Star Trek: The Mark of Gideon Rewatch
December 5, 2015 12:03 PM - Season 3, Episode 16 - Subscribe
Captain Kirk beams down to the planet Gideon and appears to find himself trapped on a deserted Enterprise. Spock on the real Enterprise must use his diplomatic skills to deal with the uncooperative inhabitants of Gideon and find the Captain.
"The Mark of Gideon" was first broadcast on January 17, 1969. It is episode #71, production #72, written by George F. Slavin and Stanley Adams (who portrayed Cyrano Jones in "The Trouble With Tribbles"), and directed by Jud Taylor.
Memory Alpha Link
Tor.com Review
Trekmovie Review
The episode can be viewed on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
"The Mark of Gideon" was first broadcast on January 17, 1969. It is episode #71, production #72, written by George F. Slavin and Stanley Adams (who portrayed Cyrano Jones in "The Trouble With Tribbles"), and directed by Jud Taylor.
Memory Alpha Link
Tor.com Review
Trekmovie Review
The episode can be viewed on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
The Tor.com review really highlights the many absurdities of this episode. Still, I found Spock's comments about and practice of diplomacy amusing.
And I have always found Spock's "Your Excellency, please do not interfere. I already have one serious problem to resolve with upper echelons." statement hilarious.
The way Odona and Kirk parted reminded me a little of Odo and and Kira (Odona and Kirk/Kira I'm sure it's just a coincidence) parting or ending their relationship so that one can cure his entire civilization and make sure the Dominion don't Jem Hadar everybody.
posted by juiceCake at 7:45 PM on December 5, 2015
And I have always found Spock's "Your Excellency, please do not interfere. I already have one serious problem to resolve with upper echelons." statement hilarious.
The way Odona and Kirk parted reminded me a little of Odo and and Kira (Odona and Kirk/Kira I'm sure it's just a coincidence) parting or ending their relationship so that one can cure his entire civilization and make sure the Dominion don't Jem Hadar everybody.
posted by juiceCake at 7:45 PM on December 5, 2015
Definitely a bottom-five episode for the whole series, this is one that I dreaded coming up in rotation during the syndication days when we had to take Hobson's choice on whatever was broadcast. I dont' remember it at all from the original first run.
This episode requires far too much suspension of disbelieve for what you get. The plot only works if everyone's an idiot, including the computer, the sensors, the comm board, and the transporter. Odona is probably the weakest heroine/villainess/love interests ever, and she's wearing probably the worst outfit ever devised for a guest star on the series.
Yeah, the verbal sparring between Spock and Hodin is kinda fun, but it's outsized for the plot of this one. They should have saved it for a better episode.
My favourite bit of "did they really do that?" is when Hodin 'hangs up on' Spock -- and the video transmission from Gideon, as displayed on the bridge main viewscreen, actually cuts to his finger on the button.
And anyway, my favouite line is Kirk's outraged "your report to the Federation was a tissue of lies". Nice turn of phrase, there.
But: "Power is no problem, it regenerates"? Eh? I've never heard a Starfleet officer describe the ship's engines as a perpetual motion machine before.
Well, at least Ritchie Valens got a song out of this one.
posted by Herodios at 8:46 PM on December 5, 2015
This episode requires far too much suspension of disbelieve for what you get. The plot only works if everyone's an idiot, including the computer, the sensors, the comm board, and the transporter. Odona is probably the weakest heroine/villainess/love interests ever, and she's wearing probably the worst outfit ever devised for a guest star on the series.
Yeah, the verbal sparring between Spock and Hodin is kinda fun, but it's outsized for the plot of this one. They should have saved it for a better episode.
My favourite bit of "did they really do that?" is when Hodin 'hangs up on' Spock -- and the video transmission from Gideon, as displayed on the bridge main viewscreen, actually cuts to his finger on the button.
And anyway, my favouite line is Kirk's outraged "your report to the Federation was a tissue of lies". Nice turn of phrase, there.
But: "Power is no problem, it regenerates"? Eh? I've never heard a Starfleet officer describe the ship's engines as a perpetual motion machine before.
Well, at least Ritchie Valens got a song out of this one.
posted by Herodios at 8:46 PM on December 5, 2015
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by wittgenstein at 7:29 PM on December 5, 2015