The Ultimate Computer

This is a rather complex episode. It has the classic question as to whether complete mechanization (including a master computer) is preferable to a human (or non-human) crew. A man named Dr. Daystrom is one of the pioneers in the development of space technology. He was once lauded but, like so many pioneers, has become the object of the public's malaise over past accomplishments. He uses the Enterprise as his Guinea pig, installing his ultimate computer and putting the crew in menial positions. To test out his baby, Daystrom has arranged war games with other starships. The computer does a masterful job of running the ship, but because artificial intelligence lacks imagination, when the games commence, the thing can't distinguish the game from reality. It believes these ships are actually attacking it. Daystrom goes mad when efforts are made to stop his creation. Another issue is if Daystrom has his way, there will be no more crews, no more explorations. Would it spell the end of the need for looking into the unknown.

The M5 computer is running the ship, but there's a bit of a problem, a binary blip, it's taken control and it won't give it back, it's primed and alert and ready for attack - whoever you are.

A portent of things to come perhaps, as a not so intelligent designer fails to implement a suitable failsafe in a computer made in his metaphorical image.

Excellent episode that shows the character development. I want to point out first this is an episode where the captain doesn't punch anyone. I also did not see any women treated like second class citizens. The story of the show has a plot unlike many of the earlier monster alien shows. Certainly it's still something from the 1960s but it shows how the show became a very intelligent program. One little contradiction is that it states there is a death penalty for murder which I don't think is the normal Star Trek ideology. I just like it because it's a good little sci-fi story and the characters are well developed.

William Marshall's character of Dr. Richard Daystrom a future expert in cybernetics has been completely vindicated in even more future episodes in the Star Trek franchise. In Star Trek The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine and Voyager there are references to the Daystrom Institute that has been founded on earth. It's fully explained in this story that Daystrom is a great man of science and he must have been to have his work and reputation recover from the folly of this particular experiment.

The Enterprise has been reduced to a skeleton crew of 19 including the cast members and on board is William Marshall who has installed his brand new state of the art M5 super computer which will run the ship with only a skeleton staff needed for maintenance.

Need I say that things go horribly wrong as the computer starts making command decision. It also has developed a most human instinct for its own survival.

All this is most distressing for Marshall who sees the M5 as the crowning achievement in an illustrious scientific career. The machine is like a child to him and he behaves as a parent.

I won't go into what happens, but the Enterprise does run amuck during battlefield maneuvers and is saved because of the instinct and humanity of another of the Starship captains.

A really well done Star Trek about humanity and humans. No machine can replace us.

Interesting: 'The Ultimate Computer' was first broadcast on March 8, 1968 while '2001: A Space Odyssey' opened on April 6, 1968. Science fiction fans had a real treat; both the are excellent in their own way.