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The delightful episode "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" is a time-travel story with an infectious blend of suspense and humor. After dropping into a black hole, the Enterprise ends up orbiting the Earth in the late 1960s and is spotted by U.S. Air Force captain Christopher (Roger Perry), who happens to be flying by in his jet. Inadvertently giving poor Christopher an unwanted glimpse into the future, and wrecking his jet with an overpowering tractor beam, Capt. Kirk (William Shatner), not having a good day, beams him aboard the Federation starship. The collision of sensibilities and reference points between characters born several centuries apart has a fresh, urgent tone that subsequent Star Trek series have never captured (though Deep Space Nine came close with its dazzling episode "Trials and Tribble-ations"). The problem, of course, is what to do about Christopher now that he knows what he knows, and history demands that he stay put in his own world: the pilot's unborn son, it seems, will one day make a space flight of historic importance. Terrifically entertaining and something of a precedent-setter for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (the theatrical feature set in contemporary San Francisco), "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" is Trek at its best. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Back to the past
The first of the contemporary earth episodes is a solid offering about a USAF pilot who ends up aboard the Enterprise. One might be forgiven for not realizing they were watching Star Trek here; the Enterprise doesn't show up until the end of this unusual teaser. This episode explores the trappings of time travel, with every effort the crew makes at not altering the future invariably leading to more modification of the future. If the questions of logic posed by the above aren't taken to seriously (they shouldn't be, in my opinion) this episode is watchable enough. The strongest aspects of this show are the humor behind the cultural (temporal?) differences and a fallible Kirk. In truth though, not that much happens here, and the contemporary Earth idea isn't too interesting 36 years later after the fact.

Star Trek's first (and funniest) Time Travel episode
For the first time the Enterprise goes back in time in "Tomorrow is Yesterday," thrown back while trying to break free of the gravitational pull of a black hole. The Enterprise ends up in the late 1960's (neat coincidence, huh?) over the United States, where a jet fighter is scrambled to check out the giant blip on the radar. Worried about nuclear missiles, Kirk uses the tractor beam to stop the aircraft, which then falls apart. The Enterprise rescues the pilot, Captain John Christopher, who finds everything (including Spock) a little hard to believe. Then Kirk discovers he is between a rock and a hard place: they cannot let Christopher return with his knowledge of the future but the officer has to return because his son, who is not yet been conceived, is going to be a famous space explorer. If this does not give Kirk a headache, then just think about the old kill a butterfly and cause monsoons in China theory of causality. There are some nice moments in "Tomorrow is Yesterday," having to do with the sudden confrontation of the past and the future, the best of which (Kirk being interrogated by the Military Police and noting wryly that the lengthy prison sentence he is being threatened with would be "just about right" for getting him back to his own time) will pop up again in the movie "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home." I have to admit, I like a time travel episode where the entire fate of the universe does not hang in the balance, as in "The City on the Edge of Forever."

Bad Day for Kirk--Good Episode for Fans
When I first saw this episode so many years ago, I was afraid they had replaced Star Trek with some show about the air force. What a classic teaser! What a relief to see the Enterprise make it's surprise appearance!

We don't get to see the Enterprise at its best in this episode, which is what makes it so fun. Kirk makes one blunder after another. The computer has had a recent unfortunate personality transplant. Even Spock overlooks a very important facet in his calculations. As the episode progresses, the situation just gets worse for our heroes. It's very enjoyable watching Kirk squirm under interrogation.

The resolution didn't come across as very believable, but I'm no time travel expert, so what do I know? I just accept it and applaud.

And, of course, the "chicken soup" scene is a classic Star Trek instant.

Tomorrow Is Yesterday
In "Tomorrow Is Yesterday," the Enterprise finds itself in the 20th century, not far above the surface of the earth. It is spotted by a pilot of the United States Air Force and is believed to be a U.F.O. Scared of being shot down and possibly destroyed, Captain Kirk decides to beam the pilot onboard. If Kirk and the rest of the Enterprise crew don't watch out, they might change the course of history.

I thought "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" was a pretty good episode about time travel. At times in the episode, the Enterprise will travel back in time, making the clock onboard the Enterprise counts backward. I thought that was one of the best things about the episode. "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" isn't one of the best episodes of Star Trek The Original Series, but it isn't a bad one either. If you like The Original Series of Star Trek, I recommend getting "Tomorrow Is Yesterday."

Time Travel on Star Trek.
Captain James T. Kirk must find a way to get his ship and crew home after they are transported back in time after pulling away from the gravity of a black star. Problem is they must also return an air force pilot, they beamed onboard, and he must have no memory of ever meeting people from the future, other wise history will be forever altered.Written by D.C. Fontana.Directed by Michael O'Herlihy.Music Composed and Conducted by Alexander Courage. ... Read more

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It's the supporting players who provide the most watchable performances in the 1969 "Whom Gods Destroy," one of the best episodes from Star Trek's final season on NBC. Running an errand to the planet Elba II, an inhospitable place housing a remote hospital for the hopelessly insane, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) discover that a longtime patient and Starfleet icon, Captain Garth (Steve Ihnat), has overtaken the facility. Suffering delusions of absolute power, Garth declares himself master of the universe, though his mastery fails to lure the rest of the Enterprise crew into a trap.

With Kirk and Spock subdued prisoners of the brutal Garth, the story opens to Ihnat's flamboyant yet sympathetic performance. You can see behind the character's crazy veneer to the bold starship commander whose exploits fired Kirk's imagination as a cadet. Equally good is Yvonne Craig as Garth's would-be queen, the very sexy Marta, a compulsive killer whose seductive dances, wayward intelligence, and exotic, green skin make her one of the most striking females from the original series. Newbie Trekkers will be happy to know that the story by Lee Erwin and Jerry Sohl clarifies a couple of biographical points about Kirk and Spock, including the captain's own reference to his Starfleet career track before becoming an explorer. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A lot of filler to complete an episode
The storyline here is a very thin and old one, based on the premise of an insane, but supposedly brilliant man who has grandiose visions of achieving absolute power. In this case, the man (Garth) is a former starship captain who is locked in an insane asylum on a planet with a poisonous atmosphere. The Enterprise arrives at the asylum bearing a medication that supposedly will cure the inmates, a small group who are the only incurably insane people in Federation space. Given that the group also includes a Tellerite, Andorian and a green-skinned woman, that space is indeed large.
Garth has somehow been transformed into a shape-shifter (one of many far-fetched components of the plot), and takes the place of the governor, so when Kirk and Spock beam down, they are easily captured. After several extremely campy scenes, they of course escape and Garth is medicated, apparently on the road to recovery.
Nearly everything about the episode is an attempt to fill the allotted time. While the dance done by the green-skinned woman is very good, it is much longer than it had to be. Spock and Kirk's dialogue is much wordier than usual and the climactic scene where Spock is trying to decide which of the two "Captains" is the real Kirk, goes on much too long, and naturally involves Kirk fighting hand-to-hand. Spock is of course an expert in logic, so all he had to do is come up with a simple question that only the real Kirk would know. Even human students of logic could do that in a matter of seconds.
Garth has also invented an incredibly powerful explosive, so powerful that a single vial could destroy the planet. This would make it more powerful than anti-matter, making it an absurdity. When watching the episode, I wondered why this feature is even included. It is unnecessary, so my belief is that it was included just to fill the time.
Unlike some of the other stinkers of the original series, there is no underlying philosophical theme that makes it more palatable. At least "The Alternative Factor" dealt with the idea of noble acts leading to eternity in purgatory, "The Mark Of Gideon" dealt with overpopulation and "The Empath" had Kirk, Spock and McCoy each willing to die for the others. This one has nothing of that caliber, so it is very close to the worst episode in the original series.

