The original iteration of the classic American sci-fi franchise gets reviewed by relative franchise newcomer A Winged Potato
“By Any Other Name” (Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 2, Episode 21) At the time of its original airing, what set Star Trek apart from other science fiction TV properties like The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits was … Continue reading You Talking Trek to Me? – “By Any Other Name”
Once more unto the breach, dead friends! That’s right, cry havoc and let slip those hellhounds of horror! Ahehehehehehehe! “Catspaw” (Star Trek: The Original Series – Season 2, Episode 7) The Original Series was a remarkably cogent show for its … Continue reading You (Still) Spooky Trek to Me? – “Catspaw”
Attention on heck! Don’t try to adjust your viewscreens, person-hell and boo-tenants! What you’re seeing isn’t a creepy clone, a hellish hologram, or a strangely specific alternate universe! For the month of October, we’ll be taking a spine-chilling stroll through … Continue reading You Spooky Trek to Me? – “The Man Trap”
“A Piece of the Action” (Star Trek: The Original Series – Season 2, Episode 17) One of the most interestingly specific themes of Star Trek is that of cultural contamination of the less advanced civilizations the crews encounter. Established early … Continue reading You Talking Trek to Me? – “A Piece of the Action”
Since I have CBS All Access and all this time on my hands, I decided to start doing reviews of Star Trek: TOS. But fearing that we might actually get a lift from this lockdown in less than 79 days … Continue reading Star Trek: TOS The Best Episodes
“Tomorrow is Yesterday” Season 1 Production Order #22 Airing Order #19 Directed by Joseph Pevney Written by D.C. Fontana Story by Michael O’Herlihy We had quite the range in quality last time with the episodes “Arena” and “The Alternative Factor” (which honestly … Continue reading Star Trek: TOS – S01E22/23 “Tomorrow is Yesterday” and “The Return of the Archons”
“Arena” Season 1 Production Order #20 Airing Order #18 Directed by Joseph Pevney Written by Gene L. Coon Story by Fredric Brown Now here’s a blast from the past. It’s been just over two years since I last wrote one … Continue reading Star Trek: TOS – S01E20/21 “Arena” and “The Alternative Factor”
“Shore Leave” Season 1 Production Order #18 Airing Order #15 Directed by Robert Sparr Written by Theodore Sturgeon After last week’s shockingly bad “The Menagerie”, I am ready to move on but before we do, I have a few things to … Continue reading Star Trek: TOS – S01E18/19 “Shore Leave” and “The Squire of Gothos”
“The Menagerie” Season 1 Production Order #16 & 17 Airing Order #11 & 12 Directed by Marc Daniels and Robert Butler Written by Gene Roddenberry In the beginning, Gene Roddenberry created “The Cage”. Now the original pilot was rejected by NBC, … Continue reading Star Trek: TOS – S01E16/17 “The Menagerie”
“The Galileo Seven” Season 1 Production Order #14 Airing Order #16 Directed by Robert Gist Written by Oliver Crawford and S. Bar-David After one episode last week, it’s time to get back to normal with two episodes. The Enterprise is … Continue reading Star Trek: TOS – S01E14/15 “The Galileo Seven” and “Court Martial”
“The Conscience of the King” Season 1 Production Order #13 Airing Order #13 Directed by Gerd Oswald Written by Barry Trivers Welcome back to Star Trek: TOS reviews as we return from a two week break as we head back to the … Continue reading Star Trek: TOS – S01E13 “The Conscience of the King”
“Dagger of the Mind” Season 1 Production Order #11 Airing Order #9 Directed by Vincent McEveety Written by S. Bar-David After last week’s fantastic introduction to the Romulans in “Balance of Terror”, the show has some big shoes to fill this … Continue reading Star Trek: TOS – S01E11/E12 “Dagger of the Mind” and “Miri”
“Balance of Terror” Season 1 Production Order #9 Airing Order #14 Directed by Vincent McEveety Written by Paul Schneider I know Harry Mudd is set to return but not only was he a human and written as not being a true villain … Continue reading Star Trek: TOS – S01E09/E10 “Balance of Terror” and “What Are Little Girls Made Of?”
“The Naked Time” Season 1 Production Order #7 Airing Order #4 Directed by Marc Daniels Written by John D.F. Black After some rather questionable decisions last week, most notably from an episode where Kirk’s inner desires were let out, we return … Continue reading Star Trek: TOS – S01E07/E08 “The Naked Time” and “Charlie X”
“The Enemy Within” Season 1 Production Order #5 Airing Order #5 Directed by Leo Penn Written by Richard Matheson Richard Matheson is one of the biggest names in 20th century sci-fi writing 16 episodes (including the Shatner starring episodes “Nightmare … Continue reading Star Trek: TOS – S01E05/E06 “The Enemy Within” and “The Man Trap”
“The Corbomite Maneuver” Season 1 Production Order #3 Airing Order #10 Directed by Joseph Sargent Written by Jerry Sohl After the duo of pilots, it’s time to dive into the series proper. Granted, we start things off with the 10th … Continue reading Star Trek: TOS – S01E03/E04 “The Corbomite Maneuver” and “Mudd’s Women”
“The Cage” Season 1 Production Order #1 Airing Order #80 Directed by Robert Butler Written by Gene Roddenberry Two days before the premiere of Season 4 of Doctor Who, another slightly more famous sci-fi show premiered, this time in the US. Perhaps the … Continue reading Star Trek: TOS – S01E01/E02 “The Cage” and “Where No Man Has Gone Before”
