The decision stands, but McCoy – having noted the captain’s increasingly erratic behavior since their visit to Camus II – invokes his authority as chief medical officer to order “Kirk” to submit to a personality test. As with Spock on the bridge, “Kirk” doesn’t exactly take this in stride, but the two are interrupted by a summons from the bridge. Meanwhile, the real Kirk begins to regain consciousness in sickbay only for Coleman to attribute his bizarre claims to a months-long pattern of paranoid delusion and order Chapel to keep “Lester” under constant sedation.

Kirk recognizes the futility of making his case directly to Chapel and instead asks to speak with Spock and McCoy. When she leaves, he breaks a glass and uses the shards to cut through his restraints. Meanwhile, Spock and McCoy are increasingly concerned. Word of the captain’s odd behavior is spreading through the ship, and the two worry that some rapid-onset mental illness may be to blame, noting that this all started after he and Lester were left alone on Camus.

Lester joins them, and soon after, Kirk enters the room. Before he can get a word in, Lester intercepts and violently subdues him. Lester then calls a guard and orders Kirk placed under guard in isolation. His curiosity piqued, Spock visits Kirk in the brig. The captain explains what happened, though Spock is naturally skeptical. Invoking their shared history, Kirk recalls the events of recalling several previous episodes. Spock, however, reminds him that all of the events to which Kirk refers are part of the public record. Finally, Kirk suggests a mind meld. The meld finally convinces Spock, who attempts to break Kirk break out of the holding cell. The guard is able to sound the alarm, interrupting McCoy’s tests. Lester arrives with a security team promptly apprehends Kirk and Spock. Lester accuses Spock of mutiny and orders a court-martial.

The court-martial begins, and Spock lays out his claim of life-entity transfer between Kirk and Lester and describes his telepathic evidence. Scotty points out that Starfleet would consider that evidence insufficient. McCoy grudgingly testifies that the captain’s mental state is the same as it was the day he assumed command. At Spock’s urging, Kirk is brought out of isolation to testify. Lester, however, makes a mockery of Kirk through her cross-examination. Lester then accuses Spock of inventing the notion of life-entity transfer as a means of seizing command. The Vulcan calmly asserts his intent to oppose Lester and see the truth revealed.

At that, an increasingly unhinged Lester treats this as a confession and calls a recess to be followed immediately by a vote on Spock’s guilt. During the recess, McCoy and Scotty share their concerns that “Kirk” won’t respect the results in he loses the vote, making it necessary for them to remove him from command. The court reconvenes, and Lester – who was monitoring their conversation – extends the mutiny charge and sentences Spock, McCoy, Scotty, and “Lester” to be executed. She schedules a group execution, to take place en route to Benecia. As she does so, she and Kirk become aware of the transfer weakening and briefly reversing. Lester rushes to Coleman, who tells her that her only choice is to kill her original body. Despite his reticence to get more blood on his hands, he relents, handing Lester a phaser and prepping a hypospray with a lethal dose. The two approach the brig and order Kirk out of the cell and a fight ensues. Before they can finish the job, however, the transfer reverses itself – this time permanently. A broken Lester collapses, weeping, and Kirk allows Coleman to accompany her to sickbay.

Look, it’s third season ‘Star Trek’. I don’t know what you expected here. While I have a more charitable view of the third season than many fans, it’s still the third season. There are some classics to be found, but the season as a whole was undermined by harsh budget cuts, an indifferent network, and the installation of the oft-maligned Fred Freiberger as showrunner. None of that could be seen as boding well for the show’s finale, particularly as that finale was, as I mentioned earlier, all but guaranteed to be of the “just another episode” variety. And to be sure, ‘Turnabout Intruder’ is no classic. But it’s hardly the worst note the show could have gone out on.