THE ENTERPRISE FINDS SOME SPACE HIPPIES!

 

Episode Title:  The Way to Eden

Air Date: 2/21/1969

Written by Arthur Heinemann and Dorothy C. Fontana 

Directed by David Alexander

Cast: William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk    Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock             DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard H. McCoy AKA “Bones”              James Doohan  as Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott AKA “Scotty”        George Takei  as Lieutenant  Hikaru Sulu              Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura          Elizabeth Rogers as Lieutenant Palmer          Bill Blackburn as Lieutenant Hadley        Frank Da Vinci as Lieutenant Brent         Roger Holloway as Lieutenant Lemli           Jeannie Malone as unnamed lieutenant              Majel Barrett as Nurse Christine Chapel          Walter Koenig as Ensign Pavel Chekov      James Drake as unnamed Nurse      Skip Homeier as Dr. Ton Sevrin                Charles Napier as Adam                 Mary Linda Rapelye as Irina       Victor Brandt as  Tongo Rad           Deborah Downey as unnamed Hippie Woman#1                 Phyllis Douglas as unnamed Hippie Woman #2 

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701, Gallio II NCC-1701’7, Aurora NC-17740

Planets: “Eden”

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The episode begins with the Enterprise chasing down a stolen starship.  It is not the first time we have seen them do this for they had to do the same task in “Mudd’s Women.”  Like with Mudd’s ship the stolen vessel was still destroyed, but the adventure was still a step up.  The Enterprise crew were able to perform better this time as they saved the people on the stolen ship without incurring any damage to their own vessel.  Instead of finding a space pimp and his ladies, they find a group of space hippies.  Kirk’s log entry lets us know that one of these space hippies is Tongo Rad, the son a prominent Catullan diplomat, whose people are involved in a delicate negotiation with the Federation.  Therefore, Kirk must proceed more gently than he would otherwise like.

The space hippies are led by a Tiburonian, named Dr. Sevrin, who teaches a philosophy that rejects the artificial world of technology and seeks a return to the primitive and natural that he calls “the One.”  Sevrin believes there is a world called Eden that is untouched by the modern and his followers can live life in a natural paradise.   They don’t like Kirk who they call a “Herbert” for insisting that he is going to return them to the authorities.  They do take to Spock who is sympathetic to their plight and even offers to help find a potential “Eden” planet for them to live on once things are settled with Federation authorities. 

Sevrin and Adam

Ensign Chekov is both surprised and horrified to discover that his ex-girlfriend, who he dated while they were both at Starfleet Academy, is part of their group.  Kirk can’t believe that any space hippie was once an Academy cadet.  This leads Spock to point out that most of the space hippies are remarkably intelligent with their leader, Dr. Sevrin, being a top scientist in his field.  Kirk allows Chekov to go check on his old flame and they do a little bit of bonding as her people are being medically checked in sick bay. 

Trouble starts when McCoy discovers that Sevrin suffers fromsynthococcus novae.  This condition is generated by the technology in modern Federation society.  It’s treatable and most Starfleet personnel are vaccinated against it.  However, as a carrier Sevrin cannot leave artificial environment society in exchange for the natural as his condition would spread untreated and begin to kill people.  Sevrin strongly rejects this and Kirk orders him confined to the brig.  This leads his followers to try to recruit Enterprise crewmembers to revolt.  Spock tries to reason with Sevrin only to come away convinced that Sevrin is insane. 

Having a "jam"

The space hippies mingle with the Enterprise crew, learn things about the ship, and sing songs. At one point the one named Adam invites Spock to participate in a jam session.  All of this is a ruse however to get knowledge of the Enterprise and control of the ship.  They re-route everything to the emergency control room and take the ship to the area of space they think Eden is.  It just so happens to be in Romulan space so they could be in a lot of trouble as they fly past the Neutral Zone.  When they arrive at the planet, they make the ship produce a sonic noise that knocks out the crew.

With the crew unconscious the space hippies take a shuttle to the surface.  However, the planet turns out to be toxic to humanoid life.  Adam had died because he ate a piece of fruit.  Sevrin not willing to accept defeat does the same.  The crew of the Enterprise brings the hippies back.  Spock tells Chekov’s ex that they should not give up their search for Eden.

