The Deadly Years - episode #40
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The Deadly Years - episode #40
THE DEADLY YEARS (2nd season; episode #40)
Directed by Joseph Pevney writer: David P. Harmon
Senility Strikes! You're not sure whether you should be sad or laughing during the course of this episode - but usually you'll laugh; it's hard not to these days. Of course, if you've ever had a parent or other close relative going through something like dementia, for example, it may give you pause. But then again, this is escapist fare - you're not supposed to take it too seriously. The Enterprise crew encounter the latest unknown space disease, a form of aging. The cause turns out to be radiation left over from a passing comet. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty and a female junior officer all start to age very rapidly, on the order of 30 years per day.
(should they really have time for this with such a deadline fast approaching?).
The episode manages to touch upon the fears and drawbacks of getting older, mostly from Kirk's perspective. It shows that the best one can expect as one becomes elderly is probably pity - from those who used to respect you. The affected party ages mentally even swifter than they do physically, so there are numerous scenes of Kirk being forgetful; these begin quite early - those subtle hints that all is not right with the landing party. When Kirk starts dozing in his command chair, his loyal crew looking on bewildered and embarrassed, the time for subtlety is past and the audience may stifle an uncomfortable laugh, unless they enjoy a kind of payback for all of Kirk's virile past gallivanting. The physical make-up, however, leaves something to be desired; Kirk & Spock aren't too bad, but Scotty acquires an odd mummified look, while someone placed a mop-like strange hairpiece on McCoy's head. Again, the viewer probably shouldn't laugh too much looking at these heroes deteriorate, but it's taken out of our hands due to the presentation. Kirk in these scenes suddenly reminds me of none other than... John McCain (the 65-year old Kirk, not the later 80-year old Kirk). See the photo right above? Some resemblance, is there not?
The central competency hearing, conducted by Spock, repeats much of what had occurred up until this point and winds up being tedious.
Shatner is great in every scene he's in: his outrage, at the hearing and, later, at Spock; his annoyance with commodore Stocker; his wandering mind, no longer fine tuned; his denial, obviously from plain fear. Kelley also turns in a great interpretation of a doddering old country doctor. Nimoy merely plays a Vulcan who seems tired all the time.
(see The Corbomite Maneuver from way back). BoG's Score: 7 out of 10
Here's Shatner on the Mike Douglas Show in 1969,
explaining his process as an actor in this episode:
Last edited by BoG on Sat Feb 07, 2015 2:12 am; edited 4 times in total
Deadly Years full episode
CLASSIC TREK QUOTES:
Spock: "Only Commodore Stocker can give a command order aboard this ship."
Kirk: "You traitorous... disloyal... you stab me in the back the first chance you get.. Spock.."
(long pause) "Get out. I never want to have to look at you again."
(in sickbay:)
Kirk: "What are you doing here?"
Spock: "It would seem to be the place where I can be of the most use."
Kirk: "Maybe you'd like to relieve Dr. McCoy."
Spock: "Only Commodore Stocker can give a command order aboard this ship."
Kirk: "You traitorous... disloyal... you stab me in the back the first chance you get.. Spock.."
(long pause) "Get out. I never want to have to look at you again."
(in sickbay:)
Kirk: "What are you doing here?"
Spock: "It would seem to be the place where I can be of the most use."
Kirk: "Maybe you'd like to relieve Dr. McCoy."
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