I think this is an underrated episode that gets very serious and very deep into the characters. It's one of the reasons why those first thirteen episodes are so iconic.
@@mem1701moviesTrust many Shakespeare scholars and actors,'that undiscovered country, that bourne from which no man returns' is not the future, but death. The Star Trek movie got it wrong, or perhaps the Klingon was giving Kirk a clue.
“Oh, this guy! THIS guy!” Yep, the emotion that anyone who heard Riley’s rendition of “I’ll take you home again, Kathleen” was likely to feel… In a way, it was essential that Riley was given this second appearance to round out his character, else “Kathleen” would be all he was remembered for; but this episode made it clear that there was much more depth to him.
They never filmed the scene where Lenore pleads that she never poisoned Riley. And every person in the rec room that night looked away guiltily, as they remembered Riley talking about wanting a "song".
Barbara Anderson who played Lenore, went on to win a Primetime Emmy Award for her performance as Police Officer Eve Whitfield, in the long running detective tv show Ironside.
More than that she, more than any other person, and her company recruiting for the shuttle program, resulted in the shuttle crews having the diversity that makes the shuttle crews, and today's space program itself so much resemble the diversity of the crew of Star Trek.
This is one of the underrated episodes. Good story, good dialog and good acting. This episode doesn't get the respect it should. She doesn't remember because she had a psychotic break from reality.
The intensely dramatic scene with Kirk, Kodos, and Lenore in Kodos' quarters later in the episode features some of Trek's best writing and acting, particularly by the great Arnold Moss. It's one of the absolute finest moments in the series if not all of television itself.
22:15 The characters of Spock and McCoy were better friends than we knew in the Original Series. Despite their philosophical differences and banter, they had a lot of respect for each other. Also they were both always worried about how to best support Kirk in their roles.
On the surface it may seem that they are just bickering and never agreeing, but yes. In this episode I really felt that trust and respect. Very wonderful.
When I was younger I wasn't into this episode as much but being older now, it's a great play in of itself. Lenore's breakdown was spectacular in it's mania. A great little mystery and drama. Above average episode for sure. People shut out trauma in different ways. She's blocked the entire event out. Worth looking into what trauma does to people, to enlighten yourself.
I actually really appreciate this serious episode. One of the more memorable I think. Funny, when the daughter walked into the room the very 1st time, a guys reaction would be "wow, beautiful lady". Your reaction was "that's a beautiful dress"!! 🤣
This is one of my fav episodes from the original series. A murder mystery with a twist. and the perfect example of how kirk has a reputation of being a ladies man but every one of his love interests are tragic.
@@NoHandleGrr yes, but in the show, they said the massacre happened 20 years earlier. Since Kirk on TOS is clearly in his 30's and Riley is in his 20's, the ages I mentioned are probably right or close.
I hope you’re feeling better now! Thanks for these even when you aren’t up for it. I think what they mean in the episode is she totally blocked it out of her mind as a mental defense mechanism from killing her own father. Keeping Spock in the dark is never a good idea…he’s going to get to the bottom of it!
I love this often forgotten episode. Yes, some suspension of disbelief is required (only eye witnesses can ID Kodos, paper being used for the voice print instead of a computer display), but this is all indicative of the times. bunnytails nailed the "Nazi Parallel" being drawn, although the numbers killed by Kodos would be more along the lines of a concentration camp commandant than say Hitler. Also nailed the character development aspect, when we see another side of the Spock/Bones relationship. I love the acting, and the chips on the table (capturing a mass killer, and saving the witnesses). Such a great TOS episode.
William Ware Theiss was the series' costume designer; he did a great job. He also did Janice Rand's "beehive" hairstyle, made up of two (very heavy) wigs. Grace Lee Whitney said the hairpiece was later stolen.
The phaser has the ability to be overloaded. It can be used as a bomb, I don't know if it's an intentional function or just something that you can do. If you remember in the Cage, number one setup her laser pistol to build up an overload, a forced chamber explosion.
Captain they are targeting Lasers at us. Lasers? They wouldn’t penetrate our navigational deflector. Case and point why Trek tech is superior to Star Wars. But Star Wars did beat out Trek in the boobs department. Memory alpha has one paragraph on the subject. While Wookieepedia has over two pages worth. George Lucas himself commissioned a painting of Ayala Secura posing in erotica. Not even Gene could top that.
@@brucechmiel7964 Star Wars ships are ridiculously faster, equivalent to quantum slipstream. But that's the only thing they have going for them in comparison.
Barbara Anderson was only twenty years old at the time she was cast as Lenore, and went on to public and critical acclaim as Officer Eve Whitfield in the police drama Ironside the following year, playing the role for three seasons and winning an Emmy for it. This episode would mark the second and final appearance of Bruce Hyde as Lt. Kevin Riley. Hyde left acting on television to do more stage work and would eventually teach acting up until his death just a few years ago. Sadly, this episode was also the final appearance of Grace Lee Whitney as Yeoman Janice Rand. She was only contracted for seven episodes and she'd already filmed six, but Star Trek was already having money problems and cuts had to be made. Another reason for her character going away is that there was a definite chemistry between her and Kirk, and it was felt that this would get in the way of Kirk being the space player he was. Still a much darker reason for Whitney's axing was that she was sexually assaulted one night after the wrap party for "Miri" by an un-named studio executive, who used his influence to see to it that she was never invited to return to the show, even as a guest player. Sad, but true.
To complicate things, Whitney was also doing a lot of alcohol and pills, problems that were probably exacerbated by the trauma she survived, and her intoxication was affecting her performance.
"If you believe that i am, than I am - if it pleases you to do so" -- I used a version of this line on my mom all the time if she asked me if I did something like made a mess or did a chore... Drove her insane lol
Pro tip: Writers are often inspired by something happening at the time. CO-incidentally, just 4 days after this episode aired, the movie "A Man For All Seasons" was released. Based upon the stage play of the same name, that film was set in Middle Ages England, with the lead character - Sir Thomas More - portrayed as *"the ultimate man of conscience."* Also, the trial of 11 SS men from the Sobibor Extermination Camp, which had begun in Sept '65, concluded on Dec '66, about two weeks after this episode was aired. So these are the things that were in the news. As for why in this episode they need a person to identify Kodos, normally in law you need a witness in order to bring charges (if I have that right). Typically you can't just grab people, unless it's a tyranny. As for the daughter becoming increasingly insane ... this is a play on the MacBeth story, where Lady MacBeth goes insane.
But, the events you have sighted as inspirational to this episode happened _after_ this one aired. The release of "A Man for All Seasons" could have been inside information known in Hollywood, but how would they know about the upcoming trial of the S.S. guards?
The name of the play and character are "Macbeth," not "MacBeth." The title of the episode is from Hamlet: "The play's the thing/Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."
@@steelers6titles I saw the film years ago, it's too bad they never seem to show it anymore. I read somewhere that the entire cast of the play reprized their roles in the movie. That's a very unusual but fortunate occurrence.
@@bunnytailsREACTSThey hired the "day player" before the producers realized he had been on before, so they changed the character to be the same guy. They do that with a couple of minor characters (some are also stand-ins), though there is one gal whose name they changed halfway through the episode.
Trouper. The word is "trouper," as in "which members of the troupe show up because the play must go on." It has nothing to do with troops, troopers, or the military.
