The Magicks of Megas-tu by: Larry Brody and directed by: Hal Sutherland

 

“The Magicks of Megas-tu” is written by: Larry Brody and is directed by: Hal Sutherland.  It was produced under production code 22009, was the 8^th episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series, and was broadcast on October 27, 1973.

 

Before I really do anything in this review I need to mention that George Takei plays a godlike alien in this one incredibly briefly because I have no idea how I’m going to fit that into any analysis of this episode, but it needs to be said because Takei knows how to go over the top.  Over the top is the best word to describe “The Magicks of Megas-tu” because the premise of this episode is that the Enterprise meets the literal devil incarnate.  Okay, he’s calling himself Lucien, he is an alien, and the climax of the episode features Kirk taking the stand to defend the literal devil.  This is Larry Brody’s only script for Star Trek: The Animated Series and being completely honest, it’s an incredibly creative script.  In many ways it feels inspired by folk horror films imported from the UK like The Wicker Man or The Blood on Satan’s Claw.  In terms of plot “The Magicks of Megas-tu” has a tendency to be on the thin side, it takes itself quite slow, mainly allowing James Doohan who is voicing Lucien to create the energy required for the performance of insanity, and is more concerned with the ideas of discovering a society that runs on what even the technologically advanced society can only interpret as magic.  Despite being a 25-minute animated piece, it manages to shift genres into a courtroom drama.

 

Perhaps it is because of the dialogue that really makes the episode work, Brody’s script is particularly punchy with lines involving Spock being compared to an elf and like I said at the top of the review anytime George Takei gets to go over the top with James Doohan.  This is also an episode where Shatner feels like he’s enjoying the material despite it being voice acted, the previous episodes of the series have had a tendency to see him underact without his general physicality to work off of.  What becomes especially surprising for the time period in which all of Star Trek was made is that “The Magicks of Megas-tu” is an episode that makes the attempt to separate religion out of the future.  It’s certainly an interesting conceit and one that was clearly an interest of series creator Gene Roddenberry, even if when religion popped up in the original series it often prioritized Christianity as good in episodes like “Bread and Circuses”.  Brody uses the back half to examine the rigidity of faith as the underlying cause of the Salem Witch Trials, Lucien’s people being willing to exterminate humanity due to their barbaric practices, but in saving humanity at the end of the second act Lucien is sent to eternal isolation and Kirk must defend him.  It’s a particularly great little twist on a theme to build to a defense, and to reflect on how humanity has progressed.  Now that progression may be too rose tinted in terms of what is actually progressed in humanity by 1973 when this episode was produced, but it’s genuinely a fascinating that there is some acceptance and movement away from superstition which is clearly what Brody and creator Gene Roddenberry envisioned for the future.

 

Overall, “The Magicks of Megas-Tu” is an episode that revels in its madness.  The background artists in particular work overtime to make it look gorgeous, up there with some of the best Star Trek: The Animated Series has had to offer thus far while the plot itself underruns enough that it feels there is more time for exploration of the ideas at the core of the episode.  It does mean the episode is a little slow to move along to the conclusion, but the ideas are fascinating and still end up making for a riveting episode.  8/10.