What Are Little Girls Made Of? (episode)

The Enterprise finds archaeologist Dr. Roger Korby, who has been missing for five years, living underground on a deserted planet with a group of sophisticated androids.

Teaser
The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) approaches the planet Exo III to learn the fate of Dr. Roger Korby, whose last message was sent over five years earlier. Two previous expeditions have failed to uncover any trace of the Korby expedition.

Despite the odds, Korby and at least part of his expedition have survived by taking refuge in underground ruins left by the former inhabitants of the planet.

Act One
Korby requests that Kirk beam down alone, explaining that he has made discoveries that may require an extraordinary decision on Kirk's part. But when he learns Christine Chapel, his fiancée, is aboard, he extends the invitation to include her.

Kirk and Chapel beam down but are met by no one so Kirk has two security officers beam down as well. One security officer is instructed to remain at the beam location while Kirk, Chapel, and the other security officer Mathews, explore the ancient ruins, searching for Korby. Shortly after they meet Dr. Brown, Dr. Korby's assistant, Matthews falls into a "bottomless" cavern, leaving Kirk and Chapel alone. Dr. Brown seems somewhat detached and aloof, barely reacting to Matthews' tragic fall. They also meet Andrea, a beautiful woman.

Kirk meets Korby, who seems friendly enough. But he insists there be no communication with the ship. This is not acceptable to Kirk, especially since he has also lost contact with Rayburn, whom he left at the entrance to the complex. When Brown threatens Kirk, there is a brief struggle during which Brown is shot – and it is revealed that he is not Human, but a complex android. Meanwhile, the massive android Ruk immobilizes Kirk and prevents his escape.

Act Two
In another room, Korby has Ruk, imitating Kirk's voice, send a message to the Enterprise, where Spock had been concerned that Kirk's routine check-in time had past. Korby warns Kirk that if he moves or cries out to Spock, Ruk will have no choice but to harm him. "Kirk" informs Spock that everything is fine and to maintain routine contact and signs off. Korby informs Kirk that Ruk had been tending the machinery in the ruins for longer than even he could remember. With his help and with the records Korby found, they built Brown. Korby informs Kirk that Ruk killed Matthews and Rayburn, but Korby claims it was against his orders. Korby has Ruk imitate other voices, but grows angry when Ruk imitates Chapel. He orders Ruk to never to harm Chapel, and at Kirk's prompting, adds that he is to obey all of Chapel's commands. Kirk attempts to once again escape but Ruk is too fast for him. The hulking android picks him up and throws him across the room like a doll.

Korby returns to the main dining room to join Christine and Andrea. Kirk is being held securely by Ruk, and he reveals the rest of his plans to Kirk and Christine. He then reveals that Andrea, too, is an android. Korby feels that in order for Kirk and Christine to understand the nature of his experiments, he plans to give them both a personal demonstration. A short time later, Korby leads Christine to his laboratory where the android duplicator, with a human-shaped blank locked down on the side facing her, catches her attention. Korby informs her that this is how an android is made, then orders Andrea to slightly turn the platform and Christine is horrified to see Kirk, lying naked and unconscious, locked down by Ruk, on the other side.

Act Three
Kirk is then spun around to be made a copy of while a shocked Christine looks on in confusion. Soon the physical process is completed. Korby says the android is an exact physical replica of the real Kirk. He then explains that he will transfer all of Kirk's memories into the android to make the duplication complete. But Kirk overhears this, and while Korby readies the machine, Kirk murmurs to himself, "Mind your own business, Mr. Spock, I'm sick of your half-breed interference, do you hear?" He repeats this as the memories are copied. Korby then presents his new android to Chapel. "How do you do, Miss Chapel?"'

After the experiment, "Kirk" joins Chapel for lunch, and asks her if she would obey if he gave her an order to betray Roger Korby. Chapel says, "Please don't ask me to make that choice." The tone of the conversation causes her to lose her appetite, but she encourages "Kirk" to eat. With a smile, he informs her that "Androids don't eat, Miss Chapel." She had been talking to the android Kirk all along. Korby, Ruk, and the real Kirk, wearing a jumpsuit similar to Korby's, enter and even Kirk is impressed. He quizzes his duplicate on details of his life and family, but the android answers every question perfectly. The duplicate Kirk is sent to the Enterprise to secure the command packet containing the ship's itinerary. Korby will select a colony where he can begin carefully manufacturing android replacements. He believes he can create a superior android civilization, and he plans to prove it.

Kirk makes a third attempt to escape and as Ruk pursues him, Chapel yells after him, "I order you not to harm him!" Ruk imitates Chapel's voice in an attempt to lure Kirk out of hiding, but Kirk sees through the ruse and attacks Ruk with a broken-off stalactite. In the struggle, Kirk falls and hangs dangerously from the edge of another deep hole.

Act Four
But after staring at him for a moment, Ruk pulls him to safety.

Meanwhile on the Enterprise, Spock is surprised by Kirk's unannounced return. When he tries to inquire about Dr. Korby, Kirk snaps at him, "Mind your own business, Mr. Spock. I'm sick of your half-breed interference, do you hear?" Immediately after this uncharacteristic outburst, Kirk is pleasant again; he returns to the planet, leaving a very bewildered Spock behind. Realizing something is wrong, he forms a security team to prepare to beam down.

On the planet, the real Kirk makes romantic advances to Andrea, which confuses her, since she was not programmed to respond to him. Kirk is then confronted by Ruk and discusses the Old Ones with him. Kirk learns more about the ancient civilization: they built their machines too well, became fearful of them, and started shutting them off. Survival outweighed programming; the androids murdered their creators. Goaded by Kirk, Ruk grows angry and realizes that Korby is doing the exact same thing. He starts to threaten Korby and Korby is forced to destroy Ruk. Meanwhile, Andrea comes across the android Kirk and tries to repeat the romantic advances, thinking he is the real Kirk. When the android Kirk refuses, Andrea destroys him with a phaser.

In a scuffle between Kirk and Korby, a section of skin is torn from the back of Korby's hand, revealing wires and circuits. Korby is an android also.

Korby tries to explain to a shocked Chapel that while critically injured, he built a perfect body and decanted himself into it. He claims that he's still the real Roger Korby, but is unable to demonstrate any uniquely "Human" qualities.

The breakdown of this small segment of android civilization reveals the pitfalls of Korby's Utopian vision. Soon enough, even he realizes this, and hands over his phaser in defeat and despair. But Andrea will not relinquish hers, and she confusedly tries to profess her love for Korby. As she kisses him, Korby pulls the trigger in her hand, killing them both.

Spock and his security team arrive and come upon Kirk and Chapel. When Spock inquired about Korby's whereabouts, Kirk replies to his first officer, "Dr. Korby... was never here."

Back on the ship, Chapel decides to stay on the Enterprise. Spock then tells Kirk of his dismay over his use of the term "half-breed". Kirk replies, "I'll remember that, Mr. Spock... the next time I find myself in a similar situation."

Log Entries

 * "Captain's log, stardate 2712.4. A signal from planet Exo III, Doctor Roger Korby has been located. He and part of his expedition remaining alive due to the discovery of underground ruins left by the former inhabitants of this world."

Memorable Quotes
"''Dr. Korby has discovered that as their sun dimmed, the inhabitants of this planet moved underground, from an open environment to this dark world. When you were a student of his, Christine, you must have often heard Dr. Korby remark how freedom of movement and choice produced the human spirit. The culture of Exo III proved his theory. When they moved from light to darkness, they replaced freedom with a mechanistic culture."
 * - Dr. Brown, describing the cultural changes which took place on Exo III to Kirk and Chapel

"You think I could love a machine?"

"Did you?"
 * - Korby and Chapel, on Andrea

"A thing is not a woman."
 * - Korby, to Chapel

"Andrea, kiss Captain Kirk. [Andrea kisses him] Now, strike him. [Andrea strikes him]"
 * - Roger Korby

"Mind your own business, Mister Spock. I'm sick of your half-breed interference! Do you hear?"
 * - Kirk, implanting a mental suggestion into his android duplicate

"Eating is a pleasure, sir. Unfortunately, one you will never know."

"Perhaps. But I will never starve, sir."
 * - Kirk and his duplicate

"In android form, a human being can have practical immortality. Can you see what I'm offering mankind?"

"Programming -- different word, but the same old promises made by Genghis Khan, Julius Caesar, Hitler..."

"Can you imagine how life could be improved if we could do away with jealousy, greed, hate?"

"It can also be improved by eliminating love, tenderness, sentiment. The other side of the coin, doctor."
 * - Korby and Kirk

"No...No...Not programmed for you."
 * - Andrea, confused after a passionate kiss from Kirk

"That was the equation! Existence! Survival must cancel out programming!"
 * - Ruk, before Korby destroys him

"Aren't you doing exactly what you hate most in humans: killing with no more concern than when you turn off a light?"

"I am not a computer. Test me. Ask me to solve any...Equate...Transmit...Christine! Christine, let me prove myself!..."

"Don't you see Roger? Everything you've done has proved it isn't you."

"I am Roger Korby!"
 * - Kirk, Korby, and Christine, after Korby's true identity is revealed

"Doctor Korby... was never here."
 * - Kirk, to Spock

Production

 * The first draft of this episode's script was completed . The revised final draft was turned in 27 July.
 * This is the only episode that prominently features Nurse Chapel.
 * This was the first episode to be repeated by NBC on 22 December,.
 * The script of this episode was in such a bad shape, that Gene Roddenberry had to make revisions simultaneously with the filming of the episode, and shooting had to wait until new pages arrived. (Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, p. 204)
 * James Goldstone, who directed the second pilot, was hired to direct this episode, because the production staff greatly praised his work. However, filming of this episode went two days over schedule (mostly due to the aforementioned script problems), resulting in eight shooting days. Goldstone was never re-hired. (Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, p. 204)
 * Robert Justman personally assembled the episode previews for the series, some of which had specially-recorded narration by William Shatner, as this episode does. The previews have great value to Star Trek scholars as they are the only filmed source remaining (other than the blooper reels and cutting room film clips in the hands of fans) for alternate takes, cut scenes and other lost details.
 * Justman also selected the stills used for the end credits, and his sense of humor was often apparent in them. The image of the grotesque Balok puppet was purposely put under Herb Solow's production credit during season two, for example. In the end credits for this episode, he pulls another silly joke: when Michael "Strong"'s guest star credit appears alone on the screen, the still image is that of Ted Cassidy showing his "strength" by lifting William Shatner over his head.
 * This is the episode from which the famous blooper reel clip originates featuring Nimoy and his son Adam (who will later go on to direct two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation) with Vulcan ears on. The proof of this is Nimoy's spoken line, "Are you all right, captain? You sound tired." which is spoken in this episode.
 * There is also another blooper from this episode in the first season blooper reel. In it, the cast uses Korby's android machine dais as a go-go dance platform. You can see Nichelle Nichols without her Uhura wig in this clip.
 * Kirk's walk to the turbolift from his quarters is stock footage from . He does not have in his hand the command packet he had retrieved from his safe a moment before.
 * While much of the score in this episode is stock music, small bits of new music were composed for it by Fred Steiner. Andrea's theme was re-used in as Leila Kalomi sought to explain the nature of the Omicron Ceti III spores to Spock, while the Ruk music signified danger in many future episodes.
 * William Shatner (Kirk) kisses Sherry Jackson (Andrea) so hard that when they pull apart you can see that her lips are swollen a little, and that most of her lipstick is gone and all over his lips. In 1998, the Sci-Fi Channel aired all the original Star Trek series episodes in their complete, non-syndicated format, with added interviews from some of the series stars, guest stars and production people. It was called "Star Trek Insights". Sherry Jackson said in her interview, "I must say when he kissed me on screen, he really kissed me!".
 * In the same interview Jackson said that William Shatner's chest had to be shaved for his nude scenes in the android machine.
 * The title comes from the children's nursery rhyme: "What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice and everything nice".
 * In one part of the episode Chapel asks Spock if he has ever been engaged; the truth about this will be revealed in.

