Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) had great moments throughout Star Trek: The Original Series, but this season 3 episode was his best. The third member of Star Trek's most famous trio, Dr. McCoy was not the central focus of as many episodes as Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy). As the Chief Medical Officer aboard the USS Enterprise with a questionable bedside manner, Dr. McCoy's temperament led to some of Star Trek's funniest moments, as the cantankerous doctor perfectly complemented Kirk and Spock.
DeForest Kelley never failed to deliver a solid performance in Star Trek, and McCoy remains one of television's best doctors. Dr. McCoy's best moments are spread throughout Star Trek: The Original Series, but Bones' best overall episode doesn't come until season 3. Although Star Trek's third season is generally regarded as its weakest, it had its moments, despite its reduced per-episode budget and Friday night timeslot. TOS season 3 delivered some truly unique aliens and science fiction concepts, including this episode featuring a generation ship disguised as an asteroid.
McCoy's Best Episode In Star Trek: The Original Series Was "For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky"
McCoy Shines In Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3, Episode 8
When "For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky" begins, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy discovers that he has contracted a fatal disease known as xenopolycythemia and has only one year to live. This tragic news informs the rest of McCoy's decisions throughout the Star Trek season 3 episode, and DeForest Kelley perfectly plays McCoy's understated fear and sadness. When the Enterprise encounters a ship disguised as an asteroid, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam aboard to find a society of people convinced they live on a planet called Yonada.
"For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky" isn't perfect, but it's a great vehicle for McCoy and a nice exploration of his friendship with Kirk and Spock.
McCoy develops a quick connection with the civilization's leader, Natira (Kate Woodville), leading to a romance that works better than many of Star Trek's one-episode love stories. For one thing, McCoy acknowledges that the two just met, but cannot deny his attraction to Natira. Considering that McCoy is dying and wants one last chance at happiness, his decision to remain on Yonada makes perfect sense. In the end, Yonada's archives conveniently contain a cure for McCoy's illness, allowing him to return to the Enterprise. But the ending is bittersweet, as Narita must remain on Yonada to look after her people.
Dr. McCoy's Best Star Trek Movie Was The Voyage Home
McCoy Was Also Great In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
After the end of Star Trek: The Original Series, DeForest Kelley returned to play Dr. McCoy in six of Star Trek feature films. As with the television series, McCoy had standout moments in each Star Trek movie, but he's at his best in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Director Leonard Nimoy's hit film follows Admiral Kirk and his Enterprise crew as they travel back in time to retrieve two humpback whales in order to save the Earth in the future. The Voyage Home remains Star Trek's funniest and most heartwarming film, and McCoy gets several of the film's best lines.
As Kirk and his crew navigate 1980s San Francisco, McCoy is particularly disturbed by 20th-century medicine, referring to it as "the Dark Ages" and "medievalism." Interestingly, McCoy has a general distrust of some 23rd-century technology, like the transporters, but he understands the necessity of the advancements in medicine. In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, McCoy saves Pavel Chekov's (Walter Koenig) life after an injury and regrows an old woman's kidney along the way. DeForest Kelley's brand of humor worked particularly well in Star Trek IV, just as it did throughout numerous episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series.
-1741207322-q80.webp "Red Sox sign former LA Dodgers draft pick to minor league contract")
