Amazon.com

The final broadcast episode of Star Trek's second season was this clever and funny story in which the Enterprise travels back in time to 1968 (the year this program aired) to discover how the nuclear arms race came to an end. Captain Kirk (William Shatner) encounters a strange fellow named Gary Seven (Robert Lansing), who claims to have been trained by extraterrestrials in sabotaging the escalating nuclear threat. With the ambivalent aid of a nervous secretary (Teri Garr), Seven (yes, there was a Trek character with that name before Voyager) attempts to carry out his assignment, but Kirk isn't sure if he can be trusted.

Lansing's droll and somewhat imperious performance is nicely counterpointed by Garr's cute confusion, and the eerie presence of his familiar--a black cat named Isis--adds a hint of hoodoo exotica. (Don't blink at the end or you'll miss the really exotic creature Isis briefly turns into.) "Assignment: Earth" was actually the pilot for an intended Gene Roddenberry-produced TV series that never happened. Too bad... But speaking of eerie, Spock (Leonard Nimoy) at one point refers to an important assassination that will soon take place. A week after this episode's original airdate, Dr. Martin Luther King was murdered. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Star Trek about to go on a diet
Earth-This episode, which featured the crew returning to Earth in 1968 to observe a rocket launch, was certainly unusual. it becomes much more than an observation once they are forced to decide whether Seven's role is a positive or negative one in the prevention of nuclear war. Any viewer unaware that this was a pilot episode of a proposed spy show would be forgiven for wondering how the crew ended up in a such a mundane setting. While Robert Lansing and Terri Garr are a big step up from your average Trek guest stars, there is a reason the show was not picked up. Nevertheless, the plotline is entertaining enough to yield one quirky episode.

Tidbit: Kirk was never any rounder than he was right here; well, not until the Trek movies anyway.

Strange episode, rarely seen anymore
I enjoyed seeing this episode again. It had been a long time and I had forgotten most of it. I think this is one of the least run episodes of the original series in syndication. I think it had a good plot. Its too bad the series didn't do a follow up on the main character and the alien beings he was returned to. Their technology was above that of Star Fleet's at that time. The episode had Star Trek's trademark mix of comedy and drama with a bit of mystery mixed in. I highly recommend this episode.

The Enterprise goes back to 1968 to do historical research
"Assignment: Earth" features Robert Lansing as Gary Seven, who I used to watch on "Twelve O'Clock High," my favorite show as a kid. Seven suddenly pops up on the Enterprise, claiming to be a human being who has been living on a distant planet. He is now heading to Earth to help humanity survive a dangerous situation. Now what is sort of strange about this episode is that this is all happening in 1968, where the Enterprise has gone back in time (remember, they learned how in "Tomorrow is Yesterday") to do historical research. Really? The Federation is risking the time continuum just to do data gathering? Did Kirk and Spock not tell anybody about what happened in "The City on the Edge of Forever"? I like Lansing, and who does not like Terri Garr, but this is just too wild a set up to accept. By the time I get around to being willing to suspend my disbelief, the episode is pretty much over. This is a shame, because the concept of human beings sent as agents by aliens to help humanity to keep from destroying itself, is certainly worth exploring further.

The best Gary Seven episode ever!!!
Everybody's favorite intergalactic troubleshooter Gary Seven, a human trained by a race of wise aliens and returned to 20th century Earth to save the planet from nuclear holocaust, just barely pulls it off again. In this action-packed episode, Seven (Robert Lansing) with the aide of his hilariously inept secretary (Teri Garr) works quickly to saboutage the launch of a US rocket being readied to place nuclear weapons into orbit. Unfortunately, Seven's carefully laid plans hit a snag when his transit beam is intercepted by what appears to be a spacecraft sent from 23rd century Earth on an exploration mission. Not having enough time to verify whether these are indeed explorers from Earth's future, and unable to reveal hsi true mission, and unable to convince thse possible humans of his own good intentions, Seven remains at odds with them thruought.

This is probably the best episode of "Gary Seven" though the special effects are typically lousy, and Terri Garr's charachter was still too adorable to be believable, Seven fans around the world know the show's real value was in its charachter interactions which are tops here. The way the writers concentrate on the crew of the Federation Spaceship Enterprise, you'd think that they were the stars. Some Seven fanatics (esp. the notorious "Seven of One") have speculated that this "Seven" episode was actually intended to be a spinoff for another series about the crew of the Enterprise, though we'll never know for sure. This episode is actually more memorable for Isis, who reveals in the last few minutes of the show some of the reason for the hold she has over loyal Seven fans across the world.

The crew takes a trip back in time to 20th century Earth
In "Assignment: Earth," a man that is supposedly from earth beams onboard the Enterprise. The man tells the crew to beam him to earth where he belongs, but Captain Kirk is worried that if the man isn't telling the truth and if he's not even human, that beaming this man to earth could possibly change history. What will Captain Kirk decide to do this time around?

I thought "Assignment: Earth" was a pretty good episode. Apparently I'm not as fond of it as some of the other reviewers, but I did like it because it made me want to watch it the whole time to see if Captain Kirk and Spock would catch the earthling and find out the truth about him. The episode also has some footage of rockets taking off from earth, which I thought was a cool bonus. There's also some other noticeable earth history included in "Assignment: Earth." Not to mention that Teri Garr is also in the episode.

I recommend anybody who likes Star Trek episodes that deal with history to get "Assignment: Earth." ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Bittersweet Space Opera and Trek at its Best
This is one of my favorite original series episodes. It proves that even as the show was nearing cancellation, it still had lots of pizazz and power. While most Americans have probably seen this episode many times over the years, it is difficult not to be moved by it's premise: Impossible love, loss of immortality, and the failure of the mind to control the heart.

The beautiful Android Rayna's untimely death due to Captain Kirk and Flint's boyish wrangling is bad enough- but the most poignant scene is at the end, when Spock mind-melds with Kirk to help him forget his foolishness; a sudden end of scene, and we see the Enterprise flying away.... Very moving. And of course, this episode has some very beautiful music, typicl of the original series score, with a gorgeous waltz made specially for this episode.

I feel this episode encapsulates all that is Star Trek, The Original Series. It is a must have that still holds up today.

There was still a little gas left in the tank
This episode, which features the immortal Flint, is one of the stronger late shows. The premise is interesting, and Flint's performance is nuanced and convincing. Reena is also a sympathetic character, and her conflict in the romantic imbroglio is the most plausible. Granted, love can do strange things to people, but both the otherwise-refined Flint and the always-vulnerable Kirk really act like cavemen here. Ri-talin certainly seems to be the furthest thing from Kirk's mind for much of the episode. Reena ends up being the most tragic and sympathetic figure (ironically enough), but it is Kirk who ultimately receives the salve from Spock in one of Trek's oddest scenes.

Tidbits: By looking closely at Shatner (not his face) you can tell that he enjoys the Waltz with Reena.

