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Rating:  -
The Man Trap-This episode, in which we meet a salt-craving creature with shape-changing abilities, was the first Trek episode to air. While decent enough, it certainly is not an exceptional episode. While it is conceivable that this was the only episode completed in time, more likely it was selected because it was not what NBC had called `too cerebral'. Other factors that NBC might have liked include the fact that it was largely planet-based and had an alien that `looked like an alien.' While this episode does touch on loneliness, the subjectivity of beauty, and all creatures' right to survival, it does no more than touch on these themes. As an action episode, it's no more than passable, and again everything from the delivery of the lines to the music is slow, slow, slow (compared to even one year later). The episode is, quite honestly, most memorable for 1) the well-designed vampire, and 2) the shock-value of humans being preyed upon. (2.5 stars)
The Naked Time-This episode, in which a virus causes the crew to lose their inhibitions, was the best offering yet from the new show. The episode commences with an effective teaser, and the story unfolds at a good pace once aboard the Enterprise. The basic premise is a good one, since it enables the cast to both playfully embellish their roles and have some serious ruminations. The episode certainly has its share of action, and is one of the more creative `Enterprise in danger' shows. We are also introduced to adult themes such as tradeoffs between duty and responsibility on the one hand and joyous, unconstrained intoxication on the other. Some of the soul-searching monologues are a bit much though for characters who weren't exactly our friends yet (this was the 3rd show to air), and as others have noted Nimoy-who seems to really need to believe in the material-was not terribly effective here. The same can (as usual) be said of Takei, and the inclusion of a `drunken Irishman' character was also somewhat unfortunate. The boomerang premise is also kind of silly, but what the heck, enough hating; this is Star Trek, and it's a good episode. (4 stars)
Rating:  -
"Man Trap" Dr. McCoy encounters his old flame. But is it really her?
"The Naked Time" A strange virus infects the whole crew & forces them to act strangely. Contains the WORST cost-cutting effect ever...a MANNEQUIN is used to act as a dead person
Rating: -
REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 3: The Man Trap© / The Naked Time©
THE MAN TRAP© PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:
Basic Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject Being Driven Into The Ground: Survival and Extinction; Allowing Nature To Take Its Course
Notable Historical Milestone: Although not the pilot episode, The Man Trap© is the very first Star Trek™ episode to be broadcast over the TV airwaves (September 8, 1966)
Notable Goof/Gaffe: Spock says that Vulcan has no moon in a bridge scene here. But during the kolinahr scene in Star Trek™ The Motion Picture©, there are several moonlike planetoids clearly visible in the Vulcan sky.
Expendable Crewmember (`Red Shirt') Casualty List: 4 Dead (none of whom actually wore a red tunic)
REVIEW & COMMENTARY: Although it's not the first episode in the way of Star Trek's continuity, it does feature the first `red-shirt' death, and McCoy's first utterance of `He's dead, Jim' to be broadcast on the boob tube. The Man Trap© is also notable for showing Star Trek™'s first shape-shifter, a salt-sucking creature that, with the help of telepathic powers, can mimic the appearance and personality of anyone, and blend in. Fortunately, Spock's Vulcan anatomy keeps him from becoming another course on the creature's meal ticket, marking the first use of the "Spock's Non-Human Anatomy Explaining How He Survived and Recovered From Traumas That Would've Killed Ordinary Humans" plot gimmick.
One particular moment that I enjoyed for its silliness is the botany lab scene, featuring a fairly goofy-looking venus-flytrap type plant that has the uncanny resemblance to a hand and forearm covered in green cloth with pink petals on the fingers! Hey, you don't think...? Hmmm...
THE NAKED TIME© PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:
Basic Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject Being Driven Into The Ground: The Hazards Of Losing One's Inhibitions
Notable Historical Milestone: The first episode to be blatantly ripped off by Star Trek: The Next Generation™ (The Naked Now©)
Notable Goof/Gaffe: Actually, the `gaffe' status of this scene has been debated for some time-it's considered a slip-up to some Trekkies, intentional to others. Anyway, here's the deal: Scotty and another engineering officer are using hand phasers to cut through a bulkhead. But the thing is, the neither of the phasers emit a visible beam. Now here's the focus of the debate: Is the beam of a hand phaser set to `cutting' mode actually invisible, or did the effects department forget to animate the beams into the frames during postproduction? Now I know what you're thinkin', and my answer is this: yes, this little quandary really is something that many hardcore UberTrekkies obsess over. Sad, is it not?
Expendable Crewmember (`Red Shirt') Casualty List: 1 Dead
REVIEW & COMMENTARY: A nearly undetectable `booze-bug' that causes people to act like they're intoxicated starts to spread and affect the Enterprise crew. Mister Sulu goes shirtless-- and not just a bit over-the-top-- as he lives out his swashbuckling fantasy of being a member of the Three Musketeers™ (oh my!). Nurse Chapel professes her undying love to Spock, which leads to the half-Vulcan science officer losing control of his emotions and ending up a sobbing mess in the conference room. Captain Kirk is suddenly afraid he's losing his ship. Throw in Mr. Scott's now-famous "I cannot change the laws of physics!" line, a dire situation that the crew get themselves into then miraculously get themselves out of, and a classic bit of sniping between Spock and Dr. McCoy, and you have one of classic Trek's better outings. Oh yeah, let's not forget the discovery of a new method of time travel to top things off! Ya just gotta love the Advanced-Technology (heh) look of the helm's analog chronometer as the hours and minutes roll back during the going-backwards-in-time scene!
