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Catspaw (TOS episode)
Encyclopedia
"Catspaw" is an episode of the second season of Star Trek: The Original Series
. It is episode #36, production #30, and was first broadcast October 27, 1967. It was repeated on May 24, 1968. It was written by Robert Bloch
, and directed by Joseph Pevney
. Its gothic horror elements are perhaps best explained by the proximity of the episode's release to Halloween
.
Writer Robert Bloch
based his teleplay very loosely on his short story "Broomstick Ride".http://www.fastcopyinc.com/orionpress/articles/broomstick_ride_vs_catspaw.htm
Overview: Two powerful aliens threaten the well-being of the Enterprise
and her crew.
3018.2, the starship
USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk
, explores the apparently lifeless planet
Pyris VII. A landing team consisting of Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott
, Lt. Hikaru Sulu
, and crewmember Jackson has been sent down to explore the surface. The ship though soon loses contact with Scott and Sulu; Jackson is transported
back to the ship, but falls from the platform dead. From his open mouth, his lifeless body emits an eerie voice telling Captain Kirk that the Enterprise is cursed, and must leave the planet immediately, or everyone will die.
Unwilling to leave his men behind, Kirk beams down to the planet with Mr. Spock, and Dr. Leonard McCoy
to search for the missing crewmen, leaving Lt. DeSalle and Chekov
in charge of the ship. Exploring the mist-shrouded planet, they scan for life readings, picking up signals nearby. Walking in that direction, the landing party comes upon three apparitions
that appear as witches, who warn the landing team not to proceed any further. The team ignores the warnings and discover what appears to be a medieval castle.
Upon entering the castle, the landing party comes across a black cat which wears a sparkling diamond pendant, and then proceeds down a cobweb-draped hallway. Following the cat, the floor collapses below their feet, and the fall knocks them out. They later regain consciousness, finding themselves held in irons, and locked in a dungeon. Scotty and Sulu soon arrive, but they appear as mindless zombie
s, controlled by an unknown force. The two men take the landing party down from their shackles and begin to lead them away, but Kirk and the others attempt to restrain them and to confiscate Scotty and Sulu's phasers
.
The group find themselves teleported
to another part of the castle where they encounter the robed Korob, and his mysterious black cat whom he appears to consult for advice. Korob invites them to sit at his grand dining table. Spock questions Korob about why previous surveys of Pyris VII indicated no life on the planet. Korob replies that he is not a native of the planet. He waves his ornate sceptre and a large banquet seems to magically appear on the dining table, right before the seated crew, however the team indicates they are not hungry.
Korob then makes the food change into beautiful gemstones. He offers the stones to Kirk as payment, if he agrees to leave Pyris VII immediately and never return. Kirk declares that the gemstones are worthless to him, since he has the technological means to manufacture his own on the Enterprise if needed. He demands his crewmen be released first and then an explanation of what is going on.
Korob's cat leaves the room and Korob's beautiful colleague Sylvia soon appears. She wears a diamond pendant, identical to the cats, around her neck. Kirk then wrests the phaser out of zombified Mr. Scott's hand, and points it at Korob demanding that Scott and Sulu be released. Sylvia then produces a silver chain, and dangling from it a miniature model of the Enterprise. She holds the ship over a lit candle, and like a voodoo doll, the crew of the real Enterprise begins to suffer from a rapid rise in hull temperature. Kirk reluctantly surrenders and offers to cooperate.
Not wishing any interference from the Enterprise, Korob places the "voodoo model" of the ship in a crystal cube, where the sensors aboard the real Enterprise show the ship to now be encased in an impenetrable force field. Kirk and Spock are led back to the dungeon, and McCoy is zombified like Scotty and Sulu. Meanwhile Sylvia mocks Korob for being afraid to use his powers in "playing" with the human specimens. Korob upbraids Sylvia for abusing her powers.
Sylvia takes an interest in Kirk and decides to learn more about human feelings and experiences. Kirk feigns romantic interest, promising to fulfill her desires and be her loyal servant. She responds by changing into three different but attractive forms to test his emotions. Kirk tries to subtly extract information from her while he has her charmed, and learns that Sylvia and her partner Korob are explorers, but not from this galaxy
. They wield their incredible power through a device called a transmuter, which gives them control over matter. Sylvia soon figures out Kirk is just using her and becomes angry, sending him back to the dungeon.
