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When one looks in the box, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the cat.

Reactor

“Mirror, Mirror”
Written by Jerome Bixby
Directed by Marc Daniels

Season 2, Episode 4
Production episode: 2×10
Original air date: September 29, 1967
Star date: Unknown (dun dun dun)

Mission summary
Captain Kirk, Mr. Scott, Dr. McCoy, and Uhura are on the homeworld of the Halkans, attempting to negotiate an agreement to mine dilithium from the planet’s surface. The Halkans, however, are a race that believes in total and absolute peace, and their leader Tharn refuses to grant Starfleet these rights; while the Federation is currently benevolent, “the future is always in question.” Disappointed but hopeful for a change of heart, Kirk asks Spock to beam up the landing party.

A powerful magnetic storm disrupts their transportation, however, and their forms flicker in and out of the transporter room. The Enterprise reverses in orbit, flashing, and then the landing party finally materializes. But something is rotten in the state of Denmark…

They appear and are wearing modified uniforms, with gold sashes around their waists. Uhura’s midriff is bare. Spock and the other transporter room officers greet the Captain with a quasi-Heil Hitler salute.

But worst of all…Spock has a beard.

Spock asks if the mission was “successful” and requests permission for “standard procedure.” Kirk plays along, agreeing, but suspicious of his bearded first officer. Bearded Spock notes that it is “regrettable that this society has chosen suicide” and focuses a phaser barrage on the planet’s major cities. Somehow their phasers can’t lock on, and Spock chastises his assistant:

BEARDED SPOCK: Mr. Kyle, you were instructed to compensate during the ion storm.
KYLE: But I tried, Mr. Spock, I tried!
BEARDED SPOCK: Carelessness with the equipment cannot be tolerated.

Bearded Spock (I’m going to call him B-Spock) demands the man’s “agonizer” and zaps the poor redshirt with some kind of futuristic Taser.

Mr. Kyle explains that the “power beam jumped for a moment” during transport—and Kirk seizes the opportunity to suggest that Dr. McCoy check them all out for injuries. They head to sick bay to regroup and figure out what’s going on.

SCOTT: Captain, the transporter chief mentioned a surge of power. The transporter lock might have been affected by the ion storm and we just materialized somewhere else.
KIRK: Yes, here. Not our universe, not our ship. Something…parallel. A parallel universe co-existing with ours on another dimensional plane. Everything’s duplicated, almost. Another Enterprise. Spock with a beard.

Even more terrifying, Kirk realizes that if they are here, then their brutal counterparts must be on the real Enterprise!

Kirk takes command of the situation, assigning Scotty to figure out a way to get back, and sending Uhura to the bridge to find out what this version’s Starfleet has in store for him. When she arrives, she sits uncomfortably at her post—everyone is watching her. Guard are posted everywhere and the atmosphere feels different. It seems that Evil Sulu, complete with huge facial scar, has been waiting for her. He walks confidently up to Uhura’s station and grabs her face.

E-SULU: Still no interest, Uhura? Hmm? I could change your mind.
UHURA: You are away from your post, Mister.
E-SULU: Is the captain here? Is Spock here? When the cat’s away…

But Uhura slaps his hand away. Just then the captain enters, and Sulu returns to his console. Uhura whispers to Kirk that his orders from Starfleet are to annihilate the Halkans unless they comply—“No alternative.”

Kirk, of course, is not willing to destroy the Halkans. He tells Sulu to standby all phasers, and asks Uhura to contact the Halkans again. Tharn once more denies their demand for the dilithium crystals, but Kirk gives him twelve hours to change his mind. Spock warns that this is a direct breach of protocol, but the captain stands his ground: “I have my reasons, and I’ll make them clear to you in my own good time.” He then announces abruptly that he’s going to his quarters, and asks Uhura to tell Scotty and Dr. McCoy to meet him there. Not suspicious at all! Evil Chekov clearly has something up his sleeve, because when he hears this he surreptitiously presses several buttons on his console.

In the turbolift, Chekov looks like a scheming snake oil salesman. As soon as the doors open, a hand palms Kirk in the face. Three men have been lying in wait there, and they hold Kirk still while Chekov aims his phaser at the captain.

CHEKOV: So you die, Captain, and we all move up in rank. No one will question the assassination of a captain who has disobeyed prime orders of the Empire.

