Shore Leave

Bogmeister and others have pretty much nailed this. Shore Leave is really TOS' first attempt at lightweight sci-fi (which they would later perfect with the classic Trouble with Tribbles). It gave both the crew of the Enterprise and its TV viewers a needed respite from the universe threatening consequences of, for example, The Corbomite Manouever.

Looking for a place to chill out for a while, the Enterprise happens across a seemingly idyllic M Class planet, and sends an exploratory team down to take a closer look. Soon enough all kinds of absurdities begin to take place - some seemingly perilous - but it all seems a morass of human emotional extremities played out in a weird blend of fantastic mystery (McCoy has gone through the looking glass), psychological thriller (Kirk is stalked by an indefatigable bully from his past), and romantic comedy (no comment).

TOS was the least serialized of all of the series in the Trek franchise, so it is easy to forget how many episodes in the first season focused on heavy-handed, potentially calamitous drama. Unlike later series franchise writers, TOS' production team was not afraid to literally go where no TV series had gone before. And Shore Leave, despite its occasional problems, is an example. My only criticism of this episode is that the cast (particularly Shatner - ironic given his legendary sense of humor) didn't seem to know how to handle this new wrinkle on ST's themes. The last scene is possibly one of the worst scenes I can remember from the entire TOS run - both compositionally and in terms of acting.

'nuff said. My recommendation - see it while watching the entire first season as it was meant to be seen - it order.

It's a known fact in human life when were all come to a stressful state of mind, we all need to take a breather, to load up on energon otherwise we won't be able to continue functioning well, get whatever needs to be done or even do what we want to do.

This episode is another honorable mention, this one is a bit of a light one though at the same time a bit of a fantasy suspense thriller which is part of what makes the episode unique for once getting a toe into the fantasy genere. I really like how we're all on the same boat as everyone else, as there are a bunch of things just appearing out of nowhere, I remember when McCoy was seeing the White Rabbit and Alice, I thought "What the Hell?" That of course is Kirk and the crews first step down the rabbit hole.

Just a lot of crazy things are happening like we this young couple Angela and the guy in the blue uniform forgot his name. We see a couple of World War 2 planes appear and shoot at them; though the weardest thing about it how they just apeared and reacted once the blue guy thought and said it.

Same with Kirk when he recalls someone at the Acadamy whom beat him in a fist fight, that guy appears. This is the highlight of the episode as it results in probably one of the best one on one fights in "Star Trek" in my book it's also one of the longest up there with the street fight in the film "They Live". I really like that this fist fight is fun and funny because both guys in the tussle look like their having fun. You just see the guy constantly goating Kirk and seeing that firery look on Kirk's face I thought "Ah, man your just asking for it."

You might be able to figure it out a little earlier before the end what's going on but it didn't deter anything where just like in any recreation time actually gave me a good feeling.

Rating: 3 and a half stars.

This is a fun and beautifully shot episode. The scenery is real and one feels like they are really outdoors. For the first time we learn more about the personalites of the crew. We learn about Kirk's old love interests Sulu's weapons hobby and other interesting background. The story is interesting and keeps you glued until the end. The ending is a surprise.

Probably one of the prime examples of following a suspenseful, dramatic episode (in this case, the superb Balance of Terror) with a lighter affair, Shore Leave is the first true attempt on behalf of the Star Trek writers to produce a more entertaining piece of sci-fi, and while the formula isn't quite right yet in this entry (the true triumph is Trouble with Tribbles, in Season 2), the laughs come pretty fast as long as the viewer is willing to allow for all the silliness.

Diverting from the show's tradition, the Enterprise isn't on any proper mission in this episode. Instead, Kirk has found a perfect planet for his crew to spend some time off duty: a well deserved break after three months of incessant work. The Earth-like planet (a budget-related fact) is very appealing, but it only takes a few minutes before something weird happens: Dr. McCoy starts having visions of a white rabbit that seems to come straight out of Lewis Carroll's work. Soon, other people begin experiencing similar things: a woman meets a Don Juan-like character, Sulu has a run-in with a samurai, and Kirk faces a double encounter with the past, in the shape of almost love and the guy who used to pick on him at the Academy. Throw in a freakishly real-looking tiger, and it's easy to see why Kirk and Spock are determined to figure out what's going on before anybody gets hurt.

The idea is a classic one: idyllic place turns out to be far from heavenly. The episode's humorous take on the topic is rather successful, weren't it for a dark turn of events that doesn't sit well with the rest (of course, everything works out fine again come the end) and the cast's general unwillingness to show a funnier side of themselves (most notably, and ironically, the otherwise hilarious William Shatner). And yet Shore Leave deserves recognition for being another good example of the writers trying new, previously unseen things: the definition of Star Trek's success.

7,5/10

When I was a kid of 12, I didn't pay "Star Trek" any attention at first. I have no idea why. Maybe "Lost In Space" was more up my alley. But I do remember tuning in for this episode and really liking it. There was whimsey but also the mystery of what the heck was going on.

Some viewers might think it was too silly, but like shore leave itself, it did give the series a rest from the serious stuff. Not that I would have known that at the time. All I know is that this episode hooked me and I became a fan for life.

Right now, I am watching this episode on Blu-Ray. The Finnegan character is wonderfully over the top, and the music that accompanies him is perfect.