"Wolf in the Fold"
Captain's Log: 02110.7. 1905 hrs.
Kirk and McCoy have beamed down to planet Argelius Two to provide Scotty with sabbatical leave after the engineer received an accidental injury to the head. It seems Scott was left with a resentment towards women, which Kirk and McCoy believe can be alleviated through shore leave on Argelius. The three men watch a beautiful woman dance, and Kirk has arranged for Scotty to meet her. Scotty and the woman go for a walk through the fog-enshrouded streets of Argelius while Kirk and McCoy head to a cafe Kirk knows. Kirk and Bones don't make it far before a woman's scream pierces the night. They find the dancer dead, stabbed in the back, with Scotty in a daze, holding the knife. Chief City Adminstrator Hengist wants Scotty arrested for murder, especially after a female lieutenant is killed, also seemingly by Scotty. A planetary official, Jaris, allows his wife, Sybo, to use her natural psychic talents to determine what really happened. Sybo senses an entity she calls "Redjac" before being murdered herself. It's not long before Kirk and Co. realize that Redjac is real and was once known on Earth as Jack the Ripper, as well as a dozen other worlds by different names throughout the centuries. They also deduce that the entity feeds on primal fear. Kirk and Co. realize that Redjac is possessing Hengist before it flees its host and enters the Enterprise computers, threatening to kill everyone aboard. Kirk outwits the murderous entity by keeping the computer busy with an unsolvable equation, and Redjac returns to Hengist. Kirk beams Hengist's body out into space at a wide pattern of dispersal, ensuring that it is destroyed.
Story
"Wolf in the Fold" is a very unusual hour of Star Trek for a lot of reasons. There's an overriding sense of ominous malice from the first moment we leave the comfort of the cabaret and enter the foggy streets of Argelius II. This is intentional, as the author of the story, Robert Bloch, is the famed author of Psycho. This is an atmospheric and dark episode of Star Trek, and at times the episode creates a feeling of unease and terror that is not usually felt within the safe confines of the Enterprise or the other various familiar Trek settings. There's also the vicious murders of the women, and the "possession" of the Enterprise computer by Redjac. When Redjac possesses the computer and begins taunting Kirk and the crew, Hengist's voice, which was also already grating, is amplified and altered. The effect is unsettling, as well as Redjac's promise of death by "searing pain" for the entire crew.
The only oddity of the episode is the strange plot device that sees McCoy administer a tranquilizer to the crew to suppress their fear. While I understand why this device was needed from a story point of view, the implementation of the device is somewhat out of place. The crewmembers given the shot act comically, which is wholly out of place given the dark tone of the episode. It might have been better for the drug's effects to be portrayed as simple downers or complete tranquilizers instead of uppers causing the crew members to "trip." Nevertheless, "Wolf in the Fold" is one of the most well-written and effective episodes of Trek, dealing allegorically with the idea of the dark, murderous side of human nature, specifically, that of the male half of the species.
Action
There's some action in "Wolf in the Fold," but the main action to be had comes in the form of the "whodunnit" nature of the show, and the suspense brought on by the production design and deaths of the women.
Performances
James Doohan has to be commended here for making "Wolf in the Fold" a success. He plays a tortured, confused Scotty, and since his character is already so loveable and innocent, the events of this episode take on an even more chilling quality. John Fiedler must also be given credit as Hengist and as the voice of the Redjac entity. Fiedler is an odd looking man, and his piercing blue eyes and grating voice create a character who is at once interesting and repulsive. I was actually unsettled during the scene wherein Redjac possesses the Enterprise computer. The combination of the voice and the lights going on and off led to a horrible scene, as well as the cloudy image of Redjac itself on the monitor.
Trektastic Moments
The humor at the beginning and end of the episode, in which we see Kirk trying in vain to get to this "little cafe" he knows, is pure Trek. The same goes for the "acid trip" brought on by McCoy's drug, which is indicative of the 60s. And the linking of an alien creature to a historical being or event, in this case Jack the Ripper and Redjac, is a hallmark of Star Trek, seen first in "Who Mourns for Adonais?" and in later episodes. The other Trektastic Moment is the very 60s notion that simply getting Scotty some female attention will cure his resentment towards one woman who accidentally hurt him. Watching Kirk and McCoy play pimps is quite unique for Star Trek.
Overall
"Wolf in the Fold" is creepy, dark, and suspenseful, and even succeeds in being a little disturbing. Highest possible recommendation.
The episode's title card.
The beautiful dancing girl Kara, soon to be Redjac's first victim on Argelius II.
Kirk and McCoy enjoy Kara's dancing, but not nearly as much as Scotty.
Redjac shows itself on an Enterprise computer screen.
