Episode of the Week : The Enterprise Incident
- Thread starter Botany Bay
- Start date
One of the few truly good episodes of the third season. Even the other top ones from this season have some glaring flaws, but this episode is on par with the quality of S2. Plus, you get Kirk as a Romulan! Only complaints are that it was a bit too easy to steal the cloaking device, and that the Romulan Commander comes off like a real dumbass to be deceived so easily by Spock.
Above-average with some memorable moments and a very memorable guest star. Seven.
A good, solid episode. 8
Certainly one of the gems of the third season, I gave it an eight. Seeing Kirk acting like a lunatic was fun to watch, and the scenes with Spock and the Romulan Commander (is she ever given a name?) were great.
I agree, Scotty being able to simply plug the cloaking device into the Enterprise deflector system and have it just work perfectly after a few minutes of fiddling seemed a little too easy, not to mention that it turns out to be something small enough for Kirk to just disconnect and walk away with under his arm...
I agree, Scotty being able to simply plug the cloaking device into the Enterprise deflector system and have it just work perfectly after a few minutes of fiddling seemed a little too easy, not to mention that it turns out to be something small enough for Kirk to just disconnect and walk away with under his arm...
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A little better than the "7" I gave it, but not good enough for an 8. Call it 7 3/8. Or maybe 7 7/16.
As good as the episode seems, there are flaws that can't be overlooked. Why would the crew obey Kirk's unlawful order to violate the neutral zone? Especially when he was supposedly acting noticeably out of sorts? Are they that slavish to him? Even Captain Garth's crew didn't obey him mindlessly, and he was supposedly the best starship captain since the beginning of time.
The main flaw to me.... it's hard to believe that a (Romulan) starship commander, on the verge of such a career-making (power-making?) event such as the capture of the Enterprise would allow herself to be distracted and seduced by "the enemy." Imagine the roles reversed and Kirk allowing a Klingon warship to slip through his fingers while he was off doing... well, you know what. This smacks of typical 60's attitudes towards women, suggesting that even powerful women are slaves to their emotions and desires, and will abandon their good sense to satisfy their "feminine needs." As McCoy would say, 'Poppycock!' (Or as Foster Brooks would say... 'Poppycocky').
But, all in all, an enjoyable episode, and a timely one given the proximity of the USS Pueblo capture. One of the top 5 of the third season, no doubt. But certainly a step down from Trek's very best.
As good as the episode seems, there are flaws that can't be overlooked. Why would the crew obey Kirk's unlawful order to violate the neutral zone? Especially when he was supposedly acting noticeably out of sorts? Are they that slavish to him? Even Captain Garth's crew didn't obey him mindlessly, and he was supposedly the best starship captain since the beginning of time.
The main flaw to me.... it's hard to believe that a (Romulan) starship commander, on the verge of such a career-making (power-making?) event such as the capture of the Enterprise would allow herself to be distracted and seduced by "the enemy." Imagine the roles reversed and Kirk allowing a Klingon warship to slip through his fingers while he was off doing... well, you know what. This smacks of typical 60's attitudes towards women, suggesting that even powerful women are slaves to their emotions and desires, and will abandon their good sense to satisfy their "feminine needs." As McCoy would say, 'Poppycock!' (Or as Foster Brooks would say... 'Poppycocky').
But, all in all, an enjoyable episode, and a timely one given the proximity of the USS Pueblo capture. One of the top 5 of the third season, no doubt. But certainly a step down from Trek's very best.
I don't see what should be so unusual about that. Sure, breaching the RNZ is an act of war - but the Enterprise is a warship, and might well be tasked with going to war. In "Balance of Terror", they pondered that very thing, and it seemed to be at the Captain's discretion whether to interpret his standing orders so that he's cleared to start a war.
Significantly, Picard also penetrated the RNZ on multiple occasions, and his helmsmen merely raised eyebrows, not objections.
In any case, the crew here was operating under the assumption that Kirk had orders from on high (as he indeed did), which makes Scotty's claim about Kirk himself not having the authority rather moot, even if we disregard all the episodes where COs do have that authority.
But isn't it vice versa? The female commander does not passively fall for an offensive of distraction. Her male XO spots Spock and sees tactical or strategic significance in the half-Vulcan, after which the commander engages in a seduction campaign that seems to be going fine - until it turns out Spock faked all his orgasms for patriotic reasons.
The commander being engaged in the seduction campaign should not matter as regards cloak thefts and the like: seducing is her chosen or assigned duty, while guarding the cloak is that of other officers and crew. Her being distracted does not in fact affect the dastardly theft one iota.
That the seduction was a double-cross just suggests that Spock well knew that the Romulans would see significance in him; the whole operation might have hinged on that. But it's not clear how it follows from the seduction plot that Spock would learn the exact whereabouts of the cloaking device. That is the weak part - not that the commander would be "distracted", but that it looks as if she started out their relationship by giving Spock a guided tour to the ship's most secretive facility!
Of course, it only looks that way: we never learn how Spock got that information...
Timo Saloniemi
One of my favorites. Granted that it has some plot weaknesses like Kirk disguising himself as a Romulan, communicating with them (in Romulan? English?) while aboard their ship; the Romulan Commander falling a little too easily/foolishly with Spock. But Spock did have some nice character building moments. I think the Romulan Commander had a nice insight into Spock when she said "as a Vulcan you would finds ways to study it; as a human you would find ways to appreciate it." I think she saw the half Vulcan/half human Spock more of a kindred spirit to the Romulans than a full-blooded logic-driven Vulcan.
Someone else on the board years ago (I've forgotten their name) noticed that the Romulan Commander is shot spinning around in her chair when Kirk is introduced to her in the same manner when Saavik spins around during her first appearance in "The Wrath of Khan" in the Kobayashi Maru simulator, implying that maybe they were meant to be mother and daughter. I'm not sure of the plausibility of Spock being the father (agewise for Saavik; scientific plausibility; Spock's standoffish nature) but I kind of like it better than being married to Saavik (in the novels). It would explain some of Spock's later interest in reuniting Vulcan with Romulus in TNG.
Someone else on the board years ago (I've forgotten their name) noticed that the Romulan Commander is shot spinning around in her chair when Kirk is introduced to her in the same manner when Saavik spins around during her first appearance in "The Wrath of Khan" in the Kobayashi Maru simulator, implying that maybe they were meant to be mother and daughter. I'm not sure of the plausibility of Spock being the father (agewise for Saavik; scientific plausibility; Spock's standoffish nature) but I kind of like it better than being married to Saavik (in the novels). It would explain some of Spock's later interest in reuniting Vulcan with Romulus in TNG.
That's silly. It's a standard stage dramatic technique to enter with your back to the audience and then spin around. Shatner did that a lot.
I always kind of resented this episode for not bringing back the Bird of Prey. I know, the model wasn't available, but still, would have been cool.
The Romulan Commander going incompetently mushy for Spock comes across as somewhat sexist today, though not unusual for '60s writing. But the whole Romulan vibe is changed from a dangerous, clever but honorable martial race to inept, dim-bulb foils. The whole scheme came across as unlikely and came off too easily.
But, not taking it too seriously, it's kind of a fun '60s TV caper. Good performances and character moments, and nice pacing around the "heist." Above average, 6.5 rounded to 7.
The Romulan Commander going incompetently mushy for Spock comes across as somewhat sexist today, though not unusual for '60s writing. But the whole Romulan vibe is changed from a dangerous, clever but honorable martial race to inept, dim-bulb foils. The whole scheme came across as unlikely and came off too easily.
But, not taking it too seriously, it's kind of a fun '60s TV caper. Good performances and character moments, and nice pacing around the "heist." Above average, 6.5 rounded to 7.
Didn't D.C. Fontana originally intend for the interactions between Spock and the Romulan Commander to be significantly different from what ended up in the episode? I recall reading some accounts about her apologizing profusely to Nimoy.
And the Bird of Prey is back in the remastered version.
Kor
And the Bird of Prey is back in the remastered version.
Kor
What? Starship captains get to start wars on their own discretion? And here I thought the Enterprise's five year mission was to "explore strange new worlds," I must have missed the "and then go to war with them if the captain feels like it" addendum to that.
Oh, now I get it! This was really a mirror universe episode! Spock must have shaved his beard off so he could bed the Romulan commander (she must have not liked facial hair). Now it all makes sense!
Of course starship skippers get to start wars. Oh, sometimes they rubber-stamp it with this "Council" thing, but there are many examples of a more direct process:
1) "Balance of Terror" - Kirk has strict orders not to cross the RNZ, and suicide is his duty if no alternative is found. What does he do? He orders the ship to cross the RNZ!
2) "Corbomite Maneuver", "Spectre of the Gun" et al. - a foreign civilization says "proceed no further or there will be hell to pay". What does Kirk do? He violates their borders!
3) "The Defector" - Picard has several times told his Romulan opponents that their hopping across the RNZ is an actionable act of war, and his patience is the only thing preserving the peace. A traitor says that there's an "invisible base" in the RNZ. What does Picard do? He not only goes to have a look on a personal whim, he also tells his pet Klingon to invite his friends to join in this act of war!
Etc. etc. You really seem to have missed a fairly central part of what Star Trek heroes do for a living...
Timo Saloniemi
1) "Balance of Terror" - Kirk has strict orders not to cross the RNZ, and suicide is his duty if no alternative is found. What does he do? He orders the ship to cross the RNZ!
2) "Corbomite Maneuver", "Spectre of the Gun" et al. - a foreign civilization says "proceed no further or there will be hell to pay". What does Kirk do? He violates their borders!
3) "The Defector" - Picard has several times told his Romulan opponents that their hopping across the RNZ is an actionable act of war, and his patience is the only thing preserving the peace. A traitor says that there's an "invisible base" in the RNZ. What does Picard do? He not only goes to have a look on a personal whim, he also tells his pet Klingon to invite his friends to join in this act of war!
Etc. etc. You really seem to have missed a fairly central part of what Star Trek heroes do for a living...
Timo Saloniemi
Me, too!
About the only time that the rule about not crossing the Neutral Zone comes up is when a captain is in the process of breaking it.
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