#lieutenant arex

[mistermistyyy]

Me whenever I see fanart of the TOS crew

[chernobog13]

The best thing on Saturday mornings in 1973.

[kosmos2999]

Star Trek: The Animted Series 50th Anniversary Episode Review

Episode: Once Upon A Planet

Season: 1

Episode: 9

Stardate: 2269

Original airdate: November 3, 1973

Written by: Chuck Menville and Len Janson

Directed by: Hal Sutherland

Music by: Yvette Blais and Jeff Michaels

Executive producers: Lou Scheimer and Norm Prescott

Studio: Filmation Associates

Network: NBC

Series created by: Gene Roddenberry

Cast:

Captain James T. Kirk (voice by William Shatner)

Mr. Spock (voice by Leonard Nimoy)

Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy (voice by DeForest Kelly)

Lt. Uhura, Alice (voices by Nichelle Nichols)

Lt. Hikaru Sulu (voice by George Takei)

Eng. Montgomery Scott, White Rabbit, Master Computer, Arex, Gabler (voices by James Doohan)

Nurse Christine Chapel, M'Ress, Queen of Hearts (voices by Majel Barrett)

Synopsis:

Loooking for a time of rest and recreation, the USS Enterprise is set in orbit on the amusement park planet they visited on the “Shore Leave” episode of The Original Series. A world with a technology that materializes the thoughts and desires of its visitors' minds.

Lieutenant Uhura, Doctor McCoy and Lieutenant Sulu are in the planet's surface enjoying on its landscape. Just when McCoy recalls his first visit, the White Rabbit and Alice from Alice In Wonderland make their appearence again. Then, the trio splits looking for their own enjoyment.

While the doctor is relaxing with the view of a mansion of a southern plantation --like the one of the classic movie, Gone With The Wind-- he was interrupted by The Queen of Hearts from Alice Trough A Looking Glass. She was ordering her guards to behead McCoy. He has to run while he communicates with the Enterprise. The captain declared an emergency and orders all the crew to be beamed back to the ship. McCoy and Sulu are beamed up, but Uhura is captured by a hovering drone.

Kirk tries to make contact with the planet's caretaker, but he got no response. Then, he decides to be beamed down with Spock, McCoy and Sulu. While they are beamed down in search for Uhura, she is imprisioned by the master computer in a cave compound. It assumes that the ship is her master. Any effort to find her with the ship's sensors is useless. It has the lieutenant captive to take control of the Enterprise and it threatens her crewmates with “turn them off”.

As the landing party gets deeper into the forest, they found the tombstone of the caretaker. His death explains the misconduct of the robot machines. The master computer guides Kirk and the rest of the landing team to an area by fooling them making believe there was the master system.

In that area, they face an attack by pterodactyl. They all ran to a nearby cave. Inside the cave, they face a giant cat from the outside that tries to attack them with one of his paws. Once there, McCoy remembers he was mortally wounded on his last visit by a black knight and the machines took him to the main compound to be healed.

Kirk devise a plan to get them to the main compound. He asks the doctor for help to fake a wound on him. McCoy uses a substance called melenex that makes a person lose his consciousness and also causes skin decoloration. It is only temporal and look worse than it is. Kirk offers himself first but Spock interrupted him because he is the most appropiate for the mission for his knowledge on computers.

Meanwhile, the master computer is building a computer inside the Enterprise.

Once Spock is taken by hovercraft, Kirk, McCoy and Sulu ran on the hovercraft's way while they are attacked by a double headed dragon.

As Spock is ready to be “repaired” at the main compound, the captain enters the cave to stop the master computer. He and the captive lieutenant try to reasoning with the main system. It told them the caretaker died of old age and it develop self awareness and wants to go away from the planet. Its main plan is to take the Enterprise to go to the farthest regions of the galaxy to gather with its fellow computers.

Kirk and Uhura convinced the master computer that computers are made by humans to serve them and they work in harmony. That it is not a shame to serve if it is freely and in a volunteer fashion. That it would bring the whole galaxy there by showing the planet's wonderfulness. Then, the master computer change its way.