Chekov and his lost girlfriend

Additional thoughts: Given the popularity and growing power of the counter-culture that existed in the 1960s it was probably inevitable that Star Trek would do an episode to comment on it.  I think this probably would have been a better episode to do time travel trip to 20^th century Earth (maybe to stop some rogue time traveler hiding out) and encounter some real hippies instead of inventing their own.  The real hippies protested and fought against unjust war, racial segregation, institutional sexism, greedy unrestrained capitalism, the environment, and rigorous patriarchal standards on family structure.  What do the space hippies fight against in the ideal future?  The answer: the Federation is just too awesome.  We have technology that can do almost anything! Rebel! 

Adam and Tongo Rad

It is not to say the hippies cannot be criticized they certainly can be.  Amongst hippie culture there was a rapid spread of drug use and STDS.  There is also some bone head political decisions such as publicly endorsing Chairman Mao and Ho Chi Minh.  However, the episode doesn’t really work with legitimate criticisms.  The focus seems to be why are young people so crazy sometimes? Even the space hippies’ worldview of the return to the primitive never sees legitimate critique either.  As much as they may hate artificial environment it is better for us than pure nature.  If you don’t believe me, take a look at what bananas are really supposed to look like.  Not only that but corn, apples, and anything else. There is a reason why hunter/gather had to remain small it is not the best way to feed yourself.  That is why we developed agriculture; it is far more secure. For some reason no one, even Spock, mentions this. 

A human-made banana vs. nature made.  Have fun in Eden!

This happens to be one of the few Star Trek stories that Kirk has a really passive part.  The Captain is just along for the ride in this one where the focus of the story is on Spock and Chekov.  Considering we know how hard Chekov can fall for a girl he is the most logical choice to be made to suffer over his ex’s defection.  Chekov, with his Monkey’s haircut, can also represent the non-hippie youth, who continues to believe in the values of the prior generation and who is repulsed by the hippies.

Spock jamming with a hippie girl

The False promise of Eden leads to death.

The crew of the Enterprise should be glad the Romulans decided to take today off.   The last time two times they went into the Neutral Zone the Romulans were on top of them in a moments notice.  The Romulans in “The Deadly Years” showed no interest in listening to the stupid Commodore in command.  Considering what happened in “The Enterprise Incident” there is no way the Romulans would believe the Enterprise entered into their space because they were overwhelmed with space hippies.  In fact, being that it is the Enterprise the Romulans wouldn’t believe anything they had to say with good reason.  
 

 FINAL GRADE 3 of 5

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS

 

Episode Title:  The Cloud Minders

Air Date: 2/28/1969

Written by Margaret Armen, David Gerrold, and Oliver Crawford

Directed by Jud Taylor

Cast: William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk    Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock             DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard H. McCoy AKA “Bones”              James Doohan  as Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott AKA “Scotty”        George Takei  as Lieutenant  Hikaru Sulu              Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura          Bill Blackburn as Lieutenant Hadley        Jeff Corey as Plasus         Diana Ewing as Droxine                        Charlene Polite as Vanna          Kirk Raymond as Cloud Guard #1      Jimmy Fields as Cloud Guard #2                Ed Long as Midro       Fred Williamson as Anka      Garth Pillsbury as Prisoner     Harv Selsby as Guard          Louie Elias as Troglyte #1          Dick Geary as Cloud City Sentinel #1       Jay D. Jones as Prisoner #2        Bob Miles as Cloud City Sentinel #2          Marvin Walters as Troglyte #2

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701

Planets:  Ardana

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The episode begins with the Enterprise on a desperate mission.  The planet Merak II has been infested with a botanical plague.  The lives of millions are at stake.  Fortunately, there is a substance called zenite that can save them and wipe out the plague.  The Federation world Ardana, is zenite rich and regularly produces it.  The Enterprise is heading there in order to pick up a shipment and bring it to Merak II.

Kirk and Spock looking up at Stratos

The leaders of Ardana want to welcome Kirk, but the Captain instructs Lt. Uhura to apologize for he will be going down to personally oversee the delivery.  Kirk beams down with Mr. Spock only to find no shipment or any people who would normally be there.  Then the two officers are jumped by a group of miners being led by a woman. The would-be-kidnapers start to learn that Captain Kirk is the greatest fighter in the known universe and Mr. Spock isn’t so bad either.  They successfully fight them off but don’t need to finish, because men from Stratos beam down and use weapons to make the attackers retreat. 

