Star Trek 037: Catspaw

37. Catspaw

FORMULA: The Squire of Gothos x2 + Who Mourns for Adonais?

WHY WE LIKE IT: Sylvia's voodoo on the Enterprise creates an iconic image, and Kirk's seduction of her works better than most such scenes.

WHY WE DON'T: Very rarely manages to be scary, with the pink sets being particularly bad.

REVIEW: Catspaw was the first produced for the second season, but its airdate was held until Halloween week (explains Chekov's really bad hair day). The first (and only?) Star Trek holiday special, in a sense, and I'm not sure it was a good idea. Like many episodes before it, it makes use of ready-made sets and props (horror-themed, in this case), and once again, justifies doing so by making most of the episode a grand illusion. Is that getting lame yet?

Well, there are some good, spooky bits, such as Jackson's standing fall, and all the voodoo stuff using the tiny Enterprise. The rest of it, however, is far from terrifying. The gothic sets are painted in pinks, removing any atmosphere they might have otherwise generated. Likewise, the giant cat is disappointing, despite Spock's assertion that cats are the most terrifying of animals (I let go a chuckle while petting my own black cat sitting as he was in a shoebox much too small for him). There's just never a sense that the characters are ever in the same room with the creature. Other elements, like the three witches' almost incomprehensible chatter, are best forgotten.

Stories of super-powerful aliens toying with the crew are old hat by now, but the dynamics between Korob and Sylvia are unusual, especially Sylvia's reaction to her new senses and desires. Kirk sees this weakness in her and shamelessly exploits it, and because of her inexperience with such sensations, we believe it. The acting is up to snuff. The aliens' true forms are interesting, like tiny, feathered Cthulhoid monsters, though the execution is a bit weak (with strings showing).

LESSON: Burn all tapes of the Christmas episode... NOW!

REWATCHABILITY - Medium: Though there are some good elements, there's a lot of padding too. Slow moments and irrelevant scenes threaten to choke the life out of an already gimmicky story.