Talk:The Return of the Archons (episode)

Episode name
The proper name of this episode, according to the title on my DVD copy, is "The Return of the Archons". Accordingly, I have renamed the episode page from "Return of the Archons" and updated all linked pages. -- Balok 23:37, 10 Dec 2004 (CET)

Filming location?
Does anyone know where this was filmed? It bears a strong resemblence to the Culver City locations used by "The Twilight Zone." In fact, the shot up the street in this episode looks like the first long street shot in the "TZ" pilot, "Where is Everybody?, except that the church is gone and replaced with another building with a clock tower. There are also trolley tracks in the streets in "Return" not visible in "TZ." Any verification?

Probable answer: I think you'll find it is indeed the Culver City "Forty Acres" lot. When the landing party is running from the crowd, before stunning them in the alley, you can see the lot's distinctive dormer topped building. If someone cares to verify my assertion, here's a link to a shot of the FA lot and the distinctive building. http://Www.retroweb.com/40acres.html

City on the Edge of Forever and Miri were also filmed there (see pus on Retroweb). In fact, Kirk and Edith walk by part of another shows' signage, Floyd's barber shop from the Andy Griffith Show.

Speculation removed
I removed the following speculative text:


 * The purpose of Festival is not entirely clear. Is it a necessary and periodic release of violent and sexual tensions that Landru has repressed, not unlike pon farr? Or is it merely a sadistic ritual on the part of Landru to demonstrate his complete power over the Body? For that matter, how often does Festival occur?

-- Renegade54 21:10, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Items moved here for discussion
I removed the following and put them here for discussion:
 * * Watch the preview of this episode for a totally different take on the scene with Sulu and O'Neil in the teaser.

What does this mean? Can we be a little more specific about exactly what's different about the preview instead of ordering someone to go watch it?
 * * In the scene where Landru makes his first appearance, watch David L. Ross in the background. When the Landru image first manifests, Ross puts his hands up to his ears and quickly lowers them, apparently thinking for a few seconds that the "take" was going to be of the hypersonic knocking everyone out. In another, he can be seen behind William Shatner, casually standing with Eddie Paskey, expressing no interest in Landru's appearance. Ross did not seem to know he was on camera at the time.

I supposed this could be classified as a production error, but right now its worded in a "look for these bloopers" kind of style.
 * ''Fans often misremember Mr. Leslie as the one hit. Amusingly enough, this is just after Held's character had been clobbered with a large piece of wood.

How can we determine what anyone remembers or misremembers? And "amusingly enough" is an opinion.
 * * When the landing party stuns the telepathically-controlled mob, several of the extras can be seen putting their hands out to break their falls.

So what? This strikes me as a big "who cares?" - Bridge 18:40, 30 November 2007 (UTC)


 * I have added this comment as well as it sounds like a lot of guessing about what the Betans were thinking, which we dont know one way or the other. -FleetCaptain 21:25, 23 January 2008 (UTC)
 * * The so-called "Reger's Triad" may not be as "security-tight" as Reger believes. He knows Tamar is the second member, but only Tamar is supposed to know of Marplon.  However, Marplon reveals himself to Spock as "the third member of Reger's Triad."  It's possible that Tamar revealed Reger's existence to Marplon, but not the reverse.  Tamar may have surmised that the skittish Reger might someday collapse under the strain of resisting Landru and the Body (despite his apparent immunity to the process of "absorption").  In fact, Reger does indeed submit himself to the will of Landru while incarcerated with Kirk's landing party.

I removed the following: Pointing out the obvious. If anywhere, this should be in the summary.
 * Sulu and O'Neil's anachronistic clothing (three cornered hats, etc.) is what gives them away as outsiders. Sulu blames sociologist Lieutenant Lindstrom for this error during the teaser.
 * There is an eerie shadow of a man attacking a woman projected onto one of the building walls during the evening portion of the Festival.

This sounds like speculation based on Townes' occupation. If he did indeed make a comment on the themes of the episode, it should be written as such and cited.– Cleanse 04:17, 11 May 2008 (UTC)
 * Harry Townes, who played Reger, apparently did not embrace the anticlerical and antireligious theme of this episode: He was an ordained Episcopal priest.

Not sure about that
I think that he used that technique already in "What_Are_Little_Girls_Made_Of", although not as blatantly... Feel free to reinsert it if you think so. - Jackoverfull 00:03, 4 March 2009 (UTC)
 * This episode marks the first of four times Kirk is able to "discuss a computer to death". He uses this skill again in, , and.

Landru / Guardian of Forever
I will admit that there is some similarity to the hole Kirk creates in the wall to Landru with his phaser to the opening in the Guardian of Forever, but they are simply of a similar shape and not exactly the same. If the notation is to remain it should state that the hole is simply that5, similar in shape, if this trivial piece of information is to remain at all. I don't really see the point in keeping it--Redknight 14:22, December 16, 2009 (UTC)

Removed- The hole that Kirk creates to reach Landru is of the same shape as the Guardian of Forever.


 * Done, as there is currently no evidence such a similarity was deliberate.--31dot 14:32, December 16, 2009 (UTC)

First use of prime directive? Really?
One of the points mentions that this episode is the first mention of the prime directive - but I watched it, and I never noticed the actual prime directive we all know and love being mentioned - only Landru's own prime directive, that is to keep The Body alive. Can someone verify this? Muzer 17:55, April 28, 2011 (UTC)


 * Both Landru's "Prime Directive" and the Federation's are mentioned in this episode:


 * KIRK: You're thinking the same thing I am. Mister Spock, the plug must be pulled.
 * SPOCK: Sir?
 * KIRK: Landru must die.
 * SPOCK: Captain, our Prime Directive of non-interference.
 * KIRK: That refers to a living, growing culture. Do you think this one is?


 * –Cleanse ( talk 00:32, April 29, 2011 (UTC)


 * Ah, thanks - I must have been switched off during that conversation :P 86.174.238.247 19:42, April 30, 2011 (UTC)

Background Information
Not sure if this should be altered or simply deleted, so I'll leave it up to you guys.

In Background Information we have:

''The sound of the clock chimes in the town is different in the DVD version of this episode than on the old video cassettes. A small piece of Scotty's dialog is also missing; when he is declaring that the Enterprise will "burn up, one way or the other", the words "burn up" cannot be heard.''

First, the dialog in question is "we'll cook one way or another," not "burn up." The dialog is intact on all video releases.

Second is this part about the sound being different on from "the old video cassettes" on the DVDs. Yes the sound is different, but do you really want to open up that can of worms? What I mean is. Every single episode has altered sound effects from the DVDs through the Blu-Rays. If we point this one out, then they should all be noted. That would get old pretty quickly.

Scott son of Pete (talk) 17:08, September 4, 2012 (UTC)