Their leader identifies himself as Plasus, the High Adviser of the Council, and he goes on to explain that these were a group of individuals known as the “Distributors.”  With that Plasus takes his two guests to the cloud city of Stratos.  When they get there, they are introduced to Plasus’s daughter Droxine.  Plasus describes his daughter as a work of art.  Spock and Droxine seem to hit it off really well.  However, after having a good time with the nice work of art Spock reflects on the conditions of the planet.  There are two classes of people on Ardana.  The Troglytes who perform all the labor of society but get little to no benefit.  Then there are the Stratos city dwellers who do none of the work but receive all of societies benefits and sit around making art all day.  When this is pointed out to them, they explain how the Troglytes are mentally inferior to themselves and our only good for manual labor.

These people will try to kidnap Kirk and Spock! They will fail!

The Disruptors, a group of Troglytes upset with the situation, are behind the lost shipment.  They are in revolt against the society imposed by Stratos.  One of them, a woman named Vanna, led the group that tried to kidnap Kirk and Spock at the beginning.  She returns to Stratos in an attempt to kidnap Kirk again.  This fails just like the last time, except this time she herself is captured by Kirk.  Plasus recognizes her as one of his former servants and has her tortured.  Just when it seems the episode is going the way of bondage torture porn, Kirk shows up and demands that such treatment stop.  Plasus responds by kicking Kirk out of Stratos, forcing him to wait on his ship.  If Kirk doesn’t like it, he will complain to Starfleet about Kirk’s internal interference.

Spock was excited to meet this work of art!

 Back on the Enterprise, McCoy has some news.  It turns out that it is true that the Stratos city dwellers are mentally superior to the Troglytes in every measurable sense, however it is artificially induced.  In the caves the Troglytes are exposed to an odorless gas that dulls their mental capacity.  The reason household servants like Vanna rise to become leaders of the Disruptors is they are removed from the gas’s influence and regain all of their abilities.  McCoy has already come up with a mask to be used as safety equipment to protect against the gas’s effects.  

Spock in a spot normally reserved for Captain Kirk

When attempts to get Plasus to do the right thing fail due to the Advisor’s long-held prejudice, Kirk decides to go down in violation of Plasus’s wishes and break Vanna out.  Kirk does this and explains to Vanna about the mines and the gas.  He shows her the mask McCoy designed.  This turns out to be for nothing as she betrays him the moment they are amongst her people.  They take away his mask and force him to work.  This lasts only for a brief period of time before Kirk shows off his supreme fighting skills and gets the upper hand once more.  He contacts the Enterprise and has them kidnap-by-transporter Plasus.  Kirk orders him beamed straight there.  Once he has both of the two under his control, he forces both of them to work.  As Kirk and Plasus start to be affected by the gas, Vanna realizes the truth and takes Kirk’s communicator and pleas for the Enterprise to beam them out.  Spock orders follows through and once on the ship Kirk starts to recover.

The Enterprise gets their shipment of zenite to bring to Merak II and Troglytes get their masks to protect them from the gas.  There are negotiations between the Troglytes and the city-dwellers.  From the body language of Vanna and Plasus this looks to be more of a good time for the Troglytes than the city dwellers.  Droxine says her good-byes to Mr. Spock.

Bondage photos this episode moved in odd direction

Additional thoughts: I really enjoy this more than I thought I would.  When I was younger, I found this episode boring. To be fair there is not a lot of action in this one, it is one of their cerebral episodes.  I felt that this was a great analogy to real-life oppression and bigotry.  In fact, I think it is far superior to “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield.”  Why the previous episode has a more visual hook, it gets lost in the confusion and direction of that episode.  Where this episode’s message is far clearer. 

point clear execution not so much!

                In this episode you have the elite dwellers of the cloud city who live in a paradise where they get to make art all day and the Troglytes who work hard labor getting nothing but basic food and shelter.  By every measurable test the city dwellers are intellectually superior to the Troglytes and in their minds this justifies the social relationship.  The Troglytes do the labor because that is what their mental skills are good for while the citizens of the cloud city peruse their natural talents in intellectual purists.  However, Dr. McCoy pulls the plug on that idea by proving it is the environment this society created that creates the disparity.   

