Spock's Brain

I get why many Trek fans don't like this one -- it's beyond daft -- but I actually enjoyed the silliness of the episode. And the fact that it features several really hot, young women in skimpy outfits means that I don't have too many complaints.

The episode begins as the Enterprise approaches an unidentified craft. As the crew try to communicate with the ship, a beautiful woman in a purple mini-dress and thigh high PVC leg wear (like go-go boots crossed with suspenders) beams aboard and renders everyone unconscious. When they wake up, they discover Spock's body in the sick bay -- minus his brain!!!

By following the ion trail left by the woman's ship, the Enterprise arrives at a class-M planet; a landing party led by Kirk beams down to the surface, determined to find Spock's brain and restore it to its rightful place.

There are savage cavemen on the surface, and hot women down below. Kirk and his crewmates are fitted with pain belts. McCoy controls Spock's brainless body via remote control. Spock's brain is used to control the women's underground complex. And McCoy tries on a technologically advanced helmet that increases his knowledge so that he can plug Spock's brain back into his body. It's incredibly camp and utterly goofy, and clearly not to everyone's taste, but I had a lot of fun.

7.5/10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

It's certainly one of the loonier plots, especially when McCoy wires the brainless Spock body for remote control.

But the great thing is how the whole thing is treated completely seriously by all the actors. Even Shatner plays it straight for the most part and only really hams out on some of the more outlandish lines, like "What have you done with Spock's brain?!"

The weird thing is this could have been easily made into a flat out comedy.

If this were made today, certainly the characters would have had some meta lines acknowledging the absurdity.

It's not a masterpiece but I think it's still very good. Certainly never boring.

And playing a ridiculous concept straight and not self aware can really work sometimes. For example the film Point Break has an absolutely ridiculous plot but it's played so earnestly that it's endearing. And like original Trek, that film has a hammy cast with chemistry, Reeves, Swayze and Busey.

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.

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.

Season 3, episode 1. The Enterprise encounters an ion-propelled craft. A female appears on the bridge and uses a device to knock them all out, when they awake Spock is not moving. McCoy takes Spock to sickbay, examines him only to find Spock's brain missing - surgically removed - all nerve endings are repaired -- Spock's Vulcan body is fine just his brain is missing. Kirk and crew follows the ion trail to the 6th planet in that solar system. Kirk takes a gamble and beams down with Chekov, Scotty and a couple of red shirts to inspect the icy planet. They run across a primitive group of humans - they refer to the others as bringers of pain. Kirk then has McCoy to beam down to check some remains and when he does, he brings Spock's remote controlled body along. Kirk okays Spock's body with them and they do some investigating to find a large underground facility. Kirk uses his communicator and picks up Spock's brainwave thoughts, Spock responds to Kirk and search crew. As they move along to find Spock's brain they are captured by the aliens. The aliens seem to know nothing when they speak to Kirk and crew... but eventually get information about a controller. It seems Spock's brain is the controller and Kirk and crew want to speak to the Controller. It's a matter of finding Spock's brain and putting it in Spock's body but McCoy's medical knowledge is limited and Spock will have to help him with the surgery.

It's not a great episode kinda on the silly side but fun to watch.

7/10