This is one of my favourite episodes of TOS. I would go so far as to say this is one of the quintessential episodes. If someone asked me what Star Trek is about this is the perfect episode to show. It seems like a simple monster hunt story. However this is Star Trek. For the crew of the Enterprise life is rarely so simple.
The episode starts with someone other than our heroes. I don’t think we have seen that before. We are in a mine. The miners discuss a monster that has killed 50 people. One of them, Schmitter, is told he will be fine. He is killed not two seconds later. Specifically he is burnt to a crisp.
After the opening credits we get the captain’s log. The colony is Janus Six and they are mining pergium. Pergium is an element which is vital to the Federation. The Enterprise is tasked with finding and killing the monster in the tunnels – or the devil in the dark.
The conversation between Kirk and Chief Engineer Vanderberg does have a bid of an ‘as you know’ problem but we do get information about the creature and its capabilities.
McCoy examines the body of Schmitter, from the beginning, and says that there isn’t much left. It is as though he had been thrown into a large vat of acid.
Spock notices a silicon nodule on Vanderberg’s desk. You can already see the cogs going in Spock’s brain like he is formulating ideas. I think he already has some notion that it might be important.
On the wall there are maps of the tunnels. I know it is petty to point it out but these maps just make me smile. This colony can’t afford to have maps on a computer just ones sticking out of the wall – like posters in a music shop.
Down in the tunnels we have another hapless victim. After the attack we see the creature go through the wall as if it was air.
The creature takes the colony’s circulating pump. They don’t have a spare and without this device the reactors will explode.
Maybe it is just me but if I had a thing in my home that, if broken, would cause my house to explode I would probably have a back up for it.
Naturally Kirk calls Scotty to see what he can do. The thing is the part is antiquated. Scotty says he hasn’t seen one in 20 years. This is a bit of a head scratcher. If the pergium from this world is so important why is it operating on such old equipment?
Nevertheless I love Scotty in this scene. His knowledge and expertise is expressed in such a nice way. Doohan really sells it that Scotty is an engineering expert and enthusiast.
The out of universe explanation is obvious. The need to recover the device gives the story a sense of urgency.
Incidentally, and slightly off topic, I have always found the idea of urgency in a story to be interesting. In a show like Star Trek we know our heroes are going to succeed – so the idea that they might not doesn’t always create a sense of jeopardy.
In this story the taking of the pump does serve another purpose. It proves the creature is intelligent and that it wants the colonist off the planet.
The big question is why now? The colony has been established for over 50 years. There is discussion here about the possibility of a silicon based life form. I am no scientist so I can’t comment on that. (I can’t even comment based on Trek science either.)
The upshot is that the Enterprise crew have more powerful weapons and they might be able to affect the creature.
Spock is still fascinated by the silicon sphere. He is unwilling to be drawn on exaclty what it is.
Kirk talks to the security personnel. They are led by Lieutenant Commander Giotto. It is not outright stated but it would seem he is Enterprise’s chief of Security. Insistently this scene is quite meme-able as it is Kirk talking to a bunch of red shirts.
Predictably it isn’t long before one of them buys the farm. Kirk and Spock are alerted by the scream.
I really enjoy the creature design in this episode. Science fiction is always at the mercy of its budget. The Horta design works because it is not humanoid. It is, at least in my book, much easier to suspend disbelief in this instant.
When Kirk and Spock shoot the creature they manage to hurt it. Spock declares the skin to be like ‘fibrous asbestos’ as he examines the piece they blew off.
I want to go off on a slight tangent now if you’ll indulge me. Why is killing the creature considered acceptable to Kirk and Spock? Because they need the resources of this world. However previous episodes show that the Federation will not take from those that do not want to trade.
This has got me thinking about something I haven’t seen discussed before. When does the prime directive kick in?
In the episode Mirror, Mirror the Halkan’s refuse to trade with the Federation. For Kirk that is the end of the matter and his team departs.
