A Private Little War

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Star Trek: TOS episode
"A Private Little War"
The Mugato attacks Kirk and McCoy, A Private Little War.
Episode no.	48
Prod. code	045
Airdate	February 2, 1968
Writer(s)	Gene Roddenberry Gene L. Coon story by Jud Crucis
Director	Marc Daniels
Guest star(s)	Nancy Kovack Michael Witney Ned Romero Booker Bradshaw Janos Prohaska Paul Baxley Gary Pillar Eddie Paskey William Blackburn Roger Holloway
Year	2268
Stardate	4211.4
Episode chronology
Previous	"The Immunity Syndrome"
Next	"Return to Tomorrow"

A Private Little War is a second season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, first broadcast February 2, 1968 and repeated on August 23, 1968. It is episode #48, production #45, with the screenplay written by Gene Roddenberry and Gene L. Coon, based on a story by Judd Crucis, and directed by Marc Daniels.

Overview: Captain Kirk must save an aboriginal people from the technological interference of the Klingons.

[edit] Plot

On stardate 4211.4, the starship USS Enterprise arrives at the planet Neural, 3rd planet in the Zeta Boötis System, which was surveyed by Captain James T. Kirk, thirteen years earlier during a previous mission as a lieutenant on the USS Farragut. Upon their arrival, McCoy finds the planet is a medical treasure trove of materials needed for various serums and drugs. Kirk also reports that the people of the world are still primitive, using bows and arrows for hunting, but otherwise peaceful, never fighting among themselves, although there are clearly separate urban (villagers) and rural (Hill People) cultures.

However, Kirk and Spock soon notice a group of villagers crouching in the nearby rocks, apparently preparing for an ambush. Kirk is shocked to see they possess flintlock pistols and other firearms. He knows it is impossible for them to have advanced to this stage so quickly. Moreover, they seem to be waiting not for game but for a group of Hill People, one of whom Kirk recognizes as Tyree, his closest friend on this world. Since the landing party aren't supposed to use phasers, Kirk tosses a rock to make a distraction, but this causes one of the natives' guns to go off and a chase ensues. Spock is shot by one of the natives, and Kirk orders an immediate beam-out back to the ship.

Once back aboard the Enterprise, Spock is looked after by Dr. M'Benga who specializes in Vulcan physiology. He informs Kirk that he has done all he can for Spock who has fallen into a healing trance, and hopefully will recover on his own. Suddenly sensors detect a Klingon vessel in orbit around the planet and Kirk orders Mr. Chekov to maintain a position outside of their sensor range. In the meantime, Kirk wants to return to the planet to seek out Tyree in hopes he can explain what is going on.

Kirk returns with McCoy, both now disguised as local natives to blend in. Kirk bets the Klingons have something to do with the culture's speedy development of weaponry, although his crew have pointed out that they've seen cultural development at different rates on other worlds. Suddenly the two are attacked by a mugato (pronounced "mugatu"), a horned gorilla-like creature. The beast bites Kirk, injecting him with poison before he can kill it with his phaser. McCoy is unable to call for help since the Enterprise has moved out of communication range.

A friendly group of Hill People finally arrive and take Kirk and McCoy to their cave where Kirk discovers Tyree is now their tribal leader. Tyree, who has just returned from a hunting mission, is married to Nona, a Kahn-ut-tu witch doctor who has a cure for the Mugato bite. In reality Nona is influencing Tyree with her herbal drugs and keeps urging him to acquire the villagers' "fire sticks" for their tribe, but he still refuses and maintains a traditional pacifist view.

On hearing of Kirk's arrival, Nona heads for the caves and gets there just in time to see McCoy using his phaser to heat up rocks to keep Kirk warm. Nona is intrigued with the weapon and wants to know more about the mysterious guests. Nona treats Kirk with a Mahko root, a mobile plant. She cuts her own hand and presses it against the root over his wound ("Take this of my soul into thine..."). Kirk is fully healed by the small ceremony, and McCoy says he'd like to know more about the plant she used. According to legend, because their blood has mingled, and their souls have met in the spirit world, Kirk will be unable to refuse Nona anything once he recovers.

Meanwhile back on the Enterprise, Spock seems to be recovering well. M'Benga informs Nurse Chapel that once Spock revives, she must do as Spock tells her no matter how bizarre the request.

Once Kirk recovers, he asks Tyree about the "fire sticks" possessed by the villagers. Tyree says he saw the weapons for the first time about a year ago and believed the villagers were making them. He has not seen any strangers like the Klingons that Kirk talks about. Kirk asks Tyree if they will help him on a reconnaissance mission to the village under the cover of night.

