"The Paradise Syndrome" Full Reaction! - Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3
Added 2024-08-16 18:00:07 +0000 UTCFollow along with your own copy of the episode!
Comments
Exactly correct. Think of rocks in space "meteoroid" and "asteroid." A meteoroid is a rock destined to hit a planet and become a meteor, and an asteroid is a rock (smaller than a planet) that orbits a star. "Aster" is a Greek name for a star-shaped flower, and has since repurchased to mean related to stars in general, thus words like astronomy, astronaut, and even asterisk!
John DiGiantomasso
2024-08-25 04:41:44 +0000 UTCHmm, that is something to consider!
bunnytails
2024-08-25 02:43:33 +0000 UTCNow I know who to bring all my space related questions to! I appreciate the info but forgive me if I continue to misspeak and say "solar system" since that's always what comes out even though I know its incorrect. So the rock in this episode was a meteoroid. If it had entered the atmosphere it would have then been classified and a meteor, and whatever ended up making contact with the planet would be a meteorite? I can't say I've never heard of the word meteoroid before but it really doesn't sound like a familiar term to me. So first Spock used the deflectors to try to knock it off course, and, failing that, the phasers to break it up, if I remember correctly.
bunnytails
2024-08-25 02:43:12 +0000 UTCThanks, glad you liked it!
bunnytails
2024-08-25 02:36:17 +0000 UTCI don't think you have much need to worry! Even episodes that I don't care for as much still have great moments. I would rather they exist than not to. :)
bunnytails
2024-08-25 02:35:58 +0000 UTCIndeed, season 3 has been more good than "meh" so far (I hesitate to say BAD).
bunnytails
2024-08-25 02:34:56 +0000 UTCYeah, it took me longer than I expected D:
bunnytails
2024-08-25 02:33:43 +0000 UTCMan, that ending was pretty brutal. Left me quite stunned. I don't know if we will hear about the Preservers again any time soon or at all, but if we do I'll be very excited to learn more or even meet them.
bunnytails
2024-08-25 02:33:25 +0000 UTCI think a two parter could have worked really well here. In one scene Kirk had just been introduced to the tribe, and in the next 2 months had gone by.
bunnytails
2024-08-25 02:32:16 +0000 UTCIt confused me also, but in later shows 'Deflector' is used for something else.
Greg Polander
2024-08-25 02:32:14 +0000 UTCI enjoyed that :)
bunnytails
2024-08-25 02:30:32 +0000 UTCOh boy, that's tough! Miramane and Edith are both great picks. I would also consider Shahna from Triskelion, though that might be my personal bias. I think at this point I must go with Edith. He was drawn to her generosity and kindness and she would have loved to join him on an adventure to the stars.
bunnytails
2024-08-25 02:30:21 +0000 UTCBairns = children. Got it, thanks!
bunnytails
2024-08-25 02:24:44 +0000 UTCWeird. With deflector and tractor, I would understand them as two very different things. So it did confuse me quite a bit. Deflector pushes while tractor pulls. But maybe I'm wrong.
bunnytails
2024-08-25 02:23:04 +0000 UTCThank you! Luckily I'm (almost) fully recovered from COVID! This darn cough is hanging on still, though.
bunnytails
2024-08-25 02:19:43 +0000 UTCLastly, I was thinking... When you are done with Season 3 and before you go to the movies, I think you should rewatch Space Seed. Now that you know all the characters, I bet your new reaction would be amazing to see. AND, all the episodes are available on Paramount Plus in their ORIRGNAL form without the CGI remaster, so maybe watch Space Seed like that so,you can see it how we old-timersl originally saw it. I bet you will be impressed how good it was for the 1960s.
