Update and Explanation

This is a little message about why I have not been posting much on this blog as of late. I enjoy writing this blog and wanted to share it with others, and thought it would be a great way to practice my writing skills. I decided at the beginning that I would not use it as a means to make money (hence the lack of ads on it), and I am sticking to that. I do not expect to become an overnight sensation. I recognize that I am one of countless Trek fans who write about Star Trek on the internet, and do not anticipate becoming any sort of celebrity. Having said that, I do like having lots of people read my blog and share their thoughts. I like engaging others and hope that people enjoy what I have written, and recent events have put a damper on that.

Even though regular readers are very few in number (I think I have 3 followers, but being small in numbers doesn't mean I do not value you any less), I typically have a few hundred hits per blog post. When I made this blog I had no idea how to attract readers other than putting it out there, so I turned to social media (mainly Facebook and Google). I started with my friends (people I can actually put a face to their name), and then started to join some fan groups on Facebook and Google+. I saw the number of page visits go from a couple dozen to a couple hundred. I continued to write and gradually added a few extra groups. Pretty soon I would be getting around five hundred or so hits per post. I would get a few comments here and there, and I must admit that I enjoyed that. I even had some of my posts exceed 1000 and even 2000 views. This exceeded any expectations I had, and I was getting some good feedback. It helped me polish my skills and I felt that things were going well. 

A couple months ago, I was contacted by one of the administrators of one of the Facebooks groups I belonged to. She informed me that my posts were being deleted because I did not comment on anyone else's posts. She told me that I was spamming the group with my weekly posts. I was a little confused at that, so I asked for some clarification. I was met with a wall of intolerance. I had a different understanding as to what "spam" was than her group did. I asked for some guidelines on what level of participation that wanted from me, to which she ended the conversation, blocked me, and banned me from the group. I suspect she also labeled my blog as spam to Facebook. I was a bit hurt by the situation as I had never intended to break the rules of any group. In fact, I would do my best to learn and to follow the rules of each group. If a certain series or type of post was not allowed in a group, I would not share those posts with them. I felt that their reaction was over the top, unfair, and hurtful. I panicked a bit and worried that I was doing the same in other groups. It caused me a lot of stress (more than it really should have, I admit), so I quit a few of the groups I was in. I reached out to other admin members in other groups, and many of them responded with some good feedback and advice. I then got back to writing.

Sadly, my page views plummeted immediately after this, by as much as 90%. Types of articles that would normally hit 600-800 views were lucky to break 80. I rejoined a couple of the groups I left, and found a couple more to be a part of. Since then, the numbers have only marginally improved. I contacted Facebook to see if being labeled as spam from someone else could affect how often my post was showing up in someone's feed. I have had no reply. When I mentioned this in another group, someone suggested that if I stop posting for a month or so, things would "reset" in a way, and the label of spam would be gone. If I kept posting weekly, it would indeed be seen as spam and nothing would change. I decided to give that suggestion a try and see what happens. 

So what this means to the three blessed souls who still follow this blog is that I will be not be posting anymore articles or episode reviews until late January 2019. This is good for a few reasons, as it will allow me some time to write, as well as have me not feel pressured to keep up with it during a busy time over the Christmas holidays (I'm taking the family on a trip, and likely won't have time over the next couple weeks to do much on the blog anyways). It gives me a chance to reassess the situation and further engage myself in the FB groups I am in. That was one of the changes I made afterwards. I realized that this other group was correct in stating that I did not participate with their group nearly as much. I participated in other groups more, just not theirs for some reason. I committed to give a few more comments and be a better community member when possible. 

So I hope that you will continue to check on this little old blog every now and then and stay with me when I am back. I'll hopefully have some time to renew my energies and come up with some new ideas. I have lots to write about with over 500 episodes left to review, so I do not plan on going anywhere. I'm just taking a needed break. Until Discovery Season 2, live long and prosper my friends.

Episode Review - Blaze of Glory (Deep Space Nine, Season 5)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here.

Overview – Sisko receives word that the surviving Maquis have launched cloaked missiles at Cardassia, an act that could start a war between the Federation and the Dominion. Sisko turns to his former security chief and captured Maquis leader, Michael Eddington, to stop the missiles. Meanwhile, Nog is having difficulty dealing with the Klingons on the station and has to work up the courage to confront them, hoping to earn their respect (and not be disembowled).

Score: 8/10 – The story of Michael Eddington and that of the Maquis are wrapped up here in this episode. It ties up these loose ends before the official Dominion war begins, which thins out the multiple story arcs that are currently running through the series. For Eddington, it allows him a chance to go out in the way the episode title suggests: a blaze of glory. In doing so we see the end of a very complicated character, and it is an end that suits him. Eddington was a traitor to Starfleet, yet he saw himself as being loyal to them and humanity by standing against the Cardassians. In the end, he seems to once again have earned the respect of Ben Sisko. The second story, with Nog working up the courage to stand up for himself against Martok and the other Klingons, adds some comedy to lighten up the tension that the main story builds. Jake provides the moral support for his friend. There is also a humorous scene that gives some of the other characters (Quark, Odo, Bashir, etc.) some screen time.

Relevance – 3 points. The end of Eddington is worth a point. The end of the Maquis is also worth a point, but more because of how it impacts some of the crew on Voyager. When Chakotay receives word of their fate in “Hunters”, he shares it with Torres. She will eventually have to work out those emotions. Finally, the disrespect that Klingons showed Nog was seen before this episode. With Nog finally standing up to them, he ends that little story arc as well. We also hear about the fate of Cal Hudson, who was Sisko’s friend introduced in “The Maquis”. Cal, it turns out, was killed in a skirmish with the Cardassians.

Continuity – 3 points. Story continuity works out fine here. We also have good universe continuity. Character continuity is also a check. To have Sisko put aside his differences and ultimately work with Eddington makes sense. I also found Nog's discovery of courage to face the Klingons, and Martok's response, to fit. Three checks, three points.

Character Development – 2 points. While Nog does get some good development here, he is not a primary character. Jake does get more screen time than normal, but he is little more than a means to advance Nog’s story. No, this story is about Eddington and Sisko. With Ben going on one last mission with Michael, having to put side differences and such, we see him reach some closure. He goes from extreme anger and distrust to begrudging respect and sympathy for the Maquis situation. The closure for the Eddington story includes Sisko’s closure with his former officer.

Social Commentary – 1 point. Going out in a blaze of glory is sometimes the dream of every person fighting for a cause. That is what Eddington was allowed to do, but I am not sure whether that was what he truly wanted. Instead, he likely wanted to be reunited with his wife, Rebecca, and possibly extract some revenge on his former Captain. Perhaps the lesson in this is concerns the idea that sometimes when fighting for a cause, you have to accept that you are going to lose. How you handle losing becomes your defining moment. Eddington was a bit disillusioned that the Maquis were defeated. He knew they had the Cardassians on the ropes once the Klingons invaded Cardassia, and yet it drove the Cardassian Empire to join the Dominion. It was a difficult reality for Michael to see how much the Maquis had lost. When he did come to that realization, he set aside whatever grievance he had with Sisko to rescue as many of his former comrades as he could. Perhaps he decided that to die a hero was better than living as a criminal. I am not sure how much this applies to the average person, but it is something, at least.

Cool Stuff – 0 points. Sadly, for such a good episode, there was not really a “cool” moment. When Eddington goes down in his blaze of glory, he whispers “Rebecca” as his last word. I have to say that while I thought that was appropriate for him, it did not come across as powerful as perhaps was intended. As a Canadian, I thought it was fun that Eddington had a “lucky Loonie”, which is our current nickname for our dollar coin, but fun does not equal cool. As much as it pains me, I cannot give any points in this category.

Rank – Captain (17 points). As far as Deep Space Nine is concerned, the tragic tale of the Maquis ends with the death of Michael Eddington in his “Blaze of Glory”. I find it fitting for such a complicated character that divided many of the fans. Some hated him, some loved him, and some just shrugged their shoulders. As Dax and Sisko mentioned, he was a complicated man, but at least he had some closure to his story. Love him or not, you should at least see how his story ends.

If you would like to read other reviews from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, please click the following link.

If you would like to read an episode review from any of the Trek series, click the following link to get to the series catalog. If the episode you want reviewed has not been done yet, then feel free to request it in the comments and I will see what I can do.

Episode Review - Fury (Voyager, Season 6)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here.

