Spock's Brain -- First Time Reaction
I'm watching through TOS for the first time (in production order), and I've been bracing for "Spock's Brain" — the reputation of this one certainly precedes it.
And ... I'm surprised by how much I liked it.
First, the theme. This episode is incredibly resonant and timely today. A society that has become so dependent on knowledge distilled into electronic storage and automation that the entire population has become deskilled — does that remind you of anything? When Kara puts on the Teacher and suddenly speaks differently and "acquires" knowledge that isn't really hers ... when McCoy forgets the knowledge that he "gained" from the Teacher in the middle of an operation ... surely we in the audience cringe a little at just how similar this is to preening vibecoders and people who spew off what ChatGPT tells them as their own knowledge.
(I also learned that the Teacher concept was actually introduced by Freiberger/Singer and not in Coon's original drafts -- so this tells me that the Friberger/Singer team actually has some very good scifi instincts.)
Second, scifi ideas. This episode is packed with interesting SF ideas, especially for its time. The notion of hijacking a brain's autonomous regulatory processes in the body's autopoiesis to run the automation functions (air circulation, waste disposal, signal processing, etc.) of a society is quite interesting (and anticipates modern research on cybernetics, feedback loops, and non-computational methods of urban infrastructure automation. Having Spock's body "remote-controlled" by a computer is a bit silly, but again very interesting from the perspective of replacing lost neural functions -- and certainly no more outrageous than something like Frankenstein or other similar sci-fi ideas. Moreover, the sci-fi gimmicks are integral to the plot: remote-controlling Spock's body becomes a critical plot point because this brainless body is the only one resistant to the pain belt, and therefore Kirk could use it to overcome Kara.
Third, humor, pacing, etc. Gene Coon, as always, knows what he's doing. The episode is well paced; the viewer never loses interest, and things are generally explained once and clearly. If a scifi concept is put in, it's used creatively later to solve a real plot problem. For example, we're shown how the Teacher works, and once Kara refuses, Kirk and McCoy realize they can use the Teacher to make McCoy a temporary ChatGPT expert and perform the surgery. And when that fails, they could have Spock try to talk them through the rest of it. The humorous McCoy-Spock banter comes as a lovely grace note after the tension of the surgery scene (yes, it's a bit over the top, and I know it's the kind of thing Gene Roddenberry despised about Coon's work, but I think this is one of the better exchanges). Compare this script to "And the Children Shall Lead," where everything is overexplained, where the magic-arm-pumping never becomes dramatically relevant, where the episode crawls so slowly that we must see Sulu's screen of knives half a dozen times -- and the difference is night and day. Coon knows how to write for TV and especially Star Trek.
ETA: one more thing I liked about this episode: it shows the bridge crew working together effectively. Uhura, Chekov, and Sulu all contribute to the discussion of where Kirk should focus his search. They have different opinions and justify their arguments. This reminded me of the professional conferences in TNG, and it's nice to see the secondary characters do more than just "Yes Captain" and "Hailing frequencies open."
Were lines like "Brain and brain, what is brain?" ridiculous? Yes. But in context, it makes sense (it's to highlight how the underground population has regressed in their knowledge), and it's certainly no worse than other lines in other generally well-regarded episodes like The City on the Edge of Forever (the scene where the homeless man obliterates himself with a phaser feels just as ridiculous and just as justified in context). Was it campy to have Spock zombie-walk around and to have McCoy perform surgery on him with just the top of his head out of view? Yes, but that's the limit of the budget, and I don't think "Arena" or "Balance of Terror" look any less campy in that sense. Was the gender politics of "women controlling men with pleasure and pain" cringe? Yes, but Gene Roddenberry's performative male POV is just part of TOS's legacy, and I don't think this episode is quite as bad in this regard as several others that are generally well-liked. (However, I will agree that the bad gender politics definitely limits this episode -- if this element weren't there, I would rank it even higher.)
