Catspaw // Star Trek: The Original Series Reaction // Season 2

[@lordflashheart3680]

Wow, I haven’t seen the animated series since I was a child (in the 70s). 😮

[@bunnytailsREACTS]

I think it’s gonna be fun!

[@samuraiwarriorsunite]

Major props to actor/stuntman Jay "Jimmie" Jones, who played crewman Jackson. That was a helluva stunt-fall and roll. Not only was his father a prolific stunt performer, but his grandfather was part of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Because of his stuntwork and the fact that Gene Roddenberry apparently liked him, this won't be the last time we see Mr. Jones.

[@leemonsampson1844]

Always freaks me out when he falls like that. I wonder if he was injured

[@archlittle6067]

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Arthur C. Clarke

[@PenneySounds]

Star Trek features Clarkean magic a lot, though not as often as Doctor Who.

[@docsavage8640]

So he said, but that doesn't mean it's correct.

[@howardpalys6929]

Cliche but true.

[@dupersuper1938]

@@docsavage8640 In what way is it wrong?

[@michaelparks6120]

I find the quote by Arthur Clark to be more of a maxim than a quote.....but whatever...these noodles are not gonna cook themselves 😊

[@brianhanna3128]

Robert Bloch, the writer of this episode, also wrote the story on which Hitchcock's "Psycho" was based, wrote competing tales with HP Lovecraft that resulted in one of Lovecraft's finest "The Haunter of the Dark" and once said that he had the heart of a young boy... in a jar on the desk in his study. Star Trek attracted some amazing 20th century writing talent.

[@starmnsixty1209]

Actually, Boch was a disciple of Lovecrafts, probably the youngest of them. He soon began writing tales outside of Lovecraft's style, then radio scripts, film, and television. He also mentioned "the old ones" in What are Little Girls Made of? Cat's paw was meant as the Halloween episode for Star Trek's second season.

[@rogershore3128]

Watch the 1960 episode of Thriller he wrote also starring William Shatner. Called the Grim Reaper.... He really knew how to write.... Crying out for the entire series on blu-ray.

[@alau18]

This is a re-recorded version of the title theme…..it was done when the updated visual affect were added ten years ago…I still like the original second season version the best.

[@docsavage8640]

Bloch wrote some great books

[@noneya3635]

Love Bunny digging on the new music. So use to hearing it I totally forgot that it wasn’t part of the first season.

[@PhysicalMediaPreventsWea-bx1zm]

The third season also had new music as well as the color of the words changed to blue

[@enriquemino9963]

Theo Marcuse who played Korob was unfortunately killed in a car accident in 11/29/67. He was in many shows in those days usually playing a villian or a soviet agent. This episode althought filmed first in production order was intented for Halloween which it was telecast on 10/29 of that year

[@RobXHEphotosPs37.29]

I met Antoinette Bower, who played Sylvia, at a convention some years ago. She loved playing this part, said it was one of her favorite roles.

[@Bfdidc]

Both she and Korob are such an interesting, alien duo.

[@scottmitchell3641]

What a spontaneous reaction 9:56 "I want that!" ...and the look that spreads across your face lol Perfect, Bunny. Just perfect. Loved it !!! Ha!

[@robphillips1797]

As always, I enjoyed your reactions to the episode. I like that you quickly understood that Kirk was trying to get information from Sylvia. People used to criticize the show, saying Kirk falls in love each week, or he's a player. But this was in the line of duty.

[@portland-182]

A 'catspaw' is someone used by another as a 'front' - a fool, a dupe. Presumably Korob was Sylvia's catspaw. Cool to see non-humanoid aliens.

[@herbertkeithmiller]

Thank you I never knew that. I love learning new words (although technically I knew what a cat's paw was)😊

[@bluebird3281]

@@herbertkeithmillerAlso a small form of crowbar with a nail remover and often used as a burglars tool.

[@RLucas3000]

I think humanity was actually supposed to be their Catspaw.

