Time, the subtle thief of youth
by Janice L. Newman
We’ve been watching Star Trek for almost a full season, now. We’ve seen some sublime episodes and at least one really terrible episode, but the overall quality has been high. “City on the Edge of Forever” is one of the best episodes we’ve seen yet.
The early part of the episode sets things up, with Sulu getting hurt and McCoy being called to the bridge to treat him. There’s a nice bit of banter between the doctor and Captain Kirk here, followed by a moment of horror when unexpected turbulence causes Dr. McCoy to accidentally inject himself with a drug that drives him mad. Kirk, Spock, and even Sulu have all had opportunities to do dramatic scenes where they’re half out of their minds due to drugs or other influences. It’s nice to now see DeForest Kelley given the opportunity to really let loose.
Sulu gets to smile, but McCoy gasps like nobody's business!
McCoy makes it down to the planet below and throws himself through an alien artifact that leads to the past. This is where the episode really begins, with Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock quickly following him through the artifact’s archway to try to fix the timeline McCoy has broken.
Finding themselves in New York circa 1930, Kirk and Spock face many challenges: they stand out in their modern clothing, they have no money nor place to go nor anything to eat, and Spock is noticeably strange to the natives of this time – though probably not as strange as Kirk assumes. As hilarious as Kirk’s struggle to explain Spock’s ears may be, the theater existed long before the 1930s. I suspect most sane people would simply assume Mr. Spock was some sort of traveling player, possibly cast in the role of Mephistopheles.
"My friend, officer, is obviously the Prince of Darkness."
Be that as it may, the important thing is that Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock are convinced that they stand out and must quickly blend in. Proving that he is indeed ‘a rat’ (as Ruth Berman noted in the latest issue of her 'zine, Dinky Bird), Kirk doesn’t hesitate to steal some convenient clothing, necessitating that they flee from a most inconvenient policeman.
They take refuge in the basement of a mission and meet a woman who will prove to be the crux of the time paradox: Edith Keeler. Edith, despite Kirk admitting that they stole their clothes and are on the run, is charmed enough by them to offer them help. She gets them a job, a place to stay, and food at the mission.
These basic problems solved, the difficulties facing the men out of time become more complex. Spock needs components that don’t exist or are incredibly expensive in order to determine what caused the time anomaly and broke their own timeline. There are plenty of great, teasing conversations between Kirk and Spock, where Kirk needles Spock and Spock ultimately rises to the challenge, despite the many hours of work it takes and the fact that he must work with equipment that he claims is hardly ahead of “stone knives and bearskins”.
Meanwhile, Kirk is growing closer to Edith Keeler. She’s a visionary who imagines a future where the power of the atom is harnessed and men will go to the stars. He’s a man from that very future. They make a lovely match…and a poignant one, when Spock determines that in order for their timeline to be saved, “Edith Keeler must die.”
Edith Keeler: Focal point of history
McCoy finally shows up, managing to just miss the captain and Mr. Spock when he’s taken in by Edith Keeler. Thankfully the drug wears off, leaving him sane again, though deeply confused. He has some nice exchanges with Edith, short conversations that nevertheless make them both even more likable. Their chemistry is almost as good as Edith’s and Kirk’s.
All the threads draw together when Kirk is planning on taking Edith out for a movie and she mentions McCoy. Kirk and Spock rush across the street back to the mission to meet their errant doctor in the doorway, McCoy joyful and relieved, Kirk and Spock fearful that the man might still be out of his mind. Turning, Kirk sees in horror that Edith is crossing the street after them, heedless of an approaching car. Kirk instinctively moves to save her but is stopped in place by Spock’s shout of warning. Horribly, Kirk must grab McCoy and hold him back to keep him from intervening.
“You deliberately stopped me, Jim. I could have saved her. Do you know what you just did?” McCoy demands.
And, in one of Trek's most memorable lines yet, Spock replies, “He knows, Doctor. He knows.”
Kirk knows.
