Last night, I saw an episode I wanted to see my entire life, The Doomsday Machine. Even for the 60's, I can't believe how great this episode was. There were so many stories going on, Decker taking command of the Enterprise for a suicide Mission, Spock being very much in character and calm like he always is (I think this episode and Mirror Mirror showed Spock at his best) and Kirk and Scotty having to pilot the constellation. This is probably one of the best dramas, (With the best scores) I have seen in any trek series.

I also liked how socially relevent it was. I mean today we talk about Weapons of Mass Destruction and using "doomsday machines" to defeat our enemies, much like the H-Bomb. Here we see the crew having to use a weapon of mass destruction to defeat another WMD. It's kind of scary what would happen if we faced a doomsday machine in today's life.

I agree that it was a great episode. Episodes like that make me realize just how far ahead of its time Star Trek was in the beginning. As many of the issues that were addressed in the series are the same issues that we are seeing in our time.

Quote, gdog243:

"Here we see the crew having to use a weapon of mass destruction to defeat another WMD."

That is a profound statement, you just made. I've never heard it before. That is OUR solution to the terrorists. Anyone else see this?? Please elaborate, if you do. OK, gdog???

Wikipedia:

The Constellation enters the planet killer.On stardate 4202.9, the starship USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, responds to a distress call and finds that seven planets in an L370 star system have been destroyed. A check of a nearby system, L374, finds that all but two of its planets have been destroyed. Energy output within the system interferes with communications, but they still manage to pick up another distress call, this time it's coming from the USS Constellation. The ship is found adrift and heavily damaged, barely operating on reserve power. The ship's bridge is completely blown apart, and uninhabitable.

Kirk sends over a boarding party to inspect the ship and locate survivors. They find only the Constellation's commanding officer, Commodore Matthew Decker, remaining aboard, inside the auxiliary control room. Mr. Scott reports the ship's warp engines are damaged beyond repair, and the ship's weapon systems are nearly exhausted. Decker is beamed aboard the Enterprise, where Dr. McCoy looks him over. Decker is incoherent and in shock, unable to respond to questions, and only says "that thing" attacked him.

Scotty manages to playback the Constellation's flight recorder and they find out Decker discovered the obliterated systems and went to investigate as one of the worlds was breaking up. They soon came across an enormous "machine", with a conical shell miles in length, and a giant maw filled with sparkling energy. The machine then attacked the Constellation, damaging the ship so severely that Decker had to beam his remaining crew to the surface of one of the remaining planets. The machine then destroyed that world, and all Decker could do is watch helplessly.

The machine soon makes an appearance while Kirk and Scotty are overseeing repairs on the Constellation. Mr. Spock believes that it is a "doomsday machine", built according to the theory of mutually assured destruction. Spock orders an evasive course to pick up the Captain and repair crew, then exit the system's interference to warn Starfleet Command, however Commodore Decker, having left sickbay, pulls rank on Mr. Spock and assumes command of the Enterprise. He then orders a full attack on the machine.

As Spock had warned, the ship's weaponry is ineffective against the machine's pure neutronium shell and the Enterprise is badly damaged in the machine's counter attack. Back on board the Constellation, Kirk manages to fire off a few shots at the planet killing machine, which distracts it before it can finish off the Enterprise. The machine then targets the Constellation, but the Enterprise pulls a distraction of its own. Appearing confused, the planet killer disengages and moves away.

After contacting the Enterprise and learning about Decker's take over, Kirk furiously orders Spock, on his personal authority, to relieve Commodore Decker of command. Spock has the Commodore returned to sick bay, but then Decker escapes and steals a shuttlecraft, which he pilots on a suicide attack into the planet killer's maw. The meager attack fails to destroy the machine, but a slight reduction in the machine's energy output, believed caused by the anti-matter explosion of the shuttle's reactor, reveals the attack still had an effect.

This gives Kirk and Scott an idea that they can rig the Constellation with a timed explosive, and try Decker's plan, to detonate the ship's warp core as it enters the maw of the planet killer. Unfortunately, Scotty tells Kirk someone must stay behind until the last minute, and guide the ship in manually. Kirk volunteers to do it, and orders Mr. Scott and the rest of the repair crew back to the Enterprise.

With everything set, Kirk steers a course into the planet killer. Kirk activates the bomb and calls for a beam out, however, the earlier battle has damaged the Enterprise's transporter and the system finally shorts out at the worst moment. Scott rushes to make repairs while Kirk nervously watches the energy maw of the doomsday machine drawing nearer. Finally, Kirk is beamed out as the ship enters the maw. The resulting explosion burns out the doomsday machine, and its indestructible body shell remains drifting dead in space.

