Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Star Trek: The Original Series: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie Review

Though not quite up to par with the previous two seasons, the third and final collection of episodes featuring Kirk, Spock, and McCoy make for an astounding Blu-ray presentation.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 3, 2009

To boldly go where no man has gone before.

Reviewer's log, Stardate 122009.03.

The third and final season of 'Star Trek' -- Gene Roddenberry's late 1960s television show that would go dormant for a decade before the series' revival on the big screen and, some years later, find new life again on television with a new crew for a new generation -- arrives on Blu-ray and with the expectations to match in quality the previous two seasons' high definition releases. Paramount/CBS has delivered a set fitting of the trendsetting seasons one and two, each of the 24 season three episodes featuring sparkling 1080p video transfers and full and satisfying 7.1-channel lossless soundtracks. Also included is a wealth of bonus materials, including three variations of the series' first pilot episode, 'The Cage,' and a never-before-seen version of the second pilot episode, 'Where No Man Has Gone Before,' the first episode to feature much of the original cast, including Captain James Tiberius Kirk and Engineer Montgomery Scott.

It's always fun to fire phasers.

Though certainly not a "bad" season of "Star Trek" (is there such a thing?), The Original Series' third and, sadly, final outing proves less than stellar than either the show's first or second seasons, the latter of which is, arguably, the most influential in the series' long and storied history, perhaps not as entertaining as several "The Next Generation" or "Deep Space Nine" seasons but certainly more impacting on a base level. As for season three, it never scrapes the bottom of the barrel as consistently as some early seasons from "DS9" or "The Next Generation" and "Voyager" in particular, but the season begins with a whimper, a punching bag sort of episode in "Spock's Brain," a laugher of a season opener that's easily the goofiest the entire original series has to offer. Then again, "Star Trek" is infamous for beginning and ending seasons or following up historically important episodes with truly terrible efforts; "The Next Generation" kicked off its second season with the abysmal "The Child," and its third season with "Evolution," though the show learned from its mistakes and never again began a season with a substandard effort. "Voyager" capped off its first season and began its second with two decent episodes in "Learning Curve" and "The 37's," though neither hardly qualify as worthy of what is generally considered an important slotting within a season. Even Trek's magnum opus, "Deep Space Nine," fumbled by following its hallmark "Trials and Tribble-ations" tribute episode with the awful "Let He Who is Without Sin..." As for "Spock's Brain," it proves one of the most poorly-executed episodes in series history from conception to production to slotting; "Zombie Spock" looks ridiculous, the story seems terribly degrading on several levels, and as simply a poor concept, it falls terribly short as an episode, let alone a season opener. Nevertheless, the episode remains an important slice of Trek lore, if for no other reason than as a curiosity. Fortunately, the season didn't begin with the arguably worse "And the Children Shall Lead," and despite its status as the lesser of the original series' trio of seasons, this 24-episode collection did deliver several hallmark "Star Trek" efforts.

Indeed, season three of "Star Trek" contains a handful of powerful, historically significant, and downright entertaining episodes. Both "Day of the Dove" and "Let This Be Your Last Battlefield" reflect American culture of the late 1960s, the former an examination of hatred, violence, and prejudice sparked by an external and altogether imperceptible entity, and the latter one of the most cut-and-dry (or, in this case, literally black-and-white) examinations of race relations ever captured in fiction. The parallels with Vietnam and the Civil Rights movement are impossible to miss, and true to what makes memorable Science Fiction, these episodes comment on issues of the day within the guise of a futuristic or otherwise otherworldly or somehow physically different environment nevertheless plagued by the same problems evident in the here-and-now, or in this case, in 1969 America. "The Enterprise Incident," one of the season's absolute best efforts, would seem more at home in season two as it prominently features a recurring plot element that would prove most influential to the "Star Trek" universe: the cloaking device. A truly intense hour of television, the episode features a surgically altered Captain Kirk (another tried-and-true "Trek" plot element) attempting to steal the Romulans' new cloaking technology for further Federation study. Of course, the Treaty of Algeron, signed some years later between the Romulan Star Empire and the United Federation of Planets, would expressly prohibit the technology's implementation on Federation vessels, and it was not until the U.S.S. Defiant (not to be confused with the ship of the same name appearing in "The Tholian Web") was granted permission to utilize the Romulan device in advance of the Dominion threat decades later, with the stipulation that the device be used only in the Gamma quadrant. Finally, season three of "Star Trek: The Original Series" delivers several classic and highly entertaining episodes that might not prove too terribly significant from either a purely Science Fiction perspective or in light of future events in the "Star Trek" timeline, but they do satisfy the need for fun but nevertheless smart entertainment. Such episodes include "The Tholian Web" and the recreation of the Gunfight at the O.K. Coral in "Spectre of the Gun."

