LOOKING IN THE MIRROR

 Episode Title:  Mirror, Mirror

Air Date: 10/6/1967

Written by Jerome Bixby

Directed by Marc Daniels

Cast: William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk and Captain James T. Kirk        Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock and  Commander Spock                        DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard H. McCoy AKA “Bones” and  Dr. Leonard H. McCoy            James Doohan  as Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott AKA “Scotty”  and Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott       George Takei  as Lieutenant  Hikaru Sulu and Lieutenant  Hikaru Sulu             Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura and Lieutenant Nyota Uhura        John Winston as  Lieutenant Kyle and Lieutenant Kyle            Eddie Paskey as Lieutenant Leslie and  Lieutenant Leslie                Bill Blackburn as Lieutenant Hadley and Lieutenant Hadley         BarBara Luna as Lieutenant Marlena Moreau and Lieutenant Marlena  Moreau        Roger Holloway as Lt. Lemli and  Lt. Lemli                       Walter Koenig as Ensign Pavel Chekov and Ensign Pavel Chekov     Pete Kellett as Head of Kirk’s guard unnamed                Bobby Bass as unnamed imperial crewman          Bobby Clark as  unnamed imperial crewman          Johnny Mandell as  unnamed imperial crewman               Russ Peek as Spock's Vulcan Guard unnamed      Paul Prokop as unnamed imperial crewman                Vic Perrin as Tharn and Tharn        

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701 and ISS Enterprise NCC-1701

Planets:  Halka and Halka

My Spoiler filled summary and review: Mostly I write these reviews by myself but today I have the opportunity, seeing that this is “Mirror, Mirror,” to work with my own mirror universe counterpart who I met after an accident involving my microwave.  (It turns out in the real world you can breach to the mirror universe using microwaves.)  We have agreed that each will cover the parts that take place in our respective universes.  We will both be offering commentary in the additional thoughts section.  Be warned I find my mirror self to kind of a creep but if you can’t get along with yourself who can you get along with in that universe? 

                The episode begins with Captain Kirk trying and failing to win a mining agreement with the Halkan High Council.  The Halkan are extreme pacifists and they are afraid that if they let the Federation mine dilithium crystals those crystals could be used for war.  Captain Kirk, along with his landing party of Dr. McCoy, Mr. Scott, and Lt. Uhura, has been trying to convince the High Council that their missions are peaceful.   The Halkans agree that Starfleet has peaceful intentions but their ships still carry weapons that can be used for war.  It would be a betrayal of their principals as a people to be party to any violence even if it was justified violence made in self-defense.

                While these negotiations have been going on a severe ion storm in space is playing havoc with the Enterprise’s equipment.  The Captain sees that these negotiations are going nowhere so he calls up to the ship to have the landing party beam back aboard.  As they are transported back to the ship something goes wrong.  Those transporting feel dizzy and the transporter room appears to change to them.

                I was looking forward to watching the Enterprise wipe out this pathetic group of loser pacifists, but when our most glorious Captain emerges from the transporter something is immediately wrong.  Kirk and the landing party seem confused that everyone is saluting him.  After Spock gives Kyle a taste of his agonizer for his gross incompetence with a transporter (it was so fun to see him cry and beg) the First Officer notices something is wrong with the Captain.  When he inquires Kirk confirms dizziness and will have Dr. McCoy check them out in sickbay.   

                

               When they get to sickbay we find out what is wrong.  These four are fakes!  They are duplicates from a parallel universe where Earth is run by peaceful weaklings and humans have no Terran Empire to dominate the galaxy with!  Yet in this universe of weaklings McCoy still manages to spill acid in the same place. The Fake Kirk wants to know what the Empire wants the real Kirk to do.  One thing is clear they want to stop the crew of the ISS Enterprise from carrying out their mission and destroying the cities of Halka.  They are doing this because their Federation teaches them that it is okay for lesser spices to deny them.  (As if that was the way any universe works.) He sends Fake Scott on assignment to sabotage the phaser units.  Little does he know that Mr. Sulu’s security doesn’t let anyone mess with the ship’s weapons.  

Mice in the uniforms of giants!

       

Of all the fakes, Lt. Uhura is the only one who seems like she is worth a damn.  The way she put Sulu in his place would sure make the real Uhura proud.  Then unfortunately the fake Kirk enters the bridge and everyone salutes thinking he is their great leader.   However the fake Kirk soon shows his weakness with dealing with the cowards on the surface.  Instead of reigning good Terran Imperial hell upon Halka he actually tries to prevent the Empire’s mission.  For those of us expecting to see worthless pacifists fry in this episode we were plenty disappointed.   I thought when the fake Scott couldn’t sabotage the engines the Halkans were done for. 

Showing proper respect to the Captain

For this action Chekov gathers some men to attempt to assassinate Kirk, he has been planning this for some time, but he doesn’t know this isn’t the real Kirk.  That should make it easier but Chekov is such a loser that he can’t kill this imposter.  Chekov gets captured by Kirk’s guard and one of his own men betrays him realizing what Kirk could do for his career.   At least fake Kirk handles that right: loyalty isn’t much when it comes late.  Speaking of this fake Kirk, he does give Captain’s logs at the strangest of times.  No mention where is he recording them, our Enterprise’s computer system?   Imperial auditors will have a field day with those reviews. 

