Creatively-speaking, The Original Series' season three is the weakest airing of episodes in Star Trek's original run. But when it comes to benefiting from the remastered treatment, its trip to the final frontier excels. In previous seasons, some of the CG additions proved distracting, which is expected when 21st century digital effects are juxtaposed with 1960s Styrofoam sets and Shatner's ever-expanding waist line. But a layer of film grain added to the CG makes this set the smoothest remastered collection of the original crew's five-year mission.
A lack of budget, and a lazy, phoned-in approach to the storylines (see "Turnabout Intruder," "The Lights of Zetar" and "Spock's Brain") entered season three into the Trek canon as something of a noble misfire. But of all the seasons to get the remastered treatment, the weakest link in the early days of Trek shines exceptionally in 1080p.
Season three is spread across six discs, with more misses than hits. Kicking off the proceedings is that infamous Trek episode "Spock's Brain." Oh, this is a thousand different ways of awful. And not even in that good, cult-following/midnight screening sort of way.
But once fans get passed the TV SARS that is this episode, they get to see Kirk go undercover as a Romulan in the better-than-it-should-be episode "The Enterprise Incident" and the tense and impressive "The Tholian Web." "Spectre of the Gun"'s showdown at the O.K. Corral is a fun watch and Kirk teaming up with Abe Lincoln (it plays much better than it sounds) in the underrated "The Savage Curtain" aims for the type of heady sci-fi the series' better days were known for.
Fans get an extra treat with the Blu-ray set, one not available on the HD: the original, un-aired cut of "Where No Man Has Gone Before," the series' second pilot. With help from a German collector, CBS/Paramount was able to find this rare print and remaster it in HD. The biggest difference here from the original version is the 1960s style act breaks. An alternate opening title design and an extended fight scene between Kirk and his ESP-powered friend, Gary Mitchell, also make the new cut of the episode standout.
"The Cage," the original Trek pilot, carries over from the HD set, in two versions: Original black-and-white and extended cut, the latter complete with vintage (if not melodramatically edited) production vignettes hosted by the late Gene Roddenberry.
The season ends where it began, with a disappointing weak link entitled "Turnabout Intruder," featuring Kirk swapping bodies with a woman. (It's like that Quantum Leap episode, minus Al and with a whole lot more awful). When one usually watches a season of their favorite series, and it starts as uneven as this one does, they can usually expect the episodes to rise from awful and at the very least hit above-average at some point. Not here, not season three. The quality of episodes ranges from worse to worst, with mediocrity becoming a goal we wish the season would hit.
And the actors seem tired, if not bored, in most scenes. Even Shatner, which is saying something. Season three is for completists only or those seeking a really expensive gag gift for their office Christmas party.
Score: 5 out of 10
Video and Presentation:
CBS/Paramount have done an epic and slick job bringing the original series to Blu-ray for the first time ever, making these versions of the episodes the best way to view the series.
Color levels are impressive and detailing on uniforms and sets is on par with the previous sets. Check out the aforementioned "Enterprise Incident" and "The Cloud Minders," the latter of which boasts a CG city atop real-looking clouds, as opposed to a cardboard outline of a metroplex floating atop a bunch of cotton balls in the original airing. Also, "Tholian" boasts impressive effects that enhance the story.
Artifacting is practically non-existent and flesh notes are natural, despite the series' tendency to go too technicolor with everything.
Score: 9 out of 10
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