Squiddies 2015

The Armchair Squid turns six years old today.  It's time to hand out some hardware.  And the Squiddy goes to...

Biggest Surprise: Live-Tweeting Star Trek

via Twitter

It was exciting enough to have Spacerguy and Maurice Mitchell join me for an episode-by-episode exploration of Star Trek's animated series.  The real surprise came when Maurice suggested we watch an episode together over Twitter.  Schedules and technology often got in the way of perfect synchronization but it was loads of fun when we managed to make it work.


Biggest Disappointment: Five-Day Power Outage

Due to a nasty winter storm, we lost power at our house for five days in December.  No power also means no heat and - worst of all - no water for us so it's far from a minor inconvenience even in the short term.  It was a long five days, indeed.


Best Read, First-Time Category: The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

It's been a good year for books, especially this summer.  I've read quite a few that have made me reexamine my very existence, but none more so than The Omnivore's Dilemma.  All humans are faced with the dilemma.  Since we can technically eat anything, we must find what is nutritious and avoid what is poisonous.  In the post-industrial world, the options are more dizzying than ever.  Pollan's book takes us on an exploration of the various paths food takes en route to our plates.  Awareness of those paths, more than the choice of any one over the other, is our responsibility as stewards of the Earth.


Best Read, Re-Read Category: The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

This book, a favorite from my youth, seems largely forgotten among children's classics.  Back in the day, I learned words like occult, familiar and seance from Snyder's novel.  At its heart, though, it's the tale of a family adjusting to new circumstances, in many ways easier to appreciate as an adult reader.  I'm hoping I can convince my daughter to give it a try sometime soon.


Best Comics Find: Best of Enemies by Jean-Pierre Filiu and David B.

This two-part (so far) graphic novel series provides a 200-year history of U.S./Middle East relations.  Originally in French, the books maintain a remarkable neutrality in examining the issues.  Basically, everyone involved is at fault.


Athlete of the Year: Bobby Moch

via Pinterest

Robert Moch (1914-2005) was the coxswain for the University of Washington's varsity crew that won the gold medal for the United States at the 1936 Olympics.  I got to know Moch and his pals in The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown.  A coxswain sits at the front of the boat, steering the vessel and calling out the stroke rate for the oarsmen.  Whereas most rowers are long-limbed leviathans, the coxswains are petit.  Moch is a particularly likeable specimen: a strategic genius and a smart ass to boot.


Post with Most Unexpected Consequences: Star Trek: Turnabout Intruder

"Turnabout Intruder" was the final episode of Star Trek's original series, capping a two-year long exploration for me.  In my post for that episode, Maurice dropped a hint that if I were to take on the animated series in similar fashion, he might be willing to join me.  I could hardly resist an offer like that.  The TAS project, in turn, inspired a similar project with Andrew Leon, exploring Star Wars: The Clone Wars. 


Best Family Adventure: The Green Mountain Film Festival

For the second year in a row, we made an overnight trip to Montpelier, Vermont to cram in as many festival movies as possible over two days.  Over dinner, My Wife claimed the modest adventure as her ideal vacation.  We get to do something we can't at home, in this case watch independent films on the big screen.  We eat well.  Everything is within easy walking distance of the hotel.  I think she's still keen on a trip to Europe someday but it's nice that we can find such a gratifying getaway close to home.


Best Unexpected Benefit of Blogging: A New Purpose for Twitter

I like Twitter.  Though I don't use it as much as Facebook, it feels less manipulative to me.  That said, I haven't always been quite sure what to do with it.  It's great for creating my own news feed and for minimal effort networking but I've never been especially enthused beyond that.  Maurice's suggestion to use it for our Star Trek TAS project, though (see above), opened my eyes to the possibilities of coupling blogging with Tweeting.  I'm not sure where that will lead in the coming year, if anywhere, but it's another tool to keep in the box.

As you may have gathered, Maurice Mitchell has had a considerable influence on my blogging over the past year.  Maurice, in case you haven't heard, is moving onto a very exciting project indeed as editor of the soon to be launched Superman page at About.com.  I, for one, certainly hope he will continue to be a presence in the blogosphere.

What Is Star Trek's Animated Series?

via Memory Alpha

For the most part, Star Trek's animated series was true to the content and spirit of the original show.  Franchise creator Gene Roddenberry still had creative control.  He had D.C. Fontana, a Trek veteran, leading the writing team and most of his cast back to perform the voices.  What was new was the capacity of animation to expand the universe the stories could inhabit.  No longer restricted by the limitations of special effects, Roddenberry encouraged the entire writing staff to take full advantage of the possibilities.  The result was broader landscapes, stranger aliens and story settings that would not have been possible with live action.  The budget was limited so the animation is not always of the highest quality, even by the standards of its era.  But the show maintained a sophisticated look nonetheless.

