"Turnabout Intruder" (season three, episode twenty-four; production code: 079; 3 June 1969): Wikipedia-link.
Commentary: "Turnabout Intruder" was originally slated to air on 28 March 1969, just a fortnight after the previous episode, "All Our Yesterdays," but was pre-empted by news coverage of the death of President Eisenhower, earlier that day. I don't know why it didn't air in either April or May.
It's a solid, if not spectacular episode, & deserves little of the scorn that is misguidedly heaped upon it. An old flame of Captain Kirk's, Dr. Janice Lester, uses an ancient alien device to switch consciousnesses with Kirk, trapping Kirk'smind in her body while her mind drives his. William Shatner's performance is excellent, as Lester-in-Kirk's-body has distinctly difference body language & mannerisms than the real Kirk. There's intrigue & courtroom drama as Spock & McCoy first investigate Kirk's bizarre decisions & bouts of temper & Spock is brought up on charges of mutiny. The ending is a bit weak, as the consciousness switch merely wears off, returning Kirk's mind to Kirk's body & Lester's mind to Lester's body. To his credit, Kirk remains magnanimous toward the mad & defeated Dr. Lester.
There's also some cool bits of continuity building in "Turnabout Intruder." In conversation with Spock, Kirk-in-Lester's-body references events in "The Tholian Web" (season three, episode nine) & "The Empath" (season three, episode twelve). When Lester-in-Kirk's-body orders Spock, McCoy, Scotty, & Kirk-in-Lester's-body executed for mutiny, Sulu & Chekov object that the death penalty is forbidden except in the case of "General Order № 4," a mistaken reference to "The Menagerie, Parts I & II" (season one, episodes eleven & twelve), wherein "General Order № 7"—prohibiting contact with planet Talos IV—is said to be the only death-penalty offense left on the Federation's/Starfleet's books.
The third season is the weakest of The Original Series' three, with the first season being the best overall, though many of the most classic episodes are in the second season. This rewatch has been a delight & was long overdue, though it may also have been a tad premature. This year, 2026, is the sixtieth anniversary of Star Trek, which debuted in 1966. My plan to honor the sixtieth anniversary is to rewatch The Original Series, in broadcast order instead of production order, on or about the sixtieth anniversary of each episode's initial airing. This plan, heaven permitting, will begin on 8 September 2026 with "The Man Trap" & conclude on 3 June 2029 with tonight's "Turnabout Intruder."
Live long & prosper.
No comments:
Post a Comment