This is an interesting space detective episode but with gaps in the plot. Seems Scotty is now a woman-hater after an accident on the Enterprise so what does the ship's doctor and captain do? Why, take him to a belly-dancing show, of course! Scott then leaves with another man's fiancée (the dancer) and is later found unconscious and the woman dead. Later, more women are found killed with only Scotty in the room. We later learn from a séance that this is the work of an entity named Redjac who came to Earth and became Jack the Ripper. Red=blood, Jac= Jack the Ripper, get it? Anyway, Redjac is soon dealt with by being dispersed into space. My question is, did Redjac possess Scotty and kill the girls all those times thus explaining his memory loss or did that administrator knock Scotty unconscious TWICE in 3 different places and killed the women? That's a heck of a co-incidence for the killer to know where Scotty was in order to frame him. Still, the entity's howling when it takes over the Enterprise computer is chilling but seeing a serial killer on tranquilizers saying "you're all going to die" and giggling was quite funny. Not one of best episodes but very good nonetheless. See it for the dancer.
31 Reviews
What's in a Name, unless it's Redjac!
Bogmeister12 October 2006
Redjac, Regak, Jack...Robert Bloch is back (after "Catspaw") and he has Jack the Ripper on his mind. This must be murder! We begin with a belly dancer. What's this? Is this not Trek? Sure enough, there's Kirk, McCoy and a lusty Scotty watching the show, to the tune of an old Orion slave girl dance. Next thing we know, Scotty has knifed the poor girl to death in a mist-filled alley. Then he does it again, to a poor yeoman. And again, to a local mystic. All women. And him with a recent knock on the head, caused by a female crewmember. Yes, it must be him. Murder mystery solved! Well, not quite. Just one thing to mention before we go on, regarding the 2nd murder: Scotty is the main (and only) suspect at this point; so they send him downstairs to be alone with another female in a secluded chamber; sure enough, she's dead a minute later. But, what do I know? I've never conducted a murder investigation. I guess that's how it's done in the 23rd century.
This is a fun, if trivial, episode, filled with some nice touches. The alien society here is one of the most peaceful we've ever seen but they still resort to ancient customs for dealing with murderers: death by slow torture. Cut to: Scotty 'gulp.' There's a central séance which manages to be spooky as the doomed clairvoyant describes the menace - evil, a hatred of all that lives, and so on. Then we learn about this entity which was known as Jack on Earth in the 19th century and which continued to kill every few decades as mankind spread to the stars. It's intriguing, copied by Stephen King for his magnum opus, 'It,' not to mention there was that Kolchak TV film "The Night Strangler" in '73 - though we never learn what this timeless creature did before its escapades as the Ripper. Then the crew all get space happy thanks to a special cocktail from McCoy and, as seems customary with many later Trek episodes, a grim tone is subverted to a playful one in the last act. The episode also generalizes the fear factor in females, making them the primary (and only) targets of this cosmic killer. At least the monstrous alien killer in "Obsession" was more diverse in its attacks - red-shirts! Stick to what you know, Trek!
This is a fun, if trivial, episode, filled with some nice touches. The alien society here is one of the most peaceful we've ever seen but they still resort to ancient customs for dealing with murderers: death by slow torture. Cut to: Scotty 'gulp.' There's a central séance which manages to be spooky as the doomed clairvoyant describes the menace - evil, a hatred of all that lives, and so on. Then we learn about this entity which was known as Jack on Earth in the 19th century and which continued to kill every few decades as mankind spread to the stars. It's intriguing, copied by Stephen King for his magnum opus, 'It,' not to mention there was that Kolchak TV film "The Night Strangler" in '73 - though we never learn what this timeless creature did before its escapades as the Ripper. Then the crew all get space happy thanks to a special cocktail from McCoy and, as seems customary with many later Trek episodes, a grim tone is subverted to a playful one in the last act. The episode also generalizes the fear factor in females, making them the primary (and only) targets of this cosmic killer. At least the monstrous alien killer in "Obsession" was more diverse in its attacks - red-shirts! Stick to what you know, Trek!
Scotty on trial
Tweekums8 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
After an accident caused by a female crew member, which we don't see, Scotty is injured and it is feared it might cause him to start disliking women. To counter this he is taken to the hedonistic planet Argelius II where he certainly doesn't appear to dislike the woman dancing in front of him. He invites her to go for a walk with him and soon we hear a scream; she has been brutally murdered and Scotty is holding the knife and has no recollection of what happened. Scotty is detained by Administrator Hengist. It is proposed that he should be empathically probed by Sybo, the wife of the Planet's prefect; Kirk agrees but also suggests that he is scanned with a psycho-tricorder to be operated by Lieutenant Karen Tracy. Things soon get even worse for Scotty when first Lt. Tracy then Sybo are killed in a way that points to Scotty. However just before she dies Sybo claims to have sensed an evil presence. Back on the Enterprise everybody who may have had a motive is questioned under analysis; the true killer is unveiled but still remains a threat.
This is a surprisingly effective episode; I say surprising because I doubt many viewers will believe for a minute that Scotty won't be cleared but there is still an interesting mystery. The crime itself has a degree of everyday brutality about it; three women killed with a knife not some sci-fi weapon or a creature with strange powers. When we learn who is responsible that is where we get the sci-fi; an entity that may have been guilty of many infamous murders over the years; including possible the most famous serial killer Jack the Ripper. It was nice to see James Doohan taking centre stage as Scotty and there is also an enjoyable performance from the diminutive John Fiedler as Administrator Hengist. Overall a quality episode with a darker than normal tone.
This is a surprisingly effective episode; I say surprising because I doubt many viewers will believe for a minute that Scotty won't be cleared but there is still an interesting mystery. The crime itself has a degree of everyday brutality about it; three women killed with a knife not some sci-fi weapon or a creature with strange powers. When we learn who is responsible that is where we get the sci-fi; an entity that may have been guilty of many infamous murders over the years; including possible the most famous serial killer Jack the Ripper. It was nice to see James Doohan taking centre stage as Scotty and there is also an enjoyable performance from the diminutive John Fiedler as Administrator Hengist. Overall a quality episode with a darker than normal tone.
Before CSI, there was Trek.
Blueghost7 March 2011
This episode gave me the creeps because I always liked Scotty. He wasn't Kirk, Spock nor McCoy. He made sure the Enterprise ran, and made miracles happen when the ship was in peril. He brought engines back from the grave, fixed transporters, weapons, and always warned the captain about the stress and strain the ship could take. But Kirk knew his engineer, and trusted him to push the Enterprise to the absolute limit without breaking her.
But then this episode happens, and Scotty's integrity is put on the line. The one you least suspect is the primary suspect in a series of brutal criminal events. Is Scotty the culprit? Is our beloved Scottsman in fact the criminal which the Argelians seek? We're given some pretty fast moving elements, and given the planetary society we're introduced to, it's a good thing, because otherwise Mister Scott might've been locked up and executed before the episode was over.
