Star Trek TOS S2E8: I, Mudd

The illogical triumph of imperialism

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See the Star Trek TOS Rewatch Index page for links to all the episodes covered so far.

“I, MUDD” Rating: 7.8/10

“I, Mudd” is a silly episode celebrating the power and wonder of humanity’s silliness. Forget phasers and photon torpedoes; the Federation’s greatest weapon, it turns out, is absurdist theater and weaponized mime.

The goofiness hops, skips, and dances around some typical Star Trek anxieties. Like “The Apple” and “Who Mourns for Adonais?” this episode is worried that the temptations of progress and luxury will lead humans to become decadent. And as in “What Are Little Girls Made Of?” the decadence is embodied in robot servants, who weaken humanity and become its masters. The specter of colonial slavery and its enervating effects on the colonizers lurks in the background—behind the imposingly large and mustachioed figure of Harvey Mudd.