Summary

• Walter Koenig corrected a script mistake in a Star Trek episode, with William Shatner ing him.
• Koenig pointed out the error of using "Ulysses" instead of "Odysseus" in the screenplay.
• Despite his respect for Shatner as an actor, Koenig is not a fan of the Star Trek series lead overall.

Walter Koenig reveals he fixed a mistake in a classic episode of Star Trek: The Original Series and William Shatner backed him. Koenig ed Star Trek season 2 as Ensign Pavel Chekov, and it didn't take long for the young Russian Enterprise crew member to in on the action. In Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 2, "Who Mourns for Adonais?", the Starship Enterprise encounters the Greek god Apollo (Michael Forest), who tries to woo Lt. Carolyn Palamas (Leslie Parrish) into falling in love with him.

Reviewing the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?" on The 7th Rule podcast, Walter Koenig tells co-hosts Cirroc Lofton and Ryan T. Husk that he corrected an error in the screenplay by Gilbert Ralston and Gene L. Coon. While discussing the correct pronunciation of "Adonais," Koenig interjected that the script misidentified the Greek mythological hero Odysseus by using his Latinised name, Ulysses - and William Shatner concurred. Check out his quote and watch The 7th Rule video below:

Walter Koenig: I just want to jump in and say I added a word to the script… They were saying Ulysses instead of Odysseus. That’s the way it was in the script. I said, ‘It’s not Ulysses, it’s Odysseus.’ And Shatner [said], ‘He’s right!’ That was probably the only time in [2 seasons] and 7 movies… (laughs)

Ryan T. Husk: That’s the nicest thing he ever said to you. (laughs)

Although he respects William Shatner as an actor, Walter Koenig not being fond of Star Trek's series lead overall is also the stuff of legend.

Star Trek Now Allows Actors To Adjust Dialogue

Not sticking to the script was once forbidden in Star Trek

Who Mourns for Adonis?

Walter Koenig was right to adjust the name of Ulysses to Odysseus since Apollo was a Greek god in Star Trek: The Original Series' "Who Mourns for Adonis?" However, it's notable that an actor got to adjust dialogue in a Star Trek script since this was forbidden in the franchise for decades. In the Rick Berman era of Star Trek: The Next Generation-onward, actors had to be word-perfect when reciting their dialogue as written, and there was no improvisation allowed. This is something the casts of Star Trek: The Next Generation and other series have remarked upon often in the decades since their series ended.

Star Trek actors now having the freedom to improvise is a huge change in the current Star Trek on Paramount+ series.

Star Trek actors now having the freedom to improvise is a huge change in the current Star Trek on Paramount+ series. Directors like Jonathan Frakes, who was, of course, an actor on Star Trek: The Next Generation, marvels at the current casts' ability to adjust their dialogue. Frakes encouraged actors like Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome to improvise to make scenes funnier when he directed Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' crossover episode. To the credit of Star Trek: The Original Series' producers and William Shatner, they saw the logic and wisdom in Walter Koenig's correcting "Ulysses" to "Odysseus" in "Who Mourns for Adonais?"

Star Trek: The Original Series is available to stream on Paramount+.

Source: The 7th Rule