John DiGiantomasso
2024-08-23 04:57:46 +0000 UTCI took notes to be able to answer your questions better. I teach aerospace stuff to kids, and I teach them that a METEROID is a big rock in space (the word they SHOULD have used in the script!) A METEOR is a streak of light in the sky, caused when such a rock enters the atmosphere. If it doesn't totally burn up in the atmosphere, any remaining chunk of rock found on or In the ground is a METEORITE. Yeah, it bugs me when they get the terminology wrong. The worst (imho) which they do all the time that bugs me the most is when they say "there is a Solar System up ahead." There is only ONE "SOLAR" system, and that is ours where planets orbit the star named "Sol." Planets orbiting the star Vega, for example, would not be a Solar System, they would be the Vegan Syatem. See how that works? The correct phrase would be a nice, generic "Planetary System up ahead." Sorry. Need pet peeve. There were only a few episodes each season that had custom musical scores. This is one. Other episodes with custom scores include The Doomsday Machine and Am9k Time. You can't think about those episodes without remembering the music. Modern CPR wasn't standardized until 2008. But combining chest compressions with mouth-to-mouth dates from 1960. The leg technique was to get blo9d m9vingnthrough the legs, as well as compress the abdomen - later replaced by direct compression applied to the heart. Phasers are energy to,cut through an object (or heat it, stun it, or apply energy to it in some other form.) Deflectors use energy to push stuff away, while Tractor Beams pull something in, or hold it in place. Shields absorb or dissipate energy to protect from harm. So Spock first tried the deflector to push the meteoric away; when that failed he tried to use the phasers to break it up. Kirk's unique fighting style has been whimsically named "Kirk Fu" by the fans for many years. Scotty refers to "my bairns." "Bairn" is an old Scottish word for "child." So when Spock breaks the engines, Scotty basically says, "My babies... My poor babies..." which really shows how he feels about them and how much he loves them.
John DiGiantomasso
2024-08-23 04:50:49 +0000 UTCNice reaction; I always loved this one too. There is an episode in Next Generation very much like this one, and it is considered one of that series' very best. It has a much sweeter ending, too. You will love it when you get there.
John DiGiantomasso
2024-08-23 04:20:21 +0000 UTCFloyd's Barbershop (with broken glass) appears in Miri, too!
John DiGiantomasso
2024-08-23 03:07:19 +0000 UTCCool note. And in “City on Edge of Forever”, Kirk and Edith can be seen walking past Floyd’s barbershop from Andy Griffith’s Mayberry set.
Skyman's Follies
2024-08-17 21:36:16 +0000 UTCDon’t get it twisted, there are real gems in Season 3. A few turkeys, but still strong. Lots of new music, too. I was worried (I’m always worried about your reactions to my favorite TV show), but you see so much. A lot more than I ever did on my first watches! I suspect it’s because of your anime pedigree, which borrows tons of Western themes. Try to stay cool and hydrated, and don’t push anything until Covid is totally gone! Plus, The Preservers was a brilliant plot device.
Trilogian
2024-08-17 20:37:24 +0000 UTCHehe, luckily we were able to replace the AC a few days ago so it's all good now!
bunnytails
2024-08-17 20:10:17 +0000 UTC100% agree w you Bunny, this is strong episode and thanks for the ever-entertaining reactions. Although another "period costume" episode, this one has a fresh take: let's let Kirk lead a completely alternate life, allowing his character (and the actor) venture into new dramatic territory. A+ moments: the music, the obelisk set, Spock + McCoy scene(s) and the willingness of the production team to take yet another story risk. Yes, we're missing some key creative personnel but the remaining team is still going "there" - striving to tell thought-provoking (and, here in this case, beautiful imho) stories that you had no shot at watching anywhere else on television at the time. So, hells yeah, I give this one a strong thumbs up, along with "The Enterprise Incident". For a "really terrible" season, seems like we're doing pretty good so far, eh Bunny? ; )
Skyman's Follies
2024-08-17 14:23:04 +0000 UTCI know the TNG episode you're talking about and I think Picard's interpretation of the Prime Directive was 100% wrong. The fact that he's so easily swayed to the other position seems to indicate that he knows action must be taken. I think the conflict was contrived for dramatic purposes (TV, ta-dah!) and the Prime Directive wasn't applicable under the circumstances.
Lee
2024-08-17 11:00:54 +0000 UTCOh For Cryin' Out Loud Bunny! Turn the damn portable AC on. We can deal with the noise.
