New Testingstan

Stofsk wrote:Barf. It's Perry Mason IN SPAAAAAAACE and really, really dumb.

Well, "enjoyed it" doesn't mean things were all smart. I agree with what you said about Cogley*, and even Spock's discovery of the computer problem seems most illogical, why would editing the bridge log affect the chess game anyway?

I got called to jury duty a couple years ago and in the selection process the defense attorney asked me "if I just sat there the whole trial, saying nothing, calling no witnesses, what would you think?" and I said "that you weren't doing your job" and she dismissed me after that round. Of course, I understand that the burden of proof is on the prosecution, so in theory, if they fail to make their case, the defense need not do anything, acquittal is the default verdict - innocent until proven guilty.

But in reality, the prosecution, when unopposed, can spin virtually ANYTHING to a jury to make someone look guilty. That's why people have a right to competent defense.

(BTW that defendant is now in prison.)

So while watching the episode, I was thinking about that and was not impressed.... but I liked Kirk in the episode. His statement of "I'd do it again because it was proper steps in the proper order" was cool and the insight into his backstory was interesting too.

for some reason they evacuate the ship bar one person who's been ALIVE THE WHOLE TIME DUN DUN DUN. Except the episode never bothers to explain how Ben Finney was alive or been staying alive without detection all this time.

oh absolutely, and canceling out the heartbeats, come on just turn off the mic on the bridge, that's where everyone is that's supposed to be there.

oh and spock's heart isn't in his chest bones!!!!

"City on the Edge of Forever"

why was mccoy even wearing a phaser?!? I don't remember seeing him grab one on the ship and he didn't expect to need it before being drugged soooo....

and puh-leze, blaming pacifists for ruining the future. This had better be the origin story of the Terran Empire or else i'm going to be pissed off at this crappy show.

Defence isn't obligated to call in witnesses, and sometimes the best defence strategy is to just tear the prosecution's case to shreds. But no cross-examination? Uhhhhh... you can't tear the prosecution case to shreds if you don't cross their witnesses.

Indeed.

So "The Cage" was on my set too so I watched that... and Captain Pike said "engage"! How exciting.

The music... after watching Enterprise with its Rick Berman music, then switching back to here, obviously there is a huge difference... and it isn't always positive. I generally like the TOS music but there have been a few times when it actually started to grate on me. "The Alternative Factor" really, I already dislike that episode, but it was audibly annoying to me this time... and then they reused the weird transition sound in "City on the Edge of Forever" and it actually knocked me out of enjoyment a second there too. oh well.

Next up, Amok Time. oh i'll enjoy this over-the-top music though the season 2 opening theme is different, eh, no big deal.

I love the Kirk/Spock/Bones dynamic so much that I can find enjoyment in even bad episodes, but then I watch a plain great like "The Doomsday Machine" and so so so good!

... though "The Apple", ugh. And now "Catspaw", ugh. But Doomsday Machine is so excellent in this shit sandwich!

'Catspaw' is weak but something about it makes me enjoy it.

'The Apple' though? It's not one of my favourites. Though I do get a sort of morbid laugh out of all the red shirt deaths (I think it has the highest number of redshirts who buy the farm) like to the point where some dude lands on a rock and then blows up.

'The Doomsday Machine' is top shelf.

Yeah, the redshirts really got the shaft in the Apple. Just a 60's thing I think, but I always giggle a bit at the fists on the hip stand too.

"Deja Q" is totally one of my favorite episodes of the franchise. It hits so many awesome moments with a variety of good stuff and is some fine Trek comedy too. John de Lancie is spectacular.

The title does not make any sense, it's just a q pun for a q episode as far as I can tell.

Journey to Babel just came on.... and it made me realize: Spock's parents weren't at his wedding!

Heh, I hadn't thought of that.

It kinda speaks volumes of how much Spock and Saren were estranged.

I suppose it's possible they may not have even been on Vulcan at the time? He could have been doing ambassadorial shit elsewhere with Amanda in tow.

Sarek

Saren is a traitorous turian

Perhaps, could be that's why they asked T'Pau to fill in - too.

BTW "Wolf in the Fold" I have to say basically any Star Trek episode where a crewman is accused of murder tends to be kinda lame. "women are more fearful" lol. but really i just find most them boring and/or stupid. I guess "A Matter of Perspective" was OK, but even then, I think it isn't a strong episode. "Ex Post Facto" was IMO Voyager season 1's lowest point, and "Wolf in the Fold" here ranges from meh to ugh.

I still do love me some Trouble with Tribbles though!

Crazedwraith wrote:Sarek

Saren is a traitorous turian

shit you're right

And "A Piece of the Action" remains one of my favorite TOS episodes, it is just so much fun seeing Kirk play mobster... the accent he plays, hahaha.

The episode is far from flawless, but I just enjoy it so much. The ending though, oh dear, so Kirk's solution to the contamination... is to conquer the planet with superior firepower, impose a 40% tax to put into Federation-imposed reeducation with superior morality... isn't that exactly the kind of colonialism that the prime directive is supposed to prevent?

"The Paradise Syndrome" I am basically enjoying... heck, it kinda reminds me of a SG-1 episode too, 100 days, but I'm at the end now and WTF does nobody care about Miramanee at all? She's lying there, obviously badly hurt, and Bones completely ignores her. Chapel gives her a hypo after beaming down... then proceeds to also ignore her, even when there's nothing they can do for Kirk!

Geeze, maybe if either of them did *something*, anything faster, her bad internal injuries may have been treatable. I can understand them not rushing to beam her up to the ship, even giving Kirk first look given the situation, but she didn't even get a quick tricorder scan over those several minutes! And nobody cares. When the EMH did something like that, it kinda drove him nuts that he let personal feelings influence his medical decision.

I guess the writers just didn't want Kirk to be abandoning his wife and child, so they made Bones abandon her. UGH.

and how did the enterprise get home anyway, the warp drive was completely burnt out. did they call for a tow?

One thing that consistently bugs me about TOS (now on "The Lights of Zetar", almost done) is how frequently they say "the girl". You know if she were a man, they'd say "lieutenant" or his name.... but nope, she has a vagina, so she's "the girl" over and over again.

TOS is generally terrible for gender issues.

Even well thought of episodes like 'Space Seed' .

Indeed.

So as I'm coming up on the end though, I feel the opposite as I did with Enterprise... I didn't want Enterprise to end, it got interesting. TOS... eh, it is getting repetitive and I actually kinda do want to move on. (I am thinking much of my love for season one might be that it was all fresh to me again, being so long since I've seen it at all, and that freshness is long gone). Soon, I'll be on to something totally different though, 3 1/2 episodes to go until Babylon 5.

BTW, I'm not even saying these are all bad - I'm watching "The Cloud Miners" now and i think it is decent, I'm just feeling meh overall.

Newness is important.

Firefly for example I've watched so often rewatching it never seems appealing. nBSg and Farscape likewise.

TOS got hamstrung by its third season with a drop in budget and even Gene going 'fuck this show.'

And yeah, holy shit the gender issues. Maybe have all the female crew wear pants? I dunno that's just a suggestion.

Kate Vernon made the regular duty uniform look good in Axanar