The Conscience of the King (Episode)
| Series | Star Trek |
| Season | 1 |
| Episode | 12 |
| Production Number | 13 |
| Release Date | 8 Dec 1966 |
| Advertising |
Stardate 2817.6: Kirk suspects a Shakespearean actor is a mass murderer.
Captain Kirk receives a message summoning the Enterprise to the home of Dr. Thomas Leighton, a brilliant research scientist whom Kirk knew many years before. The summons is a trick to lure the captain to Planet Q so that he could see and meet actor Anton Karidian. Leighton believes that Karidian is actually Kodos, the ex-governor of Tarsus IV, who oversaw a massacre that killed the doctor's entire family and part of Kirk's as well. When Leighton is killed, Kirk investigates and decides to transport the Karidian troupe on the Enterprise so that he can study the enigmatic actor. In an effort to discover the truth, Kirk romances Karidian's daughter, Lenore. During the voyage, Lieutenant Kevin Riley, another survivor of the massacre, is poisoned and nearly dies. A phaser explodes, almost killing Kirk and Spock. Riley recognizes Karidian as Kodos, but a shocked Kirk discovers the insane murderer of the survivors is Lenore — who accidentally kills her father.
Anton Karidian
Lenore Karidian
Thomas Leighton
Writer
Barry Trivers
Director
Gerd Oswald
Cast
William Shatner … Captain James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy … Commander Spock
DeForest Kelley … Doctor Leonard "Bones" McCoy
James Doohan … Lieutenant Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott
George Takei … Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu
Nichelle Nichols … Lieutenant Nyota Uhura
Guest Cast
Grace Lee Whitney … Yeoman Janice Rand
Arnold Moss … Anton Karidian
Barbara Anderson … Lenore Karidian
Eddie Paskey … Lieutenant Leslie
Bruce Hyde … Lieutenant Kevin Riley
David Troy … Lieutenant Matson
Natalie Norwick … Martha Leighton
William Sergeant … Dr. Thomas Leighton
