It’s kind of weird how TOS episodes fit into nice pairs sometimes, isn’t it? Both “The Trouble with Tribbles” and “The Gamesters of Triskelion” don’t have a whole lot of plot. It only works in the episode about cute little furry creatures–and no, we’re not talking about Chekov. Also! Richard has done entirely too much research into the life of the …
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Trekabout Episode 22: Obsession/Wolf in the Fold
“Obsession” is kind of like “The Doomsday Machine” only with Kirk being crazy but of course he can’t actually be crazy, because he’s Captain Kirk. “Wolf in the Fold” is kind of like Robert Bloch’s nightmares (we assume) only with Scotty being crazy but of course he can’t actually be crazy, because he’s Scotty. It’s …
Trekabout Episode 21: Friday’s Child/The Deadly Years
Our pairing of episodes this week bring us full circle on the cycle of life. In “Friday’s Child”, a woman gives birth to a premature baby, and in “The Deadly Years”, a woman dies of premature old age. Also! The Klingons and the Romulans come back. iTunes Google Play RSS
Trekabout Episode 20: Metamorphosis/Journey to Babel
Mothers and children feature prominently in both of our episodes this week. In “Metamorphosis” it’s a needy energy being who holds Zephram Cochrane captive until Kirk and company land and turn their relationship into some sort of Oedipal horrorshow. In “Journey to Babel” we have Spock trying really hard not to emote all over his …
Trekabout Episode 19: Catspaw/I, Mudd
Both “Catspaw” and “I, Mudd” feature a variety of professional actors hamming it up, but only in “Catspaw” does the ham actually smell a bit off, probably because of the giant cat. No, seriously: a giant cat. Meanwhile, in “I, Mudd”, the cast of The Original Series engages in improv theater, which results in one …
Trekabout Episode 18: The Apple/The Doomsday Machine
Welcome to this week’s Trekabout, where we give you a master course in Christian theology. In the beginning (“The Apple”), God was there with some guys and gals, and then Satan (Kirk) came and gave them the knowledge of good and evil (sex). Skip ahead a while (“The Doomsday Machine”) and God (Starfleet) sends his …
Trekabout Episode 17: The Changeling/Mirror, Mirror
An evil mass-murdering robot? Why, it must be time for “The Changeling”, which tries to answer the question “what would happen if a robot could feel sad?” and kind of succeeds. “Mirror, Mirror” tries to answer the question “what if the Federation were the kind of organization that built mass-murdering robots?” and also kind of …
Trekabout Episode 16: Amok Time/Who Mourns for Adonais
We made it! Welcome to season two of The Original Series. “Amok Time” is among the series’ best, what with all the soup-throwing, bell-playing, and Kirk-dying insanity, while “Who Mourns for Adonais” is among the series’ middling episodes, but we get a lot of mileage out of both of them. Richard thinks Sulu is sleeping …
Trekabout Episode 15: Operation–Annihilate!
Well, we’ve done it–we’ve reached the end of the first season of The Original Series. While “Operation–Annihilate!” has a pleasingly campy title, the episode doesn’t really add up to much–unlike our long discussion of television theory. It’s so long, in fact, that we pushed “Amok Time” to next week. Sorry, loyal listener–we’ll never lie to …
Trekabout Episode 14: The Alternative Factor/The City on the Edge of Forever
Boy, we really wish there was an alternative to “The Alternative Factor”, because it’s almost unwatchable and we’re sorry we have to put you, our loyal listeners, through it. If it’s any consolation, the other episode this week, “The City on the Edge of Forever”, is as great as the The Original Series ever got. …