‘Star Trek’ Retro Recap: ‘I, Mudd’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

​I don’t know why, but whenever any particular series from the Star Trek franchise goes out its way to follow up with a particular character or incredible species, I find myself giddy and eager to watch the story that is about to unfold. Because the tale in question is either going to take us down an epic path by way of a showdown with said species, or it is going to find a way to have some serious fun, thanks to the dynamic character that’s graced a particular crew with their presence once again. And it just so happens that the return of a classic and bumbling villain allowed for that excitement to return to the top of my mind when I settled in to watch the next episode of The Original Series.
 
For ‘I, Mudd’ saw the return of Harcourt Fenton Mudd, a character that always made Trek worth our while with his hairbrained and incomplete schemes. But at first, it sure didn’t seem as though he was going to be involved in this particular story, since the opening sequence saw the crew of the Enterprise in dire straits. Which is a brilliant stroke of storytelling to say the least. Because if I was an audience member watching this for the first time back in the day, I would have been clueless to the fact that this cold and calculated android was leading the crew to Harry Mudd’s new front doorstep, making his grand reveal delightful and amazing to say the least. But while I got to cheat by seeing the title of the episode before I hit play, the gravity of his entrance is still present in this tale.
 
After all, Harry Mudd is an iconic villain to say the least, one that just exudes a particular gravitas when he’s on screen. Which is thanks in large part to Roger C. Carmel’s dynamic performance of the character. Because his work with Harry always provided us with a fascinating spectrum, one that usually involved total confidence from Harry until his scheme blows up in his face and that’s present here as well. Since Harry is indeed locked in the belief that his plan to capture the Enterprise will be successful, until the androids turn upon him and he’s suddenly lost and scared and in desperate need of Kirk’s help and it’s just a delight to see him back in the proverbial saddle in this tale and truly his arrival in this episode allowed for some serious fun to take place.
 
Because Kirk’s plan to free his crew from the powerful grip of the androids is about as silly as they come, but it works so well on screen. In part because it fits the story perfectly since acting chaotic around beings that believe in logic and order is a fine way to confuse them, but more so because such a decision allows for the actors to just let loose and have fun for a change. Which ends up being a true treat for the audience since every bridge officer gets pretty darn goofy in this story and watching Chekov dance with glee, or seeing McCoy do a little deadpan humor with Harry just puts a smile on your face and I definitely found myself laughing aloud as the chaos unfolded and the attempts to confuse the androids became bolder and more complex. If anything, this is just a fine example of how this series knew how to have fun when the story warranted it, and this lighthearted tale really does serve as a palate cleanser as well.
 
Because season two really has featured some heavier storytelling at times, so it’s nice to see the show let loose and enjoy itself for a change. But sadly, this episode is bittersweet from one particular aspect. For this would be the last time that Harcourt Fenton Mudd would interact with James Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise and honestly, that’s a shame. Because he truly was a dynamic character that deserved more screen time, and it took fifty years before the franchise would reintroduce him in Star Trek: Discovery. Which makes this episode his TOS farewell tale, and thankfully he went out with a bang, and he got his just desserts at last, since he was surrounded by his darling Stellas and one has to wonder what became of him after this particular story. And I do hope the franchise takes the time to revisit his fate somewhere along the line because Harry really does deserve a proper ending when all is said and done.    

---