Moebius

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S8 (Moebius)

If the previous episode was a celebration of the history of the series, without much of the main cast involved, then this is the opposite, a celebration with them. It's definitely an odd and quirky episode to lead out a season on, but then the last several episodes have been particularly 'Stargate'-ey, if that can be said. It begins with a call for Daniel that his old mentor Catherine Langford has just died, he talks at the funeral, then is given a large collection of her artefacts and books, including evidence of a ZPM, or Zero Point Module. This is where it gets especially 'Stargate'-ey as I couldn't remember what that was, but it sounds like some kind of highly efficient and powerful… power source. This then instigates a trip 5,000 years into the past to drop in on Ra and his dominion on Earth, because that's where the ZPM is, and though Carter isn't too happy about it, it's considered worth the risk of altering time to go back and retrieve it! If that isn't celebrating the series and its history, I don't know what is, especially as we get to see the team of SG-1 off on a mission again, as we thought we never would, since Jack is the only one who can fly the time ship thanks to his Ancients' gene.

So far, so very well, and it's good fun to have the team bouncing off each other - only Teal'c is shortchanged by the episode, but I expect he'll have a greater role in the second part. I believe this is the first time we see Ra in the series since he was the villain of the film upon which the series was based, so it's great to see him, as well as the snake head guards. It does feel a little off, probably something to do with the budget being severely stretched at this point in the season (no doubt why 'Citizen Joe' and its budget friendly story got made), and of course it can't compete with a film's production values, even one made a decade previous. The temple looks a little too clean and tidy, there aren't that many extras inside, and the lighting doesn't have much of an atmosphere, nor does the CG blending of the artificial background with the foreground look quite right in the external scenes. None of this matters because it's just such fun having the team on a mission together, and the fact that they're doing a rare time travel episode. It's strange that Carter is the de facto 'owner' of the time ship, and decides whether it can or can't be used, because I imagine SGC would be tasked with learning the secrets of such a device in short order by the authorities, but perhaps they have them over a barrel since O'Neill appears to be the only one able to operate it.

There are some good effects with the snake guard helmet and the cloaked ship made visible by a sandstorm depositing a covering of sand at one end, but things get really interesting when the team decide to leave the ZPM in a tomb they know will be excavated, along with a video message of themselves, and then we hop to the future. At first I thought this was the future just before the series began, with Daniel teaching and Carter not in the military, and Jack… conducting fishing tours in his boat (Teal'c not there at all), but it seems to be more like the future that this episode began in, just an alternate version where things played out differently. I'm guessing on that, since (apart from it being obvious it is an alternate reality), Jack still has grey hair, and despite Daniel having the haircut from the early years, Carter isn't even in the airforce, being a doctor of astrophysics (there's a great introduction of her practicing a speech which is very close to the one she gave in the pilot episode to show how tough she is, then mentally screwing it up as being absurd, a great little joke at the series' early writing!). In this reality we hear Kinsey is President (as opposed to 'Henry Hayes,' the President's name I don't remember being told to us before), Hammond (yay!), is still in charge of the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Davis and Samuels are still in evidence, and the 'gate was never found because Ra took it with him. I think.

Carter is much more introverted and techy, lacking confidence, with quirks about her that shows what a great actor Amanda Tapping is. It's also wonderful to see her and this oddball Daniel interact, a toss up as to which is the more eccentric. It's also, of course, grand to have Hammond back. It's a shame we didn't get to see Catherine again, as I thought they were maybe setting up for an episode with flashbacks to her or something involving her, but it proved not to be. I wonder if the actress had died in real life which may have prompted the episode? Either way, the pair are shut out of the mission once they've helped locate the second 'gate in Antarctica (we get to see the Stargate lowered into place at SGC), and the episode ends on a slightly underwhelming cliffhanger in that sense. It might have been better if it had been one feature-length episode - perhaps on original transmission it was? Dr. McKay of 'Stargate Atlantis' and formerly of this parish, makes a cameo, going after Carter in any timeline, it seems. And that's about it. It's a typically offbeat episode with some funny moments (such as Carter pulling her lifejacket off after stepping out of O'Neill's fishing boat, fluffing her hair up in a most undignified manner), and I have no idea where it's going to go. I'd love to know if they were aware of whether the series was coming back for another season (or two), or whether these episodes were done with an end in mind? After all, they do say that things are pretty peachy, what with Anubis gone, the Replicators gone, and the occasional System Lord left without much of an army to operate with. So what could go wrong?

***

Balance of Terror

DVD, Star Trek S1 (Balance of Terror)

The Romulans are coming! So much of the content in this episode is easy to take for granted with the hindsight of fifty years of Trek on TV and film, but when viewed from the perspective of this being the introduction of the Romulans and much of their culture, it's impressive how fully the formation of the lore is - and how much did we ever really learn about this most secretive of races (in fleshed out peoples perhaps only the Breen come in above them on the mystery scale), their ways and their attitudes more explored than the detail of their society. But much of it is here, whether it be Mr. Spock's encyclopaedic history lesson of Earth's contact with the violent adversaries, or the hints and mores displayed in the Romulans' dialogue with each other, to which we are very fortunately privy to. Otherwise we'd have had a result like 'Minefield' from 'Enterprise,' the first Earth-man/Romulan encounter in canon rather than production, which was hampered by the inability of the writers to give anything whatsoever away about the race, handicapped by the facts given in this episode (though they would eventually find ingenious ways to show the Romulan hand on galactic events in Season 4, some of that series' best episodes). We actually get more than you might realistically bargain for, since, despite top of the range mid-23rd Century cloaking technology (or invisibility shields, take your pick), they somehow manage to transmit a corking visual recording of their Bridge thanks to one errant and clumsy Romulan's failure to follow his Commander's orders!

In memory, the Enterprise's ability to see and hear what goes on aboard their enemy's vessel happened a lot more, but in actuality it was only the once, followed by direct viewscreen contact with the Commander at the end, but I suppose it was because it was so odd to have this camera panning across a Bridge in the midst of its top secret operations that makes it stand out so much - it's funny to see (or, more to the point, not see), such advanced technology as a cloak, in spite of the ability to track it due to the power consumption, while at the same time the Enterprise can get a crystal clear transmitted view of its Bridge! It's not the only flaw the episode displays: Mr. Spock is uncharacteristically clumsy when he accidentally flicks a switch which sets off his console and enables the Romulans to detect the signal; we see the poor old Centurion crushed by falling bulkhead, which, despite the best efforts of the actors to sell its weight, can't be disguised from being light polystyrene or balsa wood; and there's a huge gaffe when the B-story (if you can give it that much credit since it's more like a D-story in being barely there through the episode), revolves around Phaser control, but is wrongly presented as firing Photon Torpedoes when it's supposed to be Phasers! If it had only happened once it might be easy to forgive, but it's at least three times! If these minor infractions and failures say anything about the episode, it's that they are the exceptions that prove the rule: this episode is a good one with a lot of drama, and not just because of the satisfying addition of a major player into the Trek world.

