"Is There In Truth No Beauty?" - Handicaps And Bigotry Are Overcome on Star Trek; It's Beautiful!

The Good: Decent acting, Generally good social message
The Bad: VERY predictable plot/character arcs
The Basics: Despite a classic Shakespearean plot about love and jealousy, Star Trek creates a memorable episode about working together for the common good with "Is There In Truth No Beauty?"


Is it possible, that in the history of television, that there is a gap in the television drama that stretches from Star Trek until M*A*S*H and from M*A*S*H until The West Wing? I am loathe to believe that there were stretches that were that long that there might not have been a television show on the air that was making direct social commentary. The West Wing (click here for my review of the series!) made weekly statements about politics and societal matters, M*A*S*H is one of the most consistent antiwar shows in history. Star Trek, when it was not busy creating alien races that were just weird, was constantly making social statements. Almost every alien encounter was a metaphor for a social problem or movement. In the third season, one of the more veiled episodes that was making a social commentary was "Is There In Truth No Beauty?" and its worth a second look for those who have not seen it.

The U.S.S. Enterprise takes aboard a Medusan ambassador. The Medusans are so physically repulsive that they cause insanity in humanoids who see them, so they are kept (no kidding) in a box. The Medusan ambassador is accompanied by Dr. Miranda Jones and Lawrence Marvick. While the senior staff plays diplomatic with the ensemble, Dr. Jones exhibits telepathic abilities and becomes concerned that a murder is evident. As it is, Marvick is secretly in love with her, jealous of the Medusan ambassador - who monopolizes her time - and he's ready to kill the ugly energy being in the box. His attempt, however, goes awry, he sees the ambassador and hijacks the Enterprise in an insane state and it is up to everyone, including Dr. Jones and the ambassador, to work together to get back to the known galaxy.

The Medusans are one of those alien races created in Star Trek that very much serves the specific plot they are a part of. To the best of my knowledge, they are not even referenced in any other episodes in the franchise (though they are explored rather fully in at least one of the novels). And here, like several other episodes, the names are a dead giveaway for what the place of the creature is in the episode.

The message of the episode, of course, is that we cannot judge everything based on its looks - not the Medusan, not Dr. Jones, etc. - and that everyone has something they may contribute. It's also the time-honored story of love motivating acts of greatness and being the downfall of men. So, Marvick descends into madness and homicidal rage over jealousy borne of love and Dr. Jones must overcome her professional jealousy (the Medusan expresses some interest in Spock) in order to grow.

The plot and character arcs here are very predictable. Spock's intellectual curiosity sparks jealousy and competitiveness from Dr. Jones. Captain Kirk must rely on the two of them following the Enterprise getting lost and when Kirk's judgment rests with Spock (the person he knows), Dr. Jones must learn to put her personal animosity behind her and work with the Enterprise crew and generally learn a lesson in a very "Afterschool Special" kind of way. Marvick is downright Shakespearean in his emotional motivations.

What ultimately made me toss "Is There In Truth No Beauty?" into the "recommend" category (it's a solidly average episode), was the acting. Sure, the characters are almost entirely archetypes, but the acting is surprisingly good. Diana Muldaur, who went on to play Dr. Kate Pulaski in the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation plays Dr. Miranda Jones. Dr. Jones has a secret (revealed near the middle of the episode, but I won't ruin it!) and Muldaur plays the character in a way that hides the secret well, but makes it evident when one rewatches the episode. It's a clever performance that relies on her ability to create a character using her body language and she does it quite well here.

But it is Leonard Nimoy who makes the episode worthwhile. Nimoy plays Spock and while objective viewers of Star Trek will note that the bulk of the characterization of Spock is done through examples of the exceptions to his characterization (i.e. about one in three episodes, Spock does something that is un-Vulcan), in "Is There In Truth No Beauty?" Nimoy is forced to play Spock in a way that is downright feral. Up until the moment the character changes, Nimoy plays him with utter cool detachment, perfectly defining what we expect from an emotionless being. And when Nimoy is forced to act feral, he is unrecognizable for the character so many people love. That's great acting.

Sadly, the acting and message are not enough to overcome the predictability of the characters and plot and catapult this episode out of "average" territory. But, it's enough to say that this is a solid hour of entertainment that will be appreciated by anyone who likes science fiction or dramas that have social messages.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek - The Complete Third Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the third and final season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

6/10

For other Star Trek episode and film reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2010, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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Bodyswapping Standards Are Introduced When Star Trek Does A "Return To Tomorrow!"

