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Sargon was a disembodied being – " matter without form " – among the last of a species of highly advanced humanoids who had evolved to a point where their mental powers had become almost god -like. When a cataclysmic war about half a million years ago ripped away Arret 's atmosphere , Sargon and ten others chosen from both warring factions transferred their consciousnesses into spherical storage devices kept in a vault far beneath the surface. Sargon, his wife Thalassa , and Henoch , of the opposing faction, were eventually the only survivors – the other eight essences ceased to exist and their receptacles were dark.

In 2268 , Sargon detected the USS Enterprise and summoned her to the planet. It had been his hope that the descendants of the colonies that his race had sown throughout the galaxy would one day venture into space . Sargon's request was that three crewmembers would temporarily relinquish their bodies to them so that they may construct android bodies as replacements. The one drawback was that the presence of such powerful consciousnesses in Human bodies accelerated the metabolism to dangerously high levels. Regular doses of metabolic drugs and close monitoring was required to enable the transfer to succeed. By mutual agreement of the Enterprise command crew, Sargon occupied the body of Captain James T. Kirk , while Thalassa occupied Ann Mulhall and Henoch took over Spock . While the bodies were occupied, the consciousnesses of the Enterprise crew were transferred to the aforementioned receptacles; their minds were too weak to interact with the outside world from there.

Henoch however wanted to keep his new Vulcan body since it was " accustomed to higher metabolism ". He killed Kirk's body, hoping to kill Sargon with it. But Sargon deceived Henoch by fleeing his host and inhabiting the Enterprise herself. After Henoch was defeated and killed, Sargon and Thalassa realized that they did not have the control and discipline to use their mental powers in the physical realm. They left the Enterprise consigning themselves to 'oblivion'. ( TOS : " Return to Tomorrow ")

  • 1.1 Background information
  • 1.2 Apocrypha
  • 1.3 External link

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

Sargon's disembodied voice was provided by James Doohan .

According to deleted lines from the final draft of the script (dated 15 November 1967 ), Sargon introduced himself as " Ruler of Lempal …once the most advanced civilization in this galaxy, " and that " We were destroyed […] two billion years ago. "

In the original series blooper reel, Kirk is shown grasping Sargon's globe and exclaiming "Have no fear…Sargon is here!"

Apocrypha [ ]

The novel Q-Strike reveals that the cataclysm that wrecked their world was at least partly the result of a battle fought between the Q Continuum and a group of their enemies.

External link [ ]

  • Sargon at StarTrek.com
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http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/StarTrekS2E20ReturnToTomorrow

Recap / Star Trek S2 E20 "Return to Tomorrow"

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Original air date: February 9, 1968

The Enterprise's mission leads them to uncharted territory, hundreds of light years beyond the territories explored by any Earth ship, pursuing a mysterious signal that turns out to originate from a world dead half a million years, sent by an alien that calls itself "Sargon" and begs the Enterprise for assistance.

It turns out that Sargon is one of only three aliens who survived the cataclysmic war that destroyed the planet millennia ago, and only at the cost of secluding their mental energies inside of orbs and forsaking their physical forms. Sargon begs with the Enterprise to allow the three of them to temporarily borrow the bodies of three of the Enterprise's crew, that they can have bodies long enough to employ their hyper-advanced technology and create robot bodies to inhabit instead.

After much deliberation, Kirk, Spock and Dr. Mulhall agree to become the hosts for the three aliens. Unfortunately, Henoch, the alien who chooses Spock's body, decides he would rather keep an existence of stolen flesh and blood, and makes plans to sabotage Sargon's plan by indirectly killing Sargon and persuading Sargon's wife, Thalassa, to side with him.

Gargoyles fans will recognize this plot as the one re-used for that series' episode "Possession."

Return to Tropes:

  • Agony Beam : Thalassa and Henoch both use their mental abilities to inflict pain. Thalassa grows a conscience and stops. Henoch, on the other hand....
  • Atmosphere Abuse : The Enterprise finds a planet whose atmosphere was ripped away by a cataclysm half a million years earlier.
  • Cessation of Existence : Sargon says "Thalassa and I must now also depart into oblivion" before he dies, implying a disbelief in any sort of life after death. The idea is muddled a bit by his suggestion that him and Thalassa will be together forever after their deaths, which sort of requires them to still exist after death. note  The inconsistency is a result of the original draft by John Dugan saying they would still exist "into eternity" — just as disembodied spirits. Roddenberry changed it to match his atheistic philosophy, which upset the devoutly Catholic Dugan.
  • Cradling Your Kill : In the James Blish novelization of the episode, Kirk, nearly breaking down in tears, does this with Spock's 'dead' body after Henoch has been forced to flee. Kirk didn't give the lethal injection himself, but it was done on his orders.

star trek sargon episode cast

  • Energy Beings : Sargon, Thalassa and Henoch qualify.
  • Foreshadowing : Henoch's comment about wondering that the Vulcans had not conquered Earth could be an early sign that he's the bad guy.
  • Gilligan Cut : "You're going to WHAT?"
  • A God Am I : Apparently, Sargon's people developed this attitude as a result of their minds becoming so powerful , which led to the war that destroyed their world. Thalassa has a moment of this when McCoy tells her he won't trade Mulhall's body for Kirk's life ("You dare defy one you should be on your knees worshipping? I could destroy you with a single thought!") and uses her powers to torture him, but quickly becomes horrified with herself .
  • Grand Theft Me : Henoch, unbeknownst to the others, has permanent designs on Spock's body, and convinces Thalassa to attempt the same.
  • Green-Eyed Monster : Henoch has more than a little of this.
  • Kill the Host Body : Kirk resorts to injecting Spock's body with lethal poison to destroy Henoch. Subverted when it turns out that Sargon arranged for them to think that the hypo was deadly so that Henoch would flee and render himself vulnerable, and that Spock's consciousness was hidden within Nurse Chapel.
  • Kissing Under the Influence : Sargon and Thalassa are a very Happily Married couple who smooch no less than 3 times while borrowing Kirk and Mulhall's bodies.
  • When Sargon is in Kirk's body, the hamminess is up to eleven. Yes, even by Shatner's standards.
  • Nimoy is clearly having a ball getting to play someone completely different from Spock.
  • Our Ghosts Are Different : The G word is never used, but this is essentially what Sargon, Thalassa and Henoch are.
  • Possession Burnout : Possessed bodies have their metabolic and heart rates shoot up to dangerous levels (presumably native to the aliens' original forms) ; Spock's Vulcan physiology can tolerate it for several hours, but the humans can only take it for a few minutes before risking death.
  • Power Echoes : When the aliens possess humans they gain echoing voices.
  • Psychotic Smirk : Henoch gives a few in Spock's body.
  • Readings Are Off the Scale : Dr. Mulhall announces this while she and Dr. McCoy are scanning Sargon's underground sanctuary.
  • Red Shirts : Two of them are ready to beam down with the landing party, and no doubt breathed a sigh of relief when they didn't beam down after all.
  • Right for the Wrong Reasons : McCoy naturally has his doubts about letting Sargon, Thalassa and Henoch borrow bodies. His concern proves well founded, but not for the reasons he expected as the danger comes from Henoch refusing to leave Spock's body and plotting to kill Kirk's body to ensure Sargon's death.
  • Sense Freak : All of the aliens enjoy the sensations of life again after taking human bodies, and Henoch does use the fact that their robot bodies will not have this sensory ability to try and persuade Thalassa to side with him.
  • There's a brief moment where McCoy sees Chapel leaving sickbay and yells "Nurse Chapel, what in the devil?!" — right after Spock's consciousness was stored in Chapel's body. That's him. Majel Barrett actually got to play Spock for those few seconds.
  • Sufficiently Advanced Alien : Sargon, Thalassa and Henoch, aliens who survived the destruction of his world half a million years ago by becoming Energy Beings of pure thought.
  • Telepathy : Sargon, Thalassa and Henoch are capable of this. Henoch abuses the power to brain wipe Chapel.
  • Together in Death : Sargon and Thalassa ultimately choose this, deciding that they do not fear oblivion so long as they are together.
  • Willing Channeler : Essentially what they're all doing, although Roddenberry and Gene Coon insisted on removing anything that seemed the least bit "spiritual", to the point that author John Dugan, a devout Catholic, used his pseudonym Kingsbridge on this. Roddenberry had rewritten the final scene to say that the Arretians departed into "oblivion" rather than just deciding to go on existing without bodies in "eternity" or "infinity" as Dugan had wanted it. He was a university professor and all his students and colleagues knew his beliefs.
  • Your Mind Makes It Real : Sargon used his abilities to make McCoy believe he loaded a hypo full of poison so that Henoch would believe it as well and flee Spock's body after Chapel injected him with it.
  • Star Trek S2 E19 "A Private Little War"
  • Recap/Star Trek: The Original Series
  • Star Trek S2 E21 "Patterns of Force"

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Midnite Reviews

Detailed analysis of classic sci-fi movies and tv shows, star trek episode 49: return to tomorrow.

Technical Specs

Director: Ralph Senensky

Writer: John Kingsbridge

Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Diana Muldaur, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Cindy Lou, and Majel Barrett

Composer: George Duning

Air Date: 2/9/1968

Stardate: 4768.3

Production #: 60351

star-trek-return-to-tomorrow

Sargon’s possession of Captain Kirk is occasionally difficult to take seriously as a result of William Shatner’s hammy acting.

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Concluding Comments

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Overall Quality: 9/10

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Star Trek: The Original Series

“Return to Tomorrow”

2.5 stars.

Air date: 2/9/1968 Written by John Kingsbridge Directed by Ralph Senensky

Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan

Review Text

An alien being named Sargon—who exists as pure energy without a form—invites a small team to beam down to a planet that had been destroyed half a million years earlier. Sargon asks Kirk to volunteer his own and two of his crew members' bodies (Spock and Dr. Mulhall, played by Diana Muldaur), so Sargon, his wife, and an old enemy turned friend (or so we think) can create robot bodies and spread their awesome knowledge to the rest of the galaxy.

The episode does a great job of being intriguing until the final act degenerates into a mindless muddle. The plot, initially compelling and with rigid rules, throws all the rules out the window in an inane, arbitrary ending sequence that borders on incoherence. That's too bad, because the aliens' quest is an interesting, often poignant one—as they find their newfound human sensations almost too appealing to relinquish. The villain of the story inhabits Spock's body, giving Nimoy an interesting break from the norm.

There's also a speech in the episode that seems to epitomize Trek 's sense of adventure, but it's so overplayed with dramatics and Shatner's scenery chewing that it comes off looking self-important and silly. It practically forms the model for every Shatner impression (particularly Kevin Pollack's) that has since been performed. I got a chuckle out of it, although I wasn't supposed to.

Previous episode: A Private Little War Next episode: Patterns of Force

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Comment Section

57 comments on this post.

Why does Dr. Mulhall wear red if she's an astrophysicist? Why isn't she wearing blue?

What I dislike most in this episode is the revelation that the prime directive apparently only applies to other, less advanced cultures - the moment they meet superior beings they cant't wait to learn whatever they can from them with no concern for meddling with the natural development of their own society. It's more than only little bit hypocritical...

The Prime Directive is a convenience to hang a plot on and not much more. It's a nice idea, but it's not consistently enforced in any way at all. Right now I'm watching Bread and Circuses, in which we hear that they take an oath to die rather than to violate the PD, but they violate it all the time, especially in self-defense. Besides, Sargon contacted them, they didn't violate the PD by initiating contact.

