Search - Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 25, Episodes 49 & 50; A Piece of the Action/ By Any Other Name on DVD

Aimee M. (AimeeM)
Reviewed on 2/21/2010...

PIECE OF THE ACTION
Ok... This is on my "You Gotta Watch This" Not so much that if you don't you'll miss out on some important Star Trek Universe event... But... it is HILARIOUS!
And at least they intended this one to be a comedy episode.
Kirk and Spock on a planet of 1930s Gangsters. It's great.

Has some really funny one liners, plus Spock looks particularly good in the gangster suit and hat.
Also has a good "Kirk Driving Car" scene which is doubly funny after having seen the 2009 movie.

Altogether a FUN episode. MUST SEE

BY ANY OTHER NAME
Another famous one because of the "crew turns into little Styrofoam/Chalky blocks" plot device. I don't know if everyone just wanted a vacation or what, but it works out to be very dramatic. Or at least memorable.

The BEST scene is with Scotty and getting an Alien Drunk.
If you like Scotty you HAVE to see this episode.

Another great pair from TOS

Rottenberg's rotten book review | nyc | 12/13/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Another pairing of great if mismatched episodes. I guess the idea was to pool dissimilar episodes rather than the episodes which seem like slight variations on a single idea (like sending the crew to planets ruled by modern day versions of Nazi Germany or Imperial Rome).In "A Piece of the Action", the crew journeys to Iotia, a planet whose inhabitants prove incredibly resourceful and adaptive. Based upon a single book on 1920's Gangsters left behind by a previous starship, the Iotians have modeled their entire culture to resemble Jazz-era Chicago - Tommyguns, mob-molls, hits and all. Landing on Iotia to open contact, Kirk and crew find themselves in the middle of a gang war. The episode is funny without being too campy (forgetting that this is the story requiring the heroes to sneak around a Paramount backlot in period costume). Kirk struggles to unite the warring gangs for the good of the planet without taking sides and without becoming another hit. The last shot is classic - leaving open the possibility that the Iotians may one day demand a piece of the Starfleet's action.In "By any other name", the Enterprise is hijacked by the Kelvan - an advanced race of beings from the Andromeda galaxy. Having been marooned when their ship was crippled by the energy barrier at the rim of our galaxy (the same barrier that has made appearances in "Where no man has gone before", "Is there no truth in Beauty" and the fifth Trek film), the Kelvan took on the shape of human beings. Their actual forms - immense being with many tentacles and huge brains - would have trouble managing turbolifts. Once past the barrier, the Kelvan use their advance technology to reduce much of the crew into small styrofoam boxes, and otherwise keep the remaining crew in submission. Their mission is to reach their home galaxy and return to ours with a massive invasion force. This is a great episode, combining some subtle wit and quick thinking with some matchless direction. In one excellent cut, Scott, Spock and Kirk weigh their options enroute to the bridge. With the Kelvan homecoming a possible harbinger of invasion, the crew realizes that more than their own lives are stake. Yet, against the Kelvan technology, only a single plan is available and suicidal at that. "The Kelvan will be stopped here", Spock intones gravely "and so will we." Kirk is about to respond in fury - there's got to be something else we can do - when the door opens. None of the nex-gen episodes can touch that moment. Get this DVD."

Right? Unquestionably. RIGHT? RIGHT!

Hank Drake | Cleveland, OH United States | 07/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Volume 25 of Paramount's complete reissue of Classic Star Trek contains two stories showcasing superior writing and offering plenty of action. A Piece of the Action remains one of Trek's most popular episodes. In essence, it's a time travel episode, without the time travel, which frees the story from the usual "Don't alter the future" constraints. The hands of Gene L. Coon, who co-wrote this episode, are evident in the colorful writing, and in the banter between the characters. Deliberately, the Iotians are all made to speak using a nonstop stream of 1920s cliches. When Kirk adopts these cliches, and eventually persuades Spock to adopt them, the course is set for maximum comedy.By Any Other Name is mostly standard action fare, involving the Enterprise being hijacked by an invading force of Kelvans from another galaxy. These esoteric aliens have taken Human form to be able to function in a human environment. The solution is to introduce them to the pleasures of the senses, which creates a chance for James Doohan to shine as Scotty gets a Kelvan, and himself, drunk. This episode also highlights one of Kirk's finest characteristics: his willingness to forgive. Even after the Kelvan leader has killed one of his crew, Kirk is willing to extend the hand of friendship and offer the Federation's help.Both sound and picture are fine."

Sopranos in Space

D. Jansing | Rome, New York United States | 09/24/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A Piece of the Action was always one of my favorite episodes. Until you see these on DVD, you don't realize how much got cut out in order to cram in more commercials. These are actually well-thought out masterpieces of television history that didn't deserve to be hacked to pieces like that. William Shatner did a superlative acting job here, as did guest star Vic Taybeck. By Any Other Name was almost as good. My favorite scene is where Scotty gets the one Kelvan drunk, takes his "turn people into styrofoam blocks" doohickey, and passes out cold in the doorway of his quarters."