TAS: Season One, Episode Two

Star Trek

The Animated Series
Season One, Episode Two
Yesteryear
[original airdate: 09|15|1973]
[spoilers ahoy!]

[cw animal death. Author's note: whether or not you consider this or any TAS episode canon is up to you. ]

Best bonus about this is that it's written by D.C. Fontana, which makes me very happy. So the first full scene is the time vortex and a really neat looking birdman/guy/creature? And for some reason, as usual, Bones is present.

  [Birdboy and the Time Vortex]

Kirk coming out of the vortex super excited to look at history... and then no one knows who the fuck Spock is. WHAT A HECKIN TWIST

"What? You know Mr Spock" "Fraid I don't, Jim." THIS IS NOT OKAY. Wtf did y'all do here? WHO TOUCHED SOMETHING? (Here for the fadeover of the beam-up and the ship)

God this just gets weirder. Even Scotty doesn't know him? AKSJBSKJDGSD The first officer is an Andorian! Wow. (I still think there should have been Andorians on our main crews, ffs they were one of the first founders of the Federation!)

"Captain, I have come to the conclusion that this is not a game." YA THINK, SPOCK? JFC Why the hell would they prank you over something like this? I mean at least if there was already an Andorian on board, but what, you think they found one while you were gone and were like "ok lets just have him pretend to be First Officer and stuff, and pretend no one knows Spock."

Yeah that is pretty weird Jim, that you're exempt too. Also damn, who is Officer Sad over here?

jfc this is sad as heck. Separated, Amanda killed in a shuttle accident, and no Spock??? Damn. No wonder Sads McSaddington looks like that. I would too.

SPOCK. AGE SEVEN.

*dramatic zooming*

Oh shit son, he died during the maturity test?? Dang. (This also makes Spock thirty-seven). "I'm not sure I can remember my cousin's name because I was young.... IT WAS... SELEK"

[How did you figure it out so quickly?]

Damn this is just. "Yes yes sure let's just figure everything out really fast so we can get this episode going!" I realize y'all had a 24 minute timeframe but sheesh.

"My cousin was visiting, and then after that, I never saw him again" "Are you saying your cousin was you?!" "Yes I am captain"

Me, who has not seen my cousin except once in my life:

"Guardian, did you hear that?" "I........ HEAR....ALL....." Yeah not creepy at all. (ps I will say it's clever that he was unable to save himself in history because he was watching another part of history, at least)

Man when Spock says "Vulcan street wear" I do not think of what he's probably thinking of. I admit, I think of the Loki bandana pic but with Spock. Sadly, no one has shopped this, probably due to a lack of appropriate Spock pictures.

Okay, I like Commander Thalen. He's cool. I'm not particularly well-versed in Andorians, but I like him. And seeing him do the salute is awesome.

THE

THE HANDSHAKE

OMFG

Is it a kiss goodbye, my dear Spirk-loving friends? Because damned if it is not just a handshake, we know about Vulcans.

 [Spock is ready to go. Is there going to be a boy band shot in every episode? I hope so.]

Like I said last time, I really love the backgrounds and scenery. I mean, Filmation is notorious for their unusual style and weird animation shortcuts, but their scenery (also in He-Man) is always on point.

And Vulcan is no exception. I love it so much. Except... well... Spock do NOT walk into the Vulcan pizza in your uniform!!!

(Yes I know it's probably protection against the strong winds. Still looks like pizza)

Once inside it's amazing all over again, of course. I love all the stained glass effects, and the wide open almost filigreed designs, and there's even... omw... a purple hovercar.

I didn't think Vulcans were into color that much.

 [Vulcan architecture]

Ah, I do love Spock as an angry lil shit who at least wants to defend his mother against vocal bullies. (I like that he got to beat some ass in the Kelvinverse. And looks a bit like the animated version of babby Spock as well)

Poor thing :C Isn't this kind of thing against Vulcan tenets and shit? Except no it seems that you should be ashamed your son is emotional, and you should shut up about it ever happening.

Damn girl you just making this shit up on the spot or...? Sarek is not a suspicious man. Not even a little. He's like OOH A COUSIN COME STAY WITH US.

