💨 Alexxa Reacts to Star Trek: TOS - OBSESSION 🌌 | Blind Reaction

[@pleasantvalleypickerca7681]

A great episode that often gets overlooked. A top episode for me. Garovick is a great character and not just monster fodder. The scene where Spock and McCoy are shoulder to shoulder questioning Kirk shows how much respect they have for each others professional abilites. Fantastic!

[@aprilstewart5929]

I loved how Kirk went into that conversation hostile and defensive, and backed up to take a closer look at what his friends and colleagues were seeing. Exceptional acting from Shatner, who just doesn't get enough credit, IMO.

[@mcbeezee2120]

So enjoyable to see you enjoying in 2024, what many of us were enjoying 57 years ago. 👍

[@aprilstewart5929]

I was in 5th grade. *sigh*

[@davidgradwell8830]

McCoy orders Chapel to prepare a dose of Cordrazine--and Christine gasps, then recovers and complies. This is an echo of "The City on the Edge of Forever." Christine is all too aware of what happened the last time McCoy handled Cordrazine. One of the rare times that an episode referred to a previous episode without being explicit! Nice touch.

[@stevejoshua9536]

Or, her basic training as a nurse simply made her well aware of the potential hazards of using Cordrazine.

[@davidgradwell8830]

@@stevejoshua9536 That, too! :)

[@photonicus]

Great episode. When we come across this ep for the first time, we realize we had no clue Kirk was carrying around that type of guilt. It's pretty bad when Spock and McCoy COMBINED have trouble reaching him.

[@miguelbotelho2613]

Great reaction Alexxa, and the original visual effects no less. Love it.

[@davidgradwell8830]

The "Farragut" was named after Admiral David Farragut, the Union naval hero of the American Civil War (who is famous for the quote, "Damn the torpedoes--Full steam ahead!")
Also, Jules Verne named the American naval warship (that carried Professor Arronax, Ned Land, and Conseil into the waters where they would encounter Captain Nemo and his fantastic submarine, "Nautilus") the "Farragut" in "20,000 Leagues Under the Seas."

[@zoppie]

One of two _Moby Dick_ inspired episodes.
There's a fan-made series (you can catch it on CZcams) called _Starship Farragut_ that has some pretty good episodes. It has the look and feel of a _Star Trek_ spinoff. There is another one called _Starship Exeter_ which only made two episodes before they called it quits. The second one is a must-see. The captain's name is "Garrovick." Also available on CZcams.

[@lazyperfectionist1]

5:54 And here, we have the moment that brings this episode full circle. Kirk's first assignment was under the command of this officer's father. Now, this man is an ensign on _his_ first assignment under _Kirk's_ command.

[@davidgradwell8830]

The U.S.S. Yorktown was the working name for the starship which we eventually came to know (and love!) as the U.S.S. Enterprise when Gene Roddenberry first developed Star Trek. Years later, we'll see a brief cameo appearance of the Yorktown (or its upgrade, or next iteration) in the movie, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

[@davidgradwell8830]

The continuing influence of Herman Melville and "Moby-Dick" on Star Trek is keenly felt in this episode.

[@TheNoiseySpectator]

Herman Melville played "Moby Dick"?
I thought they used robots and animatronic whales in the movie.
Melville must have been quite a swimmer if he could act out Moby Dick while swimming around in a whale costume like that. 🎭 🏆

[@aprilstewart5929]

Perceptive!

[@RobXHEphotosPs37.29]

Great episode, human intuition wins over logic. Enjoyed your reaction Alexxa!

[@aprilstewart5929]

I don't think it was intuition. I think it was the sense of smell. Somehow, Kirk could read it by the smell. Very interesting conceit.

[@davidgradwell8830]

This unlikely battle between the Enterprise and a cloud happens to be one of the best, most exciting, and suspenseful space battles of the original series! We also have micro premonitions of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the opening of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

[@RLucas3000]

What a unique idea! That the creature just looks at us like puppies or tribbles, and just wants to give us a hug.

[@davidgradwell8830]

Alexxa, I really enjoyed your reactions to this episode. I like how you drew the connection between Kirk and PTSD as he's coping with this crisis. Kirk is a man who is continually haunted by his past. This is a strong central theme for that character. We have seen--and will see--Kirk constantly dealing with events and people in his past returning again and again to profoundly affect his present and future.
I've mentioned elsewhere--including in a new "Moby-Dick" comment below on this post--the influence of Victorian literature on Star Trek. A trope of Victorian literature--like in Dickens, for example--is having the main protagonist reunited again and again with other characters from his past--often through unlikely coincidences--who are continually reappearing to shape his continuing story and write his destiny. That's the James T. Kirk Saga all over!

