THE CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER FOR STAR TREK THE ANIMATED SERIES

 

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

"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. 

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.  

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.

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.

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.”

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

KIRK AND SPOCK MEET LINCOLN AND SURAK

Episode Title:  The Savage Curtain

Air Date: 3/7/1969

Written by Arthur Heinemann and Dorothy C. Fontana 

Directed by Herschel Daugherty

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        Roger Holloway as Lieutenant Lemli           Arell Blanton as Lieutenant Dickerson              Majel Barrett as Nurse Christine Chapel          Walter Koenig as Ensign Pavel Chekov      Lee Bergere as President Abraham Lincoln          Barry Atwater as Surak                        Phillip Pine as Colonel Green        Carol Daniels as Zora               Bob Herron as Kahless                 Nathan Jung  as Ghengis Khan   Bart La Rue as Yarnek (voice)      Janos Prohaska as Yarnek (body)

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701

Planets: Excalbia

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The Enterprise is surveying what appears to be a rather boring planet.  Just as they were getting ready to leave their systems go haywire.  While trying to address this they receive a communication from Abraham Lincoln, the 16^th President of the United States who at this point had been dead for over 400 years.  Lincoln assures the crew he is who he appears to be.  A patch of the planet Excalbia, suddenly transforms into an Earth-like environment and Lincoln requests to be brought aboard.  A request that Kirk decides to grant.  

Lincoln on the Enterprise!

Kirk arranges Lincoln to be brought up with full presidential honors.  This means that all the senior officers will be in dress uniforms and they will have music playing when the President arrives. Scotty, who can’t get in touch with sheer absurdity of what is going on, notices the scanner doesn’t pick up a human at first then suddenly does.   Lincoln is now on board and he has a lot of questions about the 23^rd century from recorded music, to the transporter, to the Enterprise traveling the stars.  Kirk explains as best he can.  As he brings the President around there is a cringe scene with Uhura that I will go into later.  He also informs Spock that on the planet he will meet a great Vulcan. 

Later in the conference room the senior staff, despite being time travelers themselves, seem to think the idea of Lincoln being here in the 23^rd is just impossible.  Mr. Spock points out that Abraham Lincoln was Captain Kirk's personal hero.  They may be dealing with aliens who have the power to create illusions out of our own thoughts.  Now they have seen that before a fact that Kirk is well aware because of Spock.     

Meeting on Lincoln

Kirk decides that he and Spock will accompany Lincoln to the planet’s surface.  When they arrive the find themselves greeted by an ancient Vulcan named Surak. Surak was the founder of Vulcan civilization and philosophy.  To Spock this is his Abe Lincoln, George Washington, and Jesus all rolled into one.  Spock denies this can be Surak but the man plays his part well.  Then a rock comes to life and introduces himself as Yarnek.  Yarnek's people like to watch plays of alien philosophies.  They know of the human concept of good and evil and they would like to know which is stronger.  Kirk and Spock were given their two respective heroes for their team.  Yarnek brings in some villains: Colonel Green, a fascist from World War III; Kahless the Unforgettable, founder of the Klingon Empire; Zora of Tiburon, known for experiments on humanoids; and Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire in the 12^th century.  The two side are to fight so the Excalbians can see who is truly superior. 

Kirk and Spock refuse to cooperate at first but the Excalbians revel that they have the power to destroy the Enterprise and right now have disabled it.  If Kirk and Spock don’t win to will be curtains for the crew, who get to watch as the Captain has to fight for their fate again.  Colonel Green starts a conversation with Kirk reminding him that the Excalbians are the true enemies.  Kirk remembers that Green likes to attack during negotiations and this version it true to form.  The “good” force fights back and retreats to a more fortified position.  Lincoln and Kirk discuss strategy where Lincoln remarks that Kirk reminds him of General Grant. 

Surak isn’t not a warrior and would like to try to negotiate.  Kirk tries to tell him that such a gesture with the characters they are facing would be pointless.  Surak is a man of peace and must attempt it.  This works as well as one would expect it to and Surak is captured and tortured.  The remaining three form a rescue plan.   Kirk and Spock attack while Lincoln goes around to rescue Surak.  This was a good plan but unfortunately Surak isn’t just captured he is dead.  Kahless, it seems, can imitate voices. Lincoln is stabbed in the back with a spear but lives long enough to warn Kirk and Spock.  The two press their attack and kill Green and Kahless.  Khan and Zora retreat.  Yarnek returns disappointed that he didn’t learn anything.  Kirk and Spock couldn’t care less and are glad to leave.  In the end they reflect on the experience and how it was kind of cool to meet their heroes exactly as they were in their mind.  