Kirk and McCoy have beamed down to planet Argelius Two to provide Scotty with sabbatical leave after the engineer received an accidental injury to the head. It seems Scott was left with a resentment towards women, which Kirk and McCoy believe can be alleviated through shore leave on Argelius. The three men watch a beautiful woman dance, and Kirk has arranged for Scotty to meet her. Scotty and the woman go for a walk through the fog-enshrouded streets of Argelius while Kirk and McCoy head to a cafe Kirk knows. Kirk and Bones don't make it far before a woman's scream pierces the night. They find the dancer dead, stabbed in the back, with Scotty in a daze, holding the knife. Chief City Adminstrator Hengist wants Scotty arrested for murder, especially after a female lieutenant is killed, also seemingly by Scotty. A planetary official, Jaris, allows his wife, Sybo, to use her natural psychic talents to determine what really happened. Sybo senses an entity she calls "Redjac" before being murdered herself. It's not long before Kirk and Co. realize that Redjac is real and was once known on Earth as Jack the Ripper, as well as a dozen other worlds by different names throughout the centuries. They also deduce that the entity feeds on primal fear. Kirk and Co. realize that Redjac is possessing Hengist before it flees its host and enters the Enterprise computers, threatening to kill everyone aboard. Kirk outwits the murderous entity by keeping the computer busy with an unsolvable equation, and Redjac returns to Hengist. Kirk beams Hengist's body out into space at a wide pattern of dispersal, ensuring that it is destroyed.
Story
"Wolf in the Fold" is a very unusual hour of Star Trek for a lot of reasons. There's an overriding sense of ominous malice from the first moment we leave the comfort of the cabaret and enter the foggy streets of Argelius II. This is intentional, as the author of the story, Robert Bloch, is the famed author of Psycho. This is an atmospheric and dark episode of Star Trek, and at times the episode creates a feeling of unease and terror that is not usually felt within the safe confines of the Enterprise or the other various familiar Trek settings. There's also the vicious murders of the women, and the "possession" of the Enterprise computer by Redjac. When Redjac possesses the computer and begins taunting Kirk and the crew, Hengist's voice, which was also already grating, is amplified and altered. The effect is unsettling, as well as Redjac's promise of death by "searing pain" for the entire crew.
The only oddity of the episode is the strange plot device that sees McCoy administer a tranquilizer to the crew to suppress their fear. While I understand why this device was needed from a story point of view, the implementation of the device is somewhat out of place. The crewmembers given the shot act comically, which is wholly out of place given the dark tone of the episode. It might have been better for the drug's effects to be portrayed as simple downers or complete tranquilizers instead of uppers causing the crew members to "trip." Nevertheless, "Wolf in the Fold" is one of the most well-written and effective episodes of Trek, dealing allegorically with the idea of the dark, murderous side of human nature, specifically, that of the male half of the species.
Action
There's some action in "Wolf in the Fold," but the main action to be had comes in the form of the "whodunnit" nature of the show, and the suspense brought on by the production design and deaths of the women.
Performances
James Doohan has to be commended here for making "Wolf in the Fold" a success. He plays a tortured, confused Scotty, and since his character is already so loveable and innocent, the events of this episode take on an even more chilling quality. John Fiedler must also be given credit as Hengist and as the voice of the Redjac entity. Fiedler is an odd looking man, and his piercing blue eyes and grating voice create a character who is at once interesting and repulsive. I was actually unsettled during the scene wherein Redjac possesses the Enterprise computer. The combination of the voice and the lights going on and off led to a horrible scene, as well as the cloudy image of Redjac itself on the monitor.
Trektastic Moments
The humor at the beginning and end of the episode, in which we see Kirk trying in vain to get to this "little cafe" he knows, is pure Trek. The same goes for the "acid trip" brought on by McCoy's drug, which is indicative of the 60s. And the linking of an alien creature to a historical being or event, in this case Jack the Ripper and Redjac, is a hallmark of Star Trek, seen first in "Who Mourns for Adonais?" and in later episodes. The other Trektastic Moment is the very 60s notion that simply getting Scotty some female attention will cure his resentment towards one woman who accidentally hurt him. Watching Kirk and McCoy play pimps is quite unique for Star Trek.
Overall
"Wolf in the Fold" is creepy, dark, and suspenseful, and even succeeds in being a little disturbing. Highest possible recommendation.
The episode's title card.
The beautiful dancing girl Kara, soon to be Redjac's first victim on Argelius II.
Kirk and McCoy enjoy Kara's dancing, but not nearly as much as Scotty.
Redjac shows itself on an Enterprise computer screen.
posted by Christopher at 5:01 PM
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