Shore Leave

DVD, Star Trek S1 (Shore Leave)

The first ever Holodeck episode. Think about it: it's a place where fantasy and reality collide, you can be injured (and patched up again), can enjoy the sights, sounds, smells and all forms of your imagination through the construction of life-sized replicas drawn directly from your thoughts… in some ways it could be said to be superior to Holodeck technology since it has no bounds and you couldn't experience death on the Holodeck and return to tell the tale. The Holodeck has the advantage of a compact space that can be completely defined and redefined by the user or presets, whereas the planet showed no signs of terraforming capability, it was merely the stage upon which entered the curious mechanical beings conjured up by the thoughts of the Enterprise crew, but constructed by the Caretaker, or his machinery. It's not all entirely clear, we don't even get a glimpse of the underground factory churning out these wonderful (and terrible), imaginings of people and things, beyond the cursory description of McCoy and the brief sight of a Samurai warrior exiting through a trapdoor in the ground to terrorise Sulu (such a shame he hadn't imagined a sword, too, then we could have had a classic sword fight instead of the Helmsman running like a frightened rabbit!). My theory is that this race used a device much like Dr. Korby found in 'What Are Little Girls Made Of?,' though possibly a superior model, as it took only a few seconds between thinking and execution.

Execution is about right, considering McCoy bravely bought it from the lance of a charging knight. His surmise that this was all from the imagination proved correct. That they couldn't harm anyone, less so, as he found to his great pain and the distress of his friends and crew mates. You'd think the Caretaker would have put out warning buoys around this planet, or at least the occasional written warning sign so that unwitting visitors wouldn't be perturbed by such strange goings-on, but as is often the case with extremely advanced races, they forget to think about the 'little people' and assume everyone knows what's happening around them. He was certainly a genial old gent, quite apologetic for the confusion that had been caused, wearing his modestly lavish forest green cloak with brocade design, and coming upon them like Father Time there to explain the mechanics of his pleasure planet. It would be easy to come to the speculation that he was of the same race as the Nacene, another Caretaker from the pilot of 'Voyager,' cunningly called 'Caretaker,' except that we only know for sure that two of that race encountered humanity, since they were from another galaxy and were just passing through. But it doesn't discount the possibility, and in Trek 'there are always possibilities…' He said that they weren't quite ready to understand his people, but if he'd gone to the trouble of creating an entire 'amusement planet,' as Spock called it, you'd think he'd do a modicum of market research to find out about his potential customers!

The mechanics of the works were of great interest to me, and although I would have liked to have seen the underground factory, McCoy's description leaves much to the imagination and probably does a better job than the budget would have allowed. I wondered why the sophisticated recreations of real people Kirk and crew had met were not the exclusive exports of this thought-accessed environment, because we see a rather creepy artificial head under the knight's mask, which bears only the basic resemblance to a human in comparison to the 'real' people. I would suggest it was because the knight wasn't designed to be seen under the mask, so a rudimentary puppet-like approximation was good enough for the short time necessary in the manufacture, as well as the proportionate use of resources, was all that was required for that particular creation, whereas Ruth had to be glowing with a warmth and presence that would please Captain Kirk, and Finnegan (strikingly similar name to Finney - I'm always getting these two important figures in Kirk's life confused!), to burst with irritating joy in an effort to goad him into a tooth and nail fight for satisfaction's sake (a chance for some Kirk fu, with double leg kicks and the like!). I would say these real, historical people from Kirk's own life were far more interesting, in general, than the abstract lifeforms brought into being by undisciplined, wandering thoughts, whether that were Don Juan, World War II fighter planes, or Alice and the White Rabbit.

I will give the rabbit its due for being one of the iconic moments of 'TOS,' something that's gone down in popular culture, and quite a bizarre opening to an episode that already promised more fun than the average, with Kirk hesitating on the Stardate in his Log, and some physical comedy as Kirk thinks his knotted back is being straightened out by Spock, until he sees the Vulcan step forward and realises his Yeoman is performing the manoeuvre, which rather upsets his dignity, especially when he's sitting in the middle of the Bridge on his Captain's Chair. It's just not done! But to return to the pale mammal with the long ears and timepiece, I have a theory as to why McCoy didn't imagine a more realistic depiction of this famous literary animal, and that was because he was thinking of a recent performance of the play rather than a genuine giant rabbit (while he was about it he should have imagined James Stewart, too - imagine if they'd had a cameo from him!). I only speculate, but what if the Karidian Company of Players, who visited the Enterprise not so long ago, had not just Shakespeare plays in their repertoire, but Lewis Carroll stories, too? It doesn't seem likely, given the po-face of Karidian, but who knows if he was partial to a bit of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,' and the madcap, zany events would have appealed to his insane daughter, I'd have thought.

