Original air date: December 15, 1967
Captain’s Log, Stardate 3619.2
SYNOPSIS
Capt. Kirk obsessively hunts for a mysterious cloud creature he encountered in his youth.
CANON CONTEXT
“Lieutenant Lesley” played by regular Star Trek background actor is killed in this episode, however his character re-appears (and is referred to by name) in many subsequent episodes. Paskey was one of the core group of regular Star Trek extras and appeared in almost every episode, including the second pilot “”, until he left the show in the middle of the third season.
RECAP
Captain Kirk is obsessed. Just take a look at his facial expression here to fully grasp just how obsessed he is.
No, he’s not obsessed with that actor. He’s obsessed with the smoky thing that ultimately killed him and a bunch of other crewman.
It’s a thing Kirk encountered 11 years prior when he was on the just a lieutenant on the USS Farragut. His captain was Garrovick, same name as the new security officer taking over for the poor sod who was killed earlier. They waste no time replacing people around here.
Armed with the belief that his hesitation in destroying this thing 11 years ago that led to the deaths of half the crew and the captain, Kirk is beyond obsessed. He wants that thing dead. However, Spock and Bones are concerned that Kirk is shirking his duties as captain of the ship. See, aside from this, the main mission is to get rendezvous with USS Yorktown and get some really important medicine that has a short life span and could save the lives of others waiting for it.
It’s not very often we see Bones and Spock team up. Even Bones finds he needs a drink when Spock comes to him for advice on how to deal with Kirk’s current obsession.
I should probably mention this smoky creature drains humans of their blood and leaves them looking rather silvery-gray in color. Terrible makeup job, but they had to do something to represent blood drainage.
After Ensign Garrovick has a similar encounter with the smoke-thing he is relieved of duty by Kirk and sent to his quarters (for a time). It is around this time that I want to mention Nurse Chapel. An unsung hero. Not unlike Uhura who at least is expected to have some brains as she is a lieutenant. Nurse Christine is just a nurse but every scene with her in it is gold. This is no different. Brings a bit of laughter in an otherwise intense episode. She is sent by Bones to deliver food to his patient, Ensign Garrovick who is less than pleased to see her. She proceeds to threaten him with feeding him intravenously in sickbay if he does not eat the food she brought him. Upon returning to sickbay with the “prescription” she claims to have been written by Dr. McCoy, he asks her why she took files on some random thing with her to deliver food. Psychology, doctor. Just psychology.
Okay, getting back to it. Kirk takes the ship to chase after this creature which is now on the move. Before we know it, it manages to get inside the ship and where do you suppose it ends up? In Ensign Garrovick’s quarters while he’s getting a pep talk from Spock.
The thing is, there’s supposed to be a correlation between this ensign and the Kirk of 11 years ago. Both men blaming themselves for the predicament they are in. I gotta say, of all the “past references” that we’ve seen in certain episodes so far, this is one I’m just not really that into. I spent more time wanting the solution to be reached than anticipating the next move. Especially since it seemed so out of character for Kirk to just snap at everyone for no reason. It’s not like anyone was stepping out of line or even getting in his way, even when Spock and Bones threaten to file a report of his unorthodox actions. Felt very off-script.
We finally reach the end when Kirk surmises the creature is headed back to where it encountered USS Farragut 11 years ago. Turns out it has a home planet there to reproduce. And of course, we can’t let that happen. I must say, when it comes to the federation rules, they don’t seem to be helpful to creatures they don’t understand. It’s more of a kill first and investigate or learn, never.
Kirk and Ensign Garrovick beam down to the planet to set a trap. A large amount of blood in a jar. They set up a bomb that they will detonate at the right moment as they beam back onto the ship and effectively kill it.
There is a moment where Garrovick worries the captain might decide to use himself as bait for the creature to make sure it is blown up. A fight ensues between the two men. But it’s short lived. They are beamed back on the ship but not before some technical difficulties happen. Reminding us just how much Bones hates the idea of having his molecules manipulated in space. That’s how he describes the transport system. As we are always reminded, he is a simple country doctor, not used to being on a space ship.
With the creature now dead, how they confirm that is unknown to me, they are finally able to meet up with USS Yorktown and complete their initial mission.
DID THEY REALLY SAY THAT?
Nurse Chapel: Hi. Everyone else is at alert station, so I brought you some dinner.
Ensign Garrovick: I’m not hungry.
Nurse Chapel: Doctor’s orders.
Ensign Garrovick: [confined to his quarters] What’s happening?
Nurse Chapel: Are we still chasing that thing halfway across the galaxy? Yes. Has the captain lost his sense of balance? Maybe. Is the entire crew about ready to explode? Positively. You’re lucky you’re out of it.
Ensign Garrovick: What do mean “out of it?” I caused it. You know that, too, don’t you? If I’d fired my phaser quickly enough on Argus 10, this wouldn’t have happened.
Nurse Chapel: Your self-pity’s a terrible first course. Why don’t you try the soup instead?
Ensign Garrovick: I told you, Christine, I’m not hungry.
Nurse Chapel: Dr. McCoy thought you might say something like that. This is his officially logged prescription for you. It has one word on it: eat. Now, if you don’t follow his orders, Dr. McCoy could and possibly would have you hauled down to Sickbay and fed intravenously.
Scott: Captain, thank heaven.
Mr. Spock: Mr. Scott, there was no deity involved. It was my cross-circuiting to B that recovered them.
Dr. McCoy: Well, then, thank pitchforks and pointed ears! As long as it worked, Jim.
