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Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 3 » Episode #21 - The Cloud Minders
 The Enterprise goes to Ardana to obtain the only known cure to a plague that threatens to decimate the vegetation on the planet Merak II. Kirk and Spock go to the cloud city of Stratos, and find out that the population is split between the Troglytes, who do the dirty work, including the mining, and the people of the city who enjoy good lives on the backs of the Troglytes. When the Troglytes rebel and threaten to stop mining, Kirk must solve the civil war to get the plague cure. |
Who appeared in this episode?
[no credits found]|
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Guest Stars:
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Episode Quotes
Droxine: Vanna...?
Vanna: [coldly] Droxine...
Droxine: Why have you come here?
Vanna: [spiteful] To welcome our honored guests... as I was taught to do when I served in your father's household.
Droxine: Has she injured you, Captain?
Captain James T. Kirk: Oh, no. Not at all. In fact, her visit was quite enlightening.
Droxine: Oh...?
Captain James T. Kirk: Yes, it seems the Troglytes are under the impression that the Enterprise is here to intimidate them.
Droxine: [turns to intercom, pushes button] Send a sentinal to the rest chamber immediately.
Vanna: [coldly] It is not impression, Captain. It is the truth!
Captain James T. Kirk: We're here to get the zenite consignment, and that's it.
Vanna: [coldly] Droxine...
Droxine: Why have you come here?
Vanna: [spiteful] To welcome our honored guests... as I was taught to do when I served in your father's household.
Droxine: Has she injured you, Captain?
Captain James T. Kirk: Oh, no. Not at all. In fact, her visit was quite enlightening.
Droxine: Oh...?
Captain James T. Kirk: Yes, it seems the Troglytes are under the impression that the Enterprise is here to intimidate them.
Droxine: [turns to intercom, pushes button] Send a sentinal to the rest chamber immediately.
Vanna: [coldly] It is not impression, Captain. It is the truth!
Captain James T. Kirk: We're here to get the zenite consignment, and that's it.
Vanna: It's hard to believe that something which is neither seen, nor felt, can do so much harm.
Captain James T. Kirk: That's true. But an idea can't be seen or felt, and that's what's kept the Troglytes in the mines all these centuries, a mistaken idea.
Vanna: Would all the Troglytes wear these masks?
Captain James T. Kirk: Yes. I'll see to it that the Federation engineers construct them.
Vanna: Suppose Plasus does not agree?
Captain James T. Kirk: Plasus is not the whole government.
Vanna: That is true, but the City Counsel will not listen to Troglytes.
Captain James T. Kirk: As soon as the zenite is delivered to Merak II, I'll come back. I'll request permission to mediate for the Troglytes. Vanna, you must trust me. I give you my word.
Vanna: Centuries ago, Stratos was built by leaders that gave their word... that all inhabitants would live there. The Troglytes are still waiting.
Captain James T. Kirk: The zenite can be delivered in a few hours. You won't have long to wait now.
Vanna: Hours can be centuries, just as words can be lies.
Captain James T. Kirk: That's true. But an idea can't be seen or felt, and that's what's kept the Troglytes in the mines all these centuries, a mistaken idea.
Vanna: Would all the Troglytes wear these masks?
Captain James T. Kirk: Yes. I'll see to it that the Federation engineers construct them.
Vanna: Suppose Plasus does not agree?
Captain James T. Kirk: Plasus is not the whole government.
Vanna: That is true, but the City Counsel will not listen to Troglytes.
Captain James T. Kirk: As soon as the zenite is delivered to Merak II, I'll come back. I'll request permission to mediate for the Troglytes. Vanna, you must trust me. I give you my word.
Vanna: Centuries ago, Stratos was built by leaders that gave their word... that all inhabitants would live there. The Troglytes are still waiting.
Captain James T. Kirk: The zenite can be delivered in a few hours. You won't have long to wait now.
Vanna: Hours can be centuries, just as words can be lies.
Captain James T. Kirk: Mr. Spock, let's get that zenite delivered. I believe we only have three hours left.
Mr. Spock: Two hours, fifty nine minutes, to be exact, Captain.
[More Quotes]Mr. Spock: Two hours, fifty nine minutes, to be exact, Captain.
Mistakes/Goofs
- Goof (continuity error): During the shot of Plasus being forcibly beamed directly to Kirk's location in the mines, the bottom of the curtains behind him change position as he transports.
- Goof (audio/visual unsynchronized): At the beginning of "The Cloud Minders", Kirk says, "Who are you? What's the meaning of this attack?" but his lips do not move.
- Goof (revealing mistake): After Kirk beams down Plasus, the High Advisor of "The Cloud Minders", into the mines and Plasus attacks Kirk, Kirk pushes him back toward the cave wall. When Plasus makes contact with the wall, it stretches inwards to absorb the impact, thus revealing it is made of rubber rather than stone.
- Goof (continuity error): In the cave, Kirk strikes the HIgh Advisor with his right hand. It's the same hand which holds his phaser in camera shots before and after the blow, but during the strike the phaser inexplicably disappears.
Trivia
- David Gerrold conceived the original story on which this episode was based, an outline called "Castle in the Sky". He was deeply disappointed with the final script. His original concept dealt with a three-way conflict between the elite of the planet's sky city and two groups of the cave-dwelling miners - one adhering to the tenets of a pacifist, Martin Luther King-like leader, the other followers of a more militant Malcolm X-like figure. Gerrold's story ended on a deliberately ambiguous note, with the only "triumph" being that Kirk finally managed to establish a dialogue between the groups. Gerrold later characterized the final script - in which the miners' violent actions are blamed entirely on a toxic "zenite" gas in the mines - with the scathing line, "And if we can just get them troglytes to wear gas masks, then they'll be happy little darkies and they'll pick all the cotton we need."
- It has been said that Star Trek was not allowed to show women's navels, but the navels of both women guest stars are visible.
- Major plot points were inspired by Fritz Lang's classic silent film Metropolis.
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