Customer Reviews

Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 16, Episodes 31 & 32: Metamorphosis/ Friday's Child

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Metamorphosis" is one of Star Trek's finest episodes, hands down. A superbly written story--which touches upon non-corporeal life, love, and immortality--coupled with strong performances from the regular cast and guest star Glenn Corbett (Zephram Cochrane, the inventor of Warp Drive), adds up to an episode with real emotional impact. Watching this second season installment for the first time in many years, I was stuck by the way the writers of Star Trek First Contact had trashed the character of Zephram Cochrane in that movie. Perhaps they were trying to inject a message by re-writing Zephram Cochrane as a selfish drunk who is only interested in cashing in on warp technology. But, in the end, it only reflects on themselves and the cynical times in which we live. No disrespect is intended for James Cromwell, but for this viewer, Mr. Corbett will forever be Cochrane. It has become a popular pastime these days to poke fun at William Shatner's "dramatic pause" acting style, but the pivotal moment of this story belongs to him, during Kirk's dialogue with the Companion, and he more then lives up to the moment. (And, by the way, without those pauses, the whole scene would have fallen flat.)

"Friday's Child" is a standard issue action-adventure story, dealing with a struggle with the Klingon's for a tactically important world. Reasonably well written and acted, it will provide 50 minutes of entertainment, but after watching "Metamorphosis" it serves as something of an anticlimax.

Paramount has done their usual fine job restoring the visual and sonic elements. The print quality on the second season episodes seems, so far, to be marginally superior than those from the first season. This is particularly true of optical shots of the Enterprise.

"Metamorphosis" is the best "love story" in the 2nd season of TOS. Fred Steiner's music is absolutely beautiful and enchanting. BEST SCENE: Companion/Hedford looking at Cochrane thru the upraised scarf. It's a tear-jerker. "Friday's Child" A fairly good episode even though some people disliked it. GOOF: Watch Tige Andrews when he descends the rocks,he falls down on his rear end!

METAMORPHOSIS - Original Airdate Nov, 10, 1967. Ep. 31. - Directed by Ralph Senensky and Written by Gene L Coon. On the planet Gamma Canaris, Kirk, Spock and McCoy encounter the discoverer of the space warp, Zefram Cochrane, who became one of Star Trek's Universe most renowned characters, as you can see in STAR TREK FIRST CONTACT. In this classic episode Cochrane played by Glenn Corbett was discovered by Kirk to be living on an planetoid with the cloud creature known as The Companion, who loved him and recovery their youth age in order to maintain Cochrane eternal. Traveling along with Kirk was Dr. Nancy Hedford dying of Sakuros disease. Nancy merged with The Companion choosing to remain with Cochrane, where they would both live together. FRIDAY'S CHILD - Original Airdate, Dec, 1, 1967. Ep. 32.- Directed by Joseph Pevney and Written by D.C. Fontana. Enterprise and Klingon crews clash when they try to establish relations with the people of planet Capella IV at the same time.

As the wife of Capella's leader, Eleen, we can watch the former Catwoman Julie Newmar, another curiosity:this is the only episode in which Dr. McCoy uses his skills to deliver a baby.

This volume contains my favourite and what I believe to be the best ever classic Trek episode. "Metamorphosis" is also one of the best ever sci-fi episodes as it incorporates so many themes and as a plot and storyline is one of the best that I have ever seen.

Not only do we get the great Cochrane here whose story goes on and is brought up again in the TNG movie about the Borg but we also get a very touching example of totally giving, unconditional love that is a real tear-jerker. Like the "Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Lord of the Rings", the analogy of the theme to unconditional love and self-sacrifice is as clear as day here.

The acting is also superb and this episode is consistently good from beginning to end; I struggle to find any fault with this episode as compared to any of the others. Just a briliant episode! This episode alone makes this volume a must have.

"Friday's Child" is also a very good episode as our heroes meet the Klingons again and the action takes place both on the planet below as well as in space making this among the best action classic Trek episodes ever. Again the acting here is first class and the theme of self-giving for the sake of others is present here in the selfless deed of the "tier" at the end.

If you decide you only want to get one volume of this entire series, let it be this one which represents the best of classic Trek.

Highly recommended.

Star Trek Volume 16 has 2 different episodes dealing with different issues: love and conflict. The first episode here deals with love and companionship. While the other deals with hate and conflict.

METAMORPHOSIS is one of Trek's better love tales. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy accompany an ill Assistant Federation Commissioner Nancy Hedford on the Galileo shuttle to the Enterprise. However the shuttle is pulled off course by a mysterious cloud entity and sent safely to the planet Gamma Carnaris N. There Kirk and his party meet Zephram Cochrane, the man whom discovered warp drive 100 years before. He appears young and vital and Cochrane explains that the cloud like entity called 'the companion' has kept him young all these years. However when the crew tries to leave with Cochrane the companion refuses to allow them to leave. Kirk discovers that the companion has a female personality and after realizing that Cochrane has fallen in love with Nancy Hedford it decides to bond with the Assistant Commissioner to save her life from the deadly Sakuro's disease she suffers from. This is truly one of Trek's most touching stories. Simply wonderful.

The other episode features Julie Newmar as a guest star in FRIDAY'S CHILD. This episode definetly has more action than the previous episode on this DVD but it doesn't necessarily make it a better episode. The crew lands down on Capella IV in order to have a mining treaty signed. However a Klingon negotiator named Kras has also arrived on the planet trying to get the same treaty signed. If the Starfleet/Klingon Empire conflict isn't enough The Capellans are in a sort of bizarre civil war. And when Capellan rebels murder the Teer Akaar, Kirk fears that Eleen his pregnant widow is going to be killed next and therefore Kirk, Eleen and the others are on the run from the Capellans and Kras.
FRIDAY'S CHILD is a decent episode but it's standard Trek at best and in comparison to METAMORPHOSIS it's nothing special. Except the 'oochie woochie koo' bit at the end of FRIDAY'S CHILD: thats priceless!

Overall a decent collection but not necessarily the most essential DVD in this series. Still METAMORPHOSIS is a definite must see. Recommended!

REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 16: Metamorphosis© / Friday's Child©

METAMORPHOSIS© PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: Love & Companionship / Mortality / Freedom & Captivity

Historical Milestone: The first appearance of warp-drive inventor Zephram Cochrane

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember (`Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: None

REVIEW/COMMENTARY: This particular outing in the classic Trek mythos is one of a handful of eppies that have been used as a weapon in the war between the old-school Trekkies and the NextGen crowd. The big deal is as follows: How can Zephram Cochrane go from a rather large-framed, tall and handsome man with a somewhat cheerful demeanor (as played by Glenn Corbett in this episode) to a gaunt, haggard, somewhat pessimistic alcoholic with dreams of avarice (as played by James Cromwell in Star Trek™: First Contact©)? Then the old-schoolers gripe about how the new Cochrane isn't heroic enough, and the NextGen guys counter with the notion that the old Zef was too idealized, and didn't have enough faults and human weaknesses. But in my opinion the most important question in this debate is: why would anybody care one way or another? I mean, c'mon, guys, it's a freakin' TV show! Okay, so it is one of the greatest cult shows ever made, and consistently conveys an optimistic look at humanity's future, but still! You know, Shatner was right on the money when he told those Trekkies in that SNL sketch to "get a life!" Yeah, yeah-like I'm one to talk, right? And just where was I going with this, anyway? Nowhere it seems, which means it's time for me to move on...

FRIDAY'S CHILD© PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: Strength & Weakness / Compassion & Mercy

Notable Gaffe / Special DE-fect: Remember Star Trek IV, where Chekov was inquiring where the 'nuclear wessels' were? Well, in this episode, he has no trouble pronouncing the word "vessel" with a V instead of a W!

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember (`Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: 1 dead

REVIEW/COMMENTARY: If you've been looking for a classic Trek eppie that has more action than usual, 'Friday's Child' ain't too likely to disappoint. Sure, it still has that element of melodrama along with the usual morality play that's the staple of every Star Trek™ show, but at least you get to see the kinda funky hand-to-hand battle sequences that helped make this show the goofy cheese-fest it is today and forever more! Then there's Kirk & Spocks' on-the-fly production of bows & arrows, as well as their unbelievably accurate marksmanship with the weapons! Throw in a devious Klingon agent and a guest shot by an alumnus from the Batman™ TV show (Julie Newmar), and you've got... um... well, sortuva connection between the two classic 60s cult TV faves. Kinda like that game where you try to connect another actor with Kevin Bacon in six steps or less, you know?

Anyhoo, I'm pretty sure the anti-spousal-abuse activists will cringe at the scene where McCoy and his expectant patient (Ele'en, played by the aforementioned Newmar) exchange a couple of slaps to each others' faces. But despite their somewhat tumultuous start, she eventually warms up to him-- well, except for that time where she belts him in the back of the head with a rock-- and finally honors his assistance by naming her kid after him and the captain. It's such a (sniff) beautiful thing, you know? It (sob) gets me right here...

'Late

Only two episodes per DVD? Paramount has released videos overseas with THREE episodes per video,with new filmed introduction by actors like Walter Koenig and George Takei.Paramount really is determined to squeeze every last drop of profit from the fans.Don't buy them.Better to write to Paramount protesting about this exploitation of fans.

There is great DVD quality with these two restored episodes. I love watching them!

The sound is wonderful (the restored tracks for each episodes gets better and better). so does the film quality. THe reds that were washed out back in Vol. 4 are not crisp and sharp.

As far as the plot lines go, finally it seems that the crew is getting in their nitch. The episodes are getting bolder. The actors are getting more confortable with their roles, Shatner's toupee is starting to blend in, but they still have to work on getting Checkov's...

Metamorphosis: It's Zefram Cochrine, the creator of the warp drive! This episode has led to tons of fanfic, an entire movie (Star Trek: First Contact) and lots more. It makes so much more sense to me now when Cochrine sees spock and says: You're a Vulcun, aren't you? Cochrine made first contact with the Vulcuns!!!! Anyway, I also loved the hard edged don't give me no hock Commodore Nancy Hedford. Don't mess with her! It's a can't miss episdoe!

Friday's Child: Okay, this one is not one of my favorities. But it does establish a whole bunch of important stuff. The growing tensions between the Federation and the Klingons, McCoy's I'll do anything to save my patients (even if it means slapping a pregnant woman) and of course, the fact that McCoy "is a doctor, not an escalator!" (Great McCoyism!) That alone is worth buying the disc. The episode is fun, light weight, and about 10 min. too long - but still a good episode nonetheless.

The first episode + the fun parts of the second episdoe make for a good reason to get the DVD.