10 Star Trek Episodes That Are Beyond Words
2. My Mind To Your Mind
When The Devil in the Dark opens with a mining facility being terrorised by some kind of creature lurking in the caverns, it seems like we're in for a straightforward monster mash. However, this is more than the usual 'catch it, kill it' story of classic sci-fi.
The monster continues to sabotage mining operations and kills anyone who tries to stop it. Spock can only detect one such creature nearby, warning Kirk that killing it may mean extinction; a crime against science. But Kirk remains resolute in his shoot-to-kill campaign.
Now, it's time to address the elephant in the room. Or rather, the person crawling under a rug in the room. We promise, if you can look past the dated effects, there is a truly touching story to be had.
Because despite Kirk's survival instinct to kill it before it can cause more harm, logical Spock considers the consequences of taking a life without understanding its behaviour and motives. But when Kirk aims a phaser at it, its fearful reaction makes him realise it understands...and he shows it mercy.
Spock initiates a mind meld, discovering it's an intelligent being known as a Horta. More, it's just a mother, the last of her kind, trying to protect her eggs. Kirk is finally able to explain to the miners (now ready to club the poor thing to death) that she had been content to live alongside them until they started destroying her eggs. Spock's perseverance in reaching out brings peace to both sides and ushers in a new era of cooperation.
It's a thoughtful and all too relevant story, even all these years on. It shows the danger of Kirk's assumption regarding mindless aggression versus Spock's open-mindedness to the Horta's motivations. Just because another lifeform doesn't speak, it doesn't mean it isn't intelligent or doesn't feel. Treating all living creatures with the respect they deserve is a basic principle of compassion, and persistence in communication is what brings opposing forces together.