3x16 The Mark of Gideon - Star Trek: The Original Series Episode Guide

Star Trek: The Original Series

- Episode 03x16

Episode: 03x16
Title: The Mark of Gideon
Type: Regular Episode
Production Code: 60043-072
First Aired: Jan. 17, 1969

Season 3 » Episode #16 - The Mark of Gideon

Star Trek: The Original Series - 03x16 The Mark of Gideon

Summary: The Federation is attempting to establish relations with the planet, Gideon. Gideon refuses to allow any visitors or sensor scans, but claims to be a complete paradise. After much debate, Kirk and Kirk alone is allowed to beam down. When he materializes, he is still on the Enterprise's transporter pad and the crew is nowhere to be found.

Who appeared in this episode?

Mr. Spock

Guest Stars:

Captain James T. Kirk	played by William Shatner
Dr. McCoy	played by DeForest Kelley
Odona	played by Sharon Acker
Hodin	played by David Hurst
Scott	played by James Doohan
Sulu	played by George Takei
Uhura	played by Nichelle Nichols
Chekov	played by Walter Koenig
Krodak	played by Gene Dynarski

Season 3 / Episode 16: - The Mark of Gideon

Mr. Spock: I shall beam down at once, Mr. Scott, you have the con.
Dr. McCoy: I'll pick up my medical tricorder and meet you in the transporter room.
Mr. Spock: Negative, doctor. I cannot accept the responsibility for ordering a fellow officer to violate a Starfleet directive. I can make such a decision only for myself.
Dr. McCoy: I'm not asking you to make the decision for me.
Mr. Spock: The situation forces me to do so, doctor.
Dr. McCoy: Well in that case, it's the worst possible decision you can make, Spock.

Season 3 / Episode 16: - The Mark of Gideon

Hodin: [on viewscreen, speaking from Gideon] Mr. Spock you are an officer of a spaceship. In your profession you use many instruments, tools and weapons to achieve your objectives.
Mr. Spock: [on the bridge of the Enterprise] True, your excellency.
Hodin: However, the only 'tool' diplomacy has is language. It is of the utmost importance that the meaning be crystal clear.
Mr. Spock: Your excellency, I am basically a scientist. Clarity of formulation is essential in my profession also.
Hodin: I am glad to hear it. Perhaps you could then make greater effort to choose your words more precisely. [sits down]
Dr. McCoy: [to Spock] Are you gonna let him get away with that?
Scott: No matter what ye say, Mr. Spock, he'll twist your meaning.
Uhura: Yes, he's infuriating, sir, how can you stand it?

[More Quotes]

MISTAKES/GOOFS

CHAR: When Kirk beams down to Gideon, he fails to bring a communicator with him - you can clearly see no communicator is attached to his uniform.
PLOT: Given the amount of time Kirk has spends on his ship (the only time he is not on his ship is when he's on an away mission), there is no way that he wouldn't know he was no longer on his ship.
CONT: When Kirk materializes in the transporter room on the duplicate Enterprise in "The Mark of Gideon", he is standing on a pad near the front of the chamber (near the steps). A subsequent wide shot from within the transporter chamber, establishing there to be no one at the transporter controls, also has Kirk's transporter pad empty. Then we return to the angle on Kirk and he is standing on the same pad again.
PLOT: Of all of the methods Kirk offers to solve Gideon's problem of overpopulation, the obvious solution is never addressed: removing the excess population to off-world colonies, something that is quite commonplace in the Star Trek universe.