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UNCUT REACTION - Star Trek The Original Series - Spock's Brain S3E1 (Patreon)

Published:
2023-01-28 01:18:15
Imported:
2026-06
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IT'S FINALLY HERE!

We are back to watching Star Trek The Original Series and this is our full uncut reaction to the Season 3 premiere - Spock's Brain

Thank you to everyone who was patient and stuck with us through our short break from Star Trek, you can now expect 2 reactions per week! 

ALSO - there will still be 1 more UNCUT Season 1 TOS reaction posted sometime this weekend, we just didn't want you to have to wait for this while we got that one ready. 

Thank you for being a Patron & enjoy!

Files

Previews only

Patreon UNCUT REACTION - Star Trek The Original Series - Spock's Brain S3E1

Comments

Rich Cirivilleri

Oh my God! BRAIN AND BRAIN WHAT IS BRAIN! I can’t wait! I’m gonna watch it right now! Later maybe I’ll tell the story about how James Doohan tore me a new one 150 years ago when I asked him why his hair looked so stupid in the third season.

Dale Gonyea

Welcome to Season Three you guys!!! What a welcome it is too! I will go out on a limb and say it doesn't too much worse than this episode! This episode has all the clichés of Star Trek. William Shatner's exaggerated reactions and vocabulary, Bones being as melodramatic as he will EVER BE! The absolute worst part is Spock being aware enough to assist McCoy with reconnecting his brain, which is where if you haven't jumped off just yet......you will! Just hang in there......there are a few more classic Trek gems to come! :)

Firekrys FWO

"I shouldn't have reconnected his mouth" Season 3, just sit back. You either will enjoy it, shrug or shake your head in disbelief or all three. Either way, it's an amusings nostalgic ride. And as always, I'll always appreciate your frank and honest assessment, even when you hate it.

Steven Johnson

I'm glad you guys switched to the original effects. I don't know yet if you plan to keep it that way, but I think it would be a good idea. Especially for that transition when you go to the first film you'll get to experience the effects bump that occurred. The CGI is... Fine. I honestly prefer watching TOS, or any vintage show, with the original effects. The big reason they redid the effects was because the effects footage was... I want to say 16mm. Versus the 35mm used for the main portions of the episode. That resulted in massive degradation of the effects shots on the original prints. A lot of people hype Spock's Brain up as "the worst" but I still hold that "And The Children Shall Lead" is the worst. Like truly miserable. Like The Alternative Factor. Like get this the **** over with... That's just my opinion, but seriously. Spock Brain is so campy. It's not an episode I revisit, personally, but I've never understood with some of the other absolutely BORING episodes in TOS that Spock's Brain gets so much flak. Definitely not Amok Time, though. Glad you guys are back onboard. I did want to share a video you guys might find interesting. Absolutely no spoilers here, but if you were curious about where the big E ended up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx5OwLkSaz4 She's been there for years, but around 2015 she got a complete restoration to her Original Series appearance, and all the electronics were modernized so that it can be run on display. It speaks to just how huge Star Trek impacted culture that The Starship Enterprise is at the Smithsonian. One of a precious few handful of fictional craft to have that honor. And yes, that is the same ship you're seeing in those original effects.

Bret Kay

Ohhh! I can't wait to watch this!

Ricky Johnson

I called it - season three will be Josh's favorite ;-) Seriously, I like this episode - not a top 20 but it's good. This episode, for some reason, is highly "memed". Season three just get's a bad rap because there are no spectacular episodes to make for the lesser episodes. Plenty of character development and you get some good Uhura and Chekov screen time. Many thoughtful episodes with more universe building via planet visitations - I think Josh was hoping for that. The next one should raise some eyebrows - can't wait to see your reaction.

Edweirdo

One of the biggest things I noticed about the remastered effects is that in the original versions, none of the planets have any clouds. Also, there are some opening scenes in the remastered versions that are 16x9 instead of the normal 4:3. It isn't in every episode, mostly in the 3rd season, but I noticed the first episode that does it is "Bread and Circuses".

