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Best known as the episode featuring the first interracial kiss on television, "Plato's Stepchildren" remains a disconcerting story in which our Star Trek heroes are reduced to playthings for psycho-telekinetic fiends. The Enterprise proceeds to the planet Platonius in response to a distress signal, and find that a race of people with special powers live there, having created a society loosely based on that of ancient Greece. These Platonians can force outsiders to act against their wills, and when Captain Kirk (William Shatner) attempts to prevent the Platonian king from holding Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) indefinitely, he and Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), and Nurse Chapel (Majel Barrett) are made to perform for their captors. Much discussed by the show's producers before shooting commenced, a kiss exchanged between Shatner and Nichols crossed a certain threshold in network television, where such a thing had been previously unimaginable. Still, Shatner's own recollection (from his memoir, Where No Man Has Gone Before) is accurate when he states that the scene is so compelling dramatically that the color of the actors is almost beyond notice. What does not go unnoticed, however, is the sensitive performance of Michael Dunn, the dwarf actor best known as Dr. Loveless from The Wild Wild West.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A bit below average, if groundbreaking, episode
Another menacing and sadistic 3rd season episode, this time involving an Ancient Greek-like people
with telekenetic powers. This is one of those episodes-there would be many more ahead--that doesn't have a lot to say. It is most noteworthy for the kiss between Kirk and Uhura (too bad it had to be forced upon them), the absurdly camp antics performed by Kirk and Spock in particular, and the icy malevolence of Parmen and his cohorts. Whatever moral the episode conveys could probably best be summarized as "absolute power corrupts absolutely." There's nothing very deep about the crew's 'escape' either, although they are able to teach Alexander some valuable lessons before they go.

Wonderful episode!!!!!
"Remember, Cupid's Arrow kills Vulcans."

The line above was spoken by Parmen, leader of Platonias. I like this episode because it is a very good episode. I highly recommend this to future Star Trek fans.

Watch this one for Michael Dunn, not the interracial kiss
Having always enjoyed Michael Dunn's performance as the evil genius Dr. Loveless on "The Wild Wild West" it is his appearance as Alexander that makes "Plato's Stepchildren" a memorable Star Trek episode for me, and not the infamous first interracial kiss on television between Kirk and Uhura (I think he missed her lips). The Enterprise responds to a distress call from Platonius and discovers the people have telekinetic powers. Finding McCoy's medical knowledge useful, the Platonians refuse to let him or the crew leave. After being forced to perform like fools, Kirk and Spock figure out that the source of the Platonians' power is a substance called kironide and figure out a way of turning the tables. I have read Plato and these people sure seem more like decadent Romans that heirs to the political philosophy outlined in "The Republic." Then again, you do get to see Spock trying to control his anger after being humiliated by the Platonians. But in the end this is Dunn's episode, achieving great pathos as the court jester of the Platonians because he is the only one with the power. Dunn and Shatner have a couple of very strong scenes together, no matter what you think of the rest of the episode.

A few good laughs keeps this episode from being a dud
There's an evil man named Plato who wants to use the crew from the Enterprise as entertainment once Dr. McCoy and the others refuse to stay on the planet with Plato and the Platonians. The only defense that Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy, and even Spock have is to try and not pay attention to the powers that Plato and his servants possess. But their powers are stronger than expected. Plato and his sidekicks have the power to make people do things they don't want to do by controlling their minds.

"Plato's Stepchildren" isn't that good of an episode, it's basically just an average episode at its best. However, there are a few hilarious parts that keep it from being a complete dud, such as when Plato makes Kirk and Spock dance around foolishly, and when Spock just can't quit laughing.

I recommend any fan of Star Trek to at least watch "Plato's Stepchildren."

Exploitation is wrong, and so is Shatner's acting
I've got to give the show and its fine crew of writers credit where credit is due, not just for the impact of Kirk and Uhura's kiss (the first interracial kiss in television history) but for their overall message in this episode.

With the help of the unimaginally indulgent, remorseless Platonians, they sent across a substantial message in a flash of sparkling outfits, thick makeup (particularly in poor Chris Chapel's case) and Will Shatner's staccato and over-the-top acting:

Exploitation is wrong.

True, this is a lesson we all learned years ago in Kindergarten with the Golden Rule, but, not surprisingly, in the midst of the guilty excitement of gossip and the build-'em-up, tear-'em-down philosophy of the media, we all tend to wander from that message.

The Platonians used Kirk, Spock, Uhura and Chapel, putting them into humiliating, and what would have inevitably become fatal, situations purely for their own amusement. One can find similar parallels in the mass media market today. Indeed we do seem to receive some sort of pleasure in seeing some of our favorite actors, writers, personalities, etc. put into embarrasing situations.

Kirk and the gang, as always, represent the new world of equality, virtue and harmony throughout, even when consumed with hatred for their capturs.

One has to wonder just who the Platonians represent.

One Schlocky Note: Shatner slapping himself silly, cracking the whip, and...well just *being* in the episode seemed to be one big campfest for him this time. Congratrulations Bill, you should be proud. ... Read more

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"The Conscience of the King" is a memorable drama about a traveling Shakespearean troupe led by one Anton Karidian (Arnold Moss), who may or may not be the same man as Kodos the Executioner, former governor of a Federation planet who oversaw the mass murder of thousands of people rather than watch them starve to death during a food shortage. (Shortly after the deaths, Federation supply ships arrived and Kodos disappeared, right around the time that Karidian arrived as a classical actor touring the planets.) A nice twist: among victims of Kodos's wrongheaded mercy killings were relatives of Captain Kirk (William Shatner), adding a personal note to the mystery of Karidian/Kodos. Well-written (by Barry Trivers) and sensitively directed by a not-well-known but very interesting Hollywood filmmaker, Gerd Oswald. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Great stuff
This Shakespearean episode, in which a father and daughter lead an acting troupe being transported by the Enterprise, is one of the most underrated. The episode has a very distinctive feel, from the opening shot of the bloody knife to the medieval-sounding musical score. The parallels between Macbeth (and other Bard works) and the episode are also quite intriguing. Themes explored in this thoughtful show include 1) the impossibility of escaping the past, and 2) the strength (for better or worse) of familial bonds. Add to this the fact that the episode is a murder mystery with three plot twists (one of them is admittedly revealed far too soon), and you have a winner.

