{"id":4260,"date":"2013-12-09T05:18:56","date_gmt":"2013-12-09T05:18:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/213-Obsession"},"modified":"2013-12-09T05:18:56","modified_gmt":"2013-12-09T05:18:56","slug":"213-obsession","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relivethemajesty.com\/index.php\/2013\/12\/09\/213-obsession\/","title":{"rendered":"2.13 — \u201cObsession\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n

2.13 — \u201cObsession\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Plot:<\/strong> Kirk encounters a deadly gaseous cloud that reminds him of an entity he encountered eleven years ago and half a galaxy away, while serving as Lieutenant aboard the U.S.S. Farragut<\/em>, and his survivor’s guilt after the entity wiped out half the Farragut’s<\/em> crew. Kirk’s pursuit of the creature threatens lives aboard the Enterprise<\/em>, and also the needs of Theta VII, which is expecting the ship to deliver perishable medical supplies. Spock and McCoy wonder: is Kirk’s judgment compromised?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thoughts:<\/strong> Good little episode that gets better as it goes along. I can\u2019t be the only one that thought, when the camera pulled away in the teaser to reveal three redshirt ensigns standing behind Kirk and Spock, \u201cOh shit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The teaser features the death of Lt. Leslie, played by Eddie Paskey. Paskey was a stand-in who also played a background character (who eventually acquired the name \u201cMr. Leslie\u201d) in 60 episodes of TOS–more appearances than Sulu, Chekhov, or Nurse Chapel. Leslie rarely got any dialogue, but he did have his moments, such as the time in “The Squire of Gothos” when he assumed control of the bridge. Leslie mysteriously came back to life (Paskey likes to joke that the scene in which he was revived by a magic potion was never filmed) and continued to serve through the early part of third season. Paskey, who says he usually liked to make himself scarce when he knew the script would call for a crew death, reprised\u00a0the role in 2004 in the fan produced series, Star Trek: Phase II<\/em>, in which we learn that Leslie has been promoted to Admiral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I wonder if the cortizine injection McCoy uses to revive Rizzo after Rizzo’s encounter with the creature is supposed to be the same stuff as the cordrazine that drove McCoy mad in \u201cThe City on the Edge of Forever?\u201d Or is the name just a coincidence, a futuristic-sounding variation on cortisone?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Again we have an episode emphasizing the importance of command and command decisions, and the second consecutive episode to feature a competency inquiry for Captain Kirk (although the episodes were not produced consecutively, but as the 10th and 17th episodes of the season). My favorite bit was this: Spock: I need your advice. McCoy: Then I need a drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yay! A scene for Nurse Chapel! Why is her uniform even briefer than that of the yeomans?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I found the psychological complexity of the episode and the mystery satisfying, as well as the B story with Ensign Garrovick (who unfortunately is never seen again in the series). The best scene is when Spock rushes into Garrovick’s cabin and plunges into the deadly cloud in an effort to save the ship. Chills–and presentiments of Star Trek II<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4 out of 5 tritanium geodes.<\/p>\n\n\n

http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Obsession_(Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series)<\/a>