“The Ultimate Computer” features four Constitution-class Starships in addition to
Enterprise—USS Lexington, USS Excalibur, USS Hood, & USS Potemkin, although none of the ships’ names or registries is
visible onscreen. Enterprise (under control of the M5) destroys the Starship Excalibur in this episode.
Commodore Robert Wesley, skipper of the Lexington, is the only Starship commander (besides Kirk) to appear onscreen. Commodore Enwright speaks
(his voice supplied by James Doohan) to Kirk via radio, but he is never seen. Enwright is commander of Starbase 6, not one of the four Starships.
Commodore Wesley does mention the name of the Excalibur’s skipper—Captain Harris (deceased). Robert Wesley was one of
Gene Roddenberry’s pseudonyms.
Commodore Wesley is portrayed by actor Barry Russo, who also played Lieutenant Commander Giotto in the first-season episode “The Devil in the Dark.”
In “The Ultimate Computer,” the crew of Enterprise meets Dr Richard Daystrom, the inventor of the duotronics computer systems used by
all Federation Starships. Daystrom is the second man who invented one of Enterprise’s primary components to appear on TOS. The first was
Zephram Cochrane, inventor of warp drive, kept youthful by the supernatural agency of the Companion in “Metamorphosis.” Presumably,
duotronic computers are used for various purposes throughout the UFP—not merely in Starships—but this is not clear from dialogue.
Kirk the computer-slayer works his logical magic against Daystrom’s M5 (multitronic) computer. Interestingly, the other computers Kirk talks to death
(Landru, Nomad, & Norman) are alien machines, whereas M5 is a domestic, Federation AI. James Doohan also supplies the voice of the M5.
The Kelvan’s rationale for hijaking Enterprise seems a bit pat for beings with their technology & capabilities.
With all of the modifications made to Enterprise by aliens to allow it to exceed its design specifications for speed (the Cheronians, Losira, the emotion-eater,
et cetera), you would think Mr Scott would have learned the trick.
“By Any Other Name” marks the 10th consecutive absence of George Takei (Sulu). He returns in the subsequent episode, “Return to Tomorrow.”
“By Any Other Name” takes its title from Romeo & Juliet. It is the only second-season TOS episode with a title borrowed from the Bard. The first season
(“Dagger of the Mind” & “The Conscience of the King”) & third season (“Wink of an Eye” & “All Our Yesterdays”) of TOS each
had two Shakespeare-quoting titles apiece.
“By Any Other Name” is the only episode of TOS to feature Mr Scott’s quarters.
“By Any Other Name” refers to two first-season TOS episodes—“Where No Man Has Gone Before” (when discussing the galactic barrier) &
“A Taste of Armageddon” (when discussing Spock’s use of a mind-meld to distract a guard).