A Federation historian breaks the prime directive and uses The Third Reich as a model for a an alien society…what could go wrong?
Although much fun can be had with the ‘Space Nazis’ this episode is one of the best explorations of the Trek’s Prime Directive. The TOSR team don’t have much to do. There are some matte lines to possibly clean up and a couple of ship and planet shots. The only new element will be a V-2 Rocket.
Plus for your amusement (and by request) some Patterns of Farce….
Bonus video…some (almost real) Space Nazis
You vill en-JOY dis episode!!
So, any new changes expect in this ep? Or this a light effects ep?
im not big fan of this episode it has a season 2 pattern script to it and i dont think its was well written it dose have some fun bits but for me thats a about it. i dont know about anyone else but i cant stand tos or has even more tosr to me its star trek the following shows that followed fine but this set the stage
#3 steve
Eh?…
Interesting episode, but I agree with a previous poster a few threads back who wished that the uniforms had been given a DIFFERENT symbol design to the “swastika”, as it was only some of the “ideas” of a “The Third Reich” type society that the misguided “Historian” needed to try to replicate. Perhaps he wasn’t creative enough to come up with his own uniforms and designs…
By the way, I am only referring to my thoughts in the context of THIS STAR TREK EPISODE, and am NO WAY intending to infer or condone that I personally believe in ANY of “The Third Reich’s” ideas being acceptable in any manner or form! Whew, ya gotta really think about some things before you post on this site… :D
Ya don’t mess with the freakin’ prime directive, fer cryin’ out loud! John Gill was high on Saurian brandy! It’s just too bad Captain Tracy didn’t go after him with his phaser pack! Those damn Yangs! Whoops…wrong episode. Eeb plebnista.
I wonder if Morgan Woodward is retired from acting. Looking forward to his episodes. Just hope they don’t remaster Marianna Hill. What a babe.
Two Great Videos!
The First for Fun. The Community here asked for it and Got it. Thanks Anthony.
The Second I had not seen and found both Disturbing and Fascinating.
Nice work on the Kirk’s Heroes short.
Attention FishDS9 & steve623 (perhaps Steve Johnson & Josh T Kirk Esquire)
Plus WDKY-56 Lexington, Kentucky Viewers – –
1:00pm for our area today – – but NOT Next Weekend!!
Both NASCAR and FOX MLB will combine to bump “Shore Leave” off the schedule COMPLETELY!! As of this time TREK is not scheduled to be broadcast at ALL!!! Have yet to find out about the 4:00am Monday morning repeat slot.
Valora Noland as Daras (StarTrek.com misspells her last name “Norland”), “Patterns of Force” was her final appearance in TV. Her Last Film was “Up Your Teddy Bear” (1970) with fellow TREK Alumni Julie Newmar & Angelique Pettyjohn. In 1967 she appeared with John Wayne & Kirk Douglas in “The War Wagon” (as Kate Fletcher). However, I could not find out what has become of her since – – –
“Patterns of Force” is one of the “Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely” themed episodes – – not necessarily regarding Professor John Gill (David Brian), but the character of Melakon (Skip Homeier – aka Dr. Sevrin in “The Way to Eden”) for sure. The episode was famously filmed using the Paramount Lot Buildings and Offices (look for the “air conditioner” in the window). Military Students will note that the Nazi Uniforms used often do not match with the Rank spoken – – but of course this is Ekos, not Germany.
I didn’t like this episode very much, because I think it sanatizes what the Nazis did. Granted, for prime time TV, an in-depth look at Nazi Germany would be too graphic, but the three minute video about the real Nazis terrified me much more than the whole episode ever did.
#11 Crusade2267- “the three minute video about the real Nazis terrified me much more than the whole episode ever did.”
I want to second Crusade 2267’s statement. It was frightening.
Also, I forgot to add to #10 – “The War Wagon” also featured the Great Robert Walker, Jr. (Charles Evans from “Charlie X”). How could I forget. Now I’ll shut-up.
