Wednesday 25 August 2010

Episode 3.8 "THE EMPATH" Review


So we skip straight to the cramped research station on a planet where the nearby sun is about to explode into a nova. The place is empty, and the away team of Kirk, McCoy and Spock investigate. It is quickly revealed that the station staff were simply whisked away by special effects, and so too are the away team immediately before the opening credits roll.

Transported under the surface of the nameless planet, the three find themselves in unlit and basically featureless caverns. Most of the sets for this episode are simply blackness, with props and furniture where required, but nothing else. It is an odd look, it works sometimes, and it certainly makes you focus on the events in the foreground simply because there is nothing else to distract you at all, but I still think it makes the episode look very, very cheap. Even dreary rock face would have been better, at least occasionally, just to show it was there.

Anyway, the three find a random mute woman on a random couch in the middle of the darkness. Named Gem by a somewhat fond McCoy, she says nothing and has nothing to really do for now. The masterminds responsible for the kidnapping, the Vians show up. Now, while they use cheap looking prop guns, I think the Vians look excellent. The make-up and costume really works, simple as it is, and indeed the subtlety is probably the strength of the Vian look. They're disconcertingly non-human, obviously alien and sinister, but also not monstrous. For the original series, the Vians look impressive. I guess that is where the budget went on this one.


Amusing Quote: "I'm going to call her Gem." "Gem, Doctor?" "Well, that's better than 'Hey, You'." (McCoy and Spock on the importance of names.)

The Vians seem more interested in Gem than the away team, and trap them in an energy barrier. I'm not sure the wisdom of explaining how the barrier works and thus how to beat it, but Kirk and company don't suss that out until the climax because... Because!



Gem is revealed to be able to empathically heal, absorbing wounds and then healing them herself.

The first act ends when the away team discover the Vian's lab has the missing, and now very dead, station staff in big tubes. The bodies twisted in apparent agony. A grim image, especially since there are tubes ready and waiting for Kirk, McCoy and Spock!

By means of a sneaky Vulcan nerve pinch, Spock disarms a Vian and they all flee. But the escape is just one of many tests by the Vians who use an illusion of Scotty as a lure. Episode time appropriately padded out, everyone is returned to the underground caverns.

A shirtless Kirk is tortured, for no reason than to see his will and courage. Kirk is returned to the couch where his friends are and Gem heals him again, but she suffers considerably to do so.

Amusing Quote: "If my death is to have any meaning, at least tell me what I'm dying for." "If you live, you will have your answer." (Kirk discovers that Vian's really aren't the best conversationalist torturers in the galaxy.)

The Vians say that Kirk must choose to risk the life Spock or the mind of McCoy who will be experimented on... Which is to say tortured horribly next. Despite being healed, Kirk is suffering from the bends and is easily knocked out by McCoy. Taking command, Spock insists he will undergo the Vian's torment, only to be knocked out by McCoy as well.

Amusing Quote: "I'm a Doctor, not a coal miner." (Just in case you forgot.)

True to the threat, McCoy is tortured to the point of madness and death off-screen. Using the Vian device he stole, Spock teleports them to the laboratory. The Vian's are gone, and they rescue the dying Bones.

Amusing Quotes: "You've got a good bedside manner, Spock." (Because McCoy can compliment Spock without his head exploding, honest.)


The final act sees the Vian's test make sense. Gem is the subject, and her willingness or unwillingness to heal another at the cost of her own life will decide whether the Vian's save her species from the nova. Kirk accuses the aliens of being without emotion, nothing but intellect and essentially unworthy of making the decision regarding the lives of others. The aliens recognise the truth to his words, heal McCoy, and depart via bad special effects to save Gem's species.

Positives: The Vians are good looking, and play the dispassionate scientist role well. That what is promised is the saving of a world's people is a good device. McCoy gets some good lines and even if his relationship with Gem is unclear, it is nice to see someone except Kirk get some screen time with the exotic alien girl for once. The music, mostly new material is also quite nice and helps the episode feel a little more unique.