Kirk forced to work the mines

This is reflective of some many real-life situations in our own society.  Such as the rich/poor divide.  When someone grows up in a secure home with a good education complete with tutors if necessary, of course they will seem intellectually ahead of someone whose parents had to work three jobs to keep barely afloat.  The second kid’s parents can’t find the time to make sure they are hitting their bench marks before their first day of school.  The school funded by local property taxes has a lot less resources than one from a more influent community.  Another example is the situation between White and Black people in the United States.  When one group is segregated and deprived of equal opportunity to resources and education it should come as no surprise when they don’t perform as well on standardized test as the other.  In both cases the beneficiaries of society then see the difference not in terms of their own privilege but instead they are given confirmation of their prejudice.

Kirk showing of his supreme fighting skills

The thing that has me the most concerned is the Federation.  If the Ardana has such an apartheid society then why in the galaxy were they invited to join the Federation?  When Kirk, a Federation official, confronts Plasus about what he is doing, Plasus shoots back by declaring he will report Kirk for interfering with intra-planetary affairs.  He says that with the firmness of a Southern slave-holder or segregationist arguing about his “states’ rights.” Granted the government of the Federation is poorly developed throughout the Star Trek franchise but this is a galling case.

Well, this episode became the answer to the—at this point—year long question that Star Trek fans have had after “Amok Time.” The question was, “are Vulcans restricted to mating during the pon farr or can they engage in sexual activity at any time?”  Now you might have said we already answered that because of Spock’s actions during “This Side of Paradise.”  However, Spock may have broken off his relationship with Leila because of that issue and who knows how the spores were really affecting him.  Spock has no problem getting to know Droxine really well and telling her that he can “always appreciate art.”

Spock can always appreciate a work of art

Speaking of Spock, what was up with the internal monologue bit?  I didn't like it in "The Paradise Syndrome" and I don't like it now.  It makes less sense now, before Kirk was marooned with no memory, there is no reason for Spock not to just be making a log entry.  

If I lived on Ardana I don’t know where I would want to live.  I mean I don’t want to work in mines exposed to gas that makes you stupid, but I really hate heights.  I didn’t like the views from over the edge, and I don’t know why anyone would.  I felt bad for the guy who jumped.  Cities do not belong on clouds.

FINAL GRADE 4 of 5

THE WORST LIGHT SHOW EVER!

 

Episode Title:  The Lights of Zetar

Air Date: 1/31/1969

Written by Jeremy Tarcher and Shari Lewis

Directed by Herb Kenwith

Cast: William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk    Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock             DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard H. McCoy AKA “Bones”              James Doohan  as Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott AKA “Scotty”        George Takei  as Lieutenant  Hikaru Sulu              Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura          John Winston as  Lieutenant Kyle            Bill Blackburn as Lieutenant Hadley        Jan Shutan as Lieutenant Mira Romaine         Roger Holloway as Lt. Lemli                        Majel Barrett as Nurse Christine Chapel          Walter Koenig as Ensign Pavel Chekov      Frank Da Vinci as unnamed Crewman                Jeannie Malone as unnamed Yeoman       Libby Erwin as unnamed Crewman      Barbara Babcock as voice of Zetar              

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701

Planets:  Memory Alpha

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The episode opens with Kirk being very concerned about his Chief Engineer.  Mr. Scott is in love with the new officer Lt. Mira Romaine.  Considering that last time Mr. Scott fell in love it brought the wrath of a god upon them, Kirk has his reasons to be concerned.

Scotty's love life rarely leads to good things

They are bringing Lt. Romaine to Memory Alpha to do some work there.  Memory Alpha is the center for all the cataloged knowledge of the entire United Federation of Planets.  Then something strange happens.  This bizarre entity in space that emits random colors shows up and seemly attacks the Enterprise.  The ship’s shields protect them from the main part of the blast but bright rainbow lights flutter the ship like a strobe light.  Kirk finds himself unable to speak.  It is later discovered that each member of the crew lost some function, but not all the same indicting an attack on different areas of the brain.  Romaine gets hit the hardest and when they go to help her, she starts speaking with an odd voice.  It's total nonsense and she seems like a person possessed.  She recovers and is sent to sick bay for observation.

Sulu discovers that the entity that they encountered is now heading directly toward Memory Alpha.  The facility on that planetoid does not have shields because it was determined that its scientific and peaceful mission would be open to all so defensive measures wouldn’t be necessary.  (I have some ideas about that in my “additional thoughts” section.)  While hanging out with Scotty, Lt. Romaine has a vision that the Chief Engineer explains away as common space sickness.  In the vison she sees people dying.

"I think I am alright not quite sure."