Another benefit of an animated show was the opportunity to exhibit the vocal talents of the original series cast members, particularly a select few further down the chain of command: Majel Barrett (Nurse Chapel), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura) and, most of all, James Doohan (Scotty).  Roddenberry knew from the beginning that he had a vocal talent on his hands with Doohan, a veteran of radio dramas.  In his audition for the original Star Trek series, Doohan offered several different choices for the accent of his character.  The actor himself is Canadian.  In addition to his performance as Scotty on TAS, he supplied the voices for the vast majority of the supplementary male characters.

The female characters were split between Barrett and Nichols.  Barrett got more of the work early in the series, particularly computer voices.  Nichols got more later on, probably in part because Barrett had a baby in 1974.  I like Barrett's voice well enough but Nichols was the true star.  Hers is a lilting, lyrical singer's voice, one that could be warm, ethereal, sexy, sensual, mystical, nurturing.  Given her obviously superior talent, why didn't she get more of the work?  Well, Barrett was married to the boss.

The canon value of the episodes is frequently debated but during the 1970s, they were the only new Trek stories on television.  Perhaps they were enough to turn a few kids on to the originals, helping to build the audience for the movies, the first of which would hit theaters in 1979.  They're certainly a lot of fun for those of us already converted.

*****

Time to hand out the hardware...


Favorite Episode: "Yesteryear"

Our visit to Spock's childhood, "Yesteryear" has a strong legacy in the canon.  The 2009 Star Trek reboot film used many of the elements of this story, even specific lines of dialogue.   Just as important to me, the character of Thelin, Spock's replacement in an alternate time stream, displays the graceful generosity that represents the very best of Trek. 


Least Favorite Episode: "The Practical Joker"

TAS's worst episodes really aren't that bad.  In "The Practical Joker," the ship's computer plays tricks on the crew.  The basic concept is fine but a few of the scenes run too long.  For the sake of the exercise, I had to pick a clunker.  "The Practical Joker" gets the nod.


Favorite New Character: Agmar

Agmar is a Phylosian, a plant-based intelligent life form encountered by our friends in "The Infinite Vulcan."  He's essentially a walking, talking dandelion.  He's a fine example of what one sees a lot in TAS: a strong story element in an otherwise weak story. 


5 Must-See Episodes

I allowed myself 10 with the original series but with only 22 TAS episodes in total, 5 would provide a reasonable sample tour for the novice.  All are from the first season, listed in order of original broadcast date:

"Yesteryear" - See above.

"The Lorelei Signal" - Other episodes have stronger stories but "The Lorelei Signal" contains my favorite scene from the series.  As the Enterprise floats across the screen, we hear Scotty singing a Welsh ballad from the captain's chair. 

"More Tribbles, More Troubles" - One of several sequels to TOS episodes.  Cyrano Jones is at it again, peddling his furry critters.  The episode also marks the first of two TAS appearances by the Klingons.

"The Survivor" - A shapeshifter story, long a Star Trek staple.  Ted Knight guest stars.

"The Ambergris Element" - Perhaps the best example of a story made possible through animation.  Our heroes visit the underwater world of the Aquans.

*****

I am so grateful to my friends for joining me in this adventure, both on our blogs and on Twitter.  I might have worked my way through TAS at some point of my own but it was loads more fun with company.  I look forward to future endeavors!

Spacerguy
Maurice Mitchell

Star Trek: The Counter-Clock Incident

My friends and I have completed our journey, watching all 22 episodes of Star Trek's animated series. 

Episode: "The Counter-Clock Incident"
Series: Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season 2, Episode 6
Original Air Date: October 12, 1974

via Memory Alpha

Star Trek's animated series wraps up with a mind bender.   The Enterprise is unwillingly pulled into a negative universe: black stars against white space, movement, language and aging all running in reverse.  In a further time bending I don't entirely understand, the crew all revert to their childhood selves and very rapidly at that on their way back to their own dimension.  While the suspenseful tension was genuine, it's just the sort of Trek episode that drives me nuts.  The negative universe elements are fun to ponder but they stretch the narrative integrity to troubling limits.  I get anxious for all the wrong reasons.

That said, as a series finale, it has some nice elements.  The moral of the story pertains to the usefulness of the aged, a theme Trek has explored before in TOS's "The Deadly Years."  It provides a metaphor for the show itself essentially being put out to pasture.  "The Counter-Clock Incident" is certainly stronger than the finale for the original series, "Turnabout Intruder."

*****

Thoughts on Season 2

General Impressions

I expected a drop in quality for the second season.  After all, the original series started strong and finished weak.  It seemed reasonable to expect the same with the animated series.  But if there was a decline, it was negligible.  As I wrote regarding the first season, the best episodes don't measure up to the best of TOS but the worst are nowhere near as poor as the weakest originals, either.


