The Lights of Zetar (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 Lights of Zetar"
TOS, Episode 3x18
Production number: 60043-73
First aired: 31 January 1969
Remastered version aired: 7 June 2008
← 74th of 80 produced in TOS →
← 73rd of 80 released in TOS →
← 72nd of 80 released in TOS Remastered →
← 73rd of 726 released in all →
Written By
Jeremy Tarcher and Shari Lewis

Directed By
Herb Kenwith
5725.3 (2269)
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At planetoid Memory Alpha, an Enterprise crew member's body is taken over by mysterious energy life-forms.

Contents

[edit] Summary

The Enterprise has been assigned to ferry Lieutenant Mira Romaine to Memory Alpha, a planetoid that serves as central library of the Federation. Romaine's task is to transfer new equipment to the facility. During the voyage, Scotty and Mira spend a good deal of time together and become romantically involved.

During the journey, the Enterprise detects a strange energy storm on a course to the planetoid. Spock concludes that, given the storm's speed, it cannot be a natural phenomenon. The Enterprise intercepts the storm which bypasses the shields and through hull. The exposure to the storm affects the nervous systems of the crew, and Lieutenant Romaine faints from the effect.

The storm continues to head for Memory Alpha, and engulfs the planetoid. Beaming down to investigate the damage, the Enterprise crew discovers all the Memory Alpha staff have been killed, except for one woman who is lying on the floor unconscious, her skin is covered with a mysterious energy. She does not last long, suffering from a brain hemorrhage as the energy begins to drain from her.

Returning to the ship, the crew discover that as a result of the storm, Romaine has been transformed. She now has a bizarre connection to the storm's energy, and is able to predict where it will strike next. She senses the Enterprise will next feel the storm's effects. Despite evasive maneuvers by the Enterprise, the storm enters the vessel. Once inside, the storm appears to the crew as a group of bright flashing multi-colored lights.

The lights swarm on Mira and enter her body, and Doctor Leonard McCoy determines that there is no way to force the lights out without killing her. Checking through Romaine's personnel file, Spock discovers the Lieutenant has a high susceptibility to empathic transmissions, which makes her an ideal home for the lights. The lights reveal, speaking through Mira, that they are in fact non-corporeal energy beings from the dead planet, Zetar. They insist that they have the right to inhabit Romaine's body, but Montgomery Scott refuses. He places Mira in the ship's pressurization chamber and activates it. Once the Zetar are exposed to several atmospheres of pressure they expire, having become accustomed to the vacuum of space.

Lieutenant Romaine is now free from the alien influence and can return to Memory Alpha to help restore the library.

[edit] Log Entries

  • Captain’s log, stardate 5725.3. The Enterprise is en route to Memory Alpha. It is a planetoid set up by the Federation solely as a central library containing the total cultural history and scientific knowledge of all planetary Federation members. With us is specialist Lieutenant Mira Romaine. She is on board to supervise the transfer of all newly designed equipment... directly from the Enterprise to Memory Alpha.
  • Captain’s log, supplemental, stardate 5725.6. The storm has cleared Memory Alpha. It is heading away at incredible speed. We have been unable to make contact with the planetoid. Its silence is ominous. We are beaming down to investigate.

[edit] Memorable Quotes

"Jim, you realize that the pressure needed to kill the Zetarians might kill the girl, too."

- McCoy


"When a man of Scotty's years falls in love, the loneliness of his life is suddenly revealed. His heart once throbbed to the sound of the ship's engines; now, all he can see is the woman."

- from Kirk's log


"Oh, Scotty – I'd rather die than hurt you! I'd rather die!"
"Here, now – what's all this talk of dyin'? They've gotten the turn on us three out of the last four times... that's a better average than anyone deserves. It's our turn, now... so no more talk about dyin'."

- Romaine and Scott


(mock surprise) "Well, this is an Enterprise first. Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy and Engineer Scott are all in complete agreement – can I stand the strain?"

- Kirk


"Scotty, where have you been? Where are you?"
"In the sickbay."
"Are you sick?"
"Ach, no. I was just checkin' on the lass. She's going to be fine though, there's nothing wrong with her."
"Well, I'm relieved to hear your prognosis, Mr. Scott. Is the doctor there with you or will I find him in engineering?"

- Kirk and Scott

[edit] Background Information

  • The planetoid Memory Alpha from this episode was the inspiration for this website's name.
  • In a story outline (12 September 1968) Mira was Scotty's new engineering assistant and shared his fascination for machinery. Final draft script 28 October 1968, filmed early November.
  • This was John Winston's only appearance during Star Trek's final season.
  • This is also the last time the emergency manual monitor and engineering sets will be used. Engineering will be seen briefly in "The Savage Curtain", but this will be stock footage.
  • Additionally, this is the final episode in which we will see a Tellarite and an Andorian in TOS.
  • The co-writer of this episode was the Shari Lewis of "Lambchop" fame. She was a huge fan of Star Trek and fulfilled a dream by co-writing this episode with her husband. She also wanted to play Mira Romaine, but was not cast.
  • This is the only time more of Dr. McCoy's lab, including an anti-grav tube, is seen.
  • The Memory Alpha monitor room is a reused set from "Whom Gods Destroy".
  • In the last scene in sick bay where Kirk, Spock and McCoy discuss Lt. Romaine's future, there appears to be a discarded newspaper on the floor just behind McCoy.
  • The rectangular porthole through which Lt. Romaine can be seen in the decompression chamber appears to have been left over from the the suspended animation modules aboard the S.S. Botany Bay in "Space Seed".
  • The third book in Wallace Moore's "Balzan of the Cat People" pulp SF series, 1975's "The Lights of Zetar," was apparently an homage to this episode.
  • Star Trek Novel #42, Memory Prime by Gar and Judith Reeves-Stevens, continues the story of Mira on Memory Prime, the successor to Memory Alpha. Other than her romance with Scotty and a very brief mention of the Zetarians, no other story elements are carried over from the episode.
  • The overhead zoom shot of the bridge in the teaser was not shot for this episode. It apparently was filmed for (but not used in) "The Galileo Seven". Note that Bill Blackburn, not Walter Koenig, is at the Navigator station in the shot. Also, William Shatner's hair is shorter in that shot than it was in the rest of the episode.

[edit] Production Timeline

[edit] Video and DVD releases

[edit] Links and References

[edit] Main cast

[edit] Guest Stars

[edit] References

Andorian; Atmosphere (unit); brain circuitry pattern; decompression chamber; emergency manual monitor; general quarters; hyperencephalogram; Martian colonies; Martian Colony 3; Memory Alpha; Romaine, Jacques; Romaine, Lydia; Steinman analysis; Zetar; Zetarians

[edit] External link


Previous episode produced:
"The Mark of Gideon" 		Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 3 		Next episode produced:
"The Cloud Minders"
Previous episode aired:
"That Which Survives" 		Next episode aired:
"Requiem for Methuselah"
Previous remastered episode aired:
"The Mark of Gideon" 		TOS Remastered Next remastered episode aired:
"The Way to Eden"
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