Changes: Assignment: Earth (episode)

Revision as of 16:10, 14 May 2005

The Enterprise travels back in time to 1968, where the crew encounters the mysterious Gary Seven who claims to be sent by advanced beings trying to help Earth.

Summary

The Enterprise has used the light-speed breakaway factor to travel back in time on a historical fact-finding mission. It monitors Earth communications to study how the Earth survived the turbulent year 1968.

While in orbit, the Enterprise accidentally intercepts a transporter beam that originates more than a thousand light years away, beaming aboard interplanetary agent Gary Seven and his partner Isis, disguised as a black cat. Seven discovers that the Enterprise is from the future, and demands to be beamed down to continue with his mission. Seven claims he is a human from the twentieth century who has been living on a different planet, which wishes to remain hidden (even in Kirk's time). Kirk confines Seven to a detention cell until he can learn more. Seven overpowers the guards and resists the Vulcan Nerve Pinch from Spock, but is stunned by Kirk with a phaser. Seven soon escapes again using a device disguised as a pen called a "servo" to deactivate the force field and put the guard to sleep. He is rejoined by Isis on his way to the transporter room, and beams down before Kirk can stop him. Seven materializes inside a safe concealed behind a sliding rack of glasses in what appears to be an otherwise normal office.

Using a Beta 5 computer (capable of analytical decision) that is hidden behind a bookcase, Seven learns that his fellow agents 201 and 347 have not reported their locations in the past 3 days. In order to access the computer, Seven (a class 1 supervisor also known as Supervisor 194) summarizes the nature of his mission. Agents are the descendants of humans taken from the Earth in 4000 BCE and specially genengineered and trained for the mission of preventing Earth from destroying itself before it can become a peaceful society. According to the computer, this is necessary because science and technology have progressed faster than political and social knowledge on Earth. Seven learns that the agents' mission was to disable a rocket that will launch an American orbiting nuclear platform which is a countermove to an opposing country about to do the same. Seven compares this arms race to the one which almost resulted in the destruction of planet Omicron IV.

Roberta Lincoln, a secretary hired by Seven's fellow agents shows up late for work. Seven mistakes her for one of the agents and shares some of his secret gadgetry with her, including a voice-activated typewriter. Seven, realizing his mistake, convinces her that he is a CIA agent, and that she should remain silent about what she has seen in the interests of national security.

The Beta 5 reveals that agents 201 and 347 were killed in an automobile accident 10 miles north of McKinley Rocket Base on Highway 940. Kirk and Spock (who have beamed down in an attempt to locate Seven) barge into the office and are stalled by Lincoln long enough to allow Seven to escape into the safe/transporter. Roberta calls the police to the office (located at 811 East 68th Street, number 12B). When the police arrive, Kirk beam everyone up to the Enterprise, then immediately returns the policemen to the office.

Seven rematerializes inside the rocket base and stuns a guard with his servo before security is called. Seven then makes his way to the gantry elevator and begins to sabotage the wiring. Kirk and Spock materialize in front of the stunned guard as he awakens. They are escorted to an interrogation room in the launch complex.

Meanwhile, Lincoln accidentally discovers that depressing a pen on the desk opens the sliding glass rack. She then picks the lock to the safe. At the same time, using the ships sensors Scotty locates Seven manipulating wires on the rocket and attempts to beam him up. Lincoln though accidentally pulls him back to the office while fiddling with the safe controls. Seven uses the Beta 5 exceiver circuits to cause the third stage of the American rocket to malfunction and veer off course. He also arms the warhead, and is shortly thereafter konked on the head by Roberta.

The arming of the warhead is noted by Chekov aboard the Enterprise, who attempts to contact Kirk for instructions. When the communicator beeps and the rocket base guard picks it up, Spock uses the Vulcan Nerve Pinch to render the guard unconcious. Scotty is ordered to beam Kirk and Spock to Seven's office. They watch while Seven explodes the warhead 104 miles above ground. Records from the Enterprise show that exactly such an event occurred, and that it furthermore caused the nuclear powers to re-assess the risks of a nuclear orbiting platform.

Background Information

This episode was designed partly as a pilot for a new series featuring Gary Seven and his mission. The intended series never reached production.
Is is the only episode of Star Trek in which time travel is treated as "routine",
Gary Seven's Beta 5 computer contains many components from the M-5 in The Ultimate Computer. It would be recycled yet again for All Our Yesterdays.
In a sad prediction, just after this episode was aired there was indeed an important assassination, that of Martin Luther King on April 4, 1968.
Watch for William Blackburn as a rocket control room technician in this episode, one of the few times he is seen out of a Starfleet uniform.
Robert Lansing (Gary Seven) is the only Star Trek: The Original Series guest star whose credit appears after the opening credits instead of during the end credits.
This episodes takes place entirely in 1968, with no scenes in the 23rd Century. Along with ENT: "Storm Front" (which takes place in 1944), this is one of only two Star Trek episodes based entirely in the 20th Century.
Teri Garr had a very unpleasant time filming this episode, perhaps stemming from Gene Roddenberry's involvement in decisions regarding her costume. In interviews since, she has refused to talk about 'Star Trek' in any way.
The events of this episode, which take place in 1968, occurred (from the point of view from the Enterprise crew) over a year after those of "Tomorrow is Yesterday" which take place in 1969.

Links and References

References

Agent 201; Agent 347; Beta 5 computer; exceiver; light-speed breakaway factor; McKinley Rocket Base; Omicron IV; servo; Supervisor 194; weather satellite

Previous episode:
The Omega Glory

Episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series
TOS Season 2

Next episode:
Spectre of the Gun

@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 * This episodes takes place entirely in [[1968]], with no scenes in the [[23rd Century]]. Along with [[ENT]]: "[[Storm Front]]" (which takes place in [[1944]]), this is one of only two ''Star Trek'' episodes based entirely in the [[20th Century]].
 * Teri Garr had a very unpleasant time filming this episode, perhaps stemming from Gene Roddenberry's involvement in decisions regarding her costume. In interviews since, she has refused to talk about 'Star Trek' in any way.
+*The events of this episode, which take place in [[1968]], occurred (from the point of view from the ''Enterprise'' crew) over a year after those of "[[Tomorrow is Yesterday]]" which take place in [[1969]].
 ==Links and References==

Series:	TOS
Season:	2
Original Airdate:	1968-03-29
Production Number:	55
Year:	2268
Stardate:	Unknown
Story by:	Gene Roddenberry & Art Wallace
Teleplay by:	Art Wallace
Directed by:	Marc Daniels