And what a way to introduce them! We have the explanation of the Neutral Zone, with 'Earth' outposts along its border (at least eight of them, since we see seven on the star chart, and Hansen mentions an eighth), which are falling silent, eerily in the same manner as would happen with the Romulans' own outposts at the end of Season 1 of 'TNG,' a century later, after they went back into isolationism then suddenly decided to come back into contention, after the unspecified hint towards the coming of the Borg, which acted like the poking of a hornet's nest with a stick. It can only be the Romulans in this case, as the outposts were put there to guard between Romulus and Remus (or Romii as the chart has it - perhaps an alternate name, just as the Klingons call their homeworld variously Kling and Qo'noS, and Vulcan has been called Vulcanis), and the rest of the galaxy, apparently, a somewhat overambitious goal given the size and scope of space! But it's fantastic to hear a mention of Remus so early, even though it would never be examined until a whopping thirty-six years later in 'Nemesis,' one of that film's few good additions to the Trek lore.

A lot of ground is covered in this episode, from the B-story of the two crewmembers looking forward to finishing their interrupted wedding ceremony, to the politics aboard the Romulan ship, the bigotry of the hotheaded Navigator Stiles, and the crisis of doubt in himself that Kirk wrestles with. All this and the best ship design so far, almost as good as the Enterprise model! It's such a shame they didn't have the budget for more such models as the Bird of Prey, as, despite becoming synonymous with the Klingons from 'Star Trek III' onwards, in name, it's a thing of beauty. I even have the Micro Machines model sitting on a shelf, so I can attest to its great design from having swooshed it past my vision in multiple vectors! It may appear a little garish compared with the more subtle ships of later Treks, notably the glowing green monsters of 'TNG' Romulan aesthetic, but it's such a bold statement and a proud creation that it's a wonder it never returned on the series. At least I think I'm right in saying it was never used again, as the Romulans went on to use Klingon ships - it may have served as a Vulcan ship, but I can't remember, and if so it could have just been reused footage anyway. But to have an all-new starship for the Enterprise to deal with, whose graceful power is as potent in mirroring their enemy as their Commander mirrors the Captain's tactical brain, is a real treat, especially when you consider that up to this point we'd only seen blobs (like the Antares of 'Charlie X'), or weird alien constructions (like the Fesarius of 'The Corbomite Maneuver').

That it features one of the coolest pieces of tech in Trekdom adds much to its mystique, and I can imagine them deciding to keep the actual ship permanently hidden from view to save money if they'd wanted, but instead they chose to have their ship and hide it too, the best of both worlds. It also allows Kirk to become an even more respected Captain than he already was, by outthinking the devious tactical brain of his equal in the Romulan Commander, using spatial phenomena to his advantage (the comet's tail, which will show up even an invisible ship), reacting to the Commander's shrewd counter and gaining the deep respect of his opposite number in the process. It builds to a tragic and terrible end, with personal loss heavy on both commanders, and the Romulans' way forcing him to sacrifice himself and any remaining crew to avoid falling into the hands of an enemy. Even an enemy he could have called 'friend' in different circumstances. It is this exchange at the end that provides the deepest examination of what this new alien culture is all about. There's been much to suggest that the Klingons and Romulans of 'TOS' are the opposite of their later counterparts in regards honour and deviousness, but I'm not sure that's entirely accurate. We see from the Commander's actions he values duty to his Praetor above all else, yet he's slow to jump to that sacrifice: he's a man that has tired of war, yet is too well conditioned to stand down. I can't imagine any Klingons losing the taste for glory and battle. He's an anomaly among his crew, with only old friend the Centurion likeminded, and even he has to remind him of duty. Klingons always valued personal honour, not duty!

The Tal Shiar, the Romulan secret service, was invented on 'TNG' as an ever-present power to keep the citizens and soldiers of the Empire in line and the state, or the Praetor's rule, in order. You could easily make a case for them being involved even this early in our encounters since the Commander, despite being the acknowledged head of his domain, is challenged and subtly threatened by a subordinate (almost in a mirror of Stiles' overbearing, almost insubordinate attitude, though he was concerned with himself and his family history, not some undercover organisation - although, Section 31 was around, so…). Decius (played by Lawrence Montaigne, later to return as Stonn, Spock's rival on Vulcan, both his characters intent on selfish motives!), is the only Romulan to be given a name, and it is his friends in power, or a family of high import that give him standing aboard ship, but equally he could be an early example of a Tal Shiar operative. There's the implication the Commander could be in trouble if he doesn't follow the expected code of conduct, and will be reported, and when he orders the ship's return home rather than finishing the damaged Enterprise, Decius requests he be given the glory of the kill if the Commander refuses, forcing him into the resolve of us or them. Was it mercy to a wounded enemy, or was he more concerned with completing the mission and returning successfully, knowing the Earth ship wouldn't risk war by entering the Neutral Zone?

He's a complex individual and we don't spend nearly enough time with him, but from all his counsels we learn that he is not only a successful warrior (you don't survive many wars as an unsuccessful one), but an honourable man. If the Tal Shiar was indeed a controlling factor, then he couldn't back down and show 'weakness.' Mark Lenard is brilliant as the first real Romulan character, and it's no wonder he would go on to play the important role of Spock's Father, Sarek, across the eighties films and in 'TNG' (not to mention the first bumpy-headed Klingon of 'TMP,' and being considered for the role of Spock when it looked likely Leonard Nimoy would quit at the end of the first season). He has the gravity and proud, yet wise, bearing of a much older man, and knowing that Romulans, like Vulcans, tend to live much longer than human lifespans, he could even have fought in the Earth/Romulan War of the previous century. He also appreciates the beauty of the comet and the skill of his opponent, so isn't a savage only out for glory and killing. His friendship with fellow old soldier the Centurion, shows a 'human' side, for want of a better word, that engenders sympathy and goodwill towards him. But even he isn't above using his friend's dead body in an attempt to confuse the enemy in the release of debris, so it shows the Romulan belief system to some degree - they obviously don't place great value on the physical remains. Or he was making a great sacrifice for the sake of his ship, by desecrating a valued friend - either way he's willing to do what's necessary.

It's fantastic to see another ship's Bridge with its central column that would be a feature of the race's design at least into 'TNG' (though I think they went more towards traditional Starfleet layout afterwards). It was a clever use of resources to have the lesser ranks wear ear-covering helmets, thus saving money and time in the makeup chair for the various Romulan extras, and only adds to the impression of Roman-inspired culture, assisted even more by the toga-like tunics which had a quality and style to them that argued this race wasn't just a one-off alien of the week. They easily could have been, considering that we'd already met Balok and heard of another big organisation, The First Federation, which came to nothing, but I believe it took them until Season Three to come up with a new Romulan story. That's probably one reason they've maintained their mystery over the decades: they were used sparingly, rarely learning much about them, and for being in quality episodes, where, at the other end of the scale, the Klingons were used abundantly, and while they were mainly featured in good stories, the sheer volume meant their episodes fell across the whole spectrum.

This was the start of something special and it may be that it's impossible to watch within the narrow confines of just the episode itself, ignoring hindsight and the hefty tome of historical data we now have (although actually, I'm still waiting for my 'Star Trek Encyclopaedia' 2016 update, despite pre-ordering it!), but it seems to me that it was an important moment on the series. In fairness, there had already been many memorable and iconic alien designs: the Talosians, Balok, the salt vampire, etc. But this was the first alien we saw something of our Captain in, and had a direct comparison to, in the most basic form possible: martial combat. And it's thrilling that 'our' side prevailed, but then the Romulan Commander didn't have a weekly TV series depending on him so the odds were stacked somewhat in Jim Kirk's favour, it has to be said! Nevertheless, they follow the rules of the universe: when the Romulans fire on the Enterprise and it goes full astern to attempt to outrun the approaching bolt of energy, they don't move left or right, which would seem to be the sensible course. Presumably this is because they're at warp and you can't change direction at warp (the Kelvin Timeline films needed to remember this important scientific fact that stops it becoming fantasy). I assume they were at warp, otherwise they should have turned aside, but then that leaves the question of how an energy bolt could travel after them, catching up at warp… Best not to think too hard about it!

