For me, this episode is a mixed bag. It sets in motion a sufficiently interesting dilemma, with Kirk's case against Mudd complicated by the fact that all those he considers Mudd's victims are willing participants in his scheme. Indeed, when Kirk offers his assistance, the women and miners alike side against him with Mudd. And so there is this wonderful tension: clearly Mudd is a scoundrel, but should the condemnation end at Mudd, or extend to his current trade, as Kirk seems to feel? This tension goes unresolved, though, in favor of a far less complicated commentary on drug use. The women are paired off with the men, the Enterprise gets its crystals, and Mudd is taken into custody for previous offenses, but the audience is no closer to understanding the ethics that surround love for money than at the episode's start. With this shift in focus, we trade an interesting issue for a far less contentious one. In my opinion, that makes this one of Star Trek's weaker early episodes, in spite of its promising setup.
Mudd's Women
- Thread starter Mendon
- Start date
An easy out, dude. Semi-bogus IMO. But entertaining nonetheless.
This episode has to be considered of interest because it was one of the very earliest to have been written and produced after the second pilot, along with "The Corbomite Maneuver," long before any episodes had been aired. To me it's especially notable for its extended scene that features no regular cast members, indeed no Enterprise crew members at all - a scene that exists solely to pin down two of the guest characters and their respective backgrounds: Eve and Childress in his hovel, with the howling sandstorm outside.
The only purpose of such a scene is to bring some detail to the world (or at least a world) outside the Enterprise, and I for one would have welcomed more such scenes throughout the original series. But as far as I know, it's almost unique; I can think of only one other example: the scene between Larry Marvick and Miranda Jones in "Is There in Truth..." in season 3 - and that was more of a soap-opera exchange, took place in the Enterprise, and so isn't directly comparable to the "Mudd's Women" scene.
The only purpose of such a scene is to bring some detail to the world (or at least a world) outside the Enterprise, and I for one would have welcomed more such scenes throughout the original series. But as far as I know, it's almost unique; I can think of only one other example: the scene between Larry Marvick and Miranda Jones in "Is There in Truth..." in season 3 - and that was more of a soap-opera exchange, took place in the Enterprise, and so isn't directly comparable to the "Mudd's Women" scene.
I find it interesting that this was one of the stories they were itching to tell from the start. How different, I wonder, did the final product end up from the original pitch?
As for scenes between guest characters, I love those between Mitchell and Dehner in Where No Man Has Gone Before. The ones between Childress and McHuron were nice too, though, and their interactions were very important for illustrating how he could go from coldly rejecting her to taking a chance with her by the episode's close. That's really no small feat.
As for scenes between guest characters, I love those between Mitchell and Dehner in Where No Man Has Gone Before. The ones between Childress and McHuron were nice too, though, and their interactions were very important for illustrating how he could go from coldly rejecting her to taking a chance with her by the episode's close. That's really no small feat.
I love this episode although i couldnt really say why. I think it may be the great feeling of nostalgia that it brings me. I do remember loving this one as a ten year old girl......and it has one of the best lines ever, "There's only one kind of woman, or one kind of man for that matter.... you either believe in yourself, or you don't!"
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I always thought it was a great episode for giving an stronger sense of identity to the world around Star Trek, as someone else pointed out, and I would have loved to have seen a little more of that in the early days.
That aside, I still think it's a good episode. It's definitely one of my favorite from season one.
That aside, I still think it's a good episode. It's definitely one of my favorite from season one.
This episode hasn't aged well with me. Huh? So they didn't need the drug, just self-esteem? So Eve is going to stay with the miner dude...why again? What exactly is Mudd doing that's illegal with the women, then?
Love the leering Spock, though. Much better than when he "jokes" with Rand after her being raped by Kirk's evil half in Enemy Within.
Love the leering Spock, though. Much better than when he "jokes" with Rand after her being raped by Kirk's evil half in Enemy Within.
Yeah, I think in this case the individual elements are perfectly enjoyable, but they aren't tied together cohesively. The self-esteem material encroaches upon instead of enhancing the Mudd story. Each element, worthwhile in its own right, suffers by the introduction of the other. That just seems sloppy.
Well, it's one of the western story transposed into the future episodes from season one. I enjoy those... but they might not be for everyone.