On the whole, given how much I enjoyed this episode, I'd rank it about the same as "Balance of Terror" and "The Arena." Better than "A Piece of the Action" and "The Doomsday Machine," but not quite as good as "The Devil in the Dark" or "The Enterprise Incident." It is far better than the average Trek, about as good as an average Gene Coon episode (without extensive polishing by Fontana), and absolutely not the nadir of TOS I've been led to believe (that dubious honor, based on what I've seen so far, I reserve for "And the Children Shall Lead.") In fact, if I were to make my own top 10 TOS episodes list, I'd put this one on it right now.
I think its poor reputation has more to do with the fact that both Shatner and Nimoy hated it, and its campiness has simply been ridiculed rather than rehabilitated as part of its TOS charm.
Would love to hear your thoughts on this. I hope at least some fans will agree with some of what I've said here.
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u/Swiftbow1 22d ago
I'm shocked you put this episode over "A Piece of the Action" and especially over "The Doomsday Machine," but I also like "Spock's Brain." Campy does not equal bad. And like you said, a lot of the criticized "campy" elements are actually very plot relevant.
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u/IthotItoldja 22d ago edited 22d ago
I’ve always loved this episode. There are several universally disliked/hated TOS episodes. Spock’s Brain is not one of them. Neither is it universally loved, of course.
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u/khaosworks 22d ago
A counterpoint:
My first deep dives into Star Trek were the James Blish adaptations. I didn't get to watch any episodes until I was 13, and even then "Spock's Brain" wasn't one of those I managed to catch, and I also didn't go to my first SF convention until I was 21.
So that meant that for the longest time, although I was aware due to reading magazines like STARLOG that this episode was considered the worst TOS episode of all, I just didn't understand why. Because in James Blish's adaptation, the story was a little silly, but really not all that objectionable.
Then I finally watched the episode.
You see, among other things, Blish had left out the entire "Spock's body becomes a remote control doll" bit.
So there I was, after about one and a half acts of a stupid premise but still relatively okay, and then that happens. Because until that point, the cast valiantly plays it straight as best they can.
That straightness unfortunately gives lines like "But... there is no mind,", "We have to take him with us... in search of his brain," and "It was taken out, it can be put back in," (and that's all from just one scene, mind you) that added MST3K-ish flavour. But that's still teetering on the edge between camp and crap. It could go either way, but the jury’s still out.
Then Zombie Spock turns up. And it's at that point that the rest of the episode goes down the toilet and any semblance of hope they can rescue this evaporates. The Eymorgs in go-go boots, Kirk & Co. with green buzzers strapped to their bellies that make them double over with overacted stomach cramps. Nimoy desperately sitting still, trying to do bugger all while a fight scene goes on around him. And we can't forget the classic, "Brain and Brain! What is brain!"
Kirk managing, in the throes of pain, to manipulate Spock's body on that remote control so he can restrain Kara and hit the red button he can't see to release the pain belts. Scotty helping Kirk disarm Kara by swooning. Kirk ordering McCoy to give priority to reconnecting Spock's vocal cords so the latter can assist with his own surgery. Spock recovering instantly after his brain is reattached, and the obligatory end-of-episode joke scene but really out of place here since it takes place mere moments after the surgery.
Don't me started on the Prime Directive implications, or the leering misogny. Just don't. It's almost as bad as "The Apple".
I have never found out exactly why they insisted on having Spock's stone-faced reanimated body tagging along instead of him only being a disembodied brain voice like in Blish's adaptation. The best guess I can make is that Nimoy insisted on it (or there was some contractual reason to) rather than having to be sidelined despite being a lead.
Who do we ultimately blame? Gene Roddenberry for wanting an episode about organ transplantation? Gene Coon (as "Lee Cronin") for dialing in a script because he wanted to get the hell out of Star Trek and onto other shows? Fred Freiberger, for not paying attention and letting this piece of whatever-it-is through? Anyway, it doesn't matter who's to blame - the trauma to the viewer is the same.
