Sci-Fi Channel began running TOS with this episode last night. It will run each ep weeknights at midnight.
At the beginning of Act II, we see Spock hunched over the scanner on his Science station console. The next shot shows him seated at the Science station.
The background sounds on the bridge seem to change. It took a few episodes to settle on one standard.
The uniform shirts have sleeves an inch or so too short for my taste, plus the body of the shirt is too short, too.
The copies Sci-Fi runs are clean as a whistle. However, they are so hacked up; almost worse than the prints WPIX of NYC ran in the '70's.
Since I started posting here in mid-2000, I can't watch an episode of Trek without nitpicking it. HELP!

Someone asked, "What was Sulu doing in the botany area?" Up until later in the 1st season, Sulu was the ship's exo-botanist. He assumed this role in "Shore Leave" as well. Also, in "The Way To Eden", one of the space hippies mentions that Sulu's hobby is botany.

Also IIRC, in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" Sulu was on the science staff instead of being helmsman.

Curiously, the Blish adaptation 'explained' this by stating (again IIRC) that Sulu had just been promoted to Ship's Physicist. Presumably Blish wasn't aware that WNMHGB was a pilot episode. Otherwise, Sulu got a demotion back to helmsman PDQ!

GREAT MOMENT: The changing appearances of Nancy after the first beam down. Flawlessly executed.

While scanning for the Craters, Kirk says they're looking for two people -- "Professor and Nancy Crater". Spock replies, "We get a reading on only one person, probably Crater." Er, which one, Spock?

To a certain degree, it is customary to refer to men by their last names. "Hamilton, old boy." Seldom are women refered to in such a manner. This may have been how Spock meant it.

"I say, Crater, old boy. Be a good chap and tell us where the creature is hiding, won't you? That's a good fellow."

LOL. (IIRC, for one great example, Sherlock Holmes and John H. Watson went through thirty years of recorded partnership, facing all manner of danger and despair, without once referring to each other by given names.)

Alan does have a sort-of point though. Sure, to a human ear (more to the point, a human screenwriter's ear) Spock's making sense...but coming from an awesomely brilliant half-alien scientist who routinely gives odds to the thousandth decimal place, it does sound a little imprecise.

Oh, I don't deny that Alan has a point. I'm just trying to rationalize Spock's choice of words.

Kirk's first log entry makes reference to nancy as 'that one woman from McCoy's past'.
Just one? Isn't he about 45 years old, and divorced with a daughter? Didn't Dax mention in 'Trials and Tribble-ations' that Bones 'had the hands of a surgeon' (with a grin that seemed to say the two of them cuddled a bit)? He's only had one girlfriend? That doesn't sound right.

I guess it's Kirk: 15, McCoy: 1 , at least according to this inaccurate entry.

Don't forget McCoy also smooched Natira in (take a deep breath) "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky"

But John, at this point, Natira is in McCoy's future!

Ah...touche'. So right! I was thinking of ALL the women in McCoy's life.

Maybe Nancy was the only one from his past that he wished he could be with again (reading between the lines of Kirk's log entry).

McCoy's marriage and divorce were never established as canonical in the original live-action episodes, although his daughter was mentioned in the TAS episode "The Survivor".

When we first see Sulu's tray in Rand's hands, the tray contains 3 pieces of celery. Rand eats one. Yet, when we see the closeup of the tray in the Botany Area...it still has 3 pieces! (Did Rand barf that piece back up?)

Couple things: First, although this was the FIRST episode shown in original run, it was actually the THIRD filmed ("Where No Man.." was first, "Charlie X" was second), or even the fourth, if you count the original pilot with "Captain Pike". Second: the first of the "Red Shirts" to die in this episode, which actually makes him the first of many to come on the show (and thus a piece of worthwhile trivia), was one MICHAEL ZASLOW, who later went on to broadway success and also starred continously for about 20 years on several soap operas (most notably as the evil "Roger Thorpe" on "Guiding Light"). Also, shouldn't the pattern of spots on the faces of those killed by the "salt creature" more closely resemble the pattern of the creature's fingertips when extended?

Actually it was the FIFTH filmed, not counting the first pilot. The order goes like this:

1. Where No Man
2. The Corbomite Manuever
3. Mudd's Women
4. The Enemy Within
5. The Man Trap

"Charlie X" was filmed after, not before "Man Trap".

NANJAO: I agree with Neve, above. Nancy is not the ONLY woman from McCoy's past. She is the one that he let get away. She is the one that fills him with regret. "If only..." "What might have been..."

Sir Rhosis

P. S. I personally have TWO "Nancys" from my past that I often wonder about...

Is it true that the "frequency error" scene was improvised by Nichols and Nimoy after the former complained abut her lack of lines?

Phil's:

1) Phil asks: Why does Kirk scream? Well, I say, the answer is obvious. Literally. It is only at that time that we actually see the monster. Up to this point we have only been seeing it as others would, so we assume that Bones, Spock, and Kirk are now all seeing the monster form. Hence, for suicidally stupid reasons, the monster has elected not to be using its hypnotic powers. Hence Kirk is not hypnotized and screams, whereas all the
other victims were and didn't.

Mine:

1) Transporter officer states "We'll bring him home sir," referring to Sturgeon's body. So they'll have to locate and beam up a body. But there are two bodies down there! How could they not find Green's? Also, Darnell's body had no problem being beamed up at the same time as Kirk and Bones (see This-blog: 1) so how come they don't bring Sturgeon's body with them? Are only three transporter pads working?

2) At one point Kirk says "Keep a tight lock on us. If there's a scream, I want an armed party beamed down before the echoes die." So exactly when does the Federation become cowards and make plans to be beamed up if there's trouble? I know, I know, around about the same time every planet that has trouble on it has "atmospheric disturbances" that prevent beaming up. But is it anywhere in TOS, I wonder. I'll get back to you on that.

3) Just after McCoy falls asleep, the PA announces "Doctors and medics report ..." Doctors? Is there ever any other medical doctor in the crew besides Bonesy?

4) Crater says "The creature is not dangerous when fed." What? It just killed two people in quick succession. The actor must have misread his actual line "The creature is not dangerous when loved," unintentionallly preventing a perfectly good nit about poor Darnell and the whole love/lust thing.

5) Even Roddenberry must have balked at murdering an old lady. Just in time to die, the creature takes on the form of Nancy, looking just as she did for Bones the last time, except she has no gray hairs!

6) I think this is the only time in TOS that a shape/form/appearance-duplicating creature does NOT impersonate Kirk.

This-blog (including the archive):

1) How about stating it this way: When Kirk says "Three to beam up" there are only two and a corpse.

2) Kirk clearly says "My phaser is on stun." Its target (Bob) is clearly stunned by the blast. The creators swiftly realized that this would never do -- not only would they have to pay the actors more for acting stunned, but without immediate action the future of nitpicker's boards was in peril -- so they changed "stun" to "instantly knock unconscious" for every other episode.

"Is there ever any other medical doctor in the crew besides Bonesy?"

We've seen Dr. M'Benga and Dr. Sanchez was mentioned (but not seen).

What was it that was cowardly? Kirk didn't say anything about beaming up, only beaming an armed party down. Although I wonder why he didn't just go ahead and beam them down before something happens.

Check out the scene where the creature is still disguised as Uhura's dream man and is approaching the spacesuited crewman named Barnhart who is working in the corridor. In the close-up shots of Vince Howard, there is a large panel with many multicolored lights filling the background behind him. But in the wide shots, no such panel is visble.

An idea - Maybe those of us who have the DVD sets (or old VHS tapes of this episode), and who aren't going to one of the 40th anniversary conventions (and it appears there are none in New York) can celebrate by watching this episode at 8:30 p.m. (E.T./P.T.) and travel back to 1966. Ah, the good old days....

I should have said at 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 8, 2006, pop this episode into the DVD or VHS player. Forty years to the minute from when the series debuted on NBC.

I couldn't watch it at 8:30, but I did watch it on September 8 from 5 to 6pm.
I-am-such-a-geek!
Anybody else watch this episode on Friday?

Sulu asks Uhura, "Why do people call inanimate objects 'she'? Like 'She's a fast ship'."
Gee, I don't know, Sulu, why do YOU call your plant Gertrude, and Rand calls it Beaurigarde? On top of that, why would Rand give the plant a male name, when the large, pointy tips are pink? Wouldn't that instill a feminine attitude towards it?

I've always wondered if they slowed down Alfred Ryder's voice after he was stunned, or he just spoke really low to simulate the phaser stun.

Someone posted that stun setting always knock out a person. This is almost true. The caveman on Sigma Draconis remained somewhat conscious, and then was asked questions. Interresting that the landing party didn't blame the stun effect on the caveman's inability to understand them, but here Kirk tells Crater he'll 'be able to think in a minute' after the effect wears off.

Not only was the last Salt Vampire killed, which I've stated must be considered an intelligent (but hostile) humanoid alien, but also any chance of any scientists ever learning about the true history of the Vampire's civilization. It could have told them so much; all they had to do was feed the thing.

Interesting that Spock survives the Vampire's attack, because his metabolism is diffeent from human's. But wait a minute; Spock is an alien, but every human on M-113 is ALSO an alien, when compared to the Salt Vampire. It's race devoured all the salt on the planet, but alien humanoids from planet Earth are still 'edible'?

The whole lack of salt thing might be explained this way; the Vampires can only live on the salt found in living animals (and people!). The salt tablets, although they could sustain life, might be like you and I just swallowing vitamins for sustenance, rather than actually eating food. The Vampires killed all animal life to extinction, dooming their race, leaving just the one. She (or it?) survived on salt tablets after killing Nancy Crater, but when the Enterprise visited the yearning for 'real food' was too strong to resist and she started the same cycle that wiped out her race.

The Blish version describes it as needing NaCl. Spock has different blood chemistry.

This rather nicely explains it, as NaCl is most likely a fairly common chemical.

Jeff Hunter starred in a 1961 movie with a title similar to this episode's.