@@NoHandleGrr It does when I use it. Thanks for trying to teach me something. But I am not the personality type that wants to conform to any preconceived notions. As a former stage actor myself I understand the history of troupes but things change. The word slut once meant an untidy woman. Terrific used to mean something that terrified. Words and phrases change from the original. Get over it.
So sorry you have been ill. I hope you are feeling better. Roddenberry was a major fan of Shakespeare. This episode was something of a Shakespearian play inside a Shakespearian play. In TNG, Picard frequently references Shakespeare as well.
Trauma can cause memory loss - the mind can do amazing things to avoid pain. She was driven mad by the combination of her love and respect for her father as a great performer and father, and the knowledge of what he did.
William Ware Theiss was the costume designer for TOS (and later early TNG, if your journey should take you there) and loved designing the costumes for the ladies. I always enjoyed this episode. Some of the best Trek is very Shakespearean in nature, and as a kid, I always enjoyed the backstory character building of Kirk feom thia episode, and the Spock McCoy interaction is always a delight.🖖
Some of the costumes were intended to appear as exotic materials, and they were made from shower curtains. Makes one wonder how many outfits were barely held together with pins and hot glue?
I really like this one, there's so much nuance to the evil. How Kodos did monstrous things that he regrets but still justifies to himself, how he wants his daughter to be separate from that. How Kirk wants vengeance and justice at once, and the two can't always be separated. And he knows his motives aren't pure but it has to be done.
This is a FANTASTIC episode filled with outstanding moments and that's due to the regular cast and guest players all bringing their A game and great TV direction puts it over the top. My guess is it misses a lot of fan lists because it's not flashy as a sci fi story. No alien worlds being explored, no scientific conundrum to solve. It's a revenge mystery that happens to take place in the 23rd Century aboard a Federation Starship. Shatner has a lot on his plate but handles it with both ease and intensity, and in many ways this is the first real look into Kirk's past remember. He also has to play a Kirk who is himself playing a role while trying to keep Corridian's daughter distracted and pump her for information without her knowing. Shout out to Riley, a truly missed opportunity to add to the cast, someone who as a character seemed to have some connection to Kirk as having experienced the same deprivations at that colony. He also always had a good everyman quality, more so than say Sulu or Chekov. Chekov is supposed to be a wunderkind given his posting and age and who decides who gets to what position onboard. He's young and eager, but he must have past the test with McCoy, Spock and Kirk to be posted on the bridge, be navigator and back up at the science station when Spock has other duties. Sulu, well... He's a funky cool dude with all these various hobbies, he fences, he's interested in botany (His first appearance in production order is actually as a member of the science division.) he collects antique fire arms, and he's THE MAN at the helm of the pride of the fleet. He's... Kinda awesome and he wears it with this ease and humor. I could see Riley if they had done more with him as a more down to Earth guy, pun intended, serving aboard ship, but unlike a lot of the other guest Junior officers Riley seemed way more unflappable and easy to get along with. We damn sure know he's probably a fun guy at the bar. I also want to point out that this episode is one of the few where we get some sense of what life is like in the Federation away from just the actions of Starfleet and its officer corps. Even a little history with what what happened on that colony. It's not a lot but it stands out to me since we got so little of it in TOS's run.
"Conscience of the King" is not as well known as many others because it is straight up drama, without much action or comedy on board. It is a fantastic episode, but it is serious drama. This makes it pretty well known among Trek fans, but not one of those people who are getting familiar with Trek are familiar with. Nichelle Nichols was a professional singer before joining Star Trek. She only had a few chances to sing during the series, but her voice is beautiful.
This was inspired by Hamlet; “the plays the thing; whereas we’ll catch the conscience of the king,” the end of act 2. This is in my top ten bc I truly appreciate Shakespeare l
Yes, costumes were designed specifically for the show. William Theiss, in my opinion, was a creative genius for creating these clothes on a shoestring budget.
This episode will always be a favorite of mine because it was the last episode of TOS I needed to see to complete the series back when it used to run in syndication on WPIX channel 11 in New York. I stayed up past midnight on a school night to make sure I caught it, having missed previous chances. My father watched it with me even though he wasn't a Star Trek fan. The Conscience of the King has one of the best scores of any Trek episode, composed by Joseph Mullendore. Regarding your question about why they need an eyewitness to Kodos' actions, well if someone is going to be accused of crimes against humanity you better be able to back it up with firsthand accounts. Love the fact Bunny compared Kodos to Thanos. Never would have thought of that.
What some don't think about, is the idea that Kirk is talking to a computer and it talks back to him and gives him information. This was 1966 when nothing like this even remotely existed, and Siri didn't come out until much much later!! Way ahead of it's time, just like the communicator was the inspiration for the flip-phone! And now we have cell phones that have replaced so many different things!
the late Matt Jeffries, was the designer for the original series the look of the Enterprise, the Romulan ships the Klingon ships. The access tubes on the ships referred to as the Jeffries tubes are named after him. These is a brilliant episode
This is a fantastic episode that is rarely discussed. It's more than fair to see it as a precursor to Thanos, where their logic has validity yet it;s clear they found some level of satisfaction in their cruelty.
"Younger, captain. Much younger." by Karidian is surely not a real answer, but it fits the theatralicy nature of the episode perfectly. It is one of my most favorite lines of the whole series in one of the best episodes of the whole franchise.
WW2 had been over for only 21 years when this episode was made; there were many survivors of the Holocaust who were young adults. There were also people who literally devoted their lives to hunting down missing perpetrators, and there were persistent rumors that Hitler himself might have escaped. Popular culture at that time was full of literary speculation about remorse by the perpetrators and what, if anything, it might mean. It appears in novels, films, other TV shows…
The clothing by the women in this episode (and in many other episodes) were always an attempt to look "futuristic" but they are all unmistakeable as products of the 60's with the wild assortment of colors and elaborate decorations on the fabrics.
@@bunnytailsREACTS Ha! Well, 60's fashions were completely unique! Another reason for all the color in Star Trek is color tvs were the new thing in the mid-60's and companies were trying to get people to buy a new color tv to replace their old black and white ones. They would promote new shows like Star Trek by saying "look at all the colors! You NEED to buy a color tv to appreciate it!" You'll notice even with the backlighting on sets that they are throwing purples and greens and red backlighting just to make it more colorful.
The Klingons are very passionate fans (as only Klingons can be) of Shakespeare even making their own version of Hamlet. So yes the bard's work does live on well into the future.
One of the slobbering aliens from the Simpsons Halloween episodes was named after Kodos, and now that's the association most people have with the name. One thing to remember about this episode is that it was only 20 years or so after the end of World War 2. All the actors and writers, as well as most of the audience, were alive when the Holocaust happened. It had an immediacy for them that doesn't exist for most people today.
