Season 3 Wrap up thread That’s it folks!

Comments

2 responses to “Season 3 Wrap up thread That’s it folks!”

1. 

   Randi Cohen

   June 3, 2014

   Overall I liked season three just as much as the other two… all had some extremely strong and some pretty weak episodes.  Honestly, my all-time worst episodes are probably “the alternative factor” and “devil in the dark” because both were pretty excuciatingly boring to me… the failures in the third season were silly and sexist but not boring.  

   I was surprised that I liked third season so much given all the negative hype about it… glad that was proven wrong!  And sad to be done with TOS… but excited to move on to TAS which i have never seen!

   Reply
2. 

   Kevin Black

   June 9, 2014

   I think TOS season three earns its reputation in some ways–notably with the slashing of episode budgets, a new laxity in script editing, and some slippage in characterizations which probably flows from the departure from the series of key figures like Gene Coon, Dorothy Fontana, and Robert Justman, the installation of Fred Freiberger as a replacement producer, and reduced attention from Gene Roddenberry. But, overall, Season Three is much better than it’s reputation. I’m glad I watched it. Thanks to Season Three, the Trek universe is much expanded, and I feel we would be impoverished without it.

   You have the great Romulan episode, “The Enterprise Incident,” which shows us how the secretive Centurions from “Balance of Terror” can be translated into recurring characters in future films and television series. There are new love stories for McCoy, Scott, Kirk, and, most notably, Spock, in both “The Enterprise Incident” and “All Our Yesterdays.” “Day of the Dove” is a great Klingon episode which continues to define their place in the Trek universe.

   Season Three’s best achievement was probably the completion of an arc for Spock–the moderation of his proud insistence on logic above all else, and recognition of his need for emotional support and compassion for others. This is thanks to Leonard Nimoy–what a great actor!–and we will see this through line continued in TAS and the movie series.

   Third season brought us Garth of Izar, Cloud City, and Flint, who used to be Leonardo Da Vinci. It gave us Elaan of Troyius and the first interracial kiss in television history. Yes, it also brought us “Spock’s Brain.” “Spock’s Brain” may indeed be terrible, but I still believe the universe would be a slightly drabber place without it. “Spock’s Brain” reminds us that Trek is only as good as its writing, and even our best science fiction heroes can have feet of clay.

   Can we also admit that, like “The Way to Eden” and “The Savage Curtain,” “Spock’s Brain” is also groovy campy fun? More than any series I can remember, TOS has this hallmark of greatness: even when it’s bad, it’s still captivating.

   Reply