KIRK AND SPOCK TURN INTO FISH PEOPLE!

 

Episode Title:  The Ambergris Element

Air Date: 12/1/1973

Written by Margaret Armen

Directed by Hal Sutherland

Cast: William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk    Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock        DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard H. McCoy AKA “Bones”              James Doohan  as Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott AKA “Scotty”, Lieutenant Clayton, Lieutenant Arex, Cadmar, Domar, and unnamed Aquan male                           George Takei as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu                     Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura                Majel Barrett as Rila and unnamed Aquan female         

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701, Aqua-shuttle NCC-1701/5

Planets: Argo

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The Enterprise has been sent to Argo a planet that the seas have expanded to cover almost all the land the planet had.  A Federation planet that is similar in composition to Argo is undergoing similar changes.  Starfleet feels that by studying Argo they can best help their colony world. They go down to explore Argo in this brand-new aqua shuttle that will allow them to move underwater as well as in space.   They were actually having some fun with this when they were then attacked a giant sea monster.  Nothing about the planet in their studies even made them think such a thing was possible, which shows you the pervious Starfleet team cut too many corners. They battel and knock the creature out but it quickly wakes up and starts to kick their butts across the sea.  With their weapons down they request emergency beam out.  The Enterprise was able to grab the entire landing party with exception to Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock who were left behind.

The sea monster loves shuttles

They send down another shuttle and find the Captain and First Officer.  However, they quickly discover that they have been transformed into sea creatures who cannot breathe the air.  In order to bring them back to the ship McCoy has to set up a large aquarium for the two officers to reside.  Kirk and Spock refuse to live the rest of their lives in such a way, and when McCoy tells them he can’t reverse the procedure the two decide to go back and find the people who did this to them.  Since their new abilities allow them to travel anywhere in the ocean that is where they go to look.

Transformed into sea creatures

Despite the area being a large worldwide ocean with a large potential for predators, Kirk and Spock find the ocean creatures, called the Aquans, who were the one who changed them.  The Aquans were once air breathers but since their planet started to change their ancestors altered their DNA and they became sea people.

The Grand Tribunal does not like outsiders

It seems there is a divide in this underwater society between the youth and the older ones.  In the Grand Tribunal the young challenge the long-standing religious ordinances while the older ones stick by those very ordinances.  It was the young ones acting against such traditions that led them to help Kirk and Spock survive by transforming them.  Kirk tries to prove to the elders he is not a threat and instead just an explorer from another world, however when Scotty tells him of the impending quake, they more convinced that the outsiders have to go.  Kirk and Spock are sentenced to death by suffocation.  However, they are once again saved by the young Aquans, who agree to help them find an ancient lost city that has scrolls that contain information to reverse the change and return the recipient to an air-breather again. 

The old are stuck in their ways

Together they find the city and scrolls (that seem to be made of parchment so I am amazed that they lasted so long in the water) and the Starfleet officers bring the scrolls back to the Enterprise.  McCoy is able to change them back, but they have to get some venom from the sea monster they fought earlier.  Once again the young Aquans aid the Starfleet officers.  Together they locate a sea monster can catch it in a big net allowing them to steal some venom.  Back on the ship, Kirk and Spock are returned to normal.  To return the favor to the Aquans who had been so helpful to him and his first officer, Kirk uses the ship’s phasers to blast an un-inhabited part of the planet that will reduce the quake’s impact on the inhabited areas. 

With the planet now stable the young Aquans have decided to change their own state to that of air-breathers so they can live in the now raised cities.  The older generation still want to live in the water but they vow to remain in contact. The Enterprise completes an unexpected first contact with a piacular people.

One of their lost cites exposed to the air

Additional thoughts: This happens to be the very first episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series that I myself ever saw.  As a child, I caught it on Nickelodeon or the Cartoon Network, I don’t remember which.  I remember thinking “oh, this looks familiar,” as I had seen Star Trek many times.  The thing that drew my eye right away was Kirk’s and Spock’s webbed hands.  I later learned from a babysitter that the Star Trek franchise had an official animated series component, but I wouldn’t see the entire series until after I was an adult.

This is generally a good episode although the limits of a 22-minute run-time stunts it. Things are resolved rather easily.  Kirk and Spock have no problem finding the Aquans and encounter no sea predators that might want to make them a snack, which is surprising considering the attack that cost them their shuttle. 

