Prior to “Star Trek” in 1967, Soul had only shown up in two previous TV shows. He played an orderly in an episode of “I Dream of Jeannie” and he played a ranger in an episode of “Flipper.” “Star Trek” was, it seems, just another gig for the rising actor. Shortly after filming “The Apple,” Soul would land a cushy job playing one of the lead characters in the 1968 Western sitcom “Here Come the Brides,” a series that lasted 52 episodes. He continued to appear on TV and in films throughout the early ’70s (including “The FBI” and “Johnny Got His Gun”) before signing on to play Detective Sergeant Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson in “Starsky & Hutch” in 1975.
Soul, of course, continued to work, eventually landing a leading role in the 1983 Western “The Yellow Rose,” but it was “Starsky & Hutch” that would stand out as the most popular job of his career. Soul passed away on January 4, 2024, at the age of 80.
“The Apple,” many Trekkies agree, is often seen as one of the sillier episodes of “Star Trek.” It clearly plays into oblique sci-fi sex fantasies held deep in Gene Rioddenberry’s heart (and loins), depicting an Eden-like community that is on the cusp of becoming, essentially, a free-love commune. The makeup design for the Children of Vaal is also a little hokey (although David Soul can rock the weird wig and red body paint). Many elements of the 1966 “Star Trek” are painfully dated and the hippie-dippie, peace-love-and-understanding episodes feel very much like a product of their time.
Luckily, the familiar face of David Soul was there to guide us. I hope his character, Makora, lived a long, productive life, just as Soul did.