No longer a meritocracy, eh? But suddenly one of Chekov’s men turns on them. He phasers both henchmen, and they subdue Chekov. Two more men emerge from the turbolift, but these are “Kirk’s Men”—his own entourage. The turncoat explains that while Chekov offered to make him a chief, “you could make me an officer.” He demands a commission, to which Kirk responds that he’s in line—“you might even make captain.” “Yes sir,” he replies—and Kirk slugs him in the face. “Not on my ship.” One of his henchmen then asks if Chekov should get “the booth,” to which Kirk agrees. What else could he say?

He meets Dr. McCoy and Scotty in sick bay, and each describes the horrors of this version of the Enterprise. But Scotty says that the technology is about the same, and thinks he can get them out of there. “Let’s find out where we stand,” Kirk says, and sits down before the computer.

KIRK: Produce all data relevant to the recent ion storm. Correlate following hypothesis. Could a storm of such magnitude cause a power surge in the transporter circuits creating a momentary interdimensional contact with a parallel universe?
COMPUTER: Affirmative.
KIRK: At such a moment, could persons in each universe, in the act of beaming, transpose with their counterparts in the other universe?
COMPUTER: Affirmative.
KIRK: Could conditions necessary to such an event be created artificially using the ship’s power?
COMPUTER: Affirmative.

Wow. Who needs pseudoscience when you’ve got computers like that?!

McCoy, meanwhile has been preoccupied with a troubling thought: “What kind of people are we in this universe?” A computer query reveals that Kirk ascended the ranks through the assassination of Captain Pike, crushing a rebellion through total annihilation of the planet, and the execution of 5,000 colonists on Vega Nine. He cancels before he can hear more. But this leads McCoy to an even more upsetting thought: “Jim, if we’re here, what do you suppose our counterparts are doing back in our universe?”

Cut to Evil Kirk struggling against two security guards who force him into a brig with E-Scotty, E-Uhura, and E-McCoy. Evil Kirk calls Spock a “traitorous pig” and threatens to “hang [him] up by [his] Vulcan ears.” He promises Spock money or power in exchange for his own freedom—but Spock, of course, has no interest.

SPOCK: Your authority on this ship is extremely limited, Captain. The four of you will remain here in the Brig and in custody until I discover how to return you to wherever it is you belong.
KIRK2: Has the whole galaxy gone crazy? What kind of a uniform is this? Where’s your beard? What’s going on? Where’s my personal guard?
SPOCK: I can answer none of your questions at this time.

He goes on to say that he finds this transposition “extremely interesting.” Of course he does. Alas, we don’t get to see any of the other dopplegangers in action.

In the evil universe, Kirk discovers that “the booth” refers to an agony booth, where Chekov stands suspended in convulsive pain. Spock confronts the captain on his odd behavior, and requests an explanation:

SPOCK: Terror must be maintained or the Empire is doomed. It is the logic of history.
KIRK: Conquest is easy, control is not. We may have bitten off more than we can chew.
SPOCK: Captain, I do not wish to find myself opposing you, but if you continue on your present course, this confusing, inexplicable behavior—
KIRK: Is my concern, not yours. You would find me a formidable enemy.
SPOCK: I’m aware of that, Captain. I trust that you are aware of the reverse.

Spock leaves, and Kirk orders Chekov be released and confined to his quarters.

Meanwhile, Dr. McCoy and Scotty have snuck into Engineering by hypospraying a guard. Scotty is going to attempt to tap into the warp engines to re-create the conditions of their entry and get them out of there.

Kirk goes back to his quarters and finds a beautiful, bare-midriffed woman sleeping in his bed. She says her name is Marlena, and it’s clear that the two of them have some kind of relationship. She tries to squeeze out of Kirk what his plan is—she’s sure his behavior is part of “some kind of scheme” and that perhaps it’s a bid for the admiralty. Kirk plays along, and she throws her arms around him. “If I’m to be the woman of a Caesar, can’t I know what you’re up to?”

But just as they kiss Kirk gets an incoming message from Bearded Spock. B-Spock confides in Kirk that Starfleet has ordered him to assassinate the captain should he fail to follow through with his actions against the Halkans. What a nice guy, giving him warning and all that. Marlena is concerned for him and asks if he’d like her to “activate the Tantalus field,” to which Kirk responds with a slightly less-than-eloquent “Er, yes, um.”

A screen appears, with several buttons.