Like Spock's Brain, bad if taken literally, but good as camp
The second of the insane asylum/ penal colony episodes is no better than the first (Dagger of the Mind). The episode has the cold, impersonal feel that was becoming a staple at this point in Trek's run (at least in part attributable to the actors having to act of character [witness the recondite Spock here], the executive producer's let's get this over with approach, and a growing sense that the run was over.) The episode does have some merit as a camp vehicle, and a caricature of Star Trek (over the top acting, silly performance antics, little effort to have the plotline or character motivations make sense). In a sense, the show was simply no longer taking itself seriously. This approach may (I don't know) have begun with Fred Frieberger (who took over as executive producer), but by this point in the third season it had spread to the rest of the team. As in sports, once you go on a losing streak there is a tendency to stop investing yourself in the product. That kind of demoralization and the resulting distance from the material, is a signature of the second half of season 3.

Much of the dialogue here is aimed at obfuscating plot inconsistencies and stretching out the thin storyline; first and second season episodes generally did not feel this way. Plot implausibilities were also reaching absurd proportions. The transporter / password subplot did not make sense on any level, so this ended up being nothing more than a Kirk in danger story. Spock's behavior during the fight scene between the two Kirks likewise was totally irrational (for lack of a better word).

A telling scene has Kirk and Spock seated, with Garth and his cohorts standing behind them. Are the slouching Kirk and Spock's snickering, knowing, and tired expressions aimed at Garth's entourage of misfits, or a way of telling us, the audience, that they relized the product was no longer classic Trek? Most of the make-up, costumes, and equipment are retreads, and the plot too has nothing new to say. As in other third season shows, we have sadism for its own sake. The cruel and childish antics are reminiscent of the recently finished Plato's Stepchildren. But as in the real world, evil for evil's sake would surface all too often in the 3rd season.

In this sense the stylistically trippy 3rd season is actually more realistic than the idealistic 1st season. Oh well, at least this episode's finale holds out some hope for Garth and company's redemption. Too late for the viewer!

Good Acting Performance vs. Poor Story Line
By the third season, Star Trek had pretty much exhausted the main story lines associated with the basic premise of the show which is how mankind copes with the challenge of meeting the unknown in exploring the universe beyond. This problem manifested itself in poor scripts and a general demoralization among the actors, writers and producers of the show. This episode comes from this period of decline, but it noteworthy for the excellent performance by guest star Steven Ihnat who plays the mad Capt Garth of Isar who developes a megalomaniacal obsession with "conquering the galaxy". The associated story line is sometimes ludicrous, but Ihnat keeps the viewers attention with his constantly changing moods, going in moment from devious subtlety to explosive rage. Ihnat was one of the premier guest stars on action/adventure series of the 1960's in which he played both "good guys" and "bad guys" so he was well suited for playing a role like this one. In my opinion, even someone who is not a diehard fan of S T can enjoy this episode.
This episode also contains one of my favorite lines from the series which is said by Garth: "Don't beg Marta, it's degrading!"

Campy Fun But not For Fans
Though true Star Trek fans are appaled at this episode, and I admit in many ways it is just plain dreadful, it is a lot of fun if you don't take it too seriously.

It has a sexy green girl, a crazed mad man, a Tellerite and Andorian...I mean admit it! It's gotta be fun!

It is not intelligent, poetic Trek for what made the show famous, but it is entertaining!

If you watch the shows for deep meaning, you will not enjoy this episode, b ut I don't feel it deserves all the critisism it gets. It is certainly one of the "darker" episodes and one of the last.

Buy at your own risk but it is certainly fun and the ending is a neat little twist.

Kirk encounters a dangerous but really stupid shape shifter
The Enterprise stops by the Maximum Security Asylum on Elba II (cute, huh?) and finds that Garth of Izar, an infamous Starfleet captain who destroyed an entire race, has learned how to alter his appearance and has assumed the face and position of Governor Cory. Locking up Kirk and Spock, Garth changes himself to look like Kirk and tries to take over the Enterprise. "Whom Gods Destroy" is a below average Star Trek episode, especially since Garth's plan can only work if the Enterprise basically has no security measures in place whatsoever. I have children who could program the computer not to let unauthorized characters beam aboard the ship, but that would sure kill a lot of stories on Star Trek. Certainly the idea of a shape shifter running loose on the Enterprise is a good idea, Odo more than proves that on DS9, but beyond his special ability Garth is just pretty stupid for an ex-Starfleet captain. ... Read more

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Lovable scoundrel Harry Mudd (Roger C. Carmel) returns following his debut appearance in the first-season episode "Mudd's Women," this time as the leader of a race of helpful (and leggy) androids. Mudd tries to take control of the Enterprise, but soon finds that the androids have plans of their own. This is one of Trek's few purely comic episodes, and it hits a nice level of whimsy as Kirk and the crew fight android efficiency with good old human illogic. "I, Mudd" also sets a benchmark achievement for the Star Trek design crew: It called not just for beautiful women in revealing costumes, but for beautiful twins in revealing costumes. Truly a tough one to top, cheesily foreshadowing the "Fembots" of Austin Powers infamy. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Not my bag, but some people love it
This episode, which features Harry Mudd and a group of androids, must be one of the toughest to review if only because it is such a bizarre episode. This is one of the few episodes that undeniably means to be campy. None of the actors play this one seriously, and that's for the best given the material. Unfortunately, most of the humor falls completely flat. Nevertheless, I respect the episode for trying something different.

This show certainly helped set the carefree tone that would extend FAR more successfully into the next episode.

Why is Harry Mudd always surrounded by beautiful women?
I did not like Harcourt Fenton Mudd the first time he showed up on Star Trek ("Mudd's Women") and he is just as insufferable the second time around in "I, Mudd." It seems Harry is the sovereign of an uncharted planet where he has 200,000 androids severing him, some of whom are very beautiful. The androids also want to study other humans and Harry suggested grabbing a starship, which explains why the Enterprise crew is being waited upon by the androids as well. However, things like this are always too good to be true and the androids eventually reveal that they intend to use their newfound knowledge to control the instabilities of all the humanoids in the galaxy. The episode does include a fun twist in that Kirk, who usually defeats super computers by using logic, this time around turns to illogical behavior to confuse the poor androids. Even I am cheered by the final gag of how Kirk and the androids decide to punish poor Harry. "I, Mudd" is really not that bad of an episode, once you get past the fact Harry is in it.

The best of the Mudd episodes
Harry Mudd (Roger Carmel) is one of Captain Kirk's most troublesome and noted rivalries. Mudd returns in this episode as the ruler of an android (robot) civilization. Mudd has a plan in mind to take Captain Kirk and his crew as hostages, and then to take over the Enterprise by use of his androids. As powerful as the androids are, and as mischievous and sneaky as Mudd is, will Kirk and the crew have a chance to get the ship back?

