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The Way to Eden (episode)

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The Enterprise picks up a group of renegades who have rejected modern technological life to search for the mythical planet Eden.

Summary

Teaser

Aurora remastered

Aurora

The Enterprise intercepts the Aurora, a stolen space cruiser. The crew of the craft attempt to run away, but the engines overheat and the vessel is destroyed. Moments before the explosion, the Enterprise is able to beam them safely aboard. There, the thieves are revealed to be a wild-looking group of space hippies.

Act One

Among the thieves is Tongo Rad, the son of a Catullan ambassador – and whose involvement prevents Captain Kirk, under orders, from arresting the group for theft.

Irina Galliulin

Irina Galliulin

"Captain's log, stardate 5832.3. The son of the Catullan ambassador is one of six we have beamed aboard from the stolen cruiser Aurora. We have been ordered to handle him with extreme delicacy, because the treaty negotiations now in progress between the Federation and Catulla are in a crucial phase."

Another member of the group is Irina Galliulin, an acquaintance of Ensign Chekov and a dropout from Starfleet Academy. The group, led by Dr. Sevrin, a former university professor on Tiburon, rejects conventional society and claims to be seeking the planet Eden – which Kirk insists is a myth. Although Spock apparently seems to understand the group's motives, they are at odds with Kirk, who is the frequent target of the derisive chant, "Herbert! Herbert!"

"Captain's log, stardate 5832.5. The arrogance of Dr. Sevrin and his followers is creating an intolerable situation aboard the Enterprise. If it continues, I'll be forced to use controls which might not agree with Starfleet's suggestion that they be handled with extreme tolerance."

Act Two

After being examined in sickbay, Dr. Sevrin is found to be a carrier for the deadly bacteria synthococcus novae, created by the very advances that make life in the 23rd century possible. The disease has no cure, but immunization is available. Kirk orders McCoy that boosters be administered to the crew, but that Dr. Sevrin must be put in isolation until he no longer poses a danger to the crew or his companions. Dr. Sevrin protests the action, claiming he did not know he was a carrier. Meanwhile, Dr. Sevrin's companions boldly circulate among the crew, attempting to incite the younger members to join them. Kirk finally asks Spock to speak to Dr. Sevrin to persuade his followers to stop their actions before they are charged under Federation laws and barred from continuing their search for Eden. Dr. Sevrin then reveals he did know he was a carrier, but that only a primitive world – such as Eden – can cleanse him from the disease. Spock counters that his presence would destroy any life on that planet, but Dr. Sevrin is unrelenting in his quest. Spock concludes that Dr. Sevrin is insane, but offers to help in the search for Eden by using the resources of the Enterprise.

"Captain's log, stardate 5832.6. I have asked Dr. McCoy to check Starfleet medical records to verify Mr. Spock's suspicion that Dr. Sevrin is insane. In spite of Dr. Sevrin's antipathy to us, he has promised Mr. Spock that he will order his disciples to conform to our rules and regulations."

Adam, one of Dr. Sevrin's followers, visits Spock in his quarters with a request to put on a concert for the crew. Spock agrees to ask Kirk about the idea. Adams spots Spock's Vulcan lute on a shelf behind him and Spock lets him try it out. Adam then hands the lute to Spock for a little demonstration on how to play it. Adam asks Spock to join his in on the concert he has proposed. Spock agrees.

Meanwhile, in Auxiliary Control, Chekov is assisting Spock's search for Eden, but he is distracted by Irina. In trying to seduce the young ensign, Irina learns about the functions of the secondary control room. Adam and Irina then rejoin the rest of the group and there the true plan is revealed: the group is attempting to seize control of the Enterprise once Eden is located.

Act Three

File:Auxiliary control room, The way to Eden.jpg

Auxiliary Control under the control of Dr. Sevrin.

During the concert, Tongo and another Sevrin follower knock out the guards, release Dr. Sevrin, and make their way to Auxiliary Control. The others join them, divert control of the ship to themselves and change course for Eden – taking the Enterprise across the Romulan Neutral Zone and into Romulan territory.

