“Kirk tries to establish an outpost on a planet inhabited by seemingly primitive Organians. When Klingons attack, Organians show their true evolution.”
I don’t remember if I’ve seen this episode, but it’s the first appearance of the Klingons, and it features the late John Colicos as Kor, who came back in Deep Space Nine, so...this should be fun!
***
Kirk enters the bridge and is informed by Spock that they’ve reached the designated position. A yeoman hands Kirk a device that he reads, and says negations with the Klingon Empire are breaking down. Starfleet Command is sending them to Organia to prevent the Klingons from using it as a base.
Spock describes Organia as a peaceful, primitive planet with not intrinsic value other than location.
Suddenly, the Enterprise is attacked by a Klingon Bird of Prey. They return fire and appear to destroy the other ship. Then Uhura receives a message from Starfleet: the Klingons have declared war.
Once in orbit around Organia, Uhura receives a message that a fleet of Klingon ships are approaching. Kirk and Spock prepare to beam down to the surface, leaving Sulu in command. Kirk tells Sulu that his duty is to the ship, not him and Spock. If the Klingons approach, he is to assess the situation and leave if necessary but not engage the Klingons. Sulu protests, but Kirk is insistent, and Sulu accepts the order.
Kirk and Spock beam down to a California renaissance festival, where the director doesn’t call action until they’ve fully materialized. The Organians pay no attention to Kirk and Spock. They notice a castle in the distance and find it odd, considering castles are for defense and this society is allegedly peaceful.
They are then welcomed by an Organian named Ayelborne, the leader of their council of elders. He leads Kirk to the council chamber, while Spock explores the village.
Kirk explains the Klingon situation to the elders, who decline his offer of help. They say they have nothing the Klingons could want, and don’t need the Federation’s protection. They say they are in no danger, but Kirk is, and they ask that he return to his ship.
Spock returns and says that the Organian society isn’t a primitive society moving toward mechanical progress, they’re completely stagnant.
The Organians decline help again, and Kirk tells them that in addition to military aid, they can offer them science and technology to “remake” their world. I have it paused right now but I’m really hoping the Elders come back with “how is that any less of an occupation than what the Klingons will do?” Sure, it sounds good, but what about the Prime Directive? How is changing their culture any less destructive of you do it “peacefully?”
Before Ayelborne can explain, Sulu alerts Kirk that the Klingon fleet is attacking. Kirk tells him to follow his orders and get to safety. One of the Elders says that the Klingons are beaming down, even though Spock’s tricorder isn’t picking that up. Ayelborne tells them that now they must protect Kirk and Spock.
***
We get our first glimpse of Klingons, and I’m not going to go into the weirdness of TOS Klingons vs The Motion Picture through Enterprise Klingons vs First Season of Discovery Klingons. Enterprise at least tried to explain the different look - Discovery, as much as I like the series, kinda threw that all out the window and made them super weird-looking between the Enterprise explanation and the Original Series look. That’s as much as I care to say at this time.
I do like Discovery, though.
OK, I will say these just look like regular dudes in heavy bronzer. But I’m leaving it there.
Kirk and Spock are dressed like Organians to try to pass as them, but Ayelborne has taken their phasers. Kirk asks for them back, but Ayelborne says if they were armed, they may be tempted to fight, and they cannot permit violence.
Kor enters and announces that he is the military governor or Organia. He appears to accept Kirk as an Organian, but has Spock arrested as a possible spy. Kirk says he’s no spy, which intrigues Kor. Kor makes Kirk the liaison between the Klingons and Organians.
The Klingons have taken over the castle Kirk and Spock saw when they first arrived. After Kor gives Kirk the new laws under the Klingons, Spock is returned and has determined to be telling the truth. The Klingons have a “mind sifter,” or a “mind ripper,” as Kor calls it. Clearly it didn’t work on Spock, but they think it did, and Kor threatens to use it on Kirk. He also says that if the Organians don’t follow the new laws, Kirk will be held personally responsible and killed.
Kirk and Spock make a plan to attack a munitions dump outside the castle. They overpower a guard with the stealthy technique of hiding on one stairs and jumping on him, and then they blow up the munitions. The Organians are displeased, and despite Kirk’s explanation, ask him never to do such a thing again.
We cut to Kor in his headquarters, listening to a feed from the council chamber. Busted!
Kor arrives to arrest Kirk and Spock, and tells the Organians he is disgusted by their lack of courage. When he says he’s going to use the mind sifter on Kirk, Ayelborne tells Kor who Kirk and Spock really are. Kor has Spock locked up and takes Kirk to be interrogated.
Back in his headquarters, Kor offers Kirk a drink and declares humans and Klingons are more alike than Kirk realizes. Kirk disagrees. Kor asks about Starfleet, and Kirk tells him to go climb a tree. Kor says he would prefer not to use the mind scanner and make him a vegetable, or to dissect Spock to determine why he was able to resist it. He gives Kirk 12 hours to comply, and locks him up with Spock.
After about 6 hours, while Kirk and Spock are trying to think of an escape plan, Ayelborne appears and releases them from their cell. He cannot allow the Klingons to do violence. He brings them back to the Council of Elders.
Kor announces that two hundred Organians have been killed, and two hundred more will be killed every hour until Kirk and Spock are returned. The Council of Elders remains unmoved, and refuse to return Kirk’s phasers. Kirk threatens force, and Ayelborne agrees to give back the phasers while trying to convince Kirk not to use them.
Kirk and Spock infiltrate the castle and confront Kor. Kor informs them that Starfleet has sent ships to engage the Klingon fleet. But when Klingon guards break in to stop Kirk and Spock, their weapons don’t work and they can’t touch each other. On board the Enterprise, the crew can’t touch the controls.
The Organians enter Kor’s office and explain that every weapon is now too hot to touch. They say that unless the Federation and the Klingon Empire end their war, all their ships will remain immobilized. They reveal that they’ve evolved beyond the need for a physical body, and are only taking humanoid form out of politeness.
***
So this one is pretty important as the introduction of the Klingons, even if they aren’t quite the same as they are in later movies and series. Kor was great, and bringing him back in DS9 as a freed of Dax’s was very cool. It was weird to have another episode with no female characters, but it was the 60s, so...
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