Seven worst Star Trek - TOS - Episodes

1. Alternative Factor (Season 1)
2. And the Children Shall Lead
3. Lights of Zetar 
4. Mark of Gideon 
5. Plato's Step children 
6. Way to Eden
7. Return of the Archons 

Elaan of Troyus

Helen of Troy - get it?

Plot: The Enterprise is ferrying the Dohlman of Elaan to her royal wedding on the planet of Troyius. Elaan is uncivilized and after Ambassador Petri is stabbed, Kirk must prepare Elaan for her regal obligations. Meanwhile, a Klingon ship is tracking the Enterprise, and up to no good. Basically, its a mishmash of Journey to Babel and Taming of the Shrew.

Best Quote: “Am I a soft Troyian fawn to need pillows to sit on? And these ridiculous female trappings. They are an offense to my eyes.”

Guest Star:  Frances Nguyen turns in a engaging performance as the domineering Dolhman.  She's obviously having a blast playing the bratty princess, and has great chemistry with Shatner. Rating ****

Shatner:  One of Shatner's better performances as he deals with the arrogant Elaan, the Klingons,  and being in love aginst his will.  The Shatner Ham is kept to a minimum.  Rating ****

Spock/McCoy:  The boys stay in the background.  This episode is dominated by Kirk and Elaan. 

Supporting Characters:   I loved the gleem in Sulu's eyes when he's sees a chance to get back at the Klingons. The Klingon captain is suitably short of speech and threatening. 

Overall Rating:  One of my favorite Third season episodes. There's a lot going on and the episode moves at a fast clip. The closing space battle is short, but exciting. I can't praise Nguyen's performance enough or her interplay with Shatner.   Sidenote: this episode has very little SF.  With a few changes in dialogue, one could put the story and characters onboard an 1830s Sailing ship.   Rating:  **** 

Postscript:  I've been reading other reviews of this episode on the internent, primarily by "big guns" that are linked to by IMDB, or show up on a Google search...and...I was shocked.  They all hate the episode. And their reasons are incredibly stupid. It seems that the episode reminds them of "Taming of Shrew" and therefore is incredible "Sexist".  IOW, we get a strong female character, who's in charge, and they hate it!  They also don't seem to understand that Elaan is a "Shrew" that never gets "tamed".  She simply accepts that as a "Dolman" she must do her duty.

Besides the blinkered political stupidity, the other that struck me about these reviews is that they don't seem to understand one thing:  Elaan isn't human. She's a alien.  Y'see Star Trek is SUPPOSED to be about seeking out "New life" amd "New Civilizations" and going where "No man has gone before".  But these critics are really upset that Kirk and Elaan aren't standard American Leftists!  No "new forms of alien life" for these critics unless they are SJW approved.  Oh sure, we want "new civilizations - with aliens" as long as these aliens don't tresspass on the cherished beliefs of Liberal New Yorkers, circa 2010. LOL!

It reminds me of Barbara Eden laughing at the critics of Jeannie for not being "a strong woman".  She reminded them, with her usual grace and style, that Jeannie wasn't a woman.  She was 1,000 year old Genie who lived in a bottle!

Top 20 Original Star Trek Episodes

1. Balance of Terror - Season 1
2. City on the Edge of Forever - Season 1
3. The Corbomite Manuever - Season 1
4. Errand of Mercy - Season 1
5. Galilio Seven - Season 1
6. Space Seed - Season 1
7. Amok Time
8. Bread and Circuses
9. Domesday Machine
10. Journey to Babel
11. Mirror, Mirror
12. The Menagerie
13. Obession
14. Piece of the Action
15. Trouble with Tribbles
16. Ultimate Computer
17. All our Yesterdays - Season 3
18. Elaan of Troyius - Season 3
19. Let that be Your last battlefield - Season 3
20. Tholian Web - Season 3

Miami Vice - Season 1

This was the coolest cop show on TV in the 1980s. Nostalgia time. Don Johnson, Miami Beach, flashy clothes, great cars, cool music, hot women. And everything photographed so beautifully you could eat it with a knife and fork.

But re-watching it...hard to get through more than 4 episodes. Of the three recuring Cop characters, only Don Johnson could act. The dialogue is minimal and cliched. Plots? Almost non-existant. Repetitive. Take Hawaii Five-0, dumb everything down x 10, make it all about drugs/guns and you got a Miami Vice story.

Looks great. But definitely less filling. All Sizzle and no steak. Will not watch Season 2.

Little Giant (1946)

Comedy highlights? The "13x 7=28"  skit.  Abbott with a mustache playing a look alike "Cousin"

Unlike most Abbott and Costello comedies, Little Giant doesn't contain song interludes, romantic subplots or an exciting chase finish.  And the boys aren't doing comedy gags, here they play comic characters. Costello is a country bumpkin who goes to LA to sell vaccum cleaners. Abbott plays his crooked sales manager AND his more likable cousin. The supporting female cast is given a chance to shine with statuesque Jacqueline De Wit taking the honors.   Summary: A pleasant, lightweight comedy which gives Costello a chance to take center stage and show some acting skills. Its a role that Red Skelton would've done better - but Costello is more than adequate.   Rating  **1/2

Pardon My Sarong (1942)

 One of Abbott and Costello's biggest box office hits.  A&C are Bus drivers on the lam who end up on a South Sea Isle.  There are some funny moments and gags scattered througout, and it was just the sort of escapist fare the USA wanted in the midset of WW II.  However,  we get too many medicore song & dance numbers.  And too much silliness and too many fake Polynesians.  Not bad, but forgettable.  Rating ** 1/2

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

This is often labeled A&C's best movie. And its understandable.  It has a great supporting cast of Lon Chaney, and Bela Lagosi, and Lenore Aubert (a Dracula ally who pretends to love Lou).  There's nary a wasted moment, and if Costello isn't being funny, something interesting/scary is going on.  Supposedly, Costello didn't want to do the movie, declaring the script was so bad "His little girl write better".  And you can see why Costello had that reaction. 

Almost all the enjoyment comes, not from the dialogue, but from the great actors, the direction, and Costello reactions.  But all that is excellently done. Obviously pitched to a "Teen Audience", this kid at heart enjoyed it.  Rating ***

The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap (1947)

While I love Abbott and Costello's "Who's on first?" routine, I've never watched their movies, so I gave this one a try.  

Funniest scene:  Costello has frog soup.  Only the frog is a little on the raw side.

Props to George Cleveland as the "Judge".  

A&C play a comedy trope you can see in Crosby-Hope or Wheeler & Woolsey. One partner is the con-man and the other a gullible boob (and gets most of the laughs). Anyway,  Wistful Wagon is pretty funny as A&C end up in a Lawless Western town that forces Costello to support a Widow (well played by Marjorie Main) and her seven kids.  Its even more fun when Costello becomes bullet-proof since anyone who kills him must take his place. Its only 78 minutes, and that includes some gun play and a song.  Enjoyable.  Rating ***