Please no spoilers! So that I can provide my best and most honest reaction, please do not mention the names of any future characters, events, or episode titles (this goes for future series as well). Please do not say which upcoming episodes are good or bad, otherwise I will have trouble forming my own opinion! Thank you, and enjoy!

William Windom is one of the finest character actors to ever have lived.

I'm a retired veteran, and shell shock or not, I still love and admire Commodore Decker. He had absolutely no fear and did not take to being pushed around, yet had a deep love for his crew and ship. A true warrior.

While you will never be able to watch these episodes for the first time every again, you can, a few years down the road, watch a reaction channel that is watching the series, just like many of us are doing with your channel. Watching along with someone who has never seen the show before is the closest you can come to experiencing it for the first time again

For my money, William Windom did the finest bit of acting in any Trek series. He really came off as someone who lived through true horror and came out with a broken soul. I loved that they even made the planet killer look kind of like Moby Dick, perfect for Decker to obsess over.

I totally understand your sadness of the idea of having watched them all- But you know, my dear, this is why those of us who have seen them 1000 times watch you

Mirror, Mirror and The Doomsday Machine are two of the most iconic and re-watchable episodes of TOS. I look at Matt Decker as a guy who is suffering from severe PTSD due to the traumas he endured.

I’ve never seen Bunny so intense. Both her hands balled up into fists, punching one hand with the other, etc. Great fun.

According to Wikipedia and IMDB, the actor playing commodore Decker, William Windom, had a heck of a life. Apart from a full life acting in TV and the theater, and five different marriages, he was a parachute trooper during WW-2 in Europe, a sports sailor, and a tournament-level chess player.

William Windom (Decker) was a great character actor. He appeared in dozens of TV shows and films from the 60's to the early 2000's. Even in smalls roles like in 'Planes. Trains and Automobiles' he was a stand out.

Matt Decker is a very complex character. He's a large part of what makes this episode so great. This is a very intense episode and one of the best. People initially get quite mad at Commodore Decker and yet ironically it is he who ends up saving millions of lives. If they hadn't followed his lead, they would have sacrificed the Rigel colony in order to go warn Starfleet. Because Decker forced them to attack the Doomsday machine all those millions would have died. It's an irony of this episode that in the end Decker was right. It would be worth it to lose both ships if it stopped the machine. Of course, we as the audience are rooting for Kirk and crew, and so Deckard is the antagonist, and yet he is the one that makes the outcome that needed to help Rigel. And of course this is one of Scotty's finest moments.

This episode was nominated for a Hugo award. Your elaborate description of Kirk's qualities as a leader are what we with a military background sum up as "badass".

Fun Fact: The original Doomsday Machine prop was designed by the episode writer and made from a wind sock dipped in concrete. Pretty ingenious and inexpensive.

The dramatic tension, the musical score, everything during the climax of this episode with Kirk starting down the Doomsday machine while Scotty is frantically attempting repairs... peak Star Trek!!

Bill Windom deserved the Emmy here; showing us depression, shock and especially panic, has never been topped. Also please note the horns when Spock finally confronts Windom and gets him to vacate the captain’s chair. This the first and only time we hear trumpets in the 79 episodes ❤🎉😊. Ps: isn’t it obvious this should have been explanned into a feature film?

William Windom was great in this, he was in a lot of movies and TV, great character actor

Yes! Love this one. "Vulcans never bluff." It's probably my favorite Alexander Courage theme You're watching the remastered effects. But even with the original effects, can you imagine how awesome it must've been to watch these epic Sc'fi battles in 1968? Love this show! And Kitk is the man. Indeed..

One of my favorite episodes. William Windom was a well known character actor and does a great job here as Commodore Decker.

Your empathy makes your reviews even better. You must be a friend worth having.

“A guy with authority trying to commandeer the Enterprise for bad reasons” is another staple of Trek, but Commodore Decker stands out to me. Lots of moments from this episode live rent free in my brain, usually accompanied by that iconic danger music. And as always: ❤ Spock!

It's a shame that most reactors haven't seen 'The Caine Mutiny' so they don't recognize the call back William Windom is going with the memory cards as a tribute to Bogart and the steel ball bearings. Bunny's reaction was perfect. When she said she nearly cried with Decker I thought 'you want, that will pass.'

