The concluding episode to the second season *is* one of the more interesting ones, as it sees the Enterprise travel back in time to 1968 Earth for purposes of research. There, they manage to interfere with the agenda of a man named Gary Seven (guest star Robert Lansing, 'Twelve O'clock High'), who exists in a future a thousand years *ahead* of the regular characters. He's trying to prevent a nuclear holocaust, and Kirk just buys trouble trying to determine if he can believe Sevens' story.
This is a different sort of adventure for the familiar characters. While their presence does have a definite effect on the proceedings, their experiences are almost incidental when compared to Mr. Seven. Lansing, giving an effective low-key, matter-of-fact performance, is almost the entire show here, and I'm not surprised to learn that in fact it was hoped that a series centering around Gary Seven could come to fruition. His character is certainly fun to watch; adding sex appeal and spice is the presence of a young, vivacious Teri Garr ("Close Encounters of the Third Kind") as an innocent secretary who really had NO idea what her bosses (associates of Seven) were up to!
All in all, good fun, with a reasonably tense finale and a final moment where Kirk & Spock depart the company of Seven and Ms. Lincoln amicably. (It was also a nice touch to see Spock become immediately fond of Sevens' feline companion Isis.) The theme of the episode is quite topical, and it remains so over 56 years later.
Appropriately enough, I rate this seven out of 10.
This is a different sort of adventure for the familiar characters. While their presence does have a definite effect on the proceedings, their experiences are almost incidental when compared to Mr. Seven. Lansing, giving an effective low-key, matter-of-fact performance, is almost the entire show here, and I'm not surprised to learn that in fact it was hoped that a series centering around Gary Seven could come to fruition. His character is certainly fun to watch; adding sex appeal and spice is the presence of a young, vivacious Teri Garr ("Close Encounters of the Third Kind") as an innocent secretary who really had NO idea what her bosses (associates of Seven) were up to!
All in all, good fun, with a reasonably tense finale and a final moment where Kirk & Spock depart the company of Seven and Ms. Lincoln amicably. (It was also a nice touch to see Spock become immediately fond of Sevens' feline companion Isis.) The theme of the episode is quite topical, and it remains so over 56 years later.
Appropriately enough, I rate this seven out of 10.
