{"id":4035,"date":"2013-07-11T04:57:41","date_gmt":"2013-07-11T04:57:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/19-Dagger-of-the-MInd"},"modified":"2013-07-11T04:57:41","modified_gmt":"2013-07-11T04:57:41","slug":"19-dagger-of-the-mind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relivethemajesty.com\/index.php\/2013\/07\/11\/19-dagger-of-the-mind\/","title":{"rendered":"1.9 — \u201cDagger of the MInd\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n

1.9 — \u201cDagger of the MInd\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The teaser is great, with the image of Dr. van Gelder climbing out of the box–very sinister with the shadows. \u00a0This is not a very secure penal colony, however. \u00a0The air ducts are like highways–you can practically walk upright in there, and all the vents are on hinges! Perhaps security is not so important when the whole planet is a prison? Morgan Woodward, the actor who played van Gelder (who was also in Cool Hand Luke<\/em> and Dallas<\/em>), acted the snot out of this. Wikipedia and Memory Alpha say he was not himself for 3 weeks after filming, and went so deep in the role that it took a toll on his personal life and his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Helen Noel… why does that name remind me of Dr. Christmas Jones? \u00a0Well, hello there, Doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penal colonies. \u201cA shifting of memory patterns is basic to psychotherapy.\u201d I feel like I should have something interesting to say here, since I work with forensic psychiatric hospitals. I don’t feel too inspired by this episode, however. It seems conventional, somehow, compared with previous installments (although objectively the plot is gonzo weird). I guess it felt too much like other old shows to me, like it could have been an episode of Wonder Woman<\/em> or Mission: Impossible<\/em> or Charlie’s Angels<\/em>. I didn’t really buy Dr. Adams as a villain–I don’t feel like you get the sense of why he’s doing any of this. I it would have been more interesting if, instead of becoming blank slates, the “victims” became like a cult of groupies who love the procedure, or are addicted to it, but in the process become Stepford-ized in a creepy way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However–first Vulcan Mind Meld! I love the reticence and vulnerability Nimoy brings to the procedure. He’s supposed to be the most emotionally untouchable crewmember, yet you always get the sense of a wounded, wound up, complicated being. I thought the chemistry between the trinity was very good, with Spock really seeming otherworldly, on a different plane than Kirk and McCoy during the banter. \u201cInteresting. Your Earth people glorify organized violence for forty centuries, but you imprison those who employ it privately.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a man Kirk is–he’s shown resisting the mind control machine as no one ever has before, and heroically overcoming Dr. Adams’ programming through force of will. Interestingly, we do not see the programming relating to Dr. Noel get reversed–are there lasting effects? Does he just compartamentalize it? Does Kirk carry pain and longing for Helen in part of his mind forever? Since Dr. van Gelder achieves a complete cure, however, perhaps the effect is reversible. Would you want to have access to Dr. Adams’ machine? In the hands of a trusted therapist?<\/p>\n\n\n

http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dagger_of_the_mind<\/a>