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Star Trek: The Original Series
NOTE! This is a review of
the double-episode DVDs, as was the only way to buy the original series,
in late 1999. The series is now to be distributed in full-season sets.
However, it's the feeling of many Trekker fans that the option to buy
only your favorite episodes should remain. Either way; the following
review of the original 40 "episodic" DVDs is quite dated...
Very few TV shows garner enough respect to have all their episodes
placed in DVD form. While shows like The X-Files have entire seasons for
sale in single, DVD collections, very few shows dare to sell as little as two
episodes per DVD! Star Trek (the original series), with its huge fan
base, is the exception, and given some of the episodes, this is not a big
surprise. While some Trekkers may debate the greed at play (when other
shows offer whole seasons in singular collection boxes), the truth is that
many of these episodes truly are worthy of purchase by themselves...and
that's saying a lot.
Any sci-fi fan knows all too well the infamy of the Star Trek saga, so
I won't waste space talking about it here. I'll only say that each DVD contains two
complete, unedited episodes, the
original TV commercials for each, closed captioning, remixed Dolby
surround sound, and scene selections. In other words, the whole nine yards
of DVD editing.
It's impossible to review each DVD per se; when the collection
is complete, there will be no less than 40 of them! So, what follows is a summarized
list of the complete collection --in the order they will be
offered-- with links to the DVDs available at this
time (updated periodically). Simply click on the Volume number, to order your
favorites. Meanwhile, look at the icons, to see (IMHO) the Techtite rating
for each episode! :
Burnout 
Near Miss 
Small Crater 
Large Crater 
Deep Impact
For
more on this web site's "Techtite" rating system, click here.
Volume 1 :
Where No Man Has Gone Before
Early costumes, early acting.
The Corbomite Maneuver
Kirk battles a "Mini me" who owns a ship that resembles a
giant 60's lamp fixture. The premiere of Kirk's "corbomite"
gambit makes this one a keeper.
Volume 2 : Mudd's Women
However a tad sexist, this is classic 60's TV
The Enemy Within
One of William Shatner's best roles, as he is split into "good
Kirk" and "bad Kirk".
Volume 3 : The Man Trap
One of Deforest "Bones McCoy" Kelly's best episodes.
The Naked Time
The "water virus" episode, where all the
crew's inner
fears come to light. One of the BEST!
Volume 4 : Charlie X
Yeoman Rand is pursued by a superhuman brat with a crush.
Balance of Terror
Poignant battle between a Romulan (complete with
their classic "Bird of Prey" battleship) and Kirk. This
battle is perfect for so many reasons; the actor playing the Romulan
Commander would even be "revived" to be Spock's father, in
"Journey to Babel"...
Volume 5 : What are Little Girls Made Of?
Cute humor and amusing
FX (with a fair share of admirable acting) make this one a classic. It is
also one of the best acting performances by "Nurse Chapel" (Majel
Barret), in the Original Series, as she wrestles with the reality of her
now-robotic ex lover from the past...
Dagger of the Mind
Okay, so the overacted "insanity" is a bit too much at
times, though the episode is still amusing, and full of suspense, as
Kirk is put in a mind-altering room...
Volume 6 : Miri
One of "Yeoman Rand"'s best episodes, was also one of her
last...
The Conscience of the King
While others liked the alleged Shakespearean "murder
mystery" here, I thought it was a bit of a stretch, and often
fell asleep halfway through it.
Volume 7 : The Galileo Seven
One of Spock's best; the infamous "shuttle" crash!
Court Martial
While the ending of this mystery seems more like an episode of Scooby
Doo, the acting is impressive.
Volume 8 : The Menagerie (Parts 1 & 2)
The infamous "butthead"
aliens are shown in an adaptation of the series' original pilot
episode. While I don't like the implication of
what happened to poor ol' Captain Christopher Pike, the infamous
"Dancing green girl" scene is a classic to most Trekkers, as
is a sneak peek of the pilot itself.
Volume 9 :
Shore Leave
Odd premise of a alien "theme park," though amusing...
The Squire of Gothos
In the early days of "The Next Generation," Trekkies
wondered whether "Q" was merely an adult version of Trelane,
the boyish, playful entity in this episode. Although that was not the
case, it's still a fun storyline.
Volume 10 :
Arena
Cool, classic episode, when Cap'n
Kirk combines standard minerals and natural resources to create...a
cannon! His nemesis, the "Gorn," remains one of the
coolest aliens ever conceived.
The Alternative Factor
Say what you will, I never really got into this simplistic story of
the guy who, with the help of a spaceship that traveled to the
anti-matter universe, battled his evil self. "Mirror Mirror"
and "The enemy within" had far better writing of
this type, and weren't half as dragging.
