Rating: 
Summary: review based on content, NOT FORMAT
Review: Mudd's women is probably one of the best episodes from the original series. Harry Mudd is the typical slimy salesman we all expected in that era.Enemy Within is a little more hokey than most Episodes, and it is boring (to me) to watch it more than once a year, but it is a good plot (with now expected poor acting). The dog is cool though, as is the very frozen Sulu *one of the best one-liners in the series, "I don't suppose you could lower a line with a pot of coffee"*. (it may be misquoted slightly as I really do hate watching this episode frequently).
Rating: 
Summary: Still fine-tuning the show
Review: Mudd's Women-This episode, in which we meet Mudd and his three sirens, has never really worked for me. For one thing, it moves like molasses. The 'inquest' scene, for example, in which the women seduce the crew, in addition to being ineffective is at least twice as long as it need have been. Other evidence of low production values at this point in the show include the cheesy music and use of the (grossly) soft lens in the scenes with Mudd's Women. Other problems include the hopeless moralizing and cornball twist at the close of the episode. While it's true that later shows could be too cold, it's also true that first season episodes were often smarmily warm and cloyingly sincere. The episode is not without it's pluses. It does explore some of the contradictions surrounding perceptions of beauty and the objectification of women, and I suppose makes a statement about drug use. They also did a nice job making the women look ugly (although in my opinion--probably by design--they weren't too eautiful to begin with). (2 stars) The Enemy Within-With this episode, in which a transporter malfunction creates two wildly different Kirk's, the show begins to hit its stride. Like many first season shows, this one is sharply focused on dynamics of human personality and interaction. We are shown subtle aspects of both the two Kirks, and the thought process of the rest of the crew as the relate to the new Kirk's. Such attention to internal details, for better or worse, really fell off in the 2nd and 3rd seasons as the show become more extroverted. As others have noted, Shatner turns in a nice performance here, although that absurd make-up they put on the male crew members for the early shows is kind of distracting in the close-ups. One other nice thing about this episode is that its central theme, concerning our dual nature, is not presented in an overly simplisitic way; by this I mean that even each of the two sides of Kirk are somewhat nuanced, and the description of how the two parts need to be together not overly cliché. Nevertheless, the show like many early ones, is way too talky. While the show was beginning to hit it's stride, it wasn't there yet; this episode does drag, and feels somewhat clunky despite a fair amount of action (3 stars)
Rating:
Summary: Still fine-tuning the show
Review: Mudd's Women-This episode, in which we meet Mudd and his three sirens, has never really worked for me. For one thing, it moves like molasses. The 'inquest' scene, for example, in which the women seduce the crew, in addition to being ineffective is at least twice as long as it need have been. Other evidence of low production values at this point in the show include the cheesy music and use of the (grossly) soft lens in the scenes with Mudd's Women. Other problems include the hopeless moralizing and cornball twist at the close of the episode. While it's true that later shows could be too cold, it's also true that first season episodes were often smarmily warm and cloyingly sincere. The episode is not without it's pluses. It does explore some of the contradictions surrounding perceptions of beauty and the objectification of women, and I suppose makes a statement about drug use. They also did a nice job making the women look ugly (although in my opinion--probably by design--they weren't too eautiful to begin with). (2 stars) The Enemy Within-With this episode, in which a transporter malfunction creates two wildly different Kirk's, the show begins to hit its stride. Like many first season shows, this one is sharply focused on dynamics of human personality and interaction. We are shown subtle aspects of both the two Kirks, and the thought process of the rest of the crew as the relate to the new Kirk's. Such attention to internal details, for better or worse, really fell off in the 2nd and 3rd seasons as the show become more extroverted. As others have noted, Shatner turns in a nice performance here, although that absurd make-up they put on the male crew members for the early shows is kind of distracting in the close-ups. One other nice thing about this episode is that its central theme, concerning our dual nature, is not presented in an overly simplisitic way; by this I mean that even each of the two sides of Kirk are somewhat nuanced, and the description of how the two parts need to be together not overly cliché. Nevertheless, the show like many early ones, is way too talky. While the show was beginning to hit it's stride, it wasn't there yet; this episode does drag, and feels somewhat clunky despite a fair amount of action (3 stars)
Rating:
Summary: 2 great Kirk episodes
Review: Mudd's Women...Kirk beams up Harry Mudd & 3 ultra-sexy women who no man can seem to resist. But are they really that beautiful? Watch & find out. The Enemy Within...Kirk is duplicated in a transporter accident. See Shatner portray Kirk's "evil side" with absolute brilliance.
Rating: 
Summary: Great picture, good sound, thin William Shatner
Review: Popped the DVD in and was pleasantly suprised. The picture quality was excellent, the sound so-so (to be expected). Did not care for the menu screen and a few more "extras" would have been nice. May have to make room on the shelf for a few more of these...
Rating:
Summary: "Strike That From the Record Mister Spock!"