One of the things I think is useful (and I have done this before in discussing previous episodes) is to talk a bit about the actors and actresses who guest started in the episode for historical context. Barbara Anderson, who played Lenore (a nice literary name - from Poe, dark and disturbing, like the Lady Macbeth character she was playing at the beginning - a bit of foreshadowing) was a very well known actress of that period. Others have mentioned her most famous role - Eve Whitfield on "Ironside" (with Raymond Burr). But I also remember her as agent Mimi Davis in seven episodes of the final season of the original Mission: Impossible (1972-1973). The actress who played the female IMF agent on M:I during the last two seasons, Lynda Day George, who played Agent Lisa Casey, was pregnant in the final season and had to miss several episodes, so Barbara Anderson was brought in to play another female agent during her maternity leave, and it is important to know that both Star Trek and Mission: Impossible were Desilu Studios productions and filmed right next to each other, so there are many interesting connections between them, not the least of which was Leonard Nimoy himself. Both franchises are Paramount properties today. Star Trek loved Shakespeare, and more references to it appear in future episodes and movies, especially Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
Spock and McCoy actually are friends and have great admiration for each other. You'll see their relationship develop further as you watch more Trek. And this is definitely one of the more underrated episodes. 'Shakespeare in space' works really well here 😀
I once read a list of 20 things that _never_ happen on _Star Trek._ One of them was something along the lines of, "The ship goes to a planet, starts investigating, and everything is soon revealed to be _exactly_ as it appears."
8:20 -- That's a damn good catch about the silliness of needing living eyewitnesses to identify Kodos when there are known photographs of him! Well spotted!
@7:53 "He's going to Bones about this" the more you watch the show the more you'll see that they are close friends, the three of them are all tight with each of each other.
I'm sorry to hear you were sick! As the series goes on, you'll come to realize Bones and Spock are much closer than you first realize. Though they bicker almost incessantly, they value each other's expertise and opinions.
One thing you might not realize is that this episode is the last appearance of Yeoman Rand. She gets a walk-on scene with no dialogue when Lenore is on the bridge... And that’s it for Grace Lee Whitney as Yeoman Rand. Whitney played a great character that fit the series perfectly and one that projected the maturity and femininity Kirk's love interest needed. There was wonderful screen chemistry between her and Shatner and it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role, as if she was always meant to be there. I missed her back when she stopped showing up on the series and wondered why they would have gotten rid of such a perfect character. Grace Lee was perfectly cast as Kirk's unrequited love interest and I wish she would have stayed on the show throughout its run.
Classic Trek's costume designer was William Theiss. He was clearly good at what he did. With some of the female costumes, he made them seem more revealing than they really were with a clever wardrobe trick. He designed them to look "accident-prone," as if parts of the costume might fall off any moment. That's how they worked around 1960s censorship.
Last episode for Yeoman Rand (Grace Lee Whitney). Arnold Moss (Kodos) was a big Broadway Shakespearean actor (longest run of The Tempest on Broadway) and also played a lot of characters throughout Hollywood in the 1950s. Costumes in the original series were designed by William Theiss and was brought in by D.C. Fontana. He specialized in making dresses that technically met all the censors criteria but looked like they would not. They called his design the Theiss Theorem “the sexiness of a dress is directly proportional to how easily it would be to have an accident (to fall off)”. He won several academy awards in the later movie work, and his futuristic looking designs continued to evolve right through to his work on The Next Generation uniforms and many aliens’ styles.
Great reaction, and awesome to see all the love for this ep in the comments too! The pace and intrigue to it makes it one of my favorites. You nailed my biggest questions too -- if 8,000+ people were on that colony, how were 9 people the only eyewitnesses, when they have voice and photo records of Kodos? And if Kirk was ~15 when it happened, Riley would be maybe 5-8 years old ... so would he really remember Kodos? Still a great one :)
This episode was written in a modernized Shakespearean style in and of itself. It really felt like a "what if Shakespeare was still writing today". Very well done.
Lenore's memory was blocked by her own trauma of killing her father, combined with her existing madness. You also asked about her anger at Kirk for using her the same way she used him... the mind of the mad doesn't reason that way. To her, her actions were completely justified, and his were utterly unjust, no matter how alike they were.
Nice who done it episode. I love it when we invite the alleged perpetrators in. Lenore became best known as a TV cop. Kirk will continue with his inevitable side quests. Spock will continue to try not to smile and have the rare side quests of his own. Riley, according to the books, progresses well in the trek universe. Get better, Bun.
I think her forgetting her father's death is pure trauma! She spent her entire young life hiding him, and protecting him, in every way possible, including murder, and then she SHOT HIM to death on the kind of stage he sought to escape to! It was too much; and her brain broke in that moment! I'm sure others have mentioned below but, William Ware Theiss was the incredibly talented costume designer who created all the uniforms, villain's wardrobe, and civilian clothes for the original series and (I think...come at me, internet!) The Next Generation as well?! Just before counter-culture hippie style, the mid-'60's was "mod" cocktail culture, and he definitely adapted that chic style beautifully into science fiction costumes, including the lady guests on the show. Pure class! It all still holds up. Finally, I had never noticed this beautifully subtle scene between Kirk and McCoy before, until you naturally reacted to it! Kirk has been SO secretive for the entire episode. He's sitting on this massive bombshell that could easily slip away. He's actively shutting down communication, and "feeling his way" through this mass-murder mystery; solo. So, at the very end, when Bones asks him (in a very personal, and totally unprofessional way, for the Bridge crew), at 18:37, "you really cared about her, didn't you?", he seems to ignore the question outright, and so McCoy playfully says, "you're not going to answer my question, are you?", and Kirk STILL ignores him, and issues an order, staring blankly ahead, until he finally shoots McCoy a single glance of acknowledgement, who knowingly says, "That's an answer." It's not super-well edited, the timing of the exchange could be better, but it was so unexpectedly moving, to me! It's not a line of dialogue, it's an understanding of grief and trust with a single meeting of their eyes, one billion years ago, on NBC!
@bunnytailsREACTS the costume designer for TOS was a brillaint man named William Theiss, who designed all the costumes from then uniforms to the dresses of female guest stars. Gene Roddenberry wanted the most alluring costumes for all the actresses but In the 1960's, network censors were strict about what was allowed. To find a balance, Theiss invented the "Theiss Titillation Theory": "The sexiness of an outfit is directly proportional to the perceived possibility that a vital piece of it might fall off." See the android Andria's costume from "What are little Girls Made Of?" that you've already seen as well as many future costumes to come. Theiss was an incredible costume designer.
@@bunnytailsREACTS Keep in mind, he was the costume designer for all costumes in the original Star Trek series. The Starfleet Uniforms, Harry Mudd's women, the sexy android Andrea, the child Balok, the Romulanss, etc etc. If it was clothing in TOS, Theiss designed it. Sadly he passed from AIDS as many gay men did in the 80s and early 90s. But his legacy will live on forever through his costumes!
LOL You remembered Keven Riley from The Naked Time when you saw him. He's okay, or might even be a great guy, if he isn't singing. Too bad he appeared in just the two episodes. We hear Uhura sing, but at least she actually can sing. The creators took advantage of the actress's ability to sing.😀
I love you are covering this as a young one (60 now) I watched this big time the stories and quality of how they recorded this must 35mm film is amazing, I love your reactions the ending was always like "what next"
Great reaction video, this episode was pretty sad...Kirk's response at the end was him doing his job as captain and retaining composure and just moving on..."ahead warp factor 1". They've brain/memory wiped crazy people a few times in Star Trek... it's the futuristic "humane" way of mental illness treatment. The look in Lenore's eyes at the end of the play (wow, the spectators really got a good show!) Was absolutely insane...the sparkle, the staring into space. Whatever happened to Riley after this? I'm not sure, he played bit roles early in the series, and kind of disappeared... I'm surprised they even let him back in engineering after what he did in The Naked Time, LoL! But that wasn't his fault, but you gotta wonder why they don't have security cameras on a 23rd century starship, yet the computer can detect the heartbeats and location of everyone on board? As for fashionable dresses, it was the 1960s, and the futuristic look was HOT back then...the space age began then, and fashion designers imaginations went wild...also, nearly everyone was on illicit drugs. 🤣
At the beginning of his acting career, William Shatner spent a number of years at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada. He understudied the great Christopher Plummer in the role of Henry V.
