1.03 : The Corbomite Maneuver.

[Dave]

1.3 : The Corbomite Maneuver.

Although, the 3rd epiosde made, usually it is shown much later in the series.

In this episode, almost all the familiar TOS characters are still developing. McCoy is the most different, lurking on the bridge rather than sickbay, appearing to be more of a psychologist than doctor.

Spock almost tells the Captain "I'm sorry" before his emotionless side kicks in, and he does shout about the overheating engines, this after telling Mr Bailey he is too emotional when he shouts.

Uhura just sits being a leggy attraction and saying "Hailing frequencies Open". Yeoman Janice Rand is simply a glorified maid, bringing the Captain his salad and coffee.

Spock talks about his mother and father in the past tense.

Good episode though, for all it's faults.

 

[Harpo]

I'm watching it right now. Possibly the first time I was scared by something on television (apart from Daleks maybe) when I was a kid

 

[jeff.s.p]

The one thing that amazes me about that episode is how Clint Howard ( the baby) hasn't aged a day! He still looks exactly the same!!... lol

 

[Extollager]

I relish the early-days-of-Star-Trek qualities of this one. Interstellar space travel in this one doesn't yet seem simply routine. With both verbal and visual content, there's the effort to invoke a sense of wonder.

The makers of the episode gave it a good try at the end with the revelation of the diminutive Balok. Perhaps we see him close up a bit too much, e.g. when he throws his head back and laughs and a row of black fillings are displayed. The synchronization of the adult voice with the movements of the child-actor's lips and facial expressions is pretty good.

I think they benefit from a little bit of likely audience giving-of-slack. The forbidding false Balok looks like a puppet -- which of course he is, but before we know that, we viewers are (or anyway were) probably inclined to take the evident intention for the deed and give Balok a "pass" as being a real person. We make allowances for this being a tv program. At the end we may realize we cooperated in our own being fooled, since in the story Balok is in fact a puppet.

 

[Galactic Journey]

I relish the early-days-of-Star-Trek qualities of this one. Interstellar space travel in this one doesn't yet seem simply routine. With both verbal and visual content, there's the effort to invoke a sense of wonder.

The makers of the episode gave it a good try at the end with the revelation of the diminutive Balok. Perhaps we see him close up a bit too much, e.g. when he throws his head back and laughs and a row of black fillings are displayed. The synchronization of the adult voice with the movements of the child-actor's lips and facial expressions is pretty good.

I think they benefit from a little bit of likely audience giving-of-slack. The forbidding false Balok looks like a puppet -- which of course he is, but before we know that, we viewers are (or anyway were) probably inclined to take the evident intention for the deed and give Balok a "pass" as being a real person. We make allowances for this being a tv program. At the end we may realize we cooperated in our own being fooled, since in the story Balok is in fact a puppet.

The puppet of Balok, often shown in a cut scene in the end credits, always scared me as a young child.

It's not a bad episode, this sort of quasi-pilot, but the spinny buoy scenes are just *endless*.

"Request denied." Excellent line.

 

[Extollager]

Scary Balok...

...reminds me just a little of the fake alien into which Robert Culp was changed in the Outer Limits teleplay "The Architects of Fear" --

 

[Dave]

When I first watched Star Trek, it was on BBC TV and much later than the original US showings. It was probably shown in the mornings during the summer holidays, and the episode order was totally mixed up. The closing credits always showed the frightening image of Balock, and so I watched avidly, waiting for the actual episode when this alien would appear in Trek. So, I only remember a great disappointment when he turned out to be a fraud.

 

[BAYLOR]

When I first watched Star Trek, it was on BBC TV and much later than the original US showings. It was probably shown in the mornings during the summer holidays, and the episode order was totally mixed up. The closing credits always showed the frightening image of Balock, and so I watched avidly, waiting for the actual episode when this alien would appear in Trek. So, I only remember a great disappointment when he turned out to be a fraud.

Back then, then they had makeup know how to do that version of Balock.

 

[Rodders]

I'd not seen this episode at all before, but i had seen the kid. An interesting episode which i quite enjoyed. The ship and effects looked great, but having a child playing an impossibly ancient Balock seemed a bit tacky to me. Still, i suppose there were limited ways to show aliens and their cultures.