Um, who are you quoting?
I concur that this was a great episode, though it has been awhile since I've seen this one...

Wikipedia

Janeway,

It was mentioned at the end of the episode. Using a doomsday weapon, the bomb in the shuttle to destroy another doomsday weapon, the Planet Killer. I can't believe that concept of WMD's that was touched here and how aweful they are is socially relevent to today and how scary it is to even think about one.

I agree, it is quite relevant to today's issues. Kinda creepy, actually.

As I recall, it wasn't just as easy as Kirk commanding Decker off of the bridge. He was legitimately there , under chain of command, until Spock found a regulation to remove a commanding officer who proposes something that would ultimately and recklessly result in the death of the entire crew, when doing so was not imperative; deeming him unfit for command.

As for it being an ultimate assurance of mutual destruction..that is not unlike what already exists in our own system, in a sense. We do have things in place.

Computers * gone haywire* causing risk to civilization are so ultimately scary because the computer can think beyond our capabilities... Although, they think *inside of the box* and that's where we have the advantage. Let us hope that should some monster of our own civilization's manufacture go haywire, that someone will have the intelligence to *keep it busy* whether that be by playing TICTACTOE , CHESS, or firing on it like a hero; enabling us to pull the plug on it.

Anyway, there were a couple of heroes in that episode. Kirk being a hero by risking himself in diverting the planet killer away from the ship and towards himself . Decker by sacrificing himself inorder to acquire the information needed to destroy it. Sort of a family tradition for Decker , as years later, his son chose to evolve inorder to satisfy V'gers need to blend with *the creator*; though it was his wish to do so . Another computer *gone bad*...but, in that case, one that gave birth to a new civilization

Heron

Wait, Matt and Will decker were related. That really is cool.

And which civilization would this be?

The Generations of V'Gers with the combo of Decker and Illiana.

The Doomsday Machine is my absolute favorite TOS episode. Its over 35 years old and it is still relevant today.

I loved it so much that I made a Constellation model when I was a kid. I took and Enterprise model, put the Constellation stickers on it and then used a butane lighter to inflict the battle damage. I still have the model today.

- - - - - -

Yes the blending of V'ger with the creator as managed through Ilia and Decker
It was an *evolution* of sorts .

Heron

That's her name. I must of been thinking DS9 and Second Skin at the time.

[quote=gdog243,Nov 11 2004, 07:56 AM]
That's her name. I must of been thinking DS9 and Second Skin at the time.
- - - -

You're *one up* on me with that ! I seen very little of DS9 but from others that I know who are avid TOS fans, DS9 had some philosophical gifts that didn't end with the episode; a commonality with TOS.

As for using WOMD to end WOMD... Kirk utilized one to end the rampant destructive rampage that the *planet eater* was on. It was not a living being...but was destroying living beings . In this case, which cannot be a comparison on earth, as there will always be reciprocal loss of life,here; only the preservation of life, resulted We utilize them as a threat or leverage, here. In reality, if used on earth, there are things in place that would likely assure mutual destruction ;a very different scenario to the situation with Kirk and the *planet eater*.


Heron

If it's the episode I'm thinking of then I loved it too, great episode.

I've alway liked this episode. Commodore Decker is supposed to be Captioan Decker's (STTMP) father.

I'd love to find that, an episode that I haven't seen before just coming on by surprise but as far as I know I've seen every Star Trek episode, except the new series of Enterprise that is.

I have to agree, it is very socially relevant to things happening today.

That's one of my least favorite episodes

A pretty neat sequel of sorts to "The Doomsday Machine" was made by the New Voyages group. They are a group of fans who actually make new TOS episodes. While obviously homemade, the effects and sets are pretty decent. The episode is called "In Harms Way". I don't know how they did it, but they actually got William Windom and Barbara Luna to appear in it!. You can download the episode at www.newvoyages.com

I really enjoyed that episode i thought the guy who played matt dekker did some great acting even though the "planet killer"...didnt look that great i thought it was still well worth watching a few times

I have never seen that episode before, but in the meantime i might buy it.

I've always loved this episode, when I was little, I got a kick out of seeing two starships together, then when I grew up, I understood the significance of the nuclear/doomsday weapon comparison. Plus it has the killer line from Kirk and Decker... "There is no third planet!" "There was..but not anymore!"

If you want to see a cool sequel to "The Doomsday Machine", go to www.newvoyages.com and download their fan film entitled "In Harms Way". They did an incredible job and to top it off, William Windom (Decker) even appears in it.

When I tried going to that site, it said it didn't exist...

Same here.

One of my all time favorites. So ahead of its time.

