The Deadly Years

I'm totally impressed by the makeup job for the landing party characters (with the exception of the aged Lt. Galway, who looks pretty fake). Kirk, McCoy and Scotty REALLY DO look old, especially McCoy. I'm not sure today's makeup artists could do a better job of making someone appear 30-40 years older. And the acting jobs by Shatner, Nimoy, Kelley and Doohan are top notch. They ACT like they're old...especially McCoy, who is even crustier than ever in old age and has his southern drawl magnified. One note, however: Kirk appears to be balding pretty bad when he's "between the ages of 60-72," but he actually has MORE hair at the end when he's gotta be in his 80s.

"The Deadly Years" is an all-around solid episode. The script is well-conceived, the makeup is excellent, and the actors give arguably their best performance of the series. There are a lot of other TV shows that have an episode where the main characters are really old (Cheers, The Brady Bunch), but they never seem very convincing. In "The Deadly Years," I really felt like Kirk and company were 30 years older. There are several episodes I like better, but this episode definitely makes my Top 20 list. I'm giving "The Deadly Years" a B+ grade and admitting I'm getting a little gray – but radiation will do that to you.

I'm at that stage in life where I'm starting to show signs of wear and tear, so watching Kirk and his crewmates rapidly age after being exposed to radiation from a comet is quite uncomfortable viewing (even if the old-age make-up is a bit rubbish). Kirk develops dementia and arthritis, McCoy goes grey and wrinkly, Spock's usually acute mind is a little slower, Scotty look terrible, and Lt. Galway has seen far better days. It's a reminder that getting old can be really sucky (although Shatner in his 90s still has all his faculties and is doing things that most of us only dream of).

After several instances where Kirk's ability to command is called into question, a competency hearing is convened, which results in the captain being relieved of duty by Commodore Stocker (Charles Drake). However, the commodore's inexperience at the helm leads to a stand-off with the Romulans after the Enterprise violates a neutral zone.

After the intriguing set up, The Deadly Years stagnates: half of the episode is spent watching the characters deteriorate, which soon gets old (badum tish!), while the competency hearing simply retreads what we have already seen. Kirk's return to youthfulness and good health after an injection of adrenaline is nothing short of miraculous, the rejuvenated captain bounding onto the bridge to avert disaster by using the Corbomite maneuver, a lazy resolution from the writers.

I unexpectedly LOVED this ep...particularly Scotty who just wanted to take a nap...all the time! #Who Can Relate

The crew travel down to a planet where everyone is aging mega-rapidly and no one seems to know why. Then they beam back aboard and all of the (except Chekov) start to age rapidly, too. As one of the reviewers so aptly put it...what a drag it is getting old!

Kirk gets forgetful and cranky, McCoy starts drawling like a Southern belle and gets even CRANKIER and Spock would like the thermostat at 200, please...can someone get him a shawl? Nurse Chapel's furrowed brow says it all...these are some grumpy old men!

Commander Stocker does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING under Romulus attack...was he going to talk them to death? Turns out the reason for Chekov's immunity will save the day...AND the Enterprise...but not that awful Monkee wig he wears in the final (recycled) shot.

LAUGHED a lot in this one...which may not have been the intent...but mostly b/c I can relate to all of them...I've never felt more connected to Scotty in my life!

8/10 but it's prolly a 9...I forget...my mind wanders. Time for a nap! 😴

I enjoyed this story. Only one aspect of concern is how does rapid aging so quickly affect hair color along the full length of their hair. Also, why did none of them go bald?

Dont listen to some reviews its just some hater who only love Season 1 from every show then the re just here to hate.

" The deadly Years" is a fantastic piece of TV , with every single thing you Can Ask for a TV show, great plot great acting, suspence, Love the judment of Captain Kirk by Spock... You cannot give this episode less than 8.5 , if you do so you re just a haters and you re opinion doesn't matter.

9/10 IS the rating this ep deserve.