Categories
Original Series Season 01 Star Trek

Balance Of Terror

Star Trek ClassicStardate 1709.1: Responding to distress calls from border outposts along the Neutral Zone between the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire, Kirk and the crew receive a final message from a Federation station reporting an attack from an invisible ship. Before the station is destroyed, it sends the Enterprise a brief view of the attacking vessel – a streamlined fighter which appears for a second when it fires. Hurrying to the scene, the Enterprise engages in battle with a Romulan Bird of Prey, armed with a cloaking device and commanded by a battle-scarred and tired commander whose crew is more eager to go into combat than he is. The Romulans, to the Enterprise crew’s amazement, bear a stunning resemblance to Vulcans, which arouses suspicion in some, including Lt. Styles, whose father died in a battle with the Romulans years ago. But as long as the Romulan ship can remain invisible, the Enterprise is at a disadvantage.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Paul Schneider
directed by Vincent McEveety
music by Fred Steiner

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Mark Lenard (Romulan Commander), Paul Comi (Styles), Lawrence Montaigne (Decius), Grace Lee Whitney (Yeoman Rand), Stephen Mines (Lt. Tomlinson), Barbara Baldavin (Angela), Garry Walberg (Hansen), John Warburton (The Centurion)

Note: The unusual similarities between Vulcans and Romulans are finally addressed in 1991 in the Next Generation Unification two-parter, in which Spock, in his 120s or older, traveled to Romulus to investigate resuming relations between the Vulcans and Romulans.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Original Series Season 03 Star Trek

The Enterprise Incident

Star Trek ClassicStardate 5031.3: Captain Kirk, acting tense and irrational, orders the Enterprise straight into the Neutral Zone for no reason. Romulan warships (identical to Klingon ships due to sharing of technology) capture the Enterprise, and Kirk and Spock beam aboard the Romulan flagship. When Spock admits that Kirk may be unfit to command, the Captain lunges at Spock – and receives a “Vulcan death grip.” Kirk, actually alive, is beamed back to the Enterprise and reveals to McCoy and Scott that their actual mission is to steal one of the Romulans’ cloaking devices and escape intact.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by D.C. Fontana
directed by John Meredyth Lucas
music by Alexander Courage

Guest Cast: James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Walter Koenig (Chekov), Joanna Linville (Romulan Commander), Jack Donner (Tal), Majel Barrett (Nurse Chapel), Richard Compton (Technical Officer), Robert Gentile (Technician), Mike Howden (Romulan Guard), Gordon Coffey (Romulan Soldier)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Original Series (Animated) Season 01 Star Trek

The Time Trap

Star Trek ClassicStardate 5252.2: The Enterprise undertakes a hazardous exploration of the Delta Triangle, an area of space where starships have been disappearing for centuries. A chance encounter with a Klingon battlecruiser in the Delta Triangle results in a brief exchange of fire – and then the Klingon vessel vanishes. Two other Klingon ships approach, promising vengeance upon Kirk and his ship. Kira orders a course heading for the precise coordinates where the first Klingon ship disappeared, and the Enterprise is sucked into an unknown region filled with the debris of ships, some of them centuries old. Another encounter with the Klingon ship proves that weapons are useless here – and then the captains of the two ships are beamed off their respective bridges to meet with the Council of Elysia. The Council is comprised of beings who have found themselves stranded in this region, including Vulcans, Orions, Romulans, Tellarites, Phylosians, Andorians, Gorn and others – and they implore Kirk and his old enemy Kor to give up their hopes for escape. What the council of Elysia does not anticipate is an agreement between the Federation and Klingon crews to pool their resources …but even as the joint venture begins, one of the two captains is planning to do away with the other.

