Original air date: September 22, 1966 | Run time: 50min
Captain’s Log, Stardate 1312.4
SYNOPSIS
The flight recorder of the 200-year-old U.S.S. Valiant relays a tale of terror--a magnetic storm at the edge of the galaxy!
CANON CONTEXT
The episode was the second pilot, produced in 1965 after the first pilot, "The Cage", was rejected by NBC. Reportedly, Lucille Ball, who owned Desilu Productions (where the pilot was produced), persuaded NBC management to consider a second pilot, thereby exercising a special option agreement it had with Desilu, because she liked Gene Roddenberry and believed in the project. The episode was eventually broadcast third in sequence, and it was the first episode to be shown in the United Kingdom by the BBC on July 12, 1969.
RECAP
Okay, I must get myself a Star Trek replica of the chess game. I see it in just about every series and I gotta have it! Who’s with me? Also, did I just hear Spock refer to an ancestor who once married a human female? As in, his father married to his mother, hence why he is only half human. Hmm.
Moving on.
This story felt a little to me like the previous one. Mind control and all that. Also, I did notice the absence of crew members from previous episodes. Of course, the reason was because this episode was originally intended to be a pilot episode option. In the end, NBC decided to go with The Cage as they felt this episode had too much going on. And I agree.
But let’s look at the larger implications of this episode because I found it interesting that considering all the alien races they have encountered and intend on encountering they seem most bothered by the idea of a human exhibiting ESP powers. Going back a step, basically, the crew tries to push through some weird purple stuff in space that once they pass through it, the thing electrocutes two of the crew. One of them is Lt. Gary Mitchell, a dude we hadn’t met before but all of a sudden is a close personal friend of Captain Kirk, but just for this episode? And the second is a visitor, Dr. Dehner, a psychologist, there to study human behavior when under extremely stressful situations. Well lady, you picked the right spaceship and time! So, both of these people, who clearly have a “love to hate each other” sort of relationship, get zapped. Gary Mitchell shows signs of something strange happening to him straight away. These signs manifest themselves into his being able to read at record breaking speeds. Then he’s able to move objects with his mind.
Now, let’s fast forward to the point where Spock suggests killing this guy before his abilities grow any further! Of course, Captain Kirk thinks better of it, as Lt. Gary Mitchell is his best friend from academy days. But still!
This means they must resort to Plan B which is to take Gary to a deserted planet and basically leave him there. Of course, Gary ain’t having that. He’s got god-like powers and wants to use them to make humans a slave to his powers. Until…
That’s right, the doctor is showing similar signs like Gary. Except hers took a while to present itself. This means, unlike Gary’s clouded judgement, she can still be reasoned with. When Gary starts toying with his best friend, making him get down on his knees and pray to him, this rubs the good psychiatrist (turned god) the wrong way. Are you still with me?
Captain Kirk now realizes Spock was right and they both must be killed. Dr. Dehner agrees and reluctantly the two infected crew members turn against each other, essentially killing each other.
The End. Phew, I don’t know about you, but that was a lot to absorb even in a lengthy 50 minutes. I’m glad it wasn’t the pilot, not that The Cage was any better since the entire crew was replaced, but it definitely wasn’t as difficult to follow as this one was.
Oh, and I want to add they also use the cliche that just fits here at one point when Captain Kirk says, to Dr. Dehner, as a plea for her help against Gary, “Do you like what you see? Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
DID THEY REALLY SAY THAT?
Dr. Dehner: There's no soul on this planet but us?
Capt. Kirk: Nobody but us chickens, doctor.
Asherman, Allan (1987). The Star Trek Compendium. Titan Books. ISBN 0-907610-99-4. [Wikipedia]