Well it's a big world, and apparently there are a lot of lonely folks out there - Harry Mudd ('I Mudd'), Trelane ('The Squire of Gothos'), and Apollo ('Who Mourns for Adonais?') just to name a few. Quite curiously, Captain Kirk and crew managed to find a lot of these lonely folks in an infinite universe, and most of the time they were looking to keep the Enterprise crew around for company.
Fortunately, I was a fan of 'Father Knows Best' when I was a kid, and that made it a whole lot easier to accept Elinor Donohue in the role of the whiny Federation Ambassador Hedford. If the Princess hadn't been part of her resume I probably would have enjoyed the story a lot less. Now I know her character was suffering from the potentially fatal Sakuro's disease in the story, but I was a bit troubled by the idea that Kirk and Company didn't object at all to an alien presence taking over her body. I wasn't altogether convinced that Hedford was about to die, or did die as the Companion merged with her being. The resolution is one that's supposed to make us feel supportive of Cochrane (Glenn Corbett) finding someone to love and grow old with, but I found it just a bit unsettling beneath the surface.
I think what I'll have to do is watch this one again after a while and see if my perception changes. I will say however that this is a well written and introspective story, examining a core principle at the heart of many a Star Trek episode - that Man will cease to grow and will eventually die (if not literally, then spiritually), if denied freedom and love. As usual, the show found a couple of exceptionally capable guest stars to portray their roles in a way to make a vivid and lasting impression.
Fortunately, I was a fan of 'Father Knows Best' when I was a kid, and that made it a whole lot easier to accept Elinor Donohue in the role of the whiny Federation Ambassador Hedford. If the Princess hadn't been part of her resume I probably would have enjoyed the story a lot less. Now I know her character was suffering from the potentially fatal Sakuro's disease in the story, but I was a bit troubled by the idea that Kirk and Company didn't object at all to an alien presence taking over her body. I wasn't altogether convinced that Hedford was about to die, or did die as the Companion merged with her being. The resolution is one that's supposed to make us feel supportive of Cochrane (Glenn Corbett) finding someone to love and grow old with, but I found it just a bit unsettling beneath the surface.
I think what I'll have to do is watch this one again after a while and see if my perception changes. I will say however that this is a well written and introspective story, examining a core principle at the heart of many a Star Trek episode - that Man will cease to grow and will eventually die (if not literally, then spiritually), if denied freedom and love. As usual, the show found a couple of exceptionally capable guest stars to portray their roles in a way to make a vivid and lasting impression.