“Charlie X” is a very strong episode, particularly considering that it is only the second one of the series. It’s very well written, paced, and even acted. Even the musical accompaniment is very strong. The episode benefits from a very focused, very human, plotline. And though it does drag a little bit at around the 40-minute mark, it is otherwise very successful.

The episode begins when the Enterprise takes on board a seventeen year old boy named Charlie Evans. Charlie was the sole survivor of a ship that crashed on the planet Thasus – when he was just three years old. And that isn’t the end of the unusual circumstances surrounding the boy. Right away, we get the sense that all is not quite right with him. And as the episode unfolds, his true nature, and danger become readily apparent. Not only is Charlie a teenager, he also possesses a kind of psychic power to alter objects (and people, too), or even make them disappear. What do you get when you take the unbridled emotions of being a teenager and add in an unbridled power?

Trouble.

But Charlie’s strange powers and unusual origins are only a backdrop for the real story: the exploration of what it means to be seventeen. In many respects the entire episode is simply a metaphor for coming to terms with not only the “all or nothing” emotions of the teenage years, but also the growing power and ability for teens to literally affect the world around them. And that’s where the story of the episode derives its strength. It’s a conflict of universal appeal. Just like Charlie, we all had to deal with learning the limits of living in an adult world, of trying to be loved – heck, even liked – by those around us. And the realization that despite the promise of youth, we cannot have everything in the world.

As Kirk says to Charlie, “there’s a million things you can have and a million things you can’t have.” The lesson is in learning how to cope with the reality that, as the Rolling Stones are so fond of saying, “You can’t always get what you want.” Because Charlie was so isolated, and because he has so much power, he has a hard time accepting this reality. For Charlie, the object of his desire is Yeoman Rand. For her part, though she clearly empathizes with Charlie’s plight, she certainly has no intention of reciprocating his desire. This frustrates Charlie to no end. And so he begins to lash out at everyone and everything.

Charlie’s performance is particularly strong considering that, in spite of his selfish impulses, he really only becomes annoying to the viewer toward the end of the episode, after an extended string of his tantrums. It’s more a product of the episode trying to fill out its full, 50-minute time frame than the performance.

And speaking of performances, Kirk’s is likewise noteworthy. It was quite interesting to watch Kirk go from reluctant father figure to the primary source of conflict for Charlie. The scenes between the two characters – whether they were Kirk explaining why it’s improper to smack Yeoman Rand’s ass to Charlie sitting in the Captain’s chair proclaiming that the Enterprise was his – are all very, very well done. It’s conflict alright, but it’s legitimate, well acted (for the most part) conflict. William Shatner often gets a great deal of criticism for his portrayal of Captain Kirk but, considering this episode at least, his acting seems to be distinctly underrated.

Along the way, there are a few scenes that are simply enjoyable to watch. There is a chess match in which Kirk’s “irrationality” wins out over Spock’s logic. Dr. McCoy and Spock snipe at each other in a way that shows, while they are at odds, there is a respect between the two. Uhura has a singing number in which she goads Spock – who is playing a harp-like Vulcan instrument. And one scene, as Charlie is in full tantrum mode, in which he makes Spock quote bits of poetry. All of these minor scenes help support the overall episode by offering differing amounts of counterbalance to Charlie’s growing psychosis.

The episode ends when the Enterprise is overtaken by a mysterious ship from Thasus – the planet on which Charlie had spent fourteen years of his life. As it turns out, the Thasians had given Charlie his powers in order to help him survive on the planet all those years. But because Charlie has become out of control (he did, afterall, destroy the transport ship S.S. Antares simply because he thought they didn’t like him), he must be taken back to Thasus, so that he cannot cause harm to anyone else. The Thasians are able to return the Enterprise and its crew to normal – but are unable to return the S.S. Antares to normal.

It’s interesting that the episode didn’t try to find a way to keep Charlie amongst humans. And it’s important to the overall story involving growing up as a teenager. For all the emotions and mistakes that are made, there is a line that can be crossed. You can go too far. And if you do, even as a teenager, your hopes and dreams can be lost forever. It’s a crucial lesson about consequences that seems wholly lacking in today’s mythos.

If you can buy into Charlie’s odd facial expressions whenever he is utilizing his powers, then the episode is quite accessible to just about anyone. It successfully builds and maintains tension and portrays a rite of passage that all of us face – growing from a child into an adult – in a way that is both sympathetic and realistic. It even provides the necessary humor to keep an episode like this from taking itself too seriously. Once Charlie gains control of the Enterprise, Spock deadpans, “We’re in the hands of an adolescent.”

Enjoy this one. It’s a classic.

Filed under: Original Series