I must have seen that episode dozens of times, and that line from Decker always gives me chills.

The fact that an entity exists to destroy planeys is inherent in any society today

I saw a t-shirt that had that line of "There was...but not anymore!". It was from Star Trek Communicatior, I believe.

I agree that William Windom's lines at that time were memorable. That is what I remember most about that episode...that tortured remark!

One of the things I always liked best about this episode was the pathos of Comm. Decker. His feelings of guilt over the perceived failure he caused in trying to stop the "Doomsday Machine" seems all too real...today we'd say that he had Shell Shock (or "PTSD"). The way they make the machine itself look is pretty cool, and they even have in under the X10 section here:

merzo.net

Interesting that it's the same length as a Borg Cube.

I always wish they'd have done a follow up to it in Voyager. Kirk speculated that there might be moe of these Doomday Machines flying around...I'd love to have seen the crew of Voyager find one and use it to plough through Borg space, or at least distract the Borg long enough for Voyager to get through.

Peter David wrote a great follow-up with his novel "Vendetta"which included the Doomday machine, the Borg....and Q.

Hey all
I just went to the New Voyages site and it's up and running they did a face lift on the site so maybe that's why you didn't see it but it's on and I too love this episode and need to see it again. James Cawley who plays Kirk was here in Mississippi doing Elvis at a casino I got to meet him and got to know him a great guy to talk to, he use to work for paramont did TNG costumes. That boy can sew LOL hate that he had to leave but I hope to talk to him and his crew again OH how do you put a pic on here I have a pic of me and him at a con here in MS. Many thanks.

Brian

I just met William Windom at a con here as well as the producer of the NewVoyages crew. They put out an awesome product. I've been talking about them for months now. This is a must-see for any TOS fan. Check them out at NewVoyages.com

For those of us who can't download- is there another option......???

YES! I saw the director of the films at a Trek con last weekend. He told me that if you email them, they will send you a dvd. I believe that you have to pay the postage though.

This was a good episode, not one I'd count among my favorites but good none the less.

I'm sure most people know that Decker is the father of Commander Decker in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. (Not the actor but in the Trek Universe)

One of my favorite TOS episodes. Some Trivia from Wikipedia:

The character of Matt Decker parallels two other famous fictional ship captains, Captain Ahab (Moby Dick) for his "great white whale" obsession of the planet killer and Captain Queeg (The Caine Mutiny) for his fidgeting of computer tape cartridges as opposed to Queeg's steel balls. William Windom ad-libbed the fidgeting with the tape cartridges as a homage to Captain Queeg.

The incidental music of this episode was composed by Sol Kaplan and is considered one of the classic series' most signature themes. The distinctive martial cadence and innovative use of the muted trumpet and a powerful brass section made it one of the most stirring themes of dramatic tension. Major parts were recycled in later episodes when a sense of nail-biting suspense was called for in the direction.

The planet killer itself was created from a design by Greg Jein and consisted of a conical form covered with tin foil and photographed with special lighting to give it an alien texture. The inner core was a slow-motion matte overlay of a welding arc. Fans have dubbed the planet killer "The Great Space Cannoli".

This is the first episode of Star Trek to feature a Federation Starship other than the USS Enterprise.
The actual filming prop of the Constellation was constructed from an AMT model kit of the Enterprise. The Constellation's registry of NCC-1017 was produced by rearranging the Enterprise's registry (NCC-1701) on the model.

Writer Norman Spinrad conceived of the role of Decker being portrayed by Robert Ryan, who was unavailable due to other commitments.
In James Blish's adaptation of the episode (which changed Decker's first name to "Brand"), Decker did not sacrifice himself, but instead survived to admit his mistakes and voluntarily retire.

The episode is constantly ranked in the top five of any "top ten" polls taken amongst fans with regards to their favorite Star Trek episodes.

This episode was mentioned by James Doohan in a presentation at UNLV in 1986 (for the upcoming Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) as being his favorite episode of the original series.

A very good ep. I admired Decker's determination to destroy the planet killer before it reached another system. He may have been a bit crazed, but he went out a warrior.

Actually, if you watch the NewVoyages episode "In Harms Way", You will see how Decker actually survived....

It sounds like it is worth a look, but if he survived that kinda ruins "Doomsday Machine" for me.

Well, its not canon you know. But its a free download and the episode is extremely well done. Check it out and let me know what you think!..

I was watching this episode before school on TV Land. Even for being 40 years old it is and amazing episode.

I love this episode the acting all around is excellent and with the new sfx in the remastered lets just say if I had the money I would have bought the first season set.

This was definitely a great episode and I loved the way they brought Decker's son in for TMP.