Star Trek 1x29 "Operation: Annihilate!"

rating: **

Memory Alpha summary

The first season of the series finally ends!  It may be worth mentioning that season finales, like a lot of things, were a lot different back in the day.  Probably before "Who Shot J.R.?" it just wasn't relevant to do cliffhangers, which were most common previously in the original movie serials that helped inspire Star Wars.  It wasn't even a thing in Star Trek until "The Best of Both Worlds" at the end of Next Generation's third season (still arguably the best and most famous such example).

So if you're looking for some kind of season-capping statement from "Operation: Annihilate!" you probably ought to look elsewhere.

No, this one (among a handful of episodes to feature an exclamation point in the title, along with "Rise!" and "Bride of Chaotica!" from Voyager, for lovers of pointless trivia; although the former is just as routinely referred to without it) is about one of those colony worlds in Star Trek that becomes infected with a plague.  That's always happening in Star Trek.  This, I guess, would be one of those precedents, although nothing too important to get worked up about.

The slightly important bit of trivia about the episode is that it features the debut of Kirk's brother Sam...and his death.  Actually, he's not really in the episode, just as a dead body, which happens to also be played by William Shatner (the acting range...!).  Sam's son Peter has better coverage.  But given that this was a series that featured large vacuums between episodes, in that it didn't really matter what was established from one episode to the next, neither Sam nor Peter amounted to anything in Kirk's greater story.  (Sam kind of appears in Star Trek, for the record.)

That's the real shame.  It's easy to become frustrated with the series, as a viewer from a different era.  That's why it always sucks to hear those original series partisans vigorously defend it as the only true option for best one in the franchise, because aside from its iconic status and the characters who helped embody it...there were so many areas where it could be improved upon, and easily were, that argument grows weaker and weaker with every passing year.  We're two years away from the fiftieth anniversary as I write this.  I'm not suggesting we retire the series.  But retire the notion that it is indisputably the best?  Absolutely.  This is the kind of episode where you can begin to see how obvious that is.

And "Operation" is also the episode with the floppy spores.  For the record.  The budget, even at its peak, could do better than that.  I'll never knock the series for its economic deficiencies.  That'd be pointless. But it's also a good argument that you write to what you have available.  Hence the long tradition of "bottle" episodes, stories contained on the existing starship sets.

A bad way to end the season, one way or another, especially directly following the breakthrough "City on the Edge of Forever."

But if anyone wanted to totally revisit the series with expansive new interpretations, this one would be a great place to start.  Kirk's family: go!

franchise * series * essential * character

notable guest-stars:
Majel Roddenberry

Star Trek 1x28 "The City on the Edge of Forever"

rating: ****

Memory Alpha summary

I think no one will dispute this as a classic episode.  It's the classic episode, frequently cited as the best episode of the whole franchise, not just original series.  That makes it essential viewing, yes?

Simply put, "City on the Edge of Forever" legitimized the whole Star Trek concept.  It was the first time the series managed to completely transcend itself, produce a story that could be viewed and appreciated by anyone.  Its science fiction was sound.  Its social commentary was nuanced.  And it even managed to handle the main characters well.  Is there really anymore to ask from an episode?  It's the epitome of Gene Roddenberry's idealistic vision.

Somewhat perversely, that vision is explored by a guest character whose rigid definition of improving the world around her would have led to apocalypse, had it been allowed to play out.  The flipside of every time Kirk interferes with an alien culture, the very argument for the Prime Directive, is the idea that the right thing to do...isn't always the right thing to do.  It's...fascinating, as Spock might say.  "City" won a Hugo, sci-fi's Oscar.  That's how much of an immediate impact it made, just the kind of reception the series needed.  Might it be said, in fact, that "City" is responsible for the fan response that has kept it going for half a century?

Such is the love for the episode that Harlan Ellison's original version of the script is as equally treasured as the final product.  That just doesn't happen.  That's a matter of fans dedicating themselves to a single episode the way they would to a specific series in later years.

The emotional crux of "City" revolves around Kirk in his most famous romantic relationship.  He falls in love with the social worker who is prevented from dying by McCoy's trip through the Guardian of Forever's time portal.  It's one of those stories where history is changed but those who were there during the circumstances where it changed remember how things originally were.  This leads Kirk and Spock to go back in time in pursuit of McCoy, but they arrive before he does.  Half the episode is just following these developments, waiting to see how fate plays out.  When the moment arrives, Kirk realizes he has to let the woman die.  Perfect moment.

