Summary: Want to play a game Jim?
This weekend’s TOS-R episode, "A Taste of Armageddon", is a classic cautionary Cold War tale about a society forgetting the horrors of war. Of course while Kirk takes it upon himself to change an entire culture, not even the Federation Ambassador mentions the Prime Directive. Then again Ambassador Fox himself was there as a futuristic Commodore Perry who was determined to open up the sector for the Federation whether they wanted it or not. The episode is also one of those where James Doohan’s Scotty gets to shine and deliver some of his best lines of the series, such as "Diplomats! The best diplomat I know is a fully activated phaser bank!"
CBS Digital actually had something to work with this week. There were quite a few establishing shots and they mixed it up quite a bit with some real beauty shots of the big E, including a rare nicely subtle shot from far behind the ship. And CBS-D’s Max Gable again knocked it out of the park with a beautiful new matte painting that seamlessly worked with the 40 year old live action footage.
NOTE: Remastered video and images below taken from the Standard Definition DVD side of the new Star Trek Season One box set.
SFX Video
SFX Screenshots
Remastered & Original
Assorted
I’m going to give em diplomacy if they like it or not
Believe or not…you wont have kissed me by the end of this episode
OMG it’s the WOPR
I told you this isn’t "War Games" that doesn’t come out for 16 years
My mind to your door
Disintegration Chambers…inspiration for the Roach Motel?
Scotty sticks his haggis in the fire
Order TOS-R Season One Box from Amazon – now $129.95
Star Trek: The Original Series – The Complete First Season [HD DVD] — $129.95
Looks Ok….
yesssss…
Ok, is it just me, or did some of the exterior shots look REALLY dark? But for the work that was done, it was good. I liked this earthlike planet. It’s been awhile I think since we’ve seen one, though I could be wrong. The new matte was really good; just about as good as anything seen in TNG era shows, or ENT.
I haven’t seen the original one of this episode in a long time, but I’m just asking the forum this: did anyone find the the switches/cut-ins from the crew in front of the matte to the live-action shots to be awkward, and vice-versa? If so, was it that way in the original? Or is my mind just incorrectly perceiving this?
I do wish they could have added disruptor beams, and a possible exterior shot of the Enterprise getting attacked.
Once again, is it just me, or did Spock hit the ambassador’s assistant and take that disruptor?
Don’t like the joke captions
What’s with the new video hosting? Wants me to register an account and download a special player?
No problems with the video here.
How many more beauty shot angles of the E can there be?
“My mind to your door”… good one :-)
That preview has some of the nicest “beauty” shots I’ve yet seen in the remastered episodes.
Can anyone tell me, have the remastered episodes yet shown the big E actually going to Warp?
One thing I’m curious about in the new movie is, will they use the TNG and later going-to-warp effect — i.e. some part of nacelles lights up, ship shoots to a vanishing point, leaving behind a faint blue afterglow? This effect was used in the prequel series Enterprise, so I think it’s likely to feature in the movie, and yet every instance of the Constitution class Enterprise to date, including the refit version in the first 6 movies, has always been shown with the older streaking/light smearing effect with a “whoosh” sound and no blue afterglow.
@6 Not in any of the first season episodes I’ve seen – there has been warp transition shots.
I like this episode. Ambassador Fox and his “assistant”–nice outfits by the way–were pains. I couldn’t stand him. I wanted Scotty to blast the cities with photon torpedos, but Fox stopped him, that bastard.
When I saw this as a kid, I thought he ( Fox) was Dr. McCoy’s brother.
I like the joke captions, they’re creative and funny. I really enjoy this site and the episode wrap ups–even if I am sick to death of Quintosaurus.I miss the reviews of the episodes . You did a great job on those.
Watching the video version above really beats it into you how they use that same musical theme whenever you see the Big E, doesn’t it? :)
Great effects.
Seeing the Enteprise that close hurts my eyes. j/k :)
#6 They are not going to do the now “traditional” warp streak. It’s not staying with the “basic original concept” of the SFX shot.
I also remember seeing a interview with Matt Jefferies on one of the movie sets that he tried to get a “play of power” coming out of the nacelles but was voted down every time.
As for what they are going to do in the new movie, well, we’ll just have to be patient now.
Ambassador;
“You mean we are to be killed?”
I’m not impressed by the matte. It looks more real than the original – but not real by any stretch. The TNG mattes were far superior.
And those two guys keep walking but never get anywhere….
Wow — that’s all four Barbara Babcock eps that I know of that Kirk doesn’t get any. Not that he’d want to Kirk Commander Lucern or Trelayne’s mom. (sp?)
#2
I think Fox’s assistant gets hit by a armnian disruptor.
Fox checks on him and ten just leaves him there to whatever end.
What a jerk!
My favorite line in this episode:
“Sir, you have a multi-legged creature crawling on your shoulder.”
….which is a more humorous variation of when Spock tricked the cop in City on the Edge of Forever.
And LOVE that Barbara Babcock. The voice of the BETA 5 and the meows and growls of Mr. Sevens cat, Trelane’s mother. Parmon’s evil wife and this whatever her name is this episode.
LOVE her. LOVE her. Always have.
They did a beautiful job on this episode. I, for one, am glad there are no handheld disruptor beams here since I’ve always interpreted this episode as using sonic disruptors rather than phase disruptors. The front of Eminiar’s guns could be some very rapidly vibrating plates to create the sonic disturbance.