`Late
Rating: -
Volume 3 of the Star Trek DVD series continues the adventures of the star ship enterprise into the final frontier. Although Volume 3 is intended to be a good one it has the flaw of having one below average episode and one above thus making it slightly weaker than some of the other DVD relases in this series. But that does not stop it from making it a good DVD to buy (despite the fact that Paramount could have thrown more epsidoes on a DVD rather than robbing us by issuing out 40 different 2 episode Star Trek DVD's).
The first episode here is "THE MAN TRAP". This has the unique distinction of being the first Trek episode to air yet for some strange reason it is not a essential classic. The crew of the Enterprise finds itself being attcked by a bizarre salt feeding creature. The creature can take the form of any living thing and once it gets aboard the ship things get evenworse for Kirk and his crew. The episode itself is watchable but it seems rather stupid to have a spaced out salt consuming alien terrorizing the Enterprise this makes the episode a below average Trek episode. None the less "THE MAN TRAP" does develope Bones McCoy's character quite a bit by showing his relationship with Nancy (who later on turns out to have been killed by the alien a year before the Enterprise's visit. The alien merely took her form after consuming her). And besides the acting is priceless when Spock is clocked by the the salt monster in the form of Nancy. However "THE MAN TRAP" is by no means a masterpiece!
The second episode, "THE NAKED TIME" is however a classic. Beaming down to an ice cold planet a bizarre space virus is brought aboard the Enterprise by a crew member and spread like mad throughout the ship. What is the result of this new virus? Well Sulu runs around the ship with no shirt on and a sword, Kevin Riley locks himself in the engineering room singing terrible Irish drinking songs, and Spock crys like a baby which he never does cause Vulcan's can't show emotion (and I can see why! Nimoy's weeping is ridiculous). As the madness begins to take over the ship it is up to Bones to find an antidote that will rid the ship of this bizarre virus. A classic Trek on it's own partly because of the rahter comical quirky moments. Definetly worth seeing!
Overall Volume 3 is a good addition to a Star Trek DVD collection but it not something to start with (go for Volume 1 if you are just starting to get Trek DVD's). If you like Volume 1 and 2 then by all means go for 3 but be warned "THE MAN TRAP" is not necessarily the best trek episode around but it is watchable. "THE NAKED TIME" is worth a glimpse though. Recommended!
Rating: -
Volume 3 of the Star Trek DVD series continues the adventures of the star ship enterprise into the final frontier. Although Volume 3 is intended to be a good one it has the flaw of having one below average episode and one above thus making it slightly weaker than some of the other DVD relases in this series. But that does not stop it from making it a good DVD to buy (despite the fact that Paramount could have thrown more epsidoes on a DVD rather than robbing us by issuing out 40 different 2 episode Star Trek DVD's).
The first episode here is "THE MAN TRAP". This has the unique distinction of being the first Trek episode to air yet for some strange reason it is not a essential classic. The crew of the Enterprise finds itself being attcked by a bizarre salt feeding creature. The creature can take the form of any living thing and once it gets aboard the ship things get evenworse for Kirk and his crew. The episode itself is watchable but it seems rather stupid to have a spaced out salt consuming alien terrorizing the Enterprise this makes the episode a below average Trek episode. None the less "THE MAN TRAP" does develope Bones McCoy's character quite a bit by showing his relationship with Nancy (who later on turns out to have been killed by the alien a year before the Enterprise's visit. The alien merely took her form after consuming her). And besides the acting is priceless when Spock is clocked by the the salt monster in the form of Nancy. However "THE MAN TRAP" is by no means a masterpiece!
The second episode, "The Naked Time" is however a classic. Beaming down to an ice cold planet a bizarre space virus is brought aboard the Enterprise by a crew member and spread like mad throughout the ship. What is the result of this new virus? Well Sulu runs around the ship with no shirt on and a sword, Kevin Riley locks himself in the engineering room singing terrible Irish drinking songs, and Spock crys like a baby which he never does cause Vulcan's can't show emotion (and I can see why! Nimoy's weeping is ridiculous). As the madness begins to take over the ship it is up to Bones to find an antidote that will rid the ship of this bizarre virus. A classic Trek on it's own partly because of the rahter comical quirky moments. Definetly worth seeing!
Overall Volume 3 is a good addition to a Star Trek DVD collection but it not something to start with (go for Volume 1 if you are just starting to get Trek DVD's). If you like Volume 1 and 2 then by all means go for 3 but be warned "THE MAN TRAP" is not necessarily the best trek episode around but it is watchable. "THE NAKED TIME" is worth a glimpse though. Recommended!
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