If You Must Watch Star Trek: The Animated Series, Vol. 2 Might Be Your Best Bet!

The Good: Two episodes with remotely interesting plots and character development
The Bad: Terrible animation, Vocal presentations are mediocre, Stories are a bit dumbed down
The Basics: When Spock returns to his past and Kirk must save the Enterprise from a malevolent organism, Star Trek: The Animated Series makes a passable video.


For a while before the advent of DVD, Paramount released episodes of Star Trek: The Animated Series on VHS with two half-hour episodes per tape. Given the expense of the series on DVD, finding the old videos for a song may be a great, inexpensive way to get into the show before committing to the whole set. The problem, of course, with reviewing the two-episode tapes is that often the episodes might be radically different. Fortunately with "Volume 2," the episodes are possibly the best the series ever produced and as a result, "Beyond The Farthest Star" and "Yesteryear" represent the best value in Star Trek: The Animated Series.

For those unfamiliar with Star Trek: The Animated Series, the two seasons aired in the early-1970s before Star Trek was reborn on the big screen with Star Trek: The Motion Picture (reviewed here!). These episodes aired in 1973 and represented the attempt on the part of Paramount and Filmation to gauge the interest in new Star Trek material while working around the busy schedules of the principle talent from Star Trek. This series continued the five-year mission of the U.S.S. Enterprise under the command of Captain James T. Kirk and featured the voice talents of most of the Star Trek cast as well as writing from some of the better Star Trek writers.

"Beyond The Farthest Star" opens the series with the Enterprise exploring deep space only to find an ancient ship on the order of 300 million years old. After encountering an alien radio signal and the ship accelerating out of control in the direction of a dead star, the Enterprise finds a massive ship, derelict, trapped in orbit around the star. Trapped as well, Kirk and an away team beam over to learn about the alien vessel. There they discover that the crew sacrificed itself so it would not carry a malevolent energy being to other planets. Unfortunately for Kirk and his crew, the entity is still alive and Kirk and Spock must figure out a way to escape the pull of the dead star and get rid of the invader without destroying the Enterprise!

"Yesteryear" is the high point of the Star Trek: The Animated Series and it finds Spock using the Guardian of Forever to find out how he was erased from the timestream. Spock returns to the present after using the Guardian Of Forever to discover that no one recalls who he is and the Enterprise's first officer is Commander Thelin, an Andorian. With a little research, Spock discovers that as a child, during the Vulcan Kahs-wan ordeal, he was killed. Determined to prevent this and restore the normal movements of time, Spock returns to the past and Vulcan using the Guardian Of Forever, where he assumes a new identity and becomes a mentor to his younger self. Interacting with his father and the young Spock, the elder Spock trains Spock to survive the wilderness survival rite of passage and restore the normal workings of time and space.

The essential problem with "Beyond The Farthest Star" is that it is derivative of Star Trek's "Day Of The Dove" (reviewed here!) or any number of hostile energy being episodes. It is a simple redress of an episode Star Trek has already done a few times and in this incarnation, there is nothing truly new or interesting to it to set it apart and make fans of Star Trek engaged. As for children, this might entertain them and the concepts explained in it are explained well enough that a child could understand it.

Similarly, fans of Star Trek will recognize the allusions to "The City On The Edge Of Forever" (reviewed here!) and "Journey To Babel" (reviewed here!). In addition to finally seeing Spock's childhood pet Selhat, which was mentioned in the latter of those episodes, it is refreshing to see Spock's father, Sarek, voiced by Mark Lenard, again.

Sort of. The animation in Star Trek: The Animated Series is pretty terrible and on the videos, it is not cleaned up like it was for the DVD versions. Even on DVD, the animation is choppy and rather generic. Backgrounds are looped in "Yesteryear" and the space shots of the pod ship in "Beyond The Farthest Star" have a terrible two-dimensional quality to them. But specifically, the problem is that characters are hardly distinct in the animation style of the series and in "Yesteryear," this is a bit of a problem. Sarek and the elder Spock look virtually identical, save their outfits!

The animation is fair at best by today's standards and the look of the series is a little more blockish than reality. As a result, Kirk has more in common with Captain America in terms of physique than the live-action William Shatner Kirk. Similarly, Spock seems surprisingly ripped (though not in a way that is extreme) and Uhura's uniform actually seems a little longer! All the animation truly allows this incarnation of Star Trek to do that it could not before is make more interesting alien races.

Both "Beyond The Farthest Star" and "Yesteryear" make use out of the benefit of animated creatures. In the first episode, an insectoid race is utilized and in "Yesteryear" there are a couple of Vulcan animals that would have been difficult to create plausibly on the live-action Star Trek. Here they are at least consistent with the rest of the animated Star Trek universe.

"Beyond The Farthest Star" involves almost no character development. Captain Kirk must heroically save the galaxy and prevent the spread of an evil that has endured for millions of years but that is pretty familiar. Indeed, if anything, "Beyond The Farthest Star" serves to simply reintroduce the essential Star Trek characters before degenerating into a very plot-heavy episode.

"Yesteryear," on the other hand excels in character and plot, except for the setup. How the past actually became altered the first time is never truly explored and as a result, the episode seems quite contrived. Once one overlooks that, though, the episode is fine as it works to explore the relationship between the young Spock and his peers and his father. Moreover, it is more or less in character and it tells a good story wherein the characters grow and develop.

"Yesteryear" involves fine voice acting and Leonard Nimoy and Mark Lenard give fine, expressive performances that clearly establish their characters and do it well and within the confines of their characters. Far more problematic acting occurs in "Beyond The Farthest Star." William Shatner as Captain Kirk is often melodramatic and presents many of his lines in a way that is over the top and does not match the intensity of the animation. The result is somewhat disturbing.

Others give performances that sometimes feel like straightforward line readings and it is odd to see the minimally expressive animation with the more expressive vocals when they are. The standout on these episodes is James Doohan who performs Scotty as well as various alien voices throughout and he does a good job at making enough of a different accent for each role such that viewers are not sitting and watching the episodes being distracted at Doohan talking to himself.

The pilot feels like a pilot, but "Yesteryear" goes a long way toward illustrating the potentials of the Star Trek: The Animated Series and despite what came after, the episode written by Star Trek alum D.C. Fontana strives for a consistency of character that is unrivaled in the series. These have minimal dumbing down of language to make it enjoyable and comprehensible for children.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Animated Series on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the complete collection here!
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"Beyond The Farthest Star" - 2/10
"Yesteryear" - 7.5/10
VHS - 4.5/10

For other Star Trek episode, movie or DVD reviews, please be sure to visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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The Payoff For Fans Of Star Trek: "Unification"

The Good: Acting, Plot, Character
The Bad: Feels like a setup episode
The Basics: When Spock defects to the Romulan Empire, Picard must journey around the galaxy to find out why and recover the ambassador.