Negatives: It is, without question, too plodding and slow. There just isn't enough plot for 50 minutes. What is there is good. The vians, the threat and the tests, the horrible fate and the ultimate reward are all good, but there just isn't enough to go around. I know this was meant to focus on the core three cast members, but really it needed something more. Also, maybe it is just me, but Gem just doesn't hold my interest outside of her ability to heal. Maybe giving her more personality would have helped the episode. As it is, she's just a blank. Plus, the caves...


Overall: The Empath is flawed, but not a failure. A few problems exist and stop it being a really good episode. Still, I can't help but feel it was a missed opportunity to be a better episode than it was.

Monday 23 August 2010

Ulterior Motives!

While watching and reviewing these original episodes of Star Trek, I am making notes for a role-playing game I am in the process of writing. Currently called General Order-7 - The Star Trek Role-Playing Game, it is something I have been working on quietly over this rather dull university summer.

It isn't based on any existing game, though we have played the hell out of Last Unicorn Games' Star Trek games in the past. My issue always came down to entirely needless complexities, a totally pointless list of skills and specialisations, and a ramshackle rules system that let down an otherwise excellent set of books.

GO-7 is meant to be very, very simple, and to replicate concepts of the original Star Trek series as much as possible while still being a fun game for my players. As work progresses I will likely put up material from the game here.

Saturday 21 August 2010

Next Episode...

The next episode will likely be season three's The Empath!

I don't recall seeing that one before, so it will be interesting to review without any nostalgic memories.

Tuesday 17 August 2010

Episode 1.19 "ARENA" Review


To begin with, the Starship Enterprise is lured to Cestus III, a distant frontier colony. This trap requires an inviting radio message, but upon arrival on the planet, it is revealed to be a ruse and both Captain Kirk's team and the Enterprise come under attack.

Amusing Quote: "Doctor, you are a sensualist." "You bet your pointed ears I am!" (Spock and McCoy discussing the invitation to enjoy Commodore Travers' renowned hospitality.)

Why would a commodore (outranking a captain) be running a distant outpost? Also, how did the Gorn fake a series of messages that function as a conversation? Pretty clever Iguanas!

On the planet, Kirk and co. are bombarded by unseen Gorn. This is quite effective, building up a mysterious opponent for the crew.

Amusing Quote: "Captain! I see something..." (O'Herlihy at the moment of his death.)

Kirk repels the attack by means of insanely powerful photon grenades! Seriously, the effects suggest them to be really over the top, great stuff. Interestingly, the Enterprise fights the Gorn ship, but cannot see it. Seemingly torpedoes can be fired further than visual range, adding to the submarine combat style I really enjoyed from the original series.

Amusing Quote: "Never mind about me. Protect my ship!" (Kirk keeping it simple for Sulu.)

The chase across unknown space is kept brief, but Kirk's aggression and attitude that the Enterprise must protect and police the frontier. Clearly, there isn't many starships, an aspect of the series I prefer since it makes each of the other starships important to Starfleet, not as throwaway as they would later become.

The Metrons cripple both ships and whisk the captains away to an asteroid where they can settle things in a primitive way, and of course this is the meat of the episode. The infamous duel between Kirk and the Gorn.

What to say about this? Well, the Gorn is as sluggish as I recall and watching it fight Kirk is very funny. Oddly, when it swings a club it isn't all that slow, but when it tries to punch, claw or grapple Kirk it is laughably slow. Eventually Kirk tricks himself into being grappled and uses an ear-pop to break free. Classic! The Gorn is actually very much like a zombie, even a wounded Kirk can limp faster than it can follow, but it has a menacing persistence. Rocks are exchanged, the Gorn shrugging off every size of boulder Kirk throws at it.

Amusing Quote: "He's immensely strong, already he has withstood attacks from me that would have killed a human being. Fortunately, though strong, he's not agile. The agility... And I hope the cleverness is mine." (Kirk after throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the alien.)

