Episode Title: Yesteryear
Air Date: 9/15/1973
Written by Dorothy C.
Fontana
Directed by Hal
Sutherland
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”, The Guardian of Forever, Aleek-Om, Lieutenant
Bates, Lieutenant Erikson, Commander Thelin, unnamed Vulcan Healer George Takei as Lieutenant
Hikaru Sulu Nichelle
Nichols as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura
Majel Barrett as Amanda Grayson and Lieutenant Grey Mark
Lenard as Ambassador Sarek Billy
Simpson as Young Spock Keith Sutherland as Young Sepek
Ships: USS
Enterprise NCC-1701
Planets: Guardian’s unnamed homeworld, Vulcan
My Spoiler filled summary and review: The crew of the Enterprise has returned to the planet that hosts The Guardian of Forever. When we last saw this famous time travel device, Kirk having been traumatized after saving the Federation from being wiped out of existence, wanted nothing to do with the Guardian and its journeys. However, the Guardian seems to have gotten its wish and the artifact is now being used by the Federation as a source of research.
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| The Guardian of Forever |
This still seems like a pretty dangerous idea to me but Starfleet and the Federation strongly believe in going boldly, so long as you go carefully, with the whole time travel business. Also, if The Guardian of Forever is going to become more user-friendly who wouldn’t want to take advantage of that? Kirk, Spock, and Lt. Erikson emerge from the past having just witnessed the origins of the Orion Syndicate. However as soon as they arrive something is wrong as McCoy doesn’t recognize Mr. Spock. Kirk thinks McCoy is playing a joke on him, you would think he would know better, and orders the landing party to be beamed up. When they materialize on the Enterprise none of the crew recognize Mr. Spock. McCoy then introduces Kirk a Andorian named Commander Thelin, who McCoy explains has been his first officer for what is now the fifth year of their mission.
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| Research |
In the conference room the senior officers brainstorm about what happened, even Thelin is getting in on it despite the fact that if they restore things to the way they were he won’t be here anymore. It turns out that Spock in the new time line died as a young child, his parents soon then divorced and Amanda was killed in a shuttle accident on her way back to Earth. Ever since Sarek has been devoted to his work representing over seventeen Federation worlds at one time or another.
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| Spock's replacement |
Given the age he was said to have died and the time period being investigated on Vulcan by the other researchers while Spock was with Kirk and Erickson in the past, Spock concludes that his death occurred during his kahs-wan maturity test. In the original time line Spock was almost killed but a distant cousin of his, who had been recently visiting, saved his life. The cousin, who was named Selek, was never seen by him again. This prompts Kirk to ask if that “Selek” looked like him now. With that Spock realizes what he must do: he must go back in time and be his own rescuer. Kirk volunteers to go with him but Spock says he must do so alone. With everyone’s support, even Thelin which is a surprise, Spock is given some supplies and change of clothes that prepare him as he heads back to the past through the Guardian.
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| "Selek" and Sarek |
Spock returns a home and notes in his log that he forgot how beautiful Vulcan was. There he is able to convince Sarek that he is a long-lost cousin. It is rather interesting that Vulcan doesn’t have these records readily and electronically available to confirm this but Spock is protected by the power of plot. Spock has discussions with both of his parents and watches his younger self fall victim to vicious bullies and be called an “Earther.” Young Spock is also embarrassed as he has yet to learn the Vulcan nerve pinch.
Later Sarek is talking with Young Spock about the kahs-wan, which involves desert survival. He explains that it is not unusual for Vulcans to fail the first time and succeed at second or even third attempts. However, since Spock is only half-Vulcan he must not fail for if he does others will say it was because of his weak human half. Young Spock therefore decides that he must have some training and elects to try out the desert on his own.
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| Spock being bullied |
He packs and says good-bye to his pet sehlat, I-Chaya, and then heads out to the desert. Unknown to Young Spock both I-Chaya and his future self are close behind. Young Spock notices I-Chaya and tells him to stay behind as he is too old and too fat to be of any use. However, I-Chaya still follows and when Young Spock is attacked by a le-matya, it is the loyal pet who saves him battling the beast. Spock shows up and nerve pinches the le-matya to end the fight but the damage has been done. I-Chaya is dying of poisoning from the le-matya.