When Star Trek The Next Generation began, DeForest Kelley made a cameo appearance as Dr. McCoy in "Encounter At Farpoint" (reviewed here!), with the hopes of making the transition between Star Trek and the new show. Since that time, Star Trek The Next Generation struck out in new territory becoming a distinct entity from Star Trek. In the fifth season of Star Trek The Next Generation, a single effort was made by the writing staff to bridge the gap once more and try to reclaim the hard-line Star Trek fans who felt the new series needed legitimization. In the two part "Unification" episodes, Spock returns.

StarFleet Intelligence places Spock on Romulus, in the heart of one of the Federation's greatest enemies. Fearing that he has defected and concerned about the serious blow to the integrity of the Federation, Captain Picard and the Enterprise crew are ordered to investigate and recover Spock. At the same time as Captain Picard goes in search of Spock with Data, Commander Riker must piece together a damaged ship that might be related to Spock's disappearance. Picard's search leads him to Romulus, disguised as a Romulan with Data while Riker's search leads him to a graveyard of starships.

"Unification" is more than a simple episode that it attempting to span the two Star Trek series'. Instead, this is a piece where the Star Trek universe is fully realized. By writing and producing an episode that hinges so much on Star Trek history while progressing forward the mission and purposes, there's very much the sense of a complete universe established here. Indeed, the scope is rather impressive: the Enterprise journeys from a Starbase to Vulcan to the Klingon border and then to a Zakdorn junk yard. Picard travels from the Klingon border to Romulus itself and there's a very real sense throughout this episode that these places are true locations, no stranger than traveling from the United States to Canada to South Africa.

While previous seasons had been more episodic, where you could pretty much watch the episodes in any order and if you missed one it did not so much matter, season five is a more serialized show. As a result, certain past episodes are almost essential to understanding and appreciating "Unification" to its fullest. "Redemption, Part 2" (reviewed here!) the season premiere for the season is referenced as is the third season episode "Sarek" (reviewed here!). Understanding the events that have led up to "Unification" enhance the episode and watching Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country is also beneficial, though that is more important in the second part.

What binds the episode together through its sweeping travel story are the characters. Here we have a compelling use of the characters in Star Trek The Next Generation, most notably Captain Picard. Having shared a mindmeld with Sarek, Spock's father, back in the third season, the earliest leads for why Spock may have defected come from Sarek. Being an intelligently written episode, however, Picard's own task becomes complicated when Sarek dies. Here Picard has many facets to him and the explorer/diplomat role that Picard was at the beginning of the series reasserts itself with the more action-oriented Captain he has become by this point.

Joining Picard is Data and this is a wonderful example of how much Picard and Data come to rely on one another. In "Unification," Picard takes Data along as a useful tool and as a companion. In this way, Picard relies on Data for more than simply tactical knowledge that might allow the pair to complete their mission, but rather for a friend and confessor. This serves only to strengthen the bond between the two men which has long since outpaced the bond Picard and Riker once had.

As for Riker, he is saddled with the slower parts of the episode and his quest to determine what the wreckage the Enterprise has been saddled with is and where it came from feels like an attempt to take up time and space. Instead of being particularly compelling, that aspect of the plot leads the viewer to wonder what it is doing at all in the episode. It feels like it has nothing to do with the main plot, which is a search for Spock.

What carries the episode is the acting and there are three notable performances here. The first in Brent Spiner, who plays Data who is forced to impersonate a Romulan. It's an acting challenge to play a character playing someone else without either putting yourself into the last role or making the transition between the character and the one they are impersonating so great that one is unable to see the former in the latter. Spiner, however, pulls it off admirably.

Patrick Stewart, similarly, gives a good performance, especially making Picard edgy and tired aboard the Klingon ship en route to Romulus. The one who steals the show and ought to have been nominated for an award was Mark Lenard. Lenard plays Sarek and he portrays the ailing former-ambassdor with dignity in a very difficult role. Forced to play Sarek in a very different way given the nature of the ambassador's illness, Lenard infuses emotion and confusion and actual facial expressions into the tortured character. It's sad to note that Mark Lenard plays Sarek's death scene a short time before his own death.

"Unification" feels slow at times when it has the distinct sensation that it is building toward a cliffhanger ending and that is what the episode actually does. Indeed, if you're looking for Spock, "Unification, Part II" is where he actually performs for the episode. But outside that, it is an effective build up and it works.

It's difficult to recommend "Unification" to those who are not fans of the Star Trek series, as this is largely a payoff for the fans. This is the chance to solidify the Star Trek universe and add a sense of cohesion to a franchise that celebrates the differences in the various series'. However, people who enjoyed Star Trek back in the 1960s and those who are patient with a decent story will find something to enjoy in "Unification."

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Fifth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the fifth season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

7/10

For other Star Trek episode and film reviews, please click here to visit the appropriate index page!

© 2011, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.




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"Sarek:" A Blast From Star Trek's Past

The Good: Excellent acting, Good character work, Fun for the fans
The Bad: Gets repetitive quickly.
The Basics: A surprisingly good first crossover between Star Trek and Star Trek The Next Generation finds Sarek visiting for one last negotiation.


The early philosophy on Star Trek The Next Generation was that the creators and producers of the show wanted to make a new series that had no crossovers to Star Trek. They wanted Star Trek The Next Generation to be distinctly different. At least, that's what they said. In the second episode, "The Naked Now" (reviewed here!), they steal a plot so directly from Star Trek that they even mention the original series mission. The first direct crossover between the two shows takes place in the form of "Sarek." Sarek was first seen in "Journey To Babel" (reviewed here!) and has the character played by his original actor, Mark Lenard.

Sarek, Spock's Vulcan father, arrives on the U.S.S. Enterprise for the final negotiations of his career. Very old now, Sarek is accompanied by his new wife, Perrin, and two advisors who are quite protective of the Ambassador. Shortly after his arrival, there are violent outbursts among the crew; Wesley and Geordi have an argument, Dr. Crusher slaps Wesley and Picard and Riker yell at one another on the bridge about whose ship the Enterprise is. The source of the emotional outbursts is unknown until Picard observes Sarek crying at a concert being held in his honor. It is revealed that he has Bendii Syndrome, a disease that robs Vulcans of their emotional control, and Sarek is likely not well enough to complete the negotiations.

"Sarek" comes at a good time in the Star Trek The Next Generation lore. The series is striking out in bold new territory that the writers of Star Trek never conceived of. In the process, it is beginning to feel like an entirely different universe than that created in Star Trek. "Sarek" helps root the franchise together.

