At the heart of star trek is an essential optimism, a faith in the hope that, with enough time and effort, intelligent life of every variety can find a way to live together in peace. The devil in the dark is the twentyfifth episode of the first season of the american science fiction television series star trek. The devil in the dark became one of star treks most famous episodes. Short treks are approximately 1015 minute standalone short stories that allow fans to dive deeper into the key themes and characters that fit into star trek. This side of paradise 1967, with ralph senensky assigned to direct it, but during preproduction the two episodes and the directors were switched because gene l. When this episode first aired, it was announced during the closing credits that star trek had been renewed for a second season. With william shatner, leonard nimoy, deforest kelley, ken lynch. The miners fear the prospect of thousands of horta, but kirk convinces them that the horta are peaceful and could collaborate with the miners. The devil in the dark was the third episode of the remastered version of the original series to air. If star trek had shown starfleet at its best until now, audiences got to see the flipside in this episode, in which commodore matt decker william windom turns into an outer space ahab chasing. I grew up watching star trek in black and white, so im always stunned to see it in color. Kirk, spock and mccoy beam down to the planet where chief engineer vanderberg tells of a creature loose in the mine tunnels killing some of his men. But, more importantly, this episode is essentially a prelude for the best star trek movie of all time, the wrath of khan. Oct 09, 2017 regardless of the nittygritty plot stuff, the best aspect of this episode was discoverys new version of the horta the rock pizza from the original trek.
Over 50 years have passed since star trek debuted its pilot episode the cage on nbc in 1966. Best star trek original series episodes ranked business. The original series that begins without the enterprise or its crew. Spock, kirk, and giotto examine a piece of the horta. The devil in the dark, which aired in 1967, was written in just three days by screenwriter gene l. Short treks will make their debut on cbs all access, including three u. According to spock, they were a very emotional as well as intelligent species who appreciate the strengths and differences of others, and they were a literate and toolusing species.
This episode involved pacific plane crash survivors finding themselves suddenly on the floor inside of a huge spaceship only to encounter a creature known as a mikey short for microbe, created and portrayed by janos. Kirk and spock go looking for the monster and almost get attacked but manage to scare the monster away. The being is apparently destroying machinery and killing the miners, and has the ability to burrow through solid rock. Memory beta articles sourced from star trek online. Despite the rushed production, this first season episode of star trek the original.
Home soil is the eighteenth episode of the american science fiction television series star trek. Picard toggle navigation the horta is a highly intelligent, siliconbased species, that is capable of tunneling through solid rock ike humans are able to walk through air. Mar 27, 2020 heres your chance to beam out to avoid spoilers for episode 10 of star trek. Gallery edit edit source horta ally horta horta eggs and a horta made tunnel in solid magnesite at a mining facility in the hfihar system. A touching episode, all our yesterdays will satisfy star trek fans who admire the subtle emotionality through which leonard nimoy often conveyed spocks inner conflict. Mccoy, now a veterinarian, of the horta having been patched up by mccoy using silicone cement. The horta has been met for the first time in the pergium mines of janus there. Sep 04, 2017 the second star trek episode ever telecast on september 15, 1966, charlie x guest stars robert walker jr. Spock attempts a vulcan mind meld but cant complete it because the creature is wounded the devil in the dark. Apr 20, 2018 diehard star trek fans pride themselves on their deep knowledge of whatever series or movie is their favorite sometimes even all of them. Under threat of data being dismantled by a cyberneticist, picard must prove that the android is a sentient being, with the full freedoms and.
Horta were announced as a player race as an april fools prank on april 1, 2016. Star trek, season 1, episode 26 1967 the horta has a funny story, says original series story editor d. It premiered in syndication on the weekend of 23 september 2006 and most notably featured new effects shots of the pergium production station, the horta burning through a. Discovered on the planet janus iv, the horta is female, and lives below the planets federation mining facility. External links edit edit source horta at memory alpha, the star trek wiki. Finding that the creature, known as a horta, lives in a newly opened part of the underground mining complex. The original series episode the devil in the dark 1x26. Sep 20, 2011 curious as to who played the part of the horta, i looked it up. The monster seems to appear out nowhere then disappears just as quickly. Also touching on the experiences of growing old, to see sarek shed a tear in the concert scene gets me every damn time. Happy 50th anniversary star trek the most memorable. While the introduction of the horta is one of the most loved episodes from star trek. Tv guide august 31, 1991 in his book star trek memories, william shatner identified this as his favorite episode, because his father died during filming and nimoys delivery of the mind meld lines made him laugh.
Turns out that someone was a hungarianborn hollywood actor and stuntman, janos prohaska. Mar 30, 2020 while the introduction of the horta is one of the most loved episodes from star trek. It was news to me that the horta was anything other than black with grey spots. The episode includes some of the ingredients that have always made star trek compelling, and the horta is one of the coolest creatures ever seen in the original series.
Diehard star trek fans pride themselves on their deep knowledge of whatever series or movie is their favorite sometimes even all of them. Since then, it has become a cultural touchstone for people around the world. The first approaches with the horta have been rather dramatic, because the miners came killed from a monster that moves in the rock. The horta were a sentient nonhumanoid silicon cycle life form native to the planet. Few episodes test this premise as thoroughly and terrifyingly as the devil in the dark, the story of a. Janus vi was a class f planet in the janus system, somewhere in the galaxys alpha or beta quadrants.
