TV Reviews: Star Trek The Original Series Watch to Prep for Galaxy Quest

We've planned a long list of movies to show to the kids for the cultural or artistic relevance. Galaxy Quest is on that list though we've decided they need to watch some of the original Star Trek episodes to prepare for the viewing. Here's what we watched...

Balance of Terror, Season 1 Episode 14

This is often cited as the best of the original Star Trek episodes. The Enterprise is called to the border with Romulan space because several outposts have stopped responding. They arrive just as another outpost is being blasted by some weapon or ship they can't identify. The Enterprise crew is barely able to see an anomaly on their sensors. The Romulans have a ship equipped with a cloaking device and a powerful weapon. They are testing the limits of what they can get away with. Kirk and crew spend a lot of time doing the submarine warfare thing as they try to stealthily pursue the Romulan ship,.

In addition to the tense main plot, several subplots add to the excellence of this episode. First, the episode opens with Captain Kirk officiating at the marriage of two of his crew, though that is interrupted by the call from the outposts. The episode returns to the couple several times though the ending is quite tragic. Second, viewers see the Romulan commander, who is a war-weary veteran and personally does not want to go to war with the Federation. He is true to his duty, but has a very stoical outlook. Third, when the Enterprise crew see the Romulans for the first time (the original conflict was a hundred plus years before when they did not have ship-to-ship visuals), one of the bridge crew immediately suspects Spock, who has the same pointy ears and arched brows, of being a spy or colluding with the Romulans. So there's a whole racism subplot too. The lean narrative packs in all these elements to make a very satisfying episode on several fronts.

City on the Edge of Forever, Season 1 Episode 28

Another candidate for the best episode! The Enterprise is orbiting a planet that has a lot of spatial-temporal distortions coming off of it. The bridge is getting rocked back and forth, causing an injury to a minor character. Bones heals the guy with a wonder drug that's okay in small doses. Another distortion happens and Doctor McCoy accidentally injects himself with an overdose of the drug. It makes him totally paranoid and he runs out, eventually getting to the transporter room where he beams down to the planet. A team beams down to find him and discovers a large, ancient, sentient piece of technology that presents them with the whole of Earth history on a running display. The temporarily deranged McCoy shows up and jumps into the display, transporting him into the Earth's past. After that, Kirk and company discover that the Enterprise is gone and they are stranded. The technology explains that McCoy has changed the past.

Spock had been recording the Earth history so he and Kirk jump into a rerun of the timeline, hoping to undo whatever McCoy did. They wind up in 1930s New York City. They have a little trouble blending in until they are taken in by Edith Keeler (Joan Collins). Keeler runs a soup kitchen but has a lot of optimism about humanity's future. Kirk is smitten with her while Spock works on a gizmo to slow down the historical recording. Spock discovers that Edith was supposed to die in 1930 but somehow survived (probably McCoy), resulting in the United States delaying it entrance into World War II, allowing the Nazis to develop the A-bomb and win the war. Kirk struggles with her fate as they wait for McCoy to show up. He eventually does, winding up at Edith's soup kitchen where he recovers, unbeknownst to Kirk and Spock. Kirk is taking Edith on a date when McCoy comes out. Kirk races back across the street to reunite with his friend. Edith is slower in crossing and is killed by a truck when Kirk prevents McCoy from saving her.

The drama here is very melodramatic and presents a difficult moral problem. Naturally, Spock and Kirk want to restore the timeline but Kirk's growing affection for Edith makes it hard when the time comes to let her die. McCoy is very mad when Kirk stops him. Kirk is torn up inside. The drama is lightened by some well-placed humor. When Kirk and Spock first show up in the past, a cop finds them and is curious about Spock's pointy ears and such. Kirk makes up a ridiculous story about a mechanical rice picker. If you've seen the episode, you probably remember the line. The performances are very good by the whole cast. Such a satisfying episode!

Arena, Season 1 Episode 19

The Enterprise chases after an alien ship that was involved in an unprovoked attack on a Federation outpost. The pursuit leads them near a solar system where a powerful force stops both ships. The Metrons are a highly advanced race protecting that area. They take the captains of both ships and deliver them to an asteroid that has resources to kill each other. The Metrons order the captains to battle to the death, with the loser's ship being destroyed. Kirk fights the other captain, a Gorn, though they have a hard time coming up with anything other than sticks and stones. Kirk finally figures out how to make rudimentary gun powder, crafting a projectile weapon to take down the Gorn, who seems physically invulnerable to melee attacks by the smaller Kirk. After disabling the Gorn, Kirk decides to spare the Gorn, showing mercy. The Metrons are impressed and let them both go, expressing their hope that humans will evolve into better people in the future.

