Rating: 
Summary: Star Trek takes on Moby Dick and Jack the Ripper
Review: Obviously the most important literary work in the history of the universe is Melville's "Moby Dick," given how many times there are explicit or implicit references to Ahab's obsessive hunt for the great white whale, especially on Star Trek. "The Doomsday Machine" is one of the earliest episodes clearly patterned on the famous tale. At the end of a long trail of shattered planets the Enterprise finds one of her sister ships, the USS Constellation. Aboard Kirk finds only the ship's captain, Commodore Matthew Decker (William Windom), who tells them of an immense vessel that sliced up the planets and then attacked his ship. Decker beamed his crew down to a planet, only to see the planet killer destroy that one as well. The hypothesis, which seems strained at best to me, is that this was not some sort of ultimate weapon but a doomsday machine (think "Dr. Strangelove"). Decker pulls rank on Kirk and takes command of the Enterprise, almost destroying it as he tries to kill Moby...er, destroy the planet killer. Actually, the end of "The Doomsday Machine" will remind you of the end of "Jaws" (the movie, not the book, the ending of which was obviously patterned on "Moby Dick" as well). I like this episode but it always makes me smile because I remember hearing the stories about how William Shatner kept cutting up during rehearsals on this one: Windom would say, "My God, Jim, you should have seen the size of its maw!" Shatner would come back with, "Its maw? Did it have a paw?" Okay, it seemed funny the first time I heard it.Writer Robert Bloch's fascination with Jack the Ripper pops up in "Wolf in the Fold" (Bloch and Harlan Ellison wrote a couple of short stories on the Ripper for "Dangerous Visions" way back when). On Argelius II, Scotty is accused of murdering a dancing girl. He denies it, and when another woman is found dead in the Chief Engineer's hands seconds after sensing the presence of an evil thing that hates women, he denies it again. Kirk and Spock eventually come to the conclusion that the real murderer is an energy-based life form that feeds on the emotion of fear. They are able to trace it back hundreds of years and millions of miles to Earth and the Ripper's killing spree at the end of the 19th century. Actually, Bloch's story is as good an explanation for why the killings stopped as anything the Ripperologists have come up with. Things fall into place rather nicely for Kirk and Spock, but then that happens a lot on television. John Fiedler turns in a nice little performance as Chief City Administrator Hengist, who wants to nail Scotty to the wall. One of the things the two Star Trek episodes on Volume 18 of the Star Trek DVD series have in common are the fine performances by the main guest stars.
Rating:
Summary: TOS---The Doomsday Machine
Review: One of the best stories in TOS the second season! A planet killer (AKA The Doomsday Machine) is chopping up planets in the galaxy and there seems no way to stop it. Sol Kaplan's soundtrack during the last ditch effort to destroy the machine is priceless and unforgettable. No matter how many times you see it, it'll leave you on the edge of your seat wondering if Kirk will survive the suicide mission.
Rating:
Summary: A spectacular restoration of a great episode
Review: Paramount has done an INCREDIBLE job of restoring and remastering this great episode--"The Doomsday Machine." It seems clear that an entirely new music track has been assembled for this disk, remastered from the original recording masters. The power of Sol Kaplan's incredible score comes through in a way never heard before. The sound effects and dialogue have also been lovingly remixed: there is depth and clear layers to the sound. All of which simply adds to one of the best shows "Trek" ever did--a great performance by William Windon, terrific writing, and some truly ambitious effects work for series television. (I don't agree that the FX are "cheesy," except for a few rear shots of the Constellation that reveal it to be an AMT model kit!)
Rating:
Summary: It was, but not anymore!
Review: Ranking alongside Balance of Terror, Doomsday Machine has story, pace and acting underpinned by a great score. Washing-up liquid bottle Constellation and half a cucumber pleads for it to be remade with proper effects (and to consistent scale!). Some classic Spock logic, McCoy's reaction to it (I'll certify that right now!) and infamous Scotty scamper up the conduit to repair the transporter tripping its breakers are stuff of legend. What was his muttered curse, anyhow? As to Wolf in the Fold, the threesome impishly on the prowl and the portrayal of the 'free love' society are interesting given the Vietnam era with conflict between local and offshore execution of justice. One wonders if the being feeding on fear to survive was really expressing other parallels from that time.
Rating: 
Summary: "Scotty, you just earned your pay for the week!"