If you watch, or recommend, only one episode of the series, this one is it.  And it's a classic that ages better than any other episode of the series.

franchise * series * essential * character

notable guest-stars:
Joan Collins

Star Trek 1x27 "The Alternative Factor"

rating: **

Memory Alpha summary

The one with the guy who battles himself.  Wait, let me clarify: the one with the guy who is not Kirk who battles himself.

The "guy" is Lazarus, who comes to Kirk seeking help.  He has awesome facial hair.  Lazarus, I mean.  Kirk was always clean-shaven (except for the stubble in The Undiscovered Country).

Most significantly about "The Alternative Factor" is the first time in franchise lore where alternate realities are featured.  There's a lot of sci-fi hooey involved in the story.  You don't have to worry too much about the details.  Bottom line is, this is an episode that is nearly completely stolen by the guest character.

And that in itself is notable.  Sometimes "Alternative Factor" is viewed as the series at its most extravagant, most preposterous.  And it basically is, really.  This is Star Trek going for broke, and in its own way is really a sight to see.  Not one of the most famous episodes, but perhaps one of the earliest of what would become known as an equally infamous streak that would help give the franchise its reputation as something hard to take seriously.  Viewers at the time, basically, probably had this one in mind, rather than the classics surrounding it, when they forced NBC to hedge on keeping the series around.

But yeah, it's also kind of awesome, an episode far easier to appreciate when you don't have to worry about the fate of the whole thing.  Just Lazarus.

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(Read a nearly completely different version of this episode that almost happened here.)

Star Trek 1x26 "Errand of Mercy"

rating: ****

Memory Alpha summary

It's the debut of the Klingons!  Need I say more?

Well, okay.  The whole dynamic for the rest of the series is there right from the start, which is only natural, given that this is coming (finally!) near the end of the first season, so most of what Star Trek would settle into being had been established.  That means that the Klingons who show up are exactly the kind of Klingons who would show up in other episodes.

Unlike the Romulans who preceded them, the Klingons are presented with ongoing potential, which is probably why it was so much easier to explore them.  The Romulans were certainly interesting in "Balance of Terror," but their Cold War analogy was limited to the war itself, which to that point in history had become more and more remote a possibility (besides the proxy Vietnam conflict).  No, if American viewers were to see alien versions of the Russians in space, they would more likely succeed as competitors. And that's exactly what the Klingons were.

Between Starfleet and the Klingons for this episode stood the Organians, the latest in a long line of omnipotent, meddling aliens, who impose peace between the foes (it didn't stick).  That particular aspect of "Errand" has grown less significant over time, the more nuanced the Star Trek landscape has become.

But Kor stuck around.  Oh, did he!  One final counterpoint with the Romulans, whose figurehead had gone unnamed in his duel with Kirk, the first Klingon we meet is named, and three decades later becomes all the more important to franchise lore thanks to a series of appearances in Deep Space Nine (all while being portrayed by the same actor, John Colicos).

That alone makes this episode easy to revisit, even if the Organian elements have failed to age as gracefully.  The link Kor makes between eras makes "Errand of Mercy" comparable to "Space Seed."  Arguably it's far more enjoyable to see the young Kor in action than the young Khan (unless we're talking Into Darkness).  Often fans of the series claim that it managed to buck the trend of the later ones by having its greatest material in its first season (the other tended to struggle with that).  I don't think that's necessarily true (the second season is much more consistent), but "Errand" is the kind of episode you can point to, beyond "Balance" or "City on the Edge of Forever," where it's clear that no matter the growing pains this was a series that really had managed early on to find its footing, and the lasting influence of the Klingons is a testament to that.

franchise * series * essential * character

notable guest-stars:
John Colicos

Star Trek 1x25 "The Devil in the Dark"

rating: ****

Memory Alpha summary

One of the undisputed classic episodes of the series and franchise, regardless of whether it's one fans will have on the tip of their tongue when discussing such things (as opposed to, say, "City on the Edge of Forever"), "The Devil in the Dark" is also one of the most nuanced stories ever told by Star Trek.

The title being is one of the least-dynamic creatures physically every created.  Only in reputation is the Horta any bit scary.  But the thing is, it's wreaking all kinds of havoc on a Federation science team's efforts (in one of the earliest and most classic examples of the cave setting that would become a franchise staple).  It's apparently just something that needs to be eliminated, and there doesn't seem to be much argument against that action.

