In this episode of Trekking Through Compliance, we consider the episode Mudd’s Women, which aired on October 13, 1966, with a Star Date of 1329.1.
Story
Harry Mudd attempts to evade the Enterprise with his small class J cargo ship and leads it into an asteroid field. The Enterprise extends its shields over Harvey’s ship, burning out three of its four lithium crystals. The crew of the Enterprise becomes fascinated with the three beautiful women Mudd has been transporting.
As a result of the destruction of three of its lithium crystals, the Enterprise is forced to divert to Rigel 12 to obtain new crystals. Mudd makes his bargain with the lithium miners on the planet. At Mudd’s prompting, the miners offer to provide Kirk with lithium only in exchange for Mudd’s freedom and the three women’s freedom. Kirk learns the women’s beauty secret: Mudd has given them the Venus drug. Kirk beams down to collect the lithium from Childress while providing Evie with red gelatin, which she believes to be the Venus drug. Evie believes herself again to be beautiful and unintentionally reveals her natural inner beauty. In the end, Kirk gets his lithium, Evie remains with Childress, and Mudd is taken into custody.
Commentary
This podcast focuses on Harcourt Fenton Mudd and his dubious exploits, particularly around transporting women under false pretenses. Tom delves into the broader themes of human trafficking, examining issues such as the illusion of consent, manipulation, and economic exploitation. He also emphasizes the importance of victim support, legal responsibilities, and the power of awareness and education in combating human trafficking within compliance programs. The episode provides a timely reflection on these issues while drawing parallels to modern compliance challenges.
Key Highlights
- Plot Summary of ‘Mudds Women’
- Human Trafficking Themes in ‘Mudds Women’
- Compliance Lessons from ‘Mudds Women’
Resources
Excruciatingly Detailed Plot Summary by Eric W. Weisstein
Memory Alpha
