This classic and somewhat controversial episode ofStar Trek: The Original Seriesis William Shatner’s favorite. William Shatner became a household name thanks to his role as Captain James T. Kirk, the commanding officer of the USS Enterprise. ThroughoutTOS’three seasons,Captain Kirk and his crew traveled the galaxy seeking out new lifeand encountering all manner of fascinating alien creatures and cultures. Along with his Science Officer Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Kirk eventually became one of the most recognizable and beloved characters in science fiction.
Star Trek: The Original Seriesendures and withstood the test of time while undoubtedly being a product of the 1960s. Thanks to the compelling characters and well-written stories, manyTOSepisodes hold up well today.William Shatner has a personal reason for choosing this late season 1 episode as his favorite,which he speaks about in his 1993 memoir,Star Trek Memories. Shatner dives into his time as Captain Kirk in his first book, sharing memories from the set ofStar Trekand interviewing various cast and crew members.
Why William Shatner Chose “Devil In The Dark” As His Favorite Star Trek Episode
Shatner Has Also Stated A Fondness For “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
InStar Trek Memories,William Shatner citesStar Trek: The Original Seriesseason 1, episode 25, “The Devil in the Dark” as his favorite episode of the series. Following Kirk, Spock, and McCoy as they investigate a series of deaths at a mining facility,“The Devil in the Dark” has several iconicStar Trekmoments.Kirk and his crew soon discover that a silicon-based lifeform called the Horta is behind the attacks, but only because it has been trying to protect its children. In a particularly famous scene,Spock mind meldswith the Horta to communicate with it.
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William Shatner states that “The Devil in the Dark” has a great story, but that’s not why he chose it as his favoriteStar Trekepisode. While filming “The Devil in the Dark,” Shatner learned that his father had passed away, but he insisted on finishing all of his dialogue scenes before leaving for the funeral.Shatner said that Leonard Nimoy’s line delivery throughout the mind meld scene made him laugh,and he appreciated how the cast and crew helped him through the difficult time. Gene Roddenberry, Leonard Nimoy, andStar Trek: Discovery’sAnthony Rapphave also praised the episode.
Star Trek’s “Devil In The Dark” Controversy Explained
This Star Trek Episode Has No Speaking Parts For Women
WhileStar Trek: The Original Serieswas progressive in many ways, “The Devil in the Dark” has the unfortunate distinction of being the only episode with no female speaking parts. All of the miners down on the planet are men andCaptain Kirk leads an away team that is also composed entirely of men.Captain Kirk, Spock, and McCoy eventuallydiscover the Horta to be a motherprotecting its young, but this hardly counts as a female character. For one thing, it’s unclear if the Horta even have different genders, and the creature is portrayed by a male stunt actor named Janos Prohaska.
Although at least one woman crew member appears in the scenes aboard the Enterprise, she has no lines.
Even NBC of the 1960s noticed the lack of women in “The Devil in the Dark.” After this episode aired, Gene Roddenberry penned a letter to writer/producer Gene L. Coon saying thatNBC suggested the writers incorporate more female characters into the"planet stories.“Roddenberry himself agreed with the studio’s sentiment and emphasized that they must remind everyone involved in production that"we’re in a century where women are granted equal status and responsibility with men.“Despite its lack of female characters, “The Devil in the Dark” remains a compelling and memorable episode ofStar Trek: The Original Seriesthat has withstood the test of time.
Strange New Worlds Will Never Make Star Trek: TOS' Mistake
A Strange New Worlds episode with no women speaking is impossible
Star Trek: Strange New Worldsis a canonical prequel set about a half-dozen years beforeStar Trek: The Original Series, but it’s impossible forStrange New Worldsto makeTOS' mistake with “The Devil in the Dark.” Thecast ofStar Trek: Strange New Worldsis stacked with important female main characters, from Number One (Rebecca Romijn) to Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush). The younger version of Lt. Uhura is still Ensign Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) inStrange New Worlds, andit’s inconceivable that this cast would have an episode where the female characters don’t have speaking roles.
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The younger version of Captain Kirk, Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), is a recurring character onStar Trek: Strange New Worlds. It’s still years before Kirk becomesCaptain of the Enterprise, and his friendship with Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) is just beginning.Star Trek: The Original Seriesis a product of its time, as isStar Trek: Strange New Worlds. SinceStrange New Worldshopes to continue long enough to put all the pieces in place forStar Trek: The Original Series, it will be interesting to see if the prequel will try toreconcile the different tones of the twoStar Trekseries made 60 years apart.