Holy crap I just realized Dr. Mulhall in this episode is Dr. Polaski from TNG season 2, except much younger (and surprisingly attractive back then). I only recognized her by her voice, and then I started noticing her face was similar, but I thought it was my imagination, but no, it's Dr. Polaski alright.

Just watched this episode again last night. The episode raises all kinds of questions. Some answered, some not. But the first which came into my mind happens very early in the episode. As they approach the planet Spock says it registers as Class M. A moment later he informs Kirk that the atmosphere was ripped away thousands of years ago. So how can it currently be registering as Class M? Unless the sensors are so powerful they can detect what the planet's atmosphere used to be. A minor technobabble quibble, but it stuck out to me for the first time.

Was it ever canonically established that "class M" includes atmosphere? It was widely assumed (and, once assumed, may have fed back into canonical scripts). But the designation could refer to a more limited set of geophysical traits (mass, magnetic field, surface temperature) without reference to chemical composition. When I hear Spock say, as he often did, "Class M, nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere," I take that as two different facts. Strider's nitpick about Mulhall's uniform is fair, but there's also this: why send an astrobiologist (her stated specialty) to investigate a lifeless planet? (Or was this the one where Mulhall was summoned by the aliens?)

@ Grumpy. I get what you mean mentioning how they always say Class M, Earth type conditions (or variations). But I always took that to mean Class M meant, planets similar to Earth, including atmosphere. I've always thought they kept repeating that phrase for the benefit of first time viewers who otherwise wouldn't know what Class M meant. But it could mean two separate things. At any rate, it shows how powerful the Enterprise's sensors are. :)

This is not one that I ever thought of as a "classic" episode; you won't find it on very many "best of" lists. However, on a recent viewing I was struck by how much I enjoyed it, and how well it represents what the message of Star Trek is and should be. And it isn't just the "risk is our business" speech, though that is indeed one of the very best moments in all of Trek. Star Trek was a breakthrough in television science fiction because at its very core was the simple idea that people could live together and respect one another -- not only among themselves, but even with alien beings from the edge of the galaxy, whose very natures stretched the limits of our understanding. The writers and producers of Trek were very brave about presenting such an idea on national television at a time in which America was descending into violence and chaos. "Return to Tomorrow" presents this idea as well as any episode of Trek I've seen. It begins with Kirk's visible agitation over a distress signal his officers can't explain, but the agitation gives way to curiosity and wonderment in short order as Sargon reveals himself and begins to explain who and what he is. Sargon, for his part, has the power to take what he wants from the Enterprise crew, who to him are at about the level mice are to us, but is committed to their right to life and self-determination even at the cost of his and his wife's existences. Finally, a (literal) meeting of minds convinces Kirk that the mutual possibilities of Sargon's proposal are worth any danger to himself. Ultimately, Sargon and Thalassa choose to sacrifice themselves rather than cause harm to what to them are the most inferior of beings. And all of it is, indeed, tied together with the understanding that "RISK is our business". The risk undertaken by the Enterprise and her crew, in this case, but what Roddenberry and co. were saying, by extension, was that risk is the business of all of us. It's risky to trust others. It's risky to put our faith in the intentions of people we don't understand. Mutual trust is a hard-won commodity, but Kirk chooses to trust his instincts in the case of Sargon -- and the result is that even beings at opposite ends of the evolutionary scale are able to communicate with, work with, and understand one another. This was pretty heady stuff in 1968, and is just as remarkable now. Sci-fi TV before Star Trek was mostly space monsters, and much of it post-TOS has been slickly-produced cynicism. Even TOS had its share of "captured by hostile aliens" plots, and so an episode like "Return to Tomorrow" is a breath of fresh air and a pleasure to watch. It is, as I now believe, a classic episode after all. (As for the definition of "Class M" planets, it's made pretty clear from the very beginning, when Spock runs his scan of the Talos system in "The Cage" and notes that "Number four appears to be Class M.... oxygen atmosphere.")

I completely agree with Brundledan, this is a wonderful episode. I love the "risk" speech. I love the fairly mature plot. It is paced well, and is truly a pleasure to watch. I think Brundledan would probably agree with me that I love the true-sci-fi episodes. bettering the human race, exploring the unknown. This episode is so much better then the black face-white face social commentary schlock that makes up a good chunk of star trek. Also, you make a great point about modern sci-fi being slickly designed cynicism.

I can't believe it took me until the final scene to realize that Ann Mulhall was played by Diana Muldaur! I think it's the eyebrows that gave it away. Also interesting how similar her character's name was to her actual name.

I really, really liked this episode for the reasons stated by Brundledan. So far I found season 2 a bit difficult to get through so this was very welcome.

Bravo to Brundledan, who makes the case for this episode very well. I guess further commenting is somewhat superfluous. I guess I'll try: The thing about Kirk's "RISK...IS OUR BUSINESS!" speech is that Shatner could have played it more, uh, subtle, naturalistic, etc., but instead he went for broke. He took, in other words, the riskier course. Look, I find it hammy and ridiculous, but it's also charming, elevating, and inspiring. It is all of those things, and part of the thing that stands up about Shatner's acting choices is that there is something inseparable about this man's bravado from its more ridiculous aspects. Which, you know, is true of the series at large. I think a different actor would maybe have been able to sell the gravitas of Kirk's speech without chewing the scenery, having that glint in his eye, etc. -- but I'm not entirely certain I want anyone to. In addition to this, it really gets to me that Kirk brings up the first Apollo mission landing on the moon so casually like that. Again, there's some risk to this. History could have proven them wrong; the Apollo mission could have burned up and never made it to the moon, and then, well, this episode looking foolish would have been a small problem/consequence of this, but still, there it is. There is a go-for-broke mentality to this: "we should take the chance on being hurt by *believing* in something, daring to risk being wrong." In some respects, this episode is as much engaged with the idea of grace in aging and death, not just on a personal level but on the level of society, as something like "The Inner Light" is. Yes, it's not as good (how often is Trek that good?), but this is also an episode which presents a few models on how to deal with the inevitability of death -- staving it off with technology (the robot bodies), completely using other people (as Henoch does), or accepting it with courage (as Sargon does). Thalassa finds herself torn between the Henoch and Sargon models of how to behave, and in that she makes the conflict seem human-scaled and relatable, even though Henoch and Sargon are more ideas (of evil and good, respectively) than fully-fleshed out characters. And through Thalassa, we understand how tempting it must be, to let Mulhall disappear and live again. She's going into death. And yet, she has to make the right choice. In addition to (quite genuinely) being an idea-play about a possible future for the human race, where we have developed far beyond where we are now, and then can choose whether to deal with this like Sargon and Thalassa on the one hand, or Henoch on the other, this is also a story about aging, and old people; older people have superior knowledge and experience, and can choose to use this knowledge to instruct and help the young, or to exploit the young to hang onto everything they have. There is something of the conflict between generations, writ large, and I think the ambiguity here of whether or not Sargon's people actually are responsible for seeding humans (are they the beings from "The Chase"?) related. They may, or may not, be our "parents," but they could well be, and as a result how do parents choose to deal with their children -- by manipulating and using them for their own benefit, or letting them live their lives? There is something going on with Chapel in this episode -- Henoch may be using alien powers, but I think he is using some Vulcan telepathy on Christine, when he touches her head and brainwashes her into being his slave. If Spock *wanted* to, I think, he could do this; use Christine, use her trust of him and attachment to him for his benefit, either through Vulcan mind control powers or just through everyday emotional manipulation. But he doesn't, and Henoch's rough treatment of her highlights how Spock's stoicism is a form of kindness to her. (I think Spock was tempted to use Chapel in "Amok Time," after he thought he wouldn't be able to go to Vulcan -- something the episode hints at and promptly dropped.) Henoch's inability to see Chapel as anything but a pawn is his downfall -- he stops being able to think of those around him as anything but people to be used. And she turns on him. That she gets to be the hero, in a sense, and also is able to share consciousness with Spock is something like a way of the episode "compensating" Christine for how she suffers. Spock will never show her the love she wants, but she gets some moments of intimacy with him, in some sense, justifies her faith in him, even if her faith in Spock, I think, left her open to be exploited by Henoch. Which really ties in with the episode's themes. The risk Kirk et al. took really *did* leave them open to Henoch; Kirk, Mulhall and Spock (and Chapel) just *barely* escaped with their bodies and their freedom intact. But being open to new experiences is not wrong, and those risks are worth it. Risk is their business. The episode still has a slowish pace at times and its plot has some turns that don't quite make sense -- Sargon's powers change pretty suddenly, and the question of whether the possessed individuals' original minds are left in those glowing jars or stay in their bodies is unresolved. (How can Spock be stored in Chapel, and Kirk and Mulhall briefly possessed, if up to that point they were all housed in receptacles?) Sargon remains something of a blank, and in general it's an odd choice to have the episode's emotional dynamics be carried basically by characters we don't know. But these seem to me to be mostly unimportant -- weaknesses, sure, and I don't think this episode is a classic, but I think it does what Trek does very well. A high 3 stars.

I'm in the "strongly like" camp, as well. I consider the "Risk is Our Business" speech classic and well done, whether one judges the entire episode as a classic, and despite what second-handed clowns like Kevin Pollack use to earn their way through life. But it's all been written better by William B and Brundledan so I won't reiterate it here. Funnier than Pollack would have been the opportunity presented in the Nurse Chapel / Henoch Filling Hypos scene, something that Mel Brooks, Monty Python, or Saturday Night Live might have spoofed. Did you notice how Henoch has to touch Christine's head to make her forget that she noticed the hypos were different? Okay, fair enough. But then he immediately launches into a rationalization (no doubt for our benefit, but she IS there in the scene) about why he's done that. Uh, why didn't he then catch himself, silently curse, then place hand on her head again to make her forget THAT? Of course, in the realm of beating a dead horse (unlike Pollack, right?) a good spoof might have him then prancing about again, silly grin, carrying on about what he'll next do, only to catch himself a second time, make her forget, then himself forget as he prattles on a third time, only to... Now that... (pause) would be... (pause) funny, Kevin.

DutchStudent82

A nice and enjoyable episode. 3 stars. Some minus points however : This planet is NOT class M, as far as star trek classifications goes this is a class K world (like mars is) I like consisicy, and it is not given here. As a reminder how star-trek classification works : Class M, is a rocky planet with atmosphere that naturally has plant and annimal life, suitable for humanoid life Class L is a rocky planet with atmosphere that naturally has plantlife but no annimal life, suitable for humanoid life. Class K means without atmosphere, and no life, but can be made habitable with pressure domes and such. Class D is also without atmosphere and no life, and the surface can not be terraformed, sub-surface habitats are however possible (like monitor stations/research stations) Class H means toxic to humanoid life, uninhabitable, even if it has atmosphere and life on it. Class N means toxic to MOST life humanoid and otherwise, sulfuric world, all water (if any) excist only as vapor, extremophiles and silicicium-based lifeforms may however still live here. Class Y means toxic to ALL life Class J means gas-giant So clearly this is a K-class world. Now minus point 2 : why the rush in self-destructing. this race could have learned the federation A LOT, and even if they deemed themselves "to dangerous" to recieve their new android-body's, least they could have done was give SOME tech manuals as a thank you for the assistance in the first place? We DID help them for the possible "gains" after all, so if we were willing to take the risk why chicken out now? How is kirk ok with them self-destructing and not trying to talk them in "stay a little longer we still could learn a lot"?? missed oportunity I say. Also Making sex (ok kissing still point stands) in ONEOTHERS persons body?? and everybody standing around it is ok with that?? serious?? It is one thing to LEND a persons body, one complete other what you use it for, and sexual pleasure SURELY was NOT included in the agreement. And did we really need multiple awkward relationships ak sexism [TM] again?? it's all that sexism that makes me dislike TOS in the first place.. your the army, behave professional!