Solid, superior 1st season episode with a few minor flaws...
Tightly written and expertly acted, 'The Conscience Of The King' foreshadows the recurring themes of Shakespeare used inventively in several episodes and incarnations of Star Trek. Here Kirk is a thinly veiled interpretation of Hamlet as he tries to determine the guilt or innocence of a suspected mass murderer and whether or not he can act on the scarce evidence at hand. Though the plot seems a bit farfetched - of 8,000 colonists on Tarsus IV only nine eyewitnesses can identify the planet's most prominent politician - the story is punched acrossed solidly with it's few obvious flaws sidestepped gracefully. As Anton Karidian/Kodos The Executioner Arnold Moss supplies one of the best character portrayals from the original series, and Barbara Anderson (of television's "Ironsides") is his equal as his daughter who comes unhinged in the finale.

A scientist who claims he has invented a food substance that will save the populace of another planet suffering a famine summons the Enterprise to Planet Q. Soon after they arrive though they discover the story is a ruse. The scientist, an old acquaintance of Kirk's, explains to him that he is certain that an actor in the traveling troupe visiting Planet Q is the infamous Kodos The Executioner. Kodos was responsible for the death of 4,000 colonists on Tarsus IV, a colony that both Kirk and his friend were part of when the massacre occurred; now some twenty years later only a few eyewitnesses who can identify Kodos remain alive. Kirk is skeptical at first but when his friend turns up dead and a consultation with the ship's computer reveals that seven of nine eyewitnesses have been murdered while the traveling troupe is in the vicinity, this coincidence persuades Kirk to arrange to transport the actors to their next destination. After attempts are made to kill Kirk and Lt. Riley - another eyewitness - the captain finally forces both the assassin and Kodos to reveal themselves.

While this episode is one of the series' better-acted and directed shows it painfully reveals the series 1960's origins. In attempting to proof that Karidian is actually Kodos Kirk uses information provided by the ship's computer and later a voiceprint analysis. DNA evidentiary findings weren't in vogue at the time of production, but certainly fingerprints were! And wouldn't a Federation appointed colony governor have been sufficiently processed by a clerical system to have some sort of records that could provide damning evidence too? Despite this glaring oversight the show succeeds in providing sufficient suspense and a terrific finale. Also contained within the story is another worthy round in the continuing Spock vs. McCoy ethical debates; eventually they confront the captain - both as friends and as staff officers - to determine his questionable motives, a scene that is handled brilliantly.

Note: William Shatner would later co-star with Barbara Anderson in an episode of Mission: Impossible (post Leonard Nimoy years); but the tables would be turned this time, as Ms. Anderson would set a trap for the villainous Shatner. By the way, does the figure seven of nine ring a bell to anyone?

Definitely one of the best episodes!
Conscience of the King is the 1st season Trek Original Series December 8th, 1966 episode. The story is that Anton Karidian a space touring Shakespearean actor may really be Kodos the Executioner who wiped out half of his colony (4000 people). Kirk is one of 9 witnesses, 7 of which have been killed, and Karidian and his beautiful daughter Lenore(Barbara Anderson of Ironside fame) end up onboard the Enterprise.

It's an interesting twist on the equivalent of a Nazi war criminal of the future, and a reference is made as such: "his own form of eugenics" "he wasn't the first".

And considering William Shatner's classical acting training, he must have loved the Shakespeare stuff in this episode. And it's hard to take your eyes off of Barbara Anderson, strikingly beautiful (oh I said that already) and great intensity in her acting. And the story offers a great twist at the end, not at all predictable. Watch also when Janice shoots Lenore a quick icy "get away from my man" stare.

Finally all acting here is first rate, and we even get to hear Uhura sing and play that guitarlike thing. And the final part is classic '60s Trek drama all the way: the "death scene" where Hamlet merges with reality, and the final thing with Bones "you really cared about her didn't you?...I have my answer."

A couple lines in the dialogue were definitely "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" influenced as that film was out in 1966:
"later, latest, too late" and such. And even the sub-theme is a vague allusion being a woman who has lapsed into fantasy. This and the other best Star Trek Original Series episodes have that je ne sais quoi surrealism, intensity, intelligence, believability, creativity, and '60s style.

Kirk thinks he is on the trail of Kodos the Executioner
"The Conscience of the King" is surely one of the most dated Star Trek episodes. Just think: hundreds of years have gone by and Kirk has a difficult time trying to prove Anton Karidian, the head of a troop of actors, is really Kodos the Executioner. You think they would have known what forensic technology would be like before the end of the 20th century. The Enterprise can analyze planets from the far side of the galaxy, but cannot come up with a way of determining the identity of a human being. So there are only three people left in the universe who can identify Kodos. Actually, that's two after Kirk's old friend is murdered after the pair watch a performance by Karidian. Kirk then arranges things to get the troop on board, where he has to deal not only with the actor but his daughter, Lenore, who loves her father much more than she is attracted to the dashing Captain Kirk. The line "The Conscience of the King" is taken from "Hamlet," and certainly Kirk is placed in a similar position to the Danish prince in that he thinks he knows but he is not sure enough to take action. But since I have never really found the inability of the hero to act particularly enjoyable, this episode tends to drag a bit for me, despite the outstanding performances by the guest stars. Karidian is given a dignified presence by Anton Moss, while Lenore is played by Barbara Anderson, better known for playing Eve Whitfield on "Ironside." Anderson's performance in the shattering climax of this episode when her character goes over the edge is as memorable a piece of acting as any you see in any Star Trek episode. This is another one of those Star Trek episodes where the holes in the story are made up for by the performances of the actors. I know I have always enjoyed "The Conscience of the King" more than it deserved, which is why they call it the willing suspension of disbelief. However, it is depressing to think that in the future Shakespeare's plays will be performed by a half-dozen actors...

