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Journey to Babel (episode)

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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.

  • 1.2 Act One
  • 1.3 Act Two
  • 1.4 Act Three
  • 1.5 Act Four
  • 2 Log entries
  • 3 Memorable quotes
  • 4.1 Story and script
  • 4.2 Makeup and costumes
  • 4.3 Effects
  • 4.6 Continuity and trivia
  • 4.7 Reception
  • 4.8 Apocrypha
  • 4.9 Remastered information
  • 4.10 Production timeline
  • 4.11 Video and DVD releases
  • 5.1 Starring
  • 5.2 Also starring
  • 5.3 Guest stars
  • 5.4 Featuring
  • 5.5 Uncredited co-stars
  • 5.6 Stunt doubles
  • 5.7 References
  • 5.8 External links

Summary [ ]

Sarek, 2268

The USS Enterprise arrives in orbit around the planet Vulcan , picking up the last delegation of Vulcans to add to an assortment of 114 ambassadors and dignitaries aboard (including Andorians and Tellarites ). The delegates will be attending a conference on the neutral planetoid named Babel to decide the admission of the planet Coridan to the Federation , which is rich in dilithium but is poorly defended. In the captain's quarters, Dr. McCoy laments to Captain Kirk about how uncomfortable his dress uniform is. Kirk assures the doctor that they can relax once they bring the Vulcan delegation aboard. On their way, McCoy explains the tension of the assignment while Spock arrives to meet them. As the Vulcan delegation arrive on the shuttle Galileo, the three officers and an honor guard of security personnel greet the Vulcan ambassador to Earth , Sarek , and his Human wife Amanda . Welcoming the ambassador aboard, Kirk offers to have Spock take him and his wife on a tour of the ship, but Sarek coldly asks that someone else give it. Sensing unpleasantness between the two Vulcans, Kirk suggests to Spock that, with two hours before the ship leaves orbit, he should beam down to the planet and visit his parents. But Spock says that would be unnecessary, because Ambassador Sarek and his wife are his parents.

Act One [ ]

As Kirk conducts a tour of the ship for the ambassador and his wife, he seeks out the roots of estrangement between Spock and his parents once they pass by Spock in Engineering. The rift seemingly sprang from Spock's election to attend Starfleet Academy over his fathers' choice of the Vulcan Science Academy as Sarek followed his father's teachings. Kirk voices support of Spock's choices and notes that he has a personal friendship with Spock to his mother Amanda, who appreciates the sentiment but also warns that the estrangement between father and son may be permanent, since it has been 18 years.

The delegates meet at a reception on the Enterprise . McCoy asked Sarek if he considered retirement at his age of 102. Sarek replied he had other concerns. The Tellarite ambassador, Gav , confronts Sarek asking about his vote on Coridan's admission, to which he replies that it would be known at the conference. Gav demands he knows know where the he stands where the Andorian ambassador, Shras , asks why. The Tellarite ambassador replies his vote carries others and he would know where he stands and why. Sarek insults Gav by stating that Tellarites simply argue for no reason. Kirk interjects and reminds everyone that they won't solve their issues on the Enterprise , drawing apologies from Shras and Sarek, while Gav excuses himself from the reception.

Kirk and Sarek move on to other guests while McCoy discovers a hint of Spock's childhood from Amanda, that he had a pet sehlat , " a fat teddy bear , " as Amanda says, delighting the doctor. Spock corrects his mother's sentiment, saying that on Vulcan, the "teddy bears" are alive and have six-inch long fangs.

Kirk also learns the Enterprise is being tailed by a mysterious unidentified vessel. On the bridge, they determine that the vessel is an unknown configuration, unauthorized, and not responding to hails. Kirk orders an intercept to take a closer look.

Meanwhile, Amanda speaks with her husband against their son's estrangement in their quarters , but Sarek resists, saying that Spock is due respect for his own achievements, not for feelings of pride. Amanda believes Sarek feels pride in Spock despite his disapproval of Starfleet but won't show it.

The unidentified vessel makes a pass at the Enterprise at warp 10 without firing.

Later, Sarek is again confronted by Gav at the reception area, and Sarek reveals that he would vote in favor of admission, citing that Coridan needs the Federation's protection against illegal dilithium mining, which alludes to illegal Tellarite mining operations on Coridan. A brief struggle between the two ambassadors ensues, broken up by Kirk who just arrived. The captain sternly reminds both ambassadors that there will be order as long as he is in command of the ship. They both agree and Gav excuses himself once again.

Gav murdered

Gav found murdered

A few hours later, Gav's lifeless body is found stuffed up a Jefferies tube on deck 11 by security officer Lt. Josephs .

Act Two [ ]

Kirk, Spock, and McCoy investigate Gav's murder . McCoy explains his neck was broken in a very precise manner, leading Spock to conclude it can only be a Vulcan execution technique called tal-shaya . Kirk then deduces that Sarek is logically the prime suspect, but when he is confronted by Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, it is revealed that Sarek is becoming increasingly ill with a cardiac defect, and claims he could not have committed the murder, as he was in solitude at the time of Gav's death on the Enterprise 's observation deck . McCoy takes him to sickbay.

Kirk and Spock go to the bridge and rule out the Romulans and Klingons. Uhura additionally finds that the communication signal is being received inside the ship, but not pinpointed.

It falls on McCoy to attempt to heal the ambassador with heart surgery, but the doctor has reservations, what with his own limited surgical experience on Vulcan physiology and the requirement of large amounts of a rare Vulcan blood type, T-negative . Spock elects to take the role of blood donor, risking his own life by taking a dangerous stimulant only tested on Rigelians to induce blood cell production despite Amanda's objections. They debate this for a while.

