The Corbomite Maneuver: The Watch-Along.
Last week's post was more successful than I was anticipating. I'm really getting a kick out of the rewatch -- which is why I'm doing this before such_heights's recap post is up (I'll add the link once it's up) -- and I'm glad others are, too. Edit: such_heights's recap.
Before I start the recap, for anyone who hasn't seen it, feel free to check out my contribution to the Star Trek Reboot art meme. I'm no great artist, but I think some of the GQ Mofoness shines through regardless.
Right! Click here to watch the episode on YouTube, or if you have Netflix, you can stream the episode like I'm doing (the YouTube ads annoy me). And of course, you can check it out on DVD or CBS.com or even VHS if you're feeling industrious enough to find it and generally old-school. And feel free to check out Memory Alpha for more information on the episode!
UGH FAIL. The Netflix episodes are remastered. I am firmly against the idea of substituting music and the classic effects for so-called "better" images. Not enough to stop watching, but enough to be annoyed. (I'm all for a clearer picture, though.)
HOLY CRAP UHURA'S WEARING GOLD. At least she's around this time! She's one of my favorite characters, no question.
I suppose I should be paying attention to the conflict. And here it is: a blurry colored cube is approaching the Enterprise. They turned to avoid it -- Spock's in command at the moment -- but it followed them. And Spock just told the random crew member to stop yelling! That's rich coming from you, Mr. I Yelled My Way Through The Second Pilot.
(La la, ignoring the rescored titles and CG Enterprise, la la.)
An exterior shot showing the cube hovering in front of the Enterprise is...really unimpressive. Does it strike anyone else that the problems on this show are really not that menacing? I mean, if I had a giant cube in front of me, I'd probably laugh for about a half-hour before trying to swat it away. But I guess that's the difference between most Trek and everything else: peaceful study versus BLOW IT OUT OF THE SKY! (Take note, Abrams.)
Kirk, for this, is in sickbay with McCoy pressing a foot pedal thing for his physical. He's lying down shirtless, grunting all the while, and is being told by McCoy that a little sweat doesn't hurt. Yeah. In the second episode! They really hit the ground running with the slash, and that's the way I like it.
Our dear old captain finishes whatever the foot pedal thing is and checks a monitor to see...gasp! THE CUBE. Kirk is decidedly unimpressed, but he goes to the bridge anyhow. And McCoy throws out one of his first doctor/other things comparisons! This is his first appearance on the show, so yay! If I was doing a drinking game, that'd probably be worth a shot right there.
Things are much more in order for this episode. We have the standard uniforms, complete with beehives and skirts for the women, Sulu's at the helm, Uhura and McCoy are around, and Kirk is shirtless for several minutes. It's almost like coming home! *nostalgic tear* Spock's blush is terrible, though. I don't think they established the green blood yet, as it's way too red-brown.
Kirk went to his quarters and put on a shirt, as well as checking in with Spock. He asked the department heads to meet him on the bridge, which was something they did in the second pilot, too. I wonder if that's a military thing? Anyway, Scotty and McCoy give their reports, which go along the lines of "LOL IDK".
They change to a meeting in a conference room, where everyone looks horribly bored -- and hey, most of the people around are our principle members! -- and is nursing coffee. Presumably without something stronger inside, but who knows? They decide that sitting around is doing them no good, so they try to move again. I don't know why they didn't want to try this sooner, since it's not like the cube was really blocking them before, just sitting in the way.
So they try it, and Spock reports an increase in radiation. That's no good, so they stop...and the cube keeps coming forward. Yeah. I'm not really feeling the panic, and few on the bridge seem to be as well, but they do look quite serious. The cube's spinning faster and getting closer, they go to warp, the radiation's getting lethal, the phasers are locked on, and they fire! There's an explosion that throws around everyone on the ship!
(Man, this episode's about fifty billion times better than "Where No Man Has Gone Before". Even with a not-so-menacing cube.)
We come back from the little commercial break to see that the cube has been destroyed and that the ship's generally okay. Kirk checks with bad-makeup Spock about going on further, Spock snarks about talking to him whenever he makes a decision, and they have a Moment. I feel like a kid shipping my first-ever pairing again! Which is appropriate, considering they were my first pairing! So I think Kirk decides to continue, but I'm not sure because I'm squeeing too loud to hear.
