STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES

[Cord Hurn]

As one of those socialist liberal types, I liked the Marxist tone of "The Cloud Minders". With this Star Trek episode, we have people judged as inferior because they were blocked from opportunity, treated harshly, and had their environment degraded while they were exploited. The government was needed to take care of the health needs of all the citizens of Ardana, to guarantee accessibility to all of society's pleasures just as they share burdens...and make reparation for the past.

I just LOVE the politics of "The Cloud Minders"!

Karl Marx: "But the more these conscious illusions of the ruling class are shown to be false, the more dogmatically they are asserted and the more deceitful, moralizing and spiritual becomes the language of established society...Not the consciousness of men determines their being, but their social being determines their consciousness."

[Cord Hurn]

I have noticed in a number of comments around the internet from Trek fans that there is a feeling that the attraction between Spock and Droxine is improbable, and the willingness of Spock to talk to Droxine about pon farr (Vulcan mating cycle) even more improbable.

Upon reflection, I disagree.

Spock is intellectual and artistic, as is Droxine, and it's not improbable that he would be attracted to her. I enjoy that Spock flirts with Droxine in an understated yet subtly warm way. Droxine directly asks him about pon farr, and he answers in a general way, not talking directly about himself. Spock has undergone some dramatic experiences since he was first reluctant to tell his friend Kirk about the Vulcan mating cycle when he was strongly under its spell. Spock endured rejection and manipulation from T'Pring by the end of that "Amok Time" episode which introduced pon farr, had his brain removed and reconnected in "Spock's Brain", and switched bodies with a very alien ambassador in "Is There In Truth No Beauty?".

That all could change how Spock's mind looks at sharing such details about Vulcans, and he clearly has a teacher/mentor kind of relationship with Droxine, which would make him want to set the record straight about anything she wishes to know.

[Fist and Faith]

That's an excellent thought. Yeah, Spock had some serious crap happen to him. Difficult for even a Vulcan to bed unaffected.

[Cord Hurn]

Star Trek - The Original Series episode "The Enterprise Incident" (#59)

I don't care much for the original Star Trek's third/final season, as most of the stories seemed uninspired, the third season producer Fred Freiberger didn't seem as invested in quality as creator Gene Roddenberry was for the show's first two seasons (though I note that both Nichelle Nichols and WIlliam Shatner have taken pains to let Freiberger off the hook in their respective autobiographies), Paramount cut the show's budget, television network NBC didn't care about the show anymore and dumped it on the Fridays-at-10 PM time slot when its mainly-younger audience wouldn't be likely to view it, and installed story editor Arthur Singer alienated the writing staff with his general ignorance about the show and lack of interest in their concerns.

So, I never was interested in getting original ST's third season episodes as a group on DVD, because I wouldn't bother watching most of them. But, I have found myself willing to get some of that season's episodes individually on the VHS medium.

Basically, I only really like five episodes in the original Star Trek's third season. I have already mentioned my fondness for the episode "The Cloud Minders" in this thread, and the other four 3rd season ST episodes I really like are: "Spectre of the Gun", "The Enterprise Incident", "The Tholian Web", and "Day of the Dove". Anyway, at a local business generally selling secondhand videos, albums, magazines, and books, I found one of these episodes, "The Enterprise Incident", in its original plastic VHS wrap for seven bucks, and just HAD to buy it.

To review the plot: Kirk acts agitated and snippy in the prologue, and orders the Enterprise into Romulan space, over the stated concerns of some of the senior officers on the bridge. Once the starship is within Romulan space, three Romulan ships quickly deactivate their cloaking devices and appear at 60⁰ angles apart from each other with weapons trained on the Enterprise, effectively surrounding it.

Kirk and Spock beam over to the lead Romulan ship to speak with the Romulan Commander. She gets Spock to admit that he is concealing some truth about the Enterprise venturing into Romulan space. Then Spock tells her they crossed into Romulan space on Captain Kirk's personal authority to satisfy his craving for glory. Then Kirk acts like he wants to kill Spock, is apparently restrained just in time by a pair of Romulan guards and he yells at Spock that he's a traitor. Kirk is hauled off to the brig resisting all the way, and throws himself into the force field at the entrance to his cell. Lieutenant Uhura tells Doctor McCoy the Captain is injured, and McCoy beams over to the Romulan ship. "Bones" reports to the Romulan Commander that Captain Kirk's mentality is currently unstable. Spock is present for this, and tells the Commander he is ready to assume command. Kirk again calls Spock a traitor and rushes at him. Spock grips Kirk's face and Kirk falls down with his face frozen in an agonized grimace.

McCoy demands of Spock, "What did you DO?!?" and Spock replies that he was unprepared for the Captain's attack and instinctively applied the Vulcan Death Grip. McCoy tells Spock that his instincts are good; that Kirk is dead. The Romulans let McCoy and Kirk beam back to the Enterprise, and the Romulan Commander works to persuade/seduce Spock into working for the Romulan Empire, starting with steering the Enterprise to a Romulan starbase so that it can be studied for all of its secrets.

