Review Text
The Enterprise takes aboard a Pandronian passenger, Commander Bem, an independent observer and undeniable eccentric, who has spent most of his time aboard the ship not doing any observing or going on missions. But he wants to go on the latest mission with Kirk's landing party — to study the indigenous primitive species living on a planet slated for extended Federation observation.
Bem is an intriguing character — strange and different and with a personality and actions that keep you guessing. Immediately upon beaming down to the planet surface, Bem — a "colony creature" who splits his body into multiple parts — pickpockets the communicators and phasers from Kirk and Spock and replaces them with replicas. He has an eccentric way of speaking (always referring to himself as "this one"), and reacts to situations in ways that are all his own: To study the indigenous tribe, he runs off and lets himself be intentionally captured so he can study them from his holding cell. Bem's antics are troublesome for Kirk and Spock, who end up captured themselves when they go after Bem to rescue him, since his safety is their responsibility.
I'm not entirely sure what to make of the other major piece of this story, a TOS-style superbeing who is like an overseeing but kindly Mother Nature God of this world. This superbeing intervenes and takes Kirk's weapons when he tries to escape the village. She calls the natives her "children," which she watches over with great wisdom, and insists the humans not interfere.
This entity has a lot of lessons to impart, like her philosophy on not "punishing," as when Bem believes he should be "disassembled" for being defective and making so many errors on this mission. But making mistakes is how we learn, the entity exclaims. These proclamations are an okay message for kids, I suppose, but this feels like one of those episodes that's not sure who the target audience is.
This story would've been better served, I think, focusing on Bem, and maybe making him unexpectedly wise beneath all his weirdness and incompetence, instead of concluding he's an "eggling" that has the most to learn. He's an intriguing alien creation by scriptwriter David Gerrold (in a concept originally meant for TOS), but Bem's story gets hijacked by the all-knowing superbeing, which by this point feels like a cliché out of the TOS playbook.
Previous episode: The Pirates of Orion
Next episode: The Practical Joker
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7 comments on this post
Elizabeth Palladino
Another one where I agree with Jammer. I like David Gerrold's writing, and I am interested in seeing more about Bem. I love it when he takes himself apart and his legs and stomach run around in one direction while his arms are doing something else and his head is spinning around. Or whatever. I would have liked to have seen him developed much more as a character. The episode should have been only about him. We didn't really need the multicolored, soft-voiced God entity. That just took the story off on too much of a side tangent.
Rahul
There are some Trekkian lessons here and Bem is an unusual character with strange ways of doing things. He's got his own way of testing Kirk and Spock on behalf of his people, but Kirk and Spock just think he's unwise to say the least.
The idea of a higher power nurturing a less advanced species is a common trope and it is done reasonably well here as compared with "The Apple", for example. Kirk and Spock are also humbled by the entity and realize they have a lot to learn.
There's an interesting examination of the Prime Directive here as well. It's a bit hard to understand why Bem thinks he has failed, but this at least gives the entity an opportunity to teach him something as he was so sure Kirk and Spock had failed to impress him.
Uhura has an important role to play here, as she basically commands the ship and NN is the voice of the God-like entity. The episode felt like it spent too much time on the wrong things, like search and rescue instead of analysis of what has been learned. It could have had more depth and meaning, but instead felt a bit silly at times.
2.5*
Trek fan
I say 3 1/2 stars for this one. Bem is a fascinating character who subdivides physically and only works in animation; and he’s annoying! Lower Decks later brings back his race, which has appeared only on animated Trek. Clever use of the animated format overall here.
Davidw
It's really hard to get through these episodes. But there are some great ideas.
Given a better plot it could make a great story.
Black Oat
I didn't like this one at all. Mostly because of the BEM character; the Charlie Chan speak and the "colony creature" concept are very silly. I may have just not been paying attention, but I have no idea what BEM was up to at any point in the episode.
And it's all capped off by yet another all-wise space deity telling the crew to piss off.
So what did we learn? That Kirk should continue to obey the Prime Directive. Which he was already trying to do.
Oh, and don't disassemble yourself for making a mistake. Maybe they should have included some sort of disassembly prevention hotline number for all the depressed bug-eyed monsters in the audience.
DarK Kirk
It was fun to watch Uhura in command and override Scotty to bring him and Sulu back on board. Everything else - I don't need to watch it again.
Proud Capitalist Pig
Ah, Bem. “Ari bn Bem,” to be exact. Bem is exactly the type of smugly sniveling social scientist that I love to hate. His problems are his own creation, including many of the societal blind spots and living situations he’s analyzing. He’s the type that turns every molehill into a mountain of complications (but not complexity). He walks through life like he’s constantly smelling shit everywhere, looks down on the uneducated simpletons (he’ll call conservatives “bigots” and poor people “quaint”), and treats every shopping decision and thermostat adjustment like a thesis. At the same time, he drags everyone else in his life—his family, his assistants, or even his bodyguards like Kirk and Spock—down into his own sinkhole while spouting preening intellectualism and passive aggressive jabs. By the end of the episode, “this one” wanted to smack his head-section off with a baseball bat and play seven innings with it. Knowing Bem, he’d probably critique my form.
Poor Kirk must have offended some Starfleet brass hat to get himself stuck with this asshole. Every single misfortune they encounter in the episode is Bem’s fault (not fate's, Spock). Bem proceeds to blame *Kirk* for their imprisonment, because of course he does. And yet, Kirk can’t ever have Bem meet up with an unfortunate “accident” on this supposedly dangerous planet? Bem’s lucky that I wasn’t leading the landing party.
You’re meant to hate Bem; the episode understands this. (Bem: “This one does not demean oneself by the use of casual violence to accomplish goals.” That’s the excuse all cowards use when they’re afraid of fighting. That was good.) However, it makes the mistake of making you hate *watching* Bem, and that’s just unhelpful. Plenty of characters you “love to hate” are perfectly entertaining when gifted with good scripts and great actors. “Bem,” however, is insipidly boring. Plus, they then go ahead and complete the picture with yet another self-important, smugly superior Star Trek Superbeing (™). Kirk, of course, has no choice but to acquiesce (because, “superbeing.”) I really wish she hadn’t talked Bem out of his "disassembly" plan. Does she have to meddle in *everything?!* (@Black Oat, your comment cracked me up, well done!)
The episode earns some points for making Uhura look great, and for Nichelle Nichols’ work in particular. She’s been a treasure on this series, and always inventive with her vocal choices. I could have that soothing voice read technical manuals to me all day.
Speak Freely:
Kirk -- “Mr. Spock and I are here because we thought that you were worth rescuing. It was more to preserve the diplomatic relations between the Federation and Planet Pandro than from any great affection for yourself.”
My Grade: D-
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