MARLENA: I hate this thing.
KIRK: It’s not that bad.
MARLENA: Of course not. It made you captain. How many enemies have you simply wiped out of existence by the touch of a button? Fifty? A hundred? Now, I always thought that was funny, The great, powerful Captain Kirk who owes everything to some unknown alien scientist and a plundered laboratory.
KIRK: Well, if you don’t take advantage of your opportunities
MARLENA: You don’t rise to the command of a starship…or even higher.

And you thought E-Kirk was playing fair! She turns on the device and they see a closed circuit view of B-Spock. Marlena’s manicured finger hovers over a button which she knows would kill, but Kirk holds it away. He promises that he will arrange it so that Spock does not get hurt. Marlena seems skeptical, but is again sure that this is part of some larger bid for power.

Spock has been tipped off to their activities by covert computer readings in Engineering. He’s also been tipped off that Sulu is spying on him, and he calls the lieutenant on it. Sulu makes it clear that he supports Spock’s bid for captain, as it would bring him closer to the captaincy.

Back in Kirk’s quarter’s, Marlena has changed from her “work” halter and skirt outfit and into her sexytime sheer outfit. She tries to entice Kirk but he says he has to leave. Believing that he has rejected her, she swears she’ll be packing her bags.

MARLENA: I want one thing, Captain. Transfer me. On the Enterprise, I am humiliated! On another ship, I can hunt fresh game. I’ve got my rank. Don’t I? I’ve been a captain’s woman, and I like it. I’ll be one again if I have to go through every officer in the fleet.

Kirk replies, “You could,” which was the wrong answer—she slaps him! He backpedals by trying to say that what he “really” meant was that she “could be anything” she wanted to be. We believe him, but she’s not sure she does. They kiss, and she is clearly shocked by his change of behavior: “You’re a stranger. Mercy to the Halkans, mercy to Spock, to me. Am I your woman?” She’s not, of course; she’s E-Kirk’s woman. And so Kirk responds, “You’re the Captain’s woman until he says you’re not.” Good save. He leaves, but she walks over to the Tantalus device to watch what Kirk is up to.

Scotty and McCoy are nearly ready to engage the field. They contact Uhura to do her best and “distract” Sulu, so that he doesn’t notice the power bump on his console as they re-route the warp drives. She saunters up to Sulu and teases him, telling him that “the game has rules” and chastises him for not returning to her after she rejected him. Sulu grabs her and starts kissing her neck. But then she pulls back and slaps him across the face. “I’m afraid I’ve changed my mind again,” she says. “You take a lot of chances,” he responds angrily, and the two face off with their daggers. But the ruse worked—he missed the signal. She manages to hold him off, and exits the bridge to head to sick bay.

Meanwhile, Spock has found Kirk out in the transporter room. He demands to know what’s going on, and escorts him to sick bay, where he finds the entire landing party. All four of them attempt to fight Spock in close combat, but Spock is much stronger than any of them. Finally, Uhura hands Kirk a sculpture of some kind, which he breaks over Spock’s head.

Scotty tells them that they have less than fifteen minutes before their window of opportunity closes, but McCoy argues that Spock will die without treatment. They help Spock up onto a table, and Kirk agrees to give McCoy the time he needs to try and save Spock’s life.

Suddenly Sulu and three of his henchmen show up—he explains that with Spock out of the way and with orders to kill Kirk, he will be a captain. But before he can act on his threats, one of his henchmen disappears! It is Marlena, operating the Tantalus device back in Kirk’s quarters. She has watched the entire scene unfold. She kills the other two henchmen, leaving only Sulu, who goes in to attack Kirk with a knife. There’s no fighting Kirk, of course, and he’s quickly subdued.

McCoy won’t leave Spock, but he swears to meet them in the transporter room before their time is up. Just as Kirk and the others leave, Spock awakens, and leaps up from the table. He forces McCoy against a panel and asks “Why did the captain let me live?” He performs a mind meld on a terrified Dr. McCoy, and discovers the truth about their plans.

As Kirk, Scotty, and Uhura enter the transporter room, they find Marlena there waiting for them. She begs them to take her with them, but Kirk refuses—a fifth person would destabalize the field and they could all die. But she won’t take no for an answer, and she whips out a phaser. “If you kill us, you’ll still stay,” he tells her, but she continues to point the phaser at him. However, Uhura had been standing behind her, and she grabs the phaser from the woman’s hands and takes away her dagger, too.