For about the first 30 minutes of "I,Mudd," I didn't think I was going to like the episode because it was mostly just a lot of talking and arguing among the cast crew. However, the last half of "I, Mudd" more than makes up for the first half. It was very entertaining to watch Captain Kirk and the crew try and outwit the androids by confusing them with what is logical and what is illogical. What happens at the end of the episode is one of the most hilarious parts of any of the Star Trek episodes. I recommend anybody who likes episodes of Star Trek - The Original Series with a lot of wits and humor mixed in to get "I, Mudd."

Shut Up Stella."
That line is told by Roger C. Carmel as he returns as Harry Mudd, in this story of Mudd being found on a planet ruled by androids who want to learn more of human beings, so Harry plans to have the Captain and the crew of the Enterprise stay behind on the planet and he will leave aboard their ship, but then the androids turn the tables and want to leave Harry behind as well, so Harry and the crew use human illogic to cause the robots to overload, a laugh a minute episode from the Star Trek cast.

GREAT HUMUR
I think the last 17 mins. {of humor}. makes it a buy, if you dont have it ... Read more

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"Shore Leave" was written by a literary giant in science fiction, Theodore Sturgeon. The story concerns a break in the action for the Enterprise crew, nearly all of whom beam down to the surface of an Eden-like planet for shore leave, where they find that everyone's wish comes true. Individuals from crew members' pasts turn up, fantasies of romance or heroism are instantly realized--and if it all seems too good to be true, it is. In time, the dark side of this dream shows itself when people start getting killed. This episode emerges from the trippier side of Star Trek and very cleverly sheds light on the personalities of the show's major characters by making their dreams manifest. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Jimmy me boy!
I find this episode, in which anything that pops into one's mind is almost immediately realized, to be funny, entertaining, and original. Certainly much of the material is very hoaky, but it's never good to watch Trek with too critical an eye. This episode's premise also introduced a flexibility which helped flesh out some of the characters. Examples include the look at Kirk's academy days and McCoy's waggish ways with the ladies here. Overall, an off-beat and upbeat tone prevails, despite the episode's substantial (if temporary) negative twist.

That's absolutely strange!
This movie is really fun to watch. It's really strange to think things that you fantasize, and all of a sudden they just appear out of nowhere. Remember the Twilight Zone episodes? I like this movie because it's absolutely fun to watch. I also like the intense moments, like Kirk engaged in a fist fight with Finegan, and MCCoy getting run through with a lance. I highly recommend this episode to future Star Trek fans.

Long before holodecks.....
This episode takes you to a planet where the crew of the Enterprise is supposed to relax. They do everything but..
Kirk and company are chased by the things they fear most. It's a planet who has a computer which can read people's most inner thoughts. It was interesting to see that McCoy came from a Southern background. Something I didn't know until watching the episode. It has a few tense moments...like McCoy getting jousted by a knight in armor. It was anther one of those supercomputers that alters reality thing....

Light Hearted story on Star Trek.
The crew start seeing people and things while on shore leave on a distant planet that is supposed to be uninhabited. Bones sees Alice and the Rabbit from "Alice in Wonderland", Sulu finds a 1930's style gun, and other members of the crew see a flock of ducks, a tiger, and a World War II style aircraft fighter. Who or what is causing these things to appear? The answer is a surprisingly simple one at the end. Written by Theodore Sturgeon. Directed by Robert Sparr. Music Composed and Conducted by Gerald Fried!

Shore leave on a planet where the impossible keeps happening
The Enterprise makes the fateful decision to enjoy "Shore Leave" at a planet in the Omicron Delta section. Sensors find only plant life below, but when Dr. McCoy arrives for a little R&R he sees the White Rabbit from "Alice in Wonderland" running around. The rest of the crew have nasty encounters with Don Juan, a samurai, a tiger, and a knight on horseback who actually runs McCoy through with a lance, forcing somebody else to tell the captain the doctor is dead. Captain Kirk encounters a couple of people from his past: a beautiful woman named Ruth and an annoying cadet named Finnegan who made his life hell at the Academy. Obviously, there is some sort of rhyme and reason to what is happening on this planet and the only question is whether Kirk and his crew can figure it out in time (The answer is: Yes. I know some of you were getting worried, so I thought I would relieve your minds). This was one of the episodes crafted by a science fiction legend, named Theodore Sturgeon, and although budgetary considerations took their tool on his script, it is clear he came up with a neat idea for a story. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A bit above average, mostly for its uniqueness
While I agree that several 3rd season shows revisited plots from prior seasons, it's also true that the final season produced some unique offerings stylistically and substantially. The Paradise Syndrome, in which Kirk lives with an indigenous tribe, is one example. Two aspects in particular make this episode unusual. First, I can't think of an episode which spans a longer period of time (months). Second we have extensive cultural immersion, involving just one crew member who can't even remember he belongs on a starship. Other peculiar aspects are the funky score and some disturbing scenes such as the final violence which ultimately excuses Kirk's to return to his ship.

While the tragedy here is not as effectively conveyed as in say, The City on the Edge of Forever, the final, extreme events are emotionally involving. This is one of Shatner's richer performances, even as he ultimately remains wed to his ship. A less sappy romance, without the hackneyed 'spurned rival' subplot, and better acting from the beautiful Miramanee could have made this a truly exceptional episode. Also annoying are the gratuitous 'meanwhile, aboard the Enterprise' scenes so common in the 3rd season, where we usually see feckless and out-of-character bickering about zero-hours and the like. Still, a slighly above average episode, for its novelty primarily.

Tidbits: This is the episode which should have closed with Spock
saying'forget.' Several aspects of the asteroid subplot, including
plot constraints that it introduces, fail to meet even the low
plausibility standards of Star Trek.

2001; A Space Odyssey did it much better.
This stinker from Star Trek's Thrid Season has the crew finding native americans on a distant world, whose ancestors were placed there several centuries ago by the Preservers, a race of ancient beings who might have build the Monolith seen in 2001; A Space Odyssey...I Guess. Actually this is a pretty contrived love story for Captain James T. Kirk (...) and even though the idea of the Preservers is something I hope they explore in a future Star Trek film. But clearly the idea of an alien race leaving a machine of great power to help mankind evolve to intelligence was explored much more effectively by Arthur C. Clarke in the books and film versions of 2001 and 2010.

Kurok gets married to Miramanee as an asteroid approaches
If you go strictly by Star dates, then "The Paradise Syndrome" is certainly the longest Star Trek of all time. On a planet that is going to be hit by an asteroid, the Enterprise finds the descendants of Native Americans who were transplanted millennia ago from Earth by the fabled Preservers, a race that allows us to understand why there are humanoids races all over the universe. While examining an ancient obelisk Kirk calls for a beam-up, at which point a trap door opens up and he falls inside, where a bolt of energy knocks him out. Failing to find the Captain, Spock and McCoy are forced to leave so the Enterprise can go stop that asteroid from destroying this planet. However, the Enterprise fails in its task, burning out enough systems that it limps back to the planet with the asteroid right behind. Meanwhile, Kirk, suffering from amnesia, is accepted by the villagers as a god named Kurok. Eventually he finds love with the beautiful Miramanee, despite the attentions of her jealous ex-boyfriend. Kurok and Miramanee are married and she is with child when the destructive asteroid finally shows up and threatens the planet. This one always reminded me of the James Bond movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," where 007 marries Diana Rigg. After the traumatic ending of "The City on the Edge of Forever" this one pales somewhat in comparison, mainly because Kurok does not know he is Kirk for most of the episode. Still, there is something refreshing about seeing Kirk when he has forgotten he is a starship captain. This is an above average Star Trek episode, although it is not in my personal Top 10.