Kirk encoutners a 6,000 year old man and his android woman
"Requiem for Methuselah" is one of my picks for Top 10 Star Trek episodes, although obviously it would be my most idiosyncratic selection. Rigelian fever has broken out on the Enterprise and the crew discovers the necessary antidote, ryetalyn, on an uninhabited planet in the Omega system. However, the landing party discovers a man named Flint, his robot M4 and his ward, Rayna Kapec. Slowly but surely Kirk and Spock put together the pieces of the mystery--e.g., a "new" work written in the hand of Johannes Brahms--and Flint finally tells them his fantastic story. Born on earth in Mesopotamia in 3034 B.C., he was Akharin, a soldier who was pierced in the heart in battle but did not die because of instant tissue regeneration. Apparently immortal he has lived dozens of lifetimes as Brahms, da Vinci, Solomon, Alexander, Merlin and many others (he claims to have been both Methuselah and Lazarus, and let us just ponder the implications of the latter claim, which is probably the biggest gaff in Star Trek history). Having outlived countless female companions he has constructed a woman equal to himself: Rayna is an android. However, Kirk has fallen in love with this perfect woman and refuses to let Flint have her, with tragic results. The epilogue to this episode, in which Spock seeks to ease Kirk's pain, is one of the most touching of the original Star Trek. James Daly plays Flint and brings a nice sense of weariness to the role of a man almost 6,000 years old. I have always liked this episode and Flint is one of my favorite characters from the Star Trek universe. For that reason I am willing to overlook Kirk's insistence on putting his feelings for Rayna above that of this crew, who are supposed to be dying from Rigelian fever back on the Enterprise.

Not a bad episode
Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy beam down to a supposedly deserted planet when some members of their crew come down with a deadly disease called rigellian fever. They have to find the antidote before it's too late. However, they soon discover that the planet is not deserted. It's inhabited by a man (Flint) who claims to have been several famous people from past history and by an attractive droid (Rayna) who looks like a real woman. The story changes a bit when Captain Kirk falls in love with Rayna.

I didn't think that "Requiem For Methuselah" was that bad of an episode. It has a decent plot, some cool landscapes, and some great lines from Dr. McCoy and Spock at the end of the show.

Could have been good
This episode could have been good had it not been marred by a scene in which Kirk acts in a manner which is absurdly out-of-character, putting his own interests ahead of those of his crew by, in Kirk's own words, "fighting over a woman."

The story is reminiscent both of "Pygmalion" and "The Tempest," but with an interesting twist. Flint, the mentor/erstwhile lover of his creation, an android named Rayna, is an ageless being who once was Johannes Brahms as well as other famous humans. The episode also concludes with a remarkably compassionate scene. ... Read more

Amazon.com

What is it with Starfleet captains? So many of them become wildly grandiose. Witness "The Omega Glory," in which another starship commander, Ronald Tracey (Morgan Woodward), tramples the Prime Directive by interfering in a long-running conflict between primitive societies, in this case the Yangs and Kohms of planet Omega IV. Siding with the Kohms, Tracey creates an imbalance of power that Kirk works to adjust by arming the Yangs proportionately.

The script by series creator Gene Roddenberry is one of his not-so-subtle allegories for the state of the world in the 1960s, specifically our own cold war between nuclear superpowers. So bluntly drawn is Roddenberry's parallel between Omega IV and 20th-century Earth that this is one of the few Star Trek episodes that risks becoming completely absurd after a point. William Shatner (Captain Kirk) takes the biggest risk of all with a passionate, lengthy speech of the sort pranksters like comic actor Kevin Dunn are wont to imitate today. But the fact is that Shatner pulls off such chancy material very well, and certainly does so here. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (11)

What was once ours is ours again!
This was always my favorite episode of the original series. The idea of generation after generation of Americans fighting to take back their country from Chinese invaders after nuclear war still gives me the chills. Driven out upon the plains and into the mountains they adopt the ways of the Native Americans and take back their country one city at a time- with nothing but bravery and unshakable resolve. Even the phasers provided to the Kohms (Communists) by the renegade captain of the U.S.S. Exeter cannot stop the Yangs (Yanks.) Frankly, I can't see how this could be viewed in anything but heroic terms. It isn't always winning that makes a nation great- it is never giving up, never forgetting your identity even after overwelming disaster. What was once ours is ours again; it shall never be taken from us again!

The reaction when Kirk sees that tattered flag almost makes you forget that he is a Canadian....

One other thing, this episode is not just about extreme American patriotism. I remember the general atmosphere of 1968 when this was originally aired. Roddenberry was trying to get Americans to put themselves in the place of the Vietnamese. He wanted Americans to imagine what it would be like to have our own country invaded and occupied by an outside power- and how we would never just give up and accept it. Roddenberry was trying to tell us that it was insane to think that an outside invader can ever win the "hearts and minds" of a people who deeply love their country and their culture. Apparently we still haven't figured that out.

The Holy Words of "E Pleb Neesta" must apply to EVERYONE!
"The Omega Glory" is far and away my favorite Star Trek episode involving a parallel Earth, mainly because the similarity is saved until the thrilling conclusion of the episode (cf. "Miri," where the planet looks just like Earth in the teaser). The Enterprise discovers the USS Exeter in orbit around Omega IV with everyone dead on board. On the surface Kirk, Spock and McCoy find Captain Tracey, who explains that some biological agent on the planet killed his crew, except for those few who stayed on the surface. However, it becomes clear Tracey has violated the sacred Prime Directive, uisng his phaser to aide the Kohms against their ancient enemies, the Yangs. However, the Yangs overwhelm the Kohms in a final battle (Morgan Woodward does a marvelous job of just describing the slaughter; no need for thousands of extras on this one) and the Starfleet officers are all stunned to learn that the Yangs worship the flag of the United States of America. I have to admit, the first time around this one had me completely fooled. Realizing that Kohms and Yangs are corruptions of Communists and Yankees, Kirk is able to recognize the garbled words of the Pledge of Allegiance. But then the Yangs bring out their most sacred Holy Words, which also sound so familiar to Kirk. But before he can supply the answer Kirk has to fight Tracey, thereby proving the ancient dictum that good will always triumph over evil. "The Omega Glory" is one of my personal favorites. I think it has something to do with all that time spent in college studying "ideographs," what Cloud William and Kirk would call "worship words." Certainly it is the most pro-American episode from the Star Trek universe.

Worst story line in the original series
In terms of story line, this is my least favorite episode in the original series. It is political in nature, but there is no subtlety and ends up being a piece of pro-American propaganda. It was written by Gene Roddenberry himself and it is clear that it was meant to be a comment on the cold war between the Communist and American blocks.
The setting is a parallel Earth (Omega IV) where the Communist side, now called the Coms, won control of the world in a bacterial holocaust. The American side, now called the Yangs, is fighting to regain control of the areas they lost. Over the centuries, the planet's inhabitants have developed immunity to the disease and now live for centuries. However, the disease is still present and is quickly fatal to anyone who makes planetfall.
The Enterprise arrives at Omega IV and finds the starship Exeter, under the command of Ron Tracey, orbiting the planet. It fails to answer all attempts at communication, so Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Galloway beam over to find only empty uniforms. They access a log entry that says that they must beam down to the surface if they are to have any chance at survival. They beam down to find that Captain Tracey has violated the Prime Directive, fighting on the Com side against the Yangs.
Kirk is imprisoned with the Yang leader and eventually they begin to communicate, collaborating to escape from the jail. However, the Yang leader turns on Kirk, knocking him unconscious. The Yangs attack again, defeating the Coms and the Starfleet personnel are brought to the Yang leaders, who are celebrating their victory. They bring out their sacred objects, which are an American flag, a copy of the constitution of the United States, a bible and a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.
The absurdity of this occurring on another planet is bad enough, but the events and dialog become very preachy. William Shatner's acting is at its' worst when he is speaking to the Yang leader and he says, "Do you understand?" Complete with wildly exaggerated arm movements, Kirk is more a fire and brimstone preacher than a starship captain.
This episode aired on March 1, 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War. While it has a point about avoiding the massive death of an all out war between two competing blocks, it degenerates into a piece of absurd pro-American propaganda. It is one episode where the diversity of humanity, such a proud feature of the series, is ignored. Fortunately, Chekov was not in this episode, adding more pro-Russian absurdities.

