A STAR CHART MISDIRECTION

 

Episode Title:  Beyond the Farthest Star

Air Date: 9/8/1973

Written by Samuel A. Peeples

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”, Lieutenant Kyle, Ancient Insectoid, Magnetic Organism         George Takei  as Lieutenant  Hikaru Sulu              Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura          Majel Barrett as Nurse Christine Chapel       

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701, old unnamed alien ship

Planets: none

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The Enterprise is doing some basic star charting when it is caught in the gravity of a collapsed star.  It looks like they are about to crash, when Kirk askes Sulu to attempt to use their speed to establish standard orbit around the dead star.  While in orbit they come across a large, amazing, and very old space ship.  This alien ship has been in orbit for hundreds of millions of years.  Kirk was going to have Sulu do a sling-shot around the old star to help them break away but this older-than-human-existence starship stuck in the same place makes those plans seem far-fetched.  They decide to go aboard the strange craft and since there is no life-support on that ship the boarding party wore life-support belts that gave them personal forcefields against the cold and airless environment. 

The Enterprise encounters the strangest ship she has ever seen!

As they explore the alien ship, they discover that a lot of the damage is self-inflicted. They are able to access the ship’s systems and are informed by a warning left over from dead aliens that their ship was occupied by a disembodied energy magnetic organism.  It caused chaos on their ship to the point that these aliens, the Insectoids, chose to destroy themselves before they let this entity spread itself throughout the universe. Then the control center starts to self-destruct and they have to do an emergency beam out.  However, when the boarding party martializes aboard the Enterprise the find the very alien that ended life on that other ship has come aboard with them.  The energy creature escapes through the ventilation system just like Kirk’s least favorite cloud.  

The alien entity starts causing problems all throughout the ship.  Systems are turning on and off. Life support has been completely shut off in certain areas of the ship.  The bridge systems start to become unresponsive.  Spock gets around what the alien has done to the putting a shield around the navigation control.  Kirk decides to kill two birds with one stone.  He has Sulu fly straight towards the dead star.  The entity thinks they are committing suicide so it jumps from the Enterprise back to the dead star’s surface.  That is when the ship does the sling-shot maneuver breaking away.  The evil thing calls out to them not to abandon it because it is so lonely.  However, after nearly being killed by it, the crew of the Enterprise resume their star charting instead.

FF belts

Additional thoughts: After four years of being off the air Star Trek returned. Following the grand tradition of the previous series they decided to air all these episodes out of order. So, they aired the fourth episode they made first. This was a good choice for it is a decent adventure with general Star Trek themes.  There is an energy-creature alien threatening the ship and they have to pull out any trick they can think of to possibly get rid of it.  However, I am and always will be a proponent for production order in regards to classic Star Trek. 

Not their friend

Also notice the date?  Star Trek: The Animated Series shares the same birthday with its older sibling series.  I wonder if that was a coincidence or if they did that on purpose?  The new series also has a new theme song that seems to take the classic Star Trek tune and give a 1970s spin.

A new energy creature disembodied alien threat.  This one joins the ranks of the vampire cloud, the anger vampire, and that one that liked to prey on kids.  However, it wasn’t as much a threat given how easy it was to resolve.  That is the consequence of a show that is a half-hour long with commercials.  There is not enough time.  They spend too much of it building up the treat and all of it is wasted when they beat it in under two minutes. 

Trying to get away

Okay so far, I am loving these stories that The Animated Series tells but I am not too thrilled with the animation itself.  It’s not like talking about the graphics in the classic series, because that can always be explained that TV graphics in the 1960s had those natural limitations.  However, there was better animation than this in the 1940s, all you have to do is watch any of the old Superman cartoons. There is something about animation of this era that was just not good, Super Friends suffers from the same problem. Either way the “star” in this episode looked more like a moon.

That's doesn't look like a star!

Those force-field belts were pretty cool what ever happened to them?  A lot easier than a space suit.  Although they might not feel as secure.  I suppose they might have had a higher fail rate than the suits and that is why they were tossed.  They should bring them back if they perfect the technology they are rather convenient.

FINAL GRADE 3 of 5

THE “FIRST” STAR TREK EPISODE, TAKE TWO

Episode Title:  Where No Man Has Gone Before

Air Date: 9/22/1966

Written by Samuel A. Peeples

Directed by James Goldstone

Cast: William Shatner as Captain James T. KIrk    Leonard Nimoy as Lieutenant Commander Spock             Paul Fix as Dr. Mark Piper       James Doohan  as Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott AKA “Scotty”   George Takei  as Lieutenant  Hikaru Sulu    Gary Lockwood as Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell     Sally Kellerman as Dr. Elizabeth Dehner    Paul Carr as Lieutenant Lee Kelso      Lloyd Haynes as Lieutenant Alden       Andrea Dromm as Yeoman Second Class Smith       Bill Blackburn  as Lieutenant Hadley     Eddie Paskey as Lieutenant Leslie

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701

Planets:  Delta Vega 

My Spoiler filled summary and review:  USS Enterprise is out exploring the edge of the galaxy, an area of space unexplored by any people from Earth since SS Valiant.  Kirk gets done beating Spock at chess just as they are called away to discover they have found the Valiant’s “black box.”  On a funny note Spock mentions to Kirk that one of his ancestors was a human female.  This is funny because it is own mother, who I suppose is one’s most immediate ancestor; it just shows how Mr. Spock does like to talk about his past in vague terms.   