Even though it's not mentioned in the script, it's pretty clear that the "Salt Vampire" can also change its bio-readings...otherwise the Enterprise's sensors would've detected the thing earlier.

Did I hear Scotty's Scottish blurb in the Man Trap as Transporter chief?
( he wasn't in the episode?),if its not which episode?

Here's a little blurb regarding the lack of copyright for Star Trek's first season. The focus of the article is the convoluted ownership of The Dean Martin Show, but Trek is in there as well.

The remastered version airs this weekend. The preview shows a revised transformation of the salt vampire.

They switched it from 6:00pm Sundays to 2:00am Monday morning here in upstate NY Laforge due to football coverage,so naturally I'm now taping it.I'm thankful our local station just didn't drop the remastered episodes completely.

In addition to the new orbital shots, there was a new wide shot of the planet's surface at the beginning of the first act. As they warp out of orbit, Sulu switches the viewscreen to an aft view as we watch the planet recede.

Interestingly, the "morph" effect on the salt vampire seen in the preview isn't there! The transitions between appearances is the original dissolve effect. Either the promo editor morphed it, or the effect was cut from the remastered version.

When Kirk calls the transporter room, one voice answers. When he asks for beamup, the voice then sounds a lot like Scotty, who doesn't otherwise appear in this episode.

In addition to sucking salt out of alien-to-it physiology (as mentioned above), the salt vampire can interface with alien neurology too. It reads minds and controls perceptions. Maybe, thanks to the Preservers, compatible neurologies are common.

Although Spock leaves a bad taste in its fingertips, it can still fool his perceptions.

While there were not lots of CGI enhancements that could be done for "TMT",I was disappointed how little was done here.Certainly the shots of the planet from outer space were well done,as was a panoramic scene of the surface of the planet & numerous ruins.But why did they not retain the new creature morphing scenes? It would have also been cool if they somehow could have provided fresh CGI scenes for the various alien plants in Sulu's botanical collection.And the one that moves around is obviously done by hand & comes off poorly.Didn't look like they did anything with the phaser battle that Kirk & Spock had with professor Crater.I'm loving these new CGI enhancements but it'd be nice to see the tech team do everyhing they could for each & every episode & not miss anything that they could tweak.I'm not sure if money,time,or bad decisions are preventing them from tackling more scenes with new CGI.What does everybody else think?

GREAT ENHANCED MOMENT

A new shot of the ruins on the planet surface.

Doesn't it seem odd that a significant archeological dig on an alien world has only two scientists working the entire planet?

Interestingly, when McCoy calls the bridge to ask Kirk to come down (so he can report that Darnell's body had no salt in it), he refers to Sickbay as "the dispensary." Now, while it's true that a dispensary is defined (by the Houghton-Mifflin Dictionary) as "an office in a hospital, school, or other institution from which medical supplies, preparations, and treatments are dispensed," it's also true that the same dictionary defines "sickbay" as "the hospital and dispensary of a ship" (italics added).

So it seems that the term "sickbay" is more appropriate than "dispensary"--at least by 21st-century linguistic standards.

This was the only episode that used that term. Every other one referred to it as Sickbay.

Dispensary may mean the 'public' area we see in the shows. While 'sickbay' includes areas we never got to see - say larger medical wards for long term patients and operating rooms. (Unless McCoy likes to conduct surgery where anyone can walk in to watch).
This would make some sense, if the Doctor decides someone needs medication for a minor ailment they don't want to have to walk miles to get it. It would make sense to have a supply of common drugs near the CMO's office and general treatment area that we see so the Doctor doesn't have to mess around looking for the stuff in an emergency.

As to why dispensary was never used again, maybe McCoy just didn't like the term? Who's going to argue with the guy who is responsible for putting you back together if something goes wrong...or who has access to a large supply of laxatives?

Well, McCoy did do surgery in the regular room -- he did heart surgery on Sarek there.

Cybermortis: Dispensary may mean the 'public' area we see in the shows. While 'sickbay' includes areas we never got to see - say larger medical wards for long term patients and operating rooms. (Unless McCoy likes to conduct surgery where anyone can walk in to watch).

Well, that makes sense. And the anti-nit was hiding in my nit all the time. The spaces on a ship called "sickbay" include a dispensary, which sounds like a clinic (minor treatments, medications being dispensed, etc.), and other areas which are not considered part of the dispensary (like, as Cybermortis suggests, operating rooms, an ICU ward, doctors' offices, supply cabinets, etc.).

I stand corrected.

The remastered "The Man Trap" runs this weekend, with "Court Martial" the following weekend.

NANJAO: the botany lab is a redressed sick bay (or "dispensary"). It's likely different areas of the ship were built reusing floorplans, so it's not really a nit.

"Crater" seems to be a bit too Jetsons of a name. The name in Blish's "The Unreal McCoy" was Bierce.

The turbolifts have indicator lights outside them, similar to elevator directional lights. However, they can't mean up/down because the turbolifts can go sideways and slantways and longways and backways and squareways and frontways. And when Uhura boards answering a page from the bridge, the lower light is lit.

