"Star Trek" The Devil in the Dark (1967)

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Director:

Joseph Pevney

Writers:

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

TV Series:

"Star Trek" (1966)

Original Air Date:

9 March 1967 (Season 1, Episode 25)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The Enterprise is sent to a mining colony that is being terrorized by a mysterious monster.

Plot Keywords:

Federation | Space | Starship | Computer | Vulcan

Cast

William Shatner	...	Captain James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Mr. Spock
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. McCoy
Ken Lynch	...	Vanderberg
James Doohan	...	Scott
Brad Weston	...	Appel
Biff Elliot	...	Schmitter
George Allen	...	Engineer #1 (as George E. Allen)
Jon Cavett	...	Guard
Barry Russo	...	Giotto

Runtime:

50 min | Argentina:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Canada:PG (video rating)

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Desilu Productions

Trivia:

This episode includes only one actress, who appears for a few seconds and has no lines.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When deciding which of two tunnels to investigate, Kirk tells Spock to take the one on the left, and he'll take the one on the right. But he gestures with his phaser to the exact opposite tunnels.

Quotes:

Spock: Curious. What Chief Vanderburg said about the horta is exactly what the mother horta said to me. She found humanoid appearance revolting... but she thought she could get used to it.
McCoy: Oh she did, did she. Now tell me, did she happen to make any comment about those ears?
Spock: Not specifically, but I did get the distinct impression she found them the most attractive human characteristic of all. I didn't have the heart to tell her that only I have...
Capt. Kirk: [interrupts Spock] She really like those ears?
Spock: Captain, the horta is a remarkably intelligent and sensitive creature... with impeccable taste.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier (2007) (TV)

Clearly, One Of The Best Episodes

"The Devil in the Dark" is William Shatner's favorite episode. It is also one of my favorite episodes. The program is pure Star Trek because it deals with one of the series' main themes: the respect for other life forms. I do not think one could get a clearer example of one of the show's most interesting ideas. In this episode, Kirk and his crew have to confront a monster that is killing miners on a distant planet. The story is an excuse to explore the right that humans have to destroy creatures that are a vital part of the environment. Today's concerns with environmental causes make the show more relevant now than ever before. It is extremely well written and performed with gusto by our beloved cast. One memorable sequence involves Spock joining with the mind of the monster. Plenty of tension between Spock and Kirk (they want to solve the problem using different methods) adds to the fun. Shatner and Leonard Nimoy do some of their best work here.