Slow Moving but Fascinating
The suspense isn't very engrossing and the mystery doesn't yield too much of a surprise, but the concepts in the episode are worth considering.

The actor that portray's Koridian does an excellent job and Bruce Hyde gets to ham it up again as the passionate, misunderstood, overeager Kevin Riley.

If you can sit through the slow moving story, this is actually a fairly good episode. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Not that bad after all. Hey, at least its different.
Catspaw, an episode which employs Halloween frights (witches, black cats, etc.), was the first episode produced in the second season. There is a light, jaunty quality to both the music and the performances not seen during season 1. It's almost as if everyone gave a collective sigh when the show was finally renewed, and thought they wouldn't be as heavily scrutinized the next year. Whether or not this was a good thing is certainly open to debate, but there is no denying that the second season shows feel more relaxed and lighter than the first.

But back to Catspaw. This episode and the 3rd season opener (Spectre of the Gun) were the only episodes written with a specific airdate in mind. This was meant to be first and foremost a Halloween episode, and it does a decent job of providing some frights. (Spectre of the Gun aired within a day or two of the anniversary of the gunfight at the OK Corral.) But Catspaw is ultimately too reliant on a parade of gimmicks (that don't even frighten the landing party) to be engaging. Uninspired performances by Antoinette Bower and Theo Marcuse don't help any either. Other than the gimmicks, there just isn't much here; on the other hand, the gimmicks keep the show moving.

what are scotty and sulu doing?
spooky.these aliens control the minds of enterprise crewmen.the spooky begining with the enterprise crewmeber screaming youll all die! and then dying himself.scotty,sulu and mcoy are well....spooky when under the aliens control.the good alien is very dull.the ending is good too.

How broke was Gene Roddenberry anyway??
Now I know a TV series that was never popular with the network in the first place ain't gonna get much money, but c'mon. The best they could do was two puppets at the end that looked like they were stolen out of a garbage can in TJ? The black threads are so thick a child can point them out and laugh.

There's something familiar about that woman with the warlock
"Catspaw" is the Halloween episode of Star Trek, where the Enterprise discovers fog, witches and a haunted castle on Pryis VII. There they also find a warlock named Korob and his beautiful but definitely strange associate, Sylvia. The pair are visitors to Prysi VII themselves and want to learn about the technology of humans, apparently as a prelude to launching some sort of invasion. They demonstrate their powers when Sylvia holds a small pendant shaped like the Enterprise over a fire and the crew reports things getting suddenly very hot aboard the ship. This is one of the few times that Kirk relies on his good look and charm rather than his brain or his right hook to save the day. "Catspaw" does not amount to much as an episode, although we do get to see Kirk and Spock hung up in a dungeon and you have to chuckle at the Vulcan's characterization of the witches' curse as "very bad poetry." But the idea that "magic" is nothing but alien technology dressed up with smoke and mirrors, is a tad cliche, even for Star Trek.

Don't let the cat paw you to death
"Catspaw" is another one of the great episodes of Star Trek that used illusions as its main effect. This is the episode where you'll see the catwoman hang a U.S.S. Enterprise chain above a fire and it will heat the whole ship and its crew up till they're sweating. She uses everybody as a slave and when she gets mad, she will turn into a huge black cat. Kirk, Dr. McCoy, and Spock must find a way to get Scottie and Mr. Sulu out of their spell while they try to survive in the dark dungeon.

"Catspaw" is a great episode and anybody who likes Star Trek should get it. It has some of the best special effects of the series and it also has good acting. ... 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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When their mission to secure a mineral trade ends in failure, a freak ion storm catches Kirk, McCoy, Uhuru, and Scotty in mid-beam-up and sends them to a parallel dimension where Federation leaders are as ruthless as the Klingons, and Star Fleet promotions are attained by assassination. They find themselves on an alternate Enterprise, peopled with evil counterparts to the individuals they know (all attired in glittery, glam-rock uniforms), including most famously an evil, goateed Spock whom Kirk must convince to overthrow the empire. Kirk and his landing party try to fit in with this crew of villains who are threatening with annihilation the planet where the mineral trade went sour, while searching for a way back to their world and fending off assassination attempts. "Mirror, Mirror" achieves the best of what Star Trek is capable, which is to say space opera brought to a high pitch by melodrama. Everyone appears to be having great fun turning their characters to the dark side, especially George Takei, whose evil Sulu beams when making his assassination attempt against Captain Kirk, and Leonard Nimoy, who makes Spock's shift from the meditative logician to the ruthless goateed one seem, well, quite logical. This episode in particular fueled popular culture in such a way that in some circles it is now impossible to sport a goatee without being called "the evil Spock." The story of the evil Spock is continued in the Deep Space Nine episode "Crossover." --Jim Gay ... Read more

Reviews (21)

The Logic of History
"Terror must be maintained or the empire is doomed. It is the logic of history."

The concept of an alternate reality, of a place where a decision I made has its alternative or counterpart, has always held scientific and philosophical fascination for me. The quotation above was spoken by Spock, the Spock of the Taryn Empire. The ruthless assassinations and blood letting as it exists in the alternate universe is only one indicator of how human decisions and manifest themselves in the future. Perhaps a dictatorship arose on earth where a democracy existed in our own time-line. Such would be enough to cause the eventual formation of the empire and the conditions under which Kirk, Scott, Uhura, And Mccoy found themselves to be playing. The concept of an abusive captain, a conniving and vengeful first officer, and a Gestapo-like security apparatus is not something we are accustomed to seeing on our own starships, and it speaks profoundly to humans' abilities to act as savages.

The episode is the first of its kind, and therefore some understandable and predictable faults must be pointed out. First, the transporter accident which caused the episode is not explained to our satisfaction, at least, not to mine. More fundamentally, however, there seems to be an underlying assumption that only one alternate reality exists. If each decision, or even each significant historical event has alternatives, does that not speak for numerous if not infinite realities? Yet this is not so much as hinted at. Too, there is the lack of history. I wanted to see more hints of imperial history, to better understand what makes a Vulcan killer or such a ruthless authoritarianism possible. These questions could not have been answered in anything less than a television movie, and such was simply not done with the first series. These defects are the reason the episode earns only four stars. Yet its moral, scientific, and philosophical assertions and implecations make it a show worth several viewings.

