH's newest plan to conquer the world. They find out that THRUSH agent Louis Strago (Jack Palance) has allied with Nazi scientist Dr. Von Kronen (Ludwig Donath) to use heavy water to divert the Gulf Stream. But before the two agents can report back to New York, they are separated and Napoleon finds himself having to hide under the bed of Pia Monteri (Letitia Roman). But enough after escaping a shotgun wedding with Pia's Gradmama (Penny Santon) holding the gun, troubles don't stop there. While the UNCLE agents are trying to find Strago and stop his plans, Pia's family feels her honor has been compromised. Therefore, the girl's American uncles, retired Prohibition-era gangsters "Fingers" Stilleto (Eduardo Giannelli), Enzo "Pretty" Stilleto (Allen Jenkins), and Federico "Feet" Stilletto (Jack LaRue) are called to hunt down Napoleon. Can the agents stop THRUSH from ruling the world even with Napoleon's big problem? Also starring is Janet Leigh as Miss Diketon, Strago's sadistic and a bit crazy female assistant.

As with most of "The Man from UNCLE"'s third season episodes, "The Concret Overcoat" borders on the edge of silliness and implausibility. Mostly this comes from 'the three stooges' type of routines with Pia's uncle gangsters and their 'old' pals. Especially the warehouse scene where they are trying to capture Illya. But overall the episodes are quiet enjoyable. Letitia Roman gives a pretty good performance as the Italian girl who has a bit of an innocent personality. Jack Palance is excellent as a THRUSH who seems to be always so nervous he's always carrying a handkerchief. As for Janet Leigh, her characters is quite, how shall I say... 'interesting'. But somehow I felt that the plot made her quite uneven at times. Though she's supposed to be a highly-trained strong agent, she seems to fall unconscience a lot. And of course Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin are terrific! Lots of banter between the two of them. A few of my favorite lines are:

Napoleon: Well how was I supposed to know you'd be smart enough to escape on your own?
Illya: I bring Lucrecia Borzia and you bring the Mafia. Huh! We're in great shape.

Napoleon: We'd better get out of here before those bombers get here.
Illya: Do we have to swim?

The action is pretty good for an UNCLE episode though at times it's pretty obvious their using stunt doubles for Vaughn and McCallum. Best part of the episodes is when they're on Strago's island.

Overall, not the best "The Man from UNCLE" has to offer but it's still pretty enjoyable to watch. If you've never seen any of the tv series episodes, I suggest you start out getting "The Man from UNCLE" volume 1 ("The Project Strigas Affair", "The Never Never Affair"), volume 3 ("The Deadly Toys Affair", "The Minus X Affair"), and volume 7 ("The Quadripartite Affair", "The Giucco Piano Affair"). These three tapes are one of my favorites!

An insult to the mob!
This double-parter does nothing but insult Italians-actually stereotype-- those proud of ties to their version of Robin Hood. Whoever produced it deserves a dump in the river.

the Concrete Overcoat Affair
MFU at its best , with tongue firmly in cheek . You have Janet Leigh as the formidable Miss Diketon, and Jack Palance as an unusual Thrush villian .Throw in old-time gangsters and a Thrush plot to divert the gulf stream and you have a great episode . Illya being tortured by Miss Diketon is a bonus.

U.N.C.L.E. spies, THRUSH, and gangsters all in one!
Actually 2 episodes from the now-classic Man From U.N.C.L.E. tv series. The jokes get a little stale after 30+ years, but the action is fast-moving, the scenery is great, and you get a beautiful Janet Leigh ("Psycho") with a penchant for torture. Add Jack Palance as a ladder-climbing THRUSH agent, and the result is a great tongue-firmly-in-cheek caper featuring '30s gangsters, Sicily, Italy, and a shotgun wedding for Napoleon Solo. A great romp! ... Read more