Love evil-grinning Spock!

I agree with Jammer that this episode is very intriguing but the ending is a bit of a mess. I do think Kirk's speech is very important for the Trek cannon - yes maybe Shatner's dramatics overdoes the moment but that is a very minor nitpick. Kirk makes very valid arguments for what they should do and reaffirms Trek's purpose - good to reestablish again. Also nice to see Muldaur's first appearance in Trek - a very attractive woman and good actress. Always preferred her over Crusher as doc on TNG. Great soundtrack from George Duning - really nails the romantic music and creating an atmosphere. Some good moments between Muldaur and Shatner. It is a captivating story about love lost for so long and found again. Not clear how Henoch dies or what kind of powers Sargon has but it does seem as if it gives the writers some kind of convenience for a nice ending. Ultimately this is one of the "purer" TOS sci-fi episodes for me. Some of the ideas are very interesting - how Sargon et al evolved into energy beings, their planet being destroyed in some cataclysm but they preserved themselves in a chamber over a 100 miles beneath the surface. The pacing is a bit slow - a lot of good ideas in this episode but the ending leaves a bit to be desired. I'd rate this 3 stars out of 4 for its concepts and intentions.

I like this episode, but I think there is a problem with it. Although it turns out Sargon and his wife are benevolent, Dr. McCoy rightly points out that the aliens wanting the bodies of the two highest ranking officers seems suspicious. Kirk gives a lame explanation about him and Spock being the best matches (maybe so, but surely somebody else would have been an okay match). Of course, the real reason Kirk and Spock are chosen for the mind transfer is because this a TV show, and they are the stars of the show. So I guess a certain amount of artistic license has to be allowed.

This is a classic "deep thought, big idea" Trek show: Non-corporeal aliens wanting to borrow crew bodies to build their own android bodies and revive their species is pretty darn high-concept. Some classic moments here like Kirk's risk speech come in slow-paced story that is heavy on mystical tones but light on logic and tension. Because the stakes never feel very high here, it's easy to doze off, but the stylish direction and thoughtful performances/dialogue make it a 3-star episode for me. Not much to add here, but one final note: Does anyone else find it ironic that the android bodies in this episode (see when the male android raises its hand while Henoch and Thalassa are examining it) actually look more like today's lifelike robots (see the freaky one in Japan) than Data and anything else we see from TNG forward? Sometimes TOS was really ahead of its time and TNG was really more dated in its vision of the future.

Why does Chapel and the other nurse have red cross badges but Mccoy has the standard science badge? Why bother with a drug that’s super deadly to Vulcans when a phaser set to vaporise does just fine?

I think most will argee that the freshest, most original thing about this episode is that the super-powerful aliens are well-meaning, respectful and have no insideous plans. They simply wish the help of humans. The humans - socialised to distrust the alien motives - altruistically offer help anyway. This altruism in the face of risk, and the kindness of the aliens, makes the episode's message fairly unique. What spoils it all is that one of the aliens reveals himself to be evil. This hokey cliche was wholly unnecessary. The episode's "help aliens build robot" plot had enough risks and dangers to make the generic "evil alien" subplot superflous. Granted the subplot does offer some nice additional themes (absolute power can corrupt absolutely), but such themes are as old as Trek itself. Indeed, Trek's pilot - Where No Man Has Gone Before - features a man buckling under the pressure of becoming a God-like alien. So, in a way, this bit of tacked on moralising spoils the episode's more interesting and original moralising. It's a excellent, above average, interesting episode, but with a little less conventional action and/or villainy, it would have been great.

RandomThoughts

Hello Everyone! @Tanner As far as the deadly drug goes, as I recall, the entity in Spock was able to use and augment his mental abilities, so he'd be able to sense if someone was coming at him with a phaser and stop them. But someone believing the hypospray was deadly, and eventually injecting Spock/entity with it, caused entity to leave. In conclusion, no one could get close enough to Spock to shoot him, so they had to resort to subterfuge. Regards... RT

If Sargon and his race could make android bodies for their minds. Why did they not make them in the past, instead of putting their consciousness in the sheres. They certainly could have done so in the past and escaped the planet in ships. Building them perhaps underground .

This has always been one of my favorite episodes. And, for me, the ending never unraveled even a little bit. Thalassa explained to McCoy quite clearly that they had powers Sargon wished them to never use. That would include the powers of life and death. When their consciousness inhabited the Enterprise, that would have been no different than their android bodies. I never had any trouble with it at all. This was a wonderful morality tale steeped in genuine science fiction. And the "risk is our business" speech will forever be the most inspiring words Trek has ever produced for me.

Hello Everyone! @Tony That... is a good question. Make androids, put minds in them, walk around and maybe get off the planet someday. Instead of just hanging around in the globes. I had never thought of that... Regards... RT

Other Chris

About a third of the way through, right around Kirk's big speech, I thought to myself "hey, we might have something special here!" And then it turned into the same old shit. Nice to see Nimoy get to show some range, though. He was very slick here.

A good ep. Intriguing storyline - not perfect handled, but generally well done. Love Muldaur here, and later in TNG as Pulaski - a beautiful, talented lady. Not a fan of the Shatner histrionics in the Risk speech. What could have been the highlight of the ep gets chewed to bits instead. Enjoyed Nimoy's portrayal of Henoch and Nurse Chapel's role. Definitely above average.

Sleeper Agent

-The risk-speech was a bit over the top in its execution; for a while I was convinced Kirk was still possessed by the alien. -Immediately when Sargon enters Kirks body, he starts to talk ... like ... Kirk. That was a bit dissapointing, but I understand. -Once again a missed opportunity to use Uhura. She would've been a perfect host for Thalassa. I understand why though; but what a shame. -Didn't really buy into the whole android body main plot, but on the other hand, I feel it really wasn't about that. -Bones gets no credit but he is the true hero of this episode. III / IV

Brundledan's brilliant comment on this episode (from 5/13/14) is worth reading in the context of what I would call "pure Star Trek" vs. modern day sci-fi including "nu-Trek". "Return to Tomorrow" is a beautiful episode -- not perfect by a long-shot (especially the ending) but it is great sci-fi and Kirk's "risk is our business" speech is so fundamental to what Trek is about. And by the way, happy 89th birthday Mr. Shatner!

EventualZen

Only a 5/10 for the disappointing ending. @4:00 Uhura says Kirk's subspace message will take over 3 weeks to reach Starfleet, I'm sure that violates continuity some how with the Enterprise D travelling further but never mentioning comm-range. @10:05 The energy being Sargon said his species once seeded the galaxy 6000 centuries ago & his ancestors could have been Adam & Eve. This explains why there are so many humanoid species in the galaxy better than the TNG episode The Chase. Every time Diana Muldaur (Ann) spoke I couldn't help imagining her as Dr. Pulaski, she actually looks beautiful here, she really changed in the 20 years between this & TNG season 2.

After watching many of the allegory-intense TOS episodes recently, this episode was a breath of fresh air. Most engagingly, the setup is an early take on the now classic Sci-Fi concept of ancient species that were once like humans but somehow became so advanced they destroyed themselves. I like how Kirk mentioned that humanity may be already superior in one way to Sargon in that it already overcame a similar self-inflicted disaster (presumably he means WWIII and the post-atomic horror but even the Cold War would be a sufficient example). Sargon dismisses Kirk's point and says that his people already evolved past an atomic incident, but one wonders if Sargon's people ever united in peace the way humanity did. The being that possesses Spock is from the "other faction", which implies there was still dissent and unrest among Sargon's people. This other faction ends up being Sargon's Achilles' heel by stopping his plan and showing that a part of his people never got past the original conflict. This chink in the armor also adds another dimension to Kirk's "Risk is our business" speech. Indeed, humanity is willing to take such risks for curiosity's sake but it appears that in this particular case humanity is better off without the reward of overwhelming power. It's worth mentioning since others commented on the disappointing ending that there was a controversy with this episode's writer John Dugan, a Catholic. He wanted Sargon and Thalassa to live on in the end as spirits without bodies, which is how he ended it in the original script. Roddenbery changed it so the two would simply fade into oblivion. Dugan was pretty upset by this change as he believed there should be an afterlife for even these beings and ended up using a pseudonym in the credits because of the change. I'm not sure the change materially affects the story, but it's funny Roddenbery went to such lengths. Anyway, this episode speaks to many of Trek's strong points and I think Jammer underrated it quite a bit (to be fair, he was right about Shatner overacting). I give it a high 3 stars. Random Historical Fact Check: Kirk rhetorically asks "What if the first Apollo mission failed?" Apollo I was the victim of a tragic fire that forced the mission to abort. Naturally though, NASA made more attempts after that.

"It's worth mentioning since others commented on the disappointing ending that there was a controversy with this episode's writer John Dugan, a Catholic. He wanted Sargon and Thalassa to live on in the end as spirits without bodies, which is how he ended it in the original script. Roddenbery changed it so the two would simply fade into oblivion." What a petty argument? Are both of them under the assumption that Kirk is a wizard and can "just tell" when a person dies whether their spirit 'goes on' or fades into nothing? I don't even know what it means to argue about this point. Catholics already believe that we have an afterlife *and* that you see nothing special when someone dies. Haha, what a dumb thing to fight about. And actually, the idea of disembodied human spirits floating around isn't even a Christian concept afaik. Or if it is one it's one of those quasi-pagan superstitious beliefs they had been in the 1500's when the old religions were still bound up with the new in many places.

Wow, this must indeed be the epicenter of shatnering. Not only does Sargon go through all stages of inhabiting a human body, which is at first extremely painful, then very nice, then painful again; but also the whole briefing looks like Kirk is fighting a toothache or something. Compare that to Nimoy just boyishly enjoying his bad guy. Or Diana Muldaur, who I think hasn't changed that much at all. Even back then Ann Mulhall conveys a quiet but resolved competence. I also actually like Dr Pulaski, but I guess I let you scream at me for that in a different comment section :) As to the speech, a similar point has been made - much more effectively imo - in The Immunity Syndrome, where they simply point out that look, we have come all the way here, this is what we do, so it *would* be kind of stupid to turn around and do what? go back home and hide under the bed? So yes I think it is comically oversold here, but you guys are right, it just wouldn't be Kirk without Shatner. I also like that the aliens actually are who they say they are. Genuinely surprising when Sargon says 'ok let's get to work building those robots to teach the humans the things'. It sounds a lot like a con, but for once it's not. Btw the funniest Shatner impressions have to be the ones that come from his crewmates, in interviews I found on youtube. Nimoy and especially Koenig do a great Kirk, sometimes to his face. Priceless.

Very enjoyable episode, nevertheless the moment when the transparent globes are no longer needed for switching souls (Kirk destroys them in sickbay actually giving up on Spock and Mulhall believed to be inside, a detail which does not bother anyone much), the logic string of the story telling is done for, unfortunately. What's also a plot mistake, is the temptation the aliens feel by staying in human bodies instead of proceeding into robotic bodies later. Robots mean much more of an extended life expectancy (with changing parts as they may become defect) than clinging to mortal bodies which are aging and dying some day (or by accident quite suddenly). And being able to construct such sophisticated bots should mean also to incorporate some sensors in them coming close to human feel. After all, it's just nerve ends collecting the impulses and the result (as sensation) is still done in the brain.

@Kubershark, yes, watching Spock was lots of fun! @Rahul is spot on, this is a beautiful episode. Episodes like "Return to Tomorrow" give Trek its soul. And the touchstone for that is Kirk's incredible "risk is our business" speech. I never get tired of hearing it. I was reminded of Kirk's speech recently by an equally inspirational speech in the current season 5 of The Expanse. Call it the "Great things are achieved by embracing great dangers" speech. Courtesy "The Expanse," a show that in this day and age, seems to have more of Trek's soul than Trek itself. https://youtu.be/xd26sQ58zHk?t=71

Jammer is spot on - a great potential story early on, that descends into chaos. (Or rather, as I saw it, not so much chaos as 1940s Hollywood-style 'romance / jealousy' with sentimental orchestral strings to unnecessarily hammer home the message). It's a real 'could have / should have' episode. The premise of incorporeal minds was fascinating, though one would immediately question why they hadn't originally built robot receptors before they voluntarily went into the spheres. The hijacking of The Enterprise before making a polite request to 'borrow' 3 bodies, was an excusable plot device, as no-one got hurt in the initial stages. As for the Henok using of Spock's body, that was a highpoint, as we got to see Nimoy getting the chance to emote again. Kirk's "risk" speech was melodramatically delivered, but a good moment: "Do you... WISH.. that the Apollo mission hadn't got to the moon? Then to Mars...?" It's a sobering thought that this was shown a full two years before the moon landing, and now it's only days since a drone flew over the surface of Mars. Fine stuff. As others have pointed out, it was also good that Nurse Chapell got to share her body briefly with Spock, in a wish-fulfilment of her dreams. Small wonder that it didn't put her off him! But in the end, I simply couldn't believe in those incorporeal minds retaining their passions and jealousies, and the whole thing turning into a botched melodrama. 2.5 stars

On this viewing, for some reason I found myself thinking how forgiving everyone, crew and Sargon alike, seems to be of Thalassa. She had shown a very dark side of herself that I don't think can be blamed simply on Henoch's evil influence unless you're her mom and you subscribe to the "just fell in with the wrong crowd" theory of moral development. She planned to kill Mulhall for her body and was willing to torture McCoy to get his cooperation. Is this the kind of person Mulhall trusts to borrow her body one more time so she can enjoy a final kiss, or the kind of person the supposedly high-minded Sargon wants to kiss?

As I continue the search to the purpse of life and love, being battered along the way with false dawns, but remaining incurably optimistic as a Star Trek fan, my comments: This is the most romantic ending to a Star Trek episode ever, with perhaps only Metamorphosis coming close. I am sure there many holes in the plot, with even the concept of binary sex being challenged. But look beyond our current limitations and marvel at the idea of love being presented here. After refusing her own temptations of power, Thalassa and Sargon choose to be together for oblivion, together. Imagine that, when current realtionships are so fragile. Imagine CHOOSING to be with one person for oblivion, having already spent half a milliion years as energy trapped in a ball. Takes your breath away. Meanwhile, back on Earth, there is still huge danger that the pursuit of total power may get us all killed, facing the same problems as Sargon and his band. Who would we choose to survive the extinction of mankind? A most thought provoking and romantic episode of Star Trek. I like it even more every time I watch it, being jealous of those who have never had the pleasure. TOP MARKS!

Amazing. Muldaur used to be incredibly sexy back in the day. Sad she turned into such a bitter old shrew by the time of TNG. That said, the regular cast turns in some great performances this show. Spock tampering with the hyposprays, plotting to kill Kirk, all the while a friendly smile upon his face, is frankly, chilling. Top drawer TOS era trek. (Drek compared to 90s trek and the film's so TOS gets its own "rating" standards.) :)

Interesting episode, and the idea of the crew's bodies being taken over is a Trek staple. Not to be a pain, but Dr. Mulhall should be wearing a blue shirt, not a red one.

Why didn't they build the robots back when their planet was dying, then they would not have had to spend millions of years living in those globe things.

I pretty much agree with Jammer. Some intriguing fascinating stuff then wtf in the final act? And Kirk's "in the business of risk" speech is the most ridiculous sophistry I think Kirk ever engaged in. Probably Shatner knew the speech was nonsense and decided to go full Shat mode. We're in the business of risk so we should allow three officers (including the top two commanders) to be possessed by spirits? What could POSSIBLY go wrong? It's ridiculous, and if I were McCoy I would suspect Sargon planted this enthusiasm in Kirk's head when he first possessed him. You know that soon after, Starfleet must have added a "DO NOT WILLINGLY BE POSSESSED" rule to the books.

And to be clear, the speech IS great, but using it for this situation is ridiculous.

Kind of fascinating how themes of consent are filtered through this story; it's obviously not the focus, but for a 1960s story to just take that element seriously is wildly progressive

Every time I watch this I wonder why someone doesn't suggest in the briefing room scene that they take the globes to the planet they left Harry Mudd on and get the androids there to build three androids for Sargon and co to move into - after all, those had a conservative lifespan of a quarter of a million years, not the paltry one thousand that the ones Sargon etc build and were completely life-like.

So in what sense is humanity doomed to "perish," as threatened in Sargon's first message, now that Sargon has had to abandon his plan of passing his society's knowledge on to his "children"? Or was their brief contact sufficient to prevent that fate? Or was that just a trick to secure their cooperation? The whole episode would look different if viewed from the perspective that Sargon is no more trustworthy than Henoch or Thalassa.

A very good episode that manages both an intimate, low stakes story and an epic, millennia-spanning feel. - To the question as to why Sargon and co didn’t build robot bodies back in the day, it’s possible that: A) the disaster that trashed their planet might have come on too fast for them to get artificial bodies ready, maybe just getting into their globes was all they could muster. B) they didn’t have that tech yet and only came up with adequate robot body designs while they were sitting around thinking for the last 500,000 years or whatever. - Perhaps the androids from I, Mudd were Sargon’s people’s butlers? Just waiting around for the return of their creators? - Kirk’s “risk” speech is great. I know Shatner catches a lot of flak for the giant mouthfuls of scenery he chews but honestly it’s one of the reasons Kirk was such a standout character and thus one of the main reasons TOS worked. Subsequently Shatner’s ACTING!! is one of the reasons we have decades of trek to pour over. So while it makes me chuckle at times, I still have an appreciation for his style. - It’s always fun to see Nimoy get to stretch his acting legs a bit. He does a great job in this episode of making henoch seem like a distinct personality. - I very much liked the poignant ending, Sargon and Thalassa accepting their fate as long as they can accept it together. Very touching. 3.5/4 hypospray shenanigans.

Proud Capitalist Pig

Is Captain Kirk insane? I’d remind Kirk of a simple two-word phra--uh, two-letter word, I mean--that is best used whenever an alien entity asks to “borrow” your body to house its consciousness. This beautiful word, which isn’t said enough in our society, and is the best protection against scam artists, charlatans, and ungrateful bums, is the useful and emphatically delivered word, “No.” “No.” It’s *my* body. You can’t have it! (Those pro-choice feminists have a point, you know, and I applaud them.) Sargon can kiss my ass and go to hell. Sure, he has all the power in the world to destroy my starship and kill everyone on board. But I say this without irony--far better to be disintegrated in a fiery death than to have an alien entity “possess” my body for whatever nefarious purpose it has in mind. “Risk is our business” when it comes to acceptable risks like defending a Federation colony, facing down a pile of Commie Klingons or exploring some bizarre gas cloud with evil proclivities. But in “Return to Tomorrow,” the risk is a foolish one, and I agree completely with the plaintive, sarcastic reactions of McCoy and the incredulous, hilarious skepticism of Scott when Kirk is trying to convince them to sign their bodies away for--get this--SCIENCE! (I mean, shit, I would at least ask for money.) Kirk’s entire argument is based on what the crew could obtain from Sargon’s promised gifts and insights regarding scientific progress. That MILF scientist played by Diana Muldaur (who went on to play Rosalind Shays--a magnificently conniving, cutthroat bitch--in L.A. Law) enthusiastically agrees to be used as a meatsuit because of *what her scientific mind could gain in knowledge.* The message here is as true today as it was then--we will literally sell our souls during our quest to figure out “how to fly.” Well, you can’t use AI slaves if they all rise up and destroy humanity, can you? For scientific progress to work, you must control it at all times and at all costs. You must come out on top of any arms race. And you must have a prophet motive in mind for your innovation to be fully embraced and integrated into society. But here, Kirk is about to make the proverbially fatal mistake of relinquishing such control. He’s giving up his very mind in the name of progress. And he’s goddamn lucky that Sargon isn’t a malicious interloper--which, by the way, Spock’s alien definitely is. Spock, you see, is possessed by The Evil Alien. I mean, duh. This is my whole point--what do you *think* will happen when you give up your autonomy to a stranger for no good reason? Other than hosting a pricelessly hysterical Leonard Nimoy performance, you’re just going to be eaten alive if not shoved aside. And don’t get me started on Nurse Chapel. Some friend of Spock’s she is. “Spock,” fully possessed by a maniacal pesky pervert, rises up from the bed leering, sneering and complimenting her on her foxy body. All this airhead can say in response is, “Thank you!” Where’s her revulsion? Where’s her horror? Where’s, frankly, her disgust? Oh, that’s right! This is the 1960’s where “brainless blonde bimbo” is a redundant term! You know, The Haunting of Bly Manor (on Netflix), without giving away too many spoilers, has a shocking scene in its seventh episode “The Two Faces, Part Two” where the prospect of body possession is treated with all the terror and devastation that such an idea deserves. Seems like we all need more Henry James and less Albert Einstein, amirite?! Kirk’s big speech is delivered well by Shatner, but it’s pure nonsense considering the circumstances. This speech would actually have worked really well in “The Immunity Syndrome” when the crew needed Spock’s help to face down their scary encounter with a space monstrosity. In that context, it quite possibly would have brought tears to my eyes. Here, I wanted to throw things at the screen and relieve Kirk of his captaincy. Despite Shatner and Muldaur delivering sensational performances, and Nimoy a hilarious, entertaining one, “Return to Tomorrow” is clumsy, hammy, and completely collapses under its own weight. Keep your aliens off my body! Speak Freely: Spock -- “Not even a Vulcan can know the unknown, Captain.” My Grade: C-

"prophet motive" Haha, the Grand Nagus would like to have a word :)

@Proud Capitalist Pig I know this episode isn't regarded as a Trek classic, but I think it should be. In fact I think it could even have been the pilot episode (if it was made earlier). The idea of taking risks and the near impossible situations it presents the crew, I think, is a very worthy premise for an episode. Here, the upside and downside risk are basically unquantifiable, infinite. Engines the size of walnuts as an upside example, the destruction of the Enterprise and maybe even the human race etc. as the downside. I don't think Kirk can just walk away either... I'd encourage you to check out Brundledan's comment from 2013 -- thought it was one of the best comments I've ever read on this site. It really helps frame this episode in terms of the beauty of sci-fi and what made TOS so special for me. As I said in a prior comment, this is great sci-fi. The "risk is our business" is kind of the soul of Trek, the idea of exploring and not knowing what you will encounter. Doing some kind of cost-benefit analysis won't always come with well-defined inputs (and even outputs), as this episode exemplifies. But I agree with you that the episode collapses under its own weight -- just with respect to the ending where the plot machinations are a confusing mess. But there was potential for a 4* episode here. I think I'd give it a B+ on your scale!

Even though Sargon protests heartily, the similarities of this story to nuclear destruction are obvious. I never thought about it in my younger years, but Sargon, Thalassa, and Hanoch are located within a bomb shelter. There are some great elements to this episode. The story behind the planet's destruction would have made a great standalone episode. Trish wrote: "The whole episode would look different if viewed from the perspective that Sargon is no more trustworthy than Henoch or Thalassa." Very true. According to Sargon has powers that Hanoch doesn't suspect. He didn't include Thalassa in that statement, but that would have to apply to her as well. She didn't know that he had taken up residence in the Enterprise. It would take a very great power to rip the atmosphere away from the planet. Just saying. Sargon includes himself in thinking his race were gods. I wonder just how the Prime Directive works in an episode like this where aliens promise wonders if humans lends them their bodies for a short time. Kirk is useless in this aspect as he's already been dazzled by Sargon. But Dr. Mulhall and Spock make the conscientious decision to allow the entities to use their bodes. Regarding Kirk's speech, yes, it is totally hammy. But Shatner make have done that extra deliberately in this case. It almost makes him seem somewhat childish, but when he assumes Sargon's character, I really felt like I was watching a different actor. It was wonderful. As far as love stories go throughout Star Trek, this is, in my opinion, hands down the best. No tragedy here. The two aliens went off into oblivion together, fearless. That made for a great love story.

I apologize for the typos on my post above.

@Rahul Out of curiosity, and as a courtesy to you for your input, I took your advice and Control-F'd the name "Brundledan" on this page. So Brundledan's take is that Kirk's decision to accede his autonomy to a total stranger is part of the spirit of Star Trek--that the "risky business" of being in Starfleet includes putting blind faith in the kindness of strangers, of making that leap for the sake of communication, of understanding, of progress and of the betterment of one's character. Lofty and admirable, but hardly workable and definitely actionable. I'm still dubious. I think a straight body possession story might have been the way to go here, as we still would have learned about the aliens' core motivations without any minor changes in the plot. Making it about "consent," as others above point out, frames the episode in very deliberate way. If Gene Roddenberry wanted to convey that true harmony and acceptance means willingly giving up your control to your neighbor, well, that may fly with aspirational Star Trek viewers but would never fly in the real world. Maybe that's the argument, that this is something that we all should aspire to. But I think most people, including myself, are highly cynical with a healthy dose of skepticism. I'm again reminded of The Haunting of Bly Manor*, which is fresh in my mind having just watched the series with my family over the past few days. In that series, the motivations of certain characters are exactly the same as the aliens' motivations here--prolonging life. It's an understandable wish to be sure, and one might certainly empathize with Sargon here. But as pointed out in both Bly Manor and in "Return to Tomorrow," sometimes things are just too big of an Ask. Good to hear from you as always! * = Folks, if you're a fan of horror, ghost stories, love stories, creepy psychological dramas, or all of the above--watch this Netflix show! It thrilled, chilled, and moved this old Pig to tears.

@Peter G Oh, yikes! Hahahhaha. Stupid homonyms--an occupational hazard of the English language. Despite my username, I encounter the word "prophet" just as much as the word "profit" in my travels, so I was bound to mess this up sooner or later. Yes, that should be "profit motive" in my comment. And to be frank, most "prophets" indeed have a healthy profit motive to be sure, so we should all bear that in mind.... Look at that, me giving free advice. Maybe Star Trek is rubbing off on me.

@Proud Capitalist Pig Great to hear from you as well - look forward to more of your Trek thoughts. Re. this episode — Of course we’d be totally skeptical / cynical if somebody like Sargon (analogy could be the government) asked to possess our bodies to do X, Y, Z. The environment today is one where one has to be very skeptical of all the BS narratives that come one’s way. Can’t trust government, major media to be independent and objective, public health etc. So with this healthy dose of skepticism, it turns into cynicism when some “authority” figure genuinely asks for trust (and a lot more than that). I totally get that. But if we put ourselves in Kirk’s shoes, growing up in a utopian 23rd century, there’s far less reason to be skeptical and maybe no reason to be cynical. The other thing to consider is that Kirk had joined with Sargon so maybe that gave him an added understanding of things — and so Kirk is perhaps biased to adopt Sargon’s proposal. And thus the episode goes along its way with Henoch providing some antagonism, which comes across as silly given the more mature nature of the main theme.

Well we know that an episode has 52 minutes and has to tie up all the loose ends in the last several minutes. This time the drama is with Spock's body needing to be killed since the crew believes (incorrectly) that his mind has already been destoyed. The all powerful but morally benevolent incorporeal being has any power than can be imagined by the viewer, and thankfully returns the status quo in the ending. Nimoy gets to portray dual personalities and Nurse Chapel gets to share Spock's essence that she has the hots for but was never able to penetrate before. Kirk gets to make out with the female lead but it's not really him doing it, as opposed to many season 3 episodes when he really does get the goods. There is not really much sci fi in the episode other than McCoy enduring the blue flames of punishment, and the lighting that occurs during body switching. So this episode was produced while those before and after used a lot of outdoor sets that are more expensive, correct me if I'm wrong. This was 60's television that had to be done start to finish in less than a week, and one of a series of many weeks that were done on the fly by the producers, which had many mutinies going on all the time with directors and producers and Roddenberry doing whatever it takes to hold the ship together. I'm sure they wouldn't have suspected that many decades later people would be over analyzing every aspect of every show with much of the technology the show inspired now reality. I watched this episode decades ago, but while revisiting now the sets, scores, and bit character parts picque the most interest since we obviously already know the story.

Well, all I can say is there is a great love for the series, otherwise people wouldn't be overanalyzing it. One thing I found while doing some research is that in the original writing, Sargon and Thalassa were to go off together, alive. Roddenberry nixed the ending on that, instead having them making the fateful decision to end it all by committing suicide.

I enjoy the informed, intelligent posts here as a way to open my mind. I used to dismiss Return to Tomorrow but can now better appreciate its good qualities. I'm not big on romances, so this is an episode that does not appeal to me, but that does not make it inferior. My sense is perhaps unfairly colored by Diana Muldaur who has a certain body language and speaking style that comes across to me as snobby and off-putting. It's not role specific because I get the same negative vibes from her in Is There in Truth No Beauty? and later in TNG. I guess it's just me. Consequently, I do not feel in a position to fairly review and rate this episode.

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Return to Tomorrow (Episode)

Stardate 4768.3 : Telepathic aliens take over Kirk and Spock's bodies.

Answering a mysterious distress call from Arret [1] —a planet thought long dead— Kirk , McCoy , and Dr. Ann Mulhall are transported underground to confront the last three survivors of that world's civilization. Sargon , Thalassa , and Henoch have preserved their conscious minds within spherical containers, and have remained in this state for centuries. They now wish to "borrow" the bodies of Kirk, Spock , and Dr. Mulhall so that they can construct android bodies to house their minds on a permanent basis. Sargon assures Kirk that his people will be safe, their minds encased for a short time within the same containers his people now occupy. McCoy is concerned about the high metabolic rate necessary for "possession." The real danger, however, is Henoch, who appropriates Spock's body without any intention of returning it. Henoch telepathically forces Nurse Chapel to poison Sargon (in Kirk's body) and then destroys the globe that houses Spock's mind. Fortunately, Spock's consciousness had already left the globe, hidden within the mind of Nurse Chapel. Henoch is tricked into leaving Spock's body, and is destroyed. Sargon and Thalassa vacate the bodies of Kirk and Dr. Mulhall voluntarily, announcing (after one last kiss) that they will be happy to roam throughout the universe together in their noncorporeal state.

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Related Data

Created by Gene Roddenberry

Starring William Shatner

Also Starring Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock and DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy

Written by John Kingsbridge

Directed by Ralph Senensky

Produced by John Meredyth Lucas

Executive Producer Gene Roddenberry

Associate Producer Robert H. Justman

Guest Star Diana Muldaur as Ann Mulhall

James Doohan … Scott Nichelle Nichols … Uhura George Takei … Sulu Cindy Lou … Nurse and Majel Barrett … Christine Chapel

Uncredited James Doohan … Sargon (Voice)

Script Consultant D.C. Fontana

Assistant to the Producer Edward K. Milkis

Theme Music by Alexander Courage

Music Composed and Conducted by George Duning

Director of Photography Jerry Finnerman

Art Director Walter M. Jefferies

Film Editor … Donald R. Rode Unit Production Manager … Gregg Peters Assistant Director … Phil Rawlins Set Decorator … John M. Dwyer Costumes Created by … William Ware Theiss Photographic Effects … Vanderveer Photo Effects Sound Effects Editor … Douglas H. Grindstaff Music Editor … Jim Henrikson Re-Recording Mixer … Elden E. Ruberg , C.A.S. Production Mixer … Carl W. Daniels Script Supervisor … George A. Rutter Casting … Joseph D'Agosta Sound … Glen Glenn Sound Co. Makeup Artist … Fred B. Phillips , S.M.A. Hair Styles … Pat Westmore Gaffer … George H. Merhoff Head Grip … George Rader Property Master … Irving A. Feinberg Special Effects … Jim Rugg Key Costumer … Ken Harvey

A Paramount Production In Association With Norway Corporation

Executive in Charge of Production Herbert F. Solow

Notes and References

  • ↑ The name of the planet was not given in the final episode, but was taken from an earlier draft of the script.
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Published Feb 25, 2024

Remembering Kenneth Mitchell, 1974 – 2024

StarTrek.com honors the late actor and his contributions to the Star Trek universe.

Kenneth Michell at the Star Trek: Discovery premiere

StarTrek.com

StarTrek.com is deeply saddened to report the passing of Kenneth Alexander Mitchell, who played the Klingons Kol, Kol-Sha, and Tenavik, as well as Aurellio, on Star Trek: Discovery . In addition, he voiced several voice characters in an episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks . Mitchell passed away at age 49 on February 24, 2024.

Born November 25, 1974, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Mitchell appeared in multiple films and television shows, including roles such as the father of super hero Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel and Olympic hopeful in Miracle . Other roles include turns on Jericho , The Astronaut Wives Club , Ghost Whisperer , and Switched at Birth .

As Kol, Mitchell hoped to bring a new perspective on Klingon culture to fans through his turn on Discovery . "Whether someone is good or bad is all about perspective, and it’s about understanding that culture," he told StarTrek.com in 2017. "You’ll get to know the Klingons on our show, and then people can decide if we really are the villains."

Mitchell is survived by his wife Susan May Pratt, and their two children. He requested that any gifts be directed towards amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research or in support of his children, Lilah and Kallum . 

The entire Star Trek family sends their condolences to Mitchell’s family, friends, loved ones, and fans around the world.

KENNETH A. MITCHELL 25.11.1974 ~ 24.02.2024 With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Kenneth Alexander Mitchell, beloved father, husband, brother, uncle, son and dear friend. pic.twitter.com/CdknbeFWQm — Kenneth Mitchell (@MrKenMitchell) February 25, 2024

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Star Trek: The Cruise VIII

Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery season 5 is a "high note" to go out on, says wilson cruz.

