History Recap / StarTrekS2E24TheUltimateComputer

--> '''Kirk:''' "That wasn't a minor difficulty! That wasn't a robot! That thing murdered one of my crewmen, and now you tell me you can't turn it off?!"\\

* FriendshipMoment: The other two members of the three each try to support their captain and friend as he faces the possibility of losing his ship.

* InstantAIJustAddWater: M-5 starts draining power from the ''Enterprise'' to be more powerful.
* JerkAss: While not without his good side, Wesley comes off as majorly insensitive because of his witticism while the M-5 is still doing well: "Our compliments to the M-5 unit, and regards to Captain Dunsel. Wesley out." As stated in FutureSlang, a "dunsel" is something which serves no useful purpose. Kirk is so stung by hearing it that all he can do is [[HeroicBSOD shamble off the bridge without a word]], while the rest of the command crew look absolutely disgusted with Wesley's quip. Jeez, Bob, what did Jim ever do to you?

* LogicBomb: This should just be called The Kirk Maneuver considering how many times Kirk has used this to take out out-of-control computers. In this case, he argues that the M-5 was designed and programmed so that humans wouldn't have to risk themselves in space, and that by murdering the crew of the ''Excalibur'', M-5 has violated its own core programming.

* VitriolicBestBuds: Spock and Bones snipe each other at every opportunity.

* AndThatsTerrible: Daystrom has to tell the M-5 that murder is wrong. Justified, as M-5 is a computer, and computers only know what they're programmed to know, nothing else. Empathy, compassion, and sanctity of life [[ThreeLawsCompliant have to be programmed in]].

The head of the games and Kirk's superior, Commodore Wesley, is unable to contact Kirk because M-5 is in control of communications, and assumes that Kirk has gone rogue. He orders his remaining ships to prepare to fire on the ''Enterprise''. In the short time they have Daystrom talks to M-5, trying to find out why it did what it did. [=McCoy=] warns Kirk that Daystrom is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, knowing that his own creation, modeled on his own thoughts, could kill people when he himself is a sworn pacifist.

Poor Daystrom's psyche begins to unravel, and as he starts to rant to the bridge crew that the M-5 can't and ''shouldn't'' be stopped he's treated to a Vulcan neck pinch. Spock advises Kirk to treat M-5 as a person rather than a computer. Kirk asks M-5 to scan the ''Excaliber'' for life signs. When M-5 can't detect any he explains to M-5 that what it's done is murder, and that the penalty for murder is death. M-5 agrees and shuts itself down, leaving itself, and the ''Enterprise'', open for attack by the starfleet squadron.

Commodore Wesley is just about to give orders to destroy the ''Enterprise'' when he notices that her shields are down...he knows it may be just a trap but decides to give Kirk a second chance. The M-5 is disconnected and disassembled, Daystrom is sent to where he can get some counselling, and the ''Enterprise'' goes on its way.

After Spock says that the computer is not behaving logically, Daystrom reveals that he imprinted his own memory engrams on the M-5, giving it his human instincts and adaptability, but (it turns out) none of his self-control or good sense. Soon the afore-planned wargames start and M-5, in full control of the ''Enterprise'', fatally cripples the ''Excaliber's'' life support, killing the ship's entire crew.

M-5 passes the first few tests with flying colors, making a landing party selection that seems better than Kirk's recommendation[[note]]M-5, with full access to the crew files, picks a crewmember as geologist who had visited the planet before, while Kirk, unaware of the crewman's history, recommended a different officer[[/note]], and operating the ship much more quickly than the crew can during a surprise mock battle with the ''Lexington''. After the defeated ''Lexington'' signals "our compliments to the M-5 and Captain [[FutureSlang Dunsel]] [[note]]Spock tells McCoy this is a Starfleet midshipman's term for a part that serves no useful purpose[[/note]], Kirk begins to question whether he really is out of a job. Then M-5 goes out of its way to destroy an un-manned Federation freighter the ''Enterprise'' encounters, and Kirk finds that the cutoff switch doesn't work at all. Kirk decides to pull the plug, but M-5 protects itself with a force field and the RedShirt who tries to unplug it from the ship's power supply in Engineering meets his destiny.

Dr. Richard Daystrom (William Marshall[[note]]better known as Film/{{Blacula}} and the King of Cartoons from ''Series/PeeWeesPlayhouse''[[/note]]), creator of computer systems that ships all over Starfleet use, comes aboard to supervise a test of his new M-5 multitronic computer. The M-5 was designed to markedly improve the efficiency of vessels in which it's installed, ultimately making their crews obsolete.

