Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Star Trek: The Apple

Episode: "The Apple"
Series: Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 2, Episode 5
Original Air Date: October 13, 1967
via Memory Alpha
Hold on to your hats, folks!  The Enterprise and her crew are out to spread the gospel of sex to the universe.

In "The Apple," our heroes visit Gamma Trianguli VI, an apparent paradise.  However, it turns out the native primitive civilization lives under the rule of a tyrannical computer, Vaal.  This story shares many similarities with the Season 1 episode, "The Return of the Archons" (reflection here) including the rationale for violating the Prime Directive. But rather than decked out in 19th century garb, GT6's inhabitants are scantily clad primitives, beautifully sculpted but with the innocence of children. 

There's a lot of sex talk in this story.  Or rather, there's a lot of meaningful eyebrow raising between characters as they allude to without ever actually saying anything about sex.  After the crew frees the natives from Vaal, the planet's mechanical overlord, they must educate them about sexual reproduction.  Apparently Vaal had managed to keep them perfectly preserved in their youthful state, negating the need for children.  Sex and physical affection of any kind had been entirely forbidden by Vaal.

This episode holds a special place in the hearts of the devoted as it marked the beginning of the Redshirt Trope.  Longtime followers of the franchise know that pretty much anyone in a red shirt who beams down with a landing party is doomed to a gruesome death.  All four of the men in red who beam down in "The Apple" are killed off very quickly by Vaal's tricks and traps.  Interestingly, they all had lines of dialogue before perishing.  That's another tip off in future episodes.  Red shirt?  No lines?  He's a goner.

*****
via Memory Alpha
Keith Andes played the role of Akuta, leader of the Feeders of Vaal, as the planet's people call themselves.  Andes was born July 12, 1920 in Ocean City, New Jersey.  As with many I've featured in this space, his showbiz career began in radio.  He attended Oxford in England but graduated from Temple in Philadelphia.  He also studied voice at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music.  He launched his Broadway career while serving in the Air Force.  Andes made his big screen debut in 1944's Winged Victory

Andes was married twice and had two children, including Mark Andes who was a longtime bassist for Heart, among other bands.  After a long battle with bladder cancer, Keith Andes committed suicide by asphyxiation on November 11, 2005.

21 comments:

  1. I remember a scene in which Kirk, expecting attack, punches one of the (male) natives, who promptly begins to cry. Very unusual scene for the time. Pretty sure it was this episode.

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    1. Excellent memory as always, sir! That is from this story. Akuta was the one punched.

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  2. The first of many red shirt security officer deaths. That episode was very racy for it's time.

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    1. Whole lot of smoochin' for Chekov and Yeoman Landon. The Enterprise goes through Yeomen almost as quickly as they do security officers!

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  3. Oh gosh I vaguely remember this one. Not so much for the scantly dressed people although that was very racy, or the red shirts getting killed but for the eye searing white hair and the little antenna sticking out of the head.
    I am so wierd !
    You are a hoot, I so enjoy these posts !

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. It's a memorable look, no doubt. They all look horribly sunburned, too.

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  4. We call the short timer red shirts "Crewmen 6" (Galaxy Quest). I loved this post.

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    1. Galaxy Quest is fantastic - rarely has a more loving and accurate parody been created.

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  5. love your inner geekness on star trek =)
    and susan's crewman 6 reference! love galaxy quest!

    ps - i wish i read fast enough to join the book club, but i sadly don't. i will try to visit more tho!

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  6. Replies
    1. Yup! One can feel the series gradually slipping into formula but it's still fun.

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  7. Your post on this very weird episode makes me want to start watching the show again. Feel like a fraud sleeping in the t-shirt, having only made it through a half-dozen first-season eps. You can take credit if I pick up where I left off with the TOS and post about it again. :)

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    1. Extra the. Kind of like VIN number. Anyway.

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    2. ATM machine. VCR recorder. PIN number.

      I hope you will. It really is such a goofy show but there are moments of sparkling genius.

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    3. My posts have been on the introspective side of late. SC could use some pop! levity just in time for warmer weather.

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    4. Let's get on that bloghop plan then! A movie that influenced your life? A movie you identify with a certain time in your life?

      How about mid-May, Friday 5/16, perhaps?

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    5. 16 May, it is. I like the youth angle. Would love to get people reminiscing/reviewing/reimagining.

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    6. Cool! What movie do you most closely identify with your own youth? So many choices for me...

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    7. Hey, what about 'Then and Now?' You pick a movie you watched 'then' that had an impact on you and then write about how watching it 'now' is a different experience.

      It could conceivably be a series. After movies, it could be books, then songs. Thoughts?

      I don't know what movie I'll pick. Over the years, The Princess Bride went through slight changes of perception (cool then, not so cool later, sweet now.) Something like that. I'll have to think about it.

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    8. Yes. A series. Excellent idea. I have also responded via e-mail regarding a date to start.

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