When the Enterprise gets to Memory Alpha, the landing party discovers that nearly all the occupants are dead, the memory banks had been damaged, and the one survivor was talking in a way similar to Lt. Romaine.  They bring Romaine down to the station and she freaks out when she sees the bodies are all positioned just like in her vison.  

A bad day for the cause of science

The energy light show returns and chases the Enterprise around the system.  Kirk attempts to communicate with it but has no luck.  The thing leaves the Captain no choice to but to defend the ship so he has Mr. Sulu fire phasers.  This works at getting the entity to back off but at the same time Lt. Romaine screams in pain.  Scotty calls the bridge to inform them of the situation.

She doesn't survive

    

They have a meeting to figure out what to do about the situation.  McCoy has discovered the Romaine’s brainwave pattern has been altered to match the entity outside. It appears to be trying to make a new home out of the Lieutenant.  Romaine is also concerned that she has seen images of Mr. Scott dying.  They brainstorm that the entity is so use to be non-corporal that if it enters her body, they may be able to force it out with a compression chamber.

Coming for Romaine

The entity is able to get through and enters the body of the Lieutenant.  Speaking with an augmented voice the possessed Romaine explains that the light entity is actually a collective.  They are from the planet Zetar, a world that had died.  The last hundred survivors were able to transform their consciousnesses into a disembodied form.  They have been searching the universe for a host that can receive their consciousnesses so they can live out their lives.  Kirk insists that Romaine’s life is her own and when they don’t release her the four men stick in the compression chamber.  This works the Zetars can’t take it and they flea the body and the Enterprise.  In the end Lt. Romaine is judged healthy enough to begin the repairs at Memory Alpha.  

Additional thoughts: Poor Scotty every time he falls in love some great power in the universe tries to show up and take her away.  First it was Apollo the God of the Sun, and now it is a great job on Memory Alpha.  Also, the annoying Zetars.  In the end the day Scotty’s on true love is the Enterprise and no woman will change that. 

When Romaine first got zapped it made me wonder what would happen if they had brought her to the edge of the galaxy.  However, the episode does make it clear that she had no prior ESP ability. I wonder if that would change now?

The Zetars are not the first disembodied-aliens-looking-for-some-bodies that the Enterprise has encountered. It is however the first time they decided not to even attempt to help them. When talking to them through Romaine you think Kirk would at least suggest that they could work together to find some solution.  Heck maybe the androids on planet Mudd might be willing to help. But no, its “that is her body you get out of it. You had your time but dead aliens need to stay dead.”  To be fair when they did lend their own bodies out to disembodied aliens in the past it didn’t go well.  So maybe Captain Kirk is just operating on his own experience.

I don’t know how I feel about the ending.  On one hand its to simple for me.  They have a quick meeting, discuss what they are going to do, and then do it.  No problems, no set backs and no drama.  However, since it is an ongoing series where we see greater struggles in other episodes, it is nice to show how capable the crew is with a quick brainstorm and an easy win.   

Just lie down and let the machine do the work!

Now to Memory Alpha. Okay for a place that is supposed to house all the knowledge of all worlds of the Federation, who hired some turd-brain to design its defenses.  Despite it the facility’s having no military objective or use there are still all kinds of natural disasters where shields are very useful.  I mean in a universe where doomsday machines drop by, nomads go loose on multiple planetary systems, giant cells dropping down from heavy galaxies, cloud vampires move from planet to planet, or a random asteroid knocked off course by a passing starship.  There are many nonaggressive reasons to get yourselves some shields.  Hopefully the new staff at Memory Alpha will figure that out.

FINAL GRADE 3 of 5

I WILL DO ANYTHING FOR PRIVACY, BUT I WON’T DO THAT

Episode Title:  The Mark of Gideon

Air Date: 1/17/1969

Written by George F. Slavin and Stanley Adams

Directed by Jud Taylor

Cast: William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk    Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock             DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard H. McCoy AKA “Bones”              James Doohan  as Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott AKA “Scotty”        George Takei  as Lieutenant  Hikaru Sulu              Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura          Frank da Vinci as Lieutenant Brent     Walter Koenig as Ensign Pavel Chekov                 Richard Derr as Admiral Fitzgerald          Sharon Acker as Odona         David Hurst as Hodin         Gene Dynarski as Krodak         Bill Blackburn as Gideon Inhabitant     Jay D. Jones as Gideon Guard

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701

Planets:  Gideon

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The episode begins with the Enterprise settling into orbit around Gideon.  The planet is looking to join the Federation but it nevertheless has some odd ball requests to make.  First, they don’t want to much contamination of their planet’s culture so they will permit only one representative.  Second, that representative must be Captain Kirk.  

