star trek return to genesis

STAR TREK’s “Genesis Trilogy” Proved You Don’t Need a Plan

When people talk about influential sci-fi movie trilogies from the late ‘70s and ‘80s, they usually are thinking of Star Wars . But there was another great sci-fi trilogy of the same era, and in its own way, it’s just as solid from a storytelling standpoint as George Lucas’ original films. We’re talking about the Star Trek “Genesis Trilogy.” Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Hom e (1986). And they were a trilogy of films that were never planned that way at all.

Now, you might say “Wait a minute, weren’t there five Star Trek films in that time period??” Technically, yes there were. But Star Trek II-IV forms a complete narrative trilogy. One that just so happened to have three other films bookend it. At the core of these three films is the creation and ramifications of the Genesis Project , a device that can create life, and the death and return of Spock. Hence, the fan-given “Genesis Trilogy” label. And this trilogy structure all happened by total chance, and wasn’t at all mapped out. And yet, it remains an immensely satisfying bit of cinematic sci-fi storytelling.

Paramount Pictures

Why the Star Trek “Trilogy” Didn’t Begin with Movie One

Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the first Trek feature film , came out in 1979. And it was something of a bloated, costly affair. The film had at the time an astronomical budget of $45 million, and Paramount was hoping a big-screen reunion of the original Star Trek TV series cast would be their Star Wars . Especially having a budget three times that of Lucas’ film. And although TMP disappointed most audiences and critics at the time, it did make money. Maybe not Star Wars money, but enough to justify a sequel .

But the powers-that-be at Paramount Pictures decided that a sequel would be completely different from TMP. Trek creator Gene Roddenberry , largely blamed for the creative decisions with TMP , received a “creative consultant” position, but was not allowed direct influence on the production. This allowed the studio to make the Star Trek movie they wanted to make. Something a lot more action/adventure and crowd-pleasing, and a little less ponderous.

Star Trek II : The Genesis of the “Genesis Trilogy”

Enter producer Harve Bennett , who took over the production. Coming from Paramount’s television division, he promised to produce the sequel for a much smaller $12 million budget. They reused many sets, props, and models from TMP to cut costs. Bennett commissioned five original scripts for the sequel, all of which contained very different stories. The hope was that one of these would be good enough to serve as the basis for the film.

Instead of an expensive industry veteran like Robert Wise, who directed TMP , He hired a young director named Nicholas Meyer , who came in and picked five different things he liked from each of the existing scripts. These pieces were the return of the original series villain Khan, Kirk meets his adult son, the Genesis Project, the Vulcan Lt. Saavik , and the death of Spock. In a week’s time, he combined all these elements into one cohesive script that satisfied everyone.

The Needs of the One (Spock) Outweigh the Needs of the Many

The trick was in getting Leonard Nimoy back as Spock, who swore that TMP was his Vulcan swan song. Bennett did the smart thing, and promised Nimoy a great death scene for Spock. Nimoy, as a stage actor as well as an on-screen one, couldn’t resist the prospect, and they were off to the races on the second Star Trek film. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan hit theaters on June 4, 1982.

As we know now, TWOK is Star Trek firing on all thrusters. It contains a great villain in Ricardo Montalban as Khan, a great new crew member in Kirstie Alley as Saavik, and the introduction of Kirk’s former lover Carol Marcus and their son, David. There was also an intriguing sci-fi concept at its core, the Genesis Project, a way of creating living worlds out of dead moons. Brought together with a touching death and send-off for Mr. Spock, TWOK was a huge hit with audiences and critics. Star Trek was officially back in the zeitgeist.

The Resurrection of Spock (And a Franchise)

With the success of TWOK , Nimoy was far less hesitant to play Spock again. Even though his character was dead. When he asked to direct a third film, Paramount was happy to oblige him. Instead of ignoring the death of Spock or telling some kind of prequel story, they picked up where TWOK left off. They looked for plot threads and hints from the previous film on how to bring his character back. They intentionally placed some of these hints as a storytelling “out,” and some were totally accidental. But with a bit of creative writing, Nimoy and Bennett concocted a story on how to bring Spock back.

But The Search for Spock never feels like it was anything but an organic continuation. After all, the previous film did leave Spock’s casket on the life-giving Genesis planet. It completely felt like some kind of setup for a resurrection story. But TSFS understands that if we as the audience are to get Spock back, then we have to lose several things. As Buffy the Vampire Slayer would later use to great effect when Buffy died and later resurrected, such returns from the grave come at a price. Captain Kirk loses his beloved Enterprise , his Starfleet rank, and his son David, murdered by the Klingons. But as Kirk says in the film, “If I hadn’t tried, then the cost would have been my soul.”

Bringing it Home

With TSFS another hit film, a fourth installment was a sure thing. Once again, Nimoy and Bennett delivered another crowd-pleasing hit with The Voyage Home . This time, with Nicholas Meyer back as screenwriter. After two heavy installments with much destruction and death, TVH was all about rebuilding and redemption. It was far more lighthearted, but it remembered to play off important Star Trek signifiers; time travel stories and social commentary. In this case, environmentalism . Ultimately, TVH comes to a rousing conclusion, one which is not only a fitting ending to this impromptu trilogy, but one that could have just as easily been a satisfying conclusion to the entire original Star Trek saga. It wound up being the biggest Star Trek movie hit to date.

You Don’t Always Need a Plan

Harve Bennett, Nicholas Meyer, and Leonard Nimoy purely did all of it on the fly. These days, when a series of films disappoints fandom, they go to social media and cry about how things “didn’t have a proper plan from the start.” You see this especially when it comes to critiques of the Star Wars sequel trilogy . But it’s not just that series. We saw it with the original Matrix sequels, and shows like Lost . But planning things out meticulously isn’t always the key to success either. We’re pretty sure they planned out the ending to Game of Thrones  from day one. And that didn’t exactly please a lot of people.