Later, Korob comes to free Kirk and Spock, saying: “I’ve released the model of your ship from the crystal, although they would have freed themselves soon.” He urges Kirk and Spock to leave immediately, for he can no longer keep Sylvia under control. Sylvia discovers Korob's realignment, changes herself into a giant cat, and attacks him. Korob releases his scepter and Kirk picks it up, guessing it to be the transmuter. Kirk and Spock then fend off attacks from the zombified crewmen. As the giant cat threatens Kirk and Spock, Kirk calls out: “Sylvia, I have the transmuter; it’s mine now.” Sylvia changes back into a woman, and attempts to beguile Kirk. Spock tells Kirk not to let Sylvia touch the wand. Frustrated, Sylvia transports herself and Kirk away from the meddling Mr. Spock. She then tries to finagle the device away from Kirk. When that fails, she threatens him with a phaser, but Kirk smashes the transmuter right before her eyes.
Instantly, everything disappears, including the whole castle, and Sulu, Scotty and McCoy return to normal. Looking down at a nearby rock, Kirk spots two tiny creatures that appear to resemble blue and yellow stick bugs, Korob's and Sylvia's true form. Unable to survive without their transmuter, the two creatures soon die and disintegrate.
" and followed a week later by "The Trouble With Tribbles". Aside from remastered video and audio, and the all-CGI animation of the USS Enterprise that is standard among the revisions, specific changes to this episode also include:
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
. It is episode #36, production #30, and was first broadcast October 27, 1967. It was repeated on May 24, 1968. It was written by Robert Bloch
Robert Bloch
Robert Albert Bloch was a prolific American writer, primarily of crime, horror and science fiction. He is best known as the writer of Psycho, the basis for the film of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock...
, and directed by Joseph Pevney
Joseph Pevney
Joseph Pevney was an American film and television director.-Biography:Pevney was born on September 15, 1911 in New York City, New York.He made his debut in vaudeville as a boy soprano in 1924...
. Its gothic horror elements are perhaps best explained by the proximity of the episode's release to Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
.
Writer Robert Bloch
Robert Bloch
Robert Albert Bloch was a prolific American writer, primarily of crime, horror and science fiction. He is best known as the writer of Psycho, the basis for the film of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock...
based his teleplay very loosely on his short story "Broomstick Ride".http://www.fastcopyinc.com/orionpress/articles/broomstick_ride_vs_catspaw.htm
Overview: Two powerful aliens threaten the well-being of the Enterprise
Starship Enterprise
The Enterprise or USS Enterprise is the name of several fictional starships, some of which are the focal point for various television series and films in the Star Trek franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. It is considered a name of legacy in the fleet...
and her crew.
Plot
On stardateStardate
A stardate is a date in the fictional system of time measurement developed for Star Trek, commonly heard at the beginning of a voiceover log entry such as "Captain's log, stardate 41153.7...
3018.2, the starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
, explores the apparently lifeless planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
Pyris VII. A landing team consisting of Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott
Montgomery Scott
Montgomery "Scotty" Scott is a Scottish engineer in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by James Doohan in the original Star Trek series, Scotty also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics", and in numerous...
, Lt. Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru Sulu is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by George Takei in the original Star Trek series, Sulu also appears in the animated Star Trek series, the first six Star Trek movies, one episode of Star Trek: Voyager, and in numerous books, comics, and video games...
, and crewmember Jackson has been sent down to explore the surface. The ship though soon loses contact with Scott and Sulu; Jackson is transported
Transporter (Star Trek)
A transporter is a fictional teleportation machine used in the Star Trek universe. Transporters convert a person or object into an energy pattern , then "beam" it to a target, where it is reconverted into matter...
back to the ship, but falls from the platform dead. From his open mouth, his lifeless body emits an eerie voice telling Captain Kirk that the Enterprise is cursed, and must leave the planet immediately, or everyone will die.
Unwilling to leave his men behind, Kirk beams down to the planet with Mr. Spock, and Dr. Leonard McCoy
Leonard McCoy
Leonard "Bones" McCoy is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by DeForest Kelley in the original Star Trek series, McCoy also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and in numerous books,...
to search for the missing crewmen, leaving Lt. DeSalle and Chekov
Pavel Chekov
Pavel Andreievich Chekov is a Russian Starfleet officer in the Star Trek fictional universe. Walter Koenig portrayed Chekov in the original Star Trek series and first seven Star Trek films; Anton Yelchin portrayed the character in the 2009 film Star Trek.-Origin:Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry...
in charge of the ship. Exploring the mist-shrouded planet, they scan for life readings, picking up signals nearby. Walking in that direction, the landing party comes upon three apparitions
Three Witches
The Three Witches or Weird Sisters are characters in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth . Their origin lies in Holinshed's Chronicles , a history of England, Scotland and Ireland...
that appear as witches, who warn the landing team not to proceed any further. The team ignores the warnings and discover what appears to be a medieval castle.
