The approved pilot for the legendary series - albeit aired third, after 'The Man Trap' and 'Charlie X' - is noteworthy for dealing with universal concepts and provocative ideas. It has a plot somewhat similar to that of 'Charlie X', in which there is a central character (guest star Gary Lockwood, as Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell) with incredible powers who gets out of control. Mitchell has potent ESP abilities, which only get enhanced when the Enterprise gets wind of the fate of a previous starship that had encountered a magnetic force field.
While various crew attempt to repair the Enterprise, Kirk must contemplate something unthinkable for him: dealing expeditiously with Mitchell, who has been a friend for 15 years. The latter shows that his power has started to warp his thinking. It is Spock, ever the voice of cold reason, who advises Kirk not to let emotions get the better of him. And Spock just may be right. Enterprise psychiatrist Elizabeth Dehner (guest star Sally Kellerman) is a little too intrigued with the guy to be completely helpful.
We meet Scotty (James Doohan) and Sulu (George Takei) for the first time here, not that either of them get real showcase moments this early in the series. The performances are all on point, from character actor Paul Fix as the original medical officer (Bones is not to be seen here) to Paul Carr as Lieutenant Lee Kelso to Lloyd Haynes as Alden. As usual, the interplay between Shatner and Nimoy is a source of amusement and entertainment as logic & reason vs. emotional responses are discussed.
Good action scenes, reasonably effective sets, and some solid visuals make this a good jumping-off point for the further adventures to follow.
Written by Samuel A. Peeples, mostly known for work on Western TV series, and directed by James Goldstone ("Winning", "They Only Kill Their Masters", "Rollercoaster", etc.).
Eight out of 10.