Decent episode, cool technique by Spock
Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy are on a planet trying to find out a way to save it from the impact of an approaching asteroid when Kirk mysteriously disappears underground. Once Kirk gets out, he discovers an Indian tribe that thinks he is a God, and he gets to marry an attractive Indian woman. But one thing is wrong, Captain Kirk has lost his memory. Spock and Dr. McCoy must find a way to save Kirk from the planet before the asteroid hits.

"The Paradise Syndrome" is a decent episode, but it's not really that great in any way. The best part of the episode is when Spock uses one of his tricks to help Captain Kirk at the end of the episode.

The music steals the show
Great original score to an otherwise fair episode. The last scene with Kirk at Miramanee's bedside is very effective & touching. This guy Kirk can't win --talk about unlucky in love! ... Read more

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In episode 7, "The Naked Time," an alien disease that strips inhibitions from individuals affects the Enterprise crew. Sulu (George Takei) frees the swashbuckler in his soul, Kirk (William Shatner) battles his demons, and a young lieutenant, Riley (Bruce Hyde), serenades the entire starship and steers it toward certain doom. Still early in the proceedings, this episode introduced a psychological aspect that would become a cornerstone for the storytelling on all four Trek series. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Trek gaining momentum
The Naked Time-This episode, in which a virus causes the crew to lose their inhibitions, was the best offering yet from the new show. The episode commences with an effective teaser, and the story unfolds at a good pace once aboard the Enterprise. The basic premise is a good one, since it enables the cast to both playfully embellish their roles and have some serious ruminations. The episode certainly has its share of action, and is one of the more creative 'Enterprise in danger' shows. We are also introduced to adult themes such as tradeoffs between duty and responsibility on the one hand and joyous, unconstrained intoxication on the other. Some of the soul-searching monologues are a bit much though for characters who weren't exactly our friends yet (this was the 3rd show to air), and as others have noted Nimoy-who seems to really need to believe in the material-was not terribly effective here. The same can (as usual) be said of Takei, and the inclusion of a 'drunken Irishman' character was also somewhat unfortunate. The boomerang premise is also kind of silly, but what the heck, enough hating; this is Star Trek, and it's a good episode.

A humourous episode with an interesting plot
In "The Naked Time," Spock and another crew member are searching a place that is packed full of nothing but ice. There are also a few people in the place that are frozen as solid as an iceberg. One of the crew members catches a disease while he's searching this place and then unwillingly takes it onboard the Enterprise with him. This disease makes the person who has it act strangely and humorously, and after awhile of fooling around, that person can die. If a person who has the disease touches anybody that doesn't have the disease, that person will catch the disease. The Enterprise crew must find a way to get rid of this disease any way they can.

"The Naked Time" is both a hilarious episode and it's interesting and entertaining. Sulu trying to be a swordsman when he catches the disease is hilarous, and so is one of the crew members who messes up the ship and claims that he's Irish. Even Spock catches it and does something you won't believe that Spock is doing. This episode also has good special effects and sound effects. I recommend anybody who likes the original series of Star Trek to get "The Naked Time." It's a great episode.

"I'm in love with you, Mr. Spock."
"The Naked Time" is an episode with many layers of meaning. It could be a metaphor for alcoholism. Or it could be a cautionary tale on the dangers of biological contaminants. Or it could be a 23rd century representation of the long-standing problem of cabin fever aboard a ship on an extended mission. Or if you simply do not want to analyze it that deeply, it simply is that corny episode where Sulu (George Takei) runs around the ship shirtless and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) weeps like a baby.

Spock and crewman Joe Tormolen (Stewart Moss) transport to planet Psi 2000 and discover that its research staff has perished. It turns out that a virus was the cause of the deaths but by the time the Enterprise crew discovers this, Tormolen has already brought it back to the ship. One crew member after another becomes infected until Doctor Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) discovers an antidote in time to save the ship from being destroyed.

"The Naked Time" provided many memorable moments that one can vividly recall to this day - Sulu with the fencing sword, Nurse Christine Chapel (Majel Barrett) professing her love for Spock, Spock breaking down, and Lt. Kevin Riley (Bruce Hyde) anointing himself captain of the Enterprise. All of this seems silly if you really think about it but the episode still is intriguing for providing valuable insights into the hidden aspects of the crew. Because of the Psi 2000 virus, we now know of Sulu's craving for adventure, Chapel's crush on the Vulcan first officer, and Spock's ongoing struggle to maintain his control over his emotions. Once again attention to character development helps to add more substance to the series.

It's weird!!!!!
I like this movie because It's absolutely fun. It's absolutely fun to watch. I like how the crew membors including Sulu start acting strangely. I also like how Kevin Rily seranades the entire starship. I like that swashbuckler thing because it's a cool scene where Sulu acts like D'Artagnan the way he wields a fenser's foil. The whole disease thing is so weird it's cool. I recommend this film to future Star Trek fans.

The crew of the Enterprise have their souls stripped bare
In "The Naked Time" an away team finds six scientists dead on planet Psi 2000. When one of the crew takes the glove of his isolation suit off, a small drop of red liquid moves onto his hand. When they return to the Enterprise the crewmembers start acting strangely; Sulu runs around with a fencer's foil, Riley takes over engineering and keeps singing "I'll Take You Home Kathleen," and even Spock becomes an emotional wreck. The strange liquid from the planet affects everyone like alcohol and bares their souls. This is absolutely a great idea, but for "Episode 7"? This is just way too early for Spock to have his meltdown. Ironically, STNG made the same mistake with "The Naked Now" being Episode THREE for crying out loud. Of course, in syndication these concerns are less important because we the second/third/nth time you want a Star Trek episode you can put it in the context of the entire series. Still, way back when, they were really getting a bit ahead of the game, although "The Naked Time" is an above average episode. ... Read more

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Every now and then, the meager budget for Star Trek was helped along by stories set almost entirely on the Enterprise, which required shooting within established sets. "The Mark of Gideon" was a clever way to mitigate the visual monotony of such episodes. Captain Kirk (William Shatner) beams himself down to the planet Gideon, but instead finds himself alone in a mock-up of his own starship. (Translation: it's Shatner on the Enterprise set without the rest of the cast.) Almost alone, that is: Kirk finds himself accompanied by the beautiful Odona (Sharon Acker), an inhabitant of Gideon selected for infection by an outsider, in hopes that a plague of some sort will help the planet's overpopulation problem. Despite, or even because of, the set-bound nature of the story, "The Mark of Gideon" is actually one of the boldest and freshest ideas in the series, and like "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield," took on a hot topic of controversy (population control) in the issue-driven 1960s. The script, incidentally, was cowritten by Stanley Adams, who played Cyrano Jones in "The Trouble with Tribbles." --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Worst episode ever
C'mon. The planet is so overpopulated that every mountain is covered with people, but they found the acreage to construct this monstrous fake Enterprise. The planet Gideon isn't in the Federation, but they got a hold of the blueprints to build an exact replica of the Federation's flagship, perfect enough to fool the captain. Not to mention that Kirk never once worries about operating the ship by himself...in fact the "fake" ship leaves Gideon orbit (it was still in orbit when Kirk first gets there) without Kirk so much as flipping a switch...the problems with this episode go on and on. And besides all that, it's BORING! I actually enjoy the banter between Spock and Hodin, but the rest of it, zzzzz. Nothing happens. Chemistry beween Odana and Kirk? Not much. The Gideon's entire plan is so alarmingly stupid on every level...it's no wonder when Spock shows up to beam Kirk and Odana out of there, Hodin (after having gone to all of this effort) stands there like a statue without protest. This episode is worse than the Lights of Zetar (which is spookier), worse than And The Children Shall Lead (where at least they hand out ice cream), and worse than Spock's Brain (which is wildly amusing). That means the Mark of Gideon stands alone as the Worst Episode Ever.

