TV SERIES Review: Star Trek: The Animated Series S1E12 – The Time Trap ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Season 1
CBS All Access (Original TV network: NBC)
November 24, 1973
Run Time: 24 minutes

Episode 12 – “The Time Trap”

The Enterprise has entered the Delta Triangle on a survey mission. This is the space equivalent of The Bermuda Triangle. They encounter a Klingon battle cruiser, go shields up and, after being fired upon, return phaser fire. Suddenly, the enemy ship disappears.

What happened to the ship? Another Klingon battle crusier hails and holds the Enterprise responsible. They head where the ship disappeared to investigate … but what do they find?

Summary

George Takei who plays Sulu is quite obviously voicing the enemy Klingon captain’s voice. His voice is so signature that him trying to make a different voice is kinda comedic. That thick, low voice, I just kept seeing the Klingon as Sulu, which kind of ruined the tension.

This aside, the idea is kind of cool. A space-like Bermuda Triangle is believable and interesting. Yet another strength of most of these animated series episodes: thought-provoking ideas. If you can get past the low budget animation and just immerse yourself in the stories, you’ll be entertained.

Another reason to watch this episode? Gorn! (you’ll have to watch and see what this means)

Episode rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½ 

TV SERIES Review: Star Trek: The Animated Series S1E11 – The Terratin Incident ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Season 1
CBS All Access (Original TV network: NBC)
November 17, 1973
Run Time: 24 minutes

Episode 11 – “The Terratin Incident”

While investigating a planet gone supernova, Arachna, a two-hundred year old coded signal causes the Enterprise to divert to the nearby planet. The signal contains a repeating word, “Terratin.” Upon arriving at the planet, the ship is hit by a large yellow beam and begins to cause the entire crew to shrink.

Will the crew be able to stop the shrinking process before they are too small to operate the ship?

Summary

After watching 11 episodes, a familiar, repeating story formula appears. The Enterprise is usually researching something on a planet or in space when something unusual happens. Often the conflict worsens to the point of where death or severe harm appears imminent, only to find a solution in the ending.

What’s missing from these shorter episodes is the intro and coda at the end. Instead of having the cold open, the animated episodes start with the title sequence and goes directly into the action.

This episode is perhaps most obvious it’s fitting into a specific type of formula. It’s an entertaining episode, albeit a bit predictable once we know the basic framework.

Episode rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

TV SERIES Review: Star Trek: The Animated Series S1E10 – Mudd’s Passion ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Season 1
CBS All Access (Original TV network: NBC)
November 10, 1973
Run Time: 24 minutes

Episode 10 – “Mudd’s Passion”

The Enterprise stops by a mining planet to arrest galactic swindler, Harry Mudd pitching what they to be fake love crystals to a planet. After Mudd is aboard the ship he uses the cyrstals on various members of the planet, including Nurse Christine Chapell (Majel Barett-Roddenberry) and Spock. When more members of the crew become infected by the love crystals and dangerous rock creatures on the planet attack a landing party, how will the crew overcome the drug and return to normal?

Summary

The transporter crew dancing and drugged out while these multi-eyed rock creatures are attacking the landing party is the but one humorous part of this episode. This episode captures the comedic elements of The Original Series and yet includes the danger of the alien creatures. It’s a fun combination.

My only knock against this episode is the resolution comes too swiftly. I’ve mentioned the show length in a couple other reviews and this is another episode that sets up a potentially great episode, but is cut short by a too fast finish. It offers a solid first and start of a second act and then just ends abruptly.

Am glad to see they brought back the character of Harry Mudd. In an earlier animated episode featuring the tribbles (TV SERIES Review: Star Trek: The Animated Series S1E5 – More Tribbles More Troubles ½), I wondered why they didn’t have Mudd for that episode, but it seems they were saving him for this one. This episode is not quite as entertaining as the tribbles episode and, somewhat ironically, also suffers with the ending. Just can’t overstate how any story, however promising, must have a worthy ending.

Some of these animated episodes feel more rushed than they needed to be. It’s too bad, because the voice acting and stories through the first 10 episodes anyway are good, some have been great. I’m not sure episodes like this would appeal to children. That was one of the complaints about the series when it ran. It appealed more to adults, which wasn’t the demographic they were targeting in the Saturday morning timeslot. I don’t remember seeing this episode in the 70s.

Episode rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

TV SERIES Review: Star Trek: The Animated Series S1E9 – Once Upon A Planet ⭐️⭐️

Season 1
CBS All Access (Original TV network: NBC)
November 3, 1973
Run Time: 24 minutes

Episode 9 – “Once Upon A Planet”

The inevitable shore leave episode has the Enterprise inexplicably returning to the robot amusement park planet in The Original Series episode “Shore Leave.” As if things didn’t go wrong the first time around, they beam down again for shore leave. This time everybody except Uhuru beams back to the ship to try and explain why the robot master computer shouldn’t attack the Enterprise.