DeForest Kelly’s name is spelled wrong in the credits “DeForst”
GILL
Took lesson from Earth history.
KIRK
Why Nazi Germany? You studied history. You knew what the Nazis were.
GILL
Most efficient state … Earth ever knew.
This a fallacy on many levels. The Nazis had early success in the war, but that soon faded because of the all the inefficiencies. For instance, the genocide of the Jews diverted significant resources from the war (outside of being the most morally repugnant act in history). The massive building projects of no value to the country. Hitler’s management style of encouraging factions in the leadership and pitting them against one another. Evil yes, efficient hardly.
This episode might have stood out a little more if not for the other Earth themed planets — Gangsters, Romans, Greek Gods — that appeared in the Second Season.
SPOCK
Your uniform, Captain.
KIRK
It’s a shame yours isn’t as attractive. Gestapo, huh?
SPOCK
Quite correct. You should make a very convincing Nazi.
The look on Kirk’s face was priceless….
I think this space bomber documentary is just one of many nazi-super-weapon-stories … good enough for a creepy documentary evening … but far away from reality.
Maybe I should take it more humorous, but all this pseudo documentaries which try to make a better drama than an informative program are enervating.
#3 Steve-
In my opinion
TOS was the best of all the Star Treks ( although season three was pretty much a stinker). It was what it was for when it was produced and it spawned 41 years of sequels, one crappy prequel, not to mention 6 movies with all the original cast members. The actors payed their parts off of each other well and had a chemistry that none of the following shows had. The special effects for excellent for the time period and in some cases ground breaking. Even today there are shots that CBS-D can’t match.
I do find that most people who watched TOS while it originally aired or after it was canceled, in syndication before TNG, like TOS better than the rest of the shows.
Although TNG, DS9, et al were entertaining shows, they just didn’t have the same energy and excitement that was produced by TOS. I love watching TOS reruns where I channel surf over the other series reruns.
Of course, this is only my personal opinion.
Wow…great thread!!!
First, loved the Kirk’s Heros vid! Funny!!!
Second, I had no idea that the Nazis were planning a space bomber like that. Say what you will about the Nazis, but the Germans are very intelligent and inventive people. Without Germany, we would not have had Werner Von Braun or the technology to go to the moon. At least not in the timeframe that we did.
TTM
Thank goodness physical technology was 20-30 years behind the Nazi’s theoretical abilities or we might be living in a very different world right now. And ALL of Star Trek might have looked like this episode…
” … Julie Newmar & Angelique Pettyjohn”
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrowl! now that’s a nice combination!
thanks, as always, Greg, for keeping everybody on the same page. I’m pretty bummed about Shore Leave!
17,18 .The Nazis were on the cusp of delveloping a nuclear device and were perfecting the means to deliver it.Must be by the grace of God that this didn’t come about.Many of the scientists who were employed in the nazi war effort were hired by NASA for our own space program ( which is not to say these men were Nazis).I can’t help but shudder at the prospect of a nuclear Islamic facist group aquiring this power.
The Germans are responsible for any foray by man into space. Both we and the Commies captured as many German scientists as we could as the war was ending. Although the Commies got into space first , it was merited out that our German scientists (and American ambition) were better . After all we got Werner Von Braun who deserves a Star Trek Starship to be named after him. And the rest is / was history. There are numerous wonderful specials on the National Geographic channel (SpaceRace) and the history channel. Watch it it is both fasinating and scarry as hell. The Russian regard for human life was woeful. The German’s were closer to a space plane than anyone may have ever thought but they had abandoned their heavy water/ atomic ambitions by 1944 because they didn’t have the recources and felt a viable weapon was too many years away. Know your history little boys and girls it can be both fun and enlightening especially WWII history.