Good social commentary, absurd premise
To those whose lives do not extend back to the days when the original Star Trek series first aired, some of the storylines seem socially backward. They do not realize how restrictive the rules of censorship were at that time. While the premise of this episode is silly, it was the only way that the serious social issue of overpopulation could appear on television at that time.
The Enterprise arrives at the planet Gideon and only Kirk is allowed to beam down. Upon arrival, he finds himself back on what appears to be the crewless Enterprise, and after searching, finds that a beautiful woman of unknown origin is his only companion on the ship.
Back on the Enterprise, Spock, McCoy and the rest of the crew are told that Kirk never arrived on Gideon. Although it is clear that the leaders of Gideon are lying, Star Fleet command will authorize no action, although they admit that he has probably been kidnapped. Along the way, we are exposed to glimpses of a planet where there are so many people that even the hallways of the government buildings are packed. This is the consequence of the eradication of disease and the Gideons are trying to reintroduce disease, as Kirk is a carrier of one that can be fatal. The woman is injected with the infective agent and she starts falling ill. After reaching an impasse with Star Fleet command and the Gideons, Spock violates orders and beams down to the surface, finding himself on the replica of the Enterprise. He rescues Kirk and McCoy then saves the life of the woman. Since she is now a carrier and can be used to infect others on Gideon, they are no longer interested in Kirk.
The sixties were when the problem of overpopulation first became a cause for concern, but there were many social and religious pressures that prevented it from even being discussed in the mass media. Therefore, in the restrictive spirit of the times, the only way it could be presented was in the context of a futuristic story.
While this episode is given points for facing a serious issue, the approach is absurd, which is so typical of many of the episodes of the third season. Relevant social commentary was apparent in the episode, but it was based on such an absurd premise, that it is at times painful to watch. Given that elicit traffic in almost anything has always been part of the human situation, there is no reason to think that it will be any different when they move out into space. Therefore, it would have been very simple for the Gideons to simply buy what they needed on the black market rather than kidnap a Federation representative and risk retribution.
This episode is one of the worst of the original series, it is difficult to take seriously and not fun to watch. If you are to present social commentary as entertainment, then some entertainment must be provided. After watching it several times, I can remember no memorable line, one that sticks to your brain and is a marker to a high point of the episode.

Everyone involved begins to se the writing on the wall
Another episode struggling to fill up its allotted 50 minutes, this one features Kirk and a beautiful lady alone on the (?) Enterprise. I know I've said in other reviews that I don't hold Star Trek to a high plausibility standard, but this episode even offends my sensibilities. Rebuilding a ship like the Enterprise, to perfection? Spock, and the transporter system in general, getting fooled again (as in the prior episode)? Not to mention the extent of the overcrowding on Gideon!
The episode's few pluses include the subtle, macabre twist on the Kirksploitation element seen in Wink of An Eye (even if it too is farfetched here, and there for that matter), as well as the return of some of the eerie atmospherics of some of the earlier 3rd season shows. Examples of the latter include the faces seen in the windows and the camera shots of Kirk alone on the bridge. Props should alsi be given for the fact that the episode addresses overpopulation, however crudely.

Propaganda for the New World Order
This show has to be one of the most blatant and perverse piece of lies and anti-population propaganda ever shown on TV. The lovely, scantily clad Odona thinks she can "save her planet" by infecting herself with a disease that no longer afflicts Kirk and passing it on to her population, which is medically impossible. The show is full of population hysteria that has since been disproven and ends with an incredibly warped scene of Kirk and McCoy grinning in approval as the depraved Odona returns to depopulate her planet.

Will Kirk be called Vegan Chrolomeningitis Jim on Gideon?
"The Mark of Gideon" offers one of Star Trek's most convoluted plotlines, but for my money it provides a pretty good payoff. Gideon, a planet that does not belong to the Federation, requests the presence of Captian Kirk. But when he beams down to the coordinates given by Hodin, the leader of the Gideon Council, Kirk finds himself back on the Enterprise, only now it is totally deserted. Meanwhile, Hodin claims to have no idea as to what happened to Kirk. Well, Kirk has suddenly found he is not alone, there is a woman named Odana who has joined him. She claims to know nothing about what is going on and it is pretty clear Kirk has no clue. Like many Star Trek episodes, there is a didactic social commentary aspect to "The Mark of Gideon," but what is nice this time around is that it comes as something of a surprise. I am curious as to exactly how Kirk contracted Vegan Chrolomeningitis, but overall this is one of the better Star Trek solve a mystery episodes. I really think the payoff is worth the setup, and that does not really happen all that often on Star Trek. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

2 Episodes: RK Gets Help in Each
This video contains one episode from the first season, FLIGHT FROM THE FINAL DEMON and one from the second, CRY UNCLE. Both are quality episodes with each revealing varying aspects of Kimble's personality. In FFFD, Kimble is apprehended while working in a health club, but gets help from a fellow worker, played convincingly by Ed Nelson. Steve Edson (Nelson) helps Kimble only because he is the obverse of the fugitive. He is a guilty man who at his trial was found innocent, and his conscience bothers him to the point that he wants to be caught. During Kimble's and his flight from the law, Edson keeps dropping clues as to their whereabouts. What is of interest to viewers is that for the first time, Kimble verbalizes what many would be lam artists might need to know: the many 'tricks' that a fugitive needs to know to avoid capture. Carroll O'Connor, in his pre-ALL IN THE FAMILY DAYS, is convincing as the pursuing sheriff. CRY UNCLE is the better of the two. At the start of the show, Kimble seeks refuge in an orphanage and two boys suspect that he is a fugitive, and Kimble must use his natural affinity for children that he had shown in previous episodes to convince them not to turn him in. Ronny Howard of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW and Donald Losby, who played Mark Welles in the series' opener FEAR IN A DESERT CITY, play the two boys. The only way for Kimble as Pat Thomas to explain his presence is for him to pose as Sean's (Losby) uncle. At first, Sean is unruly and seeks only to kick back at a world that has smacked him around since birth. Kimble seems like a perfect target, one who must obey him or risk being turned over to the police. But ever so slowly, Kimble's inherent goodness teaches him that not all adults are evil, and that if he is to advance in the world, he must learn to trust others. And this is one of the subtle subtexts that appear in many of the shows. Trust can appear in the most unexpected of places, and when it does, that person ought to let it grow.

suspense & drama at their best
To review a single video of this serial ca'nt do justice to the
spell that the hide& seek of David Janssen/Barry Morse had cast
on their viewers throughout the years of its marathon run.Every
episode deserves 4 to 5 stars rating.Though we know the epilogue
of each episode yet we sit through from the haunting title theme
to its end. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Arena" was based on a script by Trek producer Gene L. Coon, the other indispensable figure (besides Gene Roddenberry) in making Star Trek what it was. After writing what he believed was an original teleplay about a one-on-one battle between Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and the reptilian commander of an enemy vessel, Coon realized he had probably been subconsciously inspired by a similar short story written by Fredric Brown (who was promptly credited and paid). The concept of a human-and-alien duel to the death in primitive terrain, however, was slightly ubiquitous in the 1960s (see "Fun and Games," a masterpiece from the original Outer Limits TV show) and was revisited in the '80s via the Arnold Schwarzenegger feature Predator. But under Coon's guidance and direction by Joseph Pevney, "Arena" stands on its own as a particularly strong story of what battle does to one's humanity. Shatner is in great form for this one. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Gorn is a thorn in Kirk's side
Arena or We Morn for the Gorn....