The Star Trek Genesis Trilogy proves there really isn’t a rule for this kind of franchise storytelling. In the final analysis, these three films cover a metric ton of thematic ground very successfully. They deal with coming to terms with old age and death, and when to let go (and not let go). It has a through line about friendship and sacrifice, and when “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one.” And they were also damned entertaining. With so many fans obsessed these days with meticulously drawn-out narrative plans for film and TV, Star Trek’s ’80s heyday proved it simply is not always a necessity.

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Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned U.S.S. Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis Planet to recover Spock's body. Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned U.S.S. Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis Planet to recover Spock's body. Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned U.S.S. Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis Planet to recover Spock's body.

• Leonard Nimoy
• Gene Roddenberry
• Harve Bennett
• William Shatner
• DeForest Kelley
• 265 User reviews
• 96 Critic reviews
• 58 Metascore
• 1 win & 7 nominations

Top cast 67

• (as Frank Force)

• Trainee Foster

• 'Mr. Adventure'

• Admiral Morrow

• Spock...Age 9
• Spock...Age 13

• Spock...Age 17
• Spock...Age 25

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Did you know

• Trivia In the opening credits, there is a six-second-long pause between William Shatner and DeForest Kelley 's names, where Leonard Nimoy 's name would normally be. It's only one second between each of the other names.
• Goofs [27:49]When Kirk checks the video logs to find the keeper of Spock's katra, the timestamp reveals that Spock melded with McCoy on stardate 8128.78. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) begins on stardate 8130.3.

[Witnessing the destruction of the Enterprise]

Kirk : [1:15:58] My God, Bones... what have I done?

McCoy : What you had to do, what you always do. Turn death into a fighting chance to live.

• Crazy credits Leonard Nimoy is credited as director in the opening credits, but is not included in the cast list. There is a long gap between the names of William Shatner and DeForest Kelley , which lasts for the length of time Nimoy's name would have been displayed.
• Alternate versions Some network broadcasts are noticeably truncated. In particular, the scene where Kruge destroys the female mercenary for looking at the Genesis information is deleted. The scene ends instead with the two characters expressing love for each other. The scene where McCoy refers to "that green-blooded son-of-a-bitch" is also censored.
• Connections Edited from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
• Soundtracks Theme From Star Trek (TV Series) by Alexander Courage

User reviews 265

• Apr 14, 2004
• How long is Star Trek III: The Search for Spock? Powered by Alexa
• If Genesis resurrected Spock, why couldn't it do the same for David?
• Why was the captain of the Grissom so shocked, and for that matter, the crew of the Enterprise surprised when the Klingon Bird Of Prey decloaked? They knew about cloaking technology. They learned about it in The Enterprise Incident (#3.2) on the original series
• Why does Star Trek III look cheaper than Wrath of Khan yet cost more?
• June 1, 1984 (United States)
• United States
• StarTrek.com (United States)
• Star Trek III: In Search of Spock
• Occidental College - 1600 Campus Road, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California, USA (near the end, stairs and fountain on planet Vulcan)
• Paramount Pictures
• Cinema Group Ventures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $17,000,000 (estimated)
• $76,471,046
• $16,673,295
• Jun 3, 1984
• $76,551,989

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 45 minutes
• Dolby Surround 7.1

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Published Jun 1, 2019

12 Things You Should Know About Star Trek III: The Search For Spock

The 'Trek' classic turns 35 years old today

StarTrek.com

The Leonard Nimoy directed Star Trek III: The Search for Spock opened in theaters on June 1, 1984 — 35 years ago today. It is illogical to waste time letting this milestone make you feel old, as time marches on, after all (or, in Discovery's case, leaps ). And so, instead, we're choosing to dwell not on the unknown nature of time, but the little known facts that make The Search for Spock an all- time classic Trek film.

Return to Genesis

Just a few days — or even a day, depending on the source — after Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan opened in theaters, writer-producer Harve Bennett started typing out what would become The Search for Spock . The title of his initial 20-page treatment/outline was Return to Genesis .

The Beginning and the End

Star Trek III began production on August 15, 1983, starting by filming the opening scene on the Enterprise bridge. Principal photography concluded on October 20, 1983 after wrapping a scene on the Excelsior bridge.

New and Old

Nimoy cast an array of veteran actors and newcomers in key roles. Mark Lenard returned to reprise his TOS role as Spock's father, Sarek, and Nimoy convinced the Oscar-nominated Dame Judith Anderson to play the pivotal role of the Vulcan High Priestess T'Lar. Meanwhile, Robin Curtis was a relative rookie when she took over the role of Saavik from Kirstie Alley, and Merritt Butrick was best known for the short-lived, but cult-favorite series Square Pegs when he reprised the role of Kirk's doomed son, David.

Taxi to the Stars

As anyone who'd seen One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest or The Lady in Red knew at the time, Christopher Lloyd knows his way around a dramatic role. But when the Back to the Future actor was tapped to play the Kruge, the Klingon commander, he was in the midst of generating laughs as Rev. Jim on the comedy series Taxi . According to Memory Alpha , Nimoy's first choice to play Kruge was actually Edward James Olmos (who would later star in Battlestar Galactica) but studio heads said no.

Nimoy, The Director

Star Trek III would be Leonard Nimoy's first stint as a feature film director. Back in a 2011 interview, StarTrek.com asked Nimoy about the experience . He replied:

"I was very comfortable shooting the movie. I did feel that I was being quite controlled, I guess is the word. I was made to justify everything that I did and explain everything that I was doing, which took a lot of energy. And I resented it. It bothered me that I was being so carefully monitored because I really felt that I knew what I was doing. I thought the script was workable and did what it had to do, which was to find Spock and get him back on his feet. I thought it was an interesting idea, the whole idea of the Genesis planet evolving and Spock’s remains evolving with the planet. It may not have been as much fun a film as some would like, but I thought it did the job. It did it what it set out to do. Maybe, in retrospect, we might have found a better story or construct, to get that job done. But we got the job done and the film was OK. At the box office, it did what was becoming the pattern for Star Trek films. It did about the same as was expected, so it was OK. It was not a gigantic runaway hit, but it was not considered a failure. And it was strong enough that they decided to go ahead and make another one after that."