And it is a worthwhile outing in its own right. The pretense for having Sarek aboard allows the writers to explore the issue of aging for the first time in a realistic way. Sarek is a tortured soul very analogous to any human senior suffering from depression.

"Sarek" is worthwhile as well for the acting. Patrick Stewart gives one of his most amazing, and loud, performances as the receptacle to Sarek's emotions. His moods change with lightning speed and while the scene is heartwrenching to watch, each mood is made distinct by facial ticks, tones of voice and the most subtle and expressive eye movements ever. It's truly an extraordinary scene to watch.

Picking Sarek as the focus of the crossover also allows the series to use powerhouse actor Mark Lenard. Lenard brings dignity and professionalism to the project that is impossible to define outside using the word presence. Lenard has definite screen presence.

But the rest of the cast gives it up well, too. Wil Wheaton dishes it out and takes it with both anger and utter surprise in his scenes. The writers were sharp, making the arguments worthwhile and sharp. Wesley Crusher picks on LaForge for not being able to score outside the holodeck. It's a low blow, but it's exactly the type of remark that people say when they are angry. It's that type of realism that is refreshing in "Sarek."

More than that, the episode does attempt to explore a compelling issue. What do we do with the aged who are genius' but cannot control their bodies or minds any longer?

The only real downside to this episode is that the patterns of arguments becomes quickly predictable and we come to expect them more than we ought to. Still, there's a lot here to like. A treat for the fans, this might be a little harder for non-Trek fans to get as it is heavy in technobabble and jargon, especially that which is specific to Vulcans. Of course, if you have a Star Trek fan friend, it's a great one to watch together, especially if you want a lot explained.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Third Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the third season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

7.5/10

For other Star Trek episode and film reviews, be sure to check out my index page for an organized series of listings!

© 2011, 2008, 2002 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.





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Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, A Last Hurrah That Works More Than Just Metaphorically!

The Good: Good plot, Nice message, Decent acting, Most character work
The Bad: Returned scenes garble everything, Spock's character
The Basic: Despite some serious character and plot flaws, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country remains a solid film that illustrates a diplomatic process that meets with resistance.


"All good things must come to an end," goes the old saying and as the actors portraying the primary cast of the classic 60's science fiction show Star Trek aged and decided they were done with their occasional outings into the final frontier, they closed the series with Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Not ones to go out on a low note, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-A is charged with essentially creating universal peace and making the 25th Anniversary of Star Trek an event.

When the Klingon moon Praxis explodes, the Klingon homeworld's environment and power supply is crushed. Unprepared for the magnitude of the environmental disaster, the Klingons turn toward their old enemies, the Federation for help. Captain James T. Kirk and the U.S.S. Enterprise head to a rendezvous with the Klingon flagship that ends with an unfortunate incident wherein the Enterprise apparently fires on the Klingon ship and StarFleet officers beam aboard and kill the Klingon Chancellor.

As Kirk and McCoy are tried and convicted by the Klingons for failing to save the life of Chancellor Gorkon, a new Chancellor is named. Spock works to find the evidence to exonerate his friends before they are killed on an icy prison planet and in the process, he uncovers a plot that strikes at the heart of all he believes in.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is one of those movies that comes in with a bang - the explosion of Praxis is quite impressive - and manages to go out with one as well. This is the end of an era, the cinematic adventures of Captain Kirk and his crew, and by the way the crew is split up, the viewer feels that. To wit, Captain Sulu is in command of the U.S.S. Excelsior and while he is invaluable to the film, actor George Takei is virtually relegated to a cameo role as a result.

The Undiscovered Country is hailed by many as the best of the Star Trek film franchise and while it is a wonderful film, three things keep the movie from rising to the level of greatness that was achieved by Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (click here for my review of that!) and Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (click here for that review! ), especially when those two are viewed together as one longer movie. The three things that keep The Undiscovered Country from being even remotely considered perfects are: the bastardization of the idea of the Federation and StarFleet for plot points, Spock's actions near the climax of the film, and the sloppiness of the writing as far as basic details go.

On the two-disc special edition DVD of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the director's cut of the film is presented, which simply reinserts a subplot into the movie that involves a rescue attempt for Kirk and McCoy by high command figures in StarFleet. Recutting the Colonel in with his essentially racist (against Klingons) viewpoints and remarks cheapens what Star Trek stands for.

I've vigorously argued that Gene Roddenberry's vision of Star Trek was not truly achieved until Star Trek: The Next Generation. Yet, in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the supplemental characters are all motivated by conservative ambitions to keep a cold war mentality going and they are almost universally prejudiced, barbaric and, well, dumb. In short, Roddenberry's vision is of a humanity that is not motivated by greed, war or prejudice and yet in The Undiscovered Country, the highest levels of StarFleet are filled with people who are only avaricious, barbaric and bigoted. It's insulting to anyone who has watched Star Trek and bought into concepts like Infinite Diversity through Infinite Combinations. It's a cheap way to flesh out the plot at the expense of the greater themes Star Trek had stood for for a long time before.

Moreover, the viewer is asked to believe that high level conspirators within StarFleet, the Klingon and Romulan Empires are working together to . . . prevent the major powers from working together. Wrap your head around that.

Even more troubling is what happens with Spock near the climax of the film (I'm writing around a lot of details here to prevent any "surprises" from being leaked!). On the bridge of the Enterprise, Spock roughly grabs a fellow officer and performs a Vulcan mind meld. The person resists and Spock pushes. In essence, the audience watches Spock rape another character and the scene is disturbing, treated as uncontroversial and guts the pacifistic, rational character that fans have loved for the twenty-five years before this film was made. The scene is violent and more than anything else in the movie is why the film ought to have been rated PG-13 (it escaped with a PG and for those who do not follow my reviews, I seldom bother even noticing ratings from the MPAA). Strange, considering Leonard Nimoy was intimately involved with the creation of the story, that the writers would so incredibly botch the character of Spock.

While the other two elements might only be appreciated by fans, the final problem is sloppiness that any moviegoer who is awake for this film will find troubling. The first words of the film are uttered by Captain Sulu, dictating a captain's log about how the Excelsior is returning from the Beta Quadrant where it has been cataloguing gaseous anomalies. At the climax of the film, Spock and McCoy retrofit a photon torpedo with . . . the sensor equipment that the Enterprise had used on its last mission, cataloguing gaseous anomalies. Now, I'm not saying that there isn't a whole lot of gas that needs to be catalogued in space, but it seems like the writers mixed up their two ships and that's just indefensibly sloppy. What's sadder is that Uhura's suggestion that they utilize this equipment is the strongest contribution she makes to this endeavor.

