Assignment: Earth

I noticed a few comments regarding Robert Lansing not being in the acting credits for the Assignment: Earth episode. Lansing was actually listed in the show's opening credits, along with the episode title. I believe he's the only Star Trek guest star to be introduced in such fashion, perhaps giving an early clue that the episode was indeed intended as a pilot for a new show. What's sad about Gary Seven (Lansing's character) not receiving his own show is that we missed out on a chance to watch Terri Garr develop her role as unwitting secretary Roberta Lincoln. Garr has since gone on to establish herself as a fine actress, both in comedy and drama. And she came back to science fiction with her role as Richard Dreyfuss' wife in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Among the best shots from the Assignment: Earth episode is the NASA footage of a rocket's stage separation high above the Earth. And who could forget the (all too) brief shot of Victoria Vetri as Gary Seven's mysterious cat in humanoid form? That appearance of Playboy's 1968 Playmate of the Year (as Angela Dorian) was just another in a long line of guest appearances of sexy '60s sirens on Star Trek.

Robert Lansing and a young Teri Garr shine in this episode which features Lansing as the fascinating character Gary Seven who along with his black cat assistant, Isis, surely deserved more appearances in the tv series. Looking back it's fascinating to see Kirk and Spock in the vicinity of an Apollo rocket and the episode topically for its time highlights the potential for an accidental nuclear catastrophe. Some clever gadgets are also used by Seven including one similar to Dr Who's sonic screwdriver and an early version of a voice activated dictation machine!

One of the best Star Trek episodes was this one where the Enterprise has troubles reconciling past, present, and future when it interferes with a transporter beam that takes a man from the future on the ship and the whole ship and crew are beamed to 1968.

The man from the future is Robert Lansing, code name Gary Seven and he's there to find what happened to a pair of agents from his time which is a thousand years ahead of the Enterprise future. He has a mission and he's on a deadline having to do with an orbiting satellite with an array of impressive nuclear weapons.

The dilemma for William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy and for the whole Enterprise crew is what to do. They follow Lansing down, but of course aren't sure how their actions might change history. The not knowing makes this a most tense episode.

Also Teri Garr gives a wonderful performance as a young woman who'd been hired by the two missing agents whom we learn were killed as a secretary. She's a bright but somewhat spacy girl who isn't quite sure what she's caught up in. Every scene she's in, Teri Garr steals.

Another thought provoking episode from Star Trek prime.

An anomaly among the episodes of the original series, this finale to the 2nd season functions both as a sequel to "Tomorrow is Yesterday" and as a pilot for a new series which never came to be. Rather casually stated by Kirk's voice-over in the beginning, the Enterprise crew has purposely traveled back to 1960's Earth, following up on their accidental visitation in the previous episode from the 1st season. I wonder what Federation bigwig(s) greenlit this mission - everyone's always concerned about the Prime Directive but they think nothing of possibly altering Earth's history and wiping away the past couple of centuries of progress - I guess 'Murphy's Law' no longer applies in the 23rd century. Sure enough, the ship intercepts someone beaming to Earth from over 1000 light years away - so much for non-interference. The episode is at its best in these early scenes, when we meet the mysterious Gary-7, who, tho apparently human, can resist Spock's Vulcan nerve pinch and has knowledge of the future. Kirk, the one who is in the wrong time, still behaves like it's his job to police the spaceways above Earth and treats Gary-7 as guilty until proved innocent. The shots of '60s New York City now appear as strangely primitive, just as Gary-7 describes them; it's a weird play on perspective since the viewer is in 'futuristic mode' when watching this show.

The episode has some slow spots, especially with all the stuff about the rocket waiting to be launched, but it makes up for a lot of this with the intriguing Gary-7 character, played by actor Lansing with gravitas, an aura of solemn heroism and possible menace (note: Lansing's credit appears in the beginning of the episode rather than the end, also anomalous). The interesting backstory for such special agents as Gary-7 was created, of course, with the intent of an on-going series on present day Earth, probably as a combo superspy/alien visitors storyline, complete with futuristic gadgets and self-aware computers. There was a whole new modern mythology waiting to be launched with the premise presented here and I still sometimes visualize an alternate universe where we were treated to a season or two worth of adventures concerning agent Gary-7 and his daffy secretary, Ms. Lincoln. Oh, yes, Ms. Lincoln - this was an early role for the unusual actress Teri Garr, who brings her now well-known pert spunk to the part - she was deliriously eccentric and quite beguiling right from the start. I really would have liked to have seen the further interaction between her and the black cat, as well as Gary-7, a possibly odd menage-a-trois, to say the least. By the way, check out Kirk's swift beam out of the two cops from the Enterprise; seems he did learn one thing from his misadventures in "Tomorrow is Yesterday" - beam 'em out pronto!

Season 2, episode 26. The Enterprise is ordered to travel back in time to 1968 Earth in order to monitor their communications and study how they survived desperate times. They have their deflector shields up so they will not be detected. The ship shakes violently and Mr. Spock calls to Kirk that something or someone is trying to beam aboard the ship which is seemly impossible because the technology was not developed in 20th century Earth. That transporter beam from where it originated is at least 1,000 light years away and as Scotty reminds Spock that is impossible, not even in their own century can a transporter beam reach that far - but it has happened. Kirk arrived to the transporter room only to find that Mr. Spock is correct - a man beams aboard holding a black cat named Isis, agent Gary Seven. Agent Seven tells them he is from 20th century Earth and was on another planet when they intercepted him, to step back and let him do what he must do in order to accomplish his mission or it will alter Earth's history and maybe even the lives The Enterprise - the future altered. Kirk is in a dilemma, what if all Gary Seven says is true? Bu what if he's lying and really an alien from the future trying to destroy Earth? Kirk must find out before he can let Seven go - that will require a medical examination, all the crew's help in analyzing how Seven got on the ship and for Kirk & Spock to beam down to 20th century, 1968 Earth.

A most interesting episode captain. It deals with Earth's technology progressing faster than it's social and political maturity. Time travel, possible future aliens, secret agents, 1968 Earth, the prime directive, a black cat that Spock is strangely attract to and Kirk's suspicions over Gary Seven.

9/10