[@solvingpolitics3172]

Your reaction was just great.

[@davidgradwell8830]

Lucky for Kirk and Garrovick that the transporter didn't send them into the dreaded Mirror Universe...

[@TheNoiseySpectator]

I was more worried the transporter would mix their bodies with the creature, and when they materialized, all three of them would be blended together into ....
Something?

[@TheNoiseySpectator]

Oh, BTW there is no such thing as a "evil mirror universe".
The four of them just _believed_ they were in a parallel universe, but they were suffering from psychotic delusions.
Their "Evil counterparts on our Enterprise" were actually just them when they had gone mad. 🙄

[@seanmcmurphy4744]

Oh nooooo . . . . a lot of redshirts. RIP guys

[@mem1701movies]

I notice these are the original effects. I like them better usually. For some reason on NETFLIX this episode had original effects but the rest remastered.

[@whatevergong82]

This episode used most of the original musical score of Sol Kaplan from "The Doomsday Machine," and it fits the episode like a glove.

[@user-be7tc2bd6e]

This is a very GOOD episode,enjoyed your reactions also,you seem to really enjoy TOS,even tho it's an old tv show from the mid 60s. Star Trek is based on the Navys structures,the ranks of the officers and enlisted. Starships having a main bridge and a battle-bridge like an aircraft-carrier ( I served on aircraft carriers in the Navy ) GO-NAVY !!! LOL.

[@davidgradwell8830]

Lieutenant Leslie is actually killed in this episode, but he reappears in many other episodes! Hmm...Is it possible that some shapeshifting life form impersonates Leslie throughout the rest of the series? Could that version of Leslie be a vanguard agent of the Founders?
Of course, it was obviously an oversight in continuity and the production crew had no idea we'd be scrutinizing these episodes sixty years later, but it's there and we could have a little fun with that idea. :)

[@RaynorBear]

... original effects ... YES!!!!!!

[@datacipher]

This is the only Star Trek reaction poster who I thumbs up. She is the most intelligent. The others aren’t terribly bright. lol

[@aprilstewart5929]

...and some of them are clearly only doing it for the money (or whatever). They can barely be bothered to keep a straight face. Me no likey.

[@datacipher]

@@aprilstewart5929 yes true… also reaction videos in general: bad acting overreactions…. 40 year old saying: I’ve never heard Michael Jackson before…. And then the on the other end, some have no real reaction at all. lol… reaction videos probably aren’t for me… but I keep looking….

[@datacipher]

@@aprilstewart5929 I’m guessing you’re thinking of the drunky guy and the fat guy. lol. Then there’s the popcorn girl who seems nice but doesn’t know anything and misses half the jokes and poignant moments. There’s also a girl who seems fine and is a nerd, but also seems semi autistic and is totally unaffected by any sad moments. Then there’s the the 2 extreme wokesters… good reactions but always twisting things into extreme woke narratives…. I’m not a doctor I’m just a cranky critical thinker looking for intelligent sincere reactions dammit!

[@RLucas3000]

I think Target Audience is also good. I love that they like some episodes I never have before (Like Is There In Truth No Beauty)

[@SBatts-vn1bd]

Shatner sounded like he had a cold in this episode.

[@TheNoiseySpectator]

10:51 Oh we're not just going there, we're bringing a long some company. ☹️

[@RLucas3000]

This is THE episode (along with the Apple) that marked red shirts for death.

[@joelds1751]

Yes, one of the better episodes for the story and main three characters. And watching a beautiful woman react to this classic series.

[@aprilstewart5929]

Oh my, I see a flirt. :)

[@aprilstewart5929]

You are one of my all-time favorite Canadians. I just love your reactions to ST, and, well, a lot of other stuff. ST had a major effect on me, and I loved this episode; it had a Shakespearean vibe to it. The cast was as solid as steel. Keep watching- but remember: there are some really bad klinkers ahead of you, too. "Spock's Brain".....*cringe*

[@AlexxaReacts]

Aww thank you!! ❤️❤️❤️ If you're ever in Toronto, give me a shout!! 😊

[@aprilstewart5929]

@@AlexxaReacts Will do! :)

[@gallendugall8913]

"A thing that can't possibly exist in a thousand worlds - a person who doesn't push the like button!"
- James T Kirk (maybe)

[@vincentsaia6545]

Half the Farrogate crew

[@dailyqwikbytes]

Interesting point about that. In Pike's era (original TOS, not sure about SNWs) A Constitution had a crew of 203 18 years before TOS, but by 11 years in the past they had had the refit that allowed them to carry 400 or more, likely the 430 often mentioned for ENTERPRISE in the TOS "present".

