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Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 19, Episodes 37 & 38: The Changeling/ The Apple

Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 19, Episodes 37 & 38: The Changeling/ The Apple

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Classic Trek
Review: These two episodes are great summaries of the original series. "The Changeling" is an inexpensive ship-bound script, with a standard defeating-computers-through-logic riff. It still stands better in its own way than the first motion picture, which used the same theme. Ironically, it stands as an example of what happens when one lets personal criteria determine whether or not an encountered culture should survive -- something Star Fleet's Prime Directive is supposed to prevent, and which is no more clearly violated than in the other episode, "The Apple," where Kirk decides that having a computer make you contented nature children is somehow "unnatural" and therefore has to be ended. This episode is noteworthy both for the number of "red shirts" killed (they have to beam down in two groups there will be so many), and for having a female crewman actually do some hand-to-hand fighting. Good entertainment to be had by all.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Classic Trek
Review: These two episodes are great summaries of the original series. "The Changeling" is an inexpensive ship-bound script, with a standard defeating-computers-through-logic riff. It still stands better in its own way than the first motion picture, which used the same theme. Ironically, it stands as an example of what happens when one lets personal criteria determine whether or not an encountered culture should survive -- something Star Fleet's Prime Directive is supposed to prevent, and which is no more clearly violated than in the other episode, "The Apple," where Kirk decides that having a computer make you contented nature children is somehow "unnatural" and therefore has to be ended. This episode is noteworthy both for the number of "red shirts" killed (they have to beam down in two groups there will be so many), and for having a female crewman actually do some hand-to-hand fighting. Good entertainment to be had by all.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Classic Trek
Review: These two episodes are great summaries of the original series. "The Changeling" is an inexpensive ship-bound script, with a standard defeating-computers-through-logic riff. It still stands better in its own way than the first motion picture, which used the same theme. Ironically, it stands as an example of what happens when one lets personal criteria determine whether or not an encountered culture should survive -- something Star Fleet's Prime Directive is supposed to prevent, and which is no more clearly violated than in the other episode, "The Apple," where Kirk decides that having a computer make you contented nature children is somehow "unnatural" and therefore has to be ended. This episode is noteworthy both for the number of "red shirts" killed (they have to beam down in two groups there will be so many), and for having a female crewman actually do some hand-to-hand fighting. Good entertainment to be had by all.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: STANDARD STAR TREK STORIES!!!
Review: Volume 19 of The Star Trek DVD series contains to standard episodes of the second season. Although neither of the episodes are bad they are definetly far from ground breaking! It's logical to assume that this would not be the first DVD a Star Trek fan would get from this series but if you are a die hard fan then you may as well purchase this (unless you can get a DVD with more than 2 episodes).

The first episode here is THE CHANGELING. The Enterprise runs across the ancient Nomad probe which has gone from galaxy to galaxy destroying biological inperfections. The somewhat damaged probe believes that Kirk is his creator and obeys Kirks commands. However the probe continues to follow out it's function and begins to destroy all biological inperfections on the Enterprise aka innocent crew men! The episode is well written but the Nomad probe looks really cheesy and Kirk arguing with it is even more ridiculous. Still this episode is quite watchable.
(Note: Vic Perrin does the voice of Nomad he also did the voice of Dr. Zin in Jonny Quest and appeared in various Sci-Fi Adventure shows)

THE APPLE is one of those Star Trek episodes where the crew finds a paradise and later finds out it's a living hell. When they arrive on this beautiful planet, 3 crew men are killed, Spock is constantly abused by the planet's plant life and lightning bolts from the sky and the idol worshipping natives with bad wigs and sun burned skin are too ignorant to help the crew. If thats not bad enough the Enterprise is being held by the idol Vaal (that is actually a machine controlling the natives) in a force field. Now don't get me wrong this is a good episode but this is typical Trek. This plot has been done a hundred times better in other Star Trek episodes but this is still decent. This was also the first Star Trek episode I ever saw : )

Overall a decent collection of episodes but nothing very special here. Both shows are good and watchable but I recommend venturing into a different Star Trek collection before buying this one. Recommended.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: STANDARD STAR TREK STORIES!!!
Review: Volume 19 of The Star Trek DVD series contains to standard episodes of the second season. Although neither of the episodes are bad they are definetly far from ground breaking! It's logical to assume that this would not be the first DVD a Star Trek fan would get from this series but if you are a die hard fan then you may as well purchase this (unless you can get a DVD with more than 2 episodes).