Mark Chrisco

I think had Roddenberry any inkling of what his creation would soon become he would have been much more involved in the third season. Writer Lee Cronin was the pen name of Gene Coon, who wrote memorable episodes like Devil in the Dark, Arena and A Piece of the Action. A real comedown for him. Script changes led to him taking his name off the credits.That said, regarding the future, you ain't seen nothing yet...

Dion James Pitman
>>100567709

More seriously though, this episode was a lot better than I remembered. The scene with Kirk, Sulu, Uhura and Chekov working things out was top notch.

Chuck Rice

Wait... did you like this episode more than Balance of Terror?

tyranusfan

You've probably heard this sentiment elsewhere, but one advantage of watching the vintage effects is that you get to the see the Enterprise in her pure form. One of the most beautiful miniatures ever built for film/television. IMHO

Chuck Rice
>>100573563

I agree this episode gets more hate than it should, and I suppose, for those of who remember the days when there were 79 and only 79 Trek tales, Balance of Terror might have an outsized place in our hearts... but it was referenced in the most recent season of Trek filmed some 50 years later, it's a story about the wounds of war and the racism that can engender, that was recognizable to my father, who served in the Pacific theater of WWII. And you are basically putting it on par with "Brain and brain! What is brain?!?" Ok... rant over, I'm just confused lol.

Collin Freeman

Scotty's swept back hair is around for about 1/2 the 3rd season and then it changes again for the last half of the season. Lee Cronin was a pseudonym for Gene Coon, one of the producers from seasons 1 and 2. Besides being the least favorite episode of most of the die-hard fans, this was also Leonard Nimoy's least favorite.

Brad Barter

This has nothing to do with thisi episode or Star Trek in general but you guys should at some point check out the 1st season of 2 at least of Space: 1999 from the mid 1970s. It has some really good sci-fi stories as well as some awesome guest star appearances like Christopher Lee (Lord of the Rings, Bond and Star Wars), Peter Cushing (Star Wars) as well as thought provoking stories. The second season changed with the addition of Executive Producer Freddie Freiburger which in turn helped get it cancelled after season 2. He is known as a series killer with the changes he brought to both that show and Star Trek.

Brad Barter

The next few episodes are great TOS so am certain you guys will love them.

Prof Moff

I'm with you guys this NOT near the worst eps. That being said it is not near the best. I think it is an interesting concept. So it is okay and entertaining the first watch

Jonathan

Gene Coon was forced by a lawsuit settlement to provide three season 3 episodes, so he made them wacky hoping they would get trashed. Nimoy hated this episode and kept trying to get them to have the women make him 2 dimensional so they could use a cardboard cutout because he kept losing it and walking off. Marc Daniels quit after this episode. All that being said this isn’t my least favorite of the season. To me season 3 is 1/3 good 1/3 meh and 1/3 awful. Next episode is the one that was supposed to be the season premiere.

David Felgate

You can tell what season every episode belongs to by the opening credits. Seasons 1 and 2 have yellow text. DeForest Kelly (McCoy) has top billing in Season 2, but not in Season 1. Season 3 episode credits are blue instead of yellow.

David Felgate

I assume the red shirts of the security guards (and Scotty) were tucked in because of the wide belts they were wearing which their phasers were attached to. This provided ready access to their weapons.

Gary Leyh

Hey Guys! I'm so glad you're back with Star Trek and am especially glad you kept an open mind for this season. I've always enjoyed this episode, it's certainly not the best but (as you pointed out) it's sure not the worst! I'm very excited to watch your reaction to the next one!!!

Ken R

The problem with this episode is go back and watch your reaction to "City On The edge Of Forever" and how serious that was and how you were paying attention and really watching, and rewatch this reaction where you were not engaged to the point you were having whole conversations and cracking jokes, missing chunks of dialogue and yet missing the dialogue didn't matter a bit. This episode is pretty dumb, but not the worst. Next episode is very good.

