Mudd's Passion (episode)

Real world article

(written from a production point of view)

The interstellar con artist Harry Mudd returns, selling what he thinks is a fake love potion.

Summary[]

"Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), 2269"

Upon the USS Enterprise's arrival at the planet Motherlode, Captain Kirk asks Spock what the odds are of Harry Mudd's presence on the planet. Spock tells the captain that the odds of him being on the surface are approximately eighty-one percent, plus or minus .53. "Why can't you just say "Mudd's probably there?"" Dr. McCoy asks. "I just did, doctor," Spock replies. Lieutenant Arex reports that the Enterprise has entered parking orbit of the planet. Kirk beams down to Motherlode with Spock, and after locating Mudd, Kirk tells him that he's wanted for fraud, illegal drug manufacturing and swindling. For proof Mudd demonstrates the potion on a woman who Spock discovers to actually be a reptilian illusion created by a Rigellian hypnoid. Angered by this, the miners begin to attack Mudd, but he is once again rescued by the Enterprise crew, apprehended, and incarcerated. Mudd blames Kirk for ruining his scheme on Motherlode and sues him, in which Kirk reluctantly complies.

Aboard the ship, Spock requests a medical report from Nurse Chapel. Mudd, imprisioned in the brig, sees that she is enamored of him but he is "a trifle lacking in the warmer emotions." He then proceeds to convince Chapel to try the potion on Spock. When Chapel thinks that the potion does not actually work, she becomes bitter and seeks out Mudd. Without warning, the potion begins to take an effect on Spock. He had no immunity to its effects; it simply took somewhat longer to affect a Vulcan, and as he hands over his report with her summary appended he says, "Ahh. Nurse Chapel's sweet summary. Dear, lovely, Christine." During a fight between Mudd and Chapel, love crystals are broken near an air vent in the Enterprise's shuttlebay and permeate throughout the ship. It begins to affect the entire crew. Mudd captures Chapel and escapes to a rocky planet in a stolen shuttlecraft. The love-stricken Spock becomes so enamored with his beloved Nurse Chapel that he will do anything to rescue her. Spock wants to lead a landing party and he tells Kirk, "Captain, I insist upon going. Christine, I can't stand the thought of any danger to her. The woman I love." Kirk exclaims, "Love, Spock?" Spock replies, "Yes, captain. I want to protect her. Hold her in my arms." Spock seems to be utterly unstoppable.

"Captain's log, supplemental. Harry Mudd has escaped from the Enterprise taking Head Nurse Chapel with him, apparently as a hostage. Meanwhile, Mr. Spock is acting very strange."

Kirk and Spock, best friends — "*My dear friend, Spock.*"

Spock says, "Come on, hurry. If he's harmed one hair on her pretty head..." Kirk accompanies Spock but they are attacked on the planet by rock beasts. Spock asks Chapel, "Darling. Are you all right?" Chapel questions, "Darling? How wonderful." Unable to transport to the vessel because of the potion's affect on the crew, Kirk asks Spock, "Can't you take your hands off her?" Spock replies, "That's my affair. Jim. No, captain. We're both reacting to the drug. The love potion."

On the ship in sickbay, McCoy is flirting with a crew woman and says, "Did I ever tell you about the time I saved Captain Kirk's life? Or Spock's? And my dear friend Scotty? And that pretty little Lieutenant Uhura. I've saved just about everybody on this here ship. If the Enterprise had a heart, I'd save her too. Oh, let's talk about your heart, my dear."

When Kirk thinks he can distract the beasts Spock tells him, "That is an outstandingly stupid idea! Ah, I'm sorry. The drug. I simply doubt that we can appeal to their better nature, if they have one." Kirk, though, uses the crystals to make the beasts become docile and loving. Eventually the potion wears off and the crew beams everyone back to the ship, but then the chemical proves to have rebound after-effects that cause hatred and animosity among the crew.

Mudd is placed back in the brig, where he confesses to other con jobs. When Spock then asks Chapel if he can help her to record Harry Mudd's confession, she adamantly repulses him. Spock comments, "A few moments of love paid for with several hours of hatred. Your potion is scarcely a bargain, Harry." Spock then assures Mudd he will get rehabilitation therapy for his crimes. Mudd laughingly answers, "I just hate to leave you all, all my loved ones."

Log entries[]

Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), 2269

Memorable quotes[]

"The probability of his presence on Motherlode is eight-one percent, plus or minus .53."
"Why can't you just say, 'Mudd's probably there?'"
"I just did, Doctor."

- Spock and McCoy

"Ah, that was a miching trick, Kirk. You've cost me me ship, everything I own. Even the love crystals. I may just sue you."
"Fine. I'll see you in court, Harry."

- Harry Mudd filing a lawsuit against Captain Kirk

"They'll find you soon enough my little poppet. You'll be safe and I'll be long gone."
"Gone where? The planet's a desert."
"There's always a market for an ingenious man."

- Mudd and Nurse Chapel

"Captain, Doctor... I... uh, wish to report a number of strange... emotions."
"What?"
"What?"

- Spock, McCoy, and Kirk

"You're funny and very attractive for a Human."

- Lieutenant M'Ress, to Scotty

"By the way, anybody keeping a trace on the captain and Mr. Spock?"
"Sure, Arex."