After a series of tests (including a great scare in which the M-5, while in control of the ''Enterprise'', destroys an unmanned freighter), Kirk is severely concerned that the M-5 is becoming self-aware and possessed of a (severely misdirected) survivor instinct, a point which is driven home when it makes a RedShirt who tries to unplug it live up to his title.

It's then revealed that Daystrom actually imprinted his own memory engrams on the M-5, giving it his human instincts and strategies, but (it turns out) none of his self-control or good sense. Soon the afore-planned wargames start, and M-5, tied into the ''Enterprise'', fatally cripples a manned starship.

The head of the games and Kirk's superior, Commodore Wesley, is unable to contact Kirk because M-5 is jamming communications, and assumes that Kirk is on a rogue bent. He prepares to fire on the ''Enterprise'' even as Daystrom and Kirk are talking to M-5, trying to find out why it did what it did; then [=McCoy=] notices that, while Kirk is accusing Daystrom of not being thorough enough in transferring his experiences to the M-5, Daystrom is becoming first arrogant, then quite insane, that his own creation, powered by his own thoughts, could kill people when he himself was a sworn pacifist.

Just as the threads of poor Daystrom's psyche begin to unravel, he's treated to a Vulcan neck pinch, then Kirk explains to M-5 that what it's done is murder, and the penalty for murder, as M-5 agrees, is death. M-5 shuts itself down, leaving itself, and the ''Enterprise'', open for attack.

Commodore Wesley is just about to give orders to destroy the ''Enterprise'' when he notices that her shields are down... Hesitating long enough to wonder whether what's wrong with the ''Enterprise'' was what caused our beloved crew to survive. Daystrom is sent to an asylum and the ''Enterprise'' goes on its way.

Commodore Wesley is just about to give orders to destroy the ''Enterprise'' when he notices that her shields are down... Hesitating long enough to wonder what's wrong with the ''Enterprise'' was what caused our beloved crew to survive. Daystrom is sent to an asylum and the ''Enterprise'' goes on its way.

* {{Redshirt}}: When M-5 vaporizes Harper, Daystrom says "M-5 needed more power... the Ensign merely got in the way". At that, Kirk growls "And how long before we ''all'' 'just get in the way'?"

* FutureSlang: A "dunsel" is a thing that serves no purpose. Ironically, the character in ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' who was named after the slang term sacrificed himself and his ship to protect other ships, the very opposite of a thing that serves no purpose.

* AmbiguousDisorder: From the beginning, it's obvious that Dr. Daystrom has some social awkwardness which informs, or is informed by, his over-protectiveness of M-5. He realizes that he is among MildlyMilitary men, and attempts to keep a form of humility about his work and what it means to Starfleet. He seems both somewhat at a loss, and assertive (owing to Command backing him up regarding M-5), when it comes to threatening the status of M-5's ultimate control of the ''Enterprise'', or questioning its ability. This becomes much less ambiguous as the episode goes on and Daystrom becomes a BrokenSystemDogmatist, culminating in his catastrophic breakdown when Kirk very bluntly informs Daystrom that M-5, responsible for much death and destruction at this point, must be destroyed.

After a series of tests (including a great scare in which the M-5, while in control of the ''Enterprise'', destroys an unmanned freighter) Kirk is severely concerned that the M-5 is becoming self-aware and possessed of a (severely misdirected) survivor instinct, a point which is driven home when it makes a RedShirt who tries to unplug it live up to his title.

It's then revealed that Daystrom actually imprinted his own memory engrams on the M-5, giving it his human instincts and strategies; but, it turns out, none of his self-control or good sense. Soon the afore-planned wargames start, and M-5, tied into the ''Enterprise'', fatally cripples a manned starship.

The head of the games and Kirk's superior, Commodore Wesley, is unable to contact Kirk because M-5 is jamming communications, and assumes Kirk is on a rogue bent. He prepares to fire on the ''Enterprise'' even as Daystrom and Kirk are talking to M-5, trying to find out why it did what it did; then [=McCoy=] notices that while Kirk is accusing Daystrom of not being thorough enough in transferring his experiences to the M-5, Daystrom is becoming, first arrogant, then quite insane, that his own creation, powered by his own thoughts, could kill people when he himself was a sworn pacifist.

Commodore Wesley is just about to give orders to destroy the ''Enterprise'' when he notices her shields are down... Hesitating long enough to wonder what's wrong with the ''Enterprise'' was what caused our beloved crew to survive. Daystrom is sent to an asylum and the ''Enterprise'' goes on its way.

