The Galileo Seven
I might have enjoyed The Galileo Seven (Memory Alpha; HD Video) if not for CBS’s woeful servers. Every night around 11pm PST their server farm seems to overload and melt. This lasts for somewhere between an hour and three, but during that time it’s pretty much hopeless to try to watch anything: it’s a second of video, two seconds of loading, repeat.
To add to that misery, this episode is pretty unremarkable. A shuttlecraft on a science mission to a “quasar-like formation” when an ion storm forces it to crash-land on a planet. The Enterprise is blinded by the storm and cannot find the stranded crewmen, so Spock, McCoy, Scotty, and four people you’ll never see again are on their own.
Begin Spoilers
Spock, on the ground, is having trouble with his first command situation. The ship won’t be able to take off with everyone aboard, so someone is gonna stay behind, and Spock isn’t exactly charming about this possibility. Meanwhile, the natives of this planet are primitive, huge, and warlike, and they quickly attack the security detail Spock has sent out. Spock, being all non-emotional, doesn’t want to waste time burying the body as they try to fix their ship. This conflict has potential, but it’s both overplayed (way too strongly way too early) and underdone (there is no back-and-forth; there is just repetition).
Kirk is on the enterprise, trying to buy as much time to extend the rescue mission over the objections of Galactic High Commissioner Ferris, whose fancy title is matched by his fancy outfit, but whose existence is really only a plot element to create a sense of urgency.
End Spoilers
This episode might have been more interesting if I could have watched it with the proper pacing, but as it was I had to take giant breaks every few minutes, which isn’t the best viewing environment.
Grade
C-