Favorite Episode: "Albatross"

Six episodes don't leave much for picking.  "Albatross," I'm certain, would not be the choice of most critics but I liked it.  In any Trek series, I enjoy the episodes in which I am amazed by the complex problems the crew can solve in the last ten minutes.  "Albatross" resides comfortably in that fine tradition with two brutal crises pressing in on our heroes simultaneously: a plague aboard the ship and Dr. McCoy facing what is sure to be an unfair trial on an alien planet.  Plus, one of the characters looks like a six-foot-three Yoda.


Least Favorite Episode: "The Practical Joker"

I'm not opposed to a goofy episode.  We need one from time to time.  In fact, I want a "KIRK IS A JERK" shirt like the one the captain wears at one point.  The story also introduces the predecessor to TNG's holodeck.  But there is a scene with everyone on the bridge giggling for far too long.  It feels like an uncomfortable dinner party.  Again, as clunkers go, it's not bad.  But for the sake of the exercise, I had to pick one.


Favorite New Character: Bem

Bem is the cause of great mischief in the episode that bears his name.  He is a colony creature, meaning he is a cooperative organism composed of multiple composite organisms.  As such, he is able to separate parts of his body from one another.  He also has a most amusing way of referring to himself as "this one."  For example, he might say "this one has a hankering for some Saurian brandy" or "this one must excuse himself to use the loo."


Onward?

At some point, I may tackle more Trek, likely the movies, TNG or perhaps both.  But for now, it's back to regularly scheduled programming.  I'll have one more wrap-up post for the entire series next week.  Family adventure posts shall return, now on Fridays, beginning August 21st.

Please visit the other participants on the list below.  Next week: Series Wrap-Up.

Spacerguy
Maurice Mitchell

Star Trek: How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth

My friends and I are embarking on a new journey to watch all 22 episodes of Star Trek's animated series.  We'll be posting on Wednesdays.  All are welcome to join us for all or parts of our adventure.

Episode: "How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth"
Series: Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season 2, Episode 5
Original Air Date: October 5, 1974

via Memory Alpha

In this week's episode, the Enterprise encounters a being claiming to be Kukulkan, god of the ancient Mayans and Aztecs.   The story was co-written by Russell Bates, a Native American of Kiowa descent.  Dorothy Fontana, associate producer for the show, encouraged Bates to draw upon his heritage and "How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth" was the result.

This was the episode that won the Outstanding Children's Series Emmy for Trek.  For me, it's not quite all that.  Our friends have encountered gods in their travels before, notably Apollo in TOS's "Who Mourns for Adonis?"  The lesson, though, is different this time.  Whereas Apollo was happy just to be worshipped, Kukulkan sought to teach humankind to be peaceful and was clearly disappointed in the result.  Once again, the moral judgment of superior beings is an important theme.

While the story is a bit of a rehash, the artwork is beautiful, even by TAS standards.  There were some extra hands on deck for the animation.  A crew of Japanese artists contributed to the work, finishing out their contract from another Filmation project: Journey Back to Oz.

*****

via Wikipedia

Kukulkan originated with the Mayan culture though the serpent god, in various forms, appears in the imagery of other Mesoamerican traditions, notably as Quetzalcoatl of the Aztecs.  Throughout the episode, Kirk repeatedly mispronounces the name as "Kuklukan."  Neither Bates nor his co-writer David Wise was on hand during Shatner's recording session to correct the mistake.  Kukulkan is voiced by James Doohan.

I have closed the list due to spam but if you'd like to join us for our last couple posts, let me know.  Please visit the other participants.  Next week: "The Counter-Clock Incident."

Spacerguy
Maurice Mitchell

Star Trek: Albatross

My friends and I are embarking on a new journey to watch all 22 episodes of Star Trek's animated series.  We'll be posting on Wednesdays.  All are welcome to join us for all or parts of our adventure.

Episode: "Albatross"
Series: Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season 2, Episode 4
Original Air Date: September 28, 1974

via Memory Alpha

There's nothing quite like an epidemic to keep a story moving.  As our heroes are leaving the planet Dramia, having delivered medical supplies, the natives arrest Dr. McCoy on charges of having caused a deadly plague on Dramia II 19 years before.  While Bones awaits what is sure to be a swift and unfair trial, Kirk directs the Enterprise to the infected planet to investigate.  A survivor willing to testify on McCoy's behalf is found but on the way back to Dramia, the entire crew (except for Spock) is turning blue, a sure sign they've been infected with the disease.  All are in peril in the final race against the clock.

"Albatross" takes heat from critics for inconsistencies but I enjoyed it.  I like the tension building from two separate but related crises.   There's also some nice Spock-McCoy relationship development in the final act.

*****

via Memory Alpha

Demos (voiced by Lou Scheimer) is the Dramian commander who issues McCoy's arrest warrant.  Later, he follows the Enterprise in hopes of preventing the investigation of Dramia II.  Kirk tricks him by leaving the shuttlebay doors open.  When Demos lands without permission, Kirk gains the upper hand, impounding Demos's ship and claims the Dramian prisoner as a stowaway.

