Space Seed by: Gene L. Coon and Carey Wilber, from a story by: Carey Wilber, and directed by: Marc Daniels

 

“Space Seed” is written by Gene L. Coon and Carey Wilber, from a story by Carey Wilber, and is directed by Marc Daniels.  It was filmed under production code 24, was the 22^nd episode of Star Trek Season 1, and was broadcast on February 16, 1967.

 

Before writing these reviews the only piece of Star Trek I had consumed was Star Trek: Into Darkness, which I saw in theaters while slowly becoming sick.  Going into “Space Seed” I was aware of the character of Khan due to several memes of William Shatner shouting his name and the ending to the second Star Trek film, but I don’t think I was prepared for just how great the episode would end up being.  The plot for the most part, outside of the climactic action sequence between William Shatner and Ricardo Montalban, are people in rooms talking which is something that very easily could have become stale, but this is an episode with an incredibly tight script contemplating how the present can interact with historical figures and brilliant, almost cinematic, direction from Marc Daniels.  Daniels is quickly becoming my favorite director for Star Trek due to the way he specifically frames shots for emphasis while other directors either go far too weird or far too standard pointing and shooting.  He makes “Space Seed” his own, clearly giving a reason for the episode to be near the top of several best episode lists for the original series.

 

Carey Wilber’s premise for “Space Seed” is quite simple: the Enterprise discovers a spaceship adrift with 84 humans in suspended animation.  The first to be revived is Khan Noonan Singh, played by Ricardo Montalban, who presents himself as intelligent and sharp, especially around the topic of reviving the rest of the humans aboard, while being suspicious of the crew of the Enterprise.  There is this genuine charm to the character in these early sequences as he innocently wishes to understand the technology of the far distant future he has found himself in and while the score clearly indicates that this is a grasp for power, the performances are excellent at lulling the crew into this false sense of security.  It is not until Spock discovers Khan’s identity as a great dictator from the past, bred for superior physical and mental characteristics during a time known as the Eugenics Wars, that his villainy actually comes out and a mutiny is attempted.  What is genuinely fascinating is that Wilber and Coon present the character as a complex historical figure.  There is a scene soon after the reveal where our main characters are questioning history in general, Khan is a person and people are complex by nature with the capability of good and bad.  He was a historical monster and a dictator, but he still accomplished great feats in a very dark period of history.  There aren’t definitive answers to how one should deal with history, but there is this sense that Star Trek is looking out at the actions of the world and the United States in particular at the time of broadcast with scenes like this.

 

Khan of course attempts a mutiny and the episode becomes a very tense action thriller, as their superior strength and mental prowess mean that there is a genuine chance of the ship being taken over.  The decision from the writers is made to allow Khan to adapt to the ‘modern’ technology, something that a lesser writer would make an issue, therefore lessening the tension and inner workings of the story being told.  Khan is also charming, getting a member of the crew, Lt. Marla McGivers, played by Madlyn Rhue, becoming immediately charmed by the man and staying that way throughout the episode.  He also immediately finds a way to awaken his comrades and is ready to restart the Eugenics Wars and begin the selective breeding programs.  It's only through trickery and cleverness that Kirk and Spock are able to save the day, until the actual fistfight breaks out and the Enterprise itself is on the line.  This is also an episode where the ending is not one where the villain is killed, Khan instead being allowed to live with his comrades and McGivers on an uninhabited planet which adds to Star Trek’s overall message of peace and tranquility for the universe as a whole.  It just acts as a great capstone to a genuinely brilliant episode.

 

Overall, if there was an episode I have covered on Star Trek so far that I could use to show someone unfamiliar with the franchise, it may just have to be “Space Seed”.  The latest in a very long line of great episodes that make up the first season of the show, it has plenty of brilliant action courtesy of director Marc Daniels, with a script philosophically interested in how historical figures can play in modern society.  While not a character piece for any of our crew, Ricardo Montalban as Khan is such a suave and powerful performance, the character study aspect is almost not necessary.  Ending without death and showing that perhaps there is potential for a character like Khan to reform, even if that wouldn’t be the case.  It’s Star Trek showcasing what it can do at its best even in the late 1960s.  10/10.