"Turnabout Intruder" aired apart from the body of the third season and stands in a subtle way different from them and the rest of the series. The pressures of cancellation manifest themselves in the appearance of the actors, bushy sideburns and sloppy pointed ears revealed in close-up. Stock footage of the bridge edited carelessly quickly removes, then restores, Chekov. It's a sad story in both reality and fiction, a Roddenberry oddity (teleplay by Arthur Singer) that includes nothing at all uplifting about the human condition. If there's a redeeming feature here it might be how the familiar teamwork of the crew pulls together to realize the truth and rescue Kirk from what otherwise could have gone far wrong. It must be great to have a Vulcan friend who can do that!

Instead we get a magnified and intrusively personal view of a woman falling apart. Kirk seems unapologetically aware of Lester's antipathy; it's obvious he doesn't blame himself. We also see a frightening view of ship's security (including a resurrected Galloway?) who follow Kirk without objection, even to the point of breaking regulations and killing people. The minimalist set of Camus II (the last scene filmed in TOS) reveals little about the technology found there. These procedures of "soul-swapping" are a science fiction trope (different from the later stages of Korby's machine how? And that of Mudd's androids?) and the plot it introduces emerges so quickly that the nature of Lester as murderess is relegated to the background.

How would it be to be killed by someone over a jilted heart regarding someone you don't even know? Harry Landers disguises the maliciously incompetent Dr. Coleman in an affable performance. Sandra Smith excels in her task, certainly no easy feat! With the exception of Uhura the big three and gang of four all get good screen-time, as does a brunette Chapel (and a red-headed Barbara Baldavin?). Shatner playing Lester playing Kirk ("Love.Him?!") remains an impressive acting achievement; in every mannerism, facial expression, or fingernail filing the underlying novelty of Kirk's body is made squirmingly fresh.

This episode features some of the best continuity with other episodes like "The Empath" and "The Tholian Web." Some of the interesting questions include the details of Jim and Janice. It's hard to see what he liked in her or how they stayed together for a year. (Unless she's overrating that also.) In the Starfleet world where even a Captain Merrick gets rejected, it's clear Starfleet did a supremely perspicacious job in tossing such a loon.


Back to Dr.TOS
Back to top