The fakes all have a meeting in Kirk’s quarters. Since they aren’t smart enough to figure out things for themselves they have the computer do all the hard work of explaining how they got to our universe and how to get back to their own.  After they make plans to head back the fake Kirk and McCoy decide to do research on “themselves” and what is immediately obvious is that fake Kirk cannot deal with the real Kirk’s greatness.   They wonder about their own weak universe and how they will handle the great Terran warriors. 

Back in our sane Star Trek universe Mr. Spock has things well in hand.  All four crew members from the evil mirror universe are quickly placed in the brig.  The alternate Kirk tries to bribe Spock with money and power.  It is quite creepy to see a version of Captain Kirk who murdered his predecessor to gain his command. 

As fake Kirk witnesses that loser Chekov being justly tortured by the Captain’s Personal Guard, he is approached by our Mr. Spock.  Spock sees Kirk act weak by releasing Chekov from the full duration of “the Booth.”  Spock expresses his concerns about the Captain’s action in not following the Empire's righteous policy.  I liked the conversation between him and Spock, but I wish Spock were saying it to the real Kirk.

Spock thinking he is talking to his captain

Fake Kirk enters the Captain’s quarters and Lt. Marlena Moreau is there waiting for him.  Fake Kirk seems surprised because apparently this Kirk doesn’t sleep with women in his universe.  Kirk and Marlena have a bit of a lovers spat, which is pathetic as he is not the real Kirk.  Fake Kirk receives a call from Spock who informs him that Starfleet has ordered him to be executed if he doesn’t end his cowardice in three hours.  Marlena laughs as she observes that Spock was so loyal it will cost him his life.  Then Marlena explains to the fake Kirk the Tantalus field, the greatest weapon of Starfleet’s greatest captain.   Fake Kirk stops her from using it on Spock, which is the only good thing Fake Kirk does.   

Marlena goes to another room to change and Fake Kirk is contacted by Fake Scotty, Kirk tells him they have a three hour deadline and the chief engineer responds with actually a half an hour.   They have one shot to get home and if they miss it they’re done for.   For the first time I am cheering for the fakes I can’t stand to deal weakling characters anymore it is time to send them home. 

Sulu contacts Spock excited to get rid of Kirk who is now openly a coward.   It is too bad that Sulu doesn’t understand that this isn’t the real Kirk.  Spock blows Sulu off and the two exchange small threats.  Spock is however beginning to suspect that something is up beyond just Kirk disobeying orders.  He notices Kirk is not the only crew member behaving oddly, the strange behavior is displayed by almost every member of the landing party.  He also discovers that Kirk and Scotty are working together on a project in secret. 

Fake Kirk has never seen such beauty

The fake Scotty and McCoy are making their adjustments to the Enterprise’s systems in order to make their escape.  While they are doing this Uhura, the only fake worth anything, begins seducing Sulu so he won’t see what has happened.  When they are done she slaps him and uses her dagger to get away from him and off the bridge.  

The group of fakes meets up in sickbay but they are surprised by Mr. Spock.  The fakes may have the hearts of cowards but they can fight.  They manage to not only defeat Spock but seriously injure him in the process.  This is the price Spock pays for not bringing his Personal Guard and trying to solve everything himself.  I always knew he would pay for that one day but he is saved by his enemy’s weakness.  Realizing Spock will die unless they do something, they decide to risk returning home in order to save him. 

Sulu looking to take command

While the fakes are trying to save Spock, Sulu shows up with the security team looking to kill them all and make himself Captain of the Enterprise.  He might have succeeded if Marlena Moreau hadn’t chosen now to strike.  With his men disappearing into thin air the fakes take Mr. Sulu down easy.  The fake McCoy remains to take care of Spock while the others head to the transporter room. Marlena meets them there and lets them know that she is also a coward and wants to leave with them. Fake Kirk  tells her that is not possible for only the four can change places with their real selves.

Spock trading losers for warriors

 Spock wakes to fine that the fakes are weaklings who grant mercy.  He does a force meld on McCoy and the fake learns what a Spock interrogation feels like.  Spock cuts the power to the transporter which scares the fakes and the fake Scotty and Kirk argue of who should sacrifice himself to the stronger universe.  Mr. Spock arrives at the transporter to help the fakes leave our universe and get our heroes back.  Before he leaves fake Kirk gives a stupid speech, Mr. Spock tries to tell him his idea is dumb but gives up. 

Back home in our regular universe Kirk and McCoy muse with Spock listening that they may have preferred Spock with a beard.  They asked him how he was able to see through the doppelgangers and Spock says it was easier for the civilized to appear savage then the savage to appear civilized.  However he did feel that their counterparts represented at type of pure humanity that was most refreshing. 

Additional thoughts: Wow what an episode!  Sorry for those of you who don’t like my mirror universe self.  To be frank, I don’t like him either.  He is a piece of work and he will be back but I want to reflect on the episode myself and give everyone my thoughts.

Setting a Mr. Sulu for a fall

My first thought is about those wacky transporter accidents.  If there is a little thing wrong such as strange yellow dust the transporter it splits the Captain into two different people.  This time passing through an ion storm causes a malfunction that makes the away team gets transported into a parallel universe.  Not only do they get transported to the parallel universe but their clothes don’t, those still head home to their proper destination.  However, rather than leave them naked the away team is conveniently placed by the transporter into the clothes of their doppelgangers.  This also happens vise-versa.     