- Arex and M'Ress, on the bridge and affected by Mudd's love crystals

"Thanks, Jim, it's good to have a friend like you."
"Strange, that's how I feel about you, too. My dear friend Spock."

- Spock and Kirk

"Jim. No, captain. We're both reacting to the drug. The love potion."
(Surprised) "It worked?"

- Spock and Mudd

"I've saved just about everybody on this here ship. If the Enterprise had a heart, I'd save her, too. Now, let's talk about your heart, my dear."

- Bones, to a lovely young Lieutenant

"That is an outstandingly stupid idea!"

- Spock - Listen ^{file info}

"I've got a hangover to shame all previous hangovers, but I didn't touch a drop of scotch."
"Not so loud, you fool."
"Yeah! Well, all of a sudden, I don't like you much, either!"

- Scotty and M'Ress

"May I help you record his confession, nurse?"
"YOU? You'd be the last person I choose."
"A few moments in love, paid for with several hours of hatred. Your potion is scarcely a bargain, Harry."

- Spock and Chapel

Background information[]

Story, script, and cast[]

Ursinoid miner sketch — Storyboard art from this episode, showing an Ursinoid miner

This is a sequel to the Star Trek: The Original Series episodes "Mudd's Women" and "I, Mudd", both of which also feature the character of Harry Mudd and were written by Stephen Kandel, who additionally wrote the story for an ultimately undeveloped third Harry Mudd installment for TOS, entitled "Deep Mudd". He found the process of arranging to write this episode for Star Trek: The Animated Series was fairly easy. "Dorothy Fontana just called me for a script," he said. "It was as simple as that." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages, p. 98)
The first draft script of this episode was submitted on 4 May 1973. The installment's final draft script was submitted on 24 May 1973.
Along with Mark Lenard (Sarek) and Stanley Adams (Cyrano Jones), Roger C. Carmel (Harry Mudd) is one of only three actors, besides the regulars, to play the same character on both this series and Star Trek: The Original Series.
In a production inconsistency, Kirk is seen wearing a red-shirt at 21:45.

Reception[]

The unofficial reference book The Trek 25th Anniversary Celebration (p. 47), by James Van Hise, cites this episode – due to Roger C. Carmel reprising the character of Harry Mudd herein – as one of three installments that, collectively, the book regards as "the plus side" of Star Trek: The Animated Series (the other such outings being "Yesteryear" and "More Tribbles, More Troubles").
The editors of Trek magazine collectively scored this episode 3 out of 5 stars (a rating that they termed "good"). (The Best of Trek #1, p. 110)
In the book Trek Navigator: The Ultimate Guide to the Entire Trek Saga (p. 150), co-writers Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross both individually rate this episode 3 out of 4 stars (which they also define as "good").
In Star Trek Magazine's "Ultimate Guide" (Star Trek Magazine issue 163, p. 25), this episode was rated 3 out of 5 Starfleet arrowhead insignia.

Continuity[]

This episode would represent Harry Mudd's final canonical appearance for almost 44 years until the release of the Star Trek: Discovery episode "Choose Your Pain" in October of 2017.
This is also the last episode to feature the Chapel-Spock relationship previously seen in several TOS episodes, notably "The Naked Time" and "Plato's Stepchildren".

Apocrypha[]

An adaptation of "Mudd's Passion" can be found in Star Trek Log 3 by Alan Dean Foster, along with similar short-story adaptations of "Once Upon a Planet" and "The Magicks of Megas-Tu". As such, this story is set up by the prose version of "Once Upon a Planet", which ends with the Enterprise set on a course for the Arcadian system, and depicts events after the conclusion of this episode itself, including Kirk delivering Harry Mudd into Starfleet custody, shortly before the adaptation of "The Magicks of Megas-Tu" begins. This sequence of narratives is not, however, in keeping with that of the episodes themselves.
Harry Mudd was subsequently featured in various Star Trek video games. Mudd was also considered for appearances in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (appearing as a character witness at the trial of James Kirk, echoing Kirk's promise to appear as one for Harry's trial in "Mudd's Women") and during the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. (Unfortunately, however, Roger C. Carmel died eleven months before The Next Generation debuted.)
This episode was the first of three mutually exclusive sequels to "Mudd's Women" and "I, Mudd". The second was Judith A. Lawrence's novella "The Business, as Usual, During Altercations", published in Mudd's Angels in 1978. The third was Jerry Oltion's 1997 novel Mudd in Your Eye. Lawrence's introduction to Mudd's Angels (dated 1977) specifically states that, due to a problem regarding rights and agreements, she was forced to disregard this episode upon writing her novella from that book.

Video and DVD releases[]

UK VHS release (CIC Video): Volume 3, catalog number VHR 2537, 20 January 1992
As part of the The Animated Series DVD collection
As part of the The Animated Series Blu-ray collection

Links and references[]

Starring the voices of[]

William Shatner as Capt. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock

And

DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy

Previous episode:
"Once Upon a Planet"

Star Trek: The Animated Series
Season 1

Next episode:
"The Terratin Incident"

Mudd's Passion (episode)

Contents

Summary[]

Log entries[]

Memorable quotes[]

Background information[]

Story, script, and cast[]

Reception[]

Continuity[]

Apocrypha[]

Video and DVD releases[]

Links and references[]

Starring the voices of[]

Also starring the voices of[]

Guest star[]

Background characters[]

References[]

External links[]

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