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Synopsis: On a routine visit to the experimental colony at Gamma Hydra IV, a landing party discovers the young colonists dying of old age. In “The Deadly Years” we see how Mercurial insight is needed to find a solution to a situation. When the landing party of Captain James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. Leonard… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 12: “The Deadly Years”

Synopsis: The Enterprise is sent to Capella IV to negotiate for mining rights. This episode, like many episodes in Star Trek: The Original Series sets the United Federation of Planets against an enemy, here the Klingon Empire. During the Cold War, superpowers on Earth tend not to confront each other head on, in their own… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 11: “Friday’s Child”

Synopsis: The Enterprise is tasked with bringing ambassadors from many planets to a peace conference on Babel. This is the episode, written by D. C. Fontana, in which we meet Mr. Spock’s parents: the Vulcan, Ambassador Sarek, and the Earth woman, Amanda Grayson. This episode and the first episode of this season, “Amok Time” are… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 10: “Journey to Babel”

Synopsis: A shuttlecraft containing Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Assistant Federation Ambassador Hedford is taken off course by an alien in the shape of an ionized hydrogen cloud. This episode can be seen as an elucidation of the depth psychological concept of the sacred marriage, or the hieros gamos. Also, it shows us… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 9: “Metamorphosis”

Synopsis: An android takes over the Enterprise and brings it to Harry Mudd. This episode seems to be a constant struggle for power between the rational androids and the irrational humans that they are studying. One way to interpret this from a depth psychological perspective is to see it as a battle between the irrational… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 8: “I, Mudd”

Synopsis: On the planet Pyris VII the Enterprise encounters aliens from another galaxy. It is interesting that this particular episode from Star Trek: The Original Series was never one of my favorites when I was growing up watching the reruns. After re-viewing it this time, I can understand why. “Catspaw” is all about aliens from… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 7: “Catspaw”

Synopsis: The Enterprise confronts a powerful robot weapon. “The Doomsday Machine” has striking parallels to Moby Dick and like that classic tale, that which sets your imagination afire, or stirs your passions, can be your undoing. In this episode however, it is not Captain James T. Kirk who is possessed by revenge, but Commodore Matt… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 6: The Doomsday Machine”

Synopsis: The Enterprise encounters a paradisial planet run by a computer. “The Apple” in many ways is very much the same story as “The Return of the Archons.” The Enterprise is sent to a planet, in this case Gamma Trianguli VI, because something has piqued the interest of the Federation, here strange readings picked up… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 5: “The Apple”

Synopsis: A transporter malfunction results in Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy, Lt. Uhura and Chief Engineer Scott materializing in a parallel universe. In “Mirror, Mirror” it is quite easy to make the connection between our universe representing the conscious ego and the parallel universe that Captain James T. Kirk, Dr. Leonard (Bones) McCoy, Lt. Nyota Uhura,… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 4: “Mirror, Mirror”

Synopsis: In their mission to investigate the destruction of the Malurian civilization, the crew of the Enterprise encounters an old Earth space probe, Nomad. The title “The Changeling” refers to the tale of the fairy baby that changes places with a human one. And I suppose there is a way in which this episode can… Continue reading Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 3: “The Changeling”