Order the DVDswritten by Joyce Perry
directed by Hal Sutherland
music by Yvette Blais & Jeff Michael

Cast: William Shatner (Captain Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott / Lt. Arrex / Kor / Zarius / Kel / Enterprise Security Officer), George Takei (Lt. Sulu / Kiri), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura / Devna / Magon), Majel Barrett (Nurse Chapel / Lt. M’ress)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Original Series (Animated) Season 02 Star Trek

The Practical Joker

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3183.3: Attacked without warning by a handful of Romulan warships, Kirk puts the Enterprise on a heading into an energy cloud of unknown origin and composition – and then things really start to go wrong. The cloud has a drastic effect on the Enterprise’s main computer, giving it a mischievious sense of humor. At first, the computer forces the crew to endure harmless pranks, but as its occupants shrug off these annoyances, the stakes are increased when the Enterprise sets itself on a not-so-funny course right back into the crossfire of the Romulan ships.

Order the DVDswritten by Chuck Menville
directed by Hal Sutherland
music by Yvette Blais & Jeff Michael

Guest Voice Cast: Majel Barrett (Lt. M’ress), James Doohan (Romulan), James Doohan (Crewman), Majel Barrett (Computer voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Season 01 Star Trek The Next Generation

The Neutral Zone

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 41986.0: Data, curious about three cryogenically frozen earth people from the 20th century found in a derelict preservation satellite, brings them back to the ship and Dr. Crusher revives them. Meanwhile, Picard and Riker must be prepared to negotiate or fight as the Romulans return to the borders of the neutral zone – and the 20th century visitors only complicate matters.

Order the DVDstelevision story and teleplay by Maurice Hurley
from a story by Deborah McIntyre and Mona Clee
directed by James L. Conway
music by Ron Jones

Guest Cast: Marc Alaimo (Subcommander Tebok), Anthony James (Subcommander Thei), Leon Rippy (L.Q. “Sonny” Clemonds), Gracie Harrison (Claire Raymond), Peter Mark Richman (Ralph Offenhouse)

Notes: Although not actually seen in this episode, the Borg are later said to have caused the destruction of the Federation and Romulan outposts.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Movies Original Series Star Trek

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Star Trek MoviesStardate 8454.1: On the planet Nimbus III, a central location where one ambassador each from the Federation, Klingon Empire and Romulan Empire have met to discuss solutions to the mutual hostility each government holds for the others, talks have virtually ceased despite the arrival of a new Romulan ambassador and Nimbus III has become an arid desert. A renegade Vulcan – apparently breaking from the tradition of his race and embracing emotions and impulses – has generated a strong following on the planet and takes the three ambassadors hostage. The Vulcan, Sybok, then sends a message to the delegates’ governments, demanding a fair hearing of his demands in exchange for the hostages’ lives. A Klingon vessel, commanded by trigger-happy Captain Klaa, heads for Nimbus III with Klaa spoiling for a fight with the legendary Enterprise.

The Enterprise arrives first, and Kirk mounts a rescue operation involving distracting the guards, but he finds himself being held at gunpoint by the hostages he was meant to rescue, Kirk realizes that the affair has been a trap. Sybok now intends to hijack the Enterprise, and succeeds in earning the loyalty of Sulu, Uhura and Chekov by “releasing” them from painful memories in their lives. Sybok sets the Enterprise on a course to the Great Barrier at the center of the galaxy, where he believes he will find the mythical planet Sha Ka Ree and, according to Sybok’s theory, that world’s inhabitant – God. Surviving the supposedly deadly trip through the barrier, the Enterprise arrives at an uncharted planet, convincing many of the ship’s crew that Sybok may be right. In their excitement, no one notices that Klaa’s ship is now arriving at Sha Ka Ree as well.

Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Sybok fly a shuttle to the surface and, although initially finding no sign of life, encounter the projection of an enormous face which claims to be God and greets Sybok. However, when the being insists that the Enterprise be brought in close enough that he may meld with it for the journey beyond the Great Barrier, Kirk is suspicious and questions the being’s authenticity. The creature lashes out at Kirk and Spock when they doubt his identity, and Sybok realizes that it is not God. Grappling with the entity so that the others may escape, Sybok gives Kirk time to order a torpedo fired at the creature, but it is not easily killed. When they return to the shuttle, Kirk, Spock and McCoy discover that it has been crippled by the creature, and Kirk orders Scotty to beam Spock and McCoy up.

As soon as they have safely returned to the Enterprise, Klaa opens fire on the Enterprise, damaging the transporters once more. Spock convinces General Koord, the Klingon delegate from Nimbus III and one of Sybok’s recent converts, to use his rank to commandeer Klaa’s ship and rescue Kirk. Koord agrees, and Spock takes over the gunner’s seat on the Klingon ship to destroy the God impostor in time to save Kirk. The Klingons and the Enterprise leave Sha Ka Ree peacefully (and after profuse apologies from Klaa), offering some hope for a peaceful future, in which the formerly disgruntled Nimbus III delegates promise to take a more active interest.

Order this movie on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxscreenplay by David Loughery
story by William Shatner, Harve Bennett and David Loughery
directed by William Shatner
music by Jerry Goldsmith

Cast: William Shatner (Captain Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy), James Doohan (Scotty), Walter Koenig (Chekov), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), George Takei (Sulu), David Warner (St. John Talbot), Laurence Luckinbill (Sybok), Charles Cooper (Korrd), Cynthia Guow (Caithlin Dar), Todd Bryant (Captain Klaa), Spice Williams (Vixis), Rex Holman (J’onn), George Murdock (“God”), Jonathan Simpson (Young Sarek), Beverly Hart (Vulcan High Priestess), Steve Susskind (Pitchman), Harve Bennett (Starfleet Chief of Staff), Cynthia Blaise (Young Amanda), Bill Quinn (McCoy’s Father), Melanie Shatner (Yeoman)

Note: Although the movie’s end seemed to touch on a Federation peace with the Klingons, the situation obviously was a small instance of cooperation between the two, as Star Trek VI indicated that they were still deadly enemies. David Warner would return to Star Trek VI, though in a drastically different role, as well as a later appearance in a two-part episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Charles Cooper would also resurface in Next Generation, again as a Klingon, but minus the belching, as would George Murdock, appearing as Admiral Hansen in the fan-favorite story Best Of Both Worlds. Rex Holman appeared in the original series Spectre Of The Gun.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Season 03 Star Trek The Next Generation

The Enemy

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 43349.2: Trapped without the aid of his VISOR on a perpetually stormy planet, Geordi is aided and abetted in his attempts to send a distress signal to the Enterprise by a shipwrecked Romulan, as Picard tries to wring the truth out of a secretive Romulan commander en route to Federation space.

Order the DVDswritten by David Kemper and Michael Piller
directed by David Carson
music by Dennis McCarthy

Guest Cast: John Snyder (Bochra), Andreas Katsulas (Commander Tomalok), Colm Meaney (Chief O’Brien), Steve Rankin (Patahk)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Season 03 Star Trek The Next Generation

The Defector

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 43462.5: A legendary Romulan strategist/warrior assumes a new identity and races to warn the Federation of a massive Romulan invasion in the near future, but his attempts are thwarted by the crew’s prejudice and suspicions, not to mention the Romulans themselves, eager to do away with both the defector and the Enterprise.

Order the DVDswritten by Ronald D. Moore
directed by Robert Scheerer
music by Ron Jones

Guest Cast: James Sloyan (Setal / Admiral Jarok), Andreas Katsulas (Commander Tomalok), John Hancock (Starfleet Admiral), S.A. Templeman (Holodeck “John Bates”), Patrick Stewart (Holodeck “Michael Williams”)

Star Trek: TNGNotes: Although produced after The Bonding, The Defector was the first Star Trek spec script bought from writer and fan Ronald D. Moore, who would become one of the series’ most frequent writers, the co-writer of two of the four Next Generation feature films and numerous Deep Space Nine episodes, and later became the showrunner of the highly acclaimed 21st century remake of Battlestar Galactica. Prior to this script catching the attention of executive producer Michael Piller, Moore had not successfully sold a single television or film script and had no agent.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Season 03 Star Trek The Next Generation

Tin Man

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 43779.3: The Enterprise is called on to transport first-contact specialist Tam Elbrun – a full Betazoid and one-time mental patient – to Beta Strongren to make initial contact with an alien life form representing the last of its species, but things go disastrously wrong when Romulan attackers show up, and Tam Elbrun decides to stay behind to remain in contact with the creature.

