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DAGGER OF THE MIND

D

david g

Commodore
Commodore
Disappointing--I used to like this ep, but seeing it again it frustrated me. Specifically, why doesnt it explore the Tantalus Doc's actual motivation for the brain-zapping device? Is he trying to be expedient, curing patients by simply erasing their minds, or is he really just diabolical? What, exactly, are his motivations? I cant recall so underdeveloped a TOS villain.

But many things to like along the way--Lethe is a chillingly blank character, but chilling because she does really seem like the product of medical/psychiatric technologies of our own era.

Dr Noel--this annoyingly smug, bright-faced character becomes a kick-butt action heroine, with pluck and strength. What a turnaround!

The first Vulcan mind-meld--quite well done.

Dying of loneliness--very haunting the way the Doctor dies from his own device, his mind emptied completely.

All in all, this is an episode that *should* have been great and really missed the mark.
 
I saw James Gregory when I was on a studio tour, I think at Warners, in the late 1990's. It was during the off-season so no active production was going on but they do occasionally shoot pilots and such during that time. My tour group was about 25 people and Mr. Gregory was standing on a set as we were exiting after being shown the standing sets for whatever shows were in production around that time. He was alone and studying a script as we filed by, probably not 10 feet from him. I believe I was the only person who recognized this fine actor as no one else seemed to take note of him in any way. He glanced up and I smiled at him and nodded. He returned the smile and nodded back and I could tell from his reaction that he knew I'd recognized him and I think he appreciated the restraint in my acknowledgement of him while enjoying the fact that I did know who he was. I know it's hard to explain how one can pick up so much from a smile and a nod, but there was sometine about the way he did it that just kind of said, "thank you". IMDB says he retired from acting in the mid-1980's but I have no doubt that was who I saw that day--he was a very familiar face to me. I rememebr thinking at the time how cool it was that I got to see the Inspector from "Barney Miller", General Ursus, the guy from the "Matt Helm" movies and from "Star Trek" all at once. This was in 1999 or so and he passed only a couple years later. I appreciate that I got to see him and, in my own small way, let him know he was remembered while not intruding too much into his life.
 
Specifically, why doesnt it explore the Tantalus Doc's actual motivation for the brain-zapping device? Is he trying to be expedient, curing patients by simply erasing their minds, or is he really just diabolical?
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I would argue professional pride and ambition was his main motivation. For those criminals that couldn't be cured of their tendencies, places like Tantalus would be the last stop before Elba II. Earlier in his career, Dr Adams had managed to significantly improve the odds of a person going back home rather than to Elba II; if he could improve further on the percentage, it would be a service to all mankind, and certainly to those he cured.

Lethe'ing the worst of the inmates might be a low price to pay for their restored freedom, from Adams' point of view. He had basically single-handedly revamped the UFP penal system, and it's IMHO easy to see that he'd let nothing stop him from achieving final perfection, at this late stage of the game.

I mean, sure, trying to mindwipe Kirk was a desperation move, not one a perfectly sane person would attempt. If Lethe was the best Adams could do, then surely his work on Kirk wouldn't pass muster. But being just a tad power-mad is the sign of a good villain, isn't it?

Timo Saloniemi
 
Timo, thanks for your analysis. You definitely help to clear things up. I still think it could have been a stronger episode, however.

The entire issue of mental illness in TOS is fascinating. Im also thinking of the S3 ep WHOM GODS DESTROY. The planet for the insane patients is itself so terrifying... so much for the enlightended future of Trek.
 
It's not even "mental illness" as we see it today. The people at Tantalus or Elba are all criminals, a word synonymous with insane in the 23rd century. And criminals are cured rather than punished, apparently mostly thanks to Dr Adams' early work.

The tiny facility at Elba II is essentially said to hold all the incorrigible criminals, that is, incurable lunatics, of the entire Federation. That's pretty impressive - and, yes, more than a bit scary.

Still, I'd definitely want to live in a future like that, rather than in one where the best we can do with those who go against the society's rules still is to torture them with solitude, or swat them like so many annoying gnats.

Timo Saloniemi
 
I like dagger of the mind. The ending is one of the most haunting, what a horrible way to go.

to this day, I find the mind scanner device a little frightning.....
 
I always liked this ep. It's true that Dr. Adams' motivations are unclear -- he does seem at times to be little more than a stock villain. But I'd buy the idea that he was so impressed with his own previous successes that he was arrogant in thinking the Tantalus device would solidify his reputation as a great healer and reformer in the mental health field -- and he probably felt turning people into zombies was a small price to pay for reforming that system.

BTW, this is one of the few eps with the seldom-heard Kirk-scream, when Dr. Adams dials up the device when Kirk tries to call the Enterprise with his communicator. At one point in his career, William Shatner was called the "male Fay Wray" for playing men in jeopardy, esp. in that Twilight Zone ep, Terror at 20,000 Feet.

