The Enterprise comes to the planet Beta III to learn what happened to the Archon, a ship that disappeared roughly a century earlier. When Sulu and another officer beam down to investigate, they soon find themselves being pursued. They contact the ship... but only Sulu is retrieved, in a bizarre, zombie-like state.
Kirk, Spock, and McCoy lead a second Away Team. They immediately notice how strangely everyone is acting, almost as if the entire population was on drugs. They are greeted pleasantly by locals who direct them to an inn, but tell them to hurry because "the Red Hour" is soon to begin. When the Red Hour strikes, the entire young population seems to go collectively insane, with looting, violence, and violently lustful behavior creating a riot in the streets. When the Away Team refuses to participate, and then questions how the innkeeper, Reger (Harry Townes), could interact calmly the next morning with a man who assaulted his daughter during the Red Hour, they are recognized as outsiders and taken prisoner - to be converted, just as Sulu was, to follow the will of their god, Landru.
CHARACTERS
Capt. Kirk: A trend-setting episode, in that this episode marks the first time that Kirk essentially talks a computer into destroying itself. This episode also marks the first time that Kirk decides that the Prime Directive does not apply - apparently, because the culture on Beta III is not a "living, breathing" culture, but rather a static one. It seems a rather fine distinction, and I can't help but wonder if it is it really Kirk's place to judge whether a culture is evolving sufficiently. But it at least papers over the Prime Directive in order to allow the plot to actually unfold.
Spock: As a scientist, he has a certain clinical appreciation of the well-ordered nature of Landru's society. As an officer, he backs up Kirk throughout the episode. He is decidedly in a supporting position in this episode, but by playing Devil's Advocate, he does help Kirk to reach the correct conclusions.
THOUGHTS
An intriguing episode, but not an entirely successful one. Return of the Archons has a terrific first half. The mystery of what is occurring on Beta III is well laid-out, with nice little clues laid out at several points. Major clues include the uniform behavior of the inhabitants, who seem to lack much individuality (save for Reger, of course), and the way in which the Lawgiver cannot take the initiative when Kirk behaves in an unexpected manner. The Red Hour is a particularly creepy little sequence, with these pleasant, smiling zombies suddenly turning into violent rioters... and then, just as abruptly, becoming smiling zombies again.
The Red Hour does point to some of the script's problems, though. This sequence is there to speed up the inhabitants realizing that Kirk and his team are outsiders, and to create a "hook" to plug into the trailers and catch viewer interest. However, it is never adequately explained. If Landru's control of the populace is directed at maintaining peace and order, surely intermittent outbreaks of violence are counterproductive? One can speculate as to reasons - the Red Hour provides a release for negative emotions; the Red Hour likely makes sure that the population expands, as it is unlikely that much procreation gets attended to when the populace is in "smiling zombie" mode - but it is never properly addressed. Once Kirk and his team have been identified as outsiders, the Red Hour is never even mentioned again!
This episode really isn't as well-structured as most of the better TOS episodes have been. A lot is set up in the first half. Too much. By the time Kirk and his team are actively battling Landru, there is very little episode left. This results in a wrap-up that feels just a bit rushed, and a resolution that seems just a bit too easy.
Return of the Archons is still an intriguing and enjoyable episode. The early parts are best, gradually raising the stakes until the Enterprise itself is in imminent danger. However, the second half fails to fully deliver on the early promise, and the resolution lacks tension. It's well worth watching, but in the end too uneven to give as high a score as I might like.
Rating: 6/10.
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