First Aired: February 13, 2022
One’s memories of the filming of a production revolve mainly around the quality of the script, the cast that has been assembled and, with the main spotlight on the director of photography, the filming crew. But there were times (and fortunately for me, they were not too frequent) when the negative events surrounding a production tended to obfuscate those memories. Such was the case when I directed OBSESSION, my 4th episode of STAR TREK. A month earlier when I directed BREAD AND CIRCUSES, the 14th episode in NBC’s original season order for 16 episodes plus a possible pick-up for 12 more, the network had ordered only 2 of the additional 12. I knew nothing of this at the time, but I’m sure the main cast and the crew were aware that they might be filming their final 4 productions. (NBC eventually ordered the final 10, but I’m not sure when.)
I now realize that when I directed OBSESSION, the first of those additional 2, the dark clouds had not lifted. The new question was: Would the series be picked up for a 3rd season? When in the spring NBC announced their schedule for the following year, STAR TREK was not on it. A massive write-in campaign by fans of the series changed the network’s mind and STAR TREK was reinstalled, but at a dreadful airing time.
And as all of this was happening producer Gene L. Coon was leaving and Desilu Studio was being sold to Gulf Western/Paramount Studio. The new owners, starting with the production of BREAD AND CIRCUSES, installed a new set of restrictions on production scheduling and budget. Productions in the second half of the second season were then filmed under these discouraging new conditions. For the productions that resulted I have enormous admiration for the continued admirable work of all of those actors and the crew members under the leadership of director of photography, Jerry Finnerman.
Now let’s hear Scott and Steve (I’m there too) deep dive the film:
A DEEPER DIVE
At the conclusion of our deep dive Scott asked me, “How does your assessment of OBSESSION hold up or even change or get stronger after this deep dive conversation? I answered, “It’s stronger; it’s tight!” But I have continued to think about OBSESSION since we did this deep dive. (Is it possible I am obsessed.) So if there is the time travel that Kirk and company so often took, I would now like to emulate them and travel back 55 years and, based on my post deep dive obsessing, this is what I would like to change in the film, OBSESSION.
To begin my deeper dive, I think there was a missed opportunity in the scene when Ensign Garrovick entered the story.
(1)
(Garrovick enters the bridge from the turbo lift and approaches Kirk.)
GARROVICK: Ensign Garrovick reporting sir.
KIRK: You’re the new Security Officer?
GARROVICK: Yes sir.
KIRK: Is your father…?
GARROVICK: Yes sir, he was. But I don’t expect any special treatment on that account.
KIRK: You’ll get none aboard this ship, mister.
I do not like Kirk’s response. I wish he had responded to Garrovick less militarily. Perhaps like this:
GARROVICK: Yes sir, he was. But I don’t expect any special treatment on that account.
KIRK: (a pause) I remember you. When you were very young, you came on a test flight with your father.
GARROVICK: I was 13.
KIRK: And I remember you asked a lot of questions.
GARROVICK: Yes sir. And I remember that you very kindly gave me a lot of very good answers.
That would have provided a beginning of a bonding between Kirk and the young Garrovick, similar to the one 11 years prior between the young Kirk and the older Garrovick.
Fast forward to the briefing room after the 2nd incident with the gaseous cloud creature, this time involving Ensign Garrovick.
(2)
(Kirk sits alone as we hear a Captain’s Log)
KIRK’S VOICE: I am now even more convinced that this is not only an intelligent creature, but the same which decimated the crew of the USS Farragot 11 years ago in another part of the galaxy.
(Spock, Dr. McCoy and Garrovick enter and take their seats. The questioning of Garrovick begins with Spock and Dr. McCoy asking: “What was the size of thing you saw?” “It’s composition?” “Did you sense any intelligence in this gaseous cloud?” Garrovick responds to each question. Kirk then poses questions. Unlike Spock and McCoy, who had asked about the creature, Kirk’s questions are about Garrovick’s actions.
KIRK: You didn’t come into actual contact with it?
GARROVICK: No Sir. I was farthest away from it. It seemed to come out of nowhere. It hovered for a moment, then moved toward my men. It was fast, incredibly fast.
KIRK: Did you say it hovered?
GARROVICK: Yes sir.
KIRK: You did fire at it.
GARROVICK: Yes sir. I did.
KIRK: What distance were you from the creature?
GARROVICK: About 20 yards, sir.
KIRK: You fired at a large hovering target at that distance and missed?
GARROVICK: Yes … well … I didn’t fire when it was hovering.
KIRK: You mean you froze.
GARROVICK: No sir. I didn’t exactly freeze.
KIRK: What exactly were you doing?
GARROVICK: Well … I was startled for a second … and then … by time I fired the thing was already moving.
And here I wish I had added:
(Cut to a single of Kirk as he stares across the table.)
(Cut to a young Kirk In a red shirt, seated where Garrovick had been.) (and what Jerry Finnerman could have done lighting that shot!)
(Cut back to Kirk.)
KIRK: Do you have any further information?
GARROVICK: No sir.
KIRK: Ensign, you’re relieved of all duties … and confined to quarters until further notice.
Garrovick rises and leaves.
Two things have happened in this scene. With his severe questioning Kirk has made the young Garrovick see his actions differently – instilling in him a sense of guilt; even as Kirk, as he has listened to Garrovick’s responses, is guiltily revisioning himself and his own actions 11 years earlier.
Fast forward to the medical room. I feel Spock, as the 2nd in command on the Enterprise, is stepping forward to take charge. I would like to make some changes to emphasize this.
(3)
(Spock enters.)
SPOCK: (to Dr. McCoy) I need your advice.
And that I believe is only a pretext. He has a plan and he needs McCoy’s assistance.
SPOCK: Have you studied the incident involving the USS Farragot?
(McCoy responds he has, but he has not read all of the tapes. Spock continues.)
SPOCK: In brief Doctor, nearly half the crew and the Captain were annihilated. The Captain’s name was Garrovick.
MCCOY: Same as our ensign.
SPOCK: His father. Among the survivors on his first deep space assignment – James T. Kirk!
We then move on to our next sequence in Kirk’s quarters.
(4)
Interior Kirk’s quarters. He lies on his bed.
KIRK: (Voice over) Personal log Star Date 36.27. Have I the right to jeopardize my crew, my ship, for a feeling that I cannot even put into words? No man achieves Star Fleet Command relying on intuition. Have I made a rational decision? Am I letting the horrors of the past distort my judgment?
Here I would cut to an added scene:
Interior Corridor: Spock and McCoy walk through the Enterprise corridor. They stop in front of the entrance to Kirk’s quarters. They share a look. Spock nods. McCoy turns to enter the quarters.
Spock is totally in charge. We see that it is his decision that only McCoy should enter.
(Cut to: Interior Kirk’s quarters)
And the current scene in Kirk’s quarters begins as McCoy enters and plays to the end, when they all leave because of a red alert.
My next change comes after the sequence on the bridge when the Enterprise chases the creature through space, the creature stops, turns and comes back to enter the Enterprise. The scene in the briefing room that follows when Spock announces the creature does have intelligence and is now a threat. The current film then cuts to a close-up of Garrovick in his quarters.
(5)
(Garrovick is seated on his bed. Buzzer sounds)
GARROVICK: Come in
(The door opens and Spock enters. Garrovick starts to rise. Spock motions for him to stay seated)
SPOCK: I’m assuming I’m correct in my assumption that you’re disturbed by what you consider to be a failure on your part?
(Not looking up, Garrovick nods. Spock comes further into the room)
SPOCK: I would like you to consider that the hesitation for which you are blaming yourself is an inherited trait of your species. When suddenly faced by the unknown or imminent danger, the human will invariably experience a split second of indecision.
(Spock hesitates. There is no response from Garrovick)
SPOCK: Do I have your attention?
GARROVICK: Yes sir.
SPOCK: (Quietly) I know about the unfortunate tragedy of your father’s death 11 years ago. I would like you to consider that during the incident earlier today, that as you turned, you saw that cloud attacking your men. And as you said, you were startled for a moment. (Garrovick looks up at Spock) It was in that moment that you realized you were seeing what had killed your father.
That is the moment when the two become aware the creature is entering the quarters through the ventilating shaft. The action as filmed continues.
I have one more sequence to discuss, but on this one I won’t be making any changes; I will be discussing motivation.
(6)
The final sequence on a planet: Kirk and Garrovick are on a mission to destroy the creature. In the sequence as filmed the creature sucked the baited blood out of the large container. Kirk then ordered Garrovick to return to the Enterprise, as he planned to use himself as bait to lure the creature into position where he could be destroyed. Garrovick attacked Kirk from behind, planning to send him back to the Enterprise so he could take over the destruction of the creature. I always considered Garrovick’s motivation for doing this was his admiration for Kirk, just as Kirk had admired the older Captain Garrovick. I was never comfortable with that. There wasn’t any basis for it in the script. But the new scene where Spockwent to Garrovick’s quarters and spoke to him has changed my mind. I now consider young Garrovick’s motivation to be truer; he wants to avenge his father’s death.
And with that …
The Journey Continues
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