Yesteryear

"Yesteryear" was the second episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series. It was produced in TAS' first season and debuted on 15 September 1973. The episode was written by D.C. Fontana and directed by Hal Sutherland. It was novelized in Star Trek: Log One by Alan Dean Foster in June 1974 and subsequently adapted by View-Master. The episode's design of ShiKahr was added to the remastered edition of TOS episode: "Amok Time". Events from the story were revisited in TOS - Crucible novel: The Fire and the Rose, DTI novel: Forgotten History, and in TOS movie & novelization: Star Trek.

Introduction[]

VHS teaser: Returning from a mission to the past, Mr. Spock discovers he has erased his own existence!

Log entries[]

Captain's log, stardate 5373.4.: After an unexpected delay of some substantial awkwardness, we resumed our original course and are now lying in orbit around the planet of the time vortex. Commander Spock and I will land to carry out basic research for the Institute of Galactic History, in conjunction with and in support of similar research to be conducted by historians Jan Grey, Loom Aleek-Om, and Ted Erickson. Dr. Leonard McCoy will also accompany us, as interested onlooker. (Novelization)

Excerpt from the log of Capt. James Kirk.: Time travel — exploring the past in person — what an intriguing way to research history! Yet there is always the danger that the researcher may innocently set in motion a chain of past events that can drastically alter the present… Starship USS Enterprise has discovered the one spot in the Galaxy where time travel is a possibility: the Time Vortex planet. At a certain point on this planet's surface, all the space-time force fields of the Galaxy come into focus. This point, a crossroads of space and time, is a natural stone arch with a round opening, known as the Guardian. The Guardian has an intelligence of its own. It can program itself to admit visitors to explore any requested time in the past, anywhere in the Galaxy — on immediate demand. Or it can project images of past events for viewing. We are now orbiting the Time Vortex planet. Our mission: to assist in the investigation of Federation history. (View-Master adaptation)

Captain's log, stardate 5373.4.: We are in orbit around the planet of the time vortex, the focus of all the timelines of our galaxy. Our mission is to assist a team of historians in the investigation of Federation history. (Episode)

Captain's log, supplemental.: When we were in the time vortex, something appears to have changed the present as we know it. No one aboard recognizes Mr. Spock. The only answer is that the past was somehow altered. (Episode)

Spock's personal log, stardate 5373.9, subjective time.: The timeline seems to have changed again. Yet I do not believe I have done anything to disrupt it. My memory is quite clear regarding the date my cousin saved my life, and it is tomorrow. The kahs-wan ordeal is an ancient rite of warrior days. When Vulcans turned to logic, they reasoned they must maintain the tests of courage and strength to keep pure logic from making them weak and helpless. (Episode)

Personal log, stardate 5373.9, subjective time.: The time line seems to have changed once more, yet I cannot discover on thinking back anything I have done that might have affected it. My memory is quite clear regarding the actual day my cousin saved my life. That day is tomorrow. The Kahs-wan is an ancient rite of Vulcan's warrior days. When Vulcans turned to logic as the ruling element of their lives, they reasoned that it was necessary to maintain the old tests of strength and courage. Otherwise devotion to pure reason might make them grow weak and incapable of defending themselves from barbarians who might be less advanced mentally and socially. This, in itself, was of course a logical decision. (Novelization)

Personal log.: The boy Spock should be moving toward the L-langon Mountains. He — I — had much to prove to myself. The personal ordeal upon which I embarked was meant to determine the course my life would take. (Episode)

Personal log.: The boy Spock should be moving toward the L-langon Mountains. He . . . I . . . had much to prove to myself. The personal ordeal, I now remember, on which I embarked was meant to determine the course my life would take. Many things are coming back to me now, as I retrace my steps of thirty years past and as I become more familiar with this time of my youth. (Novelization)

Personal log.: Something unexpected has again occurred. The sehlat, I-Chaya, was struck by the poisonous claws of the le-matya he fought. He is dying, unless we can find a healer, and soon. (Episode)

References[]

Characters[]

Starships and vehicles[]

desert flyer • USS Enterprise (Constitution-class) • groundcar • Vulcan "Tube Ship"
Referenced only: freighter • Scopus (shuttle) • shuttle

Locations[]

Time Vortex planet (Historical Institute • Oyya) • Vulcan (L-langon Mountains • ShiKahr • Vulcan's Forge)
Referenced only: Aurelia • Canabbra IV (Temple of Halos) • Earth (South Pacific) • Lepidopt • Lunaport • Orion • Qahtan (Aljaddean Wall) • T'Khut • Vulcan (Dycoon)

Plants and animals[]

le-matya • sehlat • sucker vines

Races and cultures[]

Andorian • Aurelian • Human • Orion • Vulcan

States and organizations[]

Empire of Orion • Institute of Galactic History • Starfleet • Starfleet Academy • United Federation of Planets

Science and technology[]

antidote • annual physical • communicator • library computer • medical scanner • time travel • transporter • tricorder • viewscreen

Ranks and titles[]

ambassador • captain • commander • doctor • Earther • engineering officer • ensign • first officer • healer • historian • lieutenant • lieutenant commander

Other references[]

briefing room • Butterfly Wars • captain's log • captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), 2269 • city • civilization • crime • day • desert • euthanasia • Federation Charter • forest • glass • gold • hangar • hologram • jellyfish • Kahs-wan • kilometer • lion • logic • logic • mammal • marriage • millipede • missile • missile battery • mountain • mountain lion • ocean • orbital fortress • Organian Peace Treaty • panda • phaser • philosophy • plateau • practical joke • quartermaster • radiation • reptile • rombouton juice • sensor • stratosphere • stun • Tasmeen • tattoo • tea • tranquilizer dart • transporter room • tree • volcano • Vulcan nerve pinch • war • year

Appendices[]

Background[]

Mark Lenard reprised his role as Sarek, but Majel Roddenberry performed the role of Amanda Grayson.

