.gif)
The Devil in the Dark (TOS episode)
Encyclopedia
"The Devil in the Dark" is a first-season episode Star Trek: The Original Series
which first aired on March 9, 1967. It was repeated on June 15, 1967. It is episode 25 of the first season and was written by Gene L. Coon and directed by Joseph Pevney
. William Shatner
writes in his memoirs that "The Devil in the Dark" was his favorite original Star Trek episode. From Shatner's perspective, this episode was "exciting, thought-provoking and intelligent, it contained all of the ingredients that made up our very best Star Treks".
Overview: Captain Kirk and Spock
face off with a deadly subterranean beast.
3196.1, the starship
USS Enterprise
, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, is sent to the pergium mining colony on planet Janus VI to investigate reports of a strange creature that has recently killed 50 miners with a strong corrosive substance and is destroying equipment.
Spock's curiosity is aroused by a spherical object on the desk of the mine supervisor, Chief Engineer Vanderberg, who explains that it is one of thousands of silicon
nodule
s found on recently-opened levels of the mine, but of no commercial value.
Soon, another guard is killed and a circulation pump
, vital to the colony's main reactor, is stolen. Unfortunately, the entire unit is obsolete, and no replacement is in the stores of the Enterprise. The original component must be found within 48 hours or the reactor will fail, rendering the mine uninhabitable. Scotty
improvises a temporary replacement pump. Spock suggests that the creature might be a silicon-based lifeform and would thus be resistant to the "Type I" handheld phasers carried by the colony guards; however, the landing party's "Type II" phasers, basically a firepower-boosting pistol grip for a Type I handheld unit, which snaps into it with additional power storage in the grip, should be able to stop it.
The landing party starts searching the newly opened Level 23, as it is where the attacks began. Kirk and Spock soon encounter a creature which looks like an animated clump of partially molten stone. The creature threatens them and receives a direct phaser blast. Injured, it escapes by burrowing quickly through solid rock. Spock examines a piece of the creature knocked off by the phaser blast and determines that it is indeed silicon-based and secretes a strong acid which allows it to move through rock as easily as humanoids move through air. Spock's tricorder
readings show that there is only one creature within a hundred miles and if it is the last of its type, killing it would be a crime against science, but Kirk believes the mine is too important and the creature too dangerous to let it live.
Scotty's improvised pump eventually fails and the colony begins evacuating, but the landing party and some of the miners remain behind to search for the pump and the life form. Kirk discovers a chamber filled with thousands of the silicon nodules and the creature causes the roof to collapse, trapping him. Kirk contacts Spock, who, in a reversal of their previous positions, urges Kirk to kill the creature immediately. However, Kirk realises that the creature is not threatening him and begins to "talk" to it. The creature turns, showing him a large wound in its side.
Spock finds a way into the cavern and attempts a Vulcan mind meld but cannot complete it as the creature is in agony from its wound. However, he does learn that it calls itself a Horta. The Horta also gains enough knowledge from the experience to be able to etch the words "NO KILL I" into a nearby rock. However, Kirk and Spock aren't sure if that means, "Please don't kill me," or "I won't kill you."
In an effort to win its confidence, Kirk orders Dr. McCoy to come and help the creature while Spock mind melds with it again. He discovers that every 50,000 years the entire race of Horta dies, except for one creature who remains to protect the eggs and act as their mother. When the miners broke into the hatchery, it just fought back the only way it knew. McCoy arrives and analyzes the Horta's physiology and finding it is virtually made out of stone, declares: "I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer!" It understands Kirk is trying to help and tells him the missing pump is in the "Vault of Tomorrow".
Meanwhile, Vanderberg and the miners are being held back by a security detail, but their patience wears thin and they overpower the guards. Kirk stops them from killing the creature and explains that the Horta was simply protecting its eggs, the silicon nodules the miners have been collecting and destroying, which are now on the verge of hatching. Vanderberg regrets the damage his men have caused inadvertently, but is concerned that there will be thousands of those "things" crawling around. Kirk returns the pump and reassures him that the Horta are intelligent and peaceful and suggests they could assist the miners by locating new deposits of minerals in exchange for being left alone. McCoy proudly informs them that he's helped the Horta by using thermo-concrete, which is mostly silicon, as a bandage and reckons that he could probably "cure a rainy day!" Spock mind-melds with the Horta again and it agrees with the proposition. Spock mentions that contact with the highly logical Horta is "curiously refreshing".