The Good: Very Shakespearean, Decent acting, Generally good characters, Cool idea
The Bad: "Surprises" are not, Aliens of the week make little sense
The Basics: With good performances and a clever idea, "Return To Tomorrow" overcomes the character inconsistencies to present a solid hour of television.


What is the soul? What makes identity? Who are we outside our physical shells? These are questions that have plagued humanity since they had words to articulate the ideas and enough free time from farming to actually care. Star Trek decides to take a stab at answering those questions in a very literal way in the second season episode "Return To Tomorrow." By adding some intrigue and good, Shakespearean desire and obsession, the episode comes off as a success for the most part.

The USS Enterprise finds a planet devastated by a war thousands of years before (the planet has no atmosphere) where an SOS signal is coming from deep within the planet. The bridge crew is contacted from a chamber far underground and Kirk, Spock, McCoy and an astrobiologist, Dr. Ann Mulhall, beam down to investigate. There they find three globes that hold the memories and essences of three survivors of the planet's apocalypse, Sargon, Henoch, and Thalassa. Sargon requests the use of human bodies to allow the trio to construct android bodies for themselves so they may start living again and spread their wisdom throughout the galaxy. After much belaboring, Kirk, Spock and Mulhall allow the aliens to borrow their bodies while their own consciousness's are stored in the globes. Unfortunately, Henoch was the mortal enemy of Sargon back in the day, he loved Thalassa and now he sees the opportunity to be with Thalassa and kill Henoch . . . all from Spock's body.

Fortunately, the episode makes a lot of sense because who is who and whose mind is where is detailed extensively enough so that the viewer is not confused. Add to that, the producers wisely include an echo effect for the voices of the characters when they are inhabiting our recognizable characters' bodies. In short, we know when Henoch, Sargon and Thalassa are speaking because of a very easy to recognize auditory "tell." That makes the show very easy to follow.

Essentially, this is a body-swapping episode and it is a first in Star Trek. The episode does the concept well in "Return to Tomorrow," far better than in the lame series finale, "Turnabout Intruder" which tried for the same idea, but had a terrible set of characters. "Return To Tomorrow" has a set of characters that are downright Shakespearean. Henoch, Sargon and Thalassa are telling a story of jealousy, love, obsession and the way ambition twists those caught in its grasp. Henoch never gets over the ideological battles that led him and Sargon to essentially destroy their world, making his character a classic tragic figure.

But more than that, "Return To Tomorrow" shows a very easy-to-identify message and the theme is a decent one. The cost of Henoch's vengeance and Sargon's retaliation endures in the Trek universe through thousands of years. Robbed of a planet and robbed of corporeal bodies, Sargon and Henoch's war has very recognizable and tragic consequences.

Unfortunately, what makes the theme work well makes the characters make less sense. After spending thousands of years disembodied, Henoch seems awfully impatient to get rid of Sargon. One would think for a guy who has been waiting thousands of years to kill his enemy that he could wait just a little longer, especially if part of his goal is to win over Thalassa. After all, nothing turns a woman off more than killing the man she loves. But if the guy dies in an accident . . . Anyway, I "get" Henoch's desire for vengeance and the new android bodies offer him an opportunity to rid himself of Sargon and pick up Thalassa, but his impatience does not read as real to me. Not that I think that it's not realistic he would be blinded by his seething rage, but rather the immediacy of his desire to execute his plans seems awfully human and impatient to me.

Regardless, "Return To Tomorrow" is pretty solid for Star Trek and part of the reason is the actors go all out with the episode to sell the premise. This marks the first appearance of Diana Muldaur in Star Trek. Muldaur plays Dr. Ann Mulhall here and she creates a character who is distinctly different from her subsequent characters of Dr. Miranda Jones in "Is There No Truth In Beauty?" and as Dr. Kate Pulaski in the second season of Star Trek The Next Generation. Her auspicious entrance into the series establishes her as an actress fully able to take on many roles. No sooner has she established Mulhall than she is forced to embody Thalassa and she proves herself up to the task through the ability to change her body language and speech patterns sufficiently to sell the viewer on the difference.