What I did miss was seeing heat beams striking the Enterprise shields, which I think would have heightened the tension.
The darkness of the first shot should’ve been in all of the Big E shots it makes it seem more realistic and in line with Federation designs of later eras
I like how you can see the city lights from orbit. Their cities must be HUGE!
The Enterprise and the planet shots looked simply gorgeous in this episode. Overall, a really good episode. I wonder what would have happened if Kirk’s plan had backfired, and the Enterprise had to leave orbit from a completely nuked planet. Maybe Shatner could have said to Spock, “Oh well. You can’t win ’em all. But at least we got rid of those damned disintergration chambers.”
No more WMV downloads for the SFX video? Bummer. And I vote “yay” on the joke captions. They’re cute.
Forgot about Gary Seven’s cat. Kirk didn’t Kirk it either.
Scotty is a futuristic neocon!
Didn’t watch the episode yet, but what’s here looks fantastic. I know there have been some effects that are questionable, but CBSD has done an overall great job with the series.
They have some subtle effects in the opening shot. In deep space, away from a solar system, it would be darker than in orbit about a planet. But the actual star cluster was on the Enterprises approach. This is the one thing I like about the remastered SFX. They often mention things in voice over or on camera, but could never s how it.
Have you tasted Armageddon before? It tastes a lot like chicken, but it’s a lot more spicy.
I always assumed it was Teri Garr who did the Beta 5 computer voice!
Surprised to hear Babcock voived so many aliens in TOS. Even the Tholian Commander Loskene and Zetar in addition to those already mentioned.
It’s really nice to see these remasters now on HD-DVD, this was a well done one.
Aahh, some wonderful shots of a real Beauty! And Eminiar city looks particularly fine, too.
Very good episode with a fantastic Scotty.
„Aye, the haggis is in the fire for sure.“
Thanks for switching to another media host Anthony. Live Video locked up Firefox every time if I didn’t pause it right before the end. Nice looking work as usual by the CBS-D crewe.
#27 MWAHAHAHHAHA!!! Good one!
Notice how EVERYTHING tastes like chicken? It’s the universal taste!
love the joke captions.
if pegg doesn’t work out, let’s have dick cheney play scotty.
28
Love that Barbara Babcock
The matte was the highlight of the episode’s FX. Not much else to comment on.
Bring on The Ultimate Computer!
I am going through Trek remastered withdrawals. Since I got the HDDVD set I have seen the last 5 weeks episodes already. The next remastered Ep that is not a re-run is Day of the Dove in Early January. The next two weeks are re-runs. Oh well, there is still A LOT of great episodes coming in the next couple months. I can’t wait for: Ultimate Computer, Obsession, By any other Name and The Enterprise Incicdent among others.
This is one of those episodes where I think Shatner was really at his COOLEST. I love the way Kirk talks to the Ambassador at the beginning, and his early confusion over the war games. And later his showdown with Anan in his quarters, and the way he keeps playfully hinting at the destruction he’s about to unleash.
And then of course there’s that little moment when he motions Anan over to the door with his finger. Cracks me up every time. :D
Yup, Chris Pine DEFINITELY has some big shoes to fill.
I’m savoring watching my HDDVD version later.
What’s with the site today? On my one XP laptop all get are google ads. Page won’t load. Vista-based comp ok, ironically.
I guess the two guys in the background plate think they won’t get killed if they keep it up
First Time watching TOS-R in HD on cable. It looks awesome!!!! I read somewhere that only a handfull of stations are broadcasting these in HD, Pitty!
Well, it’s been 10 minutes since we heard from Quinto…..I’m having withdrawals……..what, nobody shoved a microphone in his face over the weekend?
I gottsta know!! :)
33
As a matter of fact while I’m talking about Barbara(s), I believe I love all the Barbaras that were on the show –
Barbara Babcock,
Barbara Luna (met her…no one can work a Star Trek convention like her. She should write a book. Man, she can work it!)
and HOT HOT HOT Barbara Bouchet who played a clueless Kelvan.
Barbara Babcock is Loskene? (goes to check …). Holy Crap!
This one was really well done. I mean the FX, not the taste.
I have to admit that I feel a little conflicted about buying season 2 after CBS’s a$$hat move with StarTrek.com.
Is that “conflicted” as in like how you feel when you hear that your mother-in-law just drove off a cliff………………in your new Mercedes? :)
Kind of like my sense of “I want my DVD’s” is getting over-ridden by my concience telling me that CBS’s corporate insensitivity doesn’t deserve to be rewarded with my money.
But, alas, I will probably get over it by March.
I like the joke captions myself.
Sorry about earlier. I just could’ve sworn that Spock hit the wrist of the ambassador’s assistant who somehow managed to have a disruptor and just took it from him before he got shot.
“I will probably get over it by March”
Yes, beware the buys of March!! Friends, Romans, countrymen….lend me your…..ah, forget it!
We’re not countrymen, Harry, but maybe you could lend me some money in March.
This is the episode where we first see weapons on this planet that are later recycled as the Klingon disruptors in Errand of Mercy.
^And speaking of those disruptors, does anyone know if any beam effects were added for this episode? In the original episode it’s just a sound effect, nothing more.