Star Trek

Work Title: Star Trek
Medium: TV Episode
Episode Title: I, Mudd
Year: 1967
Writer(s): Gene Roddenberry
"Original" Writer: Yes Writer(s): Stephen Kandel
"Original" Writer: Yes Own work?: No

Summary:

from imdb.com The Enterprise finds controls are taken over, and gets instructions by an android who brings them to an unknown planet. When Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Chekov and Uhura beam down as ordered, they find the master of the planet, which is populated solely by his various series of identical -mainly female- androids, is the rogue Harry Mudd, who escaped from the jail Kirk send him to and tells them he's fed up with his perfect life as their lord but may not leave until they have alternative humans to study and serve- the starship crew, which has meanwhile been beamed down and replaced aboard by androids! Most are tempted by the 'guilded cage' of this remnant of an extinguished species' civilization from the Andromeda. As Spock suspected, android Norman is the coordinator of their central control computer which gets confused by illogicality. When the androids announce their plan to leave everyone stranded and take the Enterprise to subdue all human-populated planets, Mudds joins the crew, which hopes to outsmart them by calculatedly irrational behavior... Written by KGF Vissers

  • Self-Written?:
  • Source Name: IMDB
  • Source URL:

Era/Year of Portrayal: distant_future

Distinctive characteristics of the world in portrayal:

Distant future - androids are common, space travel is common.


Technology

  • Name of portrayed presence-evoking technology: androids
  • Description of the technology: Androids: self reproducing plastic skin, over a beryillium titanium skeleton. Life span is an expected 500, 000 years. There are different models, all of beautiful women or strong men. They are controlled through a central mechanism and may be created in any human image. The Norman android is the central, most intelligent android. They are prefectly logical and rational, and do not understand otherwise.
  • Nature of task or activity: Conversation, exploration.
  • Performance of the Technology: very well - until the androids decide humans are too irrational and need to be controlled - to ensure thier happiness.
  • Description of creator(s): A human race from the Andromeda galaxy. They were mostly killed when their sun became a supernova, and the survivors on distant planets died out of old age.
  • Major goal(s) of creator(s): To serve humanity in all tasks, allowing the humans time to form a perfect union.
  • Description of users of technology: The crew of the Starship Enterprise, plus the rouge explorer Harry Mudd. Mostly all white men.
  • Type(s) of presence experience in the portrayal: social_presence
  • Description of presence experience: Extremely pleasent. The androids fulfill every need or want of the humans. But, while enjoyable, it is also unpleasant, becuase the humans cannot leave the android planet.
  • User awareness of technology during experience: yes.
  • Valence of experience: At first, they enjoy it. Once they realize they are trapped, it becomes unpleasant.
  • Specific responses: physiological arousal,enjoyment, involvement
Long-term consequences:

By acting illogically, the humans confuse and shut down many androids, including the leader, Norman. They are able to excape the planet, and reprogram the androids for productive work. However, as punishment for his past crimes, Harry Mudd must stay on the planet, along with several of his nagging android wife.

Other:

Coder name: Amanda Scheiner
Coder email: amandags@temple.edu
Coder affiliation: Temple University