42. The Deadly YearsFORMULA: The Galileo Seven + Balance of Terror + The Corbomite Maneuver + Miri + 30 years
WHY WE LIKE IT: Good performances and surprisingly convincing make-up.
WHY WE DON'T: The Romulans are essentially wasted here.
REVIEW: After the forgotten Klingon episode, we get the forgotten Romulan episode. Not hard to forget their participation in The Deadly Years, since it consists entirely of stock effects footage from Balance of Terror. There, a single ship was more than a match for the Enterprise. Here, some 10 ships are unable to put much of a dent in our favorite starship, and Kirk just uses the corbomite maneuver to get away at the end. I can't decide if that's a neat wink at continuity, or an unimaginative last minute deus ex machina.
But that's not really the focus of this episode. Rather, it's the deterioration and rapid aging of the characters due to [insert technobabble here]. It couldn't have been pulled off without good acting and make-up, and they are thankfully present. I've seen worse aging make-up in much more contemporary films and television, but a lot of it comes across through the acting. Kirk falling asleep in his chair is a particularly strong image. Despite their advancing years, I'm glad the affected party was still the one to figure out the cure. Even in a degenerate state, these guys are still top-of-the-line officers. Chekov gets a good couple of moments, but the rest of the extended crew are more or less relegated to reaction shots.
Unfortunately, there's a lot of padding here. The competency hearing recaps a lot of information, and seems a terrible idea when time is of the essence. The character of Janet Wallace seems a waste as well. She's there for no real reason except to give Kirk a good (if cruel) line about her being attracted to older men. Any lab assistant could have fulfilled her role in the plot. The character of Commodore Stocker is at least sympathetic, but still falls within the bounds of the incompentent commander cliché.
LESSON: You CAN go back to the well, but maybe once was enough.
REWATCHABILITY - Medium: Performances make this episode worth watching, but don't expect much from the Romulan plot or the special guest-stars.
Comments