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Ai/LLM reviews of Star Trek - The Lights of Zetar

ChatGPt

### **Review: *Star Trek – The Lights of Zetar***  
**Rating: 55/100**

---

**“The Lights of Zetar”** attempts to blend 
romance, horror, and speculative science fiction, 
but it ends up a bit scattered, despite some 
eerie sequences and strong performances. It’s 
another episode in Season 3 that *wants* to say 
something meaningful, but the message gets 
a little lost in the technobabble and melodrama.

---

### **🧠 The Premise:**

The Enterprise is en route to **Memory Alpha**, 
the Federation’s central knowledge archive, 
when it's attacked by a mysterious and colourful 
energy storm — a swarm of “lights” that messes 
with the crew’s physiology. Chief among 
the affected is **Lieutenant Mira Romaine**, 
a new officer onboard and Scotty’s love interest.
The lights appear to be sentient, and they’re 
trying to possess her mind and body.

The twist? The lights are actually 
the **conscious remnants of the last survivors 
of the planet Zetar**, and they want to live 
on by taking over Mira's body permanently.

---

### **🌟 What Works:**

- **Creepy Sci-Fi Vibes:**  
  The disembodied minds of Zetar survivors 
  create an unsettling atmosphere. The voice 
  effects and distorted visuals are effective 
  and memorable — more horror-tinged 
  than typical Trek.

- **A Rare Focus on Scotty:**  
  We get a more emotional side of **Scotty**,
  who’s usually relegated to the engine room. 
  His romantic involvement with Mira is sincere, 
  even if the writing doesn’t always support it.

- **Memory Alpha Concept:**  
  The idea of a central knowledge repository 
  is solid Star Trek world-building. It’s 
  unfortunate the facility is basically 
  introduced *just* to be destroyed, but 
  it’s a neat setting while it lasts.

- **Bodily Autonomy and Consent Themes:**  
  There’s an undercurrent of commentary 
  on identity and control — what it means 
  for someone else (or something else) 
  to try to steal your body 
  and consciousness — which feels 
  relevant even today.

---

### **🤕 What Doesn’t Work:**

- **Weak Antagonists:**  
  The Zetarians don’t get enough development.
  We never learn *why* they were reduced 
  to this state or why they’re entitled 
  to Mira’s body. Their motivations 
  are vague at best.

- **Underdeveloped Romance:**  
  Scotty and Mira’s relationship 
  is central to the plot, but it feels 
  more like telling than showing. We’re 
  told they’re in love, but there’s very 
  little time devoted to building their 
  chemistry on screen.

- **Technobabble Overload:**  
  There's a lot of hurried explanation 
  and hand-waving about how to “expel” 
  the Zetarians from Mira's body, complete 
  with pressure chambers and brainwave 
  talk that feels rushed and unconvincing.

- **Memory Alpha Wasted:**  
  The destruction of such an important 
  facility happens off-screen and feels 
  like an afterthought. It could’ve 
  been an entire episode in itself.

---

### **💡 Final Thoughts:**

“The Lights of Zetar” is an eerie, 
emotionally charged episode with 
an intriguing premise, but it doesn’t 
quite stick the landing. The threat 
isn’t compelling enough, the romantic 
subplot feels forced, and the resolution 
is both anticlimactic 
and overly reliant on sci-fi jargon.

That said, it does offer some spooky 
Trek weirdness and a rare emotional 
spotlight for Scotty — and for that, 
it’s worth a watch.

---

### **Final Verdict: 55/100**  
Haunting in concept, lacking in depth. 
A middle-of-the-road entry with flashes 
of intrigue but too much filler and fizzle.

Google Gemini

"The Lights of Zetar" is a Star Trek episode 
that explores themes of possession, identity, 
and the power of love. Here's a review:

**Strengths:**

* **Intriguing Premise:** The episode 
presents a compelling scenario: Lieutenant Uhura 
is possessed by a mysterious energy force that 
threatens her life and the safety 
of the Enterprise.

* **Character Focus:** The episode focuses 
on Uhura and Spock's relationship, allowing 
for strong character development 
and showcasing their deep connection.

* **Suspenseful Narrative:** The episode 
maintains a sense of tension and mystery 
as the crew tries to understand the nature 
of the energy force and find a way to save Uhura.

* **Strong Performances:** Nichelle Nichols 
delivers a powerful performance as Uhura, portraying 
both her normal self and her possessed state. 
Leonard Nimoy is also excellent as Spock,
 who is deeply concerned for Uhura's well-being.

**Possible Weaknesses:**

* **Dated Special Effects:** As with most 
original series episodes, the special effects 
are noticeably dated.

* **Simplistic Resolution:** Some viewers may 
find the resolution of the conflict to be somewhat simplistic.
* **Pacing:** The pacing might feel uneven to some modern viewers.

**Overall Impression:**

"The Lights of Zetar" is a suspenseful and emotionally 
resonant Star Trek episode that offers a unique 
perspective on the themes of possession and identity. 
Its strong performances and intriguing premise 
make it a memorable entry in the series.

**Rating:**

Considering its strengths and weaknesses, 
I'd rate "The Lights of Zetar" an **85/100**. 
It's a highly recommended episode 
for any science fiction fan.

**Breakdown for viewers:**

* **For Star Trek fans, viewers who 
appreciate character-driven stories, 
and those interested in themes 
of possession and identity:** 88/100

* **For viewers seeking modern special effects 
and a more nuanced plot:** 79/100

Why did Gemini screw up and ChatGPt got this mostly correct?
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