Kirk is talking things over with Spock who will handle the transporter controls personally.  Kirk beams down only to rematerialize in the transporter room.  However, Spock is missing!  He looks for Spock but cannot find him or anyone for that matter.  The entire crew has disappeared and Kirk is the only one on the ship!

Or has the crew disappeared?  For we the audience see the crew of the Enterprise still on the Enterprise.  They are wondering where Captain Kirk had disappeared to because he isn’t reporting from where he was meant to be.  They contract the Gideon High Council and they claim that they have no idea where Kirk is.  They don’t however want anyone searching for him.  That would invite contamination on their poor planet.  Spock has Sulu search space slowly. 

Some times negotiations don't go well!

As Kirk wonders around the empty starship, he finds a young woman.  She demands to know why he brought her here.  She thinks the Enterprise is wonderful for having so much space.  Kirk doesn’t really know what to make of this woman at first.  Her name is Odona but she doesn’t remember where she is from.  The audience can clearly see that she is this episode’s love interest.

Girlfriend of the week!

Spock has Uhura try both Starfleet and the Federation bureaucracy itself, and all they get is the run around.  Each department tries to point the Enterprise crew to each other in an attempt to resolve the issue.  Spock, the son of a diplomat, has a funny response to the usefulness of both diplomats and bureaucrats.

Uhura is not having much luck!

Odona still insists she has no idea where she is from.  Kirk tries to tell her she is from Gideon.  He tries to show her that they are in orbit around the planet.  However, when they get to the bridge, they discover that the ship is no longer in orbit.  Instead, they are in warp drive toward deep space.  Kirk manages to get the ship out of warp and he was surprised when they didn’t feel any different.  The screen shows the ship is stopped however.  Odona confides to Captain Kirk that where she comes from the planet is over populated.  There is nowhere anyone can go to that is already crowded with people.  Privacy is a desire that many of her people would kill for.  As Kirk comforts her the stars on the view screen change to faces of people, but the hugging couple don’t see this.

These aren't stars!

Spock once again tries to get the Gideon High Council to allow them to go down and form a search.  As the two bicker back and forth the Council finally agrees to allow the Enterprise to test their transporter by beaming one of the Council members to the ship.  They give their coordinates and Spock has one of the council members beam aboard.  They send him back but notice the coordinates that they gave for the Council Chamber were different for Captain Kirk.

And Kirk thought the monster on the airplane was bad!

As Kirk and Odona wonder the halls all of the sudden they hear a strange noise.  It sounds like something outside the ship.  That should be impossible seeing as they are in space.  They go to a view port where they have a window to the literal outside.  When Kirk opens the port, he is greeted with a room full of creepy people staring at the two of them. Then they are gone and there are stars again.  Kirk turns to Odona for an explanation but she seems to be just as confused.  Then she seems ill and collapses.

Kirk then brings her to sickbay he has a strong suspicion that she has Vegan choriomeningitis a condition that he once had that can be fatal but it is easily treated.  However, Kirk is interrupted on his way to sickbay when Ambassador Hodin appears.  He claims that he is Odona’s father and they brought him her so her could infect her and allow her to die.

Spock to the rescue!

Back on the Enterprise, Spock is in communication with Admiral Fitzgerald at Starfleet Command.  The Admiral makes it clear that even through the Gideons in their request are beyond weird, they are to take no further action.  The Admiral thinks Spock will just forget about Captain Kirk so he probably doesn’t remember what happened in “Amok Time.”

 Back on the planet and its fake Enterprise, Kirk and Hodin are arguing about the situation and the fate of Odona. Hodin explains their population problem and rejects any common-sense approach to the problem that Captain Kirk offers.  (I have more to say about this in my additional thoughts section.) The only way, according to Hodin, is to have a young person die of a curable disease so that those on Gideon can see that it is possible for young people to die. This is a very bad plan but it does show us that the Gideons are not the greatest of thinkers.

Kirk clearly annoyed at having argue with idiots!

