I've never been able to understand the mentality behind the NBC studio execs who chose to air this, the 2nd Star Trek pilot, as episode 3 in the regular series run (the continuity issues are painfully obvious, from the uniforms, to the differing gadgets, to Spock's eyebrows et al). No Man is really a mini movie. Gene Roddenberry compromised with the network after the initial pilot, The Cage, was rejected, combining the commentary about the human condition that he wanted with the action and adventure that the network execs demanded (which Roddenberry had promised them in the first pilot but didn't deliver), and the result was a vastly superior effort.
Trek fans know the story well. The Enterprise is on a mission to leave the galaxy. When nearing the galaxy's edge, they encounter a disaster recorder from the SS Valiant from 200 years prior. After only getting bits and pieces of information from its badly burned tapes, Captain Kirk gives orders to go ahead. The ship encounters an energy barrier at the rim of the galaxy, which not only causes severe damage to the ship, but attacks several members of the crew. Nine of them are killed immediately, but two recover; Dr. Elizabeth Dehner (Sally Kellerman), a psychiatrist newly assigned to the Enterprise, and Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood), Kirk's first officer and best friend. You see the change in Mitchell immediately in his eyes..which have become shiny and reflective. It turns out that every member of the ship who was attacked by the energy from the barrier rated high in ESP abilities..Mitchell's being the highest of all. Then Mitchell quickly develops super human powers, and it immediately becomes apparent to Spock that Mitchell is mutating into a vastly superior and dangerous being who could and would destroy the crew long before the ship could reach an earth base.
Meanwhile, the only chance at repairing the Enterprise is Delta Vega, an automated planet nearby which has a "lithium cracking station." But the other purpose for going there is to get Mitchell off the ship by stranding him there (Spock advises Kirk that he either needs to maroon Mitchell or kill him while he still can). Using power packs on Delta Vega, Kirk and company are able to repair the ship, but Mitchell becomes so powerful he escapes from the security force field that is holding him. Then we see that Dr. Dehner's eyes now look like Mitchell's; it just took a little longer for her to start to mutate. Both of them take off, and Kirk sets out after them, catching up with Dr. Dehner and persuading her to help him stop Mitchell, while she still has a bit of humanity left in her.
Star Trek had its share of tragic episodes, but this one nears the top. Kirk literally has to watch his best friend mutate into a monster. Kirk points out at the end that Mitchell didn't ask for what happened to him. You see what happens when a normal human being gets super powers (we also saw this in "Charlie X" among other episodes). Mitchell becomes so arrogant that he fancies himself as a "god." But as Kirk points out, a "god" still driven by human frailty. He accurately tells Dr. Dehner, "There will only be one of you left in the end. One jealous god, if all this makes a god, or is it making him something else?" This is not a pleasant episode, but once again, it's a fine exploration of the human condition and an excellent adventure. The networks gave Roddenberry a chance to get it right the 2nd time, and he did.
Trek fans know the story well. The Enterprise is on a mission to leave the galaxy. When nearing the galaxy's edge, they encounter a disaster recorder from the SS Valiant from 200 years prior. After only getting bits and pieces of information from its badly burned tapes, Captain Kirk gives orders to go ahead. The ship encounters an energy barrier at the rim of the galaxy, which not only causes severe damage to the ship, but attacks several members of the crew. Nine of them are killed immediately, but two recover; Dr. Elizabeth Dehner (Sally Kellerman), a psychiatrist newly assigned to the Enterprise, and Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood), Kirk's first officer and best friend. You see the change in Mitchell immediately in his eyes..which have become shiny and reflective. It turns out that every member of the ship who was attacked by the energy from the barrier rated high in ESP abilities..Mitchell's being the highest of all. Then Mitchell quickly develops super human powers, and it immediately becomes apparent to Spock that Mitchell is mutating into a vastly superior and dangerous being who could and would destroy the crew long before the ship could reach an earth base.
Meanwhile, the only chance at repairing the Enterprise is Delta Vega, an automated planet nearby which has a "lithium cracking station." But the other purpose for going there is to get Mitchell off the ship by stranding him there (Spock advises Kirk that he either needs to maroon Mitchell or kill him while he still can). Using power packs on Delta Vega, Kirk and company are able to repair the ship, but Mitchell becomes so powerful he escapes from the security force field that is holding him. Then we see that Dr. Dehner's eyes now look like Mitchell's; it just took a little longer for her to start to mutate. Both of them take off, and Kirk sets out after them, catching up with Dr. Dehner and persuading her to help him stop Mitchell, while she still has a bit of humanity left in her.
Star Trek had its share of tragic episodes, but this one nears the top. Kirk literally has to watch his best friend mutate into a monster. Kirk points out at the end that Mitchell didn't ask for what happened to him. You see what happens when a normal human being gets super powers (we also saw this in "Charlie X" among other episodes). Mitchell becomes so arrogant that he fancies himself as a "god." But as Kirk points out, a "god" still driven by human frailty. He accurately tells Dr. Dehner, "There will only be one of you left in the end. One jealous god, if all this makes a god, or is it making him something else?" This is not a pleasant episode, but once again, it's a fine exploration of the human condition and an excellent adventure. The networks gave Roddenberry a chance to get it right the 2nd time, and he did.