|
Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 26, Episodes 51 & 52: Return to Tomorrow/ Patterns of Force | 
 enlarge | Actors: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Deforest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan
Studio: CBS Paramount International Television
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $4.79
You Save: $15.20 (76%)
New (21) Used (17) from $3.10
Avg. Customer Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 79682
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 100
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.6
ISBN: 0792173600
UPC: 097366002649
EAN: 9780792173601
ASIN: B00005BCK7
Theatrical Release Date: September 8, 1966
Release Date: June 19, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new, factory sealed, in our warehouse, and ships right now.
|
| Similar Items:
| • | Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 27, Episodes 53 & 54: The Ultimate Computer/ The Omega Glory | | • | Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 25, Episodes 49 & 50; A Piece of the Action/ By Any Other Name | | • | Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 24, Episodes 47 & 48: Obsession/ The Immunity Syndrome | | • | Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 23, Episodes 45 & 46: A Private Little War/ The Gamesters of Triskelion | | • | Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 29, Episodes 57 & 58: Elaan of Troyius/ The Paradise Syndrome |
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Description
"Return to Tomorrow," Ep. 51 - Kirk, Spock, and Dr. Ann Marshall allow noncorporeal beings to inhabit their bodies so that these aliens can prepare androids for themselves. But one entity secretly plans to remain in Spock's body. "Patterns of Force," Ep. 52 - On a routine check of planet Ekos, nuclear missles are fired at the U.S.S. Enterprise. Kirk and Spock investigate and find the planet is controlled by latter-day Nazis.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 Not Must Haves...but still TREK June 19, 2008
I realize this is a forum for product reviews and not for people to argue with each other, but the comments made by Mr. Drake motivated me to do just that.
To be blunt, Mr. Drake misses the whole point of the episode he is reviewing. "Patterns of Force", while certainly a flawed episode in the TREK canon, is not an attempt to "trivialize evil", but an earnest attempt to ask why ORDINARY people get behind fanatic, extremist movements. (That was the stated intention of the writers, who revealed as much in 1975 book, THE WORLD OF STAR TREK, by David Gerrold.) The question posed by the episode is: "How could such a radical group of bloodthirsty adventurers convince millions of normal men and women that they should be entrusted with absolute power?" And the answer - which Mr. Drake and people of like-mind seem to spend a fantastical amount of time training themselves not to face - is: "Because people who are powerless and desperate will line up behind any cause that promises them stability, influence and a convenient scapegoat for their lot in life." Simply boxing the Nazis in the category of "evil" and asserting that is is the end of the story is a cop-out which lets humanity off the hook for producing them in the first place. Under their stagy uniforms they were ordinary men, not demons, and people who refuse to face that fact are treading on very dangerous ground. Kudos to the writers for not being intimidated by those - like the modern day German government - who want to make this or that aspect of history unassailable out of "respect" for the dead. The best way we can respect them is not to emulate their fate.
Now, for the reviews proper:
"Patterns of Force" (also known as "Prime Directive, What's That?") is a bit of a clunker, hobbled by a stilted script, heavy-handed moralizing and more WW2-cliches than you can shake a Luger at, but it remains entertaining nonetheless. The story finds Kirk and Spock unravelling the mystery of how earth Nazism established itself whole and breathing on a primitive planet called Ecos. Natch, one of Kirk's old Academy friends is responsible, which makes me wonder at the sheer number of future criminals JTK palled around with in his youth. In any case, it's up to Kirk and Spock to - once again - undo the damage the Federation has done on a primitive planet. (One of the intriguing questions left unanswered by this tale is whether or not the Nazi system on Ecos actually survived in some more moderate form after Kirk left, or whether there was a civil war between hard-liners of the Malikon stripe and the moderates represented by Eneg and Darus).
"Return to Tomorrow" is another half-decent episode, weakened somewhat by its overused premise of body-swapping. One could argue that Kirk and Spock should have expected that beings rendered incaporeal for 500,000 years would enjoy having flesh-and-blood bodies to romp in and not want to give them up. The episode is notable mainly for a humorously villainous performace by Leonard Nimoy as possessed-Spock, for the appearance of perennial Trek performer Dianna Muldaur, Jimmy Doohan's voice acting as Sagon, and for some histrionic acting by William Shatner. In Bill's defense, I wonder how many people who mock him as a ham could have pulled off some of the stuff he was asked to do as Kirk. It is easy, for example, to ridicule his delivery of the speech at the end of "The Omega Glory" but all he can do is chew the lines he was given.
The fact is neither "Patterns of Force" not "Return to Tomorrow" are very good, but as with most TREK episodes from the first two seasons they have enough enjoyable moments to merit a place in the collection.
