Rating: 
Summary: Aliens In Heat
Review: Two of Trek's best, with strong scripts, solid production and great guest stars."Who Mourns for Adonais?" finds the Enterprise meeting up with the last of mans' progenitors, the god Apollo, himself (Michael Forest). He halts the Enterprise with a giant energy-field hand, and insists its crew abandon their space voyage to spend the rest of eternity with him, picking posies and singing his praises. Kirk, of course, will have none of that (it's an alpha-male dominance thing), and Scotty gets his feathers riled when Apollo takes an amorous liking to comely Lieutenant Carolyn Palomas (Leslie Parrish), his own latest favorite. Unfortunately, the lovely lieutenant seems to like older men - several millennia older, you could say - and prefers Apollo's offer. Captain Kirk has to play on her loyalties to Starfleet - and the human race - to get her to distract Apollo long enough to overthrow him. Forest is perfect as Apollo, with a splendid physique and a regal but likeable manner. In fact, it's hard to fully understand Kirk's and the Enterprise crew's reluctance to retire and settle down with him. Especially so the lucky (unlucky?) lieutenant, whose emotional turmoil is heart-wrenchingly played by the consistently excellent Leslie Parrish. "Amok Time" is one of Trek's top ten episodes, no matter how you slice it, and deals with the mating urge of another race of aliens: the Vulcans. Do those stoic computers-on-legs ever really get it on? You bet they do, and the half-human self-control freak Spock has a more than usually difficult time subduing his passions when the seven-year biological mating cycle hits him. Kirk defies Starfleet orders to spirit Spock away to Vulcan in the middle of a mission, since a delay could literally cost Spock his life. Kirk and McCoy become the first humans ever to enter a Vulcan Temple - an impressively designed Egypto-Roman/Hebraic affair - and meet the regal Vulcan ruler, T'pau, and Spock's beautiful betrothed, T'pring, who turns out to be rather ruthless in her exercise of logic: she finagles a contest to the death between Spock and his best friend, Kirk, to further a hidden agenda of her own. In order to save Spock's life, will Kirk have to lose his own - at Spock's hands? A truly great episode, dramatic and suspenseful, with beautiful production design. Celia Lovsky magnificently embodies the stern and stoic T'pau, and the exotically beautiful Arline Martel portrays T'pring with a quiet air of ruthless menace and allure. There's a great blooper in this episode, if you watch close: Spock, at one point, snaps suddenly to attention from a reclining position against a wall on Vulcan - actor Leonard Nimoy was smoking a cigarette waiting for his scene to resume, and it came quicker than he expected. It's pretty funny - but the entire cast is so good, and the action so gripping, that you'd never see it if you didn't know specifically to look for it.
Rating:
Summary: A good duo of Star Trek episodes
Review: Vol. 17 isn't a bad volume. In "Who Mourns For Adonais?" a few crew members from the Enterprise meet the Greek God Apollo. They soon find out that Apollo isn't exactly one of the nicer of the famous Gods. Apollo demands right away that the Enterprise crew worship him, and he instantly falls in love with one of the women from the ship. Captain Kirk and the crew have to find a way to get off of Apollo's planet before he kills them. Anytime Apollo gets mad, he has lightning that he can use against anyone. "Who Mourns For Adonais?" isn't one of the most popular or one of the very best of Star Trek - The Original Series, but it is a good episode in its own way. It does have some of the best special effects of any of the episodes. "Amok Time" is considered by many to be one of the best episodes of Star Trek. Spock must go to planet Vulcan and answer his mating call that happens to Vulcans only once every 7 years. His mate on the planet then gets to choose somebody that Spock has to fight in order to get the chance to have her if she chooses. Believe it or not, Spock just might have to fight Captain James T. Kirk himself. "Amok Time" is one of the best all around episodes without a doubt. It has an interesting plot and it's real entertaining, especially when it gets close to the classic showdown. If you're a fan of Star Trek - The Original Series, I recommend getting Vol. 17, Episodes 33 & 34. It features one of the Enterprise crew's encounters with a famous historical figure and one of the best all-around episodes.