This one is based on a classic SCI fi short story that pits man against monster. In this case it's Kirk against the Gorn. He uses gun powder and a makeshift cannon; which by the way I find hard to believe he'd be able to do this in the desert. If you can forget that it's still nail biter of an episode. We see Kirk against a foe he can't stop with his fists so he has to blow him off the map. We see a wispy alien from above who is experimenting with humans to see how they react under the stress of getting killed by a dinosaur creature called the Gorn. It stands up to the repeated viewing test but I'd have to say you have to suspend your belief in the logic department.

Komodo Dragon
This strong episode sees Kirk locked in a life and death struggle with the lizard-like Gorn. The episode commences with the kind of in-the-trenches warfare rarely seen on TV. The brutality of the killing brings out bloodlust in Kirk, who seems ready to exact revenge until control is taken out of his hands. A rather innovative take is then applied to the battle, one which forces Kirk to rely on his wits and keep a level head. It is one of the trademarks of Trek that Kirk eventually shows mercy. Here that mercy is rewarded; if only it were so simple in the real world.

Kirk confronts his own prejudice
When I was a kid, I loved this episode because it features Kirk fighting against a dinosaur-looking alien. As an adult, I can appreciate it even more. Unlike so many Star Trek epsiodes where Kirk is lecturing some other species about justice or equality, here Kirk is taught an important lesson about his own prejudice.

The episode begins with the Enterprise finding a Federation colony under savage attack by an unknown species. Countless men, women, and children -- all civilians -- have been slaughtered. Kirk is enraged and chases the attacking vessel across space. Spock tries to talk some sense into Kirk but he will have none of it. He pushes his vessel past safe limits in an attempt to catch the aliens. When when the two ships travel into space claimed by the Metrons -- an advanced, pacifistic species -- the situation changes considerably.

Realizing that both the Enterprise and the aliens are running on pure adreneline and not thinking things out, the Metrons decide to let the two sides satisfy their thirst for violence through a one-on-one battle between the captain of each starship. Kirk and the captain of the alien ship are transported to the surface of a barren world where they are to engage in hand-to-hand combat to the death. To Kirk's horror, he finds that his opponent is from a species of incredibly strong reptiles named the Gorn. Kirk quickly discovers that he is physically outmatched.

What makes this episode so fascinating is how Kirk changes during the course of the conflict. At the start, he is openly hateful of the Gorn, even going so far to as to admit that he has a natural revulsion towards reptiles. He considers them lower lifeforms. However, he is aware of his prejudice against them and forces himself to remember that his opponent is every much his equal intellectually. Late in the battle, he communicates with the Gorn captain through the universal translator device and discovers that the Gorn attacked the Federation colony because they believed it was an invasion. For the first time, Kirk is able to see the situation from the other side. The Gorn were acting in (perceived) self-defense.

By the time that the battle has finally reached the final confrontation between the two, Kirk has come to the conclusion that he is not qualified to judge the action of this species nor dispense justice. His surprising resolution of the conflict impresses the Metrons, who have been overseeing the battle.

The ambition of this episode -- airing in the 60s and with a limited budget -- is staggering in retrospect. Shooting a battle between Kirk and a reptile running around in the desert is impressive enough. But the fact that Kirk, the quintessential hero, is able to admit that he may have been wrong is something that is rare even in today's popular TV shows and movies. This episode was well before its time.

Captain Kirk fights Alligator man
This episode showed two sides of the story for once. The Enterprise and humans aren't always the good guys. It concerns no one, until the end that the Gorns were invaded and they were merely defending themselves. So nyah nyah nyah!

The Metrons make Captain Kirk fight a Gorn
There is a sense in which "Arena" proves how good Star Trek was, because, after all, this is Captain Kirk fighting a guy in a lizard suit. After an unknown ship attacks Cestus III, the Enterprise heads off in pursuit. But just as they are about to attack both ships find themselves frozen in space by the Metrons, a powerful species that refuses to allow violence on their turf. Instead they will let the two captains fight each other on a barren planet: the winner goes home while the loser's ship will be destroyed. Thus Kirk comes face to face with a Gorn in a battle of agility and intelligence versus physical strength and endurance. In addition to teaching countless school children the basic ingredients of gunpowder, "Arena" also allows Star Trek to make its case for humanity showing definite signs of maturity in the future, albeit far distant future. This is certainly a memorable Star Trek episode. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

A Classic Show
Some Fugitive fans refuse to watch this episode (the final one) because they don't want the closure. They want to imagine that Richard Kimble is still running. I understand how they feel -- but I say give the poor doctor a break!

Go ahead and watch this episode. It's not the best example of the show, but it's still pretty darn good. There are lots of twists. (I still wonder why the one-armed man climbed to the top of the water tower to escape Kimble. Where was he going to go from _there_?)

If you can, watch the other episodes, too. You get to see 1960s drama at its best. Back then, TV shows didn't have adult language, but they could still have adult plots.

David Janssen's work in this show was underrated. So was the work of Barry Morse. There were lots of great supporting actors, from Angie Dickinson to Telly Savalas to William Shatner.

This show had the highest ratings of any TV drama until the "Who Shot J.R." episode. I think this one far surpassed it. (The writers of "The Fugitive" respected their audience more -- they never had David Janssen come out of the shower and realize it was all a dream.)

Anne M. Marble Reviewer, All About Romance

The end of the flight
What up to then was the largest television audience ever tuned in to watch Dr. Richard Kimball's four-year flight from unjustice come to an end. "The Fugitive," disputably inspired by the 1954 murder in Ohio by Dr. Sam Shepherd of his wife, Marilyn, remained aloft the Nielsen pack during its entire run until David Janssen, pushed for his character's final absolution. It comes here in the two-hour series finale that has Dr. Kimball, laboring at one in a series of menial jobs, recognizing in a newspaper article the face of the infamous one-armed man he saw fleeing from his home in Indiana four years earlier. Trekking to Los Angeles in a bid to corner his wife's killer, Kimball instead walks into capture by his dogged nemesis, Lt. Gerard. After he extradites Kimball back to Indiana, though, Gerard soon begins to doubt his own certain about the doctor's guilt. By then, the one-armed killer also has returned to Indiana, and there's the inevitable final showdown between the wrongly accused and the guilty. Sure, only entertainment, but the series' final line, " ...the day the running stopped," fills us with a sense of vindication, and we say good-bye to Dr. Kimball with the hope that, finally, he can resume a life interrupted by a miscarriage of justice that cost him four years of his life.