As the Enterprise prepares to leave orbit, Vanderberg reports that the eggs have started to hatch and they have already hit huge new pergium deposits, as well as gold and platinum. He says that the Horta are not so bad once you get used to their appearance. Spock mentions to Kirk that the Horta also found humanoid appearance revolting, but he got the impression that she found pointed ears the most attractive human characteristic.
, who also designed the costume. Prohaska was promised that if he created something good enough, the costume would be rented and Prohaska paid to play the part. Episode writer Gene Coon was convinced of the costume's effectiveness after an impromptu demonstration by Prohaska in the studios.
According to Mike Okuda's text commentary of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
, a Horta Ambassador was supposed to be included in the Federation Council sequences, but there was not enough time to create a costume.
gave the episode an 'A' rating, describing it as a classic and noting the well written roles of Kirk, Spock and McCoy.
" and followed a week later by "The Naked Time". Aside from remastered video and audio, and the all-CGI
animation of the USS Enterprise that is standard among the revisions, specific changes to this episode also include:
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
which first aired on March 9, 1967. It was repeated on June 15, 1967. It is episode 25 of the first season and was written by Gene L. Coon and directed by Joseph Pevney
Joseph Pevney
Joseph Pevney was an American film and television director.-Biography:Pevney was born on September 15, 1911 in New York City, New York.He made his debut in vaudeville as a boy soprano in 1924...
. William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
writes in his memoirs that "The Devil in the Dark" was his favorite original Star Trek episode. From Shatner's perspective, this episode was "exciting, thought-provoking and intelligent, it contained all of the ingredients that made up our very best Star Treks".
Overview: Captain Kirk and Spock
Spock
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
face off with a deadly subterranean beast.
Plot
On StardateStardate
A stardate is a date in the fictional system of time measurement developed for Star Trek, commonly heard at the beginning of a voiceover log entry such as "Captain's log, stardate 41153.7...
3196.1, the starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
USS Enterprise
Starship Enterprise
The Enterprise or USS Enterprise is the name of several fictional starships, some of which are the focal point for various television series and films in the Star Trek franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. It is considered a name of legacy in the fleet...
, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, is sent to the pergium mining colony on planet Janus VI to investigate reports of a strange creature that has recently killed 50 miners with a strong corrosive substance and is destroying equipment.
Spock's curiosity is aroused by a spherical object on the desk of the mine supervisor, Chief Engineer Vanderberg, who explains that it is one of thousands of silicon
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
nodule
Nodule (geology)
A nodule in petrology or mineralogy is a secondary structure, generally spherical or irregularly rounded in shape. Nodules are typically solid replacement bodies of chert or iron oxides formed during diagenesis of a sedimentary rock...
s found on recently-opened levels of the mine, but of no commercial value.
Soon, another guard is killed and a circulation pump
Pump
A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as liquids, gases or slurries.A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. Pumps fall into three major groups: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps...
, vital to the colony's main reactor, is stolen. Unfortunately, the entire unit is obsolete, and no replacement is in the stores of the Enterprise. The original component must be found within 48 hours or the reactor will fail, rendering the mine uninhabitable. Scotty
Montgomery Scott
Montgomery "Scotty" Scott is a Scottish engineer in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by James Doohan in the original Star Trek series, Scotty also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics", and in numerous...
improvises a temporary replacement pump. Spock suggests that the creature might be a silicon-based lifeform and would thus be resistant to the "Type I" handheld phasers carried by the colony guards; however, the landing party's "Type II" phasers, basically a firepower-boosting pistol grip for a Type I handheld unit, which snaps into it with additional power storage in the grip, should be able to stop it.
The landing party starts searching the newly opened Level 23, as it is where the attacks began. Kirk and Spock soon encounter a creature which looks like an animated clump of partially molten stone. The creature threatens them and receives a direct phaser blast. Injured, it escapes by burrowing quickly through solid rock. Spock examines a piece of the creature knocked off by the phaser blast and determines that it is indeed silicon-based and secretes a strong acid which allows it to move through rock as easily as humanoids move through air. Spock's tricorder
Tricorder
In the fictional Star Trek universe, a tricorder is a multifunction handheld device used for sensor scanning, data analysis, and recording data.Three primary variants of the tricorder are issued in Star Trek's Starfleet...
readings show that there is only one creature within a hundred miles and if it is the last of its type, killing it would be a crime against science, but Kirk believes the mine is too important and the creature too dangerous to let it live.
