tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post5269188638905333549..comments2024-03-19T10:41:35.976-05:00Comments on Bronze Age Babies: Star Trek at 50: The Man TrapDoughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-212225044695455632016-03-03T00:21:27.455-06:002016-03-03T00:21:27.455-06:00Was not one of my favorite episodes. However it di...Was not one of my favorite episodes. However it did give us a glimpse into the world of the Kirk, Spock and McCoy. Are those "These are the Voyages" books really a good investment? I just got the 50 dollar Kindle Fire and was interested if they would be just as good in Kindle format. Some of those reference books don't translate well over the Kindle Format with pictures and text that you have to enlarge to see the pictures. <br /><br />But I digress, back to this first episode. I did like some of the Monster of the Week, Outer Limits elements of this episode. It just wasn't a thoughtless monster. It could have easily an episode of the Outer Limits with that format with a generic space crew instead of our favorites aboard the Enterprise. <br /><br />I used to watch the re-runs when I was a kid on Channel 56 in Boston. When I got cable TV in 1976 I'd watch it on weekdays, at 10 O'clock each night. It used to be fun to watch Star Trek an hour before the 11 O'clock News. My parents used to late me stay up late to watch it because it was something they liked too.<br /><br />This was way before the era of video cassettes. When it came out on video I had an entire book shelf dedicated to Star Trek. Now I have it on DVD. I don't know about many of our readers but I prefer the new special effects in CGI to the old ones. A lot of them improved and enhanced the quality of the episodes and got younger viewers who might never ever watch a chance to see what us older fans likes so much about original Star Trek. R. Lloydnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-47401100072109225372016-03-02T20:28:54.618-06:002016-03-02T20:28:54.618-06:00I'm loving these reviews, Karen-- no kidding. ...I'm loving these reviews, Karen-- no kidding. They provide a great outlet for non-comic-centric discussion and nostalgia around a topic that is (likely) still very dear to a sizable chunk of our BABpopulation. Am I speakin' the truth, there, teammates?<br /><br />So, the Star Trek:TOS DVD set that I have is the one where each season comes in a plastic box that looks sort of like a tricorder, I think? And it can be darned hard to ultimately get the interior packaging opened, in order to get to the disks? I believe. . . that set has them in broadcast order, but on the menu page it gives the "film order" number. . . which is honestly pointless, 'cause they did skip around SO MUCH. <br /><br />Pat Henry, your comparison to Outer Limits is a very apt one. About half the "monsters" on that program were surprisingly sympathetic characters, and this reminded me very much of that convention. The 50's sci-fi flick "It Came From Outer Space" also did a commendable job of exploring exactly why appearances should never define who/what is a "monster". What always hit me with this episode was the crushing loneliness and sense of aching loss that this creature had to have been experiencing. . . along with, surely, a sense of remorse for its actions. . .since it clearly had feelings and recognizable emotional needs.<br /><br />Hunh. Remember how Morbius used to agonize over the fact that he had to drink peoples' blood to stay alive? <br /><br />HBHumanbellynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-7366115076343660792016-03-02T20:06:20.846-06:002016-03-02T20:06:20.846-06:00Yeah, I had no idea that this was the first episod...Yeah, I had no idea that this was the first episode aired, having seen it as a rerun as a kid. Truth be told, I found it quite enjoyable, puppet plant and all, but hey I must have been about 8 years old when I saw it!<br /><br />The salt vampire was a great design; this along with the Horta from the classic Devil in the Dark episode are two creatures which engender sympathy because they were not killing humans out of spite but rather in order to survive. I prefer to see these types of antagonists rather than the stereotypical 'monster of the week'. <br /><br /><br />- Mike 'beam me up Scotty' from Trinidad & Tobago. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-63892031409347806182016-03-02T19:47:34.460-06:002016-03-02T19:47:34.460-06:00Have to disagree with comments that this episode w...Have to disagree with comments that this episode was mediocre. Getting into the series as it was aired at the time, this episode *clearly* delineated and described the characters. Running parallel to ST at the time was the Outer Limits, which was doing similar genre-bending exercises with its depiction of monsters—or "bears," as that series described them. Sympathy for the monsters--big theme coming off years of Universal monster flicks.<br /><br />A plausible alien life form is presented, its ecology described. And, ultimately, it is presented less as a monster than an incredibly pitiable creature, its fate tragic, and its killers in the end rather humbled by its demise. Potent.<br /><br />Kirk, Spock, McCoy all come fully into their own in this episode, with all of its mature themes. We know them now, as we haven't in earlier episodes.