The episode wraps up quickly after that, with the three men returning to the present day to find that their timeline has been repaired. In another memorable and surprisingly blue line, Kirk ends the episode with the words, “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
The best part of this episode was the emotional narrative, with the push-pull of the various characters’ motivations and needs causing real tension and tragedy. Kirk has kissed a lot of women throughout the various episodes so far, but I believed that his relationship with Edith Keeler, whirlwind though it was, was real and heartfelt. The ending was beautifully bittersweet.
Four stars.
One for the Birds
by a special guest
You know, when I heard there was going to be an episode of Star Trek by Harlan Ellison, I figured I was in for a treat. After all, this is the fellow who gave us the brilliant "Demon with a Glass Hand" and "Soldier" on The Outer Limits (shoulda won the Hugo, by the way). And this is Star Trek, fer chrissakes, the show that's supposed to finally bring good STF to the unwashed masses.
The teaser and the first act are complete messes. We open up on the Enterprise being tossed about by "time ripples", whatever they are. Mostly, it looks like a sub par episode of Voyage to the Bottom of the Pot, what with endless camera jiggles and tottering extras. Sparks fly from the helm since, in the future, no one's invented fuses. The ship's doctor (who else could do it?) rushes to the bridge to administer Sulu some happy juice; at least Takei gets to show off that dreamy grin of his. And then (for Pete's Sake), our Chief Medical Officer manages to jab himself with the whole vial of goof juice, sending him straight to paranoia-ville. I guess they just don't make country doctors like they used to.
All the nonessential personnel, like Kirk, Spock, Scotty, and Uhura, beam down to Planet Glitterball to find their hopped-up Doc. But he's too sneaky–he hides behind things! Apparently rock walls block ship's sensors and tricorders and things. We watch security teams walk right past the guy several times. If I could roll my eyes any harder, I'd see the back of my skull.
"Och! If only I could see over this rock!"
Kirk and Spock meet up with the giant, talking doughnut that plays Cinemascope films (which, to be fair, wasn't too bad an effect). The wheels in Kirk's brains almost come off at the concept of time travel–apparently, he's forgotten he's already traveled back in time twice just in this season. Then he proposes the most harebrained plan: go back in time a day to "stop the accident". What does he plan to do when he meets himself? This is Starfleet's finest?
McCoy breaks free of his security guards, though at least that's consistent–the Enterprise has the worst MPs in the universe as has been shown in, well, every goddam episode of this show. Once in the past, Bones alters history, and suddenly the Enterprise ain't in orbit anymore. We know it's serious because the one line they gave Nichelle Nichols this episode is "I'm frightened." Pauline Leet is rolling over in her grave, and she ain't even dead yet.
"I still get paid for the day, right?"
Once we get to the past, as they say now on L.A.'s KHJ, the hits just keep on coming. Spock needs to build some cockamaimie projector out of vacuum tubes, relays and bubble gum, to make his Buck Rogers tricorder work. Kirk, his life, his universe, but most importantly, his ship on the line, falls head over heels for a local dame. That might be tolerable, but good grief–Edith Keeler? The moon-eyed do-gooder who vomits dopey dialogue to winos about how we're gonna go to the stars, harness the atom, and wear lamé uniforms, and those are the years worth living for. Even that might have been alright had, when Kirk asked where she came up with her visionary ideas, she answered, "Oh, you know–Amazing, Astounding, and like that." Instead, she just "feels it."
This is the loon that'll inspire a peace movement to keep us out of the war so the Nazis can take over the world? Color me unconvinced.
"…and don't forget to invest in IBM."
I'm actually surprised to see Harlan's name associated with this hackwork. From what I understand, he was so incensed with what Roddenberry did to his baby that he gave up screenwriting altogether. What I don't get is why his name is still on the byline. When an episode of his is torn to shreds, he lets the audience know it in his own particular fashion.
Anyway, the regulars do try their best with what they've got. Shatner emotes admirably opposite the vapid Collins, particularly when he loses her to the slowest car accident in history. Nimoy is brilliant, as always, and Kelley is an old pro who couldn't turn in a bad performance if he tried. The editors and set dressers earn their money, too, doing a more convincing job recreating the past than, well, most any other show on primetime.
But fer the love of Mike, don't let this be the episode Star Trek is forever remembered for.
