"The Alternative Factor" is a minor episode in which Kirk encounters two versions of a fellow named Lazarus (Robert Brown), one from our own dimension and the other from an antimatter cosmos. The latter Lazarus intends to create an opening between worlds, potentially causing an intergalactic Armageddon. Though directed by Gerd Oswald, an interesting feature filmmaker from Hollywood, "The Alternative Factor" has to work a little too hard to make its point. Still, it isn't boring, and the theme certainly fits that long-standing Star Trek obsession with dualities. --Tom Keogh

Customer Rating:
Summary: Dig That Kool Krazy Goatee From the Parallel Universe
Comment: Yes, there are holes in logic big enough to pilot a starship through. And yes, watching the two versions of Lazarus spend the episode trading places is annoying in the extreme, helping to send this episode to the bottom of the barrel. But beneath this nonsense there is a message carefully clothed in sci-fi terms.

Robert Brown (Here Comes the Brides) plays Lazarus, a man who discovered a doorway to a parallel "negative" universe. For every positive particle in our universe, there's a corresponding particle of anti-matter in the other universe. According to the script's whacky theory, if two versions of the same person meet outside an inter-universe corridor, it will somehow annihilate both universes. Quite illogical, but necessary to the plot.

But here's what almost makes the episode interesting: one version of Lazarus is sane, the other insane. The one who's insane is the one who cannot stand the idea of a duplicate of himself in another universe. He'd rather blow up both universes than live with that. He talks about "a holy cause" and "vengeance" against the "monster [i.e. the other Lazarus]." The meaning is clear: those who rant and rave about destroying "the evil ones" are usually the most dangerous people in any society. Ironically, to be too quick to label others as evil is to become evil yourself.

As Lazarus, Robert Brown sports a weird-looking goatee that makes him look like an ancient prophet or shaman. (Or beatnik.) Then there's the name "Lazarus" itself. The religious connotations are not coincidence. Religious fanatics in any religion, who are quick to label others as devils, become devils themselves. No religion is specifically discussed, but the allusions in phrases such as "holy cause" and "the fires of hell" are clear. The inter-universe corridor is clearly hell, but only because Lazarus has made it so.

The biggest irony of all, of course, is that to Lazarus A (from our universe), the "evil one" is Lazarus B -- who looks exactly like him!!! Only today can we perhaps appreciate the irony. The religious fanatics on both sides want to kill each other, and yet aren't they rather similar? One side quotes the Bible, the other side quotes the Koran, but otherwise don't they sound alike? Both preach about a "holy cause." This may be a stretch, but I believe that the Lazarus A/B dichotomy suggests this theme. Unfortunately, this episode is very weak compared to other first-season episodes. One problem may be that there was originally a relationship between Lazarus and an Enterprise crew member. But when an African-American actress was cast in the role, the producers chickened out for fear of reaction in the Deep South, and they rewrote the actress' part so it was much less interesting.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: One of the five worst episodes in the original series
Comment: This episode is clearly in the bottom five of the original Star Trek series. It starts with the basic idea of twins, one good and the other evil, almost identical in structure, but opposite in temperament. In this case, both are named Lazurus and each is from a different universe. This basic idea had already been used in episode 5, "The Enemy Within", where a transporter malfunction split Kirk into his good and evil personalities. However, that is only one reason why this episode is so weak.
Supposedly, because one is from a matter universe and the other from an antimatter universe, if they ever meet, it will cause the destruction of both universes. This is of course scientifically absurd, when any antimatter encounters any matter equal amounts of both are converted into energy. Therefore, the antimatter Lazurus would have been destroyed when he first encountered the matter of the Enterprise.
The two Lazuruses pop back and forth across their universes, making it difficult for you to determine which one is currently on the Enterprise. As they perform their universe hopping, the crew of the Enterprise is befuddled, although they eventually figure out that they are dealing with two distinct individuals. The solution is to wait until they both are in the process
of hopping from one universe to another and then destroy their ships, which is what created the path between the universes.
This traps them in the "corridor" between the universes, where the mad Lazurus will eternally be at the throat of the good one. The absurdity of this solution seems lost on all the participants. Obviously, if being in the corridor has rendered you immortal, then even the actions of a madman could not harm you. The simplest solution would have been to kill the mad
Lazarus, saving both universes. Nevertheless, there is a sensible reason why the creators did not choose this option, as that allowed them to pose the one interesting theme of the story,
that one can end up in purgatory by committing actions worthy of a saint.
I have trouble ranking what I consider to be the top and bottom five episodes of the original Star Trek series. Therefore, I cannot say that I rank this one last, but it is tied for 75th place.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: The lemons weren't confined to season 3
Comment: This episode, in which a loner travels between universes in a small ship, just never comes together. Despite the fact that nothing short of the universe is at stake, the episode feels trivial. While Robert Brown certainly has a tough assignment here as the two Laseruses (Laserii?), he seems torn between trying to make each of them 'real' while still being sufficiently different that the viewer will not become confused. Unfortunately he does not succeed in either regard, and the seemingly haphazard storyline doesn't assist the viewer any either. The team also seems to struggle to fill up the episode's allotted hour, but the main problem is the story is presented in a way that doesn't make sense; everything feels arbitrary and desultory. The self-flagellation between universes, while memorable, is not particularly effective either. About the best thing about this episode is the end-the disturbing idea of someone spending eternity battling a madman.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: What of Lazarus? Worth watching; not one of the best Treks
Comment: The Alternative Factor is the 1966 TOS Episode featuring Lazarus and his anti-matter counterpart. Lazarus is a madman who is obsessed with his counterpart and has devoted his life to finding and annihilating him (and 2 universes in the process).

A few inconsistencies abound in this one. First, it's pretty confusing trying to keep track of which Lazarus is which as they go back and forth through the portal. Second, as one reviewer suggested, why didn't Kirk just kill one of them (or why didn't the anti-matter one just kill himself)? Third, when Spock and Kirk talk about the physics behind it, Spock starts out saying when counterparts meet from parallel universes they "cancel themselves out violently". Then out of nowhere Spock says it's matter-antimatter and that means the total annihilation of both universes. No only is this inconsistent in the dialogue, but illogical (are you listening Spock?) scientifically.

Fourth, why are they locked in the corridor for all eternity? Wouldn't they die eventually? Or don't people need food in the corridor; or do they become immortal there? If time stops there, then it's no big deal as they wouldn't be conscious anyway.

Fifth, Lazarus says he's a "time traveler". Why do they stay in the same time throughout the episode then?

Sixth, if they are parallel wouldn't there be a Kirk and Spock counterpart also (this is explored in a later and superior episode)? And why is the Lazarus in Kirk's world insane, while the other sane? If they are that different from each other why would the matter-Lazarus be obsessed with someone who isn't really like him (save his looks).

Nonetheless, with all these flaws it's still worth watching, as the idea of the annihilation of the universe and eternal hell in the corridor are profound concepts, though they are only brought out toward the end and undeveloped. And this, one of the weaker TOS episodes still towers over the later series
imho.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Nice Idea, but Too Flat
Comment: The episode begins promisingly enough, with an unexplained shake-up and a hint that the galaxy is about to be invaded. The action never surfaces, however. The only conflict takes place in a not-quite-psychedelic realm between two galaxies where two silhouettes engage in hand-to-hand combat every ten minutes or so. It's not clear who is who or even who we should be rooting for. It's confusing and there is a strange lack of satisfaction when the conustion is resolved.

The episode plods along and would have deserved a one-star rating if not for a bit of extremely noble martyrdom performed by a lead character.

This episode is in no way vital to the success of the series as a whole.

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