Rating: 
Summary: Star Trek visits worlds where the impossible keeps happening
Review: On Volume 9 of the Star Trek DVD series the Enterprise visits a couple of planets where the impossible happens. First up, the Enterprise decides to have "Shore Leave" at a planet in the Omicron Delta section. Sensors find only plant life below, but when Dr. McCoy arrives for a little R&R he sees the White Rabbit from "Alice in Wonderland" running around. The rest of the crew end encountering Don Juan, a samurai, a tiger, and a knight on horseback who runs McCoy through with a lance. Captain Kirk encounters a couple of people from his past: a beautiful woman named Ruth and an annoying cadet named Finnegan who made his life hell at the Academy. Obviously, there is some sort of rhyme and reason to what is happening on this planet and the only question is whether Kirk and his crew can figure it out in time (The answer is: Yes. I know some of you were getting worried, so I thought I would relieve your minds).The Enterprise stumbles across another unknown planet where they meet a strange being named Trelane, a.k.a. "The Squire of Gothos." Trelane can do pretty much anything he wants, and what he wants is to use the crew of the Enterprise as play toys. Once again Kirk and Spock have to figure out what is really going on and do something about it. My favorite scene in this one is when Spock offers a nice list of objections he has to Trelane's existence. If you note a lot of similarities between Trelane and Q from STNG--especially since both characters end up putting the captain of the Enterprise on trial--then you are certainly not alone. There is even a Star Trek novel, "Q-Squared" by Peter David, that postulates Trelane was really Q's illegitimate son and that it was the meddling of those two that explained why the various crews of the different Enterprises were always encountering problems involving time travel. Sure makes sense to me. Another thing that both of these episodes have in common is that they both end with a twist. Kirk does not so much solve these mysteries as he does manage to survive until the proper authority shows up and saves the day. This is certainly the most appropriate pair of episodes you are going to encounter in this DVD series.
Rating: 
Summary: Toodle-Pip, and TallyHo!
Review: REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 9: Shore Leave© / The Squire of Gothos©... Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: "The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play" -Captain Kirk Historical Milestone: The first temporary death of a primary Star Trek cast member (Dr. McCoy) Notable Gaffe / Special Defect: During one of the planet-bound scenes, a couple crewmates notice a WWII fighter plane up in the sky. The first few shots of the plane shows it to be a US Marines Corsair, the same plane the Black Sheep Squadron flew during the Pacific campaign. But when the plane dives to strafe the two officers, it magically changes into a Japanese Zero! Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: 1 temporarily dead (not McCoy) REVIEW/COMMENTARY: If you're lookin' for a good hunk 'o' the kinda cheesiness that only a classic Trek eppie can provide, this is one of the better ones to check out. I especially enjoy the goofiness of Sulu being chased by a samurai whose swordsmanship and martial arts skills aren't even worthy of a clear belt! Kirk manages to beat a few of Star Trek's hackneyed gimmicks further into the ground when he "meets up" with an old flame, and gets his uniform top ripped up during his fight with an old nemesis from his academy days! Also amusing is seeing McCoy killed by gettin' run through with a lance, then is brought back to life near the end to explain how the planet manufactures anything one can quite literally imagine! Which due to the show's limited budget would be as close as the viewer would ever get to seeing the process first-hand... THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS© PRELIMINARY BRIEFS: Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: The dangers of intellect without discipline and power without constructive purpose Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: None REVIEW/COMMENTARY: Probably more than any other classic Trek episode, The Squire of Gothos© has been a major stumbling block towards rapprochement between the old-school Trekkies and their NextGen counterparts. Is the all-powerful Q of NextGen fame really a blatant ripoff of Trelane as the classic Trekkies claim, or merely an affectionate tribute to the squire as the NextGen crowd states? Not to be outdone, Shatner pulls out all the stops with his infamous staccato, halting dialogue (affectionately known as his "Kirkian method acting") during his back-and-forth verbal spars with the seemingly all-powerful pest. There's more overacting between these two than you'll ever see in any overachieving Shakespearean tragedy!