Though not officially a member of the third season, this Blu-ray release -- and the previous DVD releases of the third season of "Star Trek" -- contains "The Cage," the original series pilot episode rejected by NBC that went virtually unseen until a home video release in 1986 and a televised special in 1988. Featuring only one character from what fans now know as the primary cast of the U.S.S. Enterprise -- Mr. Spock -- the episode proves different in look but not necessarily in tone to what would become a three-season run and the frontrunner to a vast Science Fiction extravaganza that still through 2009 enjoys a wonderfully large and diverse fan base. Though not the "Trek" that has come to define a franchise, "The Cage" nevertheless proves a fascinating footnote in "Star Trek" history and, aside from telling a great story, opens an entire world to the imagination. What would "Star Trek" -- and indeed, Science Fiction as it is known today -- look like had the network embraced and aired "The Cage?" What would be the fate of the franchise, the crew as seen in "The Cage," and the actors that would find their defining roles soon thereafter in "Star Trek?" Would there be eleven films and several spin-off television shows? Would a crew of Jeffrey Hunter, Majel Barrett (who would go on to portray Nurse Chapel in The Original Series, Lwaxana Troi in "The Next Generation" and "Deep Space Nine," and serve as the computer voice for Federation Vessels in "The Next Generation" and onward), John Hoyt, and others propelled the series to the same heights as William Shatner, DeForrest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, and George Takei? Interestingly, even the one carryover -- Spock -- appears as a vastly different character in "The Cage," showing emotion in several scenes and appearing with a slightly altered look, both traits carrying over to a single episode of "The Original Series" -- "Where No Man Has Gone Before" -- that served as the "second pilot," so to speak, though it originally aired third behind "The Man Trap" and "Charlie X."

Season Three highlight episodes include, but are not limited to:

Episode One, "Spock's Brain"

Stardate 5431.4. An unidentified Alien vessel, utilizing advanced ion propulsion, is heading straight for the Enterprise. A humanoid female transports aboard the ship and with the press of a few buttons on a device attached to her wrist, renders the entire crew unconscious. When they awaken, they find Spock in sickbay -- with his brain removed. He is on total life support, but Doctor McCoy doesn't know how long he can live considering his Vulcan physiology's dependence on the brain. The doctor gives Captain Kirk 24 hours to find the brain -- somewhere in the galaxy -- before he reaches the limits of what he can do to keep the ship's Vulcan Science Officer alive. With the trail growing cold, Kirk must choose to search on one of three inhabitable planets -- none of which appear to inhabit beings capable of either the advanced space travel or the delicate surgical skill required to so perfectly remove the brain from the body -- to search before time runs out and the Enterprise loses a valuable officer for good.

Episode Two, "The Enterprise Incident"

Stardate 5027.3. Dr. McCoy is concerned about Captain Kirk's emotional well-being; he's becoming increasingly difficult and hostile. His latest order: a course correction into the Neutral Zone. Two Klingon Cruisers and a Romulan Warbird appear without sensor warning and surround the Enterprise, and a Romulan officer threatens to destroy the ship should she not surrender within the hour. Mr. Spock theorizes that the Romulans have utilized a "cloaking device" that renders the ships practically invisible until they choose to appear. Kirk and Spock agree to beam aboard one of the vessels and meet with the Romulan Commander. However, Spock betrays Captain Kirk, questioning his sanity and admitting the Captain crossed into the Neutral Zone on his own accord. The Enterprise is informed of the Captain's guilt and the ship is ordered to be escorted out of Romulan space, setting off a series of events that threaten loyalties, friendships, and will perhaps even shift the balance of power in the quadrant.

