Star Trek: Season 2, Episode Eight “I, Mudd”

Stardate: 4513.3 (2268)
Original Air Date: November 3, 1967
Writer: Stephen Kandel, David Gerrold (uncredited)
Director: Marc Daniels

“What is a man but that lofty spirit, that sense of enterprise, that devotion to something that cannot be sensed, cannot be realized but only dreamed! The highest reality.”

In this goofy Harry Mudd episode (after Season 1’s “Mudd’s Women“), a crewman named Lieutenant Norman (Richard Tatro) begins acting strangely and he rather quickly locks the Enterprise auxiliary controls and hijacks the entire vessel. He stiffly addresses the bridge (referring to himself as “we”) by stating that the Enterprise will arrive at a new intended destination in four solar days. Norman then reveals himself to be an android and then promptly shuts himself down while the ship speeds toward its unknown destination.

Several days later, the Enterprise arrives at an uncharted planet, classified a “Class-K” planet (meaning a planet which can be adapted for life with the help of machinery). Norman awakens and commands Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, and Chekov to beam down to the planet’s surface, or else he will destroy the ship’s engines thereby stranding it in orbit forever. Without other options, the crew members beam down to the unnamed planet where they surprisingly find the notorious conman, Harry Mudd (reprised by Roger C. Carmel). He now rules this planet like a dictator –“Mudd The First.” How did Mudd escape his fate from his last encounter with the Enterprise in “Mudd’s Women?” Apparently, he somehow managed to escape imprisonment and wandered throughout the galaxy providing industrial technological services to backward planets. But he was caught selling a Vulcan fuel synthesizer to the Denebians without legally owning the royalties and was then sentenced to death on Deneb V; though fortunately for Mudd, he was able to steal a ship and get away.

Now, on this planet, Harry Mudd is surrounded by beautiful android women (in total, he has 500 identical android ladies). They hope to study a new group of humans, hence why the Enterprise has been brought to this planet (Mudd also has a full-size reconstructed android shrine of his nagging wife “Stella” who was so unpleasant she pushed him to head further into outer space). As it turns out, Harry Mudd is a prisoner of these androids; they want to study him. The Androids are the product of an ancient cohort of “Makers” from the Andromeda galaxy but their sun went nova and they were forced to flee. Now, they intend to keep the Enterprise entrapped for observation for the rest of their lives. While observing the androids, Spock surmises these androids must have a central intelligence hub (all 207,809 androids are connected to the central hub). But while they discuss things, the androids completely take control of the entire Enterprise as they forcibly beam down the rest of the crew.

Kirk and crew demand to be taken back to the Enterprise, but the androids do not respond in kind. Their light-flashing necklaces reveal their inner artificial intelligence which connects to “a mass brain linked to a central locus.” The crew stages another ruse to get back aboard the Enterprise, dancing around like buffoons, telling illogical paradoxes, and Kirk and Spock deliberately use twisted, insane logic to effectively melt the circuits of a pair of “Alice” models and eventually the “Lieutenant” Norman android –Kirk tells the androids that everything Mudd says is a lie (i.e. the liar’s paradox: “everything I say is a lie; I am also a liar”). These and other antics spell the demise of android tyranny on this planet, and in the end the androids are reprogrammed for their original purpose: to adapt this unnamed planet for productive use. Additionally, Mudd is condemned to remain on this planet with all the androids (including 500 android copies of his shrew of a wife “Stella”). The episode ends on a whimsical note: will this be the end of Harry Mudd? We last see him being shrieked at by a trio of Stellas as the Enterprise departs.

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My Thoughts on “I, Mudd”

Once again, Starfleet security aboard the Enterprise appears to be a complete joke as a single nondescript (android) crewman –who has apparently been aboard the Enterprise for a mere three days– locks the entire crew out of its own controls as he easily takes command of the whole ship! If ever there was a reason to tighten Starfleet’s recruitment protocols as well as the Enterprise’s security defenses, this is it.

At any rate, this episode presents a silly twist on the plot of the Season 1 episode “What Are Little Girls Made Of?” Whereas instead of a weighty figure like Dr. Korby, Harry Mudd seems to somewhat accidentally rule this unnamed planet at the behest of androids, though he is not some grand maniacal visionary. Why does he want to escape this situation? What does the roguish criminal Harry Mudd truly desire? As Kirk notes, there are certain problems posed for people with limitless horizons. There are, no doubt, some intriguing parallels we can draw between this episode and classic science fiction literature, perhaps Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? or I, Robot (indeed the title of this episode is likely a nod to I, Robot) however I find myself drawn to Star Trek episodes of greater gravitas and enduring quality –though I admit a screwy comedy involving Harry Mudd is always a nice bit of levity!