And if that isn't enough, Kirk and McCoy get in the turbolift, and Kirk says, "Aren't you the one that's always telling me a little suffering's good for the soul?" I have to wonder why I didn't ship Kirk/McCoy more when I was younger. Probably because the Kirk/Spock was too dazzling.
Kirk and McCoy are talking about Bailey, this episode's random disposable crewmember. He's the navigator, since Chekov actually doesn't show up for a while. Bailey's showed up a couple of times before and been generally annoying, and McCoy's wondering if Bailey reminds Kirk of himself. Can't really say I care. What I do care about is that they head to Kirk's quarters, and McCoy pours them both something that looks like brandy or whiskey. My, my, Doctor! Trying to get Kirk drunk? You should know you don't need to get him liquored up to get his guard down!
Spock calls down, since someone on this ship is still working, and Yeoman Rand OMG I LOVE HER. She's feeding Kirk salad because he put on a few pounds, and this leads to some snark about weight. Kirk's talking about having a female yeoman, McCoy wonders if he doesn't like it because of personal trust issues, and Kirk talks about having a female to already worry about: the Enterprise. Which, really, is as it should be. Kirk/Spock is my OTP, but Kirk/Enterprise is nothing short of rightful canon. *nod*
Sulu calls for all hands to battle stations, and Kirk checks in with Spock, who says there's a very large object coming into range, so he heads up to the bridge. The object comes into view, and the ship is hit with a tractor beam. The object looks like a big dandelion, which Spock finds fascinating, as usual. We get a few dramatic face shots of the bridge crew, and Kirk hails the ship, saying very politely that he extends a greeting.
This is a good time to mention the earbobs that a bunch of the people are wearing and that Uhura rocks throughout most of the show. (At this point, the ship is talking about the First Federation and how primitive the Enterprise is and all. Good times.) I love talking about the bits of Star Trek that looked futuristic at the time (and even a little futuristic when I was a kid) that ended up fueling innovations: ear clips to Bluetooth add-ons, communicators to cell phones, boards to tablets and tablet PCs. My little sister has a tablet laptop, and that thing is massively cool. I think it's a good measure of how important fiction is to society; fiction fuels imagination, and imagination fuels design and innovation. We'd probably have a lot of this stuff even without fiction, but what would things look like if we didn't have Jules Verne and Star Trek? And would it have taken longer?
Ooh, we just got a look at the villain, who has the traditional grey look of old-school aliens. He also has the arrogance problem that most powerful aliens on classic Trek share: we're stronger than you, you're stupid and backward, we're going to blow you to smithereens. Everyone on the bridge stays calm, except Bailey, who throws a hissy fit and is relieved. Kirk hails the alien and tries to say, "Hey, we weren't trying to offend you, we were just trying not to die. You know how that goes, right?" But instead of being reasonable, the alien counts down to killing them. Good times.
This is an interesting episode because it has a lot more of a serious tone than the later show. Kirk is trying to think instead of acting, the bridge crew is having discussions about their perceived checkmate, and everyone's worrying. It feels more like a real group of people and less like the caracatures I'm used to.
Kirk just bluffed the alien by saying they had a compound named "corbomite" that would destroy the attacker as well as the attacked. He even said that he was annoyed by this waiting and that they should strike now. Now that's the Kirk I know. ♥
Spock just said that he was sorry he didn't get to know the alien on the ship better because he reminded him of his father. Scotty pitied his mom, and Spock said, in a very smug way, that she considered herself to be a very lucky Earth woman. Besides the fact that this establishes the Sarek-Amanda canon instead of the vague "Earth ancestor" bit from "Where No Man Has Gone Before", I was just wondering if Spock was pleased that his parents had a good sex life. Because that's kind of how it looked to me. Oh, show.
Bailey's back, just in time for the countdown to run down (and for Sulu to give us a New Year's Eve-like rundown) and for everyone to hold their breaths. (It looks literally like Scotty's holding his breath. And Kirk just exhaled.) Spock commented on how he had to learn more about poker, exchanged a meaningful look with Kirk, and got an offer for instruction and an even more lascivious expression from McCoy. OT3 OMG.