The story deals with objectifying the serial killer. Who and what is he? Where does he come from? How can he be? Is he truly one of us? A proverbial, as Spock puts it, "wolf in the fold" (the episode's title).
None of those questions is answered, but a science fiction hypothesis is proposed as well as a real world hypothesis for why some killers act the way they do. And, in the end, we're treated to Star Fleet know how via Kirk and Spock who have a solution.
The real magic of this episode is that with all of the weapons and personnel and technology at the disposal of Starfleet's finest, it's the captain and his officers who have to puzzle out what went on. And Kirk doesn't pull any punches in trying to get to the truth, including grilling his friend and chief engineer. They use the computer, but it can only serve as a tool. Kirk and crew have to puzzle out the real culprit.
The episode gives a real heir of mystery and suspense in act two. No amount of scanning equipment or phasers set to either stun or kill is going to solve the mystery for them. And even when the mystery of who and how it solved, the question of why can only be postulated in a science fiction like venue. There are some theories as to why some serial killers do the things they do, and this episode really doesn't even begin to touch on them. It only states that such things have happened, and the best at the time is to try to puzzle out who did these horrendous acts of evil.
The thing that got me about this episode, as I stated before, is that Kirk couldn't just rely on his department heads to whip up an answer based on his own theory. He does for a solution, but the problem was a real mystery. It was CSI in space, specifically on board the U.S.S. Enterprise, and Kirk plays a detective as well as a starship captain. It was scary in that we have a malevolent malefactor that exercises power of the most horrific kind. But again, it is Star Trek, and the solution actually does come in the form of scientific and engineering know how.
A definite plus for Trek for venturing into yet another genre without having to rely on staples like phasers and Klingons. An exploration of an unknown and very frightening quantity in a specific segment of the criminal population; the most vile, the most hated, and the most feared. Again, fortunately it is Trek with Kirk and crew at the helm to solve another life threatening dilemma.
If you're into the whole criminal fiction thing, then give this episode a whirl on your DVD player and see what you think. It may be a little incredulous, but hopefully you'll be somewhat impressed with the boundaries that Trek was willing to push and explore in terms of story and characters.
Enjoy!
But then this episode happens, and Scotty's integrity is put on the line. The one you least suspect is the primary suspect in a series of brutal criminal events. Is Scotty the culprit? Is our beloved Scottsman in fact the criminal which the Argelians seek? We're given some pretty fast moving elements, and given the planetary society we're introduced to, it's a good thing, because otherwise Mister Scott might've been locked up and executed before the episode was over.
The story deals with objectifying the serial killer. Who and what is he? Where does he come from? How can he be? Is he truly one of us? A proverbial, as Spock puts it, "wolf in the fold" (the episode's title).
None of those questions is answered, but a science fiction hypothesis is proposed as well as a real world hypothesis for why some killers act the way they do. And, in the end, we're treated to Star Fleet know how via Kirk and Spock who have a solution.
The real magic of this episode is that with all of the weapons and personnel and technology at the disposal of Starfleet's finest, it's the captain and his officers who have to puzzle out what went on. And Kirk doesn't pull any punches in trying to get to the truth, including grilling his friend and chief engineer. They use the computer, but it can only serve as a tool. Kirk and crew have to puzzle out the real culprit.
The episode gives a real heir of mystery and suspense in act two. No amount of scanning equipment or phasers set to either stun or kill is going to solve the mystery for them. And even when the mystery of who and how it solved, the question of why can only be postulated in a science fiction like venue. There are some theories as to why some serial killers do the things they do, and this episode really doesn't even begin to touch on them. It only states that such things have happened, and the best at the time is to try to puzzle out who did these horrendous acts of evil.
The thing that got me about this episode, as I stated before, is that Kirk couldn't just rely on his department heads to whip up an answer based on his own theory. He does for a solution, but the problem was a real mystery. It was CSI in space, specifically on board the U.S.S. Enterprise, and Kirk plays a detective as well as a starship captain. It was scary in that we have a malevolent malefactor that exercises power of the most horrific kind. But again, it is Star Trek, and the solution actually does come in the form of scientific and engineering know how.
A definite plus for Trek for venturing into yet another genre without having to rely on staples like phasers and Klingons. An exploration of an unknown and very frightening quantity in a specific segment of the criminal population; the most vile, the most hated, and the most feared. Again, fortunately it is Trek with Kirk and crew at the helm to solve another life threatening dilemma.
If you're into the whole criminal fiction thing, then give this episode a whirl on your DVD player and see what you think. It may be a little incredulous, but hopefully you'll be somewhat impressed with the boundaries that Trek was willing to push and explore in terms of story and characters.
Enjoy!
A Not So Ripping Yarn...
Xstal16 February 2022
Poor Mr. Scott's been caught in the act, captured red handed just after attack, knife in his paw, corpse on the floor, no recollection of events or the facts.
A Victorian serial killer haunts the crew of the Enterprise as they take shore leave with fingers being pointed by the official being appointed.
A Victorian serial killer haunts the crew of the Enterprise as they take shore leave with fingers being pointed by the official being appointed.
Another Trial
Hitchcoc29 April 2014
On an R & R trip to a peaceful planet where violence is unheard of, Scottie takes a walk with a beautiful courtesan, only to be discovered, knife in hand, over her body. He is arrested and set for trial. A whiny prosecutor named Hengist assumes Scottie's guilt. A young woman is beamed down to assist with the investigation. She takes Scot into a briefing area. While she questions she is killed and Scot lies, unconscious near the body. The prefect of the city and his wife offer to hold a kind of séance where his wife, who has some sort of clairvoyant gift is to get to the truth. Unfortunately, during the séance, the lights go out and the woman is standing, knife in the back, Scottie standing behind her, blood on his hands. Kirk knows that the ship's computer can determine guilt or innocence. The prefect goes along with it, bringing two witnesses and Hengist with him. One weird thing is that the prefect doesn't seem terribly upset about the death of his wife. Still he wants to get to the truth. It isn't long before some interesting data begins to appear. Mr. Hengist is quite combative through the whole thing. This is the third trial of one of the principle characters. This episode is entertaining and fun. The failing is that people don't seem to react very strongly to the deaths of their colleagues.
"There's nothing like a walk in the fog with a bonny lass".
classicsoncall2 December 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I found this episode, as Spock would say - 'Fascinating' - for a couple of different reasons. For starters, Captain Kirk managed to come up with the name of the gaseous creature that appeared in the prior episode back in the second season. It was called the melittus and I found it odd that the entity would have a name here and not in the show in which it first made an appearance. That would have been episode #2.13 - 'Obsession'. Of course that can be easily explained away by the time bending properties of star date chronology, so I'll leave it at that.
Now the other thing I have trouble wrapping my head around is the way Kirk and crew disposed of the entity. A super wide dispersal pattern was used by the transporter beam to send the melittus' molecules out into space. But wait a minute - that was a REAL person they sent to his death out there! Unless I'm missing something, the melittus occupied the body of Hengist (John Fiedler); it wasn't a shape shifter. So basically, Kirk kills a guy for being in the wrong place at the wrong time!
