D.C. Fontana’s initial inspo for this story/title was the Pueblo incident which involved the capture of an American intelligence-gathering ship, the USS Pueblo (AGER-2), by North Korean forces during the Vietnam War. North Korea claimed, w/o evidence, the ship had violated its territorial waters. The incident occurred on January 23, 1968, just two mos. before Fontana completed her first draft story outline. Although the crew was released after nearly a year, North Korea still maintains possession of the vessel as a “war trophy.”
This smart, tense, and dramatic ep has some romance- something not often done well in Star Trek series. As w/ shows like The West Wing and Law and Order, the characters’ personal lives (love) take a backseat to their work (duty). It begins w/ Dr. McCoy recording his medical log (something we’ve never heard before). He explains that Capt. Kirk has been acting unlike his usual self these past few weeks. In the next scene, we see Kirk snapping at officers on the bridge. Kirk decides to fly into the Neutral Zone, which threatens the cease-fire between the Romulans and the Federation. The Enterprise is quickly surrounded by three ships. Why were Klingon ships used in this ep instead of Romulan ones? The Romulan Warbird model was accidentally broken by a PA.
Lt. Uhura says there is a call from one of the ships. Subcommander Tal (Jack Donner) somehow knowsexactly which Federation ship this is and who is in charge. Tal declares that they surrender or be destroyed. Kirk retorts that if the Romulans board, he’ll blow up his own ship! Tal notices that Mr. Spock is a Vulcan; he then takes a call from his commander. Tal gives Kirk one hour to decide what to do w/ communication channels left open. Kirk had Uhura send a sub-space message to the Federation, but Tal knows that will take 3 weeks. Wow, they must really be far out in space!
The senior officers meet in the conference room. Spock figures that the Romulan ships are equipped w/ a “cloaking device” (which made them undetectable to sensors). However, Spock says they wouldn’t be in this situation if Kirk hadn’t ordered it! McCoy is shocked and angered; w/o orders directly from Starfleet, Kirk had “no right” to enter the Neutral Zone. Kirk yells at McCoy to get out- another unusual display. Tal calls again, saying that his commander wants to meet w/ Kirk and Spock in person. While they are away on the Romulan flagship, two of the centurions will stay on the Enterprise.
Capt. Kirk: What earns Spock your special interest?
Romulan Commander: He is a Vulcan. Our forebears had the same roots and origins. Something you wouldn’t understand, Captain. We can appreciate the Vulcans, our distant brothers.
It turns out that the Romulan Commander (Joanne Linville) is a woman; both Kirk and Spock are surprised by this revelation! She speaks first to Kirk, who says that his ship made “a navigational error” (which she doesn’t believe). Then she calls Spock in, who she knows (as a Vulcan) “can’t tell a lie.” We see that she is interested in Spock; he may be somewhat intrigued. It looks like Spock has betrayed his captain to the enemy- whoa! Two guards take Kirk away, but not before Shatner does some scenery-chewing dramatics.
When they are alone, the Romulan Commander praises Spock and wonders why someone as “capable” as him doesn’t command his own starship. Nimoy has his arms folded, yet is listening intently as if he might consider her ideas. Meanwhile, Kirk attempts to escape his cell, he is zapped by some lasers. McCoy is called to attend to his injuries right away.
Romulan Commander: I neglected to mention. I’ll expect you for dinner. We have much to discuss.
Spock: Indeed.
Romulan Commander: Allow me to… to rephrase. Will you join me for dinner?
Spock: I am honored, Commander. Are the guards also invited?
They go to Kirk’s cell where McCoy explains that he is “unfit” (at the moment) to be in command of the Enterprise. The commander and Spock discuss what should be done next for “the safety of the crew.” Kirk (seething w/ rage) suddenly attacks Spock, who grabs his face and applies “the Vulcan death grip” (not real, but Romulans don’t know that). McCoy declares that Kirk is dead! We soon realize that Kirk has his own plans (while Spock is on his dinner date).
Romulan Commander: Romulan women are not like Vulcan females. We’re not dedicated to… pure logic, and the sterility of non-emotion. Our people are warriors. Often savage. But we are also many other pleasant things.
