this is why you can’t have nice things Archive

7

Star Trek Animated Series Re-Watch: “Once Upon a Planet”

Once Upon a Planet
Written by Chuck Menville and Len Janson
Directed by Hal Sutherland

Season 1, Episode 9
Production episode: 22017
Original air date:  November 3, 1973
Star date: 5591.2

Mission summary

It’s time for some well-deserved r&r, so the Enterprise stops by the Omicron Delta sector to unload its weary crew on the so-called shore leave planet. McCoy, Sulu, and Uhura are in the first wave and note that the place is just as they left it–serene, idyllic, slightly wacky. To clue us in that this is a sequel, McCoy reminisces about that time he felt like he was in Alice in Wonderland, and right on cue Alice and the White Rabbit pop up.

UHURA: It’s hard to believe they’re not real.
MCCOY: Well just remember they’re highly sophisticated robots created by the planet computer to make your dreams come true.
UHURA: So think only happy thoughts.

At least they don’t have Stay Puft in the future.

The three of them wander off to enjoy the planet until McCoy is accosted by the Queen of Hearts, who decides to paint the roses red… with his blood! Shouting “Off with his head!” she and her cardguards chase him around for a bit until he finally gets through to the ship for an emergency beam out. They get a lock on Sulu, too, who reports no strange occurrences whatsoever and seems bummed to miss out on the vacation, but they can’t find Uhura anywhere. She’s been kidnapped!

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23

Star Trek Re-Watch: Season 3 Wrap-Up

The third season over, we present our summarized ratings and reflect on that which was:

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81

Star Trek Re-Watch: “Turnabout Intruder”

Turnabout Intruder
Teleplay by Arthur Singer
Story by Gene Roddenberry
Directed by Herb Wallerstein

Season 3, Episode 24
Production episode: 3×24
Original air date:  June 3, 1969
Star date: 5928.5

 

Mission summary

The Enterprise has arrived at Camus II where a team of researchers exploring a long-lost civilization have sent out a distress signal. When they beam down they find that only two scientists have survived the mysterious circumstances: Dr. Coleman, the surgeon, and Dr. Janice Lester, the expedition’s leader and an old flame of Kirk’s. Dr. Lester is bedridden from radiation poisoning and seems on the brink of death. Kirk goes to her, but she can barely speak. (He’s just that impressive.) He stays with her as Spock, McCoy, and Dr. Coleman detect weak lifesigns elsewhere on the station and exit in pursuit.

While Kirk and Dr. Lester arbor some residual tenderness towards one another, they have some resentment issues like you wouldn’t believe:

JANICE: I hoped I wouldn’t see you again.
KIRK: I don’t blame you.
JANICE: The year we were together at Starfleet is the only time in my life I was alive.
KIRK: I never stopped you from going on with your space work.
JANICE: Your world of starship captains doesn’t admit women. It isn’t fair.
KIRK: No, it isn’t. And you punished and tortured me because of it.
JANICE: I loved you. We could’ve roamed among the stars.
KIRK: We’d have killed each other.
JANICE: It might have been better.

Kirk, in his wisdom, doesn’t respond to that particular remark. Instead he explores the room he’s in a little bit. Short attention span, that captain. Against the back wall of the sick room is a lighted structure, with some kind of alien markings all over it. With his back turned to Janice, Kirk inspects the strange wall. Seems… wall-y. Yep. Well, that was productive. Meanwhile, Janice pulls out a remote control and points it at Kirk. With a buzz from the remote he is pulled against the wall and immobilized. It’s a trap!1 Dr. Lester, smiling, gets out of bed easily–so much for radiation sickness–and walks toward him. On the side of the structure are two switches, and she flips one and then stands beside Kirk against the wall. Thanks to the wonders of crappy special effects, we see a shadow of Kirk lift out of his body and overlay onto hers, while a shadow of Lester lifts out of her body and onto the captain’s. They’ve switched bodies!

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