So much for American pride
This patriotic episode, in which the Yangs (American whites) are oppressed by the Colms (Communist Asians), is a real stinker, no matter what your political philosophy. The Roddenberry-written episode starts strongly enough with an intriguing and disquieting teaser, but despite plenty of action it's a downhill ride once we reach the planet's surface. I can see the appeal of the 'what-if' stories; they allow us to imagine other possible historical trajectories on earth, and they are cheap to make. But the second season really overloaded us with them. Worse, this episode is in my opinion totally biased, presenting Asians as savages and Americans as heroic. A more measured approach with some heterogeneity would have been nice; on the other hand it wouldn't have made for as viscerally-gripping an episode. I guess what I'm saying is, I don't mind simplistic, but this goes too far, and it's too offensive along the way. By the time we get to Old Glory, we feel almost embarrassed for Shatner. I give him credit though for being professional enough to play the scene seriously.

Tidbit: Morgan Woodward, who plays Tracey here, was also Dr. Van Gelder in Dagger of the Mind.

A glorious episode
A Starfleet captain violates the Prime Directive by using Federation technology to protect a primitive tribe called the Kohms from barbarians that call themselves the Yangs. Throw in deadly viruses and a trip to a planet that houses people who are thousands of years old, and you have one of the most complex missions that Captain Kirk and crew have ever taken on full force.

"The Omega Glory" is one of those suspenseful, action packed episodes of the original series. You'll see several fights, hear many arguments, and even see an UNFORGETTABLE technique used by Spock! It also has a nice patriotic theme and storyline in a way. Best of all, it's really entertaining. What more could you ask for?

The Enterprise crew's mission is to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life, and new galaxies, and most of all, to go where no man has gone before. They certainly do a lot of that in this episode!

It may not be a top 10 episode, but it is very good. To save a place in your Star Trek collection for it would be a smart decision. I can now say with 100% honesty that I've seen every single one of the Star Trek - The Original Series episodes, and "The Omega Glory" was a great episode to save for last. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good!
I actually liked this episode that guest starred Robert Goulet. Robert Goulet plays hilmself and he also plays a man named Chuck who is down on his luck and needs some money and when he comes into the bank for a loan he is turned down by Mr. Mooney so Lucy trys to help him by entering him in a Robert Goulet lookalike contest.

PRETTY LAME STUFF
THIS WAS PRODUCED TOWARDS THE END OF THE "LUCY SHOW"S SUCCESSFUL
RUN AND IT SHOWS.BY THAT TIME,THE SCRIPTS HAD ALREADY ENTERED A STEADY DOWNSLIDE IN QUALITY.THIS IS A REALLY BELOW AVERAGE ENTRY FOR THE OTHERWISE ENJOYABLE SERIES AND NOT EVEN LUCY CAN SAVE AN INANE SCREENPLAY THAT (unsuccessfully)TRIES TO CASSH IN ON THE MISTAKEN IDENTITY BIT.A LETDOWN FOR FANS. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

All "I Love Lucy" episodes celebrate the 50th Anniversary.
In this decade, every episode of "I Love Lucy" will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Every episode is still funny as funny as when they first aired. The shows are good. The shows are wholesome. They are healing and warm and will make you feel good. Buy them on VHS or DVD today.

Lucy and Ethel the cat burglars and home redecorators
"Too Many Crooks" (Episode #73, November 30, 1953) is the better of the two episodes from the show's third season collected on this volume of the "I Love Lucy" collection. The papers are all a-buzz with stories about Madame X, the cat burglars who has been working the neighborhood. Lucy and Ethel become convinced that the other one is Madame X as the paranoia and laughter increases. "Redecorating the Mertzes' Apartment" (Episode #74, November 23, 1953), finds Lucy courting disaster as usual when she organizes a painting party to redecorate the Mertzes' apartment. I am surprised that they did not put this episode on a tape with "Decorating," where Lucy destroys her own apartment, but I guess that would be too obvious a combination. Neither of these are classic episodes of Lucy zaniness but they are still above average outings.

TIME HASN'T DIMMED THESE COMEDY CLASSICS
These classic episodes are still great fun. Ethel is ashamed of her "crummy" apartment, so Lucy decides that it would be a good idea to redecorate. Lucy asks Ethel what the word is that she's looking for in describing the Mertz abode. Ethel: "I don't use that kind of language!" Ms. Ricardo takes some ancient feathers out of Fred's lumpy chair ("sewed as Fred").....and Fred brings in an electric fan! Lucy is hilarious when she imitates a mink in her frantic attempt to tell Ethel that Ricky got her a mink stole. MADAME X is unusual in that the audience goes into the Ricardo bedroom from the outside. For various reasons, Lucy and Ethel think each other is a female crook known locally as Madame X. Ethel: Hey, that was a good idea I had about you putting your hands around my neck and choking me" Fred: " Yeah. I liked it!" Sometimes, I wish to heck I was a young man living in the early 1950's because I would have loved to have worked as a member of the Desilu crew making I Love Lucy!

PERHAPS FOUR and a HALF
The 23rd volume of the I love lucy collection, has two great episodes of trouble and misunderstanding between the Ricardos and the Mertzes. In Too Many Crooks, a woman robber nicknamed Madame X is loose in the neiborhood. Mrs. Trumble believes that she is someone living in the apartment complex. Before you know it Lucy thinks Ethel is Madame X and Ethel thinks Lucy is Madame X. Both women try to proove the others innocence, and the show includes a great ending with a touch of suspense. A good and very entertaining episode. Redecorating the Mertzes apartment is a great episode that features the classic redecorating scene where Lucy tries to rehapolster an old chair. The reason for a half star taken off was because I believe the redecorating could have gone on for a few more minutes. But this is a great I Love Lucy video for anyone's Lucy collection. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Broadcast episode 2 of the original Star Trek series, the memorable "Charlie X," stars Robert Walker Jr. as a troubled teen presenting two big problems: pathological immaturity and powerful telekinetic powers. After he wills the destruction of a starship that drops him off with the Enterprise, the titular delinquent stalks a female member of the crew and creates havoc using his terrifying ability to make people, in his own words, "go away." --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Entertaining, thought-provoking, but flawed episode
This episode is about Charlie, a boy raised from birth by aliens. Reminiscent of stranger in a Strange land by Robert Heinlein except that Charlie is spoiled and unprincipled.

Charlie's naive attempts to court Yoeman Rand and Kirk's fumbling attempts at educating young Charlie make this a very watchable episode. As Charlie grows more aware of the extent of his powers, the episode becomes more exciting. Unfortunately, the resolution of the problem is not very satisfactory.

Uhura gets to sing, but the lyrics to her songs are horrid. If you rewatch the episode, you may want to remind yourself of your VCR's fast-forward button.

Still, this is decent Star Trek episode that deserves to be watched and considered.

