Stardate: Unknown
Synopsis: When Kirk and crew beam up to the Enterprise during an ion storm, they switch places with the Kirk, McCoy, Uhura, and Scotty of a different, parallel universe. They're still on board the Enterprise, but everyone has changed, becoming more savage and treacherous, including an evil Spock sporting a goatee. Amid multiple fights and assassination attempts, the evil Spock figures out the truth and, together with evil Kirk's girlfriend, Marlena, actually help the good guys beam back through the ion storm to the familiar Enterprise we all know and love.
Review: This episode is a classic because of the juxtaposition between the hero Enterprise crew we've gotten to know versus the potentially villainous versions of the same characters which are apparently possible in this alternate universe. It's a testament to the enticing curiosity produced by extreme opposites.
To give just one example of how this works in such a delicious way, consider the scene where the evil Kirk is placed in a holding cell. He threatens violence, then tries to bribe Spock with money and power. Spock's reaction is simply to deadpan, "Fascinating!". Meanwhile, when the good Kirk is attacked in the other universe by the evil Spock, Kirk, after defeating him, nevertheless makes sure to bring him to sick bay to treat his injuries so that he won't die, even if it means the demise of his own escape.
It's so addicting to see our favorite Star Trek characters, not becoming evil, but actually being evil. But the real heart of this episode is in how, as a consequence, it highlights the great extent to which these characters have already been shaped and developed and defined in our minds. The evil versions of Spock, Sulu, Chekhov, etc. are only delicious because it's already so clear that that's not who they are.
This is the turning point from which we can definitively say that the show has come of age.
Simply iconic.
Review: 5 stars
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