Product Details

• Actors: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan
• Directors: Ralph Senensky
• Writers: Gene Roddenberry, Jean Lisette Aroeste
• Producers: Edward K. Milkis, Fred Freiberger, Gene Roddenberry, Gregg Peters, Robert H. Justman
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: CBS Paramount International Television
• VHS Release Date: April 15, 1994
• Run Time: 46 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 630021365X
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #277,116 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Symbolism of our "separateness" is thought provoking., May 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 62: Is There In Truth No Beauty? [VHS] (VHS Tape)

On a surface level, the story-line seems fairly simple. The pivot point comes as the Medusan, having lived a life unbound by corporeal limitations, experiences what we as humans take for granted - our "apartness", our separate "individualness". The concept that unity of multiple minds or intelligence can achieve synergy if we think or experience beyond pre-conceived bounds opens an exciting door of possibility.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beauty is Only Skin Deep -- Unless You're a Gaseous Form, June 29, 2007

By 

Brian Overland (Bellevue, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 62: Is There In Truth No Beauty? [VHS] (VHS Tape)

One of the marvelous, unique features of Trek is that it was sometimes able to use a science fiction premise to dramatize some aspect of the human condition like nothing else could. One is reminded of racism illustrated by the half-white-half-black people of "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield." Here the device used illustrates the issues of inner vs. outer beauty in an extraordinary way.

The Enterprise hosts a Medusan ambassador. The aptly-named Medusans are said to have "the most sublime thoughts in the galaxy," but their gaseous appearance is so ugly that the mere sight of one drives a human into suicidal insanity. The specialist who accompanies him, Miranda Jones (Diana Muldar in her second appearance) is blind, although no one knows that at first other than McCoy.

Unfortunatley, from this promising start we get an episode that plays weirdly like soap opera much of the time. An engineer with the pedestrian name "Larry Marvik" is in love with Miranda, who has given her life to the Medusan ambassador. Another love triangle involves Miranda's bitter jealousy of Spock for his natual affinity with the Medusan. When the Medusan indicates a desire for the Vulan mind meld, Miranda screams. A bit melodramatic, to say the least, and demeaning to her character.

What redeems the episode is the scene near the end in which the Medusan temporarily shares consciousness with Spock. (You see, the Enterprise is in a void and only the Medusan can pilot the ship to safety, but he needs the use of a humanoid body to do so.) As played by Nimoy, the ambassador is charming, witty, and engaging, offering some lovely insights into the human condition because his usual point of view is so different. This is the sort of thing that science fiction at its best ought to do.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent alien form, unbelievable actions by humans, August 28, 2004

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 62: Is There In Truth No Beauty? [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I must admit that I have a soft spot for science fiction stories featuring aliens that are not bipedal humanoids that speak unaccented American English. In this episode, the Enterprise is transporting Kollos, the Medusan ambassador, to his post. The Medusans are non-corporeal entities whose appearance drives humans insane. Even Vulcans are affected, although they are safe if they wear a protective visor. Dr. Miranda Jones is a telepathic human who has studied on Vulcan. She is the ambassador's companion; her telepathic contacts with Kollos are his connection to the human world. Her goal is to forge a true mind link with Kollos, becoming his companion and a continuous link so that he can carry out his duties.
The third member of the Kollos delegation is Lawrence Marvick, who is in love with Miranda Jones and his jealousy over her plans with Kollos are consuming him. In a fit of anger, he enters the ambassador's quarters, with his goal being to kill him. Kollos responds in the only way he can, exposing himself and driving Marvick mad. Since Marvick was one of the original designers of the Enterprise, he understands how it operates. He goes to engineering and controls the engines so that the Enterprise velocity dramatically increases and they enter a void with no physical markers that they can use to plot a return course.
The Medusans are noted for their innate navigational ability, so Spock proposes that he mind meld with Kollos so that he may navigate them out of the void. However, Miranda is jealous of Spock and tries to prevent the meld. She is overruled by Kollos and the meld between Spock and Kollos takes place. The Enterprise is safely returned to normal space, but Spock does not wear the protective visor when the link is dissolved, so he also enters a state of madness. His only hope is to have Miranda form a deep mind meld with him and bring his mind back to a normal state. At first she cannot overcome her jealousy, but after Kirk gives her a very stern lecture, she performs the meld and Spock recovers.
While I enjoy the idea of an unusual alien, the rest of the story is absurd. The intense emotions that Miranda has about her link with Kollos would not be tolerated in one that is to be the sole link between two species. Diplomacy is a very formal and precise operation, and emotional instability is the antithesis of good practice. Her argument against Spock making the meld with Kollos when the ship is in danger is extremely irrational and would not be tolerated. Marvick is also an unbelievable character. To think that he would attempt to kill the ambassador of another species over his love for Miranda is absurd. Killing the ambassador would destroy his only chance to be involved with her. For these reasons, when ranking the episodes of the original series, I place this episode in the lower third.