Star Trek: Start to Finish

I, Mudd

I, Mudd (Memory Alpha; SD Video) features the return of Harcourt Fenton Mudd. But first, we see that whoever designed the Enterprise was an idiot.

I mean, who puts auxiliary control so far away, leaves it manned by a single guy facing away from the only entrance, and gives it complete override of the bridge? Because that guys should be fired.

Aside from the poor design of the Enterprise, though, this episode is pretty good. And that’s after another lag-filled viewing experience.

Let’s start right off with this bit of dialog, which you can click on to hear the full effect:

Kirk: In the meantime, would you mind leaving us?
Androids: Why should we leave you?
Kirk: Because. We don’t like you. Now: boo-boo-boo-boop!

But as to the actual story, this episode doesn’t stand head and shoulders above its peers, but it’s a neat idea: what if the androids from What Are Little Girls Made Of were still around by the thousands, looking for someone to serve, and they found Harry Mudd?

And then, what if they found him wanting? What if they wanted more humans to serve? And here’s the kicker: what if they were actually good at serving? So good that it’s tempting to just sit around and let them do the work while you play with their awesome technology? Would you really object to it?

Kirk does. Kirk’s on this whole necessity-of-freedom thing. And I agree with Kirk. And although they could make the just-say-yes decision a little more tempting than they do, this episode handles that basic problem well: is technology a aide to being truly human, or a distraction? Does too much technology tip the balance? And how much is too much?

Grade

B+

Mudd’s Women

The Enterprise is chasing down a ship, and on it are Mudd’s Women (Wikipedia; HD Video). Mudd (alias Leo Walsh) is beamed aboard with three beautiful women moments before their ship is destroyed by an asteroid.

But the Enterprise burnt out all but one of their dilithium crystals chasing “that jackass Walsh,” to borrow Scotty’s phrase. So they set course for Rigel XII to get some more while Mudd’s women beguile the crew of our favorite starship.

The crew can’t figure it out; these women aren’t any more attractive than other women. Spock certainly can’t figure it out; since he’s (according to Mudd) “part Vulcanian,” he’s not subject to their wiles (I believe that this is the first time Spock has been anything other than “half alien”).

Kirk and McCoy ponder, in one of the funniest bits of dialog so far:

Kirk: What are they, Bones?

McCoy: You mean, are they alien illusions, that sort of thing?

Kirk: I asked you first.

McCoy: No, an alien smart enough to pull this would be smart enough to stop my medical scanner from going bleep!

Kirk: I don’t follow you.

McCoy: I don’t either.

Begin Spoilers

It turns out that the girls are taking Venus Drugs, which emphasize whatever attributes they already have. Kirk eventually tricks Eve into taking a placebo and convinces her that all she needed was confidence. Kirk is incorrect in this summation; Eve is much hotter when drugged up.

End Spoilers

Also of note: this is the first appearance of a speaking computer. Majel Barret (who later went on to marry Gene Roddenberry) did the voice of the computer (“Incorrect!”) as well as every Star Trek computer up to and including the recently-released movie.

Grade

A-