But then Spock intervenes.  There are a few iconic mind melds in Star Trek.  One is in The Voyage Home, in which he learns that Gracie is pregnant.  Another is in The Undiscovered Country, in which he learns exactly who is involved in the conspiracy.  There's the one Sarek shares with Picard in the Next Generation episode "Sarek."  And there's this one.  Arguably still the most significant, most impactful.  Turns the whole episode upside down.

Spock learns that the Horta is only acting out of self-preservation.  That it's the good guys who are the bad guys this time.  Some of this is kind of formulaic.  But it's completely transcendent at the same time.  It's an incredibly rare moment in the series where the moralizing goes the other way.

And yes, that makes it an iconic Spock moment, one that reverberates perhaps further than anything else the character had done to that point.  It's also an episode that pivots around one scene that breathes life into the rest of the story, one that you can easily, easily recommend to anyone as a gateway into Star Trek.  That's one of the definitions of being a classic.  A classic will either speak directly to existing fans, or make new ones.  My goal in these reviews is to separate the difference, and hopefully cross that divide.

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Star Trek 1x24 "This Side of Paradise"

rating: *

Memory Alpha summary

"This Side of Paradise" is the space hippies episode, just to make it perfectly clear from the start.

Actually, there is a fair bit more to know about it, such as this is the first time Spock (or any Vulcan in the franchise) loses his emotional control, and for that reason this is the main source of recommendation I have for the episode, for Spock himself although it could also be as a franchise signifier.  Like a few of the earliest episodes, there's a flimsy tie-in with his past that becomes ignored later (unfortunately there are plenty of episodes from other series that share this trend, too) but serves as the hook.  Basically, this is an episode that fans of the character would probably have greatly enjoyed, although there is better material elsewhere, in later episodes (such as "Amok Time," which is far more relevant to Spock's development).

The space hippies have a space spore that acts as their unintended drug of choice, which of course attacks the Enterprise crew as well.  The way out of the predicament recalls the later Klingon episode "Day of the Dove," interestingly enough (which is a better one), although to be fair to the writers (generously so), the solution is basically in reverse.  If that means much to you.

Although, all you really need to know is that this is an episode that has grown less and less significant as time has gone on.  It's kind of a lousy version of the emerging hippy culture that clearly doesn't understand it much at all, which is unfortunate.  But Spock gets to let loose a little!  Anyway...

franchise * series * essential * character

Star Trek 1x23 "A Taste of Armageddon"

rating: **

Memory Alpha summary

This is the first of one of Star Trek's most famous recurring themes: moralizing on the nature of war.  It's a famous example, too, even if you don't realize it by the title alone.  "A Taste of Armageddon" is the one where a planet runs its wars by computer (but expecting populations to accommodate them with real sacrificial victims).

Also, it's the first instance of Starfleet patronizing the natives, assuming it can fix something because it believes it's wrong.  Something something *cough* Prime Directive *cough* maybe?  Who knows?  It happens in so many other episodes, apparently the writers never really draw a line between the distinctions of talking about war and general cultural interference.

But it's still extremely relevant, important to the series and franchise as a whole, although I will limit my viewing recommendation to only the series rather than inflate the episode's importance to something other than a strictly historical nature.  It's important to acknowledge, but you don't need to go out of your way unless you really want to be a completist.  That's to say, "Taste" is only as significance as the precedence it sets.  It doesn't have a ton of memorable value outside of that.

Still, because the notion of a society being so coldly pragmatic about the nature of war (and not, incredibly, turning out to be related to Vulcans) is so striking a concept that for a change, the story alone really might be the hook, though it's not liable in itself liable to convince someone to like Star Trek in general (that's the reservation I hold for higher rankings, at least as a working theory; fans themselves have dismissed out of hand some of my selections for new classics, but I'm not making this survey strictly for existing fans, but rather as a window for new ones).

franchise * series * essential * character

notable guest-stars:
Barbara Babcock

Star Trek 1x22 "Space Seed"

rating: ****

Memory Alpha summary

I think if Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, or Star Trek Into Darkness, had never happened, "Space Seed" might eventually have been forgotten.  In its own right, it's not really that memorable an episode.  There are plenty of examples of other episodes where a random individual temporarily takes control of this or any other Enterprise/starship/space station.  But Khan's enduring legacy easily elevates "Space Seed" to a kind of Star Trek immortality.

Just keep in mind that even given its historic importance, this is the rare essential adventure that you could also just as easily skip if you so chose.  The original series has aged poorly in a lot of respects.  It is very clearly a product of its time, and in its own merits "Space Seed" has not proven to leave anything lasting other than Khan's first appearance, and the first of two instances where Ricardo Montalban portrayed him (Wrath of Khan being the other).

