Season 2
Written by: Gene Coon and Gilbert Ralston
Directed By: Marc Daniels
First Aired: September 22, 1967
Stardate: 3468.1
Best Dialogue of the episode:
Apollo: I Am Apollo!
Chekov: ...And I am the czar of all the Russias
Kirk: Mr. Chekov?
Chekov: I'm sorry, Captain. I never met a god before.
Kirk: And you haven't... Yet!
As the episode begins, it is a standard day on the bridge of the Enterprise. McCoy and Kirk are joking about Scotty's infactuation with Lt. Palamas, the A&A officer (Archeology and Anthropology). While orbiting around Pollux IV, doing the standard survey procedures, when a giant hand comes up from the planet surface and grabs a hold of the Enterprise, and she can't break free.
An image of the face of a man appears and proclaims that the crew of the Enterprise is his children. As a demonstration of his power he "closes his hand" and almost crushes the Enterprise. He then invites a landing party to come down, but does not allow Science officer Spock to join saying "Do not bring that one, the one with the ears. He reminds me of Pan and Pan always bored me." Before beaming down, the Captain orders Spock to find a way to answer the questions that they have.
The Landing party consisted of Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy, Engineer Scott, Lt. Palamas and Ensign Chekov. The entity proclaimed that he was Apollo of the Greek mythologies, he takes Lt. Palamas but not before Scott almost gets himself killed trying to protect her. On the Enterprise, Mr. Spock has Lt. Uhura attempting to contact the landing party and Sulu mapping where the power that Apollo uses emanates. While Apollo is away, Chekov attempts to give Kirk "complete information", as McCoy teases the young Ensign with "Spock's contaminating that boy, Jim"
The Captain speculates that Apollo and the greek gods, landed on Earth and to the ancient greeks these travelers were gods. Apollo wants to take Carolyn to be one of those women that the Gods took to be their companions. It is around this point in the episode that Apollo returns and Scotty again tries to assualt Apollo and is stricken down, as is Captain Kirk who attempts to come to his aid. McCoy tends to Scott as Chekov helps the Captain up. Chekov also tells Kirk that Apollo disappeared like that cat in that Russian story... LOL!
The party attempts to provoke Apollo, but Palamas convinces Apollo to spare them. Kirk and company are stunned that she saved them. The Captain has one more plan but needs Palamas to spurn Apollo... meanwhile the Enterprise breaks through the communications problem and contact Kirk and he orders the Enterprise to lock onto to the temple with their phaser beams and wait for his signal.
Apollo like the other gods before him, stretches himself into infinity after the temple is destroyed. As the ship departs the Captain ponders "Would it have hurt us, I wonder... to gather a few laurel leaves?"
Connection to the Episode:
The crew working on separate fronts to combat the problem is why I look at this episode fondly. I also am a very big fan of the greek mythologies and the books that were written. And personally, it is very funny to hear McCoy say "to coin a phrase, 'Fascinating'. "
Noteworthy:
This is the first reference to Chekov and Spock's working together in a possible mentor-student relationship. Also, it is the first time that the Main Cast are all on the same set for the first time.
****It is also the first time we see an onscreen, sexual assault.
My Opinion:
It is a run of the mill episode, however there was great acting and interaction between characters that hardly got to really interact with each other. The Remastered version of the episode is better, however I hardly say that over the original episodes.
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