"I just thought of making it happen, and it does..."
-- Lt. Cmdr. Gary Mitchell

Synopsis

The U.S.S. Enterprise beams the S.S. Valiant's flight recorder aboard, and Spock begins to analyze its memory banks. They indicate that the Valiant had encountered an unknown force in this region of space. Spock hears urgent requests for information regarding ESP (Extra Sensory Perception) and then shockingly, what appears to be the Valiant's captain giving the order to destroy his own ship.

At the galaxy's boundary, the Enterprise also encounters an unusual forcefield. Nine crewmen die in the encounter. Two others are badly injured - psychiatrist Dr. Elizabeth Denher, and Captain Kirk's old friend from Starfleet Academy, Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell. Under the care of ship's surgeon Dr. Piper, Mitchell begins to exhibit increasing powers. He is able to levitate objects, read thoughts and control the ship's instruments. Dr. Denher is starting to exhibit similar abilities.

Denher concludes that Mitchell is mutating into a more advanced kind of human. But Sulu cautions that at the rate at which Mitchell's powers are growing, he will not be human for much longer. Realizing the threat that Mitchell might pose, Spock suggests marooning him on the planet Delta Vega - a coldly logical recommendation that Kirk is reluctant to accept until Mitchell murders a crewman while escaping.

On the planet's surface, Kirk hunts down his friend and warns him that his absolute power will lead to absolute curruption. Mitchell's response is to attempt to kill Kirk. Denher uses her own powers to stop him, but both she and Mitchell are killed in the resulting battle.

Kirk records that both gave their lives in the performance of their duties - a decision that meets with Spock's approval. And Kirk asserts that there's hope for Spock after all.

Captain's Log

"The impossible has happened. From directly ahead, we're picking up a recorded distress signal - call letters of a vessel which has been missing for over two centuries.
Did another Earth ship once probe out of the galaxy as we intend to do? What happened to it out there? Is this some warning they left behind?"

Writer, Director, Crew

Written by Samuel A Peeples
Directed by James Goldstone

Starring

Gary Lockwood as Gary Mitchell
Sally Kellerman as Elizabeth Dehner
Paul Carr as Lee Kelso
Paul Fix as Dr Mark Piper
Andrea Dromm as Yeoman Smith
Lloyd Haynes as Communications officer Alden
Eddie Paskey as Security Guard

Episode Info

Production Number: 2
Stardate: 1312.4
First Aired In USA: 22nd November, 1966

Episode Media

Image - The fight between Kirk and Gary Mitchell
Image - The crew at the conference table

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