In "Dagger of the Mind", an escapee of a penal colony leads the Enterprise to investigate a prison planet resided over by a doctor responsible for revolutionizing the prison system. When the escapee turns out to be a former colleague of said doctor, Kirk must head to the prison to get to the bottom of what's really going on.
While I really enjoy the idea of this episode, the story never really feels complete. We never truly discover Dr. Adams' motivation as to why he's doing what he's doing. For the good of science? For the prison? Or is he just insane? The episode never makes this clear.
I do like that in the future, prisons are no longer built in the same fashion as they are today. This seems very futuristic for the show. Morgan Woodward's performance is another highlight; his spastic portrayal as Dr. van Gelder is entertaining to watch and brings life to his scenes. Shatner is also particularly good in this episode.
Besides the rhetoric relating to imprisonment, this episode delves into forced mental rehabilitation and brainwashing... heavy stuff.
If I could rewrite the script, I think I'd shorten the escape scene of Dr. van Gelder and focus more on Adams and why he's doing this to his test subjects. I think this would cause a more satisfying conclusion.
While I really enjoy the idea of this episode, the story never really feels complete. We never truly discover Dr. Adams' motivation as to why he's doing what he's doing. For the good of science? For the prison? Or is he just insane? The episode never makes this clear.
I do like that in the future, prisons are no longer built in the same fashion as they are today. This seems very futuristic for the show. Morgan Woodward's performance is another highlight; his spastic portrayal as Dr. van Gelder is entertaining to watch and brings life to his scenes. Shatner is also particularly good in this episode.
Besides the rhetoric relating to imprisonment, this episode delves into forced mental rehabilitation and brainwashing... heavy stuff.
If I could rewrite the script, I think I'd shorten the escape scene of Dr. van Gelder and focus more on Adams and why he's doing this to his test subjects. I think this would cause a more satisfying conclusion.