If you would care to join us for all or part of our travels, sign on to the list below.  Please visit the other participants.  Next week: "How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth."

Star Trek: The Practical Joker

My friends and I are embarking on a new journey to watch all 22 episodes of Star Trek's animated series.  We'll be posting on Wednesdays.  All are welcome to join us for all or parts of our adventure.

Episode: "The Practical Joker"
Series: Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season 2, Episode 3
Original Air Date: September 21, 1974

via Memory Beta

Every once in a while, we get a Star Trek episode that's downright goofy.  In an effort to escape three Romulan battlecruisers, the Enterprise hides in an energy cloud.  But there's something funny about the gas in that cloud.  It inspires the ship's computer to play practical jokes on the crew: drinking glasses with holes, "Kirk is a jerk" printed on the back of the captain's uniform, a pile of food dumped on Scotty by the replicator, etc. 

I wasn't too impressed by this episode.  I'm not opposed to the humor.  Trek can get heavy and comic relief is welcome.  But "The Practical Joker" pushes the limit.  There's one scene when the entire crew, affected by the nitrous oxide in the cloud, giggles uncontrollably.  It runs just a touch too long, feeling like an uncomfortable dinner party.

However, there is one important development for the future of the franchise: the introduction of the rec room, a forerunner to TNG's holodeck.  McCoy, Uhura and Sulu seek a break from the practical jokes with a virtual walk in the woods but the computer's mischief extends to their fantasy world.  The idea of a computer-generated vacation isn't new for Trek.  The planet in the TOS episode "Shore Leave" creates fairy tale scenarios for the amusement of visitors.  "The Practical Joker," however, represents the first instance of such capability aboard the Enterprise.

*****

L to R: Norm Prescott, Hal Sutherland (TAS director)
and Lou Scheimer, via Wikipedia

Lou Scheimer supplies the voice of a Romulan crewman.  More importantly, he was co-founder of Filmation and one of the producers for the series.  Scheimer was born October 19, 1928 in Pittsburgh.  According to family legend, Scheimer's father, a German Jew, once punched Adolf Hitler during a bar brawl.

As with his co-founder, Norm Prescott, Scheimer filled a number of roles for Filmation over the years.  He was credited as a composer (under the pseudonym Erika Lane, a combination of the names of his children) for the musical score of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.  He died from Parkinson's disease in 2013, two days shy of his 85th birthday.

If you would care to join us for all or part of our travels, sign on to the list below.  Please visit the other participants.  Next week: "Albatross."

Star Trek: Bem

My friends and I are embarking on a new journey to watch all 22 episodes of Star Trek's animated series.  We'll be posting on Wednesdays.  All are welcome to join us for all or parts of our adventure.

Episode: "Bem"
Series: Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season 2, Episode 2
Original Air Date: September 14, 1974

via Memory Alpha

"Bem" combines a couple of prevalent Star Trek themes: the testing of the Enterprise crew by an alien being and avoiding interference with a primitive civilization.  Ari bn Bem, a native of the planet Pandro, is aboard the ship as an independent observer.  Against Kirk's wishes, he accompanies the away team to a newly discovered world.  He soon justifies the Captain's misgivings, getting himself captured by the locals.  Meanwhile, a seemingly divine entity warns our friends against interfering with the reptilian humanoid society she protects.

*****

via Memory Alpha

Bem is a colony creature, meaning he is a cooperative organism composed of multiple composite organisms.  As such, he is able to separate parts of his body from one another, allowing him to get up to all kinds of mischief.  There are precedents in nature among simpler life forms, known as superorganisms.  Coral is a good example.  The name Bem is derived from a sci-fi industry acronym: Bug Eyed Monster.  He isn't one, of course, but the idea still appealed to screenwriter David Gerrold.  Naturally, Bem is voiced by James Doohan.

If you would care to join us for all or part of our travels, sign on to the list below.  Please visit the other participants.  Next week: "The Practical Joker."

Star Trek: The Pirates of Orion

My friends and I are embarking on a new journey to watch all 22 episodes of Star Trek's animated series.  We'll be posting on Wednesdays.  All are welcome to join us for all or parts of our adventure.

Episode: "The Pirates of Orion"
Series: Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season 2, Episode 1
Original Air Date: September 7, 1974

via Memory Beta

The animated series's second and final seasons begins with Spock sick and dying.  There is a plan to acquire the necessary medicine but the ship bringing it, the SS Huron, is intercepted by Orion pirates.  With the clock ticking on our Vulcan friend, Kirk must negotiate terms with the pirates.  To complicate matters, the Orions are walking a tricky diplomatic tightrope.  Their planet is officially neutral and if word gets out they're attacking Federation ships, it'll mean trouble.  The pirates are willing to destroy themselves and the Enterprise, too, for the sake of preserving the lie.  Stinking pirates...

