Blu-ray Review

Star Trek: The Original Series: Season Two

Official Synopsis:

The best of both worlds. Both original and enhanced visual effects and audio on the same discs. Toggle between original and enhanced visual effects using seamless branching features all new 7.1 surround sound and original mono audio tracks.

Our Take:

When I reviewed Star Trek: Season Two Remastered on DVD, I said, "It would have been nice if Paramount could have found a way to include both the remastered and the original episodes on the collection, but that would have added a huge amount of discs to the set and driven the price way up. I’m hoping that the inevitable Blu-ray edition will rectify that problem." Well, guess what? It did. Now we get both the original, as-seen-on-TV episodes and the new-special-effects remastered episodes all in one set. Score!

As for the remastered episodes themselves, I like them quite a bit. Are they exactly the way I remember the episodes? No. Do I even remember the episodes in that much detail? No. I’m a pretty big Trek fan, but it’s admittedly been a long time since I’ve seen many of these episodes. I’m not going to cry about losing some beloved cheesy special effects shot that defined my childhood because there isn’t one. I personally love the new special effects, and what I love even more is how much restorative work has been done to the show itself. While I’m not the kind of person who picks apart every technical aspect of a movie or TV show, I do enjoy the remastered episodes’ clean prints and vibrant colors. The show looks better as whole, and the cool new special effects are just the icing on the cake. Take the episode “Amok Time” for example; not only is it a seminal episode, but the new special effects let us see the planet Vulcan in a much more realistic sense, and in a way that ties it to the Vulcan of the Trek movies. That’s a nice touch, and I appreciate it.

Star Trek: Season Two also benefits from some of the strongest episodes in the show’s run. In addition to the aforementioned “Amok Time,” you get “The Trouble With Tribbles,” “Mirror, Mirror,” “The Doomsday Machine,” “A Piece of the Action,” and one of my personal favorites, “Obsession.” Even the average episodes during this season tend to be pretty solid, and I enjoy all of them just a little bit more with the snazzy new special effects. So I’m not a purist; does that make me a bad fan?

Audio & Video:

As with the first Blu-ray set, Season Two really impresses on Blu-ray. With vibrant colors, great detail levels, and very little dirt or debris on the prints, there's nothing to be disappointed with here. Again, the real proof comes when you watch the episode previews that are included as extra features. The original masters looked absolutely horrible: drab, weakly colored, and covered with debris and scratches. When you compare the two, the difference is absolutely stunning.

The soundtrack options also offer new and original mixes. You can choose to listen to the show in it’s original 1.0 mono mix, or the recently created DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround soundtracks, which include rerecorded music scores and enhanced sound effects. Clearly, the 7.1 mix offers up a much wider and more expansive soundfield, and it does its job very well. Surround usage is generous, dialogue is clear, and the shows sound as crisp and clean as they ever have.

Special Features (Blu-ray Exclusive):

Starfleet Access: Delve Deeper into the Star Trek Universe on Amok Time & The Trouble With Tribbles - This is an Infinifilm-style extra feature. As you watch the episodes, you can view picture-in-picture interviews and featurettes about the episode you're watching.

Special Features (Standard):

Star Trek: Season Two includes a plethora of extra features, most of which have been carried over from other sets. Here’s the breakdown:

Starfleet Access: Delve Deeper into the Star Trek Universe on Amok Time & The Trouble With Tribbles - This is an Infinifilm-style extra feature. As you watch the episodes, you can view picture-in-picture interviews and featurettes about the episode you're watching.
Billy Blackburn's Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories Part Two (12 minutes) – More home movies and personal insights from background actor Blackburn.
Commentary – On “More Tribbles, More Troubles” by writer David Gerrold.
More Tribbles, More Troubles - Episode from Star Trek: The Animated Series.
Trials and Tribble-ations - Episode from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Star Trek: TOS on Blu-ray (10 minutes) - A look at bringing the show to high def.
Star Trek´s Greatest Moments (16 minutes) - Previously available only as a Best Buy bonus disc. Cast and crew members share their favorite Trek memories.
Previews – All of the original previews aired on NBC in the 60s for each episode.
Life Beyond Trek: Leonard Nimoy.
To Boldly Go... Season Two.
Star Trek´s Divine Diva: Nichelle Nichols.
Kirk, Spock, and Bones: Trek's Great Trio
Writer´s Notebook: D.C. Fontana.
Designing the Final Frontier.

Conclusion:

Star Trek: Season Two is one of the high points in the franchise’s 40-year-plus history, so this one (quite obviously) comes...

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Overall Picture:

Show: A
Video: B+
Audio: B+
Extra Features: A

- Mike Spring
Editor