Star Trek Remastered - 2x24 - The Ultimate Computer avi

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* S O U N D T R E K K E R ' S B L U R B *

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Well, today I managed to get hold of the latest log file much sooner than usual, using some secret channels even I wasn't aware before, with the help of some guy from Section 31. He gave me a hand on using some top secret relay station in Orion space, which always is covered behind a cloaking device, and is changing its position all 24 hours in an asteroid belt, which is located within a dangerous quasar... you get the point!



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Okay, this is "Star Trek Remastered - 2x24 - The Ultimate Computer", and apparently it's the high point of the second remastered season, for obvious reasons, only comparable to last year's "Doomsday Machine", and CBS Digital again gave all their best for this episode's digital treatment. I didn't watch the whole episode yet, so I can't comment on the digital enhancements right now. Besides, if you want to read any comments, reviews, watch screenshots and the FX video, you know where to go: trekmovie dot com has covered the episode extensively over the weekend!



THE ENHANCEMENTS



Well... yeah, there are... a few of them... I think... but see for yourself!



ASSORTED COMMENTS



Since the digital enhancement is talked about enough elsewhere, I'll concentrate on some interesting stuff regarding the story itself:



Again, we have a terrific story about man vs. technology, which was covered by trek in many episodes, not only in TOS but also in all the other incarnations! The final act when Kirk is talking the machine into oblivion is very reminiscent of his strategy in "Return of the Archons" and last week's "The Changeling", where he also managed to convince dangerous, man-made devices into destroying itself.



The story itself was written by Lawrence N. Wolf (according to imdb.com, this seems to be his only story credit ever - at least, no further information about him is available...). His first draft seems to have only the core ingredients of the story, all very technical and action-oriented, but didn't cover any of the human drama which unfolded in the final draft! These essential changes were done by Dorothy Fontana, one of the most influential TOS writers, who also worked as story editor, script consultant and associate producer on TOS, and you can be sure that many of the character traits of the main characters were created and added by her!

Regarding the development of "The Ultimate Computer", Fontana had this to say:



"The other writer involved was Lawrence Wolfe. Unfortunately this was a script that didn't work, or the writer didn't want to make the changes that we recommended and they were rather strong changes. As I recall, and I may not be right on this, it was because the STAR TREK characters were not deeply involved in this story about the M-5 and Dr. Daystrom. STAR TREK isn't about technology. STAR TREK is about the characters. And how this machine acts on them, or how they act on it, is the story. The writer just did not want to make the changes. He kept bringing back the same script, until finally there was a rewrite that Gene [Roddenberry] assigned to me, and I did the best I could with it."



Well, I would say, you succeded, Mrs. Fontana! A great script, indeed!







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Okay, then, that's all for today, except to remind you to keep seeding after download, or I will assign the M-5 computer for all the uploads of any future trek remastered torrents, and seeing the state of mind the M-5 is right now, I don't think he will be able to get the job done!



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Next week:

A repeat of "The Trouble With Tribbles", so we have to wait an additional week for the next new one: "Operation: Annihilate!" (for which you also won't get a tv-rip upload from me, because soon there will be a DVD rip of that episode!)



The next tv rip upload then will be in three weeks, when the second season episode "The Apple" will get the remastered treatment: There'll be a new planet with the orbiting Enterprise, and other than that maybe some enhancements of the phaser attack on Vaal from the orbiting starship, possibly new versions of the dark clouds and thunderbolts. The deep red sky on the planet will be the same, a digital treatment would be a horrendous task, which CBS Digital neither has the money nor the time for, apparently, so the planet will have to keep, at least partially, its deep red color!



All right, people, take care, and



LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!!!



Best regards,

Captain Soundtrekker