CACrown ArchivesThe cinema collection
Menu
Research dossier · General Reference

Requiem for Methuselah

episode of Star Trek: The Original Series (S3 E19)

Cross-disciplinary reference desk with index cards, atlas, dictionary and catalogue
General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 8, 2026
Entity authorityQ3506608 ↗
Source-derived summary

"Requiem for Methuselah" is the nineteenth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Jerome Bixby and directed by Murray Golden, it was first broadcast on February 14, 1969.

In the episode, the crew of the Enterprise encounters an immortal human.

Its repeat broadcast, on September 2, 1969, was the last official telecast of the series to air on NBC. Star Trek immediately appeared in syndication on the following Monday, September 8, a full three years after its debut.

Plot

The crew of the Federation starship Enterprise is struck with deadly Rigellian fever, for which the only treatment is the mineral ryetalyn. Captain Kirk, first officer Spock and medical officer Dr. McCoy beam down to the planet Holberg 917-G in search of the substance and are attacked by an airborne robot, which is called off by its master, Flint. Flint demands they leave immediately, but Kirk orders the Enterprise to fire phasers on their coordinates if they are attacked. Acknowledging a stalemate, Flint agrees to let them remain long enough to obtain the ryetalyn.

Flint offers the help of his sentry robot M4 to gather the mineral and escorts them to his home, which has an impressive art collection.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Requiem for Methuselah” as episode of Star Trek: The Original Series (S3 E19). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Requiem, Methuselah and episode.

Editorial reviewA dependable orientation record for establishing vocabulary, names and a first evidence trail. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1969—that can be checked directly. The authority record carries competing date values—1969-02-14, 1974-03-09—which should remain separate until their references and qualifiers are resolved. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Requiem, Methuselah and episode providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Requiem for Methuselah”, the useful work is to connect “episode of Star Trek: The Original Series (S3 E19)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 8, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3506608. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1969.

Critical limits

Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
Verify next

The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Requiem for Methuselah”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Requiem for Methuselah primary sources, Requiem for Methuselah archive and Requiem research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Requiem for Methuselah”?
  2. Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
  3. What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Subject index

Search terms from this dossier

Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Requiem for Methuselah” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.