However, Kirk is suddenly stabbed by the Andorian delegate Thelev . He subdues Thelev in a corridor on deck five just outside his quarters and alerts Spock on the bridge through an intercom panel just before passing out in the corridor.

Thelev fights Kirk

Thelev fighting Kirk

Act Three [ ]

Thelev is placed into custody in the Enterprise 's brig . Kirk has survived the assassination attempt, but now Spock refuses to participate in the procedure while his commanding officer is lying in sickbay , stating his first duty is to the ship, and cannot relinquish command due to "personal privilege."

He goes to the brig and questions Thelev. However, even under a verifier scan and truth drug, he does not answer. The lead Andorian doesn't know him that well, and can't help other than to say the Andorians have no quarrel with Kirk.

Amanda comes to Spock's quarters to convince him to help Sarek, appealing to his duty to his father, saying any competent officer can take command. Spock agrees that is true in normal circumstances, but says he cannot relinquish command as the situation is not normal and what would his father say if he risked the ship, over 100 valuable Federation passengers and interplanetary war for one life? She makes an emotional appeal to his human half, saying if he allows his father to die she will hate him for the rest of her life. But Spock's decision is unchanged. She slaps him and leaves. He puts a hand out towards her after the door closes.

Kirk comes to consciousness and finds McCoy is not in surgery, to which he explains Spock's decision. Despite objections from McCoy, Kirk goes to the bridge and assumes command before he is fully healed, and sends Spock to surgery, with the intent of handing command over to Scotty while Spock is undergoing the blood transfusion and recover in his quarters. After Spock and McCoy leave the bridge he is about to call Scotty; however, the alien vessel comes closer and Uhura picks up a signal and determines that it's being received in the brig. Kirk orders red alert and security to search Thelev.

Thelev

Thelev in the brig

As McCoy takes blood from Spock and begins to operate on Sarek, Thelev attempts to escape from his cell while being searched, and the security officers use their phasers to stun him. As Thelev falls to the floor unconscious, his antenna breaks — revealing a transmitter used to communicate with the intruder vessel.

The intruder ship begins to open fire on the Enterprise . The smaller vessel makes unbelievably quick passes and phaser strikes against the larger starship, too fast for Enterprise to return fire effectively, missing with a phaser attack. Despite being faster than the Enterprise , their weapons only consist of standard phasers according to Ensign Chekov , indicating to Kirk they don't have superior firepower. The Enterprise continues to fight a battle against the smaller and faster ship, shuddering with each successive hit and suffering power losses. McCoy fears he may lose both his patients if the ship continues to take a pounding.

Act Four [ ]

As Enterprise struggles against the unknown vessel, missing with a full spread of photon torpedoes , Thelev is brought to the bridge, where Kirk confronts him as to his true identity as a spy. Thelev is uncooperative, preferring to taunt Kirk and enjoy the view of his fellow ship succeeding over the larger Enterprise . As the power goes out in sickbay, Sarek goes into cardiac arrest. McCoy and Nurse Christine Chapel try to make do with portable resuscitation equipment in an attempt to restart his heart again.

Pavel Chekov celebrating

" Got him! "

Meanwhile, Kirk, fed up with Thelev's taunts and the other ship's apparently superior tactical ability, does the unthinkable. He drops the shields, then systematically fakes losing all power to lure the other ship in. The Enterprise appears dead in space. The enemy ship appears to hesitate, then slowly closes in for the kill. As soon as it is in range, Kirk delivers phaser fire that cripples the vessel, to the observing Thelev's disappointment. The mystery ship then self-destructs to avoid capture, and Thelev dies of an apparent suicide via slow poison.

Leonard McCoy, 2268

Dr. McCoy happy at finally getting the last word

In sickbay, Kirk discovers that Sarek's surgery was a success, and not only are he and Spock recovering well, but they are also talking again as father and son. They even tease Amanda together, Sarek explaining that despite her rampant emotions a marriage to Amanda seemed at the time the only logical thing to do. When Kirk orders McCoy to perform an autopsy on Thelev to determine his true identity, Spock surmises Thelev and the attackers in the enemy ship were Orions , who had much to gain from disrupting the Babel conference so they could continue to loot Coridan of its dilithium. Kirk then slumps, finally too exhausted and in too much pain to continue, but he continues to protest as he is led to another empty bed in the ward by McCoy and Nurse Chapel. McCoy, exercising his rightful medical authority over his patients, is eventually successful in telling Kirk and Spock to lie still and be quiet, finally and gleefully getting "the last word".

Log entries [ ]

  • Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), 2268

Memorable quotes [ ]

" I feel like my neck's in a sling. "

" That hurts worse than the uniform. "

" Vulcans believe that peace should not depend on force. "

" Isn't it unusual for a Vulcan to retire at your age? After all, You're only 102. " " 102.437 precisely, doctor. Measured in your years. I… had… other concerns. "

" Tellarites do not argue for reasons. They simply argue. "

" On Vulcan, the teddy bears are alive. And they have six-inch fangs. "

" You're showing almost Human pride in your son. "

" It does not require pride to ask that Spock be given the respect which is his due…not as my son, but as Spock. "

" Threats are illogical. And payment is usually expensive. "

" Vulcans do not approve of violence. "

" Perhaps you should forget logic and devote yourself to motivations of passion or gain. Those are reasons for murder. "

" You're Human, too. Let that part of you come through. "

" My patients don't walk out in the middle of an operation. "

" It's… important… " " So is your father's life. "

" Logic! Logic! I'm sick to death of logic! "

" Emotional, isn't she? " " She has always been that way. " " Indeed. Why did you marry her? " " At the time, it seemed the logical thing to do. "

" Well, what do you know? I finally got the last word. "

Background information [ ]

Story and script [ ].

