6.6/10. I find that I enjoy the thought experiment element of the show more than the actual execution of that idea. The concept of someone become god-like, to the point that they pose a threat not because they're malevolent, but because human would become like ants to them is an intriguing one that was later explored with Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen. But it's taken in an interesting direction here with Kirk and Lt. Mitchell having a history together, and the prospect of having to kill or maroon a friend complicating matters in an interesting way.
By the same token, there's an interesting philosophical debate on the merits of logic vs. emotion, embodied by Spock's presence here and a certain merciless quality to him. But the other side of the coin is that when Kirk worries about the godlike Mitchell, he's also worried about the "human frailty" part of him, the part that is jealous or gives into primal urges without constraint. It's a little melodramatic, but the way the episode delves into pop psychology here, discussing the sense in which there are parts of ourselves we close off, and someone who unleashes them with godlike power could be very frightening is an intriguing one.
Still, it's taking me a bit to acclimate to the sixties-ness of it all. The ACT-TING is still a little difficult for me to stomach, and while the pacing was a little better here than in the prior episodes, there's still a lot of a "tell you something, show it to you, and the describe what the audience just saw" type of hand-holding that doesn't work for me. Of course the foam rocks and cheesy karate combat don't help either.
But this was still ane pisode that piqued my interest. The actor who played Mitchell hammed it up a bit, but create a notable sense of velvet menace much of the time. (Though the business with Dr, Dehner was a little uncomfortable.) And the sci fi-esque question of what ordinary men do in extraordinary situations, where they have to kill or strand people they care about, and whether you need to "command with compassion" or not show the introspective bent and grand ideas at the core of the series. I'm not hooked yet, but I'm definitely intriguied.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2016-12-23T20:49:22Z
6.6/10. I find that I enjoy the thought experiment element of the show more than the actual execution of that idea. The concept of someone become god-like, to the point that they pose a threat not because they're malevolent, but because human would become like ants to them is an intriguing one that was later explored with Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen. But it's taken in an interesting direction here with Kirk and Lt. Mitchell having a history together, and the prospect of having to kill or maroon a friend complicating matters in an interesting way.
By the same token, there's an interesting philosophical debate on the merits of logic vs. emotion, embodied by Spock's presence here and a certain merciless quality to him. But the other side of the coin is that when Kirk worries about the godlike Mitchell, he's also worried about the "human frailty" part of him, the part that is jealous or gives into primal urges without constraint. It's a little melodramatic, but the way the episode delves into pop psychology here, discussing the sense in which there are parts of ourselves we close off, and someone who unleashes them with godlike power could be very frightening is an intriguing one.
Still, it's taking me a bit to acclimate to the sixties-ness of it all. The ACT-TING is still a little difficult for me to stomach, and while the pacing was a little better here than in the prior episodes, there's still a lot of a "tell you something, show it to you, and the describe what the audience just saw" type of hand-holding that doesn't work for me. Of course the foam rocks and cheesy karate combat don't help either.
But this was still ane pisode that piqued my interest. The actor who played Mitchell hammed it up a bit, but create a notable sense of velvet menace much of the time. (Though the business with Dr, Dehner was a little uncomfortable.) And the sci fi-esque question of what ordinary men do in extraordinary situations, where they have to kill or strand people they care about, and whether you need to "command with compassion" or not show the introspective bent and grand ideas at the core of the series. I'm not hooked yet, but I'm definitely intriguied.