THE ENTERPRISE MUST CHASE DOWN PIRATES TO SAVE SPOCK!

 

Episode Title:  The Pirates of Orion

Air Date: 9/7/1974

Written by Howard Weinstein

Directed by Bill Reed

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 Arex, Lieutenant Kyle, Captain O’Shea, and the Orion Captain                           George Takei as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu and unnamed Lieutenant                    Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura          Majel Barrett as Nurse Christine Chapel, unnamed Lieutenant, and Enterprise computer        Norm Prescott as Orion Lieutenant and Orion Ensign

Ships: USS Enterprise NCC-1701, USS Huron NCC-F1913, unnamed Orion vessel

Planets: none

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The Enterprise is on a routine diplomatic mission where they are to go to a party celebrating the opening of new Academy of Science on Deneb V.  The ship is needed to represent the Federation, because apparently the ship has nothing better to do.  It seems to me to be a case missed priorities.  The whole thing is delayed when the ship has an outbreak of choriocytosis.  Which sounds bad but really isn’t that big of deal because Dr. McCoy has it under control.  Or that is he did when it was only affecting the human members of the crew.  It appears that this thing can get real nasty when it hits a Vulcan, and it gets its grip into our most favorite Vulcan, Mr. Spock.  

Spock down for the count!

According to Dr. McCoy, Spock is dying.  He can treat it somewhat to the delay the effects but Spock has only a few days at most.  The only thing that can save the First Officer for sure is naturally-occurring strobolin.  However, the nearest batch is located four days away from the Enterprise.  The good news is their ship is part of a mighty Starfleet that has lots of ships and it would be ridiculous if they were the only ship in the sector.  So, they contact Starfleet to have them send a ship that is closer and have them rendezvous with the Enterprise.  

The USS Huron is the ship tasked with bringing the medicine to the Enterprise.  However, they are also carrying supplies of dilithium crystals for Federation ships, which makes them a prime target for space pirates.  This is exactly what happens as Orion pirates attack the poor cargo ship.  Enterprise arrives after the pirates are gone.  They aid the crew and are told that the pirates cleaned them out of everything even the medicine. 

USS Huron

Kirk is determined to find the pirates which he does fairly easily.  He then communicates with the pirates to see if they have the medicine.  When they ask what Kirk will do if they have it, the Captain informs them that they will allow the pirates to keep the dilithium they have, plus Kirk will give them some more, and they will remove any reference to the pirates in their ships logs so no one will know it was the Orions that stole them.  

Starfleet crew under attack!

Kirk’s offer is so good that the Orions feel it cannot be true. As soon as the Enterprise reports their actives here the neutrality of Orion is lost. There is only one thing to do: they must destroy the Enterprise.  They don’t fire power to outgun them but the asteroids in this belt are full of dangerous energy that could destroy both ships.  The Orions are willing to die for their secrecy.  They tell Kirk that they will accept his offer if the Captain collects the medicine in person on the asteroid below. Although Kirk expects this is some sort of trap, he has no idea that the Orions have rigged this asteroid to blow up and destroy both ships. 

Orion ship!

Kirk meets the Orion Captain on the surface and his opponent announces his intentions.  What the Orion Captain did not know is that Captain Kirk is the greatest fighter in the galaxy who fights with such speed and grace that most Orions would turn greener with envy.  However, this pirate doesn’t need to beat Kirk he just needs to press the button.  He almost does but that is when Scotty beams them both back to the Enterprise and disarms him.  Kirk tells his opponent that he is their prisoner and if his crew kills themselves now it will do them no good.  Listening to reason the Orion Captain orders his crew to surrender. Spock has been treated and is now cured.  

The meeting of Captains

Additional thoughts: Last week Spock’s Vulcan anatomy protected him from the rainbow Dramian virus and years ago it prevented the salt vampire from killing him.  Here however what in one case was an advantage is now a disadvantage.  Choriocytosis is friendly to no one but it is extra horrible to Vulcans.  It just goes to show that evolutionary advantage is very conditional.  Sometimes it is beneficial to be a Vulcan and sometimes it isn’t. 

So, what is up with the Orions being blue?  I mean it’s not too big of a deal, humans after all come in all sorts of colors. I would just prefer the Orions to be different shades of green as opposed outright different colors.  I don’t put a lot of stock into the visuals of the Animated Series as canon.  Stories yes, but visuals no.  The Tribbles were the wrong color in “More Tribbles, More Troubles,” and the deltas never point up.

Kirk taking another captain down!

Why does the Enterprise have so much spare dilithium now?  Did Starfleet wise up after the incidents in “Where No Man Has Gone Before” and “Mudd’s Women?”  I hope they have it would end the annoying “oh no, we have no more crystals” plots. 

The Enterprise finding it's fellow starship in trouble

So many time the Enterprise comes up against something that is so powerful their ship is utterly helpless.  This dates all the way back to “The Corbomite Maneuver.” It is kind of refreshing to see a group of aliens realize that they are no match for the Enterprise. They come up with a trap that might have worked if this was their show and they were given enough plot armor to survive.  However, it is not their show, they are the bad guys and they get to go to jail.

Just try it we out gun you ten to one!

This whole episode the Orions are concerned with preserving their home world’s neutrality. Maybe they should stop committing crimes against greater powers?  We first saw them pull this stuff in “Journey To Babel.”  Why do we let them get away with it just because some choose to commit suicide. The Federation is somewhat at fault here for not taking a harder line against them.  If I was the Federation President, I would point out that proof beyond reasonable doubt is court standard not the requirement of a great space power defending its interest.  I would let them know that if had good reason to think they were behind something we would treat it as an absolute certainty.  Of course, with Kirk dragging them off to jail the point is kind of mute. Speaking of the end it wasn’t very dramatic, the bad guys just tried their plan and it failed.  All is well that ends well.  

FINAL GRADE 4 of 5