Another callback episode from the original series, as Harry Mudd checks in.
The Enterprise has tracked Harry to planet Motherlode, where he's hawking a "magical liquid" love potion to a group of miners. Kirk and Spock beam down, and shows the group that Mudd is a huckster--his beautiful girl is actually a hypno-lizard (a relative to Futurama's Hypnotoad?). The miners attack Mudd, and they beam back up to the ship. Mudd sees how Chapel responds to Spock, and gives her the potion, using it as an excuse to swipe her ID card (?!?).
They find an unusual planet to investigate. Chapel uses the potion/crystal and literally falls in Spock's lap--Spock is unaffected. Mudd uses the stolen ID card to get in the shuttle deck but Chapel karate chops him. Spock starts to be affected and tells Kirk and McCoy about it. Chapel misses Harry with a phaser (she's not a great shot) and he drops the crystals by a ventilation shaft. They scuffle, and Harry knocks her out. Spock sees Mudd taking Chapel hostage and goes all illogical--lots of reaction shots from the bridge crew. Scotty, M'ress, and Arex are affected by the crystals, now being blown thru the ship. Kirk and Spock beam down to the planet, and are very friendly toward each other (the crystals cause men to be brotherly toward each other).
A rock with an eye watches them, and then turns into a rock creature to attack them. Phasers are ineffective, and the shuttle is destroyed. Kirk calls for emergency beamup, but there is a dance pair in the transporter room. Spock and Chapel have a tender moment as well. Spock realizes what is happening, and they try to control their emotional reactions. McCoy is running "Playboy After Dark" in sickbay. The bridge crew are having hangovers. They use the crystals on the creatures and then beam up. Harry is sent to rehab therapy, and Chapel snaps at Spock.
Some things to look for:
- The miners include some generic humans, some melty faced lizard, and wolfmen
- The "magical liquid" love potion is later referred to as crystals, which is what they appear to be
- Froggy returns as the voice of one of the miners
- Starfleet has ID cards?!?!?
- Mudd sometimes looks like a Terry Gilliam Monty Python animation.
- There's a lot of shuttlecraft now, with different designs.
- Since when did McCoy have a station on the bridge? Not saying it wouldn't be a good idea, since he always seems to be hanging around there...
- Scotty sees to beam off the bridge after his first line, and then reappears.
- A rock with an eye??
- It's easy to have earthquakes in animation--just shake the screen.
- The Enterprise must have an iTunes hookup--you can call up dance music in the transporter room. It's Adult Swim-worthy animation.
- Kirk to Spock: "I think we should get a few things straight"--the start of K/S fan fiction?
Remember, you can play along by watching the show on Netflix!