The episode tends to do well with credits but I sense the series beginning to slip a bit.  Overall quality is generally good but eye-rolling is on the uptick for me.  There's an argument at the end between Spock and Bones at the end about the virtues of green blood that doesn't sit well, for instance.  I don't know whether to expect a death spiral akin to TOS's third season or not.  If there is one, at least it will be quick.

*****

via Memory Alpha

Captain O'Shea is the commanding officer of the Huron.  This is his only television appearance.  In the book adaptation of the episode, author Alan Dean Foster gave him a first name: Svenquist.  Svenquist O'Shea is a truly inspired name.  O'Shea was voiced by James Doohan, naturally.

If you would care to join us for all or part of our travels, sign on to the list below.  Please visit the other participants.  Next week: "Bem."

 

Star Trek: The Jihad

My friends and I are embarking on a new journey to watch all 22 episodes of Star Trek's animated series.  We'll be posting on Wednesdays.  All are welcome to join us for all or parts of our adventure.

Episode: "The Jihad"
Series: Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season 1, Episode 16
Original Air Date: January 12, 1974

via Memory Alpha

Jihad is a word of enormous gravity in the global politics of the 21st century.  I somehow doubt it would have carried the same weight with the Saturday morning cartoon audience of 1974.  In this week's story, Kirk and Spock are summoned to help search for the "Soul of Skorr," a stolen artifact of great importance to the Skorr, an avian race.  If it is not recovered, it is feared that the Skorr will embark upon a holy war against the rest of the galaxy.  A team of specialists from various alien species has been assembled for the task, including Tchar, the hereditary Prince of the Skorr.

A team of adventurers on a quest for an object of great value: it's a classic fantasy template but an unusual choice for Trek.  For some critics, that was a good thing.  For others, not so much.  Personally, I'm always happy to see a break from formula.

*****

Thoughts on Season 1

General Impressions

I don't know if the animated series would be enough to sell a newcomer on Star Trek but it's a lot of fun for the faithful.  The animation technology was hardly cutting edge by 21st century standards but it was still light years ahead of the live action capabilities of the era.  The writers for the series were encouraged to take full advantage of the broader canvas.  The result is a deeper experience of Trek's universe.


Favorite Episode: "Yesteryear"

"Yesteryear" is the most important TAS story in regards to the overall Star Trek canon.  In fact, it provides more back story for a principal character than any TOS episode either.  Through the miracle of time travel, we visit Spock's childhood on Vulcan.  While that would be enough on its own to qualify "Yesteryear" for the top spot, the clincher for me is the character of Thelin.  Thelin is the Enterprise's First Officer in an alternate time stream.  Even though he knows it will have significant consequences for himself, he gives Spock his blessing to go back and set the past right.  His generosity is well in keeping with the spirit of the show.


Least Favorite Episode: "The Infinite Vulcan"

I've gotta say, there aren't too many clunkers in this collection.  While the best TAS episodes fall well short of the best TOS stories, the quality of the first TAS season is reasonably consistent.  The writing for "The Infinite Vulcan" isn't the greatest (sorry, Walter) but even so, there were story elements I enjoyed.  For instance...


Favorite New Character: Agmar

via Memory Alpha

Scanners failed to detect intelligent life on the planet Phylos because the Phylosians are plant-based.  Agmar, essentially a walking, talking dandelion, is the landing crew's primary contact with these beings.  I love the idea of intelligent plants.  I realize their mobility challenges the definition of what a plant is but that's why I like it.


Onward

Amazingly, there are only six episodes left.  The second and final season of TAS was a short one.  1974 was all about Watergate.  By the time Trek returned in September, Richard Nixon had resigned as President of the United States.  The day after the second season premiered, Nixon was pardoned by his successor, Gerald Ford.


If you would care to join us for all or part of our travels, sign on to the list below.  Also, be sure to join the gang for the live Twitter feed on Tuesday, June 23rd, 5 pm EDT, #StarTrekTAS.  Next week: "The Pirates of Orion."

 

Star Trek: The Eye of the Beholder

My friends and I are embarking on a new journey to watch all 22 episodes of Star Trek's animated series.  We'll be posting on Wednesdays.  All are welcome to join us for all or parts of our adventure.

Episode: "The Eye of the Beholder"
Series: Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season 1, Episode 15
Original Air Date: January 5, 1974

via Memory Alpha

It's an idea as old as Trek: Enterprise crew members become an exhibit in a zoo.  While investigating the whereabouts of a missing science expedition (aren't they always?), Kirk, Spock and Bones are snagged by superior beings and placed in an Earth-like environment for gawking pleasure.  This basic premise hearkens back to "The Cage," the first pilot of the original series.

I appreciate the stories in which the Enterprise encounters beings of higher intelligence, especially the ones which ultimately prove to be benevolent.  Neither humans nor even Vulcans are top dogs in the galaxy.  We still have much to learn and these superior alien races provide moral aspirations for a possible future.

