Format: 

Blu-ray

Publisher: 

Paramount

Release Date: 

09.22.2009

MSRP: 

$129.99

Number of Discs: 

7

Digital Copy: 

No

The Show

Star Trek's second season is when the show really began to hit its stride. The first season had given us some fantastic episodes, such as "Balance of Terror" (in which we first met the Romulans), "The Devil in the Dark" (after more than forty years, still one of Trek's best allegories), and "The City on the Edge of Forever" (often thought of as the Original Series' finest episode), but it had plenty of ironing out needed in many installments. The second season, however, shows a growth in the characters and some less hesitant storytelling than in the first season. It is also mostly free of most of the silliness that occasionally plagued the show's third season. This season has it all.

One of the second season's most notable differences from the first was the addition of Ensign Pavel Chekov, played by Walter Koenig. He was there as both an answer to The Monkees' teen heartthrob Davy Jones (a look at the ridiculous wig he wears in his first few episodes makes that obvious) and an acknowledgment that the Russians were the first nation to enter space. Chekov was the final addition to Star Trek's primary cast of characters. In addition, we learn a great deal about Mr. Spock and his home planet of Vulcan in two memorable episodes, "Amok Time" (the season's opener) and "Journey to Babel" (where we meet Spock's parents, Sarek and Amanda). We learn how deep his friendship with both Captain Kirk and Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy runs, too. Captain Kirk's character is also fleshed out a great deal this season in episodes such as "Obsession," in which we learn of a horrible event from his past, and "The Ultimate Computer" in which we learn about Captain Kirk's fears of becoming obsolete (a theme that would be echoed in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan). Dr. McCoy even gets two of his best outings in "Friday's Child," where he has to teach a woman to love her child, and "A Private Little War," in which he grimly serves as Captain Kirk's conscience as he (Kirk) must make a very difficult decision. Even Scotty (James Doohan) gets to shine in more than one episode. The second season shows us more about who these characters are as well as the deep loyalty and friendship they all share.

The second season also offers some of the most classic episodes of the entire franchise. "The Trouble with Tribbles" may just be the most popular episode of the Original Series, with such unforgettable scenes as a cargo bay's worth of Tribbles falling on Captain Kirk, and Scotty beaming the Tribbles to a Klingon ship. We also have "The Doomsday Machine," another great episode. It is a tightly packed adventure story with a tragic captain (portrayed magnificently by William Windom) trying to defeat an almost invincible alien machine. It also contains what has to be one of Captain Kirk's all time best lines: "You mean you're the lunatic responsible for almost destroying my ship?!" Then we get comic episodes such as "I, Mudd," in which we are re-introduced to an antagonist from the first season, Harry Mudd, and "A Piece of the Action," which overcomes a very silly premise (an entire planet modeled on 1920s Chicago gangsters) with humor and the avoidance of taking itself seriously. There is also "Mirror, Mirror," in which we visit an alternate universe where the Federation is a bloodthirsty empire, and "The Immunity Syndrome," in which the galaxy is invaded by a giant, one-celled organism that must be destroyed before it wipes out all other life. Star Trek's second season contains much more than its share of classic installments.

Throughout this rousing set of episodes, the thoughtful allegory and message of peace that are Star Trek's hallmark are very much present. "A Private Little War" is a savage Vietnam parable that offers no good solutions, and "The Ultimate Computer" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of over-reliance upon machinery. All in all, Star Trek's second season contains a treasure trove of classic adventures in the Final Frontier.

The Extras

• Enhanced Special Effects (Optional)
• Starfleet Access Commentary
• Billy Blackburn's Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies And Special Memories Part 2
• Star Trek: TOS on Blu-ray
• "More Tribbles, More Troubles" (Star Trek Animated Episode #1)
• "Trials and Tribble-ations" (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Episode #503)
• "Trials and Tribble-ations" - Uniting Two Legends
• "Trials and Tribble-ations" - An Historic Endeavor
• "To Boldly Go ..." Season Two
• Designing the Final Frontier
• Star Trek's Greatest Moments
• Writer's Notebook: D.C. Fontana
• Life Beyond Trek: Leonard Nimoy
• Kirk, Spock & Bones: Star Trek's Great Trio
• Star Trek's Divine Diva: Nichelle Nichols
• CBS BD-Live
• Mobile-Blu
• Episode Previews
• Various Easter Eggs

As you can see, there is a lot of extra content on these discs. Bear with me, and we'll get through this together. Here's the rundown: