Mudd's Women

Mudd's Women is an episode that explores the relationship between men and women; their expectations and their needs. Harry Mudd a lovable rogue and space pirate is transporting three women to an outpost, to bring wives to lonely colonists. But there is something very strange about these women; they are extremely beautiful and have an effect upon the male crew members that is noticeable from their first appearance in the Transporter Room. When they are beamed aboard, Scotty, McCoy and Spock are all at the console awaiting them. Scotty and McCoy are immediately reduced to quivering schoolboys who look like they are seeing a naked woman for the first time. Spock is highly amused by his colleague's response, but remains unaffected by the women's charm.

If we didn't think of Spock as bi-sexual before this episode, we are left in no doubt by it's end. Spock does indeed notice the women but is unaffected in the same slack-jawed way exhibited by the rest of the men aboard the Enterprise. As the women leave Kirk's cabin after meeting the Captain for the first time, Spock pays close attention to their behinds as they leave, obviously enjoying the view and yet remains nothing more than amused (see the photo above for his very camp reaction). He knows Kirk is affected by the women's presence and thinks the whole situation very funny indeed.

McCoy is the first to notice that the women seem to have something more than just natural beauty, when one of the women sets his medical monitors 'beeping' in a strange and inexplicable way. He goes to his Captain with his concerns and he and Jim discuss the disturbing effect. Spock eavesdrops on their conversation with interest, noting that the object of his desire - Jim - is struggling with his response to the women.

The ship has depleated its lithium crystal's in rescuing Mudd and his women, and so must divert to a nearby mining planet to source new crystals. Harry connives to deliver his human cargo to the miners and secretly arranges with them to exchange the crystals for the women. To gain information he sends one of the women, Eve McHuron, to try to seduce the Captain. Jim enters his cabin to find Eve, a very beautiful women, laying on his bed. Absent is the supposed lethario Kirk, instead we see him quickly glance over his shoulder like he expects someone to follow him into the room (could this be a subconscious fear that Spock might see a women in his cabin, because it certainly looks like that). Although attracted to Eve Kirk responds to her seduction with complete rejection; he has no intention of kissing her and literally pulls away from her attempt. Eve, disgusted with her own deceipt stops herself and runs from the room. So much for James T Kirk seducing every women he can get his hands on: this is a myth that we will see disproved time and again over the course of the 79 episodes of TOS. Meanwhile, Spock is flirting unashamedly with Kirk for the whole episode and acting as camp as a row of tents. Just watch and you will see.

We discover that Harry is feeding the women a thing called the Venus Drug, which makes them appear more beautiful and desirable. The episode goes on to explore the disparity between the sexes and their desires, needs and wants and how men seem to be confused about the appearance as opposed to the value of a women; a powerful discussion of what is real in relationships between men and women, and Kirk proves his point about the value of a women by making Eve (for whom the effect of the drug has worn off) believe that she has taken it again by giving her a placebo and seeing the transformation take place because a belief in herself. A beautiful moral tale.

The final scene see Spock saying the following: "I am happy the affair is over. A most annoying emotional episode. Do you think he means that now those dolls are gone I can get my Captain's full attention back? Because that's how it sounds to me!