Young willing to help outsiders

So, about that shuttle, why do we need a special aqua shuttle?  You would think that any shuttle that could survive a trip into the sea.  Yes, I understand water pressure and all but, in a universe, where phasers and photon torpedoes are a real threat you would think these great space vehicles could travel anywhere in space including the oceans.  

The Aquans were an interesting bunch.  How often are societies challenged by the differing views of the young vs. the old?  I believe its all the time.  The typical youth were much more open-minded and willing to go against religious doctrine to help their new friends.  I did think the end was weird by the young deciding they didn’t want to be sea people anymore.  I mean I understand your desire to make contact with the outside, but why turn your back on everything that you are.  At least the all vowed to keep in contact.

FINAL GRADE 4 of 5

THE NAME OF THIS EPISODE DID NOT AGE WELL!

 

Episode Title:  The Jihad

Air Date: 1/12/1974

Written by Stephen Kandel

Directed by Hal Sutherland

Cast: William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk    Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock        DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard H. McCoy AKA “Bones”              James Doohan  as Sord and Tchar         George Takei as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu        David Gerrold as EM 3 Green             Jane Webb as Lara and Vedala Female

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701, four other unnamed starships. 

Planets: mad planet

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The Enterprise has been summoned to meet with a representative from the Vedala people on a giant asteroid.  The Vedala are the oldest spacefaring race in the known galaxy and when they want a meeting the Federation is apt to apply.  Kirk beams down with Mr. Spock to meet the Vedala Ambassador.  When the two get there they find out that the Ambassador is recruiting them to be on a team for a Mission Impossible type of assignment. 

Team being assembled!

The team consists of beings recruited for their talents and vested interests.   The first of these is Tchar, the hereditary prince of the Skorr and Master of the Eyrie.  His people were once a warrior race but now preach the value of peace.  This is a good thing for the rest of the galaxy, as Spock notes the Skorr can raise an army of billions of soldiers in a short amount of time.   The second is Sord, a powerful reptilian-like creature who I assume is recruited to be the muscle.  (At first I thought he was a Gorn but apparently not.)  The third is Em/3/Green, an expert lock-pick and thief, however he also is a coward and not good at working under pressure.  The final member is Lara, who is a human and her talents are she is an excellent hunter who has a flawless sense of direction.

Tchar begins by explaining his planets history and that their passion for violence was only quelled by a teacher named Alar, who basically played the role of Surak to their society with the only difference being a religious undertone.   After he died his brain waves were copied in placed into a device which came to be known as “the Soul of Skorr.”  This allows them to keep their leader with them forever.  However, just recently the device was stolen and Tchar fears without their leaders’ brain waves-on-ice secure the people of Skorr will revert to the ways of their ancestors and rage a great holy war on the rest of the galaxy.  The have keep the theft secret and their intelligence operation has lead them to the general location of the artifact.  It is on the planet Madworld, called this because of the instability of the planet.  There have been three attempts to retrieve it, but all of these attempts have ended in failure. 

If you are going on a mission you need a set of wheels!

Now on Madworld, the team sees that it easily lives up to its name with the horrible weather.  They are given a land vehicle adding some speed to their journey.  When going over the probabilities of survival, Spock is asked if he only quotes statistics.  He replies that he also quotes philosophy and poetry but that would inappropriate at this time.  Unfortunately, the team runs into an active volcano spilling lava everywhere.   Things go from bad to worse when their vehicle breaks down.  There is no time to fix it so they lose it to the lava.

I'm glad we all fit!

The good thing is they were not too far away from the fortress and they come across it rather quick. It is locked and booby-trapped to explode.  The good news is the cowardly Green is able to pick the locks and get them in there while the rest of the team fights of automated sentinels.  It is at this point that Kirk starts to expect a trap and as soon as they are all inside they are sealed in.  Kirk then declares that the other teams made it this far and failed because someone on the team betrayed them and sabotaged the mission.  Kirk accuses Tchar and Tchar flies down and admits it. It turns out that the future ruler of his people wanted them to return to the glory of their past.  Realizing he could never do that so long as the great teacher’s essence was still influencing them he decided to get rid of it.  Now his people will wage war throughout the galaxy.  

It is like when you get in an accident with your new car!

Tchar shuts off the gravity in this building and, even though they are on a planet, with the gravity turned off they all start to flout through the air.  Tchar thinks he has won but he doesn’t know that Captain Kirk is the greatest fighter in the entire galaxy who can fight with speed and grace even in a zero-g environment.  Aided by his first officer, Mr. Spock, who also is an impressive fighter, the two tag team the big bird and swiftly defeat him.  With that the Soul of Skorr is restored to its people.