The Only Good Mirror Universe Story Ever.
While beaming back to the Enterprise during an ion storm, Jim, Bones, Scotty, and Uhura (William Shatner, DeForest Kelly, James Doohan, and Nichele Nicholas) find themselves transported into a Mirror Universe where the history of everything they know is altered. Here in place of the Federation, is an evil "Galactic Empire" where they destroy worlds that oppose them and the officers move up in rank by political murder of their comanders. In order to get home, they are aided by a woman (Barbara Luna) to fix the transporter and use the power of the warp engines to balance it for the four of them to beam back to their home universe where everything they know is waiting for them, aboard their Enterprise. But they have to hurry because the doorway between the two universes is closeing fast and they have only three hours to get the work finished and return home. Very well written episode with very good effects work.Written by Jerome Bixby. Directed by Marc Daniels. Music Score by Fred Steiner.

The best episode of the original series
This is my favorite episode of the original Star Trek series. Due to a freak ion storm, Kirk, McCoy, Scotty and Uhuru are beamed to an Enterprise in a parallel universe. In this alternate universe, there is no United Federation of Planets, but an Empire dominated by humans. Discipline is brutal, officers assassinate superiors to achieve rank and the mission is to destroy the Hulkans if they refuse to cooperate. One of the best lines ever to appear in Star Trek is uttered by Spock at the close, "It was easier for you as civilized people to behave as barbarians than it was for them as barbarians to behave as civilized people."
There are several memorable scenes, but one of the best is when the barbarians are forcibly placed in the brig. The rage exhibited by McCoy, Scotty and Uruhu is very realistic and I have always felt that the episode would have been better if there had been some treatment of the actions of the "evil" officers plotting while in the brig of the "good" Enterprise. Even though he is first officer of a ship whose purpose is to destroy uncooperative civilizations, Spock is still thoughtful, still fundamentally a Vulcan. One of the excellent spin-off story lines that could have been done would have been some explanation of how the Vulcans managed to acclimate themselves to serve an "evil" empire.
The final scene on the "evil" Enterprise is one that begs for a sequel. It is clear that the "evil" Spock will attempt to save the Hulkans, but the only tool he has is one that causes people to disappear without a trace. However, it is clear that Spock cannot save the Hulkans simply by making people disappear, at some point, the Empire will send other ships to destroy the Enterprise. It would have been fascinating to witness what happened once the "evil" Kirk and his group arrived back on their ship.
One of the best treatments of the science fiction staple of parallel universes, the acting in this episode is superb. The story line is intense, thoughtful and does not waver a great deal from the fundamental characters. Spock still considers the "evil" McCoy to be full of human weaknesses and Spock is still a Vulcan. A sequel would have been an excellent premise for a feature film.

Perhaps the most suspenseful episode
The 'real' alternate universe episode, featuring an evil Enterprise, is a real gem. From the spooky string music accompanying the ion storm at the start to the ensuing more dramatic music and orbit-change, Mirror Mirror has Trek's best teaser. It doesn't let up much thereafter. Drama is maintained throughout, as the good guys try to keep up with the wily machinations of Chekov, Sulu (even Sulu turns in a good performance here!), and just about everybody else. The gorgeous Luna also turns in a nice performance. The episode is very dramatic and threatening, yet by the end a hard-fought optimism has been interjected, thanks to some of Kirk's strongest salesmanship ever (he has to work on both the Harkan council and Spock here). By the end of the episode, I was totally absorbed, and even found myself believing that maybe good can conquer evil (certainly it's hard to imagine the 'evil' Federation ever growing strong in the first place with all that intrigue and double-dealing). It just goes to show how a good story can knock down our cynical defenses.

Ion Storms and Mirror Universes and Bearded Vulcans
Synopsis:

Caught in the beginnings of an ion storm, Kirk, McCoy and Uhura interrupt their negotiations with the Halkans for dilithium crystals, to return to the U.S.S. Enterprise. Scotty beams the landing party aboard as a burst from the storm hits the starship. The transporter malfunctions, sending Kirk, McCoy, Scotty and Uhura into an alternate universe. In this world, they soon discover the "Galactic Empire" is maintained by fear and assassination. Now, aboard the Imperial Starship Enterprise, the four must find a way to remain undetected until they can return to their own universe.

Meanwhile, the mirror versions of Kirk, Scott, McCoy and Uhura have been beamed on board the positive U.S.S. Enterprise. Their behavior is so different from their counterparts that Spock immediately realizes something is wrong. He had the four imprisoned until the transporter could be checked and repaired.

On the I.S.S. Enterprise, the mirror Chekov is foiled in an attempt to assassinate Kirk. When Kirk refuses to give an order to destroy the Halkans, who have refused to give up their dilithium crystals, the mirror Spock becomes suspicious.

The Imperial Fleet sends a secret message to the mirror Spock, telling him to kill Captain Kirk and assume command of the starship. Finding an unexpected ally in the mirror Spock, Kirk continues to stall while his three comrades gather the information needed to send them back to their own universe.

Mirror Spock has no desire to become captain, and therefore a mark for assassination. Along with Lieutenant Marlena Moreau, who wants the mirror Kirk back because she is "the Captain's woman," they help return the four U.S.S. Enterprise officers to their own world. Before he goes, Kirk talks to the bearded Spock, telling him the advantages of a Federation-like system over the anarchy of this universe. Spock seems almost convinced that he should in fact get rid of his Kirk, seize control of the I.S.S. Enterprise, and manipulate the Imperial Starfleet into working toward a more civilized universe. ... 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 (8)

A pivotal episode
An average episode, this one sees the enterprise crew reduced to salt (Styrofoam?) crystals for future use by the colonization-bent Kelvans. As others have pointed out, this is an interesting episode in that it has two tones. The events of the first half are frightening (although not as eerily stylized as 3rd season shows), as Kirk seems powerless to prevent the Kelvans' cold blooded homicide and control of the Enterprise. The ominous sense that anything goes is augmented by the surprising turn of having a female crew member killed. The tone changes dramatically in the second half of the show though, as the remaining crew exploit the Kelvans' newfound emotions, with entertaining results. These scenes are not just entertaining, but also insightful; it reminds the viewer that much of our own (only semi-successful) acculturation is devoted to reigning in our emotions.

