Rating: 
Summary: TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF GREAT STAR TREK EPISODES!
Review: Two of Star Trek's second season episodes that are quite memorable appear on the Volume 23 of this DVD collection. One tackles a huge issue of the 60's while the other is just a classic Star Trek episode. A PRIVATE LITTLE WAR obviously attacks the Vietnam War issue that plagued the world at the time (the late 60's). This had been attempted to a lesser extent in the earlier episode FRIDAY'S CHILD. However A PRIVATE LITTLE WAR is far more successful at getting the message across. Kirk and McCoy arrive at a peaceful primitive planet which Kirk had visited years earlier. However upon their arrival they find the planet has been divided and they're using flintlocks. As it turns out the Klingons have been supplying villagers with weapons to kill tribesmen. One of these tribesmen is Tyree a good friend of Kirk's from years earlier. As Kirk tries to help he realizes that he is violating the prime directive. And in the end the peaceful Tyree even falls into the hatred and bloodshed when his manipulative wife Nona is murdered by villagers. This episode ends on a real down note. For it is extremely tragic what happens to this peaceful planet because of the Federation and Klingons. It really relates to the Vietnam war when you think about it. This episode is one of the more serious Star Trek outings however the Mugatu ape beast is somewhat cheesy looking and so this episode does have a few funny moments. There is a great lesson to be learned from A PRIVATE LITTLE WAR but it's never been a personal favourite of mine. It is a good episode though. The other one here is the classic GAMESTERS OF TRISKELION. I am greatly suprised at the amount of negative reviews for this episode however. I always found this to be one of Star Trek's finest and a true classic. Kirk, Chekov, and Uhura are abducted by superior beings and forced to fight "drill thralls" in a gladiator like fashion. The superior beings (known as the Providers) end up being talking brains that bid over these gladiator battles. This episode has tons of colourful characters including a beautiful green haired humanoid named Shahna whom Kirk falls in love with (kinda predictible huh?). Meanwhile Spock and the Enterprise crew search for the missing crew members until they are captured when they find them. The episode ends in Kirk making a bet with the providers if he can defeat three drill thralls the providers will let everyone go free and Kirk and his crew may return to the Enterprise and if he fails the entire Enterprise crew will be forced to become part of these gladiator games. I dunno if that was the best bet for Cpt. Kirk to make but he was successful and thats what's important. I have always loved this episode it is a classic. It is a typical 'superior beings play with inferior beings' episode but the gladiator fight scenes have to be watched! It's memorable! Overall I highly recommend Volume 23. It has two great episodes from Star Trek's second season, one tragic and one classic but both are great. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF GREAT STAR TREK EPISODES!
Review: Two of Star Trek's second season episodes that are quite memorable appear on the Volume 23 of this DVD collection. One tackles a huge issue of the 60's while the other is just a classic Star Trek episode. A PRIVATE LITTLE WAR obviously attacks the Vietnam War issue that plagued the world at the time (the late 60's). This had been attempted to a lesser extent in the earlier episode FRIDAY'S CHILD. However A PRIVATE LITTLE WAR is far more successful at getting the message across. Kirk and McCoy arrive at a peaceful primitive planet which Kirk had visited years earlier. However upon their arrival they find the planet has been divided and they're using flintlocks. As it turns out the Klingons have been supplying villagers with weapons to kill tribesmen. One of these tribesmen is Tyree a good friend of Kirk's from years earlier. As Kirk tries to help he realizes that he is violating the prime directive. And in the end the peaceful Tyree even falls into the hatred and bloodshed when his manipulative wife Nona is murdered by villagers. This episode ends on a real down note. For it is extremely tragic what happens to this peaceful planet because of the Federation and Klingons. It really relates to the Vietnam war when you think about it. This episode is one of the more serious Star Trek outings however the Mugatu ape beast is somewhat cheesy looking and so this episode does have a few funny moments. There is a great lesson to be learned from A PRIVATE LITTLE WAR but it's never been a personal favourite of mine. It is a good episode though. The other one here is the classic GAMESTERS OF TRISKELION. I am greatly suprised at the amount of negative reviews for this episode however. I always found this to be one of Star Trek's finest and a true classic. Kirk, Chekov, and Uhura are abducted by superior beings and forced to fight "drill thralls" in a gladiator like fashion. The superior beings (known as the Providers) end up being talking brains that bid over these gladiator battles. This episode has tons of colourful characters including a beautiful green haired humanoid named Shahna whom Kirk falls in love with (kinda predictible huh?). Meanwhile Spock and the Enterprise crew search for the missing crew members until they are captured when they find them. The episode ends in Kirk making a bet with the providers if he can defeat three drill thralls the providers will let everyone go free and Kirk and his crew may return to the Enterprise and if he fails the entire Enterprise crew will be forced to become part of these gladiator games. I dunno if that was the best bet for Cpt. Kirk to make but he was successful and thats what's important. I have always loved this episode it is a classic. It is a typical 'superior beings play with inferior beings' episode but the gladiator fight scenes have to be watched! It's memorable! Overall I highly recommend Volume 23. It has two great episodes from Star Trek's second season, one tragic and one classic but both are great. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: We've Been Here Before.
Review: Volume 23 of Paramount's complete reissue of the Original Star Trek series contains episodes which tread ground familiar to any Trek fan. A Private Little War is a slightly improved remake of Friday's Child (Volume 16). In this episode, the overall tone is darker, the parallel to the Vietnam conflict is driven home more clearly, and the ending is more ambiguous--fitting, considering how the real Vietnam War ended. Booker Bradshaw is featured in his first of two appearances as Dr. M'Benga, a specialist in Vulcan medicine. The Gamesters of Triskellion is one of the weakest episodes of the Original Series. Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov are zapped several light years from their original destination, dressed in kinky S&M obedience collars, and assigned drill thralls--essentially companion slaves (poor Chekov's drill thrall looks like a drag queen from the Jerry Springer show). Kirk once again gets the girl, and lectures the "advanced" race on the errors of their ways. This plotline has been examined--more effectively--in The Cage and Bread & Circuses. The saving grace of this episode is that Chekov and Uhura are at last given more to do that recite "Course plotted" of "Hailing Frequencies Open." The sound and picture are up to the standards of the other issues of this series, but because of the weak writing, this DVD is recommended only to die-hard Star Trek fans.
Rating:
Summary: We've Been Here Before.
Review: Volume 23 of Paramount's complete reissue of the Original Star Trek series contains episodes which tread ground familiar to any Trek fan. A Private Little War is a slightly improved remake of Friday's Child (Volume 16). In this episode, the overall tone is darker, the parallel to the Vietnam conflict is driven home more clearly, and the ending is more ambiguous--fitting, considering how the real Vietnam War ended. Booker Bradshaw is featured in his first of two appearances as Dr. M'Benga, a specialist in Vulcan medicine. The Gamesters of Triskellion is one of the weakest episodes of the Original Series. Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov are zapped several light years from their original destination, dressed in kinky S&M obedience collars, and assigned drill thralls--essentially companion slaves (poor Chekov's drill thrall looks like a drag queen from the Jerry Springer show). Kirk once again gets the girl, and lectures the "advanced" race on the errors of their ways. This plotline has been examined--more effectively--in The Cage and Bread & Circuses. The saving grace of this episode is that Chekov and Uhura are at last given more to do that recite "Course plotted" of "Hailing Frequencies Open." The sound and picture are up to the standards of the other issues of this series, but because of the weak writing, this DVD is recommended only to die-hard Star Trek fans.
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