*****

via Memory Alpha

Tom Markel is the commanding officer of the USS Ariel, the survey ship which had gone missing.  This episode marks his only appearance in Star Trek.  He is voiced by James Doohan.

If you would care to join us for all or part of our travels, sign on to the list below.  Please visit the other participants.  Next week: "The Jihad."

Star Trek: The Slaver Weapon

My friends and I are embarking on a new journey to watch all 22 episodes of Star Trek's animated series.  We'll be posting on Wednesdays.  All are welcome to join us for all or parts of our adventure.

Episode: "The Slaver Weapon"
Series: Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season 1, Episode 14
Original Air Date: December 15, 1973

via Wikipedia

"The Slaver Weapon" was written by Larry Niven, an up-and-coming science fiction author in the early '70s.  The episode was based on his short story, "The Soft Weapon."  It is the only Star Trek episode of the Kirk era not to feature Captain Kirk.  The only Enterprise crew members to appear in the story are Spock, Uhura and Sulu.  It's also rather dark by TAS standards.  It's the only episode of the animated series in which anyone dies on screen.

Our heroes have a run in with the Kzinti, apparently old nemeses of the Federation.  Spock and company inadvertently deliver an ancient, mysterious weapon into the Kzinti's hands.  To further complicate matters for our friends, the Kzinti captain is eager to eat them.

Maurice Mitchell and I watched simultaneously via Twitter.  My initial efforts to Tweet with my iPad were unsatisfactory but once I switched to the laptop, it was more fun.  TAS - and really most any life experience - is more fun if you can exchange snarky comments with a friend while you watch.  To that end, please join us next week, Tuesday at 5 pm EDT, #StarTrekTAS.

*****

via Memory Alpha

Chuft Captain was commander of the Kzinti ship, Traitor's Claw.  The incorporation of his rank in his name is consistent with the naming protocol of other Larry Niven stories.  He is voiced by James Doohan.

If you would care to join us for all or part of our travels, sign on to the list below.  Please visit the other participants.  Next week: "The Eye of the Beholder."

Star Trek TAS: An Exciting Twitter Event

via Memory Alpha

My dear friends, exciting developments are afoot in our exploration of Star Trek's animated series.  My esteemed colleague Maurice Mitchell is hosting a live Twitter chat for our next episode, "The Slaver Weapon":

Tuesday, June 2nd

5:00 pm, EDT

Maurice: @Thegeektwins
#StarTrekTAS

Watch along with the gang!  TAS episodes can be found on both Netflix and Hulu.  I am hopeful this will be a weekly event and I will post details for each gathering on my TAS gadget in the top right of my blog.

Star Trek: The Ambergris Element

My friends and I are embarking on a new journey to watch all 22 episodes of Star Trek's animated series.  We'll be posting on Wednesdays.  All are welcome to join us for all or parts of our adventure.

Episode: "The Ambergris Element"
Series: Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season 1, Episode 13
Original Air Date: December 1, 1973

via Gutter Talk

In this week's story, our heroes visit the water world of Argo.  Kirk and Spock are captured by the native Aquans and subjected to genetic mutation, becoming water-breathers.  Ambergris refers to a substance derived from Earth's sperm whales, similar to one found in the Aquans' bloodstream.  Writer/producer D.C. Fontana has frequently cited this episode as Exhibit A for a story that could never have been produced for the live action show.

My sage friend Geo. often points out Trek's allusions to the inter-generational conflicts of its era and "The Ambergris Element" is an excellent example.  The older Aquans harbor deep-seeded prejudice against surface dwellers and would have been perfectly happy to let Kirk and Spock drown. Meanwhile, the younger generation strives for greater tolerance and understanding.

*****

via Memory Alpha

Rila is a Junior Tribune on the Ruling Tribunal of the Aquans.  She is our friends' most important advocate, speaking on their behalf publicly and aiding them secretly when they are left on the surface to die.  She was voiced by Majel Barrett.

If you would care to join us for all or part of our travels, sign on to the list below.  Please visit the other participants.  Next week: "The Slaver Weapon."

Star Trek: The Time Trap

My friends and I are embarking on a new journey to watch all 22 episodes of Star Trek's animated series.  We'll be posting on Wednesdays.  All are welcome to join us for all or parts of our adventure.

Episode: "The Time Trap"
Series: Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season 1, Episode 12
Original Air Date: November 24, 1973

via Memory Alpha

During a tumble with the Klingons, the Enterprise stumbles into Saragasso Sea, a cosmic Bermuda Triangle.   Over centuries, dozens of other ships have been drawn into this graveyard and the survivors' descendants have built their own idyllic, multi-species society, governed by the Elysian Council.  One of the Klingon ships fell into the vortex with them.  Our friends and their adversaries find they must work together in order to escape back to their own dimension.