What a nutjob! LOL Kirk sure can pick'em sometimes. This is a great episode. Leonerd Limoy was always so good as Mr. Spock. Great reaction bunnytails!!
Your reaction to the twist reveal was priceless! I very clearly remember having a similar reaction the first time I saw this episode (1974, I was six.) Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings about one of the most important things in my life. It was from THIS episode, that I first heard the name Macbeth and learned who Shakespeare was. After watching it, I ran to the encyclopedia and read all I could about Shakespeare and his plays. Later episodes, also had me looking up everything they talked about, to see if it was part of real history or something they made up for the fictional future in the show. "Requiem for Methuselah" has many of those, so look forward to that episode!
The Dresses - to answer your question - the show's Costume designer was William Ware Theiss and he had a talent for designing many dresses that looked quite sexy, attractive and sometimes looked like they might fall off the actress - but they didn't. - The Music Loving Klingon
Growing up watching the original series in the late 60s and early 70s, this wasn't a big favorite of mine. But it definitely grew on me, I like the Shakespearean theme, and the tragic aspects. It's also interesting to get back story on the main characters and the experiences that formed them.
Star Trek's most literate script ever. Kodos as Hamlet, Lenore as Lady Macbeth in real life. In the end, the play really did "catch the conscience of the king." Also something else --- when this was shot in 1966, Adolph Eichmann was captured in Argentina just a few years prior to the filming, making the scene of Spock and McCoy in the corridor rather relevant at the time. So, World War II was still fresh in people's minds after 20 years (the same length of time Kodos had been on the run). Associate producer Bob Justman went on record saying he didn't like this episode, but I disagree. Usually the people involved with making the magic happen don't necessarily see it the way the audience does. Yet, after almost 60 years, this episode holds up extremely well. Pretty good for a TV show, I'd say. Hope you feel better, Bunny!
Shatner was actually a trained Shakespearean actor and was an understudy of legendary actor Christopher Plummer who later plays General Chang in Star Trek VI. Anyways I always enjoyed this episode....not in my top ten but a good one.
Kodos is a little like Thanos of the Avengers movies. Thanos had a plan to eliminate half of life to allow sufficient resources for the rest. Kodos made a similar decision to execute enough people to allow the remaining resources to sustain the rest of the colony.
Except kodos's plan makes sense though brutal. Based on the expected arrival date 4000 was the most he could save. His "eugenics" even was trying to select for people who could survive till the required time. Thanos's plan is unworkable and evil. Kodos had an impossible situation and made an impossible choice.
You noticed how bright and colorful the dresses were. That's important. Watch any TV show from this era -- Batman, Gilligan's Island, The Brady Bunch, Bonanza, Lost in Space, etc. -- you'll notice that they're all vibrantly colorful. It's because color TV was a brand new thing and production companies wanted to take full advantage of it. Indeed, Star Trek was going to be cancelled after two seasons, but NBCs parent company, RCA, intervened and extended it for one more season just becuse so many were buying RCA color televison sets just to watch Star Trek. This was 1967. The 1990s, when movies like "The Crow" and "The Matrix" came out and everybody started dressing in black from head to toe, were still a long way off.
Note that Kirk doesn't need to be "absolutely sure" that Karidian is Kodos in order to act, which, properly, would be to turn the matter over to Starfleet, or whatever it was at this point in the series, for further investigation. He merely needs probable cause, or even less, in order to report his suspicions. Instead, he acts on his own, and more lives are endangered. Another Kirk blunder. But Then There Wouldn't Be An Episode At All.
I think this is an underrated episode that gets very serious and very deep into the characters. It's one of the reasons why those first thirteen episodes are so iconic.
You haven't heard Shakespeare until you've heard him in the original Klingon.
THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY...THE FUTURE
Dam genius, considering Klingon does not have the verb "to be".
@@mjbull5156 so Klingon is or 'not to be'
"taH pagh taHbe!"
@@mem1701moviesTrust many Shakespeare scholars and actors,'that undiscovered country, that bourne from which no man returns' is not the future, but death.
The Star Trek movie got it wrong, or perhaps the Klingon was giving Kirk a clue.
“Oh, this guy! THIS guy!”
Yep, the emotion that anyone who heard Riley’s rendition of “I’ll take you home again, Kathleen” was likely to feel…
In a way, it was essential that Riley was given this second appearance to round out his character, else “Kathleen” would be all he was remembered for; but this episode made it clear that there was much more depth to him.
They never filmed the scene where Lenore pleads that she never poisoned Riley.
And every person in the rec room that night looked away guiltily, as they remembered Riley talking about wanting a "song".
Barbara Anderson who played Lenore, went on to win a Primetime Emmy Award for her performance as Police Officer Eve Whitfield, in the long running detective tv show Ironside.
Great show! Ironside's theme music is where the "revenge siren" in KILL BILL comes from.
She did a pretty darn good job.
That's great, didn't know that 😊😊😊
This is a fantastic episode. It's a shame it's not brought up more often.
Incidentally, Nichelle Nichols was a singer before Star Trek. She sang with Duke Ellington and later with Lionel Hampton.
More than that she, more than any other person, and her company recruiting for the shuttle program, resulted in the shuttle crews having the diversity that makes the shuttle crews, and today's space program itself so much resemble the diversity of the crew of Star Trek.
She sang with Hamp? Damn!
This is one of the underrated episodes. Good story, good dialog and good acting. This episode doesn't get the respect it should.
She doesn't remember because she had a psychotic break from reality.
The intensely dramatic scene with Kirk, Kodos, and Lenore in Kodos' quarters later in the episode features some of Trek's best writing and acting, particularly by the great Arnold Moss. It's one of the absolute finest moments in the series if not all of television itself.
22:15 The characters of Spock and McCoy were better friends than we knew in the Original Series. Despite their philosophical differences and banter, they had a lot of respect for each other. Also they were both always worried about how to best support Kirk in their roles.
On the surface it may seem that they are just bickering and never agreeing, but yes. In this episode I really felt that trust and respect. Very wonderful.
@@bunnytailsREACTS As the seasons and later the films will attest this trio are like the Three Musketeers
When I was younger I wasn't into this episode as much but being older now, it's a great play in of itself. Lenore's breakdown was spectacular in it's mania. A great little mystery and drama. Above average episode for sure. People shut out trauma in different ways. She's blocked the entire event out. Worth looking into what trauma does to people, to enlighten yourself.
I actually really appreciate this serious episode. One of the more memorable I think.
Funny, when the daughter walked into the room the very 1st time, a guys reaction would be "wow, beautiful lady". Your reaction was "that's a beautiful dress"!! 🤣
This is one of my fav episodes from the original series.