After this flirtatious speech, Spock leans back on the lounge- closer to the commander. Spock has some good lines, which Nimoy delivers in a dry, suave manner befitting a Vulcan. Cunning, smart, and tough, this female seems like the perfect match for Spock. I loved her off-the-shoulder dress (second outfit); the pattern on it even matched her statement earrings. In the original script, the characters were supposed to kiss, but Nimoy and Linville came up w/ a (creative) alternative. They had some amazing chemistry, too. What about this line? It’s ambiguous, just as we’d expect from Spock!
Spock: [to the Romulan commander] Military secrets are the most fleeting of all. I hope that you and I… exchanged something more permanent.
There are several plot holes in the ep, which you may notice on the second viewing. Transporter beams can’t penetrate shields, but Kirk is able to beam to the Romulan flagship and back again. So, the Enterprise and the Romulan warships had their shields down the entire time. After the Romulan commander leaves Spock alone, he pulls out his communicator to contact Kirk. It makes no sense that she would’ve allowed him to keep this (as a non-Romulan). In order for Kirk’s plan to work, he would’ve had to have prior knowledge that the Romulan Commander was female, would take an interest in Spock’s Vulcan heritage, and have romantic attraction to Spock, so that he could go through w/ the whole charade of Spock being a “traitor.” Otherwise, he would have just been winging it. He was lucky that everything worked out in the end!
Forget rom coms- noir is where it’s at! Someone (much wiser and succinct than me) noted film noir is about “a woman with a past and a man with no future.” This is a follow-up to my April 10, 2020 post Getting Started with Film Noir:[https://knightleyemma.com/2020/04/10/noir-start]
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
I haven’t seen this (early Hitchcock) movie in a many yrs, BUT I do recall enjoying it! It has Brits in the ensemble cast, and (no doubt) inspired later TV series (which some of you watched on PBS) w/ mysteries/murders happening on train trips.
This is domestic noir (in Technicolor) b/c hey, dark events happen in the daylight, too!
Mildred Pierce (1945)
This is an iconic film that packs some punches! Mildred (Joan Crawford) is a smart, beautiful, working-class woman whose goal is to better the life of her daughter (who is the real femme fatale) NO matter what it takes! HBO made a pretty good miniseries in 2011 starring Kate Winslet, Guy Pearce, and Evan Rachel Wood.
This is one of the most famous/successful noirs out there w/ two terrific leading performances; the actors were once romantically involved (and remained lifelong friends)! When Gilda slaps Johnny hard across both sides of his face, Rita Hayworth broke two of Glenn Ford’s teeth. He held his place until the take was finished. Wow!
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
This one is for all of you who think B&W/classic films are too tame; the chemistry between Turner’s working-class housewife and Garfield’s drifter almost pops off the screen! It took 12 years to adapt the explicit material (by 1940 standards) of the novel into a screenplay which would comply with the Production Code prevalent at the time. You can skip the remake; it just doesn’t measure up anything close to the original.
The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
This is one of the first films that got me interested in the noir genre (before I knew much about it). It’s unique (as one would expect from Orson Welles) and was not a box-office hit; in later years, it has been appreciated by critics and viewers alike. Welles (who has a quirky Irish accent) really knows how to set a mood!
If you liked The Killers (also w/ Burt Lancaster), you’ll also enjoy this film. I discovered it a few years ago (thanks to film fest). Be on the lookout for Tony Curtis as one of the young dancers in the club!
Honestly, I didn’t get what was the big deal re: this movie (until I got older)! You need to see it twice to appreciate all that’s going on; it was “meta” before that became popular. William Holden is one of my mom’s faves; he does a fine job here. FYI: Gloria Swanson was only playing an actress 50 yrs old (which is certainly not “old” by our modern standards)!
From a planet devoid of life for half a million years, the Enterprise hears the voice of a powerful being (Sargon- voiced by James Doohan), who can control ship. He transports the landing party (Kirk, Spock, McCoy and astro-biologist Ann Mulhall) to room miles underneath the planet. However, the security guards they planned to take along were prevented from coming along. Sargon is one of only three survivors of an intelligent race made of pure energy/pure thought. They started life on Earth and spread out to many other places, so refer to our heroes as “my children.”
Suddenly, Sargon possesses Kirk’s body! He requires Spock’s and Dr. Mulhall’s bodies, too, but promises they will be returned afterthey build advanced robots to house themselves. Sargon gives them time to freely make up their minds and beams them back to the ship. McCoy warns against hosting the lifeforms, but Kirk, Spock, and Dr. Mulhall (Diana Muldaur- Dr. Pulaski on ST:TNG) are intrigued. We soon see that the aliens can only survive in human bodies for short periods of time w/o killing their surrogates!
It must’ve been fun for Shatner and Nimoy to take on two roles as aliens inhabiting the bodies of Kirk and Spock. Shatner as Sargon goes from over-the-top dramatics to being dignified and caring. His scenes w/ his wife Thalassa (in the body of Dr. Mulhall) are sweet and touching. Nimoy gets to play Henoch, who seeks to remove Sargon from the equation and take over. Nimoy has an excuse to play w/ different emotions; he creates a twisted (yet smooth-talking and smiling) villain. Henoch tries to trick Nurse Christine Chapel, who we know loves Spock.
This ep and its writer, John T. Dugan, earned a WGA Award nom in the category Best Written Dramatic Episode in 1968. Dugan wrote the original script after he had read an article about highly sophisticated robots. In his original draft, Sargon and Thalassa continue their existence as spirits w/o bodies, floating around the universe. However, Roddenberry (as he often did) re-wrot the script to change the ending (w/ the aliens fading out into oblivion). This is the reason Dugan put his pen name (John Kingsbridge) in the credits.
[1] Dr. McCoy’s objections are warranted and well expressed, but a final centerpiece speech by Kirk explains the risks and rewards of flight, space flight, sciences and alien encounter. He states “Risk is our business” in a well written and delivered plea.
[2] It’s haunting, tragic, deeply romantic, dream like, and sensual. The idea that god like aliens long to be human, to have all the feelings and emotions we take for granted, is deeply inspiring.
I loved how the “temptation” of Thalassa was so Biblical, with the suave Henoch in the role of the serpent.
This was the first episode of the original Star Trek to air on TV. We get to see the developing chemistry between the main crew members, an alien creature, and interesting planetary scenery. Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), and a young redshirt (Michael Zaslow, who later became a soap opera star) beam down to a planet to provide medical supplies to Dr. Crater and his wife, Nancy, a former girlfriend of McCoy’s. Oddly, each man sees Nancy as a different woman from his past. Redshirt is a term used by fans of Star Trek to the characters who wear red Starfleet uniforms and/or characters who are expendable, and often killed.
The joking banter between Kirk and McCoy shows that the captain is not just an authority figure, and the doctor has a lot of charm. We learn re: Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and his logical Vulcan personality. There is a flirty early scene between him and Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols); this (no doubt) inspired the romance between the characters in J.J. Abrams recent reboot movies. Uhura tried and succeeded in making Spock hot under the collar (notice the little move Nimoy does at end of the clip).
Episode 4: Where No Man Has Gone Before
The episode title was the closing phrase of the opening credits (voiced by Shatner) and has gone on to shape sci-fi and pop culture! After investigating what happened to the Valiant, the Enterprise encounters a magnetic space storm that gives Lt. Cmdr. Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood) dangerous/godlike powers and ESP. When Mitchell, a friend of Kirk’s from Starfleet Academy, unleashes his powers on the crew, Spock suggests that he should be killed. Kirk disagrees and takes him to a remote planet, but there is more to the story.
There is action and fine acting by Lockwood and Sally Kellerman (psychiatrist Dr. Elizabeth Dehner). Lockwood (a former football player and stuntman) was the star of Roddenberry’s first TV show- The Lieutenant (1963). In 1968, he was cast as the co-lead in Stanley Kubrick’s iconic sci-fi film- 2001: A Space Odyssey. You get a glimpse into humanity’s struggle for power and the corruption it breeds. Kirk knows that Mitchell didn’t ask for what happened to him; thus begins a tradition of complicated/sympathetic villains in the world of Star Trek.
