Fascinating? - A Star Trek Podcast

Amok Time was the first episode of Star Trek's second season to air, with Spock drawn back to his homeland by a primal urge. In this episode Gerry and Iain discuss situations where the best course of action is to convince a colleague they've killed your boss.

With Spock displaying increasingly erratic behaviour, Kirk ignores an order from Admiral Komack (Byron Morrow) to stay on mission and detours to Vulcan where Spock expects to be reunited with his betrothed, T'Pring (Arlene Martel), for a traditional ceremony.

Awed by the presence of T'Pau (Celia Lovsky), Kirk agrees to participate in a challenge when T'Pau rejects Spock for her lover Stonn (Lawrence Montaigne). The episode also sees the debut of Walter Koenig as Chekov.

Amok Time was directed by Joseph Pevney, the sixth of his fourteen Star Trek episodes. The writer was Theodore Sturgeon, his second and final episode for the show.

In this episode Gerry and Iain considered whether Plomeek soup could ever measure up to a bowl of chicken noodle.

The discussion continues in the comments below and please keep in touch with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where we're @trekpodcast.

You can listen to the show here on the website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pocket Casts, TuneIn, Stitcher, Google or wherever you find your podcasts.

Amok Time was released in 1967. It is 50 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on CBS All Access in the United states, Netflix in the UK and is available on DVD and Blu Ray in other countries, including a comprehensive remastered set of all three seasons released by Paramount Home Entertainment.

Operation -- Annihilate! was the twenty-ninth episode of Star Trek's debut season to air, with a colony under attack and a valued crew member in great distress. In this episode Gerry and Iain discuss family, friendship and medical malpractice.

After tracking a pattern of unexplained erratic behaviour across a sector of space, the Enterprise crew discover the affliction has reached a Federation colony where Kirk's brother Sam (William Shatner), his wife Aurelan (Joan Swift) and son Peter (Craig Huxley) live.

Spock becomes infected by the parasitic invaders and must fight overwhelming pain and his captain's better judgment to help Kirk and McCoy figure out a way to save the colonists - and save Spock himself.

Operation -- Annihilate! was directed by Herschel Daugherty, the first of his two Star Trek episodes. The writer was Steven Carabatsos, his second and final episode for the show.

In this episode Gerry and Iain considered whether flying alien jellyfish present a real and present danger.

The discussion continues in the comments below and please keep in touch with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where we're @trekpodcast.

You can listen to the show here on the website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pocket Casts, TuneIn, Stitcher, Google or wherever you find your podcasts.

Operation -- Annihilate! was released in 1967. It is 50 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on CBS All Access in the United states, Netflix in the UK and is available on DVD and Blu Ray in other countries, including a comprehensive remastered set of all three seasons released by Paramount Home Entertainment.

The City on the Edge of Forever was the twenty-eighth episode of Star Trek's debut season to air, with a love affair threatening to change history as we know it. In this episode Gerry and Iain discuss killers, assassins and murderers with a pinch of time-travel for good measure.

After an accidental overdose and a temporal anomaly combine to send McCoy into the past, Kirk and Spock must travel to Earth in the early 1930s to correct changes the Doctor has made to history before they occur.

Arriving in the midst of the Great Depression, the two men find sort from a local Mission, under the guidance of Edith Keeler (Joan Collins). Finding himself hopelessly attracted to his host, Kirk must make a terrible decision when Spock reveals that history turns on whether Keeler lives or dies.

The City on the Edge of Forever was directed by Joseph Pevney, the fifth of his fourteen Star Trek episodes. The writer was Harlan Ellison, a charismatic figure in his own right.

In this episode Gerry and Iain considered whether they could be happy with a flop, some work to do and two square meals a day.

The discussion continues in the comments below and please keep in touch with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where we're @trekpodcast.

You can listen to the show here on the website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pocket Casts, TuneIn, Stitcher, Google or wherever you find your podcasts.

The City on the Edge of Forever was released in 1967. It is 50 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on CBS All Access in the United states, Netflix in the UK and is available on DVD and Blu Ray in other countries, including a comprehensive remastered set of all three seasons released by Paramount Home Entertainment.

The Alternative Factor was the twenty-seventh episode of Star Trek's debut season to air, with a mysterious stranger locked in a struggle against his inverse self. In this episode Gerry and Iain discuss a quite magnificent beard.

After a massive and unprecedented phenomenon puts the rest of Starfleet into retreat, the Enterprise is left to investigate what is feared to be an invasion. At the focal point they discover a man named Lazarus (Robert Brown) on a mission to destroy his sworn enemy.

When the ship's dilithium crystals are stolen, Kirk pursues Lazarus to the planet below, looking to find answers to both the crystal theft and the apparent tear in the fabric of their universe.