Beyond that, the movie is wonderful. Even if one does not like Star Trek (heretic, you!), The Undiscovered Country is a vital outing that is accessible to anyone. Like the very successful cinematic outing Star Trek IV The Voyage Home, The Undiscovered Country takes a powerful social idea and couches it in the science fiction/adventure trappings of Star Trek. In this case, the philosophical question of what happens when there are no more wars to fight is tackled.

The Undiscovered Country is a metaphor for the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, with the Klingons taking the place of the USSR and the Federation embodying the United States. The tensions, mistrust and machinations are compelling. Sure, it buggers the viewer to see Klingons and humans working together so they won't have to work together, but the idea is very well explored.

In fact, outside the comedic elements that are thrown in to try to capitalize on the same formula as The Voyage Home, the dinner scene wherein the concept of peace and life without wars is debated is brilliant and vibrant.

The reason The Undiscovered Country ultimately works as well as it does is because it maintains the focus on the characters, in this case Captain Kirk and . . . well, virtually everyone else. Chancellor Gorkon is an idealist, General Chang is the fairly generic villain and Captain Spock is more diplomat than science officer here, which foreshadows his return in "Star Trek The Next Generation's "Unification, Part II.” Gorkon and Spock are rational, idealistic alternatives to the conservative, warring viewpoints expressed by Kirk and Chang. These other characters service Kirk by providing him with guides by which to grow.

And Kirk grows beautifully in The Undiscovered Country. While some die-hard fans seem to hate the idea that Kirk might hate Klingons, the motivations seem very vivid, considering what happened to his son in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock. Kirk's anger becomes something he must confront and a serious liability to his ability to perform his mission. Indeed, because he is clinging to his hatred of Klingons, he is easily convicted at his trial on the Klingon homeworld. Through the course of the movie, Kirk wrestles with his dislike of Klingons and his desire to see them suffer as a result of the actions certain individual Klingons have taken.

One person I know is deeply offended by Kirk's suggestion near the beginning of the movie that the Federation's response to the Klingon's desperate crisis is "Let them die." I believe his utterance, in the halls of StarFleet's most powerful people, is a shocking statement that serves the story well, while preserving the character of Captain Kirk quite well. It's hard to be high and mighty when you are hurt, no matter how evolved one is.

Moreover, how Kirk's reaction evolves from being willing to let the Klingons suffer and die without aid to his shock when Gorkon is murdered, is compelling. This leads the viewer on an emotional journey that is realistic, intense and wonderful to watch.

Part of what does this is the acting. Guest actors include David Warner as Chancellor Gorkon, Kurtwood Smith as the Federation president, Mark Lenard as Sarek and Brock Peters as Admiral Cartwright, all of whom are familiar to fans of the "Star Trek" franchise for other roles. Here they each perform wonderfully, contributing to their characters in ways that transform them from "types" on the page to vivid individuals on the screen.

Christopher Plummer plays General Chang and his performance is wonderful. Plummer is menacing, maniacal and clever as the one-eyed general. Plummer varies his performance between cultured and deadly with an ease that overcomes his prosthetics. He steals every scene he is in.

Having seen some episodes of Sex and the City, it's a pleasure to see Kim Cattrall acting in The Undiscovered Country. She plays Spock's protege, the Vulcan Valeris. She is emotionless and wonderful in the role and it's a big stretch for those who are used to her from the other show.

It is William Shatner whose performance rules The Undiscovered Country. Kirk's character journey would not be possible were it not for the depth and scope Shatner used to portray him. He throws his whole body into the role, playing sedate and intellectual in the dinner scene and making his brawl on Rura Penthe completely believable. Shatner earns his pay and it's a pleasure to see him redefining Captain Kirk as a truly dynamic character in this outing.

The two-disc DVD set is very much designed for the fans. Bonuses include commentary and a number of featurettes that explore the ending of the adventures of the original Star Trek. Virtually all of the bonus features explore The Undiscovered Country in the context of the Star Trek universe (including a wonderful one where guest actors are shown in their various other Trek incarnations), leaving little for those who are not fans of the franchise to celebrate.

And there is a lot in the movie that is geared toward a more mainstream audience. The conflict in The Undiscovered Country is one of life and death that is wonderfully open to anyone who likes a good political thriller. At the end of the day, The Undiscovered Country is about how governments relate and the machinations that are in place to create and disrupt peace. As a result, the film succeeds admirably in making a statement about what peace ought to cost.

That's a lesson anyone can appreciate.

For the other Star Trek film adventures, please click here!

7.5/10

For other Star Trek episode and movie reviews, please click here to visit my index page!

© 2010, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Star Trek Does A Science Fiction Comedy With An Environmentalist Edge: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

The Good: Amusing, Good character development, Good story, Decent acting
The Bad: Does not hold up over multiple viewings well, Some awkward special effects
The Basics: With a strong environmental message and a lot of humor, Kirk and crew journey back to 1986 to save the future in a very accessible Star Trek movie.


Remember when environmentalists were not considered a fringe group and society at large had respect for art that challenged humanity to take responsibility for the environment and creatures on Earth other than just humans? I do, because it was not that long ago. The Star Trek franchise has a long history of understanding the role of animals in an environment. Sure, in the first episode aired, "The Man Trap" (click here for that review!), the crew kills an endangered species, but Kirk goes to extraordinary lengths to save the Horta a few episodes later in "Devil In The Dark." Star Trek continued that tradition in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, one of the most commercially successful films in the franchise and one of the films that reached the broadest (most mainstream) audience.

Following on the heels of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III : The Search For Spock, which were very dark, personal and dangerous films, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home takes a lighter tone. After all, in this flick, all that is at stake is the planet Earth.

While the former crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise is stranded on Vulcan while Spock recovers from being dead, Kirk and company await the repercussions of violating numerous Federation laws and StarFleet orders for their actions in the prior outing. They vote to take their hijacked Klingon Bird of Prey back to Earth and be judged. While Kirk and crew are en route to Earth, a massive probe arrives there first and begins shut down the planet's power and boil off the oceans. Kirk and his crew arrive to witness this and Spock realizes why the probe is doing what it is doing: the probe is trying to communicate with humpback whales, which are extinct in the 23rd century.

So, Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the Fab Four go back to 1986 to rescue some humpback whales and bring them back to the future. In the past, Kirk finds whales, a love interest and adventure that makes it difficult to return right away to the menaced future.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is a film that is entirely misnamed. Sure The Voyage Home works for fans who have followed the previous two movies (these films are strongly serialized!), but it does nothing for those who are picking up just this movie. Nine out of ten people I've met and talked Trek with refer to this as "The One With The Whales." Too bad Leonard Nimoy and Harve Bennett (who came up with the story) did not think to just name it that. Star Trek IV: The One With The Whales pretty much sums up the attention span of the average viewer of this movie.