After the indoor sets of 'The Cage,' shown again in 'The Menagerie,' as good as they were, they could never usurp the appeal of the great outdoors, with all its verdant greenery, sandy rocks and blue sky, full of colour, vivacity and vitality - it's a shore leave for viewers as much as the crew, as we're so used to episodes set in the darkness of space, and aboard the enclosed, flat environment of the ship. They use the famous landscape of Vasquez Rocks, with its well known outcrop, very well, probably the first of many visits to this location, one with water, rocks, grass and trees, and this variety only helps the episode bloom visually, the bright uniforms fitting perfectly into the vibrant kaleidoscope. What's more, the episode has an energy to it that puts other episodes to shame, rattling through various mood changes with the use of a greatest hits collection of the series' incidental music, from light to critical, mysterious to jolly, and on to romantic and emotional, lending proceedings an impression that anything could happen at any moment. And, what's more, it could. It's dynamically shot with a moving camera in several scenes, infusing the dramatic mood changes or sudden threat, with urgency and danger, and this, combined with the fast running and strangeness makes it an exhilarating experience.

As you would expect, Kirk's encounters have the most depth, with a long-lost love called Ruth, spellbinding him, and Finnegan, his nemesis at the Academy, a provocative, but enjoyable rivalry, like going back to school and sorting out the school bully when you're older and stronger. Except Finnegan actually makes fun of Kirk for being an 'old man,' infuriating him and getting his blood up, but in a good way, the thrill of the fight is upon him, and unlike Kirk usually, he doesn't really stop to think about all these apparent manipulations, which is perhaps one reason why the stakes never seem that high - if the Captain isn't worried about such impossible happenings, then why should we? Until he loses McCoy, but even then he doesn't get too emotional or lose his poise, and neither does Spock. I suppose if there was too much wailing and gnashing of teeth it would have meant an earlier intervention and explanation from the Caretaker, cutting the episode short, so it was a fine balance to keep it believable. It's quite a stunt to be able to actually kill someone, or influence them so much that they think they're dead, and so do observers, yet there's no permanent damage. McCoy certainly seemed to be in pain, but whether it was actual physical agony or mental realisation that the knight had skewered him, I don't know. Now that I think about it, McCoy should have cited this episode when Spock said in 'Star Trek IV' that he couldn't discuss his experiences of being dead with the Doctor, as they didn't have a common frame of reference, because they clearly did!

There is a sinister side to the episode, and though unintentional, I imagine from the tone of it all, when you think of it in these terms it could change how you watch the episode: how do we know we got the real McCoy back, was he indeed, the real McCoy? If they could recreate so perfectly every hair on someone's head, could they not also duplicate those that were there? Could they not have brought back Angela's dead fiance, Tomlinson, lost in the battle against the Romulans in 'Balance of Terror'? Mind you, she seems to have moved on and formed quite an attachment to Rodriguez, so her thoughts weren't going in that direction. The important thing is, how do we know the real Captain and crew returned to the Enterprise? When Kirk, Yeoman Barrows and the Doctor emerge onto the Bridge, still in high spirits after their recent adventures, and profess their enjoyment, to Spock's comment of "Illogical," then all chuckle weirdly, you could take it as relief and relaxed appreciation, or you could wonder if they are actually duplicates! It's not much of an end scene to cap off the episode, but they did like to conclude with a shot of the Bridge as if to prove that they were actually leaving and the next episode would be something different instead of a whole episode of the crew relaxing on this planet. But I think Kirk going off to see Ruth again would have been a more satisfying finale, and a more pleasant sign off than the more heavy-handed 'pile onto the Bridge and off we go' style they preferred.