Summary

My biggest problem with this episode is it makes no sense returning to the planet. Was this trying to be a reboot of the Season 1, Episode 15 TOS episode? It isn’t as good as the live action episode, leaving me just puzzled why they didn’t do a more original series.

Nothing wrong with revisiting characters and planets from TOS, as they did in the animated series and in later Star Trek series, but it should add in some way to the prior story and be a logical reason for the crew to return. The first shore leave didn’t go so well, so why when they are going to rest and relax return on this planet again? I just couldn’t get past this vexing plot point to enjoy the rest of the episode.

It’s kind of like how I felt about Futureworld ⭐️⭐️ movie compared to Westworld ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Once the robots went haywire in Westworld, who would ever trust enough to visit the robot fantasy land (so soon) again? Maybe many years later with much heightened safety protocols in place. Jurassic Park had the same issue with the ensuing sequels. When enough time had passed and we wanted to see the dinosaurs again, Jurassic World came along to enjoy success. It also expanded the idea by moving the dinosaurs out of a contained area which is an expansion on the original idea. Idiots just revisiting the dinosaur island expecting a different outcome is the type of story that strains credibility.

Ironically, my favorite movie Star Trek The Wrath of Khan revisited the TOS episode “Space Seed.” A lot of Trek fans consider that to be the strongest Trek film to date. Another favorite is First Contact which revisited an encounter with The Borg for The Next Generation crew. Both those films weren’t empty rehashed and rebooted plots, they went somewhere fresh. That’s what a sequel film should do. Cobra Kai is killing it on the TV side by taking The Karate Kid characters and conflicts and exploring it much, much deeper.

That all said, this is my least favorite episode of The Animated Series rewatched to date.

Episode rating: ⭐️⭐️

TV SERIES Review: Star Trek: The Animated Series S1E8 – The Magicks of Megas-tu ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Season 1
CBS All Access (Original TV network: NBC)
October 27, 1973
Run Time: 24 minutes

Episode 8 – “The Magicks of Megas-tu”

On a mission at the center of the universe, the Enterprise encounters a violent whirlwind storm that sucks the ship into the unknown. While not in time or space as they understand it, a minotaur-like alien appears and takes them to explore the planet Megas-tu.

Summary

Lucien is a curious character in a wondrous place. This story is very wild and trippy and makes me wish this was what Gene Roddenberry should have done in the first Star Trek film. It feels like too much story material to sandwich into 24 minutes.

It’s not often that I criticize something for being too short in run time, but this story needed more. I liked the episode for the supernatural take on what might exist in the middle of the unknown. I’m sure a planet like Megas-tu exists somewhere, if only in our imagination.

Love this series! If you enjoyed the original Star Trek series, you need to check this out on CBS All Access, soon in 2021 to be rebranded as Paramount+.

Episode rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TV SERIES Review: Star Trek: The Animated Series S1E7 – The Infinite Vulcan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Season 1
CBS All Access (Original TV network: NBC)
October 20, 1973
Run Time: 24 minutes
Written by Walter Koenig (Chekov on The Original Series)

Episode 7 – “The Infinite Vulcan”

The Enterprise is visiting the newly established planet Phylos and landing party is on the surface. Lieutenant Sulu sees a moving plant called a Retclaw, bends down and picks it up, only to be poked by something in the plant. Seconds later he collapses, poisoned. Doctor McCoy attempts to help Sulu when a living green plant appears and saves Sulu’s life.

Next, the plant people kidnap Spock, leading to a conflict with Kirk and team to retrieve Spock. Why do they want Spock?

Summary

Chekov (Walter Koenig) from The Original Series (TOS) was the only primary cast member that didn’t return to be represented in the animated series, due to budgetary reasons. He was invited to submit this script, which is different and interesting.

Good dialogue, voice acting, a plot that could have been another adventure on TOS, an all around solid, fun, entertaining episode. The plant people design is curious as well. They probably look better animated than they would have looked in the 70s. I’m guessing better than the Gorn did in TOS, with the phony non-moving mouth.

The alien that replaced Chekov as a regular ship navigator sitting next to Sulu was voiced by Scotty (James Doohan). Check this episode out, it’s well worth watching.

Episode rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TV SERIES Review: Star Trek: The Animated Series S1E6 – The Survivor ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Season 1
CBS All Access (Original TV network: NBC)
October 13, 1973
Run Time: 24 minutes

Episode 6 – “The Survivor”

Near the Romulan border, the Enterprise encounters a ship with a lone survivor. They beam the man over and it turns out it’s Carter Winston, a friendly man well known by some members of the crew. His former fiance is aboard the Enterprise. Turns out Winston isn’t what he seems, leading to a conflict aboard the ship, with numerous crew members including Captain Kirk behaving abnormally.

Summary

It is fascinating how the alien life form known as an Andorian masquerading as various humans has a similar ability as the morph character in Terminator 2. It can turn into any human, although it doesn’t seem to need to touch and its not liquid metal like.

