One Line From Star Trek: The Original Series Created A 58-Year Plot Hole

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After nearly six decades on television and in film, it’s not surprising that Star Trek has a few plot inconsistencies. Things like the changing appearance of the Klingons, Khan recognizing Chekov, and Riker achieving warp 11 have sometimes been addressed, but many of these mysteries still haven’t been fully explained.

Most inconsistencies in Star Trek storylines are understandable given how long the series has run. To keep creating new episodes and movies, the show’s established rules have to be flexible, and it would be impossible to maintain perfect consistency with so many different writers and creators involved. However, one line of dialogue from season two of Star Trek: The Original Series created a plot hole that remains unexplained and feels unnecessary.

Star Trek: The Original Series Briefly Introduced The “Psycho-Tricorder”

In the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Wolf in the Fold,” Montgomery Scott finds himself suspected of murder. The situation looks bad for Scotty, as he’s discovered near the victims with a knife more than once, and he has no memory of the events. However, Captain Kirk believes in his chief engineer’s innocence and orders a scan using a special device called a “psycho-tricorder” to determine if Scotty is truly a killer.

By the second season of the original Star Trek, the tricorder was a familiar tool. However, the psycho-tricorder was a new device added to the Enterprise’s science equipment. Its precise function isn’t entirely clear, but Captain Kirk explains it would scan Scotty’s mind to uncover his lost memories, determining what really happened and if Scotty was being truthful.

The psycho-tricorder, as it appeared in the episode, could essentially replay the last 24 hours of a person’s experiences. However, this device was never explained or used before or after that single appearance, which is a plot inconsistency. It would have been incredibly helpful for solving mysteries – for example, identifying a suspect, recalling forgotten details, or figuring out what an unconscious person had seen – but it was never brought out again.

As a huge Star Trek fan, I always thought it was a shame they didn’t use that incredible psycho-tricorder more often! It would have solved so many problems. Just imagine how different “The Man Trap” could have been if they’d used it when Nancy lied about Darnell’s death. And “Court Martial”? Maybe Kirk wouldn’t have had to eject Finney if they’d understood what was going on with his mind. Honestly, even in The Next Generation, like that confusing episode “Conundrum” with the lost memories, a psycho-tricorder would have been a lifesaver. It really felt like a missed opportunity to utilize such a helpful device!

Star Trek’s Psycho-Tricorder Was An Avoidable Plot Hole

It’s easy to see why the psycho-tricorder is as popular in Star Trek as R2-D2 is in Star Wars. However, it’s a problem for storytelling. The device eliminates suspense, mystery, and danger. If the truth can be instantly known, then things like trust and gut feelings don’t matter anymore.

By the 23rd century, it’s reasonable to assume people could replay recorded memories. However, it turns out it’s not very fun, and Star Trek has wisely avoided exploring this idea for over 58 years.

Interestingly, even the episode “Wolf in the Fold” seems to acknowledge this issue. A doctor with a mind-scanning device is sent down from the Enterprise, but is killed before finishing the scan, so we never get the results. It’s almost as if the episode realizes relying on the device would be too easy and deliberately avoids using it. Consequently, the mind-scanner doesn’t really affect what happens with Scotty or the overall story, creating an unnecessary plot hole in Star Trek.

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2025-12-31 00:04