The parallels in the episode are something to be seriously considered, as there are so many that I feel it had to be planned that way. There's the obvious factor of two equivalent starships from opposing races (though the Enterprise is more powerful, I believe), with the Romulans' being the Praetor's own flagship - the Enterprise is never said to be the flagship as later iterations would be, but that was probably because of the vast contribution she made to space exploration, so later versions were carrying on her honour. Then there are the two Captains who share honour in combat and many positive qualities, while being respected by their crews, except for a troublemaker on each ship who sticks his oar in, and they have an older friend to confide in, both having doubts or questioning their position and duty - ironically, Kirk is the more daring, taking off on a pursuit of the enemy before his superiors have given him the go-ahead, while the Romulan is more ready to give up the fight and escape. Why wasn't he open to surrender, or rescue as it would have been in this case? Compare this noble Romulan and the merciful Kirk with their Kelvin Timeline counterparts or equivalent (where Kirk and Spock are only too ready to let Nero die), as an example of the changes in attitudes in the half century between 'TOS' and the KT films!

A Romulan would see it as becoming a prisoner with all the torture and interrogation they'd be willing to do to get information from them, and who's to say Starfleet (as it hasn't yet been called), or the Federation (which hadn't yet been named), wouldn't stoop to such actions? They're desperate to know more about this threat, and they have good reason to feel provoked, their outposts destroyed. At this stage they're far from the higher sensibilities of a more established and rooted Federation of a hundred years hence, as evidenced by the bigotry of Stiles, so quick to suspicions and to act on them when it's as simple as Spock looking the same as the Romulans, so there could well be more human responses to the violent confrontation. But really, I think it was more along the lines that the Commander and his crew would probably have to face shame, maybe even execution if they ever got back home again. Who knows, perhaps the Commander would have been a bridge between the two powers, learning the humans' ways and then reporting back, he certainly seemed wise and openminded enough to be reasonable. Maybe decades, even centuries of distrust and animosity (only disengaged due to the mutual threat of the Dominion in 'DS9'), could have been averted?

From the little we hear, it sounds as if they live in a highly militaristic society (much like the Cardassians, a 'TNG' creation), the Centurion reminding his Commander and friend that obedience is their way, while the Commander remains more thoughtful, almost in a Captain Pike manner, tired of war. But the Praetor and his loyal followers don't sound like a very flexible bunch, so their culture must be strict and hard. Why they failed to attack outposts in a century remains a mystery, but there could well be many other fronts to their space, not least with the Klingons, and other Beta Quadrant races which are their neighbours on the opposite side to the humans. It's possible the 'many wars' that are mentioned were successful campaigns against neighbouring species and made the already proud race more confident and ready to take on the humans again, having been forced back a century ago? While their cloaking technology appears to be a new thing for our heroes, you'd think they would have met other pointy-eared races as there are supposedly several offshoots of the Vulcans. Also, Spock doesn't sound too certain on his Vulcan history, whereas he gave quite the rundown on Earth's history with the Romulans. Either he wasn't fully versed in his people's secret past, or he'd been excluded from the full facts for being half-human. He posits the theory that Romulans could be an offshoot, and that's it.

Still, it must have been quite confusing for viewers at the time who had only seen Spock. Why would this completely different race look identical, aside from the budgetary constraints? It must have added a perplexing round of doubts about Spock's motives. It's strange, because he seemed to be fully accepted by the crew, strumming away on his lyre in the Rec Room and tolerating Uhura's teasing in 'Charlie X,' but Stiles is very quick to throw insinuation his way, ultimately being insubordinate and calling him 'Vulcan,' moments before Spock redeems himself in all our eyes by rushing back to save the man's life from a coolant leak on the Phaser deck. Coolant leaks aren't something I usually associate with 'TOS' - it tends to bring to mind Geordi La Forge rolling under doors, or the Voyager crew exiting their Engineering in a hurry, so it was a pleasant surprise to see such a thing on 'TOS.' They go out of their way to make Spock suspicious, first Stiles and Sulu both suggest there could be a Romulan spy aboard ship - a bold claim, considering no contact has been made with the race for so long, and if they could infiltrate even a starship they must have built up quite a legend among students of history. Of course Stiles lost family members in the Earth/Romulan War, but it's still strange that such a young man takes it so personally, and I think it's more to do with his personality: an aggressive, assertive type, quick to jump to conclusions. All the more satisfying to see him eat humble pie after Spock saves his life: he then puts the boot in by saying he only did it to save a trained Navigator and had no other feelings.

It's a shame Spock couldn't have used his Vulcan strength to drag both Stiles and Tomlinson out, as it's a tragic death for the bridegroom-to-be on the day he was to be married. On the other hand it gives us something we don't see as often on 'TOS' as later Treks: emotion and loss. We hadn't yet got to the point of Redshirts getting killed every week, and in fact the series seems much more rounded at this early stage, Kirk still having to remain single because of Rand and his devotion to his ship. There were things to be improved, such as Spock's fluctuating emotions and the friendships between the main three, but these had pretty much come to fruition by this episode. It adds a lot to the drama to see both Kirk and the Commander's hard personal cost: the Commander loses a longtime friend and Kirk loses a member of his crew when he should have been officiating at his wedding. What it gives the episode, however, is another powerful ending, very well directed. After the bittersweet suicide destruction of the Romulan vessel, Kirk visits bride-to-be Martine in the Chapel. At first, standing in the open door behind her, not quite wanting to intrude on her grief, he enters and provides a reassuring presence. She says she's alright, but the camera lingers on Kirk after she leaves and you know he's not. Then, akin to the last scene of 'Nemesis,' of Picard walking the corridors of his Enterprise with a dawning optimism, Kirk walks his corridors, his crew around him, and while it doesn't have the same upbeat feel, there's some sense of normality returning as he strides purposefully along, his crew passing around.

Though the episode makes use of all the characters to varying degrees (well, not Chapel, except in the namesake of the location - it's good to see Christian traditions continue, even if Kirk mentions 'our many beliefs,' which in itself is reassuring they have beliefs!), it is most definitely a Kirk episode as you sense his isolation in the responsibility of command like no other time. But he has Rand to cheer him up with attentiveness (he must be quite a huggable figure as both she and Martine give him a hug, though Martine's was more understandable and in private, whereas Rand was a bit unprofessional: on the Bridge as the bolt flies towards their ship), and McCoy follows Rand into the Captain's Quarters (both fail to announce themselves, so maybe Kirk just doesn't like locking his door?), to bring comfort, although he can't really advise. The doc's obviously anti-war so he doesn't support hunting the Romulans, but he has one of the best lines of the series, describing how there are so many life-sustaining planets, in so many galaxies, and only one of each of them, so don't destroy the one named Kirk. It's beautiful and poetic, and shows the quality of the writing they achieved, with such a sobering and affecting reminder of the uniqueness of every individual. I used to assume he was talking about Kirk's physical safety, but now I see it's much more about his mental state, warning him not to beat himself up about his decisions, not to lose his mental wellbeing through self-doubt. I can't help but think of the line from 'Zulu' where a young soldier asks 'why us?,' in the same way Kirk asks 'why me?' and the colour sergeant simply says: "Because we're 'ere lad, and nobody else."