McCoy hasn’t arrived yet, and Scotty discovers that power has been cut to the console! They can get auxiliary power but one of them will have to stay behind to operate it. Scotty volunteers, but Kirk orders him to join Uhura on the transporter pad. Just then McCoy shows up—escorted by B-Spock, of course, who explains that it was he who cut the power. He wants “his” captain back, and tells Kirk to get on the transporter pad. But Kirk has something to say before he goes:

KIRK: In that time I have something to say. How long before the Halkan prediction of galactic revolt is realized?
SPOCK: Approximately two hundred and forty years.
KIRK: The inevitable outcome?
SPOCK: The Empire shall be overthrown, of course.
KIRK: The illogic of waste, Mister Spock. The waste of lives, potential, resources, time. I submit to you that your Empire is illogical because it cannot endure. I submit that you are illogical to be a willing part of it.
SPOCK: You have one minute and twenty three seconds.
KIRK: If change is inevitable, predictable, beneficial, doesn’t logic demand that you be a part of it?
SPOCK: One man cannot summon the future.
KIRK: But one man can change the present. Be the captain of this Enterprise, Mister Spock. Find a logical reason for sparing the Halkans and make it stick. Push till it gives. You can defend yourself better than any man in the fleet.

Spock considers this, but he explains that one man still needs power. He has nothing to defend himself if he were to take on the system. So Kirk reveals the Tantalus device to him.

KIRK: In my cabin is a device that will make you invincible. (Spock raises an eyebrow.)
SPOCK: Indeed?
KIRK: What will it be? Past or future? Tyranny or freedom? It’s up to you.
SPOCK: It is time.
KIRK: In every revolution, there’s one man with a vision.
SPOCK: Captain Kirk, I shall consider it.

Spock engages the transporter, and we see the transporter effect return to the original effect. Kirk, Scotty, Uhura, and Dr. McCoy are now facing unbearded Spock. They’ve made it home.

Back on the bridge, Spock notes that their counterparts were “brutal, savage, unprincipled, uncivilised, treacherous, In every way, splendid examples of homo sapiens, the very flower of humanity.” Kirk is amused by this, but their conversation is interrupted when a young lieutenant Marlena approaches him. Kirk is visibly shaken by her demure presence.

SPOCK: You’ve met her before, Captain?
KIRK: Uh, why do you ask?
SPOCK: Your reaction, One of recognition.
KIRK: Oh, no. No, no. We haven’t met before, exactly. She just seemed a nice, likable girl. I think we could become friends. It’s possible.

 

Analysis:
“Mirror, Mirror,” if not the single most memorable episode of the original series, is almost certainly the single most parodied.

I loved all of the little details, like the “ISS” Enterprise, the alternate transporter effect, the “Terran Empire” symbol of the sword going through the Earth, the computer voice being male, Chekov saying “stroke” instead of “mark” when discussing a heading… Do please add any differences you found in the comments! They added up to that perfect feeling of the uncanny—the corruption of the familiar with little tiny things that make it feel foreign and uncomfortable. The piratey outfits were splendid and did an excellent job evoking the Klingon and Romulan types of dress (as this Federation closely resembles their empires in the original universe). I enjoyed getting to see all the actors break out of their roles a bit. My only regret with this episode was that we didn’t get to see more of Kirk, Scott, McCoy, and Uhura’s evil counterparts! Each time they showed up I couldn’t help but think, “I want to see that episode!”

While this doesn’t have the thought-provoking qualities of a lot of other classic Trek episodes, I think that the indictment of fascism still resonates. It’s no coincidence that the guards use Nazi-like salutes, the captain rules through terror and extermination, and the goals of the Empire don’t seem to extend beyond gathering resources in the short term. What wins Spock over in the end isn’t the inherent immorality of their actions, which he accepts as necessary—it’s the instability of this kind of approach. No race or empire can survive on fear alone, and it’s the timetable of the dissolution of the empire that convinces Spock to give peace a chance as the only path towards long-term security.

In a lot of ways this episode reminded me of “The Enemy Within” because it implies that within even the most merciful of us is the capacity to do terrible and violent things. Brutality and savagery are not external natures thrust upon us, they’re part of who we are, and while we may choose civility and fairness, our “wild” selves are still there, lurking beneath the surface. Circumstance determines a great deal, but we can still choose to take the middle path—because that part is within us as well. They are two sides of the same coin (or the same Kirk!). B-Spock may do terrible things, but he has the same capacity for goodness and integrity as his counterpart, and it’s up to him to decide to let that aspect of himself flourish or not.

All in all, a fun, clever, somewhat ridiculous, but very satisfying episode.

