Series: Star Trek (The Original Series)
Episode: 2.07 Catspaw (10-27-67)
Rating: 4/5
Redshirt Status: 1/14/37
Notable Guest Stars:
Antoinette Bower – Sylvia. She was part of the cast of the 1983 miniseries The Thorn Birds
Theo Marcuse- Korob. He often guest starred on television shows as villains,including Man From U.N.C.L.E
Review:
This was actually a pretty good episode, although a bit gimmicky. We have an alien race investigating the galaxy on behalf of the ‘Old Ones’. When the Enterprise stumbles upon them they create an illusion from their subconscious minds that appears like a haunted house. Kirk and Spock must fight mind control to find out how to beat the aliens at their own game and get their crew back.
The sets and costuming in this episode are one of their best. The acting done by the whole cast was also great. The only real question I have is how does Spock know about wizards and their familiars yet not about trick-or-treating and Halloween?
Its a perfect episode for a halloween marathon, even having illusions to various horror stories and plays like Hamlet.
Interesting Notes:
- Directed by Joseph Pevney
- Written by Robert Bloch (known for writing the novel Psycho (1959))
- This is based on a short story Bloch wrote in 1957 called Broomstick Ride
- First episode filmed with Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov, although the airing was delayed to coincide with Halloween.
Pros:
- Costumes and set design were really good. It didn’t have that Styrofoam look they sometimes have. Probably an issue with showing it in HD
Cons:
- The whole Sylvia going after the captain. Although interestingly enough they do confirm he wasn’t actually feeling anything for her.
Sokorra Lewis 