Rating:
Summary: A good duo of Star Trek episodes
Review: Vol. 17 isn't a bad volume. In "Who Mourns For Adonais?" a few crew members from the Enterprise meet the Greek God Apollo. They soon find out that Apollo isn't exactly one of the nicer of the famous Gods. Apollo demands right away that the Enterprise crew worship him, and he instantly falls in love with one of the women from the ship. Captain Kirk and the crew have to find a way to get off of Apollo's planet before he kills them. Anytime Apollo gets mad, he has lightning that he can use against anyone. "Who Mourns For Adonais?" isn't one of the most popular or one of the very best of Star Trek - The Original Series, but it is a good episode in its own way. It does have some of the best special effects of any of the episodes. "Amok Time" is considered by many to be one of the best episodes of Star Trek. Spock must go to planet Vulcan and answer his mating call that happens to Vulcans only once every 7 years. His mate on the planet then gets to choose somebody that Spock has to fight in order to get the chance to have her if she chooses. Believe it or not, Spock just might have to fight Captain James T. Kirk himself. "Amok Time" is one of the best all around episodes without a doubt. It has an interesting plot and it's real entertaining, especially when it gets close to the classic showdown. If you're a fan of Star Trek - The Original Series, I recommend getting Vol. 17, Episodes 33 & 34. It features one of the Enterprise crew's encounters with a famous historical figure and one of the best all-around episodes.
Rating:
Summary: Le Sacre du Pon Farr
Review: Volume 17 of Paramount's complete reissue of Classic Trek contains two popular episodes from the series' second season. Who Mourns for Adonais? makes use of the false-god plotline seen elsewhere in the series. In this case, the deity is not a computer but rather an alien with psychokinetic powers. Michael Forest makes a memorable appearance as Apollo--he both looks and acts the part. On every level, Amok Time is one of Star Trek's very finest episodes. Tackling head-on the subjects of sex, friendship, and loyalty, Theodore Sturgeon's story is filled with compelling situations and memorable dialogue. The scene where Spock confesses the nature of his problems to Captain Kirk, brilliantly conveyed by Nimoy and Shatner, is one of the most awkward "father/son" chats ever filmed. Gerald Fried's score (taking its neo-primitivistic inspiration from Stavinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps) coveys both the painfulness of Spock's situation, and the ceremonial brutality of the Vulcan sequences with stunning impact. How was it, with their limited budget, the producers could afford such lavish scoring? Fortunately, the sound restoration emphasizes the remarkable scoring, while tastefully enhancing the sound effects and clarifying the dialogue. The picture has never looked better.
Rating:
Summary: Le Sacre du Pon Farr
Review: Volume 17 of Paramount's complete reissue of Classic Trek contains two popular episodes from the series' second season. Who Mourns for Adonais? makes use of the false-god plotline seen elsewhere in the series. In this case, the deity is not a computer but rather an alien with psychokinetic powers. Michael Forest makes a memorable appearance as Apollo--he both looks and acts the part. On every level, Amok Time is one of Star Trek's very finest episodes. Tackling head-on the subjects of sex, friendship, and loyalty, Theodore Sturgeon's story is filled with compelling situations and memorable dialogue. The scene where Spock confesses the nature of his problems to Captain Kirk, brilliantly conveyed by Nimoy and Shatner, is one of the most awkward "father/son" chats ever filmed. Gerald Fried's score (taking its neo-primitivistic inspiration from Stavinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps) coveys both the painfulness of Spock's situation, and the ceremonial brutality of the Vulcan sequences with stunning impact. How was it, with their limited budget, the producers could afford such lavish scoring? Fortunately, the sound restoration emphasizes the remarkable scoring, while tastefully enhancing the sound effects and clarifying the dialogue. The picture has never looked better.
Rating:
Summary: TWO STRONG STAR TREK EPISODES!!
