A Guest Blog by Mindless-Droid

This week’s classic Star trek episode is Galileo 7. The Enterprise is on route to Markus III with urgent medical supplies. The ship will pass close to the quasar Murasaki 312. Captain Kirk decides to stop and study the quasar over the objections of High Commissioner Ferris who tells Kirk that the medical supplies need to be delivered to Markus III within 5 days. Since they are three days away Kirk decides to go ahead with the study. Spock leads a team in the Galileo 7 shuttlecraft. Shortly after launch the ship encounters turbulence and is thrown off course losing contact with the Enterprise. The quasar makes sensors useless and Kirk must find a way to find the stranded shuttle in a vast area of space before time runs out.

The shuttle has made an emergency landing on a lone planet in the center of the quasar. Upon inspection Scotty finds that the ship has been damaged and that they have lost a great deal of fuel. Scotty finds that they will need to lose 500 pounds to achieve orbit meaning three of the team will have to stay behind. Lieutenant Boma suggests they draw straws but Spock says he will make the decision logically causing tension among the crew. Back on the Enterprise Uhura acting as science officer discovers the one planet in the area that can support life. With tension high between Kirk and Ferris the enterprise begins the search.

As two of the team conduct a scouting mission they come under attack by large cave man like giants. Latimer is killed and Gaetano is successful in driving them off with his phaser. Spock arrives and logically analyzes the situation which angers Boma and Gaetano that Spock would be so unfeeling when one of them has been killed.

On the enterprise the search grows futile as sensors are still inoperative and shuttle flyovers reveal nothing. Kirk orders wider search patterns in hope of getting a lucky find. Back on the planet the crew has lightened the shuttle by 150 pounds and with the death of Latimer this means only one person will have to stay behind. Boma enters the shuttle telling Spock that they are ready for Latimer’s funeral. Spock deems it more important for him to help in the repairs which angers Boma and McCoy as Spock is in command and it’s his responsibility. During the repairs a tube ruptures spilling the last of the fuel and making take off impossible. Scotty says they are done but Spock says there are always alternatives.

Outside loud grinding noises are heard. Boma and Spock argue on how to defend against the giants. Spock’s plan is to scare them with phaser fire. Spock Gaetano and Boma move out and use the phasers to frighten the creatures and it appears to work. They leave Gaetano on guard duty and head back to the ship. Scotty has come up with a plan to use the phaser’s energy as fuel but leaving them defenseless.

Gaetano is attacked and killed by the creatures. Spock McCoy and Boma look for him but he is missing Spock orders them back to the ship along with the phasers he will find Gaetano. Spock finds Gaetano’s body and is chased back to the ship by the creatures who start pounding it with rocks. Scotty electrifies the hull scaring them away. Boma and Spock but heads again as Boma wants to conduct the funeral for his fallen comrades. Spock relents stating as long as the creatures allow it. The Enterprise landing parties have also encountered the creatures suffering casualties. On the bridge Ferris informs Kirk that his time is running out. Kirk orders all search teams and shuttles to return. Uhura informs him the last shuttle will return in 23 minutes.

The phaser transfer is completed and Scotty tells Spock they have enough fuel to achieve orbit make it last for a few hours and enough for a controlled reentry. Spock tells Boma that they have ten minutes for the funerals and that he will assist in them. Back on the Enterprise all search teams have returned and Kirk orders a space normal speed and course to Markus III with all sensors pointing aft. On the planet the funeral is interrupted by the creatures. Spock is trapped by a boulder thrown at the crew. He orders them to leave him and take off but they free Spock and board the ship. The engines are working but they are being held down by the creature.

Spock hits the boosters and frees the ship. They achieve orbit but using the boosters has eliminated all hopes of a controlled reentry. Scotty reminds Spock of his statement that there are always alternative to which Spock says he may have been wrong. Calculating that they only have 45 minutes left Spock on an act of desperation jettisons the fuel and ignites it hopping the Enterprise will see the flare. Sulu scanning notices the flare and Kirk orders the ship back to the planet. They beam out the survivors just as the shuttle burns up in the atmosphere. As the ship heads to Markus III Kirk confronts Spock on his emotional act of desperation. Spock defends the decision as the only logical course of action left to him. Kirk bluntly asks him if he would admit to a purely emotional act to which Spock replies, “No sir.”