A murder mystery with a twist.
and the perfect example of how kirk has a reputation of being a ladies man but every one of his love interests are tragic.
A tragedy referencing Shakespeare's two best known tragedies.
True, even when he had to blow up his true love, the Enterprise herself.
No, he had several love interests that were not tragic.
@@johnclawedCarol Marcus wasn’t tragic, but the child her and Kirk produced together most certainly was.
The slaughter on the colony happened when Kirk was about 13. Riley was even younger, about 7.
Novels aren't canon.
@@NoHandleGrr yes, but in the show, they said the massacre happened 20 years earlier. Since Kirk on TOS is clearly in his 30's and Riley is in his 20's, the ages I mentioned are probably right or close.
@@stephenkronfeld9228 yes, probably. Stating something is likely and stating something as absolute fact are two very different things.
@@NoHandleGrrhence the word about
I hope you’re feeling better now! Thanks for these even when you aren’t up for it. I think what they mean in the episode is she totally blocked it out of her mind as a mental defense mechanism from killing her own father. Keeping Spock in the dark is never a good idea…he’s going to get to the bottom of it!
You're welcome!
I love this often forgotten episode. Yes, some suspension of disbelief is required (only eye witnesses can ID Kodos, paper being used for the voice print instead of a computer display), but this is all indicative of the times.
bunnytails nailed the "Nazi Parallel" being drawn, although the numbers killed by Kodos would be more along the lines of a concentration camp commandant than say Hitler.
Also nailed the character development aspect, when we see another side of the Spock/Bones relationship.
I love the acting, and the chips on the table (capturing a mass killer, and saving the witnesses). Such a great TOS episode.
Not really a Nazi extermination of Jewish people that Kodos did but more like the colony of Jamestown in the 1600s.
The costume designer on Star Trek: TOS was a man named William Ware Theiss, and he was a genius at his job.
William Ware Theiss was the series' costume designer; he did a great job. He also did Janice Rand's "beehive" hairstyle, made up of two (very heavy) wigs. Grace Lee Whitney said the hairpiece was later stolen.
He really did some iconic design.
The phaser has the ability to be overloaded. It can be used as a bomb, I don't know if it's an intentional function or just something that you can do. If you remember in the Cage, number one setup her laser pistol to build up an overload, a forced chamber explosion.
"Phaser pistol" not "Lazer pistol". There is a difference.
How are the two different?
....
🤔
I can't tell you because it is classified.
Captain they are targeting Lasers at us.
Lasers? They wouldn’t penetrate our navigational deflector.
Case and point why Trek tech is superior to Star Wars.
But Star Wars did beat out Trek in the boobs department. Memory alpha has one paragraph on the subject. While Wookieepedia has over two pages worth. George Lucas himself commissioned a painting of Ayala Secura posing in erotica. Not even Gene could top that.
Interestingly it goes back to The Cage, so it's not one of those literary devices made up for experience and then never used again.
@@brucechmiel7964 Star Wars ships are ridiculously faster, equivalent to quantum slipstream. But that's the only thing they have going for them in comparison.
@@ianburns1167 Exactly, Star Wars ships only have one viable defensive measure against ships in Star Trek and that’s to just run away.
Barbara Anderson was only twenty years old at the time she was cast as Lenore, and went on to public and critical acclaim as Officer Eve Whitfield in the police drama Ironside the following year, playing the role for three seasons and winning an Emmy for it. This episode would mark the second and final appearance of Bruce Hyde as Lt. Kevin Riley. Hyde left acting on television to do more stage work and would eventually teach acting up until his death just a few years ago. Sadly, this episode was also the final appearance of Grace Lee Whitney as Yeoman Janice Rand. She was only contracted for seven episodes and she'd already filmed six, but Star Trek was already having money problems and cuts had to be made. Another reason for her character going away is that there was a definite chemistry between her and Kirk, and it was felt that this would get in the way of Kirk being the space player he was. Still a much darker reason for Whitney's axing was that she was sexually assaulted one night after the wrap party for "Miri" by an un-named studio executive, who used his influence to see to it that she was never invited to return to the show, even as a guest player. Sad, but true.
I seem to recall that Anderson didn't have to do much in Ironside except look good, this episode shows that she was a good actress.
To complicate things, Whitney was also doing a lot of alcohol and pills, problems that were probably exacerbated by the trauma she survived, and her intoxication was affecting her performance.
I loved how the plot paralleled Hamlet, with Kirk torn by indecision on his mission of vengeance.
60's TV has a quality...... never duplicated, imposible to replace.
"If you believe that i am, than I am - if it pleases you to do so" -- I used a version of this line on my mom all the time if she asked me if I did something like made a mess or did a chore... Drove her insane lol
Pro tip: Writers are often inspired by something happening at the time. CO-incidentally, just 4 days after this episode aired, the movie "A Man For All Seasons" was released. Based upon the stage play of the same name, that film was set in Middle Ages England, with the lead character - Sir Thomas More - portrayed as *"the ultimate man of conscience."* Also, the trial of 11 SS men from the Sobibor Extermination Camp, which had begun in Sept '65, concluded on Dec '66, about two weeks after this episode was aired. So these are the things that were in the news. As for why in this episode they need a person to identify Kodos, normally in law you need a witness in order to bring charges (if I have that right). Typically you can't just grab people, unless it's a tyranny. As for the daughter becoming increasingly insane ... this is a play on the MacBeth story, where Lady MacBeth goes insane.
Magnificent performance by Paul Scofield.
But, the events you have sighted as inspirational to this episode happened _after_ this one aired.
The release of "A Man for All Seasons" could have been inside information known in Hollywood, but how would they know about the upcoming trial of the S.S. guards?
The name of the play and character are "Macbeth," not "MacBeth."
The title of the episode is from Hamlet: "The play's the thing/Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."
@@steelers6titles I saw the film years ago, it's too bad they never seem to show it anymore. I read somewhere that the entire cast of the play reprized their roles in the movie. That's a very unusual but fortunate occurrence.
@@NoHandleGrr Sorry, you're right. I was looking at how it was spelled and I still typed it wrong.
Great episode. I always liked when they bring back a background character like Riley.
Yes, that was cool to see! He definitely made an impression in both episodes.
@@bunnytailsREACTSThey hired the "day player" before the producers realized he had been on before, so they changed the character to be the same guy. They do that with a couple of minor characters (some are also stand-ins), though there is one gal whose name they changed halfway through the episode.
Bunny time is my favourite time.
Bunny made the video whist sick. "What a trooper!" Star Fleet is impressed.
Get well soon Bunny. 😀
Thanks! I am feeling a lot better now!
Trouper. The word is "trouper," as in "which members of the troupe show up because the play must go on."
It has nothing to do with troops, troopers, or the military.
@@NoHandleGrr It does when I use it. Thanks for trying to teach me something. But I am not the personality type that wants to conform to any preconceived notions.
As a former stage actor myself I understand the history of troupes but things change. The word slut once meant an untidy woman. Terrific used to mean something that terrified. Words and phrases change from the original. Get over it.
@@berranari1: words are nothing but "preconceived notions." Otherwise I could simply nastrdr tal wihj nda bujoena, otnw gaanah?
You're welcome.
