Star Trek – The Original Series, Vol. 31 – Episodes 61 & 62: Spock’s Brain/ Is There In Truth No Beauty?

9
Nov/09
5

Description
“Spock’s Brain,” Ep. 61 – A mysterious woman appears suddenly on the Enterprise, renders the crew unconscious and then disappears with Spock’s brain. “Is There in Truth No Beauty,” Ep. 62 – Kirk must deal with a possessive female telepath, a jealous engineer and an alien ambassador whose appearance drives men insane.

Star Trek – The Original Series, Vol. 31 – Episodes 61 & 62: Spock’s Brain/ Is There In Truth No Beauty?

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  1. David Slater
    4:28 am on November 9th, 2009

    I like Spock’s Brain. i dont care what others say! As for 2 shows on the DVD… thats almost 2 hours. At best you could put 4 shows … maybe with out losing image quality. You can’t put 8 hours without losing image quality. I also think the price is fair for 2 shows. the image quality could have been a little better, that’s why I gave it a 3 star rating. but the image quality is not to bad.
    Rating: 3 / 5

  2. Anonymous
    6:52 am on November 9th, 2009

    Although, not the best that came out of the TOS series, they do hold to the Star Trek anthem. There is a message / morale in each of these episodes. As for only having 2 episodes per CD….well if you really want a bargin wait until they come out in the blue laser disk. Otherwise, suck it up. They have to make money somehow.
    Rating: 3 / 5

  3. MagicSinglez
    7:47 am on November 9th, 2009

    Is There No Truth in Beauty: Gazing on the truth causes men to go insane?

    In ‘Spocks Brain’ an alien, Kara (Marj Dusay), beams aboard the Enterprise, knocks out the crew, and steals Spocks brain! The search is on for Spock, the search for his brain anyway, as McCoy keeps his body alive with electronics.

    Locating the alien’s planet the crew beam down to investigate. The crew are quickly captured, and imprisoned by ‘pain-belts’. All the men on the planet are imprisoned by ‘pain-belts’. Women who rule this society, need these belts to keep men in line. Why didn’t they think to bring along Uhuru… In fact, I think Uhuru does lead a team down for the rescue.

    His brain’s alive. They find and communicate with Spock – realizing his brain’s been taken by these aliens in order that it can run their society. For example, Spock senses he’s breathing, but he’s only activating environmental controls. These women aren’t very technologically advanced themselves. They’re only using technology left over from olden times and the crew manage to escape and free Spock. McCoy uses their advanced technology to set things right, and this society is returned to it’s ‘normal’ course.

    This episode is known for being bad, however, this episode has many great Star Trek themes: showing disembodied consciousness, technology that can vastly speed up learning, and primitives who have access to advanced technology (either technology from their own past or alien technology {in one Trek episode, Errand of Mercy, they come across the ‘Organians’ who appear to be very primitive, only to find out at the end, they are extremely advanced. Their leader saying, “While it’s true, in time, you and the Klingons will become fast-friends…” Spock observes, “I should think the Organians are as far above us on the evolutionary scale – as we are above the Amoeba”}). Of course, the pain-belts, being needed to control the men is unique to this episode…

    ‘Spocks Brain’ is known as being the worst Star Trek episode, it’s like the kid in class everyone picks on. Like the kid in class everyone picks on, is this one really that much different from the others?

    It’s no big deal to poke fun at this episode, I suppose it’s fun. Even the biggest fans sometimes enjoy making fun of this or that about Star Trek. Is it a good thing to make fun of oneself? Sometimes I wonder whether it is or not…

    Perhaps the criticism of this episode reveals more about the critic than it reveals about the episode. Perhaps, in the way bullying takes place in ‘The Mysterious Stranger’ by Mark Twain; kids pick on other kids because ultimately they are afraid of being picked on themselves.