Meanwhile, McCoy and Nurse Chapel discover that Captain Kirk is alive, and that he and Spock are working under Federation orders to try and steal one of the Romulan cloaking devices. Kirk has McCoy surgically alter him to appear Romulan, then Scotty is summoned to Sickbay to be let in on the secret. Kirk is beamed to the Romulan Commander's ship to steal the cloaking device, and Spock uses his communicator to tell Kirk where to find it. Spock's transmission is detected by Subcommander Tal, and Spock is put on trial by the Romulan Commander, facing a painful death sentence.Kirk gets Scotty to install the cloaking device, telling him he has fifteen minutes to do it. Spock and the Romulan Commander are beamed over to the the Enterprise, Scotty gets the cloaking device to work in time, and the Enterprise narrowly escapes from Romulan territory.

All in all, an enjoyable episode.

Still, it is not without its plot holes, mind you. As McCoy points out to Kirk when they are in Sickbay, "You took a BIG chance they [the Romulans] didn't start an AUTOPSY!!!" Further, having Kirk of all people beam aboard the Romulan Commander's ship to steal the cloaking device wasn't a wise strategic choice, for even when altered to appear as a Romulan Kirk could have been recognized by them. When Spock's communicator transmission to Kirk got detected by one of Subcommander Tal's subordinates, Tal COULD'VE ordered shields raised, effectively preventing Spock from being beamed back to the Enterprise. And, everything depends upon Mr. Scott being able to understand the alien technology of the Romulan cloaking device to effectively install it in a mere quarter-hour's time--so shouldn't he have been let into the secret of this espionage project well ahead of time??

That all being said, this is still a fantastically entertaining original Star trek series episode, and Joanne Linville's portrayal of the Romulan Commander is pitch-perfect and dynamic, in all its threatening, pragmatic, decisive, and seductive aspects. Jack Donner's performance as Subcommander Tal is pretty convincing, too. Enjoyable acting by all of the regular cast members, too (particularly Leonard Nimoy, who is subtly brilliant in playing the part of someone who could be tempted to join the other side).

I appreciate that even the plot holes can't spoil my enjoyment of this episode, which I consider the high point of original Star Trek's mostly-dismal third season. (PERHAPS one if the best episodes of ANY of the Star Trek incarnations, really!)

[Fist and Faith]

"Captain Kirk. Ya look like the Devil himself!"

Gotta say, I really like Return for Methuselah. An immortal who was so many famous historical figures. A conscious android. And Spock strips Kirk of memories??

The Paradise Syndrome introduces the Preservers. At least in mention. They pop up here and there, including a great TNG book called Vendetta, which ties them, the Borg, and the Doomsday Machine. Aside from an idiotic love story in it, I highly recommend the book.

Spock's Brain maybe isn't good, but I love when McCoy gets the upgrade. "A child could do it!" I like stories of that kind of enhancement. Of course, it starts to wear off. His dismay/fear is very good. (Spock then talking him through the rest of our is really stupid.)

[Cord Hurn]

"Captain Kirk. Ya look like the Devil himself!"

Yeah, a good Mr. Scott quote from when he first sees Kirk made to look Romulan!

[Cord Hurn]

Gotta say, I really like Return for Methuselah. An immortal who was so many famous historical figures. A conscious android. And Spock strips Kirk of memories??

Well, more power to you if you like that one, Fist. I just don't. I found Kirk's behavior in challenging Flint over the android's love (Rayna, was that her name?) to be embarrassing, and Flint afterwards learning he was going to die at last was depressing, for me. I admit I found Spock's willingness to use the mind meld to help Kirk forget the experience to be very touching.

[Cord Hurn]

The Paradise Syndrome introduces the Preservers. At least in mention. They pop up here and there, including a great TNG book called Vendetta, which ties them, the Borg, and the Doomsday Machine. Aside from an idiotic love story in it, I highly recommend the book.

Interesting about that episode being the first mention of those Preservers!
The book sounds good!
The episode is, alas, still a downer and a dud for me.

[Cord Hurn]

Spock's Brain maybe isn't good, but I love when McCoy gets the upgrade. "A child could do it!" I like stories of that kind of enhancement. Of course, it starts to wear off. His dismay/fear is very good. (Spock then talking him through the rest of our is really stupid.)

"Spock's Brain" is one of my least-favorite Star Trek episodes. McCoy is fun in a lot of episodes, and Kelley's acting was always great, and is here, too, for sure. Spock talking McCoy through reconnecting his brain is just too much and too stupid for me.

[Fist and Faith]

I think we generally agree on all those. Although I like Requiem more than you do, we agree on the various points. And I'll add that I expect a guy who's been alive for six millennia to be the supreme martial artist of the species, and Kirk should have been unconscious within moments.

I think the episodes is a HUGE statement about the relationship between Kirk and Spock. Vulcans do not do what he did. But he did it because of their extraordinary friendship. for all the things they did for each other, and all the things they said, I think this stands above the rest.

Aside: while looking it up, I learned this episode was written Jerome Bixby. (Not Bill's father.) He also wrote Mirror, Mirror, Day of the Dove, and By Any Other Name.