I should note that this is only the first appearance of this particular mirror universe, and that Deep Space Nine picked it up again in the episode “Crossover.” We learn in that episode that Spock did indeed take over the ISS Enterprise, and ultimately ascended to be the leader of the Terran Empire. He instituted major reforms to create a more peaceful, stable, and benevolent organization. Unfortunately, this left him ill-prepared for a major invasion by the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance (which the Bajorans became a part of). The Terran Empire was crushed, and humans now work as slaves to the Alliance. So let that be a lesson to you about screwing with alternate timelines!

Torie’s Rating: Warp 5 (on a scale of 1-6)

Eugene Myers: Like many Star Trek fans, I love “Mirror, Mirror.” It’s one of the best-known and most-referenced episodes of the original series, which is why evil versions of people are usually given beards in popular culture. I also happen to be a huge fan of alternate universe stories, and this would have been one of the first I was exposed to, along with another of my favorites, Back to the Future II. This might have been the case for some viewers in 1967 as well—at the time, the concept of parallel universes was still fairly fresh. Hugh Everett III had publicized his many-worlds theory only a decade before, though the idea of multiple worlds had already been explored in fiction; for instance, Jerome Bixby’s short story “One Way Street,” which inspired this episode, was published in Amazing Stories in 1953. Arguably, “City on the Edge of Forever” is also an alternate universe story.

Now, forty-one years after “Mirror, Mirror,” we still know little about parallel worlds, or whether they even exist, but continue to be fascinated with playing “what if” with history. Notably, the new Star Trek film takes place in an alternate universe, whether fans like it or not. There’s something compelling about seeing how the world and individuals might have turned out had one thing happened differently. These alterations are usually slight, but they cause big changes in the events that follow, just as one person’s actions can have a profound impact on the course of history.

Naturally, it’s fun to look at all the differences: Spock’s beard (probably the most striking change, or at least the most memorable), Kirk’s barbarism, the piratical uniforms. This time around, I caught a lot of subtle touches that I’ve missed on my numerous previous viewings of this episode. I’d never noticed that they used a different model of the Enterprise in the reverse-shot of the I.S.S. Enterprise in the teaser, the same one used in the pilot episode with antennas on the nacelles and a bigger dome on the saucer. For the first time, I spotted that one of Spock’s operatives who trails behind him in the corridors is a Vulcan, the first time we see another Vulcan on the ship. The captain’s chair has a higher back, the ship’s computer has a male voice, and even the transporter effect has been revised.

It may be even more interesting to examine the similarities, though. Dr. McCoy is described as sentimental and soft by the Spock of both universes, though in the mirror universe these traits are viewed as a serious character flaw instead of being playful criticism by the Vulcan. (McCoy’s also presumably just as clumsy in both universes, given the identical acid spill on his workbench.) Spock is just as honorable, loyal, and logical in both universes—fortunately for “our” Kirk and the rest of his landing party. One has the impression that he isn’t violent because he likes it, but because he’s just following orders. Perhaps this is why he would rather play second string to his Kirk rather than command a ship of his own. If people are inherently the same, despite the effects of their environment, what are we to think about Kirk approaching Lieutenant Marlena Moreau at the end of the episode?

And yet as much as I enjoy the episode, I now have some minor issues with it. I was astonished that the transporter malfunction essentially beamed Kirk, Scott, McCoy, and Uhura out of their own uniforms! It’s also curiously coincidental that Spock had the mirror versions of the landing party in the transporter chamber at the exact moment the mirror Spock was trying to switch them back. The way Kirk catches on to what has happened is also convenient and a little funny:

Not our universe, not our ship. Something… parallel. A parallel universe co-existing with ours on another dimensional plane. Everything’s duplicated, almost. Another Enterprise. Spock with a beard.

But it’s even more hilarious and difficult to accept when the computer actually confirms his crazy theories, and tells him how to reverse it, though it keeps the story moving.

KIRK: Produce all data relevant to the recent ion storm. Correlate following hypothesis. Could a storm of such magnitude cause a power surge in the transporter circuits creating a momentary interdimensional contact with a parallel universe?
COMPUTER: Affirmative.
KIRK: At such a moment, could persons in each universe, in the act of beaming, transpose with their counterparts in the other universe?
COMPUTER: Affirmative.
KIRK: Could conditions necessary to such an event be created artificially using the ship’s power?
COMPUTER: Affirmative.
KIRK: Record procedure.