And for the record, in case this has somehow escaped you, Chekov does not appear in this episode.  He doesn't join the series until the second season.  Strictly speaking, Khan shouldn't really recognize him, then, in Wrath, but given the questionable sense of continuity of the series in its early episodes, it doesn't really matter.  Chekov's first appearance isn't anymore distinguished than any other character's.  They appear in the first episodes they appear in.  Circular logic, yes, but the rules of storytelling are far different in this era than they would be in ones that followed.

That's just one of the reasons you shouldn't take "Space Seed" too seriously.  It's fun.  But it's also the first of Khan's first two appearances that doesn't necessarily consider all aspects of its own logic, one of many reasons why Khan's legacy for so long was as obscure as it was iconic.  The Eugenics War in the late 20th century, which seems to not have overlapped with the early 21st century WWIII that led to Cochran's warp flight, always had extremely tenuous definition (think the Clone Wars in Star Wars lore until the prequels).  This was the point where Khan originally derived his notoriety.  But he was forgotten by history all the same.  Fortunately Starfleet employs historians (later confirmed in Next Generation), and so someone was still able to figure out who was onboard that Botany Bay sleeper ship.

But too late, naturally.  Khan catches up to speed with everything that came after him, and then decides to take over the Enterprise, which he does easily, and seems to succeed in killing Kirk (in a scenario similar to the old James Bond cliche of giving him ample room to escape certain death).  So this genetic superman is defeated and exiled on Ceti Alpha V.  (Only to be completely forgotten.  Once again.)

It's iconic but also weak storytelling.  The fact that Khan returns makes everything about him infinitely more significant, especially since his movie appearance is much better storytelling, what makes him a true icon.  It was serendipitous for movie producer Harve Bennett to have randomly selected him from the episodes he sampled preparing for the second film.

The idea of genetic manipulation was brought up again in the late development of Dr. Bashir in Deep Space Nine, and Khan's own kind showed up in Enterprise, which led to a link to the creation of Data.  Taken with Khan's two movies, that's a considerable legacy for what is essentially just one of a whole series of standalone episodes where the events of one week didn't really have an impact on the next.  That's the kind of inspiration that led to a much richer Star Trek landscape that at one time seemed entirely played out.  But now, once again, appears to have unlimited potential.  Sort of like Khan and "Space Seed."

The benefit of this episode existing is that it's possible to view the later Khan as a tragic figure.  Almost.

franchise * series * essential * character

notable guest-stars:
Ricardo Montalban

Star Trek 1x21 "The Return of the Archons"

rating: *

Memory Alpha summary

"Return of the Archons" is the original Prime Directive episode, somewhat comparable to the earlier "Miri," in which the crew discovers a civilization that has been considerably warped bu a given set of circumstances, a trope that would be repeated throughout the series and indeed franchise.

As with some later episodes ("The Tholian Web," "Friendship One" from Voyager), the impetus for the story stems from the recovery of a missing Starfleet vessel.  Also like later episodes (such as "The Communicator" from Enterprise, plus from this one, such as "Patterns of Force"), Starfleet has inadvertently affected the course of evolution on a planet, although in this case (as with several other episodes, of course!) it certainly doesn't help that a meddling machine has swooped in to "perfect" the resulting society.

All of which means that our crew finds itself unwitting new victims to the status quo, and must grapple with how to get themselves out of the situation, and wondering for the first time if they have a right to interfere.  As such, the Prime Directive, which forbids Starfleet officers from knowingly affecting the course of change in an alien culture.

Overall, "Return of the Archons" is itself an episode you can forget easily enough, enough to celebrate for fans just watching the series through, but its effect is pretty strong all the same.

franchise * series * essential * character

Star Trek 1x20 "Court Martial"

rating: *

Memory Alpha summary

There are so many franchise episodes with a main character on trial, it's kind of funny when you think about it.  Most of them work pretty well.  I mean, there's a reason Perry Mason and all its descendants have been such a reliable TV tradition.  Law makes good drama.

"Court Martial" might almost be said to be a slightly more original version of "The Menagerie," which was the earlier two-part episode that put Spock on trial while regurgitating the otherwise unaired original series pilot, "The Cage."  Spock's trial was kind of beside the point in that story.  Certainly anyone who watches that one now won't really think of it in that way.

So it makes sense that the series didn't really find it unnecessarily duplicative to put another main character on trial only about ten episodes later.  The subject this time is Kirk.  Kirk on trial became its own trope, thanks to the movies Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (which itself was later echoed in the Enterprise episode "Judgment") and Star Trek.