Episode 5: The Naked Time
Spock and a redshirt- Tormolen- beam down to a planet (wearing funky/orange environmental suits) to investigate. They discover a frozen lab w/ 6 dead scientists. They also get exposed to a substance that strips people of their inhibitions. After beaming back aboard, Tormolen ends up killing himself (riddled w/ self-doubt). You get to see the chemistry between Bones (Kirk’s nickname for McCoy) and the captain; they’ve known each other a long time.
Riley, another young crewman, begins acting goofy (going on about being Irish and singing songs). Most famously, Sulu (George Takei), begins to parade around w/ a sword (like a musketeer). Riley ends up taking over the engineering room, and basically, the ship becomes chaos! Spock stops Sulu by applying the Vulcan nerve pinch (which Nimoy came up w/ himself, as an alternative to a violent strike). As you see in S1 E6, it was Shatner’s over the top reaction that sold this move to producers. Nurse Christine Chapel (Majel Barrett) and Spock have a nice scene, and he gets infected (after she holds his hand). There is a lot of comedy, but fans also love it for Nimoy’s terrific performance. Capt. Kirk is even infected, so we hear his regret at not having a personal life.
Episode 6: The Enemy Within
Star Trek takes on Jekyll and Hydew/ an ep focused on Kirk (and Shatner’s unique style of acting). During a survey of a new planet, a technician is exposed to a substance that alters the Enterprise’s transporter. When Kirk beams aboard the ship, he is split into two: one good, one evil. After the lustful/violent Kirk attempts to assault Yeoman Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney), Spock deduces that there is an imposter aboard. The good Kirk is lacking confidence and indecisive (looking to Spock for his trusted guidance). The episode looks into the duality of human nature; the two halves need to coexist together inside one body. There is also an alien animal which is (obviously) a small dog in a furry costume w/ a horn on its head- LOL! This ep was directed by Leo Penn (father of actor Sean Penn); he went over-schedule, so was sadly not asked back to work.
Episode 11: The Corbomite Maneuver
While developing star maps of a distant region of space, the Enterprise is confronted by a box-shaped alien ship commanded by a powerful being- Balok. When he threatens to destroy the ship, Kirk comes up with a cunning bluff to convince the alien that the Enterprise is carrying a deadly substance (corbomite) which could destroying both ships. This is the first ep to show Kirk’s daring in a face-off w/ another ship in space. Kirk bends the rules for the greater good and turns a potentially fatal situation into a victory. By using his imagination instead of violence, a better outcome is achieved.
Episodes 12 &13: The Menagerie (Parts I & II)
The only 2-part episode of ST: TOS which calls back to former star dates when the Enterprise was comprised of a different crew (aside from Spock). Before Shatner was cast as Kirk, Star Trek shot a pilot (The Cage) starring Jeffrey Hunter as Capt. Christopher Pike and Number One (Majel Barrett)- his female first officer. The network rejected that pilot, considering it too cerebral and thinking it too unrealistic to have a woman as senior officer. Barrett would play Nurse Chapel on the show (w/ a blonde wig) and the voice of the computer system. She married the show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, in 1969.
This is a clip-show w/ Starfleet’s version of a courtroom drama. Spock abducts his former commander, the recently disabled Capt. Pike, and heads for Talos IV, where The Cage took place. The punishment for traveling to this planet is death, according to Starfleet. Spock turns himself in and presents an elaborate story in defense of his actions. We meet a beautiful/mysterious human woman (played by Susan Oliver) and the Talosians (a large-headed alien race who communicate w/ their thoughts and have the power to create illusions which look like reality).
