Review(s): DVD Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 19, Episodes 37 & 38: The Changeling/ The Apple
Classic Trek
These two episodes are great summaries of the original series. "The Changeling" is an inexpensive ship-bound script, with a standard defeating-computers-through-logic riff. It still stands better in its own way than the first motion picture, which used the same theme. Ironically, it stands as an example of what happens when one lets personal criteria determine whether or not an encountered culture should survive -- something Star Fleet's Prime Directive is supposed to prevent, and which is no more clearly violated than in the other episode, "The Apple," where Kirk decides that having a computer make you contented nature children is somehow "unnatural" and therefore has to be ended. This episode is noteworthy both for the number of "red shirts" killed (they have to beam down in two groups there will be so many), and for having a female crewman actually do some hand-to-hand fighting. Good entertainment to be had by all.
Kirk takes on another pair of alien super computers
Volume 19 of the Star Trek DVD series finds Captain Kirk confronting another pair of super machines in this particular pair of episodes. "The Changeling" was always an interesting episode, even before it served as the template for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." The Enterprise discovers that all humanoid life in the Malurian system has disappeared when the ship is attacked by a a tiny vessel. When Kirk hails the vessel, the attack stops and Nomad is beamed aboard. Once upon a time this was a probe sent by earth into deep space to contact alien life, where it was damaged and eventually met up with a probe from another civilization that was designed to collect soil samples and sterilize them. The two probes end up merging and Nomad now believes its mission is to contact alien life and sterilize it. The only reason the Enterprise has not been destroyed is because it has mistaken James Kirk as its "Creator," Jackson Roykirk. Nomad is not impressed by the biological life forms on the Enterprise, although it does allow that the Spock unit is well ordered. "The Changeling" is another one of those episodes where Kirk uses logic to defeat a superior computer while Spock looks on in amazement. However, the bit where Nomad erases Uhura's mind would be more chilling if they did not retrain her in about a week. Still, this is an above average episode and one of the better confrontations between Kirk and a super comptuer.
"The Apple" is another one of those Star Trek episodes where the Enterprise visits what seems to be a paradise, only to end up being disappointed. On Gamma Trianguli VI they find such a place, only to have three crew man suddenly die and the Enterprise lose power. Scotty reports that a tractor beam is slowly but surely dragging the ship into the planet's atmosphere. Meanwhile the locales, known as the Feeders of Vaal have no explanation, simply because they are too primitive to understand that they serve a super computer who is maintaining their way of life. Vaal, recognizing the Enterprise represents a threat to this "paradise," orders the Feeders to kill the strangers. But peaceful people with rocks and sticks are no match for Starfleet personnel with phasers. However, this time logical alone is not going to save the day and Kirk has to resort to brute force to prevent the destruction of his starship. I always wondered what happened to the these poor people once their "god" was destroyed, but then I never did have a good understanding of that stupid Prime Directive.
