A malfunctioning transporter causes Kirk to split into two captains, one good but weak willed, the other wicked but forceful. While bad boy Kirk causes havoc on board the Enterprise, slugging back Saurian brandy and sexually assaulting Yeoman Janice Rand, good Kirk struggles to make decisions concerning his men trapped on the sub-zero surface of the planet below (the script conveniently ignoring the fact that the Enterprise has a shuttle craft). Eventually, Kirk has no choice but to test the rapidly repaired transporter on himself... both of him.
William Shatner has a blast playing Jekyll and Hyde in this episode, hamming it up a treat as Kirk's evil alter ego: it's a manic tour-de-force of gleefully exaggerated expressions and wild gesticulations that is a pleasure to behold. The plot, by Richard Matheson, is quite preposterous (but would later be recycled for Superman III), although any show that features a dog in a furry, horned costume masquerading as an alien is okay by me.
William Shatner has a blast playing Jekyll and Hyde in this episode, hamming it up a treat as Kirk's evil alter ego: it's a manic tour-de-force of gleefully exaggerated expressions and wild gesticulations that is a pleasure to behold. The plot, by Richard Matheson, is quite preposterous (but would later be recycled for Superman III), although any show that features a dog in a furry, horned costume masquerading as an alien is okay by me.