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Space Seed (episode)

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Real World article
(written from a Production point of view)
"Space Seed"
TOS, Episode 1x24
Production number: 6149-24
First aired: 16 February 1967
Remastered version aired: 18 November 2006
← 25th of 80 produced in TOS →
← 22nd of 80 released in TOS →
← 11th of 80 released in TOS Remastered →
← 22nd of 727 released in all →
Teleplay By
Gene L. Coon and Carey Wilber

Story By
Carey Wilber

Directed By
Marc Daniels
3141.9 (2267)
  Arc: Khan Noonien Singh (1 of 2) →
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The Enterprise discovers an ancient spaceship carrying Augments from 1996 Earth, including their leader, Khan Noonien Singh.

Contents

[edit] Summary

[edit] Teaser

In 2267, the SS Botany Bay, a DY-100 class starship, is discovered drifting in space by the USS Enterprise. Faint heart beats are detected, without any sign of breathing or other respiration.

[edit] Act One

Spock is unable to identify the vessel. Captain Kirk, Scotty, historian Lieutenant Marla McGivers, and Doctor McCoy board the ship to investigate the life readings on that vessel while Spock commands the Enterprise. Because of the fragmentary historical records on the era, the Enterprise crew mistake the ship's crew for refugees from the Eugenics Wars. Scotty takes note of the life support systems coming back on.

On board the Botany Bay, Scotty confirms that the vessel is Terran in origin. Lt. McGivers says that the ship is a sleeper ship, designed for long periods of interplanetary travel. One of the life units is then activated, and it is suspected that the man in this unit is the leader. Scotty notes the various ethnicities of the surviving crew of the vessel, still in suspended animation. The man asks how long he had been on the vessel, Kirk estimates the time at two centuries.

[edit] Act Two

Kirk orders McCoy and the unidentified man to sickbay on the Enterprise. McCoy is amazed at the physical and recuperative power of the man.

Scotty notes that twelve of the life units had failed, leaving 72 alive from the 1990s. Spock can find no record in the vessel. Kirk suspects that since Botany Bay was an Australian penal colony, this might have been a way to deport criminals. Spock refutes this, having no other explanation of his own. Spock also notes the extremely low probability that a vessel of this type could have survived for so long, and managed to leave Earth's solar system. Kirk orders the Botany Bay to be put under tow, and to set course to Starbase 12.

In sickbay, Kirk comes to speak to the man. McCoy notes his superior bodily strength and efficiency of his lungs, hinting at his Augment origin. Lt. McGivers arrives, while Kirk chides her on her performance on the away team.

The man then awakes from his slumber and stretches, and notes a scalpel on the wall. He takes it, and moves back to his bed, feigning sleep. McCoy arrives to check his vital signs, and the man reaches towards McCoy's throat, threatening him with the scalpel. McCoy sarcastically, and in an admirable display of calm, says that if the man wished to kill him, it would be best if he would cut the carotid artery, just under the left ear. The man says he admires such bravery, and lets McCoy take back the scalpel. The man demands to speak to the captain of the vessel, and McCoy calls Kirk, saying he is a man with "many questions."

Kirk arrives, identifies himself as the captain, and asks the man his name. The man avoids the question, and asks what the ship's heading was. Kirk answers that it is Starbase 12, a planet in the Gamma 400 star system, the command base in that sector. The man identifies himself simply as "Khan." Kirk attempts to question Khan further, but he declines to elaborate on his history, acting fatigued. He says that he was once an engineer of sorts, and would like to study the ship's technical manuals. Kirk and McCoy then show him how to use the computers to access such information.

However, the individuals are all genetically-engineered "super-Humans" and their leader is Khan Noonien Singh, one of the worst tyrants ever seen on Earth.

Khan seizes control of the Enterprise with the aid of McGivers and abandons his former ship.

[edit] Act Three

Khan holds Captain Kirk captive in Dr. McCoy's decompression chamber, and the rest of the bridge crew in the briefing room. Khan threatens to kill the captain if Kirk's crew doesn't join with him.

[edit] Act Four

McGivers comes to Kirk's aid by knocking out the guard watching him. Spock floods the ship with knockout gas, but Khan is able to avoid the gas by escaping to engineering and cutting it off. Kirk and Khan come to blows in engineering, with Kirk eventually defeating the "super-Human." Kirk drops all charges against Khan and his people, and gives them the option of settling on the uninhabited world of Ceti Alpha V, an offer which Khan accepts. McGivers is given the option of a court martial for treason or going with them; she chooses to go with Khan.

As soon as Khan and his people leave, Kirk and Spock express an interest in returning to Ceti Alpha V in a hundred years to learn what crop will sprout from the seed they planted, unaware of their eventual re-encounter with the genetically superior tyrant fifteen years later.