Mirror Spock sitting next to the throne

Speaking of clothes I really like the mirror universe uniforms they look really cool with their belts and ceremonial daggers.  Good idea having all their badges appear on the other side.  The women are really sexy, I don’t know if there is a man on this Earth who enjoys the exposed mid-rift on attractive woman more than myself.  It’s lot of skin but at the same time no naughty bits.  Uhura and Moreau are really rocking it.  

Wow!

We now have returned the same strange Captain’s Logs that we saw in “The Squire of Gothos” during the duel scene and almost all throughout “The Arena.”  “Excuse me Mr. Chekov before you assassinate me you will please allow a moment record my thoughts in a Captain’s Log?”  Also, as my counter-part pointed out, where is he recording these things, in the computer system of the ISS Enterprise?  Imperial Starfleet Command must have had quite the shock when they audit those logs.

"You want to get cut"

I have stated in the past that when I review these episodes I try not to take into consideration what comes later, because I want to review the episode in its own merits not judge what future writers add.  However I will note that I think it’s an absolute shame that Star Trek: The Next Generation never had a Mirror Universe episode.  There was of course there was that great book by Diane Duane, but really wish that had been a multi-part episode.  Episodes we do get in the later series are okay but most fail to truly embrace that magic that this episode provided.

What this episode gave us was not just the run of the mill parallel universe but a mirror universe.  However the mirror being used is not regular one but one from a fun-house.  In one universe humanity is united and peacefully co-exists with other worlds under the banner of The United Federation of Planets, where in the other humanity is still united but violently conquerors worlds into their oppressive Terran Empire.  Such differences and similarities that exist between the Federation and the Empire can’t be explained by simple alternate history.

For example when a drugged up Dr. McCoy accidentally goes back in time in “The City on the Edge of Forever” he alters history in such a way that the landing party near the Guardian of Forever is marooned as the universe around them changes.  In the universe where Hitler won World War II there was a never Federation, Starfleet, or starship Enterprise.  Yet in mirror universe although everything is different everything is also the same.  Captain Kirk is still the Captain of the Enterprise, Mr. Spock is the first officer, and McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura are all in the same positions in both realities. There is a slight change with Mr. Sulu as having the additional job of being head of the ship’s Gestapo.  However even the transporter chief is the same and Captain Kirk’s predecessor on both universes is Captain Pike.  Also both Pike’s careers meet rather violent ends, although ours doesn’t die.

Besides people there are other things.  Scotty notices that in both universes the Enterprise has the same level of technology; the only difference is the mirror Kirk’s primary weapon the Tantalus field, which isn’t even Terran technology.  (Speaking of which, shouldn't mirror Kirk have a lock or password on that device?  It seems strange he would allow it to be used by anyone who could find it.)  The two starships are on the exact same mission at the exact same time.  Other missions seem also identical with exceptions to Imperial brutality.  The spot where Dr. McCoy spilled acid happened in exact same place in both universes.  When they are trying to go home at no point are they able to communicate with our universe and tell them what the plan is.  It just develops on the other side naturally.   Just as our landing party is coming home, our Mr. Spock is there to help send the other party back.

Another important part I would like to make before my counterpart takes back over.   In the mirror universe, as it is presented in this episode, only the humans/terrans are different.  The Halkans are exactly the same in both universes: pacifists who will die before aiding terrorists but would also not help like-minded peaceful people because they may use violence in self-defense.   The characters of Mr. Spock are both identical the only difference is the mirror Spock is doing his best to survive and prosper in this horrific environment created by the Terran Empire.   

From a different universe

“Mirror, Mirror” has long regarded as one of, if not the, worst episode of the franchise. It was banned almost immediately after it aired.  I had to get special permission to view it and now that I have seen it I almost wish I hadn’t.  Impostors from a non-imperialist universe show up and outwit the officers of the Emperor’s finest starship?   Seeing it for myself I have to say that I don’t blame Roddenberry for having Gene L. Coon and Jerome Bixby shot one month after the episode’s first and last showing.

I can think of no greater betrayal of Roddenberry’s vision than this episode.  One has to go back to where we were in the 1960s.  After Emperor John I of House Kennedy destroyed Cuba after the Bay of the Pigs with the new sub-nuclear weaponry (all the fire power but none of the background radiation) and allowing Turkey to invade the Ukraine, the power of the Soviet Union was broken and humiliated on the world stage.  These early victories showed the world that best power on Earth was Imperial States of the American Empire. 

Then out of almost nowhere a TV writer showed up with a dream.  In the past science fiction always showed aliens conquering the Earth’s people until one powerful empire purged itself of weakness and made them leave.  Roddenberry had a different idea: imagine an Empire like ours that unified the Earth and brought our special brand of fascism to the stars.  Thus the show Star Conquerors was born and the world was never the same. 

This loser couldn't kill a fake Kirk

The worst part of this episode was the fake Kirk trying to talk Spock into betraying his Captain.  See this episode in a vacuum makes you think he might do it.  However the title says “Star Conquerors starring William Shatner” the Captain isn’t going anywhere.  We have this season and the next to finish before making cartoons and six great films.  After “Star Conquerors VI: The Discovered Country” a film that was made to celebrate our final conquest of the Soviet Union under the combined military leadership of Field Marshall Ronald Reagan and Fleet Admiral George H.W. Bush, Emperor John I himself said that we owe a special thanks to show Star Conquerors and if Emperor Abraham of House Lincoln hadn’t unified North America in the 19^th century we might not have William Shatner to play James T. Kirk.  William Shatner lives in what was once Canada, now just the Canadian region.    

