ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

This is a very popular episode of TOS, but if you examine it closely and notice what it doesn't have when compared to other episodes, its popularity is puzzling. Here's what I mean.

It doesn't have any big space battles, like episodes such as Balance of Terror.

It doesn't have a menagerie of aliens, like Journey to Babel.

It doesn't have a Space Babe of the Week, like What Are Little Girls Made Of?

It doesn't have a female guest crewmember who prances around in her Federation miniskirt and shows off her matching undergarments, like Dagger of the Mind.

So, why is this episode so popular? Is it the unusual non-human alien? If so, why?

Heck, it's just a stuntman scrambling around on all fours while covered by a throw-rug with fake scabs and rotting left-overs plastered onto it. It impressed us when we were kids, but it looks pretty silly today.

So, why do fans like this story so much?

Well, I think that it has a lot to do with the fact that this is a "thinking man's story". It's about a very practical situation — a mining operation which provides precious metals for the galaxy's civilizations, and this is jeopardized by a subterranean creature which can move through solid rock!

Cool!



Even though the story doesn't allow us to see the Enterprise exterior or interior very often, nor the regular characters other than Kirk, Spock, and McCoy (at the end), the story is a great presentation of what it's like to "boldly go where no man has gone before."

Spock defends the dangerous life form because he suspects it's intelligent. Not pretty — but intelligent. That's the difference between Vulcan logic and human horniness!



But when these two very different guys find the alien creature, they agree that a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do! So . . . they shoot the stuntman under the barf-covered throw rug right in the ass!



What happens next is inspiring. Both men struggle to understand the crawling throw-rug, and Spock even Mind Melds with it, and this ends up causing the humans and the Horta to work together and get rich as mining magnates!

This episode teaches us some valuable lessons. Such as:

You can lead a Horta to culture, but can't teach it grammar.





You can't make a Horta without breaking a few eggs.



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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

I list "TDITD" as one of the Top 10 episodes for ST:TOS.

It is a thoughtfully crafted script & eschews the space babes & space battles for a refreshing change of pace.

Janos Prohaska created & operated the Horta. The basis for the Horta was a giant microbe that was in The Outer Limits final episode "The Probe."

During the shooting of TDITD, William Shatner had to leave the production for a few days & return to Canada for his father's funeral.

This is the only ST:TOS episode that begins on a planet with other people & does not feature the regular cast or the Enterprise until later on.

[Bud Brewster]

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This extremely popular episode has 37 trivia items. Here's the best of the bunch.
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In his book Star Trek Memories, William Shatner identified this as his favorite episode, because his father died during filming and Leonard Nimoy's delivery of the mind meld lines made him laugh. He thought it was "exciting, thought-provoking and intelligent, it contained all of the ingredients that made up our very best Star Treks."

Note from me: Fans would agree with that claim 100%.

When William Shatner, on the set, got the call from his mother informing him about his father's death, the crew was ready to shut down production, but he insisted on continuing. During the rest of the day, Shatner took comfort in Leonard Nimoy, and cinematographer Gerald Perry Finnerman, whose father had died on a movie set less than seven years before.

Note from me: That was admirable of Shatner.

This episode includes only one actress, who appears for a few seconds and has no lines. This is the only episode with no female speaking parts.

Note from me: Trivia question: who is the actress? And who can post a picture of her?

Leonard Nimoy identified this episode's closing banter between Spock and Kirk as one of his favorite scenes to perform. He noted, "It was a wonderful moment which defined the relationship and defined the whole Spock character's existence and his attitude about himself."

Note from me: It's easy to understand why this episode has so much dramatic impact.

In a book about Star Trek, it was reported that after William Shatner returned from the funeral, to put everyone at ease, as he was trying to do his lines following Mr. Spock's mind meld with the Horta and his cry of "AHH! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN!" Leonard Nimoy just spoke the words so Shatner told him to do it again with feeling. When "Spock" again said "AHH! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! " Shatner yelled out, "WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE GET THIS VULCAN AN ASPIRIN!"

Note from me: I wonder if there are outtakes from this episode.

