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Fisher was a male Human Starfleet officer who lived during the mid-23rd century. He served in the sciences division aboard the USS Enterprise under the command of both Captains Christopher Pike and James T. Kirk.

Career[]

Under Pike[]

For a time in 2254, he served as a geologist, and apparent member of the senior staff, under Captain Pike. That year he was one of seven crewmen injured on Rigel VII.

Two weeks after the incident, he delivered the preliminary geological lab report for Talos IV to the bridge. As geologist, he was the among the crew chosen by Pike to join the landing party to that planet's surface to locate the crew of the missing SS Columbia.

Following the capture of Pike by the Talosians, the geologist sat in on Una Chin-Riley's debriefing in the briefing room. (TOS: "The Cage")

Several deleted lines were originally spoken by the geologist during this scene, including one where he agreed with Spock's analysis that the planet lacked sufficient resources to support the survivors of the Columbia, indicating that they "would have starved in a few months, much less 18 years;" and a second line concurring with Spock's resolution that the Columbia's crew and encampment were merely an illusion, that "once it had served its purpose [it all] disappeared like blowing out a match."

He was later among the landing party who made one final attempt to save Pike by beaming down into the Talosian's underground community, however, he, like the other male crew, were left on the transporter pad. Following the aborted attempt to beam down, he returned to the bridge and was present when the Talosians scanned the Enterprise's library computer, before they finally released Pike. (TOS: "The Cage")

Under Kirk[]

Scott uses scanning device on Fisher

The ore-covered Fisher with Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott

In 2266, Fisher, who was then assigned as a geological technician under Captain Kirk, participated in a specimen-gathering mission on the surface of planet Alfa 177. During the mission, he fell off a rock bank, becoming covered in an exotic magnetic ore. This ore caused a transporter malfunction when Fisher was beamed back to the ship, which resulted in Captain Kirk being split into two distinctly different versions of him, one of whom was weak and indecisive whereas the other was possessed of all of Kirk's dark tendencies and animal instincts.

Fisher later witnessed the psychologically bestial manifestation of Kirk trying to sexually assault Yeoman Janice Rand in her quarters, and was incapacitated by him while attempting to contact Lieutenant Commander Spock. Later, in sickbay, Fisher therefore confirmed Rand's assertion that she had been assaulted by Captain Kirk. (TOS: "The Enemy Within")

Footage of his experiences aboard the Enterprise under Captain Pike during the original visit to Talos IV, from 13 years prior, was transmitted from that planet during Spock's fictional court martial aboard the same ship in 2267. (TOS: "The Menagerie, Part I", "The Menagerie, Part II")

Appendices[]

Appearances[]

Background information[]

Identity[]

Edward Madden portrayed this character in both appearances. While there was no direct link between Fisher and his previous character, described as the "geologist", it is assumed here that the link of them both being portrayed by the same actor, the similarities between his these character's roles, and the fact that other actors carried over from the pilot to other early first season episodes for similar continued roles justifies this connection as well. Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 1, Issue 13, p. 92, suggests these portrayals are the same character, with the rank of crewman.

The geologist character was originally to be known as an "astroscientist," though Gene Roddenberry changed this on the recommendation of Harvey P. Lynn, an unofficial scientific adviser on "The Cage", who suggested the change to "geologist" because he believed that the alternative title was too general. (The Making of Star Trek, p. 93)

The character of Fisher was originally called Pollard. He was named that in two drafts of the story outline for "The Enemy Within", the second of which additionally referred to him as a "crew technician". The character was also called Pollard in the first draft and a revised draft of the episode's script (the latter dated 31 May 1966). He wasn't renamed Fisher until the final draft of the teleplay was issued (on 8 June 1966). Thereafter, in a set of research notes that Kellam de Forest wrote about the teleplay (on 15 June 1966), de Forest concluded there were "no conflicts" with the name Fisher.

The novel Present Tense gives Fisher's first name as "Edward".

Depictions in story outlines[]

In the first draft story outline of "The Enemy Within", Pollard was bludgeoned by the violent Kirk duplicate using the receiver of a wall phone aboard the Enterprise. Robert H. Justman proposed, in a memo of story notes from him to Gene Roddenberry (on 8 April 1966), that they omit the wall phone and that Pollard therefore be assaulted by either some other implement or the Kirk duplicate's bare hands. Justman also observed in that memo, "The character of Pollard becomes confusing to me. The instability that he displays would certainly seem to me to disqualify him from service on board the USS Enterprise."

In the revised story outline for "The Enemy Within", it was an unnamed male "crew member" who was wounded while collecting some ore. The nature of his injury was also different, in that he was grazed by "a falling rock." Pollard first appeared in the narrative while passing by Rand's quarters during her sexual assault. Stunned by the sight, Pollard rushed to the nearest "Transicator" (an early name for the Enterprise's communication devices). He was shoved against a bulkhead by Kirk's double, though, and Pollard's face was then slammed against the door to an empty cabin, an act which knocked him unconsciousness. Moments later, he was found inside the cabin, his face described as "a mask of blood," and, with a gasp before losing consciousness again, he identified the captain as his attacker. Pollard was then taken to the Enterprise's "hospital", where he was referred to as being in serious condition. After regaining consciousness, the hospitalized Pollard, whose face was still bruised and puffy, was personally visited by the real Kirk, who informed him the duplicate had been arrested. Despite the real Kirk apologizing for what had happened, Pollard eyed his visitor with distrust and, as Kirk left, nearly contempt.