Carlos Stevens
2024-08-17 08:51:48 +0000 UTCoh... and... Space Indians... sigh
Carlos Stevens
2024-08-17 08:44:03 +0000 UTCit usually takes me 3 days to recover everything to a new computer.
Carlos Stevens
2024-08-17 08:43:31 +0000 UTCWas not aware of that, thanks for the info!
Greg Polander
2024-08-17 00:11:35 +0000 UTCHiya Bunny, sorry to hear about the Covid and the cold sore and the A/C. record when you can, no worries. I'm sure we all will be here. Except if our Preserver Deflector gets knocked out, Ha Ha. I Love this episode, especially because of the Preserver story backdrop. I've been watching Trek for over 40-50 years now and this episode ALWAYS brings the tears out at the end.
timothy w moyer
2024-08-16 22:55:50 +0000 UTCThe term “tractor beam” predates Star Trek, going at least as far back as the “pulp fiction” era of sci-fi, and E..E. Smith’ s Lensman series. I suspect the use of the term is a tip of the hat to that tradition.
Matthew Graves
2024-08-16 21:56:47 +0000 UTCThough for dramatics I've never believed the Prime Directive did not allow for actions to save an entire race from extinction. Taken to that extreme if someone fell to the ground no one could help because whatever happened was meant to happen.
Mark Chrisco
2024-08-16 21:54:15 +0000 UTCI've always enjoyed this one, especially for a third season episode. There's no question in my mind it would have fared better had it been produced in the first or second seasons, but it's not terrible IMO. There are some real disasters ahead, so I can't condemn the episodes that Freiberger mostly got right. Frankly, I think this would have worked a lot better as a two-parter, given the weeks Kirk spent on the planet and the nature of Spock's dilemma regarding the deflection of the asteroid. Despite Gregory's feeling that the pace was too slow, I think things happened too quickly and that decompressing the plot would have worked for the benefit of the narrative. Your Mileage May Vary. Unfortunately for Miramanee and her unborn child, the demands of an ongoing TV series without serialization meant that they were doomed from the start. I do wish they had at least pretended to try to save them -- consider all the time they spent huddled around Kirk while Miramanee was bleeding internally -- but since the end result would be the same either way, I suppose there was no imperative to make McCoy & Chapel look good at their jobs. Sometimes the dramatic pronouncement of a dead body wins over the competence of the medical staff. "He's dead, Jim" plays better with the limited time resources available on television, but it does make McCoy look like he gives up far too quickly.
Lee
2024-08-16 21:00:25 +0000 UTCI'm thinking about a TNG epiosde that directly contradicts this -- so one of them is clearly wrong. :) That's some of the joy about trying to deal with something as loosey goosey as the Prime Directive.
Greg Polander
2024-08-16 20:50:10 +0000 UTCIn this episode they substituted “Captain’s Log” with “Kirok’s Thoughts”
Dave Riley
2024-08-16 20:47:19 +0000 UTCMy take on the Prime Directive is that it allows for the protection of worlds with primitive societies, but not direct interference with the natural progression of their culture. What the Enterprise was attempting to do had no bearing on the future development of the native people, whereas Kirk appearing out of the obelisk did. He gave them lamps, irrigation, and CPR in advance of their discovery of these innovations. Granted that he wasn't in his right mind at the time, so no charges should be forthcoming. This isn't a Ron Tracey situation.
