Diana Muldaur made her second guest appearance on Star Trek in this episode, the first time back in Season II as Federation Doctor Ann Mulhall. Captain Kirk got the chance to get chummy with her that time too, but he had an excuse. He and the Doctor allowed some disembodied space aliens to 'borrow' their bodies to learn a bit about human experience.
This one might have been more appealing if Muldaur's character were written with a bit more congeniality. Even so, I thought the story was fairly compelling, especially with the hook that Miranda Jones (Muldaur) developed her telepathic abilities on Vulcan because she was blind. The Captain registered his surprise quite convincingly when Spock revealed his knowledge of her, and the idea that her dress operated as a highly sophisticated sensor web was a uniquely creative one.
I like the idea posited by another reviewer on this board that the Medusan Ambassador's ugliness was in fact a visual spectrum outside the normal realm of human vision. That could account for the insanity that was the penalty for viewing a Medusan without a protective visor. Considering all the TV variety shows of the era like The Smothers Brothers, the Sonny and Cher Show and the like, it might have been a good idea to have those visors available back then. Those mid to late Sixties programs featured an awful lot of colorful psychedelic accompaniment to the rock bands that appeared on those shows.
Considering Marvick's (David Frankham) important contribution to the Star Trek universe as a designer of The Enterprise, he wound up getting treated quite shabbily in the script, going insane and all. Chances are he didn't need the Medusa touch to go bonkers, his unrequited infatuation with Dr. Jones was probably enough. Or maybe it was because everyone called him Larry instead of Lawrence.
This one might have been more appealing if Muldaur's character were written with a bit more congeniality. Even so, I thought the story was fairly compelling, especially with the hook that Miranda Jones (Muldaur) developed her telepathic abilities on Vulcan because she was blind. The Captain registered his surprise quite convincingly when Spock revealed his knowledge of her, and the idea that her dress operated as a highly sophisticated sensor web was a uniquely creative one.
I like the idea posited by another reviewer on this board that the Medusan Ambassador's ugliness was in fact a visual spectrum outside the normal realm of human vision. That could account for the insanity that was the penalty for viewing a Medusan without a protective visor. Considering all the TV variety shows of the era like The Smothers Brothers, the Sonny and Cher Show and the like, it might have been a good idea to have those visors available back then. Those mid to late Sixties programs featured an awful lot of colorful psychedelic accompaniment to the rock bands that appeared on those shows.
Considering Marvick's (David Frankham) important contribution to the Star Trek universe as a designer of The Enterprise, he wound up getting treated quite shabbily in the script, going insane and all. Chances are he didn't need the Medusa touch to go bonkers, his unrequited infatuation with Dr. Jones was probably enough. Or maybe it was because everyone called him Larry instead of Lawrence.