Star Trek: This Side of Paradise Rewatch
January 3, 2015 9:54 AM - Season 1, Episode 25 - Subscribe
The Enterprise crew is trapped in paradise when they come to rescue colonists who have fallen to pacifying alien spores and become infected themselves.
"This Side of Paradise" is the twenty-fourth episode of the first season of the original science fiction television series Star Trek. It was first broadcast on March 2, 1967 and was repeated on August 10, 1967. The episode was written by D.C. Fontana and Jerry Sohl (using the pseudonym Nathan Butler), and directed by Ralph Senensky. The title is taken from the poem "Tiare Tahiti" by Rupert Brooke.
In this episode, the USS Enterprise visits a planet, where the inhabitants are under the influence of strange plant life.
Memory Alpha Link
The episode can be viewed on Netflix and Hulu.
"This Side of Paradise" is the twenty-fourth episode of the first season of the original science fiction television series Star Trek. It was first broadcast on March 2, 1967 and was repeated on August 10, 1967. The episode was written by D.C. Fontana and Jerry Sohl (using the pseudonym Nathan Butler), and directed by Ralph Senensky. The title is taken from the poem "Tiare Tahiti" by Rupert Brooke.
In this episode, the USS Enterprise visits a planet, where the inhabitants are under the influence of strange plant life.
Memory Alpha Link
The episode can be viewed on Netflix and Hulu.
This episode wins Most Egregious (Over-)Use of Ruth's Theme.
posted by Herodios at 8:01 PM on January 5, 2015
posted by Herodios at 8:01 PM on January 5, 2015
This episode wins Most Egregious (Over-)Use of Ruth's Theme.
Right, so I checked. Seven. In this episode, they played "Ruth's Theme" seven times. Once with the full "middle-eight" section.
That's five more than the episode where Ruth actually appears.
posted by Herodios at 5:06 PM on January 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
Right, so I checked. Seven. In this episode, they played "Ruth's Theme" seven times. Once with the full "middle-eight" section.
That's five more than the episode where Ruth actually appears.
posted by Herodios at 5:06 PM on January 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
Fascinating! This was my most-hated episode when I was a teenager, because I identified strongly with Spock and being scientific and emotionless. However, now I've lived some years and found a partner in life, my feeling is not anger at a betrayal of Vulcan self-control, but pity for Jill Ireland at having "Ruth's Theme" slathered all over her. I honestly thought the sexism of "Star Trek" hadn't affected me, but maybe I identified with Spock so strongly because I wanted to grow up to be a person, not a collection of body parts with a theme. D.C. Fontana said in the interview with this DVD that actresses loved these roles, but honestly, what choice did they have? And which actresses, exactly? Have we seen a single short stocky woman in this galaxy?
Sensor report: You *don't* need a communicator in order to beam up? Oh, sorry, I thought you did a few episodes ago. How is it that the Tricorders can tell if you have an appendix or not, but can't tell if you are invaded by spores? I'm pretty sure, if I were in charge of the science, that if anyone transported back on the ship, the spore infection would remain behind. And that would work dramatically, too, except for fewer fistfights.
Oh, and speaking professionally, as the short stocky botanist that I grew up to be? Most of the alien plant life on ST is pathetic, the worst being the trees with haphazardly spray-painted bark on "Shore Leave", but I liked these plants.
posted by acrasis at 1:46 PM on November 29, 2020 [1 favorite]
Sensor report: You *don't* need a communicator in order to beam up? Oh, sorry, I thought you did a few episodes ago. How is it that the Tricorders can tell if you have an appendix or not, but can't tell if you are invaded by spores? I'm pretty sure, if I were in charge of the science, that if anyone transported back on the ship, the spore infection would remain behind. And that would work dramatically, too, except for fewer fistfights.
Oh, and speaking professionally, as the short stocky botanist that I grew up to be? Most of the alien plant life on ST is pathetic, the worst being the trees with haphazardly spray-painted bark on "Shore Leave", but I liked these plants.
posted by acrasis at 1:46 PM on November 29, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by Chrysostom at 6:56 AM on January 5, 2015