Season 1 CBS All Access (Original TV network: NBC) December 15, 1973 Run Time: 24 minutes
Episode 14 – “The Slaver Weapon”
Spock, Uhura and Sulu aboard a transport ship with a slaver box that starts glowing. This only happens when it is near another slaver box. Time stands still inside a slaver box, explains Spock. An alien race that sees human beings as food is on an icy planet with the other slaver box.
How will the encounter with the alien race develop? What is the slaver box, really? Why does it exist?
Summary
This is one of the more thought-provoking episodes of all episodes. I miss this kind of deep-thinking Star Trek. The current era Star Trek, the Alex Kurtzman Trek, if you will, is lacking these types of episodes. I’ve read and seen videos where he’s called it “monster of the week” and that’s a dismissive and disrespectful way to look at the original Star Trek. Gene Roddenberry and company weren’t just going through the motions. Sure, sometimes they were, and admitted it, but episodes like this that make you think are the bread and butter of the franchise.
I digress. My only criticism for the episode is I missed Captain Kirk. An episode that doesn’t have him feels like drinking soda without sugar. Taking away a star for his omission but that might be unfair. It is also kind of cool that they experimented having an episode intentionally without Kirk. You’d think they could have shoehorned him into the episode somehow. Like perhaps a radio message with the ship and captain, at least?
Through the first 14 episodes, the original airings were weekly. Curiously, this episode (December 15, 1973) skipped a week from episode 13 (December 1, 1973)? Maybe there was some special back then, I don’t know what changed the pattern. If anybody reading knows the answer to this, please let me know in the comments.
With modern day TV shows, they are either binged like Netflix does with the entire season released at once or often on changing release episode schedules. Rarely, it seems that TV series new episodes are released weekly like The Mandalorian on Disney+. Unselfishly, I think this is the optimal way to release a TV series. Sure, I’d like to binge the entire season at one time, like Cobra Kai on Netflix, but there is something mystical and cool about getting a new episode every week. Being forced to consume a TV series a week at a time, that I just find captivating.
Weekend #6 of 52 (2/4 – 2/7/2021) for 2021 Picks By Streaming Service
First weekend of the month means a slew of new movies rotated in and out across the various streaming services. Those lists are included below making it convenient to add to your watchlists for the month.
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*Title with asterisk – newly released Title is linked and has star rating – already watched, rated and reviewed Title bolded – on our schedule to watch/rewatch, rate and review (or in progress)
NOTE: If you’re coming to these posts weeks or months later, some and/or all of the picks listed below may no longer be on the streaming services indicated. Anything marked as “Original” typically doesn’t expire on the streaming services.
NETFLIX Movies
*Malcolm & Marie (Feb 5)
*Comedy from Insanity
*Little Big Women
*Space Sweepers
*Strip Down, Rise Up
*The Ying-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity
Movies rotating into NETFLIX as of February 1
The Bank Job (2008) Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) Eat Pray Love (2010) Inception (2010) Love Daily: Season 1 My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997) My Dead Ex: Season 1 National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) The Patriot (2000) Rocks (2019) Shutter Island (2010)
NETFLIX TV
*Firefly Lane – Season 1 (Feb 3) Katherine Heigl, based on a novel
*Invisible City – Season 1 (Feb 5)
Hache – Season 2
*The Sinner – Season 3 (Feb 6)
Disney+
*Disney My Music Story: Yoshiki (Feb 5)
Disney Upside-Down Magic
Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks (s7)
