For the World Is Hollow, And I Have Touched the Sky

This episode “enjoys” two distinctions. First, it has the most obnoxiously long title of any episode in the series. And second, the people of this strange, alien world wear some of the ugliest clothes in the galaxy. In particular, the day-glo-smock-and-squished-brimless-stovepipe-hat combos worn by the local constabulary are so heinous that if you wore a replica of one of these things to a Star Trek convention even Star Trek nerds would kick your ass.

The story leads off with some bad news: McCoy is dying. He has a terminal disease that’s going to take a year or so to run its course. Kirk tries to take the news in stride as the next big crisis looms.

A good-sized meteor is headed toward an inhabited world. Diverting or disposing of it turns out to be tricky, because it isn’t just an ordinary hunk of space rock. It’s a giant space ship full of people who have no idea they live on a space ship. When the “big three” beam aboard, they find a functioning – though unattractively dressed – civilization made up entirely of folks who think they live on a planet just like everyone else.

Well, not entirely. Natira (Kate Woodville), the priestess of the Oracle of the People – the mysterious, god-like thing that controls the place – knows that the world is hollow. And an old guy who climbed a forbidden mountain knows the secret, because he touched the sky. So it isn’t just a catchy title.

But when the elderly gent tries to let the outworlders in on the secret, he’s suddenly struck dead by a mysterious flashing light on his temple. Our heroes also get a dose of the Oracle’s justice when they’re shocked into unconsciousness for no reason other than proving that the Oracle can shock people at will.

Despite the obvious Orwellian nature of the place, McCoy decides he’s going to remain behind when the Enterprise leaves. Of course he has a big incentive to stay: for some reason, Natira has the hots for him. As he’s dying anyway, why not live out the remainder of his days where there’s a steady supply of high priestess lovin’? So he accepts the Instrument of Obedience (which is either the name of a punk band or the chip the Oracle uses to punish people who disobey) and gets married.

But then a complication arises. Natira shows McCoy the secret location of the sacred book that contains the wisdom of the Oracle. Figuring that it may provide instructions for steering the ship away from impending disaster, he contacts the Enterprise to relay the good news. Unfortunately the Oracle doesn’t take kindly to blabbermouths, and it instruments him into obedience. Good thing a standard Star Fleet medical kit comes with a handy Instrument of Obedience remover. Spock has McCoy de-instrumented in short order, and after further tussles with the Oracle the book is retrieved, the controls reset and everything set aright.

“Everything” even includes McCoy, as conveniently enough the tome also features the recipe for a cure for his disease. Now that he isn’t dying anymore, spending the rest of his life rock-dwelling no longer appeals, even if a priestess is part of the bargain. So as in some half-baked Simpsons episode, the status quo is restored.

Episode rating:

Stardate: 5476.3

Episode type: Enterprise crew

Written by: Rick Vollaerts

Original air date: November 8, 1968

Day of the Dove / The Tholian Web

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