Written by Gilbert Ralston and Gene L. Coon and directed by Marc Daniels, “Who Mourns for Adonais” sends the Enterprise to Pollux IV, the place they encounter a being known as Apollo. Kirk and co. be taught that Pollux IV is the house planet of tremendous beings who got here to historic Earth and had been worshiped as gods by the Greeks, ruling from Mount Olympus. However as humanity started to place away its superstitions, the beings grew weak and returned to their residence planet.
Whereas a lot of the gods allowed themselves to dissipate into some ethereal vitality, Apollo (portrayed by Michael Forest) retained his humanoid type and sought new worshippers among the many Enterprise crew. And he virtually discovered one within the type of Lt. Carolyn Palamas (Leslie Parrish), the knowledgeable in historic Greek mythology that the Enterprise apparently retains round. After all, Kirk outwits Apollo and saves Palamas, sending the remainder of the god aliens into the ether.
Even for these who love foolish Trek, “Who Mourns for Adonais?” tends to rank towards the underside of Unique Collection episodes. Forest has a number of enjoyable enjoying the haughty Apollo and there’s one thing pleasant in regards to the impact used to make the god tower over Kirk and Chekov. However the episode is neither as goofy nor as severe because it must be. The solid performs the battle just a little too straight, which makes it troublesome to look previous the essentially sexist decision, through which Kirk orders Palamas to recover from her foolish crush to misinform Apollo about her attraction, thus irritating his want for worship.
Decrease Decks doesn’t trouble with dealing overtly with the issues in “Who Mourns for Adonais?” Heck, it doesn’t even trouble to elucidate the place Olly got here from. In that means, Decrease Decks differs from the non-canonical works that revisited the episode. Novelist Peter David introduced again the gods in a number of of his books, together with 2001’s Being Human, through which Palamas offers delivery to a daughter she conceived with Zeus. A descendent of that daughter turns into an everyday character in David’s New Frontier novels, Mark McHenry.
But, as a lot as these works construct on “Who Mourns for Adonais,” Decrease Decks appears to supply probably the most compelling model of Greek mythology combined with Star Trek, a girl whose electrical powers get in the best way of her means to serve in Starfleet. Thankfully, Mariner is aware of a factor or two about making a multitude and coping with highly effective dad and mom, and the 2 discover a means to make use of her presents to unravel a diplomatic disaster.
Does the answer reply all of Mariner’s questions in regards to the gods? No, clearly not. But it surely does assist redeem one in all TOS‘s lesser episodes, enriching the world of Star Trek.