Here There Be Tribbles

What's that we see in the bar scene in Star Trek III — Tribbles! ? They are indeed, making their first live-action appearance since TOS .

The Bottom Line

Star Trek III cost $16 million to make. It grossed $76.5 million at the North American box office. That figure was just below the North American gross of Star Trek II , which beamed up $78.9 million on a budget of $11.2 million.

What are some of your favorite Search for Spock facts or moments? Share them with us and check in on what other fans say @StarTrek !

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Genesis (episode)

• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.3 Production
• 3.4 Sets and props
• 3.5 Continuity
• 3.6 Reception
• 3.8 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Co-stars
• 4.5 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.6 Stunt doubles
• 4.7 Stand-ins
• 4.8.1 Library computer references
• 4.8.2 Unused production materials
• 4.9 External links

Summary [ ]

Dr. Crusher and Nurse Ogawa manage a busy day in sickbay

In sickbay , Nurse Alyssa Ogawa removes spines from Commander Riker 's back; an accident while he was in the arboretum with Rebecca Smith had resulted in a close encounter with a Cypirion cactus . Meanwhile, Lieutenant Barclay , having diagnosed himself with a lethal illness , goes to see Doctor Crusher – who assures him that he in fact is not suffering from any lethal illness at all, but instead has a mild case of Urodelan flu . Humans typically exhibit a natural immunity to the flu, but since the T-cells that would normally fight off the infection are dormant, she activates that particular gene with a synthetic T-cell to let his body fight the infection naturally. Data soon arrives carrying his cat , Spot . The cat is here for a routine check on the progress of her pregnancy ; she is expected to deliver before the end of the week. The talk of babies prompts Ogawa to reveal that she is herself pregnant with her husband 's child, prompting congratulations from Crusher.

Act One [ ]

" Goodbye, Spot. I believe you are in good hands. " " You have nothing to worry about, sir. "

On the bridge , Lieutenant Worf's new weapons guidance system is being put to the test. However, out of three photon torpedoes launched, only two hit their intended targets, while the third swerves off course. With the USS Enterprise -D unable to follow and disable the other torpedo due to a dense asteroid field ahead, Captain Picard and Data leave the ship to disarm the torpedo via a shuttlecraft . Before they leave, however, Data asks Picard if he can attend to a personal matter first. In his quarters , Data asks Barclay to watch over Spot. The cat might deliver before his return, and Barclay is one of the few people that Spot tolerates, and Data would prefer a Human to supervise Spot's birthing process.

As time passes on the Enterprise , several crewmembers begin to start displaying strange behavior. After being ordered to take a break from checking the problems with the guidance system, Worf shows signs of becoming increasingly irritable and very hungry. Meanwhile, Counselor Troi finds the atmosphere on the ship too dry and cold, constantly changing around the ambient temperature and humidity levels and consuming large amounts of salty foods and water . That night, Worf's behavior degenerates further and becomes more primal: he rips up his bed and sleeps tensely on the floor.

Act Two [ ]

In engineering , Lieutenant Barclay shows his own strange behavior. He seems unusually energetic, speaking so rapidly that La Forge and Riker are having difficulty keeping up with him. Riker's inability to keep up with Barclay is compounded by his own problems; he is having trouble with his memory and higher thinking.

On the bridge, Troi (currently on watch) keeps trying to raise the temperature, and Worf keeps turning it back down: complaining that she is making it too hot. Troi finally leaves the bridge to take a bath in her quarters.

A problem detected in engineering has Barclay and La Forge in the Jefferies tubes . Barclay finds and rapidly bypasses a ruptured plasma conduit . As he does, La Forge detects cholic acid around the hole in the bulkhead where the ruptured line was located. The bulkhead and conduit seems to have been dissolved by an organic solvent. But in contrast to Barclay's increasing hyperactivity, La Forge seems increasingly lethargic. Barclay suggests a biospectral analysis ; La Forge agrees before deciding to take a break.

The changes being experienced by the crew continue to progress. Riker finds himself unable to either remember the recent weapons testing or respond to a Starfleet request for a report on the matter. Troi sits in her bath tub , wearing her Starfleet uniform , trying to stay wet when Worf suddenly enters her quarters, approaches Troi, and bites her cheek.

Crusher is sprayed with venom by Worf

Both Troi and Worf are taken to sickbay, and Crusher quickly notices the changes. When Ogawa adds that more of the crew are experiencing symptoms, but while some are also finding the temperature too cold like Troi, there are others who have developed fevers , leading Crusher to conclude that something is spreading around the ship. She then turns her attention to Worf who is completely unresponsive to her questions, and notices something else: he has swellings under his jaw that appear to be venom sacs . They prove to be just that when Crusher asks him to open his mouth, and Worf suddenly sprays venom in Crusher's face, then flees sickbay before he can be captured, while Ogawa and another nurse rush to aid Crusher, who is in extreme distress.

In the observation lounge , Ogawa reports that she got Crusher into stasis before she became paralyzed by the venom. She will require reconstructive surgery, but Ogawa believes she will be all right. However, there is still the problem of the mysterious illness that is affecting the crew. Barclay reports that the venom that affected Crusher has been found in other parts of the ship, including at the ruptured plasma conduit seen earlier. Riker admits to his inability to think straight; he can't think properly when La Forge (now serving as acting first officer ) reports on having trouble locating Worf's life signs on sensors , and despite having seven security teams looking for him. He dismisses the senior staff and tries to send a subspace message to Starfleet concerning their problem, but finds himself unable to recall the command codes required.

Act Three [ ]

The Enterprise adrift

" Deanna? "

Picard and Data are a little puzzled to not be able to locate the Enterprise , as the ship is not at the prearranged coordinates. A quick search locates the ship, visibly adrift. Upon docking, they ascertain that the ship's main power systems are down, environmental systems are configured strangely, and where there should be over a thousand humanoid lifeforms there seems to be a near-equal number of myriad creatures. Some of the characteristics are inconsistent with those of the known crew, such as casting off skin like a reptile . They come upon Troi's quarters where upon entering, the humidity of her quarters was altered by the condensation of the room. They discover her in her bath tub, having somehow transformed into an amphibian -like creature. It is their first clue that the crew is undergoing unusual changes.