In this episode killing a native creature is seen as acceptable. Here is my question… at what point does a creature become advanced enough that the prime directive affects them? I don’t have an answer to that question but I find the whole thing fascinating. We know that contacting pre-warp societies is a big no in trek. The question I have is what constitutes a society?
There are many animals on earth that live in reasonably sized groups and use tools. Would that count? If, for example, the Enterprise encountered a planet where the most intelligent life was orangutans could they visit? Based on what I know of this universe the answer is yes. So at what point does a species go from an animal we can exterminate to a civilisation we have to respect? I have no answer just food for thought.
In another briefing with the security men Spock tries to order that the creature be captured if possible. Kirk countermands the order restating that the creature must be killed. Again this seems like an odd thing for a starfleet officer to say.
Kirk orders Spock to assist Scotty with his work around for the stolen part. Spock states that Scotty has far more knowledge of nuclear reactors than him. I like this because it shows how the Enterprise is really a team. It is all too easy, sometimes, to create the impression that most characters in an ensemble are just dead weight.
With the place likely to explode within 10 hours Kirk orders an evacuation. However Vanderberg, and some of his men, are staying behind to deal with the creature. When Kirk says they do not have enough phasers Vandenberg says they can use clubs.
Two things come to my mind when reading this. Firstly why does the Enterprise have so few phasers? Secondly is a club really going to be effective against this creature? Well, Kirk seems to think so and is quite happy to accept the help. (Perhaps he is thinking he will loose fewer of his own men.)
The atmosphere of this episode is done very well. It is tense and you really feel the danger the crew are in.
Kirk and Spock separate, which never feels like a good idea, and Kirk finds a room full of the silicon nodules. Spock tells him to be sure he doesn’t damage any of the nodules. The nodules are eggs.
The creature approaches Kirk. This time it doesn’t make any overtly aggressive moves. It backs off when Kirk raises his weapon. Suddenly it is Spock who is saying to kill the creature. It is odd for Spock to advocate killing in any situation. Here though it is simply that Kirk’s life is in danger.
Spock’s Vulcan abilities prove invaluable. He is able to make a telepathic link with the creature. He discovers that it is in terrible pain, from the phaser wound, and that it is called a Horta. The creature writes a message ‘No kill I’
In order for Spock to get more information he needs to mind meld with the Horta. Touching a creature with acid skin doesn’t seem like a good idea. My guess is that the Horta can control its secretions. Meanwhile Kirk orders McCoy down to the planet to help to heal the Horta.
It is here that the full story comes together. The Horta has been defending its children. The attacks have only recently started because it is only now that the miners have reached the level of the ‘chamber of the ages’.
The Horta, through Spock, tells Kirk where to find the missing pump. The fact that the Horta didn’t just destroy it might suggest that she was open to some kind of accommodation.
Meanwhile Starfleet security proves, once again, that it is really lacking. The redshirts are overpowered by the miners.
There is a wonderful bit with Vanderberg. When he is informed that his people have killed thousands of Horta, by destroying the eggs, he is obviously bothered by it. I like this characterisation very much. He is more complex than this type of character often is. His men might have died but this changes the situation for him. Very well done.
By golly, Jim, I’m beginning to think I can cure a rainy day.
Doctor McCoy – The Devil in the Dark
The episode ends with them making a deal with the Horta. The Horta will be left alone to mine and the humans will extract the minerals. Interestingly it is mentioned that the miners are going to be very rich – so the idea of money being a thing of the past hasn’t come in yet. Actually I am not sure that it ever will in TOS.
This is one of the best episodes of the show and is certainly in my top 10. (Well probably I haven’t written that list just yet.)
I just wanted to say that I have checked this post. I really have. Unfortunately my particular combination of dyslexia and dyspraxia makes it really hard for me to spot typos. Please enjoy and I’ll try not to make too many errors.
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SDuKYJBkJm
Unstable Orbit 