So "The Doomsday Machine", a story whose plot beats would return for other staples such as "The Immunity Syndrome"...
For a show involving seeking out and making peace with other life forms, or if nothing else getting jiggy with them, season 2 is starting to ratchet up a few "Don't ask what it is, just blow it up" routines. Usually for good reason, this machine has no accessible off switch and is destroying billions and imagine if the Amoeba critter evolved into something like a human, only far far larger... just imagine the personals ad profile complete with pictures...
...
So anyhoo, I watched the TOS-R edition with the new effects, then looked back at the originals. The originals work, but this episode is definitely an example of how the new effects also are more than the sum of their parts and is the version I'd recommend people try at least once because they really add to the sense of scale and scope. They're still breathtaking despite their age thanks to the content within. Other episodes, yeah, I do return to the originals - especially "The Immunity Syndrome", but not this one.
Scott says "lads" in this one. Later, he forgets his accent, but for every time he says "lass", remember he does say "lads".
William Windom -- I don't remember the article in which he felt like he gave the wrong performance but, dang, he's better than perfect in this one, managing to sell so much "tell vs show" attributes and getting the audience to empathize and imagine 400 crewmembers on their communicators begging for him to beam them back. That's HUGE.
Yeah. the story is a partial retelling of "Moby Dick" - swap the big whale with a gigantic windsock that eats planet rocks and rubble as sources of energy and, voila. Except the whale has emotions, even if not of the sentient/conscious sort. The machine just machines around. At least Spock tries to think of what this thing was used for, which leads us to...
*drumroll* The topical tie-in o' the week, circa 'sixty seven.
Yup. The H-bomb. The story keeps the tie-in minimal, and proceeds to make a story based on this device and some what-ifisms and is far eminently creative.
Also, the usual dialogue of "will go through the most densely populated portion of our galaxy" is used as plot crutch, complete with sock itch. Given the fact of the increasing density of planetary systems as one goes deeper into the galaxy, the outermost diameter/rim is where life as we know it is most likely going to develop, unless - out there, somewhere, cue the music - some species can evolve on a densely-gravity planet that has a thin atmosphere that can manage to survive being bombarded by bits of asteroids and debris on a regular basis. Life can be inorganic...
Okay, so if the machine reacts to the power nacelles, why not just turn them off and then rescue everyone, then turn them back on and then hightail it out of there in the opposite direction? Space is like three dimensions and sorta big and stuff... ...but then there'd be no story, and what is shown on screen and told are highly compelling. Didn't feel sluggish in the way many 60s shows do nowadays.
The chain of command scenes between Decker and Spock are must-sees. Indeed, Decker's insignia is almost a visual representation of the attitude he's putting out. Definitely with the suffix "-ish" at the end.
As are the Spock/McCoy ones. "In plain, non-Vulcan English, we've been lucky" is one of so many little moments peppered in. The story's writing really knows when to ratchet things up, when to relax, when to add in banter that flows ever so smoothly with the story narrative. It's a masterpiece.
Did I mention the great lighting and camerawork? Iconic. Even the lighting that is backlit and reveals characters' fuzzy earhair that would have been impossible to have seen in non-blu-ray releases. That's not a bad thing, it happens folks.
The music too fits beautifully.
Gotta love it when Scotty whips out a big engineering tool that makes its own constant hum-um-whoosh-um-um-um-um noise!
Washburn... Washburn... no, my sideburns aren't dirty, but a fan of many NBC shows at the time may have mixed up engineer Washburn with DW Washburn that the Monkees belted out several months later as their tv show had ended its run before then.
As always, Spock is the unsung standout with his detached demeanor, even if Decker is trying his patience.
While Spock and McCoy banter about Decker's being unfit for command, you-guessed-it in red in the background makes sure to be seen. Love this guy!!
As Enterprise gets attacked, how come Spock spouts the latest statistics to Decker so fast when he's not directly at a console? He dons an earpiece but how fast is the person (or even computer) on the other end relaying casualties, if not the computer... the latency lag time seems a tad off no matter how you look at it. Also consider, earlier in the episode, there is no audible or visual cue for when the Machine snaps on a tractor beam, so how does Spock know so quick? (Doesn't really need to anyway, and the new visuals of Enterprise looking helpless really sweeten the pot.)
Stunt doubles!! Good ones are picked this time! They're even hairstyled to match! The camera intercuts are so fast that it's A+++ by TOS standards that they're not as easy to spot as usual! Again, blu-ray on a 65" screen in 2024 vs SD on a 25" screen in 1968 makes for a fun comparison...
Kirk imploring Decker how he's a valuable commodity and they're stronger with him, and not to feel guilt over an error in command judgment, is a huge key moment.
Along with other humorous styles, Kirk gets all gallows in the end with the "Gentlemen, I suggest you beam me aboard!" I'll admit, we know he's going to survive, but the handling of the transporter going pew-pew-boom is well-executed.
Spock does ask if more of these things are in the galaxy. So, next week, they don't encounter a dozen of them. Dang.
Easily a 10/10 story. One of, if not the finest of TOS's run.