Rating:
Summary: Two above average, if bizarre, episodes
Review: Shore Leave-I find this episode, in which anything that pops into one's mind is almost immediately realized, to be funny, entertaining, and original. Certainly much of the material is very hoaky, but it's never good to watch Trek with too critical an eye. This episode's premise also introduced a flexibility which helped flesh out some of the characters. Examples include the look at Kirk's academy days and McCoy's waggish ways with the ladies here. Overall, an off-beat and upbeat tone prevails, despite the episode's substantial (if temporary) negative twist. (4 stars) The Squire of Gothos-Another bizarre and campy episode, this one features a spoiled child who has designed himself a baroque castle. Like the former episode, this one presents us with a phantasmagoria of seemingly random, if stereotypical, scenarios. The tone is more ominous here, however, thanks in large part to some well-conceived shots (such as the shadow of the noose during Kirk's trial). The castle's blend of gilded glitz with incomplete realization increase the sense of unreality. Unlike later shows (most notably 3rd season ones), the unreality here is not dreamlike however. There is a sharpness about this episode; the dialogue is literal and more crisp than in most 3rd season shows, which often felt more detached non-commital and ambivalent, while being softer-edged and more atmospheric. Campbell, who later returned for The Trouble With Tribbles also gives a strong performance. After a while the gags start to lose their novelty though, and the episode seems to struggle to fill time. Another possible critique (although it doesn't really bother me) is that the episode ultimately doesn't have a lot to say. Still most of us, at some point in our lives, have had the experience of having to jump through hoops at another's whim; there isn't always a lot of meaning behind that either. (3 stars)
Rating:
Summary: Two above average, if bizarre, episodes
Review: Shore Leave-I find this episode, in which anything that pops into one's mind is almost immediately realized, to be funny, entertaining, and original. Certainly much of the material is very hoaky, but it's never good to watch Trek with too critical an eye. This episode's premise also introduced a flexibility which helped flesh out some of the characters. Examples include the look at Kirk's academy days and McCoy's waggish ways with the ladies here. Overall, an off-beat and upbeat tone prevails, despite the episode's substantial (if temporary) negative twist. (4 stars) The Squire of Gothos-Another bizarre and campy episode, this one features a spoiled child who has designed himself a baroque castle. Like the former episode, this one presents us with a phantasmagoria of seemingly random, if stereotypical, scenarios. The tone is more ominous here, however, thanks in large part to some well-conceived shots (such as the shadow of the noose during Kirk's trial). The castle's blend of gilded glitz with incomplete realization increase the sense of unreality. Unlike later shows (most notably 3rd season ones), the unreality here is not dreamlike however. There is a sharpness about this episode; the dialogue is literal and more crisp than in most 3rd season shows, which often felt more detached non-commital and ambivalent, while being softer-edged and more atmospheric. Campbell, who later returned for The Trouble With Tribbles also gives a strong performance. After a while the gags start to lose their novelty though, and the episode seems to struggle to fill time. Another possible critique (although it doesn't really bother me) is that the episode ultimately doesn't have a lot to say. Still most of us, at some point in our lives, have had the experience of having to jump through hoops at another's whim; there isn't always a lot of meaning behind that either. (3 stars)
Rating:
Summary: Star Trek-The Original Series, Vol.9,Episodes 17&18: Shore
Review: So far the only things I have found lacking in these DVD's is the lack of extras to include Spanish/French subtitles and dubbing as well a extra info about the shooting of the individual episodes such as unseen footage, etc...
Rating:
Summary: STAR TREK VOLUME 9: THE LIGHTER SIDE OF THE TREK UNIVERSE!!!
Review: Star Trek Volume 9 has two important points. One being that McCoy character is developed even greater in SHORE LEAVE. The other point being the character of Trelane who would eventually evolve into the popular Q character on Star Trek TNG. Trelane was the blueprint for this standout character. The first episode here is SHORE LEAVE which is quite entertaining but fairly bizarre and comical. The Crew lands down on an uncharted paradise like planet. However beneath this paradise is a amusmant park of bizarre illusions. Everything the crew thinks of appears out of nowhere moments later. Whether it's a giant rabbit, a samurai, a knight or Kirk's old rival Finnigan (a stereotypical Irish man who just happens to love to fight). The episode does however develope McCoys character quite well. He becomes far more likeable and not so tight fisted. The episode has a fairly mindless plot but it is one of the lighter Trek episodes that developes each character quite well. The other episode here is THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS which is another bizarre and comical episode. Kirk and the crew are trapped but a peculiar humanoid who takes the form of an 18th century general. The humanoid dubbed himself as the lonely Squire Trelane (played by William Campbell). The character himself was a blueprint for the later Trek character Q. Campbell however plays the Squire so over the top that at times he is almost annoying. The episode is mildly enteratining but not an excellent Trek tale. Still it's great to see how silly the Squire is. Overall Volume 9 displays the lighter side of the Star Trek series. Both episodes are watchable but extremely silly at moments. None the less its a nice additoon to the Trek DVD series. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Fun For Everyone In The 23rd Century!