Mugato star trek episode a private little war the melkotian star trek episode the spectre of the gun the horta star trek episode devil in the dark. Memory beta, noncanon star trek wiki is a fandom books community. Apr 03, 2009 the episode includes some of the ingredients that have always made star trek compelling, and the horta is one of the coolest creatures ever seen in the original series. The second star trek episode ever telecast on september 15, 1966, charlie x guest stars robert walker jr. Janus vi memory beta, noncanon star trek wiki fandom. Janus was a member of the united federation of planets. This classic star trek episode features the famed horta who attacking the miners on janus vi.
Star trek online wiki is a fandom gaming community. Mccoys professional and personal friendship with the vulcan scientist is also explored from time to time, with the chief medical officer eventually prompting spock to. But, the whole theme of this episode is about whats on the inside, rather than outward appearances, anyway. If the player observes this, he or she will get the accolade. By combining intelligent dialogue with suspenseful atmosphere to convey a resonating morality lesson, the devil in the dark earns its status as one of the greatest star trek episodes ever produced.
External links edit edit source official blog star trek online. The enterprise is sent to a mining colony that is being terrorized by a mysterious monster, only to find that the situation is not that simple. United federation of planets biology classification. The horta hatchling is a component in the crafting of the combat horta pet. Thanks to exhaustive sites like memory alpha, fans can dig deep for information on guest stars, alien species, and individual episodes of every series, but back in 1966 when the original series premiered, not only was there no internet, but the fandom. I grew up watching star trek in black and white, so im always.
Mother horta is a version of the horta from the star trek. Devil in the dark is a quintessential star trek episode thematically. Under threat of data being dismantled by a cyberneticist, picard must prove that the android is. The horta were a siliconbased lifeform native to janus vi and members of the united federation of planets. Rocky armour the horta were a siliconbased lifeform native to janus vi and members of the united federation of planets.
Remember the horta, from the star trek episode titled devil in the dark. It first aired in broadcast syndication on february 22, 1988. The devil in the dark after the misunderstanding was resolved, the remaining horta eggs hatched, and the species began to thrive once more. Polytrinic acid horta a combat pet available through the cryptic store green eisilum crystal horta a combat pet available through the cryptic store blue dilithium horta a noncombat pet. To quote a former star trek alumni in a prestar trek role, oh boy. In the mmorpg star trek online, in the mission mine enemy, a horta kills tal shiar officers and burns the words no kill i, no kill i into a cave floor with acid. Heres your chance to beam out to avoid spoilers for episode 10 of star trek. An alliance is formed between the horta and the miners. The first offering in this new series is commander spock, first officer of the u. The original series the devil in the dark tv episode. Few episodes test this premise as thoroughly and terrifyingly as. The mother horta, born around 44,773 bc, was the last of the horta species of janus vi until stardate 3196 in 2267. When mccoy steps through a time portal back to depressionera earth, he saves the life of a.
Coon thought devil would be a tough assignment to firsttime trek director senensky. In fact, its brown and orange, which makes it look like a shag rug or a wet piece of pepperoni pizza. Regardless of the nittygritty plot stuff, the best aspect of this episode was discoverys new version of the horta the rock pizza from the original trek. The show is about a 23rd century starship that explores space, and the shows futuristic vision and moral ethos became famous in late 20th century popculture. The devil in the dark is the twentyfifth episode of the first season of the american science. The story of the horta is great, the first one is discovered on a mining colony as it goes around and racks up a fifty miner kill count. Janus vi was the homeworld of the siliconbased horta who named their world shaul. A horta was referenced in the firstdraft script for in thy image the story that gradually developed into star trek.
The horta is a very rare case of mineral intelligent race. The original series, it is hard to look at the alien and not get a case of the giggles. Roddenberry picked it as one of his ten favorite episodes for the franchises 25th anniversary. Robert sabaroff, karl geurs and ralph sanchez developed the story, with sabaroff producing the teleplay. The original series, 19661969 paramount this is a species of siliconbased life humans, by comparison, are carbonbased that prefers to feed on rocks. Its also one of the few nonhumanoid looking alien creatures ever featured in the franchises 43 years of existence. Empire ranked devil in the dark 2nd in the top 50 episodes of all star trek in 2016. Kirk retrieves the missing reactor and the landing party leaves the inhabitants of janus vi living in peaceful coexistence. With william shatner, leonard nimoy, deforest kelley, nichelle nichols. Join the conversation and connect with cbs s star trek. Tribbles manages to be a particularly great star trek episode by making fun of the show and its many characters. May 18, 20 the city on the edge of forever star treks greatest episode has challenged all storytellers since not to use timetravel as a mere gimmick but as a prismatic tool for examining. Enterprise, who comes with a cave backdrop and the horta alien from the classic episode devil in the dark.
Here are the best original star trek episodes, ranked. You can read a nice little biography of prohaska here at harpies. I thought someone must have a great story to tell at cocktail parties. While the ridiculous horta costume may incite laughter from overcritical audiences, even modern viewers can appreciate gene l. Get in on the ground floor of this exciting new line. Ive always loved the character of sarek, and this episode was probably one of the better trek episodes dealing with emotion. Feb 27, 2017 the devil in the dark, which aired in 1967, was written in just three days by screenwriter gene l. The handsdown best episode of star trek is a riveting tale of time travel and altered history. Stuntman, actor, creature creator janos prohaska did. This episode was originally scheduled to be filmed before star trek. The worlds of the federation the world was located in the omega sector, along with the planet vesbius.
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