Written by: John D. F. Black

Directed by: Marc Daniels

Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, James Doohan, Grace Lee Whitney, Bruce Hyde, Jeanne Bal

The Enterprise investigates a mysterious disaster aboard a research station orbiting a doomed planet. When members of the crew come into contact with an unknown substance, their behavior begins to change in increasingly unpredictable ways, creating a crisis aboard the ship.

“The Naked Time” is the most ambitious episode of Star Trek I’ve watched so far. There’s a lot going on here, from the existential questions raised by watching a planet die to a mysterious substance that affects everyone differently, and even a time-warp twist that sends the Enterprise back in time. But there’s an interesting thread running through all of it: the idea of losing control when confronted with something bigger than yourself.

I’m also continuing to enjoy watching the show evolve. The sets and costumes on the frozen planet are terrific, creating an environment that feels genuinely creepy and inhospitable. Some of the effects are more impressive, too, and the physical action helps maintain the momentum as the situation aboard the Enterprise gets increasingly chaotic.

Aboard the Enterprise, we’re also getting more of the familiar crew. This is the most we’ve seen of Sulu so far, with a more prominent role on the bridge, while Scotty is getting more screen time and a clearer sense of his responsibilities. The ensemble is beginning to feel more like the one I recognize from decades of pop culture.

I’m noticing a pattern in these early episodes, too. With the exception of “The Cage,” almost every story so far has involved some kind of dangerous presence or situation aboard the Enterprise. We haven’t really seen the show explore an alien planet and encounter trouble there. Instead, the danger keeps finding its way onto the ship, turning the Enterprise itself into the setting for the conflict.

The trouble begins when the crew discovers a strange substance at the research station. After coming into contact with it, they begin behaving in increasingly unusual ways. Rather than simply making them sick or turning them into mindless zombies, the substance seems to strip away their inhibitions and bring certain feelings and impulses to the surface. Tormolen becomes consumed by existential questions, Sulu gets reckless, and Kevin Riley turns into something of a carefree troublemaker.

Spock’s reaction is particularly interesting, especially coming right after “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” That episode takes time to establish his Vulcan nature and his relationship with emotion. So seeing the substance break through that composure is especially effective.

There’s something really effective about the tension as the crew becomes increasingly unpredictable while Kirk and the others struggle to keep the Enterprise functioning. The performances help sell all these changes, and the episode adds a ticking clock as the ship hurtles toward destruction. With the crew losing control of themselves and the Enterprise running out of time, there’s a lot happening to keep the story moving.

I can’t help but see a connection between the substance’s effects and the situation the crew finds themselves in. They’re witnessing the death of an entire planet, an event so enormous and incomprehensible that it’s difficult to imagine how anyone would process it.

“The Naked Time” becomes an apocalypse story, with the substance bringing out the kinds of emotional responses we might expect from people confronted with the end of the world. Depression, existential terror, recklessness, and the loss of inhibitions all become ways of coping with the end of civilization.

And then the episode throws one more science-fiction curveball at us. As the Enterprise uses its engines to escape the collapsing planet’s gravitational pull, the ship passes through a time warp and winds up three days in the past. It leaves some interesting questions about the consequences of changing the timeline. What does this mean for the events that haven’t happened yet? The episode doesn’t really explore that, but it’s an intriguing place to leave things.

“The Naked Time” is a terrific, and ambitious episode. It manages to mix mystery, psychological drama, and big science-fiction concepts into one very entertaining story with an expanding cast, improved set design, and some fun performances.

Star Trek Verdict: KHAAAN!