Star Trek: The Original Series - "The Devil in the Dark" Full Reaction!
Added 2023-12-30 17:00:08 +0000 UTCWatch along with your own copy of the episode by syncing up with me!
Comments
One of the best in my book. "To seek out new life forms..." The role only a captain can fill when so far away from Star Fleet Command. An example of "Shoot first; ask questions later." Fortunately in this case the first shots were not fatal.
John DiGiantomasso
2024-08-30 05:09:48 +0000 UTCThanks, always enjoy reading your comments π
bunnytails
2024-01-02 17:51:11 +0000 UTCHaha π
bunnytails
2024-01-02 17:45:47 +0000 UTCI loved it!
bunnytails
2024-01-02 17:43:16 +0000 UTCAw no π
bunnytails
2024-01-02 17:43:02 +0000 UTCIβm definitely a fan of this approach over what they did in The Man Trap. Thanks for the info!
bunnytails
2024-01-02 17:42:37 +0000 UTCTop tier episode for me, right up there with Balance of Terror. Leans into a sci-fi trope we encounter fairly often, the intelligent life form so different from us that we initially don't recognize it as such, although of course it does it very well dated physical effects aside. Lots of Spock and Kirk whimsy which I think you and I agree is one of our favourite aspects of the show. As others have noted the changes to the writer's room really shine though here and represent a bit of a turning point in the storytelling and character acting. I've said this before, and you pointed it out, any time we can see Spock/Mr. Nimoy show those real strong emotions/acting skills is just chefs kiss. Respect to everyone else's opinions and preferences about how much they enjoy it, but I feel like this one sits pretty high up in the Star Trek universe as one of the more well known and well respected episodes. Obviously, I adore it. See you in the next one, B π
Absolute0
2024-01-01 17:52:01 +0000 UTCI always thought the crawling lasagna monster was a tad too silly. It's just an OK episode for me.
SuicuneSol
2023-12-31 06:05:02 +0000 UTCHehe, This was the first time Dr. McCoy used the classic line he became famous for... "I'm a Doctor! Not a Bricklayer!" Expect more "I'm A Doctor! Not a ..." lines.
Carlos Stevens
2023-12-31 05:09:56 +0000 UTCThe costume was created by Janos Prohaska, who appeared previously as the bird creature in The Cage. Here's the account of how he inspired the episode, from associate producer Robert Justman: "We made a "spec" deal with Janos. If he came up with a really great creature for a script Gene Coon was writing, we'd rent it and hire him to play the part. Janos was back within a week's time with his custom-designed creature. It was a large pancake-shaped glob of gook with a thickened raised center and fringe around its circumference. It sure didn't look like much. As Janos took the glob out of sight to put it on, Gene Coon raised an objection "Bob, why are wasting time with this?" Suddenly, the blob skittered around the corner, making straight for us. Then it stopped, curiously, backed away, and rotated in place. The blob gathered itself up, quivered, made a whimsical up-and-down movement, grunted, and skittered away again β leaving behind a large, round white "egg". Coon was dumbfounded. He watched the creature giving birth. And when the creature suddenly turned and scurried back to nuzzle its "child", Gene was sold. "Great!" he exclaimed, "It's perfect! Just what we need." Then he excitedly hastened back to his office to finish writing the script. Gene Coon's "The Devil in the Dark" became one of Star Trek's most famous episodes. And Janos Prohaska played his own creation, one of Star Trek's most famous creatures, the highly imaginative and custom-designed mother Horta." (Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, pp. 214-215)
Lee
2023-12-31 02:25:50 +0000 UTCLot of great comments already made, so I'll keep mine brief. :) This is one of my favorite episodes, for the reasons you said so well at the end, and the other comments have have also said. It's not in my Top 10 (Yes, I have a Top 10 for the original series, and yes, it was hard to make!) but this episode is right up there for sure. By the end of the first season Star Trek was really humming along like a well oiled machine, compared to some of the rough spots and uneven episodes of the first half of season one. Silicon based life has been speculated in our own universe, but (just like in Star Trek) it's currently not known if any actually exist. But speculation is that a race of them would be a lot like Horta, just due to the huge differences a Silicon based race would be compared to carbon based. This MAY be the first time the famous McCoy line 'I'm a Doctor, not a....." was used.
Greg Polander
2023-12-31 00:34:14 +0000 UTCStill a great episode. Really embodies the Star Trek philosophy.
David Traynier
2023-12-30 23:28:13 +0000 UTCThere is a story that someone on the show's production crew had developed or acquired a blankety rock covering and came crawling into Roddenberry's office one day wearing it. Roddenberry asked what the hell it was supposed to be, and the guy in the costume said who knows, but maybe Roddenberry could use it for something. They then came up with the story of the Horta, and we got this fantastic episode. Brilliant! I love your takes on these episodes. It's like watching it again for the first time, vicariously. Keep up the great work! Always looking forward to your next Trek. Thanks for these!
J. Scott Phillips
2023-12-30 20:19:11 +0000 UTCWilliam Shatnerβs father died during the filming of "The Devil in the Dark.β When Shatner received the news, he chose to continue working through his grief. But then, eventually, he had to get on a plane for the funeral. Without Shatner being present, Nimoy filmed the scene where he mind melded with the creature, crying βpain!β All reaction shots with Shatner were filmed later.
Tom Occhipinti
2023-12-30 19:42:44 +0000 UTCGene L. Coon took over as showrunner about midway through the first season and made several additions (some would say improvements) to the storytelling. He brought deeper characterization to all the regulars and strengthened the camaraderie between Kirk, Spock and McCoy. He also created several key elements of the Star Trek universe, but now is not the time to list them all (spoilers!). Possibly his biggest contribution was bringing Kirk's compassion to the forefront. His scripts for Arena, Space Seed, A Taste of Armageddon, and The Devil in the Dark all showcase Kirk's ability to empathize with beings that represent a threat to him and/or his ship. Contrast this approach to that seen in the first broadcast episode, The Man Trap, and the difference is abundantly clear. The salt vampire was the last of its kind, but no attempt was made to reason with it or protect it. Every plot element points to the creature's death as the only possible solution, when all it needed to survive in harmony with the Enterprise crew was Dr. Crater's love and a cargo container full of salt, both of which were readily available. If only the episode could have allowed it. TL;DR: Gene Coon was a great writer/producer and made the show immeasurably better.
Lee
2023-12-30 19:05:03 +0000 UTC