OH WAIT. SUSPICIOUS ZOOM SUDDENLY, and Sarek's eyebrow goes straight up. He's like GURL YOU LOOK FAMILIAR. One one hand I'm like "how tho" on the other hand I'm pretty sure I'm just a taller version of seven year old me with a better brain. I think. Never mind, Sarek's done being suspicious.

Dude aren't you a telepath? Like, enough that you'd be able to tell this was a devious person? Of course, if this was younger Sarek, he'd be mindmelding with everything.

No war, no crime. Just children bullying other children but that's okay. (We don't talk about the logic extremists) I am here for his bacon shirt though.

 [Bacon as fashion is only logical.]

And young!Spock cosplaying as He-Man here.

I looooove Amanda so much. She's so graceful and (mostly) calm except when it matters.

Ruh-roh. Spock seems to have miscalculated when the kahs-wan was supposed to take place. If he's here too early.... somehow... thaaat could be a problem. A pretty big problem. I mean, it could disrupt the timeline if he was there too long...

Ten days without food or water. Jfc. That's nuts for a seven year old. @_@ I get that the Vulcans are a traditional folk but... that's kinda insane. Never mind the fact that Sarek is like "you can't fail or you'll be a coward-- I mean people will call you a coward *cough*"

"You will not fail, not if your heart and spirit are Vulcan." Said to the half-Vulcan, half-Human child. Ouch.

Awwww young!Spock and his fanged giant bear sehlat thing I-Chaya. They're so cute together!

Wow, that is a gorgeous fountain. It's an egregious amount of water for a desert planet, but hey I guess Sarek wants you to know that he's the wealthiest man on Arrakis-- I mean Vulcan.

Nice lavender shirt Spock. Yep, they're super traditional all right, keeping the same damn tests even though they stopped being warriors a longass time ago.

Oh nooooo Spock is sneaking out and not taking his pet with him! Is THIS what Spock thought was the kahs-wan? And like most good boyes, I-Chaya doesn't listen.

Grumpy babby Spock is everything.

I am really loving these purple and black mountains and the fog surrounding them. It must be brutally hot there even at night, but both iterations of Spock are wearing that suit, and future!Spock has his uniform on too!

*sweats just thinking about it*

Wow, took you long enough to be legit suspicious of "Selek", there Sarek, and only because he vanished into the night with your kid, and because your wife was like "Um.."

HOLY WTF IS THAT

Full body there is some resemblance to Cringer/Battlecat from He-Man, ngl. I mean

 [Is the le'matya actually Battlecat with the armor off? HMMM]

 

AND SPOCK JUST HECKIN NECK PINCHES IT.

young me: Will I ever do the thing?
older me, who has done the thing: Oh yeah probably

Admittedly I do really love Spock talking to his younger self, helping him realize that it's okay to be half human, even other people don't like it.

And then the sehlat collapses. NOT GOOD.

AM SO PROUD OF BABBY SPOCK. "No, it is MY duty." And then he runs across the damn desert to try to find a healer so that his sehlat might live.

Oh for god's sake. Why is it that no adult in the history of anything ever listens to a concerned child? I don't care if he's pranked people before. Listen to this poor kid ffs.

I admit I'm surprised Vulcans don't seem to have transporter technology on their planet. I mean, nice hovercraft bruh.

Damn that's a good speech about not crying over death. I mean, sorry future!Spock I'm still gonna cry if my cat dies, but nice anyway.

FFFFFjkszdhrflsdjfhs That is literally the hardest decision. I mean I've made it twice before and I have never made it easily. Ughghghgh I do not envy young!Spock here.

Oh shi-- young!Spock is having none of those bullies' shit. Neck pinch ahoy. And Sarek seems... unbothered. (Yes somehow there's no crime…)

SPOCK'S TRIUMPHANT RETURN

 [prefaced by Kirk's ass. "I've been waiting... for a Spock like you.♫"]

WEll, seems like everything's in order. And Spock is making jokes that are going straight over McCoy's head. Life is good.

 [Doctor McCoy you do not know your good fortune]

What an episode. I think this is my favorite TAS episode, even if I really do not like the way Sarek is with Spock, and this is seen as normal. I like to imagine this is prior to Spock meeting Michael, and he's desperate for someone else to bond with after losing I-Chaya. 8.5/10