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Credits:

• Director: Marc Daniels
  • Marc Daniels (1912-1989) was a World War II veteran and successful television director for a number of different shows like I Love Lucy, The Lieutenant, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Gunsmoke, Mission: Impossible, Bonanza, Hogan’s Heroes, and others. During his career he was nominated for several Emmys, two Directors Guild of America awards, and four Hugo Awards. He was credited with directing a total of fourteen episodes of Star Trek (if counting “The Menagerie, Part I” and “The Menagerie, Part II” as a single episode). He is tied with Joseph Pevney for directing the most number of episodes from TOS. Daniels also wrote an episode of TAS (he only had one other writing credit in his long television career). He penned an undeveloped story outline for TOS entitled “The Beast.” From 1942-1951, Daniels was married to British actress Meg Mundy. From 1951 until his death, Daniels was married to Emily Hosmer, who was as a camera coordinator for I Love Lucy. Together, they had three adopted children.
• Written by: Stephen Kandel and David Gerrold (uncredited)
  • Stephen Kandel (1927-2023) grew up in Pennsylvania and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was stabbed in the chest during his service (luckily he made a full recovery). After graduating from Dartmouth College, he wrote scripts for various television shows like Sea Hunt, MacGyver, Mission: Impossible, Batman, Wonder Woman, and others. He died at his home on October 21, 2023, at the age of 96. He had four children.
• Music: Samuel Matlovsky
• Cinematography: Jerry Finnerman
• Cast:
  • Roger C. Carmel…..Harry Mudd
    • Roger C. Carmel (1932-1986) was a television actor known for his roles in shows like I Spy, Batman, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Alfred Hitchock Hour, and his lead role in The Mothers-in-Law. He appeared in two episodes of TOS (“Mudd’s Women” and “I, Mudd”). In his later career, he was a voice actor who performed in Transformers, The Beranstein Bears, Johnny Quest, DuckTales, and as Smokey the Bear. He was found dead in his Hollywood apartment in 1986 of a cardiac issue. He did not have children. Interestingly enough, he and George Takei realized they had a mutual acquaintance. They remained friends for the rest of Carmel’s life.
  • Richard Tatro…..”Lieutenant” Norman (who is actually an android)
    • Richard Tatro (1939-1991) appeared in a handful of television shows like the Western show Cheyenne as well as little-known 1960s B-films. His appearance in this episode of Star Trek (“I, Mudd”) is his last known film credit. He died in 1991 at the age of 51 in San Joaquin, California.
  • Alyce Andrece…..Alice #1 through #250 (an android)
    • Twins Alyce Andrece (1936-2005) and Rhae Andrece (1936-2009) appeared together in ads for Gunn, the feature film based on the television show Peter Gunn, as well as shows like Batman and Bonanza. They were later in a band called The Third Eye and released folk-jazz musical albums with another group called The Sound of Feeling.
  • Rhae Andrece…..Alice #251 through #500 (an android)
    • Twins Alyce Andrece (1936-2005) and Rhae Andrece (1936-2009) appeared together in ads for Gunn, the feature film based on the television show Peter Gunn, as well as shows like Batman and Bonanza. They were later in a band called The Third Eye and released folk-jazz musical albums with another group called The Sound of Feeling.
  • Kay Elliot…..Stella Mudd, Harry’s Mudd’s unpleasant wife whose nagging drove him into outer space
    • Kay Elliot (1929-1982) had just begun a 13-year television career when this episode aired, often in unflattering roles. One of these characters was Aunt Hagatha in Bewitched among other shows like The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Gomer Pyle – USMC.
  • Michael Zaslow…..Jordan
    • Michael Zaslow (1942-1998) was best known for his role as the villain Roger Thorpe on CBS’s Guiding Light, for which he won an Emmy Award and earned multiple other nominations. He appeared in two episodes of Star Trek, including the inaugural episode “The Man Trap” in which his character Darnell became the first Enterprise crew member to be killed. He also appeared as Jordan in “I, Mudd.” In 1997, Zaslow was diagnosed with ALS disease. He died of a heart attack the following year.
  • Mike Howden…..Lt. Rowe
    • Mike Howden (1932-2010) appeared in two episodes of Star Trek (“I, Mudd” and “The Enterprise Incident“). He also appeared in Mannix (1967) and Hot Lead and Cold Feet (1978). He died in October 2010.
  • Bob Orrison…..1st Engineer (uncredited)
    • Robert P. “Bob” Orrison (1928-2014) was a stunt man and stunt coordinator who appeared in many films and television shows, doing stunt work for the likes of Audie Murphy and John Wayne. He performed stunts in such films as The Wild Bunch, Smokey and the Bandit, Rambo III, Days of Thunder, Die Hard 2 and Speed. He was the primary stunt driver of the General Lee car on The Dukes of Hazzard, and doubled for George Peppard in stunts performed for The A-Team. He was one of Leonard Nimoy’s and DeForest Kelley’s stunt doubles. He did not receive credit for his appearances in Star Trek. On October 11, 2014 Bob Orrison and his friend and fellow retired stuntman, Gary McLarty, were killed in a traffic collision in Rancho Cordova, California, where Orrison had lived since 2007. He was 86 years old.