Volume 11 : Tomorrow is Yesterday
Yeah, okay; maybe the writers had a
bit too much fun with bending the rules of time this episode. It
still was amusing, to see Kirk desperately wanting to escape
from the 1960's.
The Return of the Archons
Classic episode for so many levels, right down to some amusing (even
if a bit corny) dialog lines. From cloaked cultists with tubes as
weapons, to "Landrew" himself, this was an amusing man-vs.-machine
tale.
Volume 12 : A Taste of Armageddon
This premise was a little oddball at
times --planets at war, via computers-- and yet is worth it, if
just to hear Spock's classic, monotone line, "Please step
away...or you may be injured!"
Space Seed
One of the most classic of classic episodes, where Ricardo
Mantalban stars as Khan, later to be shown in Star Trek II,
which is equally one of the best of the best sci-fi films.
Volume 13 : This Side of Paradise
Mr. Spock gets a romance (via guest
star Jill Ireland) while Kirk reveals just how important the Enterprise
is to him. Equally classic are the Alien Plants that shoot drugged pollen.
Cool!
The Devil in the Dark
Kirk battles a rock creature that resembles an overcooked cheese
pastry. While with "cheesy" FX, it is considered a classic
to many fans.
Volume 14 : Errand of Mercy
Battlestar Galactica's "Baltar"
gets to be the first Klingon Commander ever shown in the series. If only
the "errand" was better...
The City on the Edge of Forever
Voted in many polls to be the BEST of the BEST, this Hugo-award
winning episode is the infamous time-warp to pre-WW2, when Kirk falls
in love with Edith Keeler (Joan Collins). Excellent episode!!!
Volume 15 :
Operation : Annihilate!
Captain Kirk had a brother, though he only gets two seconds of screen
time. Why? He and Spock are both attacked by flying, overcooked microwave cheese
pizzas...oops, I'm sorry; "alien brain cells." Either way, a
classic Trek romp...
Catspaw
The writers were asked to create a Halloween episode. The resulting tale
of "magic," giant black cats, a sorcerer, a witch, and even a
pair of little bug sized aliens (eek!), make this a sci-fi fave for
October...
Volume 16 :
Metamorphosis
Guy has a relationship with a female cloud. Yeah, that's right; a female
cloud; you got a problem with that? Laughable plot saved by cameo of
"Cochran," the alleged inventor of the warp drive in all its
glory (and the man whose theories arguably led to the creation of the
"Nitpicker's Guild," which nitpicks at Trek's Technobabble ever
since. Thanks, pal).
Friday's Child
The second showing of Klingons isn't much better than the first,
on a planet with a pregnant woman and some oddball warriors. These
warriors use a way-cool metal boomerang, which would later be
ripped off by the movie, Krull. Bones uttering "coochie
woochie coochie coo" knocks this episode's rating down a notch...
Volume 17
: Who Mourns for Adonais?
Is this curly-haired dude the actual
Apollo, alive all these years in space? I have no clue; I only know
that the phaser-vaporizing scene at the end of the show is one of
the coolest FX scenes ever shown in sci-fi, even to this day.
Amok Time
Spock has a bride...sort of. To prove his love for the bride who loves
someone else, he has to fight Kirk with some ingenious hand-to-hand
alien weaponry. Cool story.
Volume 18 : The Doomsday Machine
Kirk Battles a giant Corn Chip ;-) that
eats entire planets for power. Okay, so the doomsday machine of
another galaxy could have looked more ominous; it's still one of the
best space battles in Trek history...or even sci-fi as a WHOLE.
Wolf in the Fold
The actor whose voice was Winnie the Pooh's "Piglet"
is, in this episode, actually the spirit of Jack the Ripper! Well,
okay...anything to see "Scotty" in the limelight.
Volume 19
: The Changeling
"I am NOMAD...I am perfect!"
Well, apparently not...nor is this episode, exactly. However, the tale
of the outer space probe with one seriously bad glitch was amusing, as
is the real-life fate of the prop; the NOMAD unit would later be added
to a sphere from "Return to Tomorrow," and made into a Romulan Cloaking
Device, in "The Enterprise Incident"...!
The Apple
Unintentional humor abounds in this not-so-regular planet survey,
where a primitive tribe worships "Vaal," an idol that's
actually a giant, subterranean computer in disguise. Some have argued
if Kirk really needed to destroy the tribe's best source of protection
(and immortality as well), though it was going to destroy the Enterprise...it
had to go!
Volume 20 : Mirror, Mirror
The classic, WAY-cool episode of
Kirk, Scotty, Bones, and Uhura, stuck in a parallel universe where
an "evil empire" is in charge. A bearded, semi-evil Spock makes this
one a keeper.
The Deadly Years
Thank heaven for toupees! Otherwise, many of the aged cast of this
series might resemble their make-up in this story, when radiation
accelerates the aging of Spock, Kirk, Bones, and Scotty. Well acted,
gripping episode.