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Dr. McCoy gives babe magnet Kirk competition when the big-haired High Priestess (statuesque Kate Woodville in a form-hugging green wrap) of the runaway planet Yonada falls for the old country doctor, who has just been diagnosed with an incurable disease. Yonada is actually a spaceship in the guise of an asteroid, a kind of interstellar Ark on a trip to the promised land. A godlike computer known as the Oracle (voiced by James "Scotty" Doohan, minus the brogue) keeps the citizens in blissful ignorance and enforces its will with shock therapy, but it's dangerously off course and McCoy must break religious commandments and challenge his lover's will to set it right. A promising story that tackles dogma and blind faith is undercut by a timid script and a passionless affair (McCoy isn't getting married, he's negotiating a contract!), turning potential tragedy into just another shore leave fling. The episode earns its name from an inspired moment of poetic defiance: an aging citizen proclaims the truth in the face of the computer's wrath and dies in McCoy's arms. The rest of the episode never achieves the power of that moment. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (7)

For the plot is hollow, and I have seen much better
This one is pretty weak overall. The ultra-aggressive high priestess gets McCoy to marry her within a few days, but hours later, she encourages him to leave. The oracle has the ability to "zap" the boys, but when they go for the book at the end, it only yells at them, "NO! STOP!" Pretty decent idea, rather poorly executed, McCoy utterly passionless as the man "in love".

Longest title does not mean most content
This episode, featuring an oracle and a McCoy romance, is fairly weak. The episode has a schmaltzy, soap opera feel, and not much happens. The predictable, Oz-like ending with the now familiar digital twist doesn't help. Don't call me a hater, but one of the biggest problems-along with the dialogue and lack of action-is Deforest Kelley's passionless performance as a man in love.

McCoy is terminally ill so he decides to get married...
At the start of "For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" the Enterprise discovers an "asteroid" that is really a large spacecraft which Spock calculates is going to crash into a large planet. Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam over and meet Natira, the high priestess of Yonada (I am not sure if that qualifies as the name of the ship or the "planet"). She explains that their ancestors build the spaceship to move her people from one star system to another. Meanwhile, McCoy has an incurable disease and decides to stay on Yonada as Natira's husband and have a little fun before he drops dead. However, as soon as the "Oracle," Yonada's computer/god, makes McCoy one of the people (via an implanted device), he discovers that the sacred book of knowledge is really the owner's manual for the spacecraft. Of course, this little development has major ramifications for Yonada crashing into that populated planet and McCoy's fatal illness. The problem is that in terms of the latter this is just too convenient for my tastes. Then again, in terms of the former, did we not already see this during the third season in "The Paradise Syndrome"? I mean, we have one of the big three getting married while stuck someplace other than the Enterprise and an oblisk (yes, I know what word I could have used) of great power erected by an advanced alien civilization. For that reason this one has to lose another star. Certainly they could have come up with something more interesting for an episode focusing on Bones.

An underrated episode
"For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky" is in my opinion an underrated episode of Star Trek. Dr. McCoy has been diagnosed with a deadly illness, but insists to accompany Captain Kirk and Spock to a planet. Shortly after reaching the planet, the Enterprise crew learns of a group of people who don't even know about any world other than the closed-in ship that they live on. Oh yeah, Dr. McCoy also falls for a woman on the planet.

"For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky" has a few more plot elements to it, but I'll let you watch the episode on your own in order to find out what they are. If you like other episodes of Star Trek The Original Series such as "Return of The Archons," I would recommend purchasing "For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky." It's an interesting and entertaining episode. It also has good special effects (for the time) and a great performance from everybody.

A lesser known, but interesting episode
The Enterprise crew land on a moving asteroid that is in the form of a planet on the interior and find it to be ruled by a computer, similar to "The Apple". At the same time, Dr. McCoy finds he has succumed to an incurable disease with less than a year to live. This is one of the few episodes shown with McCoy in love. Kate Woodville, who played the high priestess Natira, never had a very illustrious career and apparently quit the movie business long ago. A shame for such a beautiful and talented actress. She also co-starred with Kirk Douglas in Posse. ... Read more