Data and Picard discover Ensign Dern 's body

Seeking to stabilize the ship, they then go to the bridge, finding it in shambles, with Ensign Dern found dead at the conn (from what appears to be an animal attack), his spine fractured in three places; he had also been affected, but was killed before undergoing any significant changes. From the bridge, Data is able to note that the crew is still on board the ship but in a similar state to that of Troi. Many of them have been gravitating towards water (the aquatic lab) and plants (the arboretum). Picard is unable to restore power to the ship due to the entire power-transfer grid being damaged. Suddenly, they hear a noise coming from the captain's ready room . There they discover Riker, now a brutish proto-Human, attacking the captain's aquarium (in which Livingston , the captain's lionfish , has also de-evolved into a jellyfish ). When he charges them, Data stuns Riker with his phaser. Based on what they've encountered so far, Data announces his hypothesis that the crew is de-evolving.

Act Four [ ]

Troi and Riker are taken to sickbay for further analysis. Data, after analyzing Riker's DNA , discovers that a synthetic T-cell has invaded his genetic codes and has begun to activate his latent introns , a result of Crusher's treatment of Barclay. He explains that introns are genetic codes which are normally dormant; they are sequences of DNA which provided key physical and behavioral characteristics millions of years ago but are no longer necessary. Counselor Troi's gill -slits and other amphibious characteristics, for example, are derived from introns which contain amphibious codes. Because introns can include genetic material from many different species over millions of years of evolution , it is possible that a wide variety of transformations is occurring among the crew. Since all humanoid life has a similar genetic pattern, the virus will work similarly on all non-Human lifeforms as well, and they will each be de-evolving to earlier forms of life in their homeworlds . He informs Picard that he has also been infected by the intron virus and is now slowly de-evolving into an earlier form of primate , such as a lemur or a pygmy marmoset .

Realizing that they do not have much time, they decide to act quickly. Since Data's computer in his quarters operates independently from the ship's computer and is probably still intact, they decide to go there in order to examine the situation further. Arriving at his quarters, Data notices that Spot, who has been expecting a litter of kittens , has finally given birth. A further search finds an iguana wearing her collar; they soon realize that the reptile is Spot and that the intron virus is capable of also affecting non-humanoids. Her kittens, however, do not seem to have been affected by the virus that has been plaguing the rest of the crew. Given that Spot's kittens are unaffected, Data and Picard conclude that the placental barriers and amniotic fluid that serve as a filtration system to protect the fetus in the placenta have probably prevented the intron virus from being passed on from Spot to her kittens. They decide that they probably can inhibit the intron virus by using the natural antibodies in Spot's amniotic fluid. However, in order for it to be effective on humanoid crewmembers, humanoid antibodies would be necessary. Recalling that Nurse Ogawa is expecting, they track her down to the arboretum. But before they can begin tracking her down, a failure in a warp plasma vent forces them to detour to main engineering so Data can program repairs. While checking on the status of the warp core , Picard is frightened by the sudden appearance of Barclay, partially transformed into a spider . Data surmises that his terror at the sight (a result of the heightened sense of awareness found in small primates) is an initial symptom of Picard's de-evolution; they need to hurry.

They locate Ogawa (who is apparently partially de-evolved into a proto-Human) and Data begins to analyze Ogawa's fetus, confirming that it is not affected by the virus. He says that he can use her amniotic fluid as a template for a retrovirus which in turn would neutralize the synthetic T-cell and re-establish the genetic patterns of each host. While working on finding a way to most quickly address the situation, something pounds on the sickbay door. Life sign scans show something big, armored, and Klingon ; it is Worf.

Act Five [ ]

A transformed Worf tries to force his way into sickbay. He appears to be seeking something or someone particular. Picard notices that the bite Worf gave Troi was not to hurt her but rather seemed part of a mating process, and that it appears as if Worf had come back for her. The situation becomes increasingly dangerous as an ever angrier and aggressive Worf almost breaks through the door. Data and Picard cannot just abandon Troi and the others in sickbay, but at the same time, Data needs to continue with his analysis of the amniotic fluid. Picard, who is beginning to experience the effects of the virus himself, suggests distracting Worf and luring him away from sickbay. He suggests extracting pheromones from Troi's sebaceous glands to lure Worf away from sickbay so that Data can continue his work and the others remain safe, over Data's objections.

While Data continues work on the retrovirus, Picard leads Worf on a chase through the Enterprise 's corridors until becoming cornered at the ruptured warp plasma conduit La Forge and Barclay had been repairing earlier. Picard improvises, sitting upon the insulated access panel and using the bypassed conduit to send electricity through the Jefferies tube, knocking out Worf. At that moment, Data reports that he has completed the retrovirus. It will make the introns in the crew dormant again; at Picard's consent, he floods the ship with a gaseous form of the new virus, turning the crew back to normal. Before that happens, Picard mentions to Worf his hope that when he wakes up, he'll be a new man.

In sickbay, Barclay nervously asks Dr. Crusher if all this was his fault. She states that actually it was her fault for having activated a dormant T-cell which, in turn, activated all dormant T-cells (including the introns). She suggests naming the virus after Barclay, calling it Barclay's Protomorphosis Syndrome . Jokingly, she tells Troi that Barclay not only de-evolved into a spider, but also had a new disease named after him. Troi sighs, and comments that she'd better clear her calendar for the next few weeks.

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Reg, you don't have Terellian Death Syndrome ! " " Are you… you're sure? " " I'm sure. "

" I have spent the past nine weeks as an expectant parent. I would be happy to share my insights with your husband . If my experience is any indication, he will need all the help he can get. "

" The torpedo is out of range. " " Even for your newly improved phasers? "

" Mr. Worf… I think that you should consider analyzing your new guidance system. "

" Doctor! My capillaries are shrinking!"