Episode 15: Balance of Terror
At the 50th anniversary Star Trek convention in Las Vegas in August 2016, fans voted this the 8th best episode of the entire franchise! The Enterprise battles a Romulan ship suspected of destroying outposts in the Neutral Zone in this tense, intelligent, and though-provoking ep. The Romulan Bird-of-Prey has a cloaking device. Since two-way visual communications didn’t exist during the Earth-Romulan War about a 100 yrs ago, Romulans and humans have never seen one another. The Enterprise has to confront a brilliant enemy leader and also its own bigotry, as the unnamed Romulan commander (Marc Lenard, who later played Spock’s father- Sarek) resembles a Vulcan! Budget and time constraints prevented the make-up and costuming departments from dressing up each of the Romulans in Vulcan ears. They decided to give the lesser Romulans helmets, which were redressed Roman helmets from the studio’s Biblical epics of the ’50s.
Network restrictions at the time forbade the tackling of any controversial subjects (EX: Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement, and the rise of feminism). ST: TOS, under the form of sci-fi, boldly flouted these rules! This story openly deals with the subject of racism, as reflected through Lt. Stiles’ (Paul Comi) opposition to Spock. Lenard (who worked mainly in theater until his early 40s) said: “The Romulan Commander was one of the best roles I ever had on TV. In many ways, I did enjoy that role [Sarek], but I think the more demanding role and the better acting role was the Romulan Commander.” When Nimoy held out for a better contract (after the first season), Lenard was one of the leading candidates to replace him as Spock. Nimoy (who received more fan mail than Shatner and an Emmy nom) eventually got a raise from $1,250 to $2,500 per episode.
Episode 17: The Galileo Seven
This ep features a shuttlecraft (for the first time). Spock leads a research team aboard the Galileo on a mission that begins as an investigation of a mysterious quasar-like formation. Forced to make an emergency landing on Taurus II, a fog-shrouded planet, Spock and crew face off w/ large/ape-like creatures armed w/ huge spears. These creatures pose immediate threats to the crew, but Spock also goes up against hisgreatest enemy– his own logic- when faced w/ decisions of command. Nimoy comes center stage (for the first time and proves that Spock can serve as the driving force of an ep). Spock’s logic is thwarted by several events. In a desperate attempt to escape the planet, Spock makes an illogical gamble!
Episode 23: Space Seed
This very famous ep introduced Star Trek‘s most popular villain: the genetically enhanced superman from the 20th century, Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán). Following positive feedback from producers and the network, this was the first episode to feature a prominent role for Scotty (James Doohan). The Enterprise comes across a long-lost Earth vessel, the Botany Bay, containing a cryogenically frozen Khan and his crew. After manipulating historian Lt. Marla McGivers (Madlyn Rhue) w/ his strong will/magnetism, Khan and his superhuman soldiers take command of the Enterprise. Carey Wilber (the scriptwriter) used the 18th c. British custom of shipping out the undesirables as a parallel for his concept of “seed ships,” used to take unwanted criminals out to space from the overpopulated Earth.
Khan is the perfect villain for Kirk to take on, as he is a mentally/physically superior being who threatens his command and crew. Montalban was always the first choice for Khan; he had been suggested by casting director Joseph D’Agosta, who was not looking to cast an actor of a particular ethnic background due to Roddenberry’s vision (of race neutrality) for the series. Montalban (born in Mexico to Spanish parents) came up in the theater, like several actors in the Star Trek franchise, and does a terrific job. The actor thought his role was “wonderful,” saying “it was well-written, it had an interesting concept and I was delighted it was offered to me.” This episode inspired two films: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), in which Montalban once again played the role, and Abrams’ Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) w/ Benedict Cumberbatch.
Episode 25: This Side of Paradise
Was humanity meant to live in an Eden? This memorable ep explores that question when the Enterprise investigates a colony destroyed by deadly ray beams on a planet. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Sulu, and some redshirts beam down to the planet’s surface to discover that Elias Sandoval (Frank Overton) and his colonists are still alive and in perfect health, enjoying a pastoral existence off the grid. The colony’s botanist, Leila Kalomi (Jill Ireland) knew Spock 6 yrs ago and has deep feelings for him still. She leads him a flowering plant whose spores cause euphoria and loss of inhibitions. Spock declares that he loves Leila and agrees to live in the commune! As you will see in the clip below, Nimoy plays this scene totally straight (revealing that he does love Leila, but was unable to express it before).