Regulars Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner give decent performances in this outing. Despite the sheer number of bloopers from "Return To Tomorrow" on the Star Trek blooper reel, only Shatner's "Sargon is here" line still comes off as remotely comical. Otherwise, Shatner's deliveries are decent here and his delivery of the "Risk is our business" monologue endures as one of Star Trek's more memorable ones.

Leonard Nimoy is given a chance to step outside the character of Spock and it's refreshing to see the actor able to genuinely emote. Here, he smiles, connives and entices without ever feeling like he is portraying Spock suffering from an emotional episode. No, here Nimoy manages to create a distinctly different character and he pulls it off admirably.

All in all, "Return To Tomorrow" is bound to satisfy any fan of science fiction and it is remarkably well explained for those who simply want to watch a decent drama.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek - The Complete Second Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the second season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

7/10

For other Star Trek reviews, please click here to visit my index page!

© 2010, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.




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A Cooler Star Trek Concept Presented When Captain Kirk Falls Victim To Vampiric "Obsession!"

The Good: Great character, Interesting plot, Good special effects, Pacing, Tone, Generally good acting
The Bad: Some moments of overacting, Preview ruins it
The Basics: Intense and dramatic, "Obsession" delivers a tight, character-driven story of one man's quest to destroy a vampire cloud creature before it can kill more people.


The very worst previews and trailers are the ones where the whole television show or movie is shown in the film. I recall sitting with my dad watching one of the sequels to The Matrix when the trailer for Return Of The King showed. After the previews, while the "go buy some sugar" ads were playing, he turned to me and smiled and said, "The only movie I care about is the only one they didn't show everything from in the trailer!" There was boyish glee in his eyes and it was one of those moments when one connects with a parent that one remembers. Whoever made the preview for the Star Trek episode "Obsession" ought to be shot. I mean that. Every moment of menace, including some of the last shots of the episode are included in the preview trailer. So, if you're reading this review thinking about buying one of the DVD versions of this episode that has the preview trailers, don't bother watching the trailer until afterward.

Or don't bother watching the episode; it's gutted by watching the preview.

The USS Enterprise is exploring a planet with a rare mineral that it believes might be useful. When a sample is cut, Captain Kirk smells a familiar smell and orders the crew to fan out. Within moments, two security officers are dead, their bodies completely exsanguinated. Kirk orders the landing party back to the Enterprise and soon members of the crew are dying from exsanguination, the victim of a vampiric cloud that Kirk encountered once before . . . In the prior encounter, Kirk was a junior officer and the crew he served on was decimated by the cloud creature and killed, including the captain. As it happens, the late Captain Garrovick has a son aboard, who - like Kirk - would like to see the creature killed.

"Obsession" is one of those episodes of Star Trek that exemplifies the stereotype of not being a red shirted officer. There are a lot of casualties in this episode, almost exclusively red-shirted security officers. For those worried about gore, fear not; there is no blood, just lots of dead bodies.

One of the few things that does not work about "Obsession" is the plot mirrors an episode that is proximate to it (actually, the following episode "The Immunity Syndrome"). Fortunately, "Obsession" precedes the more generally average episode anyway. Like the next episode, "Obsession" keeps the tension high by making the threat one that is immediate (there's a vampiric cloud killing people now) and recurring (the beast is about to reproduce and kill lots more with its little cloudlings). When watching a lot of Star Trek episodes in a row, it's hard not to sit and watch some of these episodes and say "Didn't they just do that?!"

Absent that, the only substantive problem is that the acting becomes melodramatic at moments. I know, that's a bit of a risky diagnosis for a show focusing heavily on William Shatner. Shatner can act, "Obsession" proves it, but he also sometimes exaggerates body language and pauses that make him seem more spasmodic than emotive. "Obsession" has that quality to it at moments.

But that's nothing compared to the positive aspects of "Obsession." First, the plot is pretty cool. This is a thriller, Star Trek style and it keeps the viewer on edge the entire fifty-one minutes. It's a tight episode and it keeps the tension up. Seriously, Hitchcock has nothing on "Obsession." This is a legitimately scary episode in terms of the villain and the pacing that tells its story. It's honestly rare that I watch something where the adversary measures up and is truly menacing and consistently frightening.