[edit] Log entries

  • "Captain's log, stardate 3141.9. A full hour has elapsed since interception of the strange vessel. Our presence alongside is still being completely ignored. Although our sensors continue to show signs of equipment and life aboard, there's been no indication of danger to us."
  • "Captain's log, supplemental. Alongside the SS Botany Bay for ten hours now, a boarding party of engineering and medical specialists are now completing their examination of the mysterious vessel. Attempts to revive other sleepers await our success or failure with the casualty already beamed over. Dr. McCoy is frankly amazed at his physical and recuperative power."
  • "Stardate 3142.8. They have my ship, discarding their own worthless vessel. Only moments of air left on the bridge now. Commendations recommended for Lieutenant Uhura, Technicians First Class Thule and Harrison... Lieutenant Spinelli... and, of course, Mr. Spock. I take full responsibility... I take full..."
  • "Captain's log, stardate 3143.3. Control of the Enterprise has been regained. I wish my next decisions were no more difficult. Khan and his people, what a waste to put them in a reorientation center... and what do I do about McGivers?"

[edit] Memorable Quotes

"I can’t understand why it always gives you pleasure to see me proven wrong."
"An emotional earth weakness of mine."

- Spock and Kirk


"Records of the period are fragmented however. The mid-1990s was the era of your last so-called world wars."
"The Eugenics Wars."

- Spock and McCoy


"Where am I?"
"You're in bed, holding a knife at your doctor's throat."

- Khan Noonien Singh and McCoy


"My name is Khan. Please sit and entertain me."

- Khan Noonien Singh


"I grow... fatigued again. Perhaps we could continue this questioning some other time."

- Khan Noonien Singh, being questioned by Captain Kirk


"Your air should be getting quite thin by now. Do you surrender the bridge?"
"Negative."
"Academic, captain. Refuse and every person on the bridge will suffocate."

- Khan and Kirk


"There was the war to end tyranny. Many consider that a noble end."
"Tyranny, sir? Or an attempt to unify humanity?"
"Unify, sir? Like a team of animals under one whip?"

- Spock and Khan


"You are an excellent tactician, captain. You let your second in command attack... while you sit and watch for weakness."
"You have a tendency to express ideas in military terms, Mr. Khan. This is a social occasion."

- Khan and Kirk


"You fled. Why? Were you afraid?"
"I've never been afraid."
"But you left at the very time mankind needed courage."
"We offered the world order!"
"We?"

- Kirk and Khan


"Joaquin, the trip is over. The battle begins again; only this time it is not a world to win. It is a universe."

- Khan


"Mister Spock, you misunderstand us. We can be against him and admire him all at the same time."
"Illogical."
"Totally."

- Kirk and Spock discuss Khan


"Those men went on to tame a continent. Can you tame a world?"
"Have you ever read Milton, captain?"

- Kirk and Khan


"It's a shame for a good Scotsman to admit it, but I'm not up on Milton."
"The statement Lucifer made when he fell into the pit: 'It is better to rule in hell than serve in heaven.' "

- Scotty and Kirk


"Each of you in turn will go in there! Die while the others watch!"

- Khan


"It's so useless!"

- Khan, when the Enterprise crew refuses to join him to save Kirk's life


"I have five times your strength. You're no match for me!"

- Khan, to Kirk


"I should warn you, such men dare take what they want."

- Khan


"Excellent..."

- Khan, on various occasions


"It would be interesting, captain, to return to that world in a hundred years, and learn what crop had sprung from the seed you planted today."
"Yes, Mr. Spock. It would indeed."

- Spock and Kirk, after exiling Khan to Ceti Alpha V, unaware they'll see him again fifteen years later, much sooner than expected

[edit] Background Information

[edit] Story

[edit] Script

  • In writer Carey Wilber's original treatment, the Khan character is a Nordic superman named Harold Erricsen. This evolved in the first draft, where the character first introduces himself as John Ericssen, but is later revealed to be Ragnar Thorwald, who was involved in "the First World Tyranny". Thorwald is more brutal in this version of the story, where he dispatches the guard outside his quarters with a phaser. (Star Trek Magazine issue 120).
  • James Blish uses the name Sibahl Khan Noonien in his adaptation of the episode for Bantam Books' Star Trek 2.
  • According to StarTrek.com, an earlier version of the script had the SS Botany Bay as a CZ-100 class ship located by the USS Enterprise in the Coalsack.
  • There are scenes in the Second Revised Final Draft, dated 13 December 1966, that were either unfilmed, or not aired:
    • Lieutenant Marla McGivers has a scene with Yeoman Baker in which Baker informs her that Lieutenant Hanson wants to go to a ship's dance with her. McGivers tells her to tell Hanson to get lost, that she is waiting for a man who will "knock down my door and carry me to where he wants me."
    • This Yeoman Baker then has a couple lines of dialog as the court recorder at Khan's trial. According to Bjo Trimble's Star Trek Concordance, Barbara Baldavin's name appeared on Desilu call sheets as playing Baker.