This ep has mutiny, temptation, and comedy. Kirk struggles to maintain control over the crew members who have been exposed to the spores. McCoy starts talking more Southern (w/ a slow drawl) and looking for ingredients of a mint julep- LOL! Writer D.C. Fontana (who started as a script editor) thwarts audience expectations by putting Kirk in the intellectual lead, while Spock’s half-human side is further developed. Nimoy was initially taken aback when he was told that they were working on a love story for Spock, but said it turned out “very lovely.” Here is a (funny) clip; we also get to see Nimoy’s smile.
Episode 26: The Devil in the Dark
The Enterprise travels to the planet Janus 6 to assist a mining colony. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down to the planet where Chief Engineer Vanderberg tells of a creature loose in the mine tunnels killing his men. It seems to appear out nowhere, then disappears just as quickly. Finding that the creature, a Horta, lives in a newly-opened part of the underground mining complex, Spock uses the Vulcan mind meld to determine why it is killing the miners. Nimoy said the closing banter between Spock and Kirk was one of his faves, as “it was a wonderful moment which defined the relationship and defined the whole Spock character’s existence and his attitude about himself.”
Roddenberry considered this one of the best eps, saying: “The Horta suddenly became understandable… It wasn’t just a monster- it was someone. And the audience could put themselves in the place of the Horta… identify… feel! That’s what drama is all about. And that’s it’s importance, too… if you can learn to feel for a Horta, you may also be learning to understand and feel for other humans of different colors, ways, and beliefs.” Shatner identified this as his fave ep, b/c his father died during filming and Nimoy’s delivery of the mind meld lines made him laugh. He thought it was “exciting, thought-provoking and intelligent, it contained all of the ingredients that made up our very best Star Treks.”
Episode 29: The City on the Edge of Forever
This ep (loved by TV critics and fans) by Harlan Ellison shows us a sympathetic tale mixed w/ elements from the best of sci-fi. This was the most expensive episode produced during the first season, and also the most expensive episode of the entire series, except the two pilots. The average cost of each S1 ep was around $190,000. Production went over schedule, resulting in 8 shooting days (not 6, as usual). Ellison won a Hugo Award and a Writer’s Guild award for best teleplay. Joseph Pevney was chosen to direct on this episode because of his experience in directing 20+ films.
After an accidental overdose which makes him temporarily insane, McCoy beams down to an alien planet. A gateway, The Guardian of Forever, sends him back to Earth during the Great Depression. He somehow alters the course of time, erasing the Federation from history! Trapped in the limbo, Kirk and Spock travel back in time to 1930 (a week before McCoy) in an attempt to correct the course of history. They meet Edith Keeler (Joan Collins), a social worker who runs a mission and has dedicated her life to the needy. Spock works on building a computer to access material on his tricorder. Kirk and Edith have a romance; there is great chemistry between Shatner and Collins. The shocking truth is revealed- in order to fix the time alteration, Edith must die! When asked whether this ep was consciously commenting on the anti-Vietnam War movement, associate producer Robert H. Justman answered (in 1992), “Of course we did.”
Ellison’s original story outline and first draft script featured a crewman named Beckwith (not McCoy), who was dealing drugs. Beckwith murdered a fellow crewman, LeBeque, who was on the verge of turning him in, escaped to the planet the ship was orbiting, and went through time and changed history. The Enterprise was gone, and a savage pirate ship was in its place, full of renegade humans. Kirk and Spock follow Beckwith through the time portal to 1930 in NYC. Kirk still falls in love w/ the young social worker. Finally, w/ the help of a disabled WWI vet- Trooper (who dies in the action)- Kirk and Spock find Beckwith. In the end, Kirk does not stop him saving Edith, but freezes and Spock prevents her rescue. In the epilogue, Spock tries to console Kirk by saying: “No other woman was offered the universe for love.” This script was unusable for different reasons, so was rewritten several times. Roddenberry objected to the idea that drugs would still be a problem in the 23rd century, and even present among starship crews. Also, the production staff was strongly against Kirk’s final inactivity. It seemed that being unable to decide and act, viewers could never be able to accept him as the strong leader in later eps. Some elements were simply impossible to create on the series’ (low) budget.
Knightleyemma 