3. The Child

Star Trek - Phase II delivers its first true character spotlight with a deeply uncomfortable and ambitious episode centered on Ilia.

When a powerful non-corporeal entity uses Ilia as a conduit to experience physical existence, the Enterprise crew is forced to confront questions of consent, identity, and consequence. As Ilia undergoes a rapid and unexplained pregnancy, Kirk, McCoy, and Xon struggle to understand an intelligence that does not share human values, while Will Decker’s personal connection to Ilia complicates an already unprecedented situation.

On The Phase 2 Rewatch, Greg Westlake examines one of the most controversial early Phase II stories, including the first real Kirk, Xon, and McCoy dynamic without Spock, Decker’s emergence as more than contingency planning, and the bold decision to spotlight new characters so early in the series. The episode also asks whether Phase II’s ambition sometimes outpaces its execution.

Original air date: Friday, September 30, 1977