Star date: 3192.1
Summary: The Enterprise is traveling with a Starfleet Ambassador, Robert Fox, with the goal of establishing diplomatic relations with planet Emeniar-7. As they approach the planet, they receive a code 710 message, which is an unambiguous signal not to enter the solar system for any reason. Fox orders the ship to continue on anyway, over Kirk's objections.
They reach orbit over Emeniar-7, and Kirk beams down with Spock, two redshirts and yet another female Yeoman to make sure it is safe for Ambassador Fox to beam down. There they meet councilman Anan 7 and his aide Mea 3, who insist that the planet is at war with neighboring planet Vendakar, despite the fact that no evidence of war exists. They soon learn that the war is fought in cyberspace, and by treaty, both sides have agreed to sacrifice a number of casualties determined by their computers by sending them to "disintegration machines". One of these virtual attacks occurs while the landing party is on the surface, and Kirk is informed that the Enterprise has been virtually destroyed --- just like the last Starfleet ship to enter their solar system, the USS Valiant, roughly 50 years ago. As a result, Anan 7 expects the entire Enterprise crew to beam down to the surface so that they can be disintegrated. Kirk and the landing party are not among the virtual casualties, so they don't need to die, but the Emenians will hold them captive until the Enterprise crew gives itself up for destruction.
While Kirk and Spock are held captive, Scotty is in command of the bridge on the Enterprise. Rather than telling Scotty the truth, Anan 7 simulates Kirk's voice and orders Scotty to send the whole Enterprise crew down to Emeniar-7 for shore leave. When Scotty sees through this ruse, Anan 7 starts actual disruptor attacks on the Enterprise to destroy it. Just as Scotty is about to return fire, Ambassador Fox overrules him, insisting the whole thing is a misunderstanding. Fox speaks with Anan, who pretends it was a mistake, and stops the disruptor attack in an effort to get the Enterprise to lower shields, so Anan can finish them off. But Scotty refuses to follow Fox's orders and keeps the shields up.
Fox and an assistant beam down to the surface to begin discussions, and are immediately taken to a disintegration machine. Fortunately for them, Spock and Kirk have managed to escape captivity, and are working to take control of the Emenian council room. Spock rescues Fox, then proceeds to the council room where Kirk is held prisoner. Eventually the Starfleet guys take control of the situation and destroy the Emenian war computer, forcing the Emenians either to conduct a REAL war with Vendakar, or negotiate a REAL peace. Fox offers to assist in cease fire negotiations, while the rest of the Enterprise crew returns to the ship.
I believe this is one of the "socially aware" episodes I've heard so much about, one in which Roddenberry uses Star Trek as a vehicle to broadcast an anti-war message. And it's a great message. In fact, it's so great, I'll present it here, before I get into blasting this episode. It occurs in two parts: one before Kirk destroys the Emenian war simulation computer, and one afterward.
Before:
Death. Destruction, disease, horror. That's what war is all about, Anan. That's what makes it a thing to be avoided. You've made it neat, and painless. So neat and painless, you've had no reason to stop it. And you've had it for 500 years! Since it seems to be the only way I can save my crew and my ship, I'm going to end it for you --- one way or another.After, when Anan insists that the Emenians and Vendakarians must return to fighting REAL war, because war is instinctive in the human race (they're humans? I guess so):
All right. It's instinctive. The instinct can be fought. We're human beings, with the blood of a million savage years on our hands. But we can stop it. We can admit that we're killers, but we're not going to klll today. That's all it takes. Knowing that we're not going to kill today.It's a great message, and one I agree with. The problem is that the premise of the show is laughable. Emeniar 7 is fighting a war in which no weapons are used, so there is no destruction, disease, or horror (well, perhaps a little horror) --- only antiseptic death. Those identified as casualties willingly enter a disintegration machine, and just disappear. Sort of like being beamed away into nothingness, I guess.
It sounds like a thought exercise in Ethics 101: "What if there was a war in which people vanished, but there was no other destruction?" Or a Monty Python sketch. Indeed, the first scene in the Emenian council room when they are "under attack" is very much like a Python sketch --- the Emenians talk about "direct hits" within the city limits, and casualty counts, while the Enterprise crew look confused and Kirk radios up to Scotty to determine whether there really is a war going on.
Emeniar-7's "war" with Vendakar is as difficult to take seriously
as your average Monty Python sketch.
Sorry guys. I'm willing to suspend quite a lot of disbelief when I'm watching a science fiction show, but this goes too far.
Setting that aside however --- there's still a lot wrong with this show, starting with Ambassador Fox. We learn early on that Emeniar-7 hasn't acknowledged any of the Enterprise's previous attempts at communication, and when the landing crew arrives, the Emenians don't know why they came. Are we to believe that Starfleet Ambassadors routinely fly around the galaxy making cold calls on planets? When Emeniar-7 does respond to the Enteprise, they send an unambiguous signal not to enter their system under any circumstances, and Fox orders the ship to proceed anyway. What kind of diplomacy is that? Don't Ambassadors generally travel to places where diplomatic relations already exist? And in what kind of organization can an Ambassador overrule a ship's Captain on military matters?
Plus --- Fox is a genuinely terrible ambassador. A planet tells you unambiguously to leave them alone, and when you go there anyway, they take your landing crew captive, try to trick the entire ship's crew to come down under false pretenses, and attack you with everything they have. Clearly Fox is right to conclude it's all just a big misunderstanding. With Fox leading the Emeniar-7/Vendakar negotiations at the end of the show, it's a wonder the Enterprise can get away before the whole solar system explodes.
Finally --- when Kirk destroys the Emenian computer, thus forcing Emeniar-7 and Vendakar to stop their silly war on themselves --- doesn't that violate the Prime Directive all over the place? At this point in the series, the Prime Directive hasn't been fully explained, and since I'm only a Trekkie-wannabe, I don't really know it in detail. But it seems like Kirk is intervening rather forcefully in Emenian affairs and Emenian culture when he does that.
Oh, and one more. We're supposed to believe that Starfleet is a peaceful organization, striving to uphold noble ideals, etc. etc. So why does "General Order 24" --- the destruction of all life on a planet --- even exist?
Other observations about this episode:
Uhura is still really not 4th in command. When Kirk and Spock beam down to the surface, and Sulu is nowhere to be seen, Scotty has the bridge.
This episode sees yet another in a long line of female Yeomen.
How do Fox and his greyshirt assistant (yes, the greyshirt dies, even though the shirt he's wearing is grey) beam down when the ship's deflector screens are up?
Finally, someone (Scotty) thinks to verify the authenticity of a faked voice recording.
At one point, Kirk approaches Anan 7 with a disruptor, by himself, in an effort to retrieve the captive crew's communicators and phasers. Why does Kirk go alone? I guess it's because the asses of the two redshirts who beamed down with him weren't going to sit on themselves. No, of course I realize it's so Kirk could have yet another big fight scene.
And the way Kirk takes control of the Emeniar-7 council room all by himself? Totally believeable.
But best of all --- it turns out Spock can control minds!!! The way the captive Enterprise crew escapes is when Spock sends telepathic messages through a wall to make their guard open the room to their cell so they can ambush him. I'm sure we will never see Spock use this ability ever again.
The Moral of the Story: We can admit that we're killers, but we're not going to klll today. That's all it takes. Knowing that we're not going to kill today.
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