Another good season one episode. Lots of action and adventure on the planet. We get some insight into Spock’s character and his balancing of his human and Vulcan side. His interaction with the emotional Boma and trying to save the crew logically made for some dramatic moments. The tension of the search and the tension between kirk and Ferris is well played. I like that they made Ferris competent in this one his decisions were always aimed at saving the most lives possible. It is a nice contrast to the bumbling Starfleet bureaucrats we see in other episodes. Scotty was once again the miracle worker. We see his ingenuity here which will become his trademark. This episode also shows the relationship between Spock and McCoy which will also be played up more as the series moves on. The re-mastered version of this episode is nicely done enhancing the Murasaki quasar and the Galileo’s flare. All in all a great episode. Even though we lost several crewman no red shirts were harmed in this episode. Sort of makes you wander about all the red shirt clichés.

{Editor’s note – this is the last of the Original Trek blogs but the next episode “Squire of Gothos” was the first blog so you can continue in broadcast order by going back to it. Thanks Mindless-Droid and Siblings for a great run!}

A Guest Blog by Mindless-Droid

This week’s classic Star Trek episode is Shore Leave. After a grueling three month stretch the Enterprise arrives at a planet in the Omicron Delta region. The planet seems idyllic. Sulu and Doctor McCoy taking part in a scouting survey believe it to be a great place for the crew to have shore leave. McCoy even comments that it’s something out of Alice in Wonderland. As Sulu goes to take biology samples a white rabbit appears claiming to be late followed by a young girl chasing after him.

Shore leave is authorized and as the crew prepares for shore leave McCoy reports his sighting to Captain Kirk. Spock pulling a report from Doctor McCoy stating that Kirk is in need of rest convinces him to beam down to the planet. Kirk meets up with McCoy and he shows Kirk the rabbit’s footprints. Kirk orders shore leave to be put on hold. Just then shots ring out it seems Sulu has found an antique firearm one that coincidently he has wanted for his collection. The group splits up to investigate and as McCoy and Kirk walk back to the glade were McCoy first encountered the rabbit an antenna is seen following their movements. Soon more strange things appear usually after someone has mentioned them. Kirk encounters a practical joker Finnegan from his academy days after telling McCoy about him. Don Juan appears to Yeoman Barrows who she had been thinking of. Kirk (Of course) sees an old flame.

Kirk has the landing party rendezvous at the glade where they beamed down. Meanwhile back on the Enterprise Spock has detected an energy field below the surface of the planet. It is very powerful and seems to be draining energy from the ship and disrupting communications. More things appear as people think of them a dress for Yeoman Barrow, a tiger, and a samurai warrior. Kirk reports the strange occurrences to Spock back on the ship. Spock having determined that the energy field is absorbing all power from its source uses the last of the power to beam down and report his findings to Kirk.

Back at the glade McCoy tells Barrow that she shouldn’t be afraid with a brave knight to protect her just then a knight appears and McCoy says that it can’t be real and stands his ground the knight lances McCoy and kills him after which kirk shoots the knight with the pistol Sulu found. Sulu discovers that the knight wasn’t a living being. Spock discovers that everything on the planet is made of the same cellular makeup. As they investigate McCoy’s body vanishes. A fighter plane making a strafing run kills another crewman. Spock begins to theorize that the planet is reading peoples thoughts and manufacturing them in the real world. Kirk’s tormentor from the past reappears and he chases him out into the country side. After a brief fight Kirk is knocked unconscious. Kirk comes to and finally gains the upper hand on Finnegan and asks him what he is doing here to which Finnegan replies he is being exactly what Kirk expects him to be.

Spock shows up asks Kirk if he enjoyed the fight. Kirk realizes that he did indeed enjoy it. Spock theorizes that thoughts are being read and manufactured as real things. The landing party regroups at the glade and Kirk orders everyone to stand at attention and not even think. Just then a caretaker appears and explains that they had not realized that the Enterprise crew didn’t understand what the planet was made for and that his race built it for their amusement. McCoy reappears unharmed and explains that they have an amazing manufacturing center underground where they can do anything. The caretaker explains that his people built all this for amusement and invites the crew to stay and enjoy themselves. Kirk authorizes shore leave for the crew.