Overview – Janeway confronts Tuvok over discovering a great secret, his birthday. As she presents him with a cake, they are called to the bridge. A ship is approaching, and it is soon revealed to be piloted by a much older Kes. She requests to come aboard. When they drop the shields, Kes rams her vessel into Voyager, boards the ship, and cuts a destructive swath on her way to engineering. She taps into the power of the warp core, killing Torres in the process, and transports five years back in time. The older Kes assumes a younger persona and incapacitates her younger self. She then enacts a plan to betray Voyager to the Vidians. During this, Tuvok experiences telepathic premonitions of the future, including former Borg crew and a child that hasn’t been born yet. While Janeway and her crew attempt to bring Voyager through a Vidian trap unscathed, Kes enacts her plan of betrayal in an attempt to rescue her younger self from a traumatic future.

Score: 6/10 – I have very mixed feelings about this episode. I loved the character of Kes, especially her abilities mixed with a sense of sweetness and innocence. I was very sad when she left the ship and the show and was excited to hear that she would return in the sixth season. What we were given, unfortunately, was an angry, vengeful Kes that was willing to kill everyone she used to think of as family to spare her younger self being abandoned. While this story does have some promise, and it is quite exciting in a lot of ways, I couldn’t help but feel that it came up short in the execution of the story. Lots of inconsistencies (which we will get to later) which left me wondering what was happening. Normally I found actress Jennifer Lien to be very good, and she had some great moments here, but there were some scenes that left me scratching my head, wondering why they made the choices they did. Mostly, I wanted this episode to bring some good closure to Kes, and in a way they accomplished that. I would be lying if I said I was satisfied by the ending, however. When I saw this episode for the first time, I legitimately felt that I would have preferred “The Gift” as the final goodbye for Kes. I almost wish that “Fury” had not been made at all. Still, there are good points in it, and I do find some strengths in the story. There are good acting scenes with Jennifer Lien, and we get a nice jaunt down memory lane. I would say that the biggest detractor for me in this episode is the temporal paradox it causes which just weakens the story for me. If Janeway, Tuvok, and Kes knew what was going to happen, could they not have prepared Kes better for leaving? That, of course, would have changed the future, and then Kes would never have gone back in time, therefor Janeway and the others would not know what would happen, and then Kes would have left unprepared, come back all bitter and evil, and…oh, my head spins. I guess the best way to enjoy this episode is to try to not put too much thought into it.

Relevance – 3 points. When Kes goes back in time, she encounters the Doctor, who discusses his quest for a name. He mentions “Schweitzer” as a possible name. That is the name he chooses for himself during his mission in the holodeck for the episode “Heroes and Demons”. There is also the case to be made that this wraps up the story for Kes and shows that her leaving in “The Gift” leads her to a dark place. There are several blasts from the past, including Ensign Wildman’s pregnancy and Joe Carey. In fact, this is a nice little trip down memory lane that ties up a few questions. Included in this is how Wildman’s pregnancy seems to be so long. Naomi being half-Katarian is a good explanation for it.

Continuity – 0 points. OK, here is where things start to fall apart for the episode. One of the risks associated with time travel episodes is the paradoxes that arise from it, and continuity in this episode seems to have been left by the wayside. Let’s start with character continuity. Yes, I know that Kes has been gone from Voyager for three years, and things can happen to cause someone to go into a bit of dark place, but with no explanation given other than a throwaway line there does not seem to be a reason that Kes would go from giving her crew a gift of taking a full decade off of their voyage to causing their deaths. I have to deduct a point for character continuity for that. Even if that wasn’t enough, there was the opening sequence with Janeway and Tuvok. Janeway had mentioned that Tuvok would soon hit the three-digit age (100), and yet in previous episodes it has been established that Tuvok was already over 100 years old. You would think someone as close to Tuvok as Janeway is would know his age. Story continuity is also an issue here. At the beginning of the episode Tuvok was a lieutenant commander, a promotion he received in the fourth season. Kes travels back to a time during the first season, and Tuvok is still wearing the commander’s pip. Plus, Janeway tells evil Kes that she has already traveled back 3 years in time, while in reality she traveled back 5 years. For universe continuity there is the issue of Kes being able to transport across Voyager’s shields, which has long been established as being impossible. Much of these inconsistencies are due to lazy or careless writing and editing, and therefor could have been avoided. Too bad.