I'm recommending this one most for Kirk.  Since "Menagerie" technically got to the trial trope before "Court Martial," I'll keep that one as the key precedent.  The story features more of Kirk's past coming back to haunt him, old colleagues with scores to settle, this time an old Academy instructor whom Kirk later caught in a mistake (so a little like Next Generation's "The First Duty," too) and ended up serving under him, of all indignities.  The truth of what happened is revealed in the end to be that there was no death after all, just the guy trying to screw Kirk over like he feels he was.  Same thing happens in later trial episodes.

But if there's any doubt that it's Kirk who is the lead character of the series, it's an episode like this one that comes along to make it clear.

franchise * series * essential * character

Star Trek 1x19 "Tomorrow is Yesterday"

rating: **

Memory Alpha summary

Chances are the episode title "Tomorrow is Yesterday" doesn't sound too familiar, unless you're a true Star Trek geek.  But the episode itself has a couple of franchise milestones attached to it.

The first is that it's the first time travel episode, and not only that, but the first time our characters from the future end up in our contemporary times.  For a series trying to save a few bucks, it's a little surprising this didn't happen sooner.

The second is that the method of time travel is the "slingshot effect," the very maneuver later and more famously featured in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (the one with the whales).

So a lot of history being made.  The episode itself becomes a little like some more familiar stories, a primitive civilization that is not at all prepared to deal with Kirk and crew's existence.  (All these are a little like the reverse of the "god box" scenario; since I'm writing these reviews in groups, there's good reason why there are a lot of "god box" references in them lately.)  Voyager's "Blink of an Eye" also serves as a nice callback, among other examples.  That's the one where Janeway's ship becomes lodged in orbit of a planet whose rotation is faster than normal.  The whole history of that world plays out in moments.  "Tomorrow is Yesterday" is like that, but the B-movie version, the bare bones, more forgettable one, unless you're truly partisan to the series (as a lot of Star Trek fans remain).

franchise * series * essential * character

Star Trek 1x18 "Arena"

rating: **

Memory Alpha summary

"Arena" is a minor classic, essential mostly for the iconic fight between Kirk and the Gorn, one of the few truly alien-looking aliens from the series.  The Gorn; you know, the man-sized lizard (obviously made of rubber...with a zipper an' everything!).

It's one of the key memories any fan has of the series, actually.  The episode around it was duplicated a number of times, probably most successfully by Next Generation's "Darmok."  It's actually a little like the classic "god box" template, beings of greater power than mere humanity interfering and judging and things of that nature.  So there's that going on, and that's how and why Kirk ends up fighting the Gorn.

The image of the Gorn was so iconic that even though these particular aliens didn't show up again until Enterprise ("In a Mirror Darkly, Part 2"), they were among the most famous aliens in the whole franchise.  Pop culture remembered it well enough, too:

There's one more element that needs to be addressed, too, the planet Cestus III.  This is the colony world Kasidy Yates's brother lives on and where baseball still exists, which thrills Deep Space Nine's Sisko to no end.  One way or another, this one just keeps being memorable!

franchise * series * essential * character

Star Trek 1x17 "The Squire of Gothos"

rating: ***

Memory Alpha summary

In the first visit to Gene Roddenberry's "god box" since some of the earliest episodes of the series ("Where No Man Has Gone Before," "Charlie X"), Kirk matches wits with a being of considerable power, whom later fans equated with Next Generation's Q.

Although similar to the earlier and later "god box" episodes, "Squire of Gothos" is probably more comparable to "Shore Leave" in that Trelane's activities are a lot more fanciful than outright menacing, except for the character's vast abilities.  Just as famous as the character himself is what he's ultimately revealed to be, a l'enfant terrible, a child who at the end of the episode is reprimanded by his parents.  A true twist ending!

The parallels with the later Q character are so obvious that Peter David incorporated the connection into his novel Q Squared.  Another quasi-sequel was actually the semi-complete original cast reunion in the Futurama episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before," which borrows the twist ending.

Probably an episode best kept to fans of the series, although its importance should be stressed.  Even if it were mere coincidence, there's much more of Trelane in Q than all the androids of the series combined in relation to Data.  Still, it easily stands out from the pack and comfortably distances itself from similar episodes.  Roddenberry's obsession with god-like beings is certainly apparent enough.  Once in a while he just had fun with it.  And thank goodness!

franchise * series * essential * character

notable guest-stars:
William Campbell

Star Trek 1x16 "The Galileo Seven"

rating: ****

Memory Alpha summary

Say you want a Spock episode?  I say that episode finally arrive, halfway through the season!