<br /><br />I love these old, old episodes, where the series is trying to get on its feet and the tech is not fully fleshed. There's a powerful sense of alienation—the authorizing agency is not even fully described or understood at this point. Federation of Planets and Starfleet are many episodes away, and there's talk of a United Space Probe Agency, or USPA, whatever that is. The combined effect creates a powerful sense of isolation and remoteness--no radio with admirals on the standby here. The effect is eerie.<br /><br />What I love most about this episode is when they "stun" Prof. Crater. His words are slurred, his mind fuzzy, as if he really has been stunned or drugged. It's an effect they'll never use again, but I love it.Pat Henryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06787799814630339641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-5370184836735852692016-03-02T18:42:23.869-06:002016-03-02T18:42:23.869-06:00It doesn't look like 'The Man Trap' is...It doesn't look like 'The Man Trap' is high on anybody's list of episodes! But I appreciate everyone's comments.<br /><br />I will note that this episodes' story was by George Clayton Johnson, who had written for the Twilight Zone and would go on to write Logan's Run. Of course, it was heavily rewritten by Roddenberry, as most of the first season episodes were. And Johnson was not happy about it.<br /><br />Dbutler, agreed on the Cushman books. They are an absolute pleasure to read and anyone who enjoys the original show should pick them up. I thought I had heard it all about Trek, after 40+ years of reading books and magazines on Trek, going to conventions, and watching documentaries, etc. But was I wrong! Sure, there are stories in the books I have heard before. But there are so many details about how the shows were put together -I found it utterly -fascinating, as Spock might say.Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032477453891087135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-14150406949627447762016-03-02T12:47:25.687-06:002016-03-02T12:47:25.687-06:00I like this episode; the character moments make it...I like this episode; the character moments make it interesting...plus, there's a monster in it (or rather, a "monster").<br /><br />Mike WilsonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-39768195854321734432016-03-02T11:59:01.910-06:002016-03-02T11:59:01.910-06:00Don't have many thoughts on this episode. I li...Don't have many thoughts on this episode. I like it well enough, and I really like that scene between Spock and Uhura that you mentioned.<br />I have to say, though, that I'm enjoying the hell out of these Star Trek posts - I just like reading the reviews of the episodes and everyone's comments and reminiscences.Edo Bosnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-11511393041116298632016-03-02T10:44:41.395-06:002016-03-02T10:44:41.395-06:00I'll be investing in those books shortly. I fo...I'll be investing in those books shortly. I found this to be a pretty competent and effective episode to establish the planet-side visits ala 'Wagon train to the stars'. Remember this was all new and shiny, nothing character-wise was quite defined as of yet by this early production entry. Within a few short episodes, there'll be more of a Naval feel to the show, the ship pulling into port, transporting personnel (Conscience of the King, The Menagerie, etc..). <br /><br />One interesting note was that this was televised prior to another runner-up, 'The Naked Time'; alternatively, Gene selected a sequel-of-sorts 'The Naked Now' to premiere his Next Generation series (airing before the 'Encounter at Farpoint' 2-parter in most affiliates) to reveal the characters' motivations to the new audience right from the start. <br /><br />I recall George Takei telling a convention of Trekkers back in 1978 here in Milwaukee that he watched this episode as it premiered while visiting here back in '66. Kinda cool.<br /><br />david_bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00218727673816200051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-26127322347062536122016-03-02T08:03:37.792-06:002016-03-02T08:03:37.792-06:00I think this is an OK episode. It definitely has ...I think this is an OK episode. It definitely has its moment, but I'd call it run-of-the-mill as far as Star Trek goes, which means it's only awesome instead of totally awesome. It's interesting the differences in how to approach the "monster" in this episode versus The Devil in the Dark, where there was a bit more understanding and sympathy, I think.<br /><br />Since you mention Cushman, Karen I am reading the These Are the Voyages books, and they are tremendous. They should be required reading for any Star Trek fan.dbutler16https://www.blogger.com/profile/00046066729353639991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-81155792096749803102016-03-02T06:49:43.561-06:002016-03-02T06:49:43.561-06:00I always liked this episode, even if I wouldn'...I always liked this episode, even if I wouldn't call it one of the best. For a long time, I thought it really was the "first" episode (after 'The Cage'), since we didn't have access to the "production order." And it was one that I heard about for years before I actually watched it. It's funny how the creature became known as "the salt vampire," I'm guessing some magazine like Starlog must have come up with that name. It rolls off the tongue a lot better than "M-113 Creature." J.A. Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15800901321134394272noreply@blogger.com