From Newsgroup: alt.tv.star-trek.tos
From Address: tanakasan@hushmail.com
Subject: Re: The Eye of the Beholder (TAS): my review
On Oct 8, 5:44aam, Wiseguy wrote:
> "jph...@gmail.com" wrote innews:18837587.26
.1317597851789.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@prfp13:
>
>
>
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> > THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER: PLOT
>
> > When a six-member science crew vanishes on the planet Lactra VII, the
> > Enterprise is sent to investigate. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down to
> > the planet's surface. After running from a few strange creatures, all
> > of whom seem to have been transplanted from other worlds, they are
> > captured by the dominant life form - a hyperintelligent, telepathic
> > race that promptly puts them in a zoo.
>
> > Now united with the surviving members of the science crew, Kirk and
> > Spock must hatch a plan to either communicate with the Lactrans or
> > escape from their zoo. But as Spock observes, they appear to be on
> > display... for life!
>
> > CHARACTERS
>
> > Kirk is subjected to a mental attack, allowing William Shatner to
> > unleash the full force of his ham - a formidable spectacle, even in
> > voice over. Leonard Nimoy gets a rare chance to indulge in ham as
> > well, as Spock telepathically attempts to form a mental shield around
> > Kirk.
>
> > THOUGHTS
>
> > A genuinely bizarre episode, even by the standards of the often weird
> > animated series. Also a dizzyingly stupid one, centered around an
> > alien race that is alternately hyper-intelligent and utterly idiotic
> > depending on the needs of the plot. My favorite example of this is
> > that we are specifically told that the Lactrans have surely identified
> > the purpose of every piece of equipment the landing party brought with
> > them. Nevertheless, when Kirk feigns illness (surely unnecessary when
> > one of the science crew is genuinely ill, but nevermind), the
> > brilliant plan is to focus on the communicator as the means to cure
> > him. This plan... works. On a creature who is stated to have an IQ of
> > 6,000 - itself a meaningless comment, apparently the result of a
> > writer saying, "Let's throw in a really big number so that it'll sound
> > impressive!"
>
> > The artwork is among the series' worst. Not only is the leader of the
> > scientific team clearly just the Kirk artwork with a few added
> > wrinkles, but there is one scene in which Kirk and the scientific team
> > leader have a conversation - in which Kirk's giant head is framed
> > opposite the guest character's full body. No real perspective at all,
> > making it appear that Kirk's head has expanded to truly staggering
> > proportions.
>
> > It's all quickly resolved through the magic of plot convenience, which
> > at least allows a bad episode to come to a merciful end. Still, I'm
> > not going to give it a rock-bottom rating. Though bad, it's so utterly
> > bizarre that the sheer strangeness keeps it from being in the same
> > league as the series' worst. Also, dumb as this is, it is still a lot
> > more watchable than The Infinite Vulcan.
>
> > Besides, it's the first episode of the series to have human
> > casualties. Off-screen, but it's still left in no doubt that some of
> > the science team died. Now if only we can get an on-screen redshirt
> > death before the series' conclusion! a(Not to sound bloodthirsty. But
> > what's Star Trek without the zapping of the occasional redshirt?)
>
> > Rating: 3/10.
>
> Still better than "Spock's Brain."
Which makes it Shakespearean compared to "Plato's Stepchildren".
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