#20. I find something very odd about saying that it is by the grace of God that [the Germans didn’t develop the nuclear bomb. Do you think about what you write? What kind of a graceful God would allow tens of millions to perish in a war, and then suddenly “mercifully” prevent a few more million from dying? And what kind of a delusional person would thank him for it?
#17 True.
By the grace of God it didn’t happen that way. We would likely all be speaking German now had history taken a different course.
#22 Gah…hate to get into religious discourse, but I will just say this and be done: The Bible is replete with stories of man turning it’s back on God and bad things happening. It’s all about consequences.
The good thing is, evil did not triumph during WW2.
TTM
DOH!!! I mentioned #17 above when I mean to mention #20. My bad.
And yes, Islamism is a kind of Nazism. There was a documentary I saw on The History Channel that even showed a direct link.
Even this thread has more substance than the episode “Patterns of Force.” This is a Trek “almost” good episode. While “Bread and Circuses” did a good job of asking “what if?” regarding the Romans, this episode just takes in-stock uniforms and in-stock cliches and trots them in front of the cameras. Instead of showing realistic blood and consequences, we get poorly-written monologues to sub for a decade of unspeakable depravity. Oh, and we get Skip Homier’s “Gosh, being gut-shot sure do hurt” expression at the end. Some day, someone may do a space Nazi story that doesn’t stink. But, the problem always comes down to this: The Nazis did evil first and better. They’ve left tough jack-boots to fill.
I am watching the episode now – –
The planet Zeon has a ring around it as the Enterprise passes on its way to Ekos.
The missile attack is destroyed in a white flash and viewed from a behind the saucer section a POV which CBS Digital has used a lot lately.
Those looking for a New V2 Rocket Launch – – forget it. It’s edited out.
The Rubindium Crystal Beam is Redone for the Jailbreak.
#21 Lord Garth is correct. Space Race was very educational.
25:
Calling the Islamic faith a kind of Nazism is an insult to over a billion people. Be careful in what you post!
That said, the space bomber story has been around for a while and is quite frightening. Development and deploment of the plane would have bested anything the Allies had in terms of aircraft at the time. World War II could have ended very differently.
Meant to say “Development and deployment…”
Off to get some coffee!
Okay, enough with the political CRAP, let’s get back to the merits of the episode. Nobody has mentioned Patrick Horgan who played Chairman Eneg, probably because he didn’t have a big part. I saw him perform the lead in a Sherlock Holmes play back in the late 1970’s, and I’ll tell you, Mr. Horgan was brilliant in the role. Funny how some actors, who can be extremely talented in live stage performances, are often relegated to “bit” parts on television!
Episode has finished here – – at the end, CBS Digital does a Nice job on the planet Ekos and once more you can see Zeon with a Ring around it as the Enterprise departs.
For those interested, I highly recommend seeing ‘Space Race’ or simply browsing around the website (which has lots of images and short videos). I hope you find it enlightening.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/spacerace/?fs=www9.nationalgeographic.com#
The very modest changes this week were all improvements, but having not seen this show in a long time, I came to two conclusions – (1) the syndication cuts were really noticable, and (2) despite the iconic and memorable image or Kirk, Spock & McCoy dressed as Nazis, this really isn’t a very good show. The “Zeon”, “Issak” and “Abram” references are really hamfisted (as if the rest of the show is subtle) but that ending is incredibly pat ending begs all belief. “Thank you for saving us from our own horrible instincts. Now leave imediately so that we may make everything wonderful on our own.” Ummm … okay … well, if you insist and since we have just enough time for a freeze-frame laugh on the bridge before the show’s over …
and sorry for all those typos. i am duly embarrassed.
and # 28, there is a difference between what has been termed “Islamism” or “Islamic fascism” and the Islamic faith. Not the same, just as there is a difference between what has been termed “Zionism” and the Jewish faith.
#32 steve623 – “but that ending is incredibly pat ending begs all belief.”
It is fast isn’t it? Kinda like ‘we need 20 more minutes’ of show but don’t have it.
