effectively constituted the whole of the franchise. Early fans would obsess over individual high points, and while a few misfires crept in here and there, most episodes retained a remarkably high level of quality. The best of them became templates for the franchise to come, exploring interesting concepts and ideas in the midst of an entertaining sci-fi adventure.
The cast of The Original Series has weighed in on their favorite episodes over the years. One in particular has earned the praise of both William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, who anchored the show as Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. Season 1, Episode 25, “The Devil in the Dark” embodies a number of Star Trek’s strongest ideas, as well as providing an intriguing mystery for its heroes to solve. Its influence can be seen in subsequent Star Trek series as well, which take its central message of not fearing what you don’t understand to heart. It’s no surprise that the Enterprise’s original protagonists look back on it so fondly.
“The Devil in the Dark” Is Smart Sci-Fi
The episode begins with the Enterprise arriving at a mining colony on the planet Janus VI. 50 workers have been killed by a “monster” in the mines, and the remainder of the colony is in an uproar. Kirk and Spock soon discover the creature – called a “Horta” – is made of silicon and can burrow through solid rock thanks to acidic secretions. Kirk injures it with his phaser, but also detects signs of sentience in it, and Spock perceives that it means no harm after an aborted attempt to mind meld with it.
It is the last of its species, protecting tens of thousands of eggs that the miners have unknowingly threatened. Dr. McCoy heals the creature’s injuries, and Kirk brokers a truce between it and the miners once he understands why the Horta attacked. As the Enterprise departs, the mining foreman reports that the remaining Horta eggs have hatched, and that the babies are helping the mining operation by tunneling through the rock for them.
According to Inside Star Trek: The Real Story by Herbert Solo and Robert Justman, the Horta was the creation of stuntman Janos Proshaska, who surprised producer Gene Coon in his office with the costume and convinced him that the episode would work on the spot. It proves a remarkably sturdy bit of practical effects, and the Horta itself has since become one of The Original Series’ signature aliens. The fact that it remains so memorable despite the fact that it has yet to reappear in Star Trek canon speaks volumes.
In and of itself, “The Devil in the Dark” is wildly entertaining. It opens like a horror movie, as the Horta attacks and kills a miner and the audience presumably thinks that a monster is on the loose just like the rest of the colony. Intriguing clues are added to the mystery, such as a broken Horta egg written off as an unusual mineral formation, and the combination of more deaths and a mob mentality among the miners kicks the suspense up several notches in the second act.
The initial stand-off with the Horta is rife with tension, which changes shape as viewers realize that the “monster” is really anything but. It also features The Original Series’ Big Three – Kirk, Spock, and McCoy – in top form, as they debate/bicker their way to the answers. Among its other features, the episode is the first time Dr. McCoy utters his signature phrase, “I’m a doctor, not a…” In this case, he’s speaking about trying to heal the Horta, and ends the phrase with “…bricklayer.”
“The Devil in the Dark” Has a Message in the Monster
Narrative merits aside, “The Devil in the Dark” is also a textbook example of how Star Trek uses its stories to explore bigger issues of morality and human nature. In the documentary 50 Years of Star Trek, Nimoy cited it as a big reason why he was so fond of the episode: “I thought [it] was a wonderful episode about the fear of the unknown, how we fear and even hate something that we don’t know anything about, learn who your enemy is, and it’s not, maybe then it’s no longer your enemy.”
The theme has subsequently played out in large ways and small across the franchise. The most prominent example is perhaps the Klingons, who served as Star Trek’s most prominent villains for the entirety of The Original Series and most of the initial movie cycle. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, sent the original crew off by confronting their prejudices after so much enmity and helping to secure a peace with their longtime foes. 100 years later, Mr. Worf becomes the first Klingon to serve in Starfleet in Star Trek: the Next Generation.
Similar examples abound, from the Tamarians in The Next Generation episode “Darmok” to Species 10-C from Season 4 of Star Trek: Discovery. Even the relentless Borg have sometimes found common ground with the humanity they seek to assimilate. All of that can be seen on full display in “The Devil in the Dark.” There’s a good deal more running beneath the surface as well. The episode carries a quiet anti-materialist message amid it all, with the humans focused so much on the planet’s mineral wealth that they ignore its true treasure – and a potentially beneficial alliance – in the name of what amounts to profit.
Its depiction of the colony itself is surprisingly rough-and-tumble for the “perfect” 23rd century of The Original Series as well. The notion that it isn’t always sunshine and roses on the fringes of the frontier later became one of the formative ideas for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. All of which is enough to routinely land “The Devil in the Dark” at or near the top of The Original Series 10 Best lists. Nimoy and Shatner are far from alone in their regard.
“The Devil in the Dark” Has a Special Connection for William Shatner
Shatner wrote about his experiences with “The Devil in the Dark” in his memoir Star Trek Memories, citing it as his favorite from the entire run: “…exciting, thought-provoking and intelligent, it contained all the ingredients that made up our very best Star Treks.” There is another, far more personal reason for his fondness, which he reveals in the same passage of the memoir. During production of the episode, Shatner learned that his father had passed away. Rather than taking time off to process his grief, he insisted on working through it to get the episode done.
He cited the unflagging support of the cast and crew during that time, and felt that he bonded with them much more deeply through the experience. Personal circumstances notwithstanding, “The Devil in the Dark” is an outstanding early example of just how good Star Trek could be. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry had big ambitions for his science fiction series, and wanted it to be more than just ray guns and robots.
That took time to cultivate, however, and indeed the Original Series was lucky just to make it on the air. At the time, it was (to quote Shatner) “just a TV show,” filling one hour on the weekly schedule along with dozens of other series of all varieties. Even at that early stage, however, “The Devil in the Dark” proves that Roddenberry’s concepts with the series were sound, and that Star Trek could rise above the mundane to talk about something worthwhile.
The franchise has subsequently built upon that foundation, including the same components in almost all of its endeavors. The combination of strong narrative hooks, compelling protagonists, sci-fi wonders, and something to think about underneath it all has come to define Star Trek in most ways that count. “The Devil in the Dark” isn’t the only Original Series episode to set the template, but the fact that both Nimoy and Shatner look so fondly on it speaks volumes. Star Trek wouldn’t be the same without it.
Star Trek: The Original Series is now streaming in its entirety on Paramount+.