  • D.C. Fontana 's writing of this episode was inspired by several references to Spock's parents that had been littered throughout the previous installments of TOS. Fontana later admitted, " 'Journey to Babel' grew out of previous writing […] There were all these little things that were running around in my brain. " [1] One of the past references, dialogue said in " This Side of Paradise " (which Fontana had previously worked on as a writer), was especially influential to the story. Explained Fontana, " The idea really came out of the line toward the end of 'This Side of Paradise', where Spock says, 'My mother was a school teacher, my father was an ambassador.' " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 2 , pp. 84-85)
  • Fontana presented Gene Roddenberry with the idea of featuring Spock's parents in an episode. She reflected, " I was kicking around stories and I finally went in to Gene […] and said, 'I want to do something about Spock's mother and father […] Let's explore that relationship.' " [2] " I said to Gene, 'We've talked about them, let's show them,' " Fontana continued. " He told me to do it, and I came up with 'Journey to Babel'. " ( Starlog issue #118, p. 18)
  • Another influence on the episode was an extreme interest in exploring Spock's parentage. " We needed to see the family background that Spock was raised in, what's going on with him truly personally, " Fontana related. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 2 , pp. 84-85) Furthermore, she was interested in not only who Spock's parents were but also how they had shaped his identity. [3]
  • After D.C. Fontana chose to feature Spock's family in the episode, she began to formulate some of their backstory. Said Fontana, " I made some notes about what was going on with them. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 2 , p. 85) She elaborated, " I sat down and created two characters, emphasizing the triangular relationship – the rift between Sarek and Spock, with Amanda positioned in the middle. " ( Starlog issue #118, p. 18) It was Fontana who named Spock's mother "Amanda"; she chose that name because it means "worthy of being loved." ( Star Trek: The Original Series 365 , p. 217)
  • D.C. Fontana was interested in making the aforementioned rift multi-dimensional. She remembered, " One of the points I […] wanted to make believable in 'Babel' was that both Spock and Sarek were right – as their own convictions applied to themselves – and wrong – as their convictions applied to each other. " ( Babel #5; Enterprise Incidents , number 11, p. 27) This interpersonal friction, despite being between a full-blooded Vulcan and his half-Vulcan son, enabled Fontana to somewhat humanize the story. She observed, " It was really about the generation gap which […] can be either a wall or, you know, something warm and lovely. And in this case, it was a wall, as far as between the father and son. " [4] Fontana also reckoned that the family dynamic of having the hybrid Spock biologically between the extremities of the two others was "bound to create a lot of character problems." ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 57) Gene Roddenberry approved of taking the opportunity to center the episode on the conflict between Sarek and Spock. [5] The multi-faceted character dynamics within the family propelled Fontana to write the story and script. " This was the first mention [in 'Journey to Babel'] that [Spock] and his father had been estranged. Well, why? " she wondered. " What's with his mother, what feelings does she have in this particular triangle between husband and son? And what kind of a woman was she to marry a Vulcan, go to Vulcan, live like a Vulcan, raise a half-Vulcan son? What was that all about?' " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 2 , pp. 84-85)
  • The storyline concerning intrigue between the various ambassadors on board the Enterprise was subsequently added to the plot. With an indirect reference to the narrative about Spock's parents, D.C. Fontana stated, " I wrapped it up in a mystery, and in an adventure. " [6]
  • The multiple minor differences between this episode's first draft and its ultimate embodiment include a brief discussion between Amanda and Spock in which she tried to persuade him to talk to his father. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 29 , p. 28)
  • In the first draft script, Sarek and Amanda had been married for thirty-eight years, Sarek had been an astrophysicist before embarking on a career in politics, and his father (Spock's grandfather) was Shariel, a famous Vulcan ambassador. ( The Star Trek Compendium , p. 89)
  • In an early draft, D.C. Fontana planned for a Vulcan city to be shown in the episode's teaser, when Spock meets up with his parents. She explained, " The cost of doing a 'matte,' or painting of the city, was prohibitive. " ( Babel #5; Enterprise Incidents , number 11, p. 26) Hence, the shot was removed. [7]
  • Fontana was not concerned, while writing this episode, about how costly producing the story's variety of aliens would be, since she was aware that – because the installment is set entirely aboard the Enterprise with no extra planetary or ship sets needed – the finances could be spent wholly on the costumes and makeup. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 27, No. 11/12, p. 46)
  • In the original script, Sarek and his company were beamed aboard the Enterprise , but after going over budget with the expensive Vulcan, Andorian, and Tellarite make-up as well as the outer space footage of the Orion ship, there was no money left for the transporter effect. The Vulcans' transportation to the ship by shuttlecraft was decided upon because it could be done completely via the use of stock footage from " The Galileo Seven ". ( The Star Trek Compendium , p. 89)
  • In D.C. Fontana's opinion, not much was altered between how she envisioned this episode and the way in which it turned out. " It was shot pretty much as I wrote it – only a couple of things were changed, " related Fontana. " One scene was added in which Amanda talks to Kirk about Sarek's relationship with his son. It seemed to me that that would have been inappropriate, and that she would not have blurted out all this information to Kirk. I did not have anything to do with that scene, and I think Gene Roddenberry rewrote it. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 26 , p. 25)

Makeup and costumes [ ]