Character Development – 3 points. Since Kes was a fulltime cast member, and since in the credits she is listed as “Also Starring”, I can continue to count her towards character development. There will definitely be strong development for her character as she is run through the gambit of emotions. It is interesting to see the elder Kes show a conflicting range of emotions towards her former crewmates. I especially found the scenes with Neelix particularly intriguing. It is them that she seems to show the most regret for her actions as she is treated with such kindness that Neelix was well known for. She shows her own fury as well, though I think she could have gone more dark-side at times. Janeway and Tuvok both are given some interesting development, as they have held a secret for several years about Kes (although why they didn’t try to help her avoid this state of bitterness before I do not know). I also appreciated the bit of closure they provided Neelix in this episode. I always felt that he had carried the torch for Kes for a long time, and this is when he could truly say his goodbye to his former love. So, whether you like the development of Kes or not, you cannot deny that full marks are earned for this category.

Social Commentary – 2 points. Kes comes back to Voyager, blaming them for abandoning her even though it was her choice to leave. She sends a message to herself reminding her that regardless of whatever hardships she encountered afterwards, she was the own who made the choice. This reflects something that is common with many of us. When we encounter hardships, we look at everything around us for something or someone to blame. What we should be doing is giving ourselves a close examination to see what our choices have contributed to the state we are in. This is not to say that when people experience trials because of the actions of others that it is the victim’s fault, nor can we expect a person to fully predict the future outcome of all our choices. For example, I would never expect a rape victim to shoulder the blame for what happened. Instead, I am talking about blaming people for things that they really had no control over or intent towards. If Janeway knew what would happen to Kes when she left (and of course, here is the temporal paradox, because if she did know, would she not have better prepared Kes before sending her off?) would she have let her go? OK, the temporal paradox that this episode leaves us with is messing with this category, so let me sum up with the thought that we should not always have to find someone to blame for our troubles, even ourselves. Sometimes, we just have to accept that bad things do happen, and we should move on from it.

Cool Stuff – 2 points. I did like seeing things back when Voyager started. A little hello from Joe Carrey, and the last glimpse at Samantha Wildman in the series was nice. I liked how many of the cast were able to tap into their earlier selves, and that itself is cool. I also liked the Viddian captain. If his voice sounded familiar, it was because he was portrayed by Vaughn Armstrong, one of his hundreds (OK, only a dozen) characters in the franchise.

Rank – Captain (16 points). Yeah, an episode that I am not too found of still manages to obtain the rank of Captain. As I said earlier, the episode has a lot going for it. The frustrating temporal paradox really weakens the episode for me, but it still has intrigue and suspense. Even though it is ranked high enough to be a Captain, I get why some may want to skip this episode. I do it sometimes.

If you would like to read other reviews from Star Trek: Voyager, click on the link here.

If you would like to read an episode review from any of the Trek series, click the following link to get to the series catalog. If the episode you want reviewed has not been done yet, then feel free to request it in the comments and I will see what I can do.

Episode Review - Northstar (Enterprise, Season 3)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here

Overview – While searching the Delphic expanse the crew of the Enterprise discover a planet that has a colony of humans that live in a late nineteenth century American wild west society. They live among a smaller group of aliens, called Skagarans, or “Skags” as many humans call them. Archer learns that the Skagarans kidnapped several humans from the United States west to serve as slave labor for a new colony. The humans revolted and overthrew their captors, and since then the humans have formed a society that treats Skagarans as second-class citizens. Archer befriends Bethany, a teacher in the community who teaches Skagaran children. Archer soon becomes entangled with the local law enforcement and soon confronts the citizens of North Star with the truth of their home world.

Score: 8/10 – I have to say that a good old fashioned wild west episode is a lot of fun. One of Star Trek’s (and science fiction’s in general) strengths is the ability to interact with different genres. The concept is intriguing and is not the first time we learn that humans from Earth’s past have been abducted by aliens (Voyager’s second season opener “The 37s” being another notable example). While some of the North Star residents seem to be taken right out of the western genre’s cookie cutter, they are still developed with some real humanity. While the blatantly racist deputy Bennings is two-dimensional, the characters of Bethany and Sherriff MacReady are given some good depth. This is especially true of Sherriff MacReady, played brilliantly by Glenn Morshower (in his fifth Trek appearance). We see a man who seems to feel that the law must be upheld, but secretly hides some sympathy for the “Skags”. When he is shown that humans have come from Earth and have overcome many of their past prejudices, he is open-minded enough to reconsider many of the anti-Skagaran laws. Some of the editing of scenes in this episode is a bit clunky, but overall the episode is well shot and a lot of fun. One other complaint is the make-up of the Skagarans. In the opening scene it is difficult to see that the man being hung is indeed different from the humans due to the dark lighting. Afterwards, in better lighting, the difference is more noticeable, but the makeup could have been more noteworthy.

Relevance - 0 points. Looking at how the Xindi arc ends Season 3, and that Season 4 ends, there is no further mention of the inhabitants of this planet. I hope that Archer remembered to inform Starfleet about this colony, but we do not hear anything about it. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes that is the nature of good episodes.

Continuity – 3 points. Character continuity checks out as nobody doers anything unexpected. There is a part in one of the gun fights near the end where a townsmen grabs T’Pol and holds a gun to her head, telling Malcom Reed to drop his weapon or T’Pol will die. Reed takes a second to assess the situation and stuns T’Pol with his phaser, taking her out of the equation. Good old practical Malcom Reed. Universe continuity is also good as we have already established that aliens have been known to kidnap humans pre-warp drive. Finally, story continuity is also good. There were a few editing choices that made the story a bit rough at time, but everything progressed as we would expect it to.

Character Development – 2 points. It is quite interesting to see many of the characters interact in the old west. Tucker is a bit awkward with horses, and Archer seems to have fit easily in the scenario. Mostly we see Archer throwing himself into the mix to right a wrong that was being perpetuated among the Skagarans. He seems to be able to think well on his feet. So while we see many of our characters get some attention, nobody gets any real significant development. Enough for 2, but not 3 points.

Social Commentary – 3 points. The Skagarans were created to provide a parallel to the way Native Americans were treated in the old west. The story does work with that, but the Skagaran situation brings the idea of racism to the forefront. In this story, there is a valid reason for humans to have a beef with Skagarans, and yet it is obvious that the humans have taken things too far. It is very noteworthy here that at some point the sins of the ancestors should not be held against their descendants. There needs to be a balance between sensitivity towards the long-lasting impact of past historical wrongs with not committing more wrongs in retaliation.

Cool Stuff – 2 points. The shootout between the former deputy and his posse with Archer and his people was quite enjoyable. In particular, there is a character who shows up often who is never really given a name, but in the script goes by S. Money. She is played by long-time stunt actress Dorenda Moore. She stands out in this fight as an individual who is someone you don’t want to mess with, making a huge impact on the overall outcome. That scores a point in this section. I also will score a point for how authentic the wild west set and story felt. It just worked on many levels.

Rank – Captain (18 points). There have been several “wild west” themed episodes in Star Trek over the years, but I think this is one of, if not the, very best. It has a lot of heart and fun in it. While the overall search for the Xindi is the main theme of this season, “North Star” gives us a pleasant diversion.

If you would like to check out my other episode reviews for Enterprise, simply click here.

If you would like to read an episode review from any of the Trek series, click the following link to get to the series catalog. If the episode you want reviewed has not been done yet, then feel free to request it in the comments and I will see what I can do.

10 Episodes to Put You Into the Halloween Spirit

Ah, All Hallows Eve. Goblins and ghosts, witches and spirits, monsters and aliens. A time for scares and frights. Halloween is likely a day where we have some of the most fun with playing with our fears, be it haunted houses or scary movies. Star Trek has given us more than a few frights over the last five decades, so I thought I would revisit a few of them. Yes, this is not an exhaustive list (I’m thinking of doing another one in a year or so), but here are ten that will give you some scares for those dark, scary nights leading up to October 31.

1. Catspaw (TOS) – let’s start with the original Halloween-inspired episode. When a member of an overdue away team returns to the ship dead with an ominous warning of a curse, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down to the planet and find the perfect recipe for an intergalactic Halloween party. Spooky castle, skeletons hung up in the dungeon, spectral witches, and the token black cat. Add to that a pair of aliens with immense power a penchant for playing games with zombie-like Scotty and Sulu, and you get a light-hearted romp on the weird side. The cheese factor is high, but sometimes that is what Halloween is all about.
   