But the idea of a Jack the Ripper entity surviving the ages to wreak havoc across space and time was an intriguing one. In a way, this was a reworking of the concept used in another Trek story - "Who Mourns for Adonais?", in which it's surmised that the myths of ancient Greek gods had their origin in aliens who visited Earth in the past. Making those creative leaps of faith often results in some great science fiction. And say, who couldn't use one of those regressive memory checks every now and then?
Now the other thing I have trouble wrapping my head around is the way Kirk and crew disposed of the entity. A super wide dispersal pattern was used by the transporter beam to send the melittus' molecules out into space. But wait a minute - that was a REAL person they sent to his death out there! Unless I'm missing something, the melittus occupied the body of Hengist (John Fiedler); it wasn't a shape shifter. So basically, Kirk kills a guy for being in the wrong place at the wrong time!
But the idea of a Jack the Ripper entity surviving the ages to wreak havoc across space and time was an intriguing one. In a way, this was a reworking of the concept used in another Trek story - "Who Mourns for Adonais?", in which it's surmised that the myths of ancient Greek gods had their origin in aliens who visited Earth in the past. Making those creative leaps of faith often results in some great science fiction. And say, who couldn't use one of those regressive memory checks every now and then?
different and engaging
HelloTexas1115 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
An excellent second-season episode, 'Wolf in the Fold' resembles a good old-fashioned murder mystery more than anything. Written by Robert Bloch (author of 'Psycho'), it has a nice spooky feeling to it and a genuinely creepy ending that makes it unique among Trek installments. Scotty is suspected of murdering an exotic dancer while on shore leave with Kirk and McCoy on the planet of Argellius II. Other murders follow and each time, Scotty is the prime suspect. He seems to black out when each is committed and so cannot honestly deny at least the possibility that he's responsible. Ultimately, with the help of the ship's computer, it is discovered Jack the Ripper no less is the murderer... or rather, an alien force who has masqueraded as that famous killer and others down through the centuries. There are a number of nice touches in 'Wolf in the Fold,' including a scary séance that would be right at home in an old haunted house movie. A well-written change of pace for 'Star Trek,' 'Wolf in the Fold' holds up well on repeated viewings.
Murder essence.
thevacinstaller-0335024 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
As the episode concluded, I sat there and asked myself, "Wait, did they just space Administrator Hengist". Yes, they spaced Hengist who was a physical being that was taken over by Redjac but all evidence available (or explained to us) suggested Redjac was not physical in nature. Well, moving right along.
This is 1960's horror. I am personally not a big horror fan but I admit that I can find enjoyment in psychological/intellectual horror and that seems to be what this episode is going for. As of 2022, with our vast library of media this is a tame episode by comparison that I do not find as disturbing as intended in the 60's and lessened the impact of Scotty being the suspect to me.
I thought the actor that played Hengist was excellent. It took me a while to figure out the twist with the miss directions thrown at me.
This is 1960's horror. I am personally not a big horror fan but I admit that I can find enjoyment in psychological/intellectual horror and that seems to be what this episode is going for. As of 2022, with our vast library of media this is a tame episode by comparison that I do not find as disturbing as intended in the 60's and lessened the impact of Scotty being the suspect to me.
I thought the actor that played Hengist was excellent. It took me a while to figure out the twist with the miss directions thrown at me.
Scotty, Murder and The Law of Love
Rainey-Dawn10 January 2017
Season 2, episode 14. The crew of the Enterprise is taking a shore leave on Argelius II. Kirk, McCoy and Scotty are in a night club watching the dancer. Scotty is excited by the dancer and Kirk tells him that he's invited her to join them at the table when she's done. She joins them and Scotty and the dancer leaves the club cafe together. A few minutes later Kirk and McCoy leave the club and while walking to where they are staying they hear a woman scream and run to help. She is dead and Scotty is up against a wall with a large, bloody knife in hands scared to death. When questioned Scotty does not remember what happened, suspicion falls on Mr. Scott that he is the murder. Another woman is later murdered and only Scotty was found in room alone with her and passed out. Then during an ancient Argelian hocus pocus another woman is murdered. Kirk, McCoy, Spock and the ship's computer must find out what really happened but it falls in the jurisdiction of the Argelian people who's law is love.
A really good murder mystery sci-fi style. Enjoyable to watch.
8.5/10
A really good murder mystery sci-fi style. Enjoyable to watch.
8.5/10
"This is the first time I've had a malfunction threaten me."
Hey_Sweden12 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Kirk, Bones, and Scotty are getting some R & R on a pleasure planet called Argelius. Soon, various women are murdered, and Scotty falls under suspicion every time. After some preliminary investigation by an Argelian authority figure (John Fiedler, "12 Angry Men"), the proceedings continue on board the Enterprise, where Kirk insists that their advanced technology can get to the truth of the matter more quickly.
'Wolf in the Fold' is a good & solid (if not great) mystery that works pretty well due to the nature of the antagonist. Kirk & Spock manage to figure it out, but it escapes into the ships' computer before decisive steps can be taken. And, because this thing thrives on generating fear, it tries to terrorize the Enterprise crew rather than killing them outright. The story is engagingly written by legendary genre specialist Robert Bloch, and given efficient direction by frequent series director Joseph Pevney. As a very Scotty-centric episode, it's easy to understand why it was a favorite of co-star James Doohan. And he just acts his heart out, with Scotty professing to remember barely anything from each moment of killing.
In general, 'Wolf in the Fold' is quite fun, although some viewers may not like how goofy it gets. (As protection from the entity, Bones gives crew members an injection that makes everybody overly cheery.). But I personally found it quite funny as it went along, and indeed it wraps up in quite the upbeat manner.
Excellent guest stars also include Charles Macaulay ("The Big Red One"), Pilar Seurat ("The Young Savages"), Charles Dierkop ("The Sting"), and Joseph Bernard ("Judgment at Nuremberg"). The very foxy Tanya Lemani ("The Hell with Heroes") gets things off to a fine start with her talent for belly dancing.
Seven out of 10.
'Wolf in the Fold' is a good & solid (if not great) mystery that works pretty well due to the nature of the antagonist. Kirk & Spock manage to figure it out, but it escapes into the ships' computer before decisive steps can be taken. And, because this thing thrives on generating fear, it tries to terrorize the Enterprise crew rather than killing them outright. The story is engagingly written by legendary genre specialist Robert Bloch, and given efficient direction by frequent series director Joseph Pevney. As a very Scotty-centric episode, it's easy to understand why it was a favorite of co-star James Doohan. And he just acts his heart out, with Scotty professing to remember barely anything from each moment of killing.
In general, 'Wolf in the Fold' is quite fun, although some viewers may not like how goofy it gets. (As protection from the entity, Bones gives crew members an injection that makes everybody overly cheery.). But I personally found it quite funny as it went along, and indeed it wraps up in quite the upbeat manner.
Excellent guest stars also include Charles Macaulay ("The Big Red One"), Pilar Seurat ("The Young Savages"), Charles Dierkop ("The Sting"), and Joseph Bernard ("Judgment at Nuremberg"). The very foxy Tanya Lemani ("The Hell with Heroes") gets things off to a fine start with her talent for belly dancing.
Seven out of 10.
Excellent example of humor in classic Trek
karn29 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Although this episode has big plot holes, not to mention some pretty eye-rolling attitudes towards women, it's the best example of something Classic Trek did that no other Trek series or movie has since done as well: working humor into a dramatic situation.
The episode starts seriously enough as a serial murder mystery, but the last act turns abruptly into good black comedy. Much fun is had with an Enterprise crew happily stoned out of their minds on tranquilizers, though in any sane universe Captain Kirk would have been court-martialed for leaving a seriously impaired crew in control of phasers and photon torpedoes.
Still, this episode has some of the best lines in all of Trek:
Sulu (sober): This is the first time I've ever heard a malfunction threaten us.
Sulu (stoned): Whoever he is, he sure talks gloomy!
McCoy: You better be careful, you're gonna hurt somebody with that thing!
And probably the best "No sh*t, Spock!" line of all time:
Redjac (in computer): I shall feed, and this time I do not need a knife! You will all die horribly, in searing pain! (maniacal laughter)
Spock (usual deadpan): It is attempting to generate terror, Captain.
The episode starts seriously enough as a serial murder mystery, but the last act turns abruptly into good black comedy. Much fun is had with an Enterprise crew happily stoned out of their minds on tranquilizers, though in any sane universe Captain Kirk would have been court-martialed for leaving a seriously impaired crew in control of phasers and photon torpedoes.
Still, this episode has some of the best lines in all of Trek:
Sulu (sober): This is the first time I've ever heard a malfunction threaten us.
Sulu (stoned): Whoever he is, he sure talks gloomy!
McCoy: You better be careful, you're gonna hurt somebody with that thing!
And probably the best "No sh*t, Spock!" line of all time:
Redjac (in computer): I shall feed, and this time I do not need a knife! You will all die horribly, in searing pain! (maniacal laughter)
Spock (usual deadpan): It is attempting to generate terror, Captain.
Scott the Ripper?
BA_Harrison8 June 2022
Kirk, McCoy and Scotty are on the planet Argelius II, enjoying some 'therapeutic shore leave'. Scotty leaves a night club with sultry belly dancer Kara, but is discovered moments later standing over the woman's dead body holding a bloody knife, but claiming he cannot remember what happened.
An investigation ensues, but things look even worse for Scott when two more women in his company wind up dead (Argelian empath Sybo and sexy red skirt Lt. Karen Tracy). Fortunately, the Enterprise is equipped with a box of flashing lights that can prove a man's innocence; with this amazing bit of kit, Kirk is able to find out who is really responsible for the murders, although the culprit's identity comes as something of a surprise, for it is none other than Red Jack AKA Saucy Jacky AKA Jack the Ripper of Old London Town. The infamous ripper is subsequently revealed to be an immortal, non-corporeal entity that lives on the emotion of fear and which possesses people to commit murder.
The idea of Kirk and his crew battling a Victorian serial killer is a pretty daft one, but certainly no sillier than quite a few Trek episodes. I'm willing to forgive the ludicrous premise because Wolf In The Fold is actually very entertaining, a classic murder mystery with a sci-fi setting that delivers intrigue, horror (the Rippers' victims are stabbed multiple times and there's a spooky Argelian seance), suspense, and atmosphere - it's particularly creepy when the killer possesses the Enterprise's computer and tries to frighten the crew with a disembodied voice.
The ending is perhaps a tad rushed, Kirk despatching the killer with ease by beaming it into space at 'maximum dispersion, but overall this one is a lot of fun.
7/10.
An investigation ensues, but things look even worse for Scott when two more women in his company wind up dead (Argelian empath Sybo and sexy red skirt Lt. Karen Tracy). Fortunately, the Enterprise is equipped with a box of flashing lights that can prove a man's innocence; with this amazing bit of kit, Kirk is able to find out who is really responsible for the murders, although the culprit's identity comes as something of a surprise, for it is none other than Red Jack AKA Saucy Jacky AKA Jack the Ripper of Old London Town. The infamous ripper is subsequently revealed to be an immortal, non-corporeal entity that lives on the emotion of fear and which possesses people to commit murder.
The idea of Kirk and his crew battling a Victorian serial killer is a pretty daft one, but certainly no sillier than quite a few Trek episodes. I'm willing to forgive the ludicrous premise because Wolf In The Fold is actually very entertaining, a classic murder mystery with a sci-fi setting that delivers intrigue, horror (the Rippers' victims are stabbed multiple times and there's a spooky Argelian seance), suspense, and atmosphere - it's particularly creepy when the killer possesses the Enterprise's computer and tries to frighten the crew with a disembodied voice.
The ending is perhaps a tad rushed, Kirk despatching the killer with ease by beaming it into space at 'maximum dispersion, but overall this one is a lot of fun.
7/10.
Star Dreck
Fluke_Skywalker7 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Plot; When Scotty is accused of murder while on shore leave, it's up to Kirk to prove his innocence.
This... this is a weird one. What makes it so weird is its "pleasure planet" setting, where Kirk, Bones and Scotty seem to be there to set their phasers on the stunning and totally submissive females. It quickly becomes a murder mystery, but the suspect is Scotty, so the outcome is never in doubt. Then there's a third act injection of silly mumbo jumbo that just ramps this already off-putting episode up to warp(ed) factor 10. - 5/10 - We get not one, not two, but three of Bones' famous "S/he's dead, Jim."! - The hiding in plain sight baddie is played by John Fiedler, best known as the voice of Piglet in the Winnie the Pooh cartoons. Late in the episode, when he's in the midst of being possessed by an evil entity, his wailing sounds like Piglet being roasted alive.
This... this is a weird one. What makes it so weird is its "pleasure planet" setting, where Kirk, Bones and Scotty seem to be there to set their phasers on the stunning and totally submissive females. It quickly becomes a murder mystery, but the suspect is Scotty, so the outcome is never in doubt. Then there's a third act injection of silly mumbo jumbo that just ramps this already off-putting episode up to warp(ed) factor 10. - 5/10 - We get not one, not two, but three of Bones' famous "S/he's dead, Jim."! - The hiding in plain sight baddie is played by John Fiedler, best known as the voice of Piglet in the Winnie the Pooh cartoons. Late in the episode, when he's in the midst of being possessed by an evil entity, his wailing sounds like Piglet being roasted alive.
- After the murder of three females, the episode ends on a humorous note as Kirk sets off to get some r&r with the lovely ladies of the planet. I'm not exactly Andrea Dworkin, but that even offends my sensibilities.
Trying to be clever but not well executed, awkward shifts in theme and tone
Metal_Robots7 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I've been watching TOS in chronological order and there have been some really excellent serious episodes (Space Seed, Doomsday Machine), many whimsical entertaining episodes, and a handful of extremely random episodes where most of the entertainment comes from laughing at why they decided these story beats were good ideas (The Alternative Factor, Catspaw) and Wolf in the Fold falls squarely into the latter for me.