  • Actor John Wheeler , in character as Gav, had so much trouble seeing through the prosthetics over his eyes that he was forced to raise his head to see his castmates. This added to the early mythos that all Tellarites were arrogant as well as belligerent and aggressive. ( Star Trek: The Original Series 365 , p. 220)
  • William Blackburn , in an unused make-up scheme for the Tellarites from a make-up test, can be seen in the end credits of " The Deadly Years " and " A Private Little War ".
  • Andorian make-up was very expensive. Three different sets had to be created, for William O'Connell , for Reggie Nalder , and for Jim Shepherd, the stuntman doubling for O'Connell. ( citation needed • edit )
  • Many of the costumes worn by extras in the hallway and reception room scenes were recycled from several first season episodes, including the outfits worn by Galactic High Commissioner Ferris in " The Galileo Seven " and by Lazarus in " The Alternative Factor ". A female extra ( Jeannie Malone ) can be seen wearing a faux fur dress worn by Lenore Karidian in " The Conscience of the King ", complete with other recycled costume pieces. Another female alien is wearing Areel Shaw 's civilian dress from " Court Martial ", and a third one is wearing a costume left over from " Wolf in the Fold ". Scotty 's dress uniform was also reused on an extra playing a Starfleet delegate.
  • The vests worn by the Andorian delegates were recycled from the 1956 RKO film The Conqueror . Reggie Nalder ' vest was worn by John Wayne in the film and had been auditioned off by Heritage Auctions in 2018. [8]

Effects [ ]

  • The completed episode was very well-liked by NBC . The network urged the production staff to finish post-production of "Journey to Babel" quickly, so that it could be scheduled for the earliest possible airdate. As a result, the visual effect shots of the Orion scoutship were not ready when the trailer for the episode was assembled, hence the trailer features a different (much more primitive) effect depicting the vessel. For the same reason, the Enterprise fires purple phasers in the trailer, while phasers are blue in color in the episode itself. ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season Two )
  • The matte shot of Uhura appearing on the screen in engineering is one of the smallest mattes ever used in the series, until the view discs in " All Our Yesterdays ".
  • For some unknown reason, during the fight between Thelev and Kirk, just after Kirk's failed wall kick, the comical sound effect of a coconut conk can be heard. This may have been meant to indicate Thelev's head hitting the floor. In the remastered edition of this episode, this effect has been removed from the fight.
  • The noise of the coded message sent by Thelev is also used in " Miri ".
  • The Orion ship was recycled as the missile in " Patterns of Force ".
  • The Tantalus field controls used in " Mirror, Mirror " can be seen behind McCoy while Amanda is inquiring about Sarek's condition. The couch from Kirk's Starbase 11 quarters in " Court Martial " can also be seen in McCoy's office. ( The Star Trek Compendium , p. 89)
  • The Tellarite ambassador is found dead in "Deck 11, section A3" which, according to Matt Jefferies ' original internal schematics, is at the bottom of the main interconnecting dorsal. ( citation needed • edit ) The "slanting wall tube" that the Tellarite is found sprawled in is also identified as " Engineering Circuit Bay " by the wall plaque in another episode. ( citation needed • edit )
  • Leonard Nimoy regarded this episode's depiction of Spock's relationship with his parents as a very worthy allegory for the difficulty many teenagers encounter with their own parents. [9]
  • When Mark Lenard was cast as Sarek for this episode, he was forty-three, only seven years older than Leonard Nimoy. ( Star Trek: The Original Series 365 , p. 218)
  • Before he was cast as Sarek, Lenard played the first major Romulan character seen on Star Trek , the Romulan Commander in the episode " Balance of Terror ".
  • When she was offered the part of Amanda, Jane Wyatt had never heard of Star Trek before, and thought of it as a comedy. She expected to have a week of laughing on the set, but upon arriving for her first day of working on the episode, she was very surprised by how seriously everyone was taking the show. [10] As a tribute to her long and distinguished career, Wyatt is called "Miss Jane Wyatt" in the episode's closing credits.
  • D.C. Fontana was uninvolved in the casting of Mark Lenard as Sarek and Jane Wyatt as Amanda but ultimately approved of the selections of those two guest stars. " [They] were brilliant together […] The two of them together looked superb, " Fontana enthused. " They were just wonderful and they carried it off so well, even the Vulcanisms that we had to put in. " [11]
  • Leonard Nimoy once recalled that Mark Lenard and Jane Wyatt came to him for advice on Vulcan culture. Nimoy replied that he had come to believe Vulcans placed great importance on their hands and hand gestures, and suggested Lenard and Wyatt find a way to demonstrate that, when on screen. The actors then created the finger-touching gesture seen in the episode. ("To Boldly Go…": Season 2, TOS Season 2 DVD special features)
  • James Doohan ( Scott ) and George Takei ( Sulu ) do not appear in this episode, although Scott is mentioned.
  • Frank da Vinci plays one of Sarek's aides. Russ Peek , who plays the other aide, also appeared as mirror Spock 's Vulcan bodyguard in " Mirror, Mirror ".

Continuity and trivia [ ]