Scotty's improvised pump eventually fails and the colony begins evacuating, but the landing party and some of the miners remain behind to search for the pump and the life form. Kirk discovers a chamber filled with thousands of the silicon nodules and the creature causes the roof to collapse, trapping him. Kirk contacts Spock, who, in a reversal of their previous positions, urges Kirk to kill the creature immediately. However, Kirk realises that the creature is not threatening him and begins to "talk" to it. The creature turns, showing him a large wound in its side.
Spock finds a way into the cavern and attempts a Vulcan mind meld but cannot complete it as the creature is in agony from its wound. However, he does learn that it calls itself a Horta. The Horta also gains enough knowledge from the experience to be able to etch the words "NO KILL I" into a nearby rock. However, Kirk and Spock aren't sure if that means, "Please don't kill me," or "I won't kill you."
In an effort to win its confidence, Kirk orders Dr. McCoy to come and help the creature while Spock mind melds with it again. He discovers that every 50,000 years the entire race of Horta dies, except for one creature who remains to protect the eggs and act as their mother. When the miners broke into the hatchery, it just fought back the only way it knew. McCoy arrives and analyzes the Horta's physiology and finding it is virtually made out of stone, declares: "I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer!" It understands Kirk is trying to help and tells him the missing pump is in the "Vault of Tomorrow".
Meanwhile, Vanderberg and the miners are being held back by a security detail, but their patience wears thin and they overpower the guards. Kirk stops them from killing the creature and explains that the Horta was simply protecting its eggs, the silicon nodules the miners have been collecting and destroying, which are now on the verge of hatching. Vanderberg regrets the damage his men have caused inadvertently, but is concerned that there will be thousands of those "things" crawling around. Kirk returns the pump and reassures him that the Horta are intelligent and peaceful and suggests they could assist the miners by locating new deposits of minerals in exchange for being left alone. McCoy proudly informs them that he's helped the Horta by using thermo-concrete, which is mostly silicon, as a bandage and reckons that he could probably "cure a rainy day!" Spock mind-melds with the Horta again and it agrees with the proposition. Spock mentions that contact with the highly logical Horta is "curiously refreshing".
As the Enterprise prepares to leave orbit, Vanderberg reports that the eggs have started to hatch and they have already hit huge new pergium deposits, as well as gold and platinum. He says that the Horta are not so bad once you get used to their appearance. Spock mentions to Kirk that the Horta also found humanoid appearance revolting, but he got the impression that she found pointed ears the most attractive human characteristic.
Production notes
The Horta was played by stuntman and acrobat Janos ProhaskaJanos Prohaska
Janos Prohaska was a Hungarian United States based actor and stunt performer on American television from the 1960s. He usually played the roles of animals or monsters....
, who also designed the costume. Prohaska was promised that if he created something good enough, the costume would be rented and Prohaska paid to play the part. Episode writer Gene Coon was convinced of the costume's effectiveness after an impromptu demonstration by Prohaska in the studios.
According to Mike Okuda's text commentary of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is a 1986 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the fourth feature film based on the Star Trek science fiction television series and completes the story arc begun in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and continued in Star Trek III: The...
, a Horta Ambassador was supposed to be included in the Federation Council sequences, but there was not enough time to create a costume.
Reception
Zack Handlen of The A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave the episode an 'A' rating, describing it as a classic and noting the well written roles of Kirk, Spock and McCoy.
40th Anniversary remastering
This episode was remastered in 2006 and aired September 23, 2006 as part of the 40th anniversary remastering of the Original Series. It was preceded the week before by "MiriMiri (TOS episode)
"Miri" is the eighth episode of the first season of Star Trek: The Original Series, that was first broadcast October 27, 1966, and repeated June 29, 1967...
" and followed a week later by "The Naked Time". Aside from remastered video and audio, and the all-CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
animation of the USS Enterprise that is standard among the revisions, specific changes to this episode also include:
- CGI-updated rendering of Janus VI which added thicker clouds and more realism.
- 3D refinery backdrop matte which retained the original content but with more depth and added realism.
- When the Horta is first encountered by Kirk and Spock, the rock actually bursts into flames as it dissolves. Previously, it simply glowed red and vanished. Also, there is the added heat shimmering effect and the addition of smoke pouring off the wall.
- The addition of the tiny figure of a miner, supposedly playing with a baby Horta, in front of the refinery (seen through the window in Vanderberg's office in the next to final scene).