Welcome to Season 2 my friends. Where Trek really his its stride, though not necessarily with is first outing. It's a Halloween episode...which doesn't help it. My very first "underrated" article was on this one because while far from perfect I can't help but be fond of it in a "guilty pleasure" sort of way.
Plot:The Enterprise crew finds witches, black cats, and haunted castles on a distant planet.
Guest Stars:Antoinette Bower as Sylvia, Theo Marcuse as Korob. Oh and we meet a bright new Russian navigator, wonder if he'll stick around?
Nitpick:Well of course a woman can't be in command, they leave cooties in the chair. So we have assistant chief engineer DeSalle in command for some reason. Having him on the show as the assistant chief engineer is fine, but how in the world does he rank over Uhura?
Summary:
Teaser-Kirk is concerned that a landing part considering of Scotty, Sulu and a crewman named Jackson has no reported in. Finally, Jackson signals to be beamed up and nothing else. He is beamed up, and immediately collapses onto the transporter pad. McCoy pronounces him dead, and a voice comes from him saying there is a curse on his ship and if they do not leave they will all die.
Act 1-Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down and find fog even though fog was not indicated. They call the ship to confirm the reading, and Desalle asks Chekov to verify there scanners. They are detecting the three of them. The three continue there search. Suddenly three witches appear, spouting bad poetry as Spock calls it. The three continue toward the life forms Spock is detecting, and finally see a gothic castle. The enter and are spooked by a black cat. Kik comments that if he didn't know better, he'd swear someone were playing an elaborate trick or treat on them. They continued walking, until the floor gives way underneath them. The three wake up locked up in a dungeon equipped with iron maidens and skeletons. Spock comments it's almost as if someone knew what scares humans on an instinctive level. As they wonder what's next, a door opens and in comes Scotty and Sulu. However they appear to be blank, totally cut off from all sensation, and just stare at the three.
Act 2-McCoy says it looks as if the are drugged, as they release them. Kirk turns to strike and suddenly they are all in a throne room of some kind. The man on the throne says he is Korob and his associate is Sylvia. Korob explains that he did not want them to come to the planet, despite their warnings. Korob conjure a spread of food and invites them to dine. Kirk asks what he wants, and Korob creates a fortune in diamonds and other gem stones if they leave the planet. Kirk says the stones have no value to them, and will leave when they are ready. Sylvia finally appears (she had been a cat until now) and explains that she used her skills to control Scotty and Sulu. I love how they call it by like three different things, even the writer had no idea apparently. Kirk then grabs a phaser and demands answers. Sylvia then presents a small model of the Enterprise, and using sympathetic magic when she holds the model of the ship over a candle the real Enterprise begins to burn up.
Act 3-Kirk stops Sylvia before the ship can burn up and says that she won. Korob then asks about there science, and Kirk notes the sudden change in tone. Korob confirms that they can alter the shape of matter, when Sylva quiets him. Kirk says a search part will be down soon except Korob uses his magic to place the ship in an impenetrable force field. Korob has the three send back to their cell, except for McCoy. On the ship the crew works to get through the force field. In the cell, Kirk wonders what they are doing to McCoy. Spock comments that Sylvia and Korob tried to probe there minds but hit the subconscious only. The two admitted they were not native to the planet, and most likely are totally alien. The door opens, and McCoy is controlled like Sulu and Scotty now. Kirk is brought up to talk with Sylvia and the scene is so lame I am not even gonna summarize it. Basically he seduces her and she realizes it and gets mad. Back in the dungeon, Korob frees Kirk and Spock but Kirk says they are not leaving without his men. Korob says he cannot control Sylvia any longer, the strain of adopting human form is making her irrational. Sylvia then appears back in cat form enraged.
Act 4-Korob confronts Sylvia while Kirk and Spock go the other. They climb back to where they came into the castle, and are attacked by McCoy, Scotty and Sulu. They beat the three, and when Spock says they need power Kirk gets an idea. After going back for the wand Korob had dropped, he manages to talk Sylvia down. Suddenly she transports the two back to the throne room. Kirk confirms the wand is the transmuter, the source of there powers. Sylvia says its more an amplifier than a source. She demands he hand it to her, and instead he smashes it. In a flash, everything is gone but the five officers (the three back to normal) and Sylvia and Korob as they really are....Puppets. Oops, strange aliens who quickly die. McCoy is amazed this was all an illusion, but Kirk says Jackson is still really dead.
Final Thoughts:I'm sorry I know it doesn't make sense but I just can't bring myself to hate this episode. And watch it every Halloween. I just wish they hadn't played it so straight, I think it hurt the episode. It was a silly idea may as well have fun with it.
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