written by Gene L. Coon
REVISED FINAL DRAFT, dated January 23, 1967
report & analysis by David Eversole

This script was shot almost as written, except for two changes, only one of which dealt with any character scenes.

Coon specified that the Organians would live in a village modeled after old English villages--thatched huts, muddy streets, etc., and that the Citadel would loom behind this village. This of course was not realized on location, and we never see any exteriors, save for the first beam down and scenes in the Citadel courtyard. The scene where Kirk has a run-in with a Klingon soldier, in the script, is in a muddy back alley. As filmed, it was in the Citadel courtyard.

The big character scene that was deleted is a DEAD GIVEAWAY about the true nature of the Organians, and I can certainly understand why it was dropped, or cut from the aired episode.

After Kor tells "Baroner" that he may be a man he can deal with, Kor and Kirk exit. The three main Organians then have this rather clipped existentialist conversation:

ANOTHER ANGLE - COUNCIL

They all sit quietly, still smiling.

CLAYMARE
Fascinating.

TREFAYNE
To see such things in the flesh...

AYELBORNE
But they could harm one another.

CLAYMARE
It is not necessary.

AYELBORNE
What should we do?

CLAYMARE
I would like to watch.
Such opportunities are rare.

TREFAYNE
Indeed. I kemmen such things.

AYELBORNE
We can, of course, make certain.

CLAYMARE
But should we interfere?

AYELBORNE
When it becomes necessary.
It would be for the best.

TREFAYNE
We will watch. Good.

AYELBORNE
They are violent men.
It will be painful.

CLAYMARE
But the experience would
be worth it.

AYELBORNE
Very well. We will watch. But...

TREFAYNE
Yes. We shall. At the right time.

They sit back quietly and smile. HOLD ON THEM for some time. They do not move. Just sit. And smile.

Damn, Gene, just scream out loud that they're advanced beings who're just allowing this to occur on their world.

Coon describes the Klingons as "Oriental, hard-faced."

The two Klingons guarding the munitions dump have a couple lines of dialogue before Kirk and Spock knock them out. One of them is named "Chan."

GENE L. COON (1924-1973): Prolific television writer, producer and novelist, who wrote for such series as Wagon Train, Rawhide, Bonanza, The Wild Wild West (producer during the first season), Laredo, It Takes A Thief, The Streets of San Francisco and Kung Fu. He co-wrote The Questor Tapes with Gene Roddenberry. He penned two novels dealing with The Korean War (Coon served during this
conflict with the United States Marine Corps), Meanwhile, Back At The Front and The Short End. He was Star Trek's Producer during the first season, from the episode "Miri" through "Operation: Annihilate!" For the second season he produced "Catspaw" through "Bread and Circuses." For Star Trek, he wrote or co-wrote as GENE L. COON: "Arena," "A Taste of Armageddon," "Space Seed," "The Devil In The Dark," "Errand of Mercy," "Metamorphosis," "Bread and Circuses" and "A Piece of The Action." As LEE CRONIN: "Spectre of The Gun," "Spock's Brain," "Wink of An Eye" and "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield." Coon died of lung cancer less than a week after being diagnosed (he only sought a medical opinion for what he thought (or "hoped") was a bronchial infection brought on by smog at the urging of Robert Justman).

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