Star Trek: The Animated Series — 2x01 — The Pirates of Orion
Synopsis
A dreaded disease, choriocytosis, strikes the Enterprise. All except Spock are cured, as the illness is fatal only to Vulcans.
Remarkable scenes
- The SS Huron. Cool looking ship.
- McCoy and Spock arguing about whether or not green Vulcan blood is better than red human blood.
Review
This episode creates good continuity with regards to the reference to Spock's blood being copper based. It's also nice to see the Orions for the first time; or at least their men. We've seen Orion slave girls before. It was also a remarkable treat to see another Federation starship, as well as all the effort the crews of both went through to cure Spock. It's a nice demonstration of the respect the Federation holds for their nonhuman members.
Star Trek: The Animated Series — 2x02 — Bem
Synopsis
Starfleet, eager to open diplomatic relations with the medically advanced Pandronians, assigns Enterprise to host one of their representatives.
Remarkable scenes
- Kirk and Spock being beamed into midair, then falling into the water below.
- Kirk regarding being captured: "How come we always end up like this?"
Review
This episode is remarkable in that it once again takes full advantage of the show being of an animated nature. It shows us truly alien aliens; first Bem, then the natives on the planet. Unfortunately very little of interest actually happens in this episode. It's basically the familiar "cast beams down to primitive planet and gets captured" plot, adding nothing new except Bem the pacifist, who adds very little of value to the plot. While I liked our truly alien aliens, they were completely misused.
Star Trek: The Animated Series — 2x03 — The Practical Joker
Synopsis
While studying an asteroid, the Enterprise is attacked by three Romulan vessels which claim that the Federation ship has trespassed into Romulan space.
Remarkable scenes
- Practical jokes happening to the crew.
- Kirk's uniform defaced: KIRK IS A JERK
- The sight of the first working holodeck.
- Kirk tricking the computer into entering the energy field again.
Review
This episode is remarkable in that it shows more about daily life aboard the Enterprise than virtually any other episode. This is also the first episode to feature a malfunctioning ship's computer as a plot device. However, aside from the nice change of pace and a welcome Romulan appearance, the episode is extremely immature. The episode is above average by TAS standards, but not by much.
Star Trek: The Animated Series — 2x04 — Albatross
Synopsis
The Enterprise arrives at Dramia I to deliver medical supplies when Dr. McCoy is arrested for mass slaughter and imprisoned.
Remarkable scenes
- McCoy demanding to stay and stand trial.
- McCoy: "And I'm ready to get back to some of that monotonous old routine sickbay work." Spock: "Including, I would hope, some of that monotonous old dispensing regular vitamin rations to the crew." McCoy: "What's that supposed to mean?" Spock: "Well, you have been derelicting your duties of late, Doctor." McCoy: "Spock, you know as well as I do what we've all just been through." Spock: "Hippocrates would not have approved of lame excuses, Doctor." McCoy: "Why is that... Jim, whenever I'm in jail again, don't send that Vulcan. Just let me rot."
Review
Demos is exceedingly stupid to expect to be able to sneak aboard the Enterprise unnoticed when the hangar doors mysteriously opened before his eyes for no apparent reason. rolls eyes That said, the general idea that McCoy accidentally caused a plague on an alien world and now must stand trial for it is interesting. As well, I liked the Dramians, in that they were once again truly alien looking aliens. Another nice detail is McCoy's miracle cure. It wasn't quite the unrealistic miracle cure cliche we're familiar with. I liked the realistic, though convenient method by which the cure was discovered and the ensuing peaceful ending.
Star Trek: The Animated Series — 2x05 — How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth
Synopsis
While tracking a probe, the Enterprise encounters an alien vessel that is surrounded by an energy field which proceeds to encompass the Federation ship.
Remarkable scenes
- Kirk telling the Native American god "we don't need you anymore."
- Spock: "Vulcan was visited by alien beings. They left much wiser."
- Kirk: "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child."
Review
The addition of Ensign Walking Bear is bittersweet. On one hand, it's nice to see more racial diversity on the show. On the other hand, the character was entirely forced. He only appears on this episode, and only because they needed a native American for the purpose of the plot. This is already a cliche, several guest characters are added in various Star Trek series just for one episode to serve some overly simplistic purpose and we never see them again. Once again, the Enterprise encounters another space traveler who once visited Earth and posed as a god, which is also becoming a cliche. Unfortunately, the entire plot was recycled and offers absolutely nothing new. God alien realizes Earth isn't as primitive as it once was. God alien realizes it's not as powerful as it once was. The only redeeming quality is the episode once again features alien looking aliens.
Star Trek: The Animated Series — 2x06 — The Counter-Clock Incident
Synopsis
A hyper accelerated alien ship drags the Enterprise into a nova and both arrive in an antimatter universe where time flows backwards.
Remarkable scenes
- The Enterprise crew growing younger.
Review
A universe where time flows backwards is interesting, but the implementation in this episode is extremely poor. There are a number of logical and technical problems, some of the major of which I've documented in the problems section. Most interesting is the ship's crew growing younger, with Robert and Sarah April being given a chance to reprise their positions on the Enterprise. Once again the transporter becomes the miracle cure for an age related problem. Finally, I really don't understand Robert and Sarah April's decision not to remain young. Did they really want to die decades sooner than they had to? A totally unfit end to a series which never really found its way.