  • Bobby Bass…..Android (uncredited)
    • Bobby Bass (1936-2001) was a Judo champion who served in the military, initially as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division and then in Special Forces to become a special forces instructor, before eventually turning to acting as a stunt man (he appeared in films like Predator, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon and others). On Star Trek, he was an extra who often played a security officer, an engineer, and other roles, as well as a stunt double for James Doohan. He and his first wife had two children. He then had four stepchildren with his second wife, one of whom was Bo Derek. He suffered from Parkinson’s Disease until he died by suicide in Los Angeles in 2001. His Star Trek appearances included “Space Seed,” “Errand of Mercy,” “Mirror, Mirror,” “I, Mudd.” He was James Doohan’s stunt double in two episodes (“The City on the Edge of Forever” and “Catspaw“).
  • Bill Blackburn…..Android (uncredited)
    • William “Bill” Blackburn (1929-present) played a wide variety of TOS roles all believed to be known as the character “Hadley.” In total, he appeared in 61 episodes of the series. He was originally hired through his connection with assistant director Leonard “Tiger” Shapiro, whom he had worked with on the television series My Favorite Martian wherein he served as a stand-in for actor Ray Walston. Blackburn reportedly saved Shapiro’s job on My Favorite Martian so, to return the favor, Shapiro arranged for his role on Star Trek. As Blackburn later recalled, he was told to sit at the conn and to not speak. He was originally hired to be DeForest Kelley’s stand-in but went on to play many background roles and voice-overs in the show. During his time on the show, he shot over an hour’s worth of Super 8 homemade video footage which he has since kept in a safe deposit box, preferring not to capitalize on his connection to the show. However, in more recent years, he was contracted to release several minutes of the footage in conjunction with the Star Trek home DVD release.
  • Marlys Burdette…..Female Android (uncredited)
    • Marlys Burdette (1938-present) is a former actress and model who played three uncredited roles in the second season of Star Trek: a serving girl in “Wolf in the Fold,” an Annabelle series android in “I, Mudd,” and Krako’s gun moll in “A Piece of the Action.” She was married at the age of 16 in 1954, had a daughter, and then was divorced by 1961. Between acting appearances in commercials and television shows, she attended UCLA and worked as a real estate broker in the North Hollywood area. After appearing in a few films she worked for the real estate brokerage Herleigh Sandler Co in the 1970s. In 1983, she married Dr. John Willison Allen, a Sacramento area obstetrician and gynecologist. At present, she apparently lives in La Quinta, California.
  • Roger Holloway…..Lt. Roger Lemli (uncredited)
    • Roger Holloway (1927-2000) served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, His Star Trek appearances are his only known screen credits. He was James Doohan’s stand-in and he took over as Shatner’s stand-in when Eddie Paskey left the show. His character was named “Lemli” after William Shatner’s daughters Leslie, Melanie and Lisabeth.
  • Ted LeGarde…..Herman Series (uncredited)
    • Twins Ted LeGarde (1931-2018) and Tom LeGarde (1931-2021) were well-known country music entertainers from Australia, having released several albums and singles in the 1950s under the name “The LeGarde Twins.” They hosted their own television program in Los Angeles called “The LeGarde Twins Show” from 1957-1958.
  • Tom LeGarde…..Herman Series (uncredited)
    • Twins Ted LeGarde (1931-2018) and Tom LeGarde (1931-2021) were well-known country music entertainers from Australia, having released several albums and singles in the 1950s under the name “The LeGarde Twins.” They hosted their own television program in Los Angeles called “The LeGarde Twins Show” from 1957-1958.
  • Eddie Paskey…..Lieutenant Leslie (uncredited)
    • Eddie Paskey (1939-2021) appeared in television shows like The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mission: Impossible, The Wild Wild West, and others. For Star Trek, he appeared in some sixty episodes of TOS, sometimes as a stand-in for William Shatner and a hand double for James Doohan, but most frequently as the recurring background character of Lt. Leslie. He appeared in most of the episodes from the first two seasons, but back pain and cluster headaches from an old injury led to him leaving the show in the third season. His first appearance on Star Trek was on “Where No Man Has Gone Before” (as a “crewman”). Paskey often amusingly credited the longevity of his character to his sense of caution, he was on the set most of the time and knew the script well, thus he made sure to always be elsewhere when an episode called for someone to die. After retiring from acting, he and his wife later ran a car-detailing business in Santa Ana, California. In 2004, Paskey appeared in the pilot episode of the fan-produced internet series Star Trek: New Voyages “Come What May.” This time, he portrayed Admiral Leslie, the father of Lieutenant Leslie. He died in 2021.
  • Jeannie Malone…..Yeoman (uncredited)
  • Colleen Thornton…..Barbara Series (uncredited)
  • Maureen Thornton…..Barbara Series (uncredited)
  • Starr Wilson…..Maisie Series (uncredited)
  • Tamara Wilson…..Maisie Series (uncredited)