Gene L. Coon's original script featured a different material as the base of the Horta, but researcher Kellam de Forest changed it to silicon, as the original choice seemed to be even theoretically impossible.

Note from me: It's so good to know that scientific accuracy was considered important in this story.

This episode was the first time McCoy used the phrase, "I'm a doctor, not a (blank)" when Kirk asks him to help the Horta, finishing the line as, "I'm a doctor, not a brick layer!"

Note from me: And the rest, as they say, is history.

Arthur C. Clarke once remarked, in 1995, that of the Original Series, the only episode he could recall was this one, stating that "It impressed me because it presented the idea, unusual in science fiction then and now, that something weird, and even dangerous, need not be malevolent. That is a lesson that many of today's politicians have yet to learn."

Note from me: Mr. Clarke wouldn't be very happy about some of today's current events . . .
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Custer]

I see that this is one of the twelve fan-favourite episodes in the "Roddenberry Vault" box set, which promises "new behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the series, as well as alternate takes, deleted scenes, omitted dialogue, outtakes, and original visual FX elements." plus three feature documentaries. "The Devil in the Dark" certainly deserves to be included...

[Pow]

I read that Nimoy was hurt/offended at Shatner's remark about taking an aspirin at the time.

[Bud Brewster]

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It occurs to me that the Horta holds the distinction of being one of the most effective man-in-a-suit aliens in sci-fi history, largely because it doesn't look like a bit like a man, and it also doesn't look a bit like the typical "monster suit".



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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

I've read that Janos based his Horta suit upon the creature suit he constructed for an Outer Limits episode.

Sorry, name of the ep slips my mind at the moment. It might have been the very last ep filmed for TOL. In fact, TOL creature may have been the Horta but after being modified.

The actor who played starship captain Bob Wesley on "The Ultimate Computer'' appears on this episode as a Enterprise security officer.

One of the reasons I dislike the JJ Abrams Star Trek movies is that he morphed them into non-stop action, visuals, explosions & left behind the thinking man's ST that the original show was.

I understand that the ST movies have to appeal to a wider audience that demands spectacular visuals. But the visuals/action/sets all take command of the script & leave behind intelligence or profundity.

All sizzle & no steak.

[Bud Brewster]

[johnnybear]

I think it was The Probe, Pow, and the creature he played in that show was called the Mikie!
JB

[Robert (Butch) Day]

He means the creature in the upper left of this picture from The Outer Limits 2nd season episode The Probe:


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Common Sense ISN'T Common

[Krel]

It is interesting that it's Kirk, not Spock that wants the Horta spared. It is telling that Spock does not want to take chances with Kirk's life, where he would risk his own.

David.

[johnnybear]

All that talk about mini skirts and undergarments has left me a little hot under the collar! Another great reason to love the original Star Trek if you didn't have one already! The Horta was a classic monster, not evil or even misguided for once in what it did and it's resemblance to a slightly burnt pizza was uncanny!
JB

[Bogmeister]

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________ Classic Star Trek: The Devil in the Dark


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This begins as the standard 'monster-in-the-dark' episode, in this case a monster which is murdering the members of a deep mining colony, a pergium production station on planetoid Janus VI.

By the time Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise arrive, 50 men had already been killed. We witness the last of these, the victim being a poor guy named Schmitter. This scene reminded me of a job I once held, about 20 years ago, as a security guard alone at night somewhere. Of course, I don't think I was ever in danger of being "burned to a crisp" as the colony chief (Ken Lynch) describes.

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The monster creates a scary impression in the first act. We don't really see much of it in these early scenes and, as many of us know, the best monsters are sometimes left to the imagination.

One man describes it as "big and shaggy," but that's not really accurate. It actually turns out to resemble a big, lumpy pepperoni pizza, skittering along the ground like a silicon centipede — a limitation of the show's budget, unfortunately. The budget limitations also show in the latest matte painting, famous to Trek fans, the only way to convey a long shot of the mining operations.

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The whole episode is about what is on the inside rather than outward appearances, anyway. This is where Star Trek always excelled — the hokey monster suit doesn't really affect my enjoyment of the episode. I'm too busy figuring out that this isn't a devil, it's a Horta.

