5 Odd Star Trek: The Original Series Details You Only Notice When Watching The First Few Episodes

Star Trek: The Original Series went through several changes during its earliest episodes, as the characters and their world were still being established. Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) eventually became one of science fiction's most famous trios, but Star Trek almost featured an entirely different cast of characters. Star Trek's original pilot, "The Cage," centered on Captain Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter), with Spock the only character who made it into the final version of TOS.

After NBC requested a second pilot episode of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry and his team made "Where No Man Has Gone Before." Despite being pitched as the first episode of the series, this episode actually aired third, resulting in some confusing changes among the characters and their uniforms. While watching the first few episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, it's clear that the show's creators were still working out some of the details. It didn't help that the episodes were not aired in the order in which they were produced.

5Janice Rand Was Set Up To Be A Major Character

Janice Rand Appears In 8 TOS Episodes, 3 Films, & 1 Episode Of Star Trek: Voyage

Grace Lee Whitney's Yeoman Janice Rand only appeared in eight episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series, but she was initially meant to play a much larger role in the series. Rand even appeared alongside Kirk and Spock in some of the original promotional material for Star Trek before the show premiered. Although the episodes in which Rand appeared aired out of order, several of them hint at the larger role she was originally meant to play.

Episodes like "The Enemy Within" and "The Naked Time" tease romantic feelings between Rand and Kirk, acknowledging that Kirk's position as captain prevented him from acting on them. Unfortunately, this storyline contributed to Rand being written off of the show, as NBC reportedly wanted Kirk to have numerous romances with different guest stars. Actress Grace Lee Whitney was also horrifically assaulted by an unnamed executive, which she believes contributed to her firing.

4Several Crew Members Wear Different Uniforms

Spock, Uhura, Scotty, & Sulu All Wear Different Uniform Colors In Some Episodes

Several of the inconsistencies in Star Trek: The Original Series season 1 appear in "Where No Man Has Gone Before," as it was originally shot as the pilot episode. Not only were the uniforms a different style, but Spock and Chief Engineer Scotty (James Doohan) both wore gold command Star Trek uniforms rather than the blue and red they would wear for most of the series. Lt. Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) wears a blue uniform in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and serves as a science officer. He would later switch to a gold command uniform and take over the position as helmsman for most of the series.

In "Mudd's Women" and "The Corbomite Maneuver," Lt. Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) wears a gold command uniform, representing her status as head of the ship's communications section. For most of the series, however, Uhura wears a red operations uniform, although she remains the main communications officer on the bridge. In Uhura's case, her uniform appears to switch from gold to red and back throughout the first half of season 1, as a result of the episodes being aired in a different order than they were filmed.

3A Different Doctor Pops Up In "Where No Man Has Gone Before"

Dr. Mark Piper Only Appears In "Where No Man Has Gone Before"

Dr. McCoy does not appear in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" despite appearing in the two episodes that aired prior to it ("The Man Trap" and "Charlie X"). Dr. Mark Piper (Paul Fix) portrays the ship's doctor in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" in his singular Star Trek appearance. Actor Paul Fix was recommended to play the part by the episode's director, James Goldstone, but Gene Roddenberry was ultimately dissatisfied with Fix's performance.

Roddenberry already had DeForest Kelley in mind for the role of Star Trek's doctor and cast him as soon as Paul Fix didn't work out. Roddenberry ultimately wanted a younger, more active doctor and felt Paul Fix was a bit too old for the part. Although he only appeared in one episode, Dr. Piper remains a part of Star Trek canon — as does Dr. Phil Boyce (John Hoyt) from "The Cage" — meaning either character could pop up in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

2 Kirk's Middle Initial Is Wrong

Gary Mitchell Makes A Headstone With An Incorrect Middle Initial For Kirk

Another inconsistency in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" shows Captain Kirk's middle initial as an "R" rather than a "T" for Tiberius. As part of the episode's storyline, Kirk's friend and Enterprise crewmember Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood) gains godlike powers that quickly go to his head. As he grows arrogant and increasingly dangerous, Kirk attempts to strand Mitchell on an uninhabited planet.

When Kirk approaches Mitchell with a phaser rifle (in a particular style that only appears in this episode), Mitchell taunts Kirk by creating a grave for his "old friend." Mitchell places a headstone above the grave that reads "James R. Kirk," even though he should have known Kirk's middle name. As a way to describe the discrepancy, Gene Roddenberry later stated that Mitchell simply made a mistake, as he was still ultimately human.

1Starfleet & The Federation Were Not Firmly Established Yet

Starfleet & The Federation Were Not Mentioned Until Well Into TOS Season 1

By the end of Star Trek:The Original Series, the existence of the United Federation of Planets and Starfleet were firmly established. However, this was not initially the case. The Federation was not mentioned until "Arena" (season 1, episode 18), and the full name of The United Federation of Planets was not established until several episodes later in "A Taste of Armageddon" (season 1, episode 23).Star Trek's earliest episodes cycled through several names for Starfleet, including "Star Service, "Spacefleet Command," and "Space Central." The name Starfleet was first used in "The Menagerie" (season 1, episodes 11 and 12), which reused footage from "The Cage" within a framing story featuring Captain Pike. This not only made the events of "The Cage" canon but also helped make the world of Star Trek: The Original Series feel more cohesive and intentional.