Enterprise visits a research station on a planet in a system where a star is about to go nova.
At first glance this appears to be a fairly weak episode but when you consider what has been produced with a low budget I think it's a solid effort.
The plot structure is a recycled formula of crew members held captive by more powerful beings, but the purpose of this isn't to fight or amuse captors, it is something a bit different. I will not say much more story details not to spoil, but there is a good ethical stance to it and fits very well in the Trek vision of the future.
From a character perspective it is excellent, as the central trinity of Kirk, Spock, and Bones have some very memorable moments of comradeship and sacrifice. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley are all on great form.
I also like the guest character Gem who is played well in the style of a classic silent movie performance by Kathryn Hays. They almost feel like a theatre group at times.
Visually it is minimalist, but the production team did a lot of good practical work with a darkened sound stage and recycled props. Some of the effects are quite repetitive and slow, but I've seen far worse on series 3. The Vians are designed very similar to the Talosians, which feels a bit of a cheat, but they look very alien so it has the desired effect.
For me it's a 7.5/10 but I round upwards.
At first glance this appears to be a fairly weak episode but when you consider what has been produced with a low budget I think it's a solid effort.
The plot structure is a recycled formula of crew members held captive by more powerful beings, but the purpose of this isn't to fight or amuse captors, it is something a bit different. I will not say much more story details not to spoil, but there is a good ethical stance to it and fits very well in the Trek vision of the future.
From a character perspective it is excellent, as the central trinity of Kirk, Spock, and Bones have some very memorable moments of comradeship and sacrifice. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley are all on great form.
I also like the guest character Gem who is played well in the style of a classic silent movie performance by Kathryn Hays. They almost feel like a theatre group at times.
Visually it is minimalist, but the production team did a lot of good practical work with a darkened sound stage and recycled props. Some of the effects are quite repetitive and slow, but I've seen far worse on series 3. The Vians are designed very similar to the Talosians, which feels a bit of a cheat, but they look very alien so it has the desired effect.
For me it's a 7.5/10 but I round upwards.