[@jamesodonnell3636]

That's why people familiar with the geopolitical history of the Middle East laugh when we hear the old anti-Semitic trope that "Washington answers to Israel." Nonsense. It's the other way around: Israel is the "cat's paw" of the militarist, white-supremacist, Christian Dominionist Western empire which seeks global hegemony. When the British empire collapsed, the West replaced their military garrison in historic Palestine with the state of Israel -- replacing one military garrison with another (punishing Middle Eastern Muslims for the Holocaust, which was committed by, wait for it, Europeans). While the Arab states were willing to negotiate the terms for the new state, the West ignored them and promptly, unilaterally ethnically-cleansed the better part of a million people out of their homes, claiming the most arable lands. The needlessly violent creation of the state provoked a hostile reaction, thereby justifying the need for a strong Israeli (Western) military, right where the British Empire had set up shop (back in the days it was slaughtering 165 million, yes million, Indians in their own nation, and Africans, too, all while flooding China with opium). From that outpost, the West has waged war on one predominantly Arab/Muslim nation after another. That's why Palestine was selected for the new state of Israel -- to be the cat's paw of the West, immediately stepping into the shoes of the British Empire (which killed many times more "coolies" than the Third Reich ever did). As then-Senator Joe Biden said several years ago, "If there were not an Israel, the United States of America would have to invent an Israel." Of course, that's what we did. For geopolitical reasons related to imperial ambitions, not because the Military Industrial Complex gives a damn about the suffering of the Jewish people (hell, the U.S. military, led by Generals like Patton who referred to the Jews as "lower than animals," kept the Jewish people in concentration camps long after the fall of the Third Reich).

[@FloridaMugwump]

@@herbertkeithmiller It's from The Monkey and the Cat. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monkey_and_the_Cat

[@captaincrimson8297]

Bunnytails, I like this one because it has that one line in it that I find hilarious and it always makes me laugh when I hear it. In the same way that you love "THE WOMEN"! from The Cage, I love it when Spock cautions Kirk by saying, "Don't let her touch the wand, Captain"! 😄

[@rickjohnston2667]

Lol! I JUST got the innuendo of that! It probably would have become a meme, if the episode was more popular.

[@jeffreyphipps1507]

First exposure to the blue pipe cleaner species. They were smokin'!

[@fredklein3829]

This was Star Trek's Halowe'en episode for 1967 and Chekov's first appearance. Chekov's character was created for three reasons: to include a Russian character in the regular cast, to have a permanent navigator and to appeal to the young people with an actor who resembled Davy Jones of the Monkees. Robert Bloch was dissappointed when he saw what they did with his script.

[@FloridaMugwump]

It was the result of the United Nations incident. That's why they made him such a braggart and fool.

[@joeb918]

@fredkline, to add to this, they had him wear a hair piece after being hired because he had the longer hair like the Beatles and other pop culture icons of the time. Which was part of the look they were going for as well, but unfortunately he cut his hair for another role prior to filming for Star Trek.

[@randyshoquist7726]

It was bold to have a Russian on the show at the height of the Cold War, just as it was bold to have a black woman in a command position. Part of Roddenberry's vision of a more egalitarian future for humanity. Was Chekov a fool? I don't think so. His little brags ("It was inwented by a little old lady from Leningrad.") were often delivered with a wry smile.

[@fredklein3829]

@@richardb6260 False. Chekov is omnipresent in Season 2.

[@FloridaMugwump]

@@randyshoquist7726 It was a response to Soviet taunting at the United Nations. "If the planet is united on the future , all people on one starship, then where are the Soviets?" And btw there were no Russians in 67, only Soviets. Why wasn't Chekov a Soviet?

[@RetrofanFilms]

2:21-2:23 They changed the intro from Season 1 to Season 2 to show footage of the Enterprise traveling at warp speed; the title song was changed to include the operatic solo, and they added DeForest Kelley to the opening credits.

[@FloridaMugwump]

Alacrity derives from the Latin word alacer, meaning "lively" or "eager." It denotes physical quickness coupled with eagerness or enthusiasm

[@TommygunNG]

“But she’s a house cat.” Have you ever lived with a cat? They indeed can be terrifying. Our feline masters.

[@bunnytailsREACTS]

I currently live with one 😁

[@tsntana]

It's a Halloween episode. Aired in October close to the holiday. That's it really. The set and costumes were also used in a dream sequence on Gilligan's Island.

[@johnandrews3151]

This was Star Trek's only Halloween episode. In the original filming of the alien puppets at the end of the episode, the strings holding the puppets could clearly be seen. Later, the strings were removed digitally to appear as it does in this technically updated episode😮😊!

[@johnclawed]

But they forgot to remove the strings holding Nomad. (Not really a spoiler.)

[@georgeroybal6388]

They put Checov in a wig because the group the Monkees were popular at the time and he resembled Davy Jones of the Group

[@Temeraire101]

“Daydream Believer”

[@PhysicalMediaPreventsWea-bx1zm]

He had to wear that awful wig for his first few episodes until his hair grew out enough.

