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List Price: $19.99 | | Label: CBS Paramount International Television
Salesrank: 32983
Released: August 28, 2001 |
| Our Price: $15.90 |
| Used Price: $4.71 |
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MPAA Rating:
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
"Spock's Brain," Ep. 61 - A mysterious woman appears suddenly on the Enterprise, renders the crew unconscious and then disappears with Spock's brain. "Is There in Truth No Beauty," Ep. 62 - Kirk must deal with a possessive female telepath, a jealous engineer and an alien ambassador whose appearance drives men insane.
Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 31 - Episodes 61 & 62: Spock's Brain/ Is There In Truth No Beauty? Reviews:
All the men on the planet are imprisoned by 'pain belts' as a means to keep them under control 
2007-02-07 -
Is There No Truth in Beauty: Gazing on the truth causes men to go insane?
In 'Spocks Brain' an alien, Kara (Marj Dusay), beams aboard the Enterprise, knocks out the crew, and steals Spocks brain! The search is on for Spock, the search for his brain anyway, as McCoy keeps his body alive with electronics.
Locating the alien's planet the crew beam down to investigate. The crew are quickly captured, and imprisoned by 'pain-belts'. All the men on the planet are imprisoned by 'pain-belts'. Women who rule this society, need these belts to keep men in line. Why didn't they think to bring along Uhuru... In fact, I think Uhuru does lead a team down for the rescue.
His brain's alive. They find and communicate with Spock - realizing his brain's been taken by these aliens in order that it can run their society. For example, Spock senses he's breathing, but he's only activating environmental controls. These women aren't very technologically advanced themselves. They're only using technology left over from olden times and the crew manage to escape and free Spock. McCoy uses their advanced technology to set things right, and this society is returned to it's 'normal' course.
This episode is known for being bad, however, this episode has many great Star Trek themes: showing disembodied consciousness, technology that can vastly speed up learning, and primitives who have access to advanced technology (either technology from their own past or alien technology {in one Trek episode, Errand of Mercy, they come across the 'Organians' who appear to be very primitive, only to find out at the end, they are extremely advanced. Their leader saying, "While it's true, in time, you and the Klingons will become fast-friends..." Spock observes, "I should think the Organians are as far above us on the evolutionary scale - as we are above the Amoeba"}). Of course, the pain-belts, being needed to control the men is unique to this episode...
'Spocks Brain' is known as being the worst Star Trek episode, it's like the kid in class everyone picks on. Like the kid in class everyone picks on, is this one really that much different from the others?
It's no big deal to poke fun at this episode, I suppose it's fun. Even the biggest fans sometimes enjoy making fun of this or that about Star Trek. Is it a good thing to make fun of oneself? Sometimes I wonder whether it is or not...
Perhaps the criticism of this episode reveals more about the critic than it reveals about the episode. Perhaps, in the way bullying takes place in 'The Mysterious Stranger' by Mark Twain; kids pick on other kids because ultimately they are afraid of being picked on themselves.
Lets laugh at ourselves and not be afraid of being made fun of? Or, lets protect ourselves and others, and show real sympathy towards someone who is being made fun of? We all love to laugh. Why is it no one ever cries?
One Episode Not Worth Mentioning and Another Average One! 
2007-01-17 - If you are deciding which volumes to keep, you can safely consign this one to the dustbin and not miss a thing. Granted the second episode is a lot better than the first but still relative to the other episodes in TOS-dom, it is still forgettable. The other reviewers have done a good job of explaining why the first episode is brainless but the scriptwriting of the second episode is also subpar and while the plot is a little more interesting and believable, the overall episode still falls short of what we are used to from prior episodes. Definitely not recommended!
I should have never reconnect his mouth 
2006-12-31 - The Enterprise encounters a space of advanced technology design capable of ionic propulsion, a technology that does not exist in the federation. Life scan readings indicate a humanoid reading aboard the alien ship. A mysterious woman appears on the bridge of the Enterprise and the crew is awed by her beauty, but before anyone react she activates a paralyzing device on her left arm. The woman performs brain surgery removing Spock's brain, a feat McCoy does not think medically possible. Kirk receives a report from McCoy that Spock's brain is gone, all the nerve end and vessels sealed and no bleeding, and he has managed to keep Spock's body functioning by life support. Kirk wants to know how long life support will keep Spock's body alive; McCoy indicates Spock's body will die in 24 hours; McCoy tells Kirk that even if they can find Spock's brain, he does not possess the medical skills to restore the brain. Kirk goes in search of Spock's brain. The Enterprise crew follow the ion travel to the Sigma Draconian System where the ion trail ends; Kirk learns from a Chekov report that three class M planets exist in the system that can support life; Chekov reports high energy readings from planet #6, in regular energy intervals, but Chekov argues that is impossible considering the level of technology the planet possesses, saying, "it just does make sense". Kirk and an away team beam down onto the surface of the planet; they get life sign readings of a hostile giant group of male species and prepare for a fight; Kirk manages to stun , one of the males; the man tells Kirk that they are no like the "others", the givers of pain or pain and delight; Kirk is convinced that the woman, who took Spock's brain was here on the planet; after wandering around, the team discovers a cave with food and supplies; Kirk releases that the cave is a trap and designed to trap the male species; Scottie gets an energy reading from underneath the surface of the planet and the reading indicates an energy source putting out the power of a nuclear pile that would extend a 100 miles; Scottie deduces that it must be ionic power that is creating the energy signature. The team takes the bait and its transported downward and when the doors open a woman called Luma is waiting for them; Kirk stuns her with phaser fire; the woman has the mind of a child but the team learns about the controller and apparently when Kirk stands next of robotic controlled Spock, he can hear the voice of Spock through is communicator; Spocks brain is controlling the life systems of a female control society and will provide functionality for 10,000 years, a high prices to pay for immorality; Spock's brain is housed in a black box and light ray optical channels pass light signals in and out of the black box; Spock's brain is controlling the ventilation, waste disposal, heating, and food production processes of the artificial environment. Kirk finds the mystery woman but she refuses to use the knowledge of the "teacher" to return Spock's brain to his body and tells Kirk, "I will not betray my people". McCoy wants to take the risk of using the teacher to learn how to connect Spock's brain; McCoy learns from the teacher and it becomes obvious how to reconnect the brain and McCoy exclaims that even a child could perform the delicate operation; the knowledge from the teacher only lasts three hours; McCoy begins reconnect the brain using laser sealing device; Scottie reveals the McCoy is moving a warp speed through the operation techniques; the knowledge begins to fade and Kirk tells McCoy to reconnect Spock vocal processing neurons; Spock successful assists McCoy through the remainder of the operation, as McCoy is forced to use his medical knowledge to complete the operation. Kirk learns that the women and men, at one time lived together, but a glacial age spread over the surface of the planet. An ancient and power people create a world under the surface of the planet and sent the women there to live; Kirk proposes without the controller the men and women will control together on the surface. Spock begins to explain the history of the planet verbosely and McCoy says, "I should have never reconnected his mouth".