This was one of those fun episodes. You pretty much can figure out what is happening especially with the antenna showing up and everyone’s thoughts becoming real. We get a little back story on Kirk from his academy days. This is also another of those episodes with an interesting alien culture that you wish you could learn more about even though they don’t even get a name in this one. No red shirts were harmed in this episode and if they would have been the caretaker would have fixed them up.

A Guest Blog by Mindless Droid

This week’s classic Star Trek episode is Balance of Terror. While patrolling along the Romulan neutral zone Captain Kirk officiates at the wedding of two of the crew he receives word that they have lost contact with Earth Outposts number 2 and 3. As Kirk begins the ceremony a red alert is signaled outpost number 4 is under attack. Kirk orders full ahead.

As the Enterprise races toward Outpost 4 Kirk and Spock brief the crew about their mission. Spock explains that the neutral zone and the Earth outposts were put in place after the Earth Romulan war of over a century ago. He also notes that since the war the treaty has been unbroken and that neither side has seen the other due to lack of visual communications back then. Kirk then explains that his orders are explicit they are to defend themselves but they may not violate the treaty and that in order to prevent interstellar war the Enterprise and the outposts are considered expendable. Lieutenant Stiles says that it has to be the Romulans and they have violated the treaty. Kirk asks how they would know it’s the Romulans. Stiles says they are painted like a bird of prey. Kirk asks how he knows and Stiles tells kirk that several of his relatives died in the war.

The Enterprise finds outposts 2 and 3 have been destroyed but re-stablish contact with outpost 4. The outpost has been attacked and severely damaged. Commander Hansen tells Kirk that the weapon was a sort of energy plasma and destroyed his base even though their shields were up and they are a mile deep in an asteroid of solid iron. Just then a ship appears on Hansen’s view screen he switches the screen over to the Enterprise just as the ship fires its weapon and disappears. Outpost 4 is now totally destroyed. The attacker has vanished. Spock discovers a blip on the motion sensor and the ship is headed back towards Romulan space. Kirk and Spock theorizes that being cloaked uses a lot of power and that the invisibility screen may work both ways. Kirk orders a parallel course to appear as an echo to the Romulan ship to which Stiles objects showing his hatred of the Romulans. Stiles then tells Kirk it’s possible that Romulan spies have infiltrated the Enterprise. Kirk orders a security alert. Just then Uhura intercepts a message from the Romulan ship Spock locks onto it and is able to get a visual of the Romulan bridge. To every ones shock the Romulans look exactly like Vulcans.

Uhura tells kirk that they are still working on translating the Romulan message. Stiles mutters that they should give it to Spock to which Kirk asks if he is complimenting Spock on his skills to translate it. Stiles says he’s not sure to which Kirk orders him to leave any bigotry he has in his quarters there’s no room for it on the bridge. The Romulan ship becomes visible and changes course Kirk orders them to follow. Aboard the Romulan ship their commander knows they are being followed and consults with his centurion on what they will do next and what the ramifications will be. As they talk Decious who sent the message picked up by the Enterprise reports in. The commander reduces him two steps in rank for breaking radio silence. Centurion warns him that Decious has powerful friends that could be dangerous to him to which the commander replies “Danger and I are old companions”. The Romulan commander is wary of what will happen when they return and have proof of the Earthman’s weakness. Centurion is concerned that the commander isn’t fully on board with the mission but is reassured by him that he will do his duty.

Aboard the Enterprise Kirk holds a conference on what to do next. Stiles wants to attack while they are still outside the neutral zine. Sulu is wary and asks how they will hit an invisible target. McCoy also voices resignation Spock then adds that if the Romulans are an off shoot of the Vulcans they cannot show fear and agrees with Stiles to attack. Kirk agrees and orders an attack as the Romulan ship turns toward a comet. They believe the ship will become visible as it enters the comet.