Adding on to the "Crater" name.... Blish's adaptation begins "The crater campsite -- or the Bierce campsite, as the records called it...." It then goes on to mention other craters, and calls the couple Bierce.

So, the camp was in a crater. However, I can see the script note: "Crater campsite name changes to Bierce, change to Crater throughout."

In Devil In The Dark, Spock balks at killing the Horta, even though it has killed fifty people. He says that since it's the last suvivor of a dead race, to kill it would be crime against science. Well, the Salt Vampire is also the last survivor of its race, yet Spock seems to have no problem with it being killed. Granted, it was attacking Kirk, but phasers DO have a stun setting!

Speaking of the Salt Vampire, if it was intelligent, why did it resort to killing. If it had approached Kirk and Co. and explained its problem, they would have made sure it got all the salt it needed to survive.

Crater takes care of this creature (even though it killed his wife), and the creature kills him! That's gratitude for you!

Notice that Sickbay in this episode is continually called Dispensery (sp). Why?

Although Scotty is not in this episode, his voice is heard over Kirk's communicator (Locked on to you, captain) at one point.

The Salt Vampire takes the form of crewman Green to gain access to the ship. Shouldn't the transporter sensors indicate that the creature is NOT human?

Notice that Sickbay in this episode is continually called Dispensery (sp). Why?

Because they hadn't decided to call it sickbay yet.

From dictionary.com:

dis·pen·sa·ry

1. An office in a hospital, school, or other institution from which medical supplies, preparations, and treatments are dispensed.
2. A public institution that dispenses medicines or medical aid.

In production order, there were three episodes before this one that referred to sickbay: "Where No Man Has Gone Before," "The Corbomite Maneuver" and "The Enemy Within."

43 years ago today on NBC, "The Man Trap" was the very first broadcast of Star Trek.

And now it's 44 years.

BTW, I found a great retrospective video made for the 40th anniversary. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80_HKdvNhgA

It's clips from all of the series and movies in chronological order, set to a gorgeous orchestral arrangement of the flute melody in TNG's "The Inner Light". (Taken from the album The Best of Star Trek: Volume One)

One correction (considering this is Nitcentral) -- the above video is not quite complete. It doesn't include TAS. Of course it also doesn't include the 2009 movie since it was made in 2006.

Still, it's great. Check it out.

In Dispensary, just after being attacked by the Salt Vampire, is that red blood seeping through the cut on the forehead of our favorite "green-blooded Vulcan", Mr. Spock?

Wasn't the term, "Dispensary" also used in "Where No Man Has Gone Before"?

The phaser Professor Crater has is the same style used in "the Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before". I believe this is the last time we'll see this weapon used in the series.

During the General Quarter 3 sequence, we see a female crewmember in the corridor wearing pants instead of a mini-skirt. I believe this may be the last time in the series we'll see this happen - until the movies, that is.

"Live long and prosper."

I'm not sure how much salt is in the average human body or what the Salt Vampire's dietary requirements are, but Darnell, Sturgeon, Green, unknown crewman and Professor Crater, not to mention an attempt on Kirk's life, all in fairly rapid succession, doesn't it seem the Salt Vampire has a bit of a voracious appetite? And if it has that big an appetite, needs to consume that much salt, how did ever survive all that time on a mere 25 pounds of salt without finally killing Professor Crater before the Enterprise arrived?


"Live long and prosper."

Perhaps it gorges, allowing it go for an extended period of time without consuming anything or feeding on very little.

>The phaser Professor Crater has is the same style used in "the Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before". I believe this is the last time we'll see this weapon used in the series.>

I thinkthis style of phaser was used in a TNG episode. "The Final Mission" I think. It kinda soungs like a SG-1 epsidoe.

In Devil In The Dark, Spock states that, since the Horta is the last survivor of a dead race, killing it would be a crime against science.

Funny he expresses none of the same concern for the salt vampire.

The phaser Professor Crater has is the same style used in "the Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before". I believe this is the last time we'll see this weapon used in the series. - me

And nope, I'm wrong. Dr. Brown and Andrea uses one in the ep, "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" We regret the error.

"Live long and prosper.

Wasn't the term, "Dispensary" also used in "Where No Man Has Gone Before"? - Benn

Yes, although it was a reference to an area on Delta Vega.

During the General Quarter 3 sequence, we see a female crewmember in the corridor wearing pants instead of a mini-skirt. I believe this may be the last time in the series we'll see this happen - until the movies, that is. - Benn

In "Charlie X," a female crewmember was wearing pants when Charlie turned her into an old woman.

Darnell, Sturgeon, Green, unknown crewman and Professor Crater - Benn

Barnhart was the other crewman killed by the Salt Vampire.

It was 45 years ago today (September 8) that this episode was first aired, marking the debut of STAR TREK. Happy Anniversary, my fellow Trekkies! And Live long and prosper!

Happy 45th Anniversary, Star Trek

And happy 46th anniversary today. Google has an interactive doodle to celebrate. Don't miss clicking on the overhead compartment in the transporter room.

When Kirk confronts the Salt Vampire in Bones' quarters, he struggles for a moment with Bones for the phaser, before the Vampire, as Nancy Crater, slowly advances on Kirk with her hands (suckers) out, ready to apply them to each side of Kirk's face. Instead of grabbing her/its hands, Kirk just stands there frozen. Why is this?

I always assumed that the salt vampire could use its telepathic powers to put its victims in a kind of trance so they would not struggle and remain quiet.

If that's what was intended, then it wasn't done very clearly.

My impression was that we first saw the Salt Vampire's mesmerism powers when he stood before Uhura and she couldn't move until he was distracted by crewmembers exiting the turbolift.
The fact that Kirk's facial features froze as Nancy advanced on him told me that he was held in a mesmerism/paralyzing stare from the creature.

yeah beam me up...

When the Salt Vampire turns into Green, we later see him aboard the ship with a phaser on his belt. That would have to be a non-working phaser, since she shouldn't be able to recreate electronics.

Just before Crater fires on Kirk and Spock, Spock says that Crater knows the creature. The creature? Who said anything about a creature or alien lifeform? At that point, everyone was wondering where Crater's human wife, Nancy, was.

Apparently Spock would later have a change of heart about killing something that was 'the last of its kind', (ie. a crime against science)as this creature is. He tries his best to prevent the Horta from being killed, and it's the only one known to exist.

Apparently Spock would later have a change of heart about killing something that was 'the last of its kind', (ie. a crime against science)as this creature is. He tries his best to prevent the Horta from being killed, and it's the only one known to exist.

I've made similar comments here. Couldn't they have stunned the creature and then later tried to communicate with it (it was a sentient being, after all).

Crater's comment about the buffalo being extinct is kind of moot today. Back when I was in elementary school (I was in seventh grade during Trek's first season), the buffalo was in danger of extinction. Now, buffalo herds have increased to the point where, the last time I was in a diner, a "buffalo burger" was on the menu.

Crater's comment about the buffalo being extinct is kind of moot today.

Yeah, but we still have 200 years to make it come true! ;-)

Adam - "...the last time I was in a diner, a "buffalo burger" was on the menu."

I can see it now...McBuffalo! Duh-na-na-na-na, I'm lovin' it!
And that's why they're extinct in 200 years!

I've covered some of these points in the Explaining errors in Star Trek Wiki entry for this episode:

(http://explaining-errors-in-star-trek.wikia.com/wiki/The_Man_Trap).

Loved how they changed the music every time the creature appeared as someone else. The creepy organ music when the creature is skulking about the ship as "Crewman Green" is my favourite.

This episode was the first "Ensign Deadmeat" one. Not of the non-regulars who went down to that planet made it back alive.

Again I must ask, if the creature was so intelligent, why resort to murder? Why not approach Kirk and Co. and request salt? They would have made sure the creature got all the salt it needed.

What was the creature's plan, once it got aboard the ship. Did it think it could overwhelm more than 400 people?

The creature killed Crater, the man that protected and cared for it. Why? Was it desperate? Did it want to shut him up?

Why did Kirk scream? None of the others did.

Spock says to McCoy to "kill it." (the creature) Is this the same Spock who would say that killing the Horta, also the last of its race, would be a crime against science? And the Horta had killed a lot more people than this creature had.

What was the creature's plan, once it got aboard the ship. Did it think it could overwhelm more than 400 people?

I think it wanted to hide among the crew until the ship brought it to a new planet where it could find the salt it needed. Admittedly not the best plan. It may also have been in the position of a caveman dropped in a modern city, it might not have realised the challenges it was facing.

The creature killed Crater, the man that protected and cared for it. Why? Was it desperate? Did it want to shut him up?

Exactly. Crater was the only one who could identify the creature in any form it took. He had served his purpose and was now a liability to be eliminated.

Why did Kirk scream? None of the others did.

The way I understand it, the creature paralysed its victim with some sort of telepathic trance and it obviously did not bother doing so the second time it started to feed on the captain.

It may also have been in the position of a caveman dropped in a modern city, it might not have realised the challenges it was facing.

Like the doors. When "Green" is spooked by Sulu's pet plant, you can see him put his hands out just as he reaches the doors, like he wasn't sure how the doors worked.


Crater was the only one who could identify the creature in any form it took. He had served his purpose and was now a liability to be eliminated.

There's gratitude for you.


The way I understand it, the creature paralysed its victim with some sort of telepathic trance and it obviously did not bother doing so the second time it started to feed on the captain.

Good an answer as any. I mean it was bold enough to show McCoy and Spock what it really looked like (and one can imagine what was going through McCoy's mind when he saw what "Nancy" really was).

This episode's writer, George Clayton Johnson, passed away 12/25/2015 from cancer at the age of 86. His other credits include Ocean's 11 and the novel Logan's Run.

Which inspired the movie and TV series...

When Sulu and Rand find Barnhart's body, they immediately notice the markings on his face. At this point, nobody (except for Crater) knows what is killing those men, the markings could indicate some sort of disease. So what does Sulu do? He starts examining and touching the dead man with his unprotected hands, needlessly risking being infected himself.

