I haven’t had the energy lately to effortpost about it but I want you all to know I’m still watching through TOS. Just watched The Tholian Web last night. I’ve found that 50/50 THC/CBD candies pair exceptionally well with this show and make even the weakest episodes fairly enjoyable. I’ve had a few times where I’ve started an episode sober, and then as the edible kicks in things get substantially more entertaining. I’m like, “was this episode this good all along or am I just stoned?”
It’s cliche to say I guess, but that Kirk/Spock/Bones dynamic really is the reason to watch the show. The inconsistent writing across episodes actually sometimes enhances the effect, like, “oh, in this episode everyone’s just in a bad mood and sniping at each other… I wonder what happened that morning.” There’s one season 3 episode where Kirk is really pissy for no reason and refers to Spock as “Science Officer” instead of his name, and you get this great reaction shot of Spock raising his eyebrow while everyone else on the bridge looks surprised and concerned. There are so many moments like that where it’s very clear why Kirk/Spock was such a foundation of shipping.
Anyway my number one biggest takeaway from TOS is that I’m now obsessed with Gary Seven. How had I not heard about this before? A whole semi-competent Star Trek spinoff glimpsed at but nipped in the bud. It’s so weird, like mostly a Dr. Who knockoff, but with a very slight amount of Sapphire & Steel energy. I would watch that show! And I keep thinking about an alternate universe where Star Trek never got revived but Gary Seven became a pillar of pop culture…