Spock's Brain
- Episode aired Sep 20, 1968
- TV-PG
- 51m
IMDb RATING
5.6/10
3.6K
YOUR RATING
The crew of the Enterprise pursues a mysterious woman who has abducted Spock's brain.The crew of the Enterprise pursues a mysterious woman who has abducted Spock's brain.The crew of the Enterprise pursues a mysterious woman who has abducted Spock's brain.
Bill Blackburn
- Lieutenant Hadley
- (uncredited)
Frank da Vinci
- Lt. Brent
- (uncredited)
Roger Holloway
- Lt. Lemli
- (uncredited)
Pete Kellett
- Morg Guard
- (uncredited)
Jeannie Malone
- Yeoman
- (uncredited)
Eddie Paskey
- Lieutenant Leslie
- (uncredited)
Frieda Rentie
- Enterprise Lieutenant
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn his book, William Shatner referred to this episode as "one of the worst." Leonard Nimoy has stated that he was embarrassed during the entire shooting of this episode.
- GoofsWhen the landing party reaches The Controller's room, Kara inflicts pain with the belts that had been placed on them earlier. McCoy drops the device that controls Spock's body, and Kirk painfully reaches for it. When the camera angle changes, Spock's body is not wearing a pain belt. When the angle changes again, Spock is once again wearing a belt.
- Quotes
Kara: Brain and brain! What is *brain*? It is Controller, is it not?
Dr. McCoy: Yes. Yes, in a way, it is. The human brain controls the individual's functions.
Captain James T. Kirk: [with dawning realization] Bones... Scotty... Spock's... brain... controls.
- Alternate versionsSpecial Enhanced version Digitally Remastered with new exterior shots and remade opening theme song
- ConnectionsEdited into Star Trek: The Way to Eden (1969)
Featured review
Brain and Brain! What is Brain?
Here I am, at the start of a new year, watching "Spock's Brain" again. There goes one resolution down the drain. It's unfortunate that this episode may have been the introduction for many viewers to the Trek series (it was the 1st broadcast of the 3rd season). What a difference a new season makes! Like "The Trouble With Tribbles," this is one of the most famous episodes, but for different reasons, having to do with the epitome of lousiness. Knowledge of Trek's cheese factor may have spread from this point. There's really nothing wrong with the plot, on paper - an early version of "Star Trek III:The Search For Spock" of '84; in this case, it's 'The Search For Spock's Brain.' Here, Kirk and crew are moving along in their starship, minding their own business, when a small ion-propelled ship approaches; a space babe materializes on the bridge of the Enterprise and knocks out everyone with the touch of a button on her spiffy bracelet (and I mean, EVERYone, on the entire ship! - similar to "By Any Other Name"). When the crew awaken, they find something missing - you guessed it! - Spock's brain! Yes, this is Spock's final episode - just kidding. Here's a minor discrepancy already: the female invader is able to conk out everyone immediately; yet later, on the planet they find her on, she and her cohorts take the trouble to affix funky belts on Kirk and his boys to send painful knockout signals. I won't even elaborate on the slow pace of this episode, with the camera, for example, settling on an immobile Spock standing there, as if something is about to happen, yet nothing does.
Someone, meaning the producers, the director and the actors, took a wrong turn or at least a sideways view of this story. As an example, when McCoy slowly informs Kirk of Spock's, eh, problem, it was probably meant to be a suspenseful, grim scene. It isn't. 'His brain is gone..!' McCoy says, looking a bit shell-shocked. Kirk mouths the same phrase, also shocked or stunned. You expect Scotty to repeat it yet again, then Nurse Chapel. I think you get the tone of most of the episode - you're chuckling by this point. By the time we get to the underground civilization on that planet, things have escalated to a laugh-riot, with 'Morgs' and 'Eymorgs' and 'you are not Morg' ringing in our ears as Kirk tries to make sense of a wacko culture divided between female rulers and male brutes. Spock's body is turned into a walking puppet, guided by McCoy's gizmo like a toy robot. Kirk's key meeting with the ruling females, all of whom speak like spoiled teenagers, becomes an exercise in ultimate Trek cheese; Kirk even gets on his knees to grovel at one point, before the female ruler sends him spasming into painful oblivion. It's rather ghastly yet you can't turn away, spellbound in disbelief by the hysterics on screen. All the concepts are sabotaged by the execution, even the climactic brain re-attachment surgery, which begins fine; McCoy gets his brain boosted and proceeds with new skills. Then he starts to forget and Spock talks him through the rest, the audience understanding full well that neither has the knowledge of these unknown techniques. Some entertainment value is there, no doubt, but beware; this all could be a... dare I say it - a drain on the brain.
Someone, meaning the producers, the director and the actors, took a wrong turn or at least a sideways view of this story. As an example, when McCoy slowly informs Kirk of Spock's, eh, problem, it was probably meant to be a suspenseful, grim scene. It isn't. 'His brain is gone..!' McCoy says, looking a bit shell-shocked. Kirk mouths the same phrase, also shocked or stunned. You expect Scotty to repeat it yet again, then Nurse Chapel. I think you get the tone of most of the episode - you're chuckling by this point. By the time we get to the underground civilization on that planet, things have escalated to a laugh-riot, with 'Morgs' and 'Eymorgs' and 'you are not Morg' ringing in our ears as Kirk tries to make sense of a wacko culture divided between female rulers and male brutes. Spock's body is turned into a walking puppet, guided by McCoy's gizmo like a toy robot. Kirk's key meeting with the ruling females, all of whom speak like spoiled teenagers, becomes an exercise in ultimate Trek cheese; Kirk even gets on his knees to grovel at one point, before the female ruler sends him spasming into painful oblivion. It's rather ghastly yet you can't turn away, spellbound in disbelief by the hysterics on screen. All the concepts are sabotaged by the execution, even the climactic brain re-attachment surgery, which begins fine; McCoy gets his brain boosted and proceeds with new skills. Then he starts to forget and Spock talks him through the rest, the audience understanding full well that neither has the knowledge of these unknown techniques. Some entertainment value is there, no doubt, but beware; this all could be a... dare I say it - a drain on the brain.
helpful•4212
- Bogmeister
- Jan 1, 2007
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