  • Sarek appears on screen for the first and only time on TOS. He was not seen again until Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , seventeen years later.
  • This episode introduces the Andorians and the Tellarites. Later episodes established that, along with Humans and Vulcans, they are two of the four founding members of the United Federation of Planets .
  • The gathering of aliens in this episode is of notable continuity. D.C. Fontana stated about the installment, " It was the first show we had done with a number of different aliens all together in one place with some goal in mind. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 2 , p. 85)
  • This episode marks the first mention of Starfleet Intelligence in Star Trek production history.
  • This episode is also the first mention of a pet sehlat that Spock owned in his youth. This animal appears in D.C. Fontana's Star Trek: The Animated Series first season episode " Yesteryear ", which also establishes the creature's name as I-Chaya .
  • Shras' suggestion that Spock forget logic and consider motivations of passion when investigating Gav's murder and Kirk's stabbing foreshadow the Vulcan-Andorian conflicts seen a century earlier, throughout Star Trek: Enterprise .
  • The door to Spock's quarters does not work as expected. It opens to allow his mother, Amanda, to leave and closes behind her as normal. Then Spock walks to the door and places his hand on it, but it does not open, despite his proximity.
  • The conclusion of this episode involves a rare breaking of the fourth wall . ( Star Trek: The Original Series 365 , p. 219) McCoy was looking slightly to the right of the screen and appeared to be speaking to Amanda and Nurse Chapel when he expresses delight at finally having the last word. However, a more direct breaking of the fourth wall occurred in "The Changeling" as Uhura, attempting to read the word "blue" on her viewscreen, turns directly to the camera and the viewers as she mispronounces the word as "blu-ee."
  • Spock's decision to join Starfleet rather than attend the Vulcan Science Academy is seen in the film Star Trek , wherein he makes the choice after being told by the head of the VSA admissions board that his academic accomplishments were all the more impressive given the "disadvantage" of having a Human parent. While this occurs after Nero 's incursion changes the timeline , screenwriter Roberto Orci stated that this took place in the prime timeline as well. ( citation needed • edit )
  • Tellarites were seen in two Season 3 episodes, with greatly modified masks: " The Lights of Zetar " and " Whom Gods Destroy ".
  • Manny Coto originally pushed to have the short, gold-skinned species from this episode attend the Coalition of Planets conference in " Terra Prime ", but it proved too expensive. He named the species Ithenite , a name that is mentioned in " Azati Prime " by time traveler Daniels . ( citation needed • edit )
  • Spock reports that he gets readings of " trititanium " in the Orion ship's hull. It is not clear if the entire hull is made of it or parts of it. Trititanium is the material that the Enterprise 's hull is made of, as Gene Roddenberry says in the novel Star Trek: The Motion Picture . It is not clear whether it is the same material as " tritanium " which is reported to be "twenty times as hard as diamond" in TOS : " Obsession ".
  • In DIS : " Light and Shadows ", which is set in 2257 , eleven years prior to this episode, Sarek and Spock share a scene together on Vulcan . Although this might seem to contradict Amanda's statement to Kirk in this episode that Spock and Sarek have not spoken "as father and son for eighteen years", her wording is still technically correct, since Spock was not in a proper state of mind in that episode, and Sarek does not directly address his son.

Reception [ ]

  • D.C. Fontana has repeatedly named this episode her favorite out of all the Star Trek episodes she wrote. ("To Boldly Go…": Season 2, TOS Season 2 DVD special features; Star Trek Magazine  issue 128 , p. 46; et al ) She noted, " It went into the Vulcan relationships between families. I think that's a story that's universal and timeless – that communication between parents and children. And that to me was the big story. The rest of it was an adventure, it was a spy story, it was a mystery, it was an action story – but all in all it was really about the parents and the child… There had still been a vast lack of communication between them and they needed to find each other as parent and child. " ("To Boldly Go…": Season 2, TOS Season 2 DVD special features) Generally, Fontana enjoyed the writing of this episode. " 'Journey to Babel' was a very happy experience, " she noted. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 26 , p. 25) She also remarked, " Bringing in the whole murder and the whole political background was a lot of fun. That was the main story, but personally I was more involved, in terms of interest as a writer, with the personal story of Spock and Sarek and Amanda. " Fontana also commented that, despite the fact that the family-centered storyline "takes up very little room," it turned out to be the memorable aspect of the episode. " That's the part of the story that everyone remembers, " Fontana concluded. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 2 , p. 85)
  • Leonard Nimoy enthused, " Mark had a real sense of the dignity and the authority that the character needed. Jane was very Human – which is exactly what that character needed. They were terrific together. " ("To Boldly Go…": Season 2, TOS Season 2 DVD special features)
  • Director Joseph Pevney was selective with his opinion of how successful this episode was, though he was especially impressed by makeup supervisor Fred Phillips ' work on the outing. " That was a good show in certain ways, " remarked Pevney. " I thought the greatest contributor to it was the makeup artist. He did a fabulous job of bringing alien humanoids on board. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 57)
  • While Spock (Leonard Nimoy) was often deluged with fan mail on a regular basis, this trend was outdone following the broadcast of "Journey to Babel". Indeed, the fan mail poured into the studio at an incredible rate, only this time addressed to Mark Lenard, who for two weeks, topped those coming in for Nimoy. ( The World of Star Trek )
  • The reference book Star Trek 101 (p. 18), by Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block , counts this episode as one of the "Ten Essential Episodes" from Star Trek: The Original Series .
  • In the unofficial reference book Trek Navigator: The Ultimate Guide to the Entire Trek Saga (p. 123), both Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross (the book's co-writers) individually rate this episode 4 out of 5 stars (defined as "Classic!").
  • The unauthorized reference book Beyond the Final Frontier (p. 32) comments on this outing, stating, " [An] episode that is rich with color and texture. The relationship between Spock and Sarek is done extremely well, with Amanda's concern and disappointment adding an absent emotional context that makes the father-son relationship seem more tragic. "
  • In the souvenir magazine Star Trek 30 Years , (pp. 89 & 90) the magazine's makers included this installment as one of their all-time favorite episodes from the original Star Trek series and described it as "an enjoyable romp with a heartfelt ending." They went on to say, " Mark Lenard is appropriately stiff as Spock's Vulcan father, Sarek, and Jane Wyatt is endearing as his Earth-born mother, Amanda. "
  • TV Guide ranked this as the fifth best Star Trek episode for their celebration of the franchise's 30th anniversary. ( TV Guide August 24, 1996 issue)
  • In the magazine Cinefantastique , writer Sue Uram rated this episode 4 out of 4 stars and commented, " 'Journey to Babel' marks a high point in D.C. Fontana's remarkable association with Star Trek […] Clearly, 'Journey to Babel' is important from the Federation historical perspective of attempting to form a United Nations sort of body […] However, it is the inner conflict of Mr. Spock with his father and the remarkable insights we are given into his unhappy childhood which make this show unique […] Jane Wyatt and Mark Lenard put in sterling performances as Spock's parents. It almost breaks my heart when Amanda, loving her husband and her son, must use the ultimate emotion to force Spock to face his duty – that of guilt. " The same issue of Cinefantastique also included the installment among " Trek 's Top Ten." ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 27, No. 11/12, pp. 75, 76 & 103)

