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is called a Horta, and that its species dies out completely every 50,000 years, save for one individual that remains alive to protect the eggs, which are the silicon nodules. As the nodule eggs hatch, the single adult Horta acts as a protective mother to this next generation. Though nearing death because of her wound, the Horta communicates through Spock, telling them the location of the stolen pump. There Kirk also discovers thousands of broken eggs which were destroyed by the miners as worthless.
398:, who also designed the costume. Prohaska was promised that if he created something good enough, the producers would rent the costume and pay Prohaska to play the part. Episode writer Gene Coon was convinced of the costume's effectiveness after an impromptu demonstration by Prohaska in the studios.
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with the creature, but perceives little but intense pain. The creature, having gained some knowledge of human language from the meld, etches the ambiguous message "NO KILL I" into a rock. By making physical contact with the creature, Spock establishes a deeper mind meld. He learns that the creature
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The name Horta came from a well-liked sound effects and music editor at the time named Sam Horta. Sam later opened a sound editing facility in
Burbank called “Horta Editorial”. His daughter Eileen continued in his footsteps and served as the president of the Motion Picture Sound Editors, M.P.S. E.
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Kirk and Spock happen upon a chamber containing thousands of the silicon nodules. The creature causes a cave-in that separates Kirk from Spock. Though Spock urges Kirk to kill it, Kirk observes the creature backs off whenever he aims his phaser at it. Spock finds a way around the cave-in and joins
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The miners arrive and attempt to attack the creature. Kirk and Spock stop them, explaining that it was only protecting its eggs when it killed humans. Dr. McCoy successfully treats the Horta's wound using a silicon-based cement normally used for building emergency shelters. The miners fear the
365:, modifies their phasers to be more effective against silicon. They encounter the creature—which has the appearance of molten rock—and fire upon it, breaking a piece of it off. The creature flees by burrowing through a rock wall. Spock analyzes the fragment, whose composition resembles fibrous
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also named "The Devil in the Dark" as an "interesting episode", stating "I thought was a wonderful episode about the fear of the unknown, how we fear and even hate something that we don't know anything about, learn who your enemy is, and it's not, maybe then it's no longer your enemy."
369:. He deduces that it burrows through solid rock by secreting the same corrosive substance that has killed the miners. Spock adjusts his tricorder to scan for silicon-based life, and confirms that the creature is the only such lifeform for miles.
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William
Shatner says this is his favorite episode of the series. His father died during its filming, but Shatner insisted on going through with production, and felt closer to the cast and crew for helping him through the difficult time.
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In this episode, the
Enterprise is called to investigate deaths at a planetary mining facility. Spock and Kirk go on an away mission to the facility, leading to them facing off against a deadly subterranean creature.
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Kirk, Spock, and McCoy return to the
Enterprise, prepare to leave orbit, and learn from Vanderberg that the eggs have hatched and already the new Horta have uncovered rich veins of pergium and other valuable metals.
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a substitute, but it fails shortly thereafter, necessitating the missing part be found and reinstalled before the reactor goes super-critical in 10 hours or is manually shut down, which will suffocate the miners.
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mining colony on planet Janus VI to help the colony deal with an unknown creature that has killed 50 miners and engineers, and destroyed equipment with a strong corrosive substance.
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Actor Barry Russo plays
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prospect of thousands of Horta, but Kirk convinces them that the Horta are peaceful and could collaborate with the miners by tunneling for them.
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episode. He thought it was "exciting, thought-provoking and intelligent, it contained all of the ingredients that made up our very best
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gave the episode an 'A' rating, describing it as a classic and noting the well-written roles of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. In 2012,
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409:!" In this case, the line is, "I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer!", said by McCoy when Kirk orders him to heal the Horta.
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meet with the mine supervisor, Chief
Engineer Vanderberg. During the briefing, Spock's attention is drawn to a
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magazine ranked this episode one of the top ten most underrated episodes of the original television series.
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ranked this episode as one of the top ten "must see" episodes of the original series. In 2017,
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Final draft with revisions dated
January 6–18, 1967; report & analysis by Dave Eversole
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Kirk and his security team search for the creature. Spock, suspecting it may be a
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This episode also marks the first appearance of Doctor McCoy's catchphrase, "
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ranked "The Devil in the Dark" the 4th best episode of the original series.
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wrote in his memoirs that "The Devil in the Dark" was his favorite original
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ranked "Devil in the Dark" the 4th best episode of the original series.
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rated this episode as having Spock's fourth best scene in the show.
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ranked this the number one best episode of the original series.
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25th episode of the 1st season of Star Trek: The
Original Series
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ranked "Devil in the Dark" 2nd in the top 50 episodes of all
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824:"Here are the 13 best original 'Star Trek' episodes, ranked"
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ranked this episode the 10th best original series episode.
1018:"The 20 Best Episodes of 'Star Trek: The Original Series'"
993:"The 20 Best Episodes of 'Star Trek: The Original Series'"
915:"10 Best Spock Moments in Star Trek: The Original Series"
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used in the mining industry, based on the Horta in this
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rated this one of the top 25 essential episodes of all
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The
Original Series Rewatch: "The Devil in the Dark""
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ranked this the eighth best episode of the original
822:Kiersz, Elena; Holodny, Andy (September 21, 2017).