Kirk getting to know his First Officer

                Done with their game they head to the turbo lift.  Where they run into the star of this episode Gary Mitchell, who asks how their game went and easily picks up on Spock’s sour grapes about Kirk’s illogical game play.  Which to be frank anyone would pick up if they were in the room.  When they reach the transporter room Scotty brings the black box of the Valiant on to the ship.  Fortunately the Enterprise’s computer systems are so awesome they can work with two hundred year old computers without any interface problems what so ever.  

                On the bridge Kirk calls a meeting of the senior staff so he can stress with them the importance of their mission before announcing it to the whole crew.  On a side note, this also makes it plan to the viewer that with exception of Lt. Sulu and Lt. Cmdr. Mitchell, Kirk is visible younger than most his senior staff.  The Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Mark Piper, introduces Dr. Elizabeth Dehner who specialty is to study starship crews in stressful situations, which means if you’re on a crew and Dr. Dehner shows up it is not a good thing.  Mitchell tries to talk with Dehner but she shuts him down leading Mitchell to under his breath remark “walking freezer unit.”

                Spock downloads the Valiant’s records they discover that the Valiant at the galaxy’s edge encountered a force field.  This damaged the ship’s systems and a number of the crew were knocked unconscious.  Most of the passed our crew died but those that did not changed, Spock thought it was strange that the crew became obsessed about researching ESP.  The records end with the Captain of the Valiant given the order for the ship to self-destruct. 

Enterprise crew heading into danger and loving it!

                In the real world ESP is fake and those who claim to have it are all complete frauds but it world of Star Trek’s 23^rd century ESP is real and even documented.  Which leads me to wonder who won the million in James Randi’s famous challenge?  Kirk asked Dehner about ESP and she says she scores quite high, Kirk points out he wasn’t asking about her personally just what she knew about the subject in general, showing Dehner’s ESP skills to be somewhat lacking when put to the test.  She thinks ESP is harmless but Spock is not so sure pointing to cases where bad things could happen.  Nevertheless Captain Kirk makes the decision to go ahead as there are going to be more ships out this way and it’s their job to explore the dangers.

                As the Enterprise enters the barrier we learn that 200 more years of advance technology still can’t beat the barrier as the ship is rocked back in fourth.  They take server damage and the warp drive is shot beyond their ability to repair in space.  Several crew members, all with high esper scores, collapse.  Most die but two, Gary Mitchell and Elizabeth Dehner survive, Dehner is fine but Mitchell’s eyes have been changed to sliver.  

Mitchell is starting to like his new abilities.

                His eyes are not the only thing that has changed in sickbay Mitchell starts to experience strange sensations.   He can now read with at lighting speed photographic memory, he can tell who has come to visit him without looking , then he can see all over the ship, he can control his body functions, and he can move objects at will.  Kirk comes to see Mitchell and they talk and Kirk is pleased to see that Gary is still Gary.  However as time goes on Mitchell does seem to change.  At one point he talks down to Lt. Kelso, the helmsman who works by his side on the bridge, for failing to do his job right.  That wasn’t too bad because Mitchell was correct, but later many ship’s systems start to go haywire whenever Mitchell smiles and laughs from sickbay.

Mitchell is now becoming a growing concern!

                In the briefing room Lt. Sulu, one of the science officers, compares Mitchell’s growing power to the penny that doubles every day making a person a millionaire in month.  Kirk doesn’t want to give up on his friend and can’t bring himself to kill him.  Spock offers him another solution, the planet Delta Vega is in range of their impulse engines.  It is a fully automated mine for dilithium crystals[1] they were already headed there to salvage the crystals and equipment to repair the Enterprise once completed they can just leave Mitchell there.  Kirk doesn’t like this option either but comes realize he has no choice.

                In sickbay they manage to tranquilize Mitchell to get him unconscious long enough to get him to the transporter room and somehow gets him to stand on a transporter pad unconscious.   They beam to the surface where Mitchell is contained in a brig with a force field preventing him from escaping.  Mitchell attempts to break the force field only to be driven back.  For a moment his eyes turn back to normal before the power overtakes him again.  As a precaution Kirk has Lt. Kelso rig a self-destruct for the station as a last minute attempt if Mitchell were to escape.  Mitchell uses his telekinesis to strangle Kelso so he can’t use it.  Mitchell was now powerful enough to bring down the force field.  Tormenting Kirk with the statement “command and compassion is a fool’s mixture” and with a new electro blast power he knocks everyone out, except Dr. Dehner who now joins him with her eyes as silver as his.

Two for the price of one!

