Thursday, February 4, 2010

'Cuse me while I touch the sky

Star Trek TOS - "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky"

Lovable, irascible Dr. McCoy comes down with a serious case of the Swine Trek Flu and doesn't have long to live. After the Enterprise stumbles upon the descendants of the Fabrini, a people with an eye-blinding fashion sense that could charitably be called "Space Plaid" (seriously, look at that first picture), McCoy falls in love with the resident priestess Natira and decides to live out the remainder of his life with the Technicolor Tribe on their planetoid Yo'Mama (or as they call it, Yonada).

If that wasn't enough drama for you, Yonada is headed on a collision course with a planet; it will impact and BLOWED UP GOOD in about a year. McCoy asks if ANYTHING else could possibly go worng, like, could he also be kicked in the ass and set on fire before he buys the farm?

In between arguing over who gets Bones's CD collection when he's gone (his Mel Tillis albums were required listening at Starfleet Medical Academy and Charm School), Kirk and Spock figure out that the planetoid has a super AI that controls its rocket engines. So after some getting zapped and tortured, they overload the computer with double-talk and what-not and get the big rock to alter course. NOW IT'S HEADED STRAIGHT FOR THE SUN! Just kidding.

McCoy is lucky the Febreze were very good at medicine as well as smelling spring fresh, so he gets his xenawarriorprincess disease ("xenopolycythemia" - I was close) cured and returns to the Enterprise. Kirk promises the Enterprise will return to Yo'Mama in a year so Dr. McCoy can visit with the new "Mrs. McCoy." And have that Fabrini honeymoon with her and her two hott younger sisters, as is Fabrini tradition.

Gotta respect tradition, knowwhutImean?

Like most third season episodes a lot of goofy stuff mixed in with some good stuff. The interplay between Kirk, Spock and McCoy is what makes this one watchable, especially Spock's treatment of the dying McCoy.

Too bad the Fabrini men's costumes are among the worst ever for the series. Natira's costume is a slinky little number that almost balances things out. Almost.

The Fabrinis have the coolest "doors" on the planet surface where the entire cylindrical covering lifts up. Totally impractical, but neat nevertheless.

Here's some wacky trivia for you: actress Katherine Woodville who played the pristess Natira was married to Patrick Macnee (of The Avengers fame) and Edward Albert (son of Eddie Albert of Green Acres). Not at the same time of course - Fabrini rules, you know.





Star Trek is Copyright 2010 and a Registered Trademark of CBS Studios, Inc. Campbell's Soup Copyright CSC Brands LP. Andy Warhol's original Campbell's Soup painting copyright its Respective Rights Holder. No infringement of any of these rights is implied with this parody/review.

1 comment:

  1. Laughing out loud at 1 in the morning! Waited until now to respond, though.

    Favorites:

    "The Febreze"

    "Mmmm...mmm...good" (although you spelled presence wrong)

    Giraffe

    Gorn (as always)

    The Oracle

    In fact, The Oracle cartoon is one of your best ever, conceptually. It should go in the SF Museum in Seattle - it's such a classic SF concept skewered so perfectly.

    -JS

    ReplyDelete