"Star Trek" Patterns of Force (1968)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Vincent McEveety

Writers:

John Meredyth Lucas (written by)
Gene Roddenberry (creator)

TV Series:

"Star Trek" (1966)

Original Air Date:

16 February 1968 (Season 2, Episode 21)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Looking for a missing Federation cultural observer, Kirk and Spock find themselves in a planet whose culture is now modeled on the German Nazi Party of old Earth in the 1930's.

Plot Keywords:

Torture | Shirtless Male Bondage | Whipping | Nazi Regime | Federation

Cast

William Shatner	...	Captain James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Mr. Spock
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. McCoy
Richard Evans	...	Isak
Valora Noland	...	Daras
Skip Homeier	...	Melakon
David Brian	...	John Gill
James Doohan	...	Scott
Nichelle Nichols	...	Uhura
Patrick Horgan	...	Eneg
William Wintersole	...	Abrom
Gilbert Green	...	S.S. Major
Walter Koenig	...	Chekov
Lev Mailer	...	S.S. Lieutenant (as Ralph Maurer)
Ed McCready	...	S.S. Trooper

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp

Company:

Paramount Television

Trivia:

Episode filmed on the 25th anniversary of the Holocaust. William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, both being of Jewish backgrounds, felt compelled that Kirk (disguised as an S.S. Kommadatur) and Spock (disguised as a Gestapo) should defeat the Nazi Reich on planets Ekos and Zeon.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Upon encountering a Nazi officer whom Spock renders unconscious, Kirk misidentifies the man's uniform: "Gestapo, I believe." In fact, the officer was wearing a Totenkopf- or "Death's-head" SS uniform (the Death's Head emblem can clearly be seen on the man's cap), an branch of the SS. Gestapo officers, when in the field, wore civilian clothes.

Quotes:

[after Kirk knocks an Ekosian unconcious]
Spock: Your uniform, Captain.
Capt. Kirk: Yes, it's a pity yours isn't as attractive as mine. Gestapo, I believe.
Spock: Quite true. You should make a very convincing Nazi.
[Kirk aims a look at Spock with a mixture of surprise and near-annoyance]

Not Again...The 4th Nazi Germany In Sci-Fic Show

I don't know why it is, but whenever these 1960s sci-fic shows do the Nazi story, well, it just does not work as it should. They are all okay but you feel they could of been better. A B&W Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea - The Last Battle - would do it first with Admiral Nelson being kidnapped on an island with some crims wanting to re-start the Nazi war. A third season Voyage/Sea - Death From The Past - would also do the Nazi thing, these guys are in suspended animation at the bottom of the sea until the Seaview wakes them up in ... "1981". The Time Tunnel - Invasion - would see our time travellers in WW2.

Shortly after this, Star Trek got into the act with Patterns Of Force, maybe Trek just did it because it felt it was duty-bound to do a Nazi show? Maybe this Trek is a bit average simply because this is year two, and after year one Trek became very hit and miss.

Whatever the case, don't be blinded by your love of Trek to the point that you can't see the truth. And the truth is, Voyage to the Botom of the Sea came first by two years! Granted, Voyage/Sea was often just a screen comic strip, but look at the facts! Look at the guest stars! Paul Carr was a dumb Seaview crewman before he was a "fool" crewman in Trek's Where No Man Has Gone Before! Alexander Courage scored Voyage/Sea before Star Trek! Research your facts on the net!

Thankfully, the episode coming next - By Any Other Name - is a huge improvement on Patterns Of Force.