Fortunately, The Voyage Home is smarter than that, though the title is still a lame one. This is not so much about the voyage back to Earth as rescuing Earth. And for a series that had titles like The Wrath Of Khan and "For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky," you'd think they could come up with something more dramatic or explanatory than The Voyage Home. But being more than simply a story about returning home or about whales, Star Trek IV succeeds admirably at doing two things: entertaining and exploring consequences.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home rightly follows up on two films that deal with obsession and death with something lighter. All right, the themes of The Voyage Home are not lighter, but the approach most certainly is. This movie is a science fiction comedy that is smart and clever. As well, it is funny. Throughout the tale of saving Earth, there are little jokes thrown in: Kirk explaining where he works to a person in 1986, McCoy treating a woman with renal failure who regrows her kidneys from pills he gives her, the names of the whales and the Klingon ship. There is wonderful banter between Kirk and Spock as they try to keep information from Dr. Gillian Taylor. And there's the simple humor of Spock swearing. Spock swears a lot in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and it's funny for those who are familiar with the character.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home expands the cinematic repertoire of Star Trek to include comedy. While casual viewers of the series might not have known the number of humorous episodes Star Trek did, from "The Trouble With Tribbles" to "A Piece of the Action," the sense of humor in Star Trek was always there. Science fiction comedies are rare on the big screen, but the popular success of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, which successfully integrated science fiction messages and humor could arguably have paved the way for such later science fiction comedies like Galaxy Quest and even Dude, Where's My Car? Seeing that there is a market for humor while employing science fiction elements like time travel is something that Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home did very well.

But more than that, The Voyage Home is about dealing with consequences. Kirk is returning to Earth to own up to the consequences of his actions in resurrecting Spock. The whole point of the story with the whales in the past is dealing with the consequences of humans wiping the species out. Everything in The Voyage Home is built on prior actions that have resonated through to where this movie begins.

And what is most effective about the dealing with repercussions in The Voyage Home is that the answers are not simple. Kirk receives real consequences for his actions. The actions of whalers in the late 80s puts Admiral Kirk's crew in serious jeopardy (time travel isn't harmless, after all!) and it threatens to destroy Earth entirely. But even the consequences of things that the average viewer will be rooting for are present in The Voyage Home; Kirk's actions in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock have caused a diplomatic incident with the Klingon Empire. As a result, the Klingon Ambassador wants Kirk extradited to the Empire to stand trial, though Spock's father, Sarek, eloquently argues that Klingon captain Kruge got what was coming to him when he attempted to steal the Genesis Project's secrets. The whole idea that even the Klingon villain from the previous movie has consequences for his actions is clever and unifying in this film.

More subtly, Spock's lifelong struggle between his Vulcan and human halves reaches the point where the consequences for him choosing a Vulcan lifestyle are dealt with. This is a wonderful gift to fans of the series, but will likely pass over the heads of those who are simply sitting down to watch Star Trek IV on its own. On its own, The Voyage Home" is accessible to non-fans of the franchise, but it does contain a number of references to the events in Star Trek II and Star Trek III.

But the strong environmental message reaches out well beyond the Star Trek fan base and the humor level of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is very accessible to all audiences. In short, the humor is not terrible self-referential or so specific only science fiction fans will enjoy it.

What makes Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home cinematically worthy on the grander scale, i.e. not just among science fiction fans or environmentalists, are the characters. More than any of the previous Star Trek outings, The Voyage Home effectively uses the entire ensemble and it establishes the characters as vital and well-rounded on a number of levels. So, for example, Sulu's love of hobby's serves him well as he illustrates he can helm both a Klingon Bird of Prey and as Huey helicopter. Scotty's engineering knowledge leads to the construction of a tank to hold whales aboard the starship. McCoy's humanism causes him to soften some toward Spock, while at the same time expressing very real doubts about the recently deceased science officer's abilities.

Even newcomer Dr. Taylor is intriguing and well-rounded. Instead of simply being a generic love interest for Admiral Kirk, Taylor is plucky, determined, educated and very much her own woman. She defies Kirk, holds her own to keep what she sees as her whales safe, and is willing to do what it takes to see her wishes are met. At the same time, she has compassion for humans and is still trying to get the whole dating thing down.

Kirk and Spock are each played with a strange alternating depth and shallowness in The Voyage Home that somehow comes together perfectly to work. Kirk is dealing with serious consequences for killing people and destroying important technology and he is potentially trapped in the past on his homeworld that is essentially doomed, yet he makes jokes about remembering where the invisible ship is and educates Spock on how to swear in the 20th century.

Similarly, Spock is an unnerving combination of highly educated - quickly deducing that the destructive alien probe is looking for humpback whales - and the perfect straightman to play off Kirk with. So, there's an odd dichotomy between Spock as calculating wonder who figures out the time travel calculations for the slingshot maneuver in his head and the simple banter he goes through with Kirk about dining out.

What sells it is the interaction of actors that William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy have. Nimoy and Shatner have a chemistry and sense of one another's timing that is wonderful and perfectly executed. Long before William Shatner became publicly recognized for his comic abilities on Boston Legal, director Leonard Nimoy recognized it and actor Leonard Nimoy knew how to play off it. The result is that Shatner and Nimoy as Kirk and Spock recreate (there were moments on Star Trek that alluded to this level of interplay) a comic performance that is unabashedly funny and perfectly executed.

The 2-disc DVD of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is packed with extras, including an enjoyable commentary track featuring Shatner and Nimoy talking about the making of the movie. The text commentary is fine, but very much designed for fans of Star Trek. The second disc is a treat more for fans of Star Trek than for those drawn to The Voyage Home by how it defies the expectations of the cinematic franchise. None of the bonuses genuinely explore the environmental impact or messages of the movie. Instead, there are featurettes on Kirk's various women, the language of whales, a number of special effects sequences and how the film was made with a minimal special effects budget. The real treat is to see the interviews done at the time by William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley. Not only are they younger and talking with humor about a lot of the film, they are articulate and, as a fan of the series, it's always nice to see DeForest Kelley alive and happy, talking. It's a treat for fans, especially those of us who did not get to meet him while he was alive.

But, again, the special features are very much tailored to the fans of Star Trek, as opposed to those who watch Star Trek IV for its environmental message. That's not to say they're bad, just that they are very biased for that audience. All in all, this set is a steal for fans of the series and it remains as poignant and on-message today as when it was originally released.

For the rest of the Star Trek films, please click here to read the movie series review!