Episode Three, "The Paradise Syndrome"

Stardate 4824.6. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down to a tranquil Earth-like planet. With 30 minutes to spare before the Enterprise must rendezvous with and destroy an asteroid destined to collide with the planet, they set out to further investigate the lifeforms inhabiting the world. Much to their surprise, they encounter a group of people practically identical to America's native Indians. Before beaming back to the Enterprise, Captain Kirk disappears, but Mr. Spock chooses to leave him behind to save the planet from the approaching asteroid. Meanwhile, Kirk -- still alive below a monolith -- has suffered from memory loss. Soon after the departure of Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy, Kirk is discovered by the native tribe and thought to be a God meant to save them from impending doom, just as their prophecies foretell.

Episode Six, "Spectre of the Gun"

Stardate 4385.3. A mechanical device is hurtling through space, making course corrections to match and intercept the Enterprise. The vessel informs the Enterprise that it has encroached on alien space, and she is ordered to return home. Each member of the crew hears the warning in their native language via telepathy, but the Enterprise has been ordered to make contact with the Melkotians at all costs. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, and Chekov beam down to the planet in violation of the probe's commands, encountering unexpected atmospheric conditions. The away team is soon sentenced to death by an alien for their trespasses, and the quintet finds itself in an incomplete recreation of Tombstone, Arizona on October 26, 1881 where they assume the role of the Clantons and Claibornes, the men on the losing end of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral at the hands of the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday. No matter the team's attempts to alter the course of history or escape the town, fate seems to have no plans other than to see the fight through to its deadly conclusion.

Episode Seven, "Day of the Dove"

Stardate Armageddon. Kirk, Chekov, McCoy, and a Red Shirt beam down to a planet where an entire human colony has seemingly been destroyed. Meanwhile, in orbit, the Enterprise detects a disabled Klingon vessel, and several of the warrior race beam down to the surface to exact revenge on Captain Kirk and claim the Enterprise as their own, a result of their belief that the Federation vessel deliberately attacked them. The Klingons torture Chekov, an action that causes Kirk to decide to turn the Enterprise over to the Empire. Upon returning to the ship under the promise of a change of flag, Spock secretly leaves the Klingons in transporter stasis and they are subsequently arrested upon materialization. After beaming over the remaining survivors from the damaged Klingon vessel, a mysterious alien life form boards the Enterprise, cuts communication, and changes the ship's course to take them out of the galaxy at extremely high velocities, all the while pitting the Enterprise crew against the Klingons in brutal hand-to-hand combat as members of the crew slowly begin to lose their minds through uncontrollable bouts of hate for their enemy.

Episode Nine, "The Tholian Web"

Stardate 5693.2. The Enterprise is investigating the disappearance of the U.S.S Defiant. The view screen projects an image of the Defiant, but ship's sensors cannot detect its presence. Kirk, Spock, Chekov, and McCoy beam over to find the crew dead, apparently by one another's hands and following a mutiny. During his investigation, Dr. McCoy discovers the ship to be dissolving, his hand passing through bodies and bulkheads, objects that should otherwise be solid. The Defiant's problems render the Enterprise's transporters only partially functional; Spock, McCoy, and Chekov beam back aboard, but the transporter cannot lock onto Kirk's signal before the Defiant vanishes entirely. Spock theorizes that the Defiant has drifted into an alternate dimension, and that which caused the Defiant's crew to murder one another may be manifesting itself aboard the Enterprise. Complicating matters is the arrival of a Tholian spacecraft that threatens the Enterprise should she not withdraw immediately while unknowingly disrupting the rift in space that hinders the retrieval of the Captain. With the Captain seemingly lost forever and a battle with the Tholians rendering the Enterprise adrift, Tholian reinforcements begin to spin a web around a disabled Enterprise, threatening to destroy her.

Episode Fifteen, "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"

Stardate 5730.2. The planet Arianis is vital for commercial shipping and has been overrun by a deadly bacteria that threatens to wipe out all living things on the surface. En route to the crucial planet, a shuttle of Starfleet design -- reported stolen weeks earlier -- heads towards the Enterprise. She's not responding to hails, and its inhabitant appears to be ill. Kirk orders the vessel brought into the Enterprise hangar. The survivor is a man named Lokai -- whose body is half white and half black -- who collapses at the Captain's feet. Soon thereafter, another vessel -- this one of alien design -- is detected approaching the Enterprise, but the view screen cannot pick it up due to its advanced technology. Nevertheless, it transports another half-black, half-white individual named Bele who has arrived to take the other home, claiming him to be a traitor on his home world. The two races -- one black on the left and white on the right, the other black on the right and white on the left -- are in conflict. Kirk won't divert the Enterprise to take them home, but the ship changes course nevertheless, under Bele's influence to return them to their home world, Cheron. Lokai and Bele are immune to force and phasers, and Kirk reverts to one final desperate act to regain control of his ship and gain much-needed leverage against the Enterprise's particularly determined and stubborn guests.

