Synopsis: The fate of the Venture and Kali are revealed.
This episode can be seen as an illustration of what Carl (C.G.) Jung called an enantiodromia, or that everything turns into its opposite.
In “Eternity’s Face,” began with a bit of a prologue “There is no beginning. There is no end. There is only the eternal ever striving to evolve into its most perfect form.” [00:31]
Then, in the past on Ceti Alpha V, when Kali and Madot arrived at the ship, Madot informed Khan that his people had not left the cave. They were demanding that Kali stay behind with them. Ivan confronted Khan, and told Khan that his reign had ended. Khan admitted that he had believed that they were superior, but that they were savages, and that Kali must live where hope reigns. Kali was his victory. Khan left the ship and told Delmonda to take Kali far away and to not to tell anyone who she is. Khan then led his people to the surface. Later, the Ceti Alpha V base tried to communicate with the Venture, but could not. Khan went berserk when he thought Kali was dead.
On the surface of Ceti Alpha V in the present, Dr. Rosalind Lear spoke with Ensign Tuvok. Tuvok played for Lear the last log entry, from months after Kali was presumed dead. Khan: “Every good thing will eventually take its opposite form. Pure good only exists to reveal the fire that loves nothing more than to consume it.” [31:12]
Tuvok explained to Lear that Khan believed that the Venture was destroyed after Erica told him that she witnessed the fuel pod explosion and then they could not make contact with the ship. Khan did not dare love until he met McGivers. Khan remained true to his nature until he asked Delmonda to take the ship to safety. Tuvok told Lear that he knew that she was Kali. Lear explained to Tuvok that on the ship the communication system went down, but that then it was repaired. By that time Khan had destroyed the communications system on Ceti Alpha V. Madot raised Lear and told her she had to forget the first five years of her life. In her will, Madot gave Lear the logs. Lear said that vengeance was all that was left for Khan. Tuvok told Lear that Khan was capable of love. Lear did not want to go back to the U.S.S. Excelsior, or the Federation because she felt that there was no life for her there. Tuvok assured her that he will not reveal her secret and also that he would fight for the human rights of augments. Tuvok and Lear beam up to the Excelsior.
In this episode, both the prologue and the excerpt from the logs where Khan is speaking, can be seen as artistic expressions describing Jung’s concept of an enantiodromia. Jung believed that this moving from one end of the spectrum to the other was the principle that guided the cycles of all natural life. Something to remember when we find ourselves if times which seem bleak or hopeless.
Reference:
Beyer, K. (Writer), Mack, D. (Writer), & Greenhalgh, F. (Director). (2025, November 3). Eternity’s face (Season 1, Episode 9) [podcast episode]. In A. Baiers, M. Barton, K. Beyer, F. Greenhalgh, A. Kurtzman, C. Migliori, E. Roddenberry, & T. Roth (Executive Producers), Star trek: Khan. Eye Podcast Productions, Inc., Secret Hideout, Roddenberry Entertainment.
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