" She's such a sweet little kitty. " " She is to you. "

" Do not approach me unannounced – especially while I am eating. "

" Worf… open your mouth. "

" Are you saying that Worf is spraying this… " " VENOM! " " …this venom… all over the ship? " " I'd say so! "

" Well… before I begin swinging through the ship, looking for breakfast, we need to find some answers. "

" What – what's that? " " It is large, approximately two hundred kilograms. It is heavily armored with an exoskeleton. Life signs appear to be… Klingon. " " Worf! "

" Do you think he sees us as prey? " " There are crewmembers in the corridors and other sections of the ship. It would be easier for him to capture and consume one of them than attempt to break through a door. "

" Well, Mr. Worf… let's hope when you wake up, you're a new man. "

" He transformed into a spider… and now he's had a disease named after him. " " I think I'd better clear my calendar for the next few weeks. "

Background information [ ]

McFadden and director of photography Jonathan West

Dwight Schultz and his makeup artist Mike Smithson

McFadden sets up a shot

McFadden and Schultz between takes

Detailed makeup design

Production history [ ]

• Final draft script: 7 January 1994 [1]
• Premiere airdate: 21 March 1994
• First UK airdate: 15 May 1996
• It was written into the script that Gates McFadden's character, Beverly Crusher, would be severely disfigured by Worf. She was promptly put into stasis to prevent the injuries from worsening. The absence of Dr. Crusher from much of the episode gave the actress who played her, Gates McFadden , more time to spend directing the episode. ( Star Trek Encyclopedia , 2nd ed., p. 92)

Production [ ]

• This is the only episode of the series directed by Gates McFadden ( Beverly Crusher ), and the first episode of Star Trek directed by a female cast member. The next episode directed by a female cast member was VOY : " Riddles ", directed by Roxann Dawson six years later.
• Michael Westmore described his work in this episode as proving to be his greatest challenge. " Everybody mutated – Riker became an Australopithecine, Troi an aquatic animal, Barclay a spider, " he recalled. " We never would have been ready if the episode hadn't miraculously fallen right after Christmas . We worked through the holiday. " ( Star Trek 30 Years , p. 47)

Sets and props [ ]

• The chair in Worf's quarters was also seen in the episodes " Peak Performance ", " Family ", " Reunion ", " Redemption ", " New Ground ", " Cost Of Living ", " A Fistful of Datas ", " Birthright, Part I ", " Parallels ", and " Firstborn " and was used as the command chair aboard the Tarellian starship in the first season episode " Haven ". It was designed by Peter Opsvik. [2]
• Worf's quarters also feature the statue of Kahless and Morath , which can also be seen in " Peak Performance ", " Reunion ", " New Ground ", " Cost Of Living ", and " Firstborn ".

Continuity [ ]

• This episode marks the fifth and final appearance of Reginald Barclay (played by Dwight Schultz ) on the series. He was seen again with the Enterprise crew in Star Trek: First Contact , and also appeared in six episodes of Star Trek: Voyager .
• This is the first episode since her promotion that Counselor Troi is seen in command of a duty shift on the bridge. When Picard and Data are later stood outside Troi’s quarters, the nameplate on the door still shows her former rank of lieutenant commander .
• The events of this episode follow Dr. Crusher telling Alyssa Ogawa in " Lower Decks " that she'll support her promotion . Here, Ogawa is seen as a lieutenant for the first time.
• Toward the end of the episode, Dr. Crusher comments to Barclay that it is traditional to name new diseases after the first patient. This tradition, evidently, appeared after our own time period. Eponymous diseases have almost always been named for the first person to describe them in medical literature ( Parkinson's disease ; Down syndrome ; Marfan syndrome ; Kartagener's syndrome ). Rare exceptions from our time include Legionnaires' disease (named for a group of people ) and Lou Gehrig's disease (unofficially named for a famous – though not the first – sufferer ).
• A crewmember, who has de-evolved into a humanoid who shed his/her skin like a snake
• Dern , who had begun to de-evolve before being killed by either Riker or Worf
• Deanna Troi , who has de-evolved into an amphibian
• William T. Riker , who had de-evolved into an Australopithecine
• Livingston , Picard's lionfish , de-evolved into a jellyfish
• Jean-Luc Picard , who had begun to de-evolve (according to Data ) into a lemur or pygmy marmoset
• Spot , who had de-evolved into an iguana
• Reginald Barclay , who had de-evolved into a spider -like creature
• Alyssa Ogawa , who had de-evolved into an ape -like humanoid
• Worf , who had de-evolved into a prehistoric proto- Klingon
• Coincidentally, Barclay mentioned that spiders never bothered him in " Realm Of Fear " (also written by Brannon Braga).

Reception [ ]

• In 2015, WhatCulture ranked this the 7th best episode of all time in the Star Trek science fiction universe. They note it as a horror-themed episode of Star Trek , remarking that "' Genesis' is terrifying in the way it unfolds so very subtly, watching the crew regress into primal animals".
• In 2017, Io9 noted "Genesis" for being one of the more bizarre science-fiction stories of the franchise, noting how different characters devolved into frightening creatures, such as Worf turning into a giant super-Klingon that hunted other crew members.
• In 2018, TheGamer ranked this one of the top 25 creepiest episodes of all Star Trek series.
• This episode won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Drama Series; it was also nominated for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Editing for a Series and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Series.
• This episode received Star Trek 101 's "Spock's Brain" Award for Worst Episode in The Next Generation .

