Episode 27 ('The Alternative Factor')

Sort of topical, in that it revolves around an alternative universe composed of anti-matter. Tho I suppose which one was anti-matter would depend on which one's matter you were composed of. The science in this episode is a little super-ridiculous.

Examining things and doing science, as the Enterprise is wont to do, the universe 'winks out' for a bit. Which is apparently a technical term. They keep using it that way, anyways, and with the kind of gravitas that one would say 'nuclear holocaust,' so it must be, right?

Somehow related to the winking-out phenomenon is a dude and his crash-landed space craft. The dude's name is Lazarus. I keep looking for symbolism there, but I can't find any. Which is weird. Lazarus is one of those names that no one uses except for when they're being symbolic.

Anyway, I don't want to 'spoil the plot' but the science continues to be wacky, while maintaining internal cohesion, and in the end, the universe is saved from implosion by a Lazarus who willingly accedes to an eternity of struggle and pain to make it so. Sad when that happens.

The vibe, as far as the Enterprise goes, is almost more WW2 movie than Cold War, in this one, with Star Fleet command telling Shatner that he's on his own, and has to figure out the source of this 'winking out' that could very well be a precursor to invasion.

Good episode. Glad I finally got around to watching it again so I could write it up. Hopefully, we'll finish up with this first season shortly; I've already seen the rest of the episodes, as noted in the previous post, but I'm having to watch them again so I can actually like, remember them, as I ran through them all in one night a few weeks ago and didn't write 'em up when they were fresh in my then-addled head.

Random statistics: 2 Lazari, 4 shots, second time watching, 1 universe saved.