It's one of the most bizarre episodes of the original Star Trek, filmed in a way that you could cut out all the Star Trek scenes and be left with a short pilot episode of this "Gary Seven" spinoff. Did it belong in the Star Trek universe? Would it have even worked?
When I watched it again recently, it almost felt like a Doctor Who rip-off (with the time-traveling genius, sonic screwdriver, and young female sidekick), but after looking into it some, apparently there isn't any evidence that it was influenced by Doctor Who (which wasn't all that big at the time, and was only shown in the UK).
All that aside, it's a fun episode, and I think Gary Seven made for an interesting character to watch. I can't help but wonder if we missed out on another classic series.
Great question! I would have really enjoyed it. I don't think it's really all that much of a Doctor Who ripoff because Gary was still human and I believe he was operating under orders. The concept of Isis was great and we'd get to see Terri Garr in a weekly show!
I wouldn't mind if it only had that one link to Star Trek either. I don't think every Star Trek spinoff needs to be about Starfleet, the Federation or any of that. It can be a springboard for all kinds of stories in all kinds of places and times.
I had no idea that was the same actress as Inga from Young Frankenstein!
She is indeed. She was also in an episode of The Monkees, she was in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and she was in my favorite Scorsese film, After Hours.
I've always really liked her.
She’s a national treasure.