Ep. 25 This Side of Paradise

The Enterprise arrives at a colony expecting the inhabitants to be dead, but instead, they seem quite healthy, although without any animals. Beginning with Spock, the crew soon becomes infected with spores that thrive on the planet's deadly rays, and keep the people healthy. Kirk is strangely unaffected. Kirk realizes that it is because he was angry, angers the others, and of course, all ends happily solved.

I think it would have been more effective to have the love story involve any other crewmen but Spock, but perhaps that's just my opinion. Spock's smile, to me, was not definitive proof of something wrong, since early episodes did tend to let emotion through before it was decided by Roddenberry that Vulcan's didn't allow emotion. This episode did have most of the very minor recurring characters, which was cool. I don't understand how Kirk says he can keep the ship in orbit for months when other episodes, it was mere hours without control. Could it be a power issue? He's smart enough to set a bunch of automatic stuff? Possibly, but seems thin. It was pretty good, but not fantastic, though the Kirk / Spock fight in the transporter room was some great acting. Quick random fact, the shot of Kirk alone on the bridge was used for The Next Generation episode "Relics".

RECURRING CHARACTERS:
DeForrest Kelley as McCoy
George Takei as Sulu
Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
Michael Barrier as DeSalle
Eddie Paskey as Leslie
Grant Woods as Kelowitz

NOTABLE GUEST STARS:
Jill Ireland as Leila Kalomi
Frank Overton as Elias Sandoval

Quote:
"No, I don't think so."
"You don't think so what?"
"I don't think so, sir." ~ Spock and a very angry Kirk.

Ep. 19 Arena

Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the landing party find a destroyed outpost, and are almost immediately attacked. The alien ship flees, and the landing party beams up and gives chase, discovering that the outpost was a trap, with the goal being to destroy the Enterprise. A mysterious Metron stops both ships cold, deciding to pit the enemy captains in a hand to hand battle to the death instead of allowing the ships to fight in their space. The winner of the battle gets to leave, the loser's ship is destroyed. Once the Gorn talks to Kirk, it is realized that the outpost may have been Gorn territory first, and perhaps Starfleet was in the wrong this time, humanizing the reptilian monster. Eventually, with the crew watching, Kirk makes gun powder, shoots diamonds, and defeats the Gorn, but refuses to kill him, convincing the Metrons to let both ships go, noble to a fault.

This episode established that you can't beam through shields. I was very disappointed that the Gorn's ship was never shown. I'm sure it was for budget reasons, but the Enterprise fought it, for goodness sake! It is episodes like this when you can see why Kirk became the youngest captain in the fleet. He's smart, he's tough, and he always beats the odds. Is that the crippled Captain Pike on the bridge? It is! How did he get better and become a Lieutenant? Is it a conspiracy? The Gorn captain is a memorable character, despite not talking, and that also takes skill, especially because the costume was a bit cheesy. The look on his face (sort of) as the boulder rolled towards him was great. I liked this episode, really. A simple battle of wits and strength testing the hero, Kirk.

RECURRING CHARACTERS:
DeForrest Kelley as McCoy
James Doohan as Scotty
George Takei as Sulu
Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
Grant Woods as Kelowitz
Sean Kenney as Lt. DePaul

NOTABLE GUEST STARS:
Bobby Clark and Gary Combs as the Gorn
Ted Cassidy as the Gorn voice

Quote:
"We'll either catch them or we'll blow up, Captain." ~ Scotty

Ep. 14 The Galileo Seven

Spock, McCoy, Scotty, and four others crash in a shuttle. Kirk, Sulu, Uhura, and the others search for them without sensors and a two day time limit before the Enterprise has to depart to deliver emergency medical supplies.

This was the first episode to feature the shuttle craft, which was an expensive effect to make, leading to the creation of the transporter as a budget saving story telling device. The transporter does look bigger inside than outside to me, which is weird. It was great to have Scotty and Sulu back after weeks without them. It was Spock's first chance to try command, and there were issues about his cold logic. It really played up his alieness more than anything else so far that happened in the series, and he learned that logic isn't always what is needed. I liked this episode because of the human drama. It also illustrated the friendship between the senior crew members. While Scotty and McCoy may not have agreed with Spock's every decision, they did defend him against Boma's protests. I do wonder at Kirk's smile at the end, though, when he heard that five persons were rescued. For all he knew, the two that perished were his best friends, Spock and McCoy.

RECURRING CHARACTERS:
DeForrest Kelley as McCoy
James Doohan as Scotty
George Takei as Sulu
Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
Grant Woods as Lt. Com. Kelowitz

NOTABLE GUEST STARS:
Don Marshall as Lt. Boma
John Crawford as Commissioner Ferris
Peter Marko as Lt. Gaetano

Quote:
"You're not going to admit, that for the first time in your life, you committed a purely human emotional act."
"No sir."
"Mr. Spock, you're a stubborn man."
"Yes, sir." ~ Kirk and Spock