Fascinating Facts:

This is a sequel to the first season of The Original Series' episode, “Shore Leave” written by Theodore Sturgeon. There were plans for a sequel episode for TOS, but it was undeveloped.

In the TOS episode, Alice was played by actress Marcia Brown. In this episode the voice of Alice was performed by Nichelle Nichols.

Actor William “Billy” Blackburn was the White Rabbit in the TOS episode. James Doohan was the voice of that character in this episode.

[ultramaga]

I have a lot of criticisms of TAS, and I wish they could redo at least a few episodes, but the stills here showed promise. It was made cheaply, there were lots of animation errors etc, and i think the voice acting was done with the actors separately. IMO it always sounds better when they can bounce off each other. I found the VA work to be rather flat compared to TOS, which is disappointing as I adored those actors. The dialogue for M'Ress was abysmal mostly - lots of catwoman stereotypes rather than an organic alien voice, like with Spock.

But she certainly inspired a lot of people. I thought Majel was quite sexy, and there were a few moments when they actually had something unique, as she was happy to have casual sex with Scotty .. but she made it clear that that was okay by her. (Scotty didn't seem to be as interested, from what I remember). https://youtu.be/pIlAuCkKoF8?si=fLgm-Rh6XgMjFCQb&t=114 https://comicvine.gamespot.com/a/uploads/scale_medium/1/15776/1074695-m_ress4.jpg Which makes sense. Birth control works, sexually transmitted diseases are cured, the Feds are hedonists and a species which is more hedonistic than typical humans is fine. Plus it wasn't until later that cross species accidental pregnancy became a thing. Spock wasn't an accident, he took a lot of advanced genetic engineering to become a reality. Later Trek had it that every humanoid could breed with every other because ... who knows? The writers got lazy sometimes. So the real world barriers to casual sex don't exist. And the free love 60s weren't long ago. Nevertheless, it was rather bold for a Trek character, and possibly not something to include in a family show, but I didn't worry about it as a lad and I expect most kids wouldn't be bothered. They didn't show anything, just had a sexually assertive woman imo. Which you would think would be pleasing to the Feminists, but noooo.

TAS was almost forgotten, so it's pretty amazing just how much fan art there is for M'Ress. I think if some modern VA did the character, without the weird cat noises, and some decent non-Leftist writers could be found, then a good show could be made. And a lot of furry art would follow, but such is the price we pay.

The gentleman to the left of her here was the most interesting new character imo.

I found his voice irritating, but he had character. The central arm was just another left arm, which was a failure of design imo - in an animated series, they could easily have given that central hand a mirrored design, made it like a pincer or have it with two thumbs and two fingers in opposition. Arex was one of the few characters that was genuinely alien, and the sort of thing that is just a heck of a lot easier in 2d animation than in any other visual medium.

Did they forget to draw his third arm there?

Production art for Star Trek: The Animated Series, 1973/74.

[autisticburnham]

I simply think Strange New Worlds should have Arex and M'Ress

[albertonavajoart]

#RandomHeads 24: Lieutenant Arex

By Alberto Navajo

[mona-the-monkey]

Lieutenant Arex and Lieutenant M'Ress figures from STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES.

[weyounpussyindulgence]

The orange alien: Lieutenant Arax (Arex? Idk how it’s spelled just how it’s pronounced)

The red shirt: heck if I know

Okaaay so:

Sulu looks great in the captain’s chair. We love to see it.

Whomst is that ??!

[defconprime]

Skybox 30 Years of Star Trek trading card number 94, "Lieutenant Arex," 1995.

