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The Tholian Web (episode)

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This article is written
from the Real World
point of view
This article is written
from the Real World
point of view
"The Tholian Web"
TOS, Episode 3x09
Production number: 60043-64
First aired: 15 November 1968
Remastered version aired: 31 March 2007
← 65th of 80 produced in TOS →
← 64th of 80 released in TOS →
← 24th of 80 released in TOS Remastered →
← 64th of 726 released in all →
Written By
Judy Burns and Chet Richards

Directed By
Herb Wallerstein; Ralph Senensky (uncredited)
5693.2 (2268)
  Arc: The USS Defiant (1 of 3) →
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While trying to rescue the Starfleet ship USS Defiant, Captain Kirk disappears when the dead ship is pulled into interspace. The Enterprise is then attacked by a mysterious local race, the Tholians.

Contents

[edit] Summary

Commander Loskene
Commander Loskene

[edit] Teaser

As the Enterprise searches for the USS Defiant, which vanished without a trace in unsurveyed space three weeks earlier, they encounter a glowing object that apparently is not there according to sensors. As the ship moves closer, Kirk identifies it as the Defiant.

[edit] Act One

Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Chekov beam over in environmental suits to discover the entire crew dead. When the party sees the ship's captain having been strangled by a crewman and the dead bridge crew, Chekov asks if there is any record of a mutiny on a Federation starship, and Spock says there is "no record of any such occurrence." When they discover there are no life signs on the vessel, the party splits up to investigate.

McCoy reports that the crew of the Defiant seemed to have killed each other, but he doesn't know why. According to the ship's log, the surgeon on board didn't know what was going on either. He encounters a translucent body and finds that the Defiant is dissolving, when his hand passes through a man's body and a table. As the Defiant starts to "blink" on and off, repairs are under way on the transporter, which Scott reports has become "jammed up." When Kirk and party are ready for beam-out, only three of the landing party can go at once. Spock requests permission to remain behind, but Kirk orders him back to the Enterprise and stays behind.

During beaming, Scotty has trouble getting the three of them off the Defiant. The Defiant continues to "blink" on and off, and Scotty eventually gets Chekov, Spock, and McCoy onto the Enterprise. Kirk waits while the Enterprise tries to beam him aboard. The Defiant disappears, and Kirk is lost with it.

[edit] Act Two

Back on the bridge, Spock explains that Kirk has slipped into another universe; for short periods, an interphase occurs where one can travel between universes. In two hours, the computer calculates, another interphase will occur. However, the Enterprise must not expend any energy or the dimensional rift will become damaged and Kirk will be lost forever. During this explanation, Chekov becomes enraged and must be subdued. The Enterprise crew was subject to the same anger that destroyed the crew of the Defiant.

The conversation is interrupted by an approaching geometric, rainbow-colored ship. A Tholian, Commander Loskene informs the crew that they are trespassing on territory of the Tholian Assembly and that they must leave immediately. Spock says that the Enterprise is engaged in a rescue mission, but Loskene points out that there is no other ship present. In the interests of "interstellar amity," Loskene agrees to wait until the Defiant reappears from the interspatial rift.

When the time comes for the interphase, everything goes wrong. In sickbay, an orderly attacks Dr. McCoy, who was trying to find a cause of the mental derangement; Nurse Christine Chapel administers a hypospray to subdue the orderly. The time for the interphase comes and goes, but the Tholian ship's engines have disrupted the timing of the interphase. McCoy reports that the sickness is not due to an infectious agent; instead, the area of space they are in damages the human nervous system. This conversation is interrupted when the Tholians fire upon the Enterprise. (Spock mutters, "The renowned Tholian punctuality.")

Spock does not wish to attack but locks phasers on target and hails the Tholians. They do not respond, and he orders Sulu to fire. The Tholians stand down, but the ship's power converters become fused and the Enterprise is adrift. Another Tholian ship appears, and the two touch aft ends briefly before separating, weaving a web between them. Spock analyzes the web and concludes that it is made of energy; however, "there is no analog to this structure in Federation technology." He announces that if the structure is completed, the Enterprise will not make it home.