"I can make you all go away."
"Charlie X" teaches us that teenagers can be a problem in any century. Yep, even the 23rd century has its own share of troubled youths. The difference this time around is that some teens in the future have psionic powers. Therefore, leather jackets, switchblades, slicked-back hair, and motorcycles are the least of your troubles. If you cross the wrong teen two hundred years in the future, you might find yourself being blinked out of reality.

Seventeen year-old Charles Evans (Robert Walker Jr.) boards the U.S.S. Enterprise after being found by the S.S. Antares on the planet Thasus. It turns out Charlie is the last survivor of a doomed colonizing expedition who had been given extraordinary mental powers by the Thasians to help him survive on the planet. However, due to the teenager's isolated existence from other human beings while marooned, he never developed the proper social skills to co-exist with others. Thus, he becomes easily offended when rebuffed or annoyed on the Enterprise and uses his psionic powers to inflict punishment on his perceived tormentors. In short order, Charlie destroys the S. S. Antares, causes Yeoman Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney) to disappear, and breaks the legs of Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy). Much to the relief of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), a Thasian eventually appears on the ship to take Charlie back to Thasus.

Virtually every television series does an episode centered on the "troubled teen" that makes life difficult for the adult characters. This was Star Trek's take on the theme and what results is a forgettable outing. Walker is great as the troublesome Charlie. He delivers in spades as the arrogant, whiny, and annoying teen, but even with the sci-fi twist of bestowing psionic powers on him, "Charlie X" just comes across as routine and bland. Not even a memorable slap on Rand's backside by Charlie can salvage this episode.

Trek hitting its stride
This strong episode is about an awkward and lonely young man with exceptional powers. The episode explores the transition from boyhood to adulthood, as well as the subtleties and arbitrariness of much of interpersonal interaction. The twist is that Charlie has the power to force adults, and the viewer, not to trivialize his plight. This episode also devotes attention to personality development through casual, leisure scenes including chess and music. Unfortunately, later shows almost completely got away from trying to give us a full portrait of life on the starship, as the episodes became more formulaic. But here, a simple, tight script, augmented by the fleshing out of details, generated a strong show. The solid writing and attention to human detail allows us to feel empathetic towards Charlie at the end, despite all the harm he's caused. You wouldn't see such subtlety in later years of the show.

This is a very important film to watch!
I like this film because it has serious stuff in there. I like it when Robbert Walker Jr. played Charlie Evans. The reason why I watch this film, as well as other episodes of the original series, is because they are not just stories, but they all have morals that help me understand what goes on with life, and they also help me understand what's going on in the world. Charlie's psychic powers reminds me of Where No Man Has Gone Before. I don't have that episode yet, but I will soon. I highly recommend this film to future Star Trek fans.

Flawed but enjoyable episode
Young Robert Walker, Jr. conveys much of the same creepiness as his dad (who is affectionately remembered as Bruno on Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train").

This episode reflects many concerns that are timeless, but also others that are characteristic of the 1960s, the period when the show was made. Young Charlie is a wild child. Should he be disciplined, and if so, how? Or should he yield to his impulses (which in this case are murderously destructive)? This episode ultimately sides with the importance of parental authority, reminding us that ST-TOS was often more Eisenhower-era than beatnik in its sensibilities. A point in its favor, I should add.

Other highlights to be enjoyed in this episode. Uhura sings gorgeously (as in "The Conscience of the King"). Shatner gets a chance to horse around in the gym. Grace Lee Whitney stands up against sexual harassment. And there are two strikingly gruesome Star Trek moments, which, once seen, never leave your mind. Two young female crewmembers get in Charlie's way. One lady has her face completely obliterated, another becomes hideously and shockingly aged in a matter of seconds. ST-TOS offers many of these never-to-be-forgotten visuals, some bloodcurdling, some breathtaking (two classic examples; the moment in "The Tholian Web" when the Thol ship starts building its web; the fruitless attempt to blast through the Talosian service elevator door in "The Cage/The Menagerie").

Though not one of the best ST-TOS episodes, newcomers to the show may enjoy this one. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Balance of Terror" is a terrific drama that was essentially an outer-space version of a 1950s submarine movie. Writer Paul Schneider introduced both the Romulans and the concept of a "neutral zone" to Trek lore, wrapped up in this story about the first encounter between a Federation and Romulan ship in 75 years. The resulting face-off between two vessels and their strong, noble captains--Kirk (William Shatner) and his Romulan counterpart (Mark Lenard, who later played Spock's Vulcan father, Sarek)--is directed and edited with suspense worthy of the classic sub movie The Enemy Below. It's an example of how the original Trek series took lots of risks and constantly invented itself, in contrast to the more codified look and feel of The Next Generation and subsequent series. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (16)

A classic submarine battle fought in outer space
Mark Lenard makes a memorable first appearance on Star Trek as the Romulan commander in "Balance of Terror." This episode is pretty much a classic submarine story updated to outer space, made compelling by the cat and mouse game between the two captains. Kirk is performing a wedding but is interrupted by news that several Earth Outposts have been attacked by a cloaked ship firing a plasma weapon. The Enterprise goes in pursuit of the Romulan vessel. When Spock pirates a view of the Romulan bridge we learn that this is the first time anyone from Starfleet has ever seen the Romulans, so there is some surprise that they look like Vulcans. The sub-plot involving Lt. Stiles, who distrusts Spock because of the physical comparison, shows that even in the Star Trek universe envisioned by Gene Roddenberry, human prejudice is still going strong. "Balance of Terror" does a nice job of working out the moves and counter moves in the running battle. Lenard brings a wonderful sense of dignity to his role and it is obvious from his first scene why they would take any opportunity to bring him back. That he was given the plumb role of Sarek was a fitting reward. I also think this is the point in the first season where William Shatner clearly has a handle on Kirk as the best starship captain in Starfleet. Also, as grating as the Spock/Stiles subplot happens to be, the bracketing subplot about the wedding is one of the better story lines involving those unfortunate extras who die all the time on Star Trek. Still, this is an episode that deservedly ends up on most fans' top ten episode lists. I know it is on mine.

The "first" encounter with the Romulans in the series
This is another classic episode of Star Trek and one of my top 5 favorites. It gives us a "first" glimpse at the Federations mortal enemy the Romulans (Romulan Empire) and my goodness they also look like Vulcans!?!?! Well, that is answered in episodes yet to come in upcoming series (The Next Generation).

This begins when a mysterious ship is destroying Federation Outposts and James Kirk and the USS Enterprise soon discover it is their classic enemies the Romulans. What follows is a classic strategic cat and mouse "game" that is like the movie "The Enemy Below" that starred Robert Mitchum as a WWII US Destroyer Captain and Kurt Jergens as a German U-Boat Commander. The Jergens part in this episode is played oustandingly by the late Mark Lenard. You can guess who plays Mitchum's part, why of course James T. Kirk (William Shatner).

Both of these Captains start to have a respect for each others skills and the best line of the episode is when the Romulan Commander tells Kirk, "in another reality we could of been friends". Talk about respect, that says it all dosen't it?

Overall, this is a classic episode and highly recommended to all Star Trek fans.

"In a different reality, I could have called you friend."
Star Trek produced its first truly outstanding episode in "Balance of Terror." Drama, pathos, conflict, great special effects, strong character moments, a great enemy, solid acting, top-notch dialogue, and an on-ship wedding. What more do you want? There's more stuff in this one episode than certain Star Trek films. It falls short of true perfection but it was still the first episode of the original series that dared to be great and the first that can officially be declared a classic.