769:""This Side Of Paradise" / "The Devil In The Dark""
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1110:Star Trek transcript - The Devil in the Dark
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534:called it "one of the greatest episodes" of
293:, the episode first aired on March 9, 1967.
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300:This episode marks the first appearance of
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966:"The 50 best Star Trek episodes ever"
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271:" is the twenty-fifth episode of the
1079:Review of the remastered version at
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795:"10 must-see episodes of Star Trek"
739:(paperback). Harper Torch. p.
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167:Barry Russo – Security Chief Giotto
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793:Handlen, Zack (August 15, 2012).
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26:The Devil in the Dark (Defiance)
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1103:—Full episode for viewing at
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602:", the eighteenth episode of
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194:Frank da Vinci – Ensign Vinci
179:George E. Allen – Engineer #1
1218:Where No Man Has Gone Before
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203:Bill Blackburn – Lt. Hadley
158:– Chief Engineer Vanderberg
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1288:The Conscience of the King
434:Kolchak: The Night Stalker
422:Kolchak: The Night Stalker
277:science fiction television
64:Kirk faces the Horta alone
16:This article is about the
15:
1344:The Return of the Archons
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753:"50 Years of Star Trek",
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1098:"The Devil in the Dark"
1092:"The Devil in the Dark"
1086:"The Devil in the Dark"
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1068:"The Devil in the Dark"
1057:"The Devil in the Dark"
1047:"The Devil in the Dark"
523:New York Public Library
463:s". In the documentary
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407:I'm a doctor, not a ...
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306:I'm a doctor, not a ...
134:March 9, 1967
1386:The Alternative Factor
1281:The Menagerie, Part II
1267:The Corbomite Maneuver
646:(September 10, 2015).
363:silicon based lifeform
1372:The Devil in the Dark
1365:This Side of Paradise
1358:A Taste of Armageddon
1330:Tomorrow Is Yesterday
1274:The Menagerie, Part I
855:. September 8, 2012.
644:DeCandido, Keith R.A.
465:50 Years of Star Trek
269:The Devil in the Dark
226:This Side of Paradise
41:The Devil in the Dark
1316:The Squire of Gothos
698:Simon & Schuster
429:Universal Television
373:Kirk. He attempts a
352:Chief Engineer Scott
197:John Cavett – Guard
170:Brad Weston – Appel
1260:Dagger of the Mind
736:Star Trek Memories
210:Episode chronology
1409:
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1309:The Galileo Seven
1295:Balance of Terror
757:, August 14, 2016
711:978-0-671-00974-8
304:'s catchphrase, "
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147:Guest appearances
131:Original air date
113:Cinematography by
107:Alexander Courage
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191:– Lt. Leslie
189:Eddie Paskey
97:Gene L. Coon
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1302:Shore Leave
700:. pp.
176:– Schmitter
174:Biff Elliot
83:Directed by
1416:Categories
1351:Space Seed
1105:Paramount+
1022:PopMatters
627:References
586:PopMatters
516:W.I.R.E.D.
390:Production
320:Enterprise
183:Robert Hoy
138:1967-03-09
93:Written by
78:Episode 25
1211:Charlie X
950:August 1,
894:1059-1028
861:0882-7729
650:Star Trek
620:Star Trek
616:backronym
600:Home Soil
583:In 2018,
574:In 2018,
565:In 2017,
560:Star Trek
552:In 2016,
547:Star Trek
541:In 2016,
536:Star Trek
528:In 2015,
521:In 2015,
514:In 2013,
509:Star Trek
501:In 2012,
461:Star Trek
456:Star Trek
441:Reception
375:mind meld
355:jury rigs
282:Star Trek
156:Ken Lynch
18:Star Trek
1195:Season 1
1184:The Cage
1154:episodes
997:Collider
924:July 10,
866:July 23,
804:June 29,
778:March 2,
733:(1993).
696:. June:
690:(1997).
662:Archived
593:See also
577:Collider
476:Critical
420:Link to
367:asbestos
253:season 1
221:Previous
70:Episode
22:Defiance
1164:Seasons
1028:July 8,
1002:July 4,
976:July 2,
899:July 9,
833:July 6,
799:TV Club
702:214–125
668:July 8,
657:Tor.com
622:episode
531:Tor.com
431:series
341:silicon
325:pergium
279:series
234: →
219:←
164:– Horta
136: (
53:episode
970:Empire
892:
859:
708:
555:Empire
344:nodule
335:, and
1323:Arena
886:Wired
612:HORTA
337:McCoy
333:Spock
185:– Sam
1253:Miri
1061:IMDb
1030:2019
1004:2019
978:2019
952:2019
926:2019
901:2019
890:ISSN
868:2019
857:ISSN
835:2019
806:2019
780:2010
706:ISBN
670:2022
446:Cast
318:USS
316:The
312:Plot
232:Next
1070:at
1059:at
1049:at
945:Vox
741:200
614:—a
543:Vox
126:026
72:no.
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