Star Trek at 50: The Enemy Within

Season 1

Episode 4: The Enemy Within

Filmed: June 1966

First Air Date: October 6, 1966 (5th episode aired)

Karen: I have to admit, when it came time to review this episode, I approached it with a somewhat dismissive attitude. It had always seemed to me to be one of the weaker episodes, a sort of goofy Jekyll and Hyde story. But I wanted to give it a fair shake, so I watched it again and tried to keep an open mind. I also read Marc Cushman's entry on this episode in his book These are the Voyages (our unofficial guidebook for this series of posts). And although it's still not one of my favorite episodes, I appreciate it more than I did before.

Karen: Of course, the episode shows us what happens when a man's 'good' and 'evil' sides are separated. In this case, it's Captain Kirk's, and we find that the 'evil' side is the one that carries many of the characteristics necessary for command. Of course, that's also the side that attempts to rape Yeoman Rand, so...yeah, there's some real nastiness in this one too. This episode was based off a story written by Richard Matheson, who was already well-known, and had provided scripts for other shows like The Twilight Zone (including "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", which starred William Shatner). Matheson's draft was revised by both John D.F. Black and Gene Roddenberry. Roddenberry is the one who came up with the idea that the 'good' Kirk would lose his ability to make decisions -giving him all the more reason that he would have to take back his brutal side, despite his ugliness. Roddenberry and his staff also came up with the 'B' plot about Sulu and the other crewman being stranded on the freezing planet, to give even more urgency to the plot.

Karen:The attempted rape of Yeoman Rand (Grace Lee Whitney) by the evil Kirk is a difficult scene to watch.Although Shatner plays the evil Kirk with a vicious glee, this scene is more serious than the others. Kirk's invasion of Rand's quarters, his emerging from the darkness to confront her -one has to complement the work of series director of photography, Jerry Finnerman, for the way he used shadows and lighting, and colors, to highlight the scene. As I watch these first season episodes the unique look of the show that was developed through the lighting is very evident -it sets it apart from any other show. But back to this particular scene. Shatner plays this in an understated way, quietly, and then explodes, grabbing Whitney and struggling with her, then attacking a crewman in the corridor who Rand has flagged down. Cushman quotes Whitney as saying, "It's a violent, scary scene. Bill is a very physical actor and extremely strong...Bill picked me up like a twig and threw me around the room." Despite getting battered for her art, Whitney was a fan of the episode. "I love 'The Enemy Within' because it gave me a chance to really react and act with Bill Shatner." Looking at this (below), it is a wonder it got past the censors.

Karen: I'd like to say after watching several of the early season episodes that the much maligned Shatner was actually a very good actor, at least in these first season episodes. He had the ability to play scenes with subtlety and restraint -except in this episode! As the evil Kirk, he just goes completely over the top and screams lines. "I'M CAPTAIN KIRK!" the double yells at the top of his lungs. He roams the halls, swigging Saurian brandy and looks like a cosplaying convention goer. Absolutely too much! Stuff like this certainly doesn't help Shatner's rep. He did tone it down for the scene with Rand but otherwise, hoo boy.

Karen: While the attack itself was an effective scene, the follow up, where good Kirk, Spock, and McCoy question Rand, was a sad reminder of how different things were in the 60s, even on a futuristic show like Trek. The cowering Yeoman is treated with little sympathy by her superior officers, who seem more intent on questioning her assertion that the Captain attacked her than seeing to her well-being. What's even worse is the close-out of the episode, after everyone has discovered the truth about "the intruder", when Mr. Spock says slyly (and completely out of character) to Yeoman Rand, "The imposter had some interesting characteristics, wouldn't you say, Yeoman?"  Terrible.

Karen: Despite all of this, I come away from it feeling that there were some ideas here worth examining. We have to accept ourselves as imperfect beings, with all our flaws, and sometimes what we see as weaknesses maybe provide us with some inner strength. But always when held in check by our better halves, our moral side. Not a fantastic idea, but they did it well. 

Karen: Of note, this is the first episode where Spock exhibits the Vulcan Neck Pinch, when he uses it on the evil Kirk. This was Leonard Nimoy's suggestion, as he felt the scripted punch was far too uncivilized for Spock. We all know how that worked out. 

Karen: People always wonder why a shuttlecraft wasn't sent down to save Sulu and the others. There's a very practical reason. The life-size prop and the miniature hadn't been built yet as Desilu (the studio that made Star Trek) was putting off construction of both until they were sure the show was going to get a full season. So there wasn't any shuttlecraft to send!

Karen: Finally, we can't close out the post without saying something about the truly awful dog with the horn on its head. They had to have some sort of animal to use as an example, but this orange yapper with the horn on its head (and antenna?) was just the silliest thing ever. It belonged with Bloop the monkey off Lost in Space, not on Star Trek.

If I Had a Buck... Mirthful Marie Severin!

Doug: Well, if I don't have egg on my face. And lots of it! Our buddy Martinex1, famous inventor of the $1 Challenge (hey, maybe he's The Man!) alerted me to my senility -- like he had to go and do that... Anyway, today's post was actually emailed to us waaaaaaay back at the end of November. Who knows what I was doing then -- it obviously wasn't readying this post for publication! So today we rectify that, and I think you'll enjoy it. Public apologies to ol' Mike S. -- you'll find this worth the wait!

Guest Post – If I Had a Buck…MARIE SEVERIN 

 

Mike S.: Last fall in a couple of posts and comments, Marie Severin’s name was mentioned as an underappreciated artist, a great talent on the Incredible Hulk book, and as a go-to mainstay of the Marvel Bullpen.   

So here is a challenge of “If I Had a Buck”, highlighting the varied work of Ms. Severin’s career.  Not only was she a fantastic superhero penciler, but she also handled comedy, mimicry, satire, adventure and horror genres extremely well.   It is actually surprising how many different high level Marvel characters she touched.  The art always reflected the classic house style but often also contained interesting perspective and layouts.   She started as a colorist at EC and headed the color department at Marvel for a time, all the while pitching in on so many aspects of comic art and production along the way.   She was very prolific and I believe she should be listed along with many of the Silver Age greats.  

Take a look at the 14 covers below, all with Marie Severin art, and I think you will get a small taste of a very big talent.   Spend your dollar wisely; there are plenty of 15 cent masterpieces to choose from.  

The Dark Knight Returned; But Was He Batman? Part Two

Batman: The Dark Knight (April 1986)
"The Dark Knight Triumphant"
Frank Miller-Miller/Klaus Janson

Karen: We're back, taking another crack at this, moving on to issue two. So Batman has returned to Gotham City, to take on the threat of the Mutant Gang, and Jim Gordon is retiring as Police Commissioner. Oh, and we also have a new Robin, Carrie Kelly. All of these things come together in this second issue. I think I was most acutely aware of the waxing and waning between Batman and Gordon's careers. Both are satisfied with what they are doing. Gordon is at peace with his decision to retire -well, it's mandatory retirement, but he seems happy to go. Batman is relishing his return, back in the hellhole that Gotham has become. Gordon is secure in leaving it all behind because he has his wife, Sarah, to go home to. But Batman -what does he have other than his 'war'? He really feels to me like a sad, hollow man as he is shown here, nearing the end of his days. Who is there for him? Dick is mentioned, but nowhere to be found. Alfred is around, but still playing the role of faithful servant. Jason is obviously dead. And there is no wife or lover to stand by him.