Wilson Cruz is proud of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 and is glad these are the episodes to close out the Star Trek on Paramount+ series.

  • Wilson Cruz is proud of Star Trek: Discovery closing out on a "HIGH NOTE" in season 5. Premiering April 4 on Paramount+.
  • The cast of Star Trek: Discovery was surprised by the show's cancelation after season 5 by Paramount+ in March 2023.
  • Star Trek: Discovery season 5 trailer release unveils enticing hints and Easter eggs. Don't miss the premiere on April 4.

Wilson Cruz is proud that Star Trek: Discovery season 5 will be what closes out the series. Discovery season 5 premieres on Thursday, April 4, on Paramount+ , and the cast is preparing for Star Trek: Discovery season 5's world premiere at SXSW on Monday, March 11. Star Trek: Discovery 's cast and crew didn't know season 5 would be the final season, and the series' cancelation by Paramount+ in March 2023 took everyone by surprise.

In response to Star Trek: Discovery season 5's trailer release by Paramount+, Wilson Cruz posted a promotional photo on Threads of himself as Dr. Hugh Culber speaking to Mary Wiseman's Lt. Sylvia Tilly. Cruz says how proud he is of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 because the series is going out on such a "HIGH NOTE." Check out Wilson's Thread post below:

Wilson Cruz Threads post about Star Trek: Discovery. Image has Dr. Hugh Culber speaking to Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman)

Check out the official trailer for Star Trek: Discovery season 5 below:

Callum Keith Rennie as Rayner and the Discovery cast

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Trailer - 10 Things You Missed

Star trek: discovery season 5 has more adventure than previous seasons, discovery season 5 is bringing the fun.

Several members of Star Trek: Discovery' s cast from Sonequa Martin-Green to Doug Jones to David Ajala have shared their excitement about how much fun season 5 is . Discovery 's previous seasons have seen the USS Discovery's crew face down the most dire crises threatening the galaxy at two different points in Star Trek 's timeline . Discovery season 5 is about a hunt for the "greatest treasure in the known galaxy," which is an ancient power tied to an 800-year-old Romulan vessel from Star Trek: The Next Generation 's era.

Wilson Cruz's Dr. Hugh Culber is one-half of Star Trek's first LGBTQ+ marriage between two main characters, and his family with Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) includes Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio).

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is also said to explore the deep relationships between the USS Discovery's crew, including the romances between Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala), to Captain Saru (Doug Jones) and President T'Rina (Tara Rosling). Wilson Cruz's Dr. Hugh Culber is one-half of Star Trek' s first LGBTQ+ marriage between two main characters, and his family with Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) includes Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio). Hopefully, Star Trek: Discovery season 5 wraps up all of their stories in a fitting and resonant fashion.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 premieres April 4 on Paramount+.

Source: Threads

MV5BNjg1NTc2MDktZTU5Ni00OTZiLWIyNjQtN2FhNGY4MzAxNmZkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_

TrekMovie.com

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  • February 28, 2024 | Analysis: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 5 Trailer Reveals Puzzles, Clues And A Visit To [SPOILER]
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  • February 28, 2024 | See Worf Battle His Own Doubts In ‘Star Trek: Defiant’ #12 Preview
  • February 27, 2024 | Orchestral “Darmok,” Celebrity D&D, Ken Mitchell Memorial Rave, And More Star Trek Cruise Day 5

Star Trek Cruise Log 2: TNG Cast Jokes About Bad Episodes, Connor Trinneer Says To Get Over Trip’s Death

star trek sargon episode cast

| February 24, 2024 | By: Aaron Bossig 10 comments so far

The second day of Star Trek: The Cruise VII had the ship speeding its way toward Aruba. On a day at sea, a ship becomes its own little world, and this floating convention filled itself with Star Trek panels and themed festivities for passengers to enjoy on their first full day on board.

TNG panel pans “Sub Rosa” and “Code of Honor,” praises positive impact of series

The event no one wanted to miss was the Star Trek: The Next Generation reunion panel. Brent Spiner, Gates McFadden, John De Lancie, LeVar Burton, Denise Crosby, and Wil Wheaton stepped on stage to fans roaring with love and appreciation.

The discussion was driven by fan questions and some of the funniest moments came when asked about episodes that didn’t work for members of the cast. When asked about  “Sub Rosa,” Gates McFadden had the crowd laughing with her sardonic take:

Gates McFadden: Are you suggesting that “Sub Rosa” wasn’t a typical TNG script and having sex with a ghost lamp was unusual? Is that your implication? That Beverly wasn’t always running around in a night gown and drugged out of her mind waiting for Ronin ? When I read that script in the seventh season, I absolutely went “You’re got to be kidding me.” After all these seasons, we find out that all the women in the Howard family had sex with the lamp. Seriously? It did put into question a lot of Beverly’s behavior. In retrospect I would have probably played every single episode differently had I know that was her arc.

Denise brought up the infamous episode  “Code of Honor” :

Denise Crosby: Unfortunately I bore the brunt of an episode that is so distasteful and horrible that I cannot mention the name, otherwise I suffer.

LeVar Burton suggested the episode “read better than it filmed,” but Crosby doubled down.

Denise Crosby: Not really. I remember walking the set and thinking: What in the hell is this? There’s no way this will get on the air. They can’t be serious. Why are they doing this? Is anyone listening?

At other points, the panel got more serious, like when as a fan who had dealt with Asperger’s Syndrome told Brent Spiner how much his performance as Data meant to her. The usually jokey actor got a bit serious, talking to her about what this meant to him:

Brent Spiner: I understand. I really do. I’m so glad that Data existed for you know, I’ve said this before, and I had no idea that there were people with Asperger’s and other things who were relating to Data because of his difficulty in grappling with humanity and with emotion and so on. I’m just so glad it happened. I had nothing to do with it, really, other than being there and being the lucky guy who got to share that with you.

The subject of how Star Trek had a healing effect on many fans was brought up multiple times and Wil Wheaton noted, “We are extremely aware. And it is one of the great privileges that comes with the work.”

LeVar Burton had a surprising take when asked if he’d ever injured himself wearing Geordi’s VISOR on the show:

LeVar Burton: In the first season, I bumped into shit, yeah. I think the only thing I hurt was my ego. I learned to navigate without being able to see my feet by using landmarks on set. After 45 minutes or an hour I would get a little bit of a headache so I liked to take it off whenever possible. But I do know that it made a better actor of me. It really helped me develop my voice. I think one of the reasons why I love reading aloud so much is a result of wearing the VISOR for seven years and one movie.

The subject of improv came up a few times during the panel. Gates McFadden pointed out how strict things were on Next Generation , saying she only got two little comic lines into the show (on “Data’s Day” and “The Big Goodbye”). Brent Spiner agreed they were strict with the words, but noted that producers and directors were “generous in terms of how we interpreted the words.” When asked if he could reveal what line Q was going to say to Picard when he pulled away from a whisper in the final court scene in the series finale, John de Lancie revealed that one of his most famous moments was actually an improv:

John de Lancie: We are all schooled in being able to do things that get sent out into the ether and people like you go, “Oh my God, what was that about?”… It’s an actor’s trick. It was an improv.

Perhaps the biggest crowd cheer came from a bit of an improv moment from Wil Wheaton, when asked what question he would like to get from a fan. The actor said:

Wil Wheaton: To whom should I write this $10 million check to? … To whom do I write the check to make Star Trek: Legacy happen?

Brent Spiner helpfully replied, “That would be CBS.”

star trek sargon episode cast

The TNG panel played to a packed house

Connor Trinneer talks death of Trip

Later in the day, Connor Trinneer hosted a more intimate event he calls “The Hot Seat,” in which he brings a cast member on stage in the lounge and takes them on a deep dive into their career and personal life. This time, Trinneer invited John Billingsley to be his honored guest (and occasional victim). Billingsley recounted his time playing many unsavory characters, spoke highly of his current efforts to help the needy through Hollywood Food Coalition , and revealed that Dr. Phlox was likely the character he appreciated most throughout his career. When the Enterprise finale was brought up, Trinneer’s comment about Trip was simply “He’s dead. Get over it.”

John Billingsley and Conner Trinneer at STTC7

“He’s dead, get over it.” – Connor Trinneer on Trip Tucker

Day 2 gets heavy on science and deep on people

There were tons of activities to keep fans occupied while out at sea….

T-shirt party with Star Trek stars

Passengers opting to simply go up to the Lido deck to enjoy the pool and sun were treated to a “T-Shirt Party” hosted by Chase Masterson in which Trekkies wore their brand-new Star Trek Cruise VIII shirts and enjoyed free cocktails.

Chase Masterson hosting t-shirt party

Chase Masterson is a gracious host at the poolside t-shirt party

Chase’s dancing was backed up by an enthusiastic Nana Visitor and Dominic Keating, eager to join the fun.

Dominic Keating dancing

Dominic Keating eager to join the fun

Science experts get the spotlight

Aboard the Mariner of the Seas are the “Federation Advisors,” people who’ve used their expertise to enhance Star Trek from behind the camera. Knowing that many Trekkies have a deep appreciation for the real-world applications of science within the show, Star Trek: The Cruise gives these advisors a platform to share their contributions with the fans.

First up in the morning was “The Year In Space” with Dr. Erin Macdonald. Covering the major topics in astronomy from 2023, Dr. Macdonald talked about how advances in telescope technology can not only show new information about the makeup of the universe but will compel us to go back and re-examine older data, often changing the context completely. Going forward, according to Macdonald, satellite-based telescopes such as the JWST can observe distant galaxies without needing to filter out the Earth’s surrounding background noise, bringing back a level of detail previously impossible. This new data revises our understanding of the formation of our own galaxy, going all the way back to the Big Bang.

Dr. Erin Macdonald and a big bang theory illustration

Dr. Erin Macdonald briefs the audience on the Big Bang theory

Immediately following the space panel was “From Viidian to Phage: The Real Biology Behind Depictions in Star Trek: Voyager ” by Dr. Mohamed Noor. Noor’s presentation started off by highlighting why the years in which Voyager was produced made it perfectly timed to show off then-current topics in genetics and gene research. Using clips from the show, and some modified classroom materials, Noor illustrated how Klingon forehead ridges could change in intensity between different generations due to the traits being brought on by dominant or recessive genes. Broadly, Star Trek: Voyager presents believable science behind its stories, though Noor stopped short of speculating on how crossing Warp 10 could mutate two people into ambulatory catfish .

Mohamed Noor and Voyager highlights

Dr. Mohamed Noor illustrates what was happening in genetic research at the same time as Voyager’s production

Later in the day, at a panel titled “From Starfleet to Mars and Beyond,” Mike and Denise Okuda presented a slideshow and oral history of their work advising on Star Trek and other space-related sagas. By knowing the real-world space program in such detail, the two have a long track record of being able to make fictional future worlds more believable.

A close look at the real people behind the characters

The evening gave fans a chance to see a more personal side of their Star Trek guests. Anthony Rapp presented a concert of pop songs, pulling some of his favorites from the ’70s through early ’90s. He dedicated the selection to anyone struggling with loneliness, particularly queer people in unsafe life situations. A noticeable chunk of the front seats were occupied by Rapp’s castmates from Star Trek: Discovery , who attended in support of their colleague and friend.