[@ddiamondr1]

I love watching young people discover Star Trek. I’ve been watching since 66. Your comments about this episode were spot on. I’m glad I found your channel. This actually was not the season premiere for season two. That was the fabulous episode Amok Time. Catspaw is not the greatest episode for sure. It was written by a fabulous writer, Robert Bloch, though I have read he was not happy with what they did to his script. Amok Time was written by another great science fiction novelist, Theodore Sturgeon. Star Trek very smartly hired some great science fiction writers for the show. Notably Harlan Ellison, who wrote City on the Edge of Forever.

[@otaku-sempai2197]

"Catspaw" has a lot of references to H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos which often featured powerful, malignant entities from outside of our galaxy or even from beyond our universe (the Great Old Ones). Korob and Sylvia seem to be members of one of the servitor races that served the Old Ones.

[@Caseytify]

KITTY!!! 😆 Yes, Chekov was wearing a Beatles wig at first. The vocal in the theme song was added in the second season. I always interpreted that Korob & Sylvia's mission was peaceful exploration. Problem was, Sylvia was seduced by the sensations she experienced in a human body. Someone below commented that Robert Bloch was unhappy with the teleplay. Star Trek regularly ran into that issue; they solicited stories from established SF writers, but almost all of them had no experience writing for an episodic TV show with a limited budget. Harlan Ellison experienced a similar problem with City On The Edge of Forever. They had to rewrite the story so that it conformed to the Trek canon, and could be filmed within budget. The original Star Trek was constantly struggling with Desilu over budgets. The studio thought the show cost too much, but yet they still wanted more planet shows, which were more expensive. It didn't get really bad until the third season. Modern shows like ST:TNG, Babylon 5, and Stargate SG-1 didn't have that problem. Studios were more willing to commit to large budgets if they could get good shows.

[@kennethwilliams5668]

I still can't get over that spill the crewman took face first off the transporter at the begining wow!!

[@herbertkeithmiller]

0:19 Binnytails I am with you for your entire Star Trek journey wherever it may take you. Love your reactions, keep it up.🖖🏽🐰 So this episode was broadcast on October 27 hence the spooky theme.

[@kieronball8962]

Walter Keonig wearing a ( Davy Jones from The Monkees ) wig, is truly a sight to see! :)

[@timmooney7528]

Good thing he grew his hair out. That "Prince Valiant" wig was over the top!

[@EricksonEtc]

First episode where muppets were killed.

[@mjbull5156]

Hallmark sold a metal Enterprise like the little voodoo charm as a Christmas ornament a few years ago. Sylvia "I am not some puppet!" Well, about that... There is a reason this one was not the first 2nd season episode broadcast, but we'll cross that brjdge soon enough.

[@johnclawed]

"Maybe we can't break it, but I'll bet you credits to navy beans we can put a dent in it!" DeSalle was only in The Squire of Gothos, This Side of Paradise, and this one. He finally got a good line.

[@Phantassm]

This woman is my favorite reactor. Just love her and her videos.

[@chromabotia]

Well Bunny, as you said, you are going by production date, not original air date. Well as I recall from my from my 8th grade, 13 year old self this came out just in time for Halloween. I just Googled it and yes, original air date was October 27, 1967. What the Great Bird of the Galaxy was saying here was, "Boo!" Other flaws in this episode I think can be forgiven. The writer of this episode was already an established and respected SF author. What I really liked about this episode was the real appearance of the two "aliens". This gave us a sense of how really "other" aliens can be. Thanks Bunny for bringing back the memory of my best Halloween ever!

[@checkityhold]

Jim Kirk putting some moves on a jumbo prawn. 😅

[@SBatts-rd9kg]

Bunny you might remember Mr. DeSalle from "The Squire of Gothos." he was the navigator wearing command gold.

[@fredklein3829]

DESalle is a Franco-Ontarian, I believe.

[@bigdream_dreambig]

The term "cat's paw" comes from a centuries-old story in which a monkey tricks a cat into fishing chestnuts out of a fire for him. (The monkey ate each chestnut immediately after the cat retrieved it while the cat was distracted by getting the next one.)

[@chipstercamarillo9373]

I was introduced to Star Trek by my grandmother in response to my love of Star Wars, this is back in the 80's. The local tv channel started showing some episodes soon after my introduction. I can't remember if it was tbis episode or devil in the dark. But it was one of the episodes that hooked me into Star Trek.

[@ChrisReise]

2:27 Fun Fact: Writer, Robert Bloch was also the writer of Alfred Hitchcock's classic "Psycho".