Order the DVDswritten by Dennis Putnam Bailey and David Bischoff
directed by Robert Scheerer
music by Jay Chattaway

Guest Cast: Harry Groener (Tam Elbrun), Michael Cavanaugh (Captain Robert DeSoto), Peter Vogt (Romulan Captain), Colm Meaney (Chief O’Brien)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Season 04 Star Trek The Next Generation

Data’s Day

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 44390.1: Data records his observations of an average day in the Enterprise to be relayed to Dr. Bruce Maddox, a Federaton cyberneticist who once expressed an interest in disassembling Data to learn about how the android works, but now is content to let Data reveal that for himself. But as the day progresses, from the nervous, soon-to-be-married couple of Chief O’Brien and Keiko to the transport of a secretive Vulcan ambassador to the Neutral Zone, Data finds out that this isn’t going to be an ordinary day…

Order the DVDsteleplay by Harold Apter and Ronald D. Moore
story by Harold Apter
directed by Robert Wiemer
music by Ron Jones

Guest Cast: Rosalind Chao (Keiko Ishikawa), Colm Meaney (O’Brien), Sierra Pecheur (Ambassador T’Pel/Subcommander Selok), Alan Scarfe (Admiral Mendak), Shelly Desai (V’Sal), April Grace (Transporter Technician), and Spot

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Season 04 Star Trek The Next Generation

Redemption

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 44995.3: The Enterprise is summoned to the Klingon homeworld so Picard may fulfill his final duty as arbiter of the succession of power there. Gowron intercepts the Enterprise before it arrives, warning Picard that Klingon civil war is brewing. Gowron, about to take control of the empire, is challenged by Lursa and B’etor, the sisters of Duras, who offer his son Toral as an alternative candidate for the throne. Picard, attempting to remain completely neutral in order to avoid accusations that the Federation is taking a hand in Klingon politics, denies Toral’s challenge. Those who would the family of Duras attack Gowron’s ship as he and Worf discuss the redemption of Worf’s family honor. Worf’s brother, Kurn, who now leads four squadrons of Klingon ships, saves Gowron from the attackers, but the victory is only temporary. With the revelation that Kurn is also a member of Worf’s family, Gowron returns Worf’s honor to him. Gowron then requests Federation assistance from Picard, who refuses, citing the recent attack as strictly internal Klingon matters to be dealt with only by the Empire, without Federation interference. Worf requests a leave of absence to stay temporarily on Gowron’s ship. When Picard denies permission to do this, Worf resigns from Starfleet and leaves anyway. After Worf departs, the Enterprise leaves the Klingon homeworld to avoid any further involvement. But on the Klingon planet, in the quarters of Lursa and B’etor, a Romulan officer in the shadows steps forth and predicts that Picard may return because “humans have a way of showing up when you least expect them.” And this is very true, for the words come from a woman who bears a very strong resemblance to Tasha Yar…in Romulan uniform.

Order the DVDswritten by Ronald D. Moore
directed by Cliff Bole
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Robert O’Reilly (Gowron), Tony Todd (Captain Kurn), Barbara March (Lursa), Gwynyth Walsh (B’etor), Ben Slack (K’Tal), Nicholas Kepros (Movar), J.D. Cullum (Toral), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan), Tom Ormeny (Klingon First Officer), Clifton Jones (Helmsman), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice), Denise Crosby (Sela)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Season 05 Star Trek The Next Generation