Wil Wheaton had the opportunity to finish the evening with a reading from his book Still Just a Geek . While Wheaton approached the podium with his characteristic humor and wit, he was very up front about the fact that the stories he was about to read were his true-life experiences of child abuse and exploitation, and that the process of working through these things was extremely difficult for him. This event was listed on the schedule with a content warning, one of the only events to do so.

Wil Wheaton reading at STTC7

Wil Wheaton sharing difficult memories with a supportive STTC audience

Sci-fi partying

In between events and panels, and while drifting between parties, passengers could embrace the evening’s theme “A Salute to Sci-Fi,” which opened the door to dress from any science fiction saga or franchise. You can see a selection of some of the cosplay below…

Star Trek: The Cruise cosplayers

Keep cruisin’ with TrekMovie

Check out our Day 1 cruise log for more on the launch party with cruise captain Sonequa Martin-Green. TrekMovie is also providing updates on Star Trek: The Cruise VII on Twitter  and  Threads . Here’s one from today:

Ed Speleers crashes Roddenberry Archives event to play with #StarTrek props, says: "I've been doing a lot of that this week… unabashed plugging for #StarTrekLegacy !!" #StarTrekCruise pic.twitter.com/M1EkSI7Cml — TrekMovie.com (@TrekMovie) February 24, 2024

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Oh boy. Some day I’ll have enough time to board one of these cruises, just not this year.

Same my friend but for me it’s money. Maybe I’ll be able to afford the 2045 cruise lol.

LOL it’s always a little bit of everything isn’t it?

Plus I’m guessing I would gain 15 pounds on one of these cruises.

if I can manage to stay alive,I might be able to afford a cruise in 2185!

I’ll wait for – 2265 – Celebrating the Tri-Centennial of Star Trek on the Fhloston  Paradise Cruise Line!

Looks like fun.

That flashy guy next to the robot is from some old movie or comic. Anyone know which?

I believe you’re referring to Doctor Chaotica and Satan’s Robot, the baddies from Tom Paris’ “Captain Proton” holodeck programs.

I will not get over Trip’s death because it never happened. That finale isn’t canon and nothing you can say will convince me otherwise.

Watch the bittersweet trailer for 'Star Trek: Discovery's final season (video)

The end is nigh when Paramount+'s flagship space fantasy series returns April 4 for a 10-episode run.

It's been a long and somewhat bumpy road for Paramount Plus' " Star Trek: Discovery " since it first touched down on the streaming platform back in 2017 as the first "Star Trek" small screen enterprise in 12 years. It's taken a couple of seasons to moderate its tone and style but it seems on track to bring it all home safely starting on April 4, to stick the landing and satiate most temperamental fans.

Now with the turbulent events of season 4 in the rear view mirror after finally confronting the Dark Matter Entity, it's time for one last heroic mission for Captain Michael Burnham and her valiant crew into the cold inky abyss of deep space to try and locate a powerful treasure as this latest sentimental trailer explains. (Check out our Star Trek streaming guide to see when and where to catch the latest Trek shows.)

Watch Star Trek on Paramount Plus:

Watch Star Trek on Paramount Plus: Get a one month free trial  

Get all the Star Trek content you can possibly handle with this free trial of Paramount Plus. Watch new shows like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and all the classic Trek movies and TV shows too. Plans start from $4.99/month after the trial ends.

Here's the official synopsis:

"The fifth and final season will find Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery uncovering a mystery that will send them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries. But there are others on the hunt as well — dangerous foes who are desperate to claim the prize for themselves and will stop at nothing to get it."

"Star Trek: Discovery's" season five cast contains Sonequa Martin-Green (Captain Michael Burnham), Doug Jones (Saru), Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), David Ajala (Cleveland “Book” Booker), Blu del Barrio (Adira) and Callum Keith Rennie (Rayner).

In this final preview for the endgame season, USS Discovery captain Michael Burnham acknowledges that "It has been a helluva journey, but everything ends someday." As the entire crews gathers for one last adventure, Starfleet's Kovich (David Cronenberg) warns that "the greatest treasure in the known galaxy is out there. It's more important that you can imagine."

That's the basic launch point of a cosmic scavenger hunt to locate a puzzle box that looks like something right out of director Luc Besson's "The Fifth Element," and is described by Burnham as "one of the greatest powers ever known," while various competing factions attempt to claim this priceless universal artifact for themselves, including imposing foes L'ak (Elias Toufexis) and Moll (Eve Harlow).

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Paramount Plus' sci-fi series is produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Michelle Paradise, Heather Kadin, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Sonequa Martin-Green, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serve as "Star Trek: Discovery's" executive producers, with Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise as co-showrunners.

"Star Trek: Discovery's" fifth and final season debuts on Paramount Plus on April 4, with a two-episode premiere, followed by new episodes each Thursday.

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Jeff Spry

Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.

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Star Trek: TNG's Most Hated Episode Still Traumatizes Denise Crosby

  • Denise Crosby's time as Lt. Tasha Yar on Star Trek: The Next Generation was short-lived and included a controversial episode.
  • "Code of Honor" is considered one of TNG's worst episodes due to its poor execution and racial undertones.
  • Despite her initial departure, Denise Crosby later returned to TNG as Commander Sela, leaving a lasting impact on the series.

Denise Crosby's Lt. Tasha Yar only got to be the main character in a couple of episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation , and one of them continues to haunt her. Crosby joined the cast of TNG in the series premiere, but Tasha Yar was killed before the end of the first season. As the Security Chief on the USS Enterprise-D, Yar was often the first line of defense against alien threats. With a tragic backstory and a solid performance from Crosby, Yar had the potential to become a more complex and compelling character.

Yar didn't have much to do throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation 's rocky first season and the episode in which she has the most screen time is generally regarded as one of TNG's worst episodes . TNG season 1, episode 4, "Code of Honor," takes place on Ligon II, a planet that is home to a primitive civilization who have strict customs and codes of honor. When the Ligoian leader, Lutan (Jessie Lawrence Ferguson), takes a liking to Lt. Yar, he kidnaps the Enterprise security officer. Yar is then forced to fight Lutan's wife in a fight to the death.

Not only does "Code of Honor" feature numerous Star Trek cliches done badly, but the casting of all Black actors as the Ligonians makes the episode feel racist.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Cast & Character Guide

Denise crosby hates tng's "code of honor" too, even among tng's mediocre first season, "code of honor" stands out in a bad way..

On the second day of Star Trek: The Cruise VII , Denise Crosby reunited with Brent Spiner, Gates McFadden, John De Lancie, LeVar Burton, and Wil Wheaton for the Star Trek: The Next Generation reunion panel. As reported by TrekMovie , the TNG cast members fielded questions about their favorite and least favorite aspects of the show. When the conversation turned to episodes that didn't quite work, Crosby mentioned the infamous "Code of Honor." Read her words below:

Unfortunately, I bore the brunt of an episode that is so distasteful and horrible that I cannot mention the name, otherwise I suffer.

LeVar Burton cut in to suggest that the script for "Code of Honor" may not have been all that bad, saying that the episode "read better than it filmed." But Denise Crosby didn't see it that way, as she responded by saying:

Not really. I remember walking the set and thinking: What in the hell is this? There’s no way this will get on the air. They can’t be serious. Why are they doing this? Is anyone listening?

Denise Crosby is not the only TNG cast member who dislikes "Code of Honor," as several actors have mentioned it as their least favorite episode. Brent Spiner agrees with Crosby that some of the cast knew the episode was bad as they were filming it. In a 2012 interview with TrekMovie.com , Spiner referred to "Code of Honor" as "that one episode that we all knew was bad very early on." At Star Trek Las Vegas Con in 2011, Jonathan Frakes went so far as to call the episode a "racist piece of s***," and Michael Dorn dubbed it "the worst episode of Star Trek ever filmed" at a TNG reunion panel in 2013.

Denise Crosby Later Returned To TNG & Embraced Star Trek

Crosby continues to make appearances at star trek conventions & speaks fondly of tng..

The quality of Star Trek: The Next Generation improved throughout the rest of season 1 and into season 2, but it was not until TNG season 3 that the show truly found its stride. After her initial departure in TNG season 1, Denise Crosby later reached out to the production team wondering if there was any way to bring back Tasha Yar. Although the version of Yar seen in TNG season 1 remained dead, TNG season 3, episode 15, "Yesterday's Enterprise" found a different way to bring back an alternate version of Lt. Tasha Yar .

When the crippled USS Enterprise-C arrives in the present through a rip in space-time, it dramatically alters history. The Enterprise-D changes and the formerly dead Lt. Yar appears at the ship's tactical station. When this Yar learns of her fate in the alternate reality, she chooses to go back through the time rift with the Enterprise-C. Later, Denise Crosby returns as Commander Sela, the half-human/half-Romulan daughter of the Tasha Yar who went back in time. Even today, Crosby remains active in the Star Trek community, and her contributions to Star Trek: The Next Generation have certainly not been forgotten.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is available to stream on Paramount+.

Source: TrekMovie.com

Cast LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Showrunner Gene Roddenberry

Star Trek: TNG's Most Hated Episode Still Traumatizes Denise Crosby

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2 Actors Deny They Screamed at Rebecca Ferguson, 1 Is Seemingly Safe & 2 More Cleared From Wrongdoing

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Kenneth Mitchell, 'Star Trek: Discovery' Actor, Dies at 49

Kenneth Mitchell, 'Star Trek: Discovery' Actor, Dies at 49

Kenneth Mitchell has sadly passed away.

The Star Trek: Discovery actor died after a five year battle with ALS at the age of 49, his family confirmed in a statement over the weekend.

“With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Kenneth Alexander Mitchell , beloved father, husband, brother, uncle, son and dear friend,” read the post.

“ Ken was widely known as an actor in many films and television shows. He’s portrayed an Olympic hopeful, an apocalypse survivor, an astronaut, a superhero’s dad, and four unique Star Trekkers,” the statement continued.

Keep reading to find out more…

Kenneth was the father of two children, Lilah and Kallum , shared with his wife Susan .

“ Ken was diligent and hardworking in everything he did, but as a father these traits found their fullest expression. He was extremely dedicated to being a positive and playful force in the lives of his children. Regardless of his later disabilities, Ken discovered a higher calling to be more fully himself for his kids. Ken will be forever proud of who his children have become,” the statement said.

He was diagnosed with ALS in 2018 and began using a wheelchair in 2019. He shared his diagnosis publicly in 2020.

“For five and a half years Ken faced a series of awful challenges from ALS. And in truest Ken fashion, he managed to rise above each one with grace and commitment to living a full and joyous life in each moment,” the family said.

“Ken is forever grateful for the massive amounts of love and endless support he received from his community along this journey. Especially the courage, resilience and strength displayed from his extraordinary wife, family and friends.”

The actor played the Klingons Kol, Kol-Sha, Tenavik and Aurellio on Star Trek: Discovery , and also voiced several characters in an episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks . He also played the father of Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel and starred in TV shows including Nancy Drew , The Astronaut Wives Club , Jericho and Switched at Birth .

Our thoughts are with Kenneth ‘s loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.

We have sadly lost many stars already in 2024.

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Kenneth Mitchell, ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ and ‘Captain Marvel’ Actor, Dies at 49

By Caroline Brew

Caroline Brew

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LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 19:  Actor Kenneth Mitchell arrives for the Premiere Of CBS's "Star Trek: Discovery"  held at The Cinerama Dome on September 19, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)

Kenneth Mitchell , known for his multiple roles on “Star Trek: Discovery,” died from ALS complications on Saturday. He was 49.