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 86, 22 August 1994
• As part of the TNG Season 7 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William T. Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
• Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars [ ]

• Patti Yasutake as Alyssa Ogawa
• Dwight Schultz as Barclay

Co-stars [ ]

• Carlos Ferro as Ensign Dern
• Majel Barrett as Computer Voice

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Shawn Belschner as Ten Forward waiter
• Brandy as Spot
• Bud as Spot
• Debbie David as Russell
• Cameron as Kellogg
• Tracee Lee Cocco as Jae
• Fumiko Hamada as Female command division officer
• Gary Hunter as sciences division officer
• Lorine Mendell as Diana Giddings
• Rad Milo as operations division ensign
• Monster as Spot
• Keith Rayve as a civilian
• Rick Ryan as Fletcher
• John Tampoya as operations division ensign
• Oliver Theess as command division officer
• Margie Thomas as command officer
• Tyler as Spot
• Willie as Spot (lizard form)
• Command division officer
• Female sciences division officer
• Operations division officer
• Spot's kittens
• Ten Forward waitress

Stunt doubles [ ]

• Rusty McClennon as stunt double for Michael Dorn
• Stunt double for Jonathan Frakes
• Stunt double for Marina Sirtis

Stand-ins [ ]

• David Keith Anderson – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Debbie David – stand-in for Brent Spiner
• Michael Echols – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart

References [ ]

50 million years ago ; amniotic fluid ; amniotic scan ; amphibian ; amphibious lifeform ; appetite ; aquatics lab ; arachnid ; arboretum ; artery ; asteroid field ; attitude control ; australopithecine ; Barclay's Protomorphosis Syndrome ; bath tub ; behavioral characteristic ; Betazoid ; bioacidic compound ; biobed ; biology ; bioscan ; biospectral analysis ; biospectral scan ; blurred vision ; Brooks ; bulkhead ; burp ; capillary ; cats ; caviar ; centigrade ; cholic acid ; collar ; conduit ; corrosion ; Cypirion cactus ; de-evolve ( devolve ); department ; dizziness ; DNA ; DNA analysis ; Earth ; electrophoretic activity ; enzymatic agent ; epidermal layer ; feline ; fever ; field test ; filtration system ; Galaxy class decks ; Hacopian ; Hayes ; headache ; hemotoxin series ; hominid ; Hypatia ; hyper-evolution ; hypochondria ; hypothalamic series ; iguana ; immunity ; intravascular pressure ; intron ; Jefferies tube ; K-3 cell ; K-3 cell count ; kitten ; Klingon ; Klingon food ; lemur ; level 2 security alert ; level 4 diagnostic ; litter ; Livingston ; medical tricorder ; microcellular scan ; molting ; mutation ; nausea ; neck ; nictitating membrane ; Number one ; Ongilin caviar ; palpitations ; pheromones ; photon torpedo ; physical characteristic ; placental barrier ; Powell, Andrew ; power transfer grid ; prenatal behavior ; pygmy marmoset ; reconstructive surgery ; relative humidity ; reptilian ; retrovirus ; ribocyatic flux ; saliva ; salty ; sebaceous gland ; Sector 21527 ; Selar ; sense of smell ; sex ; shivering ; shock ; Shuttlebay 2 ; shuttle pilot ; sickbay ; Smith, Rebecca ; solvent ; spinal column ; Spot's kittens ; spread pattern ; Starfleet Medical Database ; stasis ; Symbalene blood burn ; symptom ; T-cell ; Terellian Death Syndrome ; temperature ; Type 6 shuttlecraft ; Urodelan flu ; venom ; vocalization ; weapon systems

Library computer references [ ]

Starship mission status : Ajax , USS ; Alderaan ; Alpha Laputa IV ; Ambassador -class ; Apollo -class ; Aries , USS ; Beta Cygni system ; Bradbury , USS ; Bradbury -class ; Charleston , USS ; Constellation -class ; Excelsior -class ; Fearless , USS ; Goddard , USS ; Hood , USS ; Korolev -class ; Merced -class ; Merrimac , USS ; Monitor , USS ; Nebula -class ; pulsar ; Renaissance -class ; Repulse , USS ; Romulan Neutral Zone ; sector ; Sector 21396 ; Sector 21538 ; Sector 22358 ; Sector 22846 ; Sector 22853 ; Sector 23079 ; Starbase 134 ; Starbase 434 ; Thomas Paine , USS ; Trieste , USS ; Victory , USS ; Vulcan Science Academy ; warp drive ; Zhukov , USS

Unused production materials [ ]

ammonia ; methane ; uric acid

External links [ ]

• " Genesis " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Genesis " at Wikipedia
• " Genesis " at MissionLogPodcast.com
• "Genesis" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• " Genesis " at the Internet Movie Database
• 1 Alyssa Ogawa
• 3 Daniels (Crewman)

• Science Fiction & Fantasy

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Star Trek III - Return to Genesis Paperback – January 1, 1982

• Language English
• Publisher Paramount
• Publication date January 1, 1982
• See all details

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B002LTR03I
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Paramount; First Edition (January 1, 1982)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English

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written by Harve Bennett STORY OUTLINE, dated September 16, 1982 report & analysis by David Eversole

We open on the primordial surface of Genesis. As the opening credits roll, we see the photon torpedo canister -– Mark IV -– which contained the body of Spock. The camera pulls back, up and away from the surface, dissolves through the atmosphere to the star field surrounding the planet. And then a giant Romulan Bird of Prey decloaks.

On the Romulan bridge, we see the Commander, a handsome swarthy man who bears a resemblance to the 20th Century actor Omar Sharif. He is the Captain of a spy vessel, and is deep in enemy territory.

The Romulan Commander and a landing party beam down to Genesis and make a fantastic discovery -– the newly formed planet has unlimited supplies of raw dilithium. As the Commander glows with triumph, he is summoned to another part of the forest by his men. They have discovered the torpedo canister.

When it is opened, it is empty.

The U.S.S. Enterprise is en route to Earth after her battle with Khan. Kirk's log informs us he has dropped Carol and David Marcus off at their laboratory to continue work on Project Genesis. Kirk also notes his concern over the ship's morale, particularly that of Leonard "Bones" McCoy. Bones' depression is especially acute.

Kirk expresses his concern over his crew, and his grief at the loss of Spock, to Sulu. Sulu calms him, suggests he take an hour's rest to gather his resolve.

Kirk goes to his quarters, is very surprised to find the beautiful half-Vulcan/half-Romulan Lieutenant Saavik there. Something is wrong, she is trembling. Kirk moves in to comfort her. When questioned about her loss of composure, she says, "I have seen Spock." Before Kirk can question her further, Scotty calls, urgently summons him to Sickbay.