The show is infamous for the physical battles between Kirk and the Gorn. The choreography is slow and unconvincing. The Gorn costume looks pretty good when he's just standing there, but when the character talks or moves, and especially when he fights, it looks like a guy in rubber suit who can't quite see outside the suit. This episode could have benefited from a "less is more" attitude. But it still has its charm. The overpowered aliens manipulating weaker, more primitive Federation people is a bit of a trope for the show, especially with Kirk and company showing them up in one way or another. The episode is certainly entertaining and has an iconic villain. Speaking of iconic villains...

Space Seed, Season 1 Episode 24

The Enterprise discovers a derelict space ship from Earth's 1990s. Life forms on board have very strange readings. Kirk beams over with a few people including a historian, Lt. Marla McGivers (Madlyn Rhue). They discover the occupants are in suspended animation. The leader, Khan (Ricardo Montalban), is awakened first. He plays coy with Kirk and aggressive with McGivers, not admitting who he is or why they were sent out like that. 72 other people are in cryosleep on the ship. Soon enough, the Enterprise crew figure out that Khan was a genetically engineered, megalomaniacal leader in the Eugenics Wars of late 20th century Earth. The history records don't record his fate but clearly he was sent with a bunch of other genetically-enhanced people as a banishment. Khan tries to take over the Enterprise and fails. He succeeds in winning the heart of McGivers. The episode ends with Kirk banishing Khan and his shipmates to a planet in the Ceti Alpha system. McGivers joins them in exile and Kirk speculates what they might discover on the planet in a hundred years. 

Of course, Kirk only had to wait around less than 20 years to find out what happened as detailed in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. This episode presents a great villain well played by Montalban. He's devious and sinister, with a very creepy manipulation of McGivers who is fascinated by powerful men from the past and is willing to go along with Khan's schemes. The show provides lots of good drama and action, along with the lead in to the best of all Star Trek movies.

Amok Time, Season 2 Episode 1

Spock has been acting very unusually lately, drawing the notice of Kirk and McCoy. He's not eating and he is yelling at people. Yelling! This goes on for a bit with Spock being tight-lipped about his behavior. He finally requests leave to go to Vulcan. Kirk is willing to go without understanding why. Eventually Spock reveals in confidentiality to Kirk that he is in pon farr, the Vulcan time of mating. He must return to his wife on Vulcan and perform a ceremony or he will die. When they get there, he invites Kirk and McCoy as his friends. They see his woman, T'Pring, who is beautiful but also demands the challenge, a part of the ceremony where a champion fights Spock for her. Everyone expects it will be Stonn, the Vulcan she has been making eyes with. But she chooses Kirk, forcing the two friends into fighting. Vulcan's atmosphere is hotter and thinner than kirk is used to, so he has a hard time. McCoy volunteers to give Kirk a tri-ox compound to compensate. This helps a bit but Spock winds up killing Kirk. McCoy is shocked and beams back to the ship with Kirk's body while Spock, who has now regained his emotional equilibrium, sorts out the ceremony. He asks T'Pring why she chose Kirk. She did want Stonn, and any outcome of the battle with Kirk would put her with Stonn. Spock complements her logic and leaves her with Stonn. Back on the ship, he's ready to surrender himself to Federation authorities at the nearest starbase. Kirk sneaks up from behind and surprises Spock, who is uncharacteristically delighted. McCoy and Nurse Chapel are there, so he quickly recovers his composure. McCoy reveals that the injection was really a drug that faked death. 

I definitely wanted to watch this, but after some episodes so the contrast in Spock's character would be obvious. The episode has lots of good drama and an intriguing mystery. The happy ending is all the more delightful thanks to the heavy proceedings. The episode is also notable for introducing the Vulcan salute and their catchphrase, "Live long and prosper."

We intended to watch Mirror, Mirror and The Trouble with Tribbles but the opportunity to watch Galaxy Quest came up so we went ahead. We will still catch up with those episodes.

Book Review: Helena by Evelyn Waugh

Helena by Evelyn Waugh

This fictional biography of Constantine's mother leans into the fiction because, quite frankly, not many facts about her origins (and a lot of her life) have survived the years. This book starts with her as a daughter of a British chieftain. Constantius, the future father of Constantine, comes on a secret mission and is smitten with her and arranges to marry her right away. Helena is a tall red-head teenager who is getting a classical education but really enjoys riding horses and going hunting. She is whisked away into the life of the Roman army, leading eventually to Roman politics as Constantius is drawn closer to the imperial purple. They have Constantine but have little time together,. Politics dictates an arranged marriage with another woman that will put Constantius closer to the throne. Helena tries to live a quiet life at this point but gets pulled back into imperial circumstances when Constantine becomes emperor. She also discovers Christianity, converting in short order. She goes on pilgrimage to Jerusalem where she builds many churches and finds the True Cross.

Waugh creates an interesting character in Helena. She is educated but is more grounded in real world things than a lot of the intellectuals she comes in contact with. Her British educator believes in a pagan myth about the creation of the world. When she asks, "But when and where did it happen?" he demurs. Constantine is drawn into a Mason-like cult before becoming Christian. He tells her their explanation of creation and she has the same questions. By contrast, Christianity has Jerusalem and various historical sites and a lot more reality about it. Her conversion is shrouded in mystery but it is taken as genuine. Constantine still consults witches and other pagan sources even as he leads Christian prayer services and debates theology. He seems less authentically Christian. Her devotion takes her from Rome to Jerusalem.

The book provides a sweeping view of the Roman world. Waugh is good at describing the journeys and the hardships, both physical and political, the characters face. Helena is an ideal blend of dreamer and realist. At first, she admires Helen of Troy (a namesake, clearly) and wants to visit Troy and Rome as famous, and presumably glorious, cities. By the time she gets to the Holy Land in her old age, she admires the Magi who worshipped the infant Jesus. They too had spent a long life of wandering only to find the true faith toward the end. She is a fascinating character. 

The story jumps around a bit. While the first chapters detail her life in Britain and her first travels in Europe, creating the expectation of a lot of detail to come, the story skips over many intervening years. The focus shifts to Constantine and his wife Fausta for a few chapters, seemingly leaving Helena out of her own story. Her conversion is just accepted as a fact, with no detail about how she came to the Faith. I found the narrative left out some bits I wished were there. I wanted more, though I did enjoy it.

Mildly recommended.

Book Reviews: Seraph of the End Vols. 7 & 8 by T. Kagami et al.

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign Volume 7 story by Takaya Kagami and art by Yamato Yamamoto

Yuichiro's unit is ordered to the front lines of the war between vampires and humans. The plan is to eliminate a lot of vampire lords to deplete their ranks. But the unit's trip to Nagoya is both a bonding experience and a humbling one as they have to team up with more experienced and more disciplined vampire-fighting units. There's a fight between humans that's part-exercise and part-humiliation. Meanwhile, the vampires have their own problems with inter-factional rivalry. And Yuichiro's friend Mika is struggling with his desire for blood and his hope to free his friend from the clutches of the evil humans.

I thought the human-on-human fight was a little contrived and only served to fill out some space before the bigger action started at the end. The end does have a huge cliffhanger, since it's in the middle of the attempted take-down of the vampire lords.

Mildly recommended.

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign Volume 8 story by Takaya Kagami and art by Yamato Yamamoto

The battle to eliminate vampire lords in Nagoya rages on. After some successes and some failures, a group of humans has been captured and placed on crosses in front of Nagoya City Hall. Obviously that's a trap for the remaining vampire hunters, who have no choice but to take the bait and hope for the best. They have their own secret agenda, so maybe things will work out well?

The action is non-stop in the volume, with a few small revelations here and there. The fight is not over yet, so of course it's on to Volume 9!

Recommended.

Movie Review: Key Largo (1948)

Key Largo (1948) directed by John Huston

Drifter Frank McCloud (Humphrey Bogart) travels to Hotel Largo on the Florida Keys to visit the owner, James Temple (Lionel Barrymore). Temple is the father of George, one of McCloud's war buddies who died in Italy. George's widow Nora (Lauren Bacall) lives with Temple and helps to run the hotel. It's the summer, so no tourists are visiting with all the heat and bugs and such. But when McCloud arrives, some men are at the hotel, claiming it's closed and that they are staying there for a fishing trip. Their group includes one women, a former singer named Gaye Dawn (Claire Trevor). The leader of the group is upstairs in his room, only coming down at night. The guys are a bit rough on McCloud but once he explains he'll only be there for an hour or so, they let him see Temple. Temple and Nora have a heartfelt discussion about George, especially his death. They convince McCloud to stay overnight. Trouble brews as it becomes clear the men are mobsters there for a meet-up. Also, a hurricane comes in. Additionally, some local Native Americans show up at the hotel since they trust Temple. A couple of the boys broke out of jail and he counsels them to go back with the cops when they show up. That would be okay but the local deputy has words with the mobsters and gets knocked out by them. The mobsters want to keep things quiet till they've done their business, which means keeping everyone in line.

This noir classic has a bit of a convoluted plot. The Indian subplot's purpose seems solely to get the cops to the hotel. McCloud is a bit hard and a bit pessimistic, unwilling to fight the mobsters even when Temple, who is old and in a wheelchair, is itching to take down the head mobster, Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson). The singer is Rocco's former girlfriend, though now she is an alcoholic and more needy. These disparate elements come together to make some very dramatic moments and give McCloud some character arc. The cast is all around good. Huston's direction delivers the story well, giving it enough tension and excitement to stitch together the complicated group of characters. 

Recommended, especially for noir fans.

Hershey Park Summer 2026

Some friends gave us passes to go to Hershey Park. We went at the end of August, though our daughter was working so she did not come with us. It was the last big rush of summer (summer passes expired August 31), so it was fairly crowded.

The entrance

My son and I

All of us minus our daughter

Our first ride was the newly renamed Star-Spangled Laff Trakk. Normally it is called "Laff Trakk" but for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a lot of stuff in the park has been patriotized, if that is even a word.

An unassuming entrance

Where to get on the rie

The ride is an indoor coaster that whips back and forth. The car seats four, with two people facing forward and two backward. The car rotates at times on the track (or is it "trakk"?), switching who is in front. The ride has a bunch of fun house decorations and music (though there was some patriotic songs too).

Our next ride was Wild Mouse, a coaster that does a lot of whipping back and forth, much like Laff Trakk but outdoors. It looks milder than it actually is. Some of the turns are very tight and we felt like we might fall out. Of course, the restraints are good enough to prevent that, but still we experienced the thrill of danger. 

Entrance

A convoluted mouse trap

We walked over to the Comet but the line was over an hour long. We got some lunch at the Chik-fil-A in the park and decided to ride the Classic Cars, a favorite of my son. The line wasn't too bad and we parents rode in the back while he did the driving.

Entrance

On the highway

A happy driver

Unfortunately, I twisted my foot coming out of the ride. I hobbled over to the Kissing Tower, which is a 250-foot tower with an enclosed cabin. The narration provides a little history of the park. After we got off, I decided the foot was not good enough to keep going so we went to the first aid station in the park. They elevated my foot and did an examination. They didn't think anything was broken, maybe I hyperextended something. They gave me some ice, an aspirin, and a ride back to our car. The day ended early. Luckily my son wasn't upset. We headed home where the urgent care took an x-ray and saw a broken fifth metatarsal in my left foot. They gave me a walking boot and a referral for an orthopedist. Since it was Saturday, I waited till Monday to make an appointment to have it checked. I am still in the boot and slowly recovering.

Book Review: Ethics for Beginners by Peter Kreeft

Ethics for Beginners: Big Ideas from 32 Great Minds by Peter Kreeft

Following his usual humorous and direct style, Kreeft presents the ethical stances of almost three dozen people from the history of human thought, running from ancient Asia to modern America. Most summaries are two to five pages long, outlining the main idea of the thinker, giving some critical assessment, and finishing with a short bibliography for further reading on that thinker. His explanations are clear and cover the basics.

The book shines in its extra parts. The introduction is broken into nine introductions, describing the audience of the book (open-minded beginners and teachers using the book), the value of the topic, and the variety of opinions about the topic. The tone is light but serious, giving a good grounding for what comes afterward.

The book also has several appendices, providing study questions or essay prompts for each thinker. Kreeft also provides some writing and discussing advice--how to have a Socratic debate, how to write a Socratic dialogue, how to write a logical essay, and how to write a Summa article. His long experience as an academic is in play and makes the book a useful tool in an educational setting.

Highly recommended. Even if you are an expert in ethics, there's probably something new or useful for you here.

TV Review: Mob Psycho 100 (2016)

Mob Psycho 100 (2016) written by Hiroshi Seko based on the manga by One

Shigeo Kageyama is a regular middle school student except he has psychic powers. He keeps a low profile at school and the rest of his life, keep his powers in check and never using them against other people. Sometimes he might show off but he is more worried about than impressed with his own abilities. He goes to a psychic consultant named Reigen to get advice. Reigen's business is a sham--he pretends to be a psychic and solve supernatural cases, though he just tosses salt around most of the time. When he realizes Shigeo (who is nicknamed "Mob") has authentic powers and can banish evil spirits, he takes him on as an assistant so he can "teach" Mob how to control his powers. They start having odd adventures battling local disturbances and larger, more organized psychic problems. Meanwhile, Mob tries to fit in at school. He joins the body-building club to get more exercise and a more impressive physique. The jocks are amiable fellows devoted to working out and take him under their care. He's also in a telekinesis club, though they mostly play games and eat snacks. They don't initially know about Mob's powers. And, being a school student, he has a girl he's interested in but too shy to talk to.

The show is a great blend of action and comedy, with occasionally very serious bits. Mob is good-natured and tries to help out people, often trying to talk them out of doing bad things before using his powers. Some situations escalate out of control and he has to use his powers. He also sometimes escalates out of control, with his emotions hitting "100" and resulting in a power outburst. Most of the rest of the cast are good-natured and helpful. Normally, in a situation like this the jocks would be bullies/antagonists but they are on Mob's side. Reigen is comically fraudulent and does give good advice and guidance to Mob. Mob is able to turn around some of the bad guys, including an impish spirit called Dimple. I was surprised how charming and inventive the show is, though I am definitely a fan of oddball things.

Highly recommended.