Three women were brutally stabbed to death (including one Enterprise crew member) and the director made no effort to show any remorse for these characters, which was just plain weird. The idea of the jack the ripper entity jumping from body to body was insufficiently explained (was the short bald guy just possessed by it or was he a manifestation of it?). Why was it OK to kill the short guy out in space at the end if it was just possession? Are we supposed to think that Scotty did the stabbings while possessed? If not why did Scotty get amnesia during every attack?
I think the story had potential and in some ways was remarkably ahead of its time in terms of where straight-up horror/possesion films would go after this was made, but the execution of this episode wasn't very good and the muddled story telling turned into more of a weird comedy for me, sadly to say.
Three women were brutally stabbed to death (including one Enterprise crew member) and the director made no effort to show any remorse for these characters, which was just plain weird. The idea of the jack the ripper entity jumping from body to body was insufficiently explained (was the short bald guy just possessed by it or was he a manifestation of it?). Why was it OK to kill the short guy out in space at the end if it was just possession? Are we supposed to think that Scotty did the stabbings while possessed? If not why did Scotty get amnesia during every attack?
I think the story had potential and in some ways was remarkably ahead of its time in terms of where straight-up horror/possesion films would go after this was made, but the execution of this episode wasn't very good and the muddled story telling turned into more of a weird comedy for me, sadly to say.
Really dumb but also really cool!!
planktonrules8 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Okay, I am quick to admit that the idea of the crew seeking out and trying to destroy Jack the Ripper is really dumb. Sure, the entire plot is just plain stupid. It seems in this episode that although people THINK Scotty has murdered a woman, it was actually "Redjac"--a mass-murder who targets women. In fact, this killer has apparently moved on from planet to planet doing his evil deeds and was known by many names--such as "Jack the Ripper". How do we know? Well, a séance told us so, so it MUST be true! Later, they find that one of the chief government officials pushing for Scotty's conviction is none other than Redjac! It seems that it can occupy bodies and so when confronted, it moved about--bouncing from body to body until it was ultimately beamed into space by the transporter.
So why, despite this dopey plot is it still worth seeing? Well, this is an unintentionally funny episode and just makes me and my brother laugh--especially since the guy who is inhabited by Redjac for most of the show is John Fiedler--the guy who was the voice of Piglet from Winnie the Pooh and the perennial patient of Dr. Bob Hartley on the old Bob Newhart Show (the cute bald guy). Seeing this meek little guy as a blood-thirsty maniac is just hilarious--especially when he is shot full of drugs and he drunkly cries out "death,...death to you all,..." as he's laughing!! It's really a hoot. Plus, the idea of Jack the Ripper is pretty cool--just not very believable. This episode is of all the Star Trek episodes, my "guilty pleasure".
So why, despite this dopey plot is it still worth seeing? Well, this is an unintentionally funny episode and just makes me and my brother laugh--especially since the guy who is inhabited by Redjac for most of the show is John Fiedler--the guy who was the voice of Piglet from Winnie the Pooh and the perennial patient of Dr. Bob Hartley on the old Bob Newhart Show (the cute bald guy). Seeing this meek little guy as a blood-thirsty maniac is just hilarious--especially when he is shot full of drugs and he drunkly cries out "death,...death to you all,..." as he's laughing!! It's really a hoot. Plus, the idea of Jack the Ripper is pretty cool--just not very believable. This episode is of all the Star Trek episodes, my "guilty pleasure".
The Eternal Ripper
bkoganbing4 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
One of my absolute favorite Star Trek prime episodes is this one where John Fiedler gives a wonderful guest star performance as a Star Fleet official at a peaceful planet where pacifism has been the rule for centuries. Small wonder that aggressive cultures like the Klingons or the Romulans haven't taken over.
But was has taken over is a homicidal maniac who really enjoys his work in the manner of Jack the Ripper when he was doing in all those prostitutes in the Whitechapel neighborhood in London. This Star Trek episode isn't real clear on exactly who or what is doing the killing. But in terms of creating an atmosphere of terror of the unknown it can't be beat.
Our Star Fleet legal system comes into play with modern computer devices that have rendered perjury non-existent. In fact William Shatner in another atmosphere was undergoing a court martial and the same lie detector hooked up to the Enterprise computer was used there. Here it Lt. Commander Scott who is thought to be the killer of two women, one of them a member of the Enterprise crew while on shore leave. He's telling the truth, but the truth can be subjective.
In the end the Ripper is discovered to be an entity of sorts and while they don't know what it is, DeForest Kelley and William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy sure find a good method of getting rid of it.
One of the best Star Trek episodes, a must for Trekkies.
But was has taken over is a homicidal maniac who really enjoys his work in the manner of Jack the Ripper when he was doing in all those prostitutes in the Whitechapel neighborhood in London. This Star Trek episode isn't real clear on exactly who or what is doing the killing. But in terms of creating an atmosphere of terror of the unknown it can't be beat.
Our Star Fleet legal system comes into play with modern computer devices that have rendered perjury non-existent. In fact William Shatner in another atmosphere was undergoing a court martial and the same lie detector hooked up to the Enterprise computer was used there. Here it Lt. Commander Scott who is thought to be the killer of two women, one of them a member of the Enterprise crew while on shore leave. He's telling the truth, but the truth can be subjective.
In the end the Ripper is discovered to be an entity of sorts and while they don't know what it is, DeForest Kelley and William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy sure find a good method of getting rid of it.
One of the best Star Trek episodes, a must for Trekkies.
A murder mystery in space!
argimlumani28 August 2020
This episode is surprisingly well written and executed it begins with Scotty not remembering murdering a woman he left a bar with and kirk and spock basically have to prove his innocence but more women keeping dying around Scotty and he has these blackouts where he remembers nothing eventually its all settled on the ship where the annoying guy with the high pitched voice is intact an evil entity is he jack the ripper its possible considering that more murders throughout history have taken place but the evil entity is vanquished in the end by kirk and crew overall an entertaining premise that works well
The Devil Made Me Do It
GaryPeterson6713 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Wow, what a story! A demon-possessed Scotty murders three women. But wait... it was only nominally Scotty--his will and body had been wholly taken over by the demon Redjac. This evil spirit was also behind the Jack the Ripper murders in 1890's London, unsolved murders which may have been carried out by a number of hosts who never remembered or realized their roles in the infamous crimes. "Wolf in the Fold" is a story that leaves one thinking and considering the ramifications beyond the story.
Reading the reviews reveals many Trekkers bristle when stories step away from the strictly scientific. Robert Bloch's story instead offered a satisfying blend of the spiritual and the scientific. Evil exists, noncorporeal spirits exist, unbound by time or space. Sybo's seance effectively revealed the killer, but the actual ouster of the demon was accomplished by Spock and the ship's computer, not a couple crucifix-carrying Catholic priests.
