Product Details

• Actors: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy
• Writers: Gene Roddenberry
• Producers: Douglas S. Cramer
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English
• 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 (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300213412
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #38,381 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
After destroying 4 billion people in the Malurian star system, a 21st- century NASA probe called Nomad--carrying friendly greetings to whatever unknown, extraterrestrial race might find it--has a violent encounter with the Enterprise, nearly blowing the starship out of space. Hoping to sidestep another attack, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) invite the diminutive, computer-driven, impossibly powerful spacecraft aboard to learn how its peaceful mission was supplanted by a program to destroy life. Written by John Meredyth Lucas, who was intrigued by the idea of a sentient, almost godlike machine that turns against its creator, "The Changeling" transcends, fortunately, Star Trek's cash-strapped special effects department to become a compelling drama. (Let's just say that Nomad looks like a cross between the Tin Woodman and a 1960s beach radio.) Particularly memorable is Spock's mind-melding scene with Nomad, in which the Vulcan is shaken by the probe's chaotic memories of being captured by a machine planet and given destructive impulses. Frequent Trek director Marc Daniels was particularly proud of the way his crew made Nomad appear capable of independent movement: There was one model for hanging from a wire, a second for standing on a floor, and a third for riding on a dolly (to get a sinister, point-of-view traveling shot). If "The Changeling" sounds vaguely familiar, it should: The script was rewritten as the basis for Star Trek: The Motion Picture. --Tom Keogh

From the Back Cover
Nomad, a deadly robotic space probe, is on target for Earth. Can Captain Kirk outsmart the killer computer?

TREK TRIVIA
The voice of Nomad was provided by Vic Perrin, who was heard as the voice of the baby-like Balok in "The Corbomite Maneuver". If you look very closely at the diagram of the Enterprise on the engineering set of Star Trek: The Next Generation, you will see a small Nomad on its side on one of the decks in the saucer section!
In this episode, Scotty becomes the third crewman to die and return to life (McCoy dies in "Shore Leave" and Kirk dies in "Amok Time")

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This episode gets a C grade and is ranked 53rd out of 80, October 22, 1999

By A Customer

The U.S.S. Enterprise is sent to investigate the destruction of the Malurian System and its four billion inhabitants. When it arrives at the coordinates, the starship itself is threatened by a space going, self-contained computer/probe calling itself Nomad. When Kirk identifies himself by name, Nomad mistakes him for "The Kirk," and thinks him to be his creator. Nomad is beamed aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise and promptly erases Uhura's memory and kills Scotty, claiming that neither life form was perfect. At Kirk's demand Nomad repairs "the unit Scott," bringing him back to life. Spock attempts a Vulcan mind meld with Nomad and learns that it was created on Earth in the twenty first century by scientist Jackson Roykirk. Nomad's program was to seek out new life and report back to Earth. Damaged in space by a meteor, Nomad drifted until it found Tan Ru, an alien probe designed to sterilize soil. Using their self-repair systems, the two probes combined themselves into one. Nomad's programming was damaged and by joining with Tan Ru's now believes its mission is to seek out life and destroy anything that it does not believe perfect. Kirk convinces Nomad that it had mistaken him, Captain James T. Kirk, for Nomad's creator, Jackson Roykirk, thus making Nomad imperfect and a candidate for "sterilization." A confused Nomad begins to self-destruct, exploding just after Kirk beams the changeling into space. Kirk checks on Uhura's progress after the attack by Nomad. McCoy informs him that her brain is undamaged and she must simply "relearn" what the probe erased.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Spock mind-melds with aluminum!, November 3, 2004

By	Shelley Shay (Denton, TX **(God Bless the USA!!)**) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Oh, holy cow! These original series episodes were so visionary, and so retarded at the same time! The Enterprise is investigating why all communication from the Malurian system has ceased. When they apporach the system, it becomes evident that there is no communication because there are no life forms. Over 4 billion people are gone - no plants, no animals, nothing that lives.

While trying to figure out what could have happened to these people, these giant white things that look like Honda-sized tic-tacs come flying at Enterprise, jarring the crew about. Kirk opens a hailing frequency and tells the unknown vessel that is pommelling them that they are on a peaceful mission. The attacks stop and communication ensues - but the other side communicates so fast, it burns out some of their communication equipment.

The one communicating to them identifies himself as Nomad. The vessel, which weighs over 500 kilos but is only 1 meter high, isn't big enough for any of the crew to beam over as Nomad requests, so they beam Nomad over instead. Expecting a very tiny alien to come out of the ship, they suddenly realize that this entire mechanical object is Nomad.

Nomad was sent out by Earth "in the early 2000s" according to Kirk on a mission to scout for life. Nomad collided with a meteor and was damaged and had lost a good portion of its memory until it encountered another probe, this one alien, with equally advanced artificial intelligence. The alien probe, which had the mission of sterilizing imperfections in soil for colonization purposes, merged with Nomad to repair one another. The convoluted mixup made Nomad think his duty was to sterlize anything that isn't perfect. This is what happened to the poor Malurians - they were killed because they were imperfect.

The only thing that is saving the Enterprise crew is that the mentally scarred probe thinks Kirk created him. The probe apparently has the same quirks as humans - the creator was really Jackson Roykirk, but Nomad thinks the name is familiar enough.

Nomad is restless when it doesn't have a job to do - he's a type-A personality probe, ya know. Kirk (Nomad refers to him as Creator) orders him to stay in one place, but Nomad then gets itchy pants (or panels) and goes wandering. It keeps analyzing its surroundings and sterilizes what it thinks needs sterlizing. It claims that it has a perpetual source or renewable energy/power, which would explain how it was able to zap 4 billion people out of existence without it's batteries going bad.

While trying to find out a way to talk some sense into it, Spock opts to mindmeld with Nomad. PULLLEASE! This is so illogical, it hurts my brain stem! Later, it kills Scotty, but under orders from Kirk, it brings him back to life.

It mosies into Uhura's quarters and freaks out because she's singing and zaps her head until she has no knowledge and has to be taught to read and write all over again - but Dr. McCoy says that in just a few hours, she's already at college level and in a couple of days, she'll be ready for duty. WHAT?!

My generous gift of 4 stars is due to the fact that these shows are nearly 40 years old and are incredibly visionary - but holy cow, there is some cheesy crap in here! Some great acting and cool concepts - but that mind-melding with the scrap heap slapped a star right off this review. Shazam - what were they thinkin'?!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Enterprise deals with a strange device, September 20, 2000

By	retrowens (Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

In "The Changeling," Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise have a strange visitor who boards the ship. It's a robot-like creature that was created by a known genius, and it goes by the name of Nomad. The Nomad says it is out to do away with imperfect units, but it will listen to what Captain Kirk has to say. Captain Kirk, Spock, and the others have to find a way to deal with this strange new device before it puts an end to the whole crew.

"The Changeling" is a pretty good episode of Star Trek. It's interesting and the plot doesn't suffer any in the process. If you like Star Trek, I would recommend getting "The Changeling."