In the last few years, I have become an avid Star Trek fan. Star Trek originally ran for three seasons and eighty episodes, each of which I’ve seen at least twice. It is perhaps unfair to compare my personal Star Trek collection to that of an average consumer, because I have been given review copies of nearly every Star Trek related DVD and Blu-ray release over the last couple of years. Needless to say, my Trek collection doesn’t have many holes. This particular release will probably be of interest to Star Trek newbies, or casual fans.
With a new Star Trek film in theaters, Paramount has dipped into their well used vaults for The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series. Billed as “Kirk and Spock’s Greatest Adventures,” the DVD features four episodes from the series first and second seasons: “City on the Edge of Forever,” “The Trouble with Tribbles,” “Balance of Terror” and “Amok Time.” The DVD case itself is blunt in letting the consumer know that this release is a blatant attempt to interest viewers in the new film: “You’ve met Kirk and Spock as young men on the big screen, now join them on their later journeys …”
“The City on the Edge of Forever” was co-written by Harlan Ellison and D.C. Fontana and features a guest appearance by Joan Collins. In one of the best episodes of the series, McCoy (DeForest Kelley) accidentally accidentally injects himself with an overdose of serum, causing him to become paranoid. Delusional, McCoy beams himself down to the planet. It soon becomes clear that, after leaping through the portal, McCoy has somehow altered the past and erased the history that they knew. Kirk and Spock go after McCoy, and find themselves back on Earth during the Great Depression, were Kirk falls in love with a social worker (Joan Collins), whose fate is tied into the future. This episode originally aired during the series first season, on April 6, 1967.
The most comedic episode of this set, “The Trouble with Tribbles” is probably the most popular episode with casual fans. The crew of the Enterprise is called to a space station where the threat of Klingons is very real but what they find are seemingly harmless animals called Tribbles that actually prove to be not as harmless as they seem. While the crew of the Enterprise initially enjoys the creatures, it turns out Klingons and Tribbles have adverse reactions to one another. Further, Tribbles reproduce far too quickly and are capable of eating a planet barren if their breeding is not controlled; in the words of Dr. McCoy, “they are born pregnant” and threaten to consume all the onboard supplies. This episode is from the series second season and originally aired on December 29, 1967.
“Balance of Terror,” introduces the Romulans to the Trek mythology, as well as the concept of cloaking technology. While patrolling the Neutral Zone, the Enterprise comes across several destroyed Federation outposts, and soon discovers that the Romulans are back. Because no one has ever seen a Romulan, the crew is shocked to discover they look just like Vulcans, forcing some crew members to face their long held prejudices. This episode originally aired during the series first season on December 15, 1966.
The last episode on this DVD is “Amok Time,” written by sci-fi author Theodore Sturgeon. Spock takes center stage here, as he must return to Vulcan (seen in this episode for the first time), to find a mate or he will die. This episode also features the iconic fight scene between Spock and Captain Kirk, who square off in an ancient Vulcan ritual. The episode was part of the series second season and originally aired on September 15, 1967.
As I wrote earlier, The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series will probably only appeal to new/casual Trek fans. While the four episodes include here are among some of the best, it is certainly debatable whether others should have been included. Either way, four episodes likely won’t give a viewer a real sense of the subsequent phenomenon the original Star Trek series created.
The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series is presented in 1.33:1 full frame format. The picture quality is very good, with clean transfers and vibrant colors. Please note that these episodes feature the special effects sequences that were redone for DVD several years back.
The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series is presented in English in 5.1 Dolby Digital, with optional dubbed language tracks in Spanish and Portuguese (Mono) and optional subtitles in English, Spanish and Portuguese. The sound quality is very good but it would have been nice to have the option of having the original mono audio tracks.
There are no special features.
