Episode Spotlight: TOS's Space Seed

Episode Spotlight

TOS's Space Seed

Stardate 3141.8.  On a routine patrol the Enterprise detects an unidentified vessel sending a distress signal.  Coming into visual range they discover it's an old Earth vessel from the late 20th century, a DY-100 sublight vessel labeled as the S.S. Botany Bay.  Unsure if it's derelict they scan the ship, detecting heartbeats, too faint to be human.  Spock finds no S.S. Botany Bay in the registry.  The vessel dates from the time of Earth's Eugenics Wars.  Taking the ship in tow Kirk and company beam over to get a closer look.  Along with them is the ship's historian, Lieutenant Marla McGivers.  One the Botany Bay they discover the occupants in suspended animation.  Scotty actives the lights, this causes one of the pods to activate and attempt to revive it's occupant.  The pod malfunction, Kirk is forced to break it to get the occupant out.  The occupant, a human male from northern India is beamed to the Enterprise sickbay for treatment.  Lt. McGivers is totally taken with the man.  While McCoy works on reviving offer Kirk gets a report from Scotty: 72 suspended animation units still function.  On the bridge Kirk and Spock speculate about the mysterious S.S. Botany, surmising that this vessel may have been a prison ship.  In sickbay later Kirk talks to McCoy about their guest, McCoy reports that man's vitals strength are much more than that of a normal human.  After Kirk leaves, McCoy goes top check on his patient, only to have patient, no awake grab min and hold a knife to his throat.  Diffusing the situation McCoy asks the patient a few questions and calls Kirk to Sickbay.  After asking more questions the patient gives his name as "Khan."  As a courtesy Kirk let's Khan read some technical info on the Enterprise.  On the bridge Spock tells Kirk that in 1993 a group of genetically enhanced "supermen" seized power across Earth.  After they were defeated 80-90 of these "supermen" were unaccounted for-a fact not in the history books.  In sickbay McGivers meets with Khan, Khan immediately charming McGivers, there's an obvious attraction between them.  Later the senior officer gather in the conference room for a forma dinner for Khan: McGivers' idea.  Khan visits McGivers quarters and sees her paining a picture of him.  They share a kiss before going to the dinner.  At the dinner Kirk and Spock ask Khan about the Eugenics Wars and the Botany Bay.  Khan is circumspect, attempting to control the discussion.  Kirk calls out that Khan and the others fled Earth, accusing him of being afraid.  Khan rebuts this-he's never been afraid.  Kirk points out that Khan left when Earth needed courage, to which Khan responds "We offered the world order!" and hits the table.   Realizing that Kirk maneuvered him into doing.  Khan claims to be fatigued and leaves the dinner.  McGivers visits Khan's quarters to apologize for Kirk and Spock's words.  She's becoming infatuated with Khan.  She says she's not sure if he will like living in the 23rd century, Khan says that he will have to change it to his liking.  After a quick argument over McGivers staying or leaving.  Khan, bending McGivers to his will tells her he wants to take the ship and asks for her help.  McGivers, totally in Khan's control agrees to help.  In the Briefing room Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Scotty review historical records about their passenger: Khan Noonien Singh.  He was a ruthless dictator.  Spock finds their admiration of Khan illogical.  In Khan's quarters Kirk lets Khan know that they have identified him and demands answers.  Khan taks about how little humanity has changed and says "we will do well in your century".  After  Kirk leaves Khan forces the door and knocks out the guard.  McGivers hold the transporter chief at phaser-point and takes control of the transporter to beam Khan over to the Botany Bay.  After reviving his followers Khan prepares them to help him take control of the Enterprise.  On the bridge Kirk is alerted by security that Khan has escaped.  The security alert systems and turbolifts are disabled, Kirk is trapped on the bridge.  Kirk contacts engineering, Scotty responds but is cut off.  Khan tells his that he is in control of the ship, and life support is shut off to the bridge, he can either surrender or everyone on the bridge will suffocate.  Intruder control systems and communications are inoperative, the crew cannot call for help or flood the decks with intruder control gas.  Kirk refuses to surrender.  As the Enterprise abandons the Botany Bay Kirk makes a log entry commending his bridge officers before he passes out from lack of oxygen.  In the briefing room Khan and his men hold the bridge crew captive, they need the crew to run the ship.  Khan tries to force them to help by showing them Kirk, helpless, in the medical decompression chamber, the oxygen levels falling rapidly.  He says if they don't help Spock will be next.  McGivers leaves the room and goes to sickbay where she incapacitates Khans guard and releases Kirk.  Another one of Khans people enters with Spock, Spock and Kirk knock him out and take his phaser.  Kirk heads to engineering while Spock releases anesthesia gas.  In the briefing room people fight and flee the room as the gas overcomes them.  Spock reports to Kirk that he cannot flood engineering, the line is closed.  Kirk reaches engineering where Khan, aware that Kirk is coming as he is monitoring communications hides in wait.  Kirk enters and is attacked by Khan who destroys his phaser.  The engines are set to overload.  Kirk fights Khan for control of the ship, defeating the superhuman barely in time to stop the overload.  With the crew back in control of the Enterprise Kirk holds a hearing for Khan.  Kirk drops all charges against Khan, but decides to leave him and his followers on an uninhabited planet, Ceti Alpha V.  Khan agrees, making a reference to Paradise Lost by John Milton.  McGivers, given the choice between court-martial for mutiny or exile with Khan, elects to go with Khan.  As Khan and his men leave, Kirk reflects on Khans reference "It is better to rule in hell than serve in heaven."  Spock muses on returning to the planet someday to see what happens to Khan and his followers.