2. Genesis (TNG) – Data and Picard leave the Enterprise to recover a lost torpedo. When they get back to the ship, they find it adrift and low on power. As they search the ship, they initially have trouble finding the crew. When they do find them, they have all de-evolved into primitive evolutionary ancestors. While the science behind it might seem a bit weak, the make-up effects are great. Riker is a Neanderthal, Troi some weird amphibian, Barclay a cool-looking spider, and Worf some armored poison-spitting prehistoric Klingon. With a great intense chase-scene of proto-Worf pursuing Picard, we see some campy monster fun. The story might have as many holes as Charlie Brown’s ghost costume, but it’s still a fright bit of fun.
   
3. The Haunting of Deck 12 (VOY) -What’s Halloween without a good old-fashioned ghost story? Well, Voyager gives us that in its sixth season. The ship is powering down as it is about to enter a nebula. Neelix is assigned to watch over the recently rescued Borg children. They pester him with questions about Deck 12, which they have heard is haunted. Neelix gives them a story of a mysterious entity that came aboard the ship a few months earlier. As the story progresses, we cannot help but wonder how much of the tale is real and how much of it is made up. The viewer is left guessing until the end, and we get some great action.
   
4. Frame of Mind (TNG) – A psychological thriller that has Commander Riker wondering what is real. While Wil is jumping back and forth between his life on the Enterprise (focusing on a disturbing play he is in) and his life as a mentally unstable criminal (that mirrors the play he is in), we the audience are trying to ascertain which reality is real. I mean, we know who he is…or do we? This episode keeps the mind games going until the end, and it is a thrilling ride for all.
   
5. Doctor’s Orders (ENT) – Doctor Phlox is left alone on the ship to guide it through a region of space that is dangerous to the rest of the crew. With T’Pol and Porthos as his only companions, the good doctor starts to feel the eeriness of the solitude. He begins to hallucinate and is soon struggling to maintain a hold on his sanity. Of course, the twist at the end of the episode gives us all a “what the…” moment that is nest left unspoiled for those who haven’t seen it yet.
   
6. The Thaw (VOY) – What better way to celebrate the Season of Fear than with Janeway and her crew confronting the personification of Fear itself. The crew of Voyager discover a planet that had suffered a devastating disaster and find some of the inhabitants in stasis. When Harry and B’Elanna hook themselves up to the neural network, they meet the Clown, deliciously played by Michael McKean. The two officers soon find themselves in a struggle for their lives, and Janeway must confront Fear in order to save everyone. Clowns have often been seen as scary, and this one does not disappoint.
   
7. Empok Nor (DS9) –Chief O’Brien is sent with a team of engineers and security officers to salvage some essential parts from an abandoned Cardassian space station called Empok Nor. They soon find themselves in fight for their lives against a pair of super soldiers and, surprisingly, one of their own. Garak, who was brought along to help disarm Cardassian booby traps, is exposed to a psychotic chemical that turns him into a sadistic killer. As members of the team are hunted down one by one, Miles is pushed to his limits by the devilishly clever and sinister Garak/ Andrew Robinson has always played Garak with relish and finesse, but here is taps into a darker side of our favorite Cardassian that makes us wonder if this is the end of the road for the resident tailor.
   
8. Wolf in the Fold (TOS) – The specter of an ancient horror finds the Enterprise and its crew an irresistible target. Framing Scotty for several murders of women, this alien entity feeds on the fear of women as he murders them. It is revealed that the entity, known in this iteration as “Redjac”, has been roaming the galaxy for centuries, moving from world to world, killing women as he went. He is giving different names, the most chilling being the one he was given when he was on Earth, Jack the Ripper. This is one of the few times that the crew goes up against what can only be described as pure evil, and it undoubtedly leaves its mark as it jumps from person to person, and even into the computer of the Enterprise.
   
9. Conspiracy (TNG) – An alien parasite has taken control of key authority figures in Starfleet Command. The only Star Trek episode prior to Star Trek: Discovery to be given a viewer’s discretion warning, we get a lot of gore and violence here. Aside from the mystery of who to trust, we see some pretty gruesome special effects, including an exploding head and a deteriorating corpse. Definitely worth a watch leading up to Halloween.
   