Doug: So, like a teacher you had as a child, how old did you ever think Commissioner Gordon was when you were reading comics as a kid? He's forced, as you said, to retire at the age of 70. I suppose as a kid we really didn't have a grasp on age, but to think that Gordon would have been 58-60 when the Batman went into seclusion would have made him in his early to mid-30s in some adventures! Hard to conceive. I totally agree with you about Batman's obsession with his war on crime. That you said he was a "hollow man" seems appropriate -- throughout the story Miller has Bruce Wayne/Batman muse on various situations that would be a "good death" (although I had to chuckle the singular time he muttered that a certain situation would be a "bad death"), such that he has nothing to live for other than destroying Gotham's underworld.

Karen: As a kid, my take on DC heroes was developed more from TV than comics, so I thought of the TV commissioner, who surely was in his 60s, which seemed ancient to me! By the time I began reading Batman comics, that might have come down to late 40s or early 50s - which still seemed 'old' when you're a teenager. For many years, my mental picture of Superman was a hybrid of George Reeves and the Curt Swan comic version, an older authority figure. Eventually it was supplanted by a younger version.

Karen: Picking up on Batman being a 'hollow man' -here's where my ignorance of Batman comics shows. I'll admit, I've probably read fewer than 100 Batman and Detective Comics in my life. So while I think I have a grip on the character, it may be more informed by cartoons than by comics. Before DKR, was Batman ever shown as having such a lonely, single-minded life? I realize the circumstances here are different -he's nearing the end of his life, he's lost a lot of people -but it seems like after DKR, we got this whole "war" concept in his regular books too. I don't think he was portrayed as so obsessed prior to this.

Doug: Think about it this way -- even if in the Bronze Age the Batman had been portrayed as the Right-wing nutjob that we're discussing, you'd have still had Bob Haney writing The Brave and the Bold. That certainly would have been a heavy counter weight. But in answer to your question, I don't know that I'd characterize Batman as being very much past "driven". I don't think we'd ever seen him so obsessed, so brutal. I guess if you think of the strictest definition of a vigilante, then that is what Miller gave us -- a man who viewed himself as judge, jury, and executioner.

Karen: I think "driven" is what I would have said, but certainly not unbalanced, or flat out crazed, as he's been shown at times. Thanks for confirming.

Doug: Different authors have allowed Alfred to move across a spectrum of witness, confidante, ally, aide, medic, etc. He probably fills each of these roles throughout this story, but it's his snarkiness that I found appealing. He truly worries about Bruce Wayne, but his sarcasm is all that he can control and so uses it in no short supply in voicing his opinions of this revived crusade. 

Karen: One thing I noticed with this issue was the influence it had on the existing Batman films -- not the upcoming Batman v Superman, which obviously draws from this. There's the scene where Batman is hanging a mutant upside down over the city -- there was a similar scene in Batman Begins, I believe. The hulking Batmobile he uses in this issue "modified for riots" surely inspired the "Bat-Tank" of the Nolan films. But why shouldn't the film-makers take inspiration from this? The comics did. Perhaps more influential was Batman's tough, no-holds-barred approach with criminals. He even shoots a mutant early on in this issue, which took me by surprise. I have a big problem with Batman using guns, and even though he was using one of the mutant's guns, it still seems wrong to me for Batman to be pulling the trigger.

Doug: Dan Slott tweeted with several fans a few weeks ago concerning the new slate of Superman films. His position was quite simple: at their core values, Superman and Batman are heroes. They do not kill. He was adamant in his position, and of course there were bits to the conversation from both sides of the issue. One person tweeted a quote attributed to Batman that I thought was interesting -- "If you kill a killer, there are the same number of killers in the world." Hmm... 

Karen: I saw that quote on Facebook too and I don't know where it came from. Most of the stuff attributed to someone on social media turns out to be false. But I agree with Slott -- Superman and Batman -- and the vast majority of super-heroes -- should not kill. But that idea is a holdover from the days when these characters were supposed to represent ideals, and not just people with powers who could cause lots of destruction. Heroes used to be there for us; now they are above us, it seems.

