Leonard Nimoy wrote his first autobiography in 1975, titling it “I Am Not Spock.” It wasn’t born out of hatred for his beloved “Star Trek” role, it was simply inspired by people conflating him with his character. Notably, Nimoy wrote a follow-up titled “I Am Spock” 20 years later. (Keep in mind, the first book was also written before Nimoy returned as Spock in 1979’s “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” and kept playing the part until his passing in 2015.)
Spock was Nimoy’s breakout part and his most remembered role, but lest we forget that aforementioned memoir, he’d been acting for more than a decade before “Star Trek” came along. One of his more minor parts was in an episode of “The Twilight Zone” season 3 — “A Quality of Mercy.” The episode is set in the Philippines on August 6, 1945 (the day the U.S. bombed Hiroshima). Nimoy plays Hansen, one of the American G.I.’s fighting the last days of an already-won war.
The idea of the episode came from writer Sam Rolfe, but the actual teleplay was written by “Twilight Zone” creator/narrator Rod Serling. The subject matter would’ve been personal for Serling since he fought in the Pacific theater during World War II. (If you want this story, check out the graphic Serling biography “The Twilight Man” by Koren Shadmi.)
Serling’s script for “A Quality of Mercy” brings to mind Dwight Eisenhower’s famous quote: “I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can.” It wasn’t even his first episode where he used the site of his war service to talk about the horror of killing people you don’t even know (see also: “The Purple Testament”).
The anti-war message is where the episode’s true star, another science-fiction legend like Nimoy, comes in.
Dean Stockwell’s role on The Twilight Zone explained
Nimoy has barely three lines and a handful of close-ups as Hansen. If “A Quality of Mercy” had come after “Star Trek,” he probably would’ve been the episode’s lead, but in 1961, he was still a day player.
The lead of the episode is a young Dean Stockwell. Science-fiction fans will know him from “Quantum Leap,” where he co-starred with future “Star Trek: Enterprise” lead Scott Bakula, and his role as John Cavill (aka Cylon Number One) on the reimagined “Battlestar Galactica.” (Stockwell was also a “Star Trek” alum, reuniting with Bakula as the heavy for one episode of “Enterprise.”)
In “A Quality of Mercy,” Stockwell plays Lieutenant Katell, a gung-ho officer given new command of the squad that includes Hansen. Katell tries to rally the grunts to take out Japanese soldiers hiding in a nearby cave, but the men are tired of killing. Just as Katell is about to lead them in a charge, he enters the Twilight Zone; his mind travels back to 1942 and into the body of a Japanese lieutenant named Yamuri. The positions are flipped; Yamuri’s CO is planning to massacre a holed up squad of Americans, no matter that they’re too injured and run down to pose a threat. Katell returns to his proper place and time just when news of the Hiroshima bomb hits and he’s left shaken with just how unnecessary his planned attack would’ve been.
A noble message about recognizing common humanity in the enemy, but one with quaint execution. While playing Yamuri, Stockwell wears yellowface make-up and performs a labored Japanese accent. “A Quality of Mercy” has been compared to Stockwell’s later role on “Quantum Leap” (where Bakula’s character would “leap” into people’s bodies throughout time). It reminds me of “Get Out,” showing how other-ed people are only seen as fully human when there’s a white soul stealing their body.
“A Quality of Mercy” is an episode that wouldn’t be made today, and I don’t mean that as resounding praise.