Though, this type of episode might have made the show more palatable to the segment of the 1960's TV audience who were accustomed to watching Matt Dylan or Flint McCullough rather than Rocky Jones or Tom Corbett.
Though, this type of episode might have made the show more palatable to the segment of the 1960's TV audience who were accustomed to watching Matt Dylan or Flint McCullough rather than Rocky Jones or Tom Corbett.
Do you mean that simply in that it contains no overt elements of science fiction? I personally enjoy the more terrestrial episodes of Star Trek, since they serve to illustrate that in spite of all the fantastic situations these people find themselves in, they also continue to face the basic issues that have always confronted humanity. It sort of brings things full circle.
Different modes of storytelling are always welcome, but it is unfortunate when I find them to be executed sloppily, as here.
Different modes of storytelling are always welcome, but it is unfortunate when I find them to be executed sloppily, as here.
It's an enjoyable episode but has some flaws mainly from being underwritten. The central message of the story is a little ambiguous. If it's that self-esteem makes you beautiful then why actually have Eve physically change back to a hot babe? And if the Venus drug is a placebo I never quite understood the extreme reaction all the men on the ship had to the women. Was it to imply the drug had some kind of hypnotic effect or was it just a joke that the men on a starship go crazy when they see beautiful women? But why would the guys act like they had never seen a beautiful woman before? Considering how much time we spend here debating who are favorite is of the endless parade of babes featured on TOS it seemed kind of silly. You'd also think a Venus drug would hardly be necessary in the 23rd century. If a girl doesn't like her looks why not go to the plastic surgeon?
Some minor nitpicks. I don't think they really did a good job of making Eve appear that ugly. She kind of just looked like she needed a little make up. Also how smart of it was Mudd to reveal his entire plan to fake out Kirk while two security guards are
Some minor nitpicks. I don't think they really did a good job of making Eve appear that ugly. She kind of just looked like she needed a little make up. Also how smart of it was Mudd to reveal his entire plan to fake out Kirk while two security guards are
ummm.. i don't know. i think thats kind of missing the point. For me, the message was believe in yourself, love yourself as you are and let your inner beauty shine through. If you are able to do that 'plastic surgery and makeup' aren't needed.
The physical change no doubt was just the TV way of showing us the mental change that Eve underwent. That is, she took a self-esteem pill, or thought she did, and this made her more attractive - a phenomenon that in 1960s television would involve adding makeup and applying the grease lens.
I don't see anything odd at the crewmen leering at Mudd's women. For the first season, Kirk's crew were more like yer typical British tars than shiny US astronauts: rowdy, greedy, lazy, perhaps violent, and generally from the lower classes. They were probably constantly being told not to sexually harass their female colleagues - so when "fair game" appeared, they'd obviously make the best of the opportunity.
Kirk simply showed more discipline, never being particularly enchanted by any of the women. McCoy was not one for discipline, and Scotty generally was an outspoken hedonist, too. (His odd bout of misogyny in "Wolf in the Fold" stands out, of course, but it was said to be an aberration in his behavior.)
Whether the real Venus drug had some sort of a pheromone-boosting effect is left unclear. It probably did, considering that a woman (man?) starting out on placebos wouldn't be able to get much of a boost on self-esteem. But the pheromone effect would probably play a diminishing role as the user became more and more accustomed to being the target of desire.
Timo Saloniemi
Because the storytelling is so hackneyed, I had to do a little searching before settling on the surest interpretation of the role of the Venus drug. Like you, I figured that the differences in physical beauty probably aren't literal, but rather meant to embody the different ways the crewmen see them depending on whether they have taken the drug or not. When Kirk and McCoy wonder if these women are actually more beautiful, pound for pound, than any other women they've encountered, the answer is no, but the Venus drugs have mightily boosted their pheremones, making their allure extremely difficult to resist. The final jist of the episode, then, seems to be that a little self-confidence has a similarly positive effect on one's animal magnetism. I can buy that, even if it is a little hokey.
^TIMO & Mendon:
O M G ! I never thought of it that way and WOW! It is awesome concept! i LOVE it! (the Venus drug and pheremones)
O M G ! I never thought of it that way and WOW! It is awesome concept! i LOVE it! (the Venus drug and pheremones)
Mendon, that's the way I see it, too.
Love it.
There is this scene in Kirk's quarters where Eve walks past Spock, and he looks after her and then throws a funny, eyebrows-raised look at Kirk...
Love it.
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