  Like DEATH, 2002-01-09
Over the years, my sister Cathy and I have used Dr. Simon Van Gelder's description of the Neural Neutralizer as a catch-all description of things unpleasant:Kirk: "What was it like?"
Van Gelder: "Like DEATH!" Morgan Woodward did an all-too-convincing job as a man nearly driven out of his mind. It was also refreshing to finally have a woman on the set (Dr. Helen Noel) who did not swoon at the very sight of Kirk for a change. I wish they could have brought her back to trade sarcastic barbs with Kirk on occasion. Highly recommended for any devout "Classic Trek" fan.
No reason is given for Dr. Adams using the neural neutralizer on patients and colleagues, 2008-05-23
The most significant item about this episode is that it introduces the Vulcan mind meld. Other than the Vulcan neck pinch, it is the most widely (re)used tactic in the Vulcan lore. The episode begins when the Enterprise completes what should be a routine mission to a penal colony. Unknown to the crew, Dr. Simon Van Gelder, a psychiatrist, beams up to the ship in a container. He is captured relatively easily and Van Gelder exhibits signs of mental instability. As McCoy and Spock investigate, some anomalies appear in the story of the colony director, Dr. Adams.
In order to resolve the discrepancies, Kirk beams down with an aid (Dr. Helen Noel) and during their tour, they are shown the "neural neutralizer" a device that renders people suggestible and docile. Immediately suspicious, Kirk has Dr. Noel try the device on him. Kirk quickly recognizes its' power and tries to contact the ship. Adams intercedes and takes both Kirk and Noel captive. Spock uses the mind meld to extract the information from the mind of Van Gelder and is able to beam down when Noel eliminates the protective force field. Adams is left alone in the booth with the neural neutralizer on full strength, an action which kills him.
This is not a strong episode because it presents no rational reason for Dr. Adams to insanely use such a dangerous device on patients and colleagues. While he pays the ultimate price for his actions, it would have been much stronger if a plausible rationale had been put forward.
Dangerous psychiatrists and sexy ones, 2007-06-26
In the criminal justice system of the future, punishment has been replaced by rehabilitation, and penal colonies have been replaced by humane institutions for treating the criminally insane. (What a far cry from our own time, in which Karl Rove sneers at Democrats for offering "treament" for terrorists, and the Democrats just as vigorously deny it.)
But all is not perfect. Psychiatrists are tempted to play God, and the only way to cure people of criminality may be to erase their minds. In "Dagger of the Mind," an appearently humane chief pschologist, Dr. Adams, is experimenting with a neural neutralizer. When another staff member, Dr. Van Gelder, goes insane and asks the Enterprise for sanctuary, Kirk beams down to investigate. Dr. Adams, to cover his tracks, turns the device on Kirk so that Kirk will forget what he sees.
In short, this episode is another genial-doctor-who-turns-out-to-be-mad, much like "What are Little Girls Made Of?", another early episode. But this plot device, fortunately, didn't take over the series.
This episode has some "firsts." It has the first Vulcan mind meld, which Spock employs to find out what really happened to Dr. Van Gelder. (Dr. Adams used it to try to erase Van Gelder's mind, as well.) It is also the first episode to have written out Grace Lee Whitney as Yeoman Janice Rand, who originally had a large role in the episode.
This script was to feature Rand beaming down as Kirk's assistant. The character of Dr. Helen Noel, the ship's psychologist, was created to take her place. Played by Marianna Hill (who appeared in films opposite Elvis Presley and Clint Eastwood), Dr. Noel is exquisitely beautiful. She also has an excellent mind and can handle herself well in a fight. She would have been a marvelous foil or sidekick for Kirk, for with her professional expertise she is almost his peer. Unfortunately, she was not used again, and Kirk went on to a series of affairs with various alien babe-forms.
The 3rd season episode "Whom Gods Destroy" returns to some of the themes in this episode, but with greater optimism about psychiatrists and rehabilitation.