10. The Darkness and the Light (DS9) – Kira Nerys, just days away from giving birth, is witnessing the deaths of her friends and former resistance comrades. As she and the crew of DS9 try to figure out who is responsible, she herself is kidnapped by the perpetrator. The killer, a disfigured Cardassian named Silaran Prin, piles on the creep factor as he discusses with Kira his plans to save the unborn child before killing her. It has all the elements of a psychological thriller and we are left wondering if the baby is going to be saved in the end.
    

 
So grab your bowl of candy, curl up with someone you can scream with, and enjoy these extra spooky episodes. Oh, and yes, I know there are some left out. Gotta save something for next Halloween. Let me know if your favorite scary episode has been left out and I will make sure to include it next year. Stay safe my friends.

Episode Review - Catspaw (Original Series, Season 2)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here.

Overview – Awaiting the check-in of a landing party on Pyris VII, crewman Jackson urgently contacts the Enterprise. When he is beamed aboard, he falls to the floor dead, but a voice from within him says the ship is cursed. With Scott and Sulu still on the planet, Kirk beams down with Spock and McCoy to see what has happened. They discover an ominous looking castle and spectral witches warning them to leave. As they continue to explore, they are captured and find themselves face-to-face with Scotty and Sulu, though the two men are in some sort of trance. Before long, Kirk and his men find themselves in the midst of a game of sorts with two powerful entities: Sylvia and Korob. As they play their games first with and then against each other, Kirk must find a way to save his crew from their clutches.

Score: 6/10 – Happy Halloween Trekkies! Yes, this is the episode that was aired on the week of Halloween and was done to bring a little bit of spookiness to the show. It is fun for that, but much of this episode has not aged well. I get that the effects with the giant black cat were the best they could do at the time, and that effect still works well, but the floating witches and the end reveal of the aliens left a lot to be desired. The Ornithoid getup looked like drier lint with pipe cleaners attached to it. The strings on the puppets were visible, and the sound effects were just hokey. They are one of my least favorite alien designs. Still, the story is fun and there is a bit of a special feel to it. The sets are excellent in their detail. The writers found clever ways to tap into the things that were spooky then, though some of it comes across as hokey now. Still, I have to admit that I found this episode to be fun. Yeah, cheesy and off the wall at times, but still fun.

Relevance – 2 points. This is the first episode to feature our beloved Pavel Chekov. That scores a point. Interestingly enough, it is also the first episode to feature all seven of the feature-film cast in the same episode. Speaking of Chekov, the wig Walter Koenig wore in his early episodes was quite the sight. This is also the third and final appearance of DeSalle. This time he is the assistant chief engineer. That gives us a second point in this section.

Continuity – 2 points. Character continuity is good. Kirk and Spock show their typical characters trying to rescue their crewmates. Universe continuity also works here. Where I found a place to deduct a point is in story continuity. Kirk is missing his chief engineer and helmsman. A crewmember beams up to the ship dead. So, Kirk takes McCoy and Spock down to the planet. No security detail, and the assistant engineer is left in charge with a green ensign to back him up. It makes no sense that a captain would take himself, the first officer, and the chief medical officer into an unknown situation that has already killed one of his crew without any security backup. Even for Kirk, that was an illogical call.

Character Development – 1 point. It seems as if Kirk is the only one to get some noteworthy attention. He is tries to seduce Sylvia as a way to drive a wedge between her and Korob. It shows off his charm and cleverness. Of course, some of it is so typical Captain Kirk that we can’t help but roll our eyes. Still, we get some decent Kirk moments.

Social Commentary – 0 points. OK, I have tried to identify something of substance that can be offered as a bit of commentary on our world. One could argue for the idea that power corrupts, but it is so superficial that I can’t seriously give it any points. Perhaps this episode is like Halloween itself. Full of sugary, candy-like fluff that is momentarily enjoyable but offers little in actual nourishment. It is fun, but not enough to give us anything for this category.

Cool Stuff – 1 point. As I said before, the set design is quite good, so I will give a point for that. It added to the overall feel of the episode and made things interesting on a visual level. That’s good enough for credit in this section.

Rank – Lieutenant (12 points). Like the holiday that this episode honors, this episode is simply fluff with nothing of real meaning behind it. I must confess that this is one of my guilty pleasures. Fun to watch each October, but it is not truly one that should be on a must-watch list.

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