Much of the fun of this story is in revisiting several of the alien races the Enterprise encountered in the original series.  The Elysian Council includes an Orion (first seen by viewers in "The Menagerie, Part II"), an Andorian ("Journey to Babel"), a Tellarite ("Journey to Babel") and a Gorn ("Arena") among others.  "The Time Trap" also sees the return of the Klingon Commander Kor ("Errand of Mercy"), voiced here by James Doohan. The reluctant cooperation between Federation and Klingons is well in keeping with the moral compass of the franchise.

*****

via Memory Alpha

Commander Kuri heads one of the Klingon ships in the early tussle.  His image was reused footage - a common Filmation trick - of Koloth from the TAS episode "More Trouble, More Tribbles."  He was voiced by George Takei.

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Star Trek: The Terratin Incident

My friends and I are embarking on a new journey to watch all 22 episodes of Star Trek's animated series.  We'll be posting on Wednesdays.  All are welcome to join us for all or parts of our adventure. 

Episode: "The Terratin Incident"
Series: Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season 1, Episode 11
Original Air Date: November 17, 1973

via Wikipedia

"The Terratin Incident" is an homage to Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels.  While approaching an unknown planet, the Enterprise is attacked with an energy beam.  The beam damages the all-important dilithium crystals and, even stranger, causes the crew to shrink.  Thankfully, our friends discover in time that the transporter can help them revert to their original size.  When Kirk beams down to the planet, he encounters a colony of Terratins, Earth descendants who, due to radiation, only grow to a sixteenth of an inch in size.  Turns out, they were just trying to get the Enterprise's attention.

The shrinking is fun.  My favorite part of the episode, though, is when the entire Terratin city is beamed aboard the ship, then picked up with one human hand.

*****

via Memory Alpha

Lieutenant Frank Gabler is one of Scotty's best engineers.  "The Terratin Incident" marks the third of his four appearances in The Animated Series.  Alan Dean Foster gave him his first name in a short story adaptation of "Once Upon a Planet."  Gabler is voiced by James Doohan.

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Star Trek: Mudd's Passion

My friends and I are embarking on a new journey to watch all 22 episodes of Star Trek's animated series.  We'll be posting on Wednesdays.  All are welcome to join us for all or parts of our adventure.

Episode: "Mudd's Passion"
Series: Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season 1, Episode 10
Original Air Date: November 10, 1973

via Memory Alpha

I am not a fan of Harry Mudd.  "Mudd's Passion" is the third and final Star Trek episode to feature the interstellar scoundrel/pimp/pusher/con man.   The two TOS episodes - "Mudd's Women" and "I, Mudd" - and this one were all written by Stephen Kandel.  This time, Mudd is hawking a love potion that actually works... or so it seems.  The story has amusing moments but I had a hard time getting past the unappealing guest star.

*****

TAS's main title theme was composed by Yvette Blais and Jeff Michael.  Both of those names are pseudonyms.

Yvette Blais was born Ray Ellis on July 28, 1923 in Philadelphia.  His varied career included arranging and producing for the likes of Billie Holiday, Johnny Mathis and Bobby Darin.  His television credits are extensive.  As the main composer for Filmation, the studio which produced TAS, he provided music for such Saturday morning fare as The Brady Kids, Shazam! and Fat Albert.  Yvette Blais was actually his wife's name.  Ellis died in 2008 from complications due to melanoma.

Jeff Michael began life as Norman Zachary Pransky, though professionally, he used the name Norm Prescott.  He was born January 31, 1927 in Boston.  Primarily a television producer, he was actually one of the co-founders of Filmation.  Jeff and Michael were the names of his sons.  As Norm Prescott, he also occasionally provided his voice talents to TAS.  He and co-producer Lou Scheimer won a Daytime Emmy for the show, the first such award claimed by any Star Trek series.  Prescott died in 2005 from natural causes.





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Star Trek: Once Upon a Planet

My friends and I are embarking on a new journey to watch all 22 episodes of Star Trek's animated series.  We'll be posting on Wednesdays.  All are welcome to join us for all or parts of our adventure. 

Episode: "Once Upon a Planet"
Series: Star Trek: The Animated Series

Season 1, Episode 9

Original Air Date: November 3, 1973

via Memory Beta

"Once Upon a Planet" is a sequel to the TOS episode "Shore Leave."   The Enterprise crew returns to their favorite vacation spot where a mind-reading computer generates fantasy tales for its visitors.  All innocent fun, or so they thought.  Alice and the White Rabbit are harmless enough but when the Queen of Hearts and her minions attack Dr. McCoy, the dream turns to nightmare. 

When our friends last visited, a being known as The Keeper oversaw the planet but he has since died, leaving the Master Computer (voiced by James Doohan) in charge.  The MC is tired of sitting around and amusing others.  It wants to get out and see the universe, intending to hijack the Enterprise for this purpose.

