Product Details

• Actors: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan
• Directors: Leo Penn
• Writers: Gene Roddenberry, Richard Matheson
• Producers: Gene Roddenberry, John D.F. Black, 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: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300213099
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #146,589 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Written by renowned novelist-screenwriter Richard Matheson (The Incredible Shrinking Man), the outstanding episode "The Enemy Within" proposes a transporter malfunction that results in Captain Kirk being divided into two versions of himself, one aggressive and brutal, the other sensitive and good. Essentially, the personality mix that makes Kirk an effective leader and balanced man is scattered like so many marbles, and the result is one captain running around mauling women and wreaking havoc while the other is frightened and indecisive. The production is very effectively done, and William Shatner's performance is among his most interesting. --Tom Keogh

From the Back Cover

A transporter malfunction causes both Kirk and a dog-like creature to split into separate beings: one compassionate, the other savage.

TREK TRIVIA
Leonard Nimoy devised the FVNP (Famous Vulcan Nerve Pinch) for this episode, believing that Spock would not hit the captain with the butt of his phaser.
Note that when the two Kirks beam in, neither is wearing an insignia, but when we see them later, they are! Watch for Sulu using his phaser to heat the rocks... it's the only time we see a phaser firing multiple beams.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kirk must face both death and his darker side, April 30, 2002

By 

jasenao (Dothan, Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 5: The Enemy Within [VHS] (VHS Tape)

After a transporter decides to go haywire, Captain Kirk gets split into two halves: an evil, unforgiving half and a nice, intelligent half. Not only does the real Captain Kirk have to worry about his other, animal-like half, but he also has some men that are trapped on a freezing, icy planet with nowhere to go. Is it possible to manage a double take of the captain and get the two halves to equal one again?

"The Enemy Within" is compelling, and it provides good entertainment the whole way through. It also has great acting like always from William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, and a memorable line from Spock. Not to mention that you'll see a now-famous maneuver from Spock the very first time it was performed, and something else in this episode that you'll never see in another show of Star Trek.

We must all face our darker side every now and then, but I don't think any of us have ever had to face ourselves the way Captain Kirk must do. I recommend any Star Trek enthusiast to add this episode to their collection.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking look at the nature of good and evil, March 29, 2001

By 

"sukhisoo" (Mesilla Park, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 5: The Enemy Within [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This episode provided me with some important food for thought, though I didn't completely agree with all of the ideas it presented. It was an unsettling reminder that many of our less desirable traits may be necessary to our effectiveness as human beings.

Wonderfully, it managed to do this without detracting from the very riveting storyline. Can Scotty and Spock fix the transporter in time to save the crewman from freezing? Will Kirk be able to regain the confidence that he has instilled in the crew?

This excellent episode provides Sulu with his best lines of the series and introduces the now classic Vulcan Nerve Pinch. A must for any Star Trek collection.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, but flawed episode, October 10, 2000

By 

Jon D. Stewart (San Antonio, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 5: The Enemy Within [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This was one of the very first episodes in the original series. Captain Kirk beams back up on the Enterprise from a frigid planet after another crewmember contaminated the transporter with a magnetic ore. After Kirk beams on, he becomes dizzy with Scotty escorting him to his quarters, with another Captain Kirk beaming up, a totally evil duplicate. Both his halves have to be transported back together or death will result. While his bad half is running amok the ship, including attempted rape of his yeoman, the good half has become weak and incompetent as a Commander, with the rest of the crew on the planet freezing in subzero temperatures. This was a great idea for an episode, but it tends to drag in many parts and it's painful trying to watch the good Kirk maintain his command abilities. The main complaints I had of this episode were the numerous bloopers. The Enterprise appears deserted in most scenes, there is no insignia on Kirk's uniform in the begining, the scratches on his face change sides, and the bridge viewscreen appears totally blank when the good Kirk confronts the bad Kirk near the end. Also, I don't see why the Enterprise couldn't have landed on the surface of the planet to rescue the men, but of course the show operated on a low budget. However, despite the flaws, it's fascinating watching the evil Kirk, especially the scene where he throws a tantrum in his quarters declaring himself as Captain and crying near the end "I want to live!". Leo Penn, father of Sean Penn, directed this one.