If you're like me you have a shelf (or three) dedicated to holding up the groaning weight of your favourite TV series' and films on DVD. I watch DVD's regularly and always write down my thoughts on a given episode. And here they are:
DVD, Star Trek S2 (The Changeling)
I used to watch this series on a Wednesday evening in the early 90's and it was quite a revelation at the time. So exciting, but somehow comforting. And I think it holds up well today...
I remembered this as being a little boring as a child. Now I notice the drama, but back then I preferred a good fight or chase. Nomad is quite a good creation (and it made the story seem more relevant when they mention it was sent out in the early 2000's. I'm not sure if this meant 2000-2010, or the early 21st century as it could mean either, being three hundred years hence). The motion was very clever, no strings in evidence, yet we see it go through doorways, and across rooms.
The direction stands out, particularly the close up shots of Nomad in motion, making it seem more threatening. And the bizarre mindmeld Spock performs (seems a bit odd given that the creature doesn't have a mind). This could be the first time Kirk uses his logic to defeat a mechanical opponent, but I'm not sure (he may have used similar tactics in 'What Are Little Girls Made Of?' and 'The Return of The Archons').
The story itself seems like a huge influence for the first feature film: a mechanical probe, found to have been sent out from Earth, returning to seek it's creator, and causing destruction when it doesn't like what it finds. Good concept, so no wonder they used it again.
The only real problem I have with the episode is the Uhura subplot. It's good to have her involved since she was absent from the preceding two stories, but the calm way they talk about her losing her memory and having to learn to read, etc, is quite surprising. McCoy makes it clear that she should be back on the job in a week, no doubt a reference for people wondering why in the following episode she's back to normal, but something common in TV of the time, where each episode was largely independent, so channels could show them in any order, and viewers would not be left wondering what happened last week if they missed one. Quite different to today's on-demand services and boxsets, where people can easily keep up with a chosen series, and expect complex arcs and subplots.
You almost feel sorry for Nomad by the end as it confuses itself to destruction! And it's been a pretty bad season for Scotty so far - zapped by Nomad, zapped by Apollo and accused of multiple murders in the previous episode!
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