Review: REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 18: The Doomsday Machine © / Wolf in the Fold © THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS: Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: The concept of a weapon of mass destruction to keep the peace / Making the ultimate sacrifice so others may live Notable Gaffe/Special Defect: In one of the shots featuring the Constellation approaching the Doomsday machine, the rear nacelles wiggle a bit. Also, apparently the planet-killer is a little translucent- the light of some stars shine through it. Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: None REVIEW/COMMENTARY: After viewing this particular eppie, I've come to the realization that the show's writers musta started scraping the bottom of the barrel for new story ideas at this point. The ol' tried-and-true "Enterprise-must-stop-the-ultimate-weapon-of-destruction" plot gets cued up again for this outing, which would be followed up most notably in the episode "The Immunity Syndrome" and "The Wrath of Khan". Also thrown into the mix Commodore Decker, who helps to re-hash the drama-building pulling-of-rank shenanigans that were last seen between Kirk and... um, what's-his-face in "The Galileo 7". And Decker's over-the-top expressions of anguish and shock as he sends himself to his doom in the maw of the planet-killer looked kinda like Van Gelder's facial contortions in "Dagger of the Mind". A final note for all you aspiring Trekkies/Trekkers/WhateverYouCallYourselvesNowadays out there: it is assumed that the late Commodore Decker is the father of future Enterprise commander Will Decker from Star Trek The Motion Picture. Now you can tell all your poser friends and make 'em envious of your knowledge of useless stuff that you'll never use in real life situations! WOLF IN THE FOLD © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS: Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: Proving Guilt Beyond a Reasonable Doubt / Sometimes, Nothing Is as It Seems Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: One dead REVIEW/COMMENTARY: This episode entertains the notion of the infamous Jack the Ripper having been a malevolent noncorporeal being who feeds on the fear and horror of its hosts. It also does a pretty good job of maintaining Scotty's streak of bad luck in the dating scene. As if that triangle between him, Lt. Palamas and Apollo in "Who Mourns for Adonais?" wasn't hard enough on him, now he's gotta deal with being the prime suspect in the murder of his date and two other women! Now there's one guy I would never go singles-bar-hoppin' with! But aside from the chief engineer's romantic tribulations, there's one particular moment that I really enjoy goofing on. And that's the part where the Enterprise medical staff is administering sedatives to the crew after the malevolent entity attempts to take over the ship. Immediately after getting their shots, everybody becomes very giddy and giggly, kinda like my mom after a good dose of cortisone. Mr. Sulu is especially silly after his inoculation, which makes the whole scene especially ripe for goofin' on! 'Late
Rating: 
Summary: Ghosts In the Machine
Review: Sci-fi staple author Norman Spinrad's "Doomsday Machine" is a planet-destroyer built by a long-lost alien civilization, since perished in its failed bid for military superiority over some equally long-forgotten opponent. The Enterprise encounters the doomsday machine's latest victim - its sister ship, the U.S.S. Constellation - disabled and abandoned, except for its now-mad commander, Commodore Decker. Brought out of shock, Decker relates how his ship attempted to destroy the giant alien machine already in the process of blasting a populated planet to rubble; before the Constellation itself could succumb, Decker beamed his crew to safety on another planet in the system - which was then also completely obliterated by the planet-destroyer. Before the Enterprise can escape to warn Starfleet, the alien weapon returns - and with Kirk stranded on board the ruined Constellation, the no longer sane Decker suicidally uses the Enterprise to engage in a personal vendetta... This is a great episode, benefiting most from a fabulous performance by William Windom as Decker. The special effects are sub-par, even for the day and age - there are moments when the planet-destroyer can be completely seen through, and others in which the Enterprise (and Constellation) can be seen wobbling as it moves on its guide-lines - but the caliber of the story and the dramatic suspense override such paltry complaints, completely. "Wolf In the Fold" was the last of three Trek scripts submitted by famous horror author Robert ("Psycho") Bloch. In it, Engineer Scott is found with a knife in his bloody hand, standing over the body of a stabbed prostitute on a shore leave planet. He can't even speak in his own defense, having no memory at all of how he came to be there. The psychic wife of the planet's chief magistrate senses Scott is not the guilty party, and reveals the presence of "Red Jack" at a seance - before succumbing to the knife during a power blackout herself, again in the hand of Scotty. Court reconvenes aboard the Enterprise, where a chain of evidence is uncovered demonstrating the existence of an evil spirit which thrives on fear and possesses people for murder - "Red Jack," the spirit of Jack the Ripper - and upon its discovery, the entity possesses the computers of the Enterprise, itself, and begins work on terrifying its crew to death. A slightly above-average episode, benefiting from good, spooky atmosphere and effects. Well-known character actor John Fiedler has a wonderful against-type role as the temporary receptacle of Red Jack, and the episode has an anticlimactic but clever and humorously enjoyable finale.
