Star Trek: The Enemy Within Act 1 Script Reedit

According to http://www.fastcopyinc.com/orionpress/ there was a "switching of scenes in Act One. The televised end of Act One actually took place earlier in the act in Matheson's script.

"In the original script, the dramatic moment of Rand's rape and Spock's subsequent "There's only one conclusion, we have an imposter aboard" is followed with the discovery that the transporter is creating opposites. Scotty's recommendation, "You don't dare beam up the landing party. If this should happen to a man..." and Kirk's "Oh my God" was to have been the end of Act One. Apparently it was decided by the director and editor as "not dramatic enough," and therefore the scenes were recut. So that Kirk and Spock go to the transporter room, learn the unit is malfunctioning, making "opposites," and then go to Sickbay where Spock suddenly announces "We have an imposter aboard!" Unfortunately, this doesn't make sense. He knows it's not an imposter; it's an opposite created by the transporter. To make matters worse, Act Two starts off in the transporter room with Kirk demanding explanations. You can read Blish's adaptation of the episode to see how the original script version plays better to the audience."

After I read this I wanted to see how this episode would play edited the way it was scripted. The result was a much smoother running episode. Judge for yourself and please leave comments!

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• star
• trek
• tos
• original
• series
• kirk
• spock
• enemy
• within

[yutu34]

I wonder whether it should have been this way originally and someone in 1966 stuffed up the editoring

[albion432]

It was scripted the way I have edited it here(see About This Video for more details) and it was during editing that the director felt they needed a more dramatic climax leading to the commercial break, which he felt having Spock announcing there's an impostor onboard delivered, so they switched the scenes.

[Llaaseil]

I guess it has been too long since I have seen the original, or my memory is slipping. What are the changes? Would someone please specify?

[albion432]

When watching this edit the fade between Spock leaving Kirks quarters and Rand entering hers was where the edit was made. Originally you have Kirk and Spock going to the transporter room in the interim. In my edit this scene is placed at the end of the act as scripted. So when Spock announces that there's an impostor on board it is before they learn that the transporter is creating doubles.

[anariel2000]

You can tell evilKirk from goodKirk easily : wears eyeliner and is underlit by a flashlight

[idreamedmusic]

Thank you for making this. It does run much smoother narrative-wise.

And yummy, never too much shirtless Kirk.

[hossola77]

Thank you very much for your wonderful editing and this upload. The story flows so much better here with more emotional impact.

"The Enemy Within", in my opinion, is one of 'Star Trek: The Original Series' most underrated episodes.

Awesome job, sir!

[MrSchultzstaffel]

They never should have had Kirk's behavior explained as a transporter malfunction. He should have been this way on his own the whole time! What an excellent example of a working enviroment that people have to put up with because Kirk has friends in high-places and by pulling some political strings he get's to keep his job after a sexual assault. Our "flawed Captain" turns out to be a 23rd century panty-sniffing sadist. Would have made for a reality-TV first...and a realistic one at that! lol =D

[mandrake2273]

What is really interesting about this episode, is that Spock's gestures are different in this episode, then the rest and he has a lot of expressions, not seen in the rest of the Star Trek episodes!

[goback3spaces]

Oh well. Born too late.  At least we can imagine it!

[cottonwhiskersuk]

Yes, I remember her saying to Kirk in another episode "I always wanted you to look at my legs".

[1bichon1]

Is there a way odfactually doing this? That would be a great episode? Maybe Rand could have walked in to his cabin with the evil Kirk?

[1bichon1]

Dear goback3spaces,

I agree 100%. You should have been writing the scripts for original Star Trek.

[anariel2000]

this works a lot better actually.

[ihearttheplanet]

why are you watching it then