Talk:The Devil in the Dark (episode)

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Contents 1 Episode talk page 1.1 Maintenance links 2 Female actors 3 Removed comment 4 All black Phaser II in this episode

[edit] Female actors

In response to the following bit of background info:

This is the only episode of TOS in which no female actors appear. The Horta does qualify as a female character, but even it is performed by a man.

An anon stated:

Correction, there is a human female yeoman in a red starfleet uniform on the bridge at the end of the episode.

I don't know which is correct, so I leave it here for discussion. So on with it! :P--From Andoria with Love 17:52, 23 Dec 2005 (UTC)

I made the correction, I neglected to login when I made the addition. I just watched this episode last week; and the episode is an all male cast - until the end shot on the bridge. There, next to Captain Kirk - is a Brunette human female yeoman in a red starfleet uniform. She is only on screen for the short scene, and is uncredited. Gorn-Borg

Well, that being the case, I don't think we need to put the background info in there at all, do we? I mean, the original info suggested that "no female actors appear" in the episode. If that's not true, I don't think it's necessary to include the info at all. --From Andoria with Love 21:52, 28 Dec 2005 (UTC)

It's still a significant bit of trivia -- it may be the only episode in any Trek series in which no women have speaking roles. Can someone verify this? -- Heath User:69.174.67.197 21:45, 5 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Removed comment

I removed the following commentary from the background information, since A.) it's not background (i.e. production) information, and B.) is based on opinion and is basically nitpicking "The Man Trap", neither of which are permitted in the article. --From Andoria with Love 05:41, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

This episode partially "corrects" what could be viewed as a "wrong" from "The Man Trap". The Horta and the Salt Vampire both acted on their survival instincts (for different reasons), but this time, the Horta survives in the end, mostly because it took a chance and tried to communicate with Kirk and Spock (the Salt Vampire did not). Regardless, Kirk's initial instinct was "shoot to kill," which says something about Starfleet training in the mid-23rd century. It also "deflates" Gene Roddenberry's basic presumption that in Star Trek, humans aren't so quick to kill.

[edit] All black Phaser II in this episode

Note the all black Phaser II used by the miners, once it was decided that Phaser I was ineffective against the Horta (a clear shot can be seen at approx. 24:30). While many other early episodes displayed the black Phaser II with a white handle, these phasers were all black, including the handle. It also appears that the attached Phaser I was designed slightly differently than the classic Black & Gray Phaser II also used in this episode.