Review Detail

10.0 2 10
(Updated: August 02, 2021)
Overall rating
 
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
Firstly, I must say that I am absolutely delighted someone else has finally decided to fanedit an Original Trek episode!

My own edit - which Dwight Fry kindly references in his IFDB entry - stemmed from a poster's comments regarding Spock's uncharacteristic behaviour in this episode. Thus, this edit is quite an appropriate choice; removing rather than explaining the odd behaviour of our First Officer.

The cuts are 100% seamless and flawless that if you hadn't seen the episode before, you would not know anything was missing. I was particularly impressed with the first cut our good editor made - the 'feel' (to quote our Chief Engineer! ) is totally different - and for the better - in the Enterprise scenes of the episode. With all the a***hole dialogue gone, our Vulcan hero is in tune with his usual professional self.

Interestingly - and perhaps magnified by this edit - Scotty too, is quite out-of-character here. Gone is the calm, efficient senior officer, and instead we have an emotional, loud character in his place, who even raises his voice to shouting level. This is not the same officer who, whilst clearly tense, acted cool and professional a few weeks earlier in The Tholian Web, or indeed The Paradise Syndrome, when Spock was in command. Another character, perhaps, diluted in this episode.

As another reviewer said, this is not an edit for a TOS 'virgin', rather for the expert fan who would appreciate a subtle alteration of the "third season syndrome".

I am delighted the editor chose to utilise the original effects. I, myself, would love to do so in my edits; indeed I prefer them. Unfortunately I can only edit in DVD quality, and the best prints on DVD only have the TOS-R option. The Blu Ray discs thankfully have both effects. My only wish, is that given the original effects were used, the editor would have kept the original (and for me more favourable) title music, as the newer version felt a bit out of place.

The new title cards are stunning, and look incredibly authentic.

Despite my above comments, this is truly a perfect edit of an imperfect episode.

This will certainly be my 'go to' version of the episode! Well done! Please, please keep the TOS edits coming!!
Report this review Was this review helpful? 1 0

Comments