The Enterprise has been sent to planet Omicron Ceti III to rescue a group of settlers from deadly rays which can be very damaging to people over long periods of time. However, when the Enterprise attempts to contact the colonists, there is no response.
Fearing the worst, a party comprising of Kirk, Spock, Bones, Sulu and a few stragglers beams down. However, much to their surprise, they find everyone still very much alive. The leader of the colony, Elias Sandoval, assures Kirk that all is well.
Living amongst the settlers is Layla, a girl that Spock knew from many years earlier. She shows him around and tells him that they want for nothing. She leads him to a bunch of artificial-looking plants which expel their spores at Spock. Spock looks pained at first until a relaxed, happy expression falls upon his face. He tells Layla that he loves her. This is most unlike him. Most unlike him, indeed.
Bones discovers that the settlers are impossibly healthy. Elias’s appendix even grew back. Yeesh - that feels uncomfortable.
It transpires that the plants which affected Spock were also responsible for healing the settlers, allowing them to survive on the planet despite the deadly rays. Not only did they have this medicinal effect, but they were also responsible for the strange attitudes of those under the influence of the plants. Somehow the plants make people feel satisfied with their situation. However, as the plants start to affect the crew, Kirk loses control. Nobody obeys his orders.
For some reason, Kirk is unaffected by the spores, and in a genuinely touching moment, Kirk finds himself alone on the ship. He makes an entry in the log confessing that he doesn’t know what to do, and at his weakest moment, the spores get to him.
Just before he beams down, he suddenly comes to his senses, realising that anger has freed him of the spores influence. Immediately, he beams Spock up and, in an effort to provoke him to feel anger, starts insulting him, resulting in a big fight between our two central characters. It’s a great scene, and it works! Spock returns to his old ways.
Spock and Kirk broadcast a signal onto the planet which makes everyone angry, freeing everyone and returning their personalities.
Spock confronts Layla and she comes to realise that he can never feel the way about her that she feels for him.
As the episode ends, it seems as if life has returned to normal. The colonists agree to leave the planet and the crew return to the ship, but the true beauty of the episode comes from the final line. Spock reveals that despite everything he had lost on the planet, for the first time in his life, he was happy. And on that powerful note, the end credits role.
This is a phenomenally powerful episode of Star Trek, delivering wonderful performances from both Shatner and Nimoy. Guest star Jill Ireland as Layla is a joy to watch in every scene. Yes, this is a good, in fact great, episode, and I assure you I’m not under the influence of any weird alien spores.
Cast:
William Shatner as James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy as Spock
DeForest Kelley as Leonard H. McCoy
Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
George Takei as Hikaru Sulu
Guest Cast:
Eddie Paskey as Lt. Leslie
Jill Ireland as Leila Kalomi
Frank Overton as Elias Sandoval
Creative Staff:
Director: Ralph Senensky
Teleplay By: D. C. Fontana
Story By: Nathan Butler and D. C. Fontana