For other science fiction comedies, please check out my reviews of:
Land Of The Lost
Year One
Zombieland

8.5/10

For other Star Trek episode or film reviews, please be sure to visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2010, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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The Search For Spock Ends Here, With Perfection!

The Good: Continuity, effects, level of character
The Bad: Basic implausibility
The Basics: Star Trek III: The Search For Spock succeeds as an adult film for more than just fans of Star Trek. Works best in combination with viewing Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan.


Star Trek III: The Search For Spock succeeds as a perfect film when combined with its predecessor. That is, the ideal way to experience this is to sit down for a night with Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (click here for that review!) and "Search For Spock" and watch them as a back to back double feature. Why? Because they're truly that integral to each other. Beginning, literally, where The Wrath Of Khan ended, The Search For Spock is a vastly underrated outing in the Star Trek universe.

With Spock dead and his body launched to the newly created Genesis Planet, Admiral Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise limp back to Earth in their wounded battle-damaged starship. Once there, they find themselves under explicit orders to not talk about the Genesis Project or their prior mission with anyone. Dr. McCoy, hospitalized and apparently suffering from a mental illness, is not the only member of the crew reassigned; Scotty is sent to the prototype U.S.S. Excelsior to get its new engines on-line, Uhura is sent to a transporter site in San Francisco and Kirk is forced to sit out while his ship is repaired. When Sarek, Spock's father, arrives spouting Vulcan mysticism about Spock's undead spirit - his katra - Kirk realizes that Spock is somewhat alive and he and his crew hijack the wounded Enterprise and head back to Genesis to try to recover the body. Unfortunately, a Klingon captain is headed to Genesis to recover is secrets as a weapon and he might just succeed . . .

If The Wrath Of Khan is the best film adaptation of Moby Dick ever, then The Search For Spock manages to do what Melville never could; it follows up on the perfection of obsession with actually dealing with the consequences. And The Search For Spock is essentially that; a film about consequences. James T. Kirk seldom lived with consequences, as Star Trek was largely an episodic series. Because of the climactic events of The Wrath Of Khan, Kirk must deal with how his actions affect others and shape the history he creates.

Outside the plot implausibility of bringing the dead back to life, The Search For Spock is pretty solid having set up the circumstances for it perfectly in The Wrath Of Khan. Occasionally, it tries too hard, though; David (Merrit Butrick, d.) gives an explanation for the degradation of the Genesis Planet that is more extreme than it needs to be (he blames it on the use of Protomatter as opposed to just saying the more sensible "because the device wasn't used on a planetary body"). However, once the viewer is able to suspend their disbelief over the idea that Spock's body could be regenerated by the life-creating energies of the Genesis device, the film works perfectly and as plausibly as possible to resurrect one of the most beloved characters in American culture.

The Search For Spock succeeds because it's dark. Klingon Commander Kruge is downright nasty, just as evil as Khan. But he's not senselessly violent (as later Soran would be in Star Trek: Generations), he has a reason for his actions and they are reasonable. It's rare that Star Trek makes such an effort to flesh out its villains, but here it works perfectly as Kruge is essentially a patriot. Fearing the destruction of his people at the hands of what he sees as a weapon (the Genesis Device, as characterized in Star Trek II, takes any body it encounters and rearranges matter according to its own designs) and seeks to remove the advantage his potential enemy has over his people. Kruge's desires are actually laudable, even if his methods are brutal.

Moreover, the depth of character of the Enterprise crew in The Search For Spock is truly impressive. It's nice to see the lengths to which they go for each other and there is a sense, even at the end, that there will be consequences for their actions. Unlike most episodes of Star Trek, The Search For Spock is a true ensemble piece. Scotty, Chekov and Sulu (to a lesser extent Uhura, who has a great scene, then sits the rest of the movie out) are more than simply fillers to Kirk and McCoy's action adventure roles. No, here they have vital parts that make them integral to the story rather than simply lackeys for the Admiral. McCoy is given an amazing moment of character development late in the film that is still touching to fans and nonfans of the series.

Much of this is held together by the acting. Christopher Lloyd gives an amazing performance as Klingon Commander Kruge. He is deadly, angry and motivated, a far cry from his wacky, esoteric Reverend Jim on Taxi or any other role he has played. He manages to create a villain who is more than simply prosthetics and empty violence. Here he is menace with a purpose and he illustrates he has range and ability.

Similarly, after years of watching DeForest Kelley quipping and expressing Dr. McCoy as a hothead, his softer, wounded performance as McCoy in The Search For Spock is an argument for considering Kelley a truly great actor. He never betrays the spirit of the character, but here he gives him more facets and the result is compelling and often heartwrenching to watch.

William Shatner does some dramatic heavy lifting as Admiral Kirk here, without ever going over-the-top. Without Spock to rely on, Kirk must be clever and fend for himself and Shatner embodies Kirk with a level of dedication and determination that makes the character both downright heroic and completely believable. Shatner's dramatic gravitas comes through in his bearing and in the way he portrays Kirk as strong and forthright one moment and deeply hurt the next (there's a key scene here that is one of the best in Shatner's repertoire).

In addition to the acting, character and plot, The Search For Spock is impressive on an effects level and I'm someone who doesn't toot on effects often. The effects measure up over time and they are very realistic. Unlike a lot of movies, this one uses the big special effects moments to say something daring, to be something impressive. The giant special effects moment of this film uses effects to make a bold sacrifice that shocks the viewer, even upon multiple rewatchings. Director Leonard Nimoy's judicious use of effects is a credit to him, as he keeps the film character-focused.

On the two-disc DVD the only real disappointment is the failure to restore deleted scenes to the film. In the commentary, it is revealed that extensive backstory for Kruge was scripted and filmed, but it is not on this disc. Unlike the two-disc sets for Star Trek The Motion Picture (click here for that review!) and The Wrath Of Khan," this is a "Collector's Edition," rather than a director's cut and that is disappointing. Fans - like me - would have loved to have seen the full, fleshed out version.

Then again, why tamper with perfection? Excellent for any learned person in combination with The Wrath of Khan; even the non-Trek fans!

For the rest of the Star Trek movies, please visit my review of the film collection by clicking here!

10/10

For other Star Trek film and episode reviews, please check out my index page by clicking here!

© 2010, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Star Trek's Meet The Parents Is The Superior Drama Of "Journey To Babel!"

The Good: Political plot elements, Most acting, Character elements!
The Bad: Some of the political elements.
The Basics: When Spock's parents arrive aboard the Enterprise, the crew finds themselves entangled in both personal and political conflicts in a wonderful episode of Star Trek!


