Episode 4 - The Naked Time

Well, this was a wonderful breath of fresh air! This was one of my favorites from the before-times, but I had forgotten how good it was. We’ve got some classic lines, solid writing, revelation of character that will factor into the entire series and movies, and a really bad TNG episode completely rips it off a few decades later.

One thing that I noticed in taking notes for this episode, and re-reading the prior three reviews, is that I fell back on a plot synopsis style of review for the two I didn’t like, while The Man Trap (and again with this one) is more of an overall impressions review. I think that’s indicative of the strength of the stories (or lack thereof) – I have something to actually talk about as opposed to a linear recap.

So, let’s talk about it.

We’re back to the comfortable sets and colorful uniforms that we all know and love. The interior of the Jeffries Tube makes its first appearance, as Scotty works to gain entrance to a barricaded Engineering Room. And the new digital effects for the ship in orbit around Psi-2000 are sharp and beautiful, a nice improvement without being a huge embellishment.

The story itself isn’t terribly complicated; the ship is sent to recover a science team from a world that is in its last days, about to tear itself apart. On arrival at Psi-2000, they find that the science team is all dead, frozen to death in their base – but it is more than that. One was frozen solid in the shower, fully clothed. A wo-mannequin is found strangled to death, and the life support was apparently just shut off, rather than failing. Weird!

(Wanted to mention that this episode won an Emmy for “Best Original Use of Bubble Wrap” that year, for the fine work on the suits that Spock and Ensign Joe wore to the surface.)

So, while Spock takes readings, the Ensign takes off his glove, rubs his itchy nose, then resumes scanning without putting the glove back on – and promptly gets infected by whatever wiped out the science crew. He doesn’t know it at first, of course – aside from some itching on his hand, nothing seems wrong.

So of course, they go back to the ship and are decontaminated on the transport pad – well, the outsides of their suits are – uh oh! From there, things get interesting as the “mutated water molecules” (as we find out they are later) begin to spread from crewman to crewman. This is when the story really takes off, and we see some wonderful quirks and hidden personality traits come to the surface while the virus spreads and the ship is put in mortal danger.

One of the good things, we see all of the original “stars” of the show, aside from Chekov, in one episode. Even Nurse Chapel puts in her first appearance, and boy does SHE have a lot of hair. Bless you, future. We see Sulu, sans shirt (oh myyyyy) terrorizing crewmen as a swashbuckling Musketeer. Scotty at his hard-nosed engineer best. McCoy, sweaty and intense as ever, and at his best, researching the contagion. Even a snippy, but ultimately professional, Uhura. I’m saving Kirk and Spock for special comment. So far (and probably overall for the series, although it is too soon to tell) I think this is the best ensemble performance.

And then there is Reilly. It is a shame we don’t see him again during the series, because I think he comes close to stealing the show. And not just for his caterwauling rendition of “Kathleen” (One more time!), but even before that, as he is first manifesting his illness, he is chipper and funny, and has great mannerisms. I’d like to have seen even more of this character, but imagine it wouldn’t have been the same if he had been “sane”.



Great Lines – There Are So Many

Sulu (crashing the bridge as his swashbuckler persona, sees Uhura and pulls her to him) – “I’ll save you, fair maiden!”
Uhura (pushing away) - “Sorry – neither!”

Spock (using his famous “nerve pinch” for the first time, on Sulu, to security) - “Take D’Artagnen here to sick bay!”

Kirk (as Reilly prepares to launch into “Kathleen” again on the intercom system One More Time!) - “Oh, no."

Scotty – “I can’t change the laws of physics”



And then, there are Spock and Kirk. This episode reveals so much of their personality and inner conflict, that it was clearly the inspiration for much of what was to come later. Starting with Spock, his first direct exposure to the virus is in sick bay where a delirious Nurse Chapel confronts him and professes her love for him. She clasps his hands, the virus makes the jump, and mayhem shortly ensues. He is soon struggling to control his long-suppressed emotions, alternately crying and growing angry as he tries to talk himself back into control. While you could blame his breakdown on the virus, I think (based on other’s reactions and McCoy’s later discovery that it acts much like alcohol) that it simply releases the inner feelings of the victim, and maybe enhances them as well.

While Spock is having his breakdown in a conference room, Kirk and Scotty discover that the engines have been shut down by Reilly, and as the ship is spinning down into a closer and closer orbit, it will take longer to restart them than they have before they crash. Kirk insists they have to try (dur) and sets off to find Spock to perform the calculations.

And here is where we get the dynamic of their relationship spelled out in glorious detail.

Kirk finds Spock, still struggling, in the conference room. He confronts him, trying to snap him out of his fugue, demanding that he needs to perform calculations or they’re all dead. Spock laments his inability to show love for his mother as he sobs helplessly, and the fact that when he feels friendship for Kirk, he is ashamed. As we know from earlier asides, Spock is half-human, and grew up among full-blooded (and completely reserved) Vulcans, and is still struggling to keep his human side submerged. This provides a glimpse into the depth of his character that will serve him throughout the series and beyond.

Still, the ship is in peril, and Kirk is having none of it. He slaps Spock, once, twice, a third time. Spock snaps with anger and literally slaps Kirk across the room. Of course, this transfers the virus to Kirk… and we get our second in-depth look at character motivation.

Kirk recovers from the blow, and Spock seems to be regaining control. Although it is never spelled out, I suspect his alien biochemistry overcame the virus eventually, although he might simply have regained mental/emotional control – we never see him get a shot of antidote however. As the “Old Spock” returns, Kirk begins to slip under the influence of the virus, and we see his deep, hidden emotions – for the ship.

He laments the burden of command, having to be always a servant to the ship and her crew, but loving her for it. “Now I know why it’s called ‘she’.” Still, he laments the inability to even notice beautiful yeomen (Rand, clearly), and that there is no beach to walk on. This deep, unwavering devotion (sometimes passing into obsession) with the Enterprise is summed up when Kirk spits out through clenched teeth, “I’ll never lose you. NEVER.”

This one extended scene in the conference roof is a keystone to the series as a whole, and is the main reason that this episode is required viewing (aside from being a damn good story).

Oh yes, then there’s The End.

Spock goes to engineering, makes the necessary calculations for a warp drive “implosion”, and everyone braces to make the one last effort to break free of the planet before they are smashed to bits. Kirk strides onto the bridge, not even noticing when McCoy rips his sleeve and gives him an injection of antidote before he sits in the command chair. One last moment of the inner Kirk, as he gazes at Rand and mutters “No beach to walk on…” The longing is there, but is quickly buried as duty and the antidote take hold.

Switches are thrown, loud piercing sounds are heard, lurching takes place, and the view screen shows them receding from Psi-2000 and its nearby cluster of stars at a fantastic rate. Sulu looks down at his chronometer and announces in astonishment that it is running backwards!

Yep, our first Time Warp of the series. As anyone who has even a passing knowledge of Star Trek can attest, it won’t be the last, not by a long shot.

So, they end up 71 hours before the arrived at Psi-2000, presumably not having passed themselves on the way (paradox is a subject for another time). Spock is fascinated about the potential future applications of this discovery, stating that they can go back in time to any era, and planet – Kirk advises him wearily that they might risk it someday.

This one is a solid five dilithium crystals way up – most likely it will end up being one of my favorite of TOS.