26) This Side of Paradise

We're excited and honored to be joined for our deep dive on "Enterprise Incidents" by Ralph Senensky, who made his "Star Trek" directorial debut with the beloved classic "This Side of Paradise." The Enterprise arrives at Omicron Ceti III, a planet which is being bombarded by deadly Berthold rays, expecting to find no signs of life from the colonists who previously settled there. But to Captain Kirk's surprise, everyone is alive and well -- and extremely happy -- thanks to the euphoric effect of drug-like spores produced by an alien plant. After the colonists refuse to evacuate, the spores quickly spread to infect the crew of the Enterprise, leading them to mutiny as they desert the ship to join the colony. That includes the normally loyal and unemotional Mr. Spock, who defies his friend and commanding officer after falling in love with the colony's botanist, Leila Kalomi. Marooned on the Enterprise, Captain Kirk must figure out a way to neutralize the effect of the spores and return his crew to normalcy -- but how can he counteract paradise? And does he have the right to even try? As written by Dorothy "D.C." Fontana, "This Side of Paradise" was a brilliant and subtle allegory about the drug counterculture of the 1960s, and it has since stood the test of time to triumph as a beautiful, sensitive and deeply moving "Star Trek" masterpiece that features superb performances from William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and exquisite guest star Jill Ireland.

Learn more about Ralph Senensky's incredible body of work through his website: http://ralph-senensky.blogspot.com

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