‘METAMORPHOSIS’ (TOS)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
This is a pretty good ‘Star Trek’ episode that I enjoyed. This is where we meet Zefram Cochrane for the first time in the ‘Star Trek’ series. Cochrane had developed the first warp drive for ships in space.
Zefram Cochrane is not played by James Cochrane as the character would appear later on in ‘Star Trek: First Contact’. In this ‘Star Trek’ story, Cochrane is a young man and is played by Glenn Corbett.
The episode also features Elinor Donahue as Commissioner Nancy Hedford. She joins Captain Kirk, Spock and McCoy on their adventure. She’s pretty anxious and easily impatient during this episode.
In the episode, Captain Kirk, Spock and Bones with Hedford journey in the shuttle-craft Galileo on their way back to the Enterprise. They soon get caught an energy storm that diverts them off course.
They’re taken to an unknown planet where Kirk, Spock, Bones and Hedford meet Cochrane. The energy storm happens to be ‘the Companion’ (voiced by Elizabeth Rogers) who looks after Cochrane.
‘Metamorphosis’ is an intriguing ‘Star Trek’ episode about loneliness and the meaning of love. Kirk discovers this when he’s trying to communicate with the Companion to set them free off this planet.
It transpires that the Companion is actually female and is in love with Cochrane. This is something that Cochrane doesn’t respond well to and it’s interesting how the Companion finds out what love is.
In the episode, Hedford is suffering from Sakuro’s Disease, causing her to be temperamental and vulnerable. This is something Hedford caught when dealing with negotiations in a galactic space war.
Cochrane gives the reason as to why Kirk and his party are on this planet by the Companion. They’re to keep him company. Hedford is shocked and upset, before she goes into a fit and becomes very ill.
I liked it when Kirk and Spock work on a way to get off planet by persuading the Companion. At first, they try to drain her power, but it makes it worse when the Companion is choking the two to death.
Eventually, Kirk uses the universal translator to communicator with the Companion. Interesting revelations are revealed about why the Companion is unwilling to allow Kirk and his people to leave.
During Kirk’s absence, Scotty is in command of the Enterprise. I enjoyed the scenes where Scotty records in the captain’s log and when he’s interacting with Uhura and Sulu on the Enterprise bridge.
Eventually, the Companion restores Hedford to full health and the two become one. This is done out of pure love for Cochrane, as the Companion wants to experience what love is like through Hedford.
Before that, during her sick bed period, Hedford reveals to Bones how she regrets not being loved or fallen in love with anyone. This can explain why Hedford was willing to let the Companion enter her.
By the end of the episode, Cochrane decides to stay with the Companion/Hedford on this unknown planet. Kirk, Spock and Bones are set free and they return in the Galileo back to the Enterprise ship.
‘Metamorphosis’ is an enjoyable and interesting ‘Star Trek’ episode where Kirk, Spock and Bones get stranded and how they meet Cochrane. It was equally interesting on how an alien being learns about love.
The DVD special features for this episode are as follows. On Disc 3 of both of the original and the re-mastered DVDs of ‘Star Trek: The Original Series – Season 2’, there is a preview trailer for this episode.
‘Metamorphosis’ (TOS) rating – 8/10
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Another solid Trek episode, a interesting concept & very well written plus great chemistry between Shatner, Nimoy & Kelley.
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Hi Simon.
Glad you enjoyed my review on ‘Metamorphosis’. This was very interesting where Kirk, Spock and Bones meet Zefram Cochrane for the first time. I found it interesting how they meet him and different Cochrane is from ‘Star Trek: First Contact’. Yes the chemistry between the Star Trek trio of Kirk, Spock and Bones is very good in this episode.
Tim. 🙂
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