But one wonders whether the blend of the dark and the comic seen here was for the best; it still worked here to some extent, but the episode's schism is somewhat jarring, and we're not quite as able to go along with the blend as we were in say Friday's Child, or A Private Little War. Why? Because a growing lack of introspection was beginning to border on cynicism. Did this gradual moral drift taint the show? Certainly the shows were becoming more calloused, a process that would accelerate in season 3. Season 3 certainly had other problems, but I believe some of the roots of future problems can be found, ironically enough, even in some of the strong episodes from season 2.

But back to By Any Other Name. Other pluses include Kirk's willingness to forgive even a defeated and cruel foe. And don't forget the lovely Kelinda.

Distant Galaxies
Synopsis:

When the U.S.S. Enterprise answers a distress call from a small planet, the landing party is captured by a group of agents from the Kelvan empire, located in the distant Andromeda galaxy. The Kelvans' purpose is to find planets suitable for colonization. However, their own ship was destroyed and now they need the Enterprise to make the 300-year journey home. To utilize the starship, the Kelvans â€" huge, tentacled creatures â€" take on human form. After several attempts at escape, Kirk accepts his fate and agrees to let the aliens take over his ship. The Kelvans use their technology to transform all but essential Enterprise personnel into small "cubes" which, unless broken or damaged, can be restored to human beings.

Recognizing that the Kelvans, in their new human bodies, are discovering human sensation and emotion, the remaining crew attempts to foster dissent amongst the aliens: Scotty succeeds in gettting one of them drunk, McCoy injects an irritant into another, and Kirk makes romantic overtures to the Kelvan leader's woman. With the Kelvans thus distracted, Kirk and the crew are able to regain control of the ship.

Kirk points out to Rojan, the Kelvan leader, that the Kelvans are already becoming less like they were before by encountering the humans. In 300 years, their descendants will be so human-like that they won't be able to live among their people on Kelva. Rojan sees the logic in his argument and sends a robot probe to Kelva, reporting what has happened. Pledging to restore the Enterprise crew, Rojan accepts Kirk's offer that the Enterprise find the Kelvans a Class-M planet to colonize.

Showing aliens how to be human beats being a cube
In "By Any Other Name" a group of Kelvans take ove the Enterprise using advanced technological weapons that allow them to reduce the crew to small blocks of chemicals until only Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Scotty are left (If you remember the comedian who did a riff on this episode, say the punchline to yourself now, please). Rojan, the leader of the Kelvans, wants to modify the Enterprise so his group can get back to the Andromeda Galaxy in only 300 years, at which point his descendants will inform their government that the Milky Way is suitable for conquest. Fortunately, the Kelvans have assumed human form, which means they are now susceptible to sensory inputs, a fact that Kirk and the others seek to exploit. Scott introduces one Kelvan to liquor (the "green" type), McCoy slips them stimulants, and Kirk hits on Kelinda, while Spock helps Rojan experience the wonderful world of jealousy. It is rather surprising that "By Any Other Name" goes the comic route, but it does get pretty funny. You know, it is important to have fun when you are out trekking around the universe on a five-year mission.

A great episode that can stand repeated viewings
This is the one where aliens take over the Enterprise. They compress them into these strange cubes of salt or some alien substance. It was fun to see the crew take advantage of their human form and use human weaknesses as a means to prevent them from taking over the ship. These aliens did take human form for a temporary amount of time. To fool Kirk and crew of course. All in all it's one of those episodes that you can watch again and still find it good.
Especially the scene where Scotty gets the alien drunk.

Terrible
I've always considered this episode to be one of the worst Trek Classic episodes. The writing is just plain bad (a low point in Jerome Bixby's career. Interesting that he also wrote "Mirror, Mirror", one of the best episodes, as well as "Day of the Dove" and "Requiem for Methuselah", two bright lights in the otherwise dismal third season).

The concept of the story is good, but the execution is an embarrassment for Star Trek. ... Read more

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"Space Seed" introduced Khan Noonien Singh (a viperlike Ricardo Montalban) to Trek lore. The trouble begins when Kirk and crew discover a derelict ship and its crew of 70 supermen aboard, all in suspended animation. Led by Khan, these strange people turn out to be the product of genetic experimentation in the 1990s and instigators of a so-called Eugenics War, i.e., the Third World War on Earth often mentioned on various Trek programs. Though displaced from his more violent time and place, Khan quickly overcomes his disorientation and shifts into conqueror mode, rapidly overtaking the Enterprise with the aid of a comely Federation historian who is swooning at his feet. As any Trek fan knows, "Space Seed" inspired Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, regarded by many as the best of the Trek feature films. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Khan would rather reign in Hell than serve in Heaven
Probably no episode of Star Trek has gained more in prominence since the end of the show's original run than "Space Seed." Of course, this is due to the release of "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." Ricardo Montalban turns in a powerful performance as Khan Noonien Singh, a genetically bred superman from the late 20th century on Earth. The Enterprise discovers Khan and dozens of his followers in suspended animation when they find the Botany Bay adrift in space. The charismatic Khan seduces Marla McGivers (who may well be the only ship's historian ever seen on a starship) and with her help revives his crew, who immediately take over the Enterprise. You would think these people who be daunted by 200 years of scientific and technological advances, but Kirk lends a helping hand by giving Khan all the technical manuals he would need. Montalban's performance is what makes "Space Speed" a standout episode, proving that there is not much more impressive in the world than good diction and a neat accent. He might be having his biggest battles in this episode with Kirk, but the scene where Khan threatens McCoy provide one of the good doctor's finest moments. However, I have to think in the future the Enterprise will do without a ship's historian and just use the computer to find out about the past. Besides, there is nothing like a quote from Milton to lend a space opera a touch of class.

