1.26 : The Devil in the Dark.

[Dave]

The one with the Horta and the miners.

On a mining planet, Kirk and company discover a "monster" that turns out to be something else entirely.

Another personal favourite. Spock performs another mind-meld, this time wih the alien mind. The story deals with Xenophobia, supposedly a thing of the past by the time of Star Trek, but what if the creature was so different it has unrecognisable intelligence and technology.

One of the best funnies occurs when Spock and Kirk are looking for the creature. At a fork in the tunnels, Kirk points to the right, but says to Spock "You go left", he then points to the left, and says "I'll go right". Spock reads Kirk's mind and he goes right, which is what he meant, even though he didn't say it.

 

[Archimedes]

The original series was loaded with humor that subsequent 'generations' never equalled

 

[Catavenger]

Amazing wasn't it how the humans could see in the "dark?"

 

[BAYLOR]

I Wish they could have done more with the Horta, Have them show up again. There are a few trek novels with Hortas that became members of Star Fleet .

 

[Extollager]

This one has always been a fan favorite. However, the mine sets are unconvincing and the horta eggs look just too much like playing balls; and the repetition of one more human after another falling victim to the creature is too much like many old-time monster shows we have all seen. Also, once you have seen the show the first time, you notice in subsequent viewings how the way the horta evidently rears up to attack doesn't square with the scenes in which we see it more clearly, as a ground-hugging creature.

 

[Catavenger]

If you ever read the book "The Making of Star Trek" it tells that they had to make it on a Shoe String. They did the best they could on the low budget they had.

 

[The Ace]

They painted actors' faces with boot polish, and you're worried about an unconvincing monster ?

 

[Extollager]

The horta was a monster on hand (from "The Probe" on The Outer Limits), but the problem I referred to was the unnecessary and (in retrospect) puzzling idea of this monster as one that rears up to attack its victims. This seems to make the creature unnecessarily unconvincing. The show is one the execution of which makes a clever idea less effective.

 

[Catavenger]

Really I never noticed that it did that. Weird. I know I have found a website (CBS I think) to watch Star Trek online but I lost the link. Does anyone have it?