Perhaps the best recommendation for a novel may come from the fact one remembers it long after they have read it. With Star Trek novels, the franchise is pretty well packed. The field has over two hundred books and many of them do not hold up well over multiple readings and, well, they're based on material from a television so, so there's a lot mixing together in the old noggin'. So it says something distinctive about the novel Federation by masters of linking all things Trek Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens that years after reading it one of the things I recall enjoying was the level of detail in the novel, specifically setting it so soon after the episode "Journey To Babel" that Captain Kirk is partially incapacitated still. It's genius that element of attention and understanding of the Star Trek universe.

"Journey To Babel" is one of the Star Trek episodes that works quite well on two different levels. There is the literal aspect to the story involving politics and the conflicts that surround Federation ambassadors over the issue of admitting more members to the Federation. There is also the fan level, which is a simple visceral level of entertainment that comes from the silly glee of meeting Spock's family!

The U.S.S. Enterprise is stuck ferrying diplomats to an important conference on the planet codenamed Babel. The issue before the various representatives of Federation planets is whether or not to admit the planet Coridan to the Federation. There are strategic reasons to have the planet admitted and one of the last representatives to be picked up by the Enterprise is the Vulcan ambassador and his wife. The Vulcan Ambassador to the Federation is Sarek, Spock's estranged father. While McCoy delights in meeting Spock's parents, Spock is anything but happy.

The situation turns from simply uncomfortable to outright tense when the Tellarite ambassador, Gav, is killed and when Kirk informs Sarek, the elder Vulcan has a heart attack. Sarek may easily be saved with a medical procedure that McCoy may perform, but he needs blood to do it and Sarek has a very rare blood type. Spock is able to perform a transfusion for his father, but when Kirk's investigation into Gav's murder gets him too close to the source, an attempt is made on his life. With Kirk incapacitated and the Enterprise pursued by a stealthy alien vessel, Spock places duty over family and refuses to relinquish command to save his father's life!

"Journey To Babel" is a wonderfully adult episode that succeeds at being both a political drama and a great family drama. There are comedic elements and despite my title, the episode is nothing like the terrible Meet The Parents. Instead, most of the comedy comes early in the episode - this is very much focused on the political and medical decisions that are central to the episode - and it comes from Dr. McCoy's eagerness to meet Spock's parents and learn all he can about Spock's childhood. As well, we discover that he cannot do the Vulcan hand salute in the episode and his commentary on it is quite amusing.

But despite having aliens that are blue skinned (Andorians) or look like pigs (Tellarites) and the sophisticated race creation of dipping a little person into gold paint (I kid not!) that makes "Journey To Babel" visually an episode that might entertain children, this is solidly an adult episode after the first act. The political elements overwhelm the episode and this is a story where the Enterprise is the victim of political espionage, as opposed to our people enacting military or political machinations! It makes for a wonderful mystery laced with intrigue and a great deal of violence.

What isn't political is a family story and there is something reassuring about watching Star Trek tackle the divide between fathers and sons. Spock and Sarek have serious differences and the idea of the heroes of Star Trek having less-than-smooth relationships with their parents is something not frequently tackled in the series. Indeed, there's usually only one character per series in the franchise that seems to have a rocky relationship with their parents and the only time father-son issues are so directly tackled again is in Star Trek: The Next Generation's "The Icarus Factor" where Riker's estranged father returns. But those type of conflicts are very real and they make the fantastic universe of Star Trek that much more real and intimate to the viewer as we are able to empathize with Spock over his difficulties with relating to his parents.

But this is not a frivolous bit of plot conflict, either. Sarek's disappointment in Spock and their resulting estrangement powerfully characterizes Sarek as a man of ridiculously high standards for his son. After all, by the time fans come to this episode, Spock has saved the Enterprise and the lives aboard it several times. He is cunning, heroic, and highly ethical; if he can't make the pop proud, there's something wrong with the dad! But it's exactly that type of insinuative characterization that instantly makes Sarek one of the most memorable characters to ever appear on Star Trek.

It is refreshing to see an episode where the introduction of someone as important as Sarek does not waste the character; he is a vital character and the episode is one that feels consequential (though it is never directly followed up on in Star Trek). Instead, this is not a gratuitous "here are Spock's parents" type episode, they are vital and scenes like Amanda exploding at Spock wonderfully keep the tension from the political plotline high and consistent in the parallel family plotline.

This is a wonderful episode for fleshing out the character of Spock. Where the earlier episode "Amok Time" (click here for my review!) explored the extremity of what could happen if Spock were not logical and methodical like the Spock we know and love, "Journey To Babel" is one of the few episodes where Spock is characterized by who he is rather than by the exceptions to his personality. Here, Spock is a loyal officer and we see the depth of his commitment. Spock once chose StarFleet over the life his father wanted for him, effectively choosing Starfleet over family. Here he - and his father who disapproved of that decision - exhibits the consequences of that choice and he forces himself to live with that decision, even though it could cost his father his life. That is integrity and it works perfectly for Spock!

"Journey To Babel" is characterized by some all around wonderful acting. In fact, one of the few detractions of the episode comes in some of the least significant characters. Some of the guest actors are a little hammy and play their ambassador characters so vastly away from being remotely diplomatic that they are not at all believable. Even Jane Wyatt, who plays Spock's mother Amanda, appears a little melodramatic in a few of her scenes. The result is just enough to keep the episode from true perfection.

Mark Lenard, here in his second appearance on Star Trek, plays Sarek and he is the embodiment of the principles Vulcans are characterized as having. He is efficient, taciturn and completely logical. The result is a character that works beautifully as a believable character who could hold a grudge for decades! Lenard brings a strong sense of dignity and performance through rigid posture and unemotional body language to characterize Sarek and he does it masterfully.

The main cast of Star Trek shines in this episode, with William Shatner embodying the heroic Kirk, despite some pretty serious wounds - which Shatner plays with convincing winces. DeForest Kelley is great switching from the delighted and mocking McCoy into the efficient Doctor, a change that occurs with Kelley's strong ability to emote with his eyes, going from anger to delight in a blink.

But this is another episode that reinforces the idea of Leonard Nimoy, acting genius. Here he actually embodies perfect stoicism and unflinching logic as Spock. Playing off Lenard and Wyatt, Nimoy is given the opportunity to stand beside performers of - at least - equal caliber and he holds his own with strength and the consistency of performance that Star Trek scripts rarely demand of Nimoy. Here Nimoy creates a very realistic character conflict without presenting an even remotely conflicted performance!

"Journey To Babel" is a very memorable episode and it remains one of the best political and family dramas Star Trek ever produced, and it remains easily accessible to fans of either of those type stories. In other words, it is not just science fiction fans who will enjoy this episode! It's a worthwhile addition to the collection of anyone who likes great drama and political stories!