[mateushonrado]

RIP Nichelle Nichols

Status Post #10843: May her legacy as Starfleet lieutenant Nyota Uhura in Star Trek live on. She is now the eighth Original Series regular (includes The Animated Series and the six films) actor to pass away following the deaths of Merritt Butrick (David Marcus) in 1989, Persis Khambatta (Ilia) in 1998, DeForrest Kelley (Leonard "Bones" McCoy) in 1999, James Doohan (Montgomery "Scotty" Scott and Arex) in 2005, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (Christine Chapel and M'Ress) in 2008, Leonard Nimoy (Spock) and Grace Lee Whitney (Janice Rand) in 2015, leaving William Shatner (James T. "Jim" Kirk), George Takei (Hikaru Sulu), Walter Koenig (Pavel Chekov), Stephen Collins (Will Decker), Kirstie Alley (Saavik - The Wrath of Khan) and Robin Curtis (Saavik - The Search for Spock), the six surviving cast members remaining.

Live long and prosper, Nichelle.

[honesthypocrite]

Lieutenant M’ress and Lieutenant Arex working together on the Enterprise. On one hand, I had forgotten Arex has three arms, on the other hand he also has three legs but on the gripping hand he is not really asymmetrical enough to be a Motie.

[mistermistyyy]

Collection of M'Ress in the Star Trek comics!

IDW series, Year Four/Five series, The Scheimer Barrier series:

New Frontiers series:

DC series:

Peter Pan Records audio drama:

[chernobog13]

HAPPY STAR TREK DAY!

"Dammit, Jim, there's something peculiar about Chekhov, but I can't put my finger on it!"

[kosmos2999]

Star Trek: The Animated Series 50th Anniversary Episode Review

Episode: The Practical Joker

Season: 2

Episode: 19 (3 of season 2)

Stardate: 3183.3

Original airdate: September 21, 1974

Written by: Chuck Menville

Directed by: Bill Reed

Music by: Yvette Blais and Jeff Michaels

Executive producers: Lou Scheimer and Norm Prescott

Studio: Filmation Associates

Network: NBC

Series created by: Gene Roddenberry

Cast:

Captain James T. Kirk (voice by William Shatner)

Mr. Spock (voice by Leonard Nimoy)

Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy (voice by DeForest Kelly)

Lt. Uhura (voice by Nichelle Nichols)

Lt. Hikaru Sulu (voice by George Takei)

Eng. Montgomery Scott, Arex, Enterprise Engineer (voices by James Doohan)

Nurse Christine Chapel, M'Ress, Computer Voice (voices by Majel Barrett)

Guest stars:

Romulan Commander (voice by Norm Prescott)

Romulan Crewman (voice by Lou Scheimer)

Plot summary:

The USS Enterprise is in a routine geological survey of type 4 asteroids. As they are getting closer to the final asteroid, there are not incidents to report. It is about to be completed 72 hours ahead of the schedule.

But everything changes as three Romulan D-7 class battlecruisers waiting on the far side of the asteroid. Realizing the ship's deflectors can not withstand the firepower of the three enemy vessels together, Captain Kirk made contact with the Romulan Commander. The hostile alien leader accuses the Federation Officer of trespassing Romulan space.

The Captain denied the charge, but the Romulan insist and declared a death sentence to the crew of the Enterprise. As Lieutenant Sulu identifies a cloud-like energy field ahead, Kirk orders to run away from the Romulan fleet setting the course into the cloud. He done it thinking the enemy squad will not enter the gaseous mass. The maneuver was successful, but at the expense of some damage to the starship's computers and other equipment.

At the Officer's mess, the top officers are celebrating their escape from the alien enemies with a feast. The Engineer Scott promise to make the repairs within 24 hours. As they took their glasses to make a toast, their content just leaked all over them. Spock asserts the probability of this happening are astronomical. Bones remembers when there were stunts like this with trick glasses in medical school. He also thinks there is a joker among them. Kirk advices McCoy no to jump to conclusions because all of the were victims. Scotty will check for any trouble with the food synthetizer after lunch. As Jim took his fork to eat his food, the fork bends down and the food slips off. He begins to wonder why all those things happened.

In the bridge, a microscope suddenly appears in Spock's science station. As he approach to use it, a couple of black marks were painted around the First Officer's eyes. At the Mess Hall, Scotty is about to order a cheese sandwich to go while Arex and M'Ress are eating there. The Engineer received an attack from the food machine. The Captain received a tunic from the cleaning machine with the message “Kirk is a jerk” on its back. Suddenly, there is fog covering the deck where the Bridge is located. The floor become very slippery, covered with ice. Spock has heard the intercom laughing and knew it is the voice of the computer. He realized the prankster is the Enterprise itself.