[@georgeplimpton9429]

Someone already said this below, but Chekov was added to the show due to the popularity at the time of the singing group The Monkeys, specifically, Davey Jones. He was the teenage girls' heartthrob at the time, so Star Trek wanted someone to look like him to bring that kind of popularity to Star Trek.

[@HachimanMVP]

Though Gene Roddenberry claimed it had nothing to do with that. He said it was because the Soviets were mad there wasn't a Russian on the ship.

[@georgeplimpton9429]

@@HachimanMVPYep, that's why he was Russian, but his look came from Jones. (I hated that wig, though. lol.)

[@ddiamondr1]

I know somebody who knows Walter. They were on holidays in England and she said he quite often got mistaken for Davy Jones lol.

[@georgeplimpton9429]

@@ddiamondr1 I bet THAT was fun for him.

[@HachimanMVP]

@@ddiamondr1 Oh the resemblance is uncanny. They even had him wear his hair the same way most of the time. There's no doubt they were killing two birds with one stone.

[@MartinCox-ny2rv]

Hi,bunny. The actual prop of the Enterprise in that block is in the national air and space museum; probably in storage

[@PenneySounds]

I think they're restoring it again. Adam Savage did a video about it on Tested.

[@rogerschneider5971]

"Yo, look at that breeeaaad!!!!" 😂❤

[@privateer9181]

Ahhh Desalle he survived his 3rd episode.pretty good for a redshirt type

[@championskyeterrier]

I watched the original Star Trek on TV as a kid. The reveal of the actual tiny dying forms of the aliens at the end freaked me out. I felt pity but revulsion at the same time.

[@mrtelevision]

Starting with Season 2, DeForest Kelly(Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy) was added to the opening credits

[@donfoley6946]

The cat ran in a miniature hallway to make the cat seem huge, and they used a photographic effect to show a giant cat outside the cell

[@HermanVonPetri]

I feel like the effect of filming the cat running down a miniature hallway was let down by having the camera film from a high angle near the cat's eye level. If the camera could have been shooting up from floor level it would have been much more convincing. It's likely that the large size of the camera lens prevented them from getting close enough to the floor to achieve the proper effect.

[@mmattson8947]

1:36 I've seen this episode a few times, but I usually started after the credits (when they are on the planet). I completely forgot about that impressive face-plant by the non-red-shirted Jackson. ("Oh... sh*t!" is right.) According to the MemoryAlpha web page: "The role of Crewman Jackson was played by regular Trek stuntman Jay Jones. In a 1996 retrospective interview, Jay claimed that the role of Jackson was his first assignment on Star Trek."

[@bettyleeist]

Wow!It’s amazing that those stuntmen can fall without getting hurt?They must do it;’safely’,I can only assume?

[@PhysicalMediaPreventsWea-bx1zm]

Honestly I've never seen a stuntman fall like that guy did onto a hard surface and down stairs. It was incredible! It had to hurt but he never showed it

[@Tiffinki]

@@PhysicalMediaPreventsWea-bx1zm He must have been one skilled stunt man. That was a very convincing fall.

[@TheCausalParadox]

A "Cat's Paw" is when one is used as a dupe by another. From the 17th century fable "The Monkey and the Cat", where a monkey persuades a cat to retrieve chestnuts from the fire. The monkey would eat the chestnuts while the cat took all the damage. The episode title being a play on words with the one being the user in the story taking the form of a cat.

[@winslowredcross2835]

The Halloween episode. I remember seeing this episode on October 31, 1974. My older brother was taking me trick-or-treating that night and his girlfriend was going to come along with us. I went with him to pick her up. When we walked into her parents house I remember looking over at their TV and this episode of Star Trek was on. I've seen this episode played on Halloween night in recent years and it takes me right back to that night in 1974. I always liked the scene with the ghost witches that are not real according to Spock. Great reaction Bunnytails!

[@ChrisReise]

12:28 There are bloopers online to this scene. One blooper shows Scotty tripping on the steps, another shows Kirk removing his hand from the shackle to scratch his...private spot, where DeForest laughs and calls Shatner a son-of-a-B. LOL

[@larryyeadeke2953]

This episode was aired around Halloween. Nice timing.

[@donfoley6946]

This is a rare instance in where you can see Scotty (Jimmy Doohan's) missing finger the way he holds the phaser beginning at 6:37

[@PaperbackWizard]

"Why all the mumbo-jumbo?" "Don't judge how he lives." I wish I could turn that into a meme.

[@thunderstruck5484]

This episode scared the crap outta me as a kid! Thanks

[@thomaskalinowski8851]

As others have noted, this was meant to be the show's "Halloween" episode, and it was broadcast at the end of October 1967. Another, much better, episode was used as the season premier. We'll point it out when you get to it.