As the two ships enter the comet the Romulan commander is told that their shadow no longer follows. He is quick to realize Kirk’s plan and initiates an escape maneuver. When the Romulan ship does not become visible as predicted Kirk realizes this and changes course as well. We see each Captain commending the others skill. Kirk orders the Enterprise to fire at the Romulan ship blindly hoping to score a hit. The Romulan ship is hit and as a piece of ceiling falls toward the Romulan commander the centurion pushes him out of the way and is gravely injured. Back on the Enterprise the phaser control circuit burns out. The Romulan commander decides to attack they de-cloak and fire their weapon. Kirk orders all to stern as the phasers are inoperative. The weapon eventually overtakes the ship but has dissipated somewhat and only causes minor damage. The Romulans go back to their previous course, Kirk resumes a parallel course. Stiles informs Kirk that they’ll be entering the neutral zone in one minute Kirk decides to attack before then. The Enterprise fires and hits the Romulan ship. Kirk decides to continue pursuit into the neutral zone and continues the attack. The Romulan commander deploys a decoy as he has all the debris from the damage jettisoned into space as well as the body of his friend the centurion who has died. Spock scans the wreckage but it is to late the trick has worked and the Enterprise has lost contact with the Romulan ship.

Each ship now plays the waiting game looking for a clue as to where the other one is. Kirk and McCoy discuss the day’s events in Kirk’s cabin. Kirk is starting to feel the strain of command. McCoy reassures Kirk that he is doing the right thing. Back on the bridge Spock making further repairs on the phaser controls accidently hits his control panel and activates a signal that the Romulans pick up. The Romulan ship closes in but Kirk guesses their move and hits them with more phaser fire. The Romulan commander’s frustration grows as he keeps being out maneuvered. He orders more debris into the disposal tubes and also one nuclear device used for self-destruction. Spock scans the debris and picks up the metal cased object Kirk orders a point blank phaser strike. The device detonates one hundred meters from the ship damaging the Enterprise. The phasers are undamaged but only the crewman who was to be married Tomlinson is left to man them. Stiles volunteers to go as his first assignment was in weapons control. Spock tells Kirk that they can move off to make repairs but Kirk decides to play dead.

On the Romulan ship the commander wants to retreat as he does not trust Kirk. Decious reminds him that it is their duty to destroy the enemy, reluctantly he decides to attack. Spock checks on the phaser control room Stiles tells him rather rudely that everything is okay. As Spock leaves Stiles notices that the phaser coolant is leaking. Just then the Romulan ship turns to attack. Kirk orders the phasers to fire but Stiles and Tomlinson are unconscious. Spock hearing Kirk over the intercom rushes in and fires the phasers scoring a direct hit disabling the Romulan ship. Kirk hails the Romulan ship and offers to take on its survivors. The Romulan commander after expressing great respect for Kirk refuses the offer tells him that he has one last duty to perform and self-destructs. Kirk goes to sick bay. Spock had saved Stiles. Stiles expresses regret about his suspicion of Spock and is amazed that Spock would risk his life to save him after everything he said to him. Spock brushes it off as having saved an important crewman and has no other feelings in this matter. Kirk asks McCoy “How many men did we lose?” McCoy says only one Tomlinson who was to be married that day. He tells Kirk his fiancé is at the chapel. Kirk goes and comforts her telling her that there has to be a reason. She tells Kirk she is okay. Kirk leaves and heads back to the bridge.

This is one of the best episodes of the entire classic series if not the best. The Romulans are introduced in this episode and unfortunately have never really been done justice afterward although The Enterprise Incident wasn’t bad and Deadly Years they really didn’t have a large part in. I often wonder why they never played up the Romulan plasma weapon again being it was so powerful. I never did like the way they were portrayed in The Next Generation they always seemed so stiff and dull it may have been the uniforms and let’s not mention Nemesis. In this episode they were awesome Mark Lenard who went on to portray Sarek Spock’s father was great in this episode as the somewhat conflicted Romulan commander. The interplay with him and the centurion gives some nice background on the Romulans and their culture. Having them also be an off shoot of Vulcan makes them even that more intriguing. The interplay between Kirk and the Romulan commander was great each one out guessing the other until finally Kirk got the upper hand. The final scene in which the Romulan commander shows his respect for Kirk is one of my favorites in the series especially this quote “You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend.” This episode also lays the foundation for the cloaked ship being unable to fire its weapons unless it becomes visible. The subplots of the wedding and Stiles suspicion of Spock added to the drama of the episode.

