Home
Creators
Search Recent Random
Posts
Search DMs Popular Hash Lookup Tags Random
Importer
Import FAQ
Register Favorites Keys Review DMs Logout
Community
Telegram ThePornDude
Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

Star Trek: The Original Series - "City on the Edge of Forever" Full Reaction! (Patreon)

Published:
2024-01-12 18:00:05
Edited:
2024-09-03 04:58:42
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Watch along with your own copy of the episode by syncing up with me!

Files

Star Trek: The Original Series - "City on the Edge of Forever" Full Reaction!

Comments

Greg

First off, Bunny, I don't THINK I've mentioned this episode by name myself, though you may have seen my Top 10 list of original series episodes for me, back before you had decided to do this watch project. If I did accidentally mention this one, though, I'm sorry, and I'm also sorry some people are making comments that would impact your ability to watch and enjoy. It's been amazing watching you react for the first time to a show and a franchise that I dearly love, and seeing things with fresh eyes from you really helps breathe some new life and perspective into something I've seen numerous times. With that said, if I DID gush about this episode, it's with good reason. :) This is my favorite episode of the series, for sure. There's so many great things about it, and I know I'm not alone -- this episode is constantly rated by fans and critics alike as being one of, if not THE best, episode of the original show. Joan Collins was a huge coup to get as a guest star for this episode -- while many well known and experienced people had guest spots on the show, Joan was the most famous during this time period and everyone was really impressed with how well she did her work on set. She does indeed do a great job here, and as you pointed out, some great chemistry with Edith and Kirk here. Which makes what happens to her -- what HAS to happen to her -- even more tragic. As a history major, I'm aware of the 'decision point' theory in historical circles -- that one minor event somewhere in time can have a huge impact on what happens after, and also leads to a bunch of 'what if' situations. That said, I'm not totally sure that Edith's pacifist movement would have led to this outcome. It wouldn't have changed Japan bombing Pearl Harbor and the United States getting involved in the war, nor would it have changed Hitler declaring war on the US a few days later. There's also serious debate -- and a ton of doubt -- if Germany nuclear bomb program ever could have born fruit. However, I still love the premise as it makes for a great episode and how much one person can make as a difference in the world, when so many of us feel powerless in our day to day lives. This episode really had no RIGHT to be as good as it was, as it went through a LONG painful and troublesome development period. I highly suggest you read the Wikipedia article on this episode, as it goes into a lot more detail about this. You'll come away even more impressed, I think. Your reaction at the end to Edith's death was great and emotional, and helped to drive home what Spock always said, that 'the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few'. Edith was right about peace, but not at that time, as World War 2 had to happen to rid the Earth of the evil of the Nazi's and save millions of people. Concerning the homeless guy -- yes, he accidently turned on the Kill setting for McCoy's Type 1 phaser (that's the smaller kind, the type you usually see is the more powerful Type 2.) And the weapon was dissolved along with him. We saw it also in Wrath of Khan, when the Captain of the Reliant committed suicide. Congrats on making it almost to the end of Season 1! If you have time, would love to hear your thoughts afterwards on what your favorite and not so favorite episodes from this season was. Finally -- the show was fined (I think $5000?) for having Kirk use the word 'hell' at the end of the episode. The writer and director REALLY wanted him to say that to drive home how Kirk was feeling right then and pushed for it, knowing they would get punished for it. It's kind of like how the studio was fined for having Clark Gable say 'damn' at the end of Gone With The Wind. Nowadays. I don't think anyone even considers those swears. LOL

YungAtHart

So well written and performed. This one hits hard. Now that you have watched it, IMHO one of the best episodes in all of TOS. Really enjoyed your reaction Bunny.

Lee

Adding to what Gregory said previously, I hope you have the chance at some point to read Harlan Ellison's original script for this episode. It had to be drastically rewritten to fit the format of the show, and this led to decades of acrimony between Ellison and the entire Star Trek writing staff. And one correction to Gregory's post: the vagrant overloaded the phaser, which is why it disintegrated him. Not unlike the phaser that was left in Kirk's quarters in "The Conscience of the King" that was meant to kill him. Both weapons had a rising tone indicating the imminent danger. Edited to add: your reactions to these classic Star Trek episodes have all been terrific, but this one was especially enjoyable. Seeing you go through the moments of humor as Kirk and Spock navigate their way through Depression-era New York and the joy of their reunion with McCoy, followed shortly thereafter with Kirk restraining McCoy from saving Edith and the horror of that moment... not to mention your always-sharp focus on the story and theories about what is happening and how it will resolve. All of this makes for one great reaction channel, easily among the best. Thanks for taking this journey and letting us accompany you, Bunny!

Dave Riley

I have enjoyed re-watching each episode with you. I have seen this episode countless times going all the way back to its first airing on NBC Thursday April 6, 1967, 8:30p ET - BUT - after many reactions and opinions expressed in so many discussions in the last 56 years, yours is the first to use the term "talking butthole." I thank you for that, bringing a new unique observation, that also gave me a little chuckle!

