Assignment: Earth
| "Assignment: Earth" | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: The Original Series episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 26 |
| Directed by | Marc Daniels |
| Story by | |
| Teleplay by | Art Wallace |
| Cinematography by | Jerry Finnerman |
| Production code | 055 |
| Original air date | March 29, 1968 |
| Running time | 50 minutes (runtime) |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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"Assignment: Earth" is the last episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. It was first broadcast on March 29, 1968, and initially repeated on August 9, 1968, five months later. It is episode No. 55, production No. 55; it was written by Art Wallace, based on a story by Wallace and Gene Roddenberry, and directed by Marc Daniels.
Engaged in "historical research", the Enterprise time travels to 1968 Earth where they encounter an interstellar agent planning to intervene in 20th century events with motives uncertain to Kirk and Spock. This episode served as a backdoor pilot for a proposed spin-off television series, produced by Roddenberry, also to be called Assignment: Earth. Guest performers Robert Lansing, as Gary Seven, and Teri Garr, as Roberta Lincoln, would have continued in the new series had it been commissioned.
The Federation starship USS Enterprise, which has time travelled to 1968 Earth for historical research, intercepts a highly powerful transporter beam from one thousand light-years away. A man dressed in a 20th-century Earth business suit materializes, carrying a black cat named Isis. He introduces himself to Captain Kirk (William Shatner) as Gary Seven (Robert Lansing). Seven refuses to reveal his home planet and warns Kirk that history will be changed and Earth destroyed if he is not released immediately. Kirk demands more proof, but Seven refuses. Kirk orders him taken into custody but Seven evades attempts to subdue him. When Seven tries to beam himself down, Kirk stuns him with a phaser. Kirk has Seven taken to the brig and asks Spock to search the history database for any critical events that will soon occur. Spock finds that the United States will launch a nuclear weapons platform from McKinley Rocket Base. The launch is scheduled in a few hours, and Spock speculates that it might be the reason for Seven's visit.
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