Surprisingly, for a ship-based episode that features her being pushed to her limits, Scotty doesn't have much exposure. He's there for the wedding preparations (in a scene impressively well-stocked with crew), to record the events by setting up a camera on the wall with an actual lens so everyone can watch ship-wide! And he's there to confirm he can get more power out of the engines when they need to get to the outposts as quick as possible, but then he's barely involved. He must have been kept busy with repairs and such, but also it's because we have action to follow in Phaser control deck as opposed to Engineering. It becomes a little bit of a 'Lower Decks' episode in that we get to see non-main characters interacting away from the main cast, Martine and Tomlinson both serving down there, which is a rare thing on 'TOS.' Sulu gets his contribution on the Bridge and Briefing Room, and Uhura makes it her third time at Navigation as she steps in when Stiles goes to Phaser control, so it shows she's got more skills than simply answering the phone, which is nice to see - having Sulu and Uhura at the front desk is quite heartwarming. Even Rand gets a little more to do, we learn her task is to make log entries - she asks if she should continue during the attack. It's fun to note another later Trek staple in the jack-in-the-box crewmember that suddenly appears to take another person's place when they vacate a station. Where do these people appear from? They're always there, waiting just off camera to leap for their designated seat and moment of glory, I reckon.

Other treats of canon, continuity, or lack thereof are present in the alerts that are used. We still don't have Red and Yellow Alert, it's 'Condition Red' or 'Battle stations,'  and even 'Security Alert' when it's suggested a Romulan spy may be aboard - I imagine this would mean security officers being posted at specific, high-value and sensitive locations, with everyone on the lookout for anything untoward. We get to see an access port below Spock's console from where he does some repairs, which further adds to the reality of the technology and the believability of the world. It's also fun that he saves the day by pressing the big red button on Phaser control! Not quite as unsubtle as the joystick control in 'Insurrection,' but close! Mr. Leslie is at his customary spot on the Bridge (the Engineering console, I think). And we get our first idea of Earth outposts situated on asteroids, though not an actual visual of one (like the Dominion's ketracel white facilities in 'DS9') - we see the inside of one via viewscreen which looks suspiciously like the science outpost of 'The Naked Time' (though, logically, I imagine they might all be constructed similarly), and Hansen (an ancestor of Admiral Hansen perhaps, though I'm not sure on the spelling?), once again sports a different badge from the Enterprise's insignia. His arching in pain with flames all around him was highly reminiscent of Pike's Talosian torture.

While the writing is upped a gear and there's canon fun to be enjoyed, it's also a good episode for being so dramatically lit. Both ships take on the impression of submarines, low lighting (even down to people whispering, though sound doesn't travel through the vacuum of space), and contrast, making me wish they could have deepened the sets in this way more often, as it was so effective - 'Voyager' in particular did a great job of lowering the lighting during Red Alert. There's even the incredibly rare scene where the Bridge lights go out completely, only the red warning lights blinking to show that we're still seeing the set. Terrific! This must be the first time we see a starship listing in space, evidently suffering a loss of power by the fact that the Trek convention is of always meeting other ships on the same plane, when in reality there would be no up or down. That's what a nuclear blast will do for you! A clever tactic from the Commander, leaving a warhead in debris to disable the enemy. The episode really does have pretty much everything: a hero always looks more heroic when he's up against an equivalent or greater force, and nothing had tested the Captain and his resolve more than this Commander, not just his strategy, but the riskiness of the diplomatic situation, with war a strong possibility, all resting on what Kirk did. We see him go through all this and emerge victorious, the beginning of his legendary status, and the genesis of a legendary adversary for Trek as a whole. It's just a shame they didn't see the value in reusing the Romulan ship and sets to give us many more episodes of 'TOS' like this.

***

Citizen Joe

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S8 (Citizen Joe)

Where to start? It's about as wacky and crazy as the series gets, and it's gotten pretty wacky and definitely crazy in its time, but I don't know the background, whether it was an event episode, like a big round number, as in the case with the 'Wormhole X-Treme!' episode, or whether it was simply an ingenious way to save money and poke fun at the series itself between pretty heavy, serious episodes (not that I remember the final two episodes, but they're ending the season so they're bound to be big and important). The series has always shown a wry sense of humour and understanding of the ins and outs of science fiction and the world it exists in, but this takes things far further than the usual jokes about 'Star Trek' or 'Star Wars,' going deep dive on many references to events, episodes, situations and characters from throughout the series. I know I couldn't keep track of them all, and it must be a real treasure trove of fun to someone as well-versed in the 'gate mythology as Joe Spencer, the barber, became in the story. But that's it, I think: it's a commentary not just on the series, where it's come from and summing it up as it headed towards a ninth season, but an examination, perhaps even a warning to the hardcore fans who treat it as an obsession. It ends happily, with O'Neill sitting down with Joe's estranged wife to explain that what he saw was true, all true, so it's a positive conclusion in that regard, but it could easily be taken as a bit of an indictment of taking any TV series too seriously that it takes over your life.

Which is true. So they had their fun pointing out some truths about fandom, and they had their in-jokes about the series and its history, and they did it all on what is traditionally (to me, at least), a poor substitute for a proper episode: the dreaded clips episode. If only a series could write in this fun, self-referential way consistently on a low budget (a few guest stars, some real world sets, nothing alien, nothing fancy), then they'd be onto a winner from a budgetary perspective. But the truth is you can only attempt something like this episode when you've built up not just a loyal following, but a deep and complicated mythology (I'd suggest it's more complicated than complex, contrary to Joe's insistence!), and this late in a series' run, when you've done many, many episodes, you've earned the right to play with the concept. As I mentioned before, they'd already broken the fourth wall before, with such episodes as 'Wormhole X-Treme!,' but this was a different proposition. I had thought this was a sequel to that episode, probably because this one features that ripoff 'real world' series, and the main characters of both episodes were bald and a little mad, so it was odd to find it had nothing to do with the alien guy and the TV show he 'made up.'

Joe Spencer is the viewer, taken to extremes, and it's just huge party times to see him discover the series and basically watch the whole thing through the Ancients' stone. Perhaps the worst moment for his 'fandom' is when we see him slouched in a comfy chair, his ready meal staining his vest, binging on the stones' stories to the exclusion of all else: what began as a fun diversion became an all-encompassing passion and from an escape from the real world to an exclusion of it, something many serious viewers of sci-fi can probably relate to, but taken to extreme levels. What's really great about the story is that he gets to find out what he knew was the truth: it's real, all real! Having him meet his heroes (and ours), is like being in the episode. You can imagine that this is how you would react if you met those characters and entered their world, congratulatory for all they'd done, but with insider knowledge as if you knew them (didn't Teal'c used to be more gold?), and it's a beautiful gift to regular viewers that have stuck with such a long-running series across many years. I was also pleased that the stone itself had an explanation rather than being 'left to the imagination,' something that does sometimes work, but in this case you want a basis for how it could all have come about. That O'Neill had been experiencing Joe's life for the entirety of his mission with the SGC just slots perfectly into place and is a believable retcon for his character, being a bit of an accepting type when it comes to odd phenomena he can't explain, as well as being hilariously ridiculous.

