The Ultimate Computer

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.

Season 2, episode 24. By Federation orders, the Enterprise is ordered to participate in computer wargames. Kirk is forced to a very minimal skeleton crew, the M5 computer is installed on board the Enterprise by it's inventor Dr. Richard Daystrom while Starfleet is very optimistic the M5 work - in the name of progress. M5 does what it's designed to do in a test drill which leaves Kirk and the skeleton crew more nervous but when an oil freighter passes by M5 chases it down and fires at it, causing it to explode. Kirk orders the M5 to be stopped but the M5 has learned to defend itself and will not allow humans to shut if off. Dr. Daystrom invented M5 to help save lives but when he sees everything going wrong and even killing a crewman he and his M5 tries to stop Kirk and his skeleton crew from disabling the computer and taking back their ship. M5 has taken over everything from communications to warp drive to weapons. Dr. Daystrom loves his "child", the M5, while Kirk and crew are having trouble waking him up from his M5 dream of helping humanity.

A fantastic episode that entertains the idea of computers/machines getting smarter and taking over to help humans. But, what happens when the computer goes wrong? 9/10

An ultimate computer? That point will probably never be reached. The computer here, M-5, was intended as the next step up from the 23rd century starship machines which were also designed by the genius Daystrom. Under the test guidelines in this episode, the Enterprise is emptied of all but 20 personnel and the new M-5 is plugged in, running standard ship's operations, such as navigation and entering into orbit around a planet. Later, the plan is to indulge in war games with a quartet of other starships, testing M-5's calculations during a battle. It's man vs.machine; it's human workers vs. the automated line; it's all about...becoming obsolete. Some of this reminded me of an episode on the TNG show, the one where Dr.Crusher found herself on an Enterprise increasingly devoid of people, until only she and Capt. Picard remain in charge, the rest of the ship run automatically. Automation seems to make sense for a few seconds, but then you realize there's the absurdity of all those empty cabins; what's the point of a huge ship, manned by only a few people, the rest of it always empty except maybe when you have a bunch of guests on board? This is what Daystrom seems to be proposing; he speaks of other glorious pursuits men can aspire to rather than running about in space. But, exploration of space is the ultimate glory for mankind. Daystrom can't win this one - it's absurd.

The story revolves around the goals and aspirations of two men - Kirk and Daystrom. Kirk's career appears to be in danger of winding down very quickly in the first act - replaced by machinery, while Daystrom's might be gaining a second wind after 25 years of stagnation. It all revolves around the personal needs of these two men - what they need in life to feel functional, to be useful. The situation reverses in the 2nd half of the episode: I mentioned why Daystrom had to lose and, besides, this is Kirk's show. But Kirk has some doubtful moments before the M-5 proves to be unreliable; the reference to 'Capt.Dunsel' is particularly awkward and McCoy steps in for the viewer as we start to feel actual pity for this beleaguered captain, reduced to rambling about old sailing ships in his cabin. I sensed a calculated lack of tact on Kirk's part later, when the tables are turned and his job appears safe again; McCoy tells him that Daystrom is on the verge of a nervous breakdown - so what does Kirk do? He picks that moment to tell the tottering genius that his child must die. Of course, this sends Daystrom over the edge, into total madness. Daystrom's story continues a pattern of what happens to other famous personages in the 23rd century when they run across Kirk - they either go crazy or are killed. The actor, Marshall, was suitably imposing as the 'wrapped too tightly' computer genius - especially in that memorable scene of him towering over Kirk, ranting away. Kirk's quick solution to the whole mess is the weakest part, since we've seen it before ("Return of the Archons" and "The Changeling") but this episode may also explain why the computer systems in the 24th century, on the TNG show, were essentially the same - no chance of having to talk a computer out of killing hundreds of Starfleet personnel.

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.

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.