🌟 Star Trek, TOS 🌟

I don't subscribe to CBS All Access either. The first season of "Star Trek: Discovery" has been airing on the normal (free) CBS network for the past few months. (I think it airs on Thursday nights.)


One of the first computer games that I played, (way back on the original Apple Macintosh computer), was a text-based Star Trek game. The first time I played it, something happened on the surface of the planet, so I tried to beam a landing party down to the surface to check it out, and I immediately got a message that we all died because I forgot to check the atmosphere first to make sure that we could breathe on that planet.

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If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.

"The Alternative Factor" is another TOS episode that's considered by many to be one of the worst of the series.

"Catspaw" and "The Apple" are both mid-tier episodes for me. They're not great, but they're not terrible either, and both of them have at least a couple of good scenes, and some good lines.

Some good quotes from "Catspaw":
McCoy: "Three witches... what appears to be a castle, and a black cat."
Kirk: "If we weren't missing two officers and a third one dead, I'd say someone was playing an elaborate trick-or-treat on us."
Spock: "'Trick-or-treat', Captain?"
Kirk: "Yes, Mr. Spock... You'd be a natural. I'll explain it to you one day."

Kirk: (after the witches poetry), "Spock. Comment."
Spock: "Very bad poetry, Captain."


Some good quotes from "The Apple":
(After Spock throws a rock that explodes):
Kirk: "Would you mind being careful where you throw your rocks, Mr. Spock?"

Chekov: "Of course, Doctor. The Garden of Eden was just outside Moscow. A very nice place. Must've made Adam and Eve very sad to leave."

Spock: "And, in a manner of speaking, we have given the people of Vaal "the apple" - the knowledge of good and evil if you will - as a result of which they too have been driven out of paradise."
Kirk: "Doctor, do I understand him correctly? Are you casting me in the role of Satan?"
Spock: "Not at all, Captain."
Kirk: "Is there anyone on this ship who even remotely looks like Satan?"
Spock: "I am not aware of anyone who fits that description, Captain."
Kirk: "No, Mr. Spock, I didn't think you would."

I kind of like these episodes only because they have kids in them.

Which reminds me of the TNG episode I also like where an injured Picard is trapped in a turbo lift with 3 kids - to whom he assigns ranks as he must help them and they must help him get to safety. I liked at the end when he addresses "Number One" and both Riker and the little girl he's assigned to be his second-in-command respond.

I also like the TNG episode where some of the adult crew members become children (and young Picard has to act like he's Riker's son!)

You know what I like about Next Gen and the kid episodes? Picard doesn't like kids! I always got a kick out of Picard's uncomfortableness around kids. I like both of the TNG episodes you mentioned, especially the one where Picard is stuck in the Turbo lift with three kids and a broken leg.

What episode was he in?

I think that's who played Dr. Korby in What are Little Girls Made Of?

Correct! Very good.

For some reason, the kids aren't as annoying on TNG as they were on TOS. Maybe it's because of Picard's attitude towards the kids, or maybe it's just because the kids don't take over the way they did in those two TOS episodes. They just seem more like normal kids on TNG.

Thanks. It's pretty cool that the episode was written by Robert Bloch, who wrote the novel on which Psycho is based.
Oh, and androids don't eat, Miss Chapel.

To me, Charlie X has more in common with The Squire of Gothos. Both behaved badly and both were swept away by their caregivers at the end of the show.

Yup, I can see that comparison. Both good episodes too. BTW have you mentioned which ST episodes you don't like? I'm just curious as the others were talking about their least favorite episodes.

Yes, I would say my least favorites are Mudd's Women, The Alternative Factor, The Apple, Catspaw, Metamorphosis, Return to Tomorrow, The Omega Glory, And the Chikdren Shall Lead, Is There in Truth No Beauty?, Plato's Stepchildren, The Empath, Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, and The Lights of Zetar.

I really enjoyed Metamorphosis. What didn't you like about it? Except for them not really doing anything with Zefram Cochrane being the inventor of warp drive besides him being famous and hardly respecting Nancy Hedford's rights about being possessed - how convenient is it that she had a fatal illness? - I thought it was a touching story of impossible and doomed love.

Everything. Too much talking. No action. I just found it boring.

What episode was she in?

One of my favorite episodes, and I'm leaving this one to Captain Steel as I believe he likes the actress too.

Is that Elaan of Troyius?

Yep! That's her alright.



Tomorrow's lesson will be on courtesy.

For years I didn't know she was Asian - I didn't connect her with her other TV & movie appearances outside of Star Trek and thought she was African based on the ancient-Egyptian looking hairstyle! Beautiful woman!

It's funny, I didn't like this episode as a kid, but now it's become one of my favorites - it's got a bit of everything TOS is famous for: alien ambassadors, a Kirk romance with an alien hottie, Bones working on a cure for tear addiction, a ship-board battle in space where Kirk & crew must utilize strategy, Klingons, and finally Kirk overcoming his love-addiction before the antidote can be developed due to his love for the Enterprise!

Also, the pacing of this episode is excellent - working all those elements in together - just the right balance of action, suspense, romance, tension, humor, character development & plot advancement.