Science-fiction legend Norman Spinrad wrote “The Doomsday Machine”, certainly one of Star Trek’s greatest pure suspense scripts.
The episode has some parallels with “Stability of Terror,” one other space-battle multiple-cliffhanger episode with Chilly Battle themes of nuclear apocalypse. Whereas “Stability of Terror” was an apology for Chilly Battle coverage, particularly in Vietnam, Spinrad—an avowed leftist—tilts extra in direction of critique. Finally, although, the politics appear extra tacked on than important; that is, above all, an ideal area yarn.
Moby Dick, however With Area Robots
The yarn begins with the USS Enterprise underneath Captain James Kirk (William Shatner) patrolling (because it usually does) when it discovers a catastrophe (because it usually does). This time, they discover a path of photo voltaic methods by which each planet has been destroyed and diminished to rubble. In addition they determine a misery beacon from the USS Constellation, captained by Kirk’s buddy and superior officer Commodore Matt Decker (William Windom).
Once they discover the Constellation, it’s been badly disabled. Kirk, Chief Engineer Scott (James Doohan), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), and a fix-it group beam aboard, and uncover your entire crew gone. Solely Decker is left, and he’s badly in shock.
Decker—contorting his face in a rictus of grief and terror and usually chewing all of the surroundings in sight—explains that the ship encountered an enormous robotic planet destroyer, which disabled the ship. His entire crew beamed right down to a close-by planet, which the planet-destroyer…properly, destroyed. Due to subspace interference attributable to the destroyer, the Constellation wasn’t capable of radio the state of affairs to Starfleet. The Enterprise isn’t ready to take action both.
Decker and McCoy beam again to the Enterprise, Kirk and Scott keep on the Constellation to attempt to get the impulse engines working once more. However then the planet killer exhibits up—a protracted tube-like factor with a fireplace in its gullet, type of like an area whale when you squint. Stated area whale assaults, and damages the transporters, so Kirk and Scott can’t be introduced aboard. It additionally knocks out communications.
Officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy), in command, desires to go decide up the Captain from the Enterprise and fly off to warn Starfleet. Decker, although, takes the position of Ahab. Arms twitching and grizzle grizzling, he insists they assault in an effort to cease the destroyer’s progress in direction of inhabited star methods. Underneath rules because the superior officer, he takes command of the ship and directs helmsman Sulu (George Takai) to strafe the destroyer.
As you’ve most likely, guessed, that doesn’t work. Even at ultra-close vary, the ship’s phasers haven’t any impact on the area whale’s ultra-thick plating. The Enterprise is disabled and caught in a tractor beam, which pulls it in direction of the factor’s maw.
On the final second Kirk and Scott handle to get the Constellation’s engines on-line, and shoot a phaser blast which distracts the factor. The Enterprise regroups, and reestablishes contact with Kirk, who orders Spock to take again command.
He does, however the obsessed Decker isn’t completed but. He knocks out his safety guard (these crimson shirts are actually ineffective). Then he steals a shuttle-craft and flies it into the maw of the area whale, making some really spectacular facial contortions on the best way. However regardless of these, blowing up the shuttle contained in the factor does little.
It does have a small impact on decreasing the factor’s energy, although. That offers Kirk an thought. He rigs the Constellation on a delayed timer to explode. Then he sends Scott again to the Enterprise, and pilots the ship into the mouth. The Enterprise is meant to beam him up on the final minute.
However the transporter is wonky. Will he escape?!
Mutually Assured Survival
In fact, he does. They beam him up, and the area whale is knocked out.
It’s not stunning. However it is vitally dramatically completed. As Scott frantically flips switches, Spock intones, “Mr. Scott” time and again in a dispassionate effort to convey the urgency of the state of affairs, and Kirk, half-amused, half very nervous certainly, utters the immortal strains which may have been (however weren’t!) his final: “Gents, I recommend you beam me aboard.”
As soon as Kirk is again, they take a minute to settle in for the ethical of the episode. Early within the runtime, Kirk speculated that the area whale robotic was a type of doomsday machine just like the twentieth century H-bomb. “It is a weapon constructed primarily as a bluff. It is by no means meant for use. So sturdy, it may destroy each side in a conflict,” Kirk explains.
The message right here appears to be that such weapons can escape management and find yourself being utilized in harmful methods even when nobody meant them to be. It’s a stand towards nuclear brinkmanship. In that context, Decker’s obsessive, Ahab-like mad obsession with destroying the machine echoes the weak and rabid management on show in one thing like Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove (launched three years earlier than this episode.) Ought to a person like Decker—obsessive about vengeance, stuffed with rage—be accountable for the destiny of 400 folks? Of the world? Ought to we give any chief that energy?
Because the episode unfolds, although, the warning about erratic leaders and weapons of mass destruction will get considerably misplaced within the rush of the plot and the doomsday machine’s fiery maw. Decker seems to be a principled, self-sacrificing, clever strategist in any case, delivering the Enterprise the important thing info they should triumph.
It’s not simply Decker who’s redeemed; the H-bomb is as properly. Scott rigs the Enterprise to blow utilizing know-how that Kirk says is “one thing like” the hydrogen bomb. So the great guys mainly use one doomsday machine to destroy one other. “Most likely the primary time such a weapon has ever been used for constructive functions,” Kirk muses.
A doomsday machine could have surprising evil functions. However it might additionally do surprising good. That’s not precisely an anti-nuclear message.
It appears seemingly that Spinrad meant to aspect with nuclear skeptics. Different folks labored on the episode although; tv is all the time a collaborative endeavor. And, maybe extra importantly, Spinrad was writing a taut motion script.
It’s troublesome to inform a rousing journey story of area fight and find yourself with a coherent argument for nonviolence or de-escalation. It is a story of planets blowing up, of daring assaults, of hairsbreadth escapes. In that context, once you’re combating a planet-destroying super-whale, an enormous explosion goes to seem like an answer, not an event for existential dread.
“The Doomsday Machine” is caught between being a critique of violence and being a rip-roaring train in violent motion. The truth that it’s so good at being the second explains why it doesn’t actually handle to be the primary.
Ranking: 8.5/10 SPECS
All episodes of Star Trek: The Authentic Collection are at the moment streaming on Paramount+.
This text was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
Noah Berlatsky is a contract author primarily based in Chicago. His e-book, Surprise Girl: Bondage and Feminism within the Marston/Peter Comics was revealed by Rutgers College Press. He thinks the Adam West Batman is the most effective Batman, darn it.
