As this episode opens we learn that Scotty has fallen for Lt. Mira Romaine; a young officer being transferred to Memory Alpha, a remote base that will house a database containing all the Federation's knowledge. Before they arrive the Enterprise observes a phenomenon travelling at over twice the speed of light; Spock deduces it can't be natural. This phenomenon intercepts the ship and effects each of the people aboard; most noticeably Lt. Romaine. She collapses and we see a pattern in her eyes that looks just like the phenomenon. She claims to be perfectly well despite being ordered to sickbay. The phenomenon then strikes Memory Alpha; this time the effects are more serious and all but one person in the station is killed and the computer destroyed. The sole survivor talks in a strange way; much like Mira did after the attack on the Enterprise. Further tests are carried out on Mira and it becomes apparent that her brain waves have been changed to those of the phenomenon. It later speaks through her; explaining that they are the last survivors of Zetar and they are looking for a host body. Kirk is unwilling to let them have Lt. Romaine's body so asks McCoy to find a way to force them out
the only way possible but her at risk but it is a risk that must be taken.
This is a decent enough episode and it was nice to see Scotty have some romance in his life although I'm sure every viewer would have known something would happen to her during the course of the episode! The aliens were interesting enough but hardly the most original and there was little sense that anybody on the Enterprise other than Lt. Romaine was in much danger. The effects were decent enough, at least in the remastered version I saw. Guest star Jan Shutan does a pretty solid job as Lt. Romaine; it isn't hard to see why Scotty fell for her! The episode does show its age somewhat as Kirk and the McCoy constantly refer to Lt. Romaine, a Star Fleet officer, as 'The Girl' perhaps acceptable when the show was made but rather un-PC now! Overall though this isn't a bad episode; it certainly entertained me well enough.
This is a decent enough episode and it was nice to see Scotty have some romance in his life although I'm sure every viewer would have known something would happen to her during the course of the episode! The aliens were interesting enough but hardly the most original and there was little sense that anybody on the Enterprise other than Lt. Romaine was in much danger. The effects were decent enough, at least in the remastered version I saw. Guest star Jan Shutan does a pretty solid job as Lt. Romaine; it isn't hard to see why Scotty fell for her! The episode does show its age somewhat as Kirk and the McCoy constantly refer to Lt. Romaine, a Star Fleet officer, as 'The Girl' perhaps acceptable when the show was made but rather un-PC now! Overall though this isn't a bad episode; it certainly entertained me well enough.