In Sickbay, Kirk discovers the source of Scotty's distress. Bones sits there, "drunk as a skunk." Bones believes he killed Spock, thinks he should have done more to save his life. Plus, Bones is sure that Spock wanted him to remember something, but he cannot remember. Kirk tells Bones he needs to buck up, and stop languishing in guilt. Bones agrees, but begs Kirk to take him to Vulcan. Bones believes his own ignorance is destroying him. Perhaps on Vulcan he can find out the truth. Kirk agrees to consider it.

Alone, Bones goes to his bathroom, splashes water on his face, glances into his mirror. The face of Spock stares back at him. Bones whirls to see if Spock is behind him. No one is there. When Bones looks back at the mirror it is his own anguished face that stares back at him.

On the bridge, Kirk speaks to the Starfleet Commander, asks permission to take Bones to Vulcan. Permission is denied. When the transmission is cut, Kirk turns to Sulu, orders him to lay in a course for Vulcan.

On the Genesis Planet, the Romulans set up mining operations, supervised by the Commander and his formidable female Sub-Commander. As the operation begins, the Romulans are spooked by strange sounds in the night.

Upon arrival at Vulcan, Kirk, Bones and Saavik beam down and find themselves attacked by a band of hostile renegade Vulcans. They are rescued by Prime Minister Sarek, Spock's father, and a group of Vulcan Regulars. Sarek is cold and somewhat angry -– "This is all your doing," he tells Kirk.

In the Prime Minister's quarters, we learn that the implications of the Genesis Device and the death of Spock have shaken Vulcan. Many young Vulcans fear universal Armageddon, and have taken up their ancestors' war-like traits, demanding that Vulcan do something about the intellectually inferior Humans. Sarek, elected Prime Minister as a peace-maker, is barely hanging on.

Kirk and Bones are further shocked to learn that Spock may not be dead after all. Sarek asks why they left him on the Genesis planet. He says that they are ignorant to imagine that they absolutely knew Spock was dead. "Spock might be in a transcendental state," Sarek says. When Kirk asks what he can do, Sarek tells him to bring Spock to him, and hope he is still there when Kirk does so.

Bones asks for Kirk's permission to remain on Vulcan. There is much he wants to learn. He is sure Spock has planted information in his head, and he must find out what it is. Kirk allows him to stay.

A Federation Light Cruiser approaches Genesis, discovers the Romulans, and is attacked and destroyed without warning.

The Enterprise arrives in orbit about Earth, and the Starfleet Commander immediately beams aboard and meets Kirk in his quarters. He is pissed at Kirk, tells him he has mishandled the Genesis affair. The entire galaxy is up in arms at the implications of the destructive powers of the Genesis Device. And, what's more, Kirk has disobeyed orders and stopped at Vulcan. Kirk explains that he now believes Spock may be alive. As Kirk makes his impassioned plea to return to Genesis to find out what happened to Spock, we see that the Starfleet Commander is beginning to think Kirk has lost his mind. He relieves Kirk, confines him to his apartment, and orders him examined by psychiatrists. As the Starfleet Commander leaves, he tells Kirk his crew will be disbanded and sent to other assignments.

In a ceremony in the torpedo bay, Kirk bids a sad farewell to his friends.

In his San Francisco apartment, Kirk reads the book Spock gave him as a birthday present. Kirk pauses, looks over his glasses, sees Spock sitting in the room with him. "Why are you doing this to me?" Kirk asks. No answer. "This is one hell of a mess you've got us all in, and the least you could do is talk to me," Kirk yells. Still no answer. The image of Spock disappears.

Sulu visits Kirk, looks about the room suspiciously, checks plants, objects to see if there are any eavesdropping devices secreted there. He updates Kirk: Scotty has been named Chief Engineer of the U.S.S. Excelsior , which is the newest Starfleet vessel, one capable of speeds far in excess of Warp 10. Uhura is a dispatcher at the Space Shuttle Dock. Sulu has been named Captain of the Enterprise , with Chekov and Saavik at his side. When Sulu is certain there are no bugs planted in the room, he turns to Kirk in a burst of energy. "Let's go," he says. "We're busting you out of here." When Kirk protests, asks Sulu what if he really is mad, Sulu assures him, "You're not mad. I have seen him too. We've all seen him."

Sulu dispatches the guard at Kirk's door with akido, and they head for the space shuttle dock, by way of the old city.

Much as in the final film, Kirk makes his way to the Enterprise , where we learn that Scotty has put the ship on full automatic. When Kirk tells his crew that they are committing an act of mutiny, the response is, "Long live Spock, sir." The Enterprise moves out, is followed by the Excelsior , which comes to a screeching halt, sputters and dies. "There's nothing," exclaims Scotty, "that a few well-placed pieces of chewing gum won't do to a hyper-warp engine." The Enterpirse warps toward Genesis.

On Genesis, something is wrong with the planet itself. It is rumbling and beginning to shake. Additionally, a "ghost-like figure" has been plaguing the Romulan mining operations. First, equipment goes missing, then a few Romulans disappear in the night. The Commander is summoned to view the dead body of a Romulan soldier. His neck has been broken. "There is no ghost here," the Romulan Commander exclaims as he removes something from the dead Romulan's clenched fist.

It is a Starfleet belt buckle.

Near Genesis, the Enterprise finds itself face-to-face with an imposing Vulcan vessel. Kirk and crew are afraid it is the rebel faction. After a tense few moments, the Vulcan vessel asks for coordinates to the Enterprise 's transporter room. Bones is beamed aboard. "You took your sweet time about it," he grouses.

On Genesis, the Romulan Commander has patrols out searching for the "ghost." He is called by his Sub-Commander. A Federation starship is approaching. The Commander orders the Bird of Prey cloaked. The Sub-Commander tells him they have little "cloaking power" left, but does as he orders.

The Enterprise and the Bird of Prey engage in a fierce battle, and the Enterprise is mortally wounded. Kirk barks orders, "Uhura, signal surrender – Mr. Saavik, execute General Order III – Mr. Scott, feed all power to transporter room. Set timers at five minutes."