Three stars.
War = Progress?
by Erica Frank
On the one hand: The obviously doomed romance was achingly sweet. Kirk fell in love with someone he knew has been dead for centuries. He was caught up in Keeler's idealism and hope for a starbound future, which he knows will happen. She was intrigued by a man who, while technically a criminal, is clever, charming, and speaks of Earth as one planet among many. He does not mock her for her belief in space travel, nor for faith that mankind will someday shift its resources from war to philanthropy. They resonate beautifully… and the audience knows that it cannot end well.
On the other hand: Keeler's peace movement resulting in the U.S. losing World War II is awful. It says clearly, "We should have peace someday, but that day is not today." I have questions: If her movement delayed the U.S. entry into the war, did we not react to the attack on Pearl Harbor? Or did that not happen because we were so peaceful?
"I'm sorry, Captain. My tricorder only picks up VHF."
This story could've found another way to convey the need for history to return to its original path. It did not need to imply that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were necessary to develop starflight. The aftermath of WWII was horrible and I reject the notion that we can only reach the stars through the painful deaths of millions of people.
Other options include:
- Keeler's peace movement caught on, spread widely—and had harsh opposition. A group of violent, militant fanatics went rogue and entered WWII earlier, with disastrous results.
- A ship answers Kirk's call, but its captain and crew are speaking German. Because of the strong peace movement, the atomic bomb was never developed. Hitler never rose to military power—and German and Japanese technology, not American, dominated the late 20th century and eventually pushed into space. Kirk and Spock need to fix history to return to their home, but starflight itself is not in danger.
- The ship that answers Kirk's call is entirely crewed by Vulcans. The peace movement spread across the Earth quickly; technology developed faster. Humans made contact with the Vulcans earlier, and the two species have a blended culture. Kirk wants to return to his normal universe but does not want Edith Keeler to die—and Spock is conflicted about whether he should stay in this "better" universe.
There are several ways WWII could have had a different outcome if the U.S. had a stronger peace-and-prosperity movement. The aftermath that Kirk discovered did not need to be, "Peace destroyed the Federation."
Aside from that: The episode had several charming moments. Kirk's attempt to explain Spock was hilarious. Spock and McCoy both complained about the "primitive" technology—I wonder if they're going to compare notes later? I give it four stars; my dislike of some of the implications doesn't make it a bad story.
Right on Time
by Lorelei Marcus
I once heard our wide array of television programming described as "a vast wasteland". While I would argue there are a few hidden gems among the muck, it is true that the majority of shows we pick up on our antennas are…not very good. A similar proportion obtains in one of the most popular genres of television: the period piece.
Westerns are so prevalent in the wasteland that they have become virtually synonymous with "television". Watch any film or show in the last ten years, and if there's a TV set on screen, I guarantee it will show a shootout involving a man wearing spurs, or a gaggle of howling Indians, or both. What amazes me about these Westerns, and historical shows in general, is not their popularity, but their wild disregard for historical accuracy. Beyond the melodramatic plots and improbably long running times of series compared to the events they are supposed to portray (how long until Saunders and Hanley get out of France, anyway?), there is an obvious lack of effort in production that makes it impossible to believe that the characters are in any other era than the modern day. Jim West's blow-dried hair in current style, the lavish cat-eyed make-up on what's supposed to be a poor woman in the 1820s, the skinny ties and modern suits on Hogan's Heroes, the outfits the costume department lifted straight from the Sears Catalog for any given episode of Time Tunnel; these are just a few examples of the egregious lack of care that breaks the illusion for historical television.
I absolutely believe this is Rudyard Kipling in 1886. Good job, Time Tunnel!
