Obsession features a great Art Wallace script and solid performances by Shatner, Kelley and Nimoy. An away team is investigating a seemingly uninhabited planet, while carrying a cargo of medical supplies to a rendezvous for which they can't be late. A mysterious gas cloud attacks and kills a trio of red shirts by consuming their red corpuscles. Kirk recognizes the smell (literally) of all of this and explains that the last time he encountered this creature, half of his ship's crew was killed. The son if the captain Kirk served with is now a member of the Enterprise crew (Stephen Brooks) and Kirk believes that his hesitation doomed his crew mates. Soon, Kirk's obsessive behavior regarding the gas cloud has the crew questioning his sanity.
Ralph Senensky's direction keeps this classic Shatner episode tight, exciting, and well shot. There are many memorable scenes and the script allows for some very good character development for the young ensign as well as the principal cast members. And unlike the standard Star Trek Space Monster story, this ends up being as much a human-military (naval) drama as it is an adventure tale.
Ralph Senensky's direction keeps this classic Shatner episode tight, exciting, and well shot. There are many memorable scenes and the script allows for some very good character development for the young ensign as well as the principal cast members. And unlike the standard Star Trek Space Monster story, this ends up being as much a human-military (naval) drama as it is an adventure tale.