Star Trek The Original Series - The Complete Second Season | William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy

Star Trek The Original Series - The Complete Second Season | William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy | Best Year of the Original Series

DVDs:

Star Trek The Orig...

	Star Trek The Original Series - The Complete Second Season William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy CBS Paramount International Television, 2004 average customer review:based on 67 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The show picks up speed and humor in its second year

After an absolutely brilliant, groundbreaking first season, Star Trek returned for its second year with a bit more self-confidence and a willingness to expand its universe. The resulting year ranks almost equally well with the first, featuring some of the series' best ever episodes and finest character moments, although three or four unfortunate clunkers harm its reputation and show that the series was already beginning to succumb to formula cliche, which would become a much worse problem when season three rolled around.

Whereas season one had been moody, super-serious and pensive in tone, with only scattered moments of humor here and there, season two managed to lighten the atmosphere while not sacrificing any of the drama. The resultant mix of high-spirited action, drama and comedy made for outstanding episodes like "Amok Time", "Friday's Child", "Mirror, Mirror", "The Doomsday Machine" and the almost unbelievably good "Journey To Babel" (with Mark Lenard in regal form as Sarek). A new crewmember, Chekov was introduced and the machinations of Starfleet were more fully explored, while the show took three direct forays into flat-out humor on "I, Mudd", "The Trouble With Tribbles" and "A Piece Of The Action" (the latter two becoming particularly popular with fans). The Kirk-Spock-McCoy relationship was in high gear by this point, with choice moments between the three occuring in nearly every episode, and usually making even the worst moments bearable. Those clunkers, which begin the "Kirk romancing the priestess of the alien computer world" formula included "The Apple", "The Gamesters Of Triskelion", "The Immunity Syndrome" and "The Omega Glory", although that was about it and the vast majority of scripts are superb. Episodes which remain underrated or overlooked among fans to this day include "Metamorphosis" (my favorite of the entire series), "Return To Tomorrow" and "Patterns Of Force". "Assignment Earth" could have been developed into a great series had it been picked up by Paramount.

This box set is about the same quality as the first, and has the same strengths and weaknesses; the most obvious weakness is the ridiculous price tag, which is nearly twice what it should be selling for. Otherwise, the sound and picture quality are fine (I really see no reason for complaint in these masters, they're as good as they're bound to get) and the bonus features are mostly great, especially the sections focusing on DC Fontana and Matt Jeffries' recollections on working for the show and the pressures they had to undergo. Matt Jeffries' boundless creativity--especially given the nonexistent budget he had to work with--was truly flabbergasting. The segment on Uhura was nice although most fans will know this information already. The "Life Beyond Trek" segment with Nimoy was more interesting than Shatner's, but still among the weakest of the features. What still puzzles me is that more could have been included, such as additional text or audio commentaries on the episodes; given that this is supposed to be the definitive version of the legendary show now available, as much effort should have been put into this as possible. Overall, however, the set is a must-purchase if you're a TOS fan and probably a good bet for any fan of good TV--just make sure you get it at a discount.

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Best Year of the Original Series

Of the 3 years in the starting series, this is the best. The charactors are developed, the direction is solid and the stories are timeless.

An American classic!

Nominated for four Emmys, including Outstanding Dramatic Series two times in its short three-year stint, Star Trek is a true legend of television history. The brainchild of former L.A. policeman Gene Roddenberry, the show premiered in Fall 1966 only to be cancelled after three seasons due to lackluster ratings. But it may well have been NBC's network executives who were the cause of the low ratings as they allotted a less than desirable time slot for the show. When Star Trek moved into syndication, its reruns captured the science-fiction imagination of an entirely new audience, catapulting the Star Trek franchise to new heights. Its newfound popularity would, in the decades to come, spawn novels, comic books, six full-length feature films, and reams of merchandise as fans clamored for anything Star Trek-related. Beginning in the 1980's, spin-offs of the show began to appear such as Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise...

Star Trek, the original TV series, follows the adventurous exploits of the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise as they "boldly go where no man has gone before..." The spaceship Enterprise is led by Captain James Tiberius Kirk (William Shatner), an Earth-born astronaut who often exhibits the charm, leadership, and creativity necessary for the mission's survival. Kirk is joined by Lt. Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy), a Vulcan-born retired commander and theoretical scientist. Chief medical officer Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) rounds out the main cast of Star Trek which includes a plethora of supporting crew with multiple guest appearances and cameo roles. Together, the crew of U.S.S. Enterprise seeks to carry out its mission: "to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations..." It's this pioneering attitude, coupled with imaginative sci-fi worlds, that provides Star Trek with its nostalgic allure - especially these episodes from the original TV series, widely regarded as the most popular of all the TV series...