Sure, "The Menagerie" two-parter featured everyone's favorite Vulcan, but more or less by default.  Even "Balance of Terror" put considerable focus on him.  But these were incidental.  "The Galileo Seven" is the first time he's truly on his own, having to defend himself with no more help than Dr. McCoy.  Who can hardly be considered Spock's most objective observer.

The rest of the away team, stranded on an alien planet after an away mission gone awry, looks to Spock to either save or finally reveal his true colors and fail to live up to his lofty ideals.  Be the devil NBC executives considered him in the original pilot, "The Cage," when they announced he was the one element they found most objectionable.  Yet not only did Spock survive while everything else around him changed, he became the true breakout character of the series.

Eventually, arguably and quite definitively eclipsing even his good friend Kirk, in fact.  Go ahead.  Just try to imagine the franchise without Spock.  It's impossible.  No one would remember it.  It certainly wouldn't have gotten so many movies, additional series, a whole new incarnation.

So this is the first time the series really gets to acknowledge that.  It's a defense of the character, really.  And a darn good one, a spectacular one.  A story so good it would be echoed many times over (Voyager's resident Vulcan, Tuvok, had at least two such episodes, "Innocence" and "Rise!").

When the chips are down, Spock delivers.  He's easily good enough to be the captain.  Yet he constantly faces the bigotry of his crewmates.  In Gene Roddenberry's perfect future, humanity has finally found peace with itself.  But not exactly with other species.  Spock is the embodiment of that, and this is the episode you need to see to fully understand that.

For a series that very rarely put a direct focus on any character besides Kirk, "Galileo Seven" is a powerful reminder, too, that Spock could easily hold his own.  Logical.

Fascinating.

franchise * series * essential * character

Star Trek 1x15 "Shore Leave"

rating: ****

Memory Alpha summary

Here's another classic that needs little introduction, the "pleasure planet" episode that helped give birth to the concept of the holodeck and Risa, which itself was memorably featured in "Captain's Holiday" (Next Generation) and "Two Days and Two Nights" (Enterprise), to name a few.

"Shore Leave" is the earliest episode to just let the series have a little fun, perhaps playing off a little from the "Naked Time" effect of seeing the characters in situations that are wildly beyond the norm.  There's a lot of Alice in Wonderland to the events, and even one of the earliest fake-outs (He's not dead, Jim!).  This lighthearted tone showed the true variety of material available in the setting.

There's also some of the requisite Kirk's-former-associates-were-shmucks material (seriously, it seems the guy didn't catch a break until taking command of the Enterprise!), with Academy classmate Finnegan this time.  I'm sure McCoy gained a few more fans from the episode, too.  It's a rare opportunity to see him just relax (usually he's just working off of Kirk or Spock).  Of course, he's also the one who "dies" so fans were probably just relieved to see him make it out the other side of the story!

There's nothing to much to say except "Shore Leave" is enjoyable as a relaxing experience.  Once you've seen it you enjoy it more the next time, that kind of episode, just a generally happy memory.

franchise * series * essential * character

Star Trek 1x14 "Balance of Terror"

rating: ****

Memory Alpha summary

"Balance of Terror" is easily one of the most remarkable episodes of the whole series, let alone first season, and since it's the debut of the Romulans, essential to the whole franchise.  It's the first time Star Trek got everything right the first shot, too.

So yeah, it's got a lot going for it.

It seems a little wrong, somehow, that the Romulans appeared for the first time before the Klingons.  Both have a claim to representing in the series the Cold War conflict.  The Romulans, I suppose, represented the more militaristic aspects, while the Klingons the cultural competition, which is certainly odd when you think of Klingons more as warriors and Romulans more for their isolated society.  But really, it makes sense.  Neither the Klingons nor Romulans actively fought against the Federation during Kirk's time.  As presented in this episode, there was a war between the Romulan Star Empire and the Federation about a century before, but that's a long time ago by any standard, future or otherwise.

The crucial thing about the episode is that Kirk doesn't even know what Romulans look like.  The past conflict was, of course, conducted entirely aboard starships.  That's perhaps how it's easy to understand the difference between the cold warriors of the series.  Klingons being more aggressive, they would be much more likely to present a personal appearance, whereas Romulans, who possess such technology as cloaking devices, are much more liable to keep to themselves, despite inclinations that lead to inevitable conflicts with its neighbors.