The wedding of U.S.S. Enterprise crew members Angela Martine (Barbara Baldavin) and Robert Tomlinson (Stephen Mines) is rudely interrupted when the ship learns that Federation Outpost 4 along the Romulan Neutral Zone is under attack. It is soon obliterated and Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) discovers that three other Federation outposts in the same area have been similarly destroyed. While investigating the carnage, the crew learns that a lone Romulan ship is the guilty culprit. The Enterprise pursues the ship but is at a marked disadvantage because the Romulan ship is employing a cloaking device which makes them impossible to track. As the two ships play a cat-and-mouse game with each other, the Enterprise manages to catch a glimpse of the Romulan bridge and discovers that their mysterious foes resemble Vuclans in their appearance. Lieutenant Andrew Stiles (Paul Comi) instantly becomes hostile toward Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) because he suspects the Vulcan of being a Romulan spy. When the Romulan Commander (Mark Lenard) is forced into a corner, he decides to directly take on the Enterprise. However, he is defeated and destroys his ship when faced with the prospect of capture. A blow also is dealt to the Enterprise when Kirk learns that Tomlinson did not survive the battle. With a heavy-heart, the captain comforts Martine who is devastated by her loss.

"Balance of Terror" is a landmark episode in so many ways. It introduced the Romulans who would become recurring villains for years to come and the concepts of the cloaking device and the neutral zone which would also become important Star Trek staples. It also was definite proof that Star Trek could do action and adventure without compromising any of its progressive ideals. The transplanted battleship-submarine conflict alone would have distinguished "Balance of Terror" as solid entertainment but the way the story took the time out to humanize the combatants while addressing the notion of bigotry elevated the episode into something truly special. Star Trek juggled many balls with this outing and did not drop a single one. In sum, "Balance of Terror" is a rousing episode that still entertains to this day. It easily ranks among the best works Star Trek has produced in any of its incarnations.

Best Trek yet
This Romulan battle episode was one of Star Trek's best shows. This episode demonstrates that while science fiction expands the range of possible stories, generally some of the best stories are the most universal. This episode could easily have been transported to the deep, and renamed Das Boot. The basic premise is simple enough, but the story is divided into discrete sections, each of which contains a surprise. I can't think of an episode which more often faded to commercial with actual drama. We are allowed right inside the Captains' minds, so we feel both their uncertainty and fear about encountering each other, and see them reformulating their strategies and estimations of each other as the chess match unfolds.
The episode is further assisted by Mark Leonard's acting (he's even better here than in Journey to Babel) and a dramatic score. The wedding scene also does not detract, since it reminds us that everything is affected by war. Kirk also is at his best here. Over the course of the episode he shows brilliance, compassion, and forgiveness. He also consoles, mediates, accepts criticism, is decisive, and stands up to injustice. Other pluses here include the stance taken on racism, and the fact that the brain trust, even at this early stage in the show, was not afraid to give Kirk a worthy adversary.

Brotherhood of Warriors
This is one of the finest of all the original Star Trek episodes. Because of budget constraints, the original series had to emphasize acting and quality scripts and less on "gee-whiz" special effects that have made the subsequent follow-up Star Treks much poorer in quality than the original. Mark Lenard puts in a superb performance as the tragic Romulan commander, a man of integrity serving a totalitarian dictatorship , similar to two other great warriors serving bad causes, knowing that they are in the wrong, but still compelled to fulfill their duty as they saw it knowing it would lead to disaster--General Robert E Lee and Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.
All the dilemmas and challenges of a military commander are seen in this episode: trying to outguess the enemy, insubordination, the necessity to disobey orders from above, the loss of comrades.
Get this video and see it! ... Read more

Amazon.com

A landing party beams down to Gamma Trianguli VI, a lush planet that's just like paradise... or is it? This is not the episode to be caught wearing a red shirt in: dangers abound and crew members drop like flies. Soon the party discovers a seemingly unspoiled tribe of innocents who spend their lives serving the god Vaal. Can it be that it's time to disobey the Prime Directive? The natives are all beautiful people with loincloths and entertaining hairdos, and of course Mr. Scott has an engineering dilemma. Another highlight is the sequence in which the natives learn a few facts of life from a particularly randy Chekov. Skip this one at your peril. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Don't watch this one if you have a soft-spot for red-shirts
This episode, in which the crew beams down to a 'pre-fall' planet where the lizard-god still controls his followers, is an unpleasant surprise. Star Trek was in the middle of a strong rhythm that was broken by this silly episode. I suppose the basic biblical premise is OK, but it doesn't go anywhere. The planet is just a vehicle for red-shirt carnage, and none of the guest actors are convincing in their admittedly silly roles. Chekov and the ensign are also given some really dumb lines as well. It's incredible what lightweights you encounter on the Enterprise once you get past Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty.

I suppose the question of whether these people will be better off after their paradise is lost is an interesting one, but unlike in Who Mourns for Adonais?, the question is not taken up here. Basically just a half-hearted, superficial 3rd season-like show, but without the trippy style many of the later shows at least contributed.

Some examples of the superficiality: We are never told what Val is being fed that could provide so much energy, nor why if he has such power he cannot feed himself. For that matter, if he can control the poisonous plants and the skies, why does he need help killing the landing party? Explanations of what is going on aboard the Enterprise are also vague and at times contradictory.

When Is It Right To Violate The Prime Directive?
One of the troublesome situations Star Trek created when it originally aired was it's human centric attitude towards the alien societies it encountered. The prime directive seemed of little importance to Kirk; he quite often got very involved in the alien cultures 'straightening matters out' or setting a culture on the right course'. Spock and McCoy would invariably have a heated debate about the virtues they have observed within the alien culture, which would regularly lead to a final moralistic and ethic punctuated passionate closing discourse by Kirk who then decides the course of proper events to follow.

But in 'The Apple' we find that the prime directive doesn't apply. The Enterprise is assigned to investigate a planet by the Federation who had received reports of 'odd readings' from another vessel earlier. Though the planet is idyllic in appearance there are unseen and unpredictable dangers. The away team discovers plants that shoot poisonous darts, rocks that explode if stepped on or tossed and lightening storms that can target with amazing accuracy. The present alien culture behaves like tranquil children who exist solely to appease a computer that grants all their needs. This initiates an intriguing debate between Kirk, Spock and McCoy with Spock reminding the good doctor "that humans are a small minority in the galaxy." A good point considering the assembled universe that Star Trek creates!

The reason that the prime directive wouldn't apply to this situation is this: There really is no thriving culture on the planet. The sophisticated computer, known as Vaal, has successfully eliminated disease, extended the life of the humanoids indefinitely, controls the weather, etc. The aliens have no need and therefore no desire to grow beyond what they consider to be normal. By definition then this is a stagnant and arrested development of humanoids that no one would classify as viable. If the Enterprise were to allow them to remain that way it is quite possible that another superior race of aliens could exploit this situation if they were to come to the planet as the Federation did. So in this instance Kirk does the right thing by effectively 'pulling the plug' on Vaal.