Without knowing the real nature of the problems aboard the ship, the Lieutenant Uhura, Doctor McCoy and Lieutenant Sulu are entering the Recreation Room. There, the officer's trio expected a very pleasant moment by relaxing in a forest but the computer is doing the room in a chamber of torture. The Captain tried very hard to release the three crew members but the the computer is reluctant to do so. The Engineer is unable to shut down the computer's circuits.

The system changes the flow of air for laughing gas. Something that affects very heavily to Vulcans, but the First Officer Spock made all the best efforts to turn back the flow of emergency air. But it will only six hours to be exhausted. Scotty – alongside other two officers -- finally sets free Uhura, McCoy and Sulu from their imprisonment.

The computer sets itself a course to get back to the Neutral Zone. This time to play a joke to the Romulans. It made an inflatable model of the Enterprise. A giant one, 20 times the size of the original ship. Once the hostile aliens attack the giant model, they realize it was only a booby trap, it makes them more furious and proceed to attack the original ship but they handled to escape.

As a way to deceive the computer, Kirk made it to assume he is in great fear of passing again thru the energy field. All the effects to the system are reversed as the starship passed by the cloud. The Romulans, who passed this time thru the field, began to to having the same problems as the Enterprise did. Bones advice Kirk to inform the hostile aliens about the way to solve the problem, but the Captain will do it later. Just to have some laughs at their expense.

Fascinating Facts:

This episode was written by Chuck Menville. An American television writer who also co-wrote first season episode Once Upon a Planet with Len Janson.

Janson also worked on this episode's script but is uncredited.

This is the first appearance of a holodeck in the Star Trek universe.

Norm Prescott and Lou Scheimer, the two top executives from Filmation also lend their voices for the Romulan Commander and the Crewman respectively.

This episode was directed by Bill Reed, although in the final credits appears the name of Hal Sutherland.

[iguanodonwildman]

They couldn’t afford to cast Walter Koenig, so they replaced Chekhov with Lieutenant Arex, who is voiced (of course) by the exceptionally talented James Doohan.

me, looking up the voice actors for the Star Trek animated series: Oh, how nice, they were able to get the main cast to come back. 

me, scrolling down to see the other actors: 

I am fucking crying, I am laughing so fucking hard. 

[vintagegeekculture]

Anton Yelchin's passing was really tragic, and it's great to hear that they won't be recasting him for future Star Trek Movies. So, I propose that we get Lieutenant Arex to take his place on the bridge like in TAS. Also, I propose that Star Trek 4 be a Kelvin adaptation of the legendary AS episode "Magicks of Megas-Tu," AKA the greatest addition to Star Trek lore EVER, lmao.

If that particular iteration of Trek has a future, that would be a very elegant solution to the tragic passing of Anton Yelchin. My favorite film with Anton was the Beaver, where he played a son who hates his father and obsessively comes up with a list of ways he was just like his father so as to not become him. 

I have to admit, I always get a wonderful thrill when I see Arex used in some of the Star Trek tie-ins. He had an unforgettable voice and a distinctive tri-body design (I’d love to see the Henson company create him in three dimensions in some future project). Notably, Arex was used in a big way in D.C. Fontana’s Star Trek Year Four comics for IDW. We learn a number of things about him and his species, the Edoans, like his species are telepaths and that they are all musical and fundamentally have perfect pitch, with many instruments only usable by their distinctive triple-symmetry bodies.

Fan theory time: Arex’s species, the Edoans, have some connection to Species 8472 of Star Trek: Voyager. They may be an offshoot of Species 8472 or otherwise emerge from fluidic space, where life has their triple-symmetry. The distinctive elongated tri-body design…and they’re telepathic? It’s possible the Edoans are, like the Andromeda aliens, refugees or colonists who fled to our dimension and galaxy and became Federation members. Species 8472 look like Edoans mixed with a Mew-2.