Television Review: By Any Other Name (Star Trek, S2X21, 1968)

By Any Other Name (S02E21)

Airdate: February 23rd 1968

Written by: Jerome Bixby & D. C. Fontana
Directed by: Marc Daniels

Running Time: 50 minutes

In its original iteration, Star Trek operated as a tightrope walker between cerebral science fiction and pulpy, escapist entertainment. While Gene Roddenberry’s vision aimed to tackle social and philosophical issues through a futuristic lens, the series often had to infuse its narratives with action, comedy, and even exploitation tropes to appeal to 1960s television audiences. By Any Other Name, a standout second-season episode, epitomises this delicate balance. It marries ambitious concepts—intergalactic travel, existential threats, and the transformative power of humanity—with rollicking adventure, sly humour, and overtly sexist fan service, all while maintaining a core of Roddenberry’s idealistic ethos. The result is a multifaceted episode that both reflects its era’s contradictions and transcends them through clever writing and thematic depth.

The episode opens with the USS Enterprise responding to a distress signal from a remote planet, where Captain Kirk and his away team are swiftly captured by the Kelvans, a seemingly human-like alien race from the Andromeda Galaxy. Their leader, Rojan (Warren Stevens), reveals that the Kelvans’ homeworld has been rendered uninhabitable by radiation, forcing them to seek a new home in the Milky Way. Stranded after their vessel was destroyed at the galactic barrier, the Kelvans hijack the Enterprise, intending to use it as a generational ship for their centuries-long voyage. To lighten their burden, they neutralise all but the ship’s most essential crew members: Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty.

The remaining crew members must outwit their captors. The Kelvans’ invulnerability crumbles, however, when their decision to adopt human forms introduces vulnerabilities: emotions, physical frailty, and even romantic desires. This plot twist allows the Enterprise crew to exploit their enemies’ newfound humanity, culminating in a clever, non-violent resolution. The episode’s pacing and structure are tight, blending suspense (the Kelvans’ cold logic), character dynamics (Kirk’s charm versus Rojan’s pragmatism), and a touch of levity (Scotty’s gruff defiance).

By Any Other Name traces its roots to Gene Roddenberry’s 1956 teleplay The Secret Weapon of 117, an episode of the anthology series Chevron Hall of Fame. In that story, aliens assume human forms to infiltrate Earth, a premise Roddenberry reimagined for Star Trek with input from renowned sci-fi writer Jerome Bixby, creator of Trek’s Mirror Universe. Bixby’s original script, however, was far darker: the Kelvans planned to kill the crew, torture them, and force humans to breed as slave labour for their generational ship. NBC balked at this brutality, prompting D.C. Fontana—a key Trek writer—to soften the tone. She dialled back the violence, added comedic moments, and prioritised the crew’s ingenuity over existential despair. The result retained the episode’s intellectual ambitions while making it palatable for family audiences.

The episode distinguishes itself through its exploration of interstellar scale and philosophical questions. The Kelvans’ origin as amorphous, “Chulhu-like” beings—a nod to Lovecraftian horror—contrasts starkly with their chosen humanoid forms. This transformation symbolises both the limitations and possibilities of human nature: their newfound emotions (jealousy, love) and physical frailty become both weaknesses and strengths. Meanwhile, the recurring galactic barrier—a plot device from Where No Man Has Gone Before—gains narrative significance here, hinting at Star Trek’s nascent continuity efforts.

One of the episode’s most poignant moments involves the fate of a female crew member, Yeoman Thompson (played by Julie Cobb). Though few female characters held prominent roles on the Enterprise, Thompson’s death—a casualty of the Kelvans’ “neutralisation” process—is treated with the same abruptness as the male Redshirts’. This underscores the show’s inconsistent approach to gender representation: while Uhura and Nurse Chapel were recurring figures, their roles were often secondary, and their sacrifices rarely lingered in the narrative. Thompson’s demise, though brief, serves as a reminder of the era’s limitations in portraying women as equals rather than incidental casualties.

Directed by Marc Daniels, the episode was filmed entirely on studio sets, yet it boasts one of TOS’s most striking visual elements: a matte painting of the Kelvan colony planet. The limited budget is occasionally evident (e.g., repetitive use of the same corridor set), but the production team’s creativity compensates, particularly in the matte painting’s grandeur.

The episode’s most controversial element is its overtly sexist portrayal of female Kelvans. Despite their androgynous origins, the aliens adopt human forms that prioritise sexual allure over practicality. Characters like Kelinda (Barbara Bouchet)—who wears a revealing, backless outfit—serve as eye candy for male viewers. Kirk’s seduction of Kelinda, epitomises the era’s male-centric norms. Bouchet, later a prominent figure in Italian exploitation cinema, delivers the role with cheeky confidence, but the script reduces her character to a plot device: her “falling for Kirk” becomes the linchpin for the crew’s escape. While this approach catered to 1960s male audiences, it reflects the show’s uneasy relationship with gender roles, balancing progressive ideals with retrograde tropes.

The episode’s climax, however, reaffirms Star Trek’s core values. Rather than resorting to brute force, Kirk and Spock outthink the Kelvans by exploiting their newfound human emotions.. At the very finale Kirkthen offers a diplomatic solution: the Enterprise will guide the Kelvans to a suitable planet, allowing both sides to avoid bloodshed. This resolution underscores Roddenberry’s faith in dialogue over domination, a theme that would define the series.

By Any Other Name remains a compelling entry in Star Trek’s canon, blending genre conventions with philosophical depth. Its exploration of transformation—both literal and metaphorical—resonates long after the credits roll, while its flaws contextualise its era. The episode’s success lies in its ability to satisfy multiple viewer appetites: the cerebral fan, the action enthusiast, and even the voyeur. Most importantly, it reinforces Roddenberry’s vision of humanity’s potential—a blend of curiosity, compassion, and ingenuity that transcends even the vastness of the galaxy. In this balancing act, By Any Other Name endures as a testament to Star Trek’s enduring relevance.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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