Overall a well-conceived and highly imaginative episode - though some questions that don't get answered hurt some of the impact here. For instance how and why did Vaal come into being? Who could have built such a computer to completely control humanoids? Who or what installed the antennae on Akuta? There is no summary provided that might hint at an explanation, it is simply ignored and that is frustrating. One thing I noted about Vaal during the episode was his tendency toward masculine thought. Though the men and women are equal on levels of society there are a couple of noteworthy items. He selected a male, Akuta, to be the leader. This alone is not very significant but when Vaal instructs him to kill the 'infestation' only the men are present - the women are not even in sight for this event, though the Enterprise away team has a female with them.

Some final notes: Spock takes quite a beating here! He gets struck down by poisonous darts; tossed considerably backward by a force field; still later he gets struck by lightening. Also, four security guards are eliminated by Vaal during the away mission - definitely not a good day for Enterprise Security. The actress playing Lt. Martha Landon, Celeste Yarnall, is one of the loveliest female costars that Star Trek was fortunate to get during it's series run in the sixties. She can also be spotted as the cover girl on Tom Lisanti's book 'Fantasy Femmes Of The Sixties Cinema' - it is quite a fetching photograph!

Kirk helps destroy yet another planet paradise
"The Apple" is another one of those Star Trek episodes where the Enterprise visits what seems to be a paradise, only to end up being disappointed. On Gamma Trianguli VI they find such a place, only to have three crew man suddenly die and the Enterprise lose power. Scotty reports that a tractor beam is slowly but surely dragging the ship into the planet's atmosphere. Meanwhile the locales, known as the Feeders of Vaal have no explanation, simply because they are too primitive to understand that they serve a super computer who is maintaining their way of life. Vaal, recognizing the Enterprise represents a threat to this "paradise," orders the Feeders to kill the strangers. But peaceful people with rocks and sticks are no match for Starfleet personnel with phasers. However, this time logical alone is not going to save the day and Kirk has to resort to brute force to prevent the destruction of his starship. I always wondered what happened to these poor people once their "god" was destroyed, but then I never did have a good understanding of that stupid Prime Directive. The title's allusion to the Garden of Eden is interesting, especially since Vaal seems equal parts Creator and Serpent. Star Trek was usually a little more subtle than that.

Some of the best special effects of the original series
A machine that overpowers and controls the people of its planet is holding the Enterprise ship in place above the planet's surface. Captain Kirk and the crew beam down to the planet and find people who don't know much about living because they are controlled by this machine whose entrance looks like a snake's head. The machine can control the entire planet, including making lightning strike, and making fruit on the trees for its people. Once some of Captain Kirk's people get killed by this planet's antics and he finds out that Scotty and the crew onboard the Enterprise can't figure out how to move the ship, Captain Kirk knows that he and his crew that are on the planet have to find a way to do something about the planet's machine.

"The Apple" isn't one of the best episodes of the original Star Trek series, but it is a good one. With the planet's machine, the lightning, and some of the other effects in the episode, "The Apple" does have some of the best special effects ever seen in the original series. The adventure is understandable and it's interesting, making this a good episode. If you like Star Trek, I recommend getting "The Apple." I give this episode 4 stars.

Good Action/Adventure Trek
Vaal, a powerful computer safeguarding a planet full of innocent natives, tries to destroy Captain Kirk and the starship Enterprise, when they visit the planet. Although he riskes violateing the non-inderference directive, Jim must destroy the computer in order to save his starship, and the natives will be placed under the watchful eye of the Federation. Good action/adventure story, and one of Trek's most thoughtful episodes. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Real-life marrieds Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz captivated audiences with their antics as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. When Ball became pregnant (for the second time), the couple incorporated it into the story line of I Love Lucy. It seems precious now, but the episode's title, "Lucy Is Enceinte," is a French allusion to Ball's expectant state (they weren't allowed to say "pregnancy" on air). The episode is a comedy of missed opportunities--Lucy simply can't get Ricky alone. Everything thwarts her plans: the phone or neighbors or friends. Finally, she comes up with a touchingly sweet idea, and it's a real charmer. "Lucy Goes to the Hospital" is the cleverly plotted climax of the seven-episode arc of the pending birth. Ricky, Lucy, and their best friends and neighbors Fred and Ethel Mertz (the delightful William Frawley and Vivian Vance) have a well-organized plan to get Lucy to the hospital as calmly and efficiently as possible. Naturally, mayhem erupts at the actual moment. The touch of Ricky arriving at the hospital in full tribal regalia is a stroke of brilliance. The episode effectively uses the verbal and physical comedy the series was famous for. Desi Arnaz Jr. was actually born on the day the show aired. --N.F. Mendoza ... Read more

Reviews (4)

There's a baby on the way!
In this first episode, Lucy tries every which way to tell Ricky about her expecting baby in a special way after she finds out from the doctor. But as soon as lunch starts, all of the worse possible interruptions occur, like telphone calls and a visit from the Mertzes. Then she goes downtown to the Tropicana and tries to talk to Ricky. In the next episode, about three or four episodes later, Lucy actually has to go to the hospital. The funniest part of this show is that after an hour of practice from Ricky, Ethel, and Fred to stay calm while taking Lucy to the hospital, they all start messing things up once it's actually time. Ricky has never been funnier! The ending is quite surprising, too. Two great episodes that will change the show to come!

Lucy is expecting!
Contains the following Stork-delivered episodes!...

LUCY IS ENCEINTE - The first time pregnancy was dealt with on television, shattering a TV taboo! In fact, the word "pregnant" could not even be said on television, so the foreign equivalent was used in the title.

When Lucy learns she is expecting, she tries to tell Ricky the news, leading to a series of misunderstandings.

LUCY GOES TO THE HOSPITAL - The hysterical episode featuring the birth of Little Ricky! Lucy arranged to give birth the day before this episode was aired, elevating the broadcast to a national event, and completely overshadowing the TV coverage of the inauguration of President Eisenhower!

The two most heartwarming episodes from "I Love Lucy"
Two of the happiest episodes from the second season of "I Love Lucy," as the real life pregnancy of Lucille Ball is preserved for all-time. "Lucy is Enciente" (Episode #45, December 8, 1952) finds Lucy feeling run down and visiting the doctor, who tells her that she is going to have a baby. Having dreamed of this moment for over a decade of marriage, Lucy wants the moment to be absolutely perfect when she tells Ricky. It seems fate is conspiring against her until she comes up with the perfect solution: Ricky is passed a note that there is a woman in the audience who wants to tell her husband that they are expecting and wants Ricky to sing "Rock A Bye Baby." Ironically, when Lucy and Desi were filming the climax, they got caught up in their own emotions when they learned they were gong to become parents, and both started crying. The scene was considered ruined until it was screened and they discovered it was impossible not to cry watching the happy couple. This final scene is one of the most beautiful moments in television history.

The big payoff comes in "Lucy Goes to the Hospital" (#51, January 19, 1953), when 92 percent of the viewing episode tunes in for the birth of Little Ricky. Amazingly, Lucille Ball gives birth to Desi Arnaz, Jr. the morning this episode airs. This proves to be Desi's favorite episode and who can forget Ricky showing up at the hospital dressed out in a voodoo costume. These two episodes make a perfectly matched set for Volume 4 of the "I Love Lucy" collection. Final note: Much has been made from the fact you could not say "pregnant" on television in 1952, and while the Spanish word "Enciente" was used is the episode title, the very next show was entitled "Pregnant Women are Unpredictable."

