Plot: What’s it about?
Episode #51- “Return to Tomorrow” >>> Airdate 2/9/68
In a gesture of supreme faith, Kirk, Spock, and Dr. Mulhall agree to let some noncorporeal beings shack up inside their bodies, though just for a short time. You see, special android bodies are being prepared and since the beings need a place to crash until the new homes are finished, our intrepid crew has volunteered. It all starts out simply enough, but as you can imagine, the presence of these beings put intense stress on the hosts, so the sooner the android bodies are ready, the better for these three folks. But when one of the beings decides to make Spock his permanent home, things spiral into a race against time, to save Spock’s identity.
Yes, this is a real episode and not some fan service business, though it seems like it at times. As offbeat as the program sounds, it never pans out as well and in truth, it is quite dull in some sequences. But the premise is pretty interesting and it has some moments, so I suppose not all is lost. It’s kind of humorous just to watch Spock’s actions in this one, at least I think so. As always, William Shatner brings a strong, but sensitive presence to the role of James T. Kirk and since his life is real danger, Shatner takes his performance up to the next level. I wouldn’t rank this with the better episodes, but if you’re a fan of the series, it’s more than worth a look.
Episode #52- “Patterns of Force” >>> Airdate 2/16/68
As Capt. James T. Kirk and his crew run a rather normal check on the planet Ekos, they find themselves under nuclear attack. But since Kirk is such a skilled captain, he manages to coach his team through the crisis, but he is determined to punish those who fired upon the U.S.S. Enterprise. As such, he and Spock venture down to the surface and much to their surprise, they discover a ruling class of Nazi followers. Not only have the government plans gone out of control, but Ekos is a bloody battle with a nearby planet, which is normally quite peaceful. Can even Kirk’s mastery of negotiations put an end to this most lethal conflict?
I found this episode to be very amusing, if for nothing else, the idea of Kirk vs. a bunch of modern day Nazi people. It isn’t very well written by any means, but it has terrific moments and in the end, the good outweighs the bad with this installment. The Nazis are played by a bunch of goofasses and add a lot of comedic tone, which is always welcome. But come on, you know the real highlight is the performance of William Shatner, who once again proves why he is known as Hollywood’s Golden Boy, a most well deserved moniker. I think this episode is great and if you disagree, then you wants your opinion anyway?
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in full frame transfers, just as they were shown on television. I was sure I heard William Shatner personally removed over seven million instances of debris, dirt, and scratches via digital restoration, but I also believe I heard this from a drunk, so it could be false. But even without Shatner’s expert hands involved, the episodes look tremendous and much better than when broadcast, to be sure. The colors look bright, contrast is well balanced, and Mr. Shatner is always in focus, which is what really matters here, right?
Audio: How does it sound?
As those scamps at Paramount often do, these episodes have been given new Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtracks. I won’t go as far as to say I cried over the quality, but the episodes sound good, especially the outdated sound effects. The surrounds are used mostly for the music and a scant amount of atmosphere, but it all comes across in most natural form, so no hard feelings on this end. The dialogue is clean and crisp throughout, which ensures all of Mr. Shatner’s vocals are heard in the richest form possible. This disc also includes English subtitles, should you ever feel the need to enable them.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes promotional trailers for each episodes, which is better than nothing, I suppose.