The Star Trek (Season 2) DVD features a number of action-packed episodes including the season premiere "Amok Time" in which Spock begins to exhibit strange and irrational characteristics. Concerned, Kirk orders a full medical examination and learns that Spock is experiencing the instinctual mating patterns of a Vulcan and must return to his home planet immediately in order to avoid death. When they arrive, Spock's chosen mate challenges the pairing, prompting a duel between Spock and the man of her choosing. Kirk is chosen, and he and Spock are forced to fight to the death... Other notable episodes from Season 2 include "Metamorphosis" in which the Enterprise encounters a mysterious force known as The Companion which is in love with a human, and "Patterns of Force" in which the crew of the Enterprise visits a planet resembling the society of 20th Century Nazi Germany...

Below is a list of episodes included on the Star Trek (Season 2) DVD:

Episode 30 (Amok Time)
Episode 31 (Who Mourns for Adonais?)
Episode 32 (The Changeling)
Episode 33 (Mirror, Mirror)
Episode 34 (The Apple)
Episode 35 (The Doomsday Machine)
Episode 36 (Catspaw)
Episode 37 (I, Mudd)
Episode 38 (Metamorphosis)
Episode 39 (Journey to Babel)
Episode 40 (Friday's Child)
Episode 41 (The Deadly Years)
Episode 42 (Obsession)
Episode 43 (Wolf in the Fold)
Episode 44 (The Trouble with Tribbles)
Episode 45 (The Gamesters of Triskelion)
Episode 46 (A Piece of the Action)
Episode 47 (The Immunity Syndrome)
Episode 48 (A Private Little War)
Episode 49 (Return to Tomorrow)
Episode 50 (Patterns of Force)
Episode 51 (By Any Other Name)
Episode 52 (The Omega Glory)
Episode 53 (The Ultimate Computer)
Episode 54 (Bread and Circuses)
Episode 55 (Assignment: Earth)

The DVD Report

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Glorious DVD transfer--extras fall short

As good as season 1 is, season 2 of Star Trek, the Original Series, tops it. There are only a few "average" scripts; mostly really shine, especially when compared to "Voyager" or,(ugh) "Enterprise".

Yes, great acting, clever direction, stellar (no pun intended) scripts...and all done in 1967-68. Waaaaay ahead of its TV time.

However, the extras on this set leave MUCH to be desired. Come on, "Seinfeld", one of TV's groundbreaking comedies, has commentary on every episode--Star Trek, unquestionably TV's most influential sci-fi series--deserves at LEAST as much respect from its parent company.

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Series two

Oh, dear, it's all a bit dated, isn't it? I watched two episodes back to back with the same plot. "Oh, my God, the universe has disappeared! (again.)" I chose them because I like those space trumpets that sound up whenever the giant menace approacheth. I assume they're space trumpets, they sound like nothing on earth. In the former episode, it's a long blue turdy thing with a design flaw so obvious that you wounder why they even bothered building it. I think they call it planned obsolescence. Every doomsday weapon has one. The lads are also threatened by some over-acting from a commodor that has to be seen to be believed. The average commodor in Star Trek is always pompous and inept, so as to make Kirk look good. Anyway, Kirk and a couple of crewmen are stuck onboard the USS Intrepid, Valliant or Sooperdooper or whatever, when they get a call from the Enterprise that the transporter is now working again. "Right" says Kirk. "Beam back Scotty and I'll follow by the seat of my pants in the dying seconds before this starship blows up." Haven't you forgotten something, old chap? Like that other crewman whose name escapes me and you too, it appears. "Captain? Scotty? Where the **** is everyone? Oh my God, AAAAAAGH!"

In the latter episode the space boyos are menaced by a giant amee...omeab..(in space, nobody can see you spell.) Anyway, it's a giant blob that sucks the life out of you. Captain Kirk already looks the worse for wear in this second series. His hair is greyer, he's lathargic and looks pained. I guess that guy who used all those fancy filters on series one had left. Is he suffering from piles? The notorious lack of a toilet on the bridge can't help while you're being detained by yet another universe cruncher.

Is this the set that has Scotty getting plastered with an alien? Very funny scene that. Apart from that, it's hard to imagine who this box set is aimed at. Old people who remember it from childhood will find themselves too old for it and younger audiences will find it too cheesy. Don't get me wrong, it was good in it's day, but this is one to hopefully get in your Christmas sock, rather than open your wallet for.

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