Watching a worm squirm 

The only good thing that came out of this episode was I got to find out the in canon reason for Chekov’s execution and stuffing of his remains in the next episode.  Chekov was always there to show how useless Russians were but having his body stuffed and on display did that far better than when he was alive.  After the final Klingon surrender in “The Discovered County” it was funny to see stuffed Chekov in the room where the surrender was being signed.  Star Conquerors is always great for metaphor.

In closing the mirror universe is a scary place.

FINAL GRADE 5 of 5

FINAL JUDGEMENT 0 OF 10

THE CREW OF THE USS ENTERPRISE PLAY THE ROLE OF SATAN

Episode Title:  The Apple

Air Date: 10/13/1967

Written by Max Ehrlich and Gene L. Coon 

Directed by Joseph Pevney

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”        John Winston as  Lieutenant Kyle            Eddie Paskey as Lieutenant Leslie                 Bill Blackburn as Lieutenant Hadley     Dick Dial as Lieutenant Kaplan        Walter Koenig as Ensign Pavel Chekov      Jay D. Jones as Ensign Mallory         Mal Friedman as Crewman Hendorff             Celeste Yarnall as Yeoman Third Class Martha Landon                 Jerry Daniels as Crewman Marple          Keith Andes as Akuta                Shari Nims as Sayana              Paul Baxley as Native         Ron Burke as Native       Bobby Clark as Native       Vince Deadrick Sr. as Native

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701

Planets:  Gamma Trianguli VI

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The Enterprise beams down to Gamma Triangulia VI a landing party so large they have to send them down as two groups.  The landing party consists of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Chekov, a Yeoman, and four expandable red shirts.  Right away the all the members of the landing party seem to be taken in at the nice weather this planet has, even Spock. According to his tricorder readings the great weather seems to be a planet-wide thing.  An earlier ship had detected some strange data on their sensors so they are here to investigate that. 

Beaming down to paradise

The away team begins their mission exploring the surroundings while taking an effort not to disturb the locals.   One poor red shirt discovers a plant that shoots spores, but unlike the ones on Omicron Ceti III that make you happy these ones just kill.  Then another one of these plants aims at Captain Kirk, but thanks to the quick actions of Mr. Spock Kirk is saved.  Spock pushed Kirk out of the way and was hit by the spores himself.  Due to his Vulcan anatomy he is not killed only injured. 

The life and death of the red shirt!

Kirk has had enough he calls Mr. Scott on the Enterprise and orders him to beam the away team back.  Earlier Mr. Scott had reported some minor problems that they were experiencing, and now they have evolved into some big problems.  The transporter fails and the away team is stuck on the planet, and to make matters worse the ship’s orbit is starting to decay.  The source of the Enterprise’s problem is on the planet itself.  Dr. McCoy is able to treat Mr. Spock and get him back to a functioning level, which is one less problem but more problems keep building up.

Suddenly the beautiful weather they were experiencing ends and a storm opens up on them.  A bolt of lightning strikes down so powerfully that it disintegrates a security officer that it hits.  The crew runs for cover.  Earlier Spock and Kirk discovered that certain rocks on this planet were highly explosive.  As the security officer Ensign Mallory, who had been scouting the terrain, ran back to rejoin the rest of the landing party he stepped on one of these rocks and was instantly killed.  

   

After three crew members are killed in a short period of time in rather stupid ways Captain Kirk almost has a mental breakdown that Spock has to coach him out of.  They soon realize after the storm clears that they are being spied on.  Kirk has Spock and Chekov cause a distraction allowing him to grab the intruder.  Kirk punches him in the face, and even though Kirk’s fighting skills are famed throughout the universe, he doesn’t need them much here for after the man is hit he starts crying. Kirk becomes apologetic and they talk a little bit. 

Crew meet Akuta

The local identifies himself as Akuta.  Akuta has artificial antenna coming out of his neck.  When asked about it he explains that the antenna is how Vaal communicates with him.  Akuta leads them back to his village and introduces them to his neighbors.  The away team also gets to see Vaal.  Vaal looks to be a stone structure but Spock’s readings show it to be the source of power.  The people of the local village feed Vaal when they are summoned.  

When at the village McCoy makes a startling discovery: these people do not age, their bodies remains static.  McCoy has no idea how old they are.  They could be fifty years or 50,000.  The people of Vaal seem to have no concept of death.  There are also no children around when asked about them Akuta refers to the idea of children as “replacements” and says they have no need for such things.  The Yeoman then asks what about the relationships between men and women, to which Akuta says Vaal has forbidden such activities.

Vaal

When the away team is alone they debate the situation.  Kirk gets the Yeoman to wonder what would happen if a “replacement” was ever needed and Spock theorizes they would receive instructions from Vaal.  The concept of living beings getting romantic tips from a machine bewilders the team.  A debate brakes out among the team with McCoy taking the side declaring this state of existence is unnatural while Spock defends the Prime Directive.

The Ensign and the Yeoman getting frisky in the wrong place!

While they continue to sit around and debate this there is still the ‘B’ story of the episode that happens to be their most pressing problem.  The Enterprise is falling from the sky in an apparent death spiral.  Scotty is doing everything he can to save her but nothing is working.  Throughout the episode he calls in and reports the situation to Kirk.  It is this situation that will force Kirk’s action.

Later Chekov and Yeoman Landon start getting frisky when they think they are alone but two villagers, a man and a woman, see them.  They like what they saw and start to get frisky too!  They are then caught but Akuta who tells them this is forbidden.  As a result Vaal commands Akuta to have his people kill the outsiders.  Akuta holds a meeting with the villagers and explains how to kill.  

