“Wolf In The Fold” is an episode that starts off embarrassingly, recovers into a captivatingly off-beat, but very moody thriller and ends up being a campy version of camp. The result is a wasted opportunity that is, at best, mildly entertaining. Perhaps the most amusing element to this episode is its sidewise connection to Disney’s Monster, Inc.

The episode begins with Kirk, McCoy, and Scotty at what is, essentially, a strip club and bordello. Of course, such things can’t be said on network television, so they’re hidden within a belly dance and “medical prescription” which basically amounts to Scotty getting laid so that he won’t harbor ill will toward women – which is the result of Scotty being injured in an accident caused by a woman. It’s a horribly designed premise which contradicts Gene Roddenberry’s message of equality. Is it really plausible for a man to hate women, simply because a woman made a mistake? If so, what does it say about the man? What does it say about the show if that man is a main character? These are questions which are entirely valid and which could possibly derail the episode before it even gets started.

The setup with Scotty is just that: setup. Moments after he leaves the club with the girl a loud scream is heard, Kirk and McCoy rush to the scene to find her dead and Scotty in horror … holding the murder weapon. The setting, the buildup (despite its critical flaws) establish an effectively eerie mood. And for one of our heroes to be implicated in a murder is indeed rather shocking. But we know, we have to know, that everything will turn out alright for Scotty. This is, afterall, episodic television.

Not that the episode doesn’t make an effort to further implicate Scotty. Unfortunately the effort just doesn’t work particularly well. The second female murder victim is killed when she is alone with Scotty, performing a medical scan. The plausibility of Kirk allowing another attractive woman to be alone with a suspected murder simply boggles the mind – as does the fact that the murder weapon was left unattended, simply so that it could be used once again. And it’s all done to try and make Scotty look guilty as sin.

Even though he’s innocent.

After a strangely effective séance, in which the wife of the planet’s Prefect rambles off a number of disturbing phrases and unintelligible words, the woman is murdered and Scotty is seen holding her,the weapon, and blood on his hands. This setup is a bit more effective. Unfortunately, it’s all undone by some rather lazy writing.

The investigation moves to the Enterprise where Kirk essentially turns over all investigations to a computer. The result is to completely eliminate any semblance of drama or suspense. Things do get better once the “evil spirit” starts possessing the ship and various characters. In fact, some of it is downright spooky. However, the uneven approach robs the episode of much of its potential impact.

Oh, and the being is “killed” by laughter (which the monsters in Monsters, Inc. believed to really be deadly …

On the whole, “Wolf In The Fold” is an entertaining, but ultimately disappointing episode – due to its many missed opportunities.

Filed under: Original Series