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STAR TREK: #4 Mudd's Women, 1966
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Writer: Stephen Kandel (Story: Gene Roddenberry)
Dir.: Harvey Hart
Music by: Alexander Courage
Captain Kirk: William Shatner
Science Officer, First Officer, Cmdr. Spock: Leonard Nimoy
Dr. Leonard "Bones" Mc Coy: DeForest Kelly
Lt. Sulu: George Takei
Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott: James Doohan
Lieutenant Uhura: Nichelle Nichols
Harcourt (Harry) Fenton Mudd: Roger C. Carmel
Eve McHuron: Karen Steele
Magda Kovas:Susan Denberg
Ruth Bonaventure: Maggie Thrett
Ben Childress: Gene Dynarski
Stardate 1329.1
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The Enterprise follows a ship which has violated rules. On their pursue they chase
it into an asteroid field and have to save the crew because the ship gets destroyed.
The crew of the little ship consists of Harry Mudd and three Ladies. Though Mudd had
not reacted to the captain's orders but fled, he now accuses Kirk blaming him of
having him driven into the asteroid field.
Mr. Spock operates the computer which detects all of Mudd's lies concerning his name,
his profession a.o.
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While rescuing them, the Enterprise has burnt out their dilithium
crystals and needs to replace them.
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They head for Rigel XII, a mining colony - a fact
Madd uses for his own purposes. Since the women are dependent on him because he supplies
them with a beauty–drug (Venus drug) they do as he wishes. And he wishes to exchange
them as marriage partners to three of the leading miners for the crystals.
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The impact
of the women to the crew of the Enterprise is enormous. McCoy who's not aware of the
drug wonders whether they actually are more beautiful than other woman or they have
found a way to project beauty more than others. He stays away from an examination because
he won't trust his judgement.
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Mudd questions Spock: "A pretty face doesn't affect you at all, does it?
That is, not unless you want it to?" and Kirk asks the computer in order to find out
about the source of the effect the woman have, hoping to get an answer related to the
women: "Any unusual readings?" computer: "No decipherable readings on females. However,
unusual readings on male board members. Detecting high respiration, perspiration rate
up, heartbeat rapid, blood pressure higher than normal." Kirk: "Strike that from the
record, Mr. Spock."
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On board the crew has found out about the drug. McCoy admits he's heard of the beauty drug, but never thought it might be working. On the planet Kirk learns about the deal the leader of the minors, Childress, has made with Mudd. And Mudd tries to deal with Kirk- the deal with the crystals is in his hands now. To answer Mudd Kirk replaces the pill by a placebo and as the woman who has lost her extreme beauty for the moment takes it and becomes very beautiful again. Kirk tells the woman that it is not the drug but their own attitude towards themselves which makes them beautiful – if they only believe in their own beauty. The women decide to stay with the miners on their own free will. Mudd has lost his merchandise since Childress deals now with Kirk again.
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Pictures courtesy of www.trek5.com