HBO Max Movies
*Earwig and the Witch (Feb 5)
*In Other Words
Vengeance: Killer Coworkers
Vengeance: Killer Lovers
Vengeance: Killer Neighbors
*Irresistible (Feb 6)
We Bare Bears: The Movie (Feb 7)
Movies rotating into HBO MAX as of February 1
All Good Things, 2010 (HBO) The Amityville Horror, 1979 (HBO) The Amityville Horror, 2005 (HBO) American Style The Apparition, 2012 (HBO) Austin Powers in Goldmember, 2002 Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery, 1997 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, 1999 Backdraft, 1991 (HBO) Batman & Robin, 1997 Batman Forever, 1995 Batman Returns, 1992 Batman, 1989 Batman: The Brave and the Bold Be Cool, 2005 (HBO) Blade Runner: The Final Cut, 2007 Butter, 2012 (HBO) Captain Blood, 1935 Chewing Gum Death Row Stories, Season 5 Deep Down, 2021 (HBO) Drumline, 2002 (Extended Version) (HBO) The Four Feathers, 2002 (HBO) Get A Job, 2016 (HBO) Get Shorty, 1995 (HBO) Getting Even With Dad, 1994 (HBO) Ghoulies II, 1987 (HBO) Ghoulies, 1985 (HBO) Giant, 1956 The Graduate, 1967 Growing Up Milwaukee, 2020 Head of the Class The Investigation, Limited Series Premiere (HBO) Jacob’s Ladder, 1990 (HBO) Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday, 1993 (HBO) Justice League Justice League Unlimited La Deuda, 2021 (HBO) Lars And The Real Girl, 2007 (HBO) The Last Exorcism, 2010 (Extended Version) (HBO) Lay The Favorite, 2012 (HBO) Life Of Pi, 2012 (HBO) Love & Basketball, 2000 The Lucky One, 2012 (HBO) Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, 1983 Man of Steel, 2013 The Matrix, 1999 The Matrix Reloaded, 2003 The Matrix Revolutions, 2003 Monkey Shines, 1988 (HBO) Murder On The Orient Express, 1974 (HBO) My Bloody Valentine 3-D, 2009 (HBO) The Neverending Story II The Next Chapter, 1991 (HBO) Outbreak, 1995 Pathfinder, 2007 (Director’s Cut) (HBO) Presumed Innocent, 1990 Raw Deal, 1986 (HBO) Robot Chicken, Season 10B Safe House, 2012 (HBO) Saw II, 2005 (Director’s Cut) (HBO) Saw III, 2006 (Director’s Cut) (HBO) Saw IV, 2007 (Director’s Cut) (HBO) Saw V, 2008 (Director’s Cut) (HBO) Saw VI, 2009 (Director’s Cut) (HBO) Saw, 2004 (Extended Version) (HBO) Saw: The Final Chapter, 2010 (Director’s Cut) (HBO) Selena, 1997 The Shadow, 1994 (HBO) Sling Blade, 1996 (HBO) Stop-Loss, 2008 (HBO) Sunshine Cleaning, 2009 (HBO) The Goonies, 1985 The Tank, 2017 (HBO) This Must Be The Place, 2012 (HBO) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, 2011 (HBO) Training Day, 2001 Unforgiven, 1992 United Shades of America, Season 5 Up In The Air, 2009 (HBO) Wildcats, 1986 (HBO) Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, 1971
HBO Max TV
*Chewing Gum – Season 1 Premiere (Feb 1)
Amazon Prime
*Bliss (Feb 5)
Movies rotating into AMAZON PRIME VIDEO as of February 1
Antz (1998) Australia (2008) Be My Valentine (2013) (Hallmark Movies Now) Burn Motherf**ker, Burn! (2017) (Showtime) Coming To America (1988) Courageous (2011) Dazed And Confused (1993) Down To Earth (2001) Hitsville: The Making of Motown (2019) (Showtime) How She Move (2008) Imagine That (2009) Just Wright (2010) Kiki (2017) (IFC Films Unlimited) Love by Accident (2020) (UP Faith & Family) Love by the 10th Date (2017) (Lifetime Movie Club) Moulin Rouge (2001) Notes On A Scandal (2006) Shanghai Noon (2000) SMOOCH (2011) (Hallmark Movies Now) Spy Next Door (2010) The Haunting In Connecticut (2009) The Ides Of March (2011) The Last Appeal (2016) (UP Faith & Family) The Prestige (2006) There’s Something About Mary (1998) The Village (2004)
Hulu
*Possessor (Feb 1)
12 Hour Shift (Feb 4)
*Antebellum (Feb 5
Movies rotating into HULU as of February 1
9 to 5 (1980) Affliction (1998) American Psycho (2000) American Psycho 2 (2002) The Bellboy (1960) Bug (1975) Cinderfella (1960) Crimes Of The Heart (1987) Did You Hear About The Morgans? (2009) District 9 (2009) Downhill Racer (1969) Employee of the Month (2006) Everything Must Go (2011) From Hell (2001) G.I. Jane (1997) Garfield (2004) Gargoyles: Wings of Darkness (2004) Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962) Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) Happy Tears (2010) Haunting In Connecticut 2: Ghosts Of Georgia (2013) Hello, My Name is Doris (2016) Hitman’s Run (1999) Jane Austen’s Mafia! (1998) Jennifer 8 (1992) John Grisham’s The Rainmaker (1997) The Juror (1996) Mars Attacks! (1996) Me, Myself And Irene (2000) Ninja Assassin (2009) The Omen (1976) (1976) Damien – Omen II (1978) Only God Forgives (2013) The Patsy (1964) Phase IV (1974) Possessor (2020) The Prince Of Tides (1991) Shirley Valentine (1989) The Shootist (1976) Sideways (2004) Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) The Tenant (1976) Teresa’s Tattoo (1994) Turbulence (1997) Van Wilder: Party Liaison (2002) Waking Ned Devine (1998) Witness (1985) X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) You Laugh But It’s True (2011) You’ve Got Mail (1998)
Season 1 CBS All Access (Original TV network: NBC) December 1, 1973 Run Time: 24 minutes
Episode 13 – “The Ambergris Element”
A shuttlecraft is sent to the planet Argo containing Kirk and Spock. They are studying a planet that is almost completely underwater, with very small land mass. A strange red marine creature attacks the shuttle and Kirk and Spock are taken captive. When they are found 48 hours later by another landing crew, their lungs have changed and they both can only breathe in water.
Will they be able to be returned to air breathing? Why were they changed? How was this done? These answers and more are answered on this episode.
Summary
Nice change of pace seeing an aquatic storyline. The underwater aliens are cool and I like how Kirk and Spock are changed and forced to assimilate the race. Kind of reminds me of what the Borg does in TNG, but in a non-mechanical way. This was a good, entertaining episode. Well written, good voice acting as always and fits the Original Series style well. Recommended.
Weekend #5 of 52 (1/28 – 1/31/2021) for 2021 Picks By Streaming Service
The last weekend of the month is upon us.
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*Title with asterisk – newly released Title is linked and has star rating – already watched, rated and reviewed Title bolded – on our schedule to watch/rewatch, rate and review (or in progress)
NOTE: If you’re coming to these posts weeks or months later, some and/or all of the picks listed below may no longer be on the streaming services indicated. Anything marked as “Original” typically doesn’t expire on the streaming services.
NETFLIX Movies
*Accomplice – Documentary (Jan 27)
*Penguin Bloom
*June & Kopi (Jan 28)
*Below Zero (Jan 29)
*Finding O’Hana
*The Dig
*Fatima (Jan 31)
NETFLIX TV
*50M 2 – Season 1 (Jan 27)
*We Are The Brooklyn Saints – Season 1 (Jan 29)
Disney+
*Epic (Jan 29)
*The Incredible Dr. Pol
*Ramona & Beezus
*Texas Storm Squad
Disney+ TV
Dinosaurs – Seasons 1-4 (Jan 29)
HBO Max Movies
*The Little Things (Jan 29) Also available in theaters, #2 of 17 movies in 2021 day and date released by Warner Bros.
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)
Weekend #4 of 52 (1/21 – 1/24/2021) for 2021 Picks By Streaming Service
Back for more streaming action!
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*Title with asterisk – newly released Title is linked and has star rating – already watched, rated and reviewed Title bolded – on our schedule to watch/rewatch, rate and review (or in progress)
NOTE: If you’re coming to these posts weeks or months later, some and/or all of the picks listed below may no longer be on the streaming services indicated. Anything marked as “Original” typically doesn’t expire on the streaming services.
NETFLIX Movies
*Sightless (Jan 20)
The White Tiger (Jan 22)
NETFLIX TV
*Spycraft – Season 1 – (Jan 20) Miniseries
*Call My Agent – Season 4 – (Jan 21)
*Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba – Season 1 – (Jan 22)
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.
Weekend #3 of 52 (1/14 – 1/17/2021) for 2021 Picks By Streaming Service
Here we go again! The third week of the new year and, like stated here last week, it just doesn’t have the traditional feel of a new year. It still feels like April 2020 repeating itself like Groundhog Day.
A few interesting looking movies releasing new this weekend. Netflix has committed to 71 new movie releases in 2021 with this weekend’s premiere pictured right: Outside The Wire is a military sci-fi action flick with robots and humans fighting the good fight together. Love that they call the robots “gumps.” Get me a box of chocolates, please!
On Amazon Prime, a return to the turbulent 60s for a fictional meeting between four key fugures (Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown) discussing their roles in civil rights: One Night In Miami.
The TV side of things, particularly on Disney+, is active this weekend with the premier two episodes (of 9 total planned) of Wandavision on Disney+. This new series follows the events of Avengers: Endgame.
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*Title with asterisk – newly released Title is linked and has star rating – already watched, rated and reviewed Title bolded – on our schedule to watch/rewatch, rate and review (or in progress)
NOTE: If you’re coming to these posts weeks or months later, some and/or all of the picks listed below may no longer be on the streaming services indicated. Anything marked as “Original” typically doesn’t expire on the streaming services.
NETFLIX Movies
*An Imperfect Murder – 2017 (Jan 13)
*Outside The Wire (Jan 15)
*Tribhanga
*WISH YOU: Your Melody In My Heart
*What Would Sophia Loren Do?
A Monster Calls – 2016 (Jan 16)
*Radium Girls
NETFLIX TV
*Bling Empire – Season 1 (Jan 15)
Carmen Sandiago – Season 4
Disenchantment – Part 3
Disney+
*Wandavision – Season 1 – (Jan 15) MCU, Will be 9 episodes total, first 2 episodes available
Mary Poppins Returns
Isle of Dogs
HBO Max Movies
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (Jan 15)
Poltergeist
Stephen King’s IT
Eve (Jan 16)
Kill Bill: Vol. 1
Kill Bill: Vol. 2
HBO Max TV
*Search Party – Season 4 (Jan 14)
Roots – Miniseries
The Wayan Bros.
Amazon Prime
*One Nigth In Miami (Jan 15)
Hulu Movies
*The Ultimate Playlist of Noise
No Escape
HuluTV
*Endings – Season 2 (Jan 15)
Is It Wrong To Pickup Girls In A Dungeon? – Season 3 (Jan 17)
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.
Weekend #2 of 52 (1/7 – 1/10/2021) for 2021 Picks By Streaming Service
Is it just me or does it not really feel like a new year so far? Usually, I’m excited about the prospect of entering a new year, but so for this new year feels no different than most of 2020?
Luckily, new streaming movies and TV shows continue to be released. Let’s see what’s up out there!
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*Title with asterisk – newly released Title is linked and has star rating – already watched, rated and reviewed Title bolded – on our schedule to watch/rewatch, rate and review (or in progress)
NOTE: If you’re coming to these posts weeks or months later, some and/or all of the picks listed below may no longer be on the streaming services indicated. Anything marked as “Original” typically doesn’t expire on the streaming services.
NETFLIX Movies
*Tony Parker: The Final Shot (Jan 6)
*Pieces of a Woman (Jan 7)
*Charming (Jan 8)
*Spring Breakers (Jan 10)
NETFLIX TV
*The History of Swear Words – Season 1 (Jan 5) Hosted by Nicolas Cage
*LA’s Finest – Season 1 Spinoff from Bad Boys movies
*Surviving Death – Season (Jan 6)
Disney+
*Marvel Studios: Legends (Jan 8)
HBO Max Movies
*The King of Staten Island (Jan 9)
HBO Max TV
*Squish – Season 1 (Jan 8)
Tiger – 2-part Documentary (Jan 10)
Amazon Prime Video TV
*Herself (Jan 8)
Hulu Movies
*Rhythm Section (Jan 11)
Lights Out (Jan 11)
HuluTV
*The Hustler: Series Premiere (Jan 8)
*The Chase: Series Premiere
*Celebrity Wheel of Fortune: Series Premiere
*Mr. Mayor: Series Premiere
A Certain Scientific Railgun Part 2: Complete Season 3
Movies, Movies, Movies 