No one gets frisky here!

The mob of villagers sneak attacks the away team and kills the remaining red shirt.  However Captain Kirk, with his superior fighting skills that are famed throughout the galaxy, and his well-trained crew successfully fight off the mob without breaking a sweat.  Now with the village under the landing party's control when Vaal calls for food they prevent the villagers from giving it any.  This weakens its protective shields and Kirk orders Scotty to fire the Enterprise’s phasers.  Vaal is destroyed by the ship’s fire power.

In the end Kirk explains to the villagers that they are now free to get sick and die just like everyone else.  This is good because they can now have sex and with it babies.   Back on the ship Spock wonders if they did the right thing comparing their actions to the snake in the biblical Garden of Eden.  Kirk thinks it ridiculous that Spock would compare him to Satan and challenges his first officer name any officer that may even slightly resemble Satan.  Spock answers in the negative.

The Yeoman still in red and kicking butt!

Additional thoughts: Poor Mr. Spock!  He took quite a beating in this episode, from taken the spores meant for Kirk to getting blasted by Vaal.  He is one rugged Vulcan and the only thing that he let on that bothered him was an upset stomach caused McCoy’s treatment.

Poor Spock!

So now for the prime directive part of the story, “The Apple” desperately tries to get the audience to have a debate about the prime directive.  In fact I would say it is the first episode to actually try do so.  Kirk violated all to hell in “The Taste of Armageddon” but they didn’t talk about it much.  Likewise in “The Return of the Archons” the prime directive is mentioned once and quickly dismissed.  

This episode feels like a “The Return of the Archons-lite” it’s almost as if the writer went back and said “wow we really missed an opportunity to do some prime directive soul searching in that episode so I’m going to write it again and have the crew talk about that.”  Like “Archons” “The Apple” deals with a humanoid society under the rule of a supercomputer, a supercomputer that has been there so long the average people don’t know how it came to be, the supercomputer is holding the society in a primitive state on purpose, and the supercomputer is trying to destroy the Enterprise by pulling it down from the sky.   Both episodes were directed by Joseph Pevney.

The last stand of Vaal, but what was Vaal?

There are however important distinctions between the two episodes.  One difference is where the people and society of Beta II were interesting and had depth, while the people and society of Gamma Trianguli VI do not.  Landru of Beta II had its entire history explained: there really was a ruler named Landru who took over the planet and imposed a more “simper primitive state” on the inhabitants, and when he died his machine assumed his identity and continued to rule with his vision for society.  We have no more idea at the end of the episode then we do in the middle about Vaal and his origins.  Vaal, like Landru, may have been built by someone from the planet but we are never told for sure.  For all we know Vaal was set up by foreigners to keep the local natives in status to be preserved for their intergalactic zoo.   However if the later was the case then that would defeat the purpose of the episode’s main point which was the prime directive, which is already going to be made irrelevant with another point as I will explain in the next paragraph.

   Kirk’s reason for setting aside the prime directive in this episode is identical to the one from “The Return of the Archons,” which is “the prime directive only applies to developing societies where this society isn’t developing. “  The only difference is when in “Archons” Kirk’s reason is just universally accepted, in this episode it is the subject of a large debate mostly between Spock and McCoy.  A debate that is pointless because of the more pressing issue of Vaal trying and nearly realizing the destruction of the Enterprise.  Their right of self-preservation takes over.  They were always going to destroy Vaal and their debate over it comes off as the away team trying to justify their actions to themselves.  They don’t want to hurt the people of Gamma Trianguli VI but they must destroy Vaal so they want their actions not only to save themselves but they want to believe it helps these poor locals.  Only Spock, who is not as dependent on his emotions, refuses to play pretend. In conclusion, the episode that was supposed to cause us to debate the prime directive is a failure.  

When babies are an idea and not a reality !

   Are they Satan of this story?  I don’t know but I do know one thing.  In the end when Kirk is telling them about the children they will have who are little, look like you, and grow; I notice he didn’t exactly tell the women where these “replacements” will be coming from.

FINAL GRADE 3 of 5

I AM NOMAD!!!

 Episode Title:  The Changeling

Air Date: 9/29/1967

Written by John Meredyth Lucas

Directed by Marc Daniels

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          Majel Barrett as Nurse Christine Chapel          Eddie Paskey as Lieutenant Leslie                 Bill Blackburn as Lieutenant Hadley     Frank Da Vinci as Lieutenant Brent                 Roger Holloway as Lieutenant Lemli         Jeannie Malone as unnamed Yeoman                   Makee K. Blaisdell as Crewman Singh                 Barbara Gates as Unnamed  Crewwoman     Meade Martin as Unnamed Crewman                Arnold Lessing as unnamed Security Guard      Joe Paz as Security Guard     Marc Daniels as Prof. Jackson Roykirk        Vic Perrin as Nomad

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701

Planets:  none

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The episode begins with the Enterprise heading toward the Malurian star system, but when they try to raise them on the communication system there is no answer.  Long-range sensors pick up that the planets' populations have been wiped out.  This of course the massive tragedy but also serious concerns the crew, for just two weeks ago they had defeated the planet killer.  Almost immediately the Enterprise is attacked and they’re bombarded by incredible power.  When Kirk tries to retaliate they find the photon torpedo fired is simply absorbed by the attacking force. 