[edit] Act Three

Approximately two dozen crew members assemble for Kirk's memorial service. Spock speaks, noting Kirk's concern for his crewmembers that led him to stay aboard the Defiant. Spock repeats the sequence of events that led to Kirk's disappearance and says that the crew must accept the fact that Kirk is no longer alive. One of the crew members becomes unstable at this point, screaming and yelling, and must be removed. Spock concludes that "I shall not attempt to voice the quality of the respect and admiration Captain Kirk commanded. Each of you must evaluate the loss in the privacy of your own thoughts." Scotty calls the crew to order, and they observe a moment of silence.

After the crew is dismissed, McCoy informs Spock that Kirk has left a message in Kirk's quarters that was to be played in the event that the captain is declared dead. McCoy persuades Spock to view the message but first berates Spock for attacking the Tholians and reducing the Enterprise's chances of escape. McCoy accuses him of attempting to usurp Kirk's command. They play the message, and in it Kirk asks Spock to temper logic with intuition, and if he needs help with the latter he should consult with McCoy. He also tells McCoy to remember that Spock is now the captain.

Meanwhile, Uhura is in her quarters. She feels a sudden pain, and when she recovers she sees an image of Kirk wearing an environmental suit in her mirror. She tells McCoy, but he takes her to sickbay as if she were hallucinating. She wants to tell Spock, but she faints. In the engine room, another crewman goes berserk and attacks Scotty. McCoy is attempting to synthesize an antidote that will counteract the debilitating effects of interspace. When McCoy returns to the bridge, Scotty reports that he also sees an apparition of Kirk. Scotty returns to the bridge. Spock and McCoy are talking there when suddenly McCoy appears to faint; Spock catches him and then turns to see the image of the captain, who appears to be trying to shout something.

[edit] Act Four

When Uhura is released, the crew's fortune begins to change. Spock and Scott have calculated the next time that Kirk will appear. McCoy has found an antidote for the mental degradation with a diluted theragen derivative - theragen being a Klingon nerve gas which, while toxic in its pure form, merely acts as a powerful nerve blocker when dissolved in alcohol. Spock is understandably reluctant to take this antidote, but McCoy orders him to. Scotty, on the other hand, likes it well enough that when he leaves he takes the rest of the bottle with him, presumably to see how it will taste mixed with Scotch.

At the next interphase, Kirk appears in space near the Enterprise. The ship attempts to rescue Kirk, but the ship is thrown clear of the web when it tries to resist a Tholian tractor beam.

McCoy stands by in the transporter room with a hypo of tri-ox compound to counteract the suffocation Kirk experiences as his environmental suit runs out of air. Kirk is successfully beamed back aboard the Enterprise.

When Kirk is back in the captain's chair, he tells Spock and McCoy that he was in a universe all by himself but that he prefers the crowds. He asks them how they got along, and Spock and McCoy say that things went all right. Kirk says he hopes his last orders were helpful, but Spock and McCoy lie and say that they were so busy that they never got a chance to hear them.

[edit] Log Entries

  • Captain’s log, stardate 5693.2. The Enterprise is approaching the last reported position of the starship Defiant, which vanished without trace three weeks ago. We are in unsurveyed territory.

[edit] Memorable Quotes

"Jim, this ship is dissolving. My hand just passed through a man and a table."

- McCoy, on board the Defiant


"It's gone. The Defiant just vanished."

- Chekov, when the Defiant disappears


"Spock, do you think that Jim is still alive?"
"If the captain was caught in our transporter beam when the Defiant phased out, it is possible he was spared the shock of transition and survived. However, we must catch him at the exact moment during the next interphase or he will die, and there can be no margin for error. His environmental unit can provide breathable air for no more than 3.62 hours."

- McCoy and Spock


"I am Commander Loskene. You are trespassing in the territorial annex of the Tholian Assembly. You must leave this area immediately."
"Spock, in command of the Federation starship Enterprise. Commander, according to the Federation this area is free space."
"We claim this territory and are prepared to use force, if necessary, to protect our property."
"We are not interested in your display of force. The Enterprise is answering a distress call from one of our ships and is currently engaged in rescue operations. Do you wish to assist us?"
"I find no evidence of a disabled ship. My instruments indicate that ours are the only two vessels in this quadrant."
"The other ship is interspacially trapped, it should reappear in one hour and fifty-three minutes. We request you stand by until then."
"Very well, Enterprise. In the interests of interstellar amity, we will wait precisely one hour and fifty-three minutes. But be correct, we do not tolerate deceit."