SuicuneSol

I had a feeling this was the problematic one due to comments. There is a plot hole or two, but they're generally ignored. The chief one for me is the man with the milk vaporizing himself. It's possible that the man simply wasn't important enough that his death would change the timeline, but even small things like eating the last pickle in a jar or standing in a ticket line could cause a domino effect that wasn't there before. I like to think that, in some parallel universe, this episode got a part 2 that dealt with the ramifications of that. Congratulations on finishing Season 1. (As I expect you have by now.)

Carlos Stevens

Ahhhhh, I've been waiting for this one. This is the 4th time travel episode in TOS. Probably the best episode in TOS. I heard this episode won an Emmy Award, but I couldn't find any corroboration for this on the Internet. Oh, and Bones is a Doctor, not a Boxer, but he'll sure hypo you to death.

Lee

The first (and, to date, only) Star Trek series to win a "major' Emmy award doesn't happen until the animated series! (I won't name it here because I don't want to spoil it for Bunny if she happens to react to the animated episodes.) Harlan Ellison won a Writers Guild Award for his "City" script (although there is some contention as to which version he submitted for consideration) and the episode won the 1968 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.

bunnytails

Wow, thank you so much, Lee! I'll try to keep it up!

bunnytails

Thank you! yes, I have finished! :)

Anthony & Meg (Screenplayhouse)

I had to pause for a moment and realize my wife and I have been mourning the death of Edith Keeler for about 50 years. This episode is a lot to take in. Even Kirk had to get 'the hell' out of it. The words LET ME HELP are needed in this world more than ever.

Mark Chrisco

It also won an award as the best episodic presentation in the 66-67 broadcast season. The general consensus, the original Ellison script is superior to the episode, however, the filmed version is better STAR TREK. I tend to agree.

Anthony & Meg (Screenplayhouse)

Regarding, "Let's get the hell out of here," even as a boy of 11 this did not offend me. It did not vent 'excess' emotion in an immature way. It instead revealed his precise emotion, of being let down once again by the life and death decisions required by his job. This is Pike's frustration with the job -- and now Kirk is as displeased.

Anthony & Meg (Screenplayhouse)

The vagrant vaporizing himself never struck me as a plot hole. Perhaps a cop or Doctor or almost anyone else would give your angle more life, but the choice of a 'wino' cleverly addresses this concern. Not to mention it also removes that phaser from existence. There was an awkward part of the plot that was almost painful for me this time, simply because it could have been so easily fixed. The problem was how could Kirk and Spock go back in time and land where McCoy landed before he got there and stop him from breaking their timeline. The answer from Spock -- "Gee, maybe time is like a river..." -- was reaching. IMO the solution resides within the Guardian. The Guardian could have offered to replay that series of history and cue them when to jump, indicating that 'roughly' speaking they'll appear in the same general area around the same time. I know it's fun to think, WOW, McCoy could be anywhere at any time, but that's just too statistically impossible for them to even bother trying. For being dropped somewhere near at somewhat the right time is hard enough. Now that I'm writing these thoughts down, Spock's home made PC that shows newspapers is a little outlandish as well. I wonder if the Guardian could have advised them to find the damaged spot in time... which would show two realities... that only they could see. Picture Kirk hand in hand with Edith, only to find a blurry blinking area of the street, where she's been clearly killed in an accident. Only he can see this, Edith sees nothing. Kirk later brings Spock there, and they see Edith speaking with the President. In this way they could have had the two realities, Kirk would have known exactly what he had to do -- and McCoy could have appeared. (Don't mind me, I'm just trying to clean things up a bit.)

Anthony & Meg (Screenplayhouse)

Watching these episodes with Bunny makes me see them as new again -- and this time I swear they edited out TWO kisses between Kirk and Edith. Like you could see him or them start and CUT! Did anybody else see this?

Preaching to the Horse's Mouth

So I was gonna write some giant paragraph about what a huge episode this is in the STUniverse, a personal favourite of mine, was number 1 on (I think it was) TV Guide's top 50 list of best ST episodes, reportedly William Shatner's favourite episode, how well acted it was by both him and the the legendary Joan Collins as Edith Keeler, etc etc and now all I can think of is "Talking Butthole." 😆 Seriously though, top level shit right here. Tier 1 episode for me and, I suspect, for a lot of other folks for all the reasons I and others have mentioned. Obviously this one is all about Kirk and Keeler's relationship and rightly so, but I'll leave you with one of the lines that strikes me the most in this one: Spock: Interesting. And where would you estimate we belong, Miss Keeler? EK: You? At his side, as if you've always been there and always will. Right in the feels, man. If that doesn't describe Kirk and Spock's friendship I don't know what does 💕 Wonderful reaction as always, B, see you in the next one.

Chas Summers

Considered by many to be the best episode. Very cinematic.