Robert Justman, in a memo of story notes to John D.F. Black on 22 April 1966, suggested that, since the doors aboard the Enterprise weren't hinged, the writing staff would need to devise some other way of "disposing of Pollard." He also critiqued, "I think it's all right for Pollard to be distrustful of the real Captain Kirk, but I don't think Pollard should eye Kirk with contempt as Kirk exits. I think his expression should be more the expression of uncertainty, rather than downright dislike of his leader."

In a memo of story comments Gene Roddenberry wrote Richard Matheson (dated 26 April 1966) – in preparation for Matheson writing the first draft script of "The Enemy Within" – Roddenberry advised, "We must clearly explain why the first man who was beamed up through the Transporter did not come out a double as happens to Kirk." In the same memo, Roddenberry relayed to Matheson that Pollard would have to be injured and knocked out some other way, as the Enterprise's doors weren't hinged.

Scripted portrayals[]

In the first draft script of "The Enemy Within", Pollard was whacked by the Kirk duplicate using a communicator. Robert Justman considered that implement too small and light-weight to be used as a weapon realistically. In a memo he wrote John D.F. Black (on 23 May 1966), Justman suggested Pollard's assault instead could be committed off-camera, Justman commenting, "We need never see Pollard getting belted by Kirk's Double. We can hear it start to happen in the Bridge and then the audience will naturally assume that something terrible is happening to poor old Pollard."

In a revised draft of the script of "The Enemy Within" (issued shortly prior to 3 June 1966), Pollard was discovered in a storage room with a brandy bottle after the Kirk double's attack on him, Pollard having been stowed there by the vicious duplicate (the scene was referenced in a 3 June 1966 memo from John D.F. Black to Gene Roddenberry). By the time the final draft teleplay was submitted (on 8 June 1966), the character was no longer found to have been stowed in a storage room by the Kirk double.

In the final draft script of "The Enemy Within", the newly renamed Fisher, after having fallen off a rock bank in the episode's teaser, was advised by McCoy not to hurry back to work. Fisher agreed to comply with that instruction, despite admitting (unknowingly to Kirk's violent double) that his injured hand was "not too bad." This was changed in the revised final draft of the teleplay, in which Fisher received and accepted McCoy's medical advice to return to duty but didn't admit that the hand was "much better."

In both the final draft and revised final draft of the script, Fisher was established as making his way from sickbay to his quarters when he witnessed the duplicate Kirk's attack on Rand. Also in both drafts, Fisher repeatedly made exclaimed requests to the bridge for help while being assaulted, himself, by the assailant. In the final edit of the installment, though, he is shown making only the first of those pleas, with the duplicate Kirk then shoving him to the ground.

In the aftermath of the attack, Fisher was scripted (again in both drafts) to be found, by Spock, inside Rand's quarters, lying near where Rand herself was sitting. The script's stage directions described him as "near unconscious, crumpled on the deck; his face a mask of blood and bruises." In the final draft teleplay, Fisher then told Spock, when he asked who the attacker had been, that Kirk was the culprit. However, in the revised final draft, Fisher's reply was edited out, leaving only Spock's question, before cutting to the other "half" of Kirk in the next scene, asking incredulously, "Me?" In the final edit of the outing, Fisher doesn't appear following the assault until he accuses that version of Kirk face-to-face, in sickbay, of the beating. Fisher didn't do that in the final draft, wherein he was being tended to by McCoy in sickbay but didn't say anything. However, he did have dialogue in the depiction of the scene from the revised final draft, acting exactly as he does in the final version of the scene (although, in that revised draft but not on-screen, his presence elsewhere in sickbay was revealed by Rand before he appeared). During the sickbay scene, Fisher was characterized in the final draft as looking at Kirk "with cold suspicion," whereas the revised final draft said he was "eyeing Kirk coldly."

Filming the character[]

For the filming of his scenes as Fisher in "The Enemy Within", Edward Madden was assigned to work for seven days, starting on 13 June 1966. On that first day of the episode's production, the immediate aftermath of Fisher's fall was shot, as was his subsequent arrival in the Enterprise's transporter room. Madden wore, for these initial scenes, some makeup on his hand, to make it seem bruised and at first slightly bleeding, as well as patches of yellow dust on his jumpsuit costume to resemble the ore. The scene in which Fisher's voice-over is heard on the ship's bridge while he is being attacked by the Kirk double was filmed on the third day of the shooting schedule, on 15 June 1966. The next day's filming began with the scene wherein Fisher's injury is tended by McCoy prior to the Kirk duplicate interrupting. For that scene, Madden again wore bruised makeup on his hand, and now had very slight yellow detritus on his costume. Fisher accusing Kirk in sickbay was shot later that day, despite it taking place chronologically later than the attack itself, and involvEdward Madden wearing bruise makeup on his face.

The scene in which Fisher firstly witnesses a rape attempt on Janice Rand and is then actually assaulted himself wasn't filmed until the sixth day of shooting: 20 June 1966. In both that scene and from then on, Fisher's hand was to be in a bandage. Though the scene to be filmed straight thereafter was planned to be the immediate aftermath of the attack – with Spock arriving at the scene of the incident – the episode's shooting schedule pondered if Fisher would be included in that ultimately discarded scene at all and, if so, whether his face would be "bloody & bruised." The last scene described in the shooting schedule to include Fisher was the one in which he helps identify Kirk as the wrongdoer. As the scene was referred to in the shooting schedule, Fisher's face was, without question, to look "bruised-bloody."

External links[]

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