Series: Star Trek (The Original Series)
Episode: 3.18 The Lights of Zetar (01-31-1969)
Rating: 5/5
Redshirt Status: 0/6/55
Notable Guest Stars:
Jan Shutan – Lt. Mira Romaine. She appeared on many television shows, including Room 222
WARNING: This episode contains flashing lights.
Review:
This episode begins with Kirk doing a Captain’s log, but I am guessing it switches to his personal log because I can’t imagine him waxing poetic about Scotty falling in love to something meant for the Starfleet Admirals.
Sulu’s commentary about Scotty’s feelings was a little uncalled for as Scotty has already expressed that his admiration for her brains. And other then the episode where he goes gaga for the stage dancer (whose intelligence I did not determine so perhaps she is not an exception) he goes for brainy girls. Unfortunately for Scotty it never turns out well for him, considering his last interest got him charged with murder and the one before that fell in love with a ancient god.
Memory Alpha hails and everyone has some paralaysis in some aspect or another. Lt. Romaine ends up passing out, Sulu can’t talk, Chekov can’t move his eyes and Uhura can’t move his hands. Once the hail is over things return to normal.
I do want to know how a Lt. has managed to get so far in her career without any deep space travel expirance. I’ve been given the impression that those in the academy are taken out on training missions.
Memory Alpha has been irreparably damaged by whatever hit the ship. It has destroyed the core, meaning much information was lost. I wonder if this will affect TNG and later shows with their information of this period or if the computer was rebuilt from other sources.
Mira has the ability to see the future now because of eye fireworks (not my favorite effect). I’m not particularly happy that Scotty seems so dismissive of it, especially given what he has seen over the years. The idea of people suddenly have increased ESP abilities was a subject of a previous episode.
They decide to use a gravity chamber (last seen in Space Seed) to force the aliens that are slowly taking over Mira to leave her.
This episode was very good overall, with good performances by many of the characters. Jan Shutan did an excellent job. The main actors also did a good job, as this episode managed to incorporate several of the characters skill sets and interactions.
Interesting Notes:
- Directed by Herb Kenwith
- Written by Jeremy Tarcher & Shari Lewis
- Shari Lewis was the creator of Lamp Chomp, a children’s program from my childhood.
Pros:
- Memory Alpha! The Star Trek fan driven Wikipedia is named after the station in this episode.
- This episode has some Kirk mannerisms that remind me of Chris Pine’s Kirk in the Kelvin timeline.
- Jan Shutan did an excellent job, and its too bad that the series ended when it did. It would have been interesting to have her return.
- According to Memory Alpha, the character of Lt. Mira Romaine was mentioned in a cut scene as having dinner with Scotty in the Kelvin Timeline.
Cons:
- One of their more awkward effects.
Sokorra Lewis 