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| shelat vs le-matya |
They need a veterinarian, so Young Spock decides to take it upon himself to run and get one. Young Spock returns with help but it is too late, Young Spock has to make a decision does he prolong I-Chaya’s life and also prolong the suffering or does he give him a more peaceful death. Young Spock decides on the later.
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| I-Chaya lay dying |
Young Spock reconciles with his parents and they are both proud of
him. Spock, as Selek, tells Sarek to do
right by his son, which is all he can say without endangering the time line further as we know Sarek won't. Spock returns home and
all has been returned to normal. However, he is disappointed that he lost a pet
that he didn’t lose at that point in the pre-tampered timeline.
Additional thoughts: Absolutely amazing episode but that is what you can always expect from DC Fontana. This episode also has a very important message for young children who have a pet. You are most likely going to outlive your pet. One of the saddest episodes of my life is when my father and I had to put my boyhood dog Rex down when I was in early college. It is an odd memory because even though it is sad, I am content with it. I am glad I was there to hold him in his last moments.
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| My boyhood dog, Rex! |
It seems Kirk has gotten over his anger at The Guardian of Forever. When he last left, he wanted nothing to do
with it. Time heals all wounds, even the loss of Edith Keeler? Or maybe it is just Kirk being the ultimate
professional that he realizes some of his missions are going to be
painful. Speaking of the Guardian, did
anyone else notice how user friendly it is now?
They can just tell the Guardian the time and it sends them right there.
Before they had to scan with a tricorder and patiently wait for the right
moment during the time run through to jump.
It is much better this way. Maybe
the Guardian realized more people would pay attention to it if it had a more
useful interface.
I did notice a minor plot hole. It was established in the “The City on the Edge of Forever” that those in the immediate vicinity of the Guardian are
immune from the time change. Remember
the entire landing party was still fine after McCoy went through the
Guardian. So, when Spock returned the
first time everyone with the landing party should have still known him. It is not until they got back to the ship that
people should have started to notice who this strange Vulcan was. Also Thelin sees Spock into the Guardian, so he should remain unaltered by the correction.
This episode continues the tradition of rather bizarre log entries. Why Spock is stopping to make these log entries? His existence has been wiped out of history
and he is going back in time to make sure he doesn’t die as child and he is
doing log entries. Who is going to read these if he fails? He isn’t in Starfleet anymore.
So, let’s talk about the Commander Thelin. Where is he in the regular time line? His existence wasn’t on the line just his
job. So, I imagine he is still in
Starfleet but where is he? First officer
of the USS Lexington, perhaps? I think he is doing well, the only one who suffered with Spock being re-added to
the timeline is the last person to get accepted the Academy the year Spock was
supposed to join. That person had to
find a new career.
Am I the only one bothered by the fact that Mr. Spock was so
replaceable? Shouldn’t there be more
butterflies from Spock dying as a kid?
The only three we had was Amanda dying, Serek being over worked, and
Thelin getting Spock’s job. Spock saved
Kirk’s career in “Court Martial.” He
saved whole ship multiple times a good example is “The Immunity Syndrome.” How
did these adventures go down without Spock there? Thelin stepped in every time? I think it might have been better if nobody
notice change on the surface, and when they beamed up not only did everyone not
know who Spock was, but they were shocked to see McCoy. As McCoy had died chasing the giant one-celled
organism in a shuttle. Maybe Thelin saved Kirk from Finney but
Captain Pike is probably having a miserable time in physical therapy.
Jimmy Doohan was a great voice actor and he pulls a lot of weight on his show filling in for many characters and aliens not just Scotty. However, his Guardian of Forever is not his best work. It sounds weak, off, and nothing like the Guardian from “The City on the Edge of Forever.”
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| Spock comforts his dying pet! |
Speaking of the Guardian’s original appearance, in that episode a
homeless man accidently vaporized himself with a phaser. In this episode Spock’s boyhood pet died
before he had in the timeline Spock remembered.
Now talked about my boyhood dog Rex dying when I was in college, how
would my life have altered if I had lost my dog in high school? I don’t know but I think it would. This is how I often explain continuity
errors.
FINAL GRADE 5 of 5
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