@@NoHandleGrr no sh1t Sherlock.
I actually predicted that you would end up using gibberish. 🤣
So sorry you have been ill. I hope you are feeling better. Roddenberry was a major fan of Shakespeare. This episode was something of a Shakespearian play inside a Shakespearian play. In TNG, Picard frequently references Shakespeare as well.
Trauma can cause memory loss - the mind can do amazing things to avoid pain. She was driven mad by the combination of her love and respect for her father as a great performer and father, and the knowledge of what he did.
William Ware Theiss was the costume designer for TOS (and later early TNG, if your journey should take you there) and loved designing the costumes for the ladies.
I always enjoyed this episode. Some of the best Trek is very Shakespearean in nature, and as a kid, I always enjoyed the backstory character building of Kirk feom thia episode, and the Spock McCoy interaction is always a delight.🖖
his designs led to the term "the Theiss titilation factor" to describe the many female costumes he specifically created
Some of the costumes were intended to appear as exotic materials, and they were made from shower curtains. Makes one wonder how many outfits were barely held together with pins and hot glue?
it just makes one wonder what he could have done with a better budget@@timmooney7528
I really like this one, there's so much nuance to the evil. How Kodos did monstrous things that he regrets but still justifies to himself, how he wants his daughter to be separate from that. How Kirk wants vengeance and justice at once, and the two can't always be separated. And he knows his motives aren't pure but it has to be done.
This is a FANTASTIC episode filled with outstanding moments and that's due to the regular cast and guest players all bringing their A game and great TV direction puts it over the top. My guess is it misses a lot of fan lists because it's not flashy as a sci fi story. No alien worlds being explored, no scientific conundrum to solve. It's a revenge mystery that happens to take place in the 23rd Century aboard a Federation Starship.
Shatner has a lot on his plate but handles it with both ease and intensity, and in many ways this is the first real look into Kirk's past remember. He also has to play a Kirk who is himself playing a role while trying to keep Corridian's daughter distracted and pump her for information without her knowing.
Shout out to Riley, a truly missed opportunity to add to the cast, someone who as a character seemed to have some connection to Kirk as having experienced the same deprivations at that colony. He also always had a good everyman quality, more so than say Sulu or Chekov. Chekov is supposed to be a wunderkind given his posting and age and who decides who gets to what position onboard. He's young and eager, but he must have past the test with McCoy, Spock and Kirk to be posted on the bridge, be navigator and back up at the science station when Spock has other duties. Sulu, well... He's a funky cool dude with all these various hobbies, he fences, he's interested in botany (His first appearance in production order is actually as a member of the science division.) he collects antique fire arms, and he's THE MAN at the helm of the pride of the fleet. He's... Kinda awesome and he wears it with this ease and humor. I could see Riley if they had done more with him as a more down to Earth guy, pun intended, serving aboard ship, but unlike a lot of the other guest Junior officers Riley seemed way more unflappable and easy to get along with. We damn sure know he's probably a fun guy at the bar.
I also want to point out that this episode is one of the few where we get some sense of what life is like in the Federation away from just the actions of Starfleet and its officer corps. Even a little history with what what happened on that colony. It's not a lot but it stands out to me since we got so little of it in TOS's run.
"Conscience of the King" is not as well known as many others because it is straight up drama, without much action or comedy on board. It is a fantastic episode, but it is serious drama. This makes it pretty well known among Trek fans, but not one of those people who are getting familiar with Trek are familiar with.
Nichelle Nichols was a professional singer before joining Star Trek. She only had a few chances to sing during the series, but her voice is beautiful.
This was inspired by Hamlet; “the plays the thing; whereas we’ll catch the conscience of the king,” the end of act 2. This is in my top ten bc I truly appreciate Shakespeare l
The Shakespeare's garb was probably in a closet on the Backlot somewhere. The "futuristic" clothes looked pretty late 60's to me.
William Theiss was the costume designer for Star Trek. He designed a LOT of great dresses and clothes.
Yes, costumes were designed specifically for the show. William Theiss, in my opinion, was a creative genius for creating these clothes on a shoestring budget.
This episode will always be a favorite of mine because it was the last episode of TOS I needed to see to complete the series back when it used to run in syndication on WPIX channel 11 in New York. I stayed up past midnight on a school night to make sure I caught it, having missed previous chances. My father watched it with me even though he wasn't a Star Trek fan.
The Conscience of the King has one of the best scores of any Trek episode, composed by Joseph Mullendore.
Regarding your question about why they need an eyewitness to Kodos' actions, well if someone is going to be accused of crimes against humanity you better be able to back it up with firsthand accounts.
Love the fact Bunny compared Kodos to Thanos. Never would have thought of that.
What some don't think about, is the idea that Kirk is talking to a computer and it talks back to him and gives him information. This was 1966 when nothing like this even remotely existed, and Siri didn't come out until much much later!! Way ahead of it's time, just like the communicator was the inspiration for the flip-phone! And now we have cell phones that have replaced so many different things!
the late Matt Jeffries, was the designer for the original series the look of the Enterprise, the Romulan ships the Klingon ships. The access tubes on the ships referred to as the Jeffries tubes are named after him. These is a brilliant episode
This is a fantastic episode that is rarely discussed. It's more than fair to see it as a precursor to Thanos, where their logic has validity yet it;s clear they found some level of satisfaction in their cruelty.
It was Agatha all along!
I would've liked to see the looks on their faces down in the laundry room when the phaser flew out of the chute.
Agreed. It's not as if trash chutes and laundry chutes are armored.
"Younger, captain. Much younger." by Karidian is surely not a real answer, but it fits the theatralicy nature of the episode perfectly. It is one of my most favorite lines of the whole series in one of the best episodes of the whole franchise.
WW2 had been over for only 21 years when this episode was made; there were many survivors of the Holocaust who were young adults. There were also people who literally devoted their lives to hunting down missing perpetrators, and there were persistent rumors that Hitler himself might have escaped. Popular culture at that time was full of literary speculation about remorse by the perpetrators and what, if anything, it might mean. It appears in novels, films, other TV shows…
The clothing by the women in this episode (and in many other episodes) were always an attempt to look "futuristic" but they are all unmistakeable as products of the 60's with the wild assortment of colors and elaborate decorations on the fabrics.
I just love them!
@@bunnytailsREACTS Ha! Well, 60's fashions were completely unique! Another reason for all the color in Star Trek is color tvs were the new thing in the mid-60's and companies were trying to get people to buy a new color tv to replace their old black and white ones. They would promote new shows like Star Trek by saying "look at all the colors! You NEED to buy a color tv to appreciate it!" You'll notice even with the backlighting on sets that they are throwing purples and greens and red backlighting just to make it more colorful.
The Klingons are very passionate fans (as only Klingons can be) of Shakespeare even making their own version of Hamlet. So yes the bard's work does live on well into the future.
One of the slobbering aliens from the Simpsons Halloween episodes was named after Kodos, and now that's the association most people have with the name.
One thing to remember about this episode is that it was only 20 years or so after the end of World War 2. All the actors and writers, as well as most of the audience, were alive when the Holocaust happened. It had an immediacy for them that doesn't exist for most people today.
And Kodos' brother, Kang, is from "Day of the Dove" and DS9's "Blood Oath." Both Simpsons' aliens' names are from Trek.