Review: REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 2: Mudd's Women© / The Enemy Within© MUDD'S WOMEN© PRELIMINARY BRIEFS: Moral / Ethical / Philosophical Point Driven Into The Ground: The Difference Between Inner & Outer Beauty; How Useful Is Beauty? Notable Historical Milestone: The first appearance of Classic Star Trek®'s only recurring non-crew guest character Notable Goof/Gaffe: During Mudd's interrogation scene, Mudd wears a gaudy earring on his left lobe. But when the scene cuts to his criminal profile on the viewscreen, there's a photo of him-and the earring is now hanging from his right lobe! (The classic phrase "Left is right, and right is wrong" kinda falls into play here, though in a different context...) Expendable Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Casualty List: 0 Dead, 0 Injured/ Incapacitated (A true Classic Star Trek® rarity!) REVIEW & COMMENTARY: Harry Mudd™'s outfit is a faded technicolor dealy reminiscent of those classic pirate and swordfighting swashbucklers of yore. I especially enjoyed his somewhat flamboyant yet slightly underhanded delivery of dialogue. Throw in a semi-falsetto Lucky-Charms®-Leprechaun-style accent, and you've got one of those rare guest characters who's able to outdo Captain Kirk in the over-the-top acting department! As usual, the ship is in dire straits after rescuing the titular rogue and his trio of apparently-supine ladies draped in enough chiffon to keep New York Fabrics in the black for a decade! Then there's those occasional between-scene transition shots of the lovelies, where the camera manages to film all the right... um... well, you'll hafta see for yourself I guess. If you're a guy you'll likely enjoy these precious moments! Then there's my fave thing about this particular eppie: Mudd's Venus drug that keeps his women beautiful! I never thought I'd see the day when drug addiction would have the opposite effect on a woman's looks! THE ENEMY WITHIN® PRELIMINARY BRIEFS: Moral / Ethical / Philosophical Point Driven Into The Ground: The Duality Of Man / The Qualities and Drawbacks of Both Light And Dark Halves of One's Personality Notable Historical Milestone: The first 'transporter malfunction' eppie; the first 'Double the Kirk, Double the Ham!' eppie Notable Goof/Gaffe: During the opening teaser, after both Kirks beam up, their uniform tops lack the Enterprise™ 'delta shield' logos on the left breast. The logos mysteriously reappear, however, immediately following the opening credits sequence! Expendable Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Casualty List: 0 Dead, 2 Injured/Incapacitated (one of the casualties injured twice) REVIEW & COMMENTARY: William Shatner has claimed on many occasions, and in an allegedly joking manner, that his fave original Star Trek® eppies are the ones where Kirk has been split into two Kirks, effectively giving him "twice the screen time". Although he claims to be 'just kidding' about the whole thing, those legendary rumors about him hogging the show's spotlight has led many a Trekkie to believe that, in this instance he's actually being more honest about himself than he's willing to admit! Speakin' of the good captain, The Enemy Within© showcases a few of those enjoyably hammy moments that only Shatner's legendary method-acting can provide, especially with the 'bad' Kirk! You'll see shades of his 'I Am Kirok!' performance in the scene where he realizes he's not the only Captain on board. And his "I Want To Live!" line, delivered in a way-too-tortured manner, merely adds to the cheesy fun! Also notable in this show is Nimoy revealing his Bostonian origins with his distinctive pronunciation of "can't" and "command"! Mmmm.... ham and cheese... 'Late
Rating:
Summary: One Harry Mudd, Two Captain Kirks and Three Beautiful Women
Review: Star Trek starts to find its footing in this pair of early first season episodes collected on Volume 2 of the DVD series. Of course I like the beautiful women in "Mudd's Women," it is Harcourt Fenton Mudd I could never stand. Certainly, the episode is one of those thinly veiled allegories where Star Trek spoke to contemporary concerns, in this case the reliance of women on artificial aids, such as the "Venus Drug," to enhance their beauty. I really think that the entire plotlines would not only function okay but even better without the abrasive Harry Mudd. I also like the brief glimpse at what it is like for people trying to make a life on some barren rock out in the middle of nowhere. "Mudd's Women" is one of the rare Star Trek episodes that gives us a glimpse at life on the final frontier. On balance, this is an average episode. Get rid of Mudd and it would be above average. "The Enemy Within" proved early on that William Shatner could certainly act when the spirit moved him; maybe the key factor was not playing Captain Kirk, per se. When Kirk beams back from Alpha 177 a transporter malfunction splits him into two halves: one good, the other evil. When Spock and the others catch on that there are two Kirks they are forced to leave Sulu and the rest of the landing party stranded on the freezing planet. Meanwhile, Yeoman Rand finally has a close encounter with the Captain, which turns out to be not all that enjoyable. Yes, it makes absolutely no sense for the transporter to split Kirk's personality in half like this, but that is why they call it science fiction (besides, the transporter was just a cheaper way of showing the crew getting to planets than doing special effects with shuttle crafts). Plus we get the philosophical discourse on how Kirk needs his "evil" side to be a good starship captain. "The Enemy Within" is an above average episode.
