While 'Turnabout Intruder' strikes many as an odd choice to conclude the original Star Trek's run on network TV, I think it's important to consider that in all likelihood, nobody involved at the time of shooting knew it would be such. Hell, NBC probably didn't even know until they realized they had one unaired episode left in the can and figured they might as well broadcast it, which they did in June '69. The episode is certainly one of the better third season shows, with an intriguing premise and the almost irresistible notion of Shatner portraying a woman stuck inside Kirk's body. He has a lot of fun with the performance, in ways both flamboyant and subtle, believe it or not. For instance, in the first scene where Lester inhabits the captain's body, and Kirk uses his communicator, he jerks back just slightly, almost imperceptibly, upon hearing a voice come from the device for the first time. It's one of many nice little touches Shatner employs to create a convincing impression of an unbalanced woman occupying his physical form. While the episode is far from perfect, there are some nice scenes, and one in particular is wonderful-the court martial sequence, which ends with Lester/Kirk exploding in rage at Mr. Spock. It's a classic moment in the episode, and in the series. There was certainly no inkling in 'Turnabout Intruder' that it was the last Star Trek; it ended with Kirk, Spock, and Scotty walking off down a corridor while the captain lamented Dr. Lester's self-inflicted misery. As a side note, I agree that it is an odd comment Dr. Lester makes at the beginning of the show about women not being permitted to command starships. Despite someone's well-intentioned remark here, there's no question what her statement meant, and Kirk even confirms it in his response. It stands as an example of how things were at the time... no more, no less.
Review of Turnabout Intruder
