I feel like these discussions of TAS are turning into, "could this have been shot live action or not," but I don't think that is unreasonable either. This is definitely one that could have been done live action, but the alien shapeshifter would have had to have been a lot less of a floating tentacle monster and more of a humanoid with makeup. For the subplot about whether the woman who was engaged to the man the shapeshifter has taken the form of having the natural form be very inhuman does help with the story.
While patrolling the edge of the neutral zone the Enterprise encounters a damaged ship. They discover the ship is registered to the most famous philanthropist in the galaxy who disappeared five years earlier. They beam him aboard and are quite excited to have a celebrity on board. Spock insists in confirming his identity which comes across as an extra dick move when we learn Winston, the philanthropist in question, has a fiance aboard the ship! McCoy takes Winston in for a medical exam and other than a few readings outside normal he appears to be a human. However when his fiance gets him alone he explains that he has changed to much over the five years to be able to be with her any more. She is quite understandably upset.
We don't have to wait long to see why though as Winston follows the captain into his quarters and promptly turns in a strange tentacle monster and knocks out the captain before assuming his form. He then heads to the bridge and convinces them to set a course through the neutral zone. Spock naturally objects, but "Kirk" explains Winston has told him it is both safe and necessary to prevent a humanitarian disaster. "Kirk" then leaves, but the real Kirk returns not long after and realizes he has been impersonated. They turn the ship around and run back for the border, but it is too late.
Back in sickbay the alien knocks out and impersonates McCoy apparently to convince his fiance she should give up on him. When Spock and Kirk arrive in sickbay to have Kirk examined they notice that something seems odd about McCoy, but they don't discuss it until they are back in the corridor. They return and find McCoy napping in the lab, but no sign of the alien. Kirk outsmarts him when he notices one extra exam table. The alien transforms again and manages to flee. Kirk returns to the bridge to deal with the Romulans who have just shown up while security searches the ship. The alien encounters Winstons fiance but even after he shows his true form she doesn't shoot him. He manages to knock out the deflectors as Kirk attempts to negotiate with the Romulans and they attack. With the shields down they are sitting ducks, but something about his conversation with his fiance changes the aliens mind and he uses his shapechanging to become the deflectors and save the ship. Kirk agrees to let his fiance be his guard while they take him back for trial as a spy.
Review: A lot happened in the 23 minutes that was this story and pretty much all of it worked. The idea of a species of alien shapeshifters who aren't trusted to leave their planet actually makes a lot of sense and of course they would be sought as spies. Fast paced and enjoyable.
8 out of 10
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