These two don't quite measure up to their neighbors
The Changeling-This episode, which features a confused and destructive floating robot, is an unspectacular offering. Like several episodes, it ably enough explores the unfortunate fact that technology is fallible, and that even with the best intentions, things can and do go wrong. This ship-based episode is less exciting than some of its neighbors, although there are a few dramatic scenes. On the negative side, the idea that Uhura could be rapidly re-programmed would be laughable if it wasn't so insulting to her. Also tedious is Kirk's outwitting of Nomad. (3 stars)
The Apple-This episode, in which the crew beams down to a 'pre-fall' planet where the lizard-god still controls his followers, is an unpleasant surprise. Star Trek was in the middle of a strong rhythm that was broken by this silly episode. I suppose the basic biblical premise is OK, but it doesn't go anywhere. The planet is just a vehicle for red-shirt carnage, and none of the guest actors are convincing in their admittedly silly roles. I suppose the question of whether these people will be better off after their paradise is lost is an interesting one, but unlike in Who Mourns for Adonais?, the question is not taken up here. Basically just a half-hearted, 3rd season-like show, but without the trippy style many of the later shows at least contributed. (1.5 stars)
Related DVD's Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 19, Episodes 37 & 38: The Changeling/ The Apple
"Who Mourns for Adonais?" A nifty idea: the Greek god Apollo turns out to be quite real, a powerful extraterrestrial (Michael Forest) waiting some 5,000 years for the human race to develop enough to meet him out in the cosmos. Catching sight of the Enterprise, he immobilizes the ship and demands that the members of a landing party--Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Chief Engineer Scott (James Doohan), Chekov (Walter Koenig), and antiquities specialist Lieutenant Carolyn Palamas (Leslie Parrish)--bow before him and prepare to spend the rest of their lives being cherished through his insistent love. A doubting Kirk recruits his people to secretly find the mechanical source of Apollo's power to throw lightning bolts, become a giant, and punish his... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Star Trek Original Series - William Shatner DVD Release Date: Released the 24 October 2000 Usually ships within 24 hours
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Volume 15 of The Star Trek TOS DVD series should be noted to have the last episode filmed in season 1 and the first episode filmed in the second season. However these episodes are some of the most bizarre episodes to ever grace the series.
OPERATION-ANNILATE! was the last episode in season 1. It closed the 1966-67 season with a bang. Making sure that fans would tune in for the second season for another collection of Star Trek Adventures. OPERATION - ANNILATE'S plot was a very good one as a notorious space bacteria that travels from system to system killing everything in it's path has crossed path with the USS Enterprise. The bacteria has travelled to a planet by the name of Deneva killing Kirk's brother Sam and his wife. As the bacteria begins to consume yet another system it is up to... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Star Trek Original Series - William Shatner DVD Release Date: Released the 19 September 2000 Usually ships within 24 hours
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"Bread and Circuses" Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), and First Officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy) discover that Captain Merik (William Smithers), commander of the long-missing Starfleet vessel S.S. Beagle, has become "First Citizen of the Empire" in a re-creation of ancient Rome on an obscure, unnamed planet. Under orders from the Emperor, Merik forced his own crew to die in gladiator battles and lured other Starfleet personnel to the same fate. Now with Kirk, McCoy, and Spock in hand, the Emperor's barbaric (and televised all over the planet) amusements carry on another day. While the script takes a swipe or two at the sometimes less-than-elevated tastes of global audiences, the episode's most interesting idea is the existence of a... More Info about this DVD Director(s): James Goldstone - Murray Golden - James Komack - Don McDougall - Robert Butler DVD Release Date: Released the 24 April 2001 Usually ships within 24 hours
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A Private Little War-This underrated 'cold war' episode featuring a gorilla-unicorn, is another taught thriller from the second season. In addition to the non-stop action (shootings, Mugatu bites, Klingon intrigue, etc.) we have a well-reasoned ethical debate about the dual perils of intervention and non-intervention by a superpower. Kirk even acknowledges some ambivalence about the arming of the Hill people (think Vietnam) at the end of the show. Other pluses in this episode are the culture of the planet, as well as Nona. Her healing scene with Shatner is pretty racy, even by today's standards. (4 stars)
The Gamesters of Triskelion-This episode, in which the enslaved crew are forced by giant brains to engage in arena combat, was a big step down from prior episodes. In fact, I would... More Info about this DVD Director(s): James Goldstone - Murray Golden - James Komack - Don McDougall - Robert Butler DVD Release Date: Released the 05 June 2001 Usually ships within 24 hours
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Obsession-This below average show concerned a hemoglobin-seeking space cloud from Kirk's past. The episode certainly has a couple things going for it; like The Doomsday Machine the episodes explores obsession with past mistakes and the quest for redemption. Evidence of Kirk's fallibility and capacity for introspection are always welcome, and his humane decision to give Garrovick the second chance he never received himself is poignant. Unfortunately, the story itself is not terribly engaging. Call me shallow, but it's hard to get excited about these gaseous clusters! (see/don't see Metamorphosis and the Lights of Zetar as well) (2.5 stars)
