# Watching tos "dagger of the mind" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 20, 2017, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tos-dagger-of-the-mind/777663 "2017-01-20T20:25:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2017, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tos-dagger-of-the-mind/777663/1 "2017-01-20T20:25:07Z")
For the first time in more than 40 years, I just caught the significance of Kirk’s remark “She had better check out as the best assistant I ever had.” **DUH!** :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tos-dagger-of-the-mind/777663/2 "2017-01-20T20:33:26Z")
Since you bring it up this particular episode, I will just chime in that a few years back, I worked at a job with Suzanne Wasson, the actress who played Lethe – the spaced out patient that Dr. Adams introduces to Kirk and his assistant. I asked Ms. Wasson about the experience about being a Star Trek babe. She took it in good humor and said that: 1) she had never heard of the show when she did it, 2) Pretty much forgot all about it for about ten years, and 3) was utterly astonished when people started coming up to her in the mid-70’s and saying “You were in Star Trek, weren’t you?” ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2017, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tos-dagger-of-the-mind/777663/3 "2017-01-20T23:01:01Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > For the first time in more than 40 years, I just caught the significance of Kirk’s remark “She had better check out as the best assistant I ever had.” **DUH!** :smack: Actually, she just might have been the best assistant he ever had. [Helen Noel, ACTION HERO!!!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haeATiTW-vo) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2017, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tos-dagger-of-the-mind/777663/4 "2017-01-20T23:47:38Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > Since you bring it up this particular episode, I will just chime in that a few years back, I worked at a job with Suzanne Wasson, the actress who played Lethe – the spaced out patient that Dr. Adams introduces to Kirk and his assistant. > > I asked Ms. Wasson about the experience about being a Star Trek babe. She took it in good humor and said that: 1) she had never heard of the show when she did it, 2) Pretty much forgot all about it for about ten years, and 3) was utterly astonished when people started coming up to her in the mid-70’s and saying “You were in Star Trek, weren’t you?” According to Memory Alpha, filming on “Dagger” began on 9 August 1966. Since _ **TOS** _ debuted on 8 September 1966, it’s only logical she hadn’t heard of it. 😛 Looks like she did a lot of TV in the '80s: > **[Susanne Wasson | Actress](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0913748/)** > > Known for: Star Trek, Hart to Hart, Rain Without Thunder ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tos-dagger-of-the-mind/777663/5 "2017-01-21T00:01:40Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Actually, she just might have been the best assistant he ever had. [Helen Noel, ACTION HERO!!!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haeATiTW-vo) Aggh. Cuts off too soon. “I thought you might be in need of assistance. I see i was wrong.” ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tos-dagger-of-the-mind/777663/6 "2017-01-21T00:03:46Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > For the first time in more than 40 years, I just caught the significance of Kirk’s remark “She had better check out as the best assistant I ever had.” **DUH!** :smack: It’s a shame for good Scotsman…er…Trekkie to admit it, but…I don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tos-dagger-of-the-mind/777663/7 "2017-01-21T00:15:44Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Actually, she just might have been the best assistant he ever had. [Helen Noel, ACTION HERO!!!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haeATiTW-vo) Here she is in another role: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0nEj9BBIQo&t=1006) The best part is at 32:00–33:00! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tos-dagger-of-the-mind/777663/8 "2017-01-21T00:19:45Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > It’s a shame for good Scotsman…er…Trekkie to admit it, but…I don’t get it. Remember the scene in _ **Cheers!** _ where Sam tells Rebecca “I’ve never \*\*had \*\*a friend before”? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tos-dagger-of-the-mind/777663/9 "2017-01-21T16:13:01Z")
Noel was played by Marianna Hill aka Mariana Schwarzkopf. A cousin of General Schwarzkopf. Kirk better keep his hands to himself. 😃 > **[Marianna Hill](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Marianna_Hill)** > > Marianna Hill (born 9 February 1942; age 81) is an actress who portrayed Helen Noel in the Star Trek: The Original Series first season episode "Dagger of the Mind". She filmed her scenes between Thursday 11 August 1966 and Wednesday 17 August 1966 at... ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tos-dagger-of-the-mind/777663/10 "2017-01-21T16:25:56Z")
Hey, **terentii** , wasn’t one of the original names for Kirk supposed to be “Christmas”? There was a list in “The Making of Star Trek” that included (Capt.) April _ick_ and, I believe, (Capt.) Christmas _double ick_. I haven’t had that book for a long time now, and memory might be fuzzy, but does Roddenberry have a hard-on for December 25th? Inquiring minds blah, blah, blah. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tos-dagger-of-the-mind/777663/11 "2017-01-21T20:12:47Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Hey, **terentii** , wasn’t one of the original names for Kirk supposed to be “Christmas”? There was a list in “The Making of Star Trek” that included (Capt.) April _ick_ and, I believe, (Capt.) Christmas _double ick_. I haven’t had that book for a long time now, and memory might be fuzzy, but does Roddenberry have a hard-on for December 25th? Inquiring minds blah, blah, blah. Not that I recall. I don’t have my copy of the book handy, but I do remember some (if not most) of the names on the list: January, Drake, Flagg, Winter, Boone, Raintree, and Christopher; Kirk was penciled in near the end of the list. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tos-dagger-of-the-mind/777663/12 "2017-01-21T20:18:50Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Noel was played by Marianna Hillaka > Mariana Schwarzkopf. A cousin of General Schwarzkopf. > > Kirk better keep his hands to himself. 😃 > > [Marianna Hill | Memory Alpha | Fandom](http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Marianna_Hill) Too late! It was obvious in the transporter room that he’d already boned her during the Christmas party. 🆒 (In the Blish adaptation, apparently written from an early draft of the script, he didn’t realize she was permanent part of the crew. In other words, he only nailed babes he knew would be gone after a day or so.) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tos-dagger-of-the-mind/777663/13 "2017-01-21T20:21:57Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Hey, **terentii** , wasn’t one of the original names for Kirk supposed to be “Christmas”? There was a list in “The Making of Star Trek” that included (Capt.) April _ick_ and, I believe, (Capt.) Christmas _double ick_. I haven’t had that book for a long time now, and memory might be fuzzy, but does Roddenberry have a hard-on for December 25th? Inquiring minds blah, blah, blah. April was eventually used as the name of the first captain of the Enterprise, Robert April, in the animated Star Trek series, although he’s not mentioned in any live-action Star Trek. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tos-dagger-of-the-mind/777663/14 "2017-01-21T20:27:11Z")
I have a question from watching “Arena”: When DuPaul gives the coordinates of the Gorn ship, he uses the terms “p.l.” and “p.m.” “p.m.” I get. What does “p.l.” stand for? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tos-dagger-of-the-mind/777663/15 "2017-01-21T20:29:48Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > April was eventually used as the name of the first captain of the Enterprise, Robert April, in the animated Star Trek series, although he’s not mentioned in any live-action Star Trek. Yes, April was the name used in the proposed series’ format, written in 1964. I don’t believe it was on the list in Whitfield’s book, though.