The way Winston beams aboard the Enterprise is somewhat problematic based on Next Generation transporter laws. They have filters in the transporter process to detect abnormalities. It is conceivable that the Enterprise transporters upgraded in the newer model ship, so that would explain how the alien got through undetected. Dr. McCoy detects the alien with medical tests.

Bottom line: it’s a very good episode, with palpable tension, especially when the alien forces the ship to cross into Romulan territory. Well worth a watch and rewatch if you, like me, haven’t seen this for many years. Recommended.

Episode rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½ 

TV SERIES Review: Star Trek: The Animated Series S1E5 – More Tribbles More Troubles ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Season 1
CBS All Access (Original TV network: NBC)
October 6, 1973
Run Time: 28 minutes

Episode 5 – “More Tribbles More Troubles”

The Enterprises encounters a Klingon warbird attacking a Federation scout ship. The Klingons have a powerful new weapon. The scout ship has no chance against the Klingon strength and firepower and is destroyed. Scotty is able to beam out the captain of the scout ship and some cargo just in time, however, the Klingons turn their attention to attacking the Enterprise.

The weapon saps the energy of its target, leaving the Enterprise and the Klingon ship weakened. While recharging, the Klingon command says they will not turn away if they get the captain of the ship.

In the transporter room, Scotty beams in Cerino Jones, the scout ship captain and, per the title, TRIBBLES!

Summary

Must admit, I was thrown off by Cerino Jones instead of Harry Mudd as the intergalactic smuggler and thief behind the tribbles. Must not have had the budget to hire either of the actors (Rainn Wilson and Roger Carmel) behind Mudd? He was in a couple notable episodes of The Original Series, including “The Trouble With The Tribbles” Those fat, cushiony tribbles are on an eating binge. They have an Attack of the Killer Tomatoes vibe to them.

This episode started out strong with the Klingon battle and kind of petered out as it went along with sort of a lackluster ending. Still, it’s recommended for your Saturday morning or whenever animated viewing. I wish they had this series on in 2020.

Episode rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½ 

TV SERIES Review: Star Trek: The Animated Series S1E4 – The Lorelei Signal⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Season 1
CBS All Access (Original TV network: NBC)
September 29, 1973
Run Time: 24 minutes

Episode 4 – “The Lorelei Signal”

Roughly every 27 years a spaceship disappears. The Enterprise investigates and hears an eerie signal at the precisely calculated moment in time. Men aboard the ship experience alluring visions of women calling to them, harpy-like through the signal. Captain Kirk orders the ship to head toward the signal coming from a planet 20 light years away. The women aboard the ship are not affected the same way as the men. Uhura becomes suspicious and has Nurse Chappel come to the bridge to assist her in observing the changing behavior of the men.

Summary

This would be the 1970s version of what’s happening in a lot of movies and TV shows in 2020: women power. I liked the episode because it’s part of the story and not forced. The real stars of the Enterprise aren’t the men who are weakened by the alien species that drain their lifeforce, but the women who protect them. It was good to see Uhura and Nurse Chappel (voiced by Majel Barret) as the stars for this episode, taking charge. We didn’t see any episodes like this on Star Trek The Original Series. I think this might have been a first for the franchise. The episode was written by Margaret Armen.

Well done, great story. Recommended.

Episode rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

TV SERIES Review: Star Trek: The Animated Series S1E3 – One Of Our Planets Is Missing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Season 1
CBS All Access (Original TV network: NBC)
September 22, 1973
Run Time: 24:09

Episode 3 – “One Of Our Planets Is Missing”

The Enterprises encounters a red, noxious cloud ravenous for consuming entire planets. They race to protect the planet Mantilles from the cloud and are engulfed by the cloud. The cloud lives upon the energy of consumed planets. While inside, the Enterprise realizes it’s like the inside of a stomach and tries to navigate toward the opening before the planet’s inner digestive digestive tract breaks down the ship’s deflective shields.

With 20 minutes left, they must navigate out or all aboard killed.

Summary

Talk about alien body horror. There are two opposing dramas here. The Enterprise trapped inside the alien cloud, will it escape and the planet the cloud is heading toward.

Rewatching I’m reminded how Star Trek used to be. Creative, entertaining, thought provoking and exciting to watch. There wasn’t much like this in Picard or Lower Decks to be found, hence the reason I’m rewatching the past. Why can’t they get the Next Generation actors together and make an animated series like STNG? It worked for the original series, so why not Next Gen?

Hard to believe each episode cost $75,000. Yes, this was nearly 50 years ago, so in today’s dollars it would be more. They probably couldn’t get any of the voice actors to work for that today.

So, probably would cost about a million or more an episode in 2020 dollars. We can always dream.

Spock saying of his mind meld with the alien cloud, “The wonders of the universe. Incredible. Simply incredible.”

This episode is excellent. It has everything that makes Star Trek cool. The only tiny takeaway is that the resolution was a bit overused in the original series when encountering alien beings. You’ll have to watch to see that resolution, however, because not spoiling here. Recommended.

Episode rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½