Spock decides to disobey the Admiral’s order and head down to Gideon anyway.  McCoy wants to go with him but Spock, forgetting the lessons that he learned in “Amok Time” but also the ones from the second part of “The Menagerie,” Spock tells the Doctor that he will go alone.  Spock sends himself down to the same coordinates as Captain Kirk, and like Kirk ends up in the fake transporter room. After making a log entry, Spock completes his search of the ship and finds Kirk, Hodin, and Odona in sickbay.  Spock contacts the ship and the two Starfleet officers take Odona with them.  On the ship she is treated and cured of her condition. However, since she had been infected with Vegan choriomeningitis her blood can be used to infect others so she goes back to her insane planet. 

All cured and ready to infect others!

Additional thoughts: This story has two really interesting ideas.  The first is the Captain stepping into the transporter and when he steps out his entire crew is missing.  The second is a planet where both disease and war have disappeared but they now have an extreme population control problem.  Either story would be worth exploring, but they try to do both and as a result do justice to neither.  I don’t think that this episode is bad but it is just okay.  It could have been much better.

                Try as I might I can’t feel sorry for the Gideons.  This premise might have worked better if they were a pre-warp species that our crew were exploring and having ended war and disease were in danger of being wiped out as their oversized population consumed all their resources.  Too many people yet headed for extinction would have made for a fascinating episode.  Instead, we have a planet Gideon whose people are the source of all their own problems.

                You could almost say this episode is supposed to be a warning about the dangers of extreme pro-life anti-abortion politics and almost could have been if it had been executed well, but it isn’t.  When discussing the problem with Captain Kirk the first thing Kirk suggests is sterilization, Hodin points out that this won’t work their bodies will just repair the damaged part.  After that Kirk suggests that there are alternative as contraception methods.  This is when Hodin revels their truth, they can’t use such methods because that would interfere with their cultural beliefs.  All life is to be valued from fetus to old person.  Since they have no privacy that has ceased to be a cultural requirement for sex, and with their love of life they can’t stop fornicating.  They refuse to take preventive measures or give women access to abortion.  You can almost hear Meat Loaf sing “I would do anything for some privacy but I won’t do that, and that, and that thing too!"  Who can feel sorry for these people? 

It gets worse they make contact with the Federation and instead of saying “hey can we’re over populated could you help us find some planets to relocate a great deal of our population?”  No, instead they hide their planet like a hoarder hides their house and try to kidnap the Captain.  Why do they do this?  Because they think if they can reintroduce this disease, they can convince enough people to agree to commit suicide by voluntarily infecting themselves with it, that their planet will return to a normal sized population.  For some reason they don’t see their “love of life” belief interfering with this as it has every other possible solution.  Now if they make Hodin and his council more like a Kodos the Executioner-type of characters then the episode could have been interesting.  In a desperate attempt to do something about the population problem with a society whose culture makes it impossible to democratically fix, they decide to introduce some foreign plague and virgin-soil epidemics will take route and drive their population down to manageable levels.  Seeing how the crew of the Enterprise would handle that would be an episode worth watching.  Instead, we have Kirk running around a fake empty Enterprise for a good deal of the episode.   

All by myself...

I do like that the Gideons found the space to build their very own underground duplicate interior of the Enterprise. However, I think this feat has been replicated by Star Trek fans in real life. I wonder what the crowed and self-centered Gideons thought when their government sealed off all that space?  Also how did the Gideons get the specs for the Enterprise to begin with?

One too many people

Gideon was applying to join the Federation but why would the Federation even want these people?  They want to join the Federation but won’t allow anyone to even see their planet?  The Federation should have taken that as a red flag right there.  They don’t even want you to see their planet then they are clearly people hoarders. 

Mr. Spock has seemed to have picked up on Captain Kirk’s habit of bizarrely timed log entries.  Spock beams down to a fake Enterprise and his first instinct is to make an entry into that ship’s log!?! I wondered what the Gideon’s make of it when they got to listen to it.  Were they proud that they were able to replicate the ship to impress even Mr. Spock?

There is one part of the episode I really did enjoy.  When negotiating with the High Council, Spock would turn to the crew for advice.  Yet, he didn't turn the sound off.  So every time Spock turned to the crew and they, especially Scotty, went on rant about how nasty they thought the High Council was the High Council heard the whole thing.  I got a good laugh out of that.  

One thing is sure he got to hear what the crew really thought of him!

In closing given his family history it may not be so surprising to see Spock lose faith in diplomats. "Diplomats and bureaucrats may function differently, but they achieve exactly the same results."

FINAL GRADE 3 of 5