Review: Volume 17 of the Star Trek DVD Collection features two episodes that take a look at human history as well as Vulcan. Containing two classic from the second season of this series this DVD is a definite must if you are only cherry picking Star Trek TOS DVD's rather than buying every one of them. The first episode here is AMOK TIME which is easily one of Trek's most classic episodes. It's the first time Kirk and the crew visit the planet Vulcan as well as the viewers first look at Vulcan women. The story finds Spock suffering from "Pon Farr" the vulcan mating call. Spock must go to Vulcan and marry T'Pring (played by Arlene Martel) or he will die. Upon arrival on Vulcan. T'Pring demands Spock to fight for her in order to marry her and she chooses Kirk as Spock's opponent! The climax finds Kirk fighting for his dear life against a blood thristy tranced Spock with deadly Vulcan weapons. AMOK TIME is truly one of Star Trek's best episodes. A classic! The other episode here WHO MOURNS FOR ADONAIS? is slightly weaker than AMOK TIME but still is a great episode.
This was actually a good idea to fuse sci-fi and Greek mythology together in one fascinating epic. The Crew are nearing the planet Pollux IV when a giant hand holds the ship. Kirk, Scotty, Chekov, McCoy and Lt. Carolyn Palamas are transported down to the planet and meet a being who claims he his Apollo the last of the Greek Gods to live on Munt Olympus. He demands Kirk to beam his entire crew down to the planet. Kirk and the others refuse and Apollo begins to threaten them with lightning bolts. Eventually Carolyn falls in love with Apollo and hampers all attempts to stop the god's control over holding the ship and crew. Kirk soon realizes that if he does not meet Apollo's demands the short tempered god will destroy the Enterprise and it's crew.
WHO MOURNS FOR ADONAIS? is an above average episode despite being overshadowed by AMOK TIME. As for this DVD? It is a definite must. These two classics cannot be found anywhere else in this high quality. If you love the original series this is wonderful thing to add to your DVD collection. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: TWO STRONG STAR TREK EPISODES!!
Review: Volume 17 of the Star Trek DVD Collection features two episodes that take a look at human history as well as Vulcan. Containing two classic from the second season of this series this DVD is a definite must if you are only cherry picking Star Trek TOS DVD's rather than buying every one of them. The first episode here is AMOK TIME which is easily one of Trek's most classic episodes. It's the first time Kirk and the crew visit the planet Vulcan as well as the viewers first look at Vulcan women. The story finds Spock suffering from "Pon Farr" the vulcan mating call. Spock must go to Vulcan and marry T'Pring (played by Arlene Martel) or he will die. Upon arrival on Vulcan. T'Pring demands Spock to fight for her in order to marry her and she chooses Kirk as Spock's opponent! The climax finds Kirk fighting for his dear life against a blood thristy tranced Spock with deadly Vulcan weapons. AMOK TIME is truly one of Star Trek's best episodes. A classic! The other episode here WHO MOURNS FOR ADONAIS? is slightly weaker than AMOK TIME but still is a great episode.
This was actually a good idea to fuse sci-fi and Greek mythology together in one fascinating epic. The Crew are nearing the planet Pollux IV when a giant hand holds the ship. Kirk, Scotty, Chekov, McCoy and Lt. Carolyn Palamas are transported down to the planet and meet a being who claims he his Apollo the last of the Greek Gods to live on Munt Olympus. He demands Kirk to beam his entire crew down to the planet. Kirk and the others refuse and Apollo begins to threaten them with lightning bolts. Eventually Carolyn falls in love with Apollo and hampers all attempts to stop the god's control over holding the ship and crew. Kirk soon realizes that if he does not meet Apollo's demands the short tempered god will destroy the Enterprise and it's crew.
WHO MOURNS FOR ADONAIS? is an above average episode despite being overshadowed by AMOK TIME. As for this DVD? It is a definite must. These two classics cannot be found anywhere else in this high quality. If you love the original series this is wonderful thing to add to your DVD collection. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: A Classic Star Trek Episode
Review: When Paramount announced the release of the Classic Star Treks on DVD, I was excited. Why? Amok Time. It is(in my opinion) the best episode. It takes out some of the mystery behind the Vulcan Race. Spock is suddenly ill. Dr. McCoy has no diagnosis for the illness. All Spock will tell Capt. Kirk is that he must return to his home planet or he will die! The Enterprise diverts to Vulcan where a surprise is waiting for the landing party AND the people of Vulcan. You must see for yourself what the surprise is. I don't want to ruin it. I gave this 4 stars because I did not find "Who Mourns for Adonis" that facinating! For those that have seen these two episodes on VHS or when they originally aired, you will be very impressed with the picture quality and sound on this DVD edition. I own all 18 volumes of the original series that are currently released. They all have been restored beyond my expectations! If you are a full or part time "Trekkie", these DVDs are a must for your collection!
