This episode has always bothered me. There is just something about it, it makes me uncomfortable to watch it. Does that means it's bad? Let's talk about it.
Plot:The Enterprise discovers a planet where the population act like zombies and obey the will of their unseen ruler, Landru.
Guest Stars:Charles Macauley as Landru
Nitpick:This is one of the first times the characters get to wear regular clothes to blend in. I wonder if that was a relief to the actors?
Summary:
Teaser-On a planet, Sulu and another officer are running in fear. Sulu contacts the Enterprise for an emergency beam out, but is blasted before he is energized. He appeared on the ship dazed and saying something about not being one with the body and saying the name Landru.
Act 1-With Sulu acting odd and the other man missing, Kirk beams down with a party in order to investigate. The Enterprise is surveying the planet looking for a vessel called Archon that vanished 100 years ago. On the planet the citizens appear docile. Mindless even. A stranger points out that red hour is coming, and the festival will start. Suddenly the clock chimes 6:00, and absolute pandemonium breaks out. The crew run for their lives into a hotel. The owner explains that the festival is the will of Landru. The owner is confused when Kirk says he does not want to attend the festival and asks about Landru. As riots tear apart the block, the crew compare notes. The festival stops the next morning at the stroke of 6:00, and the citizens go back to being docile as if nothing had happened. Kirk asks again about Landru and the owner realizes the crew could not be of the body and asks if they are archons. Lawgivers then enter and declare everyone will be absorbed into the body. And if you're wondering what was up with the red hour stuff...that's good! It's never explains and forgotten pretty fast. My guess that the control the people are under is suppressing people's emotions so for a specific time every day (week? I don't know) the control ebbs so the emotions can be expressed.
Act 2-Kirk refuses to go along, saying they will go in there own time. The crew flee and make there way down the street. Suddenly the normal people stop and get ready to attack the crew. They uses phasers to get away from the people but find the other officer and bring him even though he has been absorbed. Inside a dungeon, Spock detects a strong power source while the officer is kept alseep. He explains how the first Archons resisted Landru, who had pulled him down from the sky. And now the Enterprise is in peril. Spock detects they are being probed, when an image appears on the wall. A man saying he is Landru says they have come to a world without hate or conflict, and put it at risk. He explains they will be absorbed and their individuality will become part of the body to serve the body and they will experience contentment and fulfillment (you know, this sounds awful familiar). Then they are all knocked out.
Act 3-Kirk and Spock awaken to find McCoy is missing and they trapped. Spock suggests that Landru may actually be sophisticated computer. It's amazing how the 1960's were so afraid of computers. McCoy appears and has been absorbed, acting very strangely. A lawgiver appears to bring Kirk to be absorbed. Kirk is trapped in a device and a man called Mapton begins the process. Spock has mind melded with McCoy and found no way to beak the control he is under. They then come for Spock, who walks past a now apparently absorbed Kirk.
Act 4-Marpton begins the process on Spock and then stops it. He explains Kirk was not absorved. He releases Spock and explained they have been awaiting their arrival to save them all. In the room Spock meets up with Kirk, talking quietly not to alert McCoy to the fact they were not absorbed. Spock explains that the society is controlled, and by a computer which needs to be destroyed. Even if it violates the Prime Directive. When the lawbringers enter Kirk and Spock steal their robes to get close to Landru. It's explained that Landru changed the world to a time of peace. Kirk and Spock are brought to the hall of audiences where they again see Landru. Landry says Kirk and Spock must die including nayone who knows they were there. Kirk then uses his phaser to blast through the wall, at the computer generating the image. Landru runs the society efficiently like a souless machine would, so Kirk has to outthink the machine by making the computer understand that he is acting without a soul. Kirk convinces the machine to self destruct and everyone including Sulu is back to normal.
Final Thoughts:The episode is a little off, it's hard to describe. The pacing is slow. Heck even Spock uses a normal punch rather than his usual nerve pinch. The acting is weird in part, intentionally, and even the normal theme music feels out of place when it chimes in. However, it's not a bad episode. Although that out thinking the computer thing is kind of lame. This happens a few times in the series, Kirk vs the computer, here is not the best example. In fact the ending bares a striking similarity to "The Changeling" which comes off a heck of a lot better. Even the ship in danger part is not great, done better in other episodes.
So let me get this straight on this planet a tyrant has control of a population, in charge of what they think and how they act. And if someone speaks out against that tyrant or does not support them then they must be eliminated or "absorbed" into the hive mind. Hmmm is it me or this episode really reminding something relevant today?
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