Dagger of the Mind (episode)

A routine visit to the Tantalus Penal Colony proves dangerous for Kirk and an Enterprise psychiatrist.

Teaser
While on a routine cargo drop to the Tantalus Penal Colony, the Enterprise takes on a stowaway, the violently insane Simon Van Gelder.

Act One
After eluding security, Van Gelder storms the bridge and demands asylum. After he's captured and restrained, Spock determines that Van Gelder is a former associate of Tantalus administrator Doctor Tristan Adams, assigned to the colony only six months prior.

Required by regulations to investigate Van Gelder's injury, Kirk decides to visit the penal colony with someone who has psychiatric experience.

Act Two
Kirk beams down with Doctor Helen Noel, a psychiatrist. Adams tells them Van Gelder injured his mind by testing an experimental therapy device on himself, the neural neutralizer.

On board the Enterprise, Spock and McCoy continue to investigate Van Gelder, whose ravings are difficult to decipher. However, at one point, Van Gelder claims Dr. Adams will destroy "like death".

Act Three
Spock is forced to employ an ancient technique, the Vulcan mind meld, to learn the truth that Van Gelder cannot speak aloud. He learns that Adams has been experimenting on various individuals, including Van Gelder.

At the colony, Kirk and Noel investigate the neural neutralizer privately. Kirk wants first-hand experience with the device. With Kirk in the treatment chair, Noel implants some simple suggestions. Including that Kirk and Noel went back to Kirk's quarters for a romantic evening after a meeting at the science labs Christmas party, which didn't really occur. They learn the device is far more effective than Adams had led them to believe, but this knowledge comes too late: Adams surprises them, immobilizes Noel, and begins using the device to condition Kirk.

Act Four
Fighting off the suggestions placed in his mind by Adams, Kirk dispatches Noel through the air conditioning ducts, in the hope she can find the power controls and deactivate the security force field. That field protects the facility, and prevents transporters from operating in it. Noel manages to take care of the guard in the power control room and deactivate the field long enough for Spock and a security force to beam down and secure the colony.

In an ironic twist, Dr. Adams dies of exposure to the neural neutralizer. Dr. Van Gelder is cured, and resumes his responsibilities at the colony. He also dismantles and destroys the neural neutralizer equipment.

Log Entries

 * "Captain's log, stardate 2715.1. Exchanged cargo with penal colony on Tantalus 5, have departed without going ashore."


 * "Captain's log, stardate 2715.2. Standard orbit... planet: Tantalus 5... mission: routine investigation and report as per ship's surgeon medical log. As for my last entry, it seems that I will get to meet Dr. Adams at last, however I would prefer other circumstances."


 * "Enterprise log, first officer Spock acting captain. I must now use an ancient Vulcan technique to probe into Van Gelder's tortured mind."

Memorable Quotes
"A cage is a cage, Jim."
 * - McCoy, on penal colonies

"Interesting. Your Earth people glorify organized violence for forty centuries, but you imprison those who employ it privately."
 * - Spock, to McCoy

"Where there is no emotion, there is no motive for violence."
 * - Spock, to McCoy

"I want asylum."

"At gunpoint?"
 * - Van Gelder and Kirk, as Van Gelder storms into the bridge

"You smart, button-pushing brass hat! Wash your hands of it! Is that your system?"
 * - Van Gelder to Kirk, in sickbay

"May we never find space so vast, planets so cold, heart and mind so empty that, that we cannot fill them with love and warmth."
 * - Adams, toasting with Kirk and Noel

"One of the advantages of being a captain, doctor, is being able to ask for advice without necessarily having to take it."
 * - Kirk, to Noel

"You begin to feel a strange euphoria. Your body floats."
 * - Spock, performing his first mind-meld on a human

"It's hard to believe that a man could die of loneliness."

"Not when you've sat in that room."
 * - McCoy and Kirk, on the death of Doctor Adams