Which brings me to the actual creature. The creature is a cloud that moves on its own volition, changes density - so it cannot be shot -, feeds on blood and energy, can travel through space and only warns its victims by . . . you know, appearing and draining their blood. It's only tell is a scent that the victim might smell a moment before it dies. This has a nightmarish simplicity and horror to the creature that makes it genuinely scary. How do you fight this sort of thing? How can one not freeze up upon something so awesomely simple, yet gruesome as to do all that? It's a tough call and it makes for an intriguing enemy.

But more than an "alien of the week" horror episode of Star Trek, "Obsession" is a character study. James T. Kirk is obsessed with finding and destroying the creature. His reasons are intriguing; he has guilt where he is convinced as an ensign he could have killed the monster had he shot the ship's phasers when he froze up instead. His past failures motivate him and the strength of that prior mistake is well-illustrated in this hour show.

Spock and McCoy work together in "Obsession" to balance Kirk and it's refreshing to see them look like professionals here. They are working together quite well and the sense of community between these characters - who are usually foils - works nicely. The addition of Ensign Garrovick to layer the conflict and themes some works nicely as well.

This episode would utterly fail if William Shatner were not the professional he is. Despite moments of hammy overacting, Shatner delivers as Kirk. He makes us believe the simple special effects are menacing. He convinces the viewer he is smelling something familiar with a look a jerk of his body. He's great and in this Moby Dick-like tale, he delivers more than he makes it campy.

This is a very accessible episode and a must see for any fan of science fiction or horror. The character aspects will be appreciated by anyone who has an imagination and likes compelling drama. With its overall impressive use of the three stars of the series, an engaging plot and the focus of the show on the character struggle, "Obsession" is one of the episodes that makes Star Trek legendary.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek - The Complete Second Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the second season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

For other works involving vampires, please check out my reviews of:
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Let The Right One In

9/10

For other Star Trek reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2010, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.


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Slaves No More, Star Trek Explores A Modern Ancient Rome With "Bread And Circuses!"

The Good: Good acting, General ideas of the plot, Themes
The Bad: Hammy stuntwork/fight scenes, Predictable plot twists, Moments of typical conceits.
The Basics: When the Enterprise finds a planet where Rome did not fall, Kirk, Spock and McCoy become embroiled in a very predictable cultural-contamination storyline.


From the way Star Trek," the original series and the franchise in general, approaches the issue of slavery, a historical analyst looking back at the late 20th Century might well suspect that the United States had issues with utilizing slave labor. From the Star Trek franchise, there are debates over what constitutes slavery and the ethics of using it, most notably in Star Trek: The Next Generation's "The Measure Of The Man." But back in the original Star Trek, Gene L. Coon and Gene Roddenberry himself penned an issue that dealt with slavery vs. freedom issues and couched it in a setting of Ancient Rome . . . sort of.

The U.S.S. Enterprise is searching for the S.S. Beagle when it come to a planet that is remarkably Earth-like and might be where the Federation citizens ended up. Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down to find a group of escaped slaves fleeing the Roman Empire as they are being persecuted for their beliefs. The kindly folk take the trio in, though they are all soon captured by the Romans. These Romans exist at a 20th Century technological level and are selling cars and broadcasting gladiator matches using television. Compelled to fight for their lives for the amusement of Proconsul Claudius Marcus, the slaves exhibit a willingness to die rather than fight and Kirk soon recognizes the Proconsul's new advisor; the captain of the Beagle! Eager to escape, Kirk and his team find themselves in dire straits and must rely on their cunning and prowess in the ring to survive!

Anyone who knows the episode will note that I've made one of the details rather vague in my plot description. The freed slaves are called "Children Of The Sun" and once or twice in the episode, Kirk notes that for sunworshippers, they do not seem to show any real reverence to their local star. The final moments of the episode have Uhura chipping in with her two cents and it is one of the most unremarkable plot ideas that it's shocking the Genes bothered to put it in the episode. It's an idea that comes up early in the episode, that the slaves are being persecuted for their beliefs and desires to be free and that they live like brothers, but the episode neglects the idea and becomes an exploration of political machinations and an all-out gladiator fightfest for the latter half, completely ignoring the elements of who the slaves might actually be for that whole half. In other words, it's a poorly developed and executed footnote for the episode.