I wince when Kirk commands Hengist's corpse to be transported into deep space with the widest possible dispersion. An empty gesture. I mean, Hengist was only an innocent host body. The demonic spirit of Redjac proved it is not confined to possessing any one person, leaping from Scotty to Hengist to the Prefect and--in the show's eeriest moment--to the reanimated corpse of Hengist!
Yes, the episode closed on a jarringly lighthearted note. Scotty is cleared of consciously committing mass murder, but it was still his hand that plunged the knife into three women! One would think that would give rise to reflection and grieving. Nope, he's ready to party! And once was the day Kirk took a crewmember's death seriously and took it hard. Lt. Karen Tracy is murdered, and all Kirk can think about is a little place where the women are...! It was unseemly at best and heartless at worst. Since Lt. Tracy was a medical specialist, Bones would have known her well and yet he evinces no reaction. Some writers saw crewmembers as people, others as pawns and red-shirted cannon fodder.
At least Kara the nightclub dancer was humanized with a father and a fiance, each of whom sincerely grieved her passing. Compare Tark's heartbroken reaction to his daughter's death with Prefect Jaris' unflappably stoic reaction to his own wife's murder. Okay, one could argue the ethics of Tark playing music for his daughter's dancing since she was a little girl and being complicit in pimping her out to lusty space travelers. Oh, you thought Scotty was just taking the bonny lass for an innocent stroll in the fog? Yeah, and Miss Kitty only serves Shirley Temples and holds choir practice in all those upstairs rooms at the Long Branch.
Man, what has Spock got against Kyle? There must be some ugly history there or maybe Spock's just an Anglophobe. Here he gives Kyle an aggressive shove. Yeesh, wouldn't an "excuse me" have been the rational and certainly more civilized approach? Kyle says he'll take a shove over the Agonizer any day.
Something I noticed post-Covid was the blithe attitude towards forced vaccinations. Sulu didn't even see the jab coming! Hey, why didn't Dr. Feelgood haul out this arm candy in "Day of the Dove" when everyone had to put on a happy face to drive away another nasty noncorporeal intruder?
Kirk foolishly orders Bones to inject himself with the tranquilizer before he could give the shot to Prefect Jaris. Kirk then plays doctor and asks Jaris to roll up his sleeve. That must have been Shatner flashbacking a year to his pre-TREK five-show stint as Dr. Carl Noyes on DR. KILDARE because no sleeves ever needed rolling in the 23rd century.
I also detected a disturbing characteristic in Kirk's repeatedly stonewalling Sulu's reasonable requests to know what was going on. Yes, Kirk didn't want to spark panic, but didn't he trust his bridge crew enough to level with them? That top-down leadership style may have been standard operating procedure in the quasi-military Federation of Planets--or in the 1960s--but sure wouldn't fly in workplaces today where open doors and transparency are valued.
This show is a winner because it couples the compelling supernatural murder mystery with a stellar guest cast: John Fiedler, whose Mr. Peterson on THE BOB NEWHART SHOW and Gordy the Ghoul on KOLCHAK, THE NIGHTSTALKER were career highlights. Charles Macauley earlier played Landru in "Return of the Archons" but I always think of him as Dracula in the classic 1972 blaxploitation horror flick BLACULA (starring William Marshall from "The Ultimate Computer"). Pilar Seurat as Sybo had less than a week earlier appeared in "The Terrorist," an outstanding episode of THE HIGH CHAPARRAL. Charles Dierkop as the grieving fiance Morla went on to play with aplomb Pete Royster on POLICE WOMAN. And finally, Joseph Bernard as Tarka, who stirred up memories of his similarly heartstring-pulling performance in TWILIGHT ZONE's "The Shelter." The story was already excellent, but this cast elevated it a level and lent it extra oomph.
A strong episode from the show's strong second season, and an episode boasting eminent rewatchability.
PS: After the curtain came down on STAR TREK, James Doohan appeared in a similarly themed 1971 black comedy film about women being systematically murdered, and it's a film written and produced by that Great Bird of the Galaxy himself, Gene Roddenberry: PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW stars Rock Hudson, Angie Dickinson, Roddy McDowell, Keenan Wynn, and Telly Savalas in a dry run for his KOJAK role. Trekkers will enjoy seeing James Doohan teamed with two-time TREK guest star William Campbell ("Squire of Gothos" and "Trouble with Tribbles") as a pair of bumbling cops. Check it out!
Reading the reviews reveals many Trekkers bristle when stories step away from the strictly scientific. Robert Bloch's story instead offered a satisfying blend of the spiritual and the scientific. Evil exists, noncorporeal spirits exist, unbound by time or space. Sybo's seance effectively revealed the killer, but the actual ouster of the demon was accomplished by Spock and the ship's computer, not a couple crucifix-carrying Catholic priests.
I wince when Kirk commands Hengist's corpse to be transported into deep space with the widest possible dispersion. An empty gesture. I mean, Hengist was only an innocent host body. The demonic spirit of Redjac proved it is not confined to possessing any one person, leaping from Scotty to Hengist to the Prefect and--in the show's eeriest moment--to the reanimated corpse of Hengist!
Yes, the episode closed on a jarringly lighthearted note. Scotty is cleared of consciously committing mass murder, but it was still his hand that plunged the knife into three women! One would think that would give rise to reflection and grieving. Nope, he's ready to party! And once was the day Kirk took a crewmember's death seriously and took it hard. Lt. Karen Tracy is murdered, and all Kirk can think about is a little place where the women are...! It was unseemly at best and heartless at worst. Since Lt. Tracy was a medical specialist, Bones would have known her well and yet he evinces no reaction. Some writers saw crewmembers as people, others as pawns and red-shirted cannon fodder.
At least Kara the nightclub dancer was humanized with a father and a fiance, each of whom sincerely grieved her passing. Compare Tark's heartbroken reaction to his daughter's death with Prefect Jaris' unflappably stoic reaction to his own wife's murder. Okay, one could argue the ethics of Tark playing music for his daughter's dancing since she was a little girl and being complicit in pimping her out to lusty space travelers. Oh, you thought Scotty was just taking the bonny lass for an innocent stroll in the fog? Yeah, and Miss Kitty only serves Shirley Temples and holds choir practice in all those upstairs rooms at the Long Branch.
Man, what has Spock got against Kyle? There must be some ugly history there or maybe Spock's just an Anglophobe. Here he gives Kyle an aggressive shove. Yeesh, wouldn't an "excuse me" have been the rational and certainly more civilized approach? Kyle says he'll take a shove over the Agonizer any day.
Something I noticed post-Covid was the blithe attitude towards forced vaccinations. Sulu didn't even see the jab coming! Hey, why didn't Dr. Feelgood haul out this arm candy in "Day of the Dove" when everyone had to put on a happy face to drive away another nasty noncorporeal intruder?
Kirk foolishly orders Bones to inject himself with the tranquilizer before he could give the shot to Prefect Jaris. Kirk then plays doctor and asks Jaris to roll up his sleeve. That must have been Shatner flashbacking a year to his pre-TREK five-show stint as Dr. Carl Noyes on DR. KILDARE because no sleeves ever needed rolling in the 23rd century.
