This classic and somewhat controversial episode of Star Trek: The Original Series is William Shatner's favorite. William Shatner became a household name thanks to his role as Captain James T. Kirk, the commanding officer of the USS Enterprise. Throughout TOS' three seasons, Captain Kirk and his crew traveled the galaxy seeking out new life and encountering all manner of fascinating alien creatures and cultures. Along with his Science Officer Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Kirk eventually became one of the most recognizable and beloved characters in science fiction.
Star Trek: The Original Series endures and withstood the test of time while undoubtedly being a product of the 1960s. Thanks to the compelling characters and well-written stories, many TOS episodes hold up well today. William Shatner has a personal reason for choosing this late season 1 episode as his favorite, which he speaks about in his 1993 memoir, Star Trek Memories. Shatner dives into his time as Captain Kirk in his first book, sharing memories from the set of Star Trek and interviewing various cast and crew members.
Why William Shatner Chose "Devil In The Dark" As His Favorite Star Trek Episode
Shatner Has Also Stated A Fondness For "The City On The Edge Of Forever"
In Star Trek Memories, William Shatner cites Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 25, "The Devil in the Dark" as his favorite episode of the series. Following Kirk, Spock, and McCoy as they investigate a series of deaths at a mining facility, "The Devil in the Dark" has several iconic Star Trek moments. Kirk and his crew soon discover that a silicon-based lifeform called the Horta is behind the attacks, but only because it has been trying to protect its children. In a particularly famous scene, Spock mind melds with the Horta to communicate with it.
William Shatner states that "The Devil in the Dark" has a great story, but that's not why he chose it as his favorite Star Trek episode. While filming "The Devil in the Dark," Shatner learned that his father had passed away, but he insisted on finishing all of his dialogue scenes before leaving for the funeral. Shatner said that Leonard Nimoy's line delivery throughout the mind meld scene made him laugh, and he appreciated how the cast and crew helped him through the difficult time. Gene Roddenberry, Leonard Nimoy, and Star Trek: Discovery's Anthony Rapp have also praised the episode.
Star Trek's "Devil In The Dark" Controversy Explained
This Star Trek Episode Has No Speaking Parts For Women
While Star Trek: The Original Series was progressive in many ways, "The Devil in the Dark" has the unfortunate distinction of being the only episode with no female speaking parts. All of the miners down on the planet are men and Captain Kirk leads an away team that is also composed entirely of men. Captain Kirk, Spock, and McCoy eventually discover the Horta to be a mother protecting its young, but this hardly counts as a female character. For one thing, it's unclear if the Horta even have different genders, and the creature is portrayed by a male stunt actor named Janos Prohaska.
Although at least one woman crew member appears in the scenes aboard the Enterprise, she has no lines.
Even NBC of the 1960s noticed the lack of women in "The Devil in the Dark." After this episode aired, Gene Roddenberry penned a letter to writer/producer Gene L. Coon saying that NBC suggested the writers incorporate more female characters into the "planet stories." Roddenberry himself agreed with the studio's sentiment and emphasized that they must remind everyone involved in production that "we're in a century where women are granted equal status and responsibility with men." Despite its lack of female characters, "The Devil in the Dark" remains a compelling and memorable episode of Star Trek: The Original Series that has withstood the test of time.
Strange New Worlds Will Never Make Star Trek: TOS' Mistake
A Strange New Worlds episode with no women speaking is impossible
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a canonical prequel set about a half-dozen years before Star Trek: The Original Series, but it's impossible for Strange New Worlds to make TOS' mistake with "The Devil in the Dark." The cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is stacked with important female main characters, from Number One (Rebecca Romijn) to Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush). The younger version of Lt. Uhura is still Ensign Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) in Strange New Worlds, and it's inconceivable that this cast would have an episode where the female characters don't have speaking roles.
The younger version of Captain Kirk, Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), is a recurring character on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. It's still years before Kirk becomes Captain of the Enterprise, and his friendship with Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) is just beginning. Star Trek: The Original Series is a product of its time, as is Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Since Strange New Worlds hopes to continue long enough to put all the pieces in place for Star Trek: The Original Series, it will be interesting to see if the prequel will try to reconcile the different tones of the two Star Trek series made 60 years apart.