Redemption II

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 45020.4: War erupts between the forces of Gowron and those of the family of Duras. The forces of Duras are winning even after Gowron’s fleets destroy all of their possible supply bases. Picard plans to take starships the Klingon/Romulan border to act as a blockade against Romulan aid to the Duras followers. Various Enterprise officers are assigned to other ships, most notably Data as captain of the starship Sutherland, whose first officer, Hobson, objects to serving under an android commander. Commander Sela, half-human, half-Romulan daughter of Tasha Yar, demands that the Federation leave the border. Guinan reveals that Sela is the product of the Tasha Yar who was sent to the Enterprise-C by Picard. Gowron launches a surprise attack on their enemies. Lursa and B’etor send a plea for aid. Sela tries to slip past the Sutherland, but Data foils the plan and the Romulans are revealed and forced to retreat, leaving Lursa and B’etor helpless. They escape and abandon Toral, leaving him to Gowron. Gowron offers Worf a chance to slay Toral, but Worf chooses not to judge Toral by his father’s actions and rejoins the crew of the Enterprise. As later noted when they unexpectedly arrived at Deep Space Nine, the Duras sisters are listed by the Klingon government as renegades, but still remain at large with at least one ship of their own, trying to raise capital for a second grab at the throne of the Klingon Empire.

Order the DVDswritten by Ronald D. Moore
directed by David Carson
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Denise Crosby (Sela), Tony Todd (Kurn), Barbara March (Lursa), Gwynyth Walsh (B’etor), J.D. Cullum (Toral), Robert O’Reilly (Gowron), Michael G. Hagerty (Captain Larg), Fran Bennett (Admiral Shonti), Nicholas Kepros (Movar), Colm Meaney (O’Brien), Timothy Carhart (Lt. Commander Hobson), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan), Jordan Lund (Kulge), Stephen James Carver (Helmsman), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Season 05 Star Trek The Next Generation

Unification I

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 45233.1: One of the Federation’s most valued advisors, Spock, has been seen on Romulus. Picard is assigned to go to Romulus undercover and find out if Spock has defected from the Federation. The Enterprise goes to Vulcan, where Picard visits Sarek, and Riker investigates the recovered wreckage of a Vulcan ship. Sarek, near death, suggests that Spock may have gone to visit Pardek, a Romulan peace advocate Spock met at the Khitomer peace conference decades ago. The next stop is the Klingon planet, where Picard borrows a cloaked ship to cross the Neutral Zone. Picard and Data, equipped with disguises, head for Romulus. Federation shipyard operator Dokachen assists Riker in the wreckage investigation. They find an unidentified ship receiving supplies from the shipyard without authorization. The ship fires at the Enterprise, which fires back at minimum power – yet the other vessel explodes. Data and Picard, having just received news of Sarek’s death, beam to Romulus and find Pardek, but before they can follow him, guards stop them and lead them to Pardek…and they discover that Spock is indeed alive and well on Romulus.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Jeri Taylor
story by Rick Berman and Michael Piller
directed by Les Landau
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), Mark Lenard (Sarek), Joanna Miles (Perrin), Stephen Root (Neral), Graham Jarvis (Dokachen), Malachi Throne (Pardek), Norman Large (Captain K’vada), Daniel Roebuck (Jaron), Erick Avari (B’ijik), Karen Hensel (Admiral Brackett), Mimi Cozzens (Soup Woman), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Season 05 Star Trek The Next Generation

