I've talked about this episode before, even comparing it to it's Next Generation follow up, and while it's a classic it isn't perfect. Let's discuss why this episode still suffers from the same early Trek sluggish feel that the rest of the first several episodes have. And what saves it. The first disease episode....
Plot:A mysterious disease makes the crew irrational
Guest Stars:Bruce Hyde as Riley
Nitpick:Trek went thru a brief period when we got a new crazy navigator a week. This week it's Lt.Riley and his Irish eyes a smiling. The fact that he could clear and then lock down Engineering by himself is ridiculous of course. The older this episode gets the more ridiculous those containment suits Spock wears at the start looks.
Summary:
Teaser-Spock and another officer beam down to a planet to check on a science team. They find them all dead, and indications are they killed themselves. While checking a table he officer he stupidly takes off his glove and gets unwittingly infected with something strange.
Act 1-Spock and Tormolson are decontaminated in the Transporter and put thru medical screenings. In the sick-bay Kirk asks Spock what they saw, while Tormolson starts to act weird. In the Briefing room the crew go over the report from the landing party and try to figure out if the ship is at risk. The planet they are orbiting will start collapsing soon. In the lounge, Tormolson starts to freak out about the people who died on the planet. When Sulu and Riley try to quiet him, Tormolson ends up with a knife in his chest. Not only do they have butter knives in the future, but they're dangerous!
Act 2-As the orbit decays, Spock checks the record on Tomlonson. While Riley and Sulu begin to show symptoms of the disease. McCoy is operating on Tomloson but is unable to keep him from dying. While Kirk goes to talk to McCoy, Sulu sneaks off the Bridge. Spock finally notices Sulu is missing but when he asks Riley, he starts to spout Irish cliche's. Riley is relieved and Uhura takes over the navigation. Riley arrives in Sick-Bay where he unintentionally infects Chapel. Meanwhile, Sulu appears im the halls oiled up and wielding a fencing sword. The orbit decays more but there is no power. Sulu arrives on the Bridge and grabs Uhura, and is finally taken down by Spock and his nerve pinch. They then realize the problem with the power, Riley has taken over Engineering.
Act 3-With time running out, Kirk goes to Engineering where Scotty is working away to get inside. As incidents rise aboard the ship, the ship begins to be drawn into the planet. Spock goes to Sick-Bay to check on McCoy's progress, but finds Chapel instead. She confesses her love to him as she also infects him. While Spock tries to control his emotions, Kirk struggles to keep control of the ship. Scotty is finally able to open the door, and throw Riley out. Scotty then finds out that Riley turned the engines off, and there isn't enough time to regenerate them.
Act 4-Scotty insists they can't change the laws of physics, but Kirk insists they can try a cold restart. In Sick-Bay McCoy finds a cure, he has discovered the water on the planet has been changed so that it acts on the blood like alcohol. Kirk finds Spock who is emotional, the process of trying to snap him out of it infects Kirk. As Kirk gets emotional, Spock pulls himself together and gets ready to try the cold restart before its to late. Kirk returns to the Bridge while Spock and Scotty ready the engines. The restart works, and the Enterprise is safe from the planet. Except that they are in a time warp somehow. When they pull out they find they have three days to live again.
Final Thoughts:A silly episode is redeemed by that powerful scene between Kirk and Spock toward the end. They way the two help each other is very well done. Man does that ending drag, and the time warp stuff is nonsensical. It was supposed to lead into another episode we'll get to, but that was dropped making it pointless. Speaking of pointless while I love Rand you can see why they cut her when most of the time her job seems to be standing there.
No comments:
Post a Comment