Morgan Woodward enters Trek here as an apparent Psychotic escapee from a 23rd Century Insane Asylum.
But he is not what he appears.
Was this episode based on The Manchurian Candidate? It has many things that are also in that film, mainly brainwashing, personality changing, but most important, James Gregory, who played "Senator John Iselin" as Dr. Tristan Adams.
Of course, because of Morgan Woodward's character's status, Kirk has to make an inspection of Adam's Clinic. With a "Dr Helen Noel" in tow.
And this is where one disturbing scene plays out: As Kirk and Dr. Noel (The Magnificent Marianna Hill) share a toast with Adams, he has this to say:
"To all mankind, may we never find space so vast, planets so cold, heart and mind so empty that... that we cannot fill them with love and warmth."
And as that word "Empty" is used, the camera looks on to Adam's Assistant, "Lethe" (Susanne Wasson) who looks on with the most utterly blank of expressions. And "Lethe" means either a River in hell that can make you forget, or, the Act of Forgetting in itself. Or "Emptyness".
Dr Adams is perverting his field, by using a machine intended to cause relief from painful memories, and inserting painful memories.
And now, he's got Kirk, who made the mishap of spending the night in the Arkham Asylum of Space and not locking doors to rooms he was looking at. And the "chair" Kirk finds has added significance in the episode "Whom Gods Destroy", where when used as intended it becomes a tool of healing for another iconic character.
But I want to go back and mention the genius of Morgan Woodward's "Psycho", his portrayal was exactly as a person victimized by this invasive procedure would be. And it is also the first time Mr. Spock's Vulcanian "Mind Meld" is shown.
I find that the recent "Star Trek Discovery" episode "Lethe" directly relates to this episode, not just by the name of one character related to the title of that episode, but by the similar mental manipulations that had been done in that show. where the character "Ash Tyler" had been manipulated by the Klingon named L'Rell.
But he is not what he appears.
Was this episode based on The Manchurian Candidate? It has many things that are also in that film, mainly brainwashing, personality changing, but most important, James Gregory, who played "Senator John Iselin" as Dr. Tristan Adams.
Of course, because of Morgan Woodward's character's status, Kirk has to make an inspection of Adam's Clinic. With a "Dr Helen Noel" in tow.
And this is where one disturbing scene plays out: As Kirk and Dr. Noel (The Magnificent Marianna Hill) share a toast with Adams, he has this to say:
"To all mankind, may we never find space so vast, planets so cold, heart and mind so empty that... that we cannot fill them with love and warmth."
And as that word "Empty" is used, the camera looks on to Adam's Assistant, "Lethe" (Susanne Wasson) who looks on with the most utterly blank of expressions. And "Lethe" means either a River in hell that can make you forget, or, the Act of Forgetting in itself. Or "Emptyness".
Dr Adams is perverting his field, by using a machine intended to cause relief from painful memories, and inserting painful memories.
And now, he's got Kirk, who made the mishap of spending the night in the Arkham Asylum of Space and not locking doors to rooms he was looking at. And the "chair" Kirk finds has added significance in the episode "Whom Gods Destroy", where when used as intended it becomes a tool of healing for another iconic character.
But I want to go back and mention the genius of Morgan Woodward's "Psycho", his portrayal was exactly as a person victimized by this invasive procedure would be. And it is also the first time Mr. Spock's Vulcanian "Mind Meld" is shown.
I find that the recent "Star Trek Discovery" episode "Lethe" directly relates to this episode, not just by the name of one character related to the title of that episode, but by the similar mental manipulations that had been done in that show. where the character "Ash Tyler" had been manipulated by the Klingon named L'Rell.