Rating:
Summary: One strong show, and one true classic
Review: Who Mourns for Adonais? This is a strong show about the Greek god Apollo. When Trek was at its best, it generally combined thought-provoking and socially relevant questions with tight, internally consistent, and action-packed stories. Who Mourns for Adonais is one such episode. In addition to the interesting idea that the Gods may have been real, we have the very real themes of 1) the pros and cons of hero worship/letting others make decisions for you, 2) the quest for power, and 3) the pros and cons of a simple, care-free life. The guest acting is pretty good here, too, and there aren't too many holes in the plot. Overall, a strong episode, although I for one at times tire of the more 'literal' episodes, enjoying instead the dreamy, surreal, and menacing ones. I see no reason why we should expect to encounter a moral code (or any system for that matter) similar to our own in outer space. Also there are quite frankly limits to just how good a `literal' take can consistently be, especially after 35 years and given the time and budget constraints of an episode. That is why I am drawn to the more off-beat shows. Having digressed, I must return to the fact that this is one of the better of the `literal' shows. (4 stars) Amok Time-This episode, in which Spock must return to his home planet, is deservedly a classic. Amok Time typifies the vitality and fast-pacing of the second season shows. There is real mystery as we try to comprehend just what is wrong with Spock. Certainly it is no coincidence that the thoughtful and critical Nimoy's strongest performance came in the show that gave him both a range of emotions AND a plausible reason for stepping out of character. Nowhere is Spock's shame about his (and all of our) dualistic natures more palpable than here. This episode is helped also by the musical score and minimalist sets on Vulcan, as well as solid acting by the other Vulcans. If one is willing to look beyond minor script problems such as the humans' utter ignorance of Vulcan biology and the details of how Spock ends up fighting Kirk, there really isn't much to gripe about. Funny too how success breeds success; there is a warmth and chemistry between the big three here that just couldn't be reconjured in episodes that didn't earn the actors' trust. (4.5 stars)
Rating:
Summary: One strong show, and one true classic
Review: Who Mourns for Adonais? This is a strong show about the Greek god Apollo. When Trek was at its best, it generally combined thought-provoking and socially relevant questions with tight, internally consistent, and action-packed stories. Who Mourns for Adonais is one such episode. In addition to the interesting idea that the Gods may have been real, we have the very real themes of 1) the pros and cons of hero worship/letting others make decisions for you, 2) the quest for power, and 3) the pros and cons of a simple, care-free life. The guest acting is pretty good here, too, and there aren't too many holes in the plot. Overall, a strong episode, although I for one at times tire of the more 'literal' episodes, enjoying instead the dreamy, surreal, and menacing ones. I see no reason why we should expect to encounter a moral code (or any system for that matter) similar to our own in outer space. Also there are quite frankly limits to just how good a 'literal' take can consistently be, especially after 35 years and given the time and budget constraints of an episode. That is why I am drawn to the more off-beat shows. Having digressed, I must return to the fact that this is one of the better of the 'literal' shows. (4 stars) Amok Time-This episode, in which Spock must return to his home planet, is deservedly a classic. Amok Time typifies the vitality and fast-pacing of the second season shows. There is real mystery as we try to comprehend just what is wrong with Spock. Certainly it is no coincidence that the thoughtful and critical Nimoy's strongest performance came in the show that gave him both a range of emotions AND a plausible reason for stepping out of character. Nowhere is Spock's shame about his (and all of our) dualistic natures more palpable than here. This episode is helped also by the musical score and minimalist sets on Vulcan, as well as solid acting by the other Vulcans. If one is willing to look beyond minor script problems such as the humans' utter ignorance of Vulcan biology and the details of how Spock ends up fighting Kirk, there really isn't much to gripe about. Funny too how success breeds success; there is a warmth and chemistry between the big three here that just couldn't be reconjured in episodes that didn't earn the actors' trust. (4.5 stars)
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