The Way to Eden (episode)

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This article is written
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This article is written
from the Real World
point of view
"The Way to Eden"
TOS, Episode 3x20
Production number: 60043-75
First aired: 21 February 1969
Remastered version aired: 14 June 2008
← 76th of 80 produced in TOS →
← 75th of 80 released in TOS →
← 73rd of 80 released in TOS Remastered →
← 75th of 726 released in all →
Teleplay By
Arthur Heinemann

Story By
Michael Richards and Arthur Heinemann

Directed By
David Alexander
5832.3 (2269)
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The Enterprise picks up a group of renegades who have rejected modern technological life to search for the mythical planet Eden.

Contents

[edit] Summary

The Enterprise intercepts the Aurora, a stolen space cruiser. The crew of the craft attempt to escape, but the engines overheat and the vessel is destroyed. Moments before the explosion, though, the Enterprise is able to beam them safely aboard. There, the thieves are revealed to be a wild-looking group of space hippies, among whom is Tongo Rad, the son of a Federation ambassador – and the chief reason Captain Kirk is under orders not to arrest the group for theft.

"Captain’s log, stardate 5832.3. The son of the Catuallan ambassador is one of six we have beamed aboard from the stolen cruiser Aurora. We have been ordered to handle him with extreme delicacy, because the treaty negotiations now in progress between the Federation and Catualla are in a crucial phase."

Another member is Irina Galliulin, an acquaintance of Ensign Chekov and a dropout from Starfleet Academy. The group, led by Dr. Sevrin, a former university professor on Tiburon, rejects conventional society and claims to be seeking the Planet Eden – which Kirk asserts is a myth. Although Spock apparently seems to understand the group's motives, they are at odds with Kirk, who is the frequent target of the derisive chant, "Herbert! Herbert!"

"Captain’s log, stardate 5832.5. The arrogance of Dr. Sevrin and his followers is creating an intolerable situation aboard the Enterprise. If it continues, I’ll be forced to use controls which might not agree with Starfleet's suggestion that they be handled with extreme tolerance."

After being examined in sickbay, Dr. Sevrin is found to be a carrier for the deadly bacteria synthococcus novae, created by the very advances that make life in the 23rd century possible. The disease has no cure, but immunization is available. Kirk orders that boosters be given to the crew, but that Dr. Sevrin must be put in isolation until he poses no danger to the crew or his companions. Dr. Sevrin protests the action, claiming he did not know he was a carrier. Meanwhile, Dr. Sevrin's companions boldly circulate among the crew, attempting to incite the younger members to join them. Kirk finally asks Spock to speak to Dr. Sevrin to persuade his followers to stop their actions before they are charged under Federation laws and barred from continuing their search for Eden. Dr. Sevrin then reveals he knew he was a carrier, but that only a primitive world – such as Eden – can cleanse him from the disease. Spock counters that his presence would destroy any life on that planet, but Dr. Sevrin is unrelenting in his desire. Spock concludes that Dr. Sevrin is insane, but offers to help in the search for Eden by using the resources of the Enterprise.

"Captain’s log, stardate 5832.6. I have asked Dr. McCoy to check Starfleet medical records to verify Mr. Spock's suspicion that Dr. Sevrin is insane. In spite of Dr. Sevrin 's antipathy to us, he has promised Mr. Spock that he will order his disciples to conform to our rules and regulations."

Adam, one of Dr. Sevrin's followers, approaches Spock with a request to put on a concert for the crew. Spock agrees to ask Kirk about the idea. Meanwhile, in Auxiliary Control, Chekov is assisting Spock search for Eden, but he is distracted by Irina. In trying to seduce the young ensign, Irina learns about the functions of the secondary control room. Adam and Irina then rejoin the rest of the group and there the true plan is revealed: the group is attempting to seize control of the Enterprise once Eden is located.

During the concert, Tongo and another Sevrin follower knock out the guards, release Dr. Sevrin, and make their way to Auxiliary Control. The others join them, divert control of the ship to themselves and change course for Eden – taking the ship across the Romulan Neutral Zone and into Romulan territory. To keep from being seized, Sevrin applies ultrasonics to knock out the crew while they steal shuttlecraft Galileo II to take them to the planet's surface.

Kirk and Spock come to, however, and shut off the sound waves. They are joined by Chekov and Dr. McCoy and beam down to the planet's surface in search of the group. They learn the legends about the planet are true – Eden is a fabulously beautiful planet. However, they learn the beauty hides deadly secrets: the plant life is full of a powerful acid, and the fruit is poisonous to Humans. Eventually, the shuttlecraft is found, with Sevrin and his followers nursing severe burns on their bare feet from the acid and Adam dead from eating the fruit. McCoy makes plans to beam everyone to the ship for medical treatment, but Sevrin refuses to leave, runs to a tree, takes a bite out of the fruit... and quickly dies. Back at Starbase, Sevrin's followers prepare to leave the ship; Spock urges them to continue their quest for Eden. "I have no doubt you will find it... or make it yourselves," he tells Irina.

[edit] Memorable Quotes

(placing his hands together) "One."
(returning the gesture) "We are one."
"One is the beginning."
"You one, Herbert?"
"I am not Herbert."
(to Sevrin) "He's not Herbert – we reach."

- Spock, Dr. Sevrin, and Adam, as Spock opens a dialog


"One of those was at the Academy?"
"Yes, sir. She dropped out. She..."
"Do you wish to see her? Permission to leave your post."

- Kirk and Chekov


"Captain, I just had to give one of those barefooted whaddyacallems the boot out of here. He came into my engine room, bold as brass; tried to incite my crew to disaffect."

- Scott


"Dr. Sevrin, neither you nor your followers have been charged with any crime. But incitement to disaffection is criminal; if they persist, they will be so charged and forever barred from Eden."
"As I have been barred?"
"Then you knew you were a carrier?"
"Of course I knew! You've researched my life; you read the orders limiting me to travel only in areas of advanced technology because of what my body carries."
"What I fail to understand is why you disobey those orders."
"Because this is poison to me! This... stuff you breathe, this stuff you live in... the shields of artificial atmosphere we have layered about every planet... the programs in those computers that run your ship, and your lives, for you – they bred what my body carries! That's what your science has done to me; you've infected me... Only the primitives can cleanse me; I cannot purge myself until I am among them. Only their way of living is right – I must go to them."
 "Your presence there will destroy the very people you seek; surely you know that."
"I shall go to them and be one with them. And together we will make a world such as this galaxy has never seen. A world... a life... a life!"

- Spock and Dr. Sevrin


"I'm gonna crack my knuckles and jump for joy, I got a clean bill of health from Dr. McCoy."

- Adam


"Hey, man, why do you wear all those clothes? How do you breathe?"

- Tongo Rad, to Chekov on his uniform


"Stiff man puttin' my mind in jail, and the judge bang the gavel and say, 'No bail!' Gonna lick his hand and wag my tail..."

- one of Adam's songs


"Herbert! Herbert! Herbert! Herbert!"

- Space Hippies chanting


"Mr. Spock... what does 'Herbert' mean?"
"It is somewhat... uncomplimentary, captain. Herbert was a minor official -- notorious for his rigid and limited patterns of thought."

- Kirk and Spock on the hippies' epithet


"There are some who feel... uncomfortable with what we have created... they hunger for an 'Eden,' where spring comes."
" We all do; the cave is deep in our memory. But we don't steal spaceships and act like irresponsible children; what earns them your sympathy?"
"It is not so much sympathy, captain, as it is... curiosity -- a need to understand. They regard themselves as aliens in their own worlds; a condition with which I am somewhat familiar."

- Spock and Kirk


"How about a session; you and us -- it would sound! I tried to ask, you know, great white captain upstairs, but he don't reach us, you know? But would he shake on a session?"
"If I understand you correctly... I believe the answer might be 'yes'."

- Adam and Spock


(sobs) "It was so beautiful..."

- Irina, upon being rescued from Eden


"Mr. Chekov, do you wish to attend?"
"Captain... I wish first to apologize for my behavior during this time. I did not maintain myself under proper discipline. I endangered myself and everyone aboard by my conduct. I respectfully submit myself to disciplinary action."
"Thank you, Mr. Chekov... you did what you had to do, as did we all -- even your friends."

- Kirk and Chekov


"Be incorrect – occasionally."
"And you be correct."
(smiles) "Occasionally."

- Irina and Chekov, as they part company


"No go! No go! No go! No go! No go!"

- Space Hippies chanting


"Headin' out to Eden, yea, brother!"
"Headin' out to Eden, yea, brother!"
"No more trouble in my body or my mind."
"Gonna live like a king on whatever I find."
"Eat all the fruit and throw away the rind."
"Yea, brother!"