The first episode here is THE CHANGELING. The Enterprise runs across the ancient Nomad probe which has gone from galaxy to galaxy destroying biological inperfections. The somewhat damaged probe believes that Kirk is his creator and obeys Kirks commands. However the probe continues to follow out it's function and begins to destroy all biological inperfections on the Enterprise aka innocent crew men! The episode is well written but the Nomad probe looks really cheesy and Kirk arguing with it is even more ridiculous. Still this episode is quite watchable.
(Note: Vic Perrin does the voice of Nomad he also did the voice of Dr. Zin in Jonny Quest and appeared in various Sci-Fi Adventure shows)

THE APPLE is one of those Star Trek episodes where the crew finds a paradise and later finds out it's a living hell. When they arrive on this beautiful planet, 3 crew men are killed, Spock is constantly abused by the planet's plant life and lightning bolts from the sky and the idol worshipping natives with bad wigs and sun burned skin are too ignorant to help the crew. If thats not bad enough the Enterprise is being held by the idol Vaal (that is actually a machine controlling the natives) in a force field. Now don't get me wrong this is a good episode but this is typical Trek. This plot has been done a hundred times better in other Star Trek episodes but this is still decent. This was also the first Star Trek episode I ever saw : )

Overall a decent collection of episodes but nothing very special here. Both shows are good and watchable but I recommend venturing into a different Star Trek collection before buying this one. Recommended.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Kirk takes on another pair of alien super computers
Review: Volume 19 of the Star Trek DVD series finds Captain Kirk confronting another pair of super machines in this particular pair of episodes. "The Changeling" was always an interesting episode, even before it served as the template for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." The Enterprise discovers that all humanoid life in the Malurian system has disappeared when the ship is attacked by a a tiny vessel. When Kirk hails the vessel, the attack stops and Nomad is beamed aboard. Once upon a time this was a probe sent by earth into deep space to contact alien life, where it was damaged and eventually met up with a probe from another civilization that was designed to collect soil samples and sterilize them. The two probes end up merging and Nomad now believes its mission is to contact alien life and sterilize it. The only reason the Enterprise has not been destroyed is because it has mistaken James Kirk as its "Creator," Jackson Roykirk. Nomad is not impressed by the biological life forms on the Enterprise, although it does allow that the Spock unit is well ordered. "The Changeling" is another one of those episodes where Kirk uses logic to defeat a superior computer while Spock looks on in amazement. However, the bit where Nomad erases Uhura's mind would be more chilling if they did not retrain her in about a week. Still, this is an above average episode and one of the better confrontations between Kirk and a super comptuer.