[@ortizmo]

I was surprised to hear that you'll be covering TAS. I was hoping that you'd be jumping straight into the TOS movie series but since I haven't watched TAS since I was a kid (I'm 54 now) I'll be very interested to experience it as a very old adult. I know that original series writer DC Fontana (who I got to work with in the '90's on a Trek project) was also involved in the animated show. So I look forward to the unexpected journey. 🖖

[@ChrisReise]

2:20 The second season introduced an opera voice to the intro theme...it was redone in 2006 when they remastered the season by a whole new singer...I tried to look her up but could find her name. If anyone is reading this, feel free to let us know what her name was. :)

[@joeb918]

Loulie Jean Norman was the original singer, the remastered version was sung by Elin Carlson. They cheated the former out of her royalties by re-recording the intro without her, sort of the opposite of what Gene did, he added lyrics to the song so he could get royalties on it, even though they’re never sung. For all he did to create a vision of a better future, he was still a business man looking for profit.

[@ChrisReise]

Thanx.@@joeb918

[@robphillips1797]

Great information! I didn't know any of that about Elin Carlson. BTW, Routine Norman also is also the singing voice of the opera singer in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.

[@Psychonaut69]

Gene Roddenberry sold Star Trek to NBC as a classic adventure drama; he pitched the show as a "Wagon Train to the Stars" and as Horatio Hornblower in Space, in effect a "Space Western!" The Opening line, "to boldly go where no man has gone before", was *taken almost verbatim from a U.S. White House booklet on space produced after the Sputnik flight in 1957.* The Truth is Lucille Ball is the reason we have 'Star Trek.' You can thank "I Love Lucy" Lucille Ball as Desilu studio head for approving production of the series. The Studio worked with Roddenberry to develop the treatment into a script, which was then pitched to NBC. So Ball is the one who let "Star Trek" live long and prosper. Thanks, Lucy!

[@JKevinCarrier]

The writer of this episode, Robert Bloch, also wrote one of your favorite season one episodes, "What Are Little Girls Made Of?". I guess anyone can have an "off day." ;-) Both episodes mention "The Old Ones", which is a reference to H.P. Lovecraft's "Cthulhu Mythos" stories. Bloch was a friend of Lovecraft's, and wrote several stories playing off of Lovecraft's work.

[@paulanerruhrpott6188]

This was supposed to be Star Treks version of a Halloween special episode.

[@steelers6titles]

For the second season, individual-episode credits were in yellow characters matching the opening credits. Gene Roddenberry got an opening credit, and so did DeForest Kelley. The opening theme was re-recorded in a higher register, with female voice(s).

[@johnclawed]

Oh, shit. Michael Barrier, who played DeSalle, died 2 days after this video was posted. He was 90.

[@Tiffinki]

I mean no disrespect for him, but at least by making it to 90, he'd had a good run. DeSalle was probably just the tip of the iceberg with his career.

[@johnclawed]

@@Tiffinki Well sort of. He left acting a year later and entered law school and joined the Coast Guard. (He had previous military experience, or they wouldn't have taken him at that age.) He rose to the position of District Legal Officer.

[@ice-iu3vv]

first in production for season 2, but held back to be a halloween episode. not great trek really, but an interesting try for halloween. the second and final time that the studio vetoed uhura being in command (hansen in the menagerie part 1, and dessalle here.) roddenberry always maintained that uhura was 4th in line to command the enterprise after kirk, spock, and scotty. mccoy is also a lt. commander, but in the medical profession, not in line for command. sulu also has the bridge sometimes. i recall liking this one when i started watching trek as a 9 year old in 1976.

[@bunnytailsREACTS]

If I can expect some Uhura in command in the future, I very much am looking forward to that!

[@Robert1849Breadstone]

"Where no bunny has gone before," cool that you brought it back

[@johnclawed]

At 18:22 "I am a woman!" "I don't know what you are but you're not a woman." That's a great meme for Bud Light.

[@robertmills8640]

Great Reaction 👍👍👍, poor Korab even tried to warn them off since he knew Sylvia was losing it with the new sensations.

[@donaldcordner1936]

Since you're watching the re-mastered, the intro was redone as well and not just the effects, so it sounds different from the original soloist who did the intros. Also, all the space scenes were re-mastered digitally along with many backdrops as well.