Volume 21 : I, Mudd
Maybe I'm a lover of robotics through
and through, and yet this is one of my favorite episodes. Mudd
returns, in "charge" (or so he thinks) of a clan of androids
who wish to serve humankind...perhaps a bit too much!
Hilarious, classic episode.
The Trouble With Tribbles
A well-paired episode to I, Mudd, this is the classic
tale of little furry pom-poms critters that multiply like bionic
rabbits. Ironic that this comedic story is, IMHO, the best
story involving Klingons, in the whole original series!
Volume 22 : Bread and Circuses
As close as the Original Series ever
got to a "Christmas episode," this involved a planet whose
Roman Empire has survived right on up to the 20th century. Spock's
classic scene is one reason this ep's a keeper ("I do NOT wish to
injure you."...WHAM!). The last-minute beam out climax is
another.
Journey To Babel
Spock's parents revealed...'nuf said! No...? How about this: aliens
galore, an amusing space battle, and McCoy, indeed, finally getting
the last word.
Volume 23 : A Private Little War
Klingons give prototype guns to a
tribe of bandits, to affect an otherwise peaceful planet's culture.
Kirk gets bitten by a Mugatoo (i.e., a cheap looking alien with a horn
on its head). Kirk gets saved by a strange sorceress, who is the wife
of an old friend. Kirk's solution is debatable, yet acceptable...
The Gamesters of Triskellion
Kirk gets abducted by a trio of gambling colored brains, whose only
source of amusement is seeing the best warriors of the galaxy compete
in their personal arena. This is often considered a cult classic to
fans of the buxom green-haired alien babe, played by Angelique
Pettyjohn.
Volume 24
: Obsession
What is it with evil clouds? Is it
because the FX department could make clouds of mist so easily...? In
any case, Kirk defeats an evil cloud here, which drains humans of
their red blood cells (yes, right; a VAMPIRE cloud!). Oh, well, at
least the acting was impressive enough...
The Immunity Syndrome
One of the best episodes set entirely in space, The Enterprise
crew fights a giant, one-celled amoeba from a parallel universe, that
has eaten its way into ours! Excellently handled suspense; a
classic!
Volume 25 : A Piece of the Action
Spock and Kirk as gangsters...'kay.
By Any Other Name
A female ensign gets turned into a small Styrofoam module, and
crushed. That's one of many "fascinating" yet far-fetched
scenes in this tale of invaders from Andromeda who need the Enterprise
to get back to their galaxy, so they can send reinforcements and
invade our galaxy. Something like that. Oh well...with Barbara Bouchet
in a tight outfit, who needs a strong script?
Volume 26 : Return to Tomorrow
As much as I admire actress Diana
Muldaur, I can't help myself when realizing that two of my least
favorite original-series eps involve her, either as a brunette or a
blonde. In this role (blonde) she helps Kirk and Spock assist
superior beings in glowing spheres. Whatever.
Patterns of Force
An old teacher of Kirk's has used old Nazi methods to bring
"order" to a savage planet's culture. It's a pretty
far-fetched concept, even if the guy was a lunatic, and their attempt to
"humanize" a sort of futuristic Hitler is a stretch.
Typical lessons against racism, however, make this episode acceptable,
no matter how implausible.
Volume 27
: The Ultimate Computer
Kirk's beloved starship becomes fully
automated, and Kirk may be out of a job! However, with artificial
humanity comes artificial ambition and greed, leading to a computer
with a hidden agenda. An amusing, gripping story about humanity.
The Omega Glory
Kirk boards a derelict ship orbiting a class-M planet, to find its
crew is nothing more than dust. This is the episode of "Coms"
against the "Yangs," and while its a bit of a stretch, it's
at least an amusing stretch.
Volume 28 : Assignment : Earth
The proposed spin-off pilot in
episode's clothing, this was to lead to a 1960's series involving Gary
7 (Robert Lansing) and his perky, hip assistant, Roberta Lincoln (Teri
Garr). While never picked up --should it be, now?-- its a
memorable Trek episode.
Spectre of the Gun
It's amazing how much you can do with so little FX budget to work
with. Kirk and crew land on a planet which decides to test Kirk based
on ancient rules of the Old West, to see if humankind has learned
anything since. The resolution, as well as the story up until then, is
very well done.
Volume 29 : Elaan of Troyius
E l a a n is a spoiled, rich, royal brat
whose tears can make a man totally smitten with her. That's a good
thing, because without those tears, she's a spoiled, rich, royal brat.
The Paradise Syndrome
Kirk gets amnesia when falling into an obelisk, on a planet inhabited
by Native American Aliens (something like that). When exiting the
obelisk, the Natives think he is from prophesy, to help them from the
storms that approach (which are caused by a meteor about to hit their
planet!). "Kirok" saves them in the nick of time...though
not before a well-acted, poignant love story has taken place.
Volume 30
: The Enterprise Incident
Kirk seems to go batty as he orders the
ship into Romulan space. Along the way, Spock has a romance with the
female Commander, as an even more involved espionage mission is
revealed. This was one of the best offerings from writer Dorothy
"D.C." Fontana...
And the Children Shall Lead
Eesh. Everyone on a planet has been murdered, except for their bratty,
obnoxious kids, who only wish to play. Why didn't Kirk just leave the
kids there? Taking them along is the first of many goofs.
Volume 31 : Spock's Brain
"Brain, and Brain, WHAT is 'Brain'?" Indeed.
Is There In Truth No Beauty?
Diana Muldaur (this time, a brunette, to try and make you forget her
prior role), is the escort for a box with a strange entity inside,
that makes people mad if seen by the naked eye. That's basically
it.
Volume 32 : The Tholian Web
Cool FX of a laser "web" around
the ship!
The Empath
"Butthead" aliens again; this time, they torture Kirk
until a mute Empath (who might as well be a MIME) learns to hone her
healing skills. Why not heal the script?
Volume 33
: For the World is Hallow, and I Have
Touched The Sky
Amusing story of a hollow asteroid where the inhabitants think that they
are still on a small planet. This "small planet" will crash into
a real planet if Kirk can't change its controls somehow. One of Dr.
McCoy's few love stories make this a keeper.
Day of The Dove
An entity that thrives on anger and rage attempts to incite violence
between Klingons and the Enterprise crew. It fails...surprisingly.
Volume 34 : Plato's Stepchildren
This is the infamous episode with the
"first inter-racial television kiss," between Uhura and
Kirk. It also is an arguably oddball script, where a mini-me is
taunted by aliens from the days of Ancient Greece, who have found a
fountain of youth, as well as telekinesis itself. Oh well; at least
the finale is cute.
Wink of an Eye
This one-track-minded script has aliens sabotage the Enterprise,
who are so accelerated, the naked eye cannot see them. Amusing, yet very
far-fetched!
Volume 35 : That Which Survives
Lee Meriwether (one of many Batman-
actresses to play a 1960's "Catwoman")
is an android who can kill with merely a touch. Amusing episode, although
a bit implausible...
Let That Be Your Last Battlefield
An amusing yet rather force-fed lesson against racism has a
half-black, half-white
faced alien wage war against a similar alien, who is black on the
wrong side (hence the racism).
Volume 36 : Whom Gods Destroy
An insane asylum has been taken over (a
bit too easily) by its patients, led by the shape-shifter, Garth.
Yvonne "batgirl" Craig guest stars. That's about it for this
episode...
The Mark of Gideon
An amusing moment for Kirk, who seems to have beamed onto an abandoned
Enterprise. As it turns out, this is just an oddball ploy for
an over-populated planet to catch a fatal virus, of which Kirk is a
carrier. Why wouldn't they just throw him into the center of town, if
an epidemic is what they were after? Curious...
Volume 37 : The Lights of Zetar
Oh, joy and rapture; another evil
cloud/entity. This one affects certain regions of the human
mind...often fatally. Whatever.
The Cloud Minders
An intriguing story of social structure gone awry, when the
upper-class of a planet lives in the clouds, while the miners are left
to do the dirty work. Amusing episode, although heavy-handed at times.
Volume 38 : The Way to Eden
This oddball episode's worth is based only on
its laughable link to 60's "flower children." A band of
dazed cultists attempt to take command of the starship, to find the
planet of Eden.
Requiem for Methuselah
Another episode where Kirk and party may have found an ageless member
of Earth's past. This one has a strange woman companion --with no
past-- whom Kirk is totally smitten for.
Volume 39 : The Savage Curtain
An amusing concept of an alien race who
decides to learn of good and evil, by having Kirk and Spock battle
some of the biggest villains in history, with the help of Kirk's hero,
Abraham Lincoln, and Spock's hero, Surok. An amusing battle, at least.
All Our Yesterdays
A fascinating tale where Kirk, Spock and McCoy are accidentally thrust
into a planet's ancient past. This planet used time travel to escape a
potential supernova of their sun. Kirk is suspected of Witchcraft in
"colonial times," while Spock falls in love...in the Ice
Age!
Volume 40 : Turnabout Intruder
The Cage (re-edited)
The Cage (original Black and White)
Talk about ending the collection with a
bang! While Turnabout Intruder is perhaps one of the stupider
episodes of all time, The original series pilot, shown in two
formats, will be a must-have!
| All text, Title
graphics, and pix not of reviewed products, are created by Techtite,
copyright 1999-2002; all rights reserved. Picture of DVD cover is used only for the purpose of review (and to make shopping for
product easier); it by no means represents any affiliation with Techtite
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