Bunny. Feeling sad upon the realization that you can only experience Star Trek the original series once, for the first time, is coincidentally how many of us are feeling about this precious journey you are on, as we experience these episodes again, but now through your eyes, and through your heart. You, without any doubt, are making this a special time for all of us; and while it's true that many of us will follow you into other journeys in the future, none will be quite like this one.

I was 8 years old when this episode first aired. Needless to say, I was awestruck by it. And now, at 64, it remains my #1 favorite of all of Star Trek. This was the kind of TV we had in the 60s. Great writing, strong acting, intelligent dialog, fantastic effects with very little to work with, and above all, it was all family-friendly.

"This is the longest 30-seconds of my life!". Watching you watch them for the first time is almost as satisfying as doing it myself.

Well, take this from me as a fan who grew up with this show, I've watched each of these episodes well into the triple digits and I still love rewatching them. When you love the show, you love revisiting these characters and these stories, and your appreciation and fandom for all of it simply grows.

Great episode. Nothing in the history of TV beats the musical scoring of this show in a tense situation or fight.

Everyone else is singing his praises and so shall I. William Windom's performance is the best guest actor in the series. Shocked one moment, factual the next, and then the heart breaking moment when he says Don't you think I know that? There was but not anymore! It's devastating. This may be his best work ever. Then you get all these wonderful moments between Spock and McCoy, Spock and Kirk, and Scotty and Kirk. And the Doomsday Machine action is incredible! How can you not love this show!

The novelization said The Doomsday Machine was over 2 Billion years old. TOS at it's best was amazing. That score and orchestral work...Hats off!

I love the way you've fallen in love with this show. And of course this is the reason the franchise is still alive 55 years after the original series was cancelled, because the series was just that good.

Years ago, it was suggested that Commodore Decker is the father of Commander Decker from "Star Trek The Motion Picture".

William Windom was all over TV. He later starred in "My World And Welcome To It", based on the works of James Thurber. He turns in a good performance as the unstable Decker.

Bunny does a great job. She really understands Star Trek and story craft. Its fun to watch things with her.🙂

This episode has the distinction of being simultaneously a great Kirk episode, a great Spock episode, a great Scotty episode, a great guest-star episode, and a great orchestral score episode. That's mighty rare.

The crew of the Enterprise call Scotty the"Miracle Worker".

"I've never heard that term before." Consider adding Dr. Strangelove (1964) to your movie reaction list.

The original version of this episode used the 18" AMT Enterprise model kit you could buy from any model store as the Constillation, as they needed to rough up the model. They couldn't use the regular Enterprise model for that, and there was no budget to produce something truly special. Once again they made a fantastic episode on a shoestring budget. The remastered special effects really elevate both the Constillation and the Doomsday Machine so much.

Commander Decker was indeed a tragic figure. He was a great Starfleet officer and starship commander. The shock and horror of seeing his ship defeated and his crew all dead would have destroyed most officers. We can be angry with him for almost making the same mistake with the Enterprise, but we can also understand his rage and guilt. He could not live with such shame. He couldn't go home, so he went down with his ship. A tragedy for him and his crew.

That smug look of victory on your face when Spock takes back command speaks volumes.

Windom's first scene was IMO some of (if not THE) finest acting in the whole series. This episode was essentially a retelling of "Moby Dick", with Commodore Decker being Captain Ahab.

There's a bit of Queeg from The Caine Mutiny in Windom's performance here. The playing with the data discs a la Bogart with the ball bearings. Great episode for Spock & McCoy on the Enterprise with Kirk & Scotty on the Constellation and how the chain of command works on a starship. All with the consequences of building such weapons. I know it's fan made, but hearing you come to terms with Star Trek and new episodes of TOS ending for you, might I suggest the 11 episodes of Star Trek Continues. Another great reaction.🖖

This episode consistently makes it onto the most popular lists of ST episodes. Fun facts: the episode was written by Norman Spinrad, a popular sci-fi author from the 60's and 70's (as was Harlan Ellison for City on the Edge of Forever). William Windom was the character actor who played Commodore Decker. He did guest appearances on many shows back in the day including Mission: Impossible, Gunsmoke & the Twilight Zone.

I've always loved the actor William Windom (who played Decker). He was on a lot of TV shows and movies growing up - his hard-bitten, grizzled portrayal seems to have been common in a lot of his roles. I was lucky to meet him many years ago in the late 90s or early 2000s after a reading of a play by the Ross Valley Players (in Marin County north of San Francisco). My dad taught a screenwriting class, and one of his students had this troupe read his screenplay on stage, and Mr Windom was a member of the group. I got to fanboy-out and tell him how much I'd loved all his acting roles. He was almost as grumpy in person as his roles, but in a loveable way ;-)

I always found it funny that Mr. Scott says “a cranky transporter’s a mighty finicky piece of machinery to be gambling your life on” Considering how easily the transporter gets ‘cranky’ its a gamble quite a bit! At least Scotty can be relied on to fix it!

I saw an interview of WIlliam Windom who played Commodore Decker, where he discussed his role in this episode. The scene where he flew into the Doomsday Machine, he filmed many different reactions. I think he described it like throwing everything against a wall and see what sticks.

This is my favorite Star Trek episode. You nailed it in the analysis. This episode has everything. A little starship combat and a lot of character interactions. A guy we have sympathy for at the beginning, loses our sympathy by being a knucklehead in the middle, and then sacrifices himself at the end, leaving you conflicted about how you feel about him. It's a great tragedy. William Windom was excellent in this, the Spock and McCoy back and forth is fun, and lots of Scotty saving the day is great too.

I don’t know if anyone else said this, but the Constellation is a sister ship of the Enterprise. Both are Constitution class starships.

I love this episode. The acting is top-notch. The actor who played the commodore was William Windom. He played the part of a doctor in one particular episode of another show that I like called "Simon and Simon." The episode he played in is titled "Under the Knife" and is from season 3 episode number 19.

My all time favorite Star Trek TOS ever! And Sol Kaplan's amazing score for this episode has become the stuff of legend! The Decker suicide scene in this episode late one night made my dad start to cry! Here is the original 1967 trailer for it!! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l653ipCi1dKlgXk.html

A good episode, written by Norman Spinrad, a genuine science fiction writer. Veteran actor William Windom delivers an excellent performance as Commodore Decker. And your reference to the Sunk Cost Fallacy was apt.

There was a novelization of a duplicate planet killer encountered by the Enterprise-D commanded by Jean Luc Picard. This planet killer was piloted by a being who took control of the machine in order to destroy the Borg. The novel is titled, "Star Trek: The Next Generation: Vendetta: The Giant Novel", whatever that means. The author is Peter David.

One thing you can figure out about Decker’s character as we see him after the incident, but when you listen to his log that he recorded prior the destruction of his ship and the loss of his crew you can hear a very levelheaded commander We would expect a starship commander to be. Also, this episode is another good example of a great score. Rotenberry was very good at making sure that the music was part of the episodes setting the tone for the story.

Star Trek would run on syndication on local network TV at 5 pm in my area. In 1978 this was one of the first episodes I saw and I hid behind the couch for most of it. In the original special effects the may of the machine was very scary!

The audio for this when the DD machine is after a ship is pretty much the music to Jaws.

This episode also introduced a LOT of original dramatic musical scoring, some of which was well-reused, later in the series.

One of the best TOS episodes right here :) I loved your journey from "Awwww, poor Decker" to "who is this idiot??" 😆 But, Decker was redeemed in the end. He had the best of intentions, and it was his last effort that led to the machine's destruction. Good thing they had a spare Constitution class ship 🙂

Now would be a good opportunity to enjoy Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb”, 1964, if you haven’t already. Lot’s of quotable quotes and memes are based on it. Scotty has inspired generations of engineers. Summer of ‘79, in the Ga Tech cafeteria every seat around the big color TV was full at 5pm because that’s when “I Dream of Jeannie” started immediately before “Star Trek” on Ted Turner’s old Atlanta WTCG Channel 17, which became TBS. We “all” wanted to be Major Healy and Scotty. Memories…Great reaction Bunny!

This has always been one of my favorite episodes! Great reaction. I agree that its nice to see well trained personnel respond to a crisis with their training instead of turning on each other for drama.

Your thoughts and feelings about the different scenes mirror what all of us are thinking. Though we have seen these shows before it's fun to listen to your reactions and comments to them. Well done.

The Enterprise and the Constellation are both Constitution class starships. So that means they are the same size. They are sisters. Later on, there was a new class of ship, itself called the Constellation class. But that's different, and was later.

This has the best musical score of episode of TOS! I own the CD and play it often. Although he won an Emmy a few years later, William Windom should've been nominated here! He based his performance on Captain Ahab in the 1956 film _Moby Dick._

I've never seen an actor portray the look of "oh shit, I'm dead" than the Commodore's expression in this episode as he was being disintegrated. Even all these years later, it's still effective

Shrill trumpet music notwithstanding, this is one of my favorite episodes. "Not with my ship, you don't!" That and when Spock motions to the two security guards, I love that part.