The Alternative Factor was directed by Gerd Oswald, the second of his two Star Trek episodes. The writer was Don Ingalls, the first of two stories he contributed to the show.

In this episode Gerry and Iain considered whether they could get their alternate universe selves to sit through this episode for them.

The discussion continues in the comments below and please keep in touch with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where we're @trekpodcast.

You can listen to the show here on the website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pocket Casts, TuneIn, Stitcher, Google or wherever you find your podcasts.

The Alternative Factor was released in 1967. It is 50 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on CBS All Access in the United states, Netflix in the UK and is available on DVD and Blu Ray in other countries, including a comprehensive remastered set of all three seasons released by Paramount Home Entertainment.

Errand of Mercy was the twenty-sixth episode of Star Trek's debut season to air, with a seemingly primitive, pacifist race facing a Klingon occupation. In this episode Gerry and Iain discuss the relative merits or freedom and order.

As war breaks out between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, the Enterprise is sent to Organia, a strategically important world, in order to head off enemy endeavours to occupy the planet. There Kirk and Spock meet Ayelborne (John Abbott) and the Council of Elders, who urge them to leave immediately.

When Klingon forces led by Kor (John Colicos) arrive and seem to act as predicted, Kirk and Spock attempt to resist, but a final intervention from the Elders puts war beyond the capability of each side.

Errand of Mercy was directed by John Newland, his only Star Trek episode. The writer was again Gene Coon, the long-term producer for the show.

In this episode Gerry and Iain considered whether they beat the odds or had the game snatched away at the vital moment.

The discussion continues in the comments below and please keep in touch with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where we're @trekpodcast.

You can listen to the show here on the website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pocket Casts, TuneIn, Stitcher, Google or wherever you find your podcasts.

Errand of Mercy was released in 1967. It is 50 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on CBS All Access in the United states, Netflix in the UK and is available on DVD and Blu Ray in other countries, including a comprehensive remastered set of all three seasons released by Paramount Home Entertainment.

The Devil in the Dark was the twenty-fifth episode of Star Trek's debut season to air, with a mining community terrorised by a silicon-based lifeform. In this episode Gerry and Iain discuss the use of cement as a healing agent.

The Enterprise crew are sent to the mining colony on Janus VI to ascertain whether the problems that have seen production drop dramatically can be solved. Meeting Chief Vanderberg (Ken Lynch) they learn about the creature that is killing the miners, leaving nothing but charred remains.

Although initially concerned with just restoring the mine's production capacity, a face-to-face encounter with the creature, a Horta (Janos Prohaska), softens Kirk's stance and he and Spock are able to communicate with the creature while Lt Giotto (Barry Russo) holds back Appel (Brad Weston) and the rest of the miners, intent on revenge for their fallen colleagues.

The Devil in the Dark was directed by Joseph Pevney the fourth of his fourteen Star Trek episodes. The writer was Gene Coon, the long-term producer for the show.

In this episode Gerry and Iain considered improvised solutions to broken and antiquated mechanical devices.

The discussion continues in the comments below and please keep in touch with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where we're @trekpodcast.

You can listen to the show here on the website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pocket Casts, TuneIn, Stitcher, Google or wherever you find your podcasts.

The Devil in the Dark was released in 1967. It is 50 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on CBS All Access in the United states, Netflix in the UK and is available on DVD and Blu Ray in other countries, including a comprehensive remastered set of all three seasons released by Paramount Home Entertainment.

This Side of Paradise was the twenty-fourth episode of Star Trek's debut season to air, with a colony spared certain death by spores that also affect their mood and personality. In this episode Gerry and Iain discuss the best techniques for playfully dangling from trees.

Kirk and his crew are tasked with confirming the demise of a colony founded under bombardment from berthold rays, since discovered to be deadly to humans. On arrival they are shocked to find a well-maintained settlement and to be greeted by colony leader Elias Sandoval (Frank Overton).

Among the colonists is an old unrequited flame of Spock's, Leila Kalomi (Jill Ireland) who successfully recruits him to join the colony with the help of some unusual spores. Kirk must find a way to fight nature as more and more of his crew succumb to the spores and seek to abandon their posts to join the colony.

This Side of Paradise was directed by Ralph Senensky, the first of his seven Star Treks. The writer was Jerry Sohl, using the pseudonym Nathan Butler due to his dissatisfaction with changes made to his story by Dorothy Fontana.

In this episode Gerry and Iain considered mood altering substances and whether people have a right to their fantasies.

The discussion continues in the comments below and please keep in touch with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where we're @trekpodcast.

You can listen to the show here on the website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pocket Casts, TuneIn, Stitcher, Google or wherever you find your podcasts.