[@elunicocalvo]

I did my homework a few years ago and watched several Star Trek shows in a row. Most of it is a blur in my mind. From this specific episode as I watched you react I started remembering that giant cat and that cool shot of the animal unable to fit through the doorway, which is not the most realistic effect but it has a dream like quality that I enjoy. The original series from what I remember is sort of like a template for other Star Trek series, so in the future you might find yourself comparing unrelated Star Trek episodes from newer series to this one. I hope you are patient enough to go through some crappy episodes and won't quite before you get to the really, really good stuff.

[@ammaleslie509]

Thanks for explaining production order... The first episode of the second season is "star trek famous" and I'm sure I'm not the only one who looked around for it thinking I had missed your reaction!

[@lazyperfectionist1]

3:22 "Double, double, toil and trouble; "Fire burn and cauldron bubble. "Fillet of a fenny snake "In the cauldron, boil and _bake."_

[@griffruby8756]

Hey! "Shake and Bake" "Roast and Boast" "Stir and Serve" - why not "Boil and Toil"?

[@lazyperfectionist1]

@@griffruby8756 Ask Shakespeare.

[@zoppie]

Koenig and Jones did bump into each other, and Koenig told him that without him there wouldn't have been a Chekov. Jones was genuinely surprised. He'd never heard that before. Roddenberry's usual story about why there is a Russian on the bridge now had to do with an alleged Soviet newspaper article saying that the ugly Americans wouldn't acknowledge that they had first put a cosmonaut in space, consequently, this diverse TV show didn't even have a single Russian among its crew. People have been trying to locate this article ever since with no luck. It is doubtful that the Russians cared about the characters of some US entertainment show on TV. GR probably just overstated the importance of this oversight to get some action on it. He got it.

[@kevinlewallen4778]

I love TOS, but I never found this episode very compelling. I believe you and I agree on that, Bunny!

[@wiggywan1832]

Yeah. This season 2 episode is like the crazy uncle we don't talk about. No worries, as there are some excellent episodes in the pipeline. I think what is redeeming about the episode is all the outstanding Alexander Courage music. Also, the intentions are honest. The show is always entertaining. Even when it stubs its toe. And your reactions are equally entertaining. I always look forward to watching Star Trek with you. Keep up the great work!

[@andreasrafalski776]

I agree with what you say, mostly... except that the wonderful score was written by Gerald Fried. Only the main and end title and the first seconds of act 1 (the Enterprise orbiting Pyris 7) are composed by Alexander Courage.

[@ad61video]

Chekov was the first one on the bridge who was young with the rank of ensign. In most Star Trek series they kept this up, probably to make better contact with young people. In Star Trek SNW Uhura starts out as a cadet!

[@UncleQue]

Interesting to see her response to the soprano voice opening to the show. For those of us that have seen the reruns a hundred times each we think of that version more often. Quite honestly I always preferred the other version. As for Chekov believe I read that they fitted him with a wig as they wanted him to appear kind of like a Davy Jones (of The Monkees) look in order to appeal to a younger audience.

[@johnauten8142]

Hi Bunny, I'm so glad you finally made it to illustrious second season of Star Trek. This is where all the main characters really come into perfect sync with each other and the scripts which are some of the best of series are still yet to come. The music scores for season two are performed by some of the best at that time and with the new opening theme gives it brighter punch than the previous season . Catspaw always was first season two episode to be played in reruns since the 70's and though it's considered mediocre you can still feel that a new season has begun.

[@scottbridge9391]

This was the first episode made but it was aired right before Halloween 1967. Here, we meet a very alien life form another galaxy. I think they just wanted to find a new place to move to in peace and that was it, but Sylvia found the newly experienced feeling of sensations thrilling and exciting, she gave into the temptation and didn't care about their mission anymore. Yes, Sylvia focused on the basic instincts of humans, one of which would certainly include the urge to mate. Yes, the vocals are different here. This is the title sequence of Season 2 with the soprano voices. Yes, I loved seeing the different outfits Sylvia displayed there.

[@TheNoiseySpectator]

3:50 and that is why everyone loves Spock.

[@lukefallon8276]

The director, Joseph Pevney, gave an interview for Starlog magazine. He didn’t want to discuss this episode. All he said was, "I hate it. Those two actors were terrible".

[@justinrhodes887]

One of the coolest things about this episode is the payoff, you never figure them being the size of a Blue Jay . Put jokingly: Advanced Smurfs

[@kieronball8962]

Great reactions, Bunny. And another amazing episode of Classic Star Trek.

[@bunnytailsREACTS]

Thanks!

