“Metamorphosis” is an episode that moves at an excruciatingly slow pace. It features guest stars who are remarkably uncharismatic. And the story, while ending on a positive note is just a bit too predictable – given typical Star Trek formula. Even the central issues of the episode, including the nature of love for someone “different,” are not presented with any particular emphasis. The result is an episode that is bland from start to finish, despite raising a few rather intriguing questions.

As the episode begins, Kirk, Spock and McCoy are on board the shuttlecraft Galileo, transporting Starfleet diplomat Nancy Hedford (Elinor Donahue) who has contracted a disease which needs to be treated in short order, or it will become deadly. But whilst en route to the Enterprise the shuttlecraft is captured by a strange energy field and literally carted off to a mysterious planetoid containing a single human being: none other than Zefram Cochrane (Glen Corbett). Trekkie will recognize Cochrane as the first human to use warp speed to break the speed of light – an event that becomes central to the Next Gen film, First Contact.

For this episode, however, Kirk & Co. must figure out what this strange energy field is, and how to get it to allow them to escape. Also under investigation is Cochrane’s relationship to the field, which he refers to as “Companion.” The problem is that all of this evolves at a glacial pace. There are extended sequences of the “glowing” Companion, extended dialogue scenes which reveal very little, and a number of pointless ploys from Kirk to try and confront the Companion and get it to let them go.

Only when McCoy suggests using a “carrot instead of stick” does the episode go anywhere. And what we discover is that the Companion is female and sees Cochrane as, for lack of a better word, its mate. This thoroughly disgusts Cochrane and the situation finally leads to the episode’s biggest themes: to what extent can we love someone “different”? To what extent are we willing to sacrifice for love?

Good questions, but even here the episode stalls, featuring the same arguments (now becoming tired) about the need for humans to face challenges in order to grow and survive. It’s a great idea, but the lack of diversity with which it is presented is becoming a distinct liability for the series.

In the end, the Companion makes the (predictable) move to “merge” with the dying Nancy Hedford so that she can not only preserve something of Nancy, but also experience love. By doing so, the Companion has made herself mortal and has made a tremendous sacrifice. And only then does Cochrane accept the Companion as, well, a companion. And it just so happens that Nancy Hedford is this week’s requisite attractive woman. So what is the real commentary here? That we can only love those who are the same as us? Who are exceptionally attractive? What if Nancy had been an “average” woman (whatever that may mean)? Would Cochrane have still loved her? What we see in the episode seems to underscore that you can only really love someone who is attractive.

So what, if anything, is right (or wrong) with such a statement?

“Metamorphosis” just doesn’t generate enough interest to makes its central questions interesting enough to be worth sifting through the muck of the plodding and perfunctory plot.

Filed under: Original Series