The way the creature appears as different women to the away team men when they first meet it seem to indicate that its shape shifting ability comes from telepathically changing its appearance in the mind of the people it meets. If this is so, as the creature in the form of Green is beaming up, it should have first appeared in its own form as it began materializing, before its mind could assert its influence on the people in the transporter room.

How did faux Green know that Janice was in the botanical lab? He was too far behind her to have seen her go in there.

Smell?

The way the creature appears as different women to the away team men when they first meet it seem to indicate that its shape shifting ability comes from telepathically changing its appearance in the mind of the people it meets. If this is so, as the creature in the form of Green is beaming up, it should have first appeared in its own form as it began materializing, before its mind could assert its influence on the people in the transporter room.

And shouldn't the transporter sensors have read "Green" as a non-human life form?


How did faux Green know that Janice was in the botanical lab? He was too far behind her to have seen her go in there.

I got the impression that "Green" was tracking the scent of the salt.

It's also possible the creature can smell, or somehow sense, the large amount of salt she is carrying.

Again I must ask, if this creature was so intelligent, why didn't it just ask for the salt. Kirk would have made sure it had all it needed. There was no need for it to resort to murder?

Or why didn't Crater tell Kirk and Co. the truth from the start.

Why? Because 'Nancy' killed Green within minutes of him beaming down. Remember, Crater wasn't home when the party arrived in their 'house'.
Looking back, it's surprising how everyone continues to call the Salt Vampire a 'creature', and not an 'alien'.
The alien is obviously intelligent, and the last of it's kind that built and lived in the ruins of a crumbling community or town or city. Calling it a 'creature' is like comparing the Mugato to a Tellarite. There's a big difference in intelligence.

Yes, Crater just had to reveal that 'Nancy' was the last of it's kind and it probably would have gotten help from the Federation, protection, food, and a home. Perhaps in a penal colony for some time because of Green's murder, but the Federation's Politically-Correct wing wouldn't have seen it come to much harm. Especially, for being the last of it's kind, with knowledge of the dead civilization.

Actually, the first guy "Nancy" killed was called Darnell.

Again, if this alien was so intelligent, why didn't it reveal itself to Kirk and Co. when they first beamed down, and state its case to them. There was no need to resort to murder. Answer, the show would have been over in five minutes flat.


it probably would have gotten help from the Federation, protection, food, and a home. Perhaps in a penal colony for some time because of Green's murder, but the Federation's Politically-Correct wing wouldn't have seen it come to much harm. Especially, for being the last of it's kind, with knowledge of the dead civilization.

Actually, it killed five people, Darnell, Sturgeon, Green, Barnhart, and Crater.

However, the Horta killed more people, but once the situation was understood, Kirk and Co. understood why. The same could apply here. In fact, Spock said that killing the Horta, the last of its race, was a crime against science. However, he makes no such comment here, and seems in favour of killing the alien here. Granted, it was attacking Kirk, but phasers do have a stun setting.

Not really a nit, since many people make the same error, but Crater seems to be referring to a North American species when he says "buffalo." But the North American animal that is commonly called that is correctly called a "bison." It has no relation to the "old world" buffalo species.

Crater is an archeologist, not a zoologist. Perhaps that's the reason.

Since this was the first episode to air and use the phrase, here's Today I Found Out's video on To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before and the use of split infinitives.

Nearly 54 years ago now, this episode first aired.

Got a new theory about the status of the Salt Vampire....
IT'S ALIVE!!!!!
Consider this;
1. On the planet Crater tells Spock that 'it's the last of it's kind'. By saying this, Spock would consider it's killing a crime against science, as he later would with the Horta.
2. Spock 'tries' to wrestle the phaser from McCoy's hand. And fails. Spock, with his superior Vulcan strength, couldn't yank a phaser out of 44-year old human, McCoy. Oookaaaay.
3. He repeatedly hits the creature in the form of Nancy, but was only trying to knock it out or incapacitate it, not kill it.
4. McCoy fires twice and the creature slumps to the deck. The writer probably wants us to believe it's dead, but is it?
5. Kirk brought the phaser into McCoy's quarters. Would he, a Starfleet officer that's shown reluctance to kill, walk into his friend's quarters with a phaser set to kill? There might have been a struggle, and McCoy could have gotten shot. Therefore, I'm assuming the phaser is set for stun.
6. The Salt Vampire takes a point-blank shot from a phaser and is only weakened and staggered. It's not armored, and it's still conscious and able to stagger towards McCoy. That tells me it's set at 'stun'. The second shot knocks it out, and it's concentration to maintain the illusion of Nancy's form is broken.
7. Sure, McCoy says 'Lord, forgive me', and it seems like he killed it, but he was also firing a phaser at what looked like an old girlfriend. And he couldn't be sure that a second stun shot wasn't lethal, but maybe it wasn't.
Maybe as they left M-113, McCoy was sad that Nancy was dead, even as they transported her imposter in a cell down in the brig.
Just a thought.

Today's the 54th Anniversary of the broadcast of this episode.