Surak in person

Additional thoughts: This is why classic Star Trek is my favorite version of the franchise.  You can’t beat the original.  Lincoln showing up who would have thought?  Apollo one season and Lincoln the next, this series is one that always keeps you on your toes.  We also got to meet the founder of all Vulcan civilization, Surak.  Seeing the one who Spock described as the “greatest of us all” and his reaction to it was a treat.

Yarnek

So, Kirk’s great hero is Lincoln.  I wonder where Lincoln ranks in comparison to Garth of Izar.  I am assuming Lincoln is ranked higher since he didn’t try to kill Kirk, and it was he who the Excalbians recreated. (Wouldn’t it have been funny if they brought Garth of Izar?  Imagine Kirk’s reaction to seeing him on the viewscreen.)  I think it is awesome that Kirk holds real-life Lincoln in such high regard it shows a number of different things.  It shows that Kirk is something of history buff and he has good taste.  I too am a fan of Mr. Lincoln and have read a number of books about him.  I read this one, this one, and this one here.  He is the only president who accomplished more that than what he set out to do[1] and did so much to change the nation for the better.  In way he re-founded it.

Bad guy team

Okay so let’s talk about Lincoln’s big faux pax in the episode.  That is went he goes to talk with Lt. Uhura and uses a very outdated term that I won’t repeat here.   The term was acceptable in Lincoln’s day but was falling far out of use by the time this episode was airing.  Fortunately for Lincoln, Lt. Uhura has grown up in a society where her blackness was never something that was used against her.  Old fashioned racism is to the Lieutenant as feudalism is to me as white person.  I understand it intellectually but I was never forced to experience it.  For if that word was said at any point in my lifetime our dear 16^th President would have been knocked on his butt.  What I find really interesting is that Lincoln didn’t need to be told he had made a mistake.  He all of a sudden knew as if the information had been directly transferred to his brain.  If I was Lincoln I would have been pissed, a warning before would have been nice.  Words change and over time words that may not have been offensive may suddenly become so.  So, imagine you travel 400 years into the future and you now have a superpower that causes any time you say a word that in the last few centuries had become a slur, your brain instantly knows you did really wrong.  As opposed to one that would just give you an updated lists of things you can and cannot say in polite society.

Lincoln is lucky the Lieutenant is such an understanding person

So, when they sent out the representatives for evil why Col. Green and not Adolf Hitler?  After all it wouldn’t be the first time Kirk and Spock had to face off against some Nazi.  I also didn’t understand why the likes of Kahless and Khan would have followed the orders of Green.  Wouldn’t one of them had been a better choice as leader?  After all they were actually successful in what they were trying to do historically. 

Good guy team

Personally, I could have done without the whole “good vs. evil” battle.  I think it would have been better for the four of them to work together to figure out why it was Lincoln and Surak had been displaced in time.  Ultimately have them triumph over the Excalbians and allow Lincoln and Surak to return to their own time.  I wish Kirk had pressed Lincoln more about what he remembered about himself.  Did he know of his own death or that his efforts to save the Union succeeded in the long term?  Having Lincoln and Surak be forced to make the choice to go back knowing what happens to them could have been very interesting indeed.  The mystery and the decision could have allowed the characters of Lincoln and Surak to shine more.  

Being sneaky 

Okay what has all this about “converting into minutes” about.  They have been using hours, minutes, and seconds for the entire series by this point.  Stupid writing error. I wonder if Scotty is just bad with history or another writing error when he fails to account that Lincoln was four not three centuries ago. 

FINAL GRADE 4 of 5

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[1] James K. Polk did exactly what he set out to do—the only other president besides Lincoln—but Lincoln achieved far more than his initial goals.

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

WHICH OR WITCH?