I know many fans lament the poor quality of these monsters and other FX, but I really think we lose sight of what's important when we concentrate on the physical cosmetics, and, ironically, this episode seems to lecture us on this very subject.

We learn that this creature is intelligent, even sophisticated, thanks to Spock's Vulcan mind meld ability (probably the best use of this ability in the series). In addition, McCoy gets to supersede his usual medical routine here, treating a creature resembling asbestos. I found it very true-to-life in his scene where he exults in his success, though he's unable to get Kirk to share in his enthusiasm — Kirk's too busy organizing results.

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The episode throws unexpected turns in character & motivation at the audience as the story progresses. Spock champions the need to possibly preserve this discovered life . . . but Kirk takes his usual stand on preventing the deaths of any red-shirts (no half measures, as in The Man Trap).

But later, it's Kirk who, for some reason, holds back on firing a killing blast, as if the heat of the hunt had worn off and he'd had time to reflect on Spock's point.

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Uncharacteristic for most of the first season, this has a happy ending. The conflict stemmed from the needs of basic capitalism, such as meeting standard quotas, versus protecting the natural environment and its inhabitants — a space age version of protecting owls from the tractors of modern advancement. This was a rare view of capitalism in TOS, where usually it was portrayed as a technocratic/near-socialist utopia, with not much need for profit. Perhaps, outlying colonies still relied on basic capitalist principles.

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Somehow, despite many killings and a sense that everything could go to hell at any moment with one raised phaser, Kirk and Spock manage to broker an agreement which satisfies everyone. I guess people and silicates are more reasonable in the 23rd century.

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BoG's Score: 7.5 out of 10

Extra Trek Trivia: the monster suit was courtesy of Janos Prohaska, who played several creatures on Star Trek and other sf shows of the time. Shatner learned his father died halfway through production of this episode; his reaction shots were filmed after his return from the funeral. This episode was when McCoy began uttering his famous lines about being "a doctor, not a.."; in this case, it was "...not a bricklayer!" Though, he did mutter something similar way back in the 3rd episode, The Corbomite Maneuver.

______________ BELOW: Remastered version of mining operations




BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus

[Pow]

Author Marc Cushman (These Are The Voyages TOS Season One) unlike some of us was not a big fan of TDITD.

He felt that it was 'dated and flawed.' Here are other issues he had with the episode.

The smooth studio floors in a subterranean colony was distracting.

The matte painting of the mining complex was poorly done.

Chief Vandenberg has lost 50 men to the Horta but continues to post men deep in the tunnels(alone)to be on watch.

How does that strategy make sense?

The tunnel charts in Vandenberg's office are ridiculously simplistic looking.

How come the mining operation has no replacement parts for their 20~year old fission power reactor and circulating pump? If it breaks it could mean the death or evacuation from Janus VI.

Does that sound like reasonable planning for such a massive and important an operation as this one to have not prepared for the possibility of any machinery problems or failures?

Cushman did write that TDITD was 'an important episode with a profound message.

However, he also found it 'far from perfect.'

[Pow]

Nitpicker's Guide

Without the critical pump, their only power source will go super critical in just a few hours. Mr. Spock comments that the Horta knew exactly which part to steal.

How?

The Horta's environment shows no evidence that it has ever built any type of mechanical devices.

In addition, at this point in the episode, the Horta is only interested in ridding the planet of humans.

Why would the Horta even bother to save the pump?

Why not just destroy the pump and force the miners to vamoose?

Why are the Horta's tunnels nicely circular when the cross section of its body is elliptical?

Note from me: I always wondered if the citizens of Janus VI all live underground all the time? Could they also live on the surface of the planet? Was it habitable at all?

I would hate to live 24/7 in a subterranean colony and never see the sun or blue sky.

Interesting that we do not see any digging equipment at all on this episode. No doubt it saved on the budget.

I always thought that the laser cannon from the pilot The Cage could have been seen in the underground colony indicating it was used for excavation.
It could be just standing by idly due to the Horta crisis. That way no $$$ would have to be spent on visual effects by animating the beam from the cannon.