Series: Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 3, Episode 17
Original Air Date: January 24, 1969
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| via Star Trek Fan Companion |
The Enterprise discovers a planet which appears to have developed life at an unusually rapid rate. As the landing party - Kirk, McCoy, Sulu and geologist D'Amato - beams down, a strange woman appears in the transporter room, trying to stop them. The party makes it off the ship but the woman (played by Lee Meriwether) kills the transporter tech. She kills others - both on the ship and on the surface - and also manages to fling the Enterprise 990.7 light years away before our heroes finally gain the upper hand. The woman, they eventually learn, is a projected manifestation of the planet's security system, the settlers themselves long dead.
The story features an unusually cranky Spock. In command of the ship with Kirk on the away team, he snaps at several crew members about, among other things, their mathematically imprecise calculations. What's funny about it is that Spock's own figures are way off. In the script, he states that it would take 11.33 hours to travel 990.7 light years at warp 8.4. In truth, it would take 1.67 years.
*****
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| via Wikipedia |
Meriwether was the second Catwoman to appear on Trek. When Julie Newmar, the regular Catwoman on the Batman TV series, was unavailable for the 1966 feature film, Meriwether was cast in her place. Meriwether also made two appearances on the TV series as Lisa Carson.
Most of her acting work has come on television. For eight seasons, she was Betty, Barnaby's secretary and daughter-in-law, on Barnaby Jones. That gig garnered two Golden Globe and one Emmy nomination for her. She was also Lily Munster for three seasons of The New Munsters and had a recurring role on All My Children as Ruth Martin.
Yes, I had a crush on her Catwoman character when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteAs did all of my friends.
I've never been into Catwoman - not even sure why.
DeleteWow. I have no recollection of this episode. January,'69. I was working, in my 2nd year of college, draft board was after me and I married Norma in March. Busy time, I guess. Will definitely consult Netflix tonight. Sounds like a kick! Thanks for the alert, Squid.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Geo.
DeletePoor D'Amato... the blue-shirt exception that proves the red-shirt rule.
ReplyDeleteNot the best episode by far, but it provided yet another quote that my wife and I seem to use all the time in jest: "I am for you, X," where X = something one desires intently, only to destroy or consume. :-)
I hadn't thought of the blue-shirt exception!
DeleteSomewhat confusing but interesting.
ReplyDeleteAre you engulfed in snow ?
cheers, parsnip
Not much snow right now but it's very cold.
DeleteI don't remember that episode but I loved her on Barnaby Jones. She is so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteStar Trek did enjoy an endless parade of beautiful women.
DeleteSounds like a fun episode ;) I like her strange alien make-up.
ReplyDeleteAnother win for the makeup staff!
DeleteIt's scary to think Spock got math wrong.
ReplyDeleteThe writers definitely didn't do their homework on that one.
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