"I'm Captain Kirk.. I'M CAPTAIN KIRK!!"
-- James T. Kirk

Synopsis

The U.S.S. Enterprise experiences a transporter malfunction in orbit around Alpha 177, when Geological Technician Fischer is beamed up from the planet with some magnetic ore on his uniform. Scotty checks the transporter and finds nothing wrong, so Captain Kirk beams aboard. Kirk leaves with his officers and when the transporter room is deserted, a second Kirk materializes on the pad.

When a space animal (pictured) is beamed aboard the starship and splits into two entities; one tame and one vicious, it is discovered that the same thing has happened to Kirk. While one Kirk is good and honourable, the other is evil and runs amok on his ship, committing violent acts, including the attempted assault of Yeoman Janice Rand.

Meanwhile, the transporter continued to split objects into two entities, thus forcing the remainder of the ship's landing party to remain on the planet's surface near freezing to death. Alpha 177's approaching night promises certain death from exposure and freezing temperatures to 120 below zero for the unprotected landing party.

As time passes, the "good" Kirk is weakening and losing his ability to make decisions, while his other, evil half is dying. Neither Kirk can survive without his other half. Time is running out, not only for Captain Kirk, but for the landing party on the planet's surface.

Scotty effects repairs on the transporter, but there's no time to test it. McCoy is fearful because the "space dog" which had been split earlier, had gone through the repaired transporter and, while joined into one animal, had died during the process. Kirk takes the chance and beams down with his counterpart and returns to the U.S.S. Enterprise whole and alive. Quickly the landing party is beamed aboard, worse for the cold, but alive.

Captain's Log

"Specimen-gathering mission on Planet Alpha 177. Unknown to any of us during this time, a duplicate of me - some strange, alter-ego had been created by the transporter malfunction."

Writer, Director, Crew

Written By: Richard Matheson
Directed By: Leo Penn

Guest Stars

Grace Lee Whitney as Yeoman Rand
Jim Goodwin as Lt. John Farrell
Edward Madden as Tech. Fisher

Episode Info

Production Number: 5
Stardate: 1672.1
First Aired In USA: 6th October 1966
Notes: This is the first time McCoy utters the infamous phrase, "He's dead, Jim." and it is the first appearance of the "Vulcan Nerve Pinch."

Episode Media

Preview - TOS00501.AVI
Image - The Captain & Sulu

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