Series: Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 2, Episode 10
Original Air Date: November 17, 1967
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| via Memory Alpha |
The murder mystery would be fun enough but the real strength of this episode and its long-term importance to the Trek franchise is the revelation of Spock's family dynamics. We've known from the beginning that our pointy-eared hero struggles with the conflict between his human and Vulcan natures. In the presence of his parents, the self-identity battlefield is laid plain. Sarek does nothing to hide his disapproval of his son's abandoning Vulcan for a career in Starfleet. Meanwhile, Amanda strives to mend the rift between the two. In the episode's most poignant scene, she slaps Spock after failing to convince him to place the importance of his father's life over that of his duty to the ship. We don't see Spock's face after the slap. She leaves the room and he places his hand on the closed door behind her. End of scene.
Mark Lenard, who played the Romulan Commander in "Balance of Terror", returns as Sarek. Television veteran Jane Wyatt is Amanda. The two have wonderful chemistry together and created the Vulcan sign of affection - the touching of two fingers - on their own. It's a tough call, but I might say this is my favorite episode of the season so far and maybe even the entire series.
*****
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| via Memory Alpha |
Wyatt was married to her husband Edgar Bethune Ward for 65 years. She lived to the ripe old age of 96, dying of natural causes in 2006. She was survived by two sons, three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Watched it again on Netflix. "Why did you marry her?" "At the time it seemed the logical thing to do." --had forgot which episode that exchange came from. My thanks, Squid. Most enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteGlad to have provided an excuse for you to watch. Thanks, Geo!
DeleteI was thinking, "Wow, she looked old on Star Trek. That couldn't have been that long after Father Knows Best!" But I think that latter picture must be when she reprised the role.
ReplyDeleteNope, that was 1967. She was 57 years old. Lenard was 43. Nimoy was 36.
DeleteThat WAS a great episode!
ReplyDeleteMost definitely. Thanks, mshatch!
DeleteThe chemistry between those two was wonderful especially since they were pretending to be a Vulcan marriage.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. Her experience in family shows must have been an asset.
Deletevague memories...
ReplyDeleteHighly recommended.
DeleteI do remember this one but you comments brought more understanding of the story than I remember.
ReplyDeletecheers, parsnip
It's for episodes like this that people love Trek, I think.
DeleteThat looks like a good episode.
ReplyDeleteIt is. Thanks, Lady L!
DeleteWow -- cosmic TV coincidence. I didn't realize this episode and the one before it combine to give us a mini "Father Knows Best" reunion! Mom in this one; "Kitten" as the ambassador in "Metamorphosis."
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, I was fascinated by the multi-colored marshmallows (or whatever they are) on the buffet table in the picture you posted above. :-)
Nice catch on the Father Knows Best reunion!
DeleteI was curious about the "food," too. They must be marshmallows. Anything else seems too much trouble.
That first pic you posted has a very, 'I was catered by Willy Wonka,' sort of feel. :)
ReplyDeleteIt does. If the Tellarites were shorter, they could even make decent Oompa-Loompas.
DeleteI have a theory... In the late 60s, color TV was the brand new, futuristic thing. Black and white signaled old and passe. So what does the far, far future look like? More, more color! :-)
DeleteGood point! Throw in the psychedelia of the era and colors, bold and bright, were definitely in vogue.
Delete'So what does the far, far future look like?'
DeleteColor you can hear. It's a latent property that has already begun to emerge. Trust me on this boys.
"Listen to the color of your dreams..." (from a song released just they year before):
Deletehttp://youtu.be/7xL1ffMlzKY
*gasp*
DeleteSurprised and speechless. The perfect response.
I've never tried acid but I know the mingling of the senses is a big thing with the LSD crowd. There are those who come by it naturally. I had a girlfriend in college who subconsciously associated a color with everything and was surprised to learn others didn't do the same. I was maroon. She was royal blue. Basketball was green. Baseball orange. And so on.
DeleteAm I a natural, too? Ever since I was small, each of the 26 letters and 10 digits had a unique color associated with it in my mind. It's helped immensely for memorization purposes.
DeleteFriends in college were convinced that I made up the associations on the fly. So, I wrote them all down, and told them to store it away for however long they like. I think it was 3 years, but they eventually pulled it out and quizzed me. Easiest test I ever took. :-) :-)
A few years ago, I made an image that attempted to realize the colors in my head. I'll include it in the potpourri post that I've been finishing up today.
Aha, you're one of the lucky ones! I had another friend who had an association similar to yours. After I told her about my girlfriend's thing, she described her own deal - also according to the first letter of the word, though the rules weren't absolute. She wrote me a letter with each word in the color ink according to her perception - totally wild!
DeleteTommy James of Shondells fame also has a mingling of the senses. That's why so many of his songs are about colors: "Crimson and Clover," "Crystal Blue Persuasion" and so on.
I have a very strong reaction against people, stories and songs (and especially voices) that are too pointy. I favor ovals and circles.
DeleteThe brain does weird thing. I never really thought about it before but my mental number line curves and slants. It slants upwards and to the right from 1-100, then bends up and to the left thereafter. The slope at 289 is steeper than it is at 511. There is no how or why. It just is.
DeleteOkay, for real? Or are you makin' fun a me, Rizz?
DeleteI visualize the last century in three-dimensional space, not unlike the structures endemic to our typical, waking consciousness. The decades, I mean. The '20s, '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s and '80s are where my imagination tends to drape most comfortably and/or frequently. Even compared to the present day.
Sigh...
DeleteHow was that making fun of you?!!!
I don't think mine is technically a mingling of the senses. Just kind of weird and never really gave it much thought before.
I guess 'cause 'the slope at 289 is steeper than it is at 511' sounds like it could be poking fun at people with 'odd' thoughts. But if it's true though, then ... in-er-esting, Squidward. And also cool and unexpected.
DeleteBtw, here's something random: I saw a girl carrying this enormous canvas tote with, guess what? A squid on it. It may be that squid are, like, in now. (It was an image not an actual. Squid. Anyway.)
Of course, it's true! 289 and 511 are also both examples of numbers for which I have great affection. 289 is a perfect square. 511 is a number that you'd expect to be prime, and yet it isn't. Of course, prime numbers are also awesome.
DeleteAwesome, squid are all the rage! I always knew my style would come around eventually and I'd be cool for about two weeks.