StarTrek (TOS) 1.03-04
I suppose I haven't posted this week's TV round up, but have some more Star Trek reviews.
TOS 1x03: Charlie X
I’m not sure what to make of that one. On one hand, I found most of the episode ranging from bad to boring, but the last 5-10 minutes or so were a lot more interesting than they had any right to be. Also, Kirk now has an entry on the I-expect-long list of people who could have been wrathful later on.
I guess this did do what will become the Start Trek norm of finding a third option that kind of negates the problem facing the crew, but it does so in a manner that’s not particularly optimistic. It’s also a pretty blatant deus ex machina since we hadn’t had any idea this was a potential ending until it showed up. But more importantly, the crew did seem aware that they were sending Charlie to a fate he probably didn’t actually deserve, which leaves the episode on a bit of a melancholy note. Later Treks might have had the ending, but it would have been with the understanding that he was going to learn control and grow up a bit and maybe in time get another chance later on, but there’s none of that here. It’s what made the end interesting, but I’m not sure I like it exactly.
But up until Charlie takes over the ship, it’s such a boring episode that when the more exciting and then thought-worthy end hits, a) it doesn’t have time to really develop its ideas b) doesn’t have time to become something really satisfying. In some ways all that bring build-up was needed so that Charlie didn’t just show up and immediately jump to straight-up villain and we had time to see the crew try and understand what was happening, and - in theory - develop some attachments. The problem is with...well a lot of this, as almost nothing in that part of the story worked for me, except that in the end I can see the storytelling reason to structure it that way.
I’m inclined to blame the directing, because while a lot of the problems may be a jumble of different causes, the director is clearly to blame for the super dramatic eye lighting in certain scenes that doesn’t correspond to the lighting when the actors aren’t in close-up.
Also, I’m now destined to be sad that Spock/Uhura doesn’t become a thing for the show. I know they don’t but they’re currently the most shippable pair around and I can go for it. Damn you 60s racists.
Point of order that I’m now pretty sure I’ve watched more of this show than ever before, and so far...I don’t have much change in opinion overall. It’s about what I was expecting, okay with some good and some bad bits thrown in. But it’s early days, and I never make up my mind about something this early; plus I’m determined to watch what as a Trek-fan I should probably have watched long before.
TOS 1x04: Where No Man Has Gone Before
I really didn’t like that one. I know that in the other accepted order for the episodes this is the first one besides The Cage, and it definitely feels like it. It feels like a first episode because nobody feels particularly in character, the look is off, the cast isn’t all there yet, and the writing is just bad. By that logic I can also see why they wouldn’t air it first, because you would not want to start with this (although I’m not sure if it was bad at the time or just obviously bad now). It also feels like a rush job to show they could make the changes TPTB likely insisted on after The Cage (on one hand, your women are still wearing pants, but on the other you are even more demeaning to them.) with a new leading man and more obvious action tone, but still using several of the same costumes and without casting most of the supporting cast; Spock’s there because he already was cast but his makeup and performance are still more like The Cage than they will be.
It has a lot of very standard Star Trek tropes; not really understanding evolution, godlike beings or powers, never mentioned before or after (I assume) life long BFFs, ripping Kirk’s shirt in a stereotype-to-be way. I’m also never convinced the series understands chess as I don’t think this is the last time someone will be surprised that someone makes the ‘illogical’ move that wins/avoids defeat when that would make it the logical move. Those things can be used for some just fine stories, but this is not one of them.
Like I said, I’m not sure it was so bad at the time. One of my biggest issues with it is the pacing which just crawls, and expectations were different then, as noted in other episodes already. Even scenes that are trying to move more quickly are just awkward for example by trying to have Kirk make announcements at the same time Spock is loudly working on his project. It’s also extremely light on characterization for all it moves so slow, although I will say there were a couple scenes that worked for me, and those were characterization moments. I just found the fight scenes so...nothing; there was no tension, no emotion (there could have been as the obvious choice to me would have had Gary once out from the spell (for lack of a better word) acknowledge that he needed to die to save his friends and crewmates and that be an emotional bit for Kirk, knowing Gary’s still in there but having to do what has to be done), the music is ridiculous (another possibly of-the-time bit, but it hasn’t aged well) and the choreography laughable (but not like fun laughable, just stupid).
I do want to be able to judge this show on its own merits and consider when it was made, but I guess when I just don’t like it I have a hard time knowing for sure if that’s the modern eye talking or if it was always that bad. It’s definitely probably my least favorite episode so far, even below The Cage. In fact, I think I’m going to keep a ranking going to see what that is by the end of the...some segment of watching, I probably can’t do it across multiple series, but I’ll try and keep it at least to a season segment. That way I’ll have something extra to bring once I’m further along and we’re all getting sick of me just saying if I liked something or not, I can say if I liked it more or less than other things.