Unification II

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 45245.8: Spock is promoting the idea of reunification of Romulus and Vulcan. Pardek gains Spock an audience with the Proconsul, Neral, who says he will endorse reunification. Picard is skeptical, to the annoyance of Spock, who thinks Picard’s impression of him has been colored by Sarek. Neral is plotting with Sela to invade Vulcan with stolen Vulcan ships in the guise of a peace envoy and escorts. Riker gets the truth about the vessel destroyed in the shipyard out of the Ferengi accomplice of the ship’s pilot. An intact Vulcan ship was to be delivered to the Neutral Zone border to Romulans for the invasion fleet. Picard, Spock and Data are taken prisoner when betrayed by Pardek. Sela prepares a hologram of Spock to read a statement about the peaceful mission of the Romulans. When Sela leaves to see the ships off, Data and Spock program the hologram to warn the Federation. The Enterprise intercepts the ships, but a Romulan Warbird destroys the Vulcan ships instead of allowing any evidence to remain of the invasion plot. Picard, Data and Spock escape, and rejoin Spock’s Romulan followers in a new hiding place. Spock insists on staying so that he may continue to influence opinions on Romulus, even if only on a small scale.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Michael Piller
story by Rick Berman and Michael Piller
directed by Cliff Bole
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), Denise Crosby (Sela), Stephen Root (Neral), Malachi Throne (Pardek), Norman Large (Captain K’vada), Daniel Roebuck (Jaron), William Bastiani (Omag), Susan Fallender (Shalote), Vidal Peterson (D’Tan), Harriet Leider (Amarie)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Movies Original Series Star Trek

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Star Trek MoviesStardate 9522.6: A colossal explosion on the Klingon moon Praxis sends intense shock waves through space, which are encountered by the USS Excelsior in its third year of duty under Captain Sulu. The Excelsior is damaged by the leading edge of the energy burst, but regains her balance. When offered assistance, the Klingons tell Sulu to mind his own business and stay out of their territory. Later, on Earth, the command crew of the Enterprise is invited to a top priority, high-security briefing at Starfleet Headquarters, where it is revealed that one of the Kligons’ main sources of power, located on Praxis, released radiation that will eat away the Klingon homeworld’s ozone layer in roughly fifty years, and the Klingons, whose economy is devoted entirely to military development, are unable to combat the deterioration of their planet without aid. Spock, acting as an ambassador, has opened the door for discussions with Chancellor Gorkon of the Klingon High Council, and has taken the liberty of volunteering Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise – both of which are three months away from mandatory retirement as Starfleet prepares to decommission the ship itself – for the duty of escorting Gorkon and his party to the first Federation-Klingon peace talks.

Over dinner on the Enterprise, the Klingons and the Starfleet officers seem to be unable to avoid eventually insulting or offending each other, and General Chang seems more interested in Kirk’s reputation as a warrior than in peace. The Klingons return to their ship, and shortly afterward, torpedoes from the Enterprise’s direction pummel Gorkon’s ship, and two figures in Federation spacesuits beam aboard and kill the Chancellor and many of the Klingon crew. Still unsure of what has happened – Scotty finds that none of the Enterprise’s torpedoes have been fired – Kirk surrenders when Chang threatens to fire on the Enterprise point-blank. Kirk and McCoy beam over, where McCoy tries to save the dying Gorkon, but with Federation medicine’s limited knowledge of Klingon anatomy, McCoy cannot prevent Gorkon’s death. Kirk and McCoy are arrested and given a trial where Chang’s unusual evidence – including entries from Kirk’s personal log stating his distrust of Klingons since they killed his son – insinuates that Kirk was behind the assassination. Kirk and McCoy are sentenced to work for the rest of their lives in the dilithium mines on Rura Penthe.

At Spock’s command, the Enterprise conveniently develops a malfunction that prevents them from receiving Starfleet’s order to return home while the crew searches for the equipment used by the two Starfleet officers who assassinated Gorkon. A few leads appear, but then are revealed to be false alarms – someone is deliberately trying to lead the investigation off track. In the meantime, Kirk and McCoy fight for their lives on Rura Penthe but are helped by exotic fellow prisoner Martia, who warns Kirk that even in the penal colony, there is a price on his head. Martia helps them escape, hoping that Kirk, who she says is the most attractive prisoner to appear in a long time, will repay her somehow. During their escape, Martia is revealed to be a shapeshifter, and perhaps not even a true female. Kirk realizes that the escape has been too easy and that Martia is the one out for he and McCoy. Martia changes into a copy of Kirk, but when the prison guards catch up, Kirk tricks them into shooting Martia instead.