This Side of Paradise was released in 1967. It is 50 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on CBS All Access in the United states, Netflix in the UK and is available on DVD and Blu Ray in other countries, including a comprehensive remastered set of all three seasons released by Paramount Home Entertainment.

A Taste of Armageddon was the twenty-third episode of Star Trek's debut season to air, with a civilisation locked in perpetual war against its neighbour. In this episode Gerry and Iain discuss the merits of self-disintegration.

When the Enterprise is refused permission to approach the planet Eminiar VII, visiting Ambassador Robert Fox (Gene Lyons) overrules Kirk's instinct to comply and a deadly chain of events is set in motion.

Greeted on Eminiar's surface by Mea 3 (Barbara Babcock), Kirk and Spock are initially confused by reports of devastation and deaths incurred in an invisible war, before learning from the planet's leader Anan 7 (David Opatoshu) that the war is simulated, with casualties required to report for disintegration. Worse, the Enterprise has been considered destroyed, like a previous visiting starship, and all aboard are called on to surrender their lives.

A Taste of Armageddon was directed by Joseph Pevney, one of his record-tying fourteen Star Trek episodes. The writer was Robert Hamner with producer Gene Coon also working on the script.

In this episode Gerry and Iain considered whether war has any benefits.

The discussion continues in the comments below and please keep in touch with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where we're @trekpodcast.

You can listen to the show here on the website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pocket Casts, TuneIn, Stitcher, Google or wherever you find your podcasts.

A Taste of Armageddon was released in 1967. It is 50 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on CBS All Access in the United states, Netflix in the UK and is available on DVD and Blu Ray in other countries, including a comprehensive remastered set of all three seasons released by Paramount Home Entertainment.

Space Seed was the twenty-second episode of Star Trek's debut season to air, with an ancient Earth spacecraft delivering some surprising, if sleepy, guests. In this episode Gerry and Iain discuss the fine qualities of twentieth century men.

When the Enterprise comes across the SS Botany Bay, drifting in space, a landing party is surprised to find a number of humans on board in suspended animation. When one unit malfunctions a passenger wakes and is transported to the Enterprise for treatment. His name is Khan (Ricardo Montalban).

After Khan is assessed as a threat and confined to quarters, he is able to escape with the assistance of an infatuated Lt Marla McGivers (Madlyn Rhue) and resuscitate his crew, including Joaquin (Mark Tobin), in an effort to take the Enterprise.

Space Seed was directed by Marc Daniels, one of his record-tying fourteen Star Trek episodes. The initial writer was Carey Wilbur with producer Gene Coon also working on the script.

In this episode Gerry and Iain considered the history they didn't get taught in school.

The discussion continues in the comments below and please keep in touch with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where we're @trekpodcast.

You can listen to the show here on the website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pocket Casts, TuneIn, Stitcher, Google or wherever you find your podcasts.

Space Seed was released in 1967. It is 50 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on CBS All Access in the United states, Netflix in the UK and is available on DVD and Blu Ray in other countries, including a comprehensive remastered set of all three seasons released by Paramount Home Entertainment.

The Return of the Archons was the twenty-first episode of Star Trek's debut season to air, with a peaceful civilisation challenged by visitors from the Enterprise. In this episode Gerry and Iain discuss the body and the glory of Landru. Peace be with you brothers and sisters.

When Sulu returns from a scouting mission declaring the planet below a paradise and praising Landru, Kirk and a landing party are immediately dispatched to investigate further. Finding a society resembling something from Earth's history, they are shocked when friendly locals like Bilar (Ralph Maurer) and Tula (Brioni Farrell) suddenly turn savage.

Seeking refuge with Reger (Harry Townes) and Tamar (Jon Lormer), they soon draw the ire of Hacom (Morgan Farley) and the attention of Landru (Charles Macauley), who determines they must be absorbed into the 'body'. Evading enforcement teams of Lawgivers (Sid Haig, Walker Edmiston) they receive unexpected help from Marplon (Torin Thatcher) before leaving the emotionally incontinent Lt Lindstrom (Christopher Held) to oversee a root and branch reform of the planet's society.

The Return of the Archons was directed by Joseph Pevney, one of his record-equalling fourteen Star Trek episodes. The initial writer was Boris Sobelman, from a story idea by Gene Roddenberry.

In this episode Gerry and Iain considered who knows best about this sort of thing.

The discussion continues in the comments below and please keep in touch with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where we're @trekpodcast.

You can listen to the show here on the website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pocket Casts, TuneIn, Stitcher, Google or wherever you find your podcasts.

The Return of the Archons was released in 1967. It is 50 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on CBS All Access in the United states, Netflix in the UK and is available on DVD and Blu Ray in other countries, including a comprehensive remastered set of all three seasons released by Paramount Home Entertainment.