Too Short a Season
- FIRST SHOWN (US)
- 8 February 1988
- ON
- First-run syndication
- STARDATE
- 41309.5
- DIRECTED BY
- Rob Bowman
- PRODUCTION NO.
- 112
WRITTEN BYTeleplay by Michael Michaelian and D.C. Fontana; story by Michael Michaelian
An elderly admiral comes aboard to resolve a hostage crisis on a world he once saved, but he seems to be growing stronger and younger by the day.
Red alert: the full plot, ending included. Haven't watched yet?REVEAL SYNOPSIS
Karnas, governor of Mordan IV, reports that terrorists have taken a Federation ambassador and staff hostage, and asks for Admiral Mark Jameson, who negotiated an earlier hostage release there. The frail admiral boards the Enterprise with his wife Anne, but on the journey he grows stronger and more youthful. He has secretly taken an alien drug that reverses ageing. Jameson soon learns that Karnas himself is behind the crisis. Forty-five years ago, Jameson won the release of hostages by giving Karnas weapons, then armed his enemies equally, setting off forty years of civil war. Karnas wants revenge. Jameson took too much of the drug, hoping to put things right, and it is destroying his body. During the rescue attempt he collapses. Beamed to Karnas, he proves who he is by an old scar, and dies in Anne's arms. Karnas frees the hostages.
- 01Michael Westmore created four stages of make-up to show Jameson growing younger. The oldest took up to four hours to apply.
- 02Michael Pataki, who plays Karnas, had previously appeared in the original series episode “The Trouble with Tribbles”.
- 03In the original version, peace talks succeed and Jameson survives, reduced to fourteen with no memory of his wife. D.C. Fontana was brought in to rework the ending.