The Mark of Gideon

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"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 George F. Slavin and Stanley Adams, directed by Jud Taylor and novelized in Star Trek 6 by James Blish. A remastered version of this episode was aired in syndication, premiering on 31 May 2008.

Summary

Captain's log, stardate 5423.4.: We are orbiting the planet Gideon, 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 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.

References

Characters

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

Science and classification

anatomy • beaming • birthrate • coordinates • disease • life span • matter • orbit • planet • physio-cultural report • space • star • star system • stardate • synchronous orbit

Medical conditions

bruise • fever • Vegan choriomeningitis

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

Lifeforms

bacteria • bull • germ • humanoid • microbe • microorganism • virus

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

arm • auditorium • Bones • book • boot • captain's log • captain's log, USS Enterprise, 2268 • capital city • chess • city • clothing • diplomacy • dress • Federation members • fetus • finger • five-year mission • Gideon Council Chambers • government • homeworld • hood (clothing) • hour • jumpsuit • language • lifeform • log entry • logic • memory • nation-state • pants • paradise • petticoat • poker • population • quadrant • races and cultures • rank • red priority • regulation • sandwich • ship's log • ship's log, USS Enterprise • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2260s) • sterile • suicide • technology • title • treaty • tunic • uniform • universe • 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. (TOS novel: The Rings of Time)

Appendices

Related media

Gideon's surface. (ST reference: *The Worlds of the Federation*)

ST reference: The Worlds of the Federation
- Depicts the coordinates and maps of the Gideon system and homeworld, as well as the Gideonite history and clothing. Gideon is identified as Delta Dorado VII, consistent with data provided in the "Introduction To Navigation" booklet accompanying Star Trek Maps.
ST references: Star Trek Maps, Star Charts, FASA RPG module: The Federation
- Depicts the coordinates and maps of the Gideon system and homeworld.
TOS novel: The Rings of Time
- Kirk recalls the Gideon trick.
ST reference: The Star Trek Encyclopedia
- Information about this episodes production and references are consistent in the 20th century versions of this work. The 21st century Star Trek Encyclopedia also relates material about this episode.

Adaptations

Video releases

Background

Actor Stanley Adams co-wrote this episode after playing the part of Cyrano Jones in the second season TOS episode: "The Trouble with Tribbles".
The novelization by James Blish contains a scene where Odona 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 Gene Dynarski (Krodak) had previously played Ben Childress and would later play Orfil Quinteros. Richard Derr (Fitzgerald) previously played Commodore Barstow.
This episode marks the only time the bridge set was filmed empty, in this case representing the replica Enterprise. TOS episode: "This Side of Paradise" had previously showed the actual Enterprise bridge devoid of personnel, but with a single Omicron Ceti spore plant present.

Notable cast and crew

Images

Episode images

Adaptation images

Connections

Timeline

published order
Previous episode: Whom Gods Destroy	TOS episode produced	Next episode: The Lights of Zetar
Previous episode: Let That Be Your Last Battlefield	TOS episode aired	Next episode: That Which Survives
Previous story: The Cloud Minders	Star Trek 6	Next story: last story until Star Trek 7
chronological order
Previous Adventure: The Shoulders of Giants One	Pocket	Next Adventure: The Lights of Zetar
Previous Adventure: Whom Gods Destroy	Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) (2264 to 2270)	Next Adventure: The Lights of Zetar

External links

The Mark of Gideon article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
The Mark of Gideon article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

↑ This character was not named in the episode but the same actor, wearing an officer's Starfleet uniform, was addressed as Brent in TOS episode: "The Naked Time". The same actor also played the character of Vinci.

[ref-brent-1] This character was not named in the episode but the same actor, wearing an officer's Starfleet uniform, was addressed as Brent in TOS episode: "The Naked Time". The same actor also played the character of Vinci.

[1]

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki