The Enterprise is on a particularly grim mission this time: to catalog the destruction of an Earth colony by deadly solar radiation. However, much to the landing party's surprise, the colonists are alive and well - and in perfect physical health! In fact, Dr. McCoy is startled to find, the colonists are actually in better health than they were when they left, with all physical imperfections healed.
One of the colonists, Leila (Jill Ireland), a previous acquaintance of Spock's, promises to show the first officer the colony's secret. She does - leading him directly to a plant which infects him with alien spores! Spock immediately transforms into a very emotional man. He laughs freely, ignoring communications from Kirk while declaring his love for Leila. As the spores spread amongst the entire crew, Kirk soon finds himself the only officer not affected. Alone, abandoned by his entire crew, he must find a way to overcome the spores' influence before it's too late!
CHARACTERS
Capt. Kirk: As in The Naked Time, we see that Kirk's love of his ship and his iron will can combine to overcome alien influences. Once again, we also see that - contrary to the character's reputation - Kirk is actually a stickler for duty and orders. He insists that the colony must be returned home, to the point of threatening force when the colonists balk. When his crew opposes him, he will not bend. By 30 minutes in, all seems lost for him. The image of the captain sitting alone on the bridge, recording a log entry, at his most hopeless moment is a striking one, and Shatner's performance is very strong throughout.
Spock: This is one of the defining "Spock" episodes. Once he is under the influence of the spores, Spock's emotional, human side comes out. We see him revel in the freedom to laugh and play, to enjoy a beautiful woman, to do and express all the things that his Vulcan control never lets him do. The end - when inevitably, the spores are overcome and Spock's control reasserts itself - strikes a tragic note. It seems clear enough that his feelings for Leila, his appreciation of beauty, his reveling in laughter... These were not created by the spores. They have been in Spock all along. This is the side of himself that he constantly suppresses. This taste of paradise, snatched from him by duty, seems likely to haunt him for probably the rest of his life.
Dr. McCoy: DeForest Kelly has great fun playing McCoy under the influence. He lets McCoy's hint of a Southern accent blossom into a full-blooded drawl. His barely-coherent communicator conversation with Kirk is a comic joy. It may be a touch hammy - but it's good ham, and great fun to watch.
Hot Space Babe of the Week: Jill Ireland invests her usual beauty and touch of class to Leila, Spock's old flame. She and Nimoy display good screen chemistry, and she puts across the character's sense of longing in her scenes with Spock. When she comes face-to-face with the Strict Vulcan Control Spock at the end, after all they have enjoyed throughout the episode, it is impossible not to feel a keen sympathy for both characters.
THOUGHTS
To be honest, this was not an episode I was looking forward to. I recalled this as "one of the boring ones," which as a child viewer it probably was. Watching as an adult, I find it one of the stronger episodes.
All the main actors bring their "A" games, and the exterior filming opens up this sometimes claustrophobic series nicely. There is an enjoyable parallel between the spores in this episode and the pods in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, a clear inspiration. Writer D. C. Fontana again shows her understanding of the series' regulars, deftly presenting a Kirk who is a touch more vulnerable and a Spock whose strict self-control - which he sees as his salvation - may actually be his tragedy. At this point, I think Fontana, even more than Roddenberry, is the strongest character writer on this series.
Rating: 8/10.
Previous Episode: Space Seed
Next Episode: The Devil in the Dark
Search Amazon.com for Star Trek
Review Index
No comments:
Post a Comment