One of the things I think is useful (and I have done this before in discussing previous episodes) is to talk a bit about the actors and actresses who guest started in the episode for historical context. Barbara Anderson, who played Lenore (a nice literary name - from Poe, dark and disturbing, like the Lady Macbeth character she was playing at the beginning - a bit of foreshadowing) was a very well known actress of that period. Others have mentioned her most famous role - Eve Whitfield on "Ironside" (with Raymond Burr). But I also remember her as agent Mimi Davis in seven episodes of the final season of the original Mission: Impossible (1972-1973). The actress who played the female IMF agent on M:I during the last two seasons, Lynda Day George, who played Agent Lisa Casey, was pregnant in the final season and had to miss several episodes, so Barbara Anderson was brought in to play another female agent during her maternity leave, and it is important to know that both Star Trek and Mission: Impossible were Desilu Studios productions and filmed right next to each other, so there are many interesting connections between them, not the least of which was Leonard Nimoy himself. Both franchises are Paramount properties today. Star Trek loved Shakespeare, and more references to it appear in future episodes and movies, especially Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
Oh, and "Daily"s" voice was actor John Astin!
Spock and McCoy actually are friends and have great admiration for each other. You'll see their relationship develop further as you watch more Trek.
And this is definitely one of the more underrated episodes. 'Shakespeare in space' works really well here 😀
The women of STAR TREK are bedecked in the pride and joy of the show's ace costume-designer Bill Theiss.
John Astin ("The Addams Family") does the voice of the Astral Queen's captain. He is uncredited.
One of the more underrated episodes but it's still good
I once read a list of 20 things that _never_ happen on _Star Trek._ One of them was something along the lines of, "The ship goes to a planet, starts investigating, and everything is soon revealed to be _exactly_ as it appears."
8:20 -- That's a damn good catch about the silliness of needing living eyewitnesses to identify Kodos when there are known photographs of him! Well spotted!
I don't agree. The computer said the case was closed. The Witnesses are the only ones keeping the case alive.
Bunny, I hope you're feeling much better soon! Cheers!
@7:53 "He's going to Bones about this" the more you watch the show the more you'll see that they are close friends, the three of them are all tight with each of each other.
This is the last we see of Riley. It's interesting that he had only two appearances and they differ so widely in tone.
And he did a great job both times.
@@mikejankowski6321 Oh yes, the actor really got to show off his range even though the part was small.
I'm sorry to hear you were sick! As the series goes on, you'll come to realize Bones and Spock are much closer than you first realize. Though they bicker almost incessantly, they value each other's expertise and opinions.
One thing you might not realize is that this episode is the last appearance of Yeoman Rand. She gets a walk-on scene with no dialogue when Lenore is on the bridge... And that’s it for Grace Lee Whitney as Yeoman Rand.
Whitney played a great character that fit the series perfectly and one that projected the maturity and femininity Kirk's love interest needed. There was wonderful screen chemistry between her and Shatner and it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role, as if she was always meant to be there.
I missed her back when she stopped showing up on the series and wondered why they would have gotten rid of such a perfect character. Grace Lee was perfectly cast as Kirk's unrequited love interest and I wish she would have stayed on the show throughout its run.
Classic Trek's costume designer was William Theiss. He was clearly good at what he did. With some of the female costumes, he made them seem more revealing than they really were with a clever wardrobe trick. He designed them to look "accident-prone," as if parts of the costume might fall off any moment. That's how they worked around 1960s censorship.
Last episode for Yeoman Rand (Grace Lee Whitney). Arnold Moss (Kodos) was a big Broadway Shakespearean actor (longest run of The Tempest on Broadway) and also played a lot of characters throughout Hollywood in the 1950s.
Costumes in the original series were designed by William Theiss and was brought in by D.C. Fontana. He specialized in making dresses that technically met all the censors criteria but looked like they would not. They called his design the Theiss Theorem “the sexiness of a dress is directly proportional to how easily it would be to have an accident (to fall off)”. He won several academy awards in the later movie work, and his futuristic looking designs continued to evolve right through to his work on The Next Generation uniforms and many aliens’ styles.
Great reaction, and awesome to see all the love for this ep in the comments too! The pace and intrigue to it makes it one of my favorites.
You nailed my biggest questions too -- if 8,000+ people were on that colony, how were 9 people the only eyewitnesses, when they have voice and photo records of Kodos?
And if Kirk was ~15 when it happened, Riley would be maybe 5-8 years old ... so would he really remember Kodos? Still a great one :)
I can't count the number of times in the last 50+ years I have said, "I am tired.", the same way Karidian/Kodos does to Kirk.
This is a good episode, very well acted.
Basically, in Shakespearean English, "A cautionary tale for men to avoid the babes with the crazy eyes."
This episode was written in a modernized Shakespearean style in and of itself. It really felt like a "what if Shakespeare was still writing today". Very well done.
Lenore's memory was blocked by her own trauma of killing her father, combined with her existing madness. You also asked about her anger at Kirk for using her the same way she used him... the mind of the mad doesn't reason that way. To her, her actions were completely justified, and his were utterly unjust, no matter how alike they were.
"The Conscience of the King" is a line from Hamlet, JFYI.
Nice to find the “The Conscience of the King is underrated” crew. It’s good stuff.
I am sorry you're feeling ill. I hope you get better soon.
Hi Bunnytails, sorry you have been sick. Feel better soon!
Nice who done it episode. I love it when we invite the alleged perpetrators in. Lenore became best known as a TV cop. Kirk will continue with his inevitable side quests. Spock will continue to try not to smile and have the rare side quests of his own. Riley, according to the books, progresses well in the trek universe. Get better, Bun.
I think her forgetting her father's death is pure trauma! She spent her entire young life hiding him, and protecting him, in every way possible, including murder, and then she SHOT HIM to death on the kind of stage he sought to escape to! It was too much; and her brain broke in that moment!
I'm sure others have mentioned below but, William Ware Theiss was the incredibly talented costume designer who created all the uniforms, villain's wardrobe, and civilian clothes for the original series and (I think...come at me, internet!) The Next Generation as well?! Just before counter-culture hippie style, the mid-'60's was "mod" cocktail culture, and he definitely adapted that chic style beautifully into science fiction costumes, including the lady guests on the show. Pure class! It all still holds up.
Finally, I had never noticed this beautifully subtle scene between Kirk and McCoy before, until you naturally reacted to it! Kirk has been SO secretive for the entire episode. He's sitting on this massive bombshell that could easily slip away. He's actively shutting down communication, and "feeling his way" through this mass-murder mystery; solo. So, at the very end, when Bones asks him (in a very personal, and totally unprofessional way, for the Bridge crew), at 18:37, "you really cared about her, didn't you?", he seems to ignore the question outright, and so McCoy playfully says, "you're not going to answer my question, are you?", and Kirk STILL ignores him, and issues an order, staring blankly ahead, until he finally shoots McCoy a single glance of acknowledgement, who knowingly says, "That's an answer." It's not super-well edited, the timing of the exchange could be better, but it was so unexpectedly moving, to me! It's not a line of dialogue, it's an understanding of grief and trust with a single meeting of their eyes, one billion years ago, on NBC!
I agree. The worst thing with Lenore is the hypocrisy.