Production

 * The first draft for this episode's script was turned in on . The final draft was turned in 30 July, and the revised final draft turned in 5 August, with further revised pages dated 6 and 8 August.
 * Writer S. Bar-David is a pen name for Shimon Wincelberg. He incorporated several references to Jewish parables into the screenplay.
 * The part of Helen Noel was originally written for Grace Lee Whitney's character Janice Rand; however, producers wanted to avoid showing Kirk becoming involved with her, and Whitney was already on the verge of leaving the show due to personal problems on the set. (The Star Trek Compendium) In any event, from a dramatic point of view, it made more sense for a trained psychotherapist, rather than a yeoman, to accompany Kirk to the Tantalus rehabilitation colony.
 * The title of this episode is taken from a line of Shakespeare's play, Macbeth. Macbeth is preparing to murder Duncan, the King of Scotland, and sees a dagger that he attempts to grasp, only to discover it is a figment of his imagination. The relevant passage from the soliloquy reads:
 * Is this a dagger which I see before me
 * The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.
 * I have thee not, and yet I see thee still
 * Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
 * To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but
 * A dagger of the mind, a false creation
 * Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?
 * The name "Lethe" is a reference to the River of Forgetfulness in Greek mythology. (The Star Trek Compendium)
 * The shot of the Enterprise miniature heading back to Tantalus at the beginning of Act Two does not appear in any other episode. The ship shifts slightly before veering out of frame; when this shot is used in other episodes, model merely veers off.
 * This was the final episode solely produced by Gene Roddenberry.
 * The producers still hadn't settled on background sound effects for the bridge when this episode was produced. Both the older bridge sound effect (first heard in ) and the familiar whirring sound that eventually would became standard were used in this episode.
 * After finishing this episode, Morgan Woodward (playing the emotionally and physically intense role of Van Gelder) reportedly went home and took a rest for four days.

Cast

 * James Doohan (Scotty) and George Takei (Sulu) do not appear in this episode.

Sets and Props

 * The wall behind the transporter console has been replaced with a panel from engineering in this episode. This is so the transporter operator can be distracted by checking the instruments as Van Gelder emerges from the box that's on the pad.
 * When Fields calls the bridge to report sighting Van Gelder in the corridor, the sign on the wall next to him says "Personnel Director." Another sign in the corridor can be seen to say "Science Library" while one with an arrow points to "Briefing Room."
 * The chair used in the neural neutralizer room was later re-used by Garth in.
 * The matte painting for is recycled here, with the towers on the fuel bins painted out and a different doorway added.

Costumes

 * The treatment smocks worn by Adams and Eli have the same insignia as Dr. Cory in.

Continuity

 * This episode is mentioned as taking place after a Christmas party in the science labs. This is one of the few times a religious holiday is mentioned in the Star Trek future, and Christmas in particular was never mentioned again until . Additionally, the surname of the character who mentions this Christmas party to Kirk is (Helen) "Noel," which means "Christmas" in French.
 * This episode marks the first appearance of the Vulcan mind meld. The final shooting draft of this script had Spock placing his hands on Van Gelder's abdomen while performing the mind meld.
 * The box beamed up from Tantalus in which Van Gelder is hiding is labeled "Bureau of Penology, Stockholm, Eurasia-NE." This may indicate that in the 23rd century, independent nations will no longer exist on Earth.
 * A shipping label produced for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine shows that a (now elderly) Dr. Van Gelder is still in charge of the Tantalus Penal Colony in the 2370s.
 * The flashback scenes of "last year's Christmas party" indicate that the mid-2260s Starfleet uniforms were issued by the end of 2265.

Production Timeline

 * Revised story outline by Shimon Wincelberg:
 * 2nd Revised story outline:
 * Story outline:
 * Story outline:
 * Final draft teleplay by Shimon Wincelberg:
 * Filmed: –
 * Original airdate:
 * First UK airdate:

Video and DVD Releases

 * Original US Betamax release:.
 * Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 6, catalogue number VHR 2253, release date unknown.
 * US VHS release:.
 * UK re-release (three-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 1.4,.
 * Original US DVD release (single-disc): Volume 5,.
 * As part of the TOS Season 1 DVD collection.
 * As part of the TOS Season 1 HD DVD collection.
 * As part of the TOS Season 1 Blu-ray collection.

Starring

 * William Shatner as Capt. Kirk

Also Starring

 * Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock

Guest Star

 * James Gregory as Tristan Adams

Co-Starring

 * DeForest Kelley as Leonard McCoy
 * Morgan Woodward as Simon Van Gelder
 * And


 * Marianna Hill as Helen Noel

Featuring

 * Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
 * Susanne Wasson as Lethe
 * John Arndt as the first crewman
 * Larry Anthony as the transportation man
 * Ed McCready as an inmate
 * Eli Behar as a therapist

Uncredited Co-Stars

 * Walt Davis as a Tantalus therapist
 * Frank da Vinci as Vinci
 * Lou Elias as an electrocuted Inmate Guard
 * Jeannie Malone as a Tantalus inmate
 * Eddie Paskey as Leslie
 * Unknown actor as Karl

Stunt Double

 * Irene Sale as Hill's stunt double

Stand-ins

 * William Blackburn as the stand-in for DeForest Kelley
 * Frank da Vinci as the stand-in for Leonard Nimoy
 * Jeannie Malone as the stand-in for Marianna Hill
 * Eddie Paskey as the stand-in for William Shatner

External link


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