"Star Trek" Metamorphosis (1967)

Director:

Ralph Senensky

Writers:

Gene L. Coon (written by)
Gene Roddenberry (creator)

TV Series:

"Star Trek" (1966)

Original Air Date:

10 November 1967 (Season 2, Episode 9)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The Enterprise, carrying a critically ill Federation Ambassador Nancy Hedford, encounter a mysterious...

Plot Keywords:

Federation | Space | Starship | Computer | Vulcan

Cast

William Shatner	...	Captain James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Mr. Spock
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. McCoy
Glenn Corbett	...	Zefram Cochrane
Elinor Donahue	...	Nancy Hedford
James Doohan	...	Scott
George Takei	...	Sulu
Nichelle Nichols	...	Uhura

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Desilu Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Desilu Productions

Trivia:

This episode marks the first ever appearance in the Star Trek franchise of Zefram Cochrane, and the only time the character has been portrayed by someone other than James Cromwell.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Cochrane runs up to meet Kirk and the others, the glare of the stage lighting is just barely visible from the top.

Quotes:

Captain James T. Kirk: There's no doubt about it, the Companion is female.
Zefram Cochrane: I don't understand.
Dr. McCoy: You don't? A blind man could see it with a cane. You're not a pet. You're not a specimen kept in a cage. You're a lover.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

Introducing Zephraim Cochrane - And the Franchise's Greatest Love Story

This canonical episode of the original series explores the universality (and non-universality) of love, and introduces the inventor of warp drive, Zephraim Cochrane. Although obsessive fans may find fault in some aspects of Cochrane's barely explored back-story, this is the episode that created Cochrane's legend and laid the groundwork for one of the franchise's best efforts - First Contact - among others.

Glen Corbett and Elinor Donahue are strong guest stars playing the bold personalities of, respectively, Cochrane and a terminally ill diplomat (Nancy Hedford) on a vital mission for the federation. En route, Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Hedford are essentially kidnapped by an energy being who they will come to know as The Companion. Once landed, they meet an impossibly young Zephraim Cochrane and hear the bizarre story of how he ended up about 200 years younger than he should be, alone with The Companion on a distant planet. Hedford will die if she doesn't get proper care very soon. Cochrane will die if he does not have some human companionship. The Companion may die without Cochrane. Our heroes are powerless to resolve these problems.

The episode is very story-driven and well written by the stalwart Star Trek legend Gene L Coon. It is probably Ralph Senensky's best directorial effort on behalf of TOS. Shatner, Corbett and Donahue all give nice performances, even if Cochrane and Hedford are not the most likable characters in the pantheon. The special effects for this episode are decidedly mediocre, but do not detract from the flow of story.

Recommended, even for non-fans.