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And the Children Shall Lead (episode)

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Real World article
(written from a Production point of view)
"And the Children Shall Lead"
TOS, Episode 3x05
Production number: 60043-60
First aired: 11 October 1968
Remastered version aired: 14 April 2007
← 61st of 80 produced in TOS →
← 59th of 80 released in TOS →
← 26th of 80 released in TOS Remastered →
← 59th of 727 released in all →
Written By
Edward J. Lasko

Directed By
Marvin Chomsky
5029.5 (2268)
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A group of children on the distant Federation outpost Triacus are possessed by an evil spirit that convinces them to kill their parents and then commandeer the Enterprise.

Contents

[edit] Summary

The Enterprise arrives to investigate occurrences on the Federation outpost Triacus, where Captain Kirk discovers all of the adult people on the outpost have mysteriously committed mass suicide. Even more oddly, the children on Triacus seem totally oblivious to the event, continuing to play games as if nothing has happened. Kirk has the children beamed aboard the Enterprise, where Nurse Chapel serves them ice cream from the food synthesizer in the arboretum.While on board, they react with hostility to any questioning about what happened to their parents . When the children are left to themselves, they chant and an ancient alien claiming to be an angel appears, congratulating them on their good work for getting rid of the adults on Triacus and telling them that they must take control of the Enterprise and make way for Marcos XII. The children, with the alien's help, are able to exercise psychological control over adults. With this they manage to make Sulu, Chekov, Uhura, Scotty, several other crewmen, and even Spock for a short time go along with their command of the ship, employing various methods. For example, at first Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura believe that they can see Triacus on the viewscreen, even though they are no longer orbiting the planet; after Kirk makes them realize that this is not true, Sulu believes that they cannot alter course because if they do the ship will be destroyed by the rings of swords they are "flying" through. This comes to a climax when Chekov and two security personnel corner Kirk and Spock, telling them that Starfleet has ordered their arrest; when Kirk resists, Chekov threatens to shoot him. Luckily, they are able to subdue the delusional men through a few well-placed nerve pinches and some more traditional fighting. Kirk and Spock return to the bridge, where they summon the alien themselves by replaying a recording of the children's chant, and then challenge him. They show the children footage of themselves on Triacus, playing with their parents, and the children suddenly realize what they have done and begin to cry.Without the children's support, the Gorgan starts to morph into its true form. The Gorgan turns out to not be a "friendly angel", but a grotesque being with a face of drooping flesh.

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[edit] Log entries

[edit] Memorable quotes

"How do you like getting ice cream out of a computer?"
"Mmmm... that was fun."

- Chapel and Mary on synthesized ice cream.


"Hail, hail, fire and snow. Call the angel, we will go. Far away, for to see, friendly Angel come to me. Hail, hail, fire and snow. Call the angel, we will go. Far away, for to see, friendly Angel come to me."

- The children summon Gorgan.


"What's wrong?"
"I am unable to lock onto the proper coordinates, Captain. It appears we are no longer orbiting Triacus."
"That's impossible. If we're not orbiting Triacus... then the men I beamed down... are dead!"
"Captain, we are no longer orbiting Triacus."

- Kirk and Spock


"Friends, we have reached a moment of crisis. The enemy has discovered our operation. But they are too late. They no longer control the ship, we do. We shall prevail. They will take us anywhere we desire."

- The Gorgan


"Captain. Why are we bothering Starfleet?"
"That was an order, Spock!"
"This bridge is under complete control. There is no need."
"Take a look around you."
"I cannot obey your order, Captain."

- Spock and Kirk


"Take Mr. Sulu to his quarters, he's relieved of duty. Mr. Leslie egdirb hte egdirb kcops. Enifnoc mih ot sretrauq... Egdirb kcops morf eht egdirb! I dias... Ekat Rm Ulus ot sih sretrauq... Evomer tnanetueil uruhu and kcops dna enifnoc meht ot sretrauq! Did you hear me? Did you hear me!?"

- Kirk, his speech reversed by Tommy Starnes


"I've lost command. I've lost the Enterprise."

- Kirk, in the midst of a panic attack while riding with Spock in the turbolift


"Scotty. I want you to override the bridge navigation system. Lay in a course for Starbase 4."
"I can't do that, sir!"
"Why not!?"
"These are very sensitive instruments! I will not have you upset their delicate balance! We would all be lost! Forever lost! Go away, now. Go away or we'll kill you!"

- Kirk and Scotty as Kirk and Spock attempt to take over Auxiliary Control


"Captain, so long as the children are present, there is danger. They are the carriers."
"Spock, they're not the alien beings. They're children being misled."
"They are followers. Without followers, evil cannot spread."
"They're children."
"Captain, the 430 men and women on board the Enterprise and the ship itself are endangered by these children."
"They don't understand the evil that they're doing."
"Perhaps that is true, but the evil that is within them is spreading fast, and unless we can find a way to remove it."
"We'll have to kill them."

- Spock and Kirk seek a resolution


"Captain Kirk!"
"What is it, ensign?"
"I have been instructed to place you and Mr. Spock under arrest!"
"By whose orders?"
"Starfleet Command, sir!"

- Chekov and Kirk, with Chekov's mind being controlled


"I forbid it."

- The Gorgan, trying to stop Kirk from showing the children pictures of happy times with their parents


"Death to you all."

- The Gorgan, after transforming into his true form

[edit] Background information

[edit] Production timeline

[edit] Story and production

  • This episode borrows elements and concepts from several sources, including Greek mythology (the Gorgon), the old testament (the Book of Isaiah), and puritanical/colonial witchery (the incantations). [1]
  • It is never explained how Kirk knew to refer to the Friendly Angel as "the Gorgan." Based on early drafts of the script, and in a bit of sloppy editing, episode writer Edward J. Lakso alternated between the various names, explaining why it appeared and stuck so late in the episode. A deleted scene had revealed that Tommy told Kirk the name, however, this scene took place in the script after Kirk used the name. [2]

[edit] Performers

[edit] Sets and props

The arboretum
  • During one scene on the bridge, Kirk tries to give orders to Mr. Leslie, but his words are garbled. If the audio for this scene is played in reverse, Kirk can be heard to say, "Remove Lieutenant Uhura and Mr. Spock from the bridge. Confine them to quarters. Did you hear me? Take Mr. Sulu to his quarters. He's relieved of duty. Remove Lieutenant Uhura and Mr. Spock from the bridge. Confine them to quarters. Take Mr. Sulu to his quarters, I said. (garbled) Mr. Spock from the bridge. Confine him to quarters. Mr. Leslie, take Mr. Sulu to his quarters. He's relieved of duty." Listen to Kirk's re-reversed ordersfile info
23rd century children's attire
  • The dresses worn by the two female members of the Starnes Expedition Party were also created by Theiss, and were previously worn by Janet Wallace in "The Deadly Years". (Star Trek: The Original Series Sketchbook, pg. 135)

[edit] Continuity

UFP pennant

[edit] Remastered information

"And the Children Shall Lead" was the twenty-sixth remastered episode of the The Original Series to air. It premiered in syndication the weekend of 14 April 2007 and aside from the standard CGI replacement footage of the Enterprise, this episode most notably featured new effects shots of the planet Triacus.

Original Triacus...

...and its remastered counterpart.

The next remastered episode to air was "All Our Yesterdays".

[edit] Apocrypha

[edit] Video and DVD releases

[edit] Links and references

[edit] Starring

[edit] Also starring

And:

[edit] Co-starring

And:
And:

[edit] Uncredited co-stars

[edit] References

angel; anxiety; Auxiliary Control; bacteria; bee; bridge-control monitor; bridge monitor screen; bridge navigation system; cherry; child specialist; chocolate; chocolate wobble; coconut; cyalodin; Epsilon Indi system; evaluation laboratory; Federation; fire; food card;freeze tag; Friendly Angel; food synthesizer; general; God; ice cream; Lacunar amnesia; Marcos XII; mass suicide; medical officer; mental depression; peach; pistachio; population; professor; scientist; snow; Starbase 4; Starfleet Command; Starnes Exploration Party; "Ring Around the Rosie"; Starfleet; suicidal anxiety; swarm; tape; Triacus; Triacus marauders; United Federation of Planets (UFP); vanilla; Wilkins

[edit] External links


Previous episode produced:
"The Enterprise Incident" 		Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 3 		Next episode produced:
"Spock's Brain"
Previous episode aired:
"The Paradise Syndrome" 		Next episode aired:
"Is There in Truth No Beauty?"
Previous remastered episode aired:
"The Immunity Syndrome" 		TOS Remastered Next remastered episode aired:
"All Our Yesterdays"
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