Kimble Finally Stops Running
I was turned on to this show by my uncle who was a diehard fan during its original run. I was only 3 when "The Judgement" aired in August of 1967, so naturally, I would not have been old enough to have recalled anything about this show, but in early 1992, while A&E ran episodes of "The Fugitive" in syndication, I finally had the chance to see Richard Kimble finally nail the one-armed man. At the time, I thought that this was really a cool ending to the show, even if it was 25 years after the fact. Upon reading some of the comments here, I have some info to share, courtesy of "The Fugitive: Recaptured", a book by Ed Robertson. As it turned out, George Eckstein and Michael Zagor, who co-wrote the finale, were up against a time deadline to write the script, which is why, by Eckstein's admission, isn't perfect. ABC wanted a 5th season, but David Janssen was the one who called a halt to the show, mainly due to his own exhaustion, so Eckstein and Zagor had to sort of rush to write the script. Nonetheless, a classic ending to a classic TV show. It was also interesting to discover Lloyd Chandler as the "surprise witness" to Helen Kimble's murder, but at least the show resolved its premise, as most people expected. Props to Roy Huggins for giving us arguably the best show of the 1960s. David Janssen, God rest his soul, was terrific as Richard Kimble, and equal props to Barry Morse and Bill Raisch for keeping the fans on the edge of their seats every week for four years.

The Day the Running Stopped
THE FUGITIVE was the first drama that had a concluding episode that tied up the loose ends. For those who had watched the series faithfully for four years were generally satisfied with the closure, despite the several logical inconsistencies in the two-part finale. THE JUDGMENT allows Richard Kimble to regain his life by finally catching the man with one arm, but it is the manner that he did it that provides an emotionally satisfying end to a roller coaster of a series that millions of viewers religiously followed. The charm of THE JUDGMENT is that it encapsulates in one twin segment the very qualities that had stamped its high quality since the 1963-64 season. Many of the themes, ideas, character developments, and plot devices were combined with a surprise twist to justify the time America spent to get involved in the running triangle between Kimble, Lieutenant Gerard, and Fred Johnson, the one-armed man.
Director George Eckstein borrowed heavily from earlier episodes to frame a finale in a way that ties together a myriad of strands that had been left hanging from previous episodes. Gerard learns that a one-armed man has been arrested in Los Angeles and suspects that Kimble will read of it as well. His hope is that Kimble will try to see this man to verify his identity. This is exactly the same plot device that the show used in NEVER WAVE GOODBYE from the first season. It worked well then and works well now. Kimble does indeed read of this in a Tucson newspaper where he works. For viewers with long memories, Tucson was also the setting for the very first episode, FEAR IN A DESERT CITY. Gerard flies to Los Angeles and questions Fred Johnson in a manner that clearly shows the evolution of Gerard's certainty of Kimble's guilt to a doubt. Gerard shouts at him, 'Did you kill Helen Kimble?' From a dramatic standpoint, this doubt is required to make it plausible that Gerard would later believe in the possibility of Kimble's innocence long enough to give him twenty-four hours to find Johnson. Kimble arrives in Los Angeles where he is reunited with Jean Carlisle, played by Diane Baker, who was the court reporter at the trial and has long loved Kimble. She tips him off about the trap and hides him in her apartment. Gerard nevertheless suspects that she is hiding Kimble and tricks him into taking a taxi, where he arrests Kimble. While this is going on, the plot takes a surprise twist when Johnson is bailed out by a man who is later revealed as Lloyd Chandler, Kimble's next door neighbor in Stafford, who was right there in the living room when he saw Johnson kill Helen Kimble. But since he did not want to expose himself as a coward, he kept his mouth shut and left Kimble as the sacrificial lamb to his own shame. This surprise revelation of an eyewitness to Kimble's innocence was prefigured in an earlier episode, TRIAL BY FIRE, where an army captain also saw Johnson run out of the Kimble residence just moments before Kimble returns home in his car. Johnson seeks to blackmail Chandler, who intends to kill Johnson to insure his silence. At the closing reel. Johnson inextricably climbs a high tower with Kimble in pursuit. At the top, they battle, and in a scene of high tension, Johnson admits that he murdered Helen Kimble. Gerard saves Kimble's life by shooting Johnson dead. Using Chandler's account of Kimble's innocence, the case and the series close.
This last episode had the largest cast in the series' history. Besides the usual sterling acting of David Janssen and Barry Morse, Kimble's sister Donna, well played by Jacqueline Scott, reprises her continuing role as the emotional bedrock of support that she has provided for Kimble's entire run. Bill Raisch as Fred Johnson again radiates menace in every grimace of his brutal face. His lack of an arm in no way diminishes his aura of alarm. Diane Brewster, who plays Helen Kimble, is finally seen as more than just a corpse that lies on the floor with the opening scene that begins each episode. The flashbacks of THE JUDGEMENT portray her as a woman who loves her husband but has marital problems with him. Incidentally, her issues with Kimble are the only time in the show's four year run that show any woman as having relating problems at all with Kimble. In the show's last few minutes, when reporters swarm around Kimble and Jean Carlisle and ask him what he intends to do now that he is again a free man, Kimble replies, 'I want to start my life up again.' And part of this start is to shake the hand of the policeman who admits his part in putting an innocent man through four years of hell. Kimble and Jean walkoff into the sunset, ready to start their new life. Gerard walks off in the opposite direction, ready to do the same. And the viewer turns off his television, not quite ready to abandon the memories of watching one man seeking to reclaim a life that had been unfairly put on hold for that same four years.

Judging the Judgement.
This great series deserved a great ending. This great series did not have a good ending. The two part conclusion
of The Fugitive did not equal the excellent writing, attention to details or characterizations of its predecessors. There were too many inconsistencies, coincidences, and outright
absurdities to qualify Judgement as the penultimate Fugitive
finale. First off, Kimble sees a newspaper that happens to
have a picture of the one-armed man in an LA bar. Second,
Gerard, while grilling the one-armed man about a barfight,
loses his cool and suddenly questions him about Helen Kimble's murder. Gerard never wanted to believe in a one armed man, despite having confronted him in the past. Gerard wanted to believe that he wasn't wasting his time chasing the wrong man. Third, Gerard is seen walking through the police station by a Jean Carlisle whose father
happens to be a friend of Kimble's. Why did it take 119 episodes for her to pop up in Kimble's life? A better choice
of woman would've been either Susan Oliver or Suzanne
Pleshette since both had a past with Kimble. Fourth, Kimble goes to LA and is taken in by Gerard. Gerard then
agrees to give Kimble 24 hours to find the one-armed man.

Again, this is a man who had Kimble in his hand on numerous occasions. If saving the Gerard family didn't convince the lieutenant of Kimble's innocence, then neither
would a chance encounter with the one-armed man.

Fifth, Kimble confronts the one-armed man (Fred Johnson) at an amusement park. Kimble orders Johnson to hold. Johnson fires his gun and takes off running. Kimble was a onetime skeet shooter champion. A basic shot to Johnson's good arm or one of his legs keeps him from committing absurdity number six....
Running to and climbing up a tower unarmed! Why have
Johnson take this information atop a tower when Kimble needs him alive for exoneration? Even if Johnson confesses it would be his word against Kimble's.

