“Arriving at a planet where his crew members are slated to die, Kirk learns they’re in a virtual war in which suicide is committed to avoid real combat.”
The last time I remember seeing this episode was when I was a kid, and we were watching a 24-hour Star Trek marathon at a motel in Florida. Every commercial break included the same Domino’s commercial exhorting us to avoid the Noid, sometimes played multiple times back to back. I was so glad when they retired that mascot, although I do wish a hostage situation hadn’t been involved...
(Yeah, I know Domino’s swears that wasn’t the reason, but still...the timing was suspect)
***
The Enterprise is en route to Eminiar VII, to open diplomatic talks. They receive a signal warning them not to approach the planet under any circumstances. Ambassador Fox, who is trying to arrange the treaty, insists they ignore the warning. Kirk points out that this could lead to interplanetary war, but Fox is willing to risk that in the name of peace. Ok.
Spock informs Kirk that the Eminiar VII is an advanced civilization, but the last Federation ship to attempt to contact them, the Valiant, never returned. The planet has also been at war with their nearest planetary neighbor, Vendikar.
Fox returns to the bridge and demands to know why Kirk is beaming down without him. Kirk explains that his orders are to keep Fox safe, and those orders come from Starfleet. The landing party exits the bridge and Fox glares at them from inside his spectacularly wide collar.
On the surface, the landing party is met by Mea 3, who, obviously, is thin and blonde and wearing a 2-piece outfit with a long flowing sash, and gets the “Kirk is interested” romantic music, complete with Vaseline-smeared lens. She leads them inside the nearest building and asks why they are there despite the warning. Kirk says it doesn’t look dangerous, but she says the warning was for their own safety. Since they’re there, though, they will be treated with hospitality.
Mea 3 leads them to the High Council, where they meet Anan 7. Anan 7 asks why they are there, and Kirk explains the diplomatic mission. Anan 7 says it’s impossible because they’ve been at war with Vendikar for 500 years. Spock says that their scans indicate a peaceful society. Anan 7 says that on the contrary, they lose 1-3 million people every year due to attacks from Vendikar. That number seems extremely unsustainable, but 60s math was different, I guess.
Suddenly, Vendikar attacks. The screen indicated a fusion bomb has exploded over the city, but there’s no indication from the council chamber other than what’s on the screen. Yeoman Tamura scans with her tricorder but picks up no radiation. The Enterprise hasn’t picked up anything unusual on the surface, either.
Kirk questions Anan 7 about this. It turns out the war is essentially a simulation, but the victims have to report for disintegration within 24 hours. Kirk is horrified. Spock says it’s logical, but when Anan 7 assumes he approves, Spock clarifies that while he understands, he most certainly does not approve.
Anan 7 continues: because the Enterprise is in orbit despite the warning to stay away, it is a legitimate target, and has been “destroyed.” All personnel aboard are required to beam down to be disintegrated within 24 hours. The landing party is immediately arrested.
***
Mea 3 visits the imprisoned landing party to ask if they need anything. Kirk demands answers. Mea 3 tells him she is on the casualty list. Kirk asks why she’s agreeing to be killed, and she says that if she didn’t, Vendikar would use real weapons, and that would ultimately destroy both civilizations. As she leaves, she asks if there’s anything she can bring them. Kirk says there is - Anan 7.
***
On the Enterprise, McCoy is fussing at Scotty about how they haven’t heard from the landing party, and that they should do something. Scotty says there’s nothing they can do at the moment.
Suddenly, Uhura receives an incoming signal - it’s Kirk, saying diplomatic relations will be established, and inviting all personnel to the surface for shore leave. Scotty is suspicious, but Kirk says trained Eminians will beam aboard to run the ship while the crew is on the surface. We cut to the planet and lo and behold, it isn’t Kirk at all, but Anan 7! Scotty says they’ll start forming shore parties immediately.
Instead of doing that, though, Scotty had the computer analyze the transmission, and determines it to have been a voice duplicator and not Kirk himself. Clearly, the landing party is in trouble.
***
On the surface, Spock might be telepathic, and also “Vulcanian.” They still haven’t settled on what to call people from Vulcan. Regardless, Spock uses telepathy to get the guard to open the door, and then the landing party jumps him and escapes.
They find the disintegration chamber just in time to stop Mea 3 from entering. Kirk tells Spock to take out the guard. Spock casually strolls up and tells the guard there is a “multi-legged creature” crawling on his shoulder. When the guard looks for it, Spock gives him a nerve pinch, then takes his weapon. There’s a whole crowd of Eminians just milling around watching this, but Spock strolls away with no interference.
Kirk tells everyone to move, then destroys the disintegration booth. Mea 3 is shocked, but Kirk doesn’t care.
The Council has been informed of the landing party’s escape. They send security to find the landing party, and prepare to destroy the Enterprise.
***
The Enterprise takes a sonic blast, which would have destroyed them if they hadn’t thought to raise shields when they got the fake message earlier. But they can’t fire back with the shields up (not sure if that stays a thing though) and they can’t drop shields with the Eminian disrupters aimed at them. They can, however, fire photon torpedoes.
Ambassador Fox arrives on the bridge just in time to tell them to stand down. He essentially takes the position that they must establish diplomacy, even if it kills them.
***
On the planet, the landing party has returned to their quarters with weapons, disguises, and communicators. Mea 3 doesn’t want to help them. Kirk insists that he wants to save her, and everyone else slated to die. She asks what he’s planning to do, and he says they’re going to try to stop the killing.
Anan 7 and the council are discussing how to proceed when they receive Fox’s transmission. They aren’t certain whether to tell the truth or lie, so naturally they choose to lie. They tell Fox to beam down, and then Anan 7 mutes the call and says to open fire as soon as the Enterprise’s shields are down.
Fox orders Scotty to drop shields, but Scotty refuses. Fox threatens to send him to a penal colony, but it’s Scotty. He isn’t stupid and he won’t endanger the ship. Fox storms off the bridge. Scotty declares the haggis to be in the fire, because while he isn’t stupid, he’s very much a Canadian playing a Scotsman written by an American.
***
On the planet, Anan 7 pours himself a drink from what is obviously a vase, and is alerted to Kirk sneaking up on him by the dramatic music sting. Kirk wants his communicators back, but Anan 7 refuses, and says Kirk is a barbarian. Anan 7 offers Kirk a drink, and stealthily pushes some buttons.
Kirk says he could destroy the planet, and Anan 7 says that’s why he won’t give him his communicators. Kirk tells him he doesn’t need to contact his ship to do it. Anan 7 is unimpressed. Anan 7 directs Kirk to the communicators, but Kirk insists he join him. He then flings Anan 7 at the guards just outside the door, and engages in Kirk-fu, but the guards overpower him and take him to the conference room.
***
Somehow, Fox manages to beam down. I guess you can do that with shields up in this episode. He is greeted by Anan 7, who then informs him that he is a war casualty and has him taken to a disintegration chamber.
Spock has managed to get an Eminian communicator to contact the Enterprise, and warns Scotty not to allow anyone to beam down, or they’ll be killed immediately. Whoops.
Spock and two crewmen disguised as Eminians go to rescue Fox and Kirk. He tells Yeoman Tamura to take any steps necessary to prevent Mea 3 from disintegrating herself, including knocking her down and sitting on her if necessary.
Spock arrives at the disintegration booth just in time to rescue Fox, then destroys the booth. Fox agrees to help Spock get Kirk back to the Enterprise.
***
Anan 7 tells Kirk that if he doesn’t stop messing with their war, both Eminiar VI and Vendikar will be destroyed. He asks Kirk what kind of monster would allow that to happen. Kirk says he’s a barbarian, not a monster. Anan 7 opens a channel to the Enterprise and before he can speak, Kirk tells Scotty to execute general order 24 in two hours.
Anan 7 takes over and tells Scotty that they have 30 minutes to transport the crew to the surface, or the landing party will be killed.
Anan 7 orders his people to open fire in the Enterprise, but the Enterprise is out of range. Anan 7 is horrified by this, but Kirk says he didn’t start this war, but he just might finish it.
Vendikar contacts Anan 7 and says they’ve reneged on the treaty. This still doesn’t sway Kirk. Then Scotty contacts Anan 7 and says the Enterprise has targeted all inhabited areas of Eminiar VII and will open fire in one hour and forty five minutes of the hostages aren’t returned safely.
Anan 7 doesn’t know what to do. Kirk takes advantage of this to disarm a guard and take control of the room, and then Spock enters. Kirk opens the door to the war computer room, and tells Scotty that if they aren’t aboard in an hour and a half, to open fire.
Kirk explains to Anan 7 that by removing all the uncertainty, destruction, disease, and famine from war, they’ve also removed any reason to stop fighting. Kirk has decided he’ll stop the fighting for them. After herding everyone out of the room, they destroy the computers.
Kirk tells Anan 7 that now they have a real war on their hands, not just a simulation. They can either start making bombs, or negotiate a peace with Vendikar.
Fox volunteers to stay as a negotiator between the two planets. Anan 7 agreed, and they leave to contact Vendikar.
***
Back aboard the Enterprise, Fox sends a message that negotiation progressing well. Spock says Kirk took a big risk, but Kirk says he had a feeling the Eminians didn’t want real war. Spock says Kirk almost makes him believe in luck, and Kirk says Spock almost makes him believe in miracles.
***
Given the era when this episode came out, it was pretty freaking edgy to go full anti-war on mainstream TV. Mad props for that. This was a good concept episode with pretty decent execution. Anan 7 may have been the villain of the episode, but he wasn’t a bad person, he was just doing what he believed was best for his people. Definitely one of the better episodes concept-wise, in my opinion.
No comments:
Post a Comment