Red Ranger
 
James Gregory also did a very excellent COLUMBO episode from 1970/71 with Roddy McDowall as a MENSA-level genius and chemist who murders the Gregory character(his stepfather or stepuncle in the story I believe)in an attempt to inherit the leadership of his chemical processing and manufacturing plant. Gregory also did APES stuff with McDowall.
 
david g said:
The first Vulcan mind-meld--quite well done.
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Say, this reminds me of a question I've been wondering about: who created the concept of the mind-meld? It was my understanding that it was the invention of Shimon Wincelberg, but on the commentary track for TSFS, Leonard Nimoy states with confidence that Roddenberry added it in a rewrite. Whose idea was it?
 
david g said:
Disappointing--I used to like this ep, but seeing it again it frustrated me. Specifically, why doesnt it explore the Tantalus Doc's actual motivation for the brain-zapping device? Is he trying to be expedient, curing patients by simply erasing their minds, or is he really just diabolical? What, exactly, are his motivations? I cant recall so underdeveloped a TOS villain.
Click to expand...

The Revised Final Draft script of "Dagger of the Mind" (August 5, 1966) offers a bit of extra dialog that helps flesh out Dr. Adams' motivation a bit.

From Act Four, Scene 177--Kirk is in the Tantalus device chair for another treatment:

ADAMS
I give you credit. Van Gelder was
on his knees sobbing my now.
(nods)
It's good I've had a pair like you.
I've learned a great deal.

KIRK
(with difficulty)
For... what purpose, Doctor? I
cannot understand a man of your...
of your...

ADAMS
Of my reputation? Unfortnuanately,
I have little else... except...
now, with this device... power.
Power over minds... and thus
over everything that counts.
The final great criterion.
Intriguing. And since I have
it, I've decided to use it for
myself... after all these years
of doing things for others.
(beat... a smile)
Say I want a very comfortable
old age... on my terms... and
I am a most selective man.

KIRK
Unnecessary. Just... trust...

ADAMS
TRUST mankind to offer me my
just rewards?
(smiles)
You're an optimist, Captain.
In this work I've learned too
much about men's minds.
(interrupted by
Lethe hurrying
into scene)

LETHE
The woman docor... she is gone,
Doctor Adams...

At this, Adams throw a look at Kirk, reaches for the
panel, turns up the volume, the device HUMMING STRONGLY.

So, it appears Dr. Adams is an embittered, disgruntled employee, tired of constantly taking care of others. Dr. Adams simply went "postal."

Greg Schnitzer
Gaithersburg, Maryland
 
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...Although, since the above dialogue never became part of the episode, we might just as well speculate e.g. that Dr. Adams did the thing he accused van Gelder of, that is, experimented with his own medicine, to the unfortunate effect that it turned him into a murderous loon. Or that he was a perfectly nice fellow otherwise, and never harmed a hair in van Gelder's messed-up head, but went crazy at the sight of Helen Noel and decided there and then to turn his instruments to the grand purpose of erasing all competition.

Timo Saloniemi
 
Timo said:
...Although, since the above dialogue never became part of the episode, we might just as well speculate e.g. that Dr. Adams did the thing he accused van Gelder of, that is, experimented with his own medicine, to the unfortunate effect that it turned him into a murderous loon. Or that he was a perfectly nice fellow otherwise, and never harmed a hair in van Gelder's messed-up head, but went crazy at the sight of Helen Noel and decided there and then to turn his instruments to the grand purpose of erasing all competition.

Timo Saloniemi
Click to expand...

Although the dialog was never spoken in the episode, I'm not so certain that it "never became part of the episode." It might very well be part of the episode in very subtle ways. I'm thinking that although *we* never saw the dialog spoken in the episode, the actors (notably James Gregory, of course) very likely *did* see that dialog and the character was portrayed knowing what the character's motiviation was; this information very likely colored the portrayal. So, although *we* might not know what the character's motivation actually was, James Gregory probably knew. And the way an actor motivates his or her character probably counts for something.

So if I had to speculate on the motivations of the character, the scriptwriter's dialog, even if it's not in the final cut of the episode, probably provides some valuable evidence to help fill in the holes.

Greg Schnitzer
Co-Executive Producer
Star Trek Phase II
 
While James Gregory turned in a great performance... Marianna Hill was so gorgeous that she stole the show.


HelenNoel.jpg
 
Kieran said:
While James Gregory turned in a great performance... Marianna Hill was so gorgeous that she stole the show.


HelenNoel.jpg
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Helen Noel will probably always be in the Top 5 Hottest/Sexiest Women in classic TREK. She'd be a Geena Davis-type cutie or knockout even now.
 
^ TVLand played it recently. Of course, they're playing the weird old-fashioned version. ;)

Ghoul-eddie74 said:
Gregory also did APES stuff with McDowall.
Click to expand...

Actually, he was in Beneath the Planet of the Apes... which Roddy McDowell didn't appear in.
 
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