What does any of this have to do with Star Trek? The most recent episode, "City on the Edge of Forever", has more elements of a period piece than a science fiction one. And yet, in its period piece within an SF shell, it does a far better job than virtually every other historical. I could genuinely believe that Kirk and Spock had traveled to 1930's era Earth because of the extra care taken with the set and costume design. The scenes had little touches: period signs, old cars, wood-fired furnaces in the basements. Edith Keeler's hair lacked the obvious '60s stylings we see constantly in Combat! and Twelve O' Clock High. This extra attention to detail was crucial to the episode, allowing the audience to be carried through the intense emotional currents without being distracted by anachronisms. It also made Kirk and Spock seem all the more "fish out of water", with their brightly colored uniforms and pointed sideburns, which marked them as aliens even more, perhaps, than Spock's ears. They contrasted nicely with Edith Keeler's old-fashioned outfits, emphasizing the clash of eras, making the romance between Kirk and Edith all the more poignant…and tragic.
"Nothing to see here, folks! Just a couple of fellas hanging around."
While I don't think this episode is perfect, I do believe that out of all the historicals in this wasteland called TV, it is a diamond in the rough…as opposed to a cowpat in the road. I hope it inspires other show creators to pay a little more attention to the historical accuracy they bring to their works.
Four stars.
A Mixed Manipulation
by Jessica Dickinson Goodman
All of us, when we dive into fiction, are looking to be manipulated. We're looking for emotions to experience, fears to heal through catharsis, fantasies to live out. Good fiction is a massage for the brain. But most of us don't enjoy crude manipulation, any more than we'd enjoy laying down on a leather massage table only to be punched in the back of the head.
Some threads of "The City of the Edge of Forever" felt like crude manipulation; as Erica points out, the bizarrely binary nature of time travel was a particular disappointment. Why must a good woman die for the world to go on? Couldn't she have come to the future with Kirk? Perhaps to live with her fellow pacifists on Vulcan? And while I agree with Lorelei that the costuming and stage setting were convincingly period, the virtual lack of Black, Jewish, Latino, or Asian characters in 1930s Brooklyn was startling; WASP-y crowd after WASP-y crowd filled the street. California accents abounded. The extras in this episode didn't sound or look like the New York City I know.
The demographic melting pot that is The Big Apple
Some threads in this episode were beautifully subtle. The delicate domestic dance between Spock and Kirk as they set-up their Depression-era household was tender and sweet. The mutual courtship between Edith and Kirk, with each laying claim to the other in soft and clever ways, was heartfelt and poignant. The doomed nature of their love only made each spare moment they had together that much more precious. The careful, realistic challenges that Kirk and Spock faced upon their arrival drew me in completely: scrounging for money, making trade-offs between tools for the future and bread for tonight, picking up odd jobs as they came – we haven't seen our crew dive into these kinds of workaday lives before and it provided a deeply satisfying sense of their characters. These moments felt like the best manipulation a viewer could ask for.
Kirk and Spock reliving their dorm days at Starfleet Academy
On the balance, I very much enjoyed this episode. I feel as if I know Kirk and Spock far better than I did a week ago and am excited to see more of their partnership develop. If only it could not be at the expense of the women around them, I would be an entirely happy gal.
Four stars.
Next episode takes us to Space Park in Redondo Beach! Come join us tomorrow at 8:00 PM (Eastern and Pacific) for a show and fanzine readings…
Brooklyn looks almost like Mayberry here.
That's just silly. Clearly they used the same town featured in "Miri"!
Fine comments and analysis from all concerned.
I was particularly pleased to hear from Mister Bird, who obviously knows Mister Ellison intimately. (Why else would Mister Ellison write an episode of "Burke's Law" ["Who Killed Alex Debbs?"] including a character named Cordwainer Bird, played by Sammy Davis, Jr.?) I don't even mind Mister Bird promoting his own work for "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea."
With that in mind, Mister Bird should be able to confirm or deny the rumors that Mister Ellison's script was severely rewritten by any number of uncredited folks, and that what we see on the screen bears very little resemblance to his original vision.
You are entitled to your opinion. I disagree with it.
There are four opinions! Which one do you disagree with?
This Star Trek teleplay obviously has something to say to grownups and thoughtful adolescents, as comments here show.
"The City" makes a distinction about history that goes beyond what TV entertainment is generally willing to deal with, namely the distinction between tragedy and catastrophe. History shows that often those are the only two alternatives.
