Today we have another episode I love, although I don't think that's as unanimous as I thought. Sometimes an episode can only do a few things great, but they are so great it makes up for the rest of the episode being less than perfect.
Plot:As the Enterprise comes under attack on the way to a diplomatic conference on Babel, one of the alien dignitaries is murdered, and Spock's estranged father Sarek is the prime suspect – but he is also deathly ill, and only Spock can save him.
Guest Stars:Miss Jane Wyatt as Amanda, Mark Lenard as Sarek
Nitpick:This is the first episode to show the Federation has more aliens in it than just humans and Vulcans which is awesome. This is such a problem with this show it actually comes up in Star Trek VI. Oh and yes the Tellarite make-up is beyond awful, even for this show. Finally, I love how at the end when Kirk leaves the Bridge he tells Chekov to take over. Not Uhura, who is fourth in line and a lieutenant. No, Chekov the ensign. Because girls give the command chair cooties or something.
Summary:
Teaser-The Enterprise is escorting several representatives from various Federation planets to a conference on Babel. The conference is to decide whether the controversial Coradin system should be allowed in the Federation. The last set of delegates are he Vulcan delegates. After Ambassador Sarek and Amanda board, Kirk asks Spock if he would like to visit his parents. Spock then informs Kirk that Sarek and Amanda ARE his parents.
Act 1-In Engineering Kirk is giving Sarek and Amands a tour. After Kirk embarrasses Spock, Sarek explains that he gave Spock his first computer training. He chose to devote his knowledge to Starfleet rather than the Vulcan Science Academy. Sarek leaves and Amanda explains that due to his going to Starlfeet, Spock and Sarek have not spoken as father and son for 18 years. Uhura reports that she is picking up a strange signal, just a few symbols, but has no idea where it is coming from. Later, all the ambassadors on board are at a reception including Sarek and Amanda. McCoy asks Sarek why he retired so young, but Sarek just says he had other concerns. A tellarite named Gav asks Sarek what his position is, but Sarek refuses to say. An Andorian asks if they have met before, and Sarek says thet debated. Amanda points out that Gav lost. McCoy asks her is Spock ever ran and played like human children, and she says he did have a teddy bear he was fond of. McCoy loves that until Spock explains that the teddy bears on Vulcan are alive, and have six inch fangs. Cheov reports they are being shadowed by a vessel, and on the Bridge it's confirmed there are no authorized vessels in this area except them. The alien makes a run at the Enterprise, and passes. They are still shadowing them, and are unidentified. Meanwhile, Gav takes another try at finding out what side Sarek is on (after watching Sarek take a strange pill). Sarek finally admits his view, to allow Coridan in, and says that it needs protection from aliens like Telartite. Gav is incensed he and Sarek almost come to blows before Kirk breaks it up. Awhile later, security contacts Kirk and informs him that Gav has been found dead.
Act 2-McCoy confirms that Gav's neck was broken, by an expert. Spock explains that there is a Vulcan technique that can do that, and says Sarek could have killed him if he had a reason. Kirk says he just broke up and argument between the two, making Sarek the prime suspect. The three got question Sarek, but he falls over in some kind of pain. On the Bridge Kirk tries to talk to Spocl about his father, but Spock evades the subject. They discuss the intruder alien, since it can't be the Rpmulans or Klingons it's someone they can't identify. Uhura is tracking the source of the transmission and finds a reception point on the Enterprise itself. In Sick-Bay, McCoy explains that Sarek is suffering from a malfunction in a heart valve. Sarek says he has had three previous attacks, one at the same time the Telarite was murdered. McCoy isn't sure if they should operate, it would require more blood than they have. Spock is the same blood type, but it's got human elements in it. McCoy isn't sure they could survive such an operation but Spock for Sarek to live he has no choice. Later, Spock and McCoy discuss a new drug that increases production of blood, while putting a strain on the heart and spleen. Spock says that if he does not operate, Sarek will die. He is volunteering himself as the blood donor, and is waiting for McCoy to decide what to do next. Meanwhile, Kirk is in he middle of a fight with an Andorian. Kirk manages to kick him down, but not before Thelev stabs Kirk in the back and seriously wounds him.
Act 3-In Sick-Bay McCoy reports that it was very serious wound, and Kirk will be out of commission. Spock goes to question the Andorian, but McCoy says that Sarek is much worse. He has to operate and will start when Spock is ready. However, Spock refuses. He has assumed command and with the situation as tense as it is he cannot relinquish his command. The ambassadorssays he has no idea who Thelev is, except he has served well. When Spock says that there is logical reason for Thelev's attack, the ambassador says that he should forget logic and look for motives of passion or gaining, those are motives for murder. Spock is in his quarters when Amanda arrives to plead with him to help his father. Any competent officer can command the ship but only he can give the blood transfusion. Spock says he has responsibilities and with the situation as it he cannot just dismiss his duties. Amanda pleads to his human side, but Spock stays firm in his position. Kirk wakes up in Sick-Bay and realizes how injured he is. However, when McCoy tells him he can't operate Kirk gets up. He can't damn Spock for doing his duty but isn't going to let him commit Patricide. He will convince Spock he is ok, and then turn command over to Scotty. McCoy reluctantly agrees, and Kirk returns to the Bridge and relieves Spock. Kirk is about to call for Scotty when the alien suddenly makes a move, and he stays there. Uhura figured out the transmission is coming from the brig and Kirk tells security to search the prisoner. They have to stun him, and when he falls they find a receiver hidden in his antennae. Thus makes the alien ship attack the ship directly. The surgery is underway, but the constant shaking is making this perilous. The ship is faster but not more powerful.
Act 4-The operation continues as the alien keeps attacking. Thelev is brought to the Bridge, when Kirk asks who he really is he refuses to say saying they don't have much longer to live. Kirk speculates he is a spy surgically altered to pass as an andorian planted in the ambassador's party to create chaos and confusion. Kirk orders Engineering to cut power, in an attempt to lure the alien in by playing dead. The gambit works, and the aliens close in. Phasers fire, and disable the alien. They then explode rather than be taken captive, and Thelev says he also had orders to kill himself. The operation wraps up in Sick-Bay as Thelev dies on the Bridge. Kirk arrives and McCoy yells at him for shaking the ship, until finally Amanda tells Kirk to come in and see that Sarek and Spock are just fine. Spock says that Thelev was an Orion, smugglers hoping to cause mutual suspicion and an interplanetary war. Spock says he was confused by the power utilization curve which made the ship seem bigger and stronger, since it was a sucide mission they could throw 100% of there power into there attack. Kirk finally is brought back to his bed, and when Spock tries to go back to his duties McCoy says he is not going anywhere. Kirk comments that McCoy is enjoying this, and McCoy quiets them both.
Final Thoughts:Thelev is an underrated villain, he really is sinister and nasty. He kills the Telarite ambassador, mortally wounds Kirk, and then is smirking in delight on the Bridge until Kirk turns the tables. Nasty bastard. Of course, that isn't the real reason this episode is so memorable. It's the conflict between Spock and his parents. The dilemma is nice handled. Logically, of course Spock can't just abandon his duties even for his father. But on the hand, dude-That's your father! The scene between Spock and Amanda where she pleads with him to act is one of the best scenes of the series in my opinion. When I first saw Star Trek IV I was not that familiar with this episode, and that scene in the movie where Spock and Sarek make amends works so much better now that I am. Why wasn't that resolved here? I think Sarek loves Amanda precisely because she is so emotional, he can experience it vicariously since he can't actually show it. Anyway, I think this episode is great including Kirk bluffing the Orion's in that final fight and McCoy getting the last word-at last!
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