Second would be the murder. Distant second.
@bunnytailsREACTS the costume designer for TOS was a brillaint man named William Theiss, who designed all the costumes from then uniforms to the dresses of female guest stars. Gene Roddenberry wanted the most alluring costumes for all the actresses but In the 1960's, network censors were strict about what was allowed. To find a balance, Theiss invented the "Theiss Titillation Theory":
"The sexiness of an outfit is directly proportional to the perceived possibility that a vital piece of it might fall off."
See the android Andria's costume from "What are little Girls Made Of?" that you've already seen as well as many future costumes to come. Theiss was an incredible costume designer.
I can't wait to see more of his work!
@@bunnytailsREACTS Keep in mind, he was the costume designer for all costumes in the original Star Trek series. The Starfleet Uniforms, Harry Mudd's women, the sexy android Andrea, the child Balok, the Romulanss, etc etc. If it was clothing in TOS, Theiss designed it. Sadly he passed from AIDS as many gay men did in the 80s and early 90s. But his legacy will live on forever through his costumes!
The guy responsible for the TOS wardrobe was William Ware Theiss. He did wonders with a limited budget
The two aliens who make occasional appearances on The Simpsons are named Kang, after a Klingon in some other TOS episode, and Kodos.
LOL You remembered Keven Riley from The Naked Time when you saw him. He's okay, or might even be a great guy, if he isn't singing. Too bad he appeared in just the two episodes. We hear Uhura sing, but at least she actually can sing. The creators took advantage of the actress's ability to sing.😀
I love you are covering this as a young one (60 now) I watched this big time the stories and quality of how they recorded this must 35mm film is amazing, I love your reactions the ending was always like "what next"
Great reaction video, this episode was pretty sad...Kirk's response at the end was him doing his job as captain and retaining composure and just moving on..."ahead warp factor 1".
They've brain/memory wiped crazy people a few times in Star Trek... it's the futuristic "humane" way of mental illness treatment.
The look in Lenore's eyes at the end of the play (wow, the spectators really got a good show!) Was absolutely insane...the sparkle, the staring into space.
Whatever happened to Riley after this? I'm not sure, he played bit roles early in the series, and kind of disappeared... I'm surprised they even let him back in engineering after what he did in The Naked Time, LoL! But that wasn't his fault, but you gotta wonder why they don't have security cameras on a 23rd century starship, yet the computer can detect the heartbeats and location of everyone on board?
As for fashionable dresses, it was the 1960s, and the futuristic look was HOT back then...the space age began then, and fashion designers imaginations went wild...also, nearly everyone was on illicit drugs. 🤣
I think you sound fine, Bunny!!! Glad you're feeling better!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🌹
At the beginning of his acting career, William Shatner spent a number of years at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada. He understudied the great Christopher Plummer in the role of Henry V.
They are all good! Of course, all in the eye of the beholder.
Yay! Another review! I hope you are feeling better.
I am! Except for the cough 😭
@@bunnytailsREACTS That's good to hear! Yeah, the cough always lingers for me too.
What a nutjob! LOL Kirk sure can pick'em sometimes. This is a great episode. Leonerd Limoy was always so good as Mr. Spock. Great reaction bunnytails!!
Thanks :)
Underrated who done-it. The Shakespeare references carry forward in many Star Trek episodes and movies. Nice review.
Your reaction to the twist reveal was priceless! I very clearly remember having a similar reaction the first time I saw this episode (1974, I was six.) Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings about one of the most important things in my life. It was from THIS episode, that I first heard the name Macbeth and learned who Shakespeare was. After watching it, I ran to the encyclopedia and read all I could about Shakespeare and his plays. Later episodes, also had me looking up everything they talked about, to see if it was part of real history or something they made up for the fictional future in the show. "Requiem for Methuselah" has many of those, so look forward to that episode!
Abother great video Bunny, hope you feel better soon. I agree, i think her mind just snapped, being the one who killed her dad.
Really cool reaction Oh Great Bunnytails. I especially liked your post episode analysis. Thank you for the good time.
Thanks!
My wife loves "Melodramatic Conspiracy Theory Spock" in this episode.
Star Trek taught me much more of an appreciation for Shakespeare than the force feeding I got in school.
The Dresses - to answer your question - the show's Costume designer was William Ware Theiss and he had a talent for designing many dresses that looked quite sexy, attractive and sometimes looked like they might fall off the actress - but they didn't. - The Music Loving Klingon
Growing up watching the original series in the late 60s and early 70s, this wasn't a big favorite of mine. But it definitely grew on me, I like the Shakespearean theme, and the tragic aspects. It's also interesting to get back story on the main characters and the experiences that formed them.
Star Trek's most literate script ever. Kodos as Hamlet, Lenore as Lady Macbeth in real life. In the end, the play really did "catch the conscience of the king." Also something else --- when this was shot in 1966, Adolph Eichmann was captured in Argentina just a few years prior to the filming, making the scene of Spock and McCoy in the corridor rather relevant at the time. So, World War II was still fresh in people's minds after 20 years (the same length of time Kodos had been on the run). Associate producer Bob Justman went on record saying he didn't like this episode, but I disagree. Usually the people involved with making the magic happen don't necessarily see it the way the audience does. Yet, after almost 60 years, this episode holds up extremely well. Pretty good for a TV show, I'd say. Hope you feel better, Bunny!
The only episode where Kirk declares "Double Red Alert!"
Shatner was actually a trained Shakespearean actor and was an understudy of legendary actor Christopher Plummer who later plays General Chang in Star Trek VI. Anyways I always enjoyed this episode....not in my top ten but a good one.
Wow didn’t know that
Another great episode and commentary. Hope you feel better soon.
Thank you!
I hope you are feeling better. If not - then get well soon.
This episode is a solid one that doesn't really get talked about.
Kodos is a little like Thanos of the Avengers movies. Thanos had a plan to eliminate half of life to allow sufficient resources for the rest. Kodos made a similar decision to execute enough people to allow the remaining resources to sustain the rest of the colony.
Except kodos's plan makes sense though brutal. Based on the expected arrival date 4000 was the most he could save. His "eugenics" even was trying to select for people who could survive till the required time.
Thanos's plan is unworkable and evil. Kodos had an impossible situation and made an impossible choice.
You noticed how bright and colorful the dresses were. That's important. Watch any TV show from this era -- Batman, Gilligan's Island, The Brady Bunch, Bonanza, Lost in Space, etc. -- you'll notice that they're all vibrantly colorful. It's because color TV was a brand new thing and production companies wanted to take full advantage of it. Indeed, Star Trek was going to be cancelled after two seasons, but NBCs parent company, RCA, intervened and extended it for one more season just becuse so many were buying RCA color televison sets just to watch Star Trek. This was 1967. The 1990s, when movies like "The Crow" and "The Matrix" came out and everybody started dressing in black from head to toe, were still a long way off.
Note that Kirk doesn't need to be "absolutely sure" that Karidian is Kodos in order to act, which, properly, would be to turn the matter over to Starfleet, or whatever it was at this point in the series, for further investigation. He merely needs probable cause, or even less, in order to report his suspicions. Instead, he acts on his own, and more lives are endangered. Another Kirk blunder. But Then There Wouldn't Be An Episode At All.
How bold of you 🍿