The clips themselves aren't overbearing, they're little and not too often, just enough to act as reminders to good times (and bad), that we've experienced vicariously through the characters, as has Joe, and also allows the series to critique itself, championing some episodes and slating others ('Seth' and 'Hathor' weren't the series at its best, one guy says), which just makes you love it even more. Just as 'These Are The Voyages…' the final episode of 'Enterprise,' was described as a 'love letter to the fans' (regardless of any controversy over it - I'm firmly in the two thumbs up camp), this is just so, and the series had still two seasons, two episodes and two spinoff TV shows to follow (as well as two TV films - everything seems to come in twos from here on out, maybe it's something to do with the stones… because there were two of them… and… I need to go and have a lie down in a dark room now).

It could probably act almost as good as a primer for those not in the know, an introduction to the series, touching on many of its most important and moving moments, although much of it would still fly over the heads of the uninitiated. But that's what it is, a lovely tale for the initiated to fully understand and they deserved to save every penny they could, because for once this clips show was well worth it. You could even say they predicted binge viewing, since this came out long before streaming of entire TV series' and smashing through a season in a sitting. It's a stretch, but that's how I'm going to look at it. One of the series' best, despite not featuring the main cast that much (perhaps the team camaraderie just isn't what it was in the early years, as Joe's wife puts it!), and a wonderful piece of TV, let alone for the series. Not sure the leak of classified information to save a marriage was justified, but that's O'Neill for you, and the irreverent writers that know not to take their work too seriously!

****

Charlie X

DVD, Star Trek S1 (Charlie X)

Kirk as a Father is how I'd best describe this episode, although it's also the origins of the 'childlike alien causes the crew problems' archetype, which itself could trace its roots in the second pilot, 'Where No Man Has Gone Before,' with a similar event in Gary Mitchell's transformation into a powerful being capable of threatening the entire ship and only caring about his own desires. Charlie Evans is the teenaged version of Mitchell, crossed with something like Tarzan, or whatever legend of children surviving in an 'alien' environment, away from human society, you want to apply (Romulus and Remus, perhaps!). You could even say he's Wesley Crusher combined with Thomas Riker. Where Mitchell had bonds with Kirk and the crew, which he outgrew, and had an awareness of the stir he was creating among his friends and colleagues as he changed, not to mention that we saw these changes as they occurred, Charlie was altered early in his development, from the age of three, and has a need to learn the ways and etiquettes of his human brethren, especially when he experiences the, shall we say, Pon Farr of his species, after being spellbound by Janice Rand. So, rather than considering himself above these petty humans, like Mitchell, he's coming from the opposite perspective (which shows how a premise can be flipped or diverted to a whole new direction in Trek's storytelling style, creating a new and satisfying exploration of the same subject, one reason why Trek's persisted in the entertainment world).

Charlie quickly learns to respect Kirk and has a strong desire to be accepted and liked, yet still wants to do things his way. This is where Kirk steps in and makes me think that David Marcus would have done well to have him as a Father, though you get a sense that he might still have remained a distant figure (and not just because of the lack of families on this version of the Enterprise). He isn't initially keen to take on the responsibility of Charlie's development, and it takes multiple incidents for him to see that he is the right man for the job. I'm not sure if this is because he has a ship to run and sees Charlie as a low priority in his daily life, or whether he's humble enough that he can't immediately see that he's exactly the kind of role model a teenage boy needs. Either way, it takes Spock and McCoy's urging, as well as the more lighthearted romantic troubles of Rand (who's obviously got over her terrible ordeal with the evil Kirk of 'The Enemy Within' since she's comfortable enough to come to her Captain with the request for him to discuss the fine points with Charlie). When Kirk beats Spock at Tri-dimensional chess in his illogical way, the Vulcan's penance is to teach young Evans to play, as Kirk is off to his next appointment or duty, while Charlie clearly prefers to spend time with him.

Charlie's attitude towards Spock is very much as Mitchell's was to the whole crew. He denigrates the Vulcan, thinks he looks funny, treats him without any respect and doesn't see anything he could learn from the intelligent alien. He only cares about fellow humans, and that callousness increases as his interest in the crew narrows. At first he's delighted by the inner workings of the ship, watching with a grin as some technician lowers a pole or conduit (I'm not sure exactly what he is doing), into an access hatch, or explores a Jefferies Tube (where, upon exiting, he learns the friendly attitudes displayed between male colleagues, mistakenly thinking such behaviour is interchangeable with the females!), but his offhand manner with Spock and his complete rejection of Rand's attempt to set him up with a Yeoman, Third Class, closer to his age, demonstrates his selfish focus and disregard for others' feelings. Those that are particularly friendly he gets on well with - McCoy giving him a clean bill of health pleases him, but if only the Doctor had known what he was dealing with you can imagine him quickly becoming irascible with the young man (his line, "What do you suggest we do? Spank it?" about V'Ger in 'The Motion Picture' kept coming to mind, and he's very aware of the lack of defence they have against the telekinetic power of Charlie - an example that also brings 'TMP' to mind is when Uhura's hands are burned on the console, the Doctor called to the Bridge).

This is where Kirk steps in and shows that he won't back down, Charlie will have to make him 'go away' if he wants to overrule Kirk's authority on his own ship. It's a gamble, but Kirk is a gambler. In addition, he knows that he has Charlie's respect and even if he didn't, he wasn't going to be the one to become a mealymouthed apologist in order to trick the boy. He keeps control over him to a certain measure for a while, but eventually he does sort of try to trick him, sending him into a room which has a forcefield, only to find the powers had been underestimated when Charlie vanishes the entire bulkhead, the forcefield along with it, freezing Kirk and Spock in place. I never felt that things had moved beyond a reasonable logic - Charlie's powers need to remain mostly in check, for budgetary reasons, but more importantly for story reasons, as, if he had just ripped through the crew, rearranged the ship to his liking, and completely turned the environment topsy-turvy there would be no drama. The fact he's kept in check, and that his power is on the verge of being released if the wrong word is said, or someone looks at him funny, gives the episode its tension, and we still have to have some degree of sympathy for his growing pains, or he'd just be a monster of the week, nothing more.

Because he's human, at least in origin and form, and he's going through the teenage years, having supposedly survived on a planet for most of his life (again, I hear echoes of Seven of Nine, assimilated at a young age by an advanced alien race, and changed forever, having to learn to assimilate back into her original society), we can identify with him, and a lot more than we could with Mitchell, whose delusions of godhood and detached interest in his former life were merely unpleasant with no hope for redemption. Charlie wants to be good, although in his mind that still means having everything his way, but Kirk steps in at the end to defend his need for humanity when the Thasian comes for Charlie and explains that he can't live with his own kind as he'll end up destroying them (which leaves the question of why they allowed him to be taken by the Antares in the first place). Charlie, too, believes he needs human companionship as the Thasians have no love, no physical form, and his greatest punishment is to be taken back to that life. But, despite the characters having sympathy for his plight, especially as the damage has been undone (although the Antares couldn't be saved from destruction), Rand even shedding tears for him, he had sealed his fate. It's a powerful final scene, not diluted by an extraneous moment of irony or hilarity to lighten the mood, as most of the episodes have, and one of the best endings so far, leaving us thinking on the outcome as we pull away from the group of characters.