Anyway.  That's nearly beside the point.  The episode itself is like a fictional version of the Cuban Missile Crisis, a standoff that could potentially lead to a conflict neither side wants.  This leaves Kirk in his most dramatic moment of command yet, which makes the events of "The Corbomite Maneuver" a few episodes earlier pale in comparison, and reveals the true strength of his character.  He is a remarkably versatile individual, a real leader.  What's surprising is that the enemy matches him in every sense.  The enemy as a nuanced individual?  That's the true genius of this episode.  It dares to make such a case in the middle of the Cold War.

There was perhaps a thaw that had settled in between the real world forces.  By the second season, there would in fact be a Russian, an instantly beloved one, serving in Kirk's crew.  So it's perhaps not completely surprising that "Balance of Terror" could happen, but it's still the most mature, daring episode of the series yet, what it looks like at its best.

There's a fair bit of melodrama inserted into the story that serves as a little bit of distraction.  One of the better aspects of this element, however, is the bigotry Spock faces when the Romulans are revealed to be closely related to his Vulcan ancestors.  Seldom enough, Spock's heritage is addressed directly, as well as how it affects his place among a crew made up seemingly entirely of humans.  He's the alien in the room, most often viewed by fans as the classic observer but more accurately described as the outsider.  A few episodes later, "The Galileo Seven" presents this more directly, but "Balance" gets there first, another reason to consider this one a classic.

franchise * series * essential * character

notable guest-stars:
Mark Lenard
Lawrence Montaigne
Grace Lee Whitney

Star Trek 1x13 "The Conscience of the King"

*

If this episode were redone, chances are more people would care how traumatic it probably was for Kirk.  Also, the villain's name is Kodos.  And of course there is later a Klingon named Kang.  And now you know the origins of the names for those silly green aliens on The Simpsons.

But "Conscience of the King," other than sporting another early Shakespeare reference in the title of an episode, is about a mass murderer trying to run away from his horrendous past.  I'm certain this was quite a significant topic for people in the 1960s, when Nazis were still actively being brought to justice for their crimes during WWII.  As such, I will leave it in that context, rather than in direct reference to the later Deep Space Nine classic "Duet."  But these episodes are still similar in that respect.

What does Kirk's past have to do with it?  There was a colony he spent part of his youth growing up on (famously, as Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek make plain, he's from Iowa), and this colony ceased to be thanks to Kodos the Executioner.  Whose name tells you everything you need to know about him.

The problem is, he escapes justice and later becomes an actor.  Now, the direct line from the title comes from Hamlet, and evokes comparisons that are not really all that accurate.  The conscience in Hamlet has to do with one death, not genocide.  You'll remember, though, that in slightly more direct line, there's a play involved wherein said conscience is supposed to be exposed.  And so that's more or less this episode, a thin borrowing of a few elements from classic literature and real world events.

Not especially the most elegant.  I'd say the whole thing could really be improved.  And I'll basically leave it at that.

Striving for greatness and profundity.  Maybe you think this episode reached these lofty goals.  But I'd say this was a stepping stone to others that did.  But certainly not the article itself.

franchise * series * essential * character

Memory Alpha summary

Star Trek 1x11/1x12 "The Menagerie"

****

"The Menagerie," in the off-chance you've actually seen "The Cage," the original pilot, probably has a ton of familiar material.  That would be because it basically is "The Cage."

It's also the first two-part episode in franchise history.  Although I will limit my thoughts to a single entry, because for all intents and purposes, there are very few distinguishing elements between the two installments.  It's basically one long episode.  Because it has one episode, stuck in the middle of another episode.

And it's probably the better for it.  Easily one of the most clever things the series ever did, sort of like "Trials and Tribble-ations" from Deep Space Nine, well before the fact, splicing disparate stories together in the most literal way possible.

This is one of those TV experiences that asks you to believe memory can look exactly, well, like a TV experience.  Mission recorders happened to capture every moment of the events from "The Cage" (calling the NSA!) so that they could later be played back at Spock's trial.

Spock's trial???  Yes.  And that's another part of the cleverness on display.  Spock is clearly in the scenes from "The Cage."  So he's our link between these stories.  So when everyone's trying to figure out what's going on with Captain Pike (memorably depicted in a catatonic state in a futuristic...boxy wheelchair device; not depicted by original actor Jeffrey Hunter, by the way), and clearly Spock has been aiding in his shenanigans, our Vulcan friend is strongly believed to have gone rogue.