 

Episode Title:  That Which Survives

Air Date: 1/24/1969

Written by John Meredyth Lucas and Dorothy C. Fontana

Directed by Herb Wallerstein

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          Booker Bradshaw as Dr. Joseph M'Benga         Arthur Batanides as Lieutenant  D'Amato            Naomi Newman as Lieutenant Rahda              Frank Da Vinci as Lieutenant Brent        Bill Blackburn as Lieutenant Hadley     Roger Holloway as Lieutenant Lemli   Brad Forrest as unnamed Ensign                  Kenneth Washington as Crewman Watkins              Jeannie Malone as unnamed Yeoman          Lee Meriwether as Losira         

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701

Planets:  Kalandans’ artificial planet

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The Enterprise comes across a planet that doesn’t make a lick of sense. It is rather small but its gravity is like Earth and it even has an Earth-like atmosphere. Given the apparent age of the planet that shouldn’t even be possible.  Kirk forms a landing party of himself, Dr. McCoy, Lt Sulu, and a science officer D’Amato. 

When you suddenly regret transporting but you are mid-beam!

As the party begins to transport down a woman, who may just be a catwoman, suddenly appears before them and asks them not to go.  However, she is too late because the transporting process has already begun.  In response she grabs the transporter operator and he collapses.  As the landing party materializes on the surface the planet a massive earthquake begins knocking all four men over.  The quake is so intense it even rocks the Enterprise in orbit.  Soon the ship is hurled a thousand light-years in space.

The landing party immediately tries to make sense out of their chaotic situation.  Sulu checks his tricorder and comes to conclusion that the Enterprise may have been destroyed.  This conclusion draws a very negative reaction from Kirk towards Sulu.  Kirk insists that Sulu can’t possibly be right and insists that it is almost unprofessional of him to make such a conclusion.   Even through Kirk turns out to be right I think he should still give Sulu and apology.  After all it is Sulu’s job to help come up with possible explanations even ones you might not want to hear. However, it is still a great character moment for Kirk showing how much he loves his ship.  Kirk correctly surmises that the ship is still together but out of range.  So, their immediate response is to go into survival mode. Unfortunately for them there doesn’t appear to be anything on this planet that they can eat or drink.

survival maybe a bit of a problem

When the Enterprise is finally stabilized it takes a while for the crew, except Spock, to accept the reality of what has just happened to them.  The find the transporter operator dead, according to Dr. M'Benga, Dr. Sanchez’s performed an autopsy and discovered that every cell in his body had been disrupted.  Spock keeping his cool leads the Enterprise back in the direction of the strange planet that just threw them so far away.  Scotty promises to try to give the ship a little extra juice.

Trying to figure out where they are!

 The bad news continues for the landing party.  Every attempt to find any food or water is coming up short.  They do notice some strange magnetism and a life form that appears and disappears on the tricorder. D’Amato is looking for anything that could help them when he is confronted by the woman who had appeared to them earlier.  She says she needs to touch him.  She kills him and when his body is discovered, McCoy finds the same thing his staff found with the dead Ensign: that every cell has been disrupted. Kirk tries to bury the dead Lieutenant but his phaser won’t cut through the planet’s surface.  It is at this point that Kirk begins to speculate that the planet might be artificial in nature.

Not the away mission he expected.

Scotty contacts Spock to share with him a concern.  He tells the First Officer that the ship “feels wrong.” Now to one such as Mr. Spock this is the stupidest thing you could say to him. When Scotty can’t explain what he means by it, Spock serves him a tongue-lashing to which he makes clear to the Chief Engineer that he should not wasting the ship’s time with such ridiculous notions. 

What to do?

Back on the planet the woman returns this time targeting Mr. Sulu.  Sulu tires to fight her off using his phaser but that doesn’t do any good.  Eventually he retreats and she follows.  She manages to graze Sulu on the shoulder causing immense pain.  Kirk and McCoy arrive and put themselves in between her and Sulu.  She touches Captain Kirk and discovers that she cannot harm him.  She claims to be for Sulu but with the two other men blocking access she teleports away.  McCoy tends to Sulu’s shoulder and claims that if she had him for any longer, he would be dead. 

Despite Spock’s annoyance, Scotty decides to have his feelings checked out and sends one of his engineers on an errand.  His man is tasked with checking some of the systems in person instead of relying on the computer to tell them something is wrong.  However, the mysterious woman appears and touches the poor engineer.  One redshirt down and he never left the ship.

Despite appearances this is not a good day at work!

Kirk concludes that woman can only harm the one she is designed for, and since she can’t keep that a secret, they can use that to their advantage.  When she reappears, she calls for Kirk so the other two men protect him.  She seems frustrated but also something else is the matter. Kirk concludes that it might be guilt and calls her out on it.  She retreats by teleporting away.