The Enterprise is down to its last hit so in a desperate plea Kirk sends a message through the communication system hoping that the universal translator will be able to get it through accurately.  It works!  Their opponent responds to Kirk’s hail and identifies itself as “Nomad.”  The Nomad is very small so Kirk volunteers to have it be beamed aboard which Nomad accepts.

Nomad aboard!

When Nomad arrives on the transporter pad it demands to know the crew’s point of origin.  The Captain tells the device that they are from the United Federation of Planets to which Nomad responds with “non-sequitur.”  This confirms to Spock that Nomad is artificial intelligence and tends to identify problems like a computer normally would.   They take Nomad to look at some star charts and when looking at the charts it makes references to Earth.  Nomad declares Earth is also its point of origin and identifies Captain Kirk as its creator.  The crew uses Nomad’s belief that Kirk is its creator to manipulate it to reveal more information about itself.  Nomad explains that it is perfect and its primary mission is to seek out imperfections and sterilize them.  Nomad confesses to destroying all life on the planets that the Enterprise was trying to reach.

 In the conference room Spock had presented some research based on a statement Kirk made about a Nomad probe launched in the early 21^st century.   That probe’s creator was named Jackson Roykirk and the probe’s mission was to try to discover alien life.  Something happened and changed it however given it much more power, a new mission, and faulty memory.  Because of the similar name it thinks the Captain is its creator. 

Nomad finds Uhura's singing imperfect

While Crewman Singh is watching Nomad, who is placed in the auxiliary control room, he calls up to Uhura for some assistance.  While aiding the Crewman, Uhura begins to sing.  Nomad finds Uhura’s singing to be annoying so it leaves auxiliary control and heads to the bridge.  When it arrives on the bridge it confronts the Lieutenant about her singing.  When Uhura can’t explain why it is she sings to Nomad’s satisfaction it determines she is an imperfect human and begins to sterilize her.  Scotty tries to interfere and is killed by the device.  It appears his red shirt finally caught up with him.

When Kirk arrives on the bridge he is visibly angry with Nomad.  This actually comes clear to Nomad when it asks the Captain if the Scott Unit is another one of his creations.  When Kirk confirms that he is then Nomad offers to fix him.  This offer is a surprise considering that Mr. Scott is dead.  However after studying some medical books provided by McCoy, it is able to revive Mr. Scott.  When asked to do the same for Lt. Uhura, it claims it can’t because Uhura was not physically harmed only memories erased and they can’t be put back.  (I am going to have more to say about that in the “Additional thoughts” section.)

Scotty's red shirt catches up with him!

Captain Kirk decides it is best to put Nomad in high-security brig with two armed guards.   In order to learn the truth of the Nomad’s nature, Mr. Spock decides to perform a mind meld.  Despite the fact that this is a device not a biological organism, Mr. Spock believes that his it has evolved into a functional artificial intelligence and that will allow him to do the meld.  The mind meld to the probe is successful but difficult and Spock is almost absorbed by Nomad.  However what Spock has learned was worth the risk.  It appears the original Nomad had a collision with an alien probe called Tan-Ru.  Tan-Ru’s job was to sterilize soil samples.  When the two probes collided they tried to make repairs and ended up combining into one unit.  The combined probe assumed the identity of Nomad and its new purpose was to seek out life and sterilize the imperfections.

Nomad grows board with waiting so it kills its guards and heads to the engineering.  In engineering, it takes control of the ship and augments the vessel to go to faster than safe or even possible speeds.  Kirk arrives and orders it to back off.  When Nomad defends its actions by saying only the biological organisms would die and that the ship would be fine. Kirk lets it know that its creator is a human being.  This information shocks Nomad and it begins to reassess things.

machine mind meld

Nomad escapes confinement again kills a couple more guards.   It starts to research all it can on Captain Kirk.  Kirk has now had enough.  Nomad may be the most powerful artificial intelligence ever accidentally created but it was going have to match wits with Captain Kirk the Bane of all Artificial Intelligence.  In the space of a few minutes Kirk is able to show Nomad its imperfections and convinces it commit suicide.  While Nomad is doing its suicide countdown Kirk and Spock rush the dangerous entity to the transporter room and send into space just like they did Jack the Ripper.

In the end Spock warns that they may have lost an opportunity to learn from the probe.  Kirk mocks that idea by claiming that he was the one who truly lost for the thing thought it was his offspring so he could have had a son.  Given Nomad’s skills with medicine, seeing how well it fixed Scotty, he could’ve had a son grow up to become a doctor.

Additional thoughts: Okay let’s talk about what happened to Lt. Uhura.  I am calling bull****.   If what Nomad did to her is taken at face value that he essentially killed her and we now have a completely new person.   To be fair the episode mentioned she lost her “knowledge” not all her memories and the characters simply talk of retraining her but how do you separate memory from knowledge? 

So here’s what I think happened to Lt. Uhura.  I don’t take Nomad’s statements at face value.  It can’t even keep its own origin story straight and thought Captain Kirk was its creator.  I think what happened to the Lieutenant was she lost access to her memory.  However the memory was recoverable with simple triggers.  Once exposed to a trigger a memory reemerged.  This is why she went from knowing nothing to completing college level material at the end of the episode, and according to Dr. McCoy, will be back on the job by the end of the week.  Some evidence of this can be seen when Uhura was being tutored by Nurse Chapel.  All of a sudden Uhura went back and forth from English and Swahili.  Now as far as I know Nurse Chapel does not know Swahili.  This is evidence of Uhura’s natural knowledge returning to her.  Still it was a bad week to come back from vacation. 

