Series: Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 2, Episode 24
Original Air Date: March 8, 1968
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| via Memory Alpha |
This episode doesn't seem to be on anyone's favorite list but I really enjoyed it. The fear of machines is always a poignant topic and "The Ultimate Computer" speculates quite effectively about the application of technology without compassion. Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics arose out of similar concerns 26 years earlier. There's also a nice moment of foreshadowing for fans of the broader franchise. Spock comments to Bones that nothing in current computer technology can replace a ship's medical officer. Apparently, that shortcoming is sorted out in time for the Emergency Medical Hologram to be one of the central characters in the Star Trek: Voyager series.
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| via Wikipedia |
Marshall also got loads of screen work. His most famous film role is as the title character in Blacula and its sequel. With his training, amazing speaking voice and impressive physical bearing, Marshall would undoubtedly have been a more prominent figure in a later era with more opportunities for African-American actors. He died in 2003 from complications due to Alzheimer's and diabetes.
As I read your info on the actors, I sometimes get a wave of sadness over me. Then I remember acting is really just a job like any other and we all have our up and downs. We get passed over for job advancement or lose out on jobs.
ReplyDeleteI always thought William Marshall was a terrific actor.
cheers, parsnip
I can understand feeling sad. On the other hand, nearly all of the actors I've featured enjoyed long careers - not necessarily starring roles but consistently finding work over decades. While there are a few obvious exceptional talents - Meryl Streep, Robert de Niro - most actors who rise above to attain stardom were just lucky or they knew the right people. But anyone who managed to continually find work has to be considered successful when compared to the average grunt.
DeleteIn Marshall's case - as for any minority actor of the era - the opportunities were limited. I've never seen Blacula but I know it by reputation. It seems a shame that he's best known for a role that was so obviously beneath his dignity and training. But he's hardly the only actor for whom that can be said, minority or no.
I don't remember that episode at all.
ReplyDeleteMan vs Machine is the unofficial fourth type of conflict. It used to be just a sub-type of Man vs Nature, but there's a big push to make it #4.
I think for scifi, it has to be. The genre would have developed very differently without it.
DeleteI rewatched it and was glad I did. Episode included Kirk quoting Masefield's poem, Sea Fever, which dealt with the human triumph and romance of navigation --the "tall ship and a star to steer her by." Automating administration of such endeavor subtracts the concept and meaning of a frontier.
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed.
DeleteHmm- I don't remember this episode- but it does sound interesting. I like that there is some foreshadowing too. :) Definitely a topic that is relevant today (man vs. machines/computers).
ReplyDelete~Jess
I expect it always will be relevant - as long as there are both people and machines, anyway.
DeleteOoh! Sounds good. So helpful to have you sorting/assessing these episodes before we watch them.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure! Now that I'm well past the halfway mark, I'm mentally compiling a top 10 must-see episode list. This one's a strong candidate.
DeleteYou do a great job at identifying the theme here. When I was younger, I loved science fiction - love, love, love. As I got older, I drifted away from it, but still was drawn to these type television shows.
ReplyDeleteRecently, a friend had a book signing and mentioned she knew Ray Bradbury...I had a tinge of jealousy and awe. His story, "I Sing the Body Electric" is my favorite - have you read it? It's the flipside of the fear of machines (I'm not giving it away because I want you to check it out, if you haven't already).
I read that one over and over.
I'll admit I'm weak on Bradbury. I've read The Martian Chronicles, Fahrenheit 451 and "All Summer in a Day," and not the last two since high school. I don't know him as well as I know some of the others: Asimov, Vonnegut, Wells. I'll keep an eye out for "I Sing the Body Electric." Thanks for the recommendation.
DeleteBooks, shows, and movies that have computers or robots take over everything frighten me.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about Marshall's passing.
I suppose such stories are ultimately about the dangers of total submission, definitely a frightening prospect.
DeleteThere are days I'm certain my computer makes value judgments - there's definitely catastrophe. Happy Weekend!
ReplyDeleteTo you as well, Carol!
DeleteGlad to hear you enjoyed this episode.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lady L!
DeleteI vaguely remember that episode, and as I recall, I enjoyed it. I always liked the man vs. machine theme in books and shows. In a way, I think we all have a certain love-hate relationship with machines, mixed with a tinge of fear. It's kinda ironic in a way. We want to be in control, and yet we demand more and more of our machines... wanting them to do more and more things for us so we don't have to do them ourselves. Kinda like with computers. We want them to do what we want them to do, not what we tell them to do, as if we expect a certain degree of intuition from them, but if we got it, we'd probably be horrified.
ReplyDeleteAnd then we become dependent and machines change us in unexpected ways. Consider the impact of computers and telecommunication on language, for better or for worse: spell check, auto-correct, endless acronyms, 140 character tweets, hash tags, etc.
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