Some trivia from this episode.

The episode is said to be based on two movies Run Silent Run Deep and The Enemy Below.

The Romulan crewman all wore helmets to cut costs on making them all prosthetic ears.

Mark Lenard also went on to play a Klingon in Star Trek the Motion picture always hated that title.

The ships phasers are shown more like photon torpedoes here as that term had not been invented yet but it is explained by Kirk ordering the phasers to be set for proximity blast, also this is the only time the phasers are fired through a series of commands to another control center other than the bridge.

A longer portion of Hansen’s transmission that was not used had him saying that the Romulan ship was similar to ours and that he suspects they may have stolen some of our technology this played up to Stiles having suspicion that there were spies on board the Enterprise.

If you watch closely when the Enterprise detonates the nuclear warhead (a favorite scene of mine “Helm hard over, phasers fire point blank!”) not everybody “falls” in the same direction.

The model for the Romulan ship was damaged and that is one of the reasons when the third season episode The Enterprise Incident aired the Romulans were said to be using Klingon ships.

When Kirk leaves the chapel after consoling Angela he is sullen and slightly slumped over but as he walks down the corridor he straightens up and regains his air of command.

A Guest Blog by Mindless Droid

This week’s classic Star Trek episode is The Conscience of the King. The Enterprise diverts to planet Q. Doctor Thomas Leighton claims to have invented a new synthetic food but it is not the real reason he called the Enterprise. Leighton believes that an actor Anton Karidian in a traveling Shakespeare company is actually Kodos the Executioner who killed half the population of Tarsus IV years ago. Leighton and Kirk are two of only nine survivors who had seen the face of Kodos. Kirk believes that Kodos is long dead but after some research he returns to Leighton’s home to attend a party for the group hoping to meet Karidian. At the party kirk meets Karidian’s daughter Lenore and during a walk outside they find Leighton dead.

Kirk now even more suspicious arranges for the ship that was carrying the company to leave orbit without them. Kirk then offers to take them to their next stop. Aboard the Enterprise Kirk discovers that Lieutenant Riley and he are the last of the nine survivors left alive. He demotes Riley to engineering to keep him away from Karidian. Spock suspicious of Kirk’s motives does some of his own research and discovers that when the other seven eye witnesses died the Karidian players were somewhere nearby. Riley alone in engineering calls to the rec room and is listening to a song by Spock playing a Vulcan harp and Uhura singing. Unknown to Riley someone sneaks in and squirts something into his milk. After taking a drink Riley starts choking Uhura realizing something is wrong sends help. Riley is saved but is in critical condition.

Spock is certain that Riley has been poisoned and that Karidian is Kodos. McCoy asks Kirk what he will do. Later in Kirk’s quarters as Spock and Kirk discuss what to do they hear the hum of a phaser that is set to overload that if it detonates would take out the entire deck? Kirk finds the phaser at the last second in the red alert light and ejects it into space. Kirk finally confronts Karidian who is evasive in his answers. Kirk has him record an order Kodos gave at the colony to compare with the ships voice records of Kodos. Meanwhile in sick bay Riley overhears McCoy’s log entry about the suspicion of Karidian being Kodos. The voices are a near perfect match but Kirk is still unsure as a man’s life is in the balance.

As the Karidian players begin a presentation of Hamlet Riley sneaks backstage with a phaser intending to kill Karidian. Kirk finds Riley and talks him out of it with Karidian overhearing the conversation. Karidian comes backstage and Lenore notices he’s upset. He tells her that a voice from the past is haunting him a past he never told her about. It is then that she reveals that it was her who killed the other seven eyewitnesses and that after tonight all the ghosts will be dead. Karidian is horrified by what his daughter has done. Kirk overhearing the conversation approaches them and orders them to come with him. Kirk calls a guard to escort them and Lenore now totally over the edge grabs the guard’s phaser and runs on stage. Kirk and Karidian follow her. Lenore holds them at gun point and as she goes to shoot Kirk Karidian jumps in the way and she kills her father. Kirk disarms her and she is taken to sick bay as she has gone totally insane. McCoy reports to Kirk that Lenore will get the best care and that she believes that her father is alive and still performing. He then asks Kirk if he cared for Lenore Kirk doesn’t answer going through his command duties but gives McCoy a knowing look.