Would they have put the creature in the brig? I think they would have just sent it back down to the planet, left it with enough salt to survive, and had Starfleet declare the planet off limits.

Yea, that makes more sense. Although, there are the five humans murders it committed.

Which brings me to another theory; even Crater calls the Salt Vampire 'It'. Not he or she. Perhaps these creatures were asexual, and this one couldn't breed or was too old to.

"And Barry the Salt Vampire as himself."

Sorry. Gag from The Ensign's Log Podcast where they identified the Salt Vampire as Barry.

Although, there are the five humans murders it committed

The Horta killed more people than that. Yet, once the situation was understood, no charges were pressed.

The same could apply here.

The METV network got trouble from Trekkies for using this in their "First and Last Seconds of a Series" promo but METV reminded them that "The Cage" wasn't broadcast until 1988 and "The Man Trap" was the first that viewers saw of Star Trek.

Yes, this was the first episode aired on September 8, 1966.

While the second pilot, Where No Man Has Gone Before was made first, it was not aired first.

The Trekkies also complained that METV used the CGI-updated version -but i doubt that CBS/Paramount allows the original to be syndicated any more.

They don't.

Besides, this episode is not CGI heavy.

I never realized that they didn't allow the original versions to be broadcast anymore.
Fortunately, I still have my old VHS tapes (one from the '80's and one from the '90's) with the older versions on them, complete with commercials and sometimes a bit of snow on the screen from a weak TV signal.
Ah, the good old days!

The Trekkies also complained that METV used the CGI-updated version...

So does H&I, which broadcasts TOS, Next Gen, DS9, Voyager and Enterprise six nights weekly, under their "All Star Trek" banner. But, the versions of TOS ME-TV runs are edited; H&I airs all five series intact. (As far as I can tell, anyway)

Gcapp, in the Mirror, Mirror thread nearly two weeks ago:


"The Man Trap" - the planet appears to have no useful artifacts, from a technological viewpoint. The inhabitants appear never to have progressed to a technological society. Robert and Nancy would have been of no interest whatsoever to the Empire, which would let them do as they want as long as they're not engaging in sedition. And it would not bother checking up on them at yearly intervals.


Actually, the M113 creature (or the Salt Vampire as fans call it) would make an excellent assassin for the Empire.

With its power of illusion, the creature could get close to the target person the Empire wants dead by appearing as a trusted friend or family member. Bippity-boppity-boo, one dead target.

All the Empire would have to do is supply the creature with salt and said creature would happily do their bidding.

A quick google search tells me that a human body contains around 200 grams, or 40 teaspoons, of sodium chloride. If Nancy consumes the salt in three men in that short of a time, and still wants more, at that rate the twenty five pounds of salt Crater started with would be gone in about 2 days. Obviously, he had to keep her on strict salt rations so his reserves would last until the next starship visit, which would explain why she was so ravenous.

If Crater and/or the Salt Vampire had just come clean with Kirk and Co, when the Enterprise arrived, all the trouble could have been avoided.

Of course, that would have made the episode real short

Spock didn't know the Salt Vampire's true form...or did he?
He was attacked by it and it killed Crater, but what form was it in? Nancy's? Or it's true Salt Vampire form?
I ask this because he just lays into the creature with double-fisted punches, about 7 of them. Why would he do this unless he saw the creature's true form, or struggled with Nancy's (inhuman) super strength?

And 'Nancy's story about Darnell eating a poison plant seems odd, when you consider Darnell died sprawled out on a boulder, and not the ground. What probably happened was it was in that blonde woman's form, had him lay down on the boulder, expecting some kissing, but he got a couple alien salt suckers on his face instead. Maybe the Salt Vampire wasn't too smart sometimes-- just eat-and-kill and figure out it's excuses later on.

I really like the M-113 surface CGI effects. The long shot at the beginning with the ruins, the main building in the background and the colour of the sky make it look nice and alien. In fact, the sky's colour reminds me of Mars' sky from the surface.

I've seen hidden videos of food delivery drivers sneaking some bites of food that they're delivering-- pepperoni off a pizza, a chicken wing or two. Makes me look at Janice Rand differently, as she's munching on Sulu's celery before she brings him his (partially-eaten) lunch!

Spock didn't know the Salt Vampire's true form...or did he?
He was attacked by it and it killed Crater, but what form was it in? Nancy's? Or it's true Salt Vampire form?
I ask this because he just lays into the creature with double-fisted punches, about 7 of them. Why would he do this unless he saw the creature's true form, or struggled with Nancy's (inhuman) super strength?

Spock suspected that the creature was impersonating McCoy. That is why he insisted on accompanying "McCoy" when they took Crater to sickbay for truth serum. When they got there, the creature attacked. Spock said that Crater grabbed his phaser, and Spock was knocked out.

Crater was either killed to shut him up, or he willingly sacrificed himself to save the creature. Take your pick of which scenario.


