Star Trek: Is There in Truth No Beauty?

Episode: "Is There in Truth No Beauty?"
Series: Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 3, Episode 5
Original Air Date: October 18, 1968

via Memory Beta

There's something about a story in which Spock smiles.  The Enterprise's half-Vulcan First Officer so rarely breaks his stoic demeanor that the episodes in which he does tend to be memorable, even if it is just because he's being possessed by an alien ambassador.

In this week's tale, our heroes are providing transport to Kollos, an intellectually superior being of the Medusan race.  Medusans are apparently so ugly as to drive a humanoid insane at sight.  There's no mention of serpentine hair but the allusion to Greek mythology is plain enough.  Most people cannot view Kollos at all so he is kept inside a box.  The Vulcan mental discipline protects Spock but even he must wear a protective visor.

In Kollos's entourage are Larry Mavrick (David Frankham), one of the designers of the Enterprise, and Dr. Miranda Jones (Diana Muldaur), Kollos's telepathic and, we eventually learn, blind assistant.  A love triangle quickly becomes apparent.  Mavrick is in love with Miranda but can't compete with the latter's devotion to Kollos.  Mavrick's jealousy drives him to murder Kollos but he is thwarted in the attempt when the Medusan senses him and emerges from the box, driving Mavrick mad.  Mavrick dies, but not before gaining control of the ship and sending it disastrously off course.

Kollos and Spock form a mind link in order to get the ship back to familiar space.  This is the magic moment when we get to see Spock smile as Kollos delights in the novelty of humanoid form.  A story that inspires more than its fair share of eye rolling saves itself as Spock/Kollos waxes poetic: "This thing you call language though, most remarkable.  You depend on it for so very much. But is any one of you really its master?"

*****

via Memory Alpha

David Frankham was born February 16, 1926 in Gillingham, Kent, England.  After serving in India and Malaya during World War II, he worked at the BBC in various capacities.  He moved to Hollywood in 1955 to pursue an acting career.

Much of Frankham's work was in television.  In addition to Trek, he had apprearances on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Beverly Hillbillies and The Waltons.  Big screen gigs included Return of the Fly, Ten Who Dared and Master of the World.  His most famous role is the voice of the cat in One Hundred and One Dalmations.