TOS 1x03: Charlie X
I’m not sure what to make of that one. On one hand, I found most of the episode ranging from bad to boring, but the last 5-10 minutes or so were a lot more interesting than they had any right to be. Also, Kirk now has an entry on the I-expect-long list of people who could have been wrathful later on.
I guess this did do what will become the Start Trek norm of finding a third option that kind of negates the problem facing the crew, but it does so in a manner that’s not particularly optimistic. It’s also a pretty blatant deus ex machina since we hadn’t had any idea this was a potential ending until it showed up. But more importantly, the crew did seem aware that they were sending Charlie to a fate he probably didn’t actually deserve, which leaves the episode on a bit of a melancholy note. Later Treks might have had the ending, but it would have been with the understanding that he was going to learn control and grow up a bit and maybe in time get another chance later on, but there’s none of that here. It’s what made the end interesting, but I’m not sure I like it exactly.
But up until Charlie takes over the ship, it’s such a boring episode that when the more exciting and then thought-worthy end hits, a) it doesn’t have time to really develop its ideas b) doesn’t have time to become something really satisfying. In some ways all that bring build-up was needed so that Charlie didn’t just show up and immediately jump to straight-up villain and we had time to see the crew try and understand what was happening, and - in theory - develop some attachments. The problem is with...well a lot of this, as almost nothing in that part of the story worked for me, except that in the end I can see the storytelling reason to structure it that way.
I’m inclined to blame the directing, because while a lot of the problems may be a jumble of different causes, the director is clearly to blame for the super dramatic eye lighting in certain scenes that doesn’t correspond to the lighting when the actors aren’t in close-up.
Also, I’m now destined to be sad that Spock/Uhura doesn’t become a thing for the show. I know they don’t but they’re currently the most shippable pair around and I can go for it. Damn you 60s racists.
Point of order that I’m now pretty sure I’ve watched more of this show than ever before, and so far...I don’t have much change in opinion overall. It’s about what I was expecting, okay with some good and some bad bits thrown in. But it’s early days, and I never make up my mind about something this early; plus I’m determined to watch what as a Trek-fan I should probably have watched long before.
TOS 1x04: Where No Man Has Gone Before
I really didn’t like that one. I know that in the other accepted order for the episodes this is the first one besides The Cage, and it definitely feels like it. It feels like a first episode because nobody feels particularly in character, the look is off, the cast isn’t all there yet, and the writing is just bad. By that logic I can also see why they wouldn’t air it first, because you would not want to start with this (although I’m not sure if it was bad at the time or just obviously bad now). It also feels like a rush job to show they could make the changes TPTB likely insisted on after The Cage (on one hand, your women are still wearing pants, but on the other you are even more demeaning to them.) with a new leading man and more obvious action tone, but still using several of the same costumes and without casting most of the supporting cast; Spock’s there because he already was cast but his makeup and performance are still more like The Cage than they will be.
It has a lot of very standard Star Trek tropes; not really understanding evolution, godlike beings or powers, never mentioned before or after (I assume) life long BFFs, ripping Kirk’s shirt in a stereotype-to-be way. I’m also never convinced the series understands chess as I don’t think this is the last time someone will be surprised that someone makes the ‘illogical’ move that wins/avoids defeat when that would make it the logical move. Those things can be used for some just fine stories, but this is not one of them.
Like I said, I’m not sure it was so bad at the time. One of my biggest issues with it is the pacing which just crawls, and expectations were different then, as noted in other episodes already. Even scenes that are trying to move more quickly are just awkward for example by trying to have Kirk make announcements at the same time Spock is loudly working on his project. It’s also extremely light on characterization for all it moves so slow, although I will say there were a couple scenes that worked for me, and those were characterization moments. I just found the fight scenes so...nothing; there was no tension, no emotion (there could have been as the obvious choice to me would have had Gary once out from the spell (for lack of a better word) acknowledge that he needed to die to save his friends and crewmates and that be an emotional bit for Kirk, knowing Gary’s still in there but having to do what has to be done), the music is ridiculous (another possibly of-the-time bit, but it hasn’t aged well) and the choreography laughable (but not like fun laughable, just stupid).
I do want to be able to judge this show on its own merits and consider when it was made, but I guess when I just don’t like it I have a hard time knowing for sure if that’s the modern eye talking or if it was always that bad. It’s definitely probably my least favorite episode so far, even below The Cage. In fact, I think I’m going to keep a ranking going to see what that is by the end of the...some segment of watching, I probably can’t do it across multiple series, but I’ll try and keep it at least to a season segment. That way I’ll have something extra to bring once I’m further along and we’re all getting sick of me just saying if I liked something or not, I can say if I liked it more or less than other things.