The Ultimate Computer

DVD, Star Trek S2 (The Ultimate Computer)

Does exactly what it says on the tin. If you thought this would be about an ultimate computer gone bad, that they have to stop, and Kirk talks it into self-destruct... you would not be disappointed. The trouble with this episode is that we can see the main point coming light-years away, and the story seems to take such a long time to get there. We know Kirk isn't going to be replaced by a computer, we know it's going to go wrong, so why not get to the action right away?

Dr. Daystrom is a good guest character, and in his way he's one of the most important men in Trek history, along with Zefram Cochrane and Emory Erickson, because of his breakthrough in computing that makes modern starships what they are. He's quite an imposing figure, making Kirk look almost like a child, helped by his one-piece overalls and deep voice. I love the bit where Kirk gets so angry with his failure, that he pokes him in the stomach, and the Dr. makes to do the same, but can't quite bring himself to do it! He is a tragic figure too, but one that is motivated by pride, trying to recapture his past stature, and blindly allowing his creation to do what it wants.

The actual M5 looked really good, and did appear even more technologically advanced than the Enterprise, with it's nice black panel, that reminds me of later consoles from other series' - we know that they incorporate such things into their computers as Daystrom's work, and a presitigious and respected organisation called the Daystrom Institute is named after him, so despite his failure his work has lived on.

The visual effects were also detrimental to the story, not helping too well in explaining what was happening visually. Even so, it was memorable to see four constitution-class starships at once (even if they were the same picture repeated!), and gives a good impression of the breadth of Starfleet, rather than the one or two we'd seen before. Commodore Wesley, and his position on the bridge of the Lexington, further helped in the scope of the story (using the large command chair as seen in previous episodes, and with a view from the other side of the chair, making it seem like a different ship.

The story really starts moving when M5 goes crazy, the only moment in the episode where you feel real tension, as the Excalibur is pretty much destroyed, and Wesley can't understand what's happening. There is a nice scene where Spock reinforces his loyalty to Kirk, but some of the early scenes seem to repeat the same things with different characters. I'm sure Sitar of Vulcan has been mentioned before (though I could find no reference in the Encyclopedia).

The other things that could have improved the episode, were the other characters, who don't get much to do, and it would have been poignant to have some meeting on the space station, maybe a wake in the bar for the dead crewmembers, and reconciliation between Kirk and Wesley to show he knows it wasn't Kirk's fault. But you can't have everything.

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