* AIIsACrapshoot: The crew of the ''Enterprise'' is shocked when the ship is outfitted with the M-5 multitronic unit, a powerful supercomputer created by Richard Daystrom, as means of replacing humans. Some are curious, but Kirk is highly skeptical. His worries prove true when the ship starts going nuts, going so far as to destroy sister ''Constitution''-class ship U.S.S. ''Excalibur''. After they find out that Daystrom used his brain engrams as a template, Kirk is able to convince the computer that it killed someone and must be punished, causing the computer to shut down.
* AmbiguousDisorder: From the beginning, it's obvious that Dr. Daystrom has some social awkwardness which informs, or is informed by, his over-protectiveness of M-5. He realizes he is among MildlyMilitary men, and attempts to keep a form of humility about his work and what it means to Starfleet. He seems both somewhat at a loss, and assertive (owing to Command backing him up regarding M-5), when it comes to threatening the status of M5's ultimate control of the Enterprise, or questioning its ability. This becomes much less ambiguous as the episode goes on and Daystrom becomes a BrokenSystemDogmatist, culminating in his catastrophic breakdown when Kirk very bluntly informs Daystrom that M-5, responsible for much death and destruction at this point, must be destroyed.
* AndThatsTerrible: Daystrom has to tell the M5 that murder is wrong. Justified, as M5 is a computer, and computers only know what they're programmed to know, nothing else. Empathy, compassion, and sanctity of life [[ThreeLawsCompliant have to be programmed in]].

* BottleEpisode: Producer John Meredyth Lucas bought Laurence N. Wolfe's unsolicited teleplay because it could be made fast and cheap, using only the existing Enterprise sets, and decided to direct the episode himself.
* BrokenSystemDogmatist: Daystrom slowly becomes this, along with his SanitySlippage, as he tries to explain away the errors that the M5 keeps making, until eventually the M-5 starts killing people, and he goes all out AGodAmI.
* BrainUploading: How Daystrom created M5's AI. Spock sarcastically suggests Bones do the same thing, predicting the resulting AI would be completely dysfunctional.

'''Spock:''' No, but it is...interesting.\\

* CurbStompBattle: The M-5 destroys the ''Excalibur'' and seriously damages the ''Lexington'', ''Hood'' and ''Potemkin'' within the first few minutes of the war game exercise. Justified, as none of the other ships expected M-5 to use weapons at full strength.

* FacialDialogue: Through averted gaze, popped eyes and slight gyrations of the head, we can see pretty clearly during Daystrom's earlier MotiveRant in Engineering, both that Daystrom is starting his SanitySlippage and that Bones [[SpottingTheThread is noticing it]]. This makes his later assertion that Daystrom is "on the verge of a nervous breakdown, if not complete insanity" fairly easy to determine for ourselves.

* ForgetsToEat: At first, it looks like Bones is reminding Kirk to eat when he brings in a covered dish. Turns out, he just figured Kirk [[INeedAFreakingDrink needed a freaking drink]] after all that happened.

* GloryDays: Daystrom's FreudianExcuse for being so obsessed with the success of the M-5 is that he doesn't want anyone to think he's a TeenGenius who fizzled out.

* JerkAss: While not without his good side, Wesley comes off as majorly insensitive because of his witticism while the M-5 is still doing well: "Our compliments to the M-5 unit, and regards to Captain Dunsel. Wesley out." As stated in FutureSlang, a "dunsel" is something which serves no useful purpose. Kirk is so stung by hearing it that all he can do is [[HeroicBSOD shamble off the bridge without a word]], while the rest of the command crew look absolutely disgusted with Wesley's quip. Jeez Bob, what did Jim ever do to you?
** He's also very quick to assume Kirk is the one who ordered the attack on the ''Lexington'' and the other Starfleet ships, rather than the more reasonable conclusion that the M-5 computer is malfunctioning.

* LogicBomb: This should just be called The Kirk Maneuver considering how many times Kirk has used this to take out out-of-control computers. In this case, he argues that the M-5 was designed and programmed so that humans wouldn't have to risk themselves in space, and that by murdering the crew of the ''Excalibur'' M-5 has violated its own core programming.

* MamaDidntRaiseNoCriminal: [[BrokenSystemDogmatist Daystrom stubbornly refuses to admit his computer was at fault]] - he created it, and he's a pacifist, so his machine should not be able to engage in unprovoked aggression.

