Episode 6: TOS 1×05 – “The Enemy Within”

Okay, pop quiz: your only method of transit between your giant starship and the surface of nearby Crappy Frozen Hell-Planet-of-the-Adorable-Unicorn-Dogs is an occasionally-dodgy matter-transport device which, if malfunctioning, stands a not-inconsiderable chance of scattering your component atoms across time and space. One day, the transporter starts acting weird. Do you:

1. cease all transport operations until the weirdness is resolved; better fix this before beaming up any more living things!
2. squint at the controls for a minute, give them an encouraging thump, and then shrug and go on about your business; you can check it out later!

If you answered B, you might not want to pursue a career in starship engineering. Maybe Ship’s Counsellor! God knows they could use one.

In an episode based on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (which drives home last week’s Always Follow Biohazard Protocols lesson), we see Captain Kirk accidentally duplicated in a freak transporter accident, split into Good! and Evil! Kirks. I’m sure it surprises no one that Evil gets better lighting.

Trigger warning for discussion of sexual assault (an attempted sexual assault is contained within the Trek episode itself).

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