The Lorelei Signal, written by Margaret Armen.
Uhura takes command, and she and Chapel must save Kirk and the men when they fall under the spell of a planet of beautiful women.
The a-story is basic but well told and very typical of the live-action show. Great to see Uhura taking the lead, though. The bond between Chapel and Spock very evident here.
My 803rd episode of Star Trek, out of 918.
7/10
Another great title. Usually Americans are more fascinated with Sirens. But the Lorelei is an equally interesting figure. Especially if you're happen to be German and not Greek.
This is a story from the TOS playbook. Immortal sex bombs seduce, hypnotize and overpower men. They remind me of Mudd's sex robots from TOS. To be completely honest, I would have liked to watch this episode in the live action show. Such behavior is not tolerable anymore but horny Kirk falling for sexy women had its own quality. Even the rapid aging thing is something we have seen in TOS before.
Only thing I really like: Uhura is more than a Hello Girl with beautiful legs. She (and the other female crew members) are determined, bold and smart. That's much better than how TOS treats women. That's of course somehow counterbalanced by the fact that there are sexy blond, bombshell Loreleis in the first place. Even in an animated series, the early 70s and sexism go together like the horse and carriage. However, that's easier to overlook than in the live action original series.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2017-07-15T22:33:31Z
[7.3/10] I have to say, it’s nice to see Uhura get to be the driver of an episode for once. TOS was pretty exclusively the Kirk, Spock, and Bones show, with Scotty occasionally getting to be the main character for an episode, so it’s pleasant to get to see one where Uhura takes command of the ship, uses her wits, and saves the day.
The premise of the episode is somewhat silly, but nicely sci-fi. The Enterprise is in the intergalactic Bermuda Triangle (after coordinating with the Klingons!) just in time for the mysterious event that happens every twenty-seven years to happen. It turns out to be a planet of sirens, who lure men to their planet and suck their life force away after tempting them and plying them with this or that.
I’d almost call it a sexist metaphor if it weren’t for the fact that this is probably the most capable and sharp the franchise has ever made Uhura seem. Kirk, Bones, and even Spock get suckered in by their enchantments. (And Scotty sings an old Scottish air, seemingly just to pass the time). The episode drags a bit in places as this whole thing is obviously a trap and none of the men can seem to resist it, but that’s pretty much the point.
(I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that there’s some more great design work for the palace and grounds of the women on the planet. For all the stiltedness of the animation, the show does know how to make the most of the cartoon setting to create some nicely elaborate and beautiful “sets.”)
The only thing that really keeps this episode from being higher is that there’s a lot of extraneous, silly stuff in it. The women’s technology being operated by tones made me laugh out loud. The entire end bit with the men of the Enterprise being de-aged using the transporter was unnecessary (just have the women reverse the process or something) and opens up a big can of worms. And the whole belaboring the resettlement of the women on the planet felt like more than we needed.
Still, seeing Uhura and Nurse Chapel not only avoid befalling the latest alien wizards’ spells, but then taking control and winning the day, is a real treat. (And for a Spock-Nurse Chapel shipper like me, it was nice to hear a dying Spock call her Christine and implore her for help.) Another fun outing from the show.