I’ll let you know Steve when I find out more about next weekend’s “Shore Leave” – – if anything. Yell if you hear first.
#22 Sceptic.I respect your opinon, but.I’m not delusional.It’s a common expression.Referring to the state of this fallen world where people have free will to do good or bad things until things come to completion.I don’t want to take this off on a tangent,though ,this is a Trek fan site
Nice job Anthony! The shot of him climbing out of the tunnel is my favorite, it’s so close to Clarey coming up from under the doghouse. Well done!
Yeah…not a very good episode. I like the second season sense of fun but that really turns this into a poor man’s Mission: Impossible episode; for me “Bread and Circuses” is the best “alternate Earth” episode–great writing, a great villain (plus a strong compromised officer in Merrick), strong character moments, and some terrific social commentary.
I didn’t think this episode was much of an “exploration of the Prime Directive” – it was really one of those “Don’t shave the cat, kids” morals.
IOW, what Gill was doing was – as Anthony notes – so self-evidently a bad idea that no appeal to any principle more innovative or complex than “don’t do dumb shit” is necessary in order for the story to be told exactly as it is.
^34 Jon,
There are certain people in the world with a bog, God-shaped hole in their soul. Ummm, excuse me, parietal lobe.
:-)
What I find most intersting about this story is that it predated the coining of the term “Holocaust” as applied to Jews in Germany by several years. As it was produced by men who actually fought the Second World War, it carries some amount of weight as they know better than Johnny-Come-Latelies who and what they were fighitng. There was no stigma associated with it, as is the case today, and it was a fit and proper subject for rational analysis of both good and bad elements. Just like any other historical event.
Contrast that with today when we are constantly told to walk on tippie-toe over Jewish, Moslem, whatever “minority” concern and yet the majority culture is held to the “Stiff Upper Lip” standard. This is somewhat ironically best illustrated by Scotty’s famous, “We’re big enough to take a few insults, laddy”. The English Empire is long gone but its descendants are still treated as inhuman objects fit only for ridicule. This is of course true for most of the combatant peoples of WW2.
Ironic, when you think of it. and a subject worthy of a science fiction treatment! Call it, “The Whipping Boy”.
(And before someone gets her panties all in a bunch, the term dates to the days of royalty when the heir apparent would have a “whipping boy” to take his punishment “in lieu”, it being illegal to harm the sovereign to be.)
The DASA (DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG) spaceplane, had it been built, would have been called the Sanger.
#38: As is customary for you, you’re repeating second-hand stuff that’s not true. The term “holocaust” was first used to describe Hitler’s attempted extermination of the European Jews during World War II itself; it was used increasingly widely after that, until whoever told you that it wasn’t coined until after the 1960s heard it and wrongly assumed that because they hadn’t encountered it before it was new.
I certainly agree with you that people who lived through events are better situated to comment accurately upon them than “Johnny-Come-Latelies” who only uncritically repeat fantasies they’ve been told by their elders. Since your railings against modernity so frequently fall into the second category – as your assertions about history do in this case – it’s to be hoped that you’ll bear this in mind from now on.
Seems like alot of folks here didn’t care much for this episode, but I’ve always liked it and found it’s premis quite disturbing and creepy.
Imagine a modern country today with a leader that is really no more than a “doped up” puppet, brought out of the closet once a week to make a speech for propaganda purposes! Maybe far fetched, but still plausable…
The sets and costumes in this episode looked great too. Maybe not the best TOS episode, but quite entertaining.
Mike :o
Dennis,you ‘re kinda splitting hairs.To my recollection.The general public didn’t start using the word”holocaust’to describe the atrocities in WW2 until late in the seventies perhaps due to media exposure that didn’t exist prior.I have no doubt some people called it” the holocaust “in certain circles beforehand but if you would have referrred to it simply as “The holocaust” in the 70’s most people wouldn’t understand the reference.They did alot of really heart rendering TV specials to increase public awareness back then.Now the word “holocaust” and those events are inseparable.
that video reminds me that im jealous of the hogans heroes dvds because they have the cbs into to them, i wish shows on dvd would have the original bumpers
“Imagine a modern country today with a leader that is really no more than a “doped up” puppet, brought out of the closet once a week to make a speech for propaganda purposes! ”
I don’t have to imagine, I remember the Reagan era….