This chase and occasional combat continues, with Kirk always coming off the worse for it. I can't help but be reminded of Wile E. Coyote from the Roadrunner cartoons whenever the Gorn is on screen, chuckling and making a new trap for Kirk. Meanwhile, the Metrons allow the crew of the Enterprise to witness events on the surface, mostly so Uhura can look panic-stricken for the last twenty minutes.

The Gorn captain realises the episode is running short on time, so it implores Kirk to hurry up.

Amusing Quote: "Earthling... Captain. This is your opponent, Earthling... I have heard every word you have said. I weary of the chase. Wait for me, I shall be merciful and quick." (The Gorn driving a hard bargain.)

It is revealed by the Gorn that the destruction of Cestus III was not an unprovoked attack, but a rather aggressive defence. The Gorn lay claim to that sector of space and don't feel obliged to tell anyone else. I long considered that the Gorn had encountered the Klingons, fostering a deep-seated dislike of other species. Then again, maybe they're just not in the mood to say "Hi!" to the neighbours. Either way, the prospect that the Gorn might be in the right troubles the crew.


Constructing a primitive gunpowder cannon, Kirk finally fells the Gorn. But spares it, hoping some kind of peace can be arranged between the two species. The Metron appears, congratulating Kirk on proving his species to be less worthless than expected. "You're still half savage, but there is hope." As all-powerful aliens go, the Metrons actually seem more in touch with the galaxy, and acknowledge that human beings might one day join them in whatever superior state they exist in.

Kirk is returned to the starship Enterprise, everyone pats themselves on the back and the credits roll.

Positives: The message is strong here, Kirk's response of blind violence against violence is primitive. The Gorn are a very cool foe, technically advanced, crafty and truly alien in a way that later series do not manage. The environment of the arena asteroid is also good, it is nice to see exterior shots instead of a sound stage in Star Trek.

Negatives: Honestly, the superior aliens card is played a lot in the series, and while the Metrons are not too bad, they also aren't all that good either. Script notes suggest that the Metrons may have destroyed the winner of the duel, not the loser, as the winner would pose more threat to the galaxy at large. An interesting possibility, but not one that was explored during the episode. The Gorn is, despite being a striking foe, a lumbering and clumsy foe. It is hard to take it seriously during the brawl.


Overall: Arena is considered a classic episode and for good reason. It has almost everything that Star Trek is about packed into fifty minutes. The only real weakness is in the Gorn's fighting ability, an unfortunate and singular failing in an otherwise fun episode. It is a pity the Gorn were never encountered again in the series.

Friday 13 August 2010

What Was I Thinking?

Of course I know which episode of Star Trek to watch and review first... Arena! Great Gorn forgive me.

Still, I might as well use this entry as a pre-review warm-up and lay down a few ground rules for myself.

Firstly, the original Star Trek show is old. Very old! With this in mind, I'm obviously going to have to acknowledge the budget issues, props, sets and special affects of individual episodes. I will be watching the re-mastered versions of the episodes, since that is what I have. However, since starship footage was so very sparse, and ultimately quite unimportant to the series, I don't think that will matter.

Secondly, I plan to review the episodes as individual stories from an anthology. The original Star Trek had almost none of the canonical headaches of Star Trek: The Next Generation. So while I may bring up aspects of an episode that were later adopted or abandoned, I will try not to make too big a deal of them. Likewise, I won't have a review constantly referring back to an earlier review.

Thirdly, I do not have a schedule for this journal. But I will try not to let too long go by before making a post. Given the amount of films I watch and the rest, I should be able to find something to talk about!

Welcome to Cestus III!

This is my new weblog, created to replace my old and little used journals. I intend to use it for a couple of purposes. Firstly, just as a general record for myself, and otherwise to review a variety of media... Films, music, comics, or whatever else attracts my attention.

Specifically, I intend to watch the original Star Trek television series and review it episode by episode for my own interest. Whether I write these reviews in episode order or not I have not yet decided, but I plan to make a start next week.

Until then, please allow the Gorn captain to keep you entertained!