The alien wants to know more about the Corbomite device, and Kirk decides to let him sweat, then denies his request. The alien -- who has a name that I didn't catch -- reappears on the monitor and says that he will make a decision on his survival and says he'll make another show of superiority. Yeoman Rand shows up again to give Kirk some coffee, and a smaller ship appears. The alien says that he'll guide them to a planet for internment and destroy their ship, and any show of escape or attack will result in destruction. Kind fellow, that.
Kirk decides that he'll wait him out to see if the tractor beam drains his power and gives them the opportunity for escape. They find it and start gradually to work away. When they build up power, the engines start to overheat and the ship starts to shake again, much to the chagrin of the poor tossed-around extras in the lower decks. The bridge crew just gets to look tense and shake their limbs (and I'll spare any naughty comments about it). Kirk orders for a shear away, and it actually works. The ship darts away, and the smaller ship ends up overloaded and nearly dead, so Kirk decides to try boarding it. With McCoy and Bailey. Yeah, this is going to go well with Bailey.
Spock starts to request to come along, but Kirk denies it, saying he wants Spock on the ship. Aw, you guys. I can't get enough.
Kirk and Bailey put on belts for communicators and phasers, and McCoy snarks. They bend over, since it's a low ceiling on the other ship (cough), and energize over. Our grey friend turns out to be a dummy and is, in reality...BABY CLINT HOWARD. NO WAY. (I actually knew about this in advance, but still. Geek out moment!) He pours them a drink, which they all hold dubiously until Clint Howard drinks it down, at which point they all give it a go. Clint Howard explains that it was all a test to see how if they were worthwhile to interact with, and Kirk agrees to an exchange of cultural information, volunteering Bailey to start it. Rock on, Bailey! You get to escape death and just get stuck with the aliens for a while!
And the episode ends. That was genuinely enjoyable! Go Trek!
Edit: Oh, I forgot to mention it, but I'm going to be putting up a supplement post probably tomorrow with some pictures from Star Trek: The Experience. I have loads of pictures on MySpace, but you have to have me friended to see them. This post isn't going to be locked because everyone needs to see the awesome.
Before I start the recap, for anyone who hasn't seen it, feel free to check out my contribution to the Star Trek Reboot art meme. I'm no great artist, but I think some of the GQ Mofoness shines through regardless.
Right! Click here to watch the episode on YouTube, or if you have Netflix, you can stream the episode like I'm doing (the YouTube ads annoy me). And of course, you can check it out on DVD or CBS.com or even VHS if you're feeling industrious enough to find it and generally old-school. And feel free to check out Memory Alpha for more information on the episode!
UGH FAIL. The Netflix episodes are remastered. I am firmly against the idea of substituting music and the classic effects for so-called "better" images. Not enough to stop watching, but enough to be annoyed. (I'm all for a clearer picture, though.)
HOLY CRAP UHURA'S WEARING GOLD. At least she's around this time! She's one of my favorite characters, no question.
I suppose I should be paying attention to the conflict. And here it is: a blurry colored cube is approaching the Enterprise. They turned to avoid it -- Spock's in command at the moment -- but it followed them. And Spock just told the random crew member to stop yelling! That's rich coming from you, Mr. I Yelled My Way Through The Second Pilot.
(La la, ignoring the rescored titles and CG Enterprise, la la.)
An exterior shot showing the cube hovering in front of the Enterprise is...really unimpressive. Does it strike anyone else that the problems on this show are really not that menacing? I mean, if I had a giant cube in front of me, I'd probably laugh for about a half-hour before trying to swat it away. But I guess that's the difference between most Trek and everything else: peaceful study versus BLOW IT OUT OF THE SKY! (Take note, Abrams.)
Kirk, for this, is in sickbay with McCoy pressing a foot pedal thing for his physical. He's lying down shirtless, grunting all the while, and is being told by McCoy that a little sweat doesn't hurt. Yeah. In the second episode! They really hit the ground running with the slash, and that's the way I like it.