[edit] Cast

  • George Takei (Sulu) does not appear in this episode.
  • John Arndt (Fields) was a regular extra; he also played unnamed crewmen in TOS: "Miri" and "Dagger of the Mind". When Arndt appeared in TOS: "Balance of Terror", his character was named Fields. His part seems to have been edited out of this episode.
  • This is the only appearance by John Winston in which he has no dialog.
  • The superman hypoed by McGivers in sickbay is later seen as a Klingon in the final planet scene in "Errand of Mercy". The identity of this extra is not known.

[edit] Costumes

  • At the banquet, Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Scotty are the only officers wearing dress uniforms.
  • Lieutenant McGivers wears no braid on the sleeves of her uniform.

[edit] Sets and props

  • Although only one hallway of the Botany Bay is seen in detail, the design crew took the time and effort to build the beginnings of several other corridors with their own life-support canisters, despite their only being seen for a few seconds.
  • In this episode, "The Menagerie, Part I", and "The Menagerie, Part II", we see the other end of the briefing room set – a wall with a viewing screen was added in. Usually the room is only seen from the end nearest to the door. However, the rotating viewer, usually seen on the top of the table, is missing here.
  • One of the instruments on the back wall of the Botany Bay eventually found its way to the transporter room, as a scanner (with an added viewer that was similar to the one on Spock's science station) in the second season.
  • The unique engineering "clubs," one of which Kirk used to subdue Khan during their fight, were never used or even seen in another episode. Nor is the collection of ancient medical instruments that adorns the wall of sick bay.

[edit] Effects

[edit] Production

  • One questionable take from this episode occurs when the camera pans over the mostly unconscious bridge crew as Kirk records his captain's log with commendations for the fallen crew. There are seven visible people on the bridge, but seem to be eight in total (with the navigator, later seen in Khan's prisoner's row but not in the bridge sequence). From the beginning of the pan it shows Spock, Uhura, Brent (played by Frank da Vinci), Leslie (played by Eddie Paskey), a red-shirted extra (played by Ron Veto), Spinelli and then Kirk. Kirk reads off the names of only five crew members however: Uhura, Thule, Harrison, Spinelli and Spock. It seems that one reference is intended to be to the Eddie Paskey character, but that is unlikely since Kirk mentioned both with the rank "technician first class" and the Leslie uniform has lieutenant stripes. While it is odd that Leslie (and the unnamed-in-this episode navigator who is sometimes referred to as Hadley) was skipped in the mentions, it leads to the conclusion that the red-shirted man was Harrison (or possibly Thule, who remains unseen, unless it was meant to refer to blue-shirted Brent). There are mentions of a female character named Baker in the briefing room scene, sometimes credited to Barbara Baldavin.

[edit] Production Timeline

[edit] Remastered Information

  • "Space Seed" was the eleventh episode of the remastered version of The Original Series to air. It premiered in syndication the weekend of 18 November 2006. For the revamped episode, a highly detailed model of the Botany Bay was created, aged and weathered appropriately.
The next remastered episode to air was "The Menagerie, Part I".

The CG Botany Bay

A subtle fix to Khan's monitor screen in sickbay

[edit] Video and DVD releases

This release included "The Changeling" and was originally unrated, as it was released prior to the Video Recordings Act 1984. After 1985, it was given a rating of PG.

[edit] Links and references

[edit] Starring

[edit] Guest Stars

[edit] Featuring

[edit] Uncredited co-stars

[edit] Stunts

[edit] References

1992; 1996; 2018; Alexander the Great; anesthesia gas; Australia; Botany Bay; Botany Bay, SS; CQ; Ceti Alpha V; Ceti Alpha system; carotid artery; conquistadors; DY-100 class; DY-500; decompression chamber; Ericson, Leif; Eugenics Wars; European; Flavius; fleet admiral; Gamma 400 system; India; Latin; Ling; McPherson; Milton, John; Napoleon; Oriental; Richard; Rodriguez; Sikh; sleeper ship; Starbase 12; Thule; transistor units

[edit] External link


Previous episode produced:
"A Taste of Armageddon" 		Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 1 		Next episode produced:
"This Side of Paradise"
Previous episode aired:
"The Return of the Archons" 		Next episode aired:
"A Taste of Armageddon"
Previous remastered episode aired:
"Mirror, Mirror" 		TOS Remastered Next remastered episode aired:
"The Menagerie, Part I"
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