Stardate: 1533.6
Quick Summary: The Enterprise picks up a passenger named Charlie. He's a teenager who's survived all by himself since the age of three, being the sole survivor of a transport crash, and as a result exhibits some serious social awkwardness. As the plot unfolds, he also exhibits god-like capabilities - destroying another ship, making crew members disappear, turning one girl into a lizard, and removing another one's face altogether - before trying to take over the Enterprise. He succeeds, but before he can more damage, his matterless alien father comes to pick him up and return him home, back to a miserable, solitary existence.
Review: I think the lasting image from this episode is that of Charlie rolling his eyes into the back of his head whenever he uses his powers. Man, it looks so painful. Like watching an infant baby push out a poop with all his might.
Strange moments abound... Charlie smacking Janice on the rear-end, Uhura singing and expressively dancing, Spock playing the harp, etc. Somehow these were weirder than Charlie removing a woman's face. Call me crazy.
The ending was noteworthy because it was actually pretty sad. Despite Charlie's pleas to the captain for mercy, Kirk nevertheless allows him to be retaken by his alien blob of a father after only a half-hearted attempt to prevent it. You genuinely had to feel bad for the kid, raging hormones and all, for being doomed to a life of loneliness. I would have felt even worse for him if the plot had been more interesting. This was an hour-long exploration of how babysitters should handle a kid throwing a temper-tantrum.
Review: 2 stars
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