The director told him I'm going for a bathroom or smoke break, just say your lines to the camera as if you're truly devastated about losing your crew. So he did just that. The camera was focused on him and he definitely did his job. Brilliant.

You did a Great job Analyzing Comordore Decker and the episode! I also really love this episode. the character going from being shell-shocked to taking over... is impressive. You manage to Love, then Hate, then Respect the character. The pacing and directing of this episode also helps make it work. But I also Really Love the Music in this one! The composer (Sol Kaplan), managed to write "all" of the music for this episode (although it got broken up and used in other episodes too). The music for this piece is almost Operatic in how it helps tell the story. It greatly assists in the sadness, the horror, the tension, and the drama. If you listen carefully... you will hear the "Jaws" theme in the background. Interesting... because this episode was made 9 years before the movie "Jaws." I enjoyed your Review of this episode. I was waiting to see it. Thanks!

I grew up watching this show. I am 61 now and still watch it when I stumble across it on cable

Here we go. Definitely a fan favorite. This is easily in my top 3 of the series. Remember this after you finish the show: just because you saw them doesn’t mean your perspective on a given episode can’t change. Maybe you’ll find something you missed, or somehow see it completely differently after a rewatch. I’ve been watching these episodes for a couple decades now and there have been a few that have gone up in stock since I first saw them. Life and time always bring perspective. You also have several seasons of other shows to go, and I can guarantee you have a lot of gold ahead of you yet to discover.

Nichelle Nichols had accepted an invitation to sing at a Concert in NYC during the filming of "The Doomsday Machine" so Elizabeth Rogers stepped in as Lt. Palmer to take Uhuta's place. She reprised her role in the 3rd Season episode "The Way to Eden".

When it first aired, the Doomsday Machine kind of looked and reminded me of a General Mills Bugles Snack. I'm glad the TOS episodes you're watching have been restored and have had some scenes, backgrounds, and special effects updated from the originals. William Windom had quite an extensive career in television, films, and stage. You're doing great reactions with TOS! :)

It was a major thing for Spock, as a Vulcan, to offer condolences.

I love Scotty's technical description. "Poof!" 😂

I’ve easily seen this episode 50 or more times; it is just so good. I never get tired of it, it’s just outstanding! And they went all-out with the music for it as well! Beautiful!!

Although you won’t be able to watch the episodes again for the first time, you’ll be able to watch and have that link with your dad and ponder how he must’ve reacted to the episodes - and watching TOS again is always lovely. 🙂

Scotty's accent drops while he's talking about the detonator switch.

Yes, he's strong. The strength of a man obsessed. Mr. Windom said that years latter the parallel to _'Moby Dick'_ was made. He said if he had realized it at the time, he would've olayed into that angle. His fiddling with the data cartidges was his decision to give a tip of the hat to Humphrey Bogart's character in _'The Caine Mutiny'_ during the court martial scene.

My dear miss Bunny, you are becoming one of my favorite Star Trek TOS reactions. The doomsday machine is easily one of if not, the best episodes in the entire series. Please keep going. Also, I recommend the ultimate computer, The conscience of the king, And that which survives.

one of the best episodes from the original series...i used to wait for this episode to be aired again...i knew it was this episode by a song cue in the very beginning...

Yay, one of my fav episodes! I read a book once in the TNG timeline that the Doomsday machine was built to fight the Borg. Hope you are doing well 🙂

The one thing that always sticks with me from the first time I saw it, the music is fantastic. And I’m pretty sure John Williams was inspired by this for the JAWS theme.

Decker is Captain Ahab chasing Moby Dick. In a web series he later reprised this character with the explanation that he was transported back in time before dying. He was still a great actor. I enjoyed watching this and your reaction; it's my favorite episode. ❤

The actor for Decker was in the movie "To kill a mockingbird" as prosecutor an all time classic movie

This is one of my all-time favorite episodes of ST:TOS (along with Balance of Terror)!! When I was a teenager watching TOS for the first time, I marveled at the vast amounts of energy being expended with the warp drive and weapons!!! Love your reactions Bunny!!

So cool to watch you go through the thrills of this, my favorite TOS episode. I love Spock in this one, and one of my favorite parts is when Kirk is ordering him to take command of the ship - the camera going back and forth from Spock to Decker - the looks on the faces of the bridge crew, "uh oh, what's going to happen" - Spock's "Vulcans never bluff". Good stuff, indeed.