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This episode is an absolute must for fans of Star Trek's recurring shirtless-Kirk-being-tortured motif. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are taken to a strange laboratory and tortured by powerful aliens while a mute woman is forced to watch--a woman whose empathic abilities are being put to the test. There is, of course, a broader scheme to it all--this is one of the early manifestations of Trek's eternal conflict between the needs of the many and the needs of the few, or the one. Keep an ear out for one of the all-time great Bonesisms ("I'm a doctor, not a coal miner!") and hang on to those fragile but oh-so-important human emotions. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Testing the bonds of friendship between Kirk, Spock & McCoy
"The Empath" is certainly one of the most intimate episodes of Star Trek on so many levels. The Enterprise arrives at a star system that is about to go nova to pick up a scientific team. Kirk, Spock and McCoy have just found the station abandoned when they are suddenly transported to a huge cavern. There they find the corpses of the scientists and a mute empath, who McCoy names Gem. The mystery as to what is going on is solved when two Vians appear and explain they are doing experiments which consists of torturing Kirk and letting Gem heal him with her empathic abilities. When the Vians return for more tests, McCoy sedates the others and goes in their place. Kirk and Spock awake to find the doctor dying, with Gem his only hope. There have been a lot of Star Trek episodes where superior aliens test humans, but in "The Empath" the Vians provide a surprise and interesting twist. It seems they can transport the inhabitants of ONE planet from the Minaran system before its star explodes and while Gem's people are the most promising, the Vians must learn if she can sacrifice her self for another, which they call one of the highest qualities. So all the torturing has not been in the name of sadism, but rather to justify the horrendous choice of which planet of people to save. Of course, the two Earthlings and the Vulcan get high marks for their performance during the experiments. The strength of "The Empath" is the clear evidence of the strong relationship between Kirk, Spock and McCoy. Probably no other episode in the series focuses on the trio as much as this particular one.

Absurd premise, noblest of behavior
Some people refer to this episode as quirky in an attractive way. To me, the premise is just silly, although it shows the three main characters behaving in the most noble of ways. Kirk, Spock and McCoy are captured and the subjects of an experiment where the worthiness of a mute empath (Jem) is being tested. The star of their planetary system is about to nova and a technologically advanced species can only save the inhabitants of one of the planets. The Enterprise three are to be placed in danger, but separately, so only one is to be placed at risk. Using his advantage of having a hypospray to render the other two unconscious, McCoy puts himself at risk. Although they have the opportunity to escape, Kirk and Spock choose to go to the aid of McCoy. All of this is so Jem can experience the concept of self-sacrifice and prove the worth of her "people."
The problem with the episode is that no intelligent species would ever try to save a planet by performing dangerous experiments on another intelligent species. All they had to do was to approach the Federation and ask for assistance and a fleet of ships would have been provided, which could have saved the inhabitants of all the planets. The amount of time wasted in the test of Jem was enormous and there is also the problem of what they would have done if she had failed the test. Find three more humans to torture?
There is one redeeming feature of this episode, and that is the deep affection and personal loyalty that Kirk, Spock and McCoy demonstrate towards each other. Each was willing to die for the other, without hesitation and there was no thought about leaving their comrades to save themselves. More than in any other episode, we see that natural "human" trait of bonding with your comrades in arms. One can argue that a precondition for any species to achieve space travel is the ability of selected groups to function as a unit, willing to risk all for their comrades.
Therefore, despite my intense dislike of the premise of the experiment, I find the episode tolerable, although in the bottom third of the original series in terms of quality.

Something oddly appealing about this one...
maybe it's the bizzarro black void most of the episode takes place in. Love the Vians too, letting the boys think they can escape while they whole time they've got it under control. OK, so it gets a little slooowww at points, and i dont care for the original music score, which usually adds so much. But it's a pretty good story and one of the weirdest episodes of them all.

Another slightly above average, and original, episode
Here is another off-beat and dark 3rd season offering, in which the triumvirate spend their time in the dark with a mute 'named' Gem. We meet the Vians, some of the most frightening and sadistic aliens every encountered in the original series. Yet the refreshingly innocent Gem provides a wonderful counterpoint, giving a light to the episode despite the most minimalistic sets ever seen in TOS. Nothing is as it seems in this episode, and the most creepy and dreamlike scenes actually occur in the light (Kirk running in slow motion to Scottie). While the episode ultimately suffers from a thin plot and shaky motivations for the aliens, it is, like many episodes from the first half of the third season, refreshingly unique and stylistically more advanced than earlier episodes.

Friendship, Tension, Emotion - A Good Story
This is one of the first Series's best episodes. Friendship, sacrifice and a plethora of tensions make this a well written episode. Instead of goodies and gadgets, emotion and character assume the center of the stage.

