The Enterprise has picked up an Earth-style distress signal coming from a nearby planet. As Spock describes the planet, things seem a little familiar: spheroid-shaped, oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere and it has an Africa! It’s another Earth! Who’d have thunk it? “It seems impossible, but there it is,” says Kirk. He’s spot on.
The landing party comprises of Kirk, Spock, Rand, McCoy and two of the luckiest security men ever to don the red uniform. Unusually, they will live to see another adventure.
On pseudo-Earth, it looks like 1960, but nobody is around. As Bones examines a broken tricycle, he’s attacked! Hey, isn’t that Kurt Cobain? No, it’s his deranged crusty-looking alter-ego. Kirk punches him out. Clearly not a Nirvana fan. Bones examines him and delivers the all-too-familiar “He’s Dead” line. Bones learns that Crusty Cobain’s metabolic rate is through the roof, as if he aged half a century in just a few minutes. No wonder he trashed that tricycle.
They meet Miri, a young teenage girl, who is convinced that the landing party want to hurt her. The grown-ups died from Kurt Cobain’s horrible disease and although the children were not affected, they witnessed their crazy behaviour and now fear adults.
Kirk tries to befriend Miri. In the more innocent times that the show was made, some of Kirk’s compliments to Miri would have seemed charming, but unfortunately looking at this scene with 21st century eyes, they feel just a little awkward. The delivery of lines like “Do you want to go some place with me?” show how much times have changed.
Kirk develops a weird rash (a blue splotch). He’s been infected by Cobain’s disease. Bones sets up a lab to investigate and discovers that the grown-ups were killed by a life prolongation project, designed to make people age just 1 month every 100 years. The children are actually over 300 years old. A child entering puberty is a death sentence. When the kids enter puberty they get the disease. As if spots and facial hair weren’t enough.
The children steal the communicators. When Kirk confronts the children, another wrinkly attacks Kirk. Kirk stuns her. Stuns her to Death! Kids go running in every direction. It’s like Ikea on a Sunday.
The story ends with a confrontation between Kirk and all the children. If it doesn’t sound scary, you went to a better school than I did. Kirk is dramatically outnumbered by people he can’t seem to reason with.
Ultimately Kirk convinces them that they’re turning into grown-ups, and that he wants to help them.
However, it is ultimately McCoy who saves the day, risking his life to try the untested vaccine. It works – the blemishes fade.
The Enterprise leaves the planet, telling the children that support will be along at some time, and not to cause any trouble until they get there, or they’ll all get detention.
It’s great to watch the relationship between Spock, McCoy and Kirk developing in these early episodes as the writers come to realise what brilliant characters they have to work with.
Bizarrely there’s never any explanation as to why this planet is identical to Earth. Must just be one of those things.
Cast:
William Shatner as James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy as Spock
DeForest Kelley as Leonard H. McCoy
Guest Cast:
Kim Darby as Miri
Michael J. Pollard as Jahn
Grace Lee Whitney as Janice Rand
Jim Goodwin as Lt. John Farrell
David L. Ross as Lt. Galloway
Creative Staff:
Director: Vincent McEveety
Written By: Adrian Spies
Official Episode Guide