Lee
2024-08-16 20:46:06 +0000 UTCTake care of yourself Bunny, health comes first. I feel for you on the A/C. I’m very much a northerner and I hate the heat. And I know how much it sucks when you feel like you can’t escape it in your own home. I like this episode a lot. Maybe not a classic but easily in the “very good” range for me personally. I think Shatner particularly does some fine acting work here. By today’s standards some of the treatment of Native American culture is a bit cringy, but it’s important to keep context in mind. By the standards of the time this was a remarkable attempt at respectfulness. Keep in mind that Roddenberry was coming from the background of writing for TV westerns, in which “Indians” were often used as a simplistic general bad guys. So Bunny, if you had to pick a “one true love” for Kirk at this point who round you pick? Setting aside that the correct answer is The Enterprise. :) Miramane? Edith Keiler? Someone else? Spock? (Hey, back in the day that thought literally created the genre of internet erotic fanfiction)
Matthew Graves
2024-08-16 20:42:14 +0000 UTCAnother classic TOS episode! When the engines are failing, Scotty tells his "wee bairns" to hold together, Bairns is a Scottish term for "children." Intersting production note: The location for the Indian village was shot at the Franklin Canyon Reservoir in the Santa Monica Mountains near Los Angeles. It's the same location where the credits for the Andy Griffith Show were shot, where Andy and Opie went fishing.
J. Scott Phillips
2024-08-16 20:29:08 +0000 UTCThis was one of the last episodes Gene Roddenberry was deeply involved with. A few notes on Sabrina Scharf She left acting, ran for public office and eventually became a successful lawyer. She is still with us, living in comfortable retirement.
Mark Chrisco
2024-08-16 20:28:08 +0000 UTCWell, once again Bunny we have to agree to disagree on a episode, and I mean that in the highest form of respect of course. :) I've never cared for this episode much. I can totally understand why someone enjoys it, and I thought you made some good arguments for why it ranked so highly for you. I think it just comes down to how the episode lands personaly with you. Some episodes are like that. I always thought this episode was too slow, plodding pace, confusing narratives and storylines that don't make sense. Also the emptional impact the writers were going for with Kirk losing his memory, and then losing his wife and child, felt forced and artificial to me. (Doing a quick check online, it seems a lot of folks feel the same way and don't rank this highly, but there are some sites and publications that gave it high marks.) There are of course things I really like about this episode. Good tension with the ship trying to save the world by stopping the asteroid -- although I would argue that per the Prime Directive the Enterprise should not have interfeared. This is another thorny topic that will come up again, and be addressed again, in later episodes. Great acting from the cast, of course, and good guest actors as well. Spock pushing himself so hard for two months to try to figure out the mystery of the artifact as he felt responsible for what had happened was great. Scotty being all emotional and upset about what happened to his ship. And McCoy trying to do what he could to help and seeing both sides of the issue. It's always great to see how Spock and McCoy interact with each other when Kirk is not around. The 'deflector beam' that the Enterprise first tried to deflect the asteroid is the same thing as the 'tractor beam' from past episodes -- and it's known as a tractor beam in later shows. Why they changed the name of it here, I don't know. Oversight I would guess. The idea about the Native Americans worshipping someone from the ship as a God is also a great concent that while I didn't feel like was handled the BEST way here, is a really solid one. And once again we have mention of Warp 9, even though it should NOT be possible for the ship to go that fast under normal situations. Perhaps my favorite thing about this episode is the idea of the 'Preservers' -- the first time we've seen that idea in Star Trek but again one later shows use. The idea of an 'ancient advanced cilviization from thousands of years ago that seeded planets and then suddnely vanished' is not a new one, pre-dating Star Trek. Often the race is called the 'Precursors' in other forms of fiction. You may recall them and the idea from the Mass Effect games, for example. But I give kudos to the writers for trying to come up with a rational and logical idea as to why so many humanoid races exist across the galaxy. Of course we know the 'real' reason -- budget and time constraints -- but it's a cool idea none the less and I'm always down for it. And yet another abrupt ending. Would it REALLY hurt to give a mintue or two for some closure at the end of the episode?
Greg Polander
2024-08-16 19:19:25 +0000 UTCHey Bunny So... sorry you got covid- don't worry about the noise of the A/C-better than roasting -maybe you could record in the basement of the house? don't worry about your cold sore you're pretty either way - this episode is good but there are 3 other REALLY great episodes in season 3---they couldn't call him Kirk so they came up w/ Kirok- they couldn't call her Miri they used Miramani-- anyway Get better your health is way more important than even doing Patreon recordings! anyway maybe just take it slower -lots of love to ya!❤️
dave zink
2024-08-16 19:04:35 +0000 UTC