For an episode set entirely aboard the good ship Enterprise, and featuring an integral guest star, it's surprisingly involving. As I've noted in other reviews, and even those for the spinoffs, a guest can take away from the main cast, and a bottle show can be a bit dull. But if the writing is up to the task, as in this case, it gives us further insight into characters and doesn't detract, but enhances the crew through their interactions with the interloper, and that was certainly the case this time. At this stage it still feels as if any crewmember on screen could become a recurring role as the cast hasn't been handpicked and buttoned down, being more organic in its approach (in this week's Locate Leslie, he was in the Rec Room). The character of the Enterprise also gets her screen time and development, with revisits to various areas within her, and even a new set: the gymnasium where Kirk teaches Charlie the manly art of wrestling to loosen him up a bit, while gymnasts do their gymnasting, and we see people sparring in the background with wooden poles. We also get our best view of the Bridge's deck, when Kirk falls to the floor - it's definitely carpeted (so 'TNG' didn't do it first, it's just a more functional, bland colour in 'TOS'), features nice little steps up to the outer ring of consoles, and we see a line in the floor which must be where that section of the 'wild wall' could be removed for shooting purposes, so not only do we get more idea of the in-universe world they inhabit, but the production side of things - I also noticed the Bridge creaking under Spock's weight!

The episode walks the line between playful humour at Charlie's expense, and the diabolical matter of a fully functioning starship "in the hands of an adolescent," as Spock says (being in thrall to an adolescent or child would be repeated this very season with 'The Squire of Gothos,' a similar tale of a minor with ridiculous levels of power, duplicating the ending where the 'parents' come to sort out the mess and take him home). It's good to see the fully formed trio of Kirk, Spock and McCoy, who meet to discuss the problem of Charlie, for once the argumentative pair in accord that Kirk is the one Charlie looks up to, and also that if Kirk continues to stand up to him, he'll eventually take it out on the Captain. Surprisingly, there's no sign of either Sulu or Scotty - there's a different Transporter Chief operating the device when Charlie and representatives of the Antares beam over, and I wonder what the rationale was in not using them? It reinforces the style of the time to have lead actors and the rest be recurring, as Rand and Uhura have their moments, but it's mainly Kirk, Spock and Charlie, with a side order of McCoy. I like that Rand continues to be used, and much of the humour comes from her slightly embarrassed interactions with the ardent Charlie who's latched onto her as his first crush. She sets up the Captain and Dr. McCoy nicely when she tells Charlie to ask them to explain why you shouldn't slap a woman on the rear!

Rand does seem to be easily taken in by Charlie's card tricks, which are pretty creepy - how did he get these images of her which appear, magically on the playing cards? She's impressed, but not surprised, so perhaps the computer can be rigged to use its internal data recorders to print images of any member of the crew. We know that Charlie's using unnatural powers to create them, but the crew must know of a way to do such a thing otherwise they'd be totally amazed and demand to know how he did it. But once again, Trek shows how forward thinking it was - now we can easily take digital photos and even print them off on small devices, so how much more easily would it be in a couple of centuries to be able to harness the power of constant surveillance and instant technology to produce such things? That, and sleight of hand to get a card to appear down Rand's tunic… The Rec Room where his tricks are performed is also where the most cited evidence for the Spock/Uhura romance of the Kelvin Timeline occurs: Uhura decides to tease Spock, who keeps getting put off by her inadvertent singing while he tries to practice the lute. He must be in the mood for company or he'd be playing alone in his quarters, which shows that he does at least appreciate some human company in his off hours. I grant that they do appear to tease a little, Spock actually smiling quite a bit, but it's only a one-off event and it's more about Uhura showing off to Rand and having a bit of fun (she gives Janice a big wink, which tells me she's not too serious at that moment), so it's taking things too far to extrapolate anything beyond those intentions.

An interesting point about her song, or two points to be exact (Spock's ears), are the references to 'Satan's guise,' and 'Devil ears and Devil eyes,' referring to Spock. This would have been a direct ribbing of the TV executives that had wanted to lose Spock after the first pilot because of what they considered his Satanic looks. He was the character that just couldn't be got rid of, and they must have felt confident about his role by this time to point so directly to the concerns that had previously been expressed! Day to day life on the Enterprise is well represented as there is no pressing engagement or clock counting down, so there's time for Charlie, and by extension us, to explore the Enterprise and its facilities. There are also little asides in dialogue that further enhance the experience and sense of community such as when Kirk mentions Thanksgiving and asks what appears to be the chef, or at least a galley crewman, to make the meatloaf look like turkey. This tells us that the food slots which we'd only seen once so far (and don't appear in this episode), don't necessarily do everything. It's still synthetic food, as Kirk says, but there's some preparation required. Later we hear that the meatloaf was changed into turkeys in the oven, I think (a result of Charlie using his power for the benefit of his crew mates for once). There's also the return of the wall-mounted leg exercisers we saw Kirk use before, operated by Charlie as he has his medical.

The recreational lives of the crew continue to be expanded upon, what with the singing, lute playing, card games and chess, but we also see Kirk as another who likes books, with a stack of large bound volumes in his quarters. He invites the Antares crew over for some shore leave, but of course they're anxious to be done with Charlie and get on their way. I was wondering what the entertainment tapes were, which Kirk said the Enterprise had a wide selection of. They couldn't be holo-programs as the Holodeck hadn't been invented yet, a new technology at the start of 'TNG,' so they could be as simple as books or films from the database, or maybe they are something more. A device that could be put over the eyes to see a different environment? There's no evidence for such things, and the series has been very careful not to be too outlandish, concentrating on the realistic naval style of life aboard ship, so I imagine it would be more basic entertainment, reading material, music, that kind of thing, though it could easily be retconned in 'Discovery.' I like that the Antares has its own insignia, though it's far inferior to our own Enterprise's variety. It became unofficial canon that all ships after the Enterprise adopted their style of the vertical arrowhead chevron in respect for its contribution to the service, which is good enough reason as any. It also looks like they didn't have the time or budget to design something as fitting as that for the Antares, but it's interesting to get a peek into another corner of 23rd Century design.

Kirk wears his green tunic at the start of the episode, previously seen as the weaker Kirk's choice of clothing in 'The Enemy Within,' probably to suit his mood of relaxed geniality - he's in good spirits, not getting annoyed with Charlie for continually butting in on his conversation with the Antares' Captain and Navigator. But he's soon in his usual gold uniform, the ideal outfit to suit his Captain's authority, especially when he and Charlie have a confrontation. Charlie's choice of clothing also contains more meaning, as initially he wears the pale, bland uniform of the pilot episodes since that's what the Antares crew were wearing (the newer cut probably hadn't reached them yet, being a transport ship they wouldn't be top priority for new uniforms, I'm sure). Once Charlie is no longer hiding his powers at all and is in full confidence of himself, he wears a smart suede jacket with the same horizontal arrowhead buckle featured on the green tunic. Again, it's nice to see more of the era's design, and visually denotes Charlie's growing control over the ship. In inverse, Rand is mostly seen in her usual red uniform, but when Charlie goes to her at the end (entering her locked quarters unannounced, which shows they do have the capability to lock their doors!), she's in a more vulnerable, feminine outfit of pink gown, her hair down, the look almost Roman fashion, except for what looked like fluffy white slippers! The attention to the mood through clothing is one of the great things about the episode, demonstrating a depth to proceedings that not all episodes have had.