Brains and machines is an advancing topic in robotics, today. Silicon can be connected to neuron endings. In one classical experiment a monkey learned that he could control a mouse device for a food reward with his thoughts through an mechanical electrical connection to its brain which feed electrical signals too computer through a neuron and silcon device implant in the brain; later, the monkey later learned to use his mind/computer to control a robotic arm; and even more amazing the device was extended to a human and he could used his mind through robotic aparatus to control a robotic arm with his thoughts.
Star Trek DVD
2006-08-18 - I had purchased this as a gift for a friend who enjoyed it
very much. Thank you for your help in tracking it down.
One corny episode, one complex episode 
2004-09-14 - Why does Checkov take the foreground on the cover? He only had bit parts in these episodes.
OK, on to business.
Spock's Brain. It's the corniest premise, with the corniest lines, with the worst acting. If Star Trek has a reputation for bad acting, it's because of this episode.
Maybe it's the directing, not the acting. Dammit Jim, I'm an engineer, not a TV producer. But someone is to blame.
These are a few of my favorite things: Shatner trying to deliver the line, "His...... brain???" with due disbelief, while trying to hide his own disbelief in the silliness of the script. McCoy waving his arms around exclaiming, "Where are we going to go to look for Spock's Brain?" looking as if he can't find the motivation for making such wild gesticulations. The "special effect" where the camera shakes as they go down the elevator. The unknown reason their pain bands knock them out in a few seconds the first time, but the second time they can stay conscious long enough to manipulate Spock's body with a remote control to make him push the button on the girl's bracelet. How they managed to make the remote control -- with only four buttons -- control fine movements of Spock's left forefinger. How Spock jumps off of the operating table as soon as McCoy sews up his skull.
On the other hand, the subterranean society is filled with slender, Presbyterian women wearing their thighs up to their miniskirts, which is still relevant 35 years later. Only one picture of Sheila Leighton on all of Google. Unfortunately it's only a bust shot, and I'm a leg man.
Ironically, it's episodes like this that may have led to the Star Trek craze, and ultimately the Movies. Wasted talent during production of the TV show caused an overcompensation -- a yearning to see this great ensemble deliver more quality material, because in The Original Show, they occasionally didn't have any.
This episode is not camp. This is an episode that is totally accessible to 11 year olds.
However, I don't have a clue about "In Truth No Beauty," any more at 44 years old than when I was 11. Maybe I should figure out the deeper symbolisms before passing judgment on this episode -- figuring out what the title means would be a good start. Maybe if I watch it another hundred times. No problem.
I was always annoyed that Diana Muldaur's costume didn't do justice at all to her [endless] beauty. (Do I recall her hair was in a "bun?") Maybe that was intentional, for a symbolic sort of reason. As usual, her acting is Royal Shakespearian, even if I don't quite understand what her character's problem is.
Here's another historically interesting example of Star Trek innovations preceding 1960's technology. Spock retreats to a cubicle to meld with Ambassador Kolos, and within a couple of decades, everyone's working in a cubicle. Without Star Trek, there would be no Dilbert. It's also interesting that Diana Muldaur's daughter, Maria (from Midnight at the Oasis) wrote the incidental music for this episode.
The rest of the Enterprise crew won't leave much of an impression in this episode, because they're all in the shadow of Nimoy's breakout, garrulous character, whom he gives a strong component of Sci-Fi. It really belongs to Muldaur and Nimoy.
The directing is good, but the characterizations are a bit nebulous. Characters are supposed to arrive at this point with strong emotions, but it's our homework assignment to fill in their implied histories. The script provides a canvas with lots of room for the audience to go back and discuss such details, like an exercise in Philosophy, but I would have been more satisfied if they provided a little more "on the surface."
Lastly, I always thought those swirling colors at the southern edge of the galaxy were apropos for the Psychedelic 60s. I wonder if I can program my computer to make my monitor do that.
A generous 2 stars for Spock's Brain (includes one star just for being a Trek), and 4 stars mostly for Nimoys' big scene in "Beauty," for an average of 3.