Rating:
Summary: TWO GREAT STAR TREK TALES!!!
Review: Star Trek's Volume 18 of the original series DVD has two great episodes with very well written plots. Both are somwhat suspense thrillers as one deals with a sort of "Moby Dick" monster whereas the other deals with the legendary Jack The Ripper. Although it seems to get a lot of praise from everybody who reviews it, THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE has never been a standout favourite of mine. However the story is very well written and an above average episode of Star Trek. While investigating the destruction of several planetary systems, The Eneterprise crews come across a crippled star ship the U.S.S Constellation. The only survivor is Commodore Matt Decker (brilliantly played by William Windom) racked with guilt for the loss of his crew to this doomsday machine. This guilt leads to a control struggle between Spock and him when Kirk is not present on the ship. However the crew soon realizes that if they do not destroy this destructor it will eventually consume the entire galaxy! The episode is actually very good even though it's never been a personal favourite of mine. The entire cast does a fine job and although the doomsday machine looks cheesy, this episode has aged suprisingly well. The other episode here is WOLF IN THE FOLD. Hands down this has to be Star Trek's creepiest episode! Dealing with the real life mysterious Legend of Jack The Ripper. A string of murders occur while the crew is on shore live on Argelius II. And they all lead to Scotty as the suspect! Later it is finally revealed that Scotty is not responsible but the entity of an ancient murder from earth known as Jack The Ripper. As this entity jumps from body to body it is of extreme danger and eventualy gets aboard the Enterprise!
This episode is truy a creepy thriller. Adding a mysterious legend like Jack The Ripper to the story gave this episode an edge. Another above average episode! Overall Volume 18 is another DVD with two great epsiodes of what is in my opinion the best Star Trek series of them all.
Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: TWO GREAT STAR TREK TALES!!!
Review: Star Trek's Volume 18 of the original series DVD has two great episodes with very well written plots. Both are somwhat suspense thrillers as one deals with a sort of "Moby Dick" monster whereas the other deals with the legendary Jack The Ripper. Although it seems to get a lot of praise from everybody who reviews it, THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE has never been a standout favourite of mine. However the story is very well written and an above average episode of Star Trek. While investigating the destruction of several planetary systems, The Eneterprise crews come across a crippled star ship the U.S.S Constellation. The only survivor is Commodore Matt Decker (brilliantly played by William Windom) racked with guilt for the loss of his crew to this doomsday machine. This guilt leads to a control struggle between Spock and him when Kirk is not present on the ship. However the crew soon realizes that if they do not destroy this destructor it will eventually consume the entire galaxy! The episode is actually very good even though it's never been a personal favourite of mine. The entire cast does a fine job and although the doomsday machine looks cheesy, this episode has aged suprisingly well. The other episode here is WOLF IN THE FOLD. Hands down this has to be Star Trek's creepiest episode! Dealing with the real life mysterious Legend of Jack The Ripper. A string of murders occur while the crew is on shore live on Argelius II. And they all lead to Scotty as the suspect! Later it is finally revealed that Scotty is not responsible but the entity of an ancient murder from earth known as Jack The Ripper. As this entity jumps from body to body it is of extreme danger and eventualy gets aboard the Enterprise!
This episode is truy a creepy thriller. Adding a mysterious legend like Jack The Ripper to the story gave this episode an edge. Another above average episode! Overall Volume 18 is another DVD with two great epsiodes of what is in my opinion the best Star Trek series of them all.
Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Awesome. A true fan "gotta have"
Review: The digital remastering really brings out audio/visual details that are missed in broadcast reruns.
Rating:
Summary: The Doomsday Machine
Review: The Doomsday Machine
Following a trail of debris and asteroids that are the planetary remains of Systems L370 through L374 the Starship Enterprise discovers the heavily damaged U.S.S. Constellation dead in space. Kirk, McCoy, Scotty and a damage control party beam over to the crippled starship to investigate the cause of its condition, they find the corridors littered with wreckage and debris as well as no one from the crew on board. The ship's phaser banks were completely exhausted and her warp drive was a hopeless pile of junk. Attempting to access the Constellation's computer logs in auxiliary control the landing party discovers the Constellation's commander, Commodore Matthew Decker. Decker relays a horrifying tale of a monstrous devil machine, which destroys planets by chopping them into rubble using a powerful anti-proton weapon.
Analysis of the Constellation's log tapes by Mr. Spock revealed that the Constellation had encountered an automated weapon of immense size and power slicing up the 4th Planet of System L374 and was using the debris for fuel. The U.S.S. Constellation had attempted to stop the marauding machine but was heavily damaged in the fight, with the ship dead in space and unable to support the crew Decker ordered that they beam down to the relative safety of the 3rd Planet in System L374. With the Commodore the last person on the Constellation the machine suddenly appeared and destroyed the 3rd Planet totally annihilating Decker's crew, the shock of watching his entire crew die while he was helpless to save them sent Decker over the edge. Kirk theorized that the "Doomsday Machine" as he called it was built primarily as a bluff and was never meant to be used but was used in a war uncounted centuries ago something like the 20th Century's H-Bomb.
Kirk orders McCoy and Decker to beam back to the Enterprise while he, Scotty and the damage control party stay on board the Constellation to get her ready to be towed to a repair facility. Decker's "Planet Killer" arrives just as McCoy and Decker beam over to the Enterprise, the machine attacks knocking out the Enterprise's transporter and stranding Kirk and the landing party aboard the derelict Constellation. The Enterprise suffers minor damage in the attack while the machine resumes its deadly original course right into the heart of the galaxy - the Rigel Colonies. Decker assumes command of the Enterprise from Spock and despite some colorful protests from Dr. McCoy, he orders the Enterprise to pursue and attack the Planet Killer before it can destroy the Rigel Colonies. Kirk and the damage control party work feverishly to restore the Constellation's main systems and her viewing screen in auxiliary control, the main screen is repaired and activated just in time for Kirk to see his ship attacking the Doomsday Device - the Enterprise's powerful weapons didn't even scratch the seemingly impenetrable neutronium outer hull of the Planet Killer.
The Enterprise takes a beating at the hands of the Planet Killer's main weapon which knocked out the starship's shields and caused multiple hull breaches and casualties. Spock manages to convince Decker that his course of action is foolhardy, reluctant; Decker orders the battered starship to veer off just as the machine traps the Enterprise with an extremely powerful tractor beam. Scotty manages to repair the Constellation's impulse drive and recharge one of her phaser banks, maneuvering the crippled ship into phaser range the Constellation is able to distract the Planet Killer there by releasing its hold on the Enterprise. After some assistance from Decker on the Enterprise both vessels manage to escape destruction.
Kirk finally managing to regain contact with the Enterprise orders Spock to take command from the obsessed and unstable Commodore. Decker relinquishing the bridge is ordered to be escorted to sickbay for an examination escorted by an Enterprise security officer. On the way to sickbay Decker overpowers his security escort and takes off for the hanger deck, reaching the shuttle bay he steals a shuttlecraft and heads for the Planet Killer. Kirk and Spock both attempt to convince the guilt ridden Decker to return to the Enterprise, Decker's feeling of guilt and sadness at the loss of his crew are too strong and he pilots the shuttle into the maw of the Doomsday Machine.
The shuttlecraft's explosion which caused a minute drop in the machine's power emanations gives Kirk an idea, having Scotty rig the Constellation's impulse engines to explode the ship is turned into a giant H-Bomb. Kirk's plan was to pilot the Constellation into the maw of the Planet Killer and detonate the impulse drive from the inside hopefully stopping the mechanical monster for good. The window of 30 seconds that the engines will explode after activating the countdown is very slim considering the fact that the Enterprise's transporter is not at 100% and therefore unreliable. Kirk decides to proceed despite the odds that are stacked against him. Scotty and the damage control party beam back to the Enterprise leaving Kirk alone on the Constellation, allowing him to complete final preparations before putting his plan into action. Scotty is able to repair the Enterprise's transporter and Kirk is transported off the Constellation just as the 97.835 megaton explosion created by the overloading impulse drive deactivates the Planet Killer.
One of Treks best, no question.
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