View-Master adaptation[]

The adaptation was packaged under the title "Mr. Spock's Time Trek" in 1974. The packaging contained three reels of captioned 3-D slides from the episode and a 16-page, two-color illustrated booklet.
The booklet faithfully adapted the episode, with much of the dialogue transcribed verbatim. This adaptation differed from the episode only in a few details. Young Spock was said to be ten years old, rather than seven. Hikaru Sulu was not present. The Vulcan healer did not doubt Spock's word. Young Spock had two tormentors in the booklet, as per the final draft script dated April 20, 1973, whereas three Vulcan boys were seen taunting Spock in the aired episode and on the View-Master slide.
The booklet clarified a few story details. It did not name T'Khut, but did call it the twin planet of Vulcan. Events were specified as taking place one month prior to Spock's actual kahs-wan. The desert flyer was called an air car. Ted Erickson was explicitly identified as being in the time vortex with Kirk and Spock, as in the final draft script, whereas TOS - Crucible novel: The Fire and the Rose stated that it had been Paul Bates.

Novelization[]

The story took place several days after the events of TAS episode: "Beyond the Farthest Star", with Kirk referencing those events in his captain's log during the ship's approach to the Time Vortex planet.
Alan Dean Foster reiterated that Vulcan had no moon and pointed out during young Spock's trek to the healer that the boy's night vision had been well developed. T'Khut was not mentioned.
Historian Vassily, the appearance of the Historical Institute and a description of the political situation surrounding the Guardian – that it was cooperatively defended by five governments with armed satellites, planet-based phasers, and missile batteries — were unique to the novelization.
It was stated that the Guardian allowed 30 minutes local time to pass before automatically retrieving whoever passed through the portal. That allowed time enough for the historians to scan Vulcan history and create the time paradox in this story. That was different than the events of TOS episode: "The City on the Edge of Forever", in which Montgomery Scott observed that only a minute passed for him while Kirk and Spock were in 1930 Earth.
Historians Ted Erickson, Meijan Grey, and Loom Aleek-Om drew lots to decide who would go with Kirk and Spock. Subjective time, they spent 2 1/2 days in Orion's past.
I-Chaya was spelled Ee-chiya.

Related media[]

Spock's kahs-wan period featured in

TOS novel: Vulcan's Forge
TOS novel: Sarek
TOS comic: "Lt. Commdr. Spock: Psycho-File"

sehlats were in, or mentioned in

ENT episode: "Kir'Shara"
TOS episode: "Journey to Babel"
TOS - Year Four comic: "The Enterprise Experiment, Part 5"
TOS comic: "The Needs of the One"
DS9 comic: "Hostage Situation"

le-matya were in, or mentioned in

TOS - Star Trek: The Manga - Kakan ni Shinkou comic: "Forging Alliances"
TOS comic: "The Needs of the One"
TOS novel: The Vulcan Academy Murders

Video releases[]

Images[]

Connections[]

Timeline[]

published order
Previous episode: The Infinite Vulcan	TAS episode produced	Next episode: Beyond the Farthest Star
Previous episode: Beyond the Farthest Star	TAS episode aired	Next episode: One of Our Planets Is Missing
Previous story: Beyond the Farthest Star	Log One	Next story: One of Our Planets Is Missing
chronological order
Previous Adventure: DTI: Forgotten History Chapter 3, Section 3	Memory Beta Chronology	Next Adventure: The Fire and the Rose
Previous Adventure: Beyond the Farthest Star	Pocket	Next Adventure: One of Our Planets Is Missing
The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2269. The Pocket Books Timeline places events from this story in one other timeframe:
Previous Adventure: The Better Man (Chapter 1, Section 4)	2237	Next Adventure: Sarek (Chapter 6)

Production history[]

15 September 1973: First aired on NBC
June 1974: Star Trek: Log One novelization by Alan Dean Foster was first published
1974: View-Master adaptation was published
April 1985: Released on VHS in the UK in Volume One of "The Cartoon Adventures of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek" along with three other stories
July 1989: Released on VHS in Volume Two of "The Animated Adventures of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek" along with Beyond the Farthest Star
20 March 1990: Released on LaserDisc
2 December 1991: Released on VHS in the UK in Volume One of "The Animated Adventures of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek" along with three other stories
8 March 1997: Released on LaserDisc in Japan
1997: Re-released on LaserDisc
2003: TAS trading card set released, Star Trek The Complete Animated Adventures (Rittenhouse Archives)
November 2006: Released on DVD as part of "Star Trek: The Animated Series"
November 2016: Released on Blu-ray as part of "Star Trek: The Animated Series"

Translations[]

1993: German : Die Täuschung, translated by Lore Straßl. (Goldmann)

1994: Romanian : Anul de ieri, translated by Florin Șlapac. (Editura Teora)

External link[]

"Yesteryear" article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
Yesteryear review at TrekToday.
Yesteryear discussion at the Mission Log podcast.
Yesteryear discussion at the Saturday Morning Trek podcast.

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki