I like how when Adams tries to interrogate Kirk about where he sent Noel, Kirk doesn't answer, and it never occurs to Adams that it's because he already conditioned Kirk to lie, cheat, steal, etc. for Noel so of course Adams can't get what he wants about her. Seems like no one notices that.

He's, probably, smiling because he realizes he is not alone and has friends and a crew to be with. He had a taste of that loneliness but escaped it. He's just thankful, I think. Or, he's thinking about the woman he had in his arms, recently.

As a professional who loves his occupation, I understood why she seemed to side with Dr. Adams at first. You have a certain pride in your profession and I’m sure she felt this when around laymen.

Kirk smiles because he realizes both Spock and McCoy were concerned for his emotional health. The smile was reassurance to his friends and crew that he was beginning to shrug it off, and that all was well. Only Kirk could recover so quickly! ;^)

Helen the hottie came through in the end. On the brain washing theme, it was dealt with extensively and brillaintly, in the classic film from the early 1960s, The Manchurian Candidate.

Van Gelder seemingly recovered quickly. Presumably the mind meld helped.

Another clue the script writer gives us is when we meet Lethe. Lethe is one of the 5 rivers in the underworld ruled by Hades. Anyone who drinks its water forgets their former life. Lethe is also, in Greek mythology, the name of a daughter of Eris. This daughter is said to be the personification of oblivion.

The "Mind Meld" by Spock was first used here, just like the neck pinch was on "The Enemy Within". They both were used more as the series progressed. Leonard Nimoy actually came up with the idea for the neck pinch when it was originally written that he was supposed to just punch or hit a guy with a gun. He felt that Vulcans were more refined and had better methods than humans did. So he and Shatner rehearsed it for Gene, and the rest is history!

I think Kirk is smiling because after being in that room he’s back with his closest friends and on his ship. So any loneliness is gone. That’s my take on it anyway.

Great again to see this with uncut scenes. “Dagger of the Mind” is a Shakespeare reference also used to title a Columbo episode. The love interest Helen was originally intended to be Yeoman Janice Rand, but Grace Lee Whitney had recently left the show. Helen was played by Marianna Hill, who you would never guess was later the nasty blonde in Eastwood’s “High Plains Drifter”.

I’m loving the more frequent Star Trek uploads!

To me Dr. Adams is one of Trek's most chilling antagonists as he is basically distorting/destroying your mind - and without that you cease to exist (and kudos to actor James Gregory who portrays him 👍)

The bras at the time of the series were conical shaped. As Playtex used to say in their commercials " lift and separate ". Google " vintage Playtex bras ".

Your Star Trek reactions have been excellent! Kirk's ambivalent reaction at the end, where he admits that he can see death because of loneliness, and then seems somewhat dismissive and smiles. I think this is an example of Kirk's incredible single mindedness and willpower. He knows that any person could be crushed by loneliness, but he recognizes his unique position as a Star Fleet captain, and that he himself must overcome these personal demons to serve his crew and mission. I think it's a study in the character of command. He can't afford to succumb to these personal sufferings because of his command. He was able to overcome this diabolical machine because of this. You'll see further examples of this willpower, and some extent coldness, in other episodes, especially in perhaps the best episode of any Star Trek series-"The City on the Edge of Forever".

Yes, in answer to your question, Kirk smiles at the end to tell his friends that he'll be alright and not to worry. A reassuring smile for his visibly concerned friends. It must be said that Shatner's acting in this one, particularly when he's in the chair is powerful. He really sells the danger of what is essentially a cheap ceiling light prop. As did Morgan Woodward (Dr. Van Gelder) who received an Emmy nomination for his work in this episode. He has said that it took him 4 days to recover physically and emotionally from this role.

The smile at the end. He smiles for himself and us. He is showing that he survived.

He's smiling because he's thinking of his TV & the Christmas party!

as the captain he has a responsibility to the crew, he can't allow himself to appear vulnerable. he smiled to let everyone know, he is going to be OK.

That smile was to show Spock that he was up to the next challenge and to reassure him that he was ok. But you can see him reflecting on what happened behind his smile.

“I never forget a boob!” Your sense of humor shines in your reactions. And you bring out some interesting theories. Thanks

"HEH-LLO!" Yeah, that was my reaction too way back when. (I even had to replay your own reaction just now.) Even in far more demure clothing, the lovely actress Marianna Hill was always enchanting, all the way up to her appearance in The Godfather Part II. Wild, isn't it, that her character's last name is Noel and that she and Kirk hooked up at a Christmas party. This is the episode that introduced the Vulcan mind meld, which would become handy later. Yeah, there is pretty much zero PTSD in the Trek universe -- they fight a lot, they hurt a lot, they lose a lot, and yet one minute later they're all chipper and raring to go. It's not just a Trek thing, though, so many shows are like that. I don't think I'm spoiling too much when I say that this show sometimes tears down a great hero -- we saw that with Dr. Korby in What Are Little Girls Made Of -- and we will see that again. On the subject of mind control, one of my favorite movies is The Manchurian Candidate (the 1962 original), about a brainwashed assassin, and I would be fascinated by your reaction someday. I'm afraid the next few episodes are rather Kirk-centered, but Spock will prove himself again pretty soon. (Even as a straight hetero male, I think I "get" the Spock appeal. I always wanted his voice, what a voice.) Thanks, Bun.

In this episeode, we see both Roddenberry's visuon for the future of psychology and psychiatry and the reflection of the horrors of psychiatryat that time. In the production of TNG, a psychologist was added to the bridge crew, because Roddenberry predicted that mental health would, in the future, be as important as any other kind of healthcare. The second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," featured a psychiatrist, Danner, who studied crew reaction to stressful environments. Kirk, as seen in this episode and another, is fascinated with psychology and has great respect for the pioneers in the field. This is the first of two episodes that take place in a penal colony fir the mentally insane. On the other hand, there was, at the time of these productions, a medical doctor, Walter Jackson Freeman II, who became obsessed with a horrendous and dubious medical procedure: transorbital lobotomy. With no evidence of successful treatment for the worst psychiatric disorders, he went about the country teaching these horrible practices and, literally, deeply damaging the brains of patients, many against their will. I believe this episode was influenced by these features of Roddenberry's own hope for the future deeply colored by the horrors of that present time. Kirk smiled at the end to reveal he was well and to alleviate the concerns of his First officer and Chief Medical Officer.

Hey, Bun, I'm enjoying coming along on your exploration of Star Trek. The Van Gelder (Morgan Woodward) acting was impressive, I feel. Then Shatner, not to be outdone, got in his own insane laugh at 18:00. Woodward appeared in a later episode in a different role, and IMDb tells me he also guest starred on Shatner's later series, TJ Hooker.

He's smiling because he won and lived to see another day

He smiled because he triumphed over it and it didn't beat him. He won.

Marianna Hill later appeared in High Plains Drifter opposite Clint Eastwood.

This is what I imagine being trapped in Google headquarters would be like.

Spock describes the 'mind-meld' as 'part of our private lives'. I think it's too personal to use in that way, yet he does. - and he gets Van Gelder's POV exactly. Perhaps it's only meant to be used between lovers or perhaps teacher-pupil. A way of bridging the gaps between personalities to avoid any chance of misunderstanding, or to test to destruction before making a major commitment. This wider experience than most Vulcans may be why Spock is later known Federation-wide for declaring that: 'Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not it's end'.

Woodward is excellent at getting across the actual physical pain of Van Gelder's damaged mind.

Episode was supposed to have featured Grace Lee Whitney as Rand in the Helen Noel role, but she had been terminated from the series, and the episode was rewritten for a guest star.

I am loving your Star Trek reactions and the questions that you are asking about the episodes.

Morgan Woodward was a scary actor, with his bulging blue eyes. He was Boss Godfrey in Cool Hand Luke.

James Gregory in a typical villain role

Adams' patient is Lethe; she has had her memory wiped. Lethe (Greek: “Oblivion”): in Greek mythology, Lethe was the daughter of Eris (Strife) and the personification of oblivion. Lethe is also the name of a river or plain in the infernal regions.

Sounds like you and Husbando are gonna have to do your own Vulcan mind meld session! 😂

could that be a smile of self confidence when he is making a statement?.. I have to tell you how fascinating your comments are.. I am always excited to see your perspective in your comments at the end of the reaction..you have this grasp of a search for something still unknown ..it has this honest, human comments .just fascinating ...I am big fan now...wishing huge success with your channel..❤

*"Van Gelder" (Morgan Woodward) turns up in a second Star Trek episode and gets top billing. He also has a notable (albeit small) role in the Paul Newman movie, "Cool Hand Luke".*

Kirk's' smug, self satisfied (and sometimes inappropriately timed grins) ,are a big part of his greatness.👍👍

The Crazy Guy in the box also played Capt. Ron Tracy in "The Omega Glory"

Maybe Kirk's smiling to signal to Spock that he is fully recovered and not brooding about the room, and all's well that ends well. The Vulcan sharing of minds comes to be referred as the 'Vulcan Mind Meld'. You are not alone with your reaction to the intimacy of Spock, he became a fan favourite, particularly with female fans, very early in the series.

A couple of comments here: the actor that played Dr. Adams, James Gregory, was a very good actor with a distinguished career. Because of the generational difference, Bunny, you probably don't know him, but that is unfortunate. He was outstanding in many roles. He had actually been in the very first Twilight Zone episode "Where is Everybody?", but he is best known for his role in the 70s comedy series "Barney Miller", where he was hilarious as the demented Inspector Luger. Grace Lee Whitney, who played Janice Rand, was dismissed in the first season for substance abuse issues, although she will appear again because the order episodes aired differed from the production order. Anyway, the decision was made at this time to transfer Kirk's "romantic" interests to various female guest stars, such as Dr. Helen Noel in this episode. As this new pattern emerges, you will see Kirk's famous "reputation" appear.

I believe this episode was written as an anti-shock treatment story. It does have a lot of intense storytelling. The only weakness I see, is that we are never told why Adams changed from a humanitarian to a mad scientist.

Yay, another review! Another great review of a great episode (and famous for the introduction of the Vulcan Mind Meld). The reason for the smiling at the end is that it was typical in the 60's, even for dramas to end episodes on a happy or humorous note. It can be a little jarring with episodes like this.

Hilarious reaction, bunnytailsREACTS! 🤣🤣 I loved your comment about Dr. Helen Noel and her anatomy. You made my Christmas, thank you. I'm looking forward to more of your reaction videos.

Your desire to see continnuation of the Dr Gelder character is probably a really good example of why story arcs became popular in the Star Trek franchise, as well as other series. OTOH just speaking for myself, I don't know if I'm so crazy about them. They just allow for too many paths that just get more and more twisted up.

I thought it was always telling that it was called the Tantalus Colony. The punishment story from the myth of Tantulus in which as punishment for killing his son and trying to feed him to the Gods, he’s placed in Tartarus forever thirsty and hungry with food and drink in easy reach, but unobtainable. Naming a mental facility after this wouldn’t inspire much confidence I wouldn’t think.

Yes, this was a good episode. This is when we first learn about the Vulcan Mind Meld. Dr. Noel was a good female action heroine, something that was rare on TV shows back in the 1960s. The way she took care that one guy who forcefully grabbed her and threw her down on the ground was memorable and Bad-Ass. She also brought down the planetary force field, making it possible for Spock and his security team to beam down and shut down Dr. Adams' whole operation. Go Helen! Yes, Dr. Adams was quite the mad scientist and power mad doctor indeed. He created his own private dictatorship, mind control and all. I love how Dr. McCoy gets Kirk to take action when he says "As the ship's chief medical officer, I think there's something funny going on down there which requires me to enter in my medical log. That requires you to enter in YOUR log." Morgan Woodward previously was in Westerns where he played villain roles. You'll see him again in a Season 2 episode where he plays a villainous starship captain who threw away all of his morals and ethics, completely violated the Prime Directive on an unknown planet. He also played a villain in an episode of Bill Bixby's The Incredible Hulk TV series.

“I never forget a boo . . . I never forget a ti . . . I never forget a face.” 😉😂

Kirk never forgets a B... T... Face! :) Nice one BT.

Good critical thoughts and questions about the episode. Your videos are always a good reason to dive into this old tv-times with star trek. Thank you very much.

LOL, the Slim Shady nod was just the chuckle i needed today BT, hats off to ya!

I'm so glad these Star Trek episodes are getting new life.

Im 63 and born in 1960. I dont remember these star treks at age 3 or 5 but do remember the re runs that made it popular. Its enormous fun to rewatch these with you and see you're reactions. I probably remember these at age 8 and they were advanced state of the art fid television but in my young mind these were REAL. another world 🌎 and reality. way ahead of any other sci-fi of that period. Many of our mordern inventions, including the cell phone were the product of young people watching star trek and thinking...I could make that real.

south park did a great parody of this trek episode, its called "roger ebert should lay off the fatty foods". if you watch it while this is fresh in your mind, youll get all the references.

You likely already know this - the title of the episode - 'Dagger of the Mind' is from Shakespeare's "Hamlet"...- the Music Loving Klingon

*** In "The Devil in the Dark " episode the Vulcan Mind Meld is used by Spock to solve the conflict of the "Horta " creature at the mining colony and later in Star Trek III" The search for Spock " is the key element in the continuation of " The Wrath of Khan " and Spock's resurrection .!!...***

I believe Spock, using the Mind Meld, was able to help restore VanGelder's memory by breaking the conditioning and reestablishing the links. As such, he was largely himself again, albeit with some trauma. He was able to resume his life and career.

I think when he looked at Spock and he's just letting him no he's all right. Spock seem to smile back

This was the first episode of Star Trek I've ever watched. This was it, this is what hooked me up for life to these shows. Van Gelder was so intense I could not stop thinking of this show for a long while, having watched this as a child (9yo maybe).

Kirk smiles because his purpose, and the whole crew too, for being explorers is to have experiences no matter how painful. To be so lonely you could die is such an experience.

I can't believe it, but I don't remember seeing this episode before, a rare treat, thanks Bunny!

When reading Nimoy's book "I am Spock" he expresses how shocked he was that many women seemed to consider Spock quite sensual.

Any time I watch this one, I keep wanting Dr Adams to start barking "Ya know, Barn, back in my day as a young cop on the force....." He played the annoying but lovable Inspector Luger on the old sitcom Barney Miller. One of the best-ever sitcoms IMO, ran from 1975-82, about a squad of detectives in the NYPD.

This was the very first example of the Vulcan mind meld. I love it also and we will indeed see more. Dr. Helen Noel was well liked by men especially and she is one of many beautiful (in her case stupendously so) female guest stars.❤

The South Park episode “Roger Elbert should lay off Fatty foods” is based on this episode. The Planet…Ariium. Episode.

Mind melds are incredibly intimate, there are several amazing examples of them in the future, and not just of the original series.

Really loved your comments and reactions Dagger of the Mind. Your jokes and references were all on point and had me laughing quite a bit. Thank you for more great content.

Van Gelder aka Captain Tracy also. Always played dangerous characters

Watch “The Manchurian Candidate” from the 1960s with Frank Sinatra. It is the ultimate mind control movie.

Your earnest reaction to the vulcan mind meld is hilarious.

Morgan Woodward was a very steady working character actor. He worked mostly on westerns through the years and was good at playing the bad guy heavy in shows and movies. He's in one more Star Trek episode called, "The Omega Glory" later in the series where you'll get to see more of him. Thanks for reacting to the series!

Great reaction, as always! Classic Trek never shied away from challenging subject matter and didn't always leave you with a tidy ending, although it was pretty much always a happy ending and a smile, regardless of what just transpired. Looking forward to the next one!

Nice reaction - watching it again now, IMO this is one of the best episodes so far, rich w intriguing elements - taps psychology ties w social control, and consider how the countercultural climate of the 60s would have seen this, w recent memories of WW2 fascism and 50s mass conformity - the famous Milgram experiment came out in 64 - in sci fi we have the dual poles of 1984 and Brave New World, control via stick vs carrot, respectively - also see Clockwork Orange and the sci fi inflected thriller Manchurian Candidate - - more broadly we have One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Girl, Interrupted - looking at the treatment process itself as a struggle w the idea of authority - IMO 1986 Singing Detective may be the greatest expression of this - another amazing work like this is Marat/Sade, also very stylized, one of the major theatrical works of the last half century, and a philosophical debate on the topic - pitting absolute authority against absolute freedom, again, with a mental hospital as the arena - it's a very rich topic - full of lots of compelling questions -

Lol “univited guest!” probably a 1/4 to a 1/3 of the episodes feature univited guests. You mentioned Spock’s ability to mind meld a very important skill throughout the series. Its a testament to Nimoy’s acting we accept he can join minds. Like the show itself before viewing one might think how good can a show from the 60’s be? This one proves they can be pretty amazing.

"Dagger of the mind"?! Very interesting. I only know most of the episodes from their german names. This episode in particular has a very special name: "Der Zentralnervensystemmanipulator" which translates into "The central nervous system manipulator".

Oh, one more point... Kirk's smile at the end is his way of saying, without actually saying... "I'm ok... I'll be fine... don't worry about me." When I went in for cancer surgery a while back... I was terrified. Yet, to my wife, family, and friends, I put in a very "Kirk-like performance." It was kind of my job to do so. When you're the rock everyone else relies on for strength, you can't let yourself seem too vulnerable. Head of a family? Yep. Commander of a starship? It's like being the "parent" over 430 children. A line from "The Enemy Within" spoken by Spock spelled it out... When you're in command, you don't have the right to be vulnerable. This us why only one person out of a thousand is actually able to be in command, and to be effective in that role. It's a huge, heavy burden. Lots of people would love to be in charge... to get the perks and the power. But far fewer are willing to bear, or even capable of bearing, the RESPONSIBILITIES of command.

I've seen these episodes many times and I really like your commentary. A lot of it matches my thinking. Like the funny stuff at the Xmas party. First thing I thought was they got a little loopy at that party and boinked at some point. Kirk probably snuck out and was gone by morning and she probably had a walk of shame at some point. I dig your top as well. Seems appropriate.

You can understand loneliness . Thats important. This show often taps into that emotion in its storylines. You’ll definitely see more of the Vulcan mind meld.

Those damn intruders! They’re sneaky!

You truly bring out the best in these episodes…..your perceptions are fascinating!!! 😊

Morgan Woodward will return to star trek later in the series as a ship captain that lost his crew due to a war that used chemicals to eliminate whole groups of people during a war on that planet.

Something you said reminded me of my favorite ee cummings quote....."whenever you think or you believe, or you know, you're a lot of other people: but the moment you feel, you're nobody-but-yourself'.

😅 4:00 Well, bunny, he *is* insane. 7:25 Kirk: "Not in front of the Vulcan, if you don't mind."

Factoid: this is the episode where they invented the Vulcan mind-meld which became a common element of Star Trek. They did because there were concerns about hypnosis. Possible plot hole. If Kirk was able to muster the strength the call for the ship, why didn’t he use the phaser to shoot the beam emitter.

I think it was about her defending her field of expertise. You had Kirk. Who wasn't in the field. Questioning the motives and procedures of a person. Whose accomplishments were so extensive. That starship captains want to meet them. This may be a case where the name is so big. It becomes synonymous with their field. So to question him....etc. Or she was just a "Adam's groupie".lol

Noel gets Adams and his facility completely wrong at first. McCoy, aboard the ship, has his suspicions.

As the comment below intimated, I think that Adams died not just because his mind was erased, but because there wasn't even anything or anyone there to fill it again. Everyone else had their minds replaced, not just emptied. My take on Helen's attitude is that the point of her ... other than some cheap sexual tension with Kirk ... was to underscore how dangerous it is to trust so completely in any famous innovator, without a critical eye ... especially if they are famous for their supposedly humanitarian work. Helen should have been more skeptical, while Bones represented a more healthy approach to someone in a profession adjacent to his own. Something else I really like is how Bones and Spock didn't just dismiss Dr. Van Gelder just be cause he was "mad," but listened to him and took him seriously. Part of Adams' approach was to gaslight everyone into disregarding anyone considered insane.

7:05 "HULLO" 😂🤣 To be honest, growing up with this episode, I was always bugged how Kirk brought along Dr. Noel as a specialist and then ignores her advice each time ... but yeah you're right she's maybe not impartial in defending Dr. Adams so much lol. No spoiler but if you like Dr. Van Gelder's acting, you're in store for something good in one of the later seasons!

8:40 That's the first "meta" warning sign for the educated viewer. "Lethe" was the name of the river of forgetfulness in the Greek underworld. 11:26 "You will forget all you have heard." Yep, there we go! I wonder what exactly the woman Lethe had to do with it.

The Vulcan Mind-Meld as it's described in the episode is the joining of two minds becoming one, this is due to the certain level of telepathy that Vulcans possess. Spock will use this technique on more than a few occasions. Writers of subsequent episodes, movies, books and various other Trek shows beyond the original series will add and elaborated further on how it works, going as far as to add not just a degree of intimacy with the process but giving a subtle and not-so-subtle sexual allegory (you can't get any more intimate than sharing your very soul with another person) Even adding questionable ethics with mis-using these abilities. (Brain Washing, Torture for Information, and Violations)

The lady in this episode with Kirk is the niece of General Schwatzkopt.

One of my fav eps. Kirk smiling at the end is his way of letting his bros know that he will be okay. It all is what it is. R.I.P. to your Dad.

One of the best elements that helped make these episodes and the series so memorable was the visiting guest stars who at that time were at the prime of their careers.Jame Gregory had already been established as a versatile character actor, he would.soon have another sci-fi performance as the gorilla General Ursus in Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Morgan Woodward was also a rock solid performer best known in the cinema classic Cool Hand Luke as the cold sunglasses wearing prisoner guard who would shoot anyone who happened to get out of line in the chain gang work detail. All of these talented actors that visited the show helped to enhance the storylines and the performance of the Star Trek regulars.

she had 'textbook' training whereas McCoy from the beginning said that something was wrong...McCoy has practical 'field' training on top of book smarts

Great episode nice job. This is the first time we see the use of the Vulcan mind mailed in Star Trek will be used to more times in the movies and other series as well. This is captain Kirkwood, caption of Federation, flagship visibility to resist torture, having a strong will in mind, thanks for the fun. Can’t wait to see next episode with you.

The ending with Kirk smiling is just indicative of the kind of writing that was happening on tv in the 60's. Dramatic or heavy subjects could be broached in a show, but to end an episode on a dark or somber tone was generally frowned upon by the producers and tv networks. Basically, it was seen as too negative for a show's popularity to end episodes like that, so that's why you will see a lot of Trek episodes end with some light-hearted joke on the bridge or some reassuring smile, placating the audience into feeling better. Let's just say producers and tv networks routinely underestimated their audiences back in the 60's.

18:25 Kirk and Noel should have waited until the goons have taken Kirk away for treatment for her to go down the conduit. It's seems pretty likely they would have checked/noticed she was gone

They should've been more concerned with Kirk's well-being at the end when he tells his Science Officer to take the ship out of orbit, instead of the Helmsman. lol

Just realized Dr. Adams is Inspector Luger from the TV show Barney Miller! Probably retired from the NYPD to the insane Asylum. Didn't want to end up like Kliner, Foster, and Brownie.

Morgan Woodward, who plays Van Gelder, was trained as an opera performer in his younger days, Bunny. This training made him able to give such a convincing performance of the mental agony Van Gelder was experiencing.