I also detected a disturbing characteristic in Kirk's repeatedly stonewalling Sulu's reasonable requests to know what was going on. Yes, Kirk didn't want to spark panic, but didn't he trust his bridge crew enough to level with them? That top-down leadership style may have been standard operating procedure in the quasi-military Federation of Planets--or in the 1960s--but sure wouldn't fly in workplaces today where open doors and transparency are valued.
This show is a winner because it couples the compelling supernatural murder mystery with a stellar guest cast: John Fiedler, whose Mr. Peterson on THE BOB NEWHART SHOW and Gordy the Ghoul on KOLCHAK, THE NIGHTSTALKER were career highlights. Charles Macauley earlier played Landru in "Return of the Archons" but I always think of him as Dracula in the classic 1972 blaxploitation horror flick BLACULA (starring William Marshall from "The Ultimate Computer"). Pilar Seurat as Sybo had less than a week earlier appeared in "The Terrorist," an outstanding episode of THE HIGH CHAPARRAL. Charles Dierkop as the grieving fiance Morla went on to play with aplomb Pete Royster on POLICE WOMAN. And finally, Joseph Bernard as Tarka, who stirred up memories of his similarly heartstring-pulling performance in TWILIGHT ZONE's "The Shelter." The story was already excellent, but this cast elevated it a level and lent it extra oomph.
A strong episode from the show's strong second season, and an episode boasting eminent rewatchability.
PS: After the curtain came down on STAR TREK, James Doohan appeared in a similarly themed 1971 black comedy film about women being systematically murdered, and it's a film written and produced by that Great Bird of the Galaxy himself, Gene Roddenberry: PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW stars Rock Hudson, Angie Dickinson, Roddy McDowell, Keenan Wynn, and Telly Savalas in a dry run for his KOJAK role. Trekkers will enjoy seeing James Doohan teamed with two-time TREK guest star William Campbell ("Squire of Gothos" and "Trouble with Tribbles") as a pair of bumbling cops. Check it out!
Pi saves the day
mhubbard-546578 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Not one of the best episodes. Contrived, campy and totally implausible. Who knew that the Captain and the Doctor would take Scotty out to an exotic night club, complete with dancers, to toss back a few, and meet some women, all to help poor Scotty get over a head injury? What a surprise when several dead women seem to end up at Scotty's feet and he doesn't remember a thing about it! It's looking bad for Scotty, even though we know that our favorite Scotsman would never do such a thing.In order to ferret out the truth, we witness our command professionals actually engaging in a seance. Sigh. This was a 1960's fad.Painful. Spock figures out that the evil character is actually Jack the Ripper, known for killing women in 1890's London. The malevolent being takes over the ship, including the computer, but having the computer calculate Pi, an unending number, diverts its' energies until our heroes are able to regain control. Everyone gets an injection that makes them feel drunk for a few hours. Pretty bad episode and lacks the air of scientific and personal integrity that we associate with Star Trek. Apparently it was not easy to come up with original and good plots. Worth seeing for 1960's camp only.
Star Trek: The Original Series - Wolf in the Fold
Scarecrow-8811 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
A bona fide Scotty episode that is part Perry Mason mystery with some Jack the Ripper thrown in for good measure! Knife murders on a hedonistic "pleasure planet" is linked to Scotty who has occasional bouts with memory loss: could this be tied to a latent psychosis linked to resentment towards the female sex due to an incident which caused him a concussion (explosion in the engine room). I can just visualize feminists, listening to the line about how women are far more scared and ease towards fear than men, steaming at the ears. Scotty takes a walk in the foggy streets of Argelius II with a dancer from a club, when a scream reaches the ears of Kirk and Bones as they walk to a particular "den where the women are
" Finding the dancer dead, Kirk discovers Scotty in shock, holding the murder blade in his hand. When other murders to women happen near Scotty (an officer of the Enterprise, the sensitive who unearths the evil causing the killings), he falls under further suspicion. The Enterprise has tools which could truly get to the truth, but Kirk will need permission from the planet's prefect (Charles Macauley) and has to deal with the law officer prosecuting Scotty (Winnie the Pooh's own John Fiedler) with plenty of speculative zeal, always questioning the efforts of Kirk to find out if his engineer is guilty or not. The prefect's wife, during the séance, mentioned three names, one of which calls on Jack the Ripper! Then the episode really goes for a twist: could Jack the Ripper actually be human form subjected with a possessive evil force that moves from one planet to another, occupying bodies to violently stab women and feed from fear in order to survive?!?! Scotty's innocence should obviously never be in any doubt, but I sure didn't see the lifeform which moves from one body to another linked to Jack the Ripper coming! Robert Bloch, leave it to him to come up with such an outlandish but provocative development right out of left field. Seeing Fiedler play into the finale where Kirk must punch him out cold and flip him over (well, the stunt double for him, anyway) is hilarious. The form taking over the Enterprise controls, cackling and talking a big game of what it will do to the crew, hoping to scare them, is just plain surreal. The trial of Scotty (there have been instances where our heroes undergo questioning in judgment or potential crime that might cost them dearly) puts him front and center (for the most part), with the history of "the Ripper" from one planet to another, connecting specific times it went on murder sprees, is quite an "out of left field" wrinkle in the story. Unexpected, to be sure, and goes from a rather intense mystery to an all out comedy (unintentionally or not). Feeding a mathematical equation into the ship computers to confuse the lifeform, and then giving the crew hypos which ease them into joy without the influence of fear, the episode really goes the kitchen sink route. A lot of fun, if a bit bonkers.
Star Trek: Among Us
cbatukilic2 November 2020
A planet "based on love" which applies "slow torture" to the guilty.
fedor820 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
A ridiculous intro. First we get a dumb, generic, boring B-movie Turkish dance, while Scotty is grinning stupidly (his standard "in love with a lass" face) - and then she gets killed and he's found standing close to the body with the murder weapon in his hand! It doesn't get any cheesier than this - pretty much parody territory - so already there we know that this episode can only get better.
Kirk: "What is the law in these cases...?" Planet's Prefect: "The law on our planet is...love."
Or perhaps not. Might actually get even worse...
McCoy doesn't wait too long to say something stupid, of course: "Another possibility... Amnesia. When a man does something terribly, he blocks it out." McCoy is actually suggesting Scotty is the murderer... Such trust in a comrade, ey? With "friends" like McCoy who needs three-headed lizard enemies.
Just a minute later, Scotty is found next to ANOTHER stabbed woman! So yeah, this episode just keeps getting dumber and dumber, keeps piling on the unintentional jokes. One of the worst 15 minutes in the entire series. All garbage.
Actually, the fact that the 2nd murder occurred could only ABSOLVE Scotty of the first murder, because let's just assume this world doesn't allow the prime murder suspect to carry knives around. Hence Scotty couldn't have killed the blue-shirt. But yeah, let's get a clairvoyant to solve the murders in a cheesy seance: that's always very convincing in a sci-fi series!
