Well we had two decent episodes now it's time to start looking at the more infamous season 3 stuff. When it comes to the bad in Season 3 these episodes fall into two categories: they are either stupid as hell or dull as hell. Today we have the latter. This episode isn't bad in theory, but sweet lord is it slow. So what gimmick haven't we done yet? I know, amnesia!
Plot:Kirk loses his memory and joins the descendants of a tribe of Native Americans (well, space equivalents anyway, it makes no sense)
Guest Stars:Sabrina Scharf as Miramanee
Nitpick:I give the episode credit that they didn't just have Kirk hit his head and get amnesia. It was the strange light inside the obselisk that did it when Kirk hits some buttons by mistake. This episode takes place across a 2 month time frame which makes sense, but is also kind of weird. And the common nit for this episode is, why in the world did Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down in the first place?
Summary:
Teaser-Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down to a planet (big shocker here) that closely resembles Earth of the 20th century, especially the American Pacific Coast. They find an ancient obelisk covered in ancient symbols. Spock can't even suggest what the symbols really mean. With only thirty minutes before they have to leave, they observe the natives who resemble native American's from Earth. An asteroid is on a direct course to the planet, and they are supposed to deflect it. McCoy wants to warn the natives but of course that is not allowed. Kirk reflects on the simplicity of their lives and how he almost longs for it. Kirk climbs onto a platform on the obelisk and opens his communicator to contact the ship. However, the platform opens and Kirk drops inside to some kind of control room. As he tries to get his bearings, light from the panel immobilizes him.
Act 1-Spock and McCoy are unable to figure out how to get inside the Obelisk. They have been searching for Kirk with no luck, but now must leave to take care of that asteroid. McCoy wants to keep searching but Spock convinces him. Kirk awakens with no who he is or what he is doing there. He makes his way out of the obelisk, where two native women see him and conclude he is a god of some kind. The woman, Miramanee, takes Kirk back to her village to be cared for. The Enterprise is pushing the safety margins on the warp engines as the pursue the asteroid. At the village Kirk is brought to an alder, and Kirk explains he isn't sure who he is. When a child is brought in nearly drowned, Kirk is able to instinctively use CPR to save him (were chest compressions not a thing yet?). Breathing life into the dead convinces them Kirk is a god even though Kirk says he really isn't sure what he just did. Kirk is given the medicine badge which upsets his rival, Salish. The Enterprise has reach the point where they will deflect the asteroid, but the power is struggling and they are unable to move it. They hold a position relative to ti and must wait until they are able to successfully deflect the android, even if it takes months.
Act 2-On the planet Miramanee explains that she can not marry Salish now, she must marry the new medicine chief. Kirk is working when Miramanee gives new clothes to replace his uniform. Kirk asks about the gods of the obelisk and she says their the one's who brought them there from far away. They appointed a medicine chief to keep the secret of the temple and to use it when "the sky darkens". However Salish's father died before the secret could be passed on. The elder asks what Kirk's name is he half says KIR..and the elder assumes he means KIROK. I'll still call him Kirk. He assures them he is happy, but he has no idea how he is supposed to help them. Kirk says he has time to remember, and Miramanee says there is plenty there. On the Enterprise, the ship is still backing away from the asteroid. Chekov has found the weakest point to split it open, but the attempt fails. On the planet Miramanee and Kirk prepare for the joining ritual. Scotty says that all they have impulse power left. McCoy berates Spock for the risk he took, but Spock just stares at the symbols on the obelisk. He decided to go back to the planet ahead of the asteroid, just four hours behind. Kirk and Miramanee ready for the joining. Kirk feels content and happy, but when he walks back to the village Salish jumps and cuts him. Salish realizes Kirk is not a god when he bleeds.
Act 3-The two struggle and Kirk wins. Salish tells Kirk to kill him saying he will not rest until he proves Kirk is no god. A the village Kirk and Miramanee finish the ceremony. On the ship, Spock is still deciphering the symbols but McCoy has noted that in two months Spock has not eaten or slept. He says they were wrong to blame Spock for making a command decision and orders him to rest, but as soon as McCoy leaves he gets up and continues to stare at the obelisk. As Kirk and Miramanee frolic in the woods, he tells her that he is so happy and yet plagued by bad dreams of the strange lodge which moves through the sky. He feels he doesn't deserve this happiness. Miramanee tells him that she is carrying his child, which delights him. In the village Kirk explains how he wants to build an irrigation ditch and double food production. As the skies darken, she tells him he must go to the temple and make the blue flame come out. Salish and the elder demand Kirk go to the temple, and when he does all he can do is scream into the wind to stop.
Act 4-On the ship Spock explains that the symbols are not words, but music. He has discovered the race who left it are the Preservers, aliens who protected humanoid species by moving them around the galaxy. They believe the obelisk is an asteroid deflector and is not working correctly. At the obelisk, Kirk is being attacked and stoned when Miramanee steps into defend her husband. Miramanee ends up unconscious on the ground. When Spock and McCoy beam down, it scares the villagers off. The two find Kirk, and McCoy has Spock call down Nurse Chapel. They figure out Kirk has memory loss, and Miramanee explains how Kirk emerged from the obelisk. Spock uses a Vulcan mind meld to restore his memory. Back to normal, Kirk tells McCoy to tend to Miramanee while he and Spock enter the obelisk. Kirk realizes he accidentally hit the musical sequence when he called the ship before. The two get inside, and Spock is able to fix the deflector just in time. Later, Kirk returns to the village where McCoy explains Miramanee suffered severe internal injuries. When Kirk asks if she will live, he says she will not.
Final Thoughts:This episode is such a slog. I'm not blaming the actors of course and the chemistry between Shatner and Sabrina Sharf is fine (ok ok they're adorable together). But it just goes on and on, and even the return to the ship scenes are unsatisfying. While the episode has a sweet and very tragic ending, I would have liked to see more of Kirk absorbing the experience when back on the ship. It was two months basically living another life, did he needs to recover and get back to normal? To be fair this is a common Trek trope having a character experience a trauma and then bounce right back like nothing happened. For instance, Picard who bounces right back after what happens in "The Inner Light". An episode which has a similar theme as in this episode coincidentally. In both our captain's get to experience the life they never had. However while the writing and acting saves "The Inner Light", this episode is just D-U-L-L. And I am not getting into the Native American stereotyping here!
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