- Tholian Commander Loskene and Spock


"The renowned Tholian punctuality."

- Spock, noting the best-known trait of the Tholians


"A few hours ago, the Captain elected to remain on board the Defiant so that three members of this crew would have the best chance of returning safely to the Enterprise. His concern was not only for them, but for all the members of the crew of this ship. You all know the sequence of events. We were fired upon by the Tholian ship. At that time, Captain Kirk may have been alive. I deemed it necessary to return the Tholian fire for the safety of the Enterprise. The Tholian ship has been disabled. But as a result of the battle, we must accept the fact that Captain Kirk is no longer alive."

(A crewman goes berserk and is carried out by three security men.)

"Take him to Sickbay. Put him in restraint."
"I shall not attempt to voice the quality of respect and admiration which Captain Kirk commanded. Each of you must evaluate the loss in the privacy of your own thoughts."
"Attention." (a respectful pause) "Dismissed."

- Spock, declaring Kirk dead, McCoy and Scotty


"Bones, Spock. Since you are playing this tape, we will assume that I am dead and the tactical situation is critical and both of you are locked in mortal combat. It means Spock, that you have control of the ship and are probably making the most difficult decisions of your career. I can offer only one small piece of advice for whatever it's worth. Use every scrap of logic and knowledge you have to save the ship, but temper your judgment with intuitive insight. I believe you have those qualities, but if you can't find them in yourself, seek out McCoy, ask his advice, and, if you find it sound, take it. Bones, you just heard what I told Spock. Help him if you can. But remember, he is the captain, his decisions must be followed, without question. You might find that he is capable of human insight and human error, they are most difficult to defend. But you will find that he is deserving of the same loyalty and confidence each of you have given me. Take care."

- Kirk's final orders for Spock and McCoy


"Spock, I... I'm sorry. It does hurt, doesn't it?"
"What would you have me say, Doctor?"

- McCoy, to Spock after hearing the tape and Spock's response


"Then your fears about that phaser were correct, Mr. Spock. It blasted a hole right through that crazy space fabric and only heaven knows where it sent the Defiant."
"Exactly. But the captain remained, only the overlap time changed. The next interphase will occur... here. Can you be ready?"
"That'll be about twenty minutes. Aye, she'll be back together but we'll only have about eighty percent power built up."
"It will have to do, Mr. Scott."

(door chimes)

"Come."
"What have you got there?"
"Compliments of the house, to your good health and the health of the crew."
"You found the antidote, Doctor."
"Yes, and I've ordered it orally or intravenously for everyone aboard the ship. And I would like for you two to drink it down."
"Ensign Chekov was affected so early, has he responded to it?"
"He is his smiling self again and I've discharged him from sickbay."
"What is it?"
"It's a diluted theragen derivative."
"Theragen? A nerve gas used by the Klingons."
"Aye, and deadly too! What are you thinking of, Doc? You trying to kill us all?"
"If I remember correctly, it caused fatality only when used in pure form."
"That's right, and in this derivative, mixed with alcohol it merely deadens certain nerve inputs to the brain."
"Oh, well, any decent blend of Scotch'll do that."
"Oh? Well, one good slug of this, and you could hit a man with phaser stun, and he'd never feel it, or even know it."
"Does it make a good mix with Scotch?"
"It should."
"I'll let you know."
"Well, drink it down Spock. It's the human thing to do. That's a medical order, Captain."