A brilliant episode....Khan is fantastically evil!
Khan Noonian Singh. One of my favorite villians of all time is introduced in this classic episode. A leader of the 20th century "genetic wars", Khan is banished to the SS Botany Bay which is adrift in space for over 200 years until the USS Enterprise finds it beaconing signal and beams over to investigate. Then the fun begins....
Khan is taken to the Enterprise where nobody knows who he is yet, except maybe a lovely archeologist. When Khan is finally figured out, let's just say that his brilliant "evil" plan is almost carried out. One of Capt. Kirk's best nemisis to say the least. Khan and his crew of "superior beings" are sent to live on Seti Alpha 5 to start a colony on their own without help from the federation. People forget he and his people exist...Until 15 years later...Thus begins the movie Star Trek II: The wrath of Khan. What a great episode this is. Highly recommended.

Remember what Khan says, "Revenge is a dish best serve cold!"

Tribble Ahead
This classic episode first introduces us to the eugenically bred Khan. Here we have another thoughtful episode that prophesizes an issue ('unnatural' selection) that would feature prominently in the headlines today. It is interesting to see Kirk and company portrayed as 'inferiors' (in a narrow sense of the word) for much of the episode. The scene that ends with Khan threatening Kirk is particularly tense and threatening. Ricardo Monteblan is also effective in his scenes as leader and seducer.

The acting performances and tight script lend an air of subtle believability to this episode that wouldn't always be present on Star Trek. The conflict and drama are well developed. Also interesting is Kirk's ultimate compassion, which of course distinguishes him from the 20th Century leader. Trek, like many great westerns, often found a way to show that compassion and humanity did not have to be synonymous with weakness, passivity, or the absence of charisma. These are important messages for young viewers. Left open here is whether that compassion here will ultimately come back to hurt the Federation. The difficult question is whether one must follow their conscience even when the long term consequences may be detrimental.

Tidbit: This episode features one of Star Trek's most notorious bloopers, in which a dropped phaser visibly distresses several onlookers, particularly DeForest Kelley.

Khaaannn!
I like this film because It's cool. I've watched The Wrath Of Khan before I watched this one. I've read about Khan Noonien Singh in the books about the so-called Ujenics Wars. This is the first time I've seen Curk and Khan coming to grips with each other. This is twice I've seen Khan defeated. First in the Ujenics Wars books, and now in this film. I don't mean to ruin the plot for you, but I like it when Curk engages in a fist fight with Khan...Wo! What have I done? Anyway! I highly recommend this film to everyone.

Well written with good characters
I've watched the entire Star Trek Original Series, and nothing compares to this. The Enterprise finds a sleeper ship, the Botany Bay, drifting in space. The crew beams aboard, and accidentally revives the leader, Kahn Noonien Snigh. His middle and last names are hard to pronounce. So then he comes awake, but is threatened by some rehabilition problem. Kirk breaks Kahn's sleeping chamber, and they take him to sickbay. Meannwhile, the crew beams more people over for treatment. And when the doctor is alone, examining Kahn, he goes to do some deskwork, and Kahn awakens. When he hears McCoy speaking, he quickly grabs a knife and attempts to injure the doctor. But the doctor is ready, and they settle down. There's too much else to say, and it's too good to spoil. So see the rest for yourself. ... Read more

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"Return of the Archons" is a cautionary story about mind control written by Gene Roddenberry. The tale begins when Ensign Sulu (George Takei) is taken hostage on an Earth-like planet with a primitive culture. Zapped by a weapon that leaves him under the control of someone or something named Landru, Sulu is then pursued by Kirk and Spock (Leonard Nimoy), who discover that Landru has the same grip on everyone else. Once Landru becomes aware of efforts by the captain and first officer to interfere with its bidding, Kirk and Spock become the target of a massive hunt by locals. A minor episode with a somewhat obvious scenario, "Return of the Archons" does have novel appeal in its heightened role for the ever-charming Sulu, and in Roddenberry's characteristically humane interest in elements that make people (and intelligent aliens) everywhere free to fulfill their destinies. The solution to the who-is-Landru mystery won't surprise anyone, but it may strike you as a prototype of several future episodes, from all the Trek series, involving centralized caretaking on various planets. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Festival! Festival!
'Return of the Archons' is probably my all-time favorite episode of 'Star Trek.' It has so much going for it, I don't know where to begin. Of course, it's basically a parable about the alleged evils of 'mind control' but it's quite possibly the funniest, most entertaining show ST ever had! From the robotic, mindless natives of Landru's planet, to Sulu (with dreamy gaze) waxing about 'Paradise, my friend' and 'sweetest people in the universe' to McCoy coming under the spell of Landru ("You speak strangely, friend, are you from away?" and "You speak in strange whispers.") This is the one ST episode I can watch endlessly and not get tired of.

Doesn't Quite Live up to Its Potential
Brilliant beginning. Sulu gets zombified. Kirk, Spock, and two crewmen beam down to the planet to try and set things right and are just in time for a mandatory orgy, which they manage to avoid. They get involved in a secret plot to set things right but the story slows down. An "Enterprise is losing its orbit" subplot is added, but seems phoned in.

Kirk's moralizing speech to Landru is very interesting, but rather hypocritical if you think about it very hard. (Kirk frequently chastises computers for failing their prime directive. Wouldn't that be great if one of them told him to examine his own behavior?) The "Changeling", The "Ultimate Computer", and "I, Mudd" all involve Kirk vs. a computer, and they are all superior to this particular story.

This is still a worthy episode, and should be owned by any serious Star Trek fan. With a little work, though, it could have been so much better.

The Red Hour is upon us
This creepy if hokey episode concerns cloaked figures and a zombie-like populace. This show isn't particularly thoughtful for a first season episode, and the ending in particular is very unoriginal and disconnected from the rest of the show. The first half of the episode certainly packs enough mystery though, with the creepy creatures and music, as well as the Jeckyl-Hyde aspect of the population. Sulu also has one of his larger roles here.

"Joy To You Friend. Peace And Contentment Too."
Computers were often depicted as potential formidable foes in the popular science fiction of the sixties but Star Trek did it to a tee. The show's familiar theme of the super computer as a society controller/watchdog was first seen here. And though 'The Return Of The Archons' isn't as well defined as later similar episodes it still stands as one of the best early efforts of the series.

