reviewed by Charity Bishop
     

I was forced to wait a long time to get this at the library but friends informing me that it was well worth the wait gave me great expectations. To my surprise, they were right! This is simply the best season of the original Star Trek.

There is something a bit off on the Enterprise, the Star Fleet vessel commanded by Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), and it seems to be originating in his half-human, half-Vulcan first officer, Spock (Leonard Nimoy). The normally mild-mannered and unemotional alien has been testy with Doctor McCoy (DeForest Kelley), insubordinate to Kirk, and even shows a few instances of irrational violence -- unheard of in such a peaceful race. Spock is aware that something is terribly wrong but refuses to allow the doctor to examine him or to confide in Kirk what is happening. His only insistence is that they return to his home planet immediately. They have a direct order from the Federation to attend to negotiations elsewhere and reluctantly, Spock is forced to admit that if they do not reach Vulcan within forty-eight hours, he will die. He has entered the Pon Farr, an ancient, inescapable "madness" that comes upon Vulcans once every seven years. If their bloodlust is not satisfied through combat or the taking of a wife, immediate death swiftly follows.

Risking the wrath of the Federation in disobeying orders, Kirk accompanies Spock to Vulcan and there finds further complications -- and a horrific ritual that might mean his own death. It is an engaging opening episode for the second season of the geeky but highly successful franchise and sets the pace for two dozen installments with the same sense of adventure we have come to love, but much increased humor. The actors and the writers have both found their footing and it shows in the delight with which these episodes are presented. It's apparent that the scripts were crafted to have "fun" and that is plainly reflected in the performances. Spock is even more logical and confused by emotions. Kirk falls in love far less and continues to display heroic actions (and sometimes irrational decisions -- it's a joy to watch the occasional instances in which McCoy and Spock must reign him in). McCoy has some of the best lines and facial expressions. Best of all, there is an underlining sense of humor present even in the most serious situations -- and one or two installments even go out of their way to be funny. The triumph this time around is "The Trouble With Tribbles," in which the Enterprise is infested with a number of small, furry creatures with an insatiable urge to reproduce. It is difficult to describe the sheer hilarity involved but it is priceless. Some of it relies on wit and insults and the rest is visual humor, such as Kirk opening a hatch and being buried in squeaking tribbles. There's also a bar fight that starts not because Scotty was angered over someone insulting his captain, but because they dared to call his beloved ship a "rust bucket."

The snickering does not stop there -- it flows into other episodes woven throughout the series with some great dialogue and downright amusing situations. There is also a lack of "bad" episodes this time around -- all of them are interesting and/or intelligent in their choice of where to take the script. There is some mythology undertaken, a parallel universe that proves quite intimidating (the crew are all pirates at best, and Spock is scarier than you might think), a "magical" encounter with aliens that seem to possess unnatural abilities, and even an instance in which our heroes meet the "real" Jack the Ripper. We also meet Spock's parents, learn more about Kirk's previous experiences with the fleet, and get to see McCoy deliver a baby in the middle of nowhere to a woman who refuses to let him touch her. And then there are the Gangsters and the Nazis. It is quite simply a tremendous amount of fun.

Content concerns are limited but do bear mentioning. There are fewer scantily-clad females this time around but they do make appearances in a half dozen episodes, and of course the female members of Star Fleet all wear very short skirts. We learn that Spock's irrational behavior in "Amok Time" comes from the Vulcan need to mate once every seven years; he returns to the planet intending to marry the woman to whom he has been betrothed since childhood. Mild revolves around mating rituals. In "The Apple," the crew discover a civilization unaware of how to reproduce, and Kirk laughingly tells Spock to explain it to them. The Vulcan uncomfortably avoids doing so (his reaction is hilarious). "Mirror, Mirror" implies an alternate reality version of Captain Kirk is involved with a female crew member; she dons intimate apparel and spends some time passionately kissing him. Uhura is also harassed by Sulu. "Wolf in the Fold" takes place on a "pleasure" planet; older viewers will understand veiled references to houses of prostitution. It features an exotic dancer and goes "for a walk" with Scotty. In one episode, we hear Uhura screaming from a prison cell but don't know what is happening to her.

Religious references occasionally intrude -- in the second episode, an ancient creature claims to be the "god" Apollo and demands to be worshipped. Elsewhere, McCoy says, "Thank heaven," and Spock contradicts him, saying no deity was involved, merely his logic. The doctor smirks and replies, "Then thank pitchforks and pointy ears!" There is some contemplation over whether or not God exists. More conservative audiences might be disconcerted with "Catspaw," in which our heroes encounter various illusions that closely resemble black magic: a woman with supernatural powers (she imposes harm on the Enterprise but crafting a small version of it and lowering it into a candle flame) shape-shifts between human and feline; the crew encounter what appear to be "ghosts." We are left to believe it was nothing more than her feeding off their fears. "Wolf in the Fold" contains references to a woman being able to "discern" the past through touching things; she has them all hold hands and conducts what strongly resembles a séance in an attempt to find the identity of a murderer. In that same episode, an alien spirit enters the computer system of the Enterprise and produces some creepy effects. Three disembodied alien forms wish to "borrow" the bodies of three crew members in "Return to Tomorrow." Spock has the ability to "mind-meld" and share experiences with anyone he touches. "A Private Little War" features a "witch doctor" who performs a ritual over Kirk to heal him from injury; this enables her to have a certain amount of "influence" or control over him (she also includes some almost orgasmic moaning).

Yes, the costumes are terribly dated and the special effects are at times laughable, but there is something likable about this series regardless. Perhaps it is the chemistry of the cast and the fact that we believe in these characters utterly. We know that in spite of his numerous protests and frequent insults that McCoy really does "like" Spock. And we even get to see a bit of emotion out of the Vulcan when encountering his captain, whom he thought was dead. It is the smaller moments of subtle humor or those that showcase the talent of the actors that really make the series special. It's also delightful to revisit a much more innocent time in television, when the more "scandalous" aspects of a series were no more than a handful of clever but mild sexual references. This series paved the way for science fiction and space adventures, a tradition that has continued to this day with enormous success -- and in my opinion, was far ahead of its time both in imagination and creativity. May it live long and prosper.