Our dear old captain finishes whatever the foot pedal thing is and checks a monitor to see...gasp! THE CUBE. Kirk is decidedly unimpressed, but he goes to the bridge anyhow. And McCoy throws out one of his first doctor/other things comparisons! This is his first appearance on the show, so yay! If I was doing a drinking game, that'd probably be worth a shot right there.
Things are much more in order for this episode. We have the standard uniforms, complete with beehives and skirts for the women, Sulu's at the helm, Uhura and McCoy are around, and Kirk is shirtless for several minutes. It's almost like coming home! *nostalgic tear* Spock's blush is terrible, though. I don't think they established the green blood yet, as it's way too red-brown.
Kirk went to his quarters and put on a shirt, as well as checking in with Spock. He asked the department heads to meet him on the bridge, which was something they did in the second pilot, too. I wonder if that's a military thing? Anyway, Scotty and McCoy give their reports, which go along the lines of "LOL IDK".
They change to a meeting in a conference room, where everyone looks horribly bored -- and hey, most of the people around are our principle members! -- and is nursing coffee. Presumably without something stronger inside, but who knows? They decide that sitting around is doing them no good, so they try to move again. I don't know why they didn't want to try this sooner, since it's not like the cube was really blocking them before, just sitting in the way.
So they try it, and Spock reports an increase in radiation. That's no good, so they stop...and the cube keeps coming forward. Yeah. I'm not really feeling the panic, and few on the bridge seem to be as well, but they do look quite serious. The cube's spinning faster and getting closer, they go to warp, the radiation's getting lethal, the phasers are locked on, and they fire! There's an explosion that throws around everyone on the ship!
(Man, this episode's about fifty billion times better than "Where No Man Has Gone Before". Even with a not-so-menacing cube.)
We come back from the little commercial break to see that the cube has been destroyed and that the ship's generally okay. Kirk checks with bad-makeup Spock about going on further, Spock snarks about talking to him whenever he makes a decision, and they have a Moment. I feel like a kid shipping my first-ever pairing again! Which is appropriate, considering they were my first pairing! So I think Kirk decides to continue, but I'm not sure because I'm squeeing too loud to hear.
And if that isn't enough, Kirk and McCoy get in the turbolift, and Kirk says, "Aren't you the one that's always telling me a little suffering's good for the soul?" I have to wonder why I didn't ship Kirk/McCoy more when I was younger. Probably because the Kirk/Spock was too dazzling.
Kirk and McCoy are talking about Bailey, this episode's random disposable crewmember. He's the navigator, since Chekov actually doesn't show up for a while. Bailey's showed up a couple of times before and been generally annoying, and McCoy's wondering if Bailey reminds Kirk of himself. Can't really say I care. What I do care about is that they head to Kirk's quarters, and McCoy pours them both something that looks like brandy or whiskey. My, my, Doctor! Trying to get Kirk drunk? You should know you don't need to get him liquored up to get his guard down!
Spock calls down, since someone on this ship is still working, and Yeoman Rand OMG I LOVE HER. She's feeding Kirk salad because he put on a few pounds, and this leads to some snark about weight. Kirk's talking about having a female yeoman, McCoy wonders if he doesn't like it because of personal trust issues, and Kirk talks about having a female to already worry about: the Enterprise. Which, really, is as it should be. Kirk/Spock is my OTP, but Kirk/Enterprise is nothing short of rightful canon. *nod*
Sulu calls for all hands to battle stations, and Kirk checks in with Spock, who says there's a very large object coming into range, so he heads up to the bridge. The object comes into view, and the ship is hit with a tractor beam. The object looks like a big dandelion, which Spock finds fascinating, as usual. We get a few dramatic face shots of the bridge crew, and Kirk hails the ship, saying very politely that he extends a greeting.
This is a good time to mention the earbobs that a bunch of the people are wearing and that Uhura rocks throughout most of the show. (At this point, the ship is talking about the First Federation and how primitive the Enterprise is and all. Good times.) I love talking about the bits of Star Trek that looked futuristic at the time (and even a little futuristic when I was a kid) that ended up fueling innovations: ear clips to Bluetooth add-ons, communicators to cell phones, boards to tablets and tablet PCs. My little sister has a tablet laptop, and that thing is massively cool. I think it's a good measure of how important fiction is to society; fiction fuels imagination, and imagination fuels design and innovation. We'd probably have a lot of this stuff even without fiction, but what would things look like if we didn't have Jules Verne and Star Trek? And would it have taken longer?