Cheap to make? Yes. There were few special effects. The Vians weren't cute and cuddly, quite the contrary, they were cold, heartless and "alien". "Gem", the empath is silent but deeply insightful and talented.

This isn't the typical Star Trek pablum; a secret widget or gimmick doesn't save the day. The Genesis Planet doesn't bring anyone back to life. The Transporter doesn't make anyone young again. None of Dr. McCoy's special nostrums cure every ill, instead Dr. McCoy's character is revealed. Under the whiny exterior is a tough man who can call the shots and back them up.

What saves the day is Kirk's appeal to the Alien's vestigial sense of morality and right and wrong. Their only motive, to learn if the equally alien "Gem" is capable of self sacrifice and learning the noble virtues which in their view make civilizations worthy to survive. Kirk turns this around on the aliens, convincing them to demonstrate the very virtues which they prize by letting the men and Gem go.

On the road to this realization Kirk is tortured. Spock and McCoy vie for the position of the next victim. McCoy sacrifices himself for Spock.

It ends happily but enigmatically. We never learn if the Vians save Gem's race or if she survives. We do not learn if the three men are better friends for having suffered so together.

Would I change this episode? Slightly, some of the dialogue was sophomoric, but the story was far superior to most Star Trek episodes. I recommend this episode highly. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Film that Inspired Clinton!
Oh sweet mystery of life revealed! I have often wondered what spawned Bill Clinton's formidable libido, and THE BAWDY ADVENTURES OF TOM JONES must be it!

Featuring a story about a gentle, good-natured young lad who can't help it that he's the rowdy object of carnal desires of a stable full of 18th Century buxom beauties, I quickly zoomed in on the comparisons. Young Tom enjoys the pleasures of the flesh, yet steadfastly maintains his innocence and his constant devotion to his true love. Hmmm, haven't we heard that one before? And when a lustful young lass literally throws herself at one's feet, what's a politician, er, a dashing young man to do?

One can only imagine the inspiration ignited by this film's countless romps and trysts and enthusiastic rolls in the hay. If ever there was a film that pronounced one could indeed have one's cake and eat it, too (pun intended), this is it. And no doubt the statures of screen veterans such as Trevor Howard, Joan Collins, and Terry-Thomas enhanced this movie's credibility--much like an acquittal from the U.S. Senate. And sporting an absolutely nauseating musical score, THE BAWDY ADVENTURES OF TOM JONES also brings to mind Bill Clinton's brother, Roger. Yet another example of noble inspiration!
--D. Mikels

"How dare you enter my private quarters."
"The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones" is a visual romp through the naughtier bits of the 18th century. Based on the novel by Henry Fielding, this film version concentrates on a mixture of bawdy double-entendres and slapstick comedy. It's the story of Tom Jones--an illegitimate foundling who is adopted into the household of Squire Alworthy. The film includes many scenes of serving girls with extremely low-cut dresses bending over, and female servants romping through bedrooms as they are chased by their over-eager masters. Obviously, as the title of the film suggests, there's a theme here.

Anyone familiar with the novel, Tom Jones, will be disappointed in this film. It's certainly not a fair presentation of the novel. While the costumes and settings are pleasant to behold (and that's why I'm giving two stars), there's also the odd song thrown in for good measure--is this film supposed to be a musical?

I'm not quite sure how Trevor Howard was persuaded to accept the role of the libidinous Squire Western. Luscious Joan Collins slithers around in her role as Black Bess (Black Bess, by the way, was the name of Highwayman Dick Turpin's horse). This film serves as a distraction, but it does not do justice to the novel. As a film in its own right, it's fluff with no substance. It's Benny Hill meets Tom Jones--just not as funny--displacedhuman ... Read more

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"The Alternative Factor" is a minor episode in which Kirk encounters two versions of a fellow named Lazarus (Robert Brown), one from our own dimension and the other from an antimatter cosmos. The latter Lazarus intends to create an opening between worlds, potentially causing an intergalactic Armageddon. Though directed by Gerd Oswald, an interesting feature filmmaker from Hollywood, "The Alternative Factor" has to work a little too hard to make its point. Still, it isn't boring, and the theme certainly fits that long-standing Star Trek obsession with dualities. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Strange plot that is hard to understand
"The Alternative Factor" is one of the worst episodes of the original Star Trek. Spock and the crew find what seems to be a dead planet. Kirk finds a man named Lazarus and they beam back up to the Enterprise. They later find out that Lazarus is a time traveller and there's a mysterious being on the dead planet that he says is actually a person trying to interfere with his time travel. Lazarus will do anything to get some crystals so he can get in his flying saucer and get off the planet as soon as he can.

