First Impressions of the Doomsday Machine

[royalfan5]

1: I really like the green wraparound tunic that Kirk gets to wear.
2: I think they did a really good job with Decker.
3:I really like the design of the planet killer.
4: I like the Spock/Decker interaction as well
5: I like the sense of relief from the crew when Spock retakes command
6: Decker's death was well done as well.
7: The defeat of the Planter Killer was great as well.
8: This is a fantastic episode in my book.

 

[evilnate]

Agreed. The best part of the episode for me is the fantastic score. Among the best sci-fi action scores, particuarly the end as Kirk is taking the Constellation in the maw of the Planet Killer. It made the whole thing extremely epic.

 

[T'Girl]

I liked the fight scene between Decker and the security guard. Decker didn't simply knock out the younger man with a single blow, he had to work for it, very believable.

 

[WisTrekFan]

Doomsday Machine is my all time favorite Star Trek episode. I just love the whole interaction between Spock and Decker on the Enterprise bridge.

Spock: "Vulcans never bluff."
Decker: "No, I don't suppose they do. The bridge is yours."

I also like the exchange earlier in the episode where Spock brutally reminds Decker that his plan to use the Enterprise to take on the planet killer, "resulted in a wrecked ship and a dead crew," when Decker attempted it with the Constellation.

I always think that the director did a nice subtle job at showing the Enterprise bridge crew's loyalty to Spock when Lieutenant Palmer addressed only Spock when she gave the damage report. I do wonder though where Lieutenant Uhura was in this episode. Nichelle Nichols would have had a lot of lines in this story.

I do also like Kirk's green uniform he wore in many of the second season episodes. It was a nice touch of continuity in the Enterprise episode, "In a Mirror, Darkly," that Archer wore the green wraparound uniform because that is what Kirk wore in the original "Mirror, Mirror." Too bad they abandoned it in the third season.

By the way, I once met William Windom and he signed his autograph as Commodore Decker. It is one my prized possessions.

Anyway, it is an awesome episode.

 

[Rojixus]

In general I thought this was a well-crafted episode with a solid plot and lots of suspense. I liked the character of Decker as well, I get the feeling that's what Kirk might have become if something similar had happened to his crew.

 

[Winterwind]

The Doomsday Machine remains one of my favourite TOS episodes. Probably in my top ten. Aside from things already mentioned above, one of my favourite parts is how Windom plays Decker in total shock, and emotionally breaking down even more when they find him with the "Don't you think I know that" scene.

 

[jayrath]

Easily in the top 10, agreed! I expect naysayers to surface soon with complaints about the models, especially their scale relative to each other, but it's a great show. Windom has always been a great favorite of mine.

 

[KeepOnTrekking]

My favorite episode of TOS. If they hadn't already filmed it as an episode, it would have made a great movie! Great music. Great countdown cliffhanger at the end. Despite complaints from fans about the "fiberglass-looking" planet killer, I've always loved it (even over the new TOS-R one).

I've also wondered about how it would have played with Uhura in it. When Spock finally relieves Decker of command, look at the change of expression on Lt. Palmer's face. I could easily see that on Uhura's face as she comprehends that Spock's finally making his stand. I've always figured that Kirk had a pre-arranged agreement with Spock that when he told the Vulcan to do something "on his personal authority as Captain of the Enterprise" that Spock had better jump and do it whether it was logical or not and let Kirk deal with the consequences with Starfleet. As for Uhura's absence from this episode, I just chalk it off as she's still being re-educated from her incident with Nomad from "The Changeling."

 

[RAMA]

My fav part of the episode...that the Doomsday weapon is seen a sign of a failed culture...one that didn't learn its lessons like Earth did, and was a parallel for (failed)nuclear brinksmanship of the cold war.

RAMA