There are other episodes in the franchise where characters seem to have gone rogue when they really haven't ("The Enterprise Incident" from this series, for instance, or "Clues" from The Next Generation), by the way, as well as others where a main character is put on trial ("The Drumhead" from Next Generation, "Rules of Engagement" from Deep Space Nine, "Judgment" from Enterprise, and of course Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country).

The last clever element I'll mention is that "Menagerie" is not just "Cage" repackaged, but also, incredibly, a sequel.  It explains how one series of events leads to another, and actually provides resolution to the earlier ones.  As such it is the earliest serialized storytelling of the franchise, although no one really knew that at the time, because "Cage" really didn't exist as far as most people were aware.

It also, besides, provides layers of history.  Spock's prior service acknowledged and even depicted.  Pike's career.

All around, good stuff, well worth acknowledging as a classic in franchise lore.

It's so good, in fact, that it won a Hugo.

franchise * series * essential * character

notable guest-stars:
Malachi Throne

Memory Alpha summary 1 & 2

Star Trek 1x10 "The Corbomite Maneuver"

***

"The Corbomite Maneuver" is a title that refers to Kirk's gambit at the end of the episode.  That, I'd say, is the lasting legacy of this one.  It's basically a whole episode that explores his command style, and is highly recommended on that score.

It's also the second episode filmed after "Where No Man Has Gone Before," and as such is technically the debut for McCoy, Yeoman Rand, and Uhura (who wears a gold uniform!).  Just in case you were wondering.

As with a lot of these episodes, there are precedents to be recorded.  This is the first time a character ends up in the position of being asked to spend time with an alien who has been misbehaving because of their extreme loneliness.  Some other examples of that include Star Trek: The Motion Picture, "Alter Ego" from Voyager, and "Exile" from Enterprise.

Speaking of The Motion Picture, there's a whole one-off character in "Corbomite" who serves as a direct counterpoint to Kirk, just like Captain Commander Decker.  So that's another precedent right there.

Aside from Kirk's cleverness, his willingness to take a chance, which is one of the few direct character studies in the series and as such is essential viewing if you want to understand him as a whole, there's also the lasting image of the alien form the lonely alien takes, which was something viewers saw every week in the end credits.

So there's plenty to recommend about this episode.  Not one of the greatest ever.  But closer than a lot of the other early episodes.

And does Kirk ever reference corbomite again?  You bet!  Is it even real?  Not a chance!

franchise * series * essential * character

notable guest-stars:
Grace Lee Whitney
Clint Howard

Memory Alpha summary

Star Trek 1x9 "Dagger of the Mind"

**

"Dagger of the Mind" is another episode that sets some precedents for later stories in the franchise.  "Meld" from Voyager and "Chain of Command, Part 2" from The Next Generation come to mind.  So you know there's some good material here.

For instance, an insane individual who must be figured out.  Torture that pushes a character to their limits.  That sort of thing.  Good stuff.  (Yes, for some reason, there are numerous examples of torture in the franchise that produced some really excellent material.  Years before the War on Terror.  Star Trek addressed the War on Terror so often well before it actually started you'd think...I don't know what you'd think, but it's certainly interesting.)

Is this also the debut of the Vulcan mind meld?  Yes it is!

It's actually a pretty good episode, one that may not seem like especially essential viewing for the series, producing no real lasting effects other than that debut I just mentioned (but then, I don't think any fan particularly cares about how that occurred, per say, except that there are more notable moments with the mind meld elsewhere; most of the Star Trek concept was completely in flux in the early years, such as the terms for Starfleet and the Federation, which is taken for granted in other incarnations), no real classic moments or imagery; but perhaps one that takes on much greater significance for being a pretty good episode, generally, and its effects later in the franchise.  For that, I'd just recommend watching it, even if you're not seeking to be a completist either for this series or the whole franchise.  It's a minor standout.

Also, is the title of the episode one of an increasing number of Shakespeare references that would develop as the series and franchise continued?  Yes, yes it is.  But, on the chance that someone reading this at some point will be performing this particular play soon after, I will not mention its name.

It might also be notable that although she doesn't appear in this episode, "Dagger" is also crucial to the history of Yeoman Rand and actress Grace Lee Whitney in the franchise.  I've been noting in these episode thoughts how often Rand seemed to be so important in the earliest episodes, and how that obviously changed at some point.  Well, this is that point.  There were a number of reasons why Rand was written out of the series.  If you read the Memory Alpha summaries I always include in these things, you'll learn more about that, but in this instance you'll also want to read their biography of Whitney herself to learn even more.

franchise * series * essential * character

Memory Alpha summary