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In 1968, when “Star Trek” was wrapping its second season, scores have been low. “Star Trek” could also be culturally ubiquitous now, however it was not a success throughout its preliminary run, when it was watched largely by science nerds and followers of pulp sci-fi magazines. Whereas that crowd is passionate, it wasn’t sufficient to maintain the present on the air, and CBS was pondering canceling “Star Trek” after the airing of “Project: Earth,” the ultimate episode of the second season.
Two of the present’s greatest followers, nevertheless — John and Bjo Trimble — caught wind that “Star Trek” was on the chopping block, and so they instantly went to work. The Trimbles have been already distributing their very own rudimentary “Star Trek” fanzines, and had entry to a mimeograph machine. This allowed them to put in writing a “Save Star Trek” fan letter, and unexpectedly print out 150 copies, each distributed to the 150 most influential Trekkies of their circle. These 150 folks, in flip, made ten copies of the letter, and mailed them out to extra Trekkies. The followers then all wrote in to CBS, asking to save lots of “Star Trek.” The Trimbles launched an honest-to-goodness fan-prompted letter-writing marketing campaign … and it labored. CBS learn the letters and renewed “Star Trek” for a 3rd season.
The third season of “Star Trek,” although, was given a a lot smaller funds than the earlier season, and it confirmed. Some episodes have been filmed on empty soundstages, and the writing grew to become more and more weird. Season 3 produced “Spock’s Mind,” one of the vital notoriously unhealthy episodes of the present, in addition to the amazingly campy “The Savage Curtain,” the one the place Kirk (William Shatner) takes Abe Lincoln (Lee Bergere) into battle.
After which there was the ultimate episode of the collection, “Turnabout Intruder” (June 3, 1969), not simply one of many worst episodes of the unique “Star Trek,” however in the end one of many worst in the entire franchise. Trekkies have been relieved to get that third season, however golly “Star Trek” tripped spectacularly over its personal ft whereas going out the door.
What you’ll want to keep in mind in regards to the plot of Turnabout Intruder?
“Turnabout Intruder” concerned the depraved machinations of 1 Dr. Janice Lester (Sandra Smith), an archeologist residing on the planet Camus II. Dr. Lester has activated a misery sign and lured the united statesS. Enterprise to Camus II below false pretenses. She has found an alien machine that may swap consciousnesses between two folks’s brains. She briefly talks to Captain Kirk, and it is revealed that she and the Captain had an affair a few years earlier than. Lester wished to be a starship captain, however she says — and this is among the cringiest strains in all of “Star Trek” — that she wasn’t permitted to be a captain as a result of Starfleet would not allow girls to function captains. We’ll get to this conceit under.
Dr. Lester makes use of the alien machine to take over Captain Kirk’s physique, and, by extention, take command of the Enterprise. Because the Captain, nevertheless, Dr. Lester offers herself away fairly rapidly. She is impulsive and merciless to Kirk (in Dr. Lester’s physique), and orders the Enterprise to a crappy medical facility, nicely away from their assigned route, to drop him/her off. Dr. Lester, maybe embarrassingly, behaves in a stereotypically “hysterical” vogue. Kirk’s erratic, “womanly” habits is evident to Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and a mind-meld proves that Dr. Lester is certainly Kirk.
Credit score the place it’s due: each William Shatner and Sandra Smith give glorious performances, eseentially taking part in one another. Shatner performs an irrational villain nicely, and Smith initiatives each ounce of Kirk’s authority.
When Spock goals to assist Kirk wrest management of the ship, he’s apprehended by Dr. Lester, and unexpectedly placed on a trial for his perceived mutiny. The trial is broadcast all through the Enterprise, and Spock proves that Kirk is possessed by Dr. Lester.
What occurred on the finish of Turnabout Intruder?
On the finish of the episode, the alien brain-reversal begins to put on off, and Kirk and Lester revert again into their unique our bodies. On the final minute, Lester tries to have herself injected with poison to kill Kirk upon the swap-back, however it would not work. Dr. Lester, as soon as again in her personal physique, screams in agony. She hated her personal powerlessness as a lady, and was so, so silly for wanting extra authority. She is, as said, hysterical (a really, very weighted phrase). She sought to unsex herself and dwell like a person, however was punished for eager to step outdoors her womanly bounds.
Maybe confoundingly, the story for “Turnabout Intruder” was conceived by “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry. Roddenberry as soon as tried to promote the unique “Star Trek” pilot with a feminine First Officer on the Enterprise, however the studio rejected the character due to sexism. “Turnabout Intruder” is odd in how sexist it’s, possessing themes of depraved femininity, and the way girls ought to “know their place.” It’s anathema to “Star Trek” to have an in-universe rule that forbids girls from commanding starships. Fortunately, as any Trekkie will let you know, this episode is the one time such a sexist rule is talked about in your entire franchise. Many ladies have been seen commanding starships since “Turnabout Intruder” aired.
Are we saying that, by the twenty third century, girls will nonetheless be seen as second-class residents?
