1/2
There’s no way an 8 yr old kid watching Saturday morning cartoons could follow this episode. I certainly couldn’t. Apparantly, a gajillion years ago, all the known galaxy was very different. There were plenty of different life forms, but they all lived under the yoke of the Slavers. But all that is gone & all of creation (the Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, Klingons, etc.) started from scratch again. The only thing that is left of this early pre-pre-history are in a handfull of glowing yellow boxes that exist outside of time. (You with me so far? We’re only about two minutes into the episode.) Anyway, these boxes, much like the Question Mark boxes in Super Mario Brothers contain different things. The box could have a cool star chart, the box could be a booby trap. The box could be empty. Or the box could have a weapon of unimaginable power!!!! And the only way to find a box is to have a box act as a beacon.
Okay, so . . .shwew. . .glad we got that out of the way. Now: on to the episode! Spock, Uhura and Sulu are captured by Cat People who want to eat them. And they can read your thoughts. How do you stop them? Think about vegetables!!! Why? ‘Cause the Cat People hate vegetables!!! (We’re now, like, six minutes into the episode.)
Finally the box is open. A green gizmo with lots of cool functions and so obviously NOT a prototype for a new toy by Mattel is displayed. At first it seems like nothing the Federation don’t already got. Until it is discovered that it actually has. . . unimaginable power!!!!!!.
Mr. Sulu is kind’ve in control of this episode, and that’s about the only thing going for it. Who doesn’t want to see more Sulu? See, the Cat People are sexist and won’t deal with Uhura. . .and they won’t talk to Spock either because he is a vegetarian (I’d kinda forgotten that about Spock. . .but who can forget that great quote from All Our Yesterdays, when Spock remarks with disgust at his own behavior: “I have eaten animal flesh and I’ve enjoyed it!”) Anyway, as a result, it is Sulu’s time to shine. Too bad it is in such a dumbass episode.
How can you say all that – this was a great gadget episode! The Slaver Weapon is deduced to be a spy weapon (always cool territory). It’s functions are only 5 (or is it seven???).
When I saw this one I was going through the horrors of Nuclear Winter from watching “The Day After” (regular TV) and “Dr. Strangelove” (Bravo – trying to see if they had international films that had nudity – didn’t go well – saw “Clockwork Orange” out of the same hope – not what was expected). When the Slaver Weapon is shown to cause A-Bomb like explosions on a pistol setting – blew my mind away and that was the main point to the story. Nuclear Arms Race.
And who doesn’t love cat people. (Well if you’re into furries – you like them WAY too much).
Other gadgets in the episode – cat people version of a jail cell = electric spiderweb – space suits = strange yellow body glow.
Also – thinking computer setting. Not exactly a new idea but one that introduces a new character to deal with. The bomb has a voice and a mind of it’s own.
The boxes remind me of H.P. Lovecraft alien devices – Great Race of Yinth??? time race uses similar devices to transport things through time (in the role playing game anyway they do).