Changes: The Tholian Web (episode)

Revision as of 03:32, 18 March 2007

While trying to rescue the Starfleet ship USS Defiant, Captain Kirk disappears when the dead ship is pulled into interspace. The Enterprise is then attacked by a mysterious local race, the Tholians, the same ones that attacked Defiant.

Summary

As the Enterprise searches for the lost ship, the USS Defiant (NCC-1764), they encounter a glowing object that apparently is not there. As the ship moves closer, Kirk identifies it as the Defiant.

McCoy, Spock, Kirk and Chekov beam over in space suits to discover the entire crew dead. When the party sees the ship's captain having been strangled by a crewman and the dead bridge crew, Chekov asks if there is any record of a mutiny on a Federation starship, and Spock says there is "No record of any such occurance." When they discover there are no life signs on the vessel, the party splits up to investigate.

McCoy reports that the crew of the Defiant seemed to have killed each other, but he doesn't know why. According to the ship's log, the surgeon onboard didn't know what was going on either. He encounters a transluscent body and finds that the Defiant is dissolving, when his hand passes through a man's body and a table. As the Defiant starts to "blink" on and off, repairs are underway on the transporter, which Scotty reports has become "jammed-up." When Kirk and party are ready for beam-out, only three of the landing party can go at once. Spock requests permission to remain behind, but Kirk makes him go back to the Enterprise and Kirk stays behind.

During beaming, Scotty has trouble getting the three of them off the Defiant. The Defiant continues to "blink" on and off, and Scotty eventually gets Chekov, Spock and McCoy onto the Enterprise. Kirk waits while the Enterprise tries to beam him aboard. The Defiant disappears completely, and Kirk is lost as well.

Back on the bridge, Spock explains that Kirk has slipped into another universe; for short periods of time, an interphase occurs where one can travel between universes. In two hours, the computer calculates, another interphase will occur. However, the Enterprise must not expend any energy or the dimensional rift will become damaged and Kirk lost forever. During this explanation, Chekov becomes enraged and has to be subdued. It is clear that the Enterprise crew might be subject to the same anger that destroyed the crew of the Defiant.

The conversation is interrupted by an approaching geometric, rainbow-colored ship. Commander Loskene informs the crew that they are trespassing on teritory of the Tholian Assembly and that they must leave. Spock says that the Enterprise is engaged in a rescue mission, but Leskeen points out that there is no other ship. In the interests of "interstellar amnity," Leskeen agrees to wait until the Defiant reappears from the interspatial rift.

When the time comes for the interphase, everything goes wrong. An orderly attacks Dr. McCoy in sick bay while trying to find a cause of the mental derangement; Nurse Chapel administers a hypo spray to subdue him. The time for the interphase comes and goes, but because of the Tholian ship's engines, the timing of the interphase has been disrupted. McCoy reports that the sickness is not due to an infectious agent but the area of space causing damage to the nervous system. This conversation is interrupted when the Tholians fire upon the Enterprise. (Spock mutters, "The renouned Tholian punctuality.")

Spock does not wish to attack, but locks in phasers and hails the Tholians. They do not respond, and he orders Sulu to fire. The Thoians stand down, but the ship's power converters are fused and the Enterprise is adrift. Another Tholian ship appears, and the two touch aft ends briefly before separating, weaving a web between them. Spock analizes the web and concludes that it is made of energy, but "There is no analoge to this structure in Federation technology." He announces that if the structure is completed, the Enterprise will not make it home.

Approximately two dozen crew members assemble for Kirk's memorial service. Spock speaks, noting Kirk's concern for his crewmembers that led him to stay aboard the Defiant. He repeats the sequence of events that led to Kirk's disappearance and says that the crew must accept the fact that Kirk is no longer alive. One of the crew members becomes unstable at this point, screaming and yelling, and has to be removed. Spock concludes that "I shall not attempt to voice the quality of the respect and admiration Captian Kirk commanded. Each of you must evaluate the loss in the privacy of your own thoughts." Scotty calls the crew to order, and they observe a moment of silence.

