The Mark of Gideon

"The Mark of Gideon" was the 72nd episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, the 17th episode of the show's third and final season, first aired on 17 January 1969. The episode was written by and, directed by  and novelized in Star Trek 6 by James Blish.

Summary

 * Captain's log, stardate 5423.4. : We are orbiting the planet, which is still not a member of the United Federation of Planets. The treaty negotiations have been difficult because Gideon has consistently refused the presence of a delegation from the Federation on its soil, or any surveillance by the ship's sensors. They have finally agreed to a delegation of one. They insisted it be the captain of the USS Enterprise. I am, therefore, beaming down at once.


 * Log entry by James T. Kirk. : I am alone on the Enterprise. I have searched every area of the ship and still cannot find a trace of the crew, or an indication of how its disappearance was managed. The one thing that is obvious is that I suffered a memory lapse, during which time I bruised my arm. It is causing me some irritation.


 * Ship's log, stardate 5423.8. : First Officer Spock reporting. Obviously the Gideons have transported Captain Kirk onto this replica of the Enterprise to so confuse his mind as to make him susceptible to some extraordinary experiment. It is my intention to locate the captain and warn him before the experiment reaches its conclusion, which logic indicates means the end of the captain's life as he knows it.

Characters

 * Clifford Brent • Pavel Chekov • Fitzgerald (Admiral) • Hodin • James T. Kirk • Krodak • Leonard McCoy • Odana • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • unnamed Gideons • unnamed USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) personnel (USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) personnel)

Starships and vehicles

 * USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) ( heavy cruiser)

Locations

 * (Gideon system, Dorado constellation, the galaxy's Beta Quadrant)

Shipboard areas

 * USS Enterprise : bridge • transporter room

Planetary locales

 * Gideon : replica of USS Enterprise (bridge • corridor • engineering • observation deck • quarters, captain's • sickbay • transporter room) • Gideon Council Chamber

Races and cultures

 * Gideonite • Human • Vulcan

Technology and weapons

 * autoclave • cauterizer • communicator • intercom • medical kit • medical tricorder • sensors • starship • viewscreen • transporter • tricorder • viewing port

Materials and substances

 * atmosphere • blood • gas • oxygen • sapphire

States and organizations

 * Bureau of Planetary Treaties • Federation • Starfleet • Starfleet Command • Gideon Council

Ranks and titles

 * admiral • assistant • bureaucrat • captain • chief engineer • chief medical officer • commander • commanding officer • communications officer • councillor • diplomat • doctor • engineer • Excellency • Federation Starfleet ranks • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • first officer • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • helmsman • medical practitioner • navigator • officer • prime minister • repairman • representative • scientist • science officer • second officer • weapons officer • tactical officer

Other references

 * anatomy • arm • auditorium • bacteria • beaming • birthrate • Bones • book • boot • bruise • bull • captain's log • captain's log, USS Enterprise, 2268 • capital city • chess • city • clothing • coordinates • diplomacy • disease • dress • Federation members • fetus • fever • finger • five-year mission • germ • Gideon Council Chambers • government • homeworld • hood (clothing) • hour • humanoid • jumpsuit • language • life span • lifeform • log entry • logic • matter • memory • microbe • microorganism • nation-state • orbit • pants • • petticoat • planet • physio-cultural report • poker • population • quadrant • races and cultures • rank • red priority • regulation • sandwich • ship's log • ship's log, USS Enterprise • space • star • star system • stardate • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2260s) • sterile • synchronous orbit • suicide • technology • title • treaty • tunic • uniform • universe • Vegan choriomeningitis • virus • Vulcan neck pinch • weapon

Chronology

 * years prior to 2268 : Kirk contracts Vegan choriomeningitis. (prior to episode/novelization)
 * stardate 5423.4, 2268 (2260s chronology, 2264–2270 Enterprise voyages) : Enterprise travels to Gideon.
 * 2270 : Kirk recalls the Gideon trick.

Related stories

 * Depicts the coordinates and maps of the Gideon system and homeworld, as well as the Gideonite history and clothing.
 * Depicts the coordinates and maps of the Gideon system and homeworld.
 * Kirk recalls the Gideon trick.
 * Depicts the coordinates and maps of the Gideon system and homeworld.
 * Kirk recalls the Gideon trick.
 * Kirk recalls the Gideon trick.

Background

 * Actor co-wrote this episode after playing the part of Cyrano Jones in the second season.
 * The novelization by James Blish contains a scene where "Odona" (using the alternate spelling) accidentally burns off her finger with a medical instrument, and quickly re-grows the digit. This aspect of Gideonite physiology was not shown in the episode, although it was alluded that they did have a great resistance to injury. The prose version also added a scene where the crew proposes Odana will offer a symbol of illness to those she infects. The characters of Krodak and Fitzgerald were not named in the novelization.
 * Actor (Krodak) had previously played Ben Childress and would later play Orfil Quinteros.  (Fitzgerald) previously played Commodore Barstow.
 * This episode marks the only time the bridge set was filmed empty, in this case representing the replica Enterprise. had previously showed the actual Enterprise bridge devoid of personnel, but with a single Omicron Ceti spore plant present.