This video has 2 of the best Lucy episodes I have ever seen!
Both of these episodes are so funny. I love it when Lucy tries several times to tell Ricky she is pregnant. She wants so much to tell Ricky at home but keeps getting interrupted by "certain busy bodies;" and ends up telling him at his show in front of the whole audience. Then in the second episode it is so funny watching Ricky, Ethel and Fred trying to get Lucy to the hospital; and then seeing Ricky scare everybody in that voodoo costume. That was hilarious, especially when he scared Fred. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Enterprise arrives at a distant research outpost to find all the adults dead and their children eerily cheerful. No sooner are they aboard the ship than the children begin taking over, using strange powers bestowed on them by a malevolent "friendly angel." The kids make for an engagingly creepy episode as they alter the crew's perceptions to play on their worst fears, all with angelic smiles on their faces. Kirk's stiff-necked nature is well played against the manic playfulness of the kids, and legendary attorney Melvin Belli (who enjoyed a moderately busy acting career in the late '60s) does an interesting turn as the smooth-talking angel. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Season three was off to a strong start
Incredibly, the second of the 'children' episodes is even darker than the first (Miri). This atmospheric episode is shrouded in a sense of mystery and dread. I would go so far as to call the episode courageous in it's depiction of evil and willingness to give the children complicity in the adults' deaths. Each individual's insecurities and fears are exploited by the Gorgon, and at the height of the episode Kirk has lost control both of his ship and his entire sense of reality.
While some of the effects are quite gimmicky (the knives), others are effective in their simplicity (such as the summoning of the Gorgon). Overall I found this to be an effective, eerie and surreal episode, although some may dislike the fact that there is no simple moral. The cold finality of much of the death (such as being beamed into deep space) may also upset some. The conclusions/ means of dealing with the Gorgon were also admittedly weak.
Tidbits: It would be interesting to know how attourney Melvin Belli ended up in this role.

One of the Best Episodes Ever
Possibly the most intelligent and daring episode (no babes, no explosions) of all three seasons. It is quintessential Star Trek; searing social commentary disguised as 'entertainment', which still "goes over the head" of most viewers, even today. Written by Edward Lakso (whose credits include Mission Impossible, Wild Wild West, Rockford Files, Barnaby Jones, Air Wolf), the plot describes the rise and fall of the Nazi Youth movement, where impressionable teens were encouraged to denounce their parents, swear allegiance to a charismatic govt official and propel his rise to power. Apparently Lakso had been observing China... because when this episode aired in 1968, Mao Tse-tung's Cultural Revolution was two years old, unleashing the identical, devastating, social anarchy. It was if an "angel of evil" (named 'Chaos' in this episode) had hibernated after WWII, only to re-appear and initiate the same cycle of destruction, in a different country. In true Biblical, Greek, or Star Wars mythological style, Kirk is forced to confront and subdue his own "beast within" before tackling the external enemy, and exposing the 'beautiful' angel for what he is; ugly naked Greed, exploiting innocent minds with the complicity of the "silent majority". If this episode makes you uncomfortable, don't blame it on the primitive production values; look inside yourself and think.

This one gets my vote for Worst Star Trek Episode
I think I actually sat through "And the Children Shall lead" them ONCE in all the years I have been watching Star Trek. The Enterprise responds to a distress call from a scientific expedition on Triacus where they are shocked to find not only that all the adults have killed themselves but that their children do not seem to care. It turns out the children are enthralled to Gorgon, a sort of demon entity that lives on the planet. Lawyer Melvin Belli portrays the evil Gorgon is one of those horrendous casting decisions that get made from time to time. Anyhow, now Grogon wants to find a planet with millions of people he can make suffer and to distract the Enterprise crew he has them each imagine their worst fears coming true, which is really the only decent sequence in the show (e.g., Kirk worries about losing his ability to command). If I bothered to put one together, this episode would be in my Bottom 10 episodes of Star Trek. Actually, I think it is the worst of the bunch, mainly because Belli makes the most unthreatening evil etity you have ever seen while the children do not even come close to "Children of the Damned" status.

Not one of the better episodes
Captain Kirk and the crew beam to a planet and find many adults dead, but all the children are lively and running around and playing like nothing ever happened. Kirk decides to take them onboard the Enterprise, but he might regret it because soon the children will be taking orders from their 'friendly angel' and then they will make some of the Enterprise crew see things such as knives and swords flying at the ship, by pumping their fists.

Plotwise, "And The Children Shall Lead" is one of the worst episodes of Star Trek - The Original Series. It doesn't have much of anything else working for it either, it's not exciting and it's not even all that interesting. I give the episode two stars instead of just one because it had a good ending even if it was a not so good episode. I don't recommend getting "And The Children Shall Lead" unless you're a major Star Trek fanatic and you absolutely have to have all the episodes in your collection because it's far from being one of the best episodes.

This episode gets a D grade and is ranked 77th out of 80
When the U.S.S. Enterprise finds that all the adults in the Starnes expedition to Triacus have killed themselves, they beam to the planet's surface to investigate. The children, however, are alive and well and strangely oblivious to their parents' fates. They are beamed aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise while Kirk searches for an answer to the strange occurrences. The children summon their "friendly angel" Gorgan, who tells them to take the U.S.S. Enterprise to a planet he can control. By garbling Kirk's words and deceiving Spock, the children are able to take control of the starship. Finally, seeing Kirk's anxiety at the loss of his ship, Spock realizes that something is wrong and helps the Captain regain control. Kirk shows the children tricorder tapes of their parents... and their graves, demonstrating to them that Gorgan is not a "friendly angel" but an evil force. The loss of his believers renders Gorgan impotent and he fades into oblivion. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Her most popular titles!
I would actually rate this a 3 because I've seen thes episodes so much that it just has bore me out. But for a first-timer, a definite 5. In the vitablablabla episode, Lucy tries for a tv commercial and finds herself drunk in the middle of Ricky's singing. In the wine thingy, she is attracted by a producer as an actress inside of a grape vat in making wine. She turns messier than she has ever turned before! These are probably 2 of her top 3 most popularly loved episode or movie or anything in all of her career!

two great episodes
Contains the following episodes...

LUCY DOES A TV COMMERCIAL - One of the classics from the first season! Lucy connives her way into doing a TV commercial for a high-alcoholic health tonic with a tongue-twisting name - "Vitameatavegamin". But Lucy bombs (and gets bombed!), as she samples the elixer during multiple "takes"!

LUCY'S ITALIAN MOVIE - Travelling in Italy, Lucy is offered a part in a movie called "Bitter Grapes". Thinking the movie is about wine making, she sets off to a rustic vineyard to do some research for the role, and finds herself in a vat of trouble!

Lucy pitches Vitameatavegamin and Stomps Grapes
This volume from the "I Love Lucy" collection features two of the episodes in Lucille Ball's comic triple crown (the third being the chocolate factory skit). In "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" (Episode #30, May 5, 1952), Ricky is set to host a TV variety show and Lucy wants to do a live commercial for (all together now) Vitameatavegamin. Although she fails to win Ricky's support after staging a mock show inside their television set, Lucy arranges to get the gig anyhow. She starts off great, but the problem is that Vitameatavegamin contains twenty-three percent and with each rehersal Lucy gets progressively drunker and funnier. Lucille Ball considered this the best bit, and one of the hardest, she ever did.

Equally memorable is the classic grape vat scene from "Lucy's Italian Movie" (Episode #150, April 16, 1956). The Ricardos are in Europe when an Italian movie producer tells Lucy that he wants her in his new film, "Grapola Pungente." Finding out the title translates as "bitter grapes," Lucy takes this literally and heads for the nearest vineyard where she has a memorable encounter with Teresa Tirelli stomping grapes in a vat. You have to love any tape that gives you two of the redhead's all-time best comedy bits.