After the crew is dismissed, McCoy informs Spock that Kirk has left a message in his quarters that was to be played in the event that he is declared dead. McCoy convinces Spock to view the message, but first berates Spock for attacking the Tholians and reducing the Enterprise's chances of escape. McCoy accuses him of attempting to usurp the command. They play the message, and Kirk asks Spock to temper logic with intuition, and if he needs help with the latter he should consult with McCoy. He also tells McCoy to remember that Spock is the captain.

Meanwhile, Uhura is in her quarters. She feels a sudden pain, and when she recovers she sees an image of Kirk wearing an environment suit in her mirror. She tells McCoy, but he takes her to sick bay as if she is hallucinating. She wants to tell Spock, but she faints. In the engine room, another crewman goes bezerk and attacks Scotty. McCoy is attempting to synthesize an antidote that will counter the debilitating effects of interspace. When McCoy returns to the bridge, Scotty reports that he also sees an apparition of Kirk. Scotty returns to the bridge, and McCoy, Scott and Spock all see the image of the captain. He appears to be trying to shout something. McCoy returns to sick bay and discharges Uhura.

When Uhura is released, the crew's fortune begins to change. Scott and Scott have calculated the next time Kirk will appear. McCoy has found an antidote for the mental degradation with a diluted tharogin compound, which is a Klingon nerve gas. At the next interphase, Kirk appears before the Enterprise. The ship attempts to rescue Kirk, but the ship is thrown clear of the web when it tries to resist a Tholian tractor beam.

McCoy stands by in the transporter room with a hypo of tri-ox compound compound to counter the suffocation Kirk suffers as his environmental suit runs out of air. Kirk is successfully beamed back aboard the Enterprise.

When Kirk is back in the captain's chair, he tells Spock and McCoy that he was in a universe to himself but prefers the crowds. He asks them how they got along, and Spock and McCoy say that things went all right. Kirk says he hopes his last orders were helpful, but Spock and McCoy lie and say that they were so busy that they never got a chance to hear them.

Log Entries

Captain’s log, stardate 5693.2. The Enterprise is approaching the last reported position of the starship Defiant, which vanished without trace three weeks ago. We are in unsurveyed territory.

Memorable Quotes

"I believe you have those qualities, but if you can't find them in yourself, seek out McCoy, ask his advice, and, if you find it sound, take it. Bones, you just heard what I told Spock. Help him in any way you can, but always remember that he is the captain."

- Kirk, from his final orders for Spock and McCoy.

"It does hurt, doesn't it?"

- McCoy, to Spock after hearing the tape.

"The renowned Tholian punctuality."

- Spock, noting the best-known trait of the Tholians

"All it does is merely deaden certain nerve inputs to the brain."
"Well, any decent blend of Scotch'll do that."
"Oh yeah? Well, one good slug of this, and you could hit a man with phaser-stun, and he'd never feel it, or even know it."
"Does it make a good mix with Scotch?"
"It should."
"I'll let you know."

- McCoy and Scotty, discussing the merits of the interspace antidote.