[@miguelbotelho2613]

Love the episode, I’m convinced this was the same creature ( or similar) to the one Kirk describes in the episode Wolf in the fold. That when at rest it is solid, but when in motion it is gaseous , he called it a milletus I think. And That episode comes right after this one in the regular air date release.

[@AlexxaReacts]

That's exactly what I thought too!

[@TheNoiseySpectator]

16:31 Nope, but repeat that I'm sure it recognized Garrovic and especially Kirk, _personally,_ and really was out to get _them._ 🌩️👹

[@jamesdamiano8894]

Definitely one of my top 5 episodes. One of the greatest McCoy lines-thank pitch forks and pointed ears. One correction though, it’s titled Obsession not The Obsession. It’s gonna be fun when you get to the hippie episode, The Way To Eden.

[@TheNoiseySpectator]

15:18 And, do you think it was a coincidence that it just happened to make its way to Mr. Garrovic's quarters?
Or that it snuck up behind them and drank down all the blood plasma while they were arming the bomb💣?
I just love how fiendish this thing was.

[@lazyperfectionist1]

11:12 Props to Spock and McCoy for confronting Kirk about his irrational, obsessive behavior in _private._ Kirk is a hell of an officer and a hell of a captain, but to that end, he needs to command loyalty.

[@aprilstewart5929]

But he turned out to be not in the least bit irrational about this creature. He turned out to be right.

[@lazyperfectionist1]

@@aprilstewart5929 Not entirely. He had been giving himself grief for eleven years about a tendency he had had to fire when first seeing it, under the impression that this was the reason it kept getting away.
This had been causing him to give his ensign grief over the same hesitation.

[@aprilstewart5929]

@@lazyperfectionist1 Projecting his own sense of failure on a kid whose name happened to be Garavik.

[@lazyperfectionist1]

@@aprilstewart5929 Yes. A sense of failure that was unjustified and irrational, in both cases.

[@dailyqwikbytes]

Alexxa, you're ex-military? On another note, one of the things I've learned about guilt and regret is that usually feeling that means one is judging themselves too harshly, but cause the "you" that exists now, didn't exist "back then" until after the event and in a sense only exists BECAUSE of the event.

[@dpsamu2000]

So Garavik lost his father when he was a child. Star Fleet assigns him to the ship commanded by the man who blames himself. Way to go Starfleet. The monster shows up at the same time a Garavik is there. Is Kirk obsessed with the monster or is the monster obsessed with the Garaviks?

[@AlexxaReacts]

Ouuhhh. I like that question!

[@dailyqwikbytes]

A couple of points, one ounce of antimatter, fully reacted, only yields 1.22 megatons. The idea that such an amount would blow off half the atmosphere, and a sizable chunk of the planet itself in the remastered version, is ludicrous. It would take over 2500 TONS of antimatter just to equal the impact of the asteroid suspected of having led the end of the reign of dinosaurs and while that made a mess of much of the Earth, it certainly didn't cause the kind of destruction Kirk (and the showrunners) describe here. The other is, you'll notice a Mr. Leslie, played by Eddie Paskey, this time as a redshirt who naturally gets killed in the opening scene. However he shows up perfectly fine later in this very episode and in a some of the later episodes. Leslie was named after one of Shat's daughters. There's also a Mr. Lemli on the Enterprise named after all thee. Leslie, Lisabeth and Melanie. Oh and here is something I'm only now catching after years of watching this: It's never officially been explained how exactly deflectors work, but since the cloudpire can bypass them using it's grav field powers, deflectors must have something to do with artificial gravity fields. Oh and back to the antimatter for a moment. Although nobody knew what they were when this episode was made, photon torpedoes are now known to have matter-antimatter warheads, if a matter antimatter explosion was enough destroy the cloudpire on the ground, two torps "should" have killed it in space. This isn't really an error though unlike the yeild problem I started with. As I said nobody actually knew what photon torpedoes were during the TOS days. It wasn't even revealed or known that they are soliid objects until The Wrath of Khan movie.T

[@TheNoiseySpectator]

Now, hold on, Kwik.
That is military technology. Exactly how photon torpedos and other weapons work is classified.
We may not know the specifics of how such weapons work. 📂👀🚫 👀

[@dailyqwikbytes]

@@TheNoiseySpectator You haven't seen any of the published official Trek tech manuals I see.

[@TheNoiseySpectator]

@@dailyqwikbytes So, you don't believe some of this technology would be classified top secret?