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Star Trek Trivia:

• This is the second time the Enterprise crew has had a run-in with the whimsical con man Harry Mudd. Roger C. Carmel previously appeared in the role in the Season 1’s “Mudd’s Women.” Aside from the actors who played Enterprise crewmen, he was the only actor to play the same character in more than one episode of TOS.
• Gene Roddenberry initially had an idea for an android script called “Reason” in 1964, which was based on Isaac Asimov’s short story also called “Reason,” in which the USS Yorktown visits a planet in the “Isaac IV Group” where all organic life has perished and the world is run exclusively by robots. Years later in 1966, when brainstorming with Gene Coon, Roddenberry suggested another Harry Mudd episode in which he finds himself on an all-android planet (the title “I, Mudd” pays homage to Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot and also Robert Graves’s I, Claudius).
• Although Stephen Kandel (original creator of Harry Mudd) is credited as the lead writer for this episode, based on the story idea by Gene Roddenberry, David Gerrold completed uncredited re-writes to this script. Mr. Gerrold was given the job after the crew was pleased with his work on “The Trouble With Tribbles.”
• Stephen Kandel’s initial script outline barely resembled what we have come to know as “I, Mudd.” In it, a mix of V.I.P. passengers are traveling aboard the Enterprise, including a vain woman named Idris Vane who wants to swap bodies with an android and her companion Brother Mercy, a depraved preacher, along with a group of androids who compel the Enterprise to head toward the robot’s planet where the crew has its unexpected reunion with Harry Mudd. The script was then passed around to Justman, Coon, Roddenberry, and David Gerrold (who had just completed his script for “The Trouble with Tribbles” and had impressed Gene Coon with his ability to achieve cost savings). The final script was handed over to Dorothy Fontana for polishing up.
• This episode employed the use of several pairs of identical twins (Alyce Andrece and Rhae Andrece) as well as a variety of camera tricks to give the illusion of thousands of identical androids on this planet.
• Around this time, NBC considered launching a spin-off show about Harry Mudd but Gene Roddenberry was far too busy with Star Trek to begin a new show.
• This episode marks perhaps the fourth or fifth time thus far in the series that Kirk manages to reason with a computer or android, and essentially talk it to death.
• A “Class-K” planet refers to a planet which can be adapted for life with the help of machinery.
• Mudd says the penalty for fraud on Deneb V is as follows: “the guilty party has his choice: death by electrocution, death by gas, death by phaser, death by hanging…”
• Harry Mudd ordered three different series of female androids: the Maizie series, the Trudy series, the Annabelle series, as well as apparently Alice, Barbara, Herman, and Oscar series. These androids are made to live for approximately 500,000 years. Their “medi-robots” are able to place a human brain inside a structurally compatible robot body.
• Marc Cushman’s comprehensive behind-the-scenes book series These Are the Voyages details the lengths Joe D’Agosta went to when trying to track down twins for this episode. Apparently, there is an amusing story about how Casting Director Joseph D’Agosta spotted a pair of twin prostitutes and tried to hire them for this episode, however while being introduced to them, they brought a cat which clawed up Gene L. Coon and the twins were never hired.
• There are a few moments wherein Chekov becomes quite “comfortable” with the female androids, and he also makes an amusing remark that this unnamed planet is even better than Leningrad!
• Stephen Kandel wrote several more Harry Mudd script ideas, including “Deep Mudd” which apparently picked up right where “I, Mudd” left off. It saw Harry Mudd’s collecting the remnants of an ancient advanced culture while Harry dons a military suit of armor which connects with his flesh and blood and gives him extraordinary powers, but the suit takes on a mind of its own and Harry is forced to find a way to con the suit. However, due to money issues and Gene Roddenberry’s desire to steer clear of pirate stories, no further Harry Mudd episodes were made.
• This episode was George Takei’s last appearance in the series until “Return to Tomorrow.” During his nine-episode absence, Takei was away on the East Coast filming The Green Berets (1968).
• There were various attempts to revive the character of Harry Mudd, either in the third season of Star Trek, the creation of a Mudd spin-off show, and even the Star Trek movies, but by then Roger C. Carmel was in ailing health.