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek - The Complete Second Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the second season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

9/10

For other Star Trek reviews, please visit my index page!

© 2010, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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Star Trek Goes Into Masterpiece Territory With “Balance Of Terror!”

The Good: Tense, Wonderful acting, Moments of character, Effects, Message
The Bad: While the story is full, the plot falls just shy of perfect.
The Basics: In the first episode that Star Trek knocks it out of the park, the Enterprise encounters the Romulans with "Balance Of Terror!"


Star Trek succeeded in its first season at creating a memorable television show by being quite different from anything else that was on at the time. Even sitting down to watch the show in syndication, on DVD, on tape (whatever) it is quite evident that the show was strong because it was something quite different each episode. One week it was heady and dramatic, the next comedic, the next pure science fiction. In its first few episodes, it took a while for the show to truly hit a stride, but when it did, it knocked one out of the part. That first real success was with a tense thriller episode called “Balance Of Terror.”

“Balance Of Terror” is a political thriller, an episode that is overcome with the threat of war and battle and it is pretty wonderful. Indeed, all that brings this episode down is a faint drift of plot; there’s just an intangible quality that keeps it from perfection. Is it better than most television you’ll see today? Absolutely. Is it easily accessible to all adult audiences? Certainly.

When Federation outposts are being destroyed along the Romulan Neutral Zone, the U.S.S. Enterprise is dispatched to investigate. Despite any incursions into Federation space being an act of war on the part of the Romulans, the Enterprise is sent to investigate and avert a war, if at all possible. As the ship arrives at the latest outpost to be attacked, Captain Kirk and his crew discover that the Romulans have a new tactical advantage, a cloaking device that allows them to make their ship invisible! Desperate to keep the Romulan ship from returning to Romulan space with the knowledge that their device works (and of the Federation’s weakened capabilities because of the lost outposts) Kirk pursues the Romulan ship. While the bridge crew works to combat the Romulans outside, they work to combat prejudice on the inside when Spock manages to get the first images of the Romulans over the viewscreen.

You know what? Writing up the plot summary made me think of the complexity of this episode and the truth is, it is almost perfect. Here’s why: this is probably the first episode with real menace to it. “Balance Of Terror” has a bodycount, it’s complex – fighting the war against prejudice while fighting a battle against an enemy -, and it is tight with the tension. And it works!

Starting with – of all things – a wedding aboard the Enterprise, “Balance Of Terror” attempts to illustrate that the starship (and Star Trek) has a lot going on in it. While Tomlinson attempts to marry the woman he loves, Federation politics intervenes and forces them to postpone. While the Romulans attack, Spock employs his curiosity to tap into their communication’s system to get a look at one of them, resulting in racial tensions on the bridge.

One of the interesting concepts in this episode is what makes the revelation of the Romulans so intriguing. The Romulan War, fought quite some time ago in the Star Trek universe was a conflict wherein the humans and their allies never actually saw who it was they were fighting. They never knew what the Romulans looked like, despite fighting a war against them. That idea is a clever and disturbing one and it plays out extraordinarily well in this episode. When it turns out the Romulans have a striking resemblance to the Vulcans, one of the bridge officers, Stiles, begins to be suspicious of Spock. Why the Romulans look like Vulcans is theorized but not explicitly mentioned in the show until Star Trek: The Next Generation’s "Unification, Part II.”

The battles inside and out work very well over the course of the episode, especially because the moral of the piece plays out well on both fronts. The Spock/Stiles plotline illustrates wonderfully the misconceptions of prejudice and the Kirk/Romulan Commander plotline does that as well. But equally smart is the narrative technique employed to reinforce the explicit themes implicitly. No episode before this one spends so much time away from the primary crew of the Enterprise. But in “Balance of Terror,” the viewer is treated to several scenes on the Romulan ship. The result, we see that they are honorable, principled and cunning. The Romulan Commander is a patriot, much in the way Kirk and his crew are. The changes of perspective throughout the piece work beautifully to drive home the idea of the basic (for lack of a better term and it IS the wrong one in this context) humanity of all living sentient beings.

Part of the reason this works so well is the character aspects. While this is a very plot-intensive episode, when “Balance Of Terror” gives the characters moments to display their courage, character and resolve, it rises above the plot and the characters move the plot, not the other way around. So, for example, the highly principled Romulan Commander begins to make choices that illustrate a sense of tactics, honor and cunning, which force Kirk and Spock to rise to the occasion or die. Spock illustrates his unflappable (yet still logical) heroism for his fellow officer when he assists Stiles, despite the man’s prejudice of him. And even Stiles is a memorable character. In a clean as new snow universe, Stiles illustrates some character by being prejudice when he associates Spock with the Romulans.

Furthermore, the characters work because all of the actors are bringing their a-games to the episode. All of the guest actors carry a sense to them that they are a part of this universe and have a backstory in it. Instead of appearing awkward, all of the guest actors seem perfectly natural in their fantastic surroundings. The actors playing the couple to be married have decent on-screen chemistry. The actors portraying the Romulans have a unified sense of purpose and concept to their performance. Indeed, they set the bar high for what one will expect of the Romulans because all of the actors perform in a way that clearly establishes a sense of culture and reality to this new alien race.

The epitome of this is the performance by Mark Lenard. Lenard, who would later play Spock’s father, Sarek, in Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and three of the Star Trek films is dignified and compelling as the Romulan Commander. Lenard has a strong leadership sense to him and his performance embodies the qualities one hopes to see in someone who is supposedly leading people into battle. Here, Lenard is able to balance appearing completely in charge with illustrating – through his body language and contemplative tones- that he is strategizing at key moments. Lenard sells the viewer on the sense of honor with the Romulans.

This is also one of the classic episodes where William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy work together to advance the relationship between Kirk and Spock. Shatner’s Kirk exhibits great trust in Spock, though one has to wonder what it is about Spock that compels him to hack into other ships’ systems (we saw him do it in “The Corbomite Maneuver” as well, with much the same effect!). But Shatner and Nimoy have great on-screen chemistry in “Balance of Terror” that establishes the depth of their characters’ relationship.

“Balance Of Terror” continues to ratchet up the tension and as the episode progresses, there is a very real sense that not everyone will survive the episode and that works quite well in establishing the mood and keeping the viewer on the edge of their seat. And while it is pretty much just a chase episode after a point, it keeps the viewer engaged because of the character elements thrown in and . . . well, it’s a good chase!

Even after forty years, this episode holds up for all audiences (not just science fiction enthusiasts) as a worthwhile piece.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek - The Complete First Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the premiere season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

9.5/10

For other Star Trek episode reviews, please check out the index page!

© 2010, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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