"The Alternative Factor" isn't the worst episode of the original series, but it's not one of the best. The plot is strange and it makes you wonder what it's even about at times. I wouldn't recommend getting "The Alternative Factor" unless you're a diehard Trek fan.

One of the five worst episodes in the original series
This episode is clearly in the bottom five of the original Star Trek series. It starts with the basic idea of twins, one good and the other evil, almost identical in structure, but opposite in temperament. In this case, both are named Lazurus and each is from a different universe. This basic idea had already been used in episode 5, "The Enemy Within", where a transporter malfunction split Kirk into his good and evil personalities. However, that is only one reason why this episode is so weak.
Supposedly, because one is from a matter universe and the other from an antimatter universe, if they ever meet, it will cause the destruction of both universes. This is of course scientifically absurd, when any antimatter encounters any matter equal amounts of both are converted into energy. Therefore, the antimatter Lazurus would have been destroyed when he first encountered the matter of the Enterprise.
The two Lazuruses pop back and forth across their universes, making it difficult for you to determine which one is currently on the Enterprise. As they perform their universe hopping, the crew of the Enterprise is befuddled, although they eventually figure out that they are dealing with two distinct individuals. The solution is to wait until they both are in the process
of hopping from one universe to another and then destroy their ships, which is what created the path between the universes.
This traps them in the "corridor" between the universes, where the mad Lazurus will eternally be at the throat of the good one. The absurdity of this solution seems lost on all the participants. Obviously, if being in the corridor has rendered you immortal, then even the actions of a madman could not harm you. The simplest solution would have been to kill the mad
Lazarus, saving both universes. Nevertheless, there is a sensible reason why the creators did not choose this option, as that allowed them to pose the one interesting theme of the story,
that one can end up in purgatory by committing actions worthy of a saint.
I have trouble ranking what I consider to be the top and bottom five episodes of the original Star Trek series. Therefore, I cannot say that I rank this one last, but it is tied for 75th place.

The lemons weren't confined to season 3
This episode, in which a loner travels between universes in a small ship, just never comes together. Despite the fact that nothing short of the universe is at stake, the episode feels trivial. While Robert Brown certainly has a tough assignment here as the two Laseruses (Laserii?), he seems torn between trying to make each of them 'real' while still being sufficiently different that the viewer will not become confused. Unfortunately he does not succeed in either regard, and the seemingly haphazard storyline doesn't assist the viewer any either. The team also seems to struggle to fill up the episode's allotted hour, but the main problem is the story is presented in a way that doesn't make sense; everything feels arbitrary and desultory. The self-flagellation between universes, while memorable, is not particularly effective either. About the best thing about this episode is the end-the disturbing idea of someone spending eternity battling a madman.

What of Lazarus? Worth watching; not one of the best Treks
The Alternative Factor is the 1966 TOS Episode featuring Lazarus and his anti-matter counterpart. Lazarus is a madman who is obsessed with his counterpart and has devoted his life to finding and annihilating him (and 2 universes in the process).

A few inconsistencies abound in this one. First, it's pretty confusing trying to keep track of which Lazarus is which as they go back and forth through the portal. Second, as one reviewer suggested, why didn't Kirk just kill one of them (or why didn't the anti-matter one just kill himself)? Third, when Spock and Kirk talk about the physics behind it, Spock starts out saying when counterparts meet from parallel universes they "cancel themselves out violently". Then out of nowhere Spock says it's matter-antimatter and that means the total annihilation of both universes. No only is this inconsistent in the dialogue, but illogical (are you listening Spock?) scientifically.

Fourth, why are they locked in the corridor for all eternity? Wouldn't they die eventually? Or don't people need food in the corridor; or do they become immortal there? If time stops there, then it's no big deal as they wouldn't be conscious anyway.

