2: Through Fresh Eyes

Watching TOS for the first time, in 2020.

For many of us, the five-year mission of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the crew of the USS Enterprise is what hooked us on Star Trek and made us lifelong fans. But there are many who have never seen The Original Series, and still others who are just now finding Star Trek itself for the first time. What is it like to watch those episodes from the 1960s with modern eyes and sensibilities, without decades of seeing the mythos be built layer by layer, and the approach to storytelling evolve with the times? Can the expectations of today be set aside to allow the messages of Star Trek to shine through the veneer of yesterday?

In this episode of Interphase, host C Bryan Jones is joined by Michael Pfeffer, who has just finished his first-ever viewing of Star Trek: The Original Series—an experience that was, in fact, his first contact with the Star Trek television franchise in general. How did he connect with the style, themes, storytelling, and attitudes of 1960s TV? Let’s find out.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Connecting with Star Trek (00:02:42)
Starting with TOS (00:05:48)
Target Audience (00:09:12)
More About Characters (00:16:01)
Science, Technology, and Cultures (00:30:52)
What Is Star Trek About? (00:38:34)
Klingons and Romulans as Analogue (00:42:45)
Temporal Insensitivity (00:48:06)
Favorite Episodes (00:53:36)
Final Thoughts (01:00:09)
Closing (01:04:40)

Host
C Bryan Jones

Guest
Michael Pfeffer

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer)