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Star Trek

By Any Other Name

Season 2, Episode 22, Aired 2/23/68

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Episode Summary

The Enterprise's command crew must thwart an invasion by aliens from another galaxy who plan to conquer this one.

7.9

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Cast & Crew

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Leonard Nimoy

Mr. Spock
William Shatner

Captain James Tiberius Kirk
DeForest Kelley

Dr. Leonard Horatio "Bones" McCoy

Fan Episode Reviews (4)

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Members of an alien race take human form and assume control the Enterprise by turning the majority of the crew into tetrahedron blocks.

7.0

"Good"

By Celedorian, Dec 09, 2010 Report Abuse

This is a cute episode with a nice balance between drama and humor. Warren Stevens plays Rojan, the leader of the aliens, and gives a good performance. Barbara Bouchet, who stars as the alien babe Kelinda, has chemistry with William Shatner, and their scenes are the best in the episode. However, the aliens do seem so very human, and so it's difficult to remember they're supposed to be from a different galaxy. That undermines not only the premise, it gives the climax less punch. Aside from that, it's a fine episode with some fun moments. There are better episodes, there are worse.moreless

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This is a job for ... Super-Alien!

5.0

"Mediocre"

By peck2000, Dec 09, 2010 Report Abuse

Oh, brother ... it's incredible that the STAR TREK producers never tired of this storyline. It goes: a group of (often renegade) super-powered aliens defeat the crew and take possession of the Enterprise in order to conquer the universe/return home/open a fast food franchise. Luckily, recourceful Kirk figures out a way to defeat the aliens, by using superior Earthman logic/illogic/cooking skills. Once the aliens are defeated, Spock admires Kirk's use of logic and McCoy finds time for just one more insult on Spock before everyone chuckles and the final credits roll.

What's more astonishing is that the episode is credited to sf writer Jermoe Bixby (also responsible for the fabulous "Mirror, Mirror" episode). I can only assume that Gene Coon did a heavy re-write in order to make this conform to his idea of the perfect ST episode (though it's my idea of the worst!)moreless

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Beings from another galaxy seize command of the Enterprise, holding the crew captive with their paralysing rays, as they attempt to return home to their own galaxy. Not totally outstanding, but a good story...moreless

8.5

"Great"

By Jay-Spacedust, Dec 03, 2008 Report Abuse

This is very much an episode of two halves. The first half is a drama as the Andromeda-ains take over the Enterprise and keep the crew at bay with their paralysing rays. Later on, things become a comedy.

I like the respect that Rojan has for Captain Kirk. It reminds me of the respect that the Romulan Commander had for Kirk in the classic first season episode "Balance of Terror".

The Andromedians (or however you'd term them) turning crewmen into cuboctahedreal blocks of chalk is an interesting threat. It is unusual that a female crewmember is the subject of such a death, and the moment when Rojan crushes her block up into dust is quite chilling.

There is some nice continuity as Kirk mentions that the Enterprise has already been at the galaxy (in the first season episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before"), and also mentions Spock's previous use of telepathy ("A Taste of Armageddon", also in the first season). It is touches like this that give the series more depth.

Presumably Rojan had a great many more people to take over the Enterprise than we see on-screen. We only see a couple of them, and even with their paralysis rays, it would surely have taken many more to seize command of the ship.

(Without meaning to sound chauvinist) Kelinda is one of the loveliest women seen in the Original Series. Of course, Captain Kirk has to seduce her! I think it must have been part of William Shatner's contract that he had to seduce a gorgeous woman at least two out of every three episodes!

As I say, the second half of the episode goes from being a drama to a comedy, as Kirk and co. set out to 'over-stimulate' Rojan and his people. The comedy highlight and one of the best sequences of the second season is as Scotty sets out to get one of the beings stone drunk, and literally drinks him under the table.

One thing that I did wonder is what happened to the modifications that the beings made to the Enterprise's engines to make it faster. Surely the Federation could have made use of this advanced engineering, but what becomes of it is never explained. Maybe it was found to be too unstable for regular space travel?

This isn't an outstanding episode, but none-the-less still has some very good moments and concepts, and makes for a good story.moreless

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Scotty gets so drunk he mistakes a bottle of Gatorade for Green alcohol

7.5

"Good"

By hrtonslv, Dec 25, 2006 Report Abuse

A terribly tragic and gripping episode turned comical by the last scene. And well done, I might add. The story is a good one and holds my interest from start to finish. I was however totally and completely distracted by Kelinda. She simply made my mouth drop open wide. That has got to be one of the most exciting fantasies ever to have a woman with a face and body like that to discover "making out" for the first time and want to experience it over and over again on you. (or Captain Kirk in this situation. I'll live vicariously through him for the time being.) I absolutely get weak in the knees when she says to Kirk with a slightly embarrassed shy manner, "Would you please apologize to me again?"moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- The planet from this episode and the previous one ("Patterns of Force") look exactly the same from orbit. Edit
- In the wide shots of Kirk and Rojan fighting, the faces of the stunt doubles can be seen. Edit
- Trivia: There are some nice nods to previous events. Rojan mentions the energy barrier at the edge of the galaxy and Kirk nods that they've encountered it -- as they did in "Where No Man Has Gone Before." Later, Kirk reminds Spock of his use of telepathy to confuse a guard in "A Taste of Armageddon." Edit
Notes
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- Rojan is played by Warren Stevens, who co-starred as "Doc" in the 1956 movie, Forbidden Planet. Creator Gene Roddenberry has been quoted as saying Star Trek was heavily inspired by that movie, often regarded as the first serious, big budget, high concept science fiction movie. Edit
- Desilu No: 5149-50. Edit
Quotes
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- Scotty: (kissing his empty bottle of liquor) We did it, you and me. Put him right under the table. Edit
- Rojan: We do not colonize. We conquer. We rule. There is no other way for us. Edit
- Kirk: Being human does have certain advantages -- being able to appreciate the beauty of a flower, of a woman. Edit
Allusions
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- Title References a line from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Speaking about Romeo, the man she loves but who bears the name of her family's enemy, Juliet says "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet", in other words even he were not called Romeo he would still be the man she loves. Edit

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