Fifth, Lazarus says he's a "time traveler". Why do they stay in the same time throughout the episode then?

Sixth, if they are parallel wouldn't there be a Kirk and Spock counterpart also (this is explored in a later and superior episode)? And why is the Lazarus in Kirk's world insane, while the other sane? If they are that different from each other why would the matter-Lazarus be obsessed with someone who isn't really like him (save his looks).

Nonetheless, with all these flaws it's still worth watching, as the idea of the annihilation of the universe and eternal hell in the corridor are profound concepts, though they are only brought out toward the end and undeveloped. And this, one of the weaker TOS episodes still towers over the later series
imho.

What is the matter/anti-matter with Lazarus?
"The Alternative Factor" is one of those neat science fiction ideas that does not necessarily translate into an effective episode. The Enterprise comes across a strange craft and a very upset being named Lazarus, who claims to be chasing an evil enemy who must be destroyed. Lazarus insists Kirk must help and when the captain refuses, the strange visitor steals what he needs any way. When Kirk follows he encounters the "evil enemy" of which Lazarus spoke, who is some sort of a twin. Apparently Lazarus' people have discovered a corridor between the matter and anti-matter universes. When the first Lazarus discovered he had a twin, he went insane. Even more alarming, if the two meet outside the corridor, they will destroy both universes. This would not be a good thing. I have to admit that this is one of those times when I think the logical thing to do would be to simply zap one of the two Lazaruses and avoid the potential destruction of absoltuely everything. But that is just me and apparently Kirk was not going to learn this particular bit of wisdom until "The City on the Edge of Forever." "The Alternative Factor" is long on talk and short on action and is a lesser than stellar Star Trek episode. ... Read more

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There's an emergency on Janus VI, a seemingly uninhabited planet rich inmetals and rare minerals crucial to Federation operations.There's a lot of money to be made by the mining contractor involved, butthere's a swift-moving, unseen monster roaming thesnaky tunnels of Janus's interior, turning miners into acid-drenched goo.Fifty men have died, and it's up to the Enterprise to find the alien culprit and defuse the lynch-mob mentality spreading among the paranoid miners. Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), andDr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) beam down to initiate thedetective work, leading Spock to quickly conclude that the thousands ofsilicone balls mysteriously strewn about the planet's deepest caves mighthave something to do with the reasons behind the atrocities. Written byseries guru Gene L. Coon and directed by mainstay Joseph Pevney (whoalternated directorial chores with Marc Daniels during the show's secondseason), "The Devil in the Dark" is a breathlessly paced episode reflecting a delightful variety of cross-genre influences--Westerns, creature features,gritty noir. Add one of the most effective and moving instances of theEnterprise's search for new life on Star Trek (plus McCoy'sinfamous complaint, "I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer"), and this is a memorable program indeed. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A fine piece of sci-fi television writing.
The Devil in the Dark is one of Star Trek's best episodes. A rock like creature, a Horta has been striking back at the miners who are unknownly destroying her eggs. Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock discover that the creature is intelligent, despite it's apperance , and find a way for the Horta and the Miners to live in peace. An excellient showing of how in the Star Trek universe, all life forms are treated with respect and dignity, This show was written by Gene L. Coon. A man who shared a lot of commen ideas with Gene Roddenberry about what Star Trek should be.Directed by Joseph Pevney.Music Composed and Conducted by Alexander Courage.

The essence of "Trek"
The original "Star Trek" television series certainly boasts a number of episodes which are rightly labeled "classics" by fans of science fiction. "The Devil in the Dark," written by Gene L. Coon and directed by Joseph Pevney, is one of the most memorable of those classic shows.

In this installment of the series, the crew of the Starship Enterprise investigates the deaths of a number of workers on a mining colony. They discover the killer to be a frightening creature that can burrow through solid rock as easily as a hot knife through butter. But, this being the "Star Trek" universe, all is not necessarily as it seems, and Captain Kirk's investigation results in a number of stunning revelations.

"The Devil in the Dark" boasts one of the series' most memorable aliens in the "monster" of the title. The episode also features memorable dialogue between principal characters Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. But what makes this show most special is its em