Cast

 * Budd Albright had appeared previously in an uncredited part as the ill-fated Crewman Barnhart in.
 * DeForest Kelley (McCoy), James Doohan (Scotty) and George Takei (Sulu) do not appear in this episode. Along with and  this is one of only three episodes after the pilots in which Kelley does not appear.
 * The role of Mathews was played by stuntman Vince Deadrick. Decades later, his son, Vince Deadrick, Jr., recalled of the senior Vince Deadrick, "One of his most memorable scenes was when he got thrown into that bottomless cave as Mathews in 'What Are Little Girls Made Of?' You heard his scream all the way down–'Ahhhhhhh!'–as it got fainter and fainter and fainter." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 138, p. 41)

Sets and Props

 * Brown and Andrea both use old-style laser pistols seen in the pilots and.
 * In the still photograph of Korby on Spock's station screen, he is wearing one of the turtleneck shirts from.
 * The graphic of Exo III shown on Spock's screen is seen again in the USS Defiant (NCC-1764)'s sickbay in.
 * The same stock footage of ice fields, used to represent the Exo III surface is reused and seen on one of the Atavachron discs Spock is watching in.

Costumes

 * To test the effectiveness of Cassidy's Ruk costume and makeup, the producers arranged for Cassidy to receive a visiting clothes dealer while costumed as Ruk.  Sure enough, the salesman, who thought he was calling on Gene Roddenberry, was so frightened at Cassidy's intimidating character, he was barely coherent even as he attempted to do his pitch.  However, the salesman eventually recovered, and Roddenberry ended up purchasing some pants from him. (The Making of Star Trek)
 * By contrast, Andrea's revealing costume never failed to get an enthusiastically appreciative response whether it be stunning a noisy commissary into silence when the actress showed it off there, or when it was displayed at a SF convention and the model for it found herself being approached by a large number of men, including Harlan Ellison, trying to secure a date from her. This was probably the held in  in September, 1966. Allan Asherman mentions the model in the Andrea-dress when he describes the event in his book Star Trek Compendium. Star Trek premiered to the public on this convention, with Gene Roddenberry himself showing  as a special presentation.

Continuity

 * Sherry Jackson appears to walk into the same room twice when she reports to Korby after phasering the Kirk android. It is possible, however, that she entered a connecting corridor after destroying the android, and her appearance in Korby's quarters afterward constitutes her arrival from that corridor.
 * This episode marks the final appearance of the early black and white phaser 2. It was replaced by more detailed blue-gray and black models.
 * A key point of the Saturday Night Live spoof of Star Trek conventions, featuring William Shatner, was the question from a fan about the combination of Kirk's safe. The combination is different in this episode than in,  and.
 * This episode marks the first redshirt deaths in the series, starting with Crewman Mathews.

Apocrypha

 * This episode produced a sequel in the form of the novel Double, Double by Michael Jan Friedman. In it, another Brown android returns from an expedition, finds Korby and the others "dead," and creates a new Kirk android. The androids then again attempt to put Korby's plan into operation, taking over the Enterprise and Hood while arranging the removal of the original Kirk.
 * According to The Worst of Both Worlds, the mirror universe $𝜇$ of the destroyed the last surviving member of the android society (presumably Ruk's mirror counterpart) on Exo III, who had likewise turned on their masters and killed them.

Production Timeline

 * Revised story outline by Robert Bloch:
 * First draft teleplay by Robert Bloch:
 * Revised draft:
 * Filmed: –
 * Original airdate:
 * Rerun airdate:
 * First UK airdate:

Video and DVD Releases

 * Original US Betamax/VHS release:.
 * Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 6, catalog 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

 * Michael Strong as Roger Korby

Co-Starring

 * Sherry Jackson as Andrea
 * Ted Cassidy as Ruk
 * And:


 * Majel Barrett as Christine Chapel

Featuring

 * Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
 * Harry Basch as Brown
 * Vince Deadrick as Mathews
 * Budd Albright as Rayburn

Uncredited Co-Stars

 * Eddie Paskey as Leslie

Stunt Doubles

 * Paul Baxley as the stunt double for William Shatner
 * Budd Albright as the body double for William Shatner
 * Denver Mattson as the stunt double for Budd Albright

Stand-ins

 * Frank da Vinci as the stand-in for Leonard Nimoy
 * Jeannie Malone as the stand-in for Sherry Jackson
 * Eddie Paskey as the stand-in for William Shatner