This is yet another episode that I liked some aspects, and even wish they had been explored more, but there are a few other things which really ruin the episode. I did an underrated on this episode, so let's see if I changed my mind about it since then.
Plot:The Enterprise transports Elaan, Dohlman of Elas, to an arranged marriage on Troyius.
Guest Stars:France Nuyen as Elaan
Nitpick:The whole "The tears make you fall in love and become the slave" crap is pointless. So pointless that it barely gets resolved at the end of the episode when we learn the problem just fixed itself.
Summary:
Teaser-On a top secret diplomatic mission, the Enterprise is taking aboard an Ambassador Petri from Troyius. They are approaching Elas now, and apparently it's top secre dye to the nearby Klingon border. The men are vicious and arrogant while the women has a mystical power that drives men wild. Petri explains that they are picking up the Dohlman, the person most hated and feared by Troyius. She is beamed over, and is clearly not a women to be tangled with.
Act 1-The dohlman, Elaan, tells Kirk to show them to their quarters. Petri explains that the dohlman is to be given away in an arranged marriage to the ruler of Troyius. This is an overture to peace for the two world's, however Elaan must be taught proper discipline and manners before they arrive or she will never be accepted. That could prove a challenge. The Enterprise is headed back to Troyius, at slow pace of speed, and it is reported that Elaan is not satisfied with the quarters. Uhura gave up her quarters for Elaan, and Kirk says they understand her sacrifice. Kirk goes to deal with the matter, and finds Elann throwing the gifts Petri is giving her at him. Gifts include a wedding dress and a necklace with prized jewels. Elaan expresses her disgust at her assignment, and asks Kirk about the quarters. Kirk explains that there are no other quarters so she may as well deal with them. She throws a fit and he leaves. Petri is outraged and Kirk suggests he doesn't have to like her to do his job. Kirk suggests he try again. Later, Spock has detected what he thinks is a ship paralleling them. Scotty calls to report that Elaan and her gaurds are wandering around Engineering, and Kirk goes down to appease her. He says that she could learn how to show courtesy, but she refuses. Spock reports that the ship is getting closer, and it is a spaceship. A close up shows it to be a Klingon warship. Kirk is called back to Elaan's quarters, where he finds Petri with a knife in his back.
Act 2-Petri is alive but confined to Sick-Bay, and blames Kirk for telling him to try again. Uhura reports that the Federation High Commissioner will be on Troyius for the wedding. While Petri explains to Christine that women posses a bio chemical in there tears. A man touches them become the woman's slave forever. Now Kirk will have to take up the job of teaching Elaan manners, which she rejects. She asks what Kirk can teach her, and he says table manners for one. She tries to throw him out, but he insists she learn what she has been ordered to learn. Kirk just misses getting stabbed when he leaves, and on the Bridge the Klingons are still shadowing them. In Engineering, one of the guards appears and begins to sneak around. He begins to sabotage the Dilithium chamber.
Act 3-Kirk tries to visit Elaan again but is stopped by the guards, who are stunned by Spock. Kirk tells him to bring them to the brig, and barges in on Elaan. She runs from Kirk at first, but then sheds tears, and says she wants people to like her. Kirk wipes her tears away, and suddenly becomes infected. Elann turns on her charm, and Kirk finds it impossible to resist her. The two soon embrace and...well, when Uhura calls Kirk it takes him several seconds to answer so you can figure out what they were doing. He does finally answer and she reports she fond a tight beam radio transmission to the Klingons from someone in Engineering. Kirk calls for an intruder alert and soon security has found the guard. Who kills himself before he can talk. Back in her quarters Elaan explains that the gaurd had loved her and sold out to the Klingons out of jealousy. Kirk wonders why the Klingons are doing this but Elaan is uninterested. Kirk says they must forget what happened between them, but she is not so willing. As they embrace, Spock and McCoy are at the door asking to see Kirk for a moment. McCoy explains what Petri had said about the tears, and Kirk tells him to find an antidote. When the Klingon ship suddenly appears to attack, Kirk orders warp drive. Until Scotty reports he found the problem, the engines have been rigged to explode the second they engage the warp engines.
Act 4-The Klingons don't attack, it was probably a ruse to trick them into engaging their warp drive. Elaan appears on the Bridge, and when Spock points out she should not be there Kirk tells her to go to Sick-Bay it's the most protected part of the ship. Saying her presence is interfering with his decisions. Elaan says she loves him, but he reminds her of his mission which he will complete. Scotty reports that the crystals are so damaged that they can't even fire their weapons let alone engage warp drive. Elaan appears in Sick-Bay where Petri tries to give her the wedding gifts again. She re-appears on the Bridge wearing the wedding dress and necklace. The Klingons threaten to destroy them if they do not surrender. As they attack, Spock begins to detect a strange energy reading. He figures out it is coming from the necklace Elaan is wearing, which are composed of dilithium crystals. Common stones as Elaan describes them. Explaining why the Klingons are so interested in this area. Spock brings them to down to Scotty as the Klingons strike again. The crystals are crude there is no guarantee they will work, but Kirk says they have no choice. Kirk stalls until the crystals are ready. The Klingons approach and Kirk Scotty says they're ready. Kirk tells Sulu to cut into warp drive at the right moment, catching the Klingons off guard and blasting them with photon torpedoes. The gambit works, the Klingons are damaged. Elaan is surprised when Kirk wont go after them to finish them off. Later, the ship has arrived in Troyius and a clearly sad Elaan bids farewell to Kirk, who will not attend the ceremony, and leaves the ship. On the Bridge McCoy tells Spock he has found an antidote, but Spock says it's not necessary Kirk has found his own. The Enterprise infected Kirk long before The Dohlman ever did. McCoy says he doubts there is a cure for the Enterprise, which Spock agrees.
Final Thoughts:First of all, yeah I get the sexist and even racist connotations here but let's put that aside for now. The episode would have been better without all the "Taming of the Shrew" nonsense. And Kirk falling in love with her was just lame. I'm not sure if it was Elaan I liked or the actress, but either way once she stopped shrieking I really liked her. If they had given her real character for the whole episode instead the rage nonsense the episode could have been much stronger. As it is, I still like it especially the Klingon stuff this is one of my favorite space battles from any episode. Even if the Klingons themselves are boring here. Amazingly this is our first look at a Klingon warship and you gotta admire how the basic design stuck right through the movies and spin-off series.
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