A Revival! December 9, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
After a major slump in episode quality which lasted the previous few episodes, we get a major quality improvement here with this volume which for those of you who are picking which volumes to collect, this would fall under the "nice-to-have but not essential" category. In "Return To Tomorrow", we get an alternative take on the origin of humanoid life in the galaxy. Now the "founding fathers" require human hosts temporarily while they produce android hosts for their "spiritual essences". What's bewildering is why these guys didn't think of this idea while they still had corporeal bodies but they had to wait half a million years for the Enterprise but I guess this is one of the reasons why this is the weaker of the two episodes here and is overall an average episode at best.
The second episode, "Patterns of Force" is the stronger episode here and shows why the Prime Directive is so emphatically expounded by the Federation when yet again well intentioned but misguided members of Starfleet institute plans that go horribly awry. We already know that the cell phone was inspired by the communicators but I also noticed in this episode at the beginning what appeared very much like a plasma tv set! I wonder if that was inspired by Trek as well!
To conclude, one good episode combined with an average one makes this a 4-star volume which is nice to have but not essential if you are picking volumes to collect.
The higher morality of the Prime Directive August 25, 2006
John Gill was observing and interacting in the planet system M34 Alpha System on the outer planet Zeon. John Gills speciality was "causes and motivations". Kirk has a particular fondness of Gills because Gills has his Academy instructor. As the Enterprise approached planet Zeon, they were attacked by a thermal nuclear weapon while on course to the planet. Kirk and Spock are implanted in the arm with a transponder and Kirk instructed Scotty to beam them out "No matter what happened".
A fugutive underground defector, Isak, whose cries catch the attention of Kirk and Spock and Isak warns Kirk and Spockthat the Ekosian soldiers are following in close in pursuit and too flee. Kirk and Spock are surprise to see that John Gill has brought Nazism to the Zeons and evaluated himself as Fuhrer. Kirk and Spock manage neutral two soldiers and acquire uniforms. Spock fails to properly salute a field marshal causing the field marshal too hesitate and ask for papers; whereupon, Spock produces papers but does not manage to escape suspicion; Spock and Kirk and tortured and interrogated but manage to remain quiet. The Chancellor to the party delays execution and gives Kirk and Spock a chance to escape. Spocks says, "I find there is an exhilaration in risk". Kirk extracts the embedded transponders and Spock builds a laser transponders device and uses the device too cuts the lock on the prison door.
Why do the Ekosians hate the Zeons? The war period had ended eons ago. Gills admired the Nazi system believing it too be an efficient society and disregarded its immoral and evil directives of force and cruelty. Gills believed the Zeons would not resist because they would favor avoid the risk of planet destruction. The Zeons instead resisted and fought for their freedom. Gill reason that the planet was fragmented and divided. Gill violated the prime directive making it unlawful for any federation personnel to interfere with the evolvement of alien civilizations. "Even historians fail to learn from history". Gill lose control to Melakon. Melakon uses a drug to control Gill and make ideological malicious and provoking speeches to the planet. Melakon decides to "play God" and creates a class war with the Zeons. There are Ekosian defectors that aid Kirk and Spock, such as the lovely, Daras. Spock provides a mind connection allow Kirk and Gill to communicate. Gill tells Kirk, he is sorry for interfering. Gill exposes the plot on planet TV. Melkaon kills Gills in a torrent of bullets. Isak shoots and kills Melkaon. The planet remains in an empty power vacuum and both races are left to determine their future, one of slavery and death or one of peace and prosperity, and hopefully higher Morality of Isak will prevail.
 Second season slump September 4, 2003
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
Return to Tomorrow-In this offbeat episode, aliens change venue from giant spheres to crewmember bodies. Most of this episode lacks the action feel of many of its neighbors; it has an operatic, schmaltzy feel more akin to Metamorphosis or several 3rd season shows. Yet, I actually feel the episode takes a turn for the worse when the plot takes several predictably threatening turns. The action and drama are turned up, but at the expense of some of the episode's uniqueness; it becomes just another Enterprise in danger episode. It might not have been so bad to have the occasional feel-good show in which an interaction with aliens was synergistic from the get go. Tidbit: This episode must beat out Spectre of the Gun for the `longest teaser' award. Doohan, as was so often the case, played the voice of Sargon here. Muldaur would reappear in the superior Is There in Truth No Beauty?, as well as on The Next Generation. (3 stars) Patterns of Force: The Nazi episode has to rank near the bottom of Trek offerings, if only because it is in such poor taste. What were they thinking? I'm tempted to give the episode at least some support for the fact that it has plenty of action, but after being reminded by other reviewers just have off-base Kirk's speech was (the one that seems to equate the Nazis with other holders of absolute power), I can't give the episode any extra props. There could be no better example than this episode of the dangers inherent in drifting too far away from the tenets the show was founded upon. At times it worked, like in A Piece of the Action, but you can almost watch things getting out of hand as the second season progressed. Bread and Circuses flirted with the line; Patterns of Force crossed way over it. (1.5 stars)