Nona also tags along, trying to persuade Kirk to help Tyree become a more powerful leader. Kirk refuses, since he knows that Tyree holds to traditional pacifism and has even sworn an oath against killing people. Once in the enemy village, they locate a forge in which they find a chrome steel drill and some virtually carbon-free iron -- evidence of the Klingons' involvement. Soon a Klingon appears with the village leader Apella and Kirk's group ducks to hide. The two discuss the manufacture of improved weapons. Kirk and McCoy sneak up and overpower them, taking a flintlock weapon and escaping with Tyree's help.

Back aboard the Enterprise Spock finally wakes, but is only partially conscious. He requests Nurse Chapel to strike him repeatedly until he fully recovers, saying the pain helps him to consciousness. She hesitantly does what he asks, lightly at first, but then starts slapping him hard as he requests. Mr. Scott happens to stop in and witnesses Chapel's beating of Spock and tries to stop her, however M'Benga arrives to explain that Spock's life is in danger and resumes the slapping. Spock finally comes out of his trance and thanks the bewildered Nurse Chapel for her assistance.

Back on the planet, Kirk shows the hill people how to shoot the flintlock weapon, but Tyree refuses to handle it. McCoy loudly protests, telling Kirk he is violating the Prime Directive and interfering with the natives' normal development. Kirk maintains that irreversible damage has already been caused by the Klingons, and if the two warring tribes are not on equal ground, one will slaughter the other. McCoy is horrified but he finds no alternative solution.

Thinking Tyree is too weak and hesitant to arm the people, Nona tries to seduce Kirk with her potions, but Kirk resists and Tyree witnesses her treachery. He is angry enough to pick up the flintlock and take aim at his wife, but he is unable to kill her and puts the weapon down. Suddenly another Mugato attacks and Kirk vaporizes it with his phaser. Nona knocks Kirk out and grabs the phaser, which in her mind is a weapon that will give her ultimate power. She runs away seeking to cut a deal with her tribal enemies in exchange for the weapon. Kirk, once he recovers, gives chase with a small group to stop her and get back his phaser.

When Kirk, McCoy, and Tyree arrive, they find Nona being attacked by the enemy villagers who seemed more interested in kissing her than in the weapon she was holding. Nona tries to defend herself, but she is unable to figure out how to fire the phaser, when the others arrive chasing Nona the enemy villagers believe she led them into a trap and they stab her, she dies. They are driven off, and McCoy reaches the stolen phaser and retrieves it.

In the end, Tyree realizes the importance of the "fire stick" weapons and Kirk orders Mr. Scott to manufacture and beam down a hundred of the flintlocks and ammunition for the tribesmen -- he calls them "serpents for the garden of Eden". This will put them on an even footing with their enemy, but Kirk is ruefully aware of the arms race that he has begun.

[edit] Trivia

• Nona is played by actress Nancy Kovack.

• This episode is often seen as being a depiction of the Vietnam War, with the conclusion being Gene Roddenberry's statement of reluctant support for it. Although Vietnam is not directly referenced, Kirk and McCoy discuss the balance of power politics of the "Twentieth Century brush wars on the Asian continent" at 43:00 into the televised episode.

• Jud Crucis is the pseudonym of writer Don Ingalls (he and Roddenberry were LAPD police officers at roughly the same time) who was displeased that Roddenberry toned down some of his more overt parallels and condemnations of the Vietnam War. Ingalls has said that "Jud Crucis" was wordplay on "J[esus] Crucified."

• The Mugato was originally called a "Gumato", but DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy), kept accidentally mispronouncing it as "Mugato."

• Kirk admits that when he first visited the planet over a decade ago, he told Tyree the truth about space travel and his own origin from "the lights in the sky", apparently inspired by the fact that he and Tyree were consecrated as brothers by the tribe. Although Tyree swore a solemn oath never to reveal it, this would seem to be a direct violation of the Prime Directive. It's possible that the Prime Directive wasn't as strictly enforced at that time - or maybe, as in other episodes, Kirk just doesn't care that much about it and uses his own discretion when and when not to abide by it.

• The Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Too Short a Season", the aging Admiral was originally supposed to be Captain Kirk confronting the results of equally arming two hostile tribes at the same time in a sequel of "A Private Little War"

• The name of the antagonist in the movie Zoolander, Mugatu, is a reference to Mugato. He, like the Mugato, has bright white hair. Ben Stiller, who stars in the movie and co-wrote it, is an admitted Star Trek fan.

[edit] External links

• A Private Little War at StarTrek.com
• A Private Little War article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.

Last produced: "Journey to Babel"	Star Trek: TOS episodes Season 2	Next produced: "The Gamesters of Triskelion"
Last transmitted: "The Immunity Syndrome"		Next transmitted: "Return to Tomorrow"