But then,... drum roll... a THIRD murder. Of the prefect's wife - DURING the seance, and with Scotty standing behind her with his bloodies hand. Proto Monty Python? Who knows. None of Python's whodunit skits were anywhere close to as silly as this nonsense.
I do like the planet's punishment for murder though, and I quote: "death by slow torture". (On a planet where "the law is love.")
Nice. It must horrify pacifist fans, which is a reason more to implement this on Earth too. Speaking of these awesome people, Trekkies rated this episode higher than a bunch of far better ones. The typical Trekkie notices nothing funny about not one, not two, but THREE silly murders in a row, hence a Trekkie is liable to find this story plausible and intelligent.
Meanwhile, the prosecution lawyer keeps making himself seem extremely guilty, and of course he turns out to be guilty. To make things extra-dumb, he is Jack the Ripper. They made the whole thing dumber than it needed to be with the casting of this Jack the Prosecutor: a tiny, hamster-voiced actor who'd be far more at home in a goofy 60s comedy. Besides, I've always despised movies and stories in which the killer is a cop, judge or prosecutor because it's such a lame, dumb twist - even if they are possessed by some Methuselah ghost as in this case.
We have additional absurdity when the "ghost" escapes the prosecutor's body and actually takes over the computer hence the entire ship. Possessing such enormous powers, why would this thing not kill millions - daily - as opposed to just being satisfied with "breadcrumbs", relatively speaking... Objectively speaking, such a powerful entity killing only a few dozen women per century is a total failure of a killer.
Instead of becoming menacing after the ship's takeover, the episode goes into high camp and then comedy even (courtesy of McCoy's horse tranquilizers), with a giggling crew and the ghost jumping from one body into another, with very cheesy results. Admittedly, things get so stoopid, the last few minutes are actually quite funny.
I have no issue with ST being cheesy, it was often at its best when embracing its cheese. However, the problem here is that we are supposed to take this whodunit seriously, and of course that's not possible.
Kirk: "What is the law in these cases...?" Planet's Prefect: "The law on our planet is...love."
Or perhaps not. Might actually get even worse...
McCoy doesn't wait too long to say something stupid, of course: "Another possibility... Amnesia. When a man does something terribly, he blocks it out." McCoy is actually suggesting Scotty is the murderer... Such trust in a comrade, ey? With "friends" like McCoy who needs three-headed lizard enemies.
Just a minute later, Scotty is found next to ANOTHER stabbed woman! So yeah, this episode just keeps getting dumber and dumber, keeps piling on the unintentional jokes. One of the worst 15 minutes in the entire series. All garbage.
Actually, the fact that the 2nd murder occurred could only ABSOLVE Scotty of the first murder, because let's just assume this world doesn't allow the prime murder suspect to carry knives around. Hence Scotty couldn't have killed the blue-shirt. But yeah, let's get a clairvoyant to solve the murders in a cheesy seance: that's always very convincing in a sci-fi series!
But then,... drum roll... a THIRD murder. Of the prefect's wife - DURING the seance, and with Scotty standing behind her with his bloodies hand. Proto Monty Python? Who knows. None of Python's whodunit skits were anywhere close to as silly as this nonsense.
I do like the planet's punishment for murder though, and I quote: "death by slow torture". (On a planet where "the law is love.")
Nice. It must horrify pacifist fans, which is a reason more to implement this on Earth too. Speaking of these awesome people, Trekkies rated this episode higher than a bunch of far better ones. The typical Trekkie notices nothing funny about not one, not two, but THREE silly murders in a row, hence a Trekkie is liable to find this story plausible and intelligent.
Meanwhile, the prosecution lawyer keeps making himself seem extremely guilty, and of course he turns out to be guilty. To make things extra-dumb, he is Jack the Ripper. They made the whole thing dumber than it needed to be with the casting of this Jack the Prosecutor: a tiny, hamster-voiced actor who'd be far more at home in a goofy 60s comedy. Besides, I've always despised movies and stories in which the killer is a cop, judge or prosecutor because it's such a lame, dumb twist - even if they are possessed by some Methuselah ghost as in this case.
We have additional absurdity when the "ghost" escapes the prosecutor's body and actually takes over the computer hence the entire ship. Possessing such enormous powers, why would this thing not kill millions - daily - as opposed to just being satisfied with "breadcrumbs", relatively speaking... Objectively speaking, such a powerful entity killing only a few dozen women per century is a total failure of a killer.
Instead of becoming menacing after the ship's takeover, the episode goes into high camp and then comedy even (courtesy of McCoy's horse tranquilizers), with a giggling crew and the ghost jumping from one body into another, with very cheesy results. Admittedly, things get so stoopid, the last few minutes are actually quite funny.
I have no issue with ST being cheesy, it was often at its best when embracing its cheese. However, the problem here is that we are supposed to take this whodunit seriously, and of course that's not possible.
Despite its Orientalizing Portrayal of the "Pleasure Planet," a Good Retelling of Jack the Ripper
afadel97-613-6951119 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
It seems that the original Star Trek, whenever it has the crew interacting with humanoids, relied a lot on the standard 1950s/1960s USA ideas about the rest of humanity. So these aliens frequently have elements of those Hollywood tended to "other": First Nations of North America, "primitive tribes" in the "jungles" of the Americas or Africa, the exotic lands of "Araby," etc.
Read Edward Said's "Orientalism" and Jack Sheehan's "Reel Bad Arabs" for a good understanding of this phenomenon.
Despite this, discovering the true identity of Jack the Ripper is a frequent subject of USA documentaries and dramas, and I found Star Trek's take to be entertaining and coherent.
Let's hope those atoms stay scattered!
Read Edward Said's "Orientalism" and Jack Sheehan's "Reel Bad Arabs" for a good understanding of this phenomenon.
Despite this, discovering the true identity of Jack the Ripper is a frequent subject of USA documentaries and dramas, and I found Star Trek's take to be entertaining and coherent.
Let's hope those atoms stay scattered!
Redjac is the "Ghost in the Machine! A waste of talent!
mike4812812 September 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Robert Bloch (Male Wizard in CatsPaw) as the Prefect and John Fiedler as the Entity "Redjac" (Jack the Ripper). No real surprise who the killer was going to be, as Fieldler always played "oddballs". Badly written with a very long and boring "courtroon scene". Should have had EFX of the entity "beaming" in and out of people at will. Only a blackout every time (it's cheap). John Fielder has been in hundreds of movies, with his small (5Ft. 4in.) physical size and high-pitched voice. He played the Professor in the 1950's "Superman" TV show. He is the conductor who sells "Bing" tickets on-board the train to Vermont ("White Christmas"). The voice of "Piglet" in Disney's "Winnie-the-Pooh". A juror in "Twelve Angry Men". The list is endless... His unique talent is wasted here. At the end, he "invades" the computer to strike terror into all "invisible" 440 crew members of the Enterprise Starship. (Have you ever seen more than 20 at a time?) The lack of strong emotion as the pretty female victims are all stabbed to death? Bloch's "wife" is murdered and he acts like almost nothing happened. Another great script idea, badly executed. Another weak entry in Season 2 of the original series.
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