Spock's Brain

Taking this episode's side in all fairness there are legions of original series Star Trek stories way worse than this, for some reason there's been a kind of social media pile-in on poor Spock's Brain and it doesn't deserve all of it!

This is an episode from the wonders of the starry cosmos for little children. And viewed as such no harm in being so, and it has a lot - actually quite thoughtful on science and exploration, as indeed on whether a body can exist separately from a mind, and on declining, pampered civilisations clinging to former sophistication - going for it.

Perhaps the actors had just been told about some more cuts in the Star Trek Season Three budget, I will admit that....

But plot-wise and ideas-wise, wallops possibly a good third of all TOS Star Treks out of the ballpark.

Here I am, at the start of a new year, watching "Spock's Brain" again. There goes one resolution down the drain. It's unfortunate that this episode may have been the introduction for many viewers to the Trek series (it was the 1st broadcast of the 3rd season). What a difference a new season makes! Like "The Trouble With Tribbles," this is one of the most famous episodes, but for different reasons, having to do with the epitome of lousiness. Knowledge of Trek's cheese factor may have spread from this point. There's really nothing wrong with the plot, on paper - an early version of "Star Trek III:The Search For Spock" of '84; in this case, it's 'The Search For Spock's Brain.' Here, Kirk and crew are moving along in their starship, minding their own business, when a small ion-propelled ship approaches; a space babe materializes on the bridge of the Enterprise and knocks out everyone with the touch of a button on her spiffy bracelet (and I mean, EVERYone, on the entire ship! - similar to "By Any Other Name"). When the crew awaken, they find something missing - you guessed it! - Spock's brain! Yes, this is Spock's final episode - just kidding. Here's a minor discrepancy already: the female invader is able to conk out everyone immediately; yet later, on the planet they find her on, she and her cohorts take the trouble to affix funky belts on Kirk and his boys to send painful knockout signals. I won't even elaborate on the slow pace of this episode, with the camera, for example, settling on an immobile Spock standing there, as if something is about to happen, yet nothing does.

Someone, meaning the producers, the director and the actors, took a wrong turn or at least a sideways view of this story. As an example, when McCoy slowly informs Kirk of Spock's, eh, problem, it was probably meant to be a suspenseful, grim scene. It isn't. 'His brain is gone..!' McCoy says, looking a bit shell-shocked. Kirk mouths the same phrase, also shocked or stunned. You expect Scotty to repeat it yet again, then Nurse Chapel. I think you get the tone of most of the episode - you're chuckling by this point. By the time we get to the underground civilization on that planet, things have escalated to a laugh-riot, with 'Morgs' and 'Eymorgs' and 'you are not Morg' ringing in our ears as Kirk tries to make sense of a wacko culture divided between female rulers and male brutes. Spock's body is turned into a walking puppet, guided by McCoy's gizmo like a toy robot. Kirk's key meeting with the ruling females, all of whom speak like spoiled teenagers, becomes an exercise in ultimate Trek cheese; Kirk even gets on his knees to grovel at one point, before the female ruler sends him spasming into painful oblivion. It's rather ghastly yet you can't turn away, spellbound in disbelief by the hysterics on screen. All the concepts are sabotaged by the execution, even the climactic brain re-attachment surgery, which begins fine; McCoy gets his brain boosted and proceeds with new skills. Then he starts to forget and Spock talks him through the rest, the audience understanding full well that neither has the knowledge of these unknown techniques. Some entertainment value is there, no doubt, but beware; this all could be a... dare I say it - a drain on the brain.

Why the low rating? OK, I know it's not City on the edge of forever, but Spocks Brain has got a lot going for it. There's the attractive subterranean alien girls who's only ability to be intelligent lies in putting on a big football helmet with Glowy things sticking out of it. Let's not forget the 7 foot tall cavemen with funny haircuts who live on the planet surface. And best of all, and I mean this, how great is it to see Spock being remote controlled around by Dr. McCoy?

In all seriousness, Spocks brain is not the apex of Star Trek. But it is definitely entertaining and I demand it be given a little more respect :-)

This is one of my favorite episodes simply because it's one of the goofiest. Spock's brain is stolen, and the crew go in search of the brain. What makes the episode so amusing is McCoy using a remote control to drive Spock's body -- sit, stand, go forward, turn.

No, this episode did not push the boundaries of science fiction. It did not feature amazing acting talents, riveting dialogue, nor astonishing plot twists. But it was damn funny, and not because it was trying to be.

And the "teaching" helmet is a gas too. Kudos to the props department.

Don't skip this one!

In an attempt to recover Spock's brain, Mr. Scott presents a brilliant feign, Kirk grabs hold of the gun, set to kill not to stun, all in all it will give you migraine.

Mr. Spock loses his mind and the flesh that contains it using a technique similar to that used by Doctor Frankenstein but without scarring.