Star Trek: The Original Series/Recap/S3/E01 Spock's Brain: Difference between revisions
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{{work|wppage=Spock's Brain}}{{Infobox episode
| title = "Spock's Brain"
| image =Leonard Nimoy William Shatner Spock's Brain Star Trek 1968.JPG
| caption =
| preceded by = "[[Star Trek: The Original Series/Recap/S2/E26 Assignment: Earth|Assignment: Earth]]"
| followed by = "[[Star Trek: The Original Series/Recap/S3/E02 The Enterprise Incident|The Enterprise Incident]]"
| release date = September 20, 1968
| central theme =
| elevator pitch =
}}
{{quote|''The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few''|[[Charles Dickens]], ''[[A Tale of Two Cities]]'' (which apparently Kirk never reads and Spock only reads after this episode and before ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan]]''}}
In 1968, [[NBC]] wanted to cancel ''Star Trek'' after two seasons, but the cult fanbase organized a [[Sending Stuff to Save the Show|letter-writing campaign]] to save the show for a third season. They succeeded and ''Trek''{{'}}s third season began with an episode no one would forget. This it it. The [[Narm]]. The [[Plot Hole|Plot Holes]]. This is that episode. This is "'''Spock's Brain'''", widely considered the worst ''Star Trek'' episode ever made. [[So Bad It's Good|Or perhaps the best.]] Yeah, instead of getting an "[[Star Trek: The Original Series/Recap/S2/E26 Assignment: Earth|Assignment: Earth]]" series, we got ''this''.
It all begins when the ''Enterprise'' encounters an alien spacecraft. Scotty is amazed that they are so advanced as to use ion propulsion, a technology which existed ''at the time the episode was written'' (however, as it's clearly an FTL drive, it's the same as today's [[In Name Only]]). The spacecraft's only occupant beams onto the bridge of the ''Enterprise'' and it turns out to be yet another alien woman who wears [[Stripperiffic]] clothes. The men ([[Les Yay|and Uhura, for some reason]]) stare as the soundtrack swells with romantic music, [[Blatant Lies|as they've clearly never seen a woman like this before]]. As we will learn later on, she is named Kara. But Kara does not come in peace. Using a wrist band, she knocks out everyone on the ship with that "boing" sound effect which [[Sufficiently Advanced Alien|Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]] always use. After seeming momentarily interested in Kirk's butt, she walks up to the unconscious Spock and gleefully strokes his cranium.
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The [[Fan Nickname]] for this episode is "[[The One With...]] [[Shaped Like Itself|Spock's Brain]]". It is the only episode of the series to feature a main character's name in the title. It is also, far and away, the episode with the most [[Title Drop|title drops]], to the point that many people have made a [[Drinking Game]] out of it. It's not recommended for lightweights.
{{tropelist|Tropes and tropes! What are tropes?!}}
* [[Agony Beam]]: Delivered via bracelets, no less.
* [[Brain In a Jar]]: [[Title Drop|Spock's Brain]].
* [[Fainting]]: McCoy, when he used the Teacher.
* [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]]: A possible case, in that the Eymorg are said to "give pain and delight" to the Morg. We get to see the pain on a '60s TV show, but not the delight...
▲[[Category:Star Trek: The Original Series/Recap]]
* [[Handy Remote Control]]: Bones has a box that he can use to guide Spock's body, even without [[Title Drop|Spock's Brain]] present.
* [[Idiot Plot]]: As described above, in detail.
* [[Numbered Homeworld]]: With three Class M planets in the Sigma Draconis system, Starfleet numbered them to keep track of them all.
** Amazingly, this is actual science — astronomers numbered the planets in a planetary system even in the 20th century. (See Wikipedia's page on [[w:Sol III|Sol III]] for an example.) We have no idea how real astronomy got into a ''Star Trek'' episode.
* [[Organic Technology]]: [[Title Drop|Spock's Brain]], while it's running the Eymorg systems.
* [[The Roddenberry Line]]: Crossed and left behind in the dust. This episode was all about the [[Applied Phlebotinum]] for the sake of Applied Phlebotinum.
* [[Shock Collar]] / [[Slave Collar]]: The Eymorg put shock belts on the landing party and on their Morg slaves.
* [[Terminally Dependent Society]]: The Controller runs Eymorg society. When it "fails", they need to find a new one or die. [[Title Drop|Spock's Brain]] will do nicely.
* [[Voices Are Mental]]: [[Title Drop|Spock's Brain]] can speak with Spock's voice, even without having access to Spock's vocal cords.
* [[Wetware CPU]]: [[Title Drop|Spock's Brain]].
* [[Who Even Needs a Brain?]]: Not Spock, apparently, as long as McCoy has that [[Handy Remote Control]]... but the Eymorg society will perish without [[Running Gag|Spock's Brain]].
* [[Wrong Name Outburst]]: Not an outburst, but while the landing party is on the planet, Kirk asks for "Tricorder readings, Mr. Spock... Mr. Scott."
* [[You No Take Candle]]: This episode has such incredible<ref>Well, This Troper is having trouble maintaining credulity; that makes it incredible, right?</ref> writing as "Brain and brain! What is brain?!"
{{recapfooter}}
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