From Newsgroup: alt.tv.star-trek.tos   
   From Address: rikp@aol.com   
   Subject: Re: The Slaver Weapon (TAS): my review   
      
   > Rating: 10/10.   
      
   Although I'm enjoying watching TAS one episode at a time I don't think   
   I can give any episode a 10 so far.  The half-hour format and limited   
   (though graphically imaginative) animation just can't seem to deliver   
   a knockout.  To give a ten I'd have to grade on a curve, and I guess   
   I'm not big on grading on a curve.  And that music keeps getting stuck   
   in my head.   
      
   My biggest problem with this episode is the extensive back-story given   
   by Spock at the start.  The officers' "logs" are helpful to get us up   
   to speed with minor details and recaps after commercials, but when   
   they're used for a galaxy-wide, billion-year story then that seems   
   like an excessive crutch.   How about, "We found this mysterious   
   'thing' of which we've found a few 'things' like this before and now   
   there seems to be another 'thing' out there somewhere," and they're   
   off.  Also, would the target audience understand the term "Slaver?"   
   Either definition (noun: a dealer in slaves, verb: to drool) isn't   
   really appropriate for a Saturday morning and I'm still not sure what   
   it has to do with the episode in general.   
      
   One great thing about this episode is that the Starfleet team acts   
   exactly like trained professionals with no nonsense, and no "I'm   
   frightened" from Uhura worked in solely for dramatic purposes.  Uhura   
   isn't frightened in TAS (Lorelei Signal Flashback.... Chapel: What are   
   you doing?  Uhura: Taking command of this ship!).   
      
   I don't mind the Kzinti crossing over from some other fictional   
   universe since I don't know anything about it and so, to me, they're   
   simply another set of colorful aliens in this series that is full of   
   colorful aliens.  Making the telepath neurotic was a nice touch.  And   
   that's a nice Starfleet shuttlecraft design.   
      
   > Is this the only animated series episode in which characters are actually   
   killed?   
      
   Yes, but the Kzinti aren't given death scenes, they're vaporized in a   
   flash.  The other death, Spock's pet, I-Chaya, visibly suffered on-   
   screen.   
      
   Rik   
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