Rating:
Summary: One Harry Mudd, Two Captain Kirks and Three Beautiful Women
Review: Star Trek starts to find its footing in this pair of early first season episodes collected on Volume 2 of the DVD series. Of course I like the beautiful women in "Mudd's Women," it is Harcourt Fenton Mudd I could never stand. Certainly, the episode is one of those thinly veiled allegories where Star Trek spoke to contemporary concerns, in this case the reliance of women on artificial aids, such as the "Venus Drug," to enhance their beauty. I really think that the entire plotlines would not only function okay but even better without the abrasive Harry Mudd. I also like the brief glimpse at what it is like for people trying to make a life on some barren rock out in the middle of nowhere. "Mudd's Women" is one of the rare Star Trek episodes that gives us a glimpse at life on the final frontier. On balance, this is an average episode. Get rid of Mudd and it would be above average. "The Enemy Within" proved early on that William Shatner could certainly act when the spirit moved him; maybe the key factor was not playing Captain Kirk, per se. When Kirk beams back from Alpha 177 a transporter malfunction splits him into two halves: one good, the other evil. When Spock and the others catch on that there are two Kirks they are forced to leave Sulu and the rest of the landing party stranded on the freezing planet. Meanwhile, Yeoman Rand finally has a close encounter with the Captain, which turns out to be not all that enjoyable. Yes, it makes absolutely no sense for the transporter to split Kirk's personality in half like this, but that is why they call it science fiction (besides, the transporter was just a cheaper way of showing the crew getting to planets than doing special effects with shuttle crafts). Plus we get the philosophical discourse on how Kirk needs his "evil" side to be a good starship captain. "The Enemy Within" is an above average episode.
Rating:
Summary: One Harry Mudd, Two Captain Kirks and Three Beautiful Women
Review: Star Trek starts to find its footing in this pair of early first season episodes collected on Volume 2 of the DVD series. Of course I like the beautiful women in "Mudd's Women," it is Harcourt Fenton Mudd I could never stand. Certainly, the episode is one of those thinly veiled allegories where Star Trek spoke to contemporary concerns, in this case the reliance of women on artificial aids, such as the "Venus Drug," to enhance their beauty. I really think that the entire plotlines would not only function okay but even better without the abrasive Harry Mudd. I also like the brief glimpse at what it is like for people trying to make a life on some barren rock out in the middle of nowhere. "Mudd's Women" is one of the rare Star Trek episodes that gives us a glimpse at life on the final frontier. On balance, this is an average episode. Get rid of Mudd and it would be above average. "The Enemy Within" proved early on that William Shatner could certainly act when the spirit moved him; maybe the key factor was not playing Captain Kirk, per se. When Kirk beams back from Alpha 177 a transporter malfunction splits him into two halves: one good, the other evil. When Spock and the others catch on that there are two Kirks they are forced to leave Sulu and the rest of the landing party stranded on the freezing planet. Meanwhile, Yeoman Rand finally has a close encounter with the Captain, which turns out to be not all that enjoyable. Yes, it makes absolutely no sense for the transporter to split Kirk's personality in half like this, but that is why they call it science fiction (besides, the transporter was just a cheaper way of showing the crew getting to planets than doing special effects with shuttle crafts). Plus we get the philosophical discourse on how Kirk needs his "evil" side to be a good starship captain. "The Enemy Within" is an above average episode.
Rating:
Summary: Three babes and a psychological study.
Review: Star Trek: The Original Series Volume 2 presents two episodes aired in 1966: "Mudd's Women:" In this segment we are introduced to the galaxy's most likeable adversary, Harry Mudd. Mudd brings aboard the Enterprise his "cargo" -- three beautiful women. There's a surprising drug angle to the story regarding the illegal Venus drug which supposedly enhances the beauty of Mudd's gals (uh, I don't think the need any help -- especially Ruth and Magda). It's interesting to note that this story was one of the three candidates for the (second) pilot; the two others being "The Omega Glory" and the accepted "Where No Man Has Gone Before." Good choice because otherwise Star Trek wouldn't exist. Anyway, the episode starts to drag a bit in the third act, but other than that it's a fun, enjoyable outing. GRADE: B "The Enemy Within:" Kirk gets split into two separate versions of himself a la "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Watch out for the dark Kirk's bestial expression at the end of the teaser -- it's great! Note the top two items on the dark Kirk's 'things-to-do' list: 1.) Get some booze off of Dr. McCoy and 2.) Go after sexy Yeoman Janice Rand in her red miniskirt. It is revealed that Kirk's command abilities and decisiveness stem from his carnal side, not his spiritual side. Spock theorizes that the 'evil' side of the human psyche, properly controlled and disciplined, is vital to our strength. Thus with Kirk's negative side removed from him, the power of command starts to elude him. (Though McCoy rightly points out later that a human being's essential courage stems from his/her 'good' side). Bottom Line: A brilliant and captivating psychological exploration; fails to achieve "A+" status only because it starts to plod a bit in the second half. GRADE: A
| 
