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#27: Star Trek: The Original Series, season 1, episode 25 "The Devil in the Dark"
Written by Gene L. Coon, directed by Joseph Pevney.
Stardate 3196.1 (October 2267)
"I'm beginning to think I can cure a rainy day." - Doctor Leonard McCoy
*Something has been killing miners on Janus VI, threatening the operation of a vital minerals supplier for the Federation. The Enterprise is sent to offer assistance and discover a giant, living rock - the first known example of silicon-based life. Because it moves so fast and is nearly impervious to phaser fire, the creature cripples the mining colony's nuclear reactor before anyone could react and retreats deep into the planet. Captain Kirk, Commander Spock, and 100 security officers race against a dying life support system in a maze of mining tunnels to find the creature and stop it from killing anyone else."
Originally released: 9 March 1967
"The Devil in the Dark" on Memory Alpha
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What did you think?
Frankly, when I was younger, I thought this one was... maybe an interesting topic, but not actually a great story, as a teevee-watcher?
Well, I was a !@(*)&$ idiot.
IME yes, this one is sort of workman-like in a sense, but it also hits back at the idea of what utterly spectacular idiots we naked apes (all dressed up in our StarFleet / authority uniforms, or not) have been about leaving native species and cultures alone... As in, non-interference upon healthy eco-systems, and all that?
Btw, there's a pretty-funny story about how Shatner absolutely PRANKED Nimoy on this ep, after they'd already become really-good friends.