Ooh, we just got a look at the villain, who has the traditional grey look of old-school aliens. He also has the arrogance problem that most powerful aliens on classic Trek share: we're stronger than you, you're stupid and backward, we're going to blow you to smithereens. Everyone on the bridge stays calm, except Bailey, who throws a hissy fit and is relieved. Kirk hails the alien and tries to say, "Hey, we weren't trying to offend you, we were just trying not to die. You know how that goes, right?" But instead of being reasonable, the alien counts down to killing them. Good times.
This is an interesting episode because it has a lot more of a serious tone than the later show. Kirk is trying to think instead of acting, the bridge crew is having discussions about their perceived checkmate, and everyone's worrying. It feels more like a real group of people and less like the caracatures I'm used to.
Kirk just bluffed the alien by saying they had a compound named "corbomite" that would destroy the attacker as well as the attacked. He even said that he was annoyed by this waiting and that they should strike now. Now that's the Kirk I know. ♥
Spock just said that he was sorry he didn't get to know the alien on the ship better because he reminded him of his father. Scotty pitied his mom, and Spock said, in a very smug way, that she considered herself to be a very lucky Earth woman. Besides the fact that this establishes the Sarek-Amanda canon instead of the vague "Earth ancestor" bit from "Where No Man Has Gone Before", I was just wondering if Spock was pleased that his parents had a good sex life. Because that's kind of how it looked to me. Oh, show.
Bailey's back, just in time for the countdown to run down (and for Sulu to give us a New Year's Eve-like rundown) and for everyone to hold their breaths. (It looks literally like Scotty's holding his breath. And Kirk just exhaled.) Spock commented on how he had to learn more about poker, exchanged a meaningful look with Kirk, and got an offer for instruction and an even more lascivious expression from McCoy. OT3 OMG.
The alien wants to know more about the Corbomite device, and Kirk decides to let him sweat, then denies his request. The alien -- who has a name that I didn't catch -- reappears on the monitor and says that he will make a decision on his survival and says he'll make another show of superiority. Yeoman Rand shows up again to give Kirk some coffee, and a smaller ship appears. The alien says that he'll guide them to a planet for internment and destroy their ship, and any show of escape or attack will result in destruction. Kind fellow, that.
Kirk decides that he'll wait him out to see if the tractor beam drains his power and gives them the opportunity for escape. They find it and start gradually to work away. When they build up power, the engines start to overheat and the ship starts to shake again, much to the chagrin of the poor tossed-around extras in the lower decks. The bridge crew just gets to look tense and shake their limbs (and I'll spare any naughty comments about it). Kirk orders for a shear away, and it actually works. The ship darts away, and the smaller ship ends up overloaded and nearly dead, so Kirk decides to try boarding it. With McCoy and Bailey. Yeah, this is going to go well with Bailey.
Spock starts to request to come along, but Kirk denies it, saying he wants Spock on the ship. Aw, you guys. I can't get enough.
Kirk and Bailey put on belts for communicators and phasers, and McCoy snarks. They bend over, since it's a low ceiling on the other ship (cough), and energize over. Our grey friend turns out to be a dummy and is, in reality...BABY CLINT HOWARD. NO WAY. (I actually knew about this in advance, but still. Geek out moment!) He pours them a drink, which they all hold dubiously until Clint Howard drinks it down, at which point they all give it a go. Clint Howard explains that it was all a test to see how if they were worthwhile to interact with, and Kirk agrees to an exchange of cultural information, volunteering Bailey to start it. Rock on, Bailey! You get to escape death and just get stuck with the aliens for a while!
And the episode ends. That was genuinely enjoyable! Go Trek!
Edit: Oh, I forgot to mention it, but I'm going to be putting up a supplement post probably tomorrow with some pictures from Star Trek: The Experience. I have loads of pictures on MySpace, but you have to have me friended to see them. This post isn't going to be locked because everyone needs to see the awesome.