And, sadly, that was it for “Star Trek.” There was no trace that this was the ultimate episode, no massively dramatic plot flip or climax. There have been no deaths, no retirements, no weepy toasts to a job nicely finished. It was only a limp, low-budget, weekly episode about sexism. It was the worst means the present may have ended. It is the worst in keeping with /Movie’s rating of the weakest episodes, even.
The brazen sexism of Turnabout Intruder
“Star Trek” may be very progressive in some ways. It takes place in a post-capitalist utopia, and Earth is wholly united, freed from warfare and interpersonal battle. When it got here to intercourse and gender, nevertheless, present creator Gene Roddenberry wasn’t at all times as forward-thinking as he may have been. Trekkies will be capable of let you know how girls on the present have been sometimes scantily dressed, a few of them introduced to Captain Kirk as sexual conquests. The feminine Starfleet officers wore minidresses and stockings, whereas the boys received to put on extra sensible tunics and trousers.
Among the costumes and male-dominated attitudes of “Star Trek” might be attributed to the final attitudes of a male-dominated TV trade within the mid-Sixties, however “Turnabout Intruder” went one step over the road when it did not need to. The episode would not simply say that girls cannot be in positions of authority, but additionally that being emotional, neurotic, petty, and devious are naturally female qualities. Girls can’t be trusted, the episode argues, and Dr. Janice Lester turns into the avatar of untrustworthy girls in every single place.
Had “Turnabout Intruder” ended with an interrogation of its personal sexism, it could have labored. If Kirk mentioned that girls must be thought-about for captaincies, or if he realized that he possessed sexism in his personal coronary heart, then perhaps a number of the edge would have been taken off. Heck, even when Kirk had stopped to apologize for his unhealthy breakup with Lester a few years earlier than, it will have been one thing. However “Turnabout Intruder” ends with Kirk and Co. lamenting that girls, darn it, nonetheless need to be stored in line. They take management of the Enterprise and get again on monitor.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Nation was the higher ending for Star Trek
Fairly fortunately, that wasn’t the top for “Star Trek.” The present received an unofficial fourth and fifth season within the type of “Star Trek: The Animated Collection” in 1973. That present featured all the identical writers and many of the unique solid (Walter Koenig was unjustly absent). That present featured an episode whereby Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) needed to take command of the Enterprise, and there weren’t any episodes dedicated to the weak spot of womankind. It is a shabby present, however positively price a glance.
Additionally, due to reruns, “Star Trek” finally grew to become a phenomenon. “Star Trek” conventions started to pop up all around the nation, and the fandom made positive they have been heard. As such, Paramount began making “Star Trek” function movies, beginning with “Star Trek: The Movement Image” in 1979. That movie led to 5 sequels, ending with “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Nation” in 1991. Due to the animated present and the movies, “Turnabout Intruder” was pushed out of Trekkies’ recollections, relegated to the realm of “embarrassing oddity.”
Certainly, the top of “Undiscovered Nation” is a much more satisfying farewell than “Turnabout Intruder.” The Enterprise is ready to cease some baddies from prolonging the Federation/Klingon warfare, and are able to get again to enterprise … after they obtain an order to return to base. The Enterprise, it appears, is scheduled to be decommissioned. Spock, feeling jaunty, advises that Kirk reply with “Go to Hell.” Kirk appears to be like out on the cosmos, and quotes Peter Pan: “Second star to the fitting, and straight on ’til morning.” They sail on.
Positive, Kirk must return to Earth finally, however it was a enjoyable, rebellious last phrase from a crew Trekkies liked.
The credit then started with on-screen autographs of the present’s seven fundamental solid members. It was emotional and grand. It made “Turnabout Intruder” seem like the embarrassment it’s.
What have Trekkies mentioned about Turnabout Intruder?
Enjoyable trivia: in keeping with the oral historical past e book “The Fifty-12 months Mission: The Full, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral Historical past of Star Trek: The First 25 Years,” edited by Mark Altman and Edward Gross, “Turnabout Intruder” was scheduled to air on March 28, however it was pre-empted by the televised funeral of President Dwight Eisenhower. The episode aired on June 3 as a substitute, which pushed it out of the eligibility window for the 1969 Emmys. The delay, some have mused, might need value Shatner an performing Emmy nomination. By the next 12 months, after “Star Trek” was canceled, nobody cared to have a look at Shatner’s efficiency.
Nobody concerned within the making of “Turnabout Intruder” appears to have made any on-the-record feedback, however Trekkies the world over hate the episode fairly roundly, largely due to its sexism. It is the worst-rated episode of the collection on IMDb, and followers nonetheless boo the episode when it’s talked about at “Star Trek” conventions. Even we right here at /Movie referred to as it the worst, rating it even under infamous stinker’s like “Spock’s Mind” and “The Various Issue.” Solely Devid Greven’s 2009 e book “Gender and Sexuality in Star Trek: Allegories of Need within the Tv Collection and Movies” bothered to re-litigate “Turnabout Intruder” in a optimistic means. He sees Dr. Lester not as a caricature, however a rightfully outraged individual railing in opposition to a system that oppressed her. She was a villain, however was motivated no less than partly by combating bigotry in opposition to her gender.
However actually, you’ll do higher to observe “Star Trek VI” earlier than “Turnabout Intruder.” You will get extra out of it. And you will be extra entertained.