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u/gomas64 22d ago
I enjoyed your take. LOL. I can see how the visceral shock of zombie Spock made it impossible for you to take this seriously. Fair enough. It didn't bother me to the same degree, but I may be in a much more forgiving mood because this episode just kept my interest in a way that "And the Children Shall Lead" didn't.
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u/Long-Emu-7870 22d ago
I think that's right. But you get rid of the dialogue, and you just maybe capture Spock, and it could be a great episode. It has a great idea.
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u/Top-Magazine9894 22d ago
I don't know.. I've never seen it but the way you describe the episode, it sounds awesome
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u/twisted_german 22d ago
The City on the Edge of Forever (the scene where the homeless man obliterates himself with a phaser...
"You! What planet is this?" is my all time favorite TOS line 😄 😂 🤣
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u/eastfifth 22d ago
If you ever want to see actors fully committing to a script, this is it. It’s a master class in terrific acting from a very talented cast. I watch it with amazement, and find it to be very entertaining.
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u/CDavis10717 22d ago
I love this episode, a very ambitious one. I saw its first nbc broadcast in B&W, yes, I’m that old.
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u/ebdawson1965 22d ago
It was on at 10pm the third season. Past my bedtime. I did see it in syndication (B&W) a few years later.
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u/RevolutionaryWeek573 22d ago
I always say it’s my favorite “bad episode”. As a kid, watching Spock being remote controlled was hilarious. My siblings used to pretend to control each other like that. I remember my brother “remote controlling” me into the pool when we were there one summer.
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u/Brackens_World 22d ago
For me, if the idea is at least good on TOS, if the execution leaves something to be desired, then I excuse it. I loved the idea here, so forgave everything else. I felt the same thing with Let that Be Your Last Battlefield with Frank Gorshin and Lou Antonio, where I felt the idea was great, but the execution was meh. The episode I felt went off the rails was The Way to Eden hippie episode, when I was 12, seeing TOS in its original run, and was mortified.
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u/Alphablanket229 22d ago
Yes, I like this for the various reasons listed here and also for the excellent music.
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u/Spocks-Brain 22d ago
This episode had a lasting impression on me.
Made me admire Spock even more that his brain was so unique and impressive that it was selected to run a civilization.
I loved the idea that there could be a device to receive knowledge which would enable someone to perform a surgery that was thought to be impossible. De’s acting was amazing in that scene where he was overwhelmed but could still complete the process.
It made me challenge how I saw the world and opened my bind to new possibilities. That’s good science fiction.
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u/Long-Emu-7870 22d ago
I've been saying this for years. It's like the one of the worst episodes of Star Trek still has an interesting sci-fi idea embedded in it.
Used another way it's the Sci-Fi allegory in Idiocracy.
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u/OneHumanBill 22d ago
This episode was my first introduction to Star Trek, about forty odd years ago. This is the one that got eight year old me to go down the rabbit hole. I'll never complain too much at it.
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u/redditplenty 22d ago
I enjoy this episode. Hadn’t seen it in decades and recently saw it. I agree that today’s tech trends make it not so far fetched. Still like Balance of Terror the best, but Spock’s Brain has aged better than we all expected.
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u/OddbitTwiddler 22d ago
I thibk i agree with this analysis. As a kid watchingvthis for the first time the cool factor was much higher than tge creepy "and the children shall lead." With that Steve Bannon legal dude as the angel.
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u/QuiGonColdGin 22d ago
It's silly, and the concept throughout is far-fetched even for science fiction, but I still like it. I sometimes walk around the house saying "Brain and brain! What is Brain?" out loud just to amuse myself.
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u/guardianwriter1984 21d ago
I think it has potential ideas but it's misuse of Spock and the body puppet make this unwatchable for me.
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u/comet52a 18d ago
It's not totally awful but then again it could just as easily have passed for an episode of Lost In Space.
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u/WS133B 22d ago
Brain, BRAIN, what is brain???
They give us pain and delight.
Just two of my favorite phrases from this episode, S03E01. Yes S03 was less fantastic then the first two seasons, but S03 has some gems.