"The Apple" is another one of those Star Trek episodes where the Enterprise visits what seems to be a paradise, only to end up being disappointed. On Gamma Trianguli VI they find such a place, only to have three crew man suddenly die and the Enterprise lose power. Scotty reports that a tractor beam is slowly but surely dragging the ship into the planet's atmosphere. Meanwhile the locales, known as the Feeders of Vaal have no explanation, simply because they are too primitive to understand that they serve a super computer who is maintaining their way of life. Vaal, recognizing the Enterprise represents a threat to this "paradise," orders the Feeders to kill the strangers. But peaceful people with rocks and sticks are no match for Starfleet personnel with phasers. However, this time logical alone is not going to save the day and Kirk has to resort to brute force to prevent the destruction of his starship. I always wondered what happened to the these poor people once their "god" was destroyed, but then I never did have a good understanding of that stupid Prime Directive.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Kirk takes on another pair of alien super computers
Review: Volume 19 of the Star Trek DVD series finds Captain Kirk confronting another pair of super machines in this particular pair of episodes. "The Changeling" was always an interesting episode, even before it served as the template for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." The Enterprise discovers that all humanoid life in the Malurian system has disappeared when the ship is attacked by a a tiny vessel. When Kirk hails the vessel, the attack stops and Nomad is beamed aboard. Once upon a time this was a probe sent by earth into deep space to contact alien life, where it was damaged and eventually met up with a probe from another civilization that was designed to collect soil samples and sterilize them. The two probes end up merging and Nomad now believes its mission is to contact alien life and sterilize it. The only reason the Enterprise has not been destroyed is because it has mistaken James Kirk as its "Creator," Jackson Roykirk. Nomad is not impressed by the biological life forms on the Enterprise, although it does allow that the Spock unit is well ordered. "The Changeling" is another one of those episodes where Kirk uses logic to defeat a superior computer while Spock looks on in amazement. However, the bit where Nomad erases Uhura's mind would be more chilling if they did not retrain her in about a week. Still, this is an above average episode and one of the better confrontations between Kirk and a super comptuer.

"The Apple" is another one of those Star Trek episodes where the Enterprise visits what seems to be a paradise, only to end up being disappointed. On Gamma Trianguli VI they find such a place, only to have three crew man suddenly die and the Enterprise lose power. Scotty reports that a tractor beam is slowly but surely dragging the ship into the planet's atmosphere. Meanwhile the locales, known as the Feeders of Vaal have no explanation, simply because they are too primitive to understand that they serve a super computer who is maintaining their way of life. Vaal, recognizing the Enterprise represents a threat to this "paradise," orders the Feeders to kill the strangers. But peaceful people with rocks and sticks are no match for Starfleet personnel with phasers. However, this time logical alone is not going to save the day and Kirk has to resort to brute force to prevent the destruction of his starship. I always wondered what happened to the these poor people once their "god" was destroyed, but then I never did have a good understanding of that stupid Prime Directive.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Kirk takes on another pair of alien super computers
Review: Volume 19 of the Star Trek DVD series finds Captain Kirk confronting another pair of super machines in this particular pair of episodes. "The Changeling" was always an interesting episode, even before it served as the template for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." The Enterprise discovers that all humanoid life in the Malurian system has disappeared when the ship is attacked by a a tiny vessel. When Kirk hails the vessel, the attack stops and Nomad is beamed aboard. Once upon a time this was a probe sent by earth into deep space to contact alien life, where it was damaged and eventually met up with a probe from another civilization that was designed to collect soil samples and sterilize them. The two probes end up merging and Nomad now believes its mission is to contact alien life and sterilize it. The only reason the Enterprise has not been destroyed is because it has mistaken James Kirk as its "Creator," Jackson Roykirk. Nomad is not impressed by the biological life forms on the Enterprise, although it does allow that the Spock unit is well ordered. "The Changeling" is another one of those episodes where Kirk uses logic to defeat a superior computer while Spock looks on in amazement. However, the bit where Nomad erases Uhura's mind would be more chilling if they did not retrain her in about a week. Still, this is an above average episode and one of the better confrontations between Kirk and a super comptuer.

"The Apple" is another one of those Star Trek episodes where the Enterprise visits what seems to be a paradise, only to end up being disappointed. On Gamma Trianguli VI they find such a place, only to have three crew man suddenly die and the Enterprise lose power. Scotty reports that a tractor beam is slowly but surely dragging the ship into the planet's atmosphere. Meanwhile the locales, known as the Feeders of Vaal have no explanation, simply because they are too primitive to understand that they serve a super computer who is maintaining their way of life. Vaal, recognizing the Enterprise represents a threat to this "paradise," orders the Feeders to kill the strangers. But peaceful people with rocks and sticks are no match for Starfleet personnel with phasers. However, this time logical alone is not going to save the day and Kirk has to resort to brute force to prevent the destruction of his starship. I always wondered what happened to the these poor people once their "god" was destroyed, but then I never did have a good understanding of that stupid Prime Directive.


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