Upon entering the castle, the landing party comes across a black cat which wears a sparkling diamond pendant, and then proceeds down a cobweb-draped hallway. Following the cat, the floor collapses below their feet, and the fall knocks them out. They later regain consciousness, finding themselves held in irons, and locked in a dungeon. Scotty and Sulu soon arrive, but they appear as mindless zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
s, controlled by an unknown force. The two men take the landing party down from their shackles and begin to lead them away, but Kirk and the others attempt to restrain them and to confiscate Scotty and Sulu's phasers
Weapons of Star Trek
The Star Trek fictional universe contains a very large number of weapons. As with most science fiction franchises, the series focuses primarily on energy weapons...
.
The group find themselves teleported
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
to another part of the castle where they encounter the robed Korob, and his mysterious black cat whom he appears to consult for advice. Korob invites them to sit at his grand dining table. Spock questions Korob about why previous surveys of Pyris VII indicated no life on the planet. Korob replies that he is not a native of the planet. He waves his ornate sceptre and a large banquet seems to magically appear on the dining table, right before the seated crew, however the team indicates they are not hungry.
Korob then makes the food change into beautiful gemstones. He offers the stones to Kirk as payment, if he agrees to leave Pyris VII immediately and never return. Kirk declares that the gemstones are worthless to him, since he has the technological means to manufacture his own on the Enterprise if needed. He demands his crewmen be released first and then an explanation of what is going on.
Korob's cat leaves the room and Korob's beautiful colleague Sylvia soon appears. She wears a diamond pendant, identical to the cats, around her neck. Kirk then wrests the phaser out of zombified Mr. Scott's hand, and points it at Korob demanding that Scott and Sulu be released. Sylvia then produces a silver chain, and dangling from it a miniature model of the Enterprise. She holds the ship over a lit candle, and like a voodoo doll, the crew of the real Enterprise begins to suffer from a rapid rise in hull temperature. Kirk reluctantly surrenders and offers to cooperate.
Not wishing any interference from the Enterprise, Korob places the "voodoo model" of the ship in a crystal cube, where the sensors aboard the real Enterprise show the ship to now be encased in an impenetrable force field. Kirk and Spock are led back to the dungeon, and McCoy is zombified like Scotty and Sulu. Meanwhile Sylvia mocks Korob for being afraid to use his powers in "playing" with the human specimens. Korob upbraids Sylvia for abusing her powers.
Sylvia takes an interest in Kirk and decides to learn more about human feelings and experiences. Kirk feigns romantic interest, promising to fulfill her desires and be her loyal servant. She responds by changing into three different but attractive forms to test his emotions. Kirk tries to subtly extract information from her while he has her charmed, and learns that Sylvia and her partner Korob are explorers, but not from this galaxy
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
. They wield their incredible power through a device called a transmuter, which gives them control over matter. Sylvia soon figures out Kirk is just using her and becomes angry, sending him back to the dungeon.
Later, Korob comes to free Kirk and Spock, saying: “I’ve released the model of your ship from the crystal, although they would have freed themselves soon.” He urges Kirk and Spock to leave immediately, for he can no longer keep Sylvia under control. Sylvia discovers Korob's realignment, changes herself into a giant cat, and attacks him. Korob releases his scepter and Kirk picks it up, guessing it to be the transmuter. Kirk and Spock then fend off attacks from the zombified crewmen. As the giant cat threatens Kirk and Spock, Kirk calls out: “Sylvia, I have the transmuter; it’s mine now.” Sylvia changes back into a woman, and attempts to beguile Kirk. Spock tells Kirk not to let Sylvia touch the wand. Frustrated, Sylvia transports herself and Kirk away from the meddling Mr. Spock. She then tries to finagle the device away from Kirk. When that fails, she threatens him with a phaser, but Kirk smashes the transmuter right before her eyes.
Instantly, everything disappears, including the whole castle, and Sulu, Scotty and McCoy return to normal. Looking down at a nearby rock, Kirk spots two tiny creatures that appear to resemble blue and yellow stick bugs, Korob's and Sylvia's true form. Unable to survive without their transmuter, the two creatures soon die and disintegrate.
40th Anniversary remastering
This episode was remastered in 2006 and first aired October 26, 2006 as part of the remastered Original Series. It was preceded a week earlier by "ArenaArena (TOS episode)
"Arena" is an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. It is a first season episode, #18, production #19, first broadcast January 19, 1967 and repeated on July 6, 1967. It was written by Gene L. Coon, based on a short story of the same name by Fredric Brown, and directed by Joseph Pevney. The...
" and followed a week later by "The Trouble With Tribbles". Aside from remastered video and audio, and the all-CGI animation of the USS Enterprise that is standard among the revisions, specific changes to this episode also include:
- The planet has been updated to look more realistic.
- When the landing party finds the castle, a more realistic castle matte backdrop has been added including realistic enhancements to the planet's sky. The original effect, showing the opening of a castle door and fog-shrouded moat below, is actually retained as part of the full castle.
- All original jump-cut transmuter effects have been smoothed and enhanced with an energy burst effect.
- The alien puppets have their strings removed.