EXCELLENT, THOUGHT-PROVOKING EPISODE, 2001-07-30
Dagger of the Mind is one of the finest episodes of the original Star Trek series. It was made at the same time Communist China's murderous "Great Proleatarian Cultural Revolution" was getting under way in 1966 in which mobs of young Communist "Red Guards" were dragging unpopular teachers and "capitalist roaders" into the street and frequently beating them to death while mindlessly chanting meaningless slogans from Mao's "Little Red Book". In the 1960's, also memories were still fresh from the horrors of Hitler's genocidal policies against the Jews and Slavs and Stalin's purges of millions of "class enemies". Actor James Gregory gives a fine performance as Dr Tristan Adams, a notal penal reformer and idealist who tragically degenerates into a tyrant controlling the minds of the inmates at his penal colony planet called Tantalus through use of his "neural neutralizer" device. Writer Shimon Wincelberg (pen-name S. Bar-David) is warning us how many well-meaning people who want to help humanity by supporting various universalist utopia schemes (e.g. Marxism-Leninism, Jonestown, etc) can end up being part of a monstrous tyranny because the lust for power and control of large numbers of people overwhelms them. Actor Morgan Woodward puts in a stellar performance as Dr Simon Van Gelder who is a tormented victim of Dr Adams' neural neutralizer (you can see his tortured face on the cover of the box containing the video tape). The names used in the episode give chilling hints as to the nature of the characters and their prison, for example, Tantalus-the name of the penal colony planet, was a figure from Greek mythology who is condemned to hell and his punishment is to have all sorts of desirable food and drink within his view but just out of reach (hence the word "tantalize), Dr Adams' first name is Tristan which is from the famous mideval story from Cornwall of "Tristan and Isolde" in which the hero "dies of loneliness" and finally Dr Adams' mind-controlled assistant is called Lethe, whose name means oblivion. Unfortunately, the resolution of the crisis is a little weak so I give the episode only four stars, but it is still one of the very best.
"Dagger of the Mind" - A Solid Episode with Lots of Drama, 2002-02-16
While on a routine mission to resupply the Tantalus V rehabilitation colony, Kirk and company are shocked to discover that the facility's director is using a mind-control device to control the inmates. ''Dagger of the Mind'' is one of the better episodes from Star Trek's first season. While there are some plot inconsistencies and gaps in the story-line, the episode is quite enjoyable. This episode contains moments of high drama and suspense, as well some action. Here are a few of my observations: ''Dagger of the Mind'' introduces us to the Vulcan Mind Meld for the first time. Spock uses it to probe the mind of Dr. Van Gelder in search of the truth about the Tantalus colony. The acting is superb--particulary Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock) and the guest actors. Morgan Woodward steals the show with his dramatic portrayal of Dr. Simon Van Gelder. His emotional expressions are enough to convince anyone that his mind has been ravaged by a mind-control device. The interactions between Spock and Van Gelder in sickbay are particularly intense. James Gregory plays the charming yet sinister Dr. Tristan Adams, the director of the Tantalus colony. The beautiful Marianna Hill plays Enterprise psychologist Dr. Helen Noel. While Helen is not the greatest psychologist in the world, she proves her courage by risking her life to save Captain Kirk. She playfully flirts with Kirk during their first few scenes together, and this visibly upsets Kirk (I love it when a woman actually gets the better of Kirk). A couple of wardrobe items: (1) Dr. Adams and the rest of the Tantalus staff wear the traditional jumpsuits that are common throughout Star Trek. However, they feature a neat patch on the front--a gloved hand holding a dove reaching up to the sun. There is a lot of irony in this symbol, given the sinsiter motives of Dr. Adams. (2) It looks like the wardrobe department gave Marianna Hill (Helen Noel) a Starfleet uniform that is about a size too small for her. The top portion of the uniform seems to fit a bit too tight, and the skirt is a couple of inches too short in the back. I realize that these Starfleet skirts are supposed to be short, but Helen's doesn't quite cover what is supposed to be covered. Whenever the camera films Helen from behind, you can plainly see her ... ummmm ... undies. The Neural Neutralizer is a powerful device, with the ability to reshape memories and control minds. However, the chair looks like a 23rd century dentist's chair. Great acting and an interesting story make ''Dagger of the Mind'' an episode that any Star Trek fan will want to own.
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