Review: Star Trek: The Original Series Volume 9 - Well, if you have read my past reviews (now over 200) you'll know I am a big, big fan of Star Trek and all its forms. This is another volume in the DVD series of original episodes. This one has two of my all time favorites. Shore Leave: Is the story of an uncharted planet being explored for possible Shore Leave prospects. It is a special planet where all you have to do is imagine anything and this place whips it up and makes it come alive. Whether it was deadly or benevolent anything and everything is possible. Some great performances by William Shatner (Showtime, Miss Congeniality) and the Late Deforest Kelly (Waco, When Love Has Gone). Also a keen guest star shinning moment by Bruce Mars (Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, Mission Impossible) as Finnegan James T. Kirk old academy nemesis. It was written by Theodore Sturgeon ( Invaders, Land Of The Lost, The Twilight Zone) and directed by Robert Sparr (Batman, The Wild Wild West). The Squire Of Gothos is a fun frolic of a kid being a spoiled brat. This is a role cleverly being played by William Campbell (Love Me Tender, Back Lash) (who also played the Klingon Commander in my all time favorite Original episode of The Trouble With Tribbles') who performance is brash, bold, theatrical and very over the top. This is where the "Q" Continuum must have patterned themselves after. He is funny and in the end a great big spoiled brat. There are even shinning moments for dialogue and cleverness for Leonard Nimoy (Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Brave New World ) and George Takei (Mulan, Kissingger and Nixon ) as Spock and Sulu trying to match wits with the obnoxious Trelane! It turns out he is just a bad boy that just got carried away and in the end his parents remind him of what he is doing. Written by Paul Schnieder (Ben Casey, Eight Is Enough) and direct by Doug McDougall (Mission Impossible, Mannix) - this story is definitely clever and funny at times too! This is a good volume to have in the original Star Trek series.
Rating:
Summary: two of the best
Review: Theodore Sturgeon only wrote two Star Trek episodes (a treatment for a third was novelized recently) but his influence on Star Trek was great, since it was his daring that introduced the idea of Vulcan sexuality, in an era when television was almost devoid of any mention of sex. In fact, a lot of the Vulcan backstory comes from his episode "Amok Time". On this DVD we get "Shore Leave", which in 52 minutes pins down the characters of several Star Trek regulars were were just shirts before this. "The Squire of Gothos" is another pivotal episode in the Star Trek mythos. Rick Norwood
Rating:
Summary: From going where no man has gone to getting away from it all
Review: These compilation DVD's, with two episodes each, normally have either mismatched episodes (to get a broader Trek experience) or episodes with a common theme (the crew heads off an ages-old computer that thinks it's alive or divine; the crew tries to save a feral planet in danger of repeating the mistakes of Earth's past), but this episode gets it right - offering two fine examples of the Enterprise's crew getting away from it all...whether they wanted to or not. In "Shore Leave" the crew finds itself on an idyllic planet - perhaos one a bit too inviting. Besides its beauty, the crew find themselves having to face their nightmares - anything that comes to mind also comes to life. Whether it's a white rabbit late for a royal appointment, a samurai warrior, a tiger or some jerk who lorded it over you in your humbler years as a starfleet cadet - you'll find it here, or it will find you. But it's the "Squire of Gothos" that steals the show - played by William Campbell (who would return as a Klingon in the "Trouble with Tribbles"). Trelane, the "Squire", has turned the otherwise lifeless world of Gothos into a base from which he celebrates life on Earth as he saw it (though interstellar chrono-distillation as theorized by Einstein has put him a few centuries behind the times). Dissatisfied with the more orderly ways of the 23rd century, Trelane tries to absorb the crew into his more rogueish illusion. This episode excelled because of the subtle nunaces of Trelane's character (superbly played by Campbell) that shows an all powerful being who is not all there. Able to go from delightful to demonic in short bursts, Trelane becomes one of those one-shot characters that's more memorable than hosts of Klingons or Romulans.
Rating:
Summary: Two great episodes of classic Trek
Review: With each successive DVD release, I rediscover just why I LOVE classic Trek so much. The thing about classic Star Trek is that it's got so much going for it that when it's good, it's really good. And that's the case with the two episodes featured on this DVD. The first episode in this volume is by sci-fi master Theodore Sturgeon (who also gave us the second season "Amok Time"), "Shore Leave." The crew beams down for what appears to be a simple vacation, but this being Trek, things aren't always what they seem. It appears the crews dreams and fantasies are coming to life--often with deadly and dangerous results. It's certainly an interesting look at the characters and showcases the actors and actresses talent. And it's also one of those fun episodes to watch in great detail on repeat viewing to notice the flubs such as the sequence with the tiger and the fact that Kirk runs past the same set of trees several times in a chase sequence. Add to it that it features a lot of memorable musical cues by Alexander Courage and you've got a very enjoyable episode of Trek. Following it is "The Squire of Gothos" which was intriguing for 20-some odd years before Q came along to give even more meaning to the stories. (If you haven't read Peter David's superlative Q-Squared, what are you waiting for? ). Kirk is once again called upon to defeat a god-like being and the journey there is entertaining and great to watch. The episode is still filled with tension and drama after all these years and seeing it more times than I can count. These episodes show off all the strengths that classic Trek has to offer and a perfect addition to any collection.
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