“The Ultimate Computer” plays upon familiar sci-fi themes: the dangers of too much reliance on science and technology – at the expense of the human equation. In essence, it’s the typical “Prometheus Unbound” story in which the thirst for scientific advancement ignores the moral and practical consequences of an over-reliance on technology. It’s a similar story to what we see in Jurassic Park and 2001: A Space Odyssey. This is classic science-fiction and Star Trek is the perfect vehicle for this kind of story. That the episode succeeds in telling its story is noteworthy for both the series and the genre. Put simply, if you were to recommend any science-fiction story to demonstrate the dangers of rampant progress, this should be part of the conversation.

From start to finish, almost everything works in this episode – from the premise to the execution, from the main characters to the guest stars, from the pacing to the acting. In fact, this very well may be the epitome of Star Trek – its mission to be both entertaining and informative, to have a message, a lesson, and a purpose. This is an episode that takes full advantage of the history of the series, as well as the basis for the story. The result is an alchemy of almost perfect ingredients and final product.

The premise is that the Enterprise has been designated as a test site for the M-5 computer – a supercomputer designed by Dr. Daystrom to take over almost all operations on board the starship. The conflict is almost entirely predictable – especially for those who have seen 2001: A Space Odyssey – and yet, the strength of the episode is in the execution. And, in the final analysis, that is the true test of greatness: for an episode (or story) to be meaningful, powerful, and entertaining, even when you know the outcome.

The predictability is the episode’s biggest drawback. But this is offset with the skill by which the story unfolds. Part of why the episode is predictable is the fact that this story has been told many times since – to no fault of the episode itself. Furthermore, the characters of Dr. Daystrom and M-5 are wholly plausible. Daystrom’s motivations are completely understandable – as are his actions throughout the episode. In fact, this may be one of the greatest performances by a guest star on the entire series.

The ultimate conflict here is between man and technology. As Kirk so poetically puts the argument, “All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by” – meaning that the ingenuity and skill and sweat of humanity is worth something – is capable of something meaningful. That the final solution of the episode is due to human ingenuity only underscores the notion.

At the end of the day, “The Ultimate Computer” may very well be the perfect “Star Trek” (original series) episode. Even the banter between Spock and McCoy only helps to add to the episode’s themes.

Filed under: Original Series