When they all beam down to Genesis, Saavik frets that the battle has been lost. She gets a "Kirkian reply." "The battle has just been joined. In exactly three minutes, it will enter phase two."

As in the film, the bulk of the enemy beams aboard the Enterprise and perishes when the ship explodes. On the planet below, the Enterprise survivors watch as their mother ship burns up in the atmosphere.

The Romulan Commander is enraged by the loss of his people, vows vengeance when he learns that Kirk and the others are on the planet. The ominous rumblings from the planet reach a high level.

Night falls on Genesis, and our brave crew huddles against the elements. Saavik is frustrated, but Kirk tells her there are always possibilities. She tells him there is no need for bravado now.

From the outline:

There is no simulator to reprogram. The ship is lost, Spock is an illusion, and Saavik has always loved Jim Kirk. There is nothing else to say. Jim Kirk holds her tight.

The following morning, the planet's rumbling and moaning is worse. Kirk and Bones reconnoiter, discover the Romulan dilithium mines. The Romulan Commander appears behind them, takes them prisoner. At the main camp, we discover that Scotty, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura and Saavik have also been taken prisoner.

Kirk and the Romulan Commander talk. Both know what is at stake. The unlimited supply of dilithium means unlimited use of the Romulan cloaking systems. Birds of Prey can stay cloaked indefinitely, wander freely about the galaxy, undetected. But the Commander wants something more from Kirk. He wants to know the secret of forming planets which have unlimited dilithium. Kirk philosophically muses about the historical battles fought over gold, spices, oil. The Romulan Commander promises to begin killing members of Kirk's crew in one day if Kirk doesn't divulge the secret.

Throughout their conversation, the Romulan has been twiddling something in his hands. Finally, Kirk sees what it is. It is the Starfleet belt buckle. Its impact on Kirk is to revive his reason for being on the Genesis Planet.

That night, someone approaches the bound prisoners, steps behind Saavik. Instructions are whispered to her by this shadowy figure. Instructions in the Vulcan language! She is freed, and watches as the figure disappears into the inky blackness of the Genesis night. Then she frees the others, leads them away from the Romulan camp. She will not answer any of their questions.

They reach a cathedral-like place in the forest, and Saavik points.

In the distance, backlit by an eerie light, amid the growls of the strange land, stands what appears to be Spock.

The Enterprise crewmembers rush forward, overjoyed to see him, but stop short at the sound of an animal-like roar.

Spock is bearded, ragged, and seems mad. He is a primeval Vulcan, in turmoil -- sanity vs. madness, logic vs. passion. He yells at Kirk, "You left me here to die." Spock curses the Romulans, "Monsters. I will kill you all."

McCoy gets in Spock's face despite warnings from the others. "You green-blooded idiot, how dare you turn on all your friends? You think I don't know what lurks under your cool, calm nonsense all these years! You animal -– you're mine, all mine--"

Spock grabs Bones in a viselike hug, begins crushing the very life out of him. Bones raises his arm, plunges a hypodermic into Spock. "You green-blooded son of a bitch-–I read the book."

Spock falls into a coma, and soon the rumbling of the planet grows worse. A full blown quake strikes. Kirk surmises that since the planet was formed so quickly, it is accelerating its growth and its destruction.

The Romulan Commander stalks them, despite warnings from his Sub-Commander telling him the planet is doomed. Saavik ties into the Romulan frequency with her communicator. Kirk pretends to be the Romulan Commander, orders the Sub-Commander to beam them up.

The Romulan Commander appears at the edge of the clearing, raises his weapons, aims at the Enterprise survivors. They are beamed up before his eyes.

The Enterprise crew makes their way to the Romulan bridge. The Sub-Commander reaches for her phaser, but Saavik grabs one first, vaporizes her.

Kirk offers to beam the Romulan Commander and his soldiers aboard as prisoners. The reply is static. "To hell with him," Kirk says. Scotty and the others fumble about, trying to decipher the controls, and finally the ship goes into warp as Genesis explodes.

Kirk and Saavik ride an elevator to the Romulan sick bay. Both realize that the rules were different on the planet, but here, back on duty, their love has no chance. It is against the rules, though Kirk devilishly says he has been known to break a few rules.

As Kirk arrives in Sickbay, Uhura calls from the bridge of the Romulan vessel. The Excelsior is approaching, and Uhura wants to know what she should do. "Do the logical thing," Kirk says, "Surrender."

Kirk and Spock alone. "They'll make you pay a price for this, Jim. A court-martial for sure."  "I know. I've already figured my plea, nolo contendre , and I'll throw myself on the mercy of the court. With any luck, they'll bust me down to Captain and send me out again." "In a new Enterprise ," adds Spock. "I hope so," says Kirk. There's a moment, then Spock says, "Jim. . .", and Kirk looks up, "Yes?" "Thank you for coming back for me." As the Bird of Prey heads for home, we FADE OUT.

Unlike a number of fans, "The Search For Spock" is one of my favorite Star Trek films, though I fully admit it has more than its share of flaws. The basic theme of loyalty to friends, going the lonely mile for them, strikes home with me.

This outline, though rough, contains the basic elements that made the final film a success. The detour to Vulcan near the beginning was not needed, and I'm glad it is gone. Plus, it is far better to have Kirk, our leading character, in charge of the "bust out."

In this outline, Bennett never reveals what the secret was that Bones was supposed to remember. I wonder if he originally planned to keep it for another film.

Harve Bennett (1930-2015): Born Harve Bennett Fischman, he was most famous as a producer, writer and co-writer of the second through fifth Star Trek movies. He began his show business career as a child contestant on the radio program Quiz Kids , then went to film school and worked in television. He produced The Mod Squad , The Six Million Dollar Man , The Bionic Woman and Time Trax , among others. Telefilms and mini-series he produced include, Rich Man, Poor Man , The Jesse Owens Story and A Woman Called Golda . He always hoped his "Starfleet Academy" film script would be produced.

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