The fun of the TOS episode was the mystery of the origin of all the fantastical beings.  This later story goes a bit further down the philosophical query path: where is the relationship between human and machine heading?  Which is master, which servant?  If we are to endow machines with intelligence, what are our responsibilities to them?  To what rights and liberties are they entitled?  How can we convince them not to enslave us all?

Apparently we just need to convince them they already live in the perfect vacation spot.

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Star Trek: The Magicks of Megas-tu

My friends and I are embarking on a new journey to watch all 22 episodes of Star Trek's animated series.  We'll be posting on Wednesdays.  All are welcome to join us for all or parts of our adventure.

Episode: "The Magicks of Megas-tu"
Series: Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season 1, Episode 8
Original Air Date: October 27, 1973

via Memory Alpha

Once again, humanity is on trial.  It's one of the franchise's favorite storylines: beings from another world demand the Enterprise crew answer for the injustices perpetuated on Earth centuries before.  This time, our friends encounter Lucien, a not-so-thinly-veiled Lucifer.  The demon brings them down to the planet Megas-tu where the inhabitants hold them to account for the Salem Witch Trials. 

"The Magicks of Megas-tu" was originally pitched for TOS but was rejected.  The episode generally fares very well with critics for its dazzling visuals and the morality play.  I don't think I'd rank it among my favorites so far but I enjoyed it.

*****

In the original story concept, our friends were supposed to meet God rather than Satan.  For whatever reason, the latter was an easier sell to network executives.  Interestingly, Larry Brody, the episode's writer, had been faced with a similar situation while working on the show Police Story.  NBC was alright with the depiction of sex between a man and his mistress but NOT between a man and his wife. 

Lucien was voiced by James Doohan.

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Star Trek: The Infinite Vulcan

My friends and I are embarking on a new journey to watch all 22 episodes of Star Trek's animated series.  We'll be posting on Wednesdays.  All are welcome to join us for all or parts of our adventure.

Episode: "The Infinite Vulcan"
Series: Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season 1, Episode 7
Original Air Date: October 20, 1973

via Memory Alpha

While Chekov was cut out of TAS for budget reasons, Walter Koenig, the actor who played the character, did write one TAS episode.  In "The Infinite Vulcan," our friends discover the planet Phylos where the intelligent life is vegetable rather than animal.  Also living on this strange world is Keniclius Five, a giant clone - apparently fourth in a line of clones - of a scientist from Earth's Eugenics War.  The Phylosians and Keni 5 abduct Spock with the intention of cloning him, too.  K5 needs a Spock 2 to help enforce peace throughout the galaxy.  The only problem is that the original Spock will not survive the cloning process.

I wasn't overly impressed by this episode but I love the idea of intelligent plant life.  Koenig actually fought hard against that concept through several re-writes.  The smart veggies were Roddenberry's inspiration and the producer ultimately got what he wanted.  One humorous wrinkle: K5's face is modeled after Koenig's own.  So Chekov made it onto the show after all.

*****

via Memory Alpha

Agmar is our heroes' primary contact among the Phylosians.  He introduces himself by saving Sulu's life, a strong play in the first impressions game.  Naturally, Agmar is voiced by James Doohan.

If you would care to join us for all or part of our travels, sign on to the list below.  Please visit the other participants.  Next week: "The Magicks of Megas-tu."

Star Trek: The Survivor

My friends and I are embarking on a new journey to watch all 22 episodes of Star Trek's animated series.  We'll be posting on Wednesdays.  All are welcome to join us for all or parts of our adventure.  

Episode: "The Survivor"
Series: Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season 1, Episode 6
Original Air Date: October 13, 1973

via Wikipedia

Shapeshifters are a big deal in Star Trek.  The very first episode of the original series (TOS) to air, "The Man Trap," was a shapeshifter story.  27 years later, the Changeling Constable Odo would be a principal character on Deep Space Nine.  "The Survivor" resides comfortably in that tradition.

When our friends rescue the pilot of a damaged spacecraft, they believe him to be Carter Winston, a well-known and long-lost human philanthropist.  But naturally, he's actually a shapeshifting Vendorian bent on mischief.  He takes the captain's form, then orders the ship into the neutral zone.

This is one of the better episodes so far, reminiscent of typical stories from TOS.  The Vendorian (rather squid-like) is voiced by Ted Knight of Mary Tyler Moore Show (MTM) and Too Close for Comfort fame.  I always smile inside when MTM alums turn up in other things.  Knight had quite an active voice-over career in the 1970s, also performing on The Super-Friends among other shows.  His voice is close to Shatner's, in fact - a drawback for some critics of this episode but I think it's fine.

*****

via Memory Alpha

M'Ress, one of TAS's recurring characters, first appears in "The Survivor."  She is a Caitan, a felinoid race.  The only other appearance of her kind in Trek lore is in a courtroom scene in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.  While she never appears in any of the other TV series, M'Ress does turn up in various books and comics.  In TAS, she is voiced by Majel Barrett.

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