Apocrypha [ ]

  • This episode was used wholesale in the Star Trek Online expansion Agents of Yesterday . In the mission "Return to Babel", the player character is sent back to the event to prevent the Na'kuhl from disrupting it. Gav's death and Kirk's stabbing were perpetrated by the Na'kuhl and the mystery ship was a collaboration between the Orions and the Na'kuhl, its destruction not a self-destruct, but the player character planting a bomb that was meant for the Enterprise in the ship itself.
  • A cat version of "Journey to Babel" was featured in Jenny Parks ' 2017 book Star Trek Cats .

Remastered information [ ]

Galileo approaches from Vulcan

  • The remastered version of this episode premiered in syndication the weekend of 3 February 2007 and featured several notably altered effects. The Enterprise shuttlebay and landing sequence was completely redone digitally, featuring a number of background actors visible within the viewing galleries. Also revamped were shots of Vulcan (now more closely resembling its appearance in Star Trek: Enterprise ) and the battle between the Enterprise and the Orion ship, now more featuring an identifiable design.

Production timeline [ ]

Desilu Stage 9, Journey to Babel

A sound stage blueprint featuring revamp and filming date locations for "Journey to Babel"

  • Story outline by D.C. Fontana : 23 June 1967
  • First draft teleplay: 8 August 1967
  • Second draft teleplay: 22 August 1967
  • Final draft teleplay by Gene L. Coon : late- August 1967
  • Revised final draft: 31 August 1967
  • Revised final draft script – 14 September 1967
  • Second revised final draft by Gene Roddenberry : 19 September 1967
  • Additional revisions: 20 September 1967 , 21 September 1967 , 26 September 1967 , 27 September 1967
  • Day 1 – 21 September 1967 , Thursday – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Kirk's quarters , Bridge
  • Day 2 – 22 September 1967 , Friday – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Bridge , Corridors , Brig
  • Day 3 – 25 September 1967 , Monday – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Corridors , Recreation room (redress of Briefing room)
  • Day 4 – 26 September 1967 , Tuesday – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Hangar deck , Engineering , Sarek's quarters
  • Day 5 – 27 September 1967 , Wednesday – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Sickbay (Lab, Doctor's Office, Exam Room)
  • Day 6 – 28 September 1967 , Thursday – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Sickbay , Spock's quarters
  • Original airdate: 17 November 1967
  • Rerun airdate: 5 July 1968
  • First UK airdate: 22 June 1970
  • Remastered episode airdate: 3 February 2007

Video and DVD releases [ ]

  • US RCA CED Videodisc release (1982)
  • Original US Betamax release: 1986
  • UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 23 , catalog number VHR 2358, 2 April 1990
  • US VHS release: 15 April 1994
  • UK re-release (three-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 2.5, 5 May 1997
  • Original US DVD release (single-disc): Volume 22, 24 April 2001
  • As part of the TOS Season 2 DVD collection
  • As part of the TOS-R Season 2 DVD and TOS Season 2 Blu-ray collections

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

  • William Shatner as Capt. Kirk

Also starring [ ]

  • Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock
  • DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy

Guest stars [ ]

  • Miss Jane Wyatt as Amanda
  • Mark Lenard as Sarek

Featuring [ ]

  • Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
  • William O'Connell as Thelev
  • Majel Barrett as Nurse Chapel
  • Walter Koenig as Chekov
  • John Wheeler as Gav
  • James X. Mitchell as Josephs
  • Reggie Nalder as Shras

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

  • Tellarite aide
  • John Blower as Babel conference officer
  • Jerry Catron as Montgomery
  • Billy Curtis as Copper-skinned alien 1
  • Frank da Vinci as Sarek's aide 2
  • Steve Hershon as security guard
  • Jeannie Malone as Purple-skinned alien
  • Jerry Maren as Copper-skinned alien 2
  • Eddie Paskey as Leslie
  • Russ Peek as Sarek's aide 1
  • Kai J. Wong as medical technician
  • Shuttle pilots
  • Engineering technician
  • Human delegate 2
  • Sciences crew woman
  • Security guard 2
  • Security lieutenants 1 , 2 , and 3
  • Human delegate 1
  • Brown-skinned aliens 1 and 2
  • Big-hair aliens 1 and 2
  • Cross-dress alien 1 and 2
  • Female delegates 1 , 2 , and 3

Stunt doubles [ ]

  • Paul Baxley as stunt double for William Shatner
  • Jim Sheppard as stunt double for William O'Connell

References [ ]

