reviewed by Charity Bishop
     

In the late 1960's, a legend was born. It came in the form of Star Trek, one of the most beloved and often quoted "geek shows" ever to hit the airwaves. I went in expecting corniness and instead came to realize that many of the series I am most fond of were inspired by this classic saga of adventures in space.

The Federation star ship Enterprise is on a five year mission to explore distant galaxies and make contact with alien planets and technologies. Their most recent assignment is to visit planet M-113, where one of their scientists is studying the remains of an ancient civilization. Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) looks forward to making the acquaintance of Dr. Crater and his wife, who is a former flame of his first medical officer, Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley). Beaming down to the ruins, McCoy is shocked to discover that Nancy has not changed at all since their last encounter, many years earlier. Not only that, her appearance to each of the crew members is slightly different. When various men start turning up dead with strange markings on their skin and their bodies drained of salt, McCoy, Captain Kirk and his half-human, half-Vulcan second officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy) must discover the origins of this deadly disease and prevent it from reaching more crew members.

There are many more adventures, threats, and mysteries to be found in distant galaxies, and the intriguing and colorful crew of the Enterprise will encounter them all -- from psychic threats to literal green eyed monsters. In each episode, Kirk and his companions face a new and different kind of threat, which is fought off with common sense, intelligence, and stun guns. I approached this series expecting it to be poorly written and badly executed -- I should have known better from a series that has gained such a cult following in syndication over the years. The special effects are somewhat dated, as is the atrocious color scheme, but the scripts are mostly well written (there are a few "stupid" episodes) and the cast is marvelous. The first season contains a mixture of adventures ranging from wild and exotic distant lands to threats closer to home and strengthens as it goes on. It engages the audience and once you become accustomed to the form of storytelling and the limited backdrops you are free to find the characters memorable.

Viewers usually have a preference for Spock or Captain Kirk -- one logical, the other more inclined to fall for a pretty face (and he often does!). Some of the best episodes showcase their different approaches to the same situation or remind the audience of the strength of their friendship. It is also interesting to note the underlining social commentary apparent in certain aspects of the plot -- a utopian existence on board ship in which different races coexist without antagonism ... but Spock is constantly challenged and/or harassed because of his half-Vulcan status. All humans have reached tolerance but that excludes pointy-eared aliens. In many ways, anti-racism is the prevailing message of the series, since it intrudes in arguments and even on occasion pushes the normally unemotional Spock to violence. Unsurprising considering that the producers had to fight for the right to hire a black actress for a main role. Other episodes hint at various budding movements during the era (one parallels an early concept of the "peace and love" movement when the crew are all drugged on an alien planet by flower spores that make them docile and affectionate toward one another).

Having run on primetime television during that particular era, there is not a huge amount of content in Star Trek. There's no language to speak of and the violence is all restricted to hand-to-hand combat, stun weapons, and the occasional dead body. Immodesty turns up frequently, however, when it comes to the women involved -- the females on board ship wear very short miniskirt uniforms with similarly colored underpants. Guest females often wear revealing clothing (bare backs, sides, portions of their stomach, legs, etc) and often attempt to seduce and/or trade passionate kisses with various crew members. There are some stronger implications, though -- in "The Enemy Within," an evil duplicate of Kirk attempts to force himself on a female crew member (she fights him off, scratching his face and screaming for help). The gang come upon a woman who has had her uniform badly torn in an attempted assault in "Shore Leave." And in "The Menagerie," a man is trapped in an alien world in which he is treated like an animal in the zoo -- his captors hope to convince him of the beauty of the woman trapped there with him, so he might reproduce with her.

One more thing more conservative viewers might find a bit alarming is the amount of telepathic communication that transpires within the series as a whole -- Spock, being half-Vulcan, is able to "mind meld" with whatever he chooses -- human or not. He uses this talent sparingly but other creatures are not so careful. They manipulate, torment, and occasionally kill with their psychic abilities.

While the series might seem a bit absurd by today's standards, there are some fun and unique episodes and throughout are not only great character interactions (McCoy and Spock's incessant bickering, Kirk teasing Spock about his "non-human emotions," and Scotty talking baby-talk to his machines) but some genuinely hilarious episodes: "Shore Leave" involves a planet that duplicates whatever you are thinking about (McCoy runs across a giant white rabbit being chased by a little girl in a blue pinafore) and "This Side of Paradise" has Spock acting out of character (laughing, climbing trees, and behaving romantically). But there are also sadder moments (one episode involves time travel and the death of someone Kirk becomes fond of). Whether you are a new fan or an older one of the genre, you will find Star Trek a charming throwback into a different era of television far ahead of its time.