89. Once Upon a PlanetFORMULA: Shore Leave + The Changeling
WHY WE LIKE IT: We learn a lot more about the Shore Leave planet, and a cool anti-grav sequence.
WHY WE DON'T: The monsters are lame castaways from a D&D game.
REVIEW: As with More Tribbles, More Troubles, we revist an original series episode, but this time, new territory is charted instead of regurgitating the same plot. We finally get to see the underside of the Shore Leave planet and how it works. The Keeper has died since the last time we visited, and the machines have taken to their new-found freedom. These machines look pretty cool, and sound a lot like NOMAD, who I'm a big fan of. Great interplay between them and both Uhura and Kirk, and though it's a surprise that Kirk doesn't blow the uppity computer to kingdom come (considering his track record), the ending works.
On top of that, the Enterprise also gets in trouble as the anti-gravity generators fail, something that could never have been shown on the live-action series. It's an achievement, in my view, that though based on older material, the episode still manages to be rather original.
There are still some flaws, including the fantasy monsters (though the dragon does provide some moments for Sulu and McCoy) and M'Ress, who is turning out to be pretty boring and even annoying, mostly due to Majel Barrett's poor voicework on her. Nichelle Nichols' nice voice could have been put to better use than vocalizing for an interminable 40 seconds. But these are minor problems.
LESSON: You control the machine, the machine does not control you. (How long have I been logged on now?)
REWATCHABILITY - High: Does a good job going back, but not retreading the same ground, and written with some wit. (Yes, I realize I gave Shore Leave a Medium, but all things are not equal, as Mr. Spock will one day say.)
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