NiteSciFi Re-Run TOS: The Enemy Within

[TetsuoShima]

Next week's episode: The Enemy Within

Wednesday, June 27th

 

[spoiler=Short Plot]The USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, is on a geological exploration of the planet Alfa 177. Geological Technician Fisher falls from an embankment and injures his hand. He is immediately beamed up from the planet for medical treatment, but some magnetic ore is smeared on his uniform, causing to the transporter to behave badly. Scotty orders him to have the uniform decontaminated before reporting to sickbay. Next, Captain Kirk is beamed up from the planet, the transporter seems to work smoothly, but Kirk feels disoriented. Scotty escorts him out of the room, leaving it empty. A moment later, a second Captain Kirk materializes on the transporter pad and no one is aware of his arrival.

 

 

Trivia:

 

- For years, the first several minutes of this show, up to Fisher's fall, were printed backwards, note that William Shatner's hair is parted on the wrong side and that the shirt he wears has no insignia on it. This has been corrected on the DVD releases, and in the prints currently aired.

- This was the first episode to show the Vulcan nerve pinch, as well as the first time McCoy says "He's dead, Jim".

- The showering phaser effect used when Sulu heats the rock is never used again. Just before he sprays the rocks, Sulu also appears to be fitting his hand phaser into its pistol mount—again, a maneuver that is never repeated.

- It is unusual that this engineering room was an ideal place for a fugitive to hide if he wanted to escape search parties, and also in that it seemed like it was normally unmanned with absolutely nobody in it. The idea that the "engineering deck", as it was called, as a place where people normally are not at is re-iterated in the later episode "The Conscience of the King" where Lt. Riley is sent "down" all by himself, which he perceives as some kind of punishment or chastisement for something he did wrong. This is quite a contrast with the busy engine room of the later seasons and of the later series of Trek.

 

[TetsuoShima]

Nice and entertaining episode about the 'good' and 'evil' in man and what roles they could possibly play in human life. Not much else I can say about it, besides that I enjoyed watching it again. :)

[Hilander72]

Just watch it. I wish they had a shuttle. ::)

 

It's not a spectacular episode other than classic good vs bad human qualities and the attempted "rape" by "evil" Kirk.

I'm still confused about what is a good and bad quality, though. :thinking:

[TetsuoShima]

Yeah, the missing shuttle was a mystery. If I remember correctly, they do use a shuttle in a TOS episode, or is that in a movie maybe, that I recall seeing a shuttle entering the Enterprise? I'm sure it wasn't just storyline here though, budget constraints must have been a big issue in those early days. :)

[Hilander72]

There's a shuttle in TOS.

 

In an episode one is damaged and has to land on some planet. Can't remember which episode. :-[

[Amnot Borg]

There's a shuttle in TOS.

 

In an episode one is damaged and has to land on some planet. Can't remember which episode. :-[

 

There are several TOS episodes featuring the shuttles onboard the Enterprise. Here's some.

1. The Galileo Seven is probably the one you are thinking about. Crashed on a world with giant barbarians throwing rocks?

2. Metamorphosis could be the one also. Zephram Cochran,  ver. 1.0, hanging out with a cloud creature?

3. The Immunity Syndrome was interesting. Outer space amoebas eating energy?

[TFMF]

Yeah, i wondered why they couldn't just use a shuttle - that would have solved the whole episode really.

 

The episode started off quite well, and it was interesting to see evil Kirk going really quite crazy throughout the ship. I thought it got a bit dull once they captured the evil Kirk, but it picked up once he escaped and the whole "Which one is the good Kirk" started.

 

These early starships really do lack adequet security measures. :P