William Terry

I didn't notice that happened but I will probably watch it again so I will remember to be on the lookout. Was it just me or did Joan Collins lose her shoe when she fell down the stairs?

Anthony & Meg (Screenplayhouse)

The first one is when Kirk and Edith are walking hand in hand in NYC and he points out the star where the author of LET ME HELP comes from. The very moment of the 'kiss' they instead show a bridge. Later, when Kirk walks Edith up the stairs to her door, she says he sees the same things she does. He confirms with 'the very same' and you can absolutely see Kirk close in for 'another' kiss -- -- but instead we see a crazed McCoy grabbing the wino. Both scene were posted by someone else here -- https://youtu.be/j9kIf8vaM6w These are cinematically 'implied' kisses, meaning they don't mind suggesting an imminent kiss but were afraid to show them. This is.. rather interesting. 1. Perhaps Joan Collins didn't want to be kissed by Shatner or any actor, which means they were forced to imply it. If this isn't true -- 2. -- one might argue that younger viewers would have gone all ICKK at these kisses. But that makes no sense because TOS is a smoochfest. And so, if you ask me -- 3. -- that means there IS long lost (?) footage of them kissing! Not only once but TWICE! That the director or editor or SOMEBODY decided either wasn't convincing, was too convincing (get a room!) or somehow robbed the proceedings of a more quaint time and feeling.

John DiGiantomasso

As an "amateur historian" I've thought about the Pearl Harbor situation that you raise for years. And I came to the conclusion that a committed pacifist would have raised holy Hell about the oil embargo on Japan, and pointed out that the only workable response for Japan was war. Remember Keelee was meeting with FDR in 1936! So cancel the Embargo, let Japan overrun the Dutch East Indies and conquer all of China. Hitler takes out the UK. Japan occupies India and Australia, then moves to invade the USSR from the east while the pacifist US stays isolationist. Axis holds all Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa... the Western Hemusphere would be overrun last. Possible, at least in the sense that "anything is possible."

John DiGiantomasso

As an "amateur historian" I've thought about the Pearl Harbor situation that you raise for years. And I came to the conclusion that a committed pacifist would have raised holy Hell about the oil embargo on Japan, and pointed out that the only workable response for Japan was war. Remember Keelee was meeting with FDR in 1936! So cancel the Embargo, let Japan overrun the Dutch East Indies and conquer all of China. Hitler takes out the UK. Japan occupies India and Australia, then moves to invade the USSR from the east while the pacifist US stays isolationist. Axis holds all Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa... the Western Hemusphere would be overrun last. Possible, at least in the sense that "anything is possible."

John DiGiantomasso

Bunny - great reaction, as always. Yeah, this one hits hard - just like Miramanee (that one always got me...) The author here was Harlan Ellison, a super-prominent scifi writer in the 60s and one of my mom's favorite authors. Some of his stuff gets pretty dark. One of his best titles is "I have no Mouth and I Must Scream." Yikes!

TJ

This was a truly amazing and memorable episode! IMO this was one of William Shatner's best ever performances, and you touched on the reason why. As viewers we got very invested in his romance with Edith, yet there is a greater good that must prevail otherwise tens of millions will die who didn't die before. It's downright tragic... If you ever get the chance, read the backstory on how the script was written; quite the controversy.

Philip

Haven't seen too many of your TOS reactions yet, Bunny. But, yes, that is a rare TOS episode that had a very sad ending. So your emotional reaction is understandable. Since you've seen them all (TOS) now I don't have to worry about any spoilers as far as TOS is concerned. But thinking back how "Space Seed" ended and was later used for the plot for "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan", the concept of "City..." could certainly have been made into a movie as well. Starfleet kept the death penalty on the books for anyone visiting Talos IV ("The Menagerie"). So imagine if the Romulans or Klingons had discovered the Guardian and decided to send a force to wipe out humanity in 100 BC or something. A sort of "Rome, Sweet, Rome" moment (meaning Prufrock451's script that Warner Brothers bought) only instead of U.S. Marines it's Romulans or Klingons going back in time with Kirk's Enterprise crew trying to stop them.

Philip

I don't think FDR would have had a difficult time at all convincing Edith on SUPPORTING an oil embargo against Japan. "Now let me see if I understand you, young lady. You want America to continue to supply Japan with oil for their war machine so they can butcher, rape and murder millions of innocent Chinese civilians? You don't think that would make us an accomplice?" Newspaper accounts were already pretty bad. But seeing the official intelligence reports would have turned her stomach. Where she WOULD make the difference is in the peace movement defeating the vote for the draft, increased naval funding and the general overall U.S. military build-up. By mid 1941 Japan sees America as weak and goes through with their invasion of British and Dutch territories in Indonesia, but does NOT attack Pearl Harbor or the Philippines. That could be what then delays the U.S. entry into World War II, delays or stops funding for the Manhattan Project and gives time for Nazi Germany to build the atomic bomb first.