Series: Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 2, Episode 9
Original Air Date: November 10, 1967
"Metamorphosis" is a love story. While transporting a diplomat, Commissioner Nancy Hedford, aboard a shuttlecraft, Kirk, Spock and Bones is hijacked by a strange energy blob which pulls them down to its home planet. There, they discover an Earthman, apparently long alone, though in perfect health. Turns out, he is Zefram Cochrane, a scientific titan in the Star Trek universe as he discovered the warp drive. The force which captured the ship, referred to as "the Companion" has nurtured Cochrane for 150 years, also restoring him to youth. "The Companion" has captured our heroes to keep him company (strong echoes of last week's episode). To complicate matters further, Hedford is sick and will die if she is not brought to the Enterprise sick bay soon.
Through his usual hocus pocus, Spock is able to achieve communication with the Companion. Lo and behold, it's female! What's more, she is in love with Cochrane. Unfortunately, he is not too keen on dating an energy field. How convenient that there's a female human who, once cured of her deadly disease, can provide the physical embodiment needed to inspire reciprocal feelings in Cochrane.
So what is the message here? Hedford is the too typical professional woman character with no time for love. Cochrane is repulsed by the Companion's genuine affection until it's presented in a package he can appreciate. It's not entirely comfortable but there is something sweet about the devotion they find for one another in the end.
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| via Memory Alpha |
Through his usual hocus pocus, Spock is able to achieve communication with the Companion. Lo and behold, it's female! What's more, she is in love with Cochrane. Unfortunately, he is not too keen on dating an energy field. How convenient that there's a female human who, once cured of her deadly disease, can provide the physical embodiment needed to inspire reciprocal feelings in Cochrane.
So what is the message here? Hedford is the too typical professional woman character with no time for love. Cochrane is repulsed by the Companion's genuine affection until it's presented in a package he can appreciate. It's not entirely comfortable but there is something sweet about the devotion they find for one another in the end.
*****
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| via Memory Alpha |
While there were film roles, including his debut in 1959's The Crimson Kimono, Corbett is best known for his television work. He replaced George Maharis on Route 66 during the show's third season. He also had regular parts in It's a Man's World, The Doctors and Dallas. Corbett died of lung cancer (there it is again) on January 16, 1993.
When Companion said "the man must continue", I suspected he'd reappear --just didn't expect it to take 30 years and be James Cromwell, who made a fine job of it, but that's another generation.
ReplyDeleteCromwell was Zefram Cochrane the year after he was in Babe. I think he was in every movie released in 1996.
Delete'Unfortunately, he is not too keen on dating an energy field.'
ReplyDelete:) Another post that makes me think I need to be watching this series again.
Yes, you should!
DeleteMy husband was at a sushi restaurant in L.A. with friends back when he was younger. they were at the counter and he looked over to find William Shatner seated next to him. He said hi, Mr. Shatner said hi back...but my husband couldn't leave it at that. They struck up a casual conversation about how long the food was taking and all was going well, 'til my husband jokingly did his best William Shatner impression. Mr. Shatner smiled politely, then turned back to whomever he was with and didn't speak to my husband for the rest of the meal!
ReplyDeleteFunny story. Can't say I blame the guy!
DeleteI think I dated a few energy blobs before I go married.
ReplyDeleteWho couldn't Spock communicate with?
Well played...
DeleteThe mind meld failed, though. He had to resort to more "sophisticated" technology.
I haven't watched reruns of the show in ages, and yet I remember so many episodes. I always enjoyed the love scenarios that sprang up in their lives.
ReplyDeleteDeb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com
The overarching plot for the original series is quite minimal. As such, I find the attempts at romance to be - forgive me - half-hearted. This one worked a little better as it doesn't involve regular characters.
DeleteThis was a trippy episode and made an interesting ethical dilemma resolved by a stereotypical solution. Good episode though.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't considered the ethical dilemma aspect. It's really more the Companion's dilemma than the Enterprise crew's, I suppose. Is it fair to take over Hedford's body without her consent? It does keep her alive.
DeleteSounds like a fun episode.
ReplyDeleteIt was. Thanks, Lady L!
DeleteI remember this one, maybe because I like Glenn Cobertt.
ReplyDeleteAlways thought it was strange that the diplomat was so sick but needed as they worked it into the story line. Plus I was sorry for the energy blob.
What I wanted to say in the last post is that in the last year of the show I think they ran out of interesting story lines, or the writers got tired (why ?) and every/many episode had Kirk somehow getting his shirt ripped ripped off or left in tatters. We use to wait for that to happen. Plus I think there were more fights. But I really was not able to watch the show that much in the 3rd season so I might be hallucinating.
cheers, parsnip
It was the late '60s. From what I've heard, hallucinations were not uncommon...
DeleteIt says a lot about this show that they're still doing reruns.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly does, especially for the fact that it struggled in the ratings during the initial run. Meanwhile, the powerhouse shows of the day like "Bonanza" and "Gunsmoke" don't have anything close to a long-term legacy worth comparing.
DeleteI guess being adored by an energy field would freak most people out. Still nice to be adored, though.
ReplyDeleteYou did a very nice job of sizing the episode down to just a few paragraphs that even a non-Trekkie can follow.
Thanks, Nicki! It is nice to be adored. It's even better to be able to reciprocate.
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