For all of that madness, just have Johnson commit suicide
along the way and leave it at that.

So Johnson gets the gun from Kimble and as he takes aim, Gerard shoots him with a rifle from the man who witnessed Helen Kimble's murder. Again, why did it take
120 episodes for this so called friend of Kimble's to reluctantly admit to witnessing the Helen Kimble homicide?
He only let Kimble go through a private hell and a near execution.

Nevertheless, it was unprecedented for ANY series to
to conclude with a final episode. That concept deviated from
the norm. The Fugitive should be remembered for its well
casted lead and supporting cast, cutting edge issues, creative methods of escape for Kimble, and great visual
locales. These qualities helped the show to stand the test of time and STILL compare to and eclipse today's idea of
great programming. In my mind, The Fugitive ranks as the
best drama of all time, hands down. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Guest Star Sissy Spacek wants to marry John-Boy
Sissy Spacek guest stars as Sarah Simmonds in the "The Townie" (Episode#23, March 8, 1973). In a story line somewhat reminiscent of Spacek's Oscar nominated role in "Carrie," Sarah is a neighborhood girl being raised by a very religious mother (Allyn McLerie). Because she is good friends with John-Boy (Richard Thomas), Sarah decides that marrying him would be a good way of getting away from her repressive mother. However, John-Boy dismisses Sarah's ideas and becoming more desperate to gain some freedom she takes up with Theodore Albert Claypool, Jr., the son of a wealthy businessman and therefore a "Townie." The boy suffers from his own problems with his father and he decides to elope with Sarah, stealing some cash and the car from his father. When Sarah's mother and Theodore's father accuse John-Boy of setting up this entire fiasco, he goes off to stop the two crazy kids from getting married. What I especially like about this episode, written by Richard Fielder, is how it basically goes outside the Walton family to tell the story. The writers have that giant brood to write for and they are not afraid to tell a story about one of the neighbors. Certainly "Townie" was not going to work if it had been written about Mary Ellen. Besides, watching the young Spacek in a rare television performance is the real treat of this one. Sarah and her mother would briefly appear again in an episode later that first season where John-Boy gets to delivery her baby (which probably tells you that the ending of this episode is NOT what you expect, another point in its favor). ... Read more

Amazon.com

Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), and FirstOfficer Spock (Leonard Nimoy) discover that Captain Merik (William Smithers),commander of the long-missing Starfleet vessel S.S. Beagle, has become"First Citizen of the Empire" in a re-creation of ancient Rome on an obscure,unnamed planet. Under orders from the Emperor, Merik forced his own crew to diein gladiator battles and lured other Starfleet personnel to the same fate. NowwithKirk, McCoy, and Spock in hand, the Emperor's barbaric (and televised allover the planet) amusements carry on another day.

While the script takes a swipe or two at the sometimes less-than-elevated tastesof global audiences, the episode's most interesting idea is the existence of along-suffering cult of sun worshippers, a parallel to the suppressed Christiangroups in Roman times. For Trekkers, however, this one is full of theessentials: a surreal premise, a hostile planet, lots of fighting, and Scotty(James Doohan) on the bridge. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (9)

ATOZ, in his youth
The Roman episode was the first in a slew of parallel earth episodes, and was one of the better ones. The episode features a lot of action and a number of exterior shots. There is also much violence, and some of it is fairly chilling. While there is some editiorializing on 1) our society's bloodlust this is in my opinion negated by the Pro-Christian bias (I don't have anything against Christianity-I just prefer religion to be dealt with more subjectively on Trek).

For better or worse, the show was becoming less introspective. An argument could be made that some of these episodes should have been reigned in a bit. But Star Trek was riding high at this point on a string of strong stories and fun episodes; few could have guessed that the quality would start to deteriorate in just a few episodes.

Tidbit: This episode and Elaan of Troyius were the two that took the longest to get from production to the TV screen. In Elaan of Troyius I always assumed the delay was due to the spacecraft special effects. What was the explanation here?

'Prophesy of the future?'
'Bread and Circuses',hmmm? When I saw this episode I thought the worshippers of the 'sun' were christians,but when I became older,I later interpreted the worshippers of the 'sun' as worshippers of Japan. the 'fish'(Peter the fisherman) has been the sign of christians and never the 'sun',but for Japan the standard of the 'sun'(Land of the rising sun) has been the national standard and flag of Japan. A lot of are architecture,religion,and ideals are rooted from ancient Rome. For instance like 'football'(resemble Gladitorial games),months of the year 'July' (Julius Caesar),'August' (Augustus Caesar),the United States 'Senate'(Roman Senate),and the architecture resembles that of ancient Rome. I would also like to state that Julius Caesar conquered the island of Britain,and later Britain conquered America which makes America also Roman,not to mention you have a 'Pontiff' in Rome like the ancient days. Is the Roman Empire really dead? Do the answers of the future come from Japan,the 'land of the rising sun'. Lots of people called Marcellus,Marcus,Antonius(Anthony),Augustus(Gus),and Octavia(female). Like a Richard Wagner opera,'Star Trek' opens up the imagination and intellect. Have fun,that's the idea.

Star Yecch!
I have not seen this movie in years. Nostalgia remembers the original Star Trek as great and wonderful. But back then I was just a dumb kid who knew nothing of drama. Frankly - this is your boring typical sci fi fare with [bad]acting, lousy direction, worse writing, cheesey movie lot sets, and terrible special effects. No wonder it only fulfilled 3 years of its "four year mission."

The Enterprise visits a planet with a modern Roman Empire
Following the wreckage of the SS Beagle, the Enterprise comes upon another one of those planets that is essentially Earth with a twist (remember Hodgkins' Law of Parallel Planet Development for future reference). In "Bread and Circuses" the twist is that the Roman Empire has never fallen. The Enterprise discovers some of the Beagle crew are still alive because they are being used as gladiators in the Roman's televised Circus. But the worst news is that Merrick, the Beagle's captain, has been helping Proconsul Cladius Marcus in violation of the Prime Directive. When the away team is captured, Marcus tries to get Kirk to help by making Spock and McCoy fight in the arena. But as Merrick tries to explain to Marcus, Kirk is a starship captain who will not give in to coercion. "Bread and Circuses" is an average Star Trek episode, although there is a nice scene between Spock and McCoy as they sit in their cell worrying about Kirk and Uhura's explanation of planet's religion of "sun" worshippers is a surprising twist for network television in the Sixties.

It's the last few lines...
TOS was a great series, granted. It gave us an optimistic prophesy of the future not always present in SciFi. This episode is engaging, if a bit far-fetched scientifically. What would the world be like if the Romans had never been conquered? Alternative history is always fun, but this would have been far more plausible if they had traveled to another dimension rather than another planet within our universe. However, it is sad to watch episode after episode of Trek and discover that one's people simply ceased to exist, or so it seems. Even Worf in TNG can be Jewish, but God forbid that Christians be present. The brief glimpses therefore are all the more dear, as one finds in this episode. It's worth it for the last few lines. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

WHAT ARE THE EPISODES????????
HOW DO THEY EXPECT TO SELL THIS THING IF THEY DO NOT TELL YOU WHAT YOU ARE BUYING?

To the publishers: Please re-release this video!
As an avid fan of the Andy Griffith Show, please re-release this video. I'm certain you will have many many purchasers! ... Read more