(Mostly) Benevolent Body-Snatchers and Goose-Steppers April 25, 2003
3 out of 8 found this review helpful
REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek Original Series DVD Volume 26: Return to Tomorrow / Patterns of Force RETURN TO TOMORROW PRELIMINARY BRIEFS: Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: Coping with human frailties; taking risks Milestone Moment: First appearance of Diana Muldaur on Star Trek, as Ann Mulhall. She would appear in a later episode of the original series ("Is There in Truth no Beauty?"), and spend the second season on NextGen as Dr. Crusher's replacement. Expendable Enterprise Crewmember (`Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: None REVIEW/COMMENTARY:
The rehashing of the aliens-who-take-human-form-and-start-acting-human-but-cannot-handle-it story (also covered in `By any Other Name' and `Requiem for Methuselah') doesn't exactly make this particular outing a paragon of originality. Fortunately, Shatner's exaggerated gestures and pantomimes during the scene where Sargon's consciousness takes over Kirk's body helps lighten things up quite a bit. I also loved the piping up of the Star Trek love theme when Kirk grabs his first glance at Ms. Mulhall. Man, the guy just ain't got no self-control at all, does he! It's like he's the Bill Clinton of Starfleet- well, except he has far better taste in women! Oh, and let's not forget his "risk is our business" spiel, which I consider to be THE most overdone bit of heavy-handed monologue in the whole series! Talk about driving your point home with a sledgehammer... PATTERNS OF FORCE PRELIMINARY BRIEFS: Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: Cultural contamination; the horrific result of a cause gone wrong; the folly of hatred REVIEW/COMMENTARY: All right my fellow Trekkies, let's go down our list:
A planet of 1930s-era mobsters (A Piece of the Action)- check. A planet populated by an American Indian tribe (`The Paradise Syndrome')- check. A world where Kirk and crew are forced to live-and perhaps die- in a western (`Spectre of the Gun')- check. A world where the Roman Empire survived and continued conquering all the way to the 20th century (`Bread and Circuses')- check. All right, looks like all of Earth's most significant historical periods have been exploited to their fullest extent by our gallant Enterprise stalwarts, and- what's that, you say? Nazi Germany? Well, um... wouldn't that be kind of touchy? Oh, we're NOT gonna go with the parallel-planet evolution/history theory gimmick to explain this one? Well, that's new, but how- oh, some ET-studying professor's gonna ignore the Prime Directive (can't blame Jimmers on THIS one!), and come up with the bright idea to unite and guide an alien society using a form of government that led to earth's most horrific conflict? Wow, what a GREAT idea! Why didn't I think of that? Fortunately (or in this instance not-as-unfortunately), Jimmers and everbody's fave `pointed-eared hobgoblin' manage to keep things from gettin' worse, as well as teach the TV audience a lesson in what results when you mess with another culture. Go team! My favorite moments in this particular eppie are the ones where Kirk and Spock are disguised in their Nazi military uniforms. Every time I see them in their fascist garb, flashes of the bumbling Colonel Klink and his incompetent sidekick Sgt. Schultz from `Hogan's Heroes' run through my mind! They just look so goofy in their getups, it's almost laughable (Kirk and Spock, that is). Adding to the hilarity, albeit unintentionally, is the ironic fact that William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy are Jewish! `Late
|
|
|
Powered by the Force.
|
|
|
Star Wars Gaming Blogs
Fun with Stormtroopers
"Only Imperial stormtroopers are so precise!" Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ep. IV.
"Excuse me, no they're not!" Gidrea Lightsky, SW Galaxies.
Time for me to review - Back to basics
I'm back to reviewing after I had a run in with Section 6 - no hard feelings by the way. Thus I'm moving back to basics and reviewing (which I hope doesn't run into the same issues)
Game Oddities
Well, games are fine. I love them. Beside playing them alot I also want to became a game developer once a day, but thats another story. Games makes fun even games with violent content, even when
Minis scenairo, Old Republic and Clone Wars series
Latest minis scenario plus a couple of comments on The Old Republic and Clone Wars.
Sith Assasin
Another idea for a game! (Basically Assassins Creed mixed with SW)
Could The Old Republic & Kotor 3 Exist Together?
I tackle the very interesting question and want to hear from readers about it!
ShaunCon XXIV now approaching
I'll be at ShaunCon XXIV this weekend, along with a few other Star Wars RPG freelancers.
Catching up...
Catching up on a few updates - more Clone Wars minis previews, more KOTOR Campaign Guide web enhancements.
KOTOR III Confirmed!
I hope this isn't old news...
Star Wars Battlefront II
I started writing the blog on the 1st so technically I started it while it was still the 3rd anniversary of the game. 
Star Wars: Massively made and Multiplayer Mayhem
Some thoughts on The Old Republic after a week of decompression.
3 CHEERS FOR SHAAK Ti
Shaak it is the most favoritable jedi between qui-gon jinn and Yoda, well in my opinion. Shaak ti has brought us so many things, and techincally started the rebellion. Shaak ti's death was neccesary for Ghent Starkiller to influence the rebellion. Shaak
|
|
|
|
|
| |
)
