Star Trek: 10 Terrible Scenes That Ruined Episodes

9. Spock Jokes About Assault - The Enemy Within

Star Trek The Enemy Within Spock And Rand
CBS Media Ventures

Richard Matheson penned the script for this first season episode of The Original Series. You know the story - Captain Kirk, after experiencing a transporter malfunction, is split into two halves - one good, and one evil. Oh, and there's a cute little dog in an alien costume. What's not to love?

This episode contains the scene wherein Yeoman Janice Rand is assaulted by this evil version of Kirk. The scene itself is handled well, though the final scene of the episode upends any good will.

The… impostor had some… interesting qualities, wouldn't you say, Yeoman?

Spock's final lines, to an already traumatised Rand, stink of cruelty. Who on earth decided that this was an appropriate sign-off for the episode, or for anyone to say to someone who had just been assaulted? Grace Lee Whitney recounted in her autobiography that she wasn't sure who had actually written that line, but that it ensured that the episode ended on a sour note.

In this post: 
Star Trek
 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"