Not so nice!

Now that all has been won the Vedala Ambassador congratulates Captain Kirk but also lets him know there are no rewards or medals for the achievement only gratitude.  She also makes him aware that he is going to forget the entire adventure as the Vedala strongly desire secrecy for the good of the Skorr.  When Kirk and Spock are beamed back to the ship, Mr. Sulu is surprised as from his perspective they just left two minutes ago.  Kirk lets the helmsman know there has been a change of heart and this mission is now off.      

Additional thoughts: I remember my freshman year of college.  I had taken a class in Middle Eastern politics and felt I was well versed in the issues of the day.  I remember being the only one in my immediate family and friend group who even knew who Osama Bin Laden was and what he was all about.  Then 911 happened.  Everyone knew who he was and what jihad meant.  Actually, they knew what the popular usage of jihad was.   There are multiple types of jihad to which “holy war” is only one. However it was the one everyone became familiar with so if the Animated Series was running anywhere they probably skipped over this episode.

It is ironic that the adventure in this episode is erased from everyone’s memory.   For when I began to watch it I realized I had forgotten it as well.  With most episodes I haven’t seen in a long time I usually remember the plot in the first five minutes, this time the only thing I recognized was Tchar.  I think the episode was a victim to the structure of only being a half-hour plus commercials cartoon show.  Once the plot was explained there wasn’t much time for anything else to happen.   It was too bad because the show started our strong and the team that was assembled was neat; however everything was too quickly resolved. 

Another limitation of the half-hour format is Kirk’s new limited love life.  During this adventure Lara, our lady huntress, has the hots for Captain Kirk.  Normally this would mean our good Captain was going to get down with a nice lady, as he so often did.  However, he has to remind her that this isn’t the time for that sort of thing because we don’t want to scare the kids on Saturday morning who are under the belief that babies come from storks.

If we were live action we would get action

So what happens to Tchar, after stealing the most important part of their society is he still allowed to become their king?  I think he is a very bad choice, but who knows how bird monarchy is supposed to work?  Hopefully they will have some procedure that would prevent him from ruling.  For if they do not the universe may have a big fight on its hands in just a few years.

When a Prince is against his people!

FINAL GRADE 3 of 5

A STAR TREK EPISODE WITHOUT CAPTAIN KIRK OR THE USS ENTERPRISE

 

Episode Title:  The Slaver Weapon

Air Date: 12/8/1973

Written by Larry Niven

Directed by Hal Sutherland

Cast: Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock        James Doohan  as Chuft Captain, Kzinti Telepath, Kzinti Flyer                      George Takei  as Lieutenant  Hikaru Sulu              Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura     Majel Barrett as Slaver Weapon Computer

Ships: Copernicus NCC-1701/12, Traitor’s Claw

Planets: unnamed ice planet

My Spoiler filled summary and review: An away team consisting of Spock, Uhura, and Sulu are traveling in the shuttle craft Copernicus, which is a long-distance shuttle.  They are transporting a valuable item called a Slaver Box.   The box we are told is a relic from the Slaver Civilization, a power that once ruled and enslaved the galaxy billions of years ago.  The rebellion that overthrew it caused the end of intelligent life in the galaxy at that time until it evolved again.  The only thing left over are these boxes that are like time capsules only better. For what goes in a Slaver Box time stops.  If you put a ham sandwich into a box a million years later someone could open the box and eat it.  Since finding these boxes have often led to great discoveries, like improved anti-gravity, there is great importance placed in locating them.  However, unless you find one by accident, the only way to detect one is to have a box with you.  Today they think they might have found a new box thanks to the box that they have.

Cool new shuttle craft refit!

The team stops at an unnamed ice planet to where they believe this box to be located. However, it turns out to be a trap.  The three Starfleet officers are captured by the Kzinti and are imprisoned in their “web” that is basically a force field that surrounds a web design on the ground.  The Kzinti are cat-like race of aliens who first encountered humans at the end of the 21^st century and fought four wars with them.  The Kzinti lost all four wars and are now forbidden even to have weapons.  Now the must resort to treachery.  They are complete carnivores and view Vulcans with distain because they are vegetarians.  Humans as omnivores are only less disgusting.  Spock points out that they might underestimate Uhura because their own female population are just dumb animals. (I have more to say on that in the additional thoughts section.) Some of their species are telepathic and they usually have one on each of their crews.  However, the telepath can be thrown off if you focus your thoughts on eating vegetables. 