Knowing that Dr. Sevrin will do whatever he plans to do, Kirk orders Scotty to break into Auxiliary Control by cutting through a wall with a phaser. To prevent from being seized, Sevrin applies ultrasonics to knock out the crew of the Enterprise. The ultrasonics are turned off just long enough for Dr. Sevrin and his followers to steal shuttlecraft Galileo II to take them to the planet's surface. After Sevrin and his followers leave the ship, the ultrasonics resume.

Act Four

Eden remastered

The planet Eden.

Kirk and Spock come to, however, and shut off the sound waves. They are joined by Chekov and Dr. McCoy and beam down to the planet's surface in search of the group. They learn the legends about the planet are true – Eden is a fabulously beautiful planet. However, they learn the beauty hides deadly secrets: the grass and plant life are full of a powerful acid, and the fruit is poisonous to Humans. Eventually, the shuttlecraft is found, with Sevrin and his followers nursing severe burns on their bare feet from the acid in the grass and Adam dead from eating the fruit. McCoy makes plans to beam everyone to the ship for medical treatment, but Sevrin refuses to leave, runs to a tree, takes a bite out of the fruit and quickly dies.

Back on the Enterprise, Sevrin's followers prepare to leave the ship; Spock urges Irina to continue their quest for Eden. "I have no doubt you will find it ... or make it yourselves," he tells Irina as she and Chekov then kiss goodbye.

Memorable Quotes

"One."
"We are one."
"One is the beginning."
"Are you One, Herbert?"
"I am not Herbert."
"He's not Herbert! We reach!"

- Spock and Sevrin and Adam, as Spock opens a dialogue


"Many myths are based on truth, captain."

- Spock, on the existence of Eden


"There are many who are uncomfortable with what we have created. It is almost a biological rebellion -- a profound revulsion against the planned communities, the programming, the sterilized, artfully balanced atmospheres. They hunger for an Eden--where spring comes."
"All do. The cave is deep in our memory."

- Spock and Kirk, on why Sevrin's followers embrace the primitive lifestyle


"They regard themselves as aliens in their own worlds--a condition with which I am somewhat familiar."

- Spock, to Kirk


"Herbert was a minor official, notorious for his rigid and limited patterns of thought."
"Well, I shall try to be less rigid in my thinking."

- Spock and Kirk, after Kirk was called Herbert


"Gonna crack my knuckles and jump for joy! I got a clean bill of health from Doctor McCoy!"

- Adam, in sickbay


"I thought all the animals were kept in cages."

- Chapel, when Sevrin's followers angrily try to enter sickbay


"I am proud of what I am, I believe in what I do. Can you say that?"

- Pavel Chekov, to Irina, in hallway after leaving sickbay with her.


"You don't belong with them! You know what we want--you want it too! Come! Join us!"
"How do you know what I want?"
"You're young. Think young, brother!"
"You make it tempting."

- female space hippie, to Sulu

"There is nothing wrong in doing what you want."

- Irina, before kissing Chekov


"I don't understand why a young mind has to be an undisciplined one."

- Scotty, on Severin's young followers


"His name was Adam."

- Spock, seeing Adam's corpse next to the half-eaten fruit


"Be incorrect, occasionally."
"And you be correct."
"Occasionally."

- Irina and Chekov, after their last kiss


"It is my sincere wish that you do not give up your search for Eden. I have no doubt but that you will find it, or make it yourselves."