"Bread And Circuses" is probably worse in the context of the second season of Star Trek than as a freestanding episode. After all, later in the season almost the identical plot is used (Rome is replaced with Nazi Germany) in "Patterns Of Force." What pushes "Bread And Circuses" up into average territory is that it does have decent themes when the episode bothers to explore them. Before it becomes yet another hand-to-hand fight for life, the episode is intriguing enough to keep the viewer interested. When Merikus enters the episode as a twisted would-have-been captain, the episode turns intriguing.

The instantaneous friction between Merikus and the Proconsul - who berates him constantly - is somewhat obvious and sets up a series of predictable plot and character events that make the episode fairly obvious to anyone who is a fan of drama. So, too, is the subplot that puts a woman in front of Captain Kirk for a scene to seduce before she disappears. Sure, Drusilla has a great costume, but as far as women who have actual chemistry or anything remotely resembling a relationship with Captain Kirk, she's gotta be in the bottom three. But hey, it's the '60s, love the one you're with, right?

"Bread And Circuses" is characterized by good acting all around (see the exception below) with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and James Doohan all giving solid performances easily within their characters' range. From the regular cast, it is DeForest Kelley who shines brightest, even though he is a supporting player in the episode. Kelley is emotional and doctorly and when McCoy is put in the gladiator ring, Kelley plays him with a fierce determination to not fight. Kelley place menaced quite well and with a convincing amount of fear in his eyes.

Guest actors William Smithers and Logan Ramsey perform well as Merikus and Claudius Marcus, respectively. Ramsey, especially performs as a despot with beautiful ease.

The problem both Smithers and Ramsey as well as Rhodes Reason, who plays ex-gladiator turned slave on the run Flavius, face is that they play cookie-cutter characters. They are types more than actual characters. The result is a disappointing mix of generic characters reacting to their circumstances as Generic Villain, the Double-crosser, and the Reluctant Hero.

The only acting issue comes in the many fight sequences, which occur in the episode because of the gladiator contests that Spock, McCoy and Flavius are forced to compete in. These are some of the worst fight sequences in cinematic history. Indeed, Gladiator would never have won Best Picture if the fights had been this bad!

The problem with "Bread And Circuses" is that we do not learn anything new about our main characters that we did not already know. So, for example, we know they are antislavery so they have some empathy for the slaves who are looking only for freedom. The other issue, the need to not overly influence the culture of the people of this planet is also something that has been done ad nauseam even in Star Trek by this point. We understand the Prime Directive issues and once Kirk realizes that Captain Merrik has gone over to the dark side and become Merikus, the only purpose that guides Kirk is getting him and his people off planet with Merrik. Again, this does not stretch any of our principle characters even remotely.

"Bread And Circuses" might appeal to those who like science fiction in general, but fans of Star Trek are likely to feel like they've seen this episode before (several times) and be less likely to be grabbed by it. Fans of straightforward dramas might actually enjoy this, but I can't recommend it, even to them.

On the balance, this is a thoroughly average episode in almost every respect.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek - The Complete Second Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the second season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

5/10

For other Star Trek reviews, please visit my index page!

© 2010, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.




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"Metamorphosis:" A Prelude To Better Star Trek (Franchise) Works!

The Good: Acting, Characters, Philosophy, Story
The Bad: Nitpicky things, Mostly the order in which things happen.
The Basics: Well-acted and populated by good characters doing what they do best, "Metamorphosis" succeeds as a Star Trek episode when carefully referenced in other Trek works.


"Metamorphosis" is one of those Star Trek episodes that is often neglected. It never makes the Top 10 Episodes, scenes are never put on collector's plates, there aren't any action figures exclusive from the episode. And part of that is based on the fact that it's not a terribly marketable episode. Star Trek was once condemned as being "too cerebral" (apparently even in the '60s, network execs were threatened by television making people think); "Metamorphosis" is, quite positively, a cerebral episode and that is its strength.

The episode focuses on a shuttlecraft mission that has gone awry. When Kirk, Spock and Dr. McCoy are headed back to the Enterprise with an ailing ambassador Nancy Hedford, their shuttlecraft is taken off course by a mysterious energy being. They land on a planetoid to discover another human there and from there, the episode delves into the mysteries of who he is, why he is there and what the energy being that is holding them there truly is. There's an air of desperation as Hedford is dying of a rare disease and time seems to be of the essence.