The Kzinti’s slaver box was empty so it was just really awesome storage unit that could also be used to lure someone else with a box in.  Opening Starfleet’s box, they find a picture of slaver (they were ugly), some fresh meat (good for them to eat), and a device that maybe a weapon.  The device changes shape per setting and it first does nothing really useful.  One setting deactivates all the technology allowing the Starfleet trio to escape.  Spock knocks over the Chuft Captain and takes the weapon.  This is a huge afront to the Chuft Captain’s honor to be hit by an herbivore.  The Chuft Captain remembers that human females are intelligent so they capture Uhura to use her as a hostage to set up a rematch with Spock and get back the weapon.

Nasty cats!

Spock and Sulu try to figure out the weapon, to which Sulu thinks it might have been used as device for intelligence officers given its many functions.  They find a setting that gives off a massive explosion.  It can give off enough power to put the Kzinti as the top power in this side of the galaxy.  They realize they can’t allow the Kzinit to have the weapon now, but it is too late as the vibrations from the explosion reach them knocking them down and unconscious.  Spock and Sulu join Uhura as prisoners again as the Chuft Captain tries to figure out the weapon.

Time to make an escape!

The Kzinit are having the hardest time finding the setting that the Starfleet officers had it on.  At one point the weapon has a reasoning computer phase. Spock begins to speculate that this might be the weapon’s own security mechanism.  When the Kzinit demand the setting their enemies just had it on, the shape it changes.  However, the new shape not the one Sulu and Spock saw earlier.  Instead, it’s a self-destruct mechanism that takes out the itself and the Kzinit.  As the three leave, they reminisce about a Kzinti legend about old weapons being haunted by their previous owners.

Slavers were ugly!

Additional thoughts: Well, here we have it, the first ever episode of Star Trek that had neither Captain Kirk nor the starship Enterprise anywhere to be found.  This wasn’t bad but I can’t say that I like it.  The only other time we didn’t have the Captain was in “The Cage” and the TV executives were so unhappy they almost dropped the series. It wasn’t until Kirk was added in “Where No Man Has Gone Before” that the show could begin.  But even in the first pilot we still got to have our starship Enterprise.  I think I speak for all of us when we say “no” to episode long shuttle craft adventures.  Shuttle craft are a tool not a story setting.  We should always have the Enterprise.

umm...lunch!

In the episode “The Paradise Syndrome” fans were introduced to the Preservers.  An ancient people who once ruled the Milky Way galaxy before the current groups of spacefaring powers (the Federation, Klingons, and Romulans) discovered faster-than-light travel.  They are long extinct and we don’t even know their real name.  The Federation calls them “the Preservers” because they come across their handiwork from time to time.  Species or cultures that were endangered were relocated to another M-class planet where they could thrive.  In this episode we learn there was an ancient race before them who the Federation calls “the Slavers.”  Guess why?  Apparently because they enslaved so many other intelligent beings in the galaxy.  It was so bad that a revolt happened that ended all intelligent life in the galaxy, until it evolved again.

Okay, this could be bad!

So, I guess the moral of the story is slavery is bad or slave revolts are bad.  It is one of those two.  It if is the later isn’t it just kind of weird?  I mean I suppose if I were living in the antebellum American South, I would be always in favor of a slave rebellion.  However, if such a rebellion would cause the extinction of the human species, I suppose that could turn me against it.  Let’s wait for a time to rebel where and when the whole human species won’t die. For such horrible slavers they did have some interesting technology.  However, given the size of boxes I think I would only use them for food storage.

So, the Kzinti women.  As there have been many patriarchal societies in real life, it is not strange to encounter them as we explore the universe.  However there seems to more here than simply a patriarchy.  For it is Spock that makes the claim that Kzinti women are unintelligent animals.  So, for a second let’s say Spock is 100% correct and under no possible misinterpretation.  How would such a species function?  You have one gender with human level intelligence and the other with the intelligence of a dog?  How are courting rituals done?  What do family structures look like?  It is the only thing I want to know about but the episode never addresses it.

Overall, this story was okay but it was just kind of weak.  It was good to see Sulu and Uhura given an opportunity to shine.

FINAL GRADE 3 of 5