Andreas Schmitt

I liked that you took a break. Better than burning yourself out. This way you go fresh into the final season and into the movies, possibly with more excitement. Also... I like some of the projects you started during the break. It's great that you experiment with other stuff and keep things fresh for yourselves. I think that's important. If you really want to work yourself through all the Star Trek shows (and don't get me wrong, I think you'll enjoy it a lot and it's worth doing), there's a risk you get burned out and your enjoyment may drop, not because what you watch is bad, but because you feel you HAVE to watch it. So if you want to take another break after each show or after each season or after the TOS movies to get a break before going into TNG or something... go ahead. Sure people will ask when it comes back, but.. Star Wars was the best when we had to wait for each new movie. I certainly don't want this to become the MCU where you have to shove out content just because until your reactions are no longer natural, because you're feeling overwhelmed.

Andreas Schmitt

As I wrote on YouTube already: I didn't understand why so many people warned you about this one. I always liked it. Regarding the plot: Spock at the end explains a bit more what actually happened on that planet, but it usually goes over the head of the audience, because they play a joke at the same time. But if you actually listen to Spock at the end, he clears a few things up. Regarding the Prime Directive: It was a thing very early on but it didn't really become the 100% strict rule you know until TNG. TOS was very loose with the prime directive. In regards to infantilizing women, I think you took that the wrong way. The point was that this entire civilization has the mind of children, the men on the surface included. When Scotty said "these women could never have created this" the emphasis was on "THESE women" not on "these WOMEN". After all we had a scene just before where Uhura and the bridge crew discuss things and Scotty respects Uhura a lot. So I don't think that was the intended tone of those dialog lines. After all the men on the planet definitely couldn't have created it either, and lets not forget that the teacher apparently picked the woman leader to be taught this knowledge when necessary and not one of the men. So if anything the episode hinted at women being easier to teach the necessary knowledge when necessary.

Target Audience
>>100573563

I think maybe it’s because people tend to think of our reaction and our discussion as our thoughts on the objective quality of the episode. It shouldn’t be taken that way. It’s just how we enjoyed it on a first watch. We can recognize what makes Balance of Terror considered a great episode and loved by many while also acknowledging it’s not the type of episode we personally enjoy. The experience of your father for example, is something that would impact his perspective on that episode and I’m sure yours as well, but would obviously not impact us considering when we watched the episode we weren’t thinking of your father’s experience since we do not know him.

Mark Chrisco
>>100579537

Frieberger fired most of the directors familiar with the series in favor of his own (more controllable) choices.

Carl Peterson

This one is so bad that it is good for a laugh. Th dialog between Kirk and Bones in the sick bay is priceless. This is not an episode I come back to regularly. I tend to watch more of the 3rd season nowadays because I have seen most of seasons 1-2 so often. Some of the 3rd season is fine but it is the weakest of the 3 season by far.

James H
>>100569202

Yes, I’ve heard the same thing about the effects, that they weren’t remade because they were bad, it was just the resolution they felt wouldn’t look as good in HD. Spock’s Brain is an especially good one for watching the original effects, since I understand in the remastered version they did the final crossfade too early to see Kirk grab the remote control and try to shut Spock up.

James H
>>100592387

In a way they’re like the Eloi and the Morlocks from The Time Machine, albeit with a different twist. The mental faculties of both groups have atrophied.

Deborah Osika

I remember watching this as a kid and I never liked this episode. Over the years I have become more forgiving but it is still too silly for me.

Deborah Osika

Speaking of silly....maybe you guys should check out Monty Python and the Holy Grail....or some of their TV episodes.

Timothy Nikiforovs

While this is in my bottom 10 for the series, it is rather overhyped as the worst of the worst. Miri remains my least favourite largely due to the questionable writing between Kirk and Miri. At least Miri had some story elements that were somewhat interesting. And The Children Shall Lead is probably objectively the worst all around episode, but didn't make me as uncomfortable as Miri. This one though, the story is kind of dumb, and it gets pretty silly at times, but it's not boring like some other episodes can be, the pacing keeps you engaged, the cast does a pretty good job, I like the scene on the bridge weighing their options, and the core concept isn't terrible. The stuff that is bad, is kind of "so bad it's good". Seeing your reaction, I'm convinced you're going to love a particular S1 DS9 episode a lot of people tend to call one of the shows worst episodes. At some point later in the franchise, there is a callback to "remote control Spock". And yeah, I'm noticing this time around it looks like Shatner hit the gym between seasons.