July 28, 2021

Star Trek TOS Overview (The Trouble with Tribbles)

 Well here it is my friends. The best loved and best remembered episode of the series. And yes of course I love it. It's a wonderful episode that deserves all the accolades it gets. 












Plot:A dispute over control of a planet brings the Enterprise to a space station, where they must deal with Klingons, edgy Federation officials, and a previously-unknown species of small, unbearably cute, voraciously hungry, and rapidly-multiplying furry creatures.



Guest Stars:William Schallert as Nilz Baris, William Campbell as Koloth, Stanley Adams as Cyrano Jones, Whit Bissell as Lurry, Charlie Brill as Arne Darvin




Nitpick:I think there was a Deep Space Nine episode that homage this one or something. God bless the digital enhancements which give as Klingon vessels actually appearing in the show. 





Summary:


Teaser-The Enterprise is on its way to Deep Space Station K-7 to assist with a disputed planet on the Klingon border. In the Briefing room, Kirk, Spock and Chekov are going over the history of the area and how according to the Organian Peace Treaty either side must prove that they can develop the planet better. Uhura then reports that the station has issued a code red alert, basically a disaster call indicating they have been attacked.




Act 1-The Enterprise arrives to find the space station perfectly peaceful. They beam over to meet Lurry and Barris, Barris the one who called the distress call to get the Enterprise there faster. He and his assistant Darvin are afraid the Klingons may sabotage there efforts. It seems the station is holding an important shipment of quadrotriticale which is the only grain that will grow on the planet they want to colonize. Kirk is annoyed about the distress call for a couple tons of wheat, but Starfleet is taking this project seriously. So he orders two security guards to watch the storage compartments the grain is stored and general shore leave for all off duty personnel. At the bar on the station, Kirk comments on the matter when Uhura and Chekov come in on shore leave. A large man enters trying to sell goods to the bartender. His name is Cyrano Jones, and when he presents a small furball Uhura is entranced. Jones says that it's called a tribble, with the soft purring sound it is irremissible. Jones gives her the tribble, while on the Enterprise Kirk gets orders from Starfleet to take the Sherman's planet matter seriously. Suddenly the red alert sounds, a Klingon warship is hovering near the station. Kirk calls the station to warn them, only to discover that the commander of the Klingon vessel is waiting in Lury's office. 




Act 2-Kirk and Spock beam over to the station where Captain Koloth welcomes them. He explains that they are just looking for recreation, and under the terms of the organian pace treaty they can't be refused. Kirk tells Koloth that he can beam over twelve officers at a time, and for every man Koloth sends off he will have one security guard. On the Enterprise, it seems that the tribble Uhura brought on board has already had babies. McCoy takes one to examine. A call then comes in from Baris angry that there are Klingons on the station, and Kirk basically gives him the brush off. In Sick-Bay Kirk finds that the tribble McCoy has already spawned. McCoy says almost 50% of their metabolism is geared to reproduction. Later, Kirk is telling th enext officers going on shore leave to avoid trouble with the Klingons. He encourages Scotty to go, and make sure everyone stays out of trouble. At the bar, Scotty and Chekov sit down and relax. Jones walks in with a tribble, which shrieks at the Klingons in the bar. He then offers it to the bartender, who demonstrates he already has more tribbles than he knows what to do with. One Klingon then starts taunting the crew with comments about what an egomaniac Kirk is. Chekov wants to fight, but Scotty keeps telling him to stand down. Then the Klingon starts making fun of the Enterprise, and when he calls it a garbage scow Scotty then punches the Klingon. Causing a large bar fight (it's such a better scene than it sounds). 




Act 3-On the Enterprise, the officers in the fight are all lined up as Kirk questions them. When no one will say who threw the first punch, Kirk dismisses them except Scotty. He asks Scotty what happened, and when he explains Kirk seems to understand. Until Scotty says that he started the fight because of what he Klingon said about the Enterprise, not what he said about Kirk. In Sick-Bay Spock points out that there does not seem to any practical use for the tribbles. McCoy says he likes them more Spock, and Spock retorts that tribbles have one redeeming value. They do not talk to much. Back on the Bridge, Kirk arrives and almost sits on a tribble. Then he looks around and realizes how many tribbles are on the Bridge. McCoy comes in and says that the tribbles keep breeding and if they don't get them off the ship they'll be hip deep in them. It seems they are born pregnant, reproducing at will. On the station, Kirk and Spock question Jones about the tribbles and how taking from their normal habitat has there reproductive rate out of control. Bris and Darvin accuse Kirk of blowing the mission with his security measures, and allowing a Klingon agent to roam free. Kirk asks who that is, and they finger Jones which gets a good laugh. On the ship the tribbles are growing in numbers, Kirk can't even get his chicken sandwich. Scotty comes in explaining they are in the food processors, due the the vents. Spock reminds Kirk there are vents like that on the space station-and in the storage compartments. They rush over, and when he tries to open one of the compartment Kirk gets a ton of tribbles dumped on his head.




Act 4-Kirk has been completely buried, and they keep falling out of the overhead compartment. Baris chews Kirk out for causing this mess when McCoy comes in and says all they have to do is stop feeding them. When they realize several tribbles are dead, it must mean something was in the grain. Kirk says that he is in command and wants two things done. Find Cyrano Jones, and close the damn door! Later, everyone is in the office when Koloth comes in demanding an apology. Kirk says that he wants to know what happened, what killed the tribbles. Koloth asks if they can take the tribbles out of the room, and when they do they shriek when Darvin walks in. Jones says he saw a tribble do that just one time, at the bar to a Klingon. Kirk takes the tribbles and shows they seem to like humans and Spock. But shriek near Darvin. McCoy confirms that Darvin is the Klingon agent. Also the grain was poisoned with a virus that would make the grain inert and no matter how much an organism ate they couldn't survive. After telling the Klingons to get there ship out of Federation space, Kirk and Spock then show Jones how out of control the tribbles are, and give him a choice. A penal colony, or pick up every tribble on the station. Which could take years. Jones agrees, reluctantly. Later, Kirk arrives on the Bridge where Spock explains that the freighter has been diverted carrying the grain. Kirk notices the ship is empty of tribbles, and asks how they did. After going back and forth a few times, Scotty admits he used the transporter to beam them over to the Klingon ship. Where they'll be no tribble at all. 





Final Thoughts:What can I possibly say? You can hate Star Trek and still love this episode, that's it's charm. I dare say, it's a perfect episode. The writing, the acting, the humor, the fact that everyone gets in one the action...it's the quintessential Star Trek episode and deserves all it's accolades. Shatner is perfect as the straight man, people forget he can truly do humor. Any gripes? William Campbell's Koloth is a horrible Klingon, but he fits in with the episode's tone so we can overlook it. And I wish Sulu had been in the episode, again I know why he wasn't but I think having the entire cast would have been the icing on the cake. Especially in that last scene where they are all laughing at that final line from Scotty. 



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