This is one of the most iconic episodes in the franchise.  Not least because it became the basis for the most beloved movie in the franchise.  The idea of primitive (by trek standards) spaceships being use to export undesirable from Earth is very obviously an homage to the 18th century British tradition, hence to vessels name "Botany Bay".  The concept of Earth in the 1990s (then still several decades in the future) seeing a global war fought by genetically engineered supermen (other trek adventures would call them "augments") is something that has become a major part of the franchise mythology.  Ricardo Montalbahn give a beyond emorable performance as Khan Noonien Singh, perfectly balancing Khan's smug superiority with his superior, think 3 step ahead intellect.  Madlyn Rhue (McGivers) perfectly portrays her awe and wonder of being a historian getting to meet a person from the past turned infatuation with the 20th century Khan, even as Khan twists her around his finger and uses her to revive his followers and hijack the Enterprise.  Interesting choice by Kirk at the episodes conclusion to give her the choice of being court-martialed for mutiny (see Star Trek Discovery's Michael Burnham) or resigning and going into exile with Khan.  In terms of writing this Gene Coon and Carey Wilbur expertly balanced plot development, world building, character exploration and development and historical allegory in what is undoubtedly one the franchise's finest outings. 


Quotes

McCoy: Well, either choke me or cut my throat!  Make up your mind.
Khan: Where am I?
McCoy: You're in- [Khan squeezes McCoy's neck] -You're in bed, holding a knife at your doctor's throat.
Khan: Answer my question.
McCoy: It would be most effective if you would cut the carotid artery just under the left ear.
Khan: I like a brave man.
McCoy: I was simply trying to avoid an argument.

Spock: There is that possibility Captain.  His age would be correct.  In 1993 a group of these young supermen did seize power simultaneously in over forty nations.
Kirk: Well they were hardly supermen.  They were aggressive, arrogant.  They began to battle among themselves.
Spock: Because the scientists overlooked one fact: superior ability breeds superior ambition.
Kirk: Interesting if true.  They created a group of Alexanders, Napoleons.
Spock: I have collected some names and made some counts.  By my estimate there were some eighty or ninety of these young supermen unaccounted for when they were finally defeated.
Kirk: That fact isn't in the history texts.
Spock: Would you reveal to war weary populations that some eighty Napoleons might still be alive?

Khan: Tyranny, sir?  Or an attempt to unify Humanity?
Spock: Unify, sir?  Like a team of animals under one whip?
Kirk: You fled. Why? Were you afraid?
Khan: I've never been afraid.
Kirk: But you left at the very time mankind needed courage.
Khan: We offered the world order!
Kirk: We?

Khan: My vessel was useless.  I need you and yours to select a colony planet.  One with a population willing to be led by us.
McCoy: To be conquered by you.  A starship would make that most simple, wouldn't it?

Kirk: Mister Spock, our heading takes us near the Ceti Alpha star system.
Spock: Quite correct, Captain. Planet number five there is habitable, although a bit savage, somewhat inhospitable.
Kirk: But no more than Australia's Botany Bay colony was at the beginning. Those men went on to tame a continent, Mister Khan. Can you tame a world?
Khan: Have you ever read Milton, Captain?

Scotty: It's a shame for a good Scotsman to admit it, but I'm not up on Milton.
Kirk: The statement Lucifer made when he fell into the pit. "It is better to rule in hell than serve in heaven."
Spock: It would be interesting, Captain, to return to that world in a hundred years and to learn what crop has sprung from the seed you planted today.
Kirk: Yes, Mister Spock, it would indeed.