Why did Kirk let Khan go at the end of Space Seed?

[DonIago]

Based strictly on the dialog, Our Heroes might have known the conditions of the Ceti Alpha system simply because their own long-range sensors had already scanned it. Nothing in that dialog snippet explicitly indicates that the system had been surveyed previously.

 

[Timo]

Very true. It's basically a matter of choosing an interpretation that's maximally consistent with the rest of Trek, I guess. Would sensors be capable of telling the specifics of a planet from a given distance? Here we don't know the distance (other than Kirk suggesting that their "course" to some other destination just happens to "take" them close to the Ceti Alpha system, so we're speaking interstellar, and warp travel, and all that), and we don't know how specific the data was, so we don't have to sweat consistency much.

Significantly, knowledge of planetary conditions does not require starship visits, or even automated probe visits. Telescopic observations can tell the UFP and Starfleet what a planet looked like, say, a thousand years ago; this would still hold true at the time of the given adventure as regards chemical composition, climate etc. Probe or ship visits would be required only to give detail and realtime info - and we know telescopes cannot provide those, because the UFP explicitly doesn't observe entire star systems getting rid of their planetary bodies until a starship goes there, and cannot know whether a lifelike planet supports an actiive civilization, an old Earth god, or just 'em 'possums.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Nyotarules]

[QUOTE="Mr. Laser Beam, post: 11935240, member: 4374"] Mitchell was a jackass before the barrier hit, so I guess it's no surprise he was even more of a jackass AFTER it.

And I suppose it would be more enlightening if he had survived, and been cured, so we could have seen if he would have had any kind of remorse for what happened (like Garak did after DS9's "Empok Nor"). [/QUOTE]

Definitely! He had no respect for Dr Dehner, (probably wanted to get into her pants and failed). A manipulator - set Kirk up with a woman, after telling her what she needed to do to get him, 'laid out her whole campaign'. Probably manipulated her attraction for Kirk, who almost married her. (If it was Carol Marcus no wonder she turned into such a bitch).
If the barrier event had never happened sooner or later Mitchell would clash with Spock or Bones (or even both) and one of them would be requesting a transfer.

 

[Nyotarules]

"KIRK: Mister Spock, our heading takes us near the Ceti Alpha star system.

SPOCK: Quite correct, Captain. Planet number five there is habitable, although a bit savage, somewhat inhospitable.

KIRK: But no more than Australia's Botany Bay colony was at the beginning. Those men went on to tame a continent, Mister Khan. Can you tame a world?"

I hope the USS Enterprise had no Indigenous Australians on board....

 

[J.T.B.]

In any case, I absolutely refuse to believe that Gary's death was in performance of his duty. Perhaps it was indeed an accident, but it's not the same thing. Exactly how did Gary's death advance the cause of his Starfleet career or that of his crewmates?

My interpretation is: Mitchell received an injury at the barrier while he was performing his duties as helmsman. The injury led to him losing control of his mind, and, eventually, to his death. He did not literally die at that point, true. But Kirk thought that there was a greater truth there.

For real-world examples, it could be seen as similar to the way some in the US are currently reevaluating how the justice system deals with veterans who received traumatic brain injury in service, and how much that may be responsible for criminal behavior.

As for Kelso's family: Victims' families can and have forgiven all sorts of horrible things. If they accept Kirk's position, that it was no longer Lee's friend Mitch, it's not hard to imagine that they would forgive, or just accept it as a horrible accident that was no ones fault.

You seem to be forgetting the moment when Mitchell is momentarily transformed back to normal. He looks contrite and says "Jim" in a manner that suggests he's sorry. That's pretty clear evidence that he was not in his right mind when he was in his altered state.

Yes indeed, those few seconds are the pivotal point of episode, and wonderfully played by Lockwood. Without that, Mitchell can indeed be written off as a monster. The other important thing about it is, Dehner was there and saw that glimpse at what Mitchell was struggling with. Her internal struggle, whatever it was, was informed by some perspective that Mitchell did not have. That should be remembered when considering why she ended up "good" and Mitchell did not.

 

[Timo]

My interpretation is: Mitchell received an injury at the barrier while he was performing his duties as helmsman. The injury led to him losing control of his mind, and, eventually, to his death. He did not literally die at that point, true. But Kirk thought that there was a greater truth there.

This might indeed be a fairly common occurrence in Starfleet: death in the line of duty may follow only after agonizing moments of varying length during which the victim doesn't exactly distinguish him- or herself. Choosing not to dwell on the shame of the final moments would be simple common courtesy.

Doesn't mean Kirk thought Mitchell was to be commended for his conduct or anything. And it's not as if he's dispensing justice: his report is for select eyes only, and the letters to the next of kin are a different matter altogether.

Her internal struggle, whatever it was, was informed by some perspective that Mitchell did not have.

Doesn't directly follow she should be stronger in resisting, though. Both Mitchell and Dehner wanted to fight the excesses of what they had become. Dehner simply was the stronger person, for unknown reasons, and managed to arrange for the "suicide by cop" moment sooner than Mitchell did.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[A Chimpanzee & 2 Trainees]

Yes indeed, those few seconds are the pivotal point of episode, and wonderfully played by Lockwood. Without that, Mitchell can indeed be written off as a monster.

At the end of the fight between Kirk and Mitchell, Kirk is holding the rock over his head, ready for the death blow, and says "Gary, forgive me." At that point his eyes glow again and his response is .. "For a moment, but your moment is fading" Which I take to mean that while "normal" again, he did forgive him, maybe even realized his death was necessary, and Mega-Mitch obviously knew that - using it to both acknowledge and taunt Kirk simultaneously. Appropriate perhaps for someone in the process of losing control once again to whatever it was.

 

[USS Triumphant]

For real-world examples, it could be seen as similar to the way some in the US are currently reevaluating how the justice system deals with veterans who received traumatic brain injury in service, and how much that may be responsible for criminal behavior.

Slightly to one side of the main topic here, but I was reading some information about Lisa Nowak, the astronaut who kinda lost her mind a bit, developed an infatuation on one of the other astronauts, and drove cross country to try to kidnap his girlfriend while wearing adult diapers to minimize the number of times she would need to stop on the way. Apparently, there's a classification of discharge from the service that they used for her that I was previously unfamiliar with - "Other Than Honorable Discharge". It puts someone out of the service, but leaves them with their VA benefits and they can apply and possibly receive some other benefits, too, and seems to be for people like Ms. Nowak who have mental health issues and have served honorably for at least 1 term of service. It was apparently instituted in 2001.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

You seem to be forgetting the moment when Mitchell is momentarily transformed back to normal. He looks contrite and says "Jim" in a manner that suggests he's sorry. That's pretty clear evidence that he was not in his right mind when he was in his altered state.

Clear as day--which as one of the necessary plot points to support the tragedy Samuel Peeples used to successfully frame the story--a good man corrupted by forced beyond his control. That moment where his eyes return to normal was a "last gasp" of the original Mitchell (note it took extreme trauma to suppress the barrier version), but he was soon buried (again) by the new being.