Okay then, that was easy! And as cool as the Tantalus device is, it’s always been a weird element in the story that never gets explained and never reappears in the series. Here, alien technology equals “magic” even more than usual. At first I thought it was strange that Marlena doesn’t use the device against her Kirk, but then I realized that she isn’t close enough to command for it to move her up in rank. And she seems to like being a “captain’s woman” anyway—all the privilege and none of the responsibility. If you’re interested in a plausible explanation for Kirk’s rise to power and his acquisition of the Tantalus device, check out the graphic novel Mirror Images by Scott Tipton, David Tipton, and David Messina.

Because this episode is so loved by fans, it’s strange that it was never explored in TNG, which nominally has the closest ties to the original series. The closest it comes are episodes like “Yesterday’s Enterprise” and “Parallels,” but there is an excellent novel, Dark Mirror by Diane Duane, that gives us a glimpse at an alternate I.S.S. Enterprise-D. The concept also has been explored in numerous other non-canon books and comics, but the next time we return to the mirror universe in the franchise is through the Deep Space Nine episode “Crossover,” which directly references Kirk’s previous visit and explains what happens after Kirk inspires Spock to embrace peace. Interestingly, in “Mirror, Mirror,” Scott comments that if they miss their window to return to their universe, “We couldn’t get out of here in a century.” This ends up being about right considering the timing of Kira and Bashir’s subsequent visit and escape. The Enterprise two-parter “In a Mirror, Darkly,” sets itself up as a prequel to “Mirror, Mirror,” and is one of the few episodes of the series that I can recommend watching.

In the end, as enjoyable as “Mirror, Mirror” is, it only serves to suggest questions about human nature and our actions without engaging them in a meaningful way. The entertainment value is very high, but it’s not as thought-provoking as it could have been, and I can’t help but look at it in comparison to what follows. This is really only the first part of a story that is explored with deeper implications in the mirror universe episodes in Deep Space Nine.

Eugene’s Rating: Warp 5 (on a scale of 1-6)

Best Line: McCoy: Jim, I think I liked him with a beard better. It gave him character.

Syndication Edits: Sulu and Chekov locking phasers on the Halkan cities before Uhura arrives on the bridge; Scotty getting thwarted on his first attempt trying to sneak into Engineering; Kirk agreeing to send Chekov to the agony booth; McCoy explaining that sick bay is a “chamber of horrors”; Spock and Kirk’s conversation as they approach the agony booth; Kirk and Marlena discussing Chekov’s assassination attempt; a captain’s log; Spock discovering the computer research; Kirk spinning around to see Marlena in her sheer lingerie; and Uhura backing away from Sulu and exciting the bridge.

Other Notes: In the original draft of the script Kirk travelled to the alternate universe alone, and the Federation, which did not even have phaser technology, had just lost a war against the Tharn (the name was re-used for the leader of the Halkans). He winds up building his own phaser and using it to conquer the Tharn. Because Kirk did not “belong” in that universe, he kept having fainting spells that poisoned him, because he was like an infection. The other Kirk was married, and he got along well with the crew to help defeat the Tharn. Spock was more savage, McCoy had the beard (which made Kirk recoil in shock!), and McCoy became injured toward the end of the episode. Upon returning Kirk discovers that the nurse who treated him was the other Kirk’s wife. Spooky.

Trivia: Jerome Bixby, who wrote this episode, based it loosely on his short story “One Way Street.” Bixby is perhaps most famous for his short story “It’s a Good Life,” which was adapted into a Twilight Zone episode, and he went on to write three other Star Trek episodes: “By Any Other Name,” “Day of the Dove,” and “Requiem for Methuselah.”


Next episode: Season 2, Episode 5 – “The Apple.” US residents can watch it for free at the CBS website.

Check the Star Trek Re-Watch Index for a complete list of posts in this series.


Eugene Myers has published short fiction in a variety of print and online zines (writing as E.C. Myers). He is a graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop and a member of the writing group Altered Fluid. When he isn’t watching Star Trek, he reads and writes young adult novels.

Torie Atkinson would totally trade places with her evil counterpart if it gave her Nichelle Nichols’ killer abs.

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Eugene Myers

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I am a YA writer who spends too much time on the internet. My novels: FAIR COIN, QUANTUM COIN, and THE SILENCE OF SIX. You can find my Star Trek and ongoing TNG Re-Watch posts at TheViewscreen.com, connect with me on Twitter (@ecmyers), or read more about my work at http://ecmyers.net.
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