This was a really good episode. It gives us some of Kirk’s backstory. We get to see Riley again and unfortunately this would be his last appearance. The twist at the end was unexpected. Lenore descent into total insanity was very dramatic and sad. No red shirts were harmed in this episode.

A Guest Blog by Mindless-Droid

This week’s classic Star Trek episode is The Menagerie part 2. This is the second of two episodes that used footage from the rejected pilot episode the Cage. We rejoin Spock’s court martial with Spock pleading guilty to all counts. Mendez reminds Spock that all contact with Talos IV is forbidden but Spock tells him that he has no choice and he tells Pike that the Keeper has taken control of the screen. Pike flashes that he understands. The images resume. The images reveal that the Talosians using their great mental power of illusion had captured Pike and had begun an experiment to see if they could use humans to reclaim their barren planet.

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A Guest Blog by Mindless-Droid

This week’s classic Star Trek episode is The Menagerie part one. The Enterprise is summoned to Starbase 11 by its former captain Christopher Pike. Upon arriving at the base Kirk and McCoy find out that Pike had been injured and incapacitated to such an extent that he is confined to and dependent on an electronic wheelchair. Pike’s brain has also been damaged and he can only communicate through the light on his wheelchair one flash for yes two for no so it was impossible for him to send or even request a message be sent. Kirk and Commodore Mendez of the Starbase begin to investigate who had sent the message diverting the Enterprise there. It is then that we discover it was Spock who faked the message. He has a plan for Pike and kidnaps him and tricks the ships crew into believing that they are on a secret mission with the computers controlling the ship. Mendez shows Kirk a file from 11 years ago. It shows the only earth ship to visit planet Talos IV was the Enterprise with Pike in command and Spock as his second officer. Visiting Talos IV is the only death penalty left on the books.

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A Guest Blog by Mindless-Droid

This week’s classic Star trek episode is The Corbomite Maneuver. While mapping an uncharted unexplored region of space the Enterprise encounters a strange cube. The cube blocks the ships path and Spock orders all stop. After studying the cube and being held for eighteen hours Spock theorizes it is one of two things. A space buoy or flypaper. Kirk decides not to stick around and plans to move away from the cube. After several attempts to move away from the cube Kirk orders all stop but the cube continues to close on the ship and begins emitting dangerous radiation. With no other option and the cube still closing in Kirk orders a phaser strike that destroys the cube.

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A Guest Blog by Mindless-Droid

This week’s classic Star trek episode is Dagger of the Mind. On a routine supply run to the Tantalus V rehabilitation colony the Enterprise beams up a container bound for Earth. What the crew doesn’t know is that one of the colonies inmates has hidden in the container. After subduing the transporter technician the inmate eludes the search for him and makes his way to the bridge. Upon arriving at the bridge the inmate in an agitated state requests asylum on the Enterprise and will stop at almost nothing to get it. Kirk and Spock quickly take control of the situation and Spock renders the inmate unconscious with the Vulcan nerve pinch.

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A Guest Blog by Mindless-Droid

This week’s classic Star trek episodes is Miri. The Enterprise picks up an Earth like distress call from a solar system in the far reaches of the galaxy. As they approach the planet from which the distress call originates it is discovered that the planet is an exact duplicate of Earth.

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A Guest Blog by Mindless-Droid

This week’s classic Star Trek episode is What are Little Girls Made Of. The Enterprise is sent to Exo III a barren planet with a fading star to investigate the disappearance of Doctor Roger Korby a well-known medical archeologist and former fiancé of Nurse Chapel. Korby’s expedition went silent five years ago after a message that said they had found underground caverns. After several attempts to contact Korby he replies. Korby insists that Kirk beam down alone because of a remarkable discovery he has found but when he hears Chapel he invites her as well.

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