For a show involving seeking out and making peace with other life forms, or if nothing else getting jiggy with them, season 2 is starting to ratchet up a few "Don't ask what it is, just blow it up" routines. Usually for good reason, this machine has no accessible off switch and is destroying billions and imagine if the Amoeba critter evolved into something like a human, only far far larger... just imagine the personals ad profile complete with pictures...
...
So anyhoo, I watched the TOS-R edition with the new effects, then looked back at the originals. The originals work, but this episode is definitely an example of how the new effects also are more than the sum of their parts and is the version I'd recommend people try at least once because they really add to the sense of scale and scope. They're still breathtaking despite their age thanks to the content within. Other episodes, yeah, I do return to the originals - especially "The Immunity Syndrome", but not this one.
Scott says "lads" in this one. Later, he forgets his accent, but for every time he says "lass", remember he does say "lads".
William Windom -- I don't remember the article in which he felt like he gave the wrong performance but, dang, he's better than perfect in this one, managing to sell so much "tell vs show" attributes and getting the audience to empathize and imagine 400 crewmembers on their communicators begging for him to beam them back. That's HUGE.
Yeah. the story is a partial retelling of "Moby Dick" - swap the big whale with a gigantic windsock that eats planet rocks and rubble as sources of energy and, voila. Except the whale has emotions, even if not of the sentient/conscious sort. The machine just machines around. At least Spock tries to think of what this thing was used for, which leads us to...
*drumroll* The topical tie-in o' the week, circa 'sixty seven.
Yup. The H-bomb. The story keeps the tie-in minimal, and proceeds to make a story based on this device and some what-ifisms and is far eminently creative.
Also, the usual dialogue of "will go through the most densely populated portion of our galaxy" is used as plot crutch, complete with sock itch. Given the fact of the increasing density of planetary systems as one goes deeper into the galaxy, the outermost diameter/rim is where life as we know it is most likely going to develop, unless - out there, somewhere, cue the music - some species can evolve on a densely-gravity planet that has a thin atmosphere that can manage to survive being bombarded by bits of asteroids and debris on a regular basis. Life can be inorganic...
Okay, so if the machine reacts to the power nacelles, why not just turn them off and then rescue everyone, then turn them back on and then hightail it out of there in the opposite direction? Space is like three dimensions and sorta big and stuff... ...but then there'd be no story, and what is shown on screen and told are highly compelling. Didn't feel sluggish in the way many 60s shows do nowadays.
The chain of command scenes between Decker and Spock are must-sees. Indeed, Decker's insignia is almost a visual representation of the attitude he's putting out. Definitely with the suffix "-ish" at the end.
As are the Spock/McCoy ones. "In plain, non-Vulcan English, we've been lucky" is one of so many little moments peppered in. The story's writing really knows when to ratchet things up, when to relax, when to add in banter that flows ever so smoothly with the story narrative. It's a masterpiece.
Did I mention the great lighting and camerawork? Iconic. Even the lighting that is backlit and reveals characters' fuzzy earhair that would have been impossible to have seen in non-blu-ray releases. That's not a bad thing, it happens folks.
The music too fits beautifully.
Gotta love it when Scotty whips out a big engineering tool that makes its own constant hum-um-whoosh-um-um-um-um noise!
Washburn... Washburn... no, my sideburns aren't dirty, but a fan of many NBC shows at the time may have mixed up engineer Washburn with DW Washburn that the Monkees belted out several months later as their tv show had ended its run before then.
As always, Spock is the unsung standout with his detached demeanor, even if Decker is trying his patience.
While Spock and McCoy banter about Decker's being unfit for command, you-guessed-it in red in the background makes sure to be seen. Love this guy!!
As Enterprise gets attacked, how come Spock spouts the latest statistics to Decker so fast when he's not directly at a console? He dons an earpiece but how fast is the person (or even computer) on the other end relaying casualties, if not the computer... the latency lag time seems a tad off no matter how you look at it. Also consider, earlier in the episode, there is no audible or visual cue for when the Machine snaps on a tractor beam, so how does Spock know so quick? (Doesn't really need to anyway, and the new visuals of Enterprise looking helpless really sweeten the pot.)
Stunt doubles!! Good ones are picked this time! They're even hairstyled to match! The camera intercuts are so fast that it's A+++ by TOS standards that they're not as easy to spot as usual! Again, blu-ray on a 65" screen in 2024 vs SD on a 25" screen in 1968 makes for a fun comparison...
Kirk imploring Decker how he's a valuable commodity and they're stronger with him, and not to feel guilt over an error in command judgment, is a huge key moment.
Along with other humorous styles, Kirk gets all gallows in the end with the "Gentlemen, I suggest you beam me aboard!" I'll admit, we know he's going to survive, but the handling of the transporter going pew-pew-boom is well-executed.
Spock does ask if more of these things are in the galaxy. So, next week, they don't encounter a dozen of them. Dang.
Easily a 10/10 story. One of, if not the finest of TOS's run.
But that's just how awesome this story is; references exist but when you don't pick up on them, that's top-notch. It'd be bad to notice and then be taken out of the story. Especially when I've seen the Red Dwarf episode "Rimmerworld" where Rimmer grinds the 4cm diameter steel balls into 1cm ones a few dozen times and knew right off the bat they were taking cue from "Caine" (which fits Rimmer perfectly).