The troubling aspect of the episode is in plausibility. The most obvious is that none of the crew seems to recognize the human stranded on the planetoid right away. As it turns out, he's one of the giants of history (in the Trek universe). This is explained away by the fact that he has de-aged. While that's a neat and tidy answer, it turns out that the age he's reverted to is right around the same age as when he made his historic contributions. It's bothersome that it's Captain Kirk that figures it all out; it strikes me as something the scientist and vastly more intelligent Mr. Spock ought to have figured out within seconds of seeing him.

The other problem is the order in which things happen. A very dear friend of mine is a disciple of Gene Roddenberry's and his biggest criticism of the modern series' (post-fourth season Next Generation, all of Deep Space Nine, most of Voyager, certainly the films - save I and IV) is that they don't adhere to Roddenberry's ideal of humanity as an enlightened being. If you watch the first season of Star Trek The Next Generation (which I call the season of Philosopher Kings in Space), you'll see this very clearly. The truth of the original Star Trek is, it's not. Despite Roddenberry's attempts and my friend's strong admonishments of the current incarnations, the original series doesn't portray a terribly enlightened ideal at all times. In "Metamorphosis" we see this quite clearly. Kirk shoots first, asks questions later. Literally. It's only after violence fails that Kirk actually listens to the vastly more enlightened Dr. McCoy and tries being a diplomat/explorer instead of a soldier. McCoy has a great line to this effect in the episode. The disappointing aspect is neither of the two other officers (or our mysterious third person who seems generally pacifistic) try to convince Kirk to do anything before he tries the violent and backwards approach. I suppose the plus side of this is that his attempts to fight the energy creature fail while his attempts to communicate with it work. Good message.

The only other con is very minor. Elinor Donahue, who plays Nancy Hedford, goes off on a moralistic tirade about the energy creature being disgusting and unwholesome at one point. It's hard to tell if her tirade is poorly written or if this is one of the worst acting jobs done on the series. The rest of the time, her character is portrayed admirably, in fact, near the end, quite sympathetically. But that moment, well, it's just plain bad.

The pros of this episode vastly outweigh the cons. The greatest pro is in the form of Dr. McCoy. Both the character and actor give it their all and it shows in "Metamorphosis." McCoy is enlightened and he's dedicated to saving lives and doing right and while he theorizes the way to incapacitate the energy being (known as "The Companion"), he's the one who pleads with the being to stop hurting Kirk and Spock as well as proposes the nonviolent approach to everything. He's a great man. He's excellently acted by DeForest Kelley in the episode as well. Kelley uses the full range of his body and voice and facial expression to very convincingly portray McCoy. And what more may we truly ask of an actor?

Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner give very good performances, but the acting - outside DeForest - is played best by Glenn Corbett. He plays the third man - who I'm not revealing because it's one of those pleasant twists - and he does it with great range and respect. The acting is good, despite the backwards nature of the characters, the characters are all good. Allow me to clarify; the characters in this episode, especially Kirk, are acting as we expect people to act and that's refreshing and realistic. I LIKE that about it. It's perfect to have McCoy being the enlightened voice, but I think it says something very real - if depressing - that Kirk pushes him around throughout the episode.

The true magic of the episode is what comes from it. Allusions are made in better works of Trek (most notably the novel Federation) and the ignoring of this episode brings the downfall of other works (it seems those who wrote Star Trek: First Contact didn't think anyone cared much for this episode when they mangled established facts of the series in that film). The reason they reference this episode? Because it's a big episode for the thinking part of the series. Kirk makes promises in this episode and exploring the character of "the man" becomes a point of fascination for those captivated with the series. It's often worth it. This episode deserves to be referenced more than it is. It's one of those episodes that, while cerebral, did what it set out to do. It tells a story and it tells it well and part of the theme is that when people get around to doing the right thing, they actually accomplish good things.

Accessible to all viewers, not just fans of the series.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek - The Complete Second Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the second season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

8/10

© 2010, 2007, 2001 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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The Way Of The Spores Is On "This Side Of Paradise"

The Good: Fine concept, Good music, Interesting character work, Mostly good acting
The Bad: Ridiculous execution of concept, Supplemental characters and acting are terrible
The Basics: When the U.S.S. Enterprise finds a colony that should be dead very much alive, they fall victims to spores that take control of their minds and hearts.