We were prepared for this week's show by last week's "Alternative Factor," which also shows the choice for tragedy (the sane Lazarus's embrace of his ghastly fate) to avert catastrophe. This week's choice is poignant too, though in a different way in that the choice was not Edith Keeler's but that of Captain Kirk.
The hard choice between tragedy and catastrophe is a prominent theme in this Cold War that we're all aware of; there are few plain victories for either side.
I'm in agreement with the reviewers who liked this episode. It may be the best we've had. The only real competition I can think of would be "Balance of Terror" and its deadly game of cat and mouse.
I think Erica has somewhat misread the implications of Edith's peace movement letting the Nazis win. Peace is a general good and vastly preferable, but when evil is on the move and taking over by force, then peace must also be set aside until evil is defeated.
How could this one woman and her movement delay (not prevent, Spock clearly says it delayed America's entry into the war) the United States getting involved? One possibility, since we see her meeting with FDR, is that she talked him out of Lend-Lease, thus weakening the ability of some of the Allies to resist the Nazis. Hitler might also then have been less inclined to declare war on the U. S. after Pearl Harbor. The other possibility is that Keeler's peace movement was powerful enough to throw the 1936 or 1940 election to the isolationist Republicans.
Finally, Mr. "Bird" must have been rolling his eyes at the wrong moment and missed the rather obvious fallout shelter sign on one of those 1930 brownstones. I'm sure he'd have mentioned it otherwise.
One thing modern Americans tend to forget is that there was a very strong isolationist movement that did not want the USA to get involved in that European war.
There were also growing neo-Nazi groups and later on businesses that made deals with Hitler to keep their funds flowing in case the Axis powers won. During the war, IBM gave the Nazis calculating machines to track of the millions sent to their concentration camps. Please feel free to confirm for yourself what I am saying here.
In Edith Keeler's case, if she had not been hit by that car, I could see these America First and neo-Nazi groups promoting her not out a sense of world peace but to further support her well-meaning agenda for their own purposes.
Again, it is tragic that a good and caring person had to die in order to make sure the Allies won and therefore Starfleet and the UFP later on, but as Spock said, Keeler had the right idea, just at the wrong time.
Edith Keeler did have quite a sense about people, BTW: She was already intrigued with a young actor named Clark Gable. Now to audiences in 1967 who may not have been around or having fading memories of roughly 35 years past, they could assume Mr. Gable was a big name in Hollywood then. However, in 1930, he had only made two previous films and was barely known to audiences at the time. The later years of the 1930s would become when Clark emerged as a superstar.
But Edith saw this first! :^)
"One thing modern Americans tend to forget is that there was a very strong isolationist movement that did not want the USA to get involved in that European war. "
Yes. With (really existing) organizations like "Veterans of Future Wars" and similarly title allied groups as a foundation, someone like Keeler could have become quite influential. it occurs to me that the isolationist movement was very powerful among college students – such as those who were recruited to join the Manhattan project ten years later. If a few of those had abstained, the US project might have been delayed significantly.
The reaction to this episode rather confuses me.
Honestly, I thought it was one of the more forgettable episodes of Star Trek, so I am surprised to hear it praised so highly.
I'm afraid I rather cynically think that this is due to the efforts of Harlan Ellison. And, to be honest, some of his claims about it are… just not true.
He's said that this was the episode that defined the friendship between Kirk and Spock, and that this was the first time that Spock referred to him as "Jim" instead of calling him "Captain.
That's just blatantly false. Spock was calling Kirk "Jim" in the first episode that they were filmed together in.
I've also heard it claimed that this was the first time we see Kirk in love. Also, blatantly not true.
I also gather that Mr. Ellison claims that Gene Roddenberry's re-writes of the episode 'ruined' Ellison's story. Yet, the changes that are outlined were obvious improvements to the script.
So, honestly, I don't understand what the fuss about it is.
But, I did like the bit about the Mechanical Rice picker…
Harlan says the episode got delayed and delayed again. You're right about the "Jim" thing (and Harlan saw that first episode), but it may well be that the first love thing was planned for earlier in the season.
I'll also note that Kirk has not been in love any time this season, though we've seen prior loves (Ruth and Areel).
Edith may be a kind of watershed in his character.