Do you poop-out at parties?
This is obviously a classic episod in my favorite show. This is my favorite episode of all time. this is about lucy getting drunk on accident while practicing her tv commercial over and over. this medicene called vitameatavegamin is supposed to help you feel secure and not poop-out at parties, w/ 13% alchahol. WATCH IT!

TIMELESS AND HILARIOUS
"Hello, friends, I'm your Vitameatavegimin girl. Are you run down, listless... do you poop out at parties? Are you unpopular? WELL ARE YOU??" Filmed in 1952, this holds up as one of Lucy's finest moments on film. Her duck-like voice is delightful and she's hilarious as she gets progressively snockered. Vivian Vance does not appear in this episode. The man who played the director, Ross Elliot and the script boy Maury Thompson had to bite the insides of their cheeks to keep from cracking up. The contents of the bottle was apple pectin. They say you can catch a peek of the Ricardo apartment in the scene where Lucy gazes adoringly at Ricky; it's in the background of where she's standing. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Miri," one of the most popular episodes of the original Star Trek series, featured a couple of soon-to-be-semi-icons from two very different kinds of films from the late 1960s: Michael J. Pollard (who would appear in Bonnie and Clyde) and Kim Darby (John Wayne's costar in True Grit). The intriguing story concerns a race of children on an Earth-like planet who are in fact 300 years old, kept pristine in the summer of their lives by a disease that also causes madness and death with the onset of adulthood. The Enterprise's landing party, including Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), are instantly contaminated and forced to remain on the planet until McCoy can find an antidote. In the meantime, Darby's character, Miri, falls for Kirk and becomes jealous of his attentions toward anyone else. Easily one of Star Trek's strongest shows, "Miri" is a must-see for Trekkers and Trekkies. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (11)

This episode gets a C+ grade and is ranked 48th out of 80
The U.S.S. Enterprise answers an old distress signal to find an unnamed planet that is almost an exact duplicate of Earth in the 1960s. A landing party beams down and discovers that 300 years before, the natives of the planet had conducted experiments to prolong life, but had, instead, created a deadly virus. The virus had killed all adults by rapid aging and madness. In children, the virus slowed the natural aging process greatly, providing centuries of prepubescence. There are no adults on the planet, only children, and they survive the best that they can without adults to aid them.

Strong episode
One of the most disturbing of the 1st season shows, Miri concerns a fatal fungus-like disease that strikes only adults. This cautionary tale about possible unforseen consequences of biological engineering should not fall on deaf ears today. The early parts of the episode wield a claustrophobic suspense more akin to a sci-fi/horror movie. The kids are quite chilling as well in the extent to which they have gone wild, and in their capacity for denial in the face of trauma. Kim Darby's performance also boosts the show, injecting an element of hope and a bridge between the 'young' and the 'old.' The taboo subject of adolescent female sexuality is handled gracefully and respectfully. The solution found to the illness is a bit anti climactic, but Star Trek certainly saw worse. At least here McCoy is allowed to shine; by the 3rd season all to often only Kirk, and Kirk alone, was allowed to be hero.

The episode is certainly not without its faults though. Several questions are left unadressed, including the discovery of another earth. The landing party is impossibly obtuse in putting the pieces together behind the illness. You can also feel the production team's uncertainty about whether Yeoman Rand and Kirk should be romantically involved. It seems to me they made the right choice in dispatching her after the next episode. She certainly is not a strong character here. Kirk is also gruffer and more bureaucratic in these early episodes. His snub of Rand ant the end of this show is particularly harsh.

The Enterprise finds a planet that looks like Earth but...
In "Miri" the Enterprise discovers a planet in the far reaches of the galaxy that looks exactly like Earth and a city inhabited only by children. This is the first of the many "parallel Earth" episodes in the show's history. It seems that 300 years ago on this planet there was an outbreak of a disease that kills children when they reach puberty. At that point they age really fast and go insane, but since the disease also slows down the aging process for these children big time, the planet is still inhabited. Kim Darby turns in a nice performance in the title role as the young girl who is about to turn into a woman and die. Miri develops a big time crush for Kirk and becomes dangerously jealous of Yeoman Rand. Of course, the entire away team comes down with the dreaded disease and McCoy has to come up with an antidote before they all drop dead. Unfortunately, the children do not trust the "grups," and sabotage McCoy's efforts forcing a confrontation between Kirk and the children. Just think of this as a twisted version of Peter Pan by way of the Omega Man. The fact that this planet looks just like Earth was a way of using Hollywood sets in a space opera, instead of finding futuristic looking shopping malls or whatever. But surely the plot of "Miri" did not need that particular set up. Michael J. Pollard, about to bust loose on the big screen in "Bonnie & Clyde," is Miri's very creepy male counterpart. Watching him in this episode still makes me wiggy. I also want to mention that I think this was clearly Grace Lee Whitney's finest performance as Janice Rand, helped by the fact that this is about the only episode where she has anything significant to do. Usually she just gives Kirk his log book or something to drink. Of course, she had to leave the show so that Kirk was free to chase another female guest star every other week. Trivia Note: The little blonde girl Kirk grabs during the big confrontation is, I believe, one of his daughters. Hard to believe Bill is now 70 years old.

Miri
While reviews of this Star Trek episode are usually negative and while it is a sad example, it has to be taken with on it's own terms. It is certainly one of the least viewable and unenjoyable, though the potential was there. The budget was not. I find it unfair that so many harsh words were said of Grace Whitney. Anyone who has done any genuine research into the history of the series will know she was not dropped because of poor acting ability, her appearance or any of the other harsh and sometimes cruel stories that have been circulating over the years. It was partially a production decision on behalf of the network and because of some very difficult personal problems in her life. It would have been interesting to see her character develop, but dreadful writing and sad circumstances prevented that from ever happening. With that said, this episode is a sad reflection on a very interesting idea gone completely wrong. As with "Plato's StepChildren", this episode is among the worst in being overdone in terms of acting and production. Definitely stay away if you are not a Trekkie and try to bear with it if you are. Worth wondering what it would be like if it were interpreted differently. Like a Ken Russel nightmare. Suprising it was ever released at all, but despite horrid production, a very interesting story line.

An Episode That the Series Could Have Done Without
There are some good ideas and concepts within this episode, but they are drowned out by the annoying chants of too many children.

Yoeman Janice Rand has a decent role in the story. Unfortunately, it was probably this episode that helped the producers to decide to writer her out of the show. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The popular and sexy "Mudd's Women" introduces the character of interstellar huckster and fugitive Harry Mudd (Roger C. Carmel, later to return in another classic episode, "I, Mudd"). The Enterprise beams aboard Harry and three beautiful and scantily clad women whom the con man is carrying as cargo. The transport damages the starship, forcing Captain Kirk (William Shatner) to take a detour to a mining world for a supply of dilithium crystals. Harry uses the women as bait to get the miners to help him flee from the authorities--but a revelation about his liberal use of an attraction-enhancement drug adds a twist to things. This clever and novel installment in the series grafted the unlikely element of a petty, colorful crook onto a science fiction show, an obvious forerunner of Deep Space Nine's inclusion of Quark among its own major characters. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (14)