2165 ; 2235 ; 2250 ; 2264 ; accusation ; " after a fashion "; aide ; alert status four ; alternative ; ambassador ; ambassador's party ; amount ; analysis ; anatomical type ; answer ; antenna ; antidote ; antimatter pile ; Andorian ; area ; argument ; attempted murder ; autopsy ; auxiliary power ; Babel ; Babel Conference ; Babel sector ; bait ; bearing ; benjisidrine ; blood ; blood bank ; blood donor ; blood plasma ; blood pressure ; blood reproduction rate ; blood test ; blood transfusion ; blood type ; body ; " Bones "; brig ; cardio-stimulator ; cardio-stimulate ; cardiovascular system ; career ; centimeter ; children ; choice ; chronological age ; circumstantial evidence ; civilization ; cloak ; code ; Columbus ; commission ; computer ; computer component ; computer records ; computer science ; computer statistics ; conclusion ; Constitution -class decks ; contact ; control computers ; Coridan ; Coridan system ; Coridanite ; council ; council chamber ; council session (aka council meeting ); course (aka heading ); curiosity ; critical level ; crying ; cyrogenic open-heart procedure ; damage control procedure ; damage report ; data ; day ; death ; delegate ; density ; dilithium crystal ; directional locator ; distance ; donor ; duty personnel ; Earthmen ; efficiency ; emergency back-up system ; emotion ; engineering section ; estimate ; evening ; execution ; experience ; expert ; fact ; family doctor ; fang ; Federation ; Federation law ; Federation planets ; fire control ; frequency ; friend ; Galileo ; general quarters ; guide ; habit ; hail (aka hailing frequency ); hangar deck ; head ; heart ; heart attack ; heartbeat ; heart valve ; high warp speed ; home base ; honor guard ; hour ; hull ; Human (aka Earthman ); Human factors ; hundred ; I-Chaya ; identification ; information ; instruction ; Ithenite ; intercept course ; intercom ; interplanetary conference ; interplanetary war ; interrogation (aka questioning); intruder ; K-2 factor ; kilometer ; Klingon ; knowledge ; liver ; location ; logic ; loyalty ; lung ; madam ; main control ; malfunction ; marriage ; medical record ; meditation ; mind ; mining ; mining operation ; minute ; mission ; missus ; motivation ; murder ; name ; nature ; neck ; oath ; observation deck ; offense ; opportunity ; organ ; Orion ; Orion (planet); Orion scout ship ; parallel course ; parent ; passenger ; patient ; patricide ; payment ; peace ; percent ; personal receiver ; pet ; petition ; phasers ; phaser bank ; phaser range ; photon torpedo ; physical examination ; physician (aka doctor ); physiology ; planetoid ; plot ; plot ; poison ; port ; power ; power utilization curve ; prescription ; pride ; prime suspect ; prisoner ; probability ; pronunciation ; puncture ; quadrant ; quarterly physical ; race ; reader tube ; reception ; recorder ; red alert ; respect ; retirement ; Rigel V ; Rigelians ; Rigelian test subjects ; risk ; Romulans ; Sarek's physician ; Saurian brandy ; science station ; scientist ; Scott, Montgomery ; scout ship ; search ; security team ; self-destruct ; sehlat ; sensor ; sensor locator ; sensor probe ; shadow ; shield ; sickbay system ; " sick to death of "; signal ; size ; Skon ; slander ; slap ; sledgehammer ; sling ; smile ; smuggler ; speculation ; speed ; spy ; " spit and polish "; spleen ; stamina ; starboard ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Command ; Starfleet dress uniform ; Starfleet Intelligence ; Starfleet regulations ; sterile field ; stimulant ; stubborn ; sublight ; suicide ; suicide mission ; surgeon ; surgery (aka operation); surgically altered ; surgical support frame ; surgically altered ; surrender ; suspect ; suspicion ; symbol ; T-negative ; tag ; tal-shaya ; teddy bear ; Tellarite ; Tellarite ship ; terror ; test subject ; " the last word "; thief ; thing ; thousand ; threat ; tour ; training ; transceiver ; translator broadcast ; transmission ; tri-tritanium ; truth drug ; universal translator ; universe ; verifier scan ; volunteering ; vote ; Vulcan ; Vulcan (planet) ; Vulcan High Command ; Vulcan philosophy ; Vulcan salute ; Vulcan Science Academy ; way of life ; weapon ; wealth ; week ; witness ; worry ; wound ; year ; yellow alert ; youth

External links [ ]

  • "Journey to Babel" at StarTrek.com
  • " Journey to Babel " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
  • " Journey to Babel " at Wikipedia
  • " Journey to Babel " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
  • 1 Kenneth Mitchell
  • 3 Kol (Klingon)

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Journey to Babel

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The Enterprise must transport dignitaries to a peace conference, with an assassin on the loose.

Star Trek: The Original Series “Journey to Babel” Review

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'Journey to Babel' Is Everything Perfect About Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: The Original Series has a lot of great episodes, running the gamut from the emotionally devastating (“The City on the Edge of Forever”) to the comedic (“The Trouble With Tribbles”). And yet, for my money, no episode is a better example of everything the Original Series got right than “Journey to Babel.”

Some great Trek episodes, like “The City on the Edge of Forever,” don’t necessarily need to be Star Trek in order to be good. Certainly, they are enriched by taking place in an established universe with characters we already know and sympathize with, but the core of the story could be told anywhere. Everything in “Journey to Babel,” however—regardless of the characterization, the drama, the world-building, and the humor—could only belong to Star Trek .

The plot revolves around a bunch of dignitaries being shuttled by the Enterprise to a meeting to vote on a planet’s entry to the Federation; the Vulcan ambassador and his wife happen to be Spock’s parents. Meanwhile, there’s a mystery vessel following the Enterprise .

The first plot point means getting a better look at Federation politics, which includes introducing the Andorians and the Tellarites. It’s strongly implied that the Tellarites are against the planet’s admission because they can only exploit its resources if it’s not protected by Starfleet. It’s such a small thing, but it reminds us that what we see on the Enterprise isn’t going on everywhere in the universe, and that the Federation is a coalition of many planets and not just a home for humans. (Later installments... forgot this.)

The second element of the episode, Spock’s parents, focuses on the personal. Spock’s Vulcan father Sarek has a heart problem that flares up while he’s on the Enterprise . He needs Spock’s blood to get the operation, but, for some reason, Spock’s contribution to this surgery would require him to be put under. This wouldn’t normally be a problem, but someone just tried to kill Kirk and he’s incapacitated; given the delicate situation, Spock doesn’t see the logic in saving one man and endangering the mission. (Everyone acts like putting Scotty in charge would doom everyone. Possible, but still, harsh.)