Episode Sixteen, "The Mark of Gideon"

Stardate 5423.4. The Enterprise is orbiting Gideon, a planet that is still not a member of the Federation. They have finally agreed to host a Federation delegation of one: the Captain of the Enterprise, James T. Kirk. As soon as he de-materializes from the Enterprise's transport, he re-materializes aboard The Enterprise, discovering it to be completely vacant yet still, apparently, orbiting the planet. Kirk soon finds a female named Odona -- who claims to have no knowledge of Gideon -- whom he learns may be part of a vast deception. Meanwhile, the Gideon council has contacted the Enterprise, inquiring as to the whereabouts of the Captain. The isolationist Gideons refuse to host an Enterprise away team to locate the Captain or allow the ship's sensors to penetrate their planet, though they promise their own investigation, a scheme that initiates a series of back-and-forth maneuvers between the Gideons and Mr. Spock, culminating in the Vulcan Science Officer choosing between the safety of his Captain and strict Federation orders.

Episode Eighteen, "The Lights of Zetar"

Stardate 5725.3. The Enterprise is en route to Memory Alpha, a planet set up for the exclusive purpose of storing all the knowledge of the Federation. The ship is set to transfer newly designed equipment to the planet, and the crew is accompanied for the mission by specialist Lt. Mira Romaine, an officer who has caught the eye of Mr. Scott. On its way, the Enterprise encounters a storm moving at over warp two, ruling out the possibility that it's a natural phenomenon. It quickly intercepts the ship, causing Lt. Romaine to collapse and leaving each crew member temporarily disabled, each briefly prevented from carrying out their assigned duties. In sickbay, Lt. Romaine becomes increasingly uncooperative and hostile. Meanwhile, the Enterprise arrives at Memory Alpha, finding it to be damaged by the mysterious storm. Upon closer inspection, a landing party of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty discover Memory Alpha's staff dead. Only one survivor is found, a woman demonstrating the same mysterious after-effects experienced by Lt. Romaine. As the Enterprise pursues the cloud, it comes to light that the ship's course of action against the cloud is adversely affecting Lt. Romaine, leading to a shocking discovery on how their fates have become entwined.

Episode Twenty-Three, "All Our Yesterdays"

Stardate 5943.7. The planet Beta Niobe is to go nova within hours. Its only satellite is inhabited by a humanoid species, though scans cannot detect any lifeforms. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down to the surface and find the planet's archive, including its custodian, Mr. Atoz. He informs the away team that the planet's inhabitants had been warned of the coming nova and he personally sent each one to safety. Suddenly, Kirk hears a screaming woman; he hurries to investigate, only to find himself transported to another place and time reminiscent of Earth's Middle Ages. Moments later, Spock and McCoy -- in search of Kirk -- disappear through the same passageway, but find themselves in an arctic environment. Spock surmises each have traveled into the planet's past, to a point in time corresponding with the files they had been studying in the library, leading Kirk to be imprisoned for witchcraft while Spock attempts to save Dr. McCoy from overexposure to the elements, all the while a mysterious female informs the Vulcan that a return trip through the portal will prove deadly to anyone who makes the attempt. As time passes, the after-effects of the transportation slowly begins to alter Spock's very essence.

Episode Twenty-Four, "Turnabout Intruder"

Stardate 5928.5. The Enterprise has received a distress call from Camus II; an archeological expedition has fallen victim to radiation. Among the survivors is Dr. Janice Lester, Kirk's girlfriend while at Starfleet Academy. When Spock and McCoy leave Kirk with Lester to tend to other victims, Lester manages to use a device to switch bodies with the Captain, hoping to use him to advance in what she considers a male-dominant society. Back onboard the Enterprise, Lester (as Kirk) releases Lester's body into the hands of colleague Dr. Coleman, under the protest of Dr. McCoy for Coleman's recorded incompetence in years past. Mr. Spock suspects something to be amiss, but is brought up on mutiny charges by the impostor Captain, a charge the impostor Kirk chooses to enforce via penalty of death. Only a true mutiny against the impostor can save Spock and reveal Kirk's true identity.