One of the nice things about being a true original is that when you create something new that is enduring and genuinely unique, regardless of anything else, you can say you were the first. While the first execution of an idea may not always be the best, it becomes the concept that all of the subsequent ideas that use the same elements are based on, even if only unconsciously. The Star Trek episode "This Side of Paradise," which may not be perfect by any means, succeeds even until today as being relatively unique, completely clever and the first of its kind.

The U.S.S. Enterprise arrives at Omicron Ceti III, a planet where colonists were sent and where the crew expects to find a dead, abandoned colony because the planet was bombarded by deadly Berthold Rays and no ship could arrive in time to save the colony when the problem was eventually detected. Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy are thus shocked to find the colonists alive and well and completely happy on the planet with no signs of being dead. Intrigued, in part because a young blonde colonist named Leila Kalomi once knew Spock and is clearly attracted to him, the landing party soon falls victim to plants that emit spores. The spores rewire the nervous system to allow the host to survive the Berthold rays and also stimulate the pleasure centers in such a way that the hosts are put in a near-constant state of bliss. As a result, Kirk soon loses control of his crew and his ship and he must figure out a way to end the control of the spores as his crew becomes overwhelmed and abandons the Enterprise to certain destruction.

"This Side of Paradise" does a lot that is right on, executed perfectly. First, the spores are a great idea; they are a well-conceived adversary in that makes perfect sense. The spores are scientifically viable, controlling animal life to spread seeds that will create more plants, in exchange providing a valuable service to the host organism. It's clever and it works and it's an idea that has a sophistication to it that goes well above and beyond the normal operations of a television show.

Moreover, following on the heels of episodes like, "The Naked Time" which contain the same "loss of control and inhibition" elements, "This Side of Paradise" offers the chance to distinguish the actors involved by forcing them to reinterpret a state of joy. So, whereas Sulu was active and somewhat crazed in "The Naked Time," here he is laid back and easygoing without a care in the world. George Takei gives a wonderfully different performance to make the two afflictions completely different.

On a character level, this is explored wonderfully with Spock. Spock was deeply conflicted in "The Naked Time;" losing his barriers there meant that he was allowed to feel guilt over not expressing love for his human mother, it allowed him to collapse under the weight of the conflict between his Vulcan and human halves. In "This Side of Paradise," Spock is put in a state of bliss. There is no conflict, there are no questions, he simply is truly and unabashedly happy. Seeing him smile is almost unnerving and watching him mouth off to Captain Kirk is actually quite funny.

A great deal of the episode, then, is held up by the performance of Leonard Nimoy as Spock. Nimoy is able to illustrate some genuine acting depth as he takes Spock on an emotional journey from emotionless to blissful to furious and back. He makes the transitions seem effortless and always in character, making the episode flow wonderfully around him.

Sadly, the superficial characters in this episode are poorly acted. When one crewman mouths off to Kirk about the fact that he is part of the shipwide mutiny to abandon the Enterprise, his performance is stilted and somewhat silly. Instead of being dramatic, it comes across as melodramatic and obvious. Similarly, near the end of the episode, there are several fight scenes and they are almost all overly choreographed and disappointingly acted.

What continues to save "This Side of Paradise," then, is the essential conflict of the episode. The spores do very little harm, save to the militaristic structure of StarFleet, and provide any number of benefits for the colonists. Fighting the influence of the spores, then, becomes an argument between freedom and order with Captain Kirk ironically taking the stand for freedom by destroying order in the hopes of reasserting his own control over his crew. The idea here is not that the spores are even all that bad, it is instead that they are simply robbing people of the full range of the human experience to service their own needs. That, I feel, is smart and it is well-executed here.

Captain Kirk, performed by William Shatner, then becomes more a means to a plot end rather than a genuine character. However, his cunning and devotion make him downright heroic in this episode and his performance is quite good.

Notable as well about "This Side of Paradise" is the music. While the plants may not be the most convincing special effect ever, the music is distinctly different from most Star Trek episodes. Like the music in "Shore Leave," "This Side of Paradise" employs a lighter score that supports what is happening with the characters as they lose their inhibitions.

All in all, this is a solid episode that is enjoyable and continues to be enjoyable even years later. It is great for anyone who likes science fiction or a clever scientifically-based story. While it might not be for those who like high drama, it will certainly keep the attention of anyone who enjoys lighter television.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek - The Complete First Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the premiere season by clicking here!
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7/10

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© 2010, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.


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