[@TheDolfanar]

City on the edge of forever followed by attack of the killer fried eggs and a Halloween episode… hooboy. Needless to say it gets MUCH better. BTW another element in common with Squire is the presence of Lt Vincent Desalle (the dude commanding the Enterprise).

[@steelers6titles]

This was the seventh episode aired during the second season of the original series, for Halloween.

[@steelers6titles]

Budget constraints again. Korob's wand looks like it has a light bulb on it. The two villains seem to be made of pipe cleaners and seafood shells. And the housecat, even at giant size, is still a housecat.

[@tehawfulestface1337]

‘Where No One Has Gone Before”, theme song composed by Alexander Courage and sang by soprano Loulie Jean Norman. Three years ago Spanish soprano Laura Rubi Vidal in her very first appearance on a UK stage was given a chance to warm up first. She surprised the audience by singing “Where no one has gone before”, capturing the hearts of the audience. The final scene with Sylvia and Corab’s true forms. I had a chill. I had forgotten. I think I know why I never liked Gonzo from The Muppet Show!

[@Lethgar_Smith]

and lyrics by Gene Roddenberry 🤑

[@joeb918]

@Lethgar, yeah, Gene added lyrics so he could profit off of the royalties. Gene may have gone on to become an icon for a society based on trans humanist utopia, beyond greed, and a bunch of other vices, but at the end of the day he created Star Trek to become a successful and profitable show.

[@joeb918]

Oh I should also add that Courage was none to happy over what Gene did here, a sort of ethical grey area of profiting off of someone else’s work by surreptitiously adding to it.

[@davidmarquardt9034]

The aliens were baffled by the humans responses because they had unknowingly probed into their unconscious mind. Kirk and Spock deduced this from the catssel and the "trick or treat" type environment.

[@JGM154]

Well, seeing that this comments section is going to flooded by comments about Chekov or how this episode was meant to be a Halloween show (a rare instance of "Star Trek" being festive). So what other things are there to talk about with this episode... Let's talk about Scotty! James Doohan famously took six bullets (or eight depending on the source) on D-Day during World War II. Most of them hit his leg. One struck him in the chest but was stopped by a silver cigarette case gifted to him by his brother for making Lieutenant. The last bullet went through the middle finger on his right hand; an injury so bad, the digit had to be amputated. As an actor, Doohan got very clever at hiding his missing finger on screen, usually keeping the hand out of frame in most wide shots or clenching his hand in a fist in most closeups. Any detailed closeup of Scotty using his hands to conduct work will typically be a pickup shot featuring a hand double...the main cast has to go home for the night at some point! 6:40- THIS is one of the rare instances you actually get to see Doohan's WWII injury on screen. It's a blink-and-miss detail, but take note there are only two fingers at the butt of the phaser below the trigger.

[@Capohanf1]

Regarding the little metal Enterprise, Lincoln Enterprises, a company formed by Majel Barrett/Roddenberry (Christine Chapel) SOLD these back in the 60ies and 70ies! It along with a miniature metal Enterprise D on a necklace and and a Enterprise E on a key chain are some of the items that make up my Star Trek memorabilia collection. I spent WAY to much money with that company! But with replicas of things used on the show like A IDIC necklace worn by Spock, who can blame me!

[@avengemybreath3084]

Love the honest reactions! Makes the positive ones meaningful. Keep it up!

[@brom00]

A journey? Don't you mean a trek? 😉 Whatever one wishes to call it, I'm very happy you're taking it.I've been loving rewatching these episodes with you and hearing your take on them. FYI. this was indeed a Halloween episode. it aired on the 27th of October in 1967.

[@bunnytailsREACTS]

A trek, yeah!

[@balli7836]

What are you? Some kind of Astronauts.... on a Star Trek?

[@williamterry8316]

The Enterprise meets the Cats planet. AAAA.. Another fantastic episode. Thanks.

[@bunnytailsREACTS]

You're welcome! :)

[@McMahonHater]

​​@@bunnytailsREACTSHere is my advice: Star Track: Original Series Season One ❌ Season Two Season Three Movies The Motion Picture The Wrath of Khan (rewatch?) The Search for Spock The Voyage Home The Final Frontier The Undiscovered Country Star Trek: TNG Seasons 1-7 Movie: Generations Star Trek DS9 Seasons 1-5 Movie: First Contact Star Trek DS9 Seasons 6 & 7. Star Trek Voyager Seasons 1-4 Movie Insurrection Star Trek Voyager Seasons 5-7 Movie: Nemesis Star Trek Enterprise Seasons 1-4 Stop there everything after Enterprise is reboot and other garbage.