Episode One-A, "The Cage"

Stardate Unknown. The Enterprise discovers an old-style distress signal from the Columbia, a vessel which crashed 18 years ago. Captain Pike is tiring of making the hard decisions, wishing instead to settle down to a life of tranquility, but when Mr. Spock informs him that there are eleven survivors from the crashed ship on the planet, Pike orders the Enterprise to change course to Talos IV for further examination. A six-man away team beams down to the surface where they soon find the survivors, though it is quickly revealed that they are being monitored by subterranean aliens. Soon thereafter, the survivors disappear and Captain Pike vanishes. He finds himself the object of study, the aliens placing him in various scenarios and attempting to elicit physical and emotional responses from the Enterprise's captain in hopes of fooling him into a false sense of ease so he might embrace the idea of breeding with his mysterious and beautiful female companion, Vina. Meanwhile, the Enterprise crew uses every means at their disposal to penetrate the aliens' lair, but to no avail.

Star Trek: The Original Series: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Star Trek: The Original Series, Season Three" materializes onto Blu-ray with another stellar 1080p transfer framed within its original 1.33:1 presentation, placing black bars on either side of a high definition 1.78:1 display. Once again, the 1080p presentation truly brings out the minimal set design wonderfully; bad paint jobs and seams -- notably centered around the black-accented control systems across the rear of the bridge at the Science and Communications stations, for example -- are seen in full glory here; it doesn't hold up well, but it adds a dated charm to the material and if nothing else, proves just how far visual technology has come where such imperfections were often hidden underneath the poor signal on the smaller and lower definition television sets of the 1960s. Likewise, close-up shots of various instruments -- the self destruct mechanism that features prominently in "Let This Be Your Last Battlefield," for example -- and technologies such as hand phasers and tricorders show plenty of wear and tear, dust, and other varied chips and debris on the devices. On planet surfaces, the 1080p presentation brings out every nuance on Styrofoam rocks and fake foliage, lending to each planet a definitive feel of being on a soundstage rather than an alien world, again nods to both the power of the 1080p transfer and the antiquated set design of the 1960s. Fine detail is nicely realized on clothing, too; seams and stitches in Starfleet's red, gold, and blue uniforms; Native American garb seen in "The Paradise Syndrome;" and a Klingon Baldric in "Day of the Dove;" are all intricately and beautifully rendered. Close-up shots of actors caked in make-up -- Lokai and Bele in "Let This Be Your Last Battlefield" or the Klingons and Romulans -- reveal the thick layers of paint and beads of sweat mixing with the colors. Every episode features solid and inky blacks and nicely rendered flesh tones, as well as a somewhat thick layer of natural grain and only the occasional speckle of dirt over the print, though appearing noticeably heavier during effects-heavy shots where speckles can remain static over the image for several seconds. Of note is the extended version of "The Cage;" black and white elements understandably feature plenty of wear and tear, but the color footage is positively gorgeous, practically clean as a whistle and wonderfully detailed. Once again, Paramount/CBS has delivered a definitive version of "Star Trek;" the show has never looked better for home viewing.

Star Trek: The Original Series: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

"Star Trek: The Original Series, Season Three" warps onto Blu-ray with a solid DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack. Though not exactly a surround-sound extravaganza, the lossless track does make fine use of the back channels on several occasions, notably as the Enterprise zooms from front to back with an ease and seamlessness over the opening title sequence of each episode. At the same time, Alexander Courage's famed score enjoys superb presence and clarity in both vocals and instrumentation, the highs and midrange both belted out as clear as a bell and making for the definitive playback of Trek's most recognizable theme. The track also does well to deliver the various sound effects with precision; a deep thumping of a monitor in sickbay, various beeping instruments around the bridge, or the crunching of the computer as it aggregates data to answer various questions aren't exactly the pinnacle of sound effects, but they are suitably reproduced and do well to engender a particular atmosphere that place the listeners aboard the "futuristic" yet now terribly dated starship. All such sound effects do play out with a generally solid sense of spacing, this lossless track creating a wide-open soundstage that never feels the least bit cramped. Several episodes feature scenes of the Enterprise or other spacefaring vessels or entities rumbling through the soundstage with a nice bit of accompanying bass, though it never overpowers the senses. Phaser fire is crisp and precise, and dialogue reproduction -- from the mundane to Kirk's voice echoing over the intercom throughout a vacated Enterprise's engineering section, sick bay, and various corridors in "The Mark of Gideon" -- never falters in clarity. All said, "Star Trek" doesn't exactly deliver the same sort of mind-boggling soundtrack as the 2009 movie of the same name, but it's particularly excellent for what it is.

Star Trek: The Original Series: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Each disc in this set contains bonus features, though discs five and six contain the bulk of the extra material. Additionally, each episode is available for viewing with either original or enhanced special effects; "The Cage," found on disc six, is available in three versions: a special extended cut with black and white footage intermixed with color elements, the full-color episode with original special effects, and the full-color version with newly enhanced visual effects. Below is a disc-by-disc breakdown of what's included.

Discs One, Two, Three, and Four

Only 480p previews for the episodes that appear on these discs and BD-Live and Mobile-Blu functionality are included.

Disc Five

Disc five begins with Life Beyond 'Trek:' Walter Koenig (480p, 10:49), a piece featuring the actor who portrayed "Chekov" intelligently and engagingly recounting how he came to be a part of "Star Trek," what the show did for his life and career (including his work on Moontrap and "Babylon 5"), and his passion for collecting memorabilia. Chief Engineer's Log (480p, 6:02) features the late James Doohan, in a piece recorded in 2003, briefly recalling his career, participation on D-Day, his extensive work on "Star Trek," his favorite episodes, his character's influence on fans, and more. Memoir From Mr. Sulu (480p, 8:33) is an interview with George Takei, recorded in 2004, containing the actor discussing how "Star Trek" has influenced his life, the history of Japanese-Americans, and more. Captain's Log: Bob Justman (1080p, 9:35) features a collection of "Star Trek" actors and crew members recalling the crucial contributions of the longtime series producer, intercut with interview clips with Justman himself. Also included are 480p trailers for the episodes found on the disc and Mobile-Blu and BD-Live functionality.

Disc Six

Disc six begins with the inclusion of the "rare and unaired alternate version" of "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (1080p, DTS-HD MA 2.0, 52:22); the episode is preceded by a scrolling text introduction to the episode's history. David Gerrold Hosts '2009 Convention Coverage' (1080p, 19:25) features the famed "Star Trek" writer in attendance at a convention, interviewing major and minor cast members (including Chase Masterson, Robert Picardo, Nichelle Nichols, and Nana Visitor) and fans, looking through memorabilia, and more. The Anthropology of 'Star Trek' Comic-Con Panel 2009 (1080p, 4:14) features Anthropology Professor Daryl G. Frazetti from Lake Tahoe Community College speaking on how "Star Trek" impacts and reflects on society. 'The World of Rod Roddenberry' Comic-Con 2009 (1080p, 7:14) once again features Writer David Gerrold introducing a piece featuring Gene Roddenberry's son and others speaking on "Star Trek's" impact on society and its reflection of the human condition, as well as discussing how he is continuing his father's work. Next up is another installment of Billy Blackburn's Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories (1080i, 10:53), a collection of behind-the-scenes footage captured by extra extraordinaire Billy Blackburn. 'To Boldly Go...' Season Three (480p, 22:28) is a retrospective piece featuring the primary cast that looks back at the highlights of season three, from the rough and uncertain future of a potential third season to some of the highlight episodes and moments from the season. Collectible 'Trek' (480p, 14:21) features "Star Trek" archivist Penny Juday and others speaking on the world of "Star Trek" collectibles and the value of some of the earlier merchandise and props used in the shows and films. 'Star Trek's' Impact (480p, 8:54) features Rod Roddenberry speaking on his thoughts on the series and its impact on his life. Finally, Mobile-Blu and BD-Live technology is included on this disc.

Star Trek: The Original Series: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Though not exactly the finest season of either "The Original Series" or in the context of the several television variants of "Star Trek," this third and final season of the original adventures of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Chekov, and Sulu enjoys more ups than downs, the season featuring episodes that encompass a broad spectrum of Science Fiction, including meaningful takes on the culture of its time, stories with historical significance to future events in the "Star Trek" universe, and several fun and memorable episodes based solely on their own merits. With the inclusion of no less than three versions of "The Cage" and a never-before-seen variation on "Where No Man Has Gone Before," it's easy to proclaim this set a must-own for any true "Star Trek" enthusiast. Considering the high quality technical presentation and numerous extras, this "Star Trek" Blu-ray release earns my highest recommendation.