Last I checked Chapel doesn't know Swahili

Nomad was some piece of work.  In the end it was some old space junk that mutated into a monster.  It committed genocide on several planets and almost destroyed the Enterprise.  I think we humans need to be more careful with what junk we throughout into space.  We don’t need it coming back to us and sending our starships flying through space with unheard of speeds.  I thought the Enterprise held up quite well against it.  At one point Mr. Spock said energy Nomad was omitting was equal to 90 photon torpedoes and the only caused the shields the buckle.

Please don't kill me again

When I was in college in the early 2000s, my history professor compared the historical figure Pompey the Great to Nomad for his actions in the Middle East prior to forming the First Triumvirate with Caesar and Crassus.

That look Kirk gets when it is time to destroy artificial intelligence 

These have been a rough couple weeks for the United Federation of Planets.  Two weeks ago The Doomsday Machine shows up and wipes out entire solar systems.  Now a nasty bit of space junk comes back and destroys entire planetary populations.  The 23^rd century is a very dangerous place.

FINAL GRADE 3 of 5

KIRK RUNS INTO JACK THE RIPPER WHO IS STILL KILLING AND NOW FRAMING SCOTTY

 

Episode Title:  Wolf in the Fold

Air Date: 12/22/1967

Written by Robert Bloch

Directed by Joseph Pevney

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              Virginia Aldridge as Lieutenant Karen Tracy          John Winston as  Lieutenant Kyle            Eddie Paskey as Lieutenant Leslie                 Bill Blackburn as Lieutenant Hadley     Judi Sherven as unnamed Nurse            Judith McConnell as Yeoman Second Class Tankris        John Fiedler as Hengist                       Charles Macaulay as Jaris         Pilar Seurat as Sybo              Charles Dierkop as Morla               Joseph Bernard as Tark                Tanya Lemani as Kara        Marlys Burdette as  Serving Girl               Suzanne Lodge as Argelian Waitress   Majel Barrett as Enterprise Computer

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701

Planets:  Argelius II

I like Dr. McCoy's treatments

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The background to the episode is Mr. Scott was injured in an explosion caused by a female crew member.  He recovers but Dr. McCoy is concerned that this accident will cause could cause Scotty to develop a total resentment of women.  This doesn’t make any sense but 23^rd century brains must be wired a little bit differently.  Mr. Scott doesn’t seem to harbor any resentment towards women but in the 23^rd century we didn’t get rid of misogyny by standing around, if we think someone’s infected we perform an intervention.  In order to prevent Scotty’s potential emerging misogyny Kirk and McCoy intervene by beaming down with him to the planet Argelius.  While on the planet they take the Chief Engineer to a local strip club to remind him that women can be “good.” 

Pretty alien stripper

At the club there is a very pretty belly dancing stripper named Kara, who Scotty takes to.  Apparently already aware of his Chief Engineer’s type, Kirk had taken the initiative to invite her to sit with them after her act.  Upon hearing this Mr. Scott thanks his Captain for being one who “always looks out for his men.”  Scotty asks the stripper for some private time that she grants as strippers tend to do.  Kirk then turns to McCoy to remind him that there are some better clubs including his favorite and McCoy already knows where he means to go before Kirk finishes his sentence.  This means that the Captain who “always takes care of his men” does so at the cheaper strip clubs.

Scotty looking for some private time

All of a sudden they here a scream and run out to find the pretty stripper they saw earlier has been stabbed dead and Scotty is standing there holding the knife.  When confronted Scotty doesn’t remember what happened.  Two officials show up first an investigator named Hengist and the second is the Prefect of Argelius whose name is Jaris.  When he is questioned Scotty doesn’t remember anything that happened.  Hengist who is from Rigel explains that his office doesn’t have a lot of resources to deal with this because this type of thing rarely happens on Argelius.  Jaris mentions that they did have an ancient way of investigating that had to do with ESP and telepathy, and that his wife has these abilities. 

Kirk calls Spock to explain the situation and Spock wants to bring Mr. Scott to the ship but Kirk reminds the First Officer they are bound by the planets laws.  While Sybo, Jaris’s gifted wife is preparing, Kirk asks the Prefect if it would permissible for them to bring down a psycho-tricorder.  A psycho-tricorder is a device that was clearly invented last week and has the ability to scan Scotty’s mind and tell them everywhere he has been and everything that has happened to him.  This great little device would have been very useful in Kirk’s own court-martial, bad for Spock’s, and helpful with old Matt Decker last week. 

Scotty just can't remember!

  With permission from Javis obtained, the Enterprise beams down Lt. Tracy with the device to examine Scotty.  Tracy takes the Chief Engineer to another room and that is when Javis notices the murder weapon was missing.  A scream from the other room cause Kirk and Javis to head in there where they discover Lt. Tracy dead and Mr. Scott over her body claiming he can’t remember what has happened.

And another one bites the dust

Hengist returns with two “persons of interest” who were there the night of the first killing.  One was the musician who it turns out is the father of the first murder victim.  The second man is the ex-fiancé of the victim whose relationship ends because of jealousy; an emotion looked down upon on Argelius.  He strongly insists he wasn’t the murder and he wins over Hengist when Kirk tells all of them of the second murder.  To Hengist, Scott must be guilty he was found with both women at the time of the murders and had the weapon in hand for one.  Scotty is also warned by Javis that there hasn’t been a murder in so long that they haven’t changed the penalty.  That penalty is death by slow torture.  

Not the type of investigation I would want to save me from slow torture

Sybo is now ready to conduct the Séance and this investigation attempt proceeds over the objections of Hengist who feels the case was already solved.  Attending Sybo’s ritual are all parties involved including the two suspects, Scotty and the ex-fiancé.  While performing the ritual Sybo doesn’t name any of the suspects and instead she blames and ancient evil and called out some of its names "Kesla," "Beratis," "Redjac."  Then the room goes dark and Sybo screams!  The lights come back on and she is in the arms of Mr. Scott and the same dagger in her back. 

Third one today

Javis, who is clearly the most understanding person in the world, despite the fact that the love of his life has been killed with her killer seemly caught red-handed in his third murder of the day, nevertheless agrees to let Kirk continue the investigation.  Despite that Kirk is obviously biased in the matter and wants to relocate the investigation up to his ship, Javis continues to follow even with Hengist’s objections.  

The most understanding man in the universe

On the Enterprise they gather in a conference room to use the new psycho-tricorder on both Mr. Scott and the ex-fiancé.  Unlike the earlier promise about the psycho-tricorder's abilities the device is a simple lie-detector.  Both Mr. Scott and the ex-fiancé are cleared.  I hate to say it but it is at this point that the episode starts to get weird.  By feeding names that Sybo called out into the computer they come to the conclusion that the killer isn’t a man at all rather an energy creature that can assume human form and feeds on fear to make itself powerful.  It targets women because they generate more fear.  Their killer is none other than Jack the Ripper. 

Scotty cleared! It's Jack the Ripper instead!

Hengist continues to object to what he regards as simple “ghosts and goblins” not real investigative work.  However it is quickly pointed out that he his home planet of Rigel was the site of the last attack where he had claimed nothing like this had ever happened there.  It is then reveled that Hengist is Jack the Ripper.  Old Jack tries to escape but he is cornered and Kirk decks him.  To everyone’s surprise McCoy determines that he is dead.  Kirk maybe one of the greatest fighters in the galaxy but even he shouldn’t kill a person with a light punch.  Apparently the creature occupied a corpse thus restoring it to temporary life. 

Mr. Sulu as high as a kite!

However soon they hear the killer’s voice coming from the computer.  He is threatening to destroy them all, but he makes no move to do so yet.  Kirk reasons since he feeds on fear he would torment the crew first in order to generate it.  Now it should be pointed out at this phase the actor John Fiedler also played the character Piglet in The Adventures of Winnie the Poo and unlike a lot of voice actors he didn’t create a special voice for the character he just used his own voice.  So you need to imagine the voice of Piglet saying “I’m going to kill you all!”  I don’t understand how anyone would fine that intimidating it’s kind of like seeing a little dog park up a storm trying to scare you.  Nevertheless, Kirk doesn’t take this threat lying down.  He wants to insure that Jack the Ripper won’t be able to terrify, so he decides to drug his entire crew to the point they are so high that they can’t tell they’re in danger.  Then in order to get him out of their computer Spock enters the equation to the value of Pi and programs the computer to solve it.  This forces Jack the Ripper out.

Taking out the garbage

Jack tries to control Javis but he is quickly Vulcan nerve-pinched forcing Jack out.  Going back to his Hengist body he tries to take a hostage but fails.  With no fear to feed on he is weak and an injection traps him in the Hengist body.  Kirk and Spock take him to the transporter room and beam him into space.  Jack the Ripper is defeated, Scotty is innocent and the whole crew is stoned.  

Additional thoughts: It should be pointed out that this is not Robert Bloch’s only “Jack the Ripper is still alive and not even human” story.  He apparently had a number of them.  I am not going to talk about any of them here; I just thought it should be noted. 

                This is one of those episodes that even though it is not supposed to be funny it is in fact hilarious.  From Piglet Jack the Ripper and the stoned crew of the Enterprise there are no stop laughs in this episode.   It is just impossible to take any of it seriously.

One of things that annoys me not just here but in a lot of fiction is how skeptics are treated.  Here we have multiple murders with the same person seemingly caught red-handed each time.  The audience knows Scotty didn’t do it.  How the crew solves the case is the issue.  Do they use great detective work to clear him?  No, they use instead a séance, psycho-tricorders, and wild speculation with the computer.  Hengist is the only character pleading common sense rejecting the “ghost and goblins” approach.  It turns out this is a case of ‘smelt it dealt it’ and the skeptic wasn’t giving legitimate objections but rather trying to cover his own crimes.

The only voice of reason turns out to be Jack the Ripper!

I’m assuming the psycho-tricorder technology doesn’t last since I don’t recall ever seeing it again.  It didn’t seem like it was that great to begin with, it was supposed to record memories but it turned out to be just a fancy lie-detector.  If it did everything they said it could it have plot killed a lot of future episodes.   Of course we could always turn to the Vulcan mind-meld.  Hey why didn’t they use the Vulcan mind?

"I'm going to kill you all!"

It is nice to have an episode focus on Mr. Scott, but if we are going to that wouldn’t it be better to present him with a great engineering question to solve as opposed to falsely accusing him of murder?  He is a great character who’s always holding the ship together so Kirk and Spock can get the win.  He deserves more than an episode where he has a knife in his hand and a blank expression on his face saying “I don’t know.”

 FINAL GRADE 3 of 5