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THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE
THIS IS ONE OF THE TEN BEST TREKS!
GUEST STARS...
William Windom
PLOT SUMMARY...
The Enterprise encounters a huge, planet destroying,
alien machine in space.
QUICK SCAN...
This episode features high suspense and exciting
space action sequences. William Windom ("Newhart") delivers
a terrific performance as the doomed Commodore Decker. If you like "Moby
Dick", you'll love "The Doomsday Machine", which is essentially
"Moby Dick" in space, with a dash of "The Caine Mutiny"
for flavoring.
SYNOPSIS...
The Enterprise encounters Commodore Decker of
the U.S.S. Constellation. All his crew are dead, as a result of a huge,
space going machine that destroys planets.
Decker has been driven to madness by the loss of his crew. He conspires
to take over the Enterprise, leaving Kirk stranded on the Constellation,
which has a malfunctioning transporter. Spock assumes command of the
Enterprise.
Decker flies a shuttle into the "mouth" of the alien machine,
dying in the process. Kirk flies the Constellation towards the alien
device. Kirk beams back to the Enterprise at the last moment; the Constellation
explodes inside the huge alien machine, shutting it off.
REVIEW...
Director Marc Daniels', "THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE,"
is an exciting Sci-Fi adventure tale, pitting the Enterprise against
a deadly, planet destroying alien machine. Daniels directed numerous
other classic Trek episodes, including: "The Man Trap", "The
Naked Time" and "Space Seed".
Under Daniels' masterful direction, William Windom ("To Kill a
Mocking Bird", "The Bionic Woman", "My World and
Welcome to It") gives a multi-layered performance, as the haunted
Commodore Decker. Windom's Decker is truly a tragic figure, and his
performance sticks with you long after the episode is over.
Some have referred to this episode, as "Moby Dick " in space.
Because Windom's Decker could be compared to Bogart's famous performance
as Captain Queeg, it would be more appropriate to call "THE DOOMSDAY
MACHINE," as "Moby Dick" meets "The Caine Mutiny"
in space.
My favorite scene takes place late in the episode. Captain Kirk, alone,
is aboard the Constellation, on a collision course with the mouth of
the doomsday machine. With deadly contact mere moments away, Scotty
is having trouble beaming Kirk back to the Enterprise. The suspense
is considerable and Kirk/Shatner's concern and impatience, convincing.
The Special Effects of the doomsday machine in space are decent. According
to informed sources, the U.S.S. Constellation starship featured is actually
a plastic Enterprise model, bought in a hobby store, and dressed up
with Constellation decals and a different ship's number. Still photos
seem to bear out this claim.
"THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE" should be highly watchable for most
Sci-Fi viewers. William Windom fans will definitely dig this episode.
"THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE" will knock you dead!
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