I don’t know why, so don’t ask.

[cmdrhobbes]

I started watching Star Trek, the original series recently. Started at the beginning and am heading my way through it. I just finished Space Seed, episode 22. More on that later. If I manage to make it through, I may start in on TNG. DS9 also tempts me, but Voyager and Enterprise…I dunno. Anyway, I am amazed at how crappy some of these

Comments

[dragonblink]

The part of Space Seed that still impresses me is when McGivers comes to Khan's quarters and he proceeds to mercilessly manipulate her. "Go ... or stay. But do it because it is what you wish to do." Montalban does an excellent job portraying a ruthless and charismatic man bending a woman to his will while making her believe she's following him of her own free will. He even makes her beg to stay.

For me Space Seed is like Inner Light or Darmok -- the underlying premise of the episode is dumb, the script employs incredibly cheap tricks to hit emotional notes, and yet the end result (for me) is a great episode. The overblown 60s acting doesn't kill Space Seed for me, and I forgive them the time frame because science fiction has always been overly optimistic about technological advances. But that's just my opinion.

I do agree that Balance of Terror is freaking amazing, and that Squire of Gothos should have ended when they broke the mirror and got free. The rest is so blatantly stupid filler it's sad.

Edited to add: Just realized the icon makes it look like I'm arguing or insulting you. That's not my intention, I just wanted to use a Star Trek icon and I think my only other one is even ruder.

[rfrancis]

We just recently finished watching TOS with our kids and are a season or so into TNG now. A few observations...

TOS was mostly boring to the kids. I of course am almost incapable of being unbiased about it because I first saw it when I was, what, 7? Something like that. Anyway, they're liking TNG better -- it has more of an ensemble, it doesn't take itself so seriously (while at the same time the humor MOSTLY isn't quite as forced as it often got in TOS), plus there are kids from time to time. They adore Data. ADORE him.

Like Blinkie, I rather like Space Seed. It's hard to put oneself in the perspective of a mid-60s writer to determine what's reasonable as far as forecasting future history, so I'll skip that bit. Montalban is creepy as hell; while I love the movie Wrath of Khan with a great love, I think he may have actually done a better job as Khan in the TV episode; more sinister and less wild-eyed and raving.

Balance of Terror is probably the best TOS episode. But think Mark Lenard is one of the most underrated actors of his time, so.

Squire of Gothos is clearly mostly the result of William Campbell being so much wacky fun to be around that they made an episode of being around wacky fun William Campbell. It doesn't really go much of anywhere. The kids were entertained for a while and then it got old; I think they have a point, as you and Blinkie both suggest. I might have been okay with the "parents show up and take him" except they'd ALREADY DONE IT in Charlie X (a far scarier antagonist, I might add; that episode gave me nightmares as a kid.)

TOS is mostly a mess but about half the time it's a fun mess. TNG is smarter and better put together but has its own warts: trying to be scientific and descending into utter hogwash (TOS just didn't try for the most part, which has a certain wisdom); stilted acting, but that improves as the show continues; preachiness... well, that's SF for you. :)

I like DS9, myself.

[cmdrhobbes]

I would argue that even a little thought (and this goes to your point, that they may not have even bothered) would make it clear that 30 years isn't enough for a eugenics program to create these Ubermensch who then take over large portions of the planet (I think they said Khan took over 1/4th of Earth prior to his departure on the SS Botany Bay).

As far as Charlie X, that was another deus ex machina resolution, but it made more sense. Charlie escaped from his "parents" and they came and got him. Gothos (as Blinkie said) should have ended with the mirror, and it would have been a pretty good episode.

I couldn't stand Montalban as Khan in Space Seed. Blinkie points out one of the few good scenes with him, where he manipulates McGivers into being his bitch.

Anyway, in summary, Space Seed is very popular, but I don't like it. And it's the internet, so I get to have my opinion and tell you you're wrong, and then you do the same, and we all go home and cry in our tea. Except none of us will do any of that.

[cmdrhobbes]

For the record, I don't even look at icons, most of the time. So, no worries on that regard.