-->'''Dr. Richard Daystrom:''' We ''will'' survive! ''Nothing'' can hurt you. I gave you that. You are great, I am great... ''[starting to lose focus]'' Twenty years of groping, to prove the things I'd done before were ''not'' accidents... ''seminars'' and ''lec''tures to rows of fools who couldn't ''begin'' to understand my systems! ''[remembering]'' Colleagues -- colleagues ''laughing'' behind my back at the Boy Wonder, and becoming famous building on ''my work.'' Building on '''''my work!'''''
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: When forced to confront the fact that it murdered hundreds of people on the ships it attacked, M-5 shut itself down, leaving itself open to destruction to [[RedemptionEqualsDeath atone for its crimes]].
* NoConservationOfEnergy: this episode correctly predicts that future computers would draw more power for complex tasks than for simple ones, although tapping into the warp engines seems excessive! What's overlooked, however, is that all that energy ends up as heat. M5 is drawing vast amounts of power, yet somehow avoids melting into slag.

--> '''Daystrom:''' [[DoubleDontKnow I really don't know how to get to the M-5, Kirk. I really...do not know.]]

* PaintballEpisode: For the wargames, the phasers on all ships are set at 1% power, with all simulated damage recorded by computer. This then gets {{defied}} when M5 turns the ''Enterprise''[='=]s phasers up to full power and cuts loose against Wesley's flotilla.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Commodore Wesley tries to discover what's gone wrong with ''Enterprise'', and when presented with an opportunity to destroy Kirk's ship he orders a stand-down because the ''Enterprise'' drops her shields and deactivates her weapons.

* {{Redshirt}}: When M-5 vaporizes Harper, Daystrom says "M-5 needed more power...the Ensign merely got in the way". At that, Kirk growls "And how long before we ''all'' 'just get in the way'?"

* RottenRoboticReplacement: A computer called the M-5 is installed on the Enterprise to determine if it can replace James Kirk as captain of the ship. M-5 [[AIIsACrapshoot develops artificial intelligence, goes crazy and tries to destroy four other Federation starships]].
* RulesLawyer: Daystrom is quick to point out when Kirk has to put the M5 in command, even though Kirk is very reluctant.

** The crippled USS ''Excalibur'' is footage of the USS ''Constellation'' from "[[{{Recap/StarTrekS2E6TheDoomsdayMachine}} The Doomsday Machine]]".

* AmbiguousDisorder: From the beginning, it's obvious that Dr. Daystrom has some social awkwardness which informs, or is informed by, his over-protectiveness of M-5. He realizes he is among MildlyMilitary men, and attempts to keep a form of humility about his work and what it means to Starfleet. He seems both somewhat at a loss, and assertive (owing to Command backing him up regarding M-5), when it comes to threatening the status of M5's ultimate control of the Enterprise, or questioning its ability. This becomes much less ambiguous as the episode goes on, culminating in his catastrophic breakdown when Kirk very bluntly informs Daystrom that M-5, responsible for much death and destruction at this point, must be destroyed.

* AmbiguousDisorder: From the beginning, it's obvious that Dr. Daystrom has some social awkwardness which informs, or is informed by, his over-protectiveness of M5. He realizes he is among MildlyMilitary men, and attempts to keep a form of humility about his work and what it means to Starfleet. He seems both somewhat at a loss, and assertive, when it comes to threatening the status of M5's ultimate control of the Enterprise, or questioning its ability. This becomes much less ambiguous as the episode goes on, culminating in his catastrophic breakdown when Kirk very bluntly informs Daystrom that M5, responsible for much death and destruction at this point, must be destroyed.

* AmbiguousDisorder: From the beginning, it's obvious that Dr. Daystrom has some social awkwardness which informs, or is informed by, his over-protectiveness of M5. He seems both somewhat at a loss, and assertive, when it comes to threatening the status of M5's ultimate control of the Enterprise, or questioning its ability. This becomes much less ambiguous as the episode goes on, culminating in his catastrophic breakdown when Kirk very bluntly informs Daystrom that M5, responsible for much death and destruction at this point, must be destroyed.

-->'''Kirk''': To Captain Dunsel.
-->'''[=McCoy=]''': To James Kirk, Captain of the ''Enterprise''.

-->'''Spock''': Practical, Captain? Perhaps. But not desirable. Computers make excellent and efficient servants; but I have no wish to serve under them. Captain, a starship also runs on loyalty to one man, and nothing can replace it, or him.