Watching The Apple with you, I realized that I was thinking about things I never thought about before (Vaal won't regulate the climate any more so Starfleet better check on them to make sure they aren't freezing.) It happened in A Taste of Armageddon too (calculating, for the first time, how many died in that 500 year war). Then I realized that I always watched these alone, and haven't watched them *_with_* anyone since 1972. Reacting to your reaction, I am stimulated to think about it more than ever.

I like the music played when they are beaming over to the Constellation and back to the Enterprise. It's like an honorary tune when starship officers are boarding a sister starship.

I've seen this epiisode 100 times. I really enjoyed watching it with you. You make it fun again!

Windom absolutely nailed this part! Star Trek in all of its many different shows had a knack for hiring amazing actors for one off parts that stand out as much as the regulars and this is certainly one of them. I have to wonder that since Commodore Decker was dealing with PTSD that this was a way to show what many from WW2 were dealing with but was never talked about since the writers came from that era. Keep up these great reactions and this was one I was really excited about viewing.

Once in a blue moon a TV show from any genre produces a performance from an actor that is simply jaw dropping. A couple of examples come to mind.... Wellington demolishing Simmerson in Sharpe’s Eagle or Regan calling out his commanding officer in The Sweeney episode Jack or Knave. Such moments are rare and to be cherished. William Windom’s performance is one such moment. His mental collapse after being given the reality by Kirk’s “There is no third planet” is brutal if honest. It is a defining moment in TV and is to TV what “Tears in the Rain” is to cinema..... It’s that memorable and we have Humphrey Bogart and the Caine Mutiny to thank for it.... Make no mistake Star Trek redefined what quality TV could do in 60s America and it was a long hard battle which it won over time....

The thing about this eposode is that it was Jaws 10 years before that was a thing. It is really cool to see you and others react to Star Trek. The themes and stories were inspired by much older stories. And it in turn stills inspires stories to this day.

I remember watching this episode as a kid, I thought the Doomsday machine looked like a icicle lying on its side

This episode scared me to death ☠️ when I first saw it as a kid.

Love the impersonal vibe, when Commadore Decker calls Mr Sulu, "Helmsman"! William Windom was a terrific actor & known as much in his time. His portrayal of Commadore Decker made this episode of Star Trek easily top 5 of all time & probably top 2!

This episode gave me nightmares when I first saw it on VHS in the 80s, particularly Decker’s panic as he realised he was about to die, unable to even stay seated. It’s a powerful performance.

William Windom played Decker. He was a guest star on numerous TV shows and acutally had a few TV series as well. His best known movie was in "To Kill A Mockingbird". Always gave solid performances

The music at the climax may sound familiar. 7 years later John Williams would borrow it to compose the Jaws theme for Spielberg and he would forget to credit Sol Kaplan, the composer.

Decker had to have massive survivors guilt, while blaming himself directly for their. It’s no wonder he was driven suicidal.

its not that he was panicking: He knew that robot was destined to cut through the galaxy and eat planets and destroy life aimlessly and there was *no one else* who even knew about it and it HAD to be stopped somehow. It was his sworn duty as a starfleet officer to preserve life and protect members of the federation and neighboring planets and systems. He was mad, yes, but for all of the best and noble reasons. what is 400 people versus literally trillions of people across space in the galaxy: and if it isnt stopped it'll coast from galaxy to galaxy chopping planets to shreds and consuming them with 0 regard for life. William Windham said the director "went for a smoke" and let him act that "Straight out of hell" scene. Remarkable work. You really do feel how devastated he is about the entire situation and loss of his entire crew.

One of my absolute favourite Trek episodes. Great scifi drama, great character stuff and tense as anything. William Windom was absolutely brilliant as Matt Decker.

William Windom had a brief series called "My world and welcome to it." Also, this episode is pretty much Moby Dick in space and Decker is Ahab and the planet killer is the whale.

Well, if you ever have a tough day you can think about the battle music from this episode. It helps!

So, I started watching reruns of this show when I was 5 years old. I'd seen them all god knows how many times. But around the age of 14. I got home from school and turned on the TV, and it was an episode of TOS that I'd never seen before. It was the Court Marshall episode. I missed it for about a decade. So cool to see an old episode like it was new. That can't happen today because it's all on demand. But in the days of broadcast TV, we just watched what was on.