And 'Nancy's story about Darnell eating a poison plant seems odd, when you consider Darnell died sprawled out on a boulder, and not the ground. What probably happened was it was in that blonde woman's form, had him lay down on the boulder, expecting some kissing, but he got a couple alien salt suckers on his face instead. Maybe the Salt Vampire wasn't too smart sometimes-- just eat-and-kill and figure out it's excuses later on.

The creature simply did not have the time to come up with a convincing alibi.

Good correction on my theory, Tim, about mistakenly thinking the creature was in Nancy's form when it attacked Spock.
However...
"The creature simply did not have the time to come up with a convincing alibi." doesn't really work. Kirk and McCoy were in the big building with Crater, when 'Nancy' started screaming, drawing them to her, instead of getting rid of the body, and dumping a hunk of ruin on him to simulate an accident. She had time to do something other than leaving Darnell's body in an awkward position on some rocks.

If Darnell had behaved like a Starfleet officer and not some horny high school boy, he would not have died. In his book, Phil questioned why Kirk had brought Darnell along in the first place. He was not needed.

As for the creature, for an intelligent being, it must have known that, once it started killing members of the Enterprise crew, that there would be an investigation. Yet it did so anyway, which led to its downfall.

The creature could have simply asked for salt, without resorting to murder. I'm sure that Kirk would have made sure it got all the salt it needed to survive.

Yes, imagine the elation and excitement and care it would have been given if Crater had just said, "Here's the last surviving member of a race called the Saltosians." Starfleet and the Federation would have bent over backwards to take care of it, and not harm it. Crater could have just lied about it killing his wife, so it wouldn't be imprisoned.

Darnell sure was useless in the group. But being a blueshirt, I figured he was going to be McCoy's assistant, until he was given permission to step outside. Only two people to check, Professor and Mrs. Crater-- maybe he was a specialist in lady parts, ie. a gynecologist?
Or maybe he was just getting field experience and was just there to watch? Wow. Starfleet is so...exciting.

This episode first aired today, 56 years ago. Odd that they aired this episode first, and not the second pilot, Where No Man Has Gone Before.


Yes, imagine the elation and excitement and care it would have been given if Crater had just said, "Here's the last surviving member of a race called the Saltosians." Starfleet and the Federation would have bent over backwards to take care of it, and not harm it. Crater could have just lied about it killing his wife, so it wouldn't be imprisoned.

The whole problem indeed could have been avoided if Crater and the creature had been open and honest. Even the death of the real Nancy might have been understood, given the circumstances (Kirk forgave the Horta, who had killed a lot more people).

Of course, that would make the episode real short.

"Where No Man Has Gone Before" was never originally intended to be aired as part of the series. The reason it was aired was that when the third airdate rolled around, none of the other episodes were ready to air.

I cannot see any reason why Darnell was there.

Except to be an Ensign Deadmeat, of course.

And he's not even a redshirt! In fact, Uhura was almost the first redshirt to die in the series.

Four crew persons died this episode, and none of them were redshirts.

test

Is that a spammer? I don't think we have an admin named admin

That is Phil himself, I think.

I wonder why Phil did that?

And Phil usually posted as “Chief”

I checked wit Phil. It was him, just testing something.

All is well.

Thanks, Tim. Guess I’m still carrying scars from the Spambot Wars

57 years ago, today, The Man Trap aired for the first time. TOS was off and running.

I noticed two things that showed the production crew's attention to detail that viewers might not have noticed.
The first was when Kirk, McCoy, and Crater meet up with Nancy and dead Darnell. M-113's heat outside produces a layer of sweat on the faces of all three men, but Nancy...aka the Salt Vampire...is showing no signs of the heat. Perhaps the creature couldn't replicate a layer of sweat on its skin.
The second is Gertrude, Sulu's plant. As fake-Green enters, and Sulu says, "Hello, Green." look in the background at Gertrude, over Green's shoulder. The plant actually turns around several inches, as if it's noticing Green as well. Seconds later the plant freaks out, and possibly saves Sulu and Rand's lives, scaring the Salt Vampire away.

Zero points to my local rock station here in Toronto, Boom 97.3, that noted yesterday that Star Trek first premiered 50 years ago, and Nichelle Nichols portrayed 'Lt. Ohura'. Obviously, it's fifty-SEVEN years ago, and my ears might have misheard that first syllabbe, but 'Uhura' sure sounded like 'Ohura'.

Gertrude sensed that something was wrong with "Green".

In fact, Uhura was almost the first redshirt to die in the series.

Uhura was almost not a redshirt at all. If you recall, in the first two episodes in regular production ("The Corbomite Maneuver" and "Mudd's Women"), she wore a gold command section uniform.

True.

Uhura was almost not a redshirt at all. If you recall, in the first two episodes in regular production ("The Corbomite Maneuver" and "Mudd's Women"), she wore a gold command section uniform.

Wouldn't be the last time they ignored departmental colours in favour of what looked better on the actress.

Spock went from a blue shirt, to a yellow shirt, and back to a blue shirt.
And Scotty went from a yellow shirt to a red shirt.
They sure did mix things up back then!

Odd that this was aired first, instead of the actual second pilot, Where No Man Has Gone Before.