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Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 14, Episodes 27 & 28: Errand of Mercy/ The City on the Edge of Forever

Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 14, Episodes 27 & 28: Errand of Mercy/ The City on the Edge of Forever

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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: City on the Edge of Forever best episode of all
Review: I give this DVD five stars, not because of the episode Errand of Mercy(which is not one of the better episodes but is still okay) but because of the episode City on the Edge of Forever.That episode in my opinion is the best episode out of all the 79 of Star Trek the Original Series.I like the time travel concept, specifically the time/space portal that both Kirk and Spock are forced to travel through to bring back the ship's doctor "Bones" because he jumps through before they do and when Spock and Kirk jump through into 1930s Earth they have to wait until enough time has elapsed before they catch up with him.He has travelled weeks into their 1930s future.Kirk falls in love with Edith Keeler and Spock tells Jim she must die.Later they find McCoy and he tries to save Edith from getting hit by a truck but Kirk stops him, knowing she has to be sacrificed in order for millions of people to live.By the time they all travel back through the time portal again and return to the moment that they left(scotty tells them they only left a moment ago)Kirk is not the same man.Naturally because of his loss.He says."Let's get the hell outta here."Science fiction and television just doesn't get any better than this.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: original "City" sountrack is restored for DVD
Review: I just viewed the restored DVD version of "City on the Edge of Forever", and I'd like to assure all concerned that the original incidental music that was replaced in "City" has been restored! In the mid-eighties, Paramount had allowed the ASCAP rights to "Goodnight, sweetheart" to lapse, causing a video version to be released with inferior replacement music. ALL of the excised music is back,and the sound is tremendous. I've never heard this episode look or sound better.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The City on the Edge of Forever - A true classic
Review: I remember distinctly one day in grade school, towards the end of the school year, when we were all herded into one of the larger classrooms, and were shown "The City on the Edge of Forever". I don't know why they showed it to us, but it was probably to cover a state-mandated day of classes when the teachers had run out of things to teach.

I personally have lapsed into and out of Trek-geekdom. (Basically, I decided one day in college that if you accept the concept of a warp drive, you have to accept that the rest of physics is bollocks, and what's the point then of dickering over technical consistency). This episode, however, remains one of my favorite, and, in my opinion, one of the best hours of television ever created. Possibly this is simply childhood nostalgia, but I think it is something more.

"City on the Edge of Forever" is a character study that requires a relatively low level of suspension of disbelief with respect to the pseudo-science. Once you give the writers the benefit of the quasi-mystical Guardian of Forever (not a big leap), you can sit back and enjoy the drama and pathos. Joan Collins' Edith Keeler, an idealist as far removed from her later roles as night is removed from day, holds our interests as arguably the only woman in the entire canon of the original Star Trek series to engage Kirk's heart, rather than his loins. The interplay between Spock and Kirk, both humorous and serious, captures our attention as they slowly realize that the future hinges on the sacrifice of someone who is basically innocent and pure of heart, who acts as her conscience dictates and with whom Kirk has fallen in love. Much has been said about the ending, and the choice of who makes the hard choice at the end. And in the end, I feel they got it right. Dramatically, it means far more for Kirk to have been the one to make the hard choice rather than Spock or McCoy.

One of the differences between "Star Wars" and "Star Trek", the two greatest science-fiction franchises of all time, is simply this: "Star Wars" tends to focus on the people, whereas "Star Trek" has an often unpleasant habit of focusing on the technology. The "Star Wars" movies have spaceships, lasers, and all the rest, but how they actually work is mostly irrelevant to the story. (Which is why the introduction of the "midi-chlorians" was such a huge mistake). "Star Trek" has tended to focus as much or more on the science and technology than the people, resulting in a very mixed product quality. "City on the Edge of Forever" is one of those Trek episodes that recognizes that it is people, not technology, that make for engaging drama. As a result, it is a Trek episode that even strangers to the cult of Trek can appreciate, and a truly immortal hour of television.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: ONE OF THE BEST DVD'S IN THE SERIES!!!
Review: I think everyone will agree that Volume 14 is definetly one of the most popular Trek DVD's to date. The reason being well it's actually quite simple: (1) The debut of the Klingons and of course (2) One of the best Trek episodes ever. So I can easily say that this is Highly recommended before going into great detail about the episodes.

The first episode here is ERRAND OF MERCY which features the debut of the Klingons led by Commander Korr (played by John Colicos). This episode finds the Enterprise races to Organia to prevent the Klingons from taking over the planet. However when they arrive the Organians refuse the help of Starfleet and pretty soon the Klingons invade the planet. A frustrated Kirk tries to reason with the stubborn Organians who will not allow the Klingons and Starfleet to fight. Both sides completely unnerved later find out that there is more to the Organians than meets the eye for they are a far superior race compare humans or Klingons. A classic!

The next episode is one of Trek's finest CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER is easily one of my favourites. McCoy goes insane after consuming a drug accidently and beams down to a planet with a bizarre Time portal. When the crew beams down to catch him McCoy jumps into the portal and wisked off to the past altering the course of time to the extent that the Enterpirse no longer exists. Kirk and Spock go back in time to find McCoy and end up it the early 1930's during the depression. There Kirk and Spock await for McCoy to show up and they befriend the beautiful social worker Edith Keeler (played by Joan Collins). Kirk begins to fall in love with the woman and Spock later reveals that in order to set time straight again Edith Keeler must die unfortunetly. This episode is a powerful drama and easily one of Star Trek's finest episodes ever. A true classic.

