On September 8, 1966, "The Man Trap," the first episode of Star Trek TOS, premiered on NBC. Little did anyone know it at the time, but the show would change television and film forever. People like George Lucas and Seth MacFarlane have admitted being influenced by Star Trek, leading them to create shows (MacFarlane's The Orville) or films (Lucas's Star Wars franchise).
The Episode
 |
| McCoy and Nancy had once been lovers |
"The Man Trap" involves the U.S.S. Enterprise arriving at planet M-113, where it is meant to provide supplies and medical exams for its only two inhabitants – Professor Robert Crater (Alfred Ryder) and his wife Nancy (Jeanne Bal) – who work at the archaeological research center there.
 |
| Darnell sees a woman he once knew |
Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForrest Kelley), and Crewman Darnell (Michael Zaslow) beam down to the surface, with Kirk mentioning to McCoy that he once had a relationship with Nancy. They each view Nancy differently – Kirk sees her as an older woman, McCoy sees her as he once knew her, and Darnell as an attractive blonde woman he had met once before. When Nancy goes outside to find her husband, she encourages Darnell to follow her.
Crater returns without Nancy, and he insists that he doesn't need a medical examination. All they require is salt tablets because of the atmosphere. McCoy insists on conducting the examination, but before anything meaningful can take place there is a woman's scream outside. They find Darnell is dead with a plant in his mouth and Nancy standing over him. She says that he tried to taste the plant, and it caused marks on his face and that it killed him.
Back on the ship, McCoy conducts an examination of Darnell's body and determines that the plant didn't kill him, and he has had all the salt drawn from his body through suction marks on his face. Kirk recalls that Crater asked for salt tablets, and he is determined to get to the bottom of what has happened.
The Salt Monster
 |
| The Salt Monster |
Designed by Wah Chang, the creature consisted of a head sculpted in clay and then covered by a plaster cast. After drying, Wang removed the cast and painted the head and added a white wig and glass lenses for the eyes. Gloves were fashioned to make the fingers having suction cups, and the costume was complete with a furry bodysuit. Dancer Sandra Gimple played the part – one that I found terrifying as a kid.
The Last of Its Kind
The discussion is had that a salt vampire like this one of an inferior species that is dangerous to humans and should be destroyed. But, when it is learned that the murderous creature is the last of its kind, there is some doubt about killing it. The decision is made for them when the Nancy starts attacking Kirk, and McCoy has no choice but to kill her.
 |
| Nancy starts to attack Kirk |
When the the creature reverts back to looking like Nancy, McCoy apologizes but shoots her again, knowing it is not the woman he once loved. Still the final feeling left by the death of the creature is multi-layered. This is the power of Star Trek episodes – they are not just meant to entertain you – they are also meant to get you thinking!
Final Notes
A fun fact is "The Man Trap" was the sixth episode to be filmed, but it was chosen as the first to be broadcast due to its scary monster theme. The choice worked because the episode scored 25.2% Nielsen rating for the first half hour, making it first in its time slot.
Some viewers complained about the violence – multiple killings of crewmen – but others noted that the acting was strong. Fans came up with the name Salt Vampire for the creature, and that is how the character is known by fans today.
The Celebration Continues
A series of events will continue to take place celebrating the 60th anniversay of Star Trek. Please check out this link to read about the everything being done to celebrate this milestone.
No comments:
Post a Comment