Category Archives: Star Trek

Studying My Predators: TOS #18: “The Squire of Gothos”

The Enterprise encounters a remote planet where a foppish ‘squire’ insists on entertaining (and studying) them and challenging them to the death when they refuse. I’m fascinated in retrospect by how episodes open, about what is going on before the … Continue reading

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The Need for Play: TOS #17: “Shore Leave”

The Enterprise visits a lovely planet where the crew discover that their daydreams and memories become instant reality. This is a fun episode, but also sort of a kitchen-sink episode, in which many colorful things happen without much relationship to … Continue reading

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Illusion and Reality: TOS #16: “The Menagerie, Part II”

In the second half of this two-part episode, revelations from an earlier Enterprise visit to Talos IV reveal why Spock has hijacked the Enterprise to take earlier Captain Pike, now crippled, back to that forbidden planet. The second half of … Continue reading

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There’s Still Something Out There: TOS #15, “The Menagerie, Part I”

In a clever 2-part story within a story that uses footage from the first Star Trek pilot, “The Cage”, Spock hijacks the Enterprise to take the earlier captain of the Enterprise, Captain Pike, to the forbidden planet Talos IV.   … Continue reading

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And Nothing Is More Important Than My Ship: TOS #14 “Court Martial”

Kirk faces court martial over the death of a crewman with whom he had a history, in a confrontation that pits human rights against a computerized culture. The enhanced graphics are especially effective in this episode, showing both the Enterprise … Continue reading

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Correct and Logical Decisions: TOS “The Galileo Seven”

The shuttlecraft Galileo, commanded by Spock, crash-lands on a planet in the midst of a quasar-like phenomenon, where the crew fends off hostile aliens as Kirk on the Enterprise is forced to abandon its search for them.   This has … Continue reading

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A Chilling Journey Through Worlds Beyond Imagination: TOS by James Blish

As noted a couple posts ago, in my series of Star Trek Rewatch posts, I’ve just reread James Blish’s first Star Trek book – published just over 50 years ago! – to note the changes he made from the original … Continue reading

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Blood thins. The Body fails. TOS “The Conscience of the King”

Kirk must determine if a Shakespearean actor is the same man as the infamous “Kodos the Executioner,” whose crimes Kirk witnessed 20 years before.   This is an offbeat, exotic episode, with strong characters and a powerful moral dilemma, that … Continue reading

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Dying of Puberty: TOS “Miri”

The Enterprise discovers an Earth-like planet populated only by children, infected by a disease that doesn’t affect them until puberty, but a disease that affects the Enterprise landing party within hours. The initial scene has the Enterprise picking up an … Continue reading

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Dying of Loneliness: TOS “Dagger of the Mind”

An escapee from the penal colony on Tantalus Five leads to a confrontation between Kirk, a beautiful psychiatrist crewman, and the genial yet mad director of the colony. The enhanced graphics for this episode depict the planet, Tantalus Five, as … Continue reading

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