The effects are another, mostly standout success of the episode. I say mostly, as some of the vanishing sequences, such as the Security officer's arm visibly changing position during the Phaser's disappearance (like Pike when he crossed into different illusions in 'The Cage'), are a bit rough. But most of the vanishing stuff is really good, and the floating green face of the Thasian which appears rippling on the Bridge to take Charlie back, was fantastic. Our first view of a non-corporeal life form in Trek is a real corker, even if it does set the trend for many of them to be depicted as old men. I suppose it makes sense as we have a collective understanding of wisdom and age personifying or personified by an aged male face such as the image many people have of God as an old guy with a beard. It's a shortcut for audiences to latch onto a familiar concept and understand this weird character in relation to the drama. The same can't be said for the Thasian vessel which was just a green blob. It would have been better not to have a ship at all (after all, what does a Thasian need with a starship!). I appreciated the use of makeup, too, such as the woman whose face has been wiped clean off by Charlie's sensitive aversion to laughter, and I loved that (like 'Interstellar'), they used an actual old woman to portray the ageing Charlie forces on a hapless crew woman passing by, instead of trying to achieve the same effect in makeup.

Another quality aspect to the production was the innovative use of lighting to enhance the drama: when Kirk and Charlie face up to each other, their eyes are highlighted, narrowing it down to a battle of wills, like some Old West gunfight (a suitable analogy, since the series was based on the Wild West - all it needed was Kirk to hover his hand over a Phaser at the hip to complete the picture!), really enhancing the moment. In fact, it made me wish they'd use greater contrast, as shown in that scene, for the majority of the episodes. But their mandate was to appeal to those with newfangled colour TVs, so they wanted it bright and colourful as much as possible. There was further enhancement in the detail of individual sounds for each of the jewel buttons Uhura presses on her console, and we get an exact number for the crew complement (428), further grounding the world in an establishing reality pleasing to observe, even if it does tie the writing down with each new piece of information. But that's the struggle of this sort of episodic writing: to keep things fresh and new, while continuing to fill out the known universe these characters inhabit, and something that was successfully achieved for almost all of its fifty year history. As Spock would say in a future episode, it would be interesting to revisit Charlie's world in a hundred years and see what crop had been borne of such a seed. Shame they never made a sequel: 'Star Trek XIV: The Wrath of Charlie' anyone?

***

Star Trek 2017 TV Series - Delayed & Fuller Stepping Down

Star Trek 2017 TV Series - Delayed & Fuller Stepping Down

It's been mostly quiet on the 'Discovery' front in recent months, but we've had a couple of major changes that are worth discussing. One is the release date, the other is Bryan Fuller stepping back as showrunner. The former news isn't something to get worried about in my book. They've pushed back the debut of the series from January 2017, the month it had been set for ever since the first announcement that Trek was returning to TV (sort of), until May of that year, but to me this shows they're taking the time to do it right and not rushing it out as fast as they can. It also means I have a little longer to rewatch the old Treks in preparation! But seriously, we don't know whether it's because the writing needed more time, or if it a heavy visual affects schedule was to blame, or even if they were holding out for a specific actor for the lead role (or any of the other roles). Whatever the reasoning behind it, it just means a little more patience is required. It's a shame the series won't be following in the footsteps of both 'DS9' and 'Voyager,' which debuted in January 1993 and 1995, respectively, but it's already gone a far different route to the old Treks (online distribution; serialised format; only thirteen episodes; production base in Canada), so it's not the first change and hopefully it will be beneficial to the quality of the series.

The second piece of news is more concerning. The one thing Trek has been missing since Rick Berman stood down from 'Enterprise,' is an overarching guiding hand, just as Gene Roddenberry, Harve Bennett and Berman had been in their respective decades. This hasn't helped Trek in its long road back into production as it has fragmented the franchise, a result of the split between Paramount and CBS and the rights to TV and film Trek. JJ Abrams was the closest it had to a figure in overall authority but his attention was, and always has been, divided. There isn't enough Trek in production to warrant a large figure in the TV or film world taking it on as their permanent and sole focus, and that hasn't changed since the announcement of 'Discovery,' simply due to the short season planned. But if the series is a success who knows if Season 2 may garner an increased length? The status of the Kelvin Timeline films (or any Trek films), is currently in doubt after 'Star Trek Beyond' didn't meet expectations, either financially or critically, and perhaps the split in rights could even be healed and all Trek brought back into one stable?

Wishful thinking, perhaps, but the point is, Fuller looked to have become the hand on the tiller for the foreseeable future and it's hard to understand why he has stepped back just as the franchise has the potential for development and growth, money being pumped into it. I doubt we'll ever see another decade like the 90s' Golden Era with two series in production knocking out fifty-two episodes per year and a film every two years, but we could see multiple miniseries like 'Discovery' if it takes off. It sounded as if CBS weren't happy with the amount of focus he had on the series (which is more likely than that they had problems with his comments about reimagining species and technology which have set some people's Alert on Yellow, or even Red), since he has commitments to at least two other series'. I had already thought that it wasn't ideal for the main guy in charge to have his attention divided, as Trek needs maximum care at this delicate, fragile moment in its history. So perhaps it's a good thing? Those that are stepping into the breach will be fully focused on the series, as far as I know, and Fuller will still be able to have input, he just won't be running it. And perhaps if the first season is a success he'll be able to take over fully for Season 2. It's just that we still don't have one man and his vision to lead Trek, and that's what it needs.

It's not always good for a talented writer to be the guy at the top: look at Stephen Moffat and his era in charge of 'Dr. Who.' I've never been big on the modern series, but even I would concede that most of Moffat's episodes in the early years were the best, but he didn't guide the series in a way that I really enjoyed, and perhaps didn't have the same amount of time and freshness to devote to writing when he was leading. Maybe Fuller would be better as just one of the writers that contributes rather than the overarching authority, even though it's going to be his vision of pre-'TOS' that will be implemented. The bottom line is that we still don't have a clear Captain of the ship or Admiral of the Fleet, and perhaps while there remains a discord between the film and TV sections, Trek will never be fully united and going in the right direction. But I'm just glad we're getting more Trek and set in the Prime, the Real Timeline, at that, and there's no need for wailing and gnashing of teeth at this early juncture.

One final note: an unofficial list of characters has come out, and for me, the one that stands out is that there will be a Klingon Captain. This raises the issue of whether we'll see 'Augment' Klingons (the smooth-headed variety of 'TOS'), or the 'true' version, the bumpy-heads that everyone knows and loves. I'm just glad that, assuming this is indeed fact, that they aren't turning their backs on Trek's familiar races (they'd be fools to turn up their noses at the opportunity to use so many wonderful creations in new ways), and it's been too long since we've had a Klingon main character. In the absence of the 'Captain Worf' series that Michael Dorn was proposing, which he has sadly now abandoned since it's unlikely they'll want another series any time soon, let's hope they meet the amazing quality of writing and performing that Dorn embodied in one of the best characters ever created. One reason I wasn't as keen on a series set in the 23rd Century is that it's far less likely we'll run into the old actors returning as their characters, but I hope and believe we will see a few eventually. We just have to hope the series will get a good run.

Anticipation Rating: ***

The Naked Time

DVD, Star Trek S1 (The Naked Time)

This is one of those famous episodes, so well known as to be called one of the 'classics.' But that doesn't mean it's good. Like most Trek episodes it has its moments, but it takes a while to get there, then they throw in some time travel like it's a penny a piece gimmick, which, while Spock shows his typical scientific curiosity, Kirk pretty much makes it clear it isn't going to happen on his watch. The problem is that it's too early in the run of the series to be showing the characters acting out of character - just like the 'TNG' sequel, 'The Naked Now,' we haven't got a strong enough baseline for these people to gauge a subtly different performance to their usual selves, but then there isn't much subtlety in this one. As with almost everything, 'DS9' did it better, attempting the old 'virus makes the crew go barmy' story late in the first season, not a few episodes in, as here. It can sometimes work, witness the third episode of 'Enterprise' ('Strange New World'), where similar ground was covered: that was a truly great episode, but it was less about the stretching of emotions and reactions as it was about dealing with a new and malevolent planet. 'The Naked Time' is just that little too silly for me, ludicrous melodrama rather than dramatic, without the hook that the similar 'The Enemy Within' had to hang its story on. You have the memorable scene of Sulu being given some development by showing off his fencing prowess as if he's one of The Three Musketeers; Chapel openly gooey over Spock; Spock blubbing over the fact he never told his human Mother he loved her, and even Kirk getting all mushy about the Enterprise.

The minor characters have more important scenes than the main, with Tormolen going crazy or Kevin Riley putting the ship in danger, switching off the engines as the Enterprise's orbit decays into a planet that's on its last legs anyway. That was much more interesting than a virus that acts like excess alcohol: a planet falling apart (think Genesis in 'Star Trek III'), a research team (apparently made up of shop window dummies - at least one of the frozen bodies was clearly not human!), must be rescued. Instead, it's just people bouncing around the ship getting angry or suicidal, and that's not really much fun to watch. I even felt (sacrilege, I know), that Leonard Nimoy's performance wasn't the most accomplished, as he cries and wails, unable to concentrate on anything but guilt and self-pity. But we still don't know Spock yet (notice how he shouts in annoyance at a crewman laughing hysterically), and even watching in the context of having seen the character's entire life, which ended in 'Star Trek Beyond,' I'm not impressed by his melancholy musings: he hasn't been Vulcan enough to make his outburst shocking. He doesn't look like a cool character, although ironically, he's actually the closest to the Spock we expect for most of this episode. When he backhands Kirk across the Briefing Room table, he gets some credibility back, and also as he buries his emotions for the needs of the ship. Kirk's loss of control is more impressive, the burden of command, seeing the ship as a real woman who hounds him and keeps him from a real life, is more engaging.

Nurse Christine Chapel (with her unique red cross badge insignia that no one else ever got), makes her debut, in weird grey wig, and in her first ever appearance is immediately in the thick of the fray as she assists McCoy with an operation! You would never have guessed this was the same actress as the one who played Number One in 'The Cage,' they're so different (that's acting). But again, we're introduced to her, and before we know it she's mooning over Spock and acting lovey-dovey, but we don't know her yet! It was too early and carried no weight. At least it gives her something to play against for the rest of the series, it's just not very compelling here. Of course it's great that Roddenberry managed to sneak her back into the fold, after her earlier character was removed, and Majel Barrett was able to deepen the character with her performance over the years, without much help from the writing, so it's a pleasure to see her join the gang. Yeoman Rand continues to play her part, Kirk once again referencing his attraction to her, since this early in the series they were still toying with the idea of them as a couple, or at least a potential couple, before they realised they wanted Kirk to dally with alien females from week to week, and Rand might hold him back. She actually takes the helm during the episode, since Sulu has gone off to please himself, so she gets an integral part of the action. Leslie also takes the Helm, Uhura takes Riley's seat at Navigation, in an identical configuration to a scene in the previous episode, so perhaps Leslie and Uhura are the 'go-to guys' if driving the ship goes awry?

The episode begins promisingly with Spock and Tormolen beaming down to the outpost, and finding the frozen occupants who have died in bizarre ways. There's a nice bit of stop motion animation for the effect of the red water climbing up the wall and spitting onto Tormolen's hand (though it doesn't make a lot of sense for a virus that is passed on by touch to actively be drawn to flesh, or that the man takes off his glove and holds his hand on the wall or console until the virus reaches him!), we get the environmental suits (wonder if they'll use the flimsy, shower curtain material like this for the EVA suits in 'Discovery,' or the more bulky ones of the other iterations?), which look pretty cool, though not as good as the later versions with the coloured pipes. Perhaps these were low-level protection, the more elaborate versions not needed for an internal location? But it's certainly moody, and sets things up well, it's just that things go down hill after that. Tormolen's anguish and despair at humanity's arrogance in pushing out into space was an early high point, trying to knife himself with kitchen cutlery, prevented by the actions of Riley and Sulu, but the episode does drag, unfortunately.

Like I said, it has its good points, with many more details filled in and added to the lore. We get a few more shipboard locations such as the Rec Room (which I believe was where Kirk and Spock had their chess game in 'Where No Man Has Gone Before,' but hadn't been seen since), with the first appearance of the food slot, I think; Scotty climbs in for our first look inside a Jefferies Tube to fiddle about with engineering tasks (though he's not considered a miracle worker yet - Spock finds him cutting a hole in the bulkhead to open the door to Engineering, and notes that with his attention to safety he'll finish just too late to save the ship), and we hear, according to Riley, that the Enterprise has its own bowling alley (where is it, in the nacelles?). There's also the missing decontamination from the previous episode that I noted, though it's not something the Transporter does automatically, Scotty specifically gives the instruction after Spock and Tormolen beam back - they wait while coloured lights flash. There's also the famous line from Scotty, "I can't change the laws of physics," which does not have 'cannae' in it at all! We get the first proper Bridge roll, where everyone's flipped off their feet in dramatic style, shown in Sickbay, too, McCoy thrown across his patient, and it really is a good effect, the camera selling it as well as the actors do. Kirk has his shirt ripped (though it's by McCoy, to inject him with the serum), Spock talks of his Mother living on Vulcan, and we see the black undershirt (which the Kelvin Timeline films did not invent!), when Spock's in Sickbay for his checkup. That also leads to the first true Spock/McCoy banter: his delight at his physiology being different to the Doc's!

With so many important little happenings the episode should be better, but, although it's great to see that Sulu has other interests after his botany was introduced in 'The Man Trap' (and is mentioned again here), it becomes a bit of a parody with Riley wailing his songs annoyingly over the intercom as he holds the ship hostage to his whims. The crew look a little incompetent, although there are nice moments here and there such as when Kirk loses his temper at Uhura, then apologises and she smiles kindly at him (this would have been the perfect shot to have used in 'Trials and Tribble-ations' - it would have meant that Sisko could have spoken to her, too). And Sulu showing his manhood by 'protecting' the fair maiden Uhura. There's as much to put him and Uhura together as there was to put Spock and Uhura together in the new films if you go by their logic! I think the biggest annoyance is that they drag out the story a little longer than necessary, adding in the 'time warp' which sends them back a few hours into the past after the engines 'imploded,' whatever that means! There's no explanation of the time travel, Spock states they can now go back to any planet, any era, Kirk says they may do, but it's too risky for now, and that's that. It has no bearing on the episode, we don't see Tormolen again (did it affect only those who were alive?), so what was the purpose, unless it was to suggest a new avenue of storytelling for the future, which they didn't use again (sure, they had other time travel plot devices, but not by imploding their engines), making it an unsatisfying episode, all told.

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