- Space Hippies singing

[edit] Background Information

  • Story outline revised, 27 August 1968, further revisions 5 September 1968.
  • The character of Irina Galliulin was originally to be Joanna McCoy, daughter of Dr. McCoy, and to be a love interest for Captain Kirk (the episode's original title was "Joanna"), but that script was later rejected. The episode was filmed in late November 1968. Joanna was also supposed to appear in an episode in season four, but again, it was not to be.
  • Brief cuts of the surface of Eden were shots reused of the planet from "Shore Leave".
  • The hijacked Class F shuttlecraft was the oft-used Galileo, although in this adventure she bore the name Galileo II.
  • The spacecraft Aurora is a Tholian ship with AMT model kit nacelles added to it. It is shown in the preview trailer without the nacelles.
  • To create reaction shots of Kirk that were not filmed, several shots of William Shatner are repeated, printed backwards.
  • Charles Napier wrote some of the songs he sings in this episode. Although this episode has dated poorly compared to many of the original Star Trek episodes, some of the lyrics are very evocative of the counterculture movement of the late '60s. Napier has appeared in many television series since Star Trek, often as villains, military types and mean-spirited characters, in sharp contrast to the goofy and rather likable Adam. He appears in Star Trek again, in DS9: "Little Green Men", where he plays Rex Denning.
  • In the scene in which Spock plays his Vulcan harp for Adam (the last time he plays the instrument on screen), the background music for Uhura's song from "Charlie X" is recycled.
  • Nurse Chapel's collapse, as well as the collapse of other crewmembers in the corridor, is reused footage from "Spock's Brain". This is why the lights go out in sickbay during that shot, while they are functioning normally elsewhere on the ship.
  • This episode marks the first mention of Chekov's full name. Irina greets him with "Pavel Andreievich!"
  • In his conversation with Sevrin, Spock refers to HQ as "Federation", rather than "The Federation."
  • Kirk as well as Lt. Palmer often refers to "Starbase" as if there is only one.
  • Gary Mitchell's Kaferian apple tree can be seen in the foliage on Eden.
  • Sulu still lists botany as his hobby of choice.
  • Watch Roger Holloway jamming to the music on the bridge, one of his few opportunities to emote in the series.
  • Chekov's character is portrayed in this episode as a rigid, rule-quoting straight arrow, in contrast to the writers' initial concept of the character as a younger, less authoritarian character who might appeal to teenage viewers. Walter Koenig has called the episode "badly written" partly because of this. To be fair to the episode's writers, however, Chekov is a straight arrow compared to the hippies.
  • One of the interesting predictions of this episode is that sterile, technological societies can lead to development of virulent bacterial strains. This has indeed come to pass in our time with bacteria that have grown resistant to antibiotics. Some scientists also believe that our sterile environment causes the immune system to become hyperactive, leading to increased incidence of allergies. Others believe that sterile environments prevent the immune system from becoming fully active thus increasing the tendency for infection upon exposure to non-sterile conditions.
  • The corridor outside the auxiliary control room as Scott tries to phaser through the door is very narrow, not like any of the corridors seen in other episodes.
  • According to the late James Doohan, this was the only episode of the series that he did not like.
  • Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) does not appear in this episode. Lt. Palmer, who fills in, makes her second and final TOS appearance.
  • Skip Homeier also starred in "Patterns of Force" as Melakon.
  • Spock's desire to find Eden is further explained in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, although it is unlikely the stories were intended to be linked. Star Trek V closely parallels some of this episode's plot points, too.
  • The references to the insult "Herbert" and the official it was named after were inserted at the behest of production executive Douglas S. Cramer. It is thought that they were digs at his predecessor, Herbert F. Solow, though Herbert Hoover has also been suggested as a target.
  • In the wide shots of Auxiliary Control, you can see what appears to be an AC power cord protruding from the base of the control panel.
  • Spock uncharacteristically hesitates when explaining to Captain Kirk what "Herbert" means.
  • The badge of Dr. Sevrin's hippy movement seems to be a fuzzy cut-in-half boiled egg with the symbol of infinity on the yolk.

[edit] Production Timeline

[edit] Video and DVD releases

[edit] Links and References

[edit] Main Cast

[edit] Guest Stars

[edit] References

acid; acoustics; Aurora; Auxiliary Control Center; Catulla; Catullan; Catullan ambassador; communications; Eden; Galileo II; hangar deck; Herbert; Palmer, Lieutenant; research engineer; Romulans; Romulan Neutral Zone; shuttlecraft; Starfleet Academy; Synthococcus novae; Tiburon; Typhoid Mary; ultrasonics; United Federation of Planets; Vulcan lute

[edit] External link


Previous episode produced:
"The Cloud Minders" 		Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 3 		Next episode produced:
"Requiem for Methuselah"
Previous episode aired:
"Requiem for Methuselah" 		Next episode aired:
"The Cloud Minders"
Previous remastered episode aired:
"The Lights of Zetar" 		TOS Remastered Next remastered episode aired:
"Requiem for Methuselah"
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