The Changeling 

A powerful artificially intelligent Earth probe, with a murderously twisted imperative, comes aboard the Enterprise and mistakes Capt. Kirk for its creator.

Director:

Marc Daniels

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (created by), John Meredyth Lucas

Stars:

William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
William Shatner	...	Capt. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Mr. Spock
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. McCoy
James Doohan	...	Scott
Nichelle Nichols	...	Uhura
George Takei	...	Sulu
Majel Barrett	...	Christine Chapel
Makee K. Blaisdell	...	Singh (as Blaisdel Makee)
Barbara Gates	...	Crewwoman
Meade Martin	...	Crewman
Arnold Lessing	...	Security Guard
Vic Perrin	...	Nomad (voice)

Storyline

The Enterprise encounters a powerful energy force that has apparently killed all human life in a solar system with over one billion inhabitants. They identify the culprit as a small space probe that had its origins on Earth. Called Nomad, it merged with another and, as a result, took on a new mission to destroy all biological beings as being imperfect. It believes Captain Kirk to be its creator and, as such, has spared the Enterprise and its crew, at least temporarily.

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Plot Keywords:

starship's brig | speaking swahili | seeking perfection | anti grav | man vaporized | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

First time Scotty uses the famous "giving them all we got" phrase.

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Goofs

In the final scene on the bridge there is a blonde communications officer sitting at her station in the wider shot. As the scene cuts back and forth between close-ups of Captain Kirk and the wider shots, there is nobody sitting at the communications station in the close-ups, yet there is in the wider shots.

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Quotes

Spock: [trying to fathom an explanation for the complete loss of life to a billion inhabitants virtually overnight] Sensor readings would've revealed the presence of any disease organisms; they do not. In addition, we received a routine report from this system only a week ago - and the Cymbeline Blood Burn does not act that swiftly.

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Alternate Versions

Special Enhanced version Digitally Remastered with new exterior shots and remade opening theme song

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Connections

Referenced in Team Knight Rider: Apocalypse Maybe (1998)

User Reviews

Stupid

Classic Trek aficionados often pan the Third Season of Classic Trek as being the worst of the worst, and specifically they assign "Spock's Brain" as being the absolute worst Star Trek episode ever.

I disagree. I label "The Changeling" as the worst, and not because it was used as the basis for the first Star Trek feature film back in the late 70s.

No.

I just can't stand the execution of this story. The story concept is intriguing enough, but the interpersonal interaction with the mechanical antagonist and Enterprise crew, to me at least, is nearly laughable. If I'm watching classic Trek, and this thing happens to be on the DVD set I've got in the player, then I may keep it on in the background, but it's really painful to watch at times.

To me this episode is the poster boy for people to point at who think Star Trek is stupid. And you know what? I'd be hard pressed to deny them that claim after watching this particular installment.

I just don't know what went wrong here. For all the money that they had to spend on this episode, was this really the best the creative team could come up with? One is reminded of "Red Dwarf's" props department, and the Holly-Hop drive prop. Yeah, it's that bad.

Shatner and gang give us Kirk and crew to outwit a schizophrenic robot. It's a little cliché in that regard, which just adds another nail in the coffin for this episode, but it's not really the defining moment as some may think.

Not a worthy installment of the franchise, if somewhat interesting. Good acting (save for M-5), poor production values (again, M-5), and a lack of vision on how to properly present the story.

Take it for what it's worth.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Swahili

Release Date:

29 September 1967 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Desilu Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Desilu Productions, Norway Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

50 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3