Captain's Blog pt. 79: Friday's Child

Here's another one I remember seeing in black-and-white a half-dozen times or so before finally seeing it in technicolor.

December 1st, 1967

Title: (1) The name of this episode appears to be derived from the old children's rhyme, "Friday's Child" ("Friday's child is loving and giving"). I like it as a title, but it's tough to square with the plot. I feel like I'm missing a more immediate reference.

If it's just meant to convey a sense of promise / new day dawning to reflect the birth of Leonard James Akaar, why recall the children's rhyme at all? Why Friday? Meh.

Kirk and the Gang: (15) Another fine McCoy episode. This begins with the main cast all together in one scene (a rare conjunction for TOS) where we see footage of McCoy as a younger man visiting Capella IV.

Scotty, Uhura, and Sulu acquit themselves well enough in the now-familiar aboard-the-ship b-plot:

Sulu with scanner (mid-extension... it takes a little while.)

As for everyone else, nothing too outstanding, but nothing bad or distracting, either.

In case you were wondering "In what episode does Kirk hold a knife to a pregnant woman's throat?"

Visual Design: (2.25) After "Arena," the best use of Vasquez Rocks in TOS.

This must have been where Herzog got the idea for that opening shot of Aguirre.

Okay, so the costumes...

Well, then.

 

Story and Theme: (6.5 / 6.5)

Nothing earth-shattering here, just tribal conflict as observed by outside powers.

I can't be sure, but something about the Enterprise episode "Desert Crossing" (the one with Clancy Brown) makes me think that episode was an update of sorts on this one. Nothing I've read about that one confirms this, so maybe it's just me.

"The child was named Leonard James Akaar? I think you're both going to be insufferably pleased with yourselves for at least a month." - Spock

The Spartan-like Capellans are written and characterized well, and everyone gets some good lines and stuff to do. I kept thinking the Klingons of TNG and beyond would be natural allies for them; it's lucky for the Federation that Kras, who is decidedly not like the Klingons of TNG and beyond, got to them first.

Bones forges a relationship with Eleen with some typically McCoysian bedside manner.

In case you were wondering "In what episode does Bones slap a pregnant woman?"

Kras is a bit too cravenly for my tastes, but he's a good foil for the plot.

Memorability: (2) "Oochie-woochie coochie coo!" was, outside of the doctor's chatter, the first words my daughter heard (outside of the womb that is) on Planet Earth, and no, I hadn't planned it that way. I was distantly aware as it was happening that I apparently have no control over when and where Trek quotes will come flying out of my mouth, (#TrekConfessions) but in retrospect I hope that this small suggestion at the beginning of life leads to her becoming a master of the kligat.

"An obscure Earth dialect, Mister Spock. Oochy-coochy coochy-coo. If you're curious, consult linguistics." I wish Spock had a response correcting the Captain's verbal recall, here. (Something like "I believe the doctor said  oochy-woochy, Captain, not oochy-coochy." And then gave him a look.)

Internal Logistics (sometimes referred to in these pages as Interior Logistics. I can't keep track of myself.) (2) I don't really have much here. Except it's a little odd that the redshirt sees a Klingon and immediately draws his phaser. Talk about racial profiling.

Still, good way to set the tone straight out the gate.

Guest: (4)

She had a pretty varied career but is probably best known as Catwoman. At least to nerds or fans of older movies and TV; to everyone else, maybe only as the lady in the title of that drag queen movie with Patrick Swayze.

The Capellans' height is portrayed somewhat inconsistently throughout, but they're clearly meant to tower over humans and Klingons, lending their arrogance and severity good visual support.

Tige Andrews plays Kras, one of the more forgettable Klingons of TOS. (I'll be ranking those sooner or later, so I'll hold off on naming who holds the absolute least memorable spot.)

And Will Ferrell as Maab.

"Kling-onnn!"

Total Points Awarded: 39.25