Month: October 2021

Synopsis: On the planet Pyris VII the Enterprise encounters aliens from another galaxy. It is interesting that this particular episode from Star Trek: The Original Series was never one of my favorites when I was growing up watching the reruns. After re-viewing it this time, I can understand why. “Catspaw” is all about aliens from… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 7: “Catspaw”

Synopsis: The Enterprise confronts a powerful robot weapon. “The Doomsday Machine” has striking parallels to Moby Dick and like that classic tale, that which sets your imagination afire, or stirs your passions, can be your undoing. In this episode however, it is not Captain James T. Kirk who is possessed by revenge, but Commodore Matt… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 6: The Doomsday Machine”

Synopsis: The Enterprise encounters a paradisial planet run by a computer. “The Apple” in many ways is very much the same story as “The Return of the Archons.” The Enterprise is sent to a planet, in this case Gamma Trianguli VI, because something has piqued the interest of the Federation, here strange readings picked up… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 5: “The Apple”

Synopsis: A transporter malfunction results in Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy, Lt. Uhura and Chief Engineer Scott materializing in a parallel universe. In “Mirror, Mirror” it is quite easy to make the connection between our universe representing the conscious ego and the parallel universe that Captain James T. Kirk, Dr. Leonard (Bones) McCoy, Lt. Nyota Uhura,… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 4: “Mirror, Mirror”

Synopsis: In their mission to investigate the destruction of the Malurian civilization, the crew of the Enterprise encounters an old Earth space probe, Nomad. The title “The Changeling” refers to the tale of the fairy baby that changes places with a human one. And I suppose there is a way in which this episode can… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 3: “The Changeling”

Synopsis: On the planet Pollux IV the Enterprise comes across an alien who claims to be Apollo. Myths are said to be both true and false at the same time, and this description also applies to “Who Mourns for Adonais?” It seems logical, and indeed working out of Logos, the conscious ego wants to find… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 2: “Who Mourns for Adonais?”

Synopsis: Mr. Spock, who is experiencing the Vulcan pon farr must return to Vulcan to take part in the koon-ut-kal-if-fee mating ritual or die trying. In my last post I commented on how in the first season of Star Trek: The Original Series one of two reoccurring themes of episodes was that of an alien… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 1: “Amok Time”

Synopsis: Following a trail of mass insanity across the galaxy, the Enterprise arrives at Devena and discovers the cause for the madness is aliens that take over the bodies of individuals. A couple posts ago, when I wrote about the episode “Errand of Mercy” I spoke about one theme appearing in the first season of… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1, Episode 29: “Operation — Annihilate!”

Synopsis: Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock must follow Dr. McCoy into the past in order to un-do an act he did in his drugged visit to 1930s Earth that caused a change in history. “The City on the Edge of Forever” is one of the most acclaimed of all the episodes from Star Trek: The… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1, Episode 28: “The City on the Edge of Forever”

Synopsis: The Enterprise comes across a rip in space caused by a humanoid alien by the name of Lazarus and his opposite. This is one of the few episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series that I do not have a vivid recollection of from my childhood. Perhaps this is because there is something very… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1, Episode 27: “The Alternative Factor”