"The Enemy Within"
Captain's Log: 9220.6. 2339 hrs.
"The Enemy Within."
There are those classic science fiction stories that are themselves rooted in other classic stories of similar genres. "The Enemy Within" is such an episode, based largely on Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When a transporter malfunction splits Captain Kirk into two distinct beings, he quickly learns that one part of him contains his intelligence, kindness, and compassion. The other is left with his lust, passion, and darkness. Apart, the two cannot hope to survive, but together, they make the man known as Captain James T. Kirk.
Captain Kirk is divided by the transporter in the opening of "The Enemy Within," one of the most highly regarded episodes of the original Star Trek and an example of the kind of allegorical science fiction tales that Star Trek would strive to tell in all of its incarnations in the next forty years. Yet again, the Shatner naysayers are proved wrong, as he delivers a powerful performance as a man literally divided.
After Kirk beams up, he leaves the transporter room with Scotty. Then another person beams up, his face hidden in shadow. The figure turns, and we see the eyes of a truly demented person on a face twisted by darkness. It's also Captain Kirk, or more specifically, his evil, base side, now given sinister life.
The evil Kirk leaves the transporter room and heads to sickbay, where he nearly throttles McCoy over a bottle of brandy. We're then treated to a scene of a brandy-swilling Kirk stalking the corridors of the Enterprise. His first stop are the quarters of his yeoman, the lovely Janice Rand. He tries to force himself on the unsuspecting Rand, who narrowly escapes violence and scratches the doppelganger on the cheek. The evil Kirk escapes, leaving Rand to explain her story to McCoy, Spock, and the benevolent Kirk. The good Kirk insists that he didn't harm Rand, but she finds this to be impossible.
Eventually, McCoy and Spock help Kirk realize that he's been split into two beings by the transporter. Though McCoy will later eloquently assert that it's Kirk's logic and intellect that makes him who he is, we see for the first time in "The Enemy Within" that it is Spock and McCoy who complement and complete Kirk. Without the balance they offer, he wouldn't be the man he is, a theme that would resonate throughout the rest of the series until the last film featuring the original cast.
Shatner performs a truly difficult task here, playing two different sides of the same character. This might seem easy to most people, but it's a delicate balance that could be upset if the performance overplays the evil side or underplays the good side. Shatner excels in showing us all the sides of James T. Kirk, and when the good captain is finally restored and whole again courtesy of the transporter, we now have a character with greater depth and breadth.
"The Enemy Within" showcases the talents of Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley as Kirk, Spock, and McCoy respectively, and lays the foundation for the truly special and touching friendship and camaraderie these three men share over twenty-five years together.
And the episode makes us ask of ourselves the same questions Kirk must ask of himself: "How do we live with our shadow selves? How do we reconcile the darkness that lies within all of us? Can we live without the part of us we'd rather wish away, or do we truly need that side to flourish?" These are important questions that Trek creator Roddenberry answers here by saying that though humans are capable of great evil and horror, they are essentially good beings whose nobility arises from having the courage to struggle for balance between the two warring sides of themselves. Roddenberry would address similar questions throughout the original Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation, in ways no other television series had before or has dared to since.
"The Enemy Within" title card.
The first Kirk materializes on the transporter pad, clearly weakened by his trip back to the Enterprise.
The second Kirk arrives, played with deranged glee by William Shatner.
Evil Kirk roughs up his friend McCoy for some brandy, a very un-Kirklike thing to do.
Evil Kirk begins his Epicurean reign of terror by downing hard liquor.
Evil Kirk tries to take what he wants from Yeoman Rand.
Rand fights back, marking Evil Kirk with her nails.
Evil Kirk puts on makeup to cover Rand's scratches, makeup Kirk just happened to have in his quarters. Very strange.
The enemy without faces the enemy within: Good Kirk subdues Evil Kirk with Spock's help.
Good Kirk comforts the dying Evil Kirk, proving that the two sides of the same man must be reunited to both suffer destruction.
After Evil Kirk tricked Good Kirk and escaped sickbay, the two confront each other on the bridge. Good Kirk defeats Evil Kirk's passion with his compassion.
Good Kirk and Evil Kirk are sent through the transporter...
...and Captain James Tiberius Kirk is whole again.
Kirk considers the remarkable opportunity he's just experienced, one few other ever have, to face the worst parts of themselves and come out victorious as a better person.
"The Enemy Within."
There are those classic science fiction stories that are themselves rooted in other classic stories of similar genres. "The Enemy Within" is such an episode, based largely on Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When a transporter malfunction splits Captain Kirk into two distinct beings, he quickly learns that one part of him contains his intelligence, kindness, and compassion. The other is left with his lust, passion, and darkness. Apart, the two cannot hope to survive, but together, they make the man known as Captain James T. Kirk.
Captain Kirk is divided by the transporter in the opening of "The Enemy Within," one of the most highly regarded episodes of the original Star Trek and an example of the kind of allegorical science fiction tales that Star Trek would strive to tell in all of its incarnations in the next forty years. Yet again, the Shatner naysayers are proved wrong, as he delivers a powerful performance as a man literally divided.
After Kirk beams up, he leaves the transporter room with Scotty. Then another person beams up, his face hidden in shadow. The figure turns, and we see the eyes of a truly demented person on a face twisted by darkness. It's also Captain Kirk, or more specifically, his evil, base side, now given sinister life.
The evil Kirk leaves the transporter room and heads to sickbay, where he nearly throttles McCoy over a bottle of brandy. We're then treated to a scene of a brandy-swilling Kirk stalking the corridors of the Enterprise. His first stop are the quarters of his yeoman, the lovely Janice Rand. He tries to force himself on the unsuspecting Rand, who narrowly escapes violence and scratches the doppelganger on the cheek. The evil Kirk escapes, leaving Rand to explain her story to McCoy, Spock, and the benevolent Kirk. The good Kirk insists that he didn't harm Rand, but she finds this to be impossible.
Eventually, McCoy and Spock help Kirk realize that he's been split into two beings by the transporter. Though McCoy will later eloquently assert that it's Kirk's logic and intellect that makes him who he is, we see for the first time in "The Enemy Within" that it is Spock and McCoy who complement and complete Kirk. Without the balance they offer, he wouldn't be the man he is, a theme that would resonate throughout the rest of the series until the last film featuring the original cast.
Shatner performs a truly difficult task here, playing two different sides of the same character. This might seem easy to most people, but it's a delicate balance that could be upset if the performance overplays the evil side or underplays the good side. Shatner excels in showing us all the sides of James T. Kirk, and when the good captain is finally restored and whole again courtesy of the transporter, we now have a character with greater depth and breadth.
"The Enemy Within" showcases the talents of Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley as Kirk, Spock, and McCoy respectively, and lays the foundation for the truly special and touching friendship and camaraderie these three men share over twenty-five years together.
And the episode makes us ask of ourselves the same questions Kirk must ask of himself: "How do we live with our shadow selves? How do we reconcile the darkness that lies within all of us? Can we live without the part of us we'd rather wish away, or do we truly need that side to flourish?" These are important questions that Trek creator Roddenberry answers here by saying that though humans are capable of great evil and horror, they are essentially good beings whose nobility arises from having the courage to struggle for balance between the two warring sides of themselves. Roddenberry would address similar questions throughout the original Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation, in ways no other television series had before or has dared to since.
"The Enemy Within" title card.
The first Kirk materializes on the transporter pad, clearly weakened by his trip back to the Enterprise.
The second Kirk arrives, played with deranged glee by William Shatner.
Evil Kirk roughs up his friend McCoy for some brandy, a very un-Kirklike thing to do.
Evil Kirk begins his Epicurean reign of terror by downing hard liquor.
Evil Kirk tries to take what he wants from Yeoman Rand.
Rand fights back, marking Evil Kirk with her nails.
Evil Kirk puts on makeup to cover Rand's scratches, makeup Kirk just happened to have in his quarters. Very strange.
The enemy without faces the enemy within: Good Kirk subdues Evil Kirk with Spock's help.
Good Kirk comforts the dying Evil Kirk, proving that the two sides of the same man must be reunited to both suffer destruction.
After Evil Kirk tricked Good Kirk and escaped sickbay, the two confront each other on the bridge. Good Kirk defeats Evil Kirk's passion with his compassion.
Good Kirk and Evil Kirk are sent through the transporter...
...and Captain James Tiberius Kirk is whole again.
Kirk considers the remarkable opportunity he's just experienced, one few other ever have, to face the worst parts of themselves and come out victorious as a better person.
posted by Christopher at 9:44 PM
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