Background Information

This is the third time the Enterprise has encountered another Constitution Class starship with the entire crew dead. The others were in "The Doomsday Machine" and "The Omega Glory."
The Exo III graphic from "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" makes a reappearance in the sickbay of the Defiant.
As in "Balance of Terror", in which it was redressed with red curtains and a podium, a redecorated briefing room set doubles as the ship's chapel.
A wonderful effects shot was set up in this episode and not used. A dead crewman is projected onto the floor of the Defiant's sickbay for DeForest Kelley to put his hand through. Unfortunately, only a tight close-up of his hand penetrating the body ended up being used.
The images of the brutally-killed crew of the Defiant, especially those in the engineering section, are rather graphic for 1960s television. Several regular extras from the series double as dead Defiant crewmembers, most notably Paul Baxley as the Defiant's Captain. This scene was recreated with amazing accuracy in ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly"
Note that none of the insignia on the tunics of the dead Defiant crew are clearly visible. This allowed the producers to re-use standard Enterprise tunics without the need to create a new insignia.
As Chekov looks upon the carnage in the engineering room of the dead ship, one of Walter Koenig's reaction shots is looped several times to make it longer.
Cold blue light infuses the impulse engines of the Defiant to show that they are inoperative.
'Star Trek' was nominated for an Emmy Award for the special effects in this episode. The effects were a collaboration by Mike Minor and Van DerVeer Effects. Minor also designed the Tholian mask.
Spock refers to "the renowned Tholian punctuality", so it seems that Starfleet had encountered the Tholian race before. This fact is later corroborated by ENT: "Future Tense".
Just before the berserker engineer leaps down on Mr. Scott, we get a view down from the top of the ladder - this is the only time we see Engineering from this angle. Look carefully, and you can also see the colored lights behind the set that were used to light up the engineering consoles!
Ralph Senensky began the direction of this episode, but was fired and replaced by Herb Wallerstein. The signature wide angle shots used to show the viewpoint of a person affected by interspace were used by Senensky to great effect in "Is There in Truth No Beauty?."
The spacesuits in this episode were seen again in "Whom Gods Destroy."
When Dr. McCoy enters Spock's quarters with the theragen, the mirror wobbles. The person controlling the door behind the mirror bumped the wall while operating the door cables.
The rather incredible title for this episode in Japan is "Crisis of Captain Kirk Who Was Thrown into Different Dimensional Space."
Although he is paraphrasing the words of Kirk, this is the only time Spock refers to McCoy as "Bones."
When Kirk's "ghost" appears on the bridge, he is mouthing the words, "Hurry, Spock!"
Dr. McCoy seems to appear at an incredibly opportune time in the bridge. On the other hand, he was probably attending at the bridge in order to discuss his report with Spock. He was expecting something to happen to the members of the away-team, and Chekov was the first to show symptoms of what had happened to the crew of the Defiant.
Spock, in collaboration with McCoy, slightly lies to Kirk at the end of this episode. Cutting himself off from finishing his sentence so that he doesn't flat out lie, and so his "No" at the beginning of his line could have meant anything.
ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly" and "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II" would later serve as sequels to this episode, and as prequels to TOS: "Mirror, Mirror".
When Kirk comments, upon his return, that he prefers a crowded universe much more, he gives an appreciative look at Lt. Uhura.
As Spock grips Chekov's head on the bridge as he goes berserk, a scream is dubbed in where it is obvious that Walter Koenig was not actually screaming.
Stock footage from "The Paradise Syndrome" is used for James Doohan in one brief clip in Engineering, evidenced by his totally different hair style.
Even though Chekov was taken away to sick bay, when we see the Tholian on the view screen, the back of Walter Koenig's head is still visible at the navigator station.

Production timeline

Story outline, 1 May 1968
Teleplay, 17 June 1968
Revised first draft teleplay by Judy Burns and Chet Richards, 25 June 1968.
Revised teleplay, 11 July 1968.
Final draft script, 30 July 1968.
Filmed in early and mid August 1968.

The remastered version of "The Tholian Web" will air in syndication during the weekend of 31 March 2007. Due to the effects connected to the Tholians seen in Star Trek: Enterprise, it is speculated (though not certain) that the degree of application for new digital effects will be very high, and that the insect-like Tholian race will make a much clearer appearance in the remastered version.

Links and References

VHS edition available through Amazon under ISBN 6300988600.

Main cast

Guest Stars

Sean Morgan as O'Neil
Barbara Babcock as the voice of Loskene (uncredited)
Paul Baxley as the Defiant captain (uncredited, see USS Defiant (NCC-1764) personnel)
Frank da Vinci as Brent (uncredited) and stunt double for De Kelley
Bob Bralver as berserker engineer
Jay Jones as dizzy engineer and James Doohan's stunt double
Lou Elias as berserker at funeral service
Unknown actor as orderly
William Blackburn as Hadley (uncredited)
Roger Holloway as Roger Lemli (uncredited)

References

Defiant, USS; environmental suit; Exo III; interphase; mutiny; Scotch whiskey; theragen; Tholian Assembly; Tholian starship; Tholian web; transporter accident; tri-ox compound.