Okay. Cheap shot but how can you resist a set up like that!
It was a cheap shot.No bearing in reality.Back to Trek.
I by no means stand by Wikipedia as an unimpeachable source… but… it indicates that common useage of The Holocaust to refer to the attempted genocide of the Jews in Europe began in the 1950’s. I think I agree with this estimate, since the descriptions of the Nazi death camps were so veiled in popular culture until the 1960’s. By the time of “Patterns of Force,” there were far more graphic depictions. But, there were many more sanitized versions as well. Mostly, you don’t get hit in the face with the bulldozers clearing cadaverous death camp victims and dumping them into mass graves… until much later. As far as prime time, in your face, can’t turn away… I’ll give that award to 1978’s ‘Holocaust’ on NBC. I joke about this episode looking like Hogan’s Heroes. Think how great an impact it might have had if they had dared to put some of that stock footage right in the middle of this trite dance. Wow. That would have been truly another important gem in the Trek crown.
#44 Actually Leonid Brezhnev would be a better analogy.
For those old enough to remember him, his last years as the Soviet Premier were very strange and bizarre. He was so old, sick and feeble that you rarely saw him except on tightly choreographed events. When you did he could barely walk and speak, and they used to put so much make up on the old man. He looked like the walking dead!
There was no way that old man was still running the Soviet Union! Like this Trek episode, it seemed like his handlers pumped him full of drugs a few times a year so he could make his public appearances and give the allusion that he was still in charge.
Maybe real life mimics Trek sometimes. Creepy!
Mike :o
#25 If the SHOE fits. And if you don’t like it, what do want to do about it? Hmm? I would tell you that to your face. The MODERN ACTIONS of a growing segment of Islam IS akin to Nazism. And the documentary (not produced by ME by the way) illustrated it clearly.
No one ever said ALL of Islam is akin to Nazism, but enough of it IS to put a bad taste in my mouth…and to put me on my guard with them. If they don’t like it, bring it!
And if you don’t like facts too bad for you. You’re welcome to try to change my mind. Flames and personal attacks won’t do that though. Only hardcore information facts and a change in behavior of Muslims worldwide can do that.
I won’t hold my breath for the change of behavior.
TTM
The Antipodal Bomber was an interesting idea, but certainly couldn’t have been built with the technology of the time. The materials science simply didn’t exist at the time to build it. Thermal control would have been a nightmare in the 1940s… starting with that 1,000 mph trip down the launch rail at sea level. The X-15, fifteen years later, was pretty close to the extreme edge of what a winged spaceplane could do at that time, and that was with 15 years more experience. X-15 only went to Mach 6.5 and did it at altitude where the air is very thin. Antipodal Bomber would have needed around Mach 20. The Shuttle needed all new technology for thermal control, and that was 30 years later. Those straight wings would have been a structural, aerodynamic, and thermal challenge (X-15 used small, thin wings, Shuttle used a delta wing to solve this problem.) Also, that rocket sled with dozens of V-2 rocket engines… what a plumbing nightmare! The Russians tried something like that with their N-1 superrocket in the late 1960s (20 years later with their own captured Germans helping) and failed miserably. All these are things the U.S. and Russia learned independently over the next 20-30 years of trial and error, using both captured German engineers and data, and a lot of home-grown technology. It is inconceivable that Nazi Germany could have done it in much less time.
No, Antipodal Bomber would not have worked, much less “changed the outcome of the war.”
Re: #33 – thanks for making sense out of that mess i wrote, Greg! lol