Bluffing their way past Klingon border guards, the Enterprise crew beams Kirk and McCoy up just before the two would have been executed. After returning to the Enterprise, Kirk and the others discover two dead crewmen – the assassins – and realize that there is one more conspirator. Kirk suggests laying a trap by announcing to the crew that the dead crewmen are alive and in sick bay awaiting the court reporter, which would lure the culprit to sick bay to kill the two crewmen before they could talk. The ploy works, and the conspirator is Lt. Valeris, Spock’s trusted protege’. Spock forces a mind-meld with Valeris to find out who the main conspirators are, and discovers that Klingons and a member of the Federation top brass are already cooperating peacefully – to ensure that peace is destroyed by the assassination of the President of the Federation.

Kirk contacts Captain Sulu, and their two ships head for Khitomer to save the President and reveal the conspirators, but time – and Chang’s prototype Bird of Prey that can fire while cloaked (the real source of the attack on Gorkon’s ship) – are against their efforts to save the negotiations.

Order this movie on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxscreenplay by Nicholas Meyer and Denny Martin Flinn
story by Leonard Nimoy and Lawrence Konner & Mark Rosenthal
directed by Nicholas Meyer
music by Cliff Eidelman

Cast: William Shatner (Captain Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy), James Doohan (Scotty), George Takei (Captain Sulu), Walter Koenig (Chekov), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), Kim Cattrall (Valeris), Mark Lenard (Sarek), Grace Lee Whitney (Excelsior Communications Officer), Brock Peters (Admiral Cartwright), Leon Russom (Chief in Command), Kurtwood Smith (Federation President), Christopher Plummer (Chang), Rosanna DeSoto (Azetbur), David Warner (Chancellor Gorkon), John Schuck (Klingon Ambassador), Michael Dorn (Klingon Defense Attorney), Paul Rossilli (Kerla), Robert Easton (Klingon Judge), Clifford Shegog (Klingon Officer), W. Morgan Sheppard (Klingon Commander), Brett Porter (General Stex), Jeremy Roberts (Excelsior Officer), Michael Bofshever (Excelsior Engineer), Angelo Tiffe (Excelsior Navigator), Boris Lee Krutonog (Helsman Lojur), Christian Slater (Excelsior Communications Officer), Iman (Martia), Tom Morga (The Brute), Todd Bryant (Klingon Translator), John Bloom (Behemoth Alien), Jim Beoke (First Klingon General), Carlos Cestero (Munitions Man), Edward Clements (Young Crewman), Katie Jane Johnston (Martia as a Child), Douglas Engalla (Prisoner at Rura Penthe), Matthias Hues (Second Klingon General), Darryl Henriques (Nanclus), David Drance (Sleepy Klingon), Judy Levitt (Military Aide), Shakti (ADC), Michael Snyder (Crewman Dax), Rene Auberjonois (Colonel West – home video release only)

Notes: Although Next Generation was approaching its second season when Trek V was made, the film ignored the TV series (aside from using several barely-redressed sets). However, in Trek VI, many Next Generation connections were present: a Klingon defense attorney (Michael Dorn) is briefly identified as Colonel Worf, the grandfather of the Enterprise-D’s security chief; Khitomer is the site of the 24th century Romulan attack on a Klingon colony, killing Lt. Worf’s parents in Next Generation lore. Events in this movie happen at least 3 years after Trek V, as Sulu states that he has commanded Excelsior for 3 years – though some reports place Trek VI 10 to 15 years later than Trek V, which would better account for the crew’s signs of age. The events in Trek VI were mentioned briefly in the Next Generation two-parter Unification, in which it is mentioned that Spock met Romulan Senator Pardek at the Khitomer Conference. Also, some time after Trek VI and the 23rd century scenes of Generations, Scotty, aboard a transport ship, encounters the enormous alien device which causes him to attempt a last-ditch maneuver to save his life, as told in the Relics episode of Next Generation.

LogBook entry by Earl Green