    Lets laugh at ourselves and not be afraid of being made fun of? Or, lets protect ourselves and others, and show real sympathy towards someone who is being made fun of? We all love to laugh. Why is it no one ever cries?
    Rating: 4 / 5

  4. Golden Lion
    9:23 am on November 9th, 2009

    The Enterprise encounters a space of advanced technology design capable of ionic propulsion, a technology that does not exist in the federation. Life scan readings indicate a humanoid reading aboard the alien ship. A mysterious woman appears on the bridge of the Enterprise and the crew is awed by her beauty, but before anyone react she activates a paralyzing device on her left arm. The woman performs brain surgery removing Spock’s brain, a feat McCoy does not think medically possible. Kirk receives a report from McCoy that Spock’s brain is gone, all the nerve end and vessels sealed and no bleeding, and he has managed to keep Spock’s body functioning by life support. Kirk wants to know how long life support will keep Spock’s body alive; McCoy indicates Spock’s body will die in 24 hours; McCoy tells Kirk that even if they can find Spock’s brain, he does not possess the medical skills to restore the brain. Kirk goes in search of Spock’s brain. The Enterprise crew follow the ion travel to the Sigma Draconian System where the ion trail ends; Kirk learns from a Chekov report that three class M planets exist in the system that can support life; Chekov reports high energy readings from planet #6, in regular energy intervals, but Chekov argues that is impossible considering the level of technology the planet possesses, saying, “it just does make sense”. Kirk and an away team beam down onto the surface of the planet; they get life sign readings of a hostile giant group of male species and prepare for a fight; Kirk manages to stun , one of the males; the man tells Kirk that they are no like the “others”, the givers of pain or pain and delight; Kirk is convinced that the woman, who took Spock’s brain was here on the planet; after wandering around, the team discovers a cave with food and supplies; Kirk releases that the cave is a trap and designed to trap the male species; Scottie gets an energy reading from underneath the surface of the planet and the reading indicates an energy source putting out the power of a nuclear pile that would extend a 100 miles; Scottie deduces that it must be ionic power that is creating the energy signature. The team takes the bait and its transported downward and when the doors open a woman called Luma is waiting for them; Kirk stuns her with phaser fire; the woman has the mind of a child but the team learns about the controller and apparently when Kirk stands next of robotic controlled Spock, he can hear the voice of Spock through is communicator; Spocks brain is controlling the life systems of a female control society and will provide functionality for 10,000 years, a high prices to pay for immorality; Spock’s brain is housed in a black box and light ray optical channels pass light signals in and out of the black box; Spock’s brain is controlling the ventilation, waste disposal, heating, and food production processes of the artificial environment. Kirk finds the mystery woman but she refuses to use the knowledge of the “teacher” to return Spock’s brain to his body and tells Kirk, “I will not betray my people”. McCoy wants to take the risk of using the teacher to learn how to connect Spock’s brain; McCoy learns from the teacher and it becomes obvious how to reconnect the brain and McCoy exclaims that even a child could perform the delicate operation; the knowledge from the teacher only lasts three hours; McCoy begins reconnect the brain using laser sealing device; Scottie reveals the McCoy is moving a warp speed through the operation techniques; the knowledge begins to fade and Kirk tells McCoy to reconnect Spock vocal processing neurons; Spock successful assists McCoy through the remainder of the operation, as McCoy is forced to use his medical knowledge to complete the operation. Kirk learns that the women and men, at one time lived together, but a glacial age spread over the surface of the planet. An ancient and power people create a world under the surface of the planet and sent the women there to live; Kirk proposes without the controller the men and women will control together on the surface. Spock begins to explain the history of the planet verbosely and McCoy says, “I should have never reconnected his mouth”.

    Brains and machines is an advancing topic in robotics, today. Silicon can be connected to neuron endings. In one classical experiment a monkey learned that he could control a mouse device for a food reward with his thoughts through an mechanical electrical connection to its brain which feed electrical signals too computer through a neuron and silcon device implant in the brain; later, the monkey later learned to use his mind/computer to control a robotic arm; and even more amazing the device was extended to a human and he could used his mind through robotic aparatus to control a robotic arm with his thoughts.
    Rating: 5 / 5

  5. Rosemary Fitzgerald
    12:14 pm on November 9th, 2009

    I had purchased this as a gift for a friend who enjoyed it

    very much. Thank you for your help in tracking it down.
    Rating: 5 / 5

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