- Spock to Irina, just before she leaves the ship

Background Information

Production timeline

Story and production

  • D.C. Fontana was unhappy with the rewrite of her original script, and requested to be credited under her pseudonym "Michael Richards".
  • The character of Irina Galliulin was originally to be Joanna McCoy, daughter of Dr. McCoy, and to be a love interest for Captain Kirk (the episode's original title was "Joanna"), but that script was later rejected. Joanna was also supposed to appear in an episode in season four, but again, it was not to be.[1]
  • Chekov's character (which in the original story, was meant to have been Kirk's character) is portrayed in this episode as a rigid, rule-quoting straight arrow, in contrast to the writers' initial concept of the character as a younger, less authoritarian character who might appeal to teenage viewers. Walter Koenig has called the episode "badly written" partly because of this. He also called this episode the low point of his character's tenure on the show.[2]
  • A brief shot of the surface of Eden is reused footage of the lakeside from "Shore Leave". A shot of the surface of Gamma Trianguli VI from "The Apple" is also recycled and used in the same scene.
  • The hijacked Class F shuttlecraft was the oft-used Galileo, although in this adventure she bore the name Galileo II.
  • In the original version of the episode, the spacecraft Aurora is a Tholian ship with AMT model kit nacelles added to it. It is shown in the preview trailer without the nacelles. For the remastered version, a new design was created.
  • To create reaction shots of Kirk that were not filmed, several shots of William Shatner are repeated, printed backwards. This is obvious in a shot on the surface of Eden, where Kirk's insignia appears on the wrong side of his shirt.
  • Charles Napier wrote some of the songs he sings in this episode. (citation needed • edit) He would later appear as Rex Denning in DS9: "Little Green Men".
  • In the scene in which Spock plays his Vulcan harp for Adam (the last time he plays the instrument on the series), the background music for Uhura's song from "Charlie X" is recycled.
  • Nurse Chapel's collapse, as well as the collapse of other crewmembers in the corridor, is reused footage from "Spock's Brain". This is why the lights go out in sickbay during that shot, while they are functioning normally elsewhere on the ship.
  • The references to the insult "Herbert" and the official it was named after were inserted at the behest of production executive Douglas S. Cramer. It is thought that they were digs at his predecessor, Herbert F. Solow, though Herbert Hoover has also been suggested as a target. (citation needed • edit)

Continuity

  • This episode marks the first mention of Chekov's full name. Irina greets him with "Pavel Andreievich".
  • Gary Mitchell's Kaferian apple tree can be seen in the foliage on Eden.
  • According to James Doohan, this was the only episode of the series that he did not like.
  • Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) does not appear in this episode. Lt. Palmer, who fills in, makes her second and final TOS appearance.
  • Skip Homeier also starred in "Patterns of Force" as Melakon.
  • Spock's desire to find Eden is further explained in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, although it is unlikely the stories were intended to be linked. Star Trek V closely parallels some of this episode's plot points, too.

Video and DVD releases

Links and References

Starring

Also Starring

And

Guest Star

Also Starring

Uncredited Co-Stars

References

acid; acoustics; Adam and Eve; Adam's guitar; aseptic; Aurora; Auxiliary Control Center; Bible; "Bones"; booster shot; botany; briefing room; brig; Catulla; Catullan; Catullan ambassador; Chekov, Andrei; class F shuttlecraft; communications; Eden; flight regulations; Galileo II; gavel; hangar deck; Herbert; hippie; immunization; insanity; mathematics; Mavig's harp; Milky Way Galaxy; myth; navigation; passenger ship; patrol; physical; piracy; poison; primitives; psychological profile; radiation; research engineer; Romulans; Romulan Neutral Zone; scientist; scope; space studies; Starbase; Starbase Planet; star chart; Starfleet Academy; suicide; Synthococcus novae; tape; technology; Tiburon; Tiburonian; Typhoid Mary; ultrasonics; United Federation of Planets; Vulcan; Vulcan lute; weapon

External links

Previous episode produced:
"The Cloud Minders" 		Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 3 		Next episode produced:
"Requiem for Methuselah"
Previous episode aired:
"Requiem for Methuselah" 		Next episode aired:
"The Cloud Minders"
Previous remastered episode aired:
"The Lights of Zetar" 		TOS Remastered Next remastered episode aired:
"Requiem for Methuselah"
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