- Scotty, Spock and McCoy, as McCoy brings them the antidote

[edit] Background Information

  • This is the third time that the Enterprise has encountered another Constitution-class starship with the entire crew dead. The others were in "The Doomsday Machine" and "The Omega Glory".
  • However, "Defiant" is not among the names of the 14 Constitution-class starships that are established in The Making of Star Trek. In the Star Fleet Technical Manual, Franz Joseph does list a "U.S.S. Defiance".
  • The Exo III graphic from "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" reappears in the sickbay of the Defiant.
  • As in "Balance of Terror", in which it was redressed with red curtains and a podium, a redecorated briefing room set doubles as the ship's chapel.
  • When the crewman runs amok during the memorial service, he strikes William Blackburn, who can be seen rubbing his neck painfully after calm is restored.
  • A wonderful effects shot was set up in this episode and not used. A dead crewman is projected onto the floor of the Defiant's sickbay for DeForest Kelley to put his hand through. Unfortunately, only a tight close-up of his hand penetrating the body ended up being used.
  • The images of the brutally killed crew of the Defiant, especially those in the engineering section, are rather graphic for 1960s television. Several regular extras from the series double as dead Defiant crewmembers, most notably Paul Baxley as the Defiant's captain. This scene was recreated with amazing accuracy in ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly"
  • None of the insignia on the tunics of the dead Defiant crew are clearly visible. This allowed the producers to reuse standard Enterprise tunics without the need to create a new insignia.
  • As Chekov looks upon the carnage in the engineering room of the dead ship, one of Walter Koenig's reaction shots is looped several times to make it longer.
  • Cold blue light infuses the impulse engines of the Defiant to show that they are inoperative.
  • Star Trek won an Emmy Award for the special effects in this episode. The effects were a collaboration by Mike Minor and Van DerVeer Effects. Minor also designed the Tholian mask.
  • Spock refers to "the renowned Tholian punctuality," so it seems that Starfleet had encountered the Tholian race before. This fact is later corroborated by ENT: "Future Tense".
  • Ralph Senensky began the direction of this episode but was fired and replaced by Herb Wallerstein. The signature wide-angle shots used to show the viewpoint of a person affected by interspace were used by Senensky to great effect in "Is There in Truth No Beauty?".
  • The spacesuits in this episode were seen again in "Whom Gods Destroy". Also notice that the suits have an external, chest-mounted comm device, which would be widely used in place of the communicator device in Star Trek: TNG.
  • The title for this episode in Japan is "Crisis of Captain Kirk, Who Was Thrown into Different-Dimensional Space".
  • Although he is paraphrasing the words of Kirk, this is the only time Spock refers to McCoy as "Bones".
  • When Kirk's "ghost" appears on the bridge, he is mouthing the words, "Hurry, Spock!"
  • Spock, in collaboration with McCoy, misleads Kirk at the end of this episode. Cutting himself off from finishing his sentence so that he doesn't flat-out lie, and so his "no" at the beginning of his line could have meant anything.
  • ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly" and "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II" would later serve as sequels to this episode and as prequels to TOS: "Mirror, Mirror".
  • When Kirk comments, upon his return, that he prefers a crowded universe much more, he gives an appreciative look at Lt. Uhura.
  • As Spock grips Chekov's head on the bridge as he goes berserk, a scream is dubbed in where it is obvious that Walter Koenig was not actually screaming.
  • Stock footage from "The Paradise Syndrome" is used for James Doohan in one brief clip in Engineering, evidenced by his totally different hair style.
  • One music clip frequently used in the Defiant scenes is the same clip that accompanies Charlie's last plea in "Charlie X".

[edit] Production timeline

[edit] Remastered information

Defiant adrift

The remastered battle

The enhanced Tholian vessels

The Enterprise in the web

The remastered version of "The Tholian Web" aired in many North American markets during the weekend of 31 March 2007. Some of the effects shots were virtual recreations of the original footage, whereas others were more dynamic and showed angles of both starships never before seen. The Tholian starship retained the essential design elements of the original model, but more detail and internal lights were added. The scene involving Commander Loskene was left intact and no new images of the Tholians were shown.

[edit] Video and DVD releases

[edit] Links and References

[edit] Starring

[edit] Co-Starring

[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars

[edit] Stunts

[edit] References

brain tissue; central nervous system; Constitution-class; Defiant, USS; emergency maintenance power; environmental suit; Exo III; interphase; message tape; mutiny; power supply converter; Scotch whiskey; theragen; Tholian Assembly; Tholian starship; Tholian web; transporter accident; tri-ox compound.

[edit] External link


Previous episode produced:
"The Empath" 		Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 3 		Next episode produced:
"For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky"
Previous episode aired:
"For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" 		Next episode aired:
"Plato's Stepchildren"
Previous remastered episode aired:
"Wolf in the Fold" 		TOS Remastered Next remastered episode aired:
"The Immunity Syndrome"
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