“For five and a half years, Ken faced a series of awful challenges from ALS. And in truest Ken fashion, he managed to rise above each one with grace and commitment, to living a full and joyous life in each moment,” a statement reads on Mitchell’s official Instagram page. “He lived by the principals that each day is a gift and we never walk alone.”

In 2020, Mitchell announced to People that he was diagnosed with ALS in 2018. The actor had been using a wheelchair since 2019.

“I think it, over time, became the theme of us accepting this with grace,” he said. “Trying to see the beauty in it, in a way. I’ll never forget, one of my ‘Star Trek’ co-stars told me, because they had dealt with some trying times with illnesses and stuff, and I remember them communicating to me, saying, ‘You have a choice. You can look at this in many different ways, but maybe try to look at this like a gift where you get to experience life in a way that most people don’t.'”

He also revealed to People that he had to give up his part as the lead in a television show, which would require him to move to Newfoundland. “Being lead of the show, I really wanted that responsibility. But in the end, it just wasn’t the right thing to continue on,” he said.

Donations to Mitchell’s family can be made to this GoFundMe campaign .

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Return to Tomorrow

Return to Tomorrow

  • The Enterprise is guided to a distant, long-dead world where survivors of an extremely ancient race - existing only as disembodied energy - desiring the bodies of Kirk, Spock and astro-biologist Ann Mulhall so that they may live again.
  • From a planet bereft of life for half a million years, the Enterprise hears the voice of Sargon, who is able to control the ship and tells them to transport to specific coordinates which target them to a subterranean chamber. The away party consisted of Kirk, Spock, McCoy and astro-biologist Ann Mulhall; the security guards they planned to take along were prevented from de-materializing. Sargon is one of only three survivors of the planet's intelligent race - pure energy, matter without form. They tell the away party that they once started life on Earth and many other places. Suddenly Sargon possesses Kirk's body, saying he requires Spock and Ann Mulhall's bodies, too, in order to give the only other survivors of his race new life. He promises the bodies will be returned after they build superior mechanical robots as their definitive bodies, then leaves Kirk's and allows them to beam up and freely make up their minds. McCoy isn't tempted by curiosity and potential benefits, but Kirk convinces him to re-think his veto. However the human bodies need a metabolic reduction injection; the alien in Spock's body uses Vulcan mind control to make nurse Christine Chapel give Kirk, Sargon's host, an injection that would kill Sargon (and also Kirk). Sargon's wife implores Sargon to leave Kirk's body before they both die - can Kirk be revived, as his mind is still in Sargon's mind-receptacle from the planet. The aliens have more surprises in store. — KGF Vissers
  • Brought deep into an uncharted part of the galaxy, the Enterprise comes across three disembodied beings, their essence each contained in a globe-like receptacle. Their leader, Sargon, asks only one thing of Kirk and his crew - lend them the bodies of Kirk, Spock and crew member Ann Mulhall long enough for them to build robot bodies to inhabit for perpetuity. The beings have been without physical form since their civilization was destroyed over 500,000 years ago but have powers far greater than ordinary humans. Kirk and the rest agree to the exchange, but the alien occupying Spock's body, Henoch, clearly has designs on keeping the body he has just obtained. When he manages to convince Thalassa to do the same, Sargon - and the body of Capt. Kirk - is in trouble. — garykmcd
  • Anne Mulhall (Diana Muldaur) is a red-haired Irish crew member with special skills in astrobiology The Enterprise has been summoned by a powerful force named Sargon. He explains that he needs to speak to Captain Kirk, Anne Mulhall and Mr Spock immediately. Spock says that the planet has been devoid of life for .5 MM yrs after a cataclysmic event. When they beam down, they find themselves in a chamber 1000 meters below the surface. There is a glowing light inside a plastic pillar bubble. This is Sargon. Sargon has no body. He is the mind of a powerful being from centuries before, his mind preserved in the bubble. His voice explains to Kirk. "We were a powerful race, but as our power grew, we became envious, and destroyed each other. Sargon says that eons ago their ancestors explored the galaxy as humans do now and hence it is possible that humans are their descendants. The greatest minds from both sides of Sargon's war were preserved in these bubbles." Kirk sees many bubbles in the chamber, but most are dark. Sargon says "We knew our mistakes. We need to share what happened with the universe, and prevent it from happening to others. Only three of us have survived. Myself, my wife Thalassa, and Hennock, one of our enemies. Now we must work together, but we cannot, inside these bubbles. We need to have human form, so that we may create robot bodies for ourselves that will contain our essences." The possession of the body by Sargon increases the metabolic rate and the heart rate, and thus Sargon can occupy it only for a short while. Kirk is told that it will only be done with his consent. After a debate with his officers, Kirk explains that the mission of the Enterprise is to contact new life and to be open. He consents, and after a brief possession of his body by Sargon, agrees to allow the three to possess three of them, with their consent. Thalassa possesses Anne Mulhall, and Hennock possesses Spock. Aboard the ship, Kirk, Spock and Anne's consciousnesses are in the bubbles, and the super-beings begin making the robot bodies. But these entities did not realize the strong temptation to remain in the bodies, having been merely brains for so long. Thalassa resents it, but is willing to do as her husband says. But Hennock has other plans. First he hypnotizes Nurse Chapel to make Sargon/Kirk's body sick. He uses Nurse Chapel to inject Sargon's body with a formula different (with an intention to kill Sargon, as he knows Sargon will not allow him to retain the body) to what he is giving Thalassa and himself. He has no plans to leave Spock's body. Hennock finally poisons Kirk's body enough that he dies. But then Thalassa also decides that she likes Anne's body and decides to trade McCoy Kirk's body's life in exchange for his silence that Thalassa will never exit Anne. But she is stopped by Sargon, who had taken refuge inside the Ship. Thalassa understands the temptation of flesh and restores Kirk's body and returns Kirk into it. Similary Thalassa returns her body to Anne, and takes her consciousness inside the ship to join Sargon. After wreaking havoc on the bridge, the crew discovers damage to the bubbles. Hennock has destroyed them. Spock is no more (since his consciousness was in one of those bubbles). Hennock, now in command of the bridge and mentally hurting and abusing everybody with his mind, laughs and turns to his 'slave' Nurse Chapel. "Inject Kirk with the poison" he laughs. But she turns and instead injects Hennock. He is aghast and open-mouth. "Noooo!" he yells. He quickly leaves the body but cannot find a host body, and dies. Then they hear a voice. It is Sargon, who restores Spock's body by getting rid of the poison. Spock is somehow alive but woozy. Kirk asks "What happened?" Sargon's voice explained. "There was no poison in the injection, Hennock simply thought there was, and fled, but his 'slave' was not under his power. We know now that the temptation of human bodies such as yours and Miss Mulhall's are too strong for us. Thalassa agrees but does not have sufficient power to respond as I do. She is with me here." Kirk is stunned. But how did Spock's essence survive? Nurse Chapel has the answer. "His essence was inside me. For a while, we shared consciousness.". Kirk asks "Sargon, what will you do now?" Sargon says "We will perish, but you must tell the universe our story. we have only one request before we die." Kirk wonders what. "One moment for my wife and I to be human again, to say goodbye in flesh." Kirk looks at Anne. She agrees. Suddenly they are Sargon and Thalassa. They proclaim their love and engage in one final deep kiss. Then they vanish. There is Kirk in Anne's arms. He coughs. "Well, thank you, Miss Mulhall, for doing your duty." She smiles and says "My pleasure, Sir."

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COMMENTS

  1. "Star Trek" Return to Tomorrow (TV Episode 1968)

    Return to Tomorrow: Directed by Ralph Senensky. With William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Diana Muldaur. The Enterprise is guided to a distant, long-dead world where survivors of an extremely ancient race - existing only as disembodied energy - desiring the bodies of Kirk, Spock and astro-biologist Ann Mulhall so that they may live again.

  2. Return to Tomorrow

    "Return to Tomorrow" is the twentieth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by John T. Dugan (under the pen-name "John Kingsbridge") and directed by Ralph Senensky, it was first broadcast February 9, 1968.. In the episode, telepathic aliens take control of Captain Kirk, Dr. Ann Mulhall (Diana Muldaur), and First Officer Spock's bodies ...

  3. "Star Trek" Return to Tomorrow (TV Episode 1968)

    "Star Trek" Return to Tomorrow (TV Episode 1968) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Menu. ... Cast (in credits order) complete ... William Shatner ... Captain James Tiberius 'Jim' Kirk / Sargon: Leonard Nimoy ... Mister Spock / Henoch: DeForest Kelley ... Dr. McCoy: Diana Muldaur ...

  4. "Star Trek" Return to Tomorrow (TV Episode 1968)

    "Star Trek" Return to Tomorrow (TV Episode 1968) William Shatner as Captain James Tiberius 'Jim' Kirk, Sargon. Menu. ... When Sargon and I exchanged, as we passed each other, for an instant, we were one. I know him now. ... Full Cast and Crew; Release Dates; Official Sites; Company Credits; Filming & Production; Technical Specs;

  5. Return to Tomorrow (episode)

    The Enterprise in orbit of Sargon's destroyed homeworld. Act One []. In his captain's log (Stardate 4768.3 - see below), Captain Kirk states his intention to risk contact; Lieutenant Uhura tells him that the entry will not reach Starfleet for three weeks due to the Enterprise's distance from known space. Spock's science station probes touch the mysterious planetary speaker, named Sargon, who ...

  6. Sargon

    Sargon was a disembodied being - "matter without form" - among the last of a species of highly advanced humanoids who had evolved to a point where their mental powers had become almost god-like. When a cataclysmic war about half a million years ago ripped away Arret's atmosphere, Sargon and ten others chosen from both warring factions transferred their consciousnesses into spherical ...

  7. Star Trek S2 E20 "Return to Tomorrow" / Recap

    Original air date: February 9, 1968. The Enterprise's mission leads them to uncharted territory, hundreds of light years beyond the territories explored by any Earth ship, pursuing a mysterious signal that turns out to originate from a world dead half a million years, sent by an alien that calls itself "Sargon" and begs the Enterprise for ...

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    Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Diana Muldaur, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Cindy Lou, and Majel Barrett ... "Return to Tomorrow" makes for a classic episode of Star Trek. Especially commendable are the scenes involving Sargon and his wife Thalassa, which complement John T. Dugan's science fiction ...

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    Includes all episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy, and Strange New Worlds. ... An alien being named Sargon—who exists as pure energy without a form—invites a small team to beam down to a planet that had been ...

  11. Return to Tomorrow (Episode)

    Return to Tomorrow. Stardate 4768.3: Telepathic aliens take over Kirk and Spock's bodies. Answering a mysterious distress call from Arret [1] —a planet thought long dead— Kirk, McCoy, and Dr. Ann Mulhall are transported underground to confront the last three survivors of that world's civilization. Sargon, Thalassa, and Henoch have preserved ...

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    50 years ago today, Sargon and his people borrowed the bodies of this landing crew

  17. "Star Trek" Return to Tomorrow (TV Episode 1968)

    Sargon : Because it is possible you are our descendants, Captain Kirk. Six thousand centuries ago, our vessels were colonizing this galaxy, just as your own starships have now begun to explore that vastness. As you now leave your own seed on distant planets, so we left our seed behind us. Perhaps your own legends of an Adam and an Eve were two ...

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