DVD Media Information

Star Trek: The Original Series, Volume 32 (original two episode single-disc release) ASIN B00005M2D0
Star Trek: The Original Series - The Complete Third Season (disc 3 of the set)

External Links

Template:NCwiki

Previous episode produced: "The Empath"	Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3	Next episode produced: "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky"
Previous episode aired: "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky"	Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3	Next episode aired: "Plato's Stepchildren"
Previous remastered episode aired: "Wolf in the Fold"	TOS Remastered	Next remastered episode aired: "The Immunity Syndrome"

@@ Line 56: / Line 56: @@
 Approximately two dozen crew members assemble for Kirk's memorial service. Spock speaks, noting Kirk's concern  for his crewmembers that led him to stay aboard the ''[[USS Defiant (NCC-1764) | Defiant]]''. He repeats the sequence of events that led to Kirk's disappearance and says that the crew must accept the fact that Kirk is no longer alive. One of the crew members becomes unstable at this point, screaming and yelling, and has to be removed. Spock concludes that "I shall not attempt to voice the quality of the respect and admiration Captian Kirk commanded. Each of you must evaluate the loss in the privacy of your own thoughts." Scotty calls the crew to order, and they observe a moment of silence. <br /><br />After the crew is dismissed, McCoy informs Spock that Kirk has left a message in his quarters that was to be played in the event that he is declared dead. McCoy convinces Spock to view the message, but first berates Spock for attacking the Tholians and reducing the ''Enterprise's'' chances of escape. McCoy accuses him of attempting to usurp the command. They play the message, and Kirk asks Spock to temper logic with intuition, and if he needs help with the latter he should consult with McCoy. He also tells McCoy to remember that Spock is the captain.<br /><br />
 Meanwhile, Uhura is in her quarters. She feels a sudden pain, and when she recovers she sees an image of Kirk wearing an environment suit in her mirror. She tells McCoy, but he takes her to sick bay as if she is hallucinating. She wants to tell Spock, but she faints. In the engine room, another crewman goes bezerk and attacks Scotty. McCoy is attempting to synthesize an antidote that will counter the debilitating effects of interspace. When McCoy returns to the bridge, Scotty reports that he also sees an apparition of Kirk. Scotty returns to the bridge, and McCoy, Scott and Spock all see the image of the captain. He appears to be trying to shout something. McCoy returns to sick bay and discharges Uhura. <br /><br />
-When Uhura is released, the crew's fortune begins to change. Scott and Scott have calculated the next time Kirk will appear. McCoy has found an antidote for the mental degradation with a diluted [[therogin]] compound, which is a [[Klingon]] nerve gas. At the next interphase, Kirk appears before the Enterprise. The ship attempts to rescue Kirk, but the ship is thrown clear of the web when it tries to resist a Tholian tractor beam.<br /><br />
+When Uhura is released, the crew's fortune begins to change. Scott and Scott have calculated the next time Kirk will appear. McCoy has found an antidote for the mental degradation with a diluted [[tharogin]] compound, which is a [[Klingon]] nerve gas. At the next interphase, Kirk appears before the Enterprise. The ship attempts to rescue Kirk, but the ship is thrown clear of the web when it tries to resist a Tholian tractor beam.<br /><br />
-McCoy stands by in the transporter room with a hypo of [[tri-ox]] compound to counter the suffocation Kirk suffers as his environmental suit runs out of air. Kirk is successfully beamed back aboard the ''Enterprise''. <br /><br />
+McCoy stands by in the transporter room with a hypo of [[tri-ox compound]] compound to counter the suffocation Kirk suffers as his environmental suit runs out of air. Kirk is successfully beamed back aboard the ''Enterprise''. <br /><br />
 When Kirk is back in the captain's chair, he tells Spock and McCoy that he was in a universe to himself but prefers the crowds. He asks them how they got along, and Spock and McCoy say that things went all right. Kirk says he hopes his last orders were helpful, but Spock and McCoy lie and say that they were so busy that they never got a chance to hear them.