"The Apple" Full Reaction! - Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2
Added 2024-03-22 18:00:07 +0000 UTCSync up with me using your own copy of the episode to follow along!
Comments
Nice reaction, Bunny! Best line of the episode after they learn sexual contact is forbidden, "Well, there goes Paradise." I don't know about this one. To me it is "Return of the Archons" on a tropical island paradise. Okay, no resistance movement or Lawgivers and "absorption." I guess snake heads are more convincing than lopsided-afro ancient dudes. But it's the same thing. Basically content people, stuck in time with no progress, going about their day-to-day while a computer protects and provides for them and keeps total control. Kirk shows up, says "that's not right" and destroys their super-computer and makes them struggle to survive. Change computers to spores and you have "This Side of Paradise." We better watch it or Kirk from the future might show up and say, "you people are making too little progress and are obsessed with your screens!" So then he blows up the internet and makes us go back to farming and insulting each other face-to-face. "See, Spock? I FIXED it. Now they can evolve normally!" It could happen...
John DiGiantomasso
2024-09-10 22:20:49 +0000 UTCThis one is so odd to me lol I feel such a disconnect between the real weighty, sociological issues they were dealing with on one hand and the simple silliness of the inhabitants on the other. I can forgive some of that for the time period, different ideas of what would make an exotic alien species etc. And I get that they kinda have to be that way for the story to work. But leaving all that aside I think I'd have enjoyed this one more if they'd just committed to it being either very serious and dramatic or silly and just-for-funsies. I want to like it, I can see that they're going for, but it has a real square pegs in round holes vibe that I just can't past. Enjoyable reaction of course though, B, and always interesting to see it through your eyes. Hyped for the next one, until then 🖖
Absolute0
2024-03-27 22:06:38 +0000 UTCSpock is right. Kirk TOTALLY ignored the Prime Directive. As for Kirk always following orders I call BS. He is ALWAYS ignoring orders. If a society is happy, LEAVE THEM THE FUCK ALONE! Criminals DO NOT FOLLOW LAWS! They introduced free will, sex etc. They also introduced jealousy, theft, killing, gluttony, fat people, starvation, std's etc, but they seemed to gloss over that... Agree they should keep the yeoman, but install a cold shower in Chekov's quarters. Well since I have lost all ability to be coherent, I 'm out. See ya!
Tony Silva
2024-03-27 00:15:28 +0000 UTCOkay, I've only watched to the part where Chekov says homosexuality was invented in Russia. I'm sold! 🤣 Can I share this in my Discord?
bunnytails
2024-03-24 05:05:23 +0000 UTCThere were a total of five redshirts in this episode if you include Yeoman Landon, and four of them die. Just keeping it real. 🖖
Lee
2024-03-23 18:08:56 +0000 UTCWhy would episodes (of anything) with biblical references be innately substandard? It’s lore, it’s literary, it’s mythic, it’s often archetypal. And none of that inherently works against story arc, character arc, conflict, etc.
Tom Occhipinti
2024-03-23 09:33:53 +0000 UTCOMG! 4 red shirts died in this episode....I so did not remember. I'm thinking this episode is responsible for the Red Shirt meme.
Carlos Stevens
2024-03-23 04:53:24 +0000 UTCNo Bunny he does not speak English. It's the Universal Translator (look back to the episode with Zephrim Cochran). You'll find out more about that soon. I've many things to say about it...but I do not want to give you spoilers
Carlos Stevens
2024-03-23 04:29:33 +0000 UTCspoke too soon Red Shirt Count 8. I had no idea so many red shirts died in this episode.
Carlos Stevens
2024-03-23 04:24:28 +0000 UTCOh dear God...Red Shirt Count 7
Carlos Stevens
2024-03-23 04:22:01 +0000 UTCRed Shirt Count...6 (I think...kinda lost track)
Carlos Stevens
2024-03-23 04:11:29 +0000 UTCI'd never really seen this episode before. I tend to think episodes with biblical references are substandard. But this was OK. I always laugh when they beat around the bush when it comes to love and sex. Very kid friendly. I would have liked a bit more backstory on Vaal and how it came to be. In a real life scenario, Kirk and co. would have stayed behind and researched it. Not just, "We just killed your God and Parent. Have a good life, I'm sure you'll figure things out from here."
SuicuneSol
2024-03-22 21:28:27 +0000 UTCOnce again Bunny that was a great deep dive and analysis on this episode. I always had liked this episode both for it's messages and for the nature of it being a rather different plot, but you have again given me even more to consider and think about. To talk about some of your points -- yes, the Prime Directive was still being 'cooked' as it was during this time -- so much of the original series was done on the fly, and there was no 'Star Trek Bible' that later shows would go by. But you were correct in how it was being used at this time. I feel that if Kirk's landing party and ship had NOT been in danger, they wouldn't have done anything. They would have filed the report and let Starfleet Command decide any further action to take on this planet. But I'd also argue that I feel Kirk did the right thing. We've already seen examples of a society controlled and run by a computer, and one thing that every culture needs, if not actual growth, is the CHANCE for growth. That is, they should decide 'are we happy with how things are now?' These people didn't even have that. They were free, but they had no freedom, if that makes sense. Spock pointed out that Kirk might get busted by Command for breaking the Prime Directive if they didn't agree with his decision, but I think he made the right one when his hand was forced. You also mention how attractive that a 'simple life' can look. We've seen examples of that as well already in the original series. Some people prefer to live a simpler, calmer life and thus move off world and make a colony somewhere, either eschewing technology or having it very limited. This is a idea that's further explored as well in later shows. But again, the people have the freedom to CHOOSE to do this. All Starfleet officers are required to not only get a full education at Starfleet Academy, which includes a little bit on everything -- similar to the gen ed's we're required to take at college before focusing on our degree courses -- but physical training as well. That includes self defense and hand to hand combat. It doesn't matter your rank or what you do in the fleet, you KNOW some, and your trained on this on a regular basis as well. This episode is a great example of seeing not just the people we usually see fighting do so, but other people such as Checkov and the Yoman as well. I always enjoy when an episode is both split between the ship and the ground, but also shows a wide range of characters, and this one did a great job with that. Finally, you never fail to crack me up. "I enjoy some cleavage as well!" LOL
Greg Polander
2024-03-22 20:25:59 +0000 UTCI'm not sure that would have helped -- Kirk and the party had to solve the problem on the ground. Kirk didn't really SAY that per say, but it's the same idea that's been done in several other episodes.
Greg Polander
2024-03-22 19:59:50 +0000 UTCBunny, yes, it was a very fun episode. This type of episode is ripe for a comedic take. Now that you’ve seen it, I can suggest a watch of the spoof, ala Mad Movie style, that my friends and I did with this episode back in the 80’s. We over dubbed the dialogue and inserted choice clips. We had a ton of fun with 2 tape decks and a microphone. So, if you like goofy humor and need a laugh, I can suggest it to you and anyone else. The Bad Apple -- https://youtu.be/y5T2Bnyxd8c?si=Zq48pKucUPOYQTI1
Mark Gosine
2024-03-22 19:11:39 +0000 UTCWhen they couldn’t beam up , why not try a shuttlecraft ?
Joseph Anthony
2024-03-22 18:54:21 +0000 UTC