[@Tribble314]

I'm curious, why did you put Insurrection in the middle of Voyager? Just to space out the movies?

[@McMahonHater]

@@Tribble314 I was going based on when the films came out in relation to the season's. I did the same with DS9.

[@Tribble314]

@@McMahonHater That makes some sense. By that logic though, it makes just as much sense to watch it after DS9 season 6. There's a lot of good watch orders out there, and yours works fine. That part just stuck out to me.

[@craigborchard7424]

The only thing of interest for me in this confusing episode is the reveal at the end of what Sylvia and Korob really look like. They're just colorful pipe cleaners, but their stop-motion movement and sound effects really creeped me out as a kid. Oh, and the metal Enterprise on the metal chain. I want that, too! After this episode, the only good thing is that the bar has been set low. There's only one way but up for the rest of the season!😄

[@BlameThande]

You can really tell this was the first produced season 2 episode from how they haven't got Chekov's hair right yet. Also some people don't like the remastered version, but this is one case where it really improved it by hiding the formerly visible strings on the puppets representing the aliens' true forms at the end.

[@PhysicalMediaPreventsWea-bx1zm]

Chekov had to wear a really bad wig for the first few episodes he was in until his own hair grew long enough

[@garyarnett1220]

Interesting episode to begin Season 2 with. Now I'll go watch it with you. (It may have the 1st production number, but it was the 7th one we got to see that Season.)

[@markplott4820]

BunnyTails - Chekov with a Bettles haircut, lol.

[@UnderDriven17]

Great reaction! This has never been one of my favorite episodes. I was never quite sure what the aliens wanted. They told Kirk to go away, but Sylvia wanted to mentally 'bond' with a human. Then they were told the warning was just a test. The aliens claim to be explorers, but Sylvia threatens to 'sweep away' Federation worlds. Kirk asks about more aliens coming to our galaxy, so was it a prelude to invasion? Either way, why not be cooperative instead of antagonistic, even if they had an ulterior motive? The mission of the Enterprise was to seek out new life and new civilizations, so they would have been friendly and answered lots of questions. The aliens went about this all wrong, killing a human right away. And what were they doing on this barren planet? Waiting for a starship to wander by? That could take a long, long time. This episode never seemed coherent to me. Maybe the original script made more sense, but editing turned it into a confusing story?

[@TheFireMonkey]

With Kirk, you never know - let's just say that Kirk has a bit of a history with the Ladies.... this aired the week of halloween - which may be the most explanation for the episode one can get. I was a little bit younger back then, so my perspective at the time might not be too meaningful, but I know the episode seemed much better when I saw it first time - how much that is because of my age back then and how much it reflects the difference in experience of TV back then I can't say. There were things that worked real well back then which would never work today.

[@BossNerd]

This is commonly referred to as the "Halloween" episode. I believe it was postponed to be shown closer to Halloween for obvious reasons. I categorize this episodes in a group with the Squire of Gothos(Trelane) and the one with Organians. Essentially they are "God" encounters. Its a common theme similar to monster of the week or bad computer of the week. the interesting thing to me in this one is one of those "what does it mean to be human" questions. The focus here is on sensations or maybe how you experience the environment does make a difference in being "human". Just an average episode but I liked it a lot more as a kid.

[@donfoley6946]

Notice Korob falls sideways and down when the door falls, but somehow ends face up!

[@CL4MP]

Happy Star Trek Saturday everyone (or whenever you're watching)! I'm very excited for season 2

[@williamjones6031]

I liked this one better than when I was a kid. Chekov was cast to attract a younger female audience because he resembled Davy Jones from "The Monkeys" tv show.

[@AaronLitz]

Wikipedia defines Cat's paw or Catspaw as an idiom meaning _"the dupe of another."_ It means a person used as a pawn by someone else by being manipulated or tricked into doing something so it won't be traced back to the manipulator, and usually without the tricked person fully understanding the ramifications of their actions. All right, Season 2! Some good stuff coming up. I won't mention any specific episodes so it won't pressure you about them, but I will say you can look forward to some really wonderful Spock stuff.

[@FloridaMugwump]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monkey_and_the_Cat

[@AaronLitz]

@@FloridaMugwumpHuh, I had never heard of that fable before, thank you!

[@FloridaMugwump]

@@AaronLitz Yes, it is new to me also.

[@Stogie2112]

Kirk's phantom punch on McCoy was brilliant! 😆

[@jupreindeer9500]

Maybe in standard definition, it looked like the punch had connected. Classic Hollywood fighting technique.