The Enterprise is in an area of space investigating the 100 year old disappearance of a Federation vessel, the Archon. When Sulu is beamed back aboard during an away team emergency he displays a disturbing but sedate state of mind. He is taken to Sick Bay and Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy and a complement of others beam down to further investigate. Within moments the local residents, who behave bafflingly eccentric, break out into a collective fury, an event that is termed Festival. The away team seeks shelter at a nearby hotel where they meet three older gentlemen, two of whom welcome them (Reger and Tamar) and the other (Hacom) who is immediately suspicious of the away team. Kirk's questions about Festival make his hosts uncomfortable and they provide him only with superficial answers, requesting he wait until the morning comes. When the morning comes Hacom has returned with two odd looking fellows, known as lawgivers, who proceed to kill Tamar and demand that Kirk and his party come with them. They refuse and make their way to a safe haven with the help of Reger but eventually the all-powerful ruler Landru that Reger has been speaking of detects their presence. After Landru explains to them they will be 'absorbed' and become 'part of the body' the group is rendered unconscious and taken to a holding cell. Kirk and Spock are spared the absorption by a friend of Reger's (Marplon) who also returns their weapons and communicators to them. After affecting their escape from the holding cell Marplon shows Kirk and Spock the Hall Of Audiences where Landru is located. Discovering a computer hidden behind a wall Kirk and Spock are able to destroy it by causing a conflict within it's programming.

The first try at this type of show comes off quite well with only a couple of notable exceptions. In the hiding place Reger takes them to Landru explains to Kirk and his complement that "they have come to a world of peace and harmony, a world without conflict." That's not entirely true as we see in the first act when every one of the townspeople appears to go simultaneously stark raving mad! Also, in the beginning of the episode the landing party beams down in full view of the townspeople - who demonstrate no surprise at this. Shouldn't they have beamed down outside the city or somewhere they would be certain no one would see this unusual phenomenon? By all appearances this society has the look and feel of late 19th century or early 20th century earth.

The personification of Landru is well conceived and the effect of projecting his image in random locations at will adds an eerie and unnerving touch to the proceedings. The lawgivers are quite creepy as well, clothed in robes, their faces indiscernible, speaking in oddly echoing voices and firing harmless looking but deadly weapons. As Spock tells a frustrated Lindstrom, who feels they can overcome the lawgivers, "they apparently command powers well beyond our comprehension and are very, very dangerous." The wrap-up is satisfactory if a bit too expected. The plot device of Kirk and Spock using their own logic to defeat an all-powerful computer would be returned to several more times through the next three seasons, eventually wearing a bit thin.

Noteworthy: The landing party is attacked when the townspeople begin the Festival. Everyone is pelted by rocks or flying objects, or even in one case beaten with a wooden beam! Everyone that is except for Kirk. An attractive young lady takes a running leap onto the captain, wraps herself around him and administers a deep, passionate kiss - this guy has the most incredible streak of luck with the ladies!

"You are not of the body".......famous line from Archons
The best part about this one was the "Red Hour" where the whole town went on a wild party ..to put it mildly..havoc reigned while Kirk and company watched. It's another one of those computers gone bad thing. It's about a planet that condones the mob mentality and people are drones that listen to every order from the computer. Sounds like us earth people when you look real close at this episode. Well, to make a long story short Kirk short circuts everything with his illogical statements. Spock sits and watches while the whole computer blows to kingdom come. It's fun to watch and stands up today. Because Landru might be Microsoft if the episode was produced in 2002. This could be an ad for Linux OS...."you are not of the body"..you are not Microsoft. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Green Opal and Dove Affair, Both 1st Season Episodes
"The Green Opal Affair" and "The Dove Affair" are both 1st season episodes. Not one of my favorite episodes.

Episode 6 "The Green Opal Affair": UNCLE gets a new recruit when suddenly, he goes out of control. Before he drops into unconsciousness, he says Green Opal and the name Walter Brach (Carroll O'Connor). They find out that Walter Brach is an eccentric man who yearly visits an area called the Green Opal. No one knows why he goes there. Napoleon on orders goes to investigate, going undercover by being hired as a temporary secretary to Brach. When the arrive at Green Opal, he joins up with Chris Linnel (Joan O'Brien), a woman who is kidnapped by Brach's men. They are both captured and we find out that Brach is really a THRUSH agent. THRUSH has developed a way to control people's mind, making them completely loyal to THRUSH. They have kidnapped many people from all over the world and operated them from Green Opal. Brach has plans to use Chris to get through to her genius husband and Napoleon to get into UNCLE.* This is one episode I don't like that much. For one thing, it's very serious and unlike the other episodes, not much humor. Another reason I don't like it so much because Napoleon works 'solo', without the help of Illya. I think the best episodes are the ones in which both of them are in it.

Episode 12 "The Dove Affair": Napoleon goes to Eastern Europe to get the pin of a dove which he knows nothing about from a nation's leader, except that the leader is assassinated by THRUSH. Napoleon steals the pin of the leader's body and tries to get out of the country. But THRUSH is right behind and tries to catch him. Napoleon gets on a train out of the country with the help of an Eastern European spy, Satine (Ricardo Montalban). Satine also wants the dove pin but Napoleon hides it on the train. Satine then tells Napoleon that the reason that the pin is so important is that engraved on the wings of the dove are the names of countless THRUSH agents. They decide to work together along with an American teacher (June Lockhart) to get out of the country safely.* This is a so-so episode with great Ricardo Montalban. It is pretty serious and not that much funny lines or anything. No Illya at all in this one. Another UNCLE episode with a Lost in Space actress (June Lockhart) like in "The Neptune Affair" (1st season) with Marta Kristen. Ricardo Montalban also appeared in "The King of Diamonds Affair" (2nd season).

Green Opal Affair / Dove Affair
The Green Opal Affair and Dove Affair are great though I put only 4 stars since Illya doesn't come out almost at all! I wish he came out more often in the Green Opal Affair. The Green Opal Affair is interesting and I like the beginning where Illya looks at Napoleon when Napoleon is wearing his disguise and thick glasses. I loved Ricardo Montalban in the Dove Affair! He's such a great actor!

Green Opal is a Great Episode- one of my favorites? Yes!
I remember this episode as a kid and loved it as an adult. It has this oriental guy in it that looks like "Oddjob" from Goldfinger that gives Solo nasty looks through the first half hour. Finally there is the end fight scene with Solo using a wrapped up towel as a weapon. It's B&W (black and white) for all those post 60's people out there. But the video quality of this series is very good and if you are a fan of U.N.C.L.E repeats this is one that you'll watch more than once. Even my nine year old daughter gets a kick out of them too! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Don't bother
The Nazi episode has to rank near the bottom of Trek offerings, if only because it is in such poor taste. What were they thinking? I'm tempted to give the episode at least some support for the fact that it has plenty of action, but after being reminded by other reviewers just have off-base Kirk's speech was (the one that seems to equate the Nazis with other holders of absolute power), I can't give the episode any extra props. There could be no better example than this episode of the dangers inherent in drifting too far away from the tenets the show was founded upon. At times it worked, like in A Piece of the Action, but you can almost watch things getting out of hand as the second season progressed. Bread and Circuses flirted with the line; Patterns of Force crossed way over it.

Zeons and the Patterns of Force
Kirk and Spock are captured on this planet of Nazis. It was pretty much standard 60's TV villians. The enemy is again...you guessed it another crazy federation captain who thought he could make the perfect society. This was also done with the episode "Bread and Circuses" where they were on the Gladiator planet.

The Enterprise visits the planet of the Nazis
The Enterprise visits Ekos, another one of those fun planets that is like Earth with a twist in "Patterns of Force." This time around they show up to check on John Gill, a Federation cultural observer, who has been studying the progress of the planet's primitive and warlike people. Instead they find a society patterned on Nazi Germany, with people from the neighboring planet of Zeon serving as the scapegoats for the Ekosians. Eventually it becomes clear that Gill introduced Nazism to make it more efficient (the whole trains running on time bit), but, gee, the "bad" side of Nazism seems to have taken hold along with the "good." I always thought this episode was was an implicit attack on academics, who like to get involved in spirited debates on such things but usually lack the power or opportunity to put their theories into practice. You have to remember this was still the Sixties and the Nazis were still the big villains of the day; it would be another decade before they were replaced in Hollywood by psychotic Vietnam vets as the top villains. In the end this episode justifes the Prime Directive, which is not exactly a vote in its favor. But "Patterns of Force" certainly makes a compelling case for its anti-revisionist argument. Yet there is still that subversive element that those black Gestapo uniforms look pretty good on Kirk and Spock. Bottom line is that this is still pretty heady stuff for a science fiction show.

One of the most entertaining and suspenseful episode by far!
In "Patterns of Force," Kirk and Spock go searching for a former Star Fleet professor named Gill, but they find that he has created a culture patterned after Nazi Germany....or has he?

From reading about the episode, I was expecting "Patterns of Force" to be just an average episode, but man I was wrong big time. Now I've seen all but six episodes, including "The Cage," of Star Trek - The Original Series, and I can honestly say that in my opinion, "Patterns of Force" is one of the best overall episodes.

"Patterns of Force" is VERY suspenseful and entertaining, parts of it such as Captain Kirk telling Spock to hide his ears are humourous, and everybody does a great job of acting. If you like Star Trek at all, do yourself a favor and get "Patterns of Force." You might find yourself in a pattern of watching it more than you expected to.

Okay this story is going a little too far.
Okay, I can accept stories where the Enterprise encounters two planets, one that has a 20th Century Roman Culture on it, and another that has modeled it's society on Chicago gangs from the 1920's, but this one where the planet has a Nazi Germany goverment on it, brought about by a federation scientist and historian, is sort of taking things beyound the point of beliveability, This is just a case of doing one too many of these stories, and it falls as flat as a pancake. I can understand the moral/historical issues raised in the episode,but please, let's not see anymore of these finding Earth type cultures on distant planet stories with Star Trek. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Hot Number and The Suburbia Affair
The Hot Number Affair is an episode about a dress( a hot number) with a pattern that is a secret code and the Thrush people want it.This episode is built around pop singing duo Sonny And Cher who play Jerry and Ramona.Ramona(Cher) wears the "hot number" and doesn't remember where she left it until it's brought in from the cleaners.Jerry(Sonny Bono) designed the hot number that Ramona wears and Jerry has a crush on Ramona.The popular Sonny and Cher song "I Got You Babe" plays in the background.The stock music uses kazoos throughout the episode which may be irritating to some but I found it to be humorous.
"The Suburbia Affair" has Napoleon and Illya move temporarily to the suburbs.These two guys even divide up the household duties on cooking and cleaning.The so-called milkman sends them milk that appears to blowup.What a mess for them to clean up.Illya even gets to drive a ice cream truck.In one scene Napoleon and Illya almost sound like an old married couple when they begin to argue.I've seen a episode guide on "The Hot Number Affair" as an worst offering of the series.To me it's not that bad of an episode for 1967 compared to what tv executives put on nowadays. ... Read more

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A planetoid called Alpha Memory is chosen to become the Federation's official library, and Lieutenant Mira Romaine (Jan Shutan), charged with transferring records to the site's computers, is en route to that destination aboard the Enterprise. Along the way, she acquires a new beau in the adoring Scotty (James Doohan), and big trouble when the collective consciousness of the Zetars, a lost and disembodied race, attack the Alpha Memory project and take possession of her and her voice.

Not surprisingly, the story was written by someone who knew a lot about projecting personalities and voices into hapless third parties: puppeteer Shari Lewis and her husband Jeremy Torcher, both big fans of Star Trek. Typical of the original series' troubles with ever-shrinking budgets, the Zetar entities are represented as mere colored lights, an adequate effect improved immensely by the scary-dramatic context in which they appear and by a good vocal performance by Barbara Babcock (lately of Dr. Quinn, Medicine W