                When Kirk is awakened by Dr. Piper, he might have chosen to cut his losses.   The Enterprise was repaired and ready to go.  Mitchell had now apparently accepted exile and Dr. Dehner who had already expressed a desire to stay was with him.  However that is not what makes Captain Kirk Captain Kirk.   He now realized how wrong he had been.  Exile wasn’t going to stop Mitchell it was just going to help him build more power.  Not knowing the Dehner was equally affected, he feels he can still save her.  Ordering Piper back to the ship with orders for Mr. Spock to leave if they don’t hear from him in twelve hours and request Starfleet subject the planet to a lethal dose of radiation.  In the previous episode Number One used a laser cannon against entities who were masters of illusion, Kirk grabs a phaser rifle and heads after an entity who can alter matter with thought for real.

                Altering matter is just what Mitchell is doing, with Dr. Dehner at his side; he makes planets and water appear from dessert.  As they eat and drink from Gary’s new environment the two sense Captain Kirk coming.  Dehner goes out to confront Kirk, who is horrified at her new condition.  Nevertheless Kirk tries to reach her explaining the Mitchell’s mind has become warped reminding her how he mocked compassion, something that even a god needs.

                Mitchell, sensing that Kirk is actually getting to Dehner appears before them to confront his captain.  Kirk proves helpless before Mitchell’s power.   Mitchell torments the man who was once his best friend even going so far to make a grave for him that gets his middle initial wrong.  While this is happening Kirk continues to appeal to Dehner asking if she likes what she sees.  She doesn’t and turns on Mitchell and the two blast each other with their power.  Dehner passes out but Mitchell is drained.

                With his opponent’s power down Kirk lashes into Mitchell with his fierce fighting skills.  Attacking with grace and speed that must have made Muhammad Ali green with envy as he watched this as it came on air; Kirk starts a beat down on Mitchell.   Mitchell recovers and with fighting skills of equal grace fights Kirk to a standstill long enough for his power to restore.  Kirk is knocked back to where his phaser rifle is.  This is no big deal to Mitchell for he has involved beyond phaser fire.  Kirk however bets he hasn’t evolved beyond giant rocks falling on him and blasts the rock formation behind him.  Kirk is right and a giant rock falls down and crushes the would-be-god.  Kirk goes to check on Dehner but she dies of her injuries.

                On the bridge of the Enterprise Kirk notes that Dehner and Mitchell died in the performance of their duty, pointing out that Mitchell didn’t ask for what happened to him.  Spock in solidarity with Kirk says he felt for him to which gives Kirk hope for Mr. Spock.

Additional thoughts:  Where The Cage failed is Where No Man Has Gone Before succeeded.   The second pilot was the one that made studio heads want to climb on board.   Both had compelling stories but was the second pilot that brought the exciting action of Captain Kirk phaser blasting a mountain down on top of Gary Mitchell. 

It was also an unfortunate small win for bigotry; the studio was satisfied that there was no “annoying” female First Officer to take command of men while the Captain was off fighting for his life.  Fortunately, it was professional woman Dr. Dehner, who resists the temptation of power, turns of Mitchell opening a window for Captain Kirk to seize victory. 

"If you're going to kill me can you at least spell my name right?"

This episode is one of the primary reasons I prefer production order to air dates for the original series.  As most know the original series aired out of order.   Most Star Trek episodes are self-contained reducing the importance of what order the episodes are seen in.  However it doesn’t always work and Where No Man Has Gone Before is one of those examples.   The main reason is the relationship between Captain Kirk and Lt. Cmdr. Mitchell.

In the episode it is explained that Kirk first met Mitchell when he was a lieutenant and instructor at Starfleet Academy and Mitchell was his top student.  Mitchell would follow Kirk for the rest of his career finally ending up with Kirk as Captain of the Enterprise with Mitchell as a lieutenant commander, chief navigator, and I also suspect Second Officer after Spock.  Traditionally in Star Trek the Enterprise chain of command goes Kirk, Spock, and then Scotty.  But with Mitchell having an equal rank as Spock and Scotty and serving on the bridge, it would more sense for Mitchell to be after Spock.  Also given the relationship between Mitchell and Kirk, the Captain might have wanted for Mitchell to be the next in line.  Scotty replace Mitchell in that spot after the later's death. 

The friendship between Kirk and Mitchell helped the two men cancel each other’s weaknesses.   Kirk taught Mitchell to be a great Starfleet officer and to fly up the ranks of the service.  Mitchell helped turn Kirk from a “stack of books with legs” to a social charmer and ladies’ man.  Traits that are traditionally associated with Captain Kirk.  This works because the audience is never to have seen Kirk before, or if they have they go in knowing, as I did, that this episode was his first appearance.  Knowing this was first time William Shatner ever performed the role makes it easier to accept the information that is fed to you about Kirk and Mitchell’s relationship.  If you see this as the third episode it creates the question of: if Mitchell was so important where was he the first two episodes?  It is generally considered cheap to create a character in already established show make it seem important just to kill him off.  And I don’t think Gary Mitchell was cheap.

FINAL GRADE 4 of 5     

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[1] Still known by their old nickname of ‘lithium’.