Bottom Line: these episodes must be seen. Both are excellent and belong in everyones collection! Highly recommended!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: ONE OF THE BEST DVD'S IN THE SERIES!!!
Review: I think everyone will agree that Volume 14 is definetly one of the most popular Trek DVD's to date. The reason being well it's actually quite simple: (1) The debut of the Klingons and of course (2) One of the best Trek episodes ever. So I can easily say that this is Highly recommended before going into great detail about the episodes.

The first episode here is ERRAND OF MERCY which features the debut of the Klingons led by Commander Korr (played by John Colicos). This episode finds the Enterprise races to Organia to prevent the Klingons from taking over the planet. However when they arrive the Organians refuse the help of Starfleet and pretty soon the Klingons invade the planet. A frustrated Kirk tries to reason with the stubborn Organians who will not allow the Klingons and Starfleet to fight. Both sides completely unnerved later find out that there is more to the Organians than meets the eye for they are a far superior race compare humans or Klingons. A classic!

The next episode is one of Trek's finest CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER is easily one of my favourites. McCoy goes insane after consuming a drug accidently and beams down to a planet with a bizarre Time portal. When the crew beams down to catch him McCoy jumps into the portal and wisked off to the past altering the course of time to the extent that the Enterpirse no longer exists. Kirk and Spock go back in time to find McCoy and end up it the early 1930's during the depression. There Kirk and Spock await for McCoy to show up and they befriend the beautiful social worker Edith Keeler (played by Joan Collins). Kirk begins to fall in love with the woman and Spock later reveals that in order to set time straight again Edith Keeler must die unfortunetly. This episode is a powerful drama and easily one of Star Trek's finest episodes ever. A true classic.

Bottom Line: these episodes must be seen. Both are excellent and belong in everyones collection! Highly recommended!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Why only two episodes on each DVD?
Review: In Australia,where I live,I can go into a store and buy a Star Trek video with these episodes on and it has a third episode on it as well.The 3 episode videos of the series also have new filmed introductions by Star Trek actors such as James Doohan and George Takei.So why is it that the DVD versions have only two episodes and little else? Not good enough Paramount.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Classic Episode and a Classic Villan on this DVD!
Review: In Errand of Mercy, We finally meet the Klingons. One of the longest and most influential trek villians (and then allies), it is wonderful to see their debut. Kirk and Spock have beemed down to Organia, a strategically important planet in the battle between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Kirk orders the Enterprsie too get the fleet, and it is up to the Captain and First Officer to prevent the Klingons from seizing Organia. The episdoe becomes an ultimate game of wits and risk. Who's manipulating whom? A must see!

In "The City on the Edge of Forever", Joan Collins guest stars as Edith Keeler, as 1930's social worker. Dr. McCoy, in a halucinatory and paranoid state, beams down to an orbiting planet, and jumps through the Guardian of Forever. He alters the timeline, and suddenly the Enterprise is gone. Kirk and Spock have to go after him to undo the pollution to the time line. In 1930's earth, Kirk falls in love with Edith. And he has to make the ultimate choice: The future of humanity or his love for Edith Keeler. An ultimately definning moment for Kirk, this episode is a trek favorite.

Just to see Edith and to see the Klingons alone is enough reason to buy this DVD. The quality of the sound is particularly wonderful - and the images are clean and sharp.

What a wonderful addition to the Trek DVD library!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: way too overrated
Review: it's a rotten script written by a manipulative novelist.

There are several flaws in the episode. For example, why didn't Kirk try to take Edith Keeler to the 23rd century like he took Gillian (Star Trek IV)not to mention he almost brought the pilot John Christopher until he learned his offspring is important to the future?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Two Essential Episodes
Review: Kirk & Spock go on an ERRAND OF MERCY to save the planet Organia from Klingon conquest, but find the simple Organians are far from defenseless - or exactly what they seem. This episode introduced the Klingons, who are portrayed through sharp characterization and skillful acting rather than with the smoke and make-up that would be used on later Trek incarnations.
After history is catastrophically altered by a deranged McCoy, Kirk & Spock must go to THE CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER (1930's New York) to set things right, but find their mission intertwined with the fate of a woman (Joan Collins) with whom Kirk has fallen in love. Widely acclaimed as the best Trek of all time, and probably Shatner's finest performance.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Missing Star is for the Packaging
Review: Little more needs to be said about the vibrant and mint-fresh visual quality of these two excellent television episodes. Star Trek has never looked better, and the superb cinematography and music of The Original Series (much better than any of the show's later incarnations) are at last presented in a medium which do them full justice.

The same can't be said for the packaging. Though this may seem a trvial concern, one can't help but feel that the DVD packages (slicks) were put together by young hotshot-trendies who may not have ever seen an episode. The strange choice of typography, not to mention the colours, the incorrect use of photos (surely there are enough Trekkers around to proof this stuff; I estimate it would take the average Trekker 0.2372 seconds to spot the "Metamorphosis" photo on the "City" slick) and the lack of special features on the DVD makes one feel a little short changed. Compare Star Trek to the "Contact" DVD with its multiple audio tracks and commentary. It would have been great to have Shatner or Nimoy or any of the others do some audio, or perhaps a music-only track. Why not some rare stills from each episode (as with the Space:1999 or Thunderbirds DVDs), or some "making of" text a'la The Twilight Zone. At the very least, use the classic font for titles and a colour scheme more in keeping with the art direction of the series, rather than the dumb "hip" look we have now (out of date by tomorrow afternoon).

The episodes themselves both deserve five stars. This was a great program and one that is sorely missed.


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