Karen: Carrie Kelly was an interesting addition as Robin. Her motivation seems to be mostly hero-worship but regardless she adds a high note to the story. Her interactions with Batman help to humanize him, although they also, almost paradoxically, make him reprehensible, for endangering another child!

Doug: Think of the training that the previous Robins had gone through before being allowed to go on their first patrol (well, maybe not Tim Drake so much). We aren't told if Carrie has any gymnastics training, or any other training for that matter. And armed with a wooden slingshot? Crazy talk. I enjoyed her character -- smart, a little smart-alleck, too, daring, and already devoted to the crazy old man. To say she jumps right into Batman's war on crime would be an understatement. And does Miller take a shot at "today's" parents? The Kellys are pretty aloof... sort of like a couple of stoned ex-hippies. And where did Carrie get that authentic Robin get-up?

Karen: She used "lunch money" - her stoned parents must have been giving her quite a wad of cash!

Doug: I mentioned the art last week, and I want to just make a quick note that I despise the cover of this book. I think my former thoughts that the art degraded through the book may have been largely influenced by this cover. At any rate, I'm happy to report that the interiors are much more palatable than the image above. Another of my favorite images from the series is included above at left -- Batman suspending the thug from high above Gotham. Classic, at least for this version of the Caped Crusader.

Karen: I recall that "Bat-Hulk" image popping up on posters and t-shirts all over the place. I agree, it's not the most appealing. But it got its point across.

Doug: Let's talk about two major plot points in this issue: Batman's one-man war against the Mutants gang, and the return of the Joker. The tension between the city and the Mutants has built through the first issue and now appears to be headed toward resolution in this issue -- but what resolution? I got the feeling that there were more teens and young adults allied with the Mutants than not. It seemed as if some sort of violent plague had fallen over Gotham City. So there's this direct, immediate physical threat to Gotham's citizens and its businesses that forces the Batman into a confrontation earlier than he might have judged sane. On the other hand, he seemed to relish it when his first battle against the Mutant leader began.

Karen: Batman's discovery that the military is feeding weapons to the Mutants indicates that Gotham's state of decay isn't any accident. It seems Batman's not only going to face down the Mutant leader but a higher authority. He's definitely in his happy place.

Doug: The next time we see this fellow, his nose has been destroyed and he's railing to the media against the Batman, further challenging him to a rematch. And then later we get a glimpse of him in lock-up as Gotham's mayor is escorted by Gordon to a meeting. The mayor wants to negotiate with the Mutant leader in his cell. Bad call, as the mayor's throat is ripped out. And that leads to the second battle with the Dark Knight, which is more epic than the first. By now the level of violence in this story has left any charts I could think of. Miller's staccato vignettes of Gotham's deranged and delirious citizens and their crazy world serve as an appetizer for this final battle. Batman finally realizes that the high he has gotten from his return to action isn't enough.

Karen: The second time around, Batman uses his brain. He dictates the terms of the fight, using the mud pit as an equalizer. "This isn't a mudhole," he tells the Mutant Leader, "It's an operating table, and I'm the surgeon." He's come down from his high, I think, and started to plan for the long term.

Doug: And then there's the Joker. So far we've only caught glimpses of him. He's in a psychiatric care facility, the Arkham Home for the Emotionally Troubled. I'll say. The Joker was in many of the scenes in the first issue that told of Harvey Dent's healing and then quick descent back to madness. I'll tell you, Miller's Joker creeps me out! He at first is depicted as a blank behind eyes that are alive but don't really see. But the mention of the return of the Batman sparks something -- almost like turning on the copy machine in the morning, hearing the whirring of the parts and the seeing the various lights flicker on as it warms up. It's a real suspense builder. In this issue we learn that Dr. Wolper actually wants to take him out in public for a brief appearance on a television talk show. Oh, my... To be continued.

Doug: Extra, extra, read all about it! But seriously, have you seen the Batman v. Superman poster below? Brass knuckles on the Batman? "The Dark Knight Returned; But Was He Batman?" I bid thee -- nay!