Friday's Child - episode #32
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Friday's Child - episode #32
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FRIDAY'S CHILD (2nd season; episode #32)
Directed by Joseph Pevney writer: D.C. Fontana Air Date: 12/01/67
There's an old song sung by Nancy Sinatra: "Friday's Child - hard luck is her brother; her sister is misery.." which I always think of when this episode enters my perspective. In this episode, there is an unborn child of a ruler who has just been killed in a coup; in essence, the child's life is forfeit before it even begins. This is the alien culture to which Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down to as guests and soon end up as fugitives. Overall, this is a good example of Roddenberry's vision, that of meeting and dealing with other planetary cultures. Fontana, who wrote this, began as Roddenberry's secretary and ended up writing several episodes.
As Kirk and his officers finish beaming down, enter Keel (Cal Bolder), Kras (Tige Andrews) and Maab (Michael Dante). The two on either side are local Capellans but the guy in the middle is...a Klingon! Kirk arrived at this planet for some negotiations but didn't figure on a Klingon, his competition, preceding him here (following the introduction of the Klingons in Errand of Mercy). Interestingly, McCoy is the resident expert on these people of Capella IV, due to spending time on the planet in the past. His retort to the Klingon during a key meeting scene is a near-classic Trek moment. The art of diplomacy - the skill to say the right thing to a representative of a different culture - is on full display in this taste of a future.
Further, Kirk has beamed down into the middle of a civil conflict; Maab is an ambitious Capellan who plans to wrest control from the current ruler. Maab seems to favor negotiating with the Klingons rather than with envoys of the Federation. Kras, meanwhile, is just a typical obnoxious Klingon of this time, very aggressive in trying to get things his way. Kirk would be in conflict with Klingons over a primitive society/planet again in A Private Little War. Click here: behind the scenes of Friday's Child for a look at rare production stills during filming of this episode and info on a deleted scene.
All these political and strategic machinations are presented while we're being introduced to a new culture. Writer Fontana managed to create a warrior-race here with truly alien morals, customs and sensibilities (in our eyes), a culture which seems very cruel and so high on testosterone that even Kirk looks somewhat fragile in many scenes. There's even a cool new weapon invented for this episode, the kligat. Of course, except for their average height of 6.5 feet, the natives here are probably just a throwback to ancient Earth cultures, such as the Vikings or those barbaric hordes which threatened Rome on occasion. This culture of '10 Great Tribes' also reminds one of Earth's past royalty, where-in royal heirs were sometimes assassinated at an early age - notably in Rome itself.
Unfortunately (for me, at least), this episode would have rated a lot higher with me, like in my top 30, if the 2nd half were not limited to a plodding plotline of a slow chase. Yes, there is the on-location filming at the Vasquez Rocks area (as in a few other episodes) but most of the 2nd half consists of our heroes scrambling among rocks and hills to stay out of reach of the trailing alien posse; this is presented at a snail's pace. Even more, the story is hampered by the presence of a pregnant female queen & spoiled brat (Julie Newmar) who is definitely an acquired taste - some viewers may find her amusing, a la the later Elaan of Troyius, but I'm willing to bet that most will be royally annoyed. And, I guess every TV series has to have one birth scene - I find these very tiresome (like it doesn't happen every second in the galaxy?).
On top of all this, the story has some silly moments and contrivances. Kirk fights one of the lethal male Capellans during the takeover coup as both McCoy & Spock stand a couple of feet away looking quite bored. The Klingon (actor Tige Andrews of Mod Squad fame) has the new ruler, Maab, in his pocket and then throws it all away near the end for no real reason except a bad temper and no patience. And why did the Klingons send only one agent, anyway? Seems like they were too sneaky for their own good. Then there's the whole 'kootchy-koo' scene I always try to forget. I did like Scotty's latest turn commanding the Enterprise; his 'fool me once, fool me twice' line is a good moment for the actor, James Doohan, though the sequence on the Enterprise is a bit dull, as well, also having that 'going in circles' feel. BoG's Score: 7 out of 10
Extra Trek Trivia: the title of this episode actually comes from a famous poem, written by anonymous - Monday's child is fair of face/Tuesday's child is full of grace/Wednesday's child is full of woe/Thursday's child has far to go/Friday's child is loving and giving/Saturday's child has to work for its living...However, the older version has - Friday's child is full of woe, not Wednesday.
remastered trailer
FRIDAY'S CHILD (2nd season; episode #32)
Directed by Joseph Pevney writer: D.C. Fontana Air Date: 12/01/67
There's an old song sung by Nancy Sinatra: "Friday's Child - hard luck is her brother; her sister is misery.." which I always think of when this episode enters my perspective. In this episode, there is an unborn child of a ruler who has just been killed in a coup; in essence, the child's life is forfeit before it even begins. This is the alien culture to which Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down to as guests and soon end up as fugitives. Overall, this is a good example of Roddenberry's vision, that of meeting and dealing with other planetary cultures. Fontana, who wrote this, began as Roddenberry's secretary and ended up writing several episodes.
As Kirk and his officers finish beaming down, enter Keel (Cal Bolder), Kras (Tige Andrews) and Maab (Michael Dante). The two on either side are local Capellans but the guy in the middle is...a Klingon! Kirk arrived at this planet for some negotiations but didn't figure on a Klingon, his competition, preceding him here (following the introduction of the Klingons in Errand of Mercy). Interestingly, McCoy is the resident expert on these people of Capella IV, due to spending time on the planet in the past. His retort to the Klingon during a key meeting scene is a near-classic Trek moment. The art of diplomacy - the skill to say the right thing to a representative of a different culture - is on full display in this taste of a future.
Further, Kirk has beamed down into the middle of a civil conflict; Maab is an ambitious Capellan who plans to wrest control from the current ruler. Maab seems to favor negotiating with the Klingons rather than with envoys of the Federation. Kras, meanwhile, is just a typical obnoxious Klingon of this time, very aggressive in trying to get things his way. Kirk would be in conflict with Klingons over a primitive society/planet again in A Private Little War. Click here: behind the scenes of Friday's Child for a look at rare production stills during filming of this episode and info on a deleted scene.
remastered trailer
Last edited by BoG on Sun May 03, 2015 1:13 am; edited 6 times in total
FRIDAY'S CHILD REMASTERED
CLASSIC TREK QUOTES:
(this is during the key meeting between the Capellan leadership, the Starfleet officers and the lone Klingon)
McCoy (to Kirk): "Let me take this, Jim"
(to the Capellans): "What Maab has said is true, our customs are different.
______________ What the Klingon has said is unimportant... and we do not hear his words."
(laughter from the Capellans; a sour expression from the Klingon)
McCoy (to Kirk) "I just called the Klingon a liar."
(this is during the key meeting between the Capellan leadership, the Starfleet officers and the lone Klingon)
McCoy (to Kirk): "Let me take this, Jim"
(to the Capellans): "What Maab has said is true, our customs are different.
______________ What the Klingon has said is unimportant... and we do not hear his words."
(laughter from the Capellans; a sour expression from the Klingon)
McCoy (to Kirk) "I just called the Klingon a liar."
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