In reality it must have been hard to pull away from such an experience, the chance to relive the past or visit the fiction or fantasy of a thousand worlds, but more specifically each's own personal experience. It could have been as painful as it was pleasurable, and I picked up a hint of this other side to it when Kirk relays to Spock his encounters with the two people he met, and he refers to the clout Finnegan gave Kirk, saying it sounds very painful, and the Captain agrees almost wistfully, as if he was thinking of his separation from Ruth as much as the skirmish with his teenaged self's nemesis. By and large, though, the episode is knockabout fun, even more when you know the twist, and if there is a lesson (the discipline and challenge of controlling your thoughts), it's very lightly touched on, with Kirk keeping the Landing Party focused on standing at attention when he still thinks the apparitions pose a threat to them all, quickly dispelled by the Caretaker's arrival on the scene to reassure. If not, they might have delved a little deeper into thoughts of fantasy versus reality, the danger of living entirely in a world you control, of make-believe and unreality, which would have taken the episode into a deeper, more interesting direction.

As it is, it remains a harmless, pleasurable experience, just like the planet itself, and at least it gives us a starring role for Sulu, though his botany interest seems to be completely forgotten, as does his interest in swords, though he is allowed to sound off about old Earth firearms, specifically a 'police special' (I wonder if this was the type of gun Roddenberry owned when he was a cop?), which he draws and has some fun firing - I like that he has to explain that these kinds of weapons used chemical propellant to fire! You'd think Scotty would have had a starring role in this kind of episode, but he hadn't yet become as comedic a character as he would be (especially in the films), and where would he be at a time of shore leave? Probably in his quarter with a stack of technical journals! At least Mr. Leslie is, as ever, at his post, the Engineering station… except, hang on, he's covering Sulu's Helm position, and you think it's going to be another one without him, but no, it's because Mr. Sulu is actually part of the scouting party checking out this planet. There's a heads-up that this is going to be more of a fun experience than the usual, because of the lightness in music and tone, with Spock tricking Kirk into going down to the planet by citing a crew member who refuses shore leave and it's affecting his performance - of course it's Kirk he's talking about, but the Captain's so tired and strained that he doesn't pick up on it until after he's categorically ordered whoever it is to go down on his authority!

It's also amusing for other reasons (not least the Irish-type jolly tunes, much like those used for Harry Mudd - it might even be the same music), such as the fact that Kirk rips his shirt, only he's not the first person to do so in the episode: Tonia Barrows has a discomfiting encounter with Don Juan and comes off worst (though she's soon imagined a beautiful princess gown, and lo! doth it appear), and it's not often that Kirk gets out-ripped by a female member of the crew! Oddly, the rip is on the left side as we see it (her right), but when she puts the uniform back on, it's on the right (her left). Hmmm… the Caretaker playing tricks? Barrows' dress comes about because McCoy is charming her, and I was expecting the dress to suddenly appear on her as when Q snaps his fingers, but as if to emphasise the mechanical nature of the planet, it hangs on a bush ready for her to pick up and change into. There's also the moment which should be tragic, when we see Angela Martine get shot by the strafing run of an antique aircraft, except, because of the angle, it looks like she ran into a tree and toppled over in a slapstick way, and it's only the blood, just about visible on her face in the medium shot, that you see she must have been wounded or killed. Come to think of it, I don't remember seeing her again during the episode, and she never returned on the series…

A few technical details were of interest to me, not least that the Communicators appear to have the ability to field multiple signals simultaneously, as Kirk is talking to McCoy when Rodriguez beeps in. It's also noticeable that the ugly brown belts the Phasers and Communicators usually attach to had been replaced by the black velcro, making it seem as if they were magically attached to the user's trousers, under their uniform shirt, which was an improvement, visually. I always find it of interest (to discover more of Starfleet history in signage and uniform design), to see a different outfit worn by Finnegan: silvery, ribbed, and with, once again, a different badge, like a flower's petals or a stylised sun. I'd love it if we saw variations close to this in 'Discovery' as it would mean a great deal to be able to actually see a development within the 2250s and 2260s. Things weren't all as technically accomplished, however, with the stunt doubles for Kirk and Finnegan a bit too obvious, despite the usual attempts to keep their heads down and cut quickly from shot to shot. And they were a hair away from a great beam-down for Spock. Literally, as you can see a large hair hover into view right in front of his face! Some large ephemera caught in the Transporter beam? What is most clear about the episode is how much fun they had, sore leave definitely turning into shore leave. Why do I think this? Usually they show images from multiple episodes in the closing credits, but this time it was almost exclusively stills from this episode, apart from the green girl, so it must have been memorable. And it still is, to this day.

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