Sulu trying to defend himself

Scotty discovers his dead man and calls up to the bridge with even worse news.  They have been sabotaged.  The emergency overload bypass of the matter-antimatter integrator has been fused although that shouldn’t be physically possible.  Scotty will try to repair it manually but they only have fifteen minutes to the ship is destroyed. 

While the Chief Engineer is only inches away from death Spock, remembering Scotty saying the ship “felt wrong,” runs an analyst through the computer comparing the Enterprise to her ideal condition. He finds that the ship had been sent a thousand light-years away via a giant transporter device.  This isn’t something the ship is used to doing and was materialized out of sync.  With this information it is discovered that Scotty just needs to reverse the polarity in order to save them.  He does and the Enterprise is safe. 

On the planet the three Starfleet officers find what appears to be the control center of the artificial planet.  However, the lady re-appears, they are primed however to act as soon as they find out who she is after.  To their surprise two more duplicate ladies show up, each looking for a different man.  It looks like they’re in trouble but the artificial women are still hesitating.  Kirk realizes he is getting through to them and it is only a matter of time before he talks them all into suicide.  It turns out he doesn’t have to because Spock and a security team beam down, and Kirk just has Spock destroy the operating computers with phasers.

Now you're in trouble!

With the treat neutralized they get a visual on the view screen.  It turns out the machine created its defender in the image of a woman Losira.  It turns out a species named the Kalandans created the planet.  However, while they were building it, they also accidentally created a disease that the population of the colony. Oops!  Losira had created the defense mechanism so none but their kind would grace this planet that killed all of its makers.  Losira is the last survivor and she died before any help got there.  The weird part is the computer revealed that eventually her people did come, got infected by the same illness, and went home to spread it to everyone there.  Kalandans are now all extinct.   Losira and her fellow scientists were the worst thing that ever happened to their people.  Nevertheless, Kirk finds her to have been a remarkable woman.  I think Kirk needs to raise his standards somewhat.

Additional thoughts: When I was a kid watching this episode, I use to get the title confused. I use to think it was called “That Witch Survives.”  This sounded the same but of course has a different meaning.  You had a woman who appeared and disappeared seemingly at will, who had the touch of death, and could make the Enterprise disappear from one place in the galaxy and appear in another.

This was also a great episode for the crew.  I generally love episodes that focus on the CREW of the Enterprise acting together as a team to save the day.  Don’t get me wrong I love Captain Kirk, he is one of my most important heroes but he doesn’t need to be shown doing everything he just needs to be the leader.  In this episode has Spock, McCoy, Scott, Sulu, and Uhura all doing their part. 

Even better while Star Trek shows can often turn into the “senior officers show” it is always nice to see those who work for their departments to have a chance to shine.  We have Lt. Rahda filling in for Sulu as he leaves with the landing party.  She has some great dialogue with Spock.  We see engineers other than Mr. Scott assigned to tasks to help the ship.  We here from doctors from sickbay who are not named McCoy.   The number two medical officer, Dr. M'Benga gives Spock and update on Dr. Sanchez’s work on the autopsy.

It is good to see the crew even the non-stars play an active role.

Is it just me or does Mr. Spock seem extra “Spockish” in this episode?  It is like he decided to turn up his normal Vulcan stoicism to the nth degree today.  It was kind of like how we saw him much earlier in his career such as “The Corbomite Maneuver.”  The super logical Vulcan who often finds himself super annoyed with these irrational Earth-lings and all their illogic.  The way he snaps at Scotty is a good example.  He did seem really fond of the back-up helmsman, Lt. Rahda, as she gave him some cold logic back.

Putting on the full Spock treatment!

I like when Sulu was speculating about what type of lifeforms, they may be facing he brings up the Horta from “The Devil in the Dark.”  I love it when they dive into their own history at times when it makes the most sense.  I realize that the series is mostly episodic but I see no reason why they shouldn’t often reference their past adventures when it makes sense to do so.

Scotty once again shows of his fine engineering skills and saves the ship at the extreme risk of his own life.  Spock may have come up with the plan but it was Scotty who carried it through.  They saved the day by choosing to “reverse the polarity”!  What a great move!  I wonder if that will come up again.

Reverse the polarity! I wonder if this will be a thing?

Once this lady was revealed to be an artificial intelligence it was over for her.  Kirk was already thinking for how to convince her to destroy herself.  However, we didn’t have to sit through it because Spock showed up in time it to use a phaser on it quick.  Thank you, Mr. Spock.  

FINAL GRADE 4 of 5