The scenes with Spock’s parents are perfect Trek . Jane Wyatt and Mark Lenard deserve so much praise for their portrayals of human Amanda and Sarek the Vulcan. The tension between Sarek and Spock is evident, even though they aren’t technically acting emotionally. And Amanda’s tearful recounting of her half-Vulcan son being bullied as a child is beautifully done, as is her slap after Spock chooses to take command of the Enterprise instead of saving his endangered father.

It took all of J.J. Abrams’ first Star Trek movie to do with Spock’s character what this episode accomplished in just a few scenes. You understand implicitly that Spock is very much like his father, even though he made decisions that Sarek really, truly felt were wrong.

The third bit, the mystery ship, gives us Kirk in all his glory. Nothing is more Kirk than him pretending to be healthy enough to command the ship so that his friend can save his father’s life. That’s how the plot with Sarek needing surgery gets resolved: Kirk intends to fake health just long enough for Spock to go to sickbay. It gets extra Kirk-y when the mystery ship attacks just as he hauls his nearly collapsing ass into the captain’s chair.

The final act of “Journey to Babel” should be shown to anyone trying to write Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. Even in bad shape, Kirk manages to save the day. Spock figures out a plot to sabotage the vote right as he’s about to be sedated. And McCoy just wants everyone to stop running around and talking so they can heal.

My version of heaven is this scene, on a loop. And it doesn’t even include to the part earlier in the episode where Amanda embarrasses Spock by telling his friends about his childhood pet.

If D.C. Fontana had just done this episode, she’d have made an invaluable contribution. But she was also the story editor on the series, rewrote episodes, and wrote her own. While be a young woman working in the ‘60s. You can tell from this episode just how invaluable her understanding of this universe was. While there are episodes of the Original Series that are better examples of the science fiction allegory the show became famous for, this is the best example of why Trek itself, as a universe, is worth watching.

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Star Trek: The Original Series

“Journey to Babel”

3 stars.

Air date: 11/17/1967 Written by D.C. Fontana Directed by Joseph Pevney

Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan

Review Text

Spock's parents, Vulcan ambassador Sarek (Mark Lenard) and his wife Amanda (Jane Wyatt), board the Enterprise for transport to a conference for Federation consulates. But trouble arises when a heated argument between Sarek and a Tellarite representative forms the basis for the suspicion of Sarek when the Tellarite later turns up dead—by way of an ancient Vulcan method. Meanwhile, the episode scrutinizes Spock and some of his life's choices, which has formed the uneasy rift between him and his father.

There are a lot of good uses of characters in "Journey to Babel," which has a plot that seems to go in every direction at once, yet still makes plenty of sense. In addition to the murder mystery, there's a medical emergency when Sarek suffers a heart attack and the only chance for his survival is an experimental surgery requiring a blood transfusion from Spock. Meanwhile, Kirk ends up in sickbay after being attacked by an Andorian. This puts Spock in command, who is forced to delay the transfusion because he must be on the bridge as an alien ship pursues the Enterprise with less-than-friendly intentions. Kirk slyly being a trouper and coming to the bridge to allow Spock to attend to his father is a humorous and very Kirk-like endeavor—especially after the crisis breaks out and Kirk finds he can't go back to sickbay. The murder mystery angle is maybe a bit unnecessary (Sarek is of course absolved), although it connects with the espionage angle involving the alien ship.

"Journey to Babel" probably has just a little too much plot, but fortunately this doesn't get in the way of seeing how Spock addresses his duty, his family, and the uneasy balance between his humanity and Vulcan rationality.

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Comment Section

58 comments on this post.

This marks the 40th episode in the series and the best of them. Easily four stars for the plot, character development, humor, pacing and direction. This is a Spock episode while still utilizing the other main characters well. This episode is why I personally love the Trek universe.

Good last line from McCoy, as he successfully shushes both Spock and Kirk, being patients in his Sick Bay: "Well, what do you know! I finally got the last word!"

This could have been a two-parter, but they just weren't of a mind to do such things back then. I loved it, and one reason why is we FINALLY get a real taste of the Federation. A couple of the trial episodes hinted at it, but this is the most Federation-focused TOS episode. From this one outing, Andorians and Tellerites became Trek folklore. I don't know why they didn't develop them a bit more.

I agree with William. This is probably the only episode of TOS or at least one of a few that focused on the Federation. This was a great politic episode. It's a shame that they weren't able to show more alien crewmember besides Spock. It was also great to see different alien races. This is truly TV ahead of it's time. The only thing Star Wars had on Trek is that they were able to do it on a better budget. Tough break the fans have to wait until Enterprise to see a good episodes featuring Andorians and Tellerites. The other trek shows did a good job of defining things introduce on TOS.

I concur with everyone above - a wonderfully made episode, 4 star treatment all around. This episode is so foundational, with its exploration of Spock's parents and past, so large in scope with a Federation focus that feels like an interplanetary collective with the Tellerites and Andorians, and not just some Earth-focused abstracted bureaucracy. It's also so dramatic with great tension over the murder/spy plot, Sarek's threatened life, and Spock's harrowing (and Mother-infuriating) decision based on absolute devotion to the rules and regs vs. Kirk and McCoy's clever circumvention of Spock's determinations. I also agree that it's kind of too bad that the Andorians and Tellerites didn't get much play in later series, except for Enterprise (and the Andorians in particular were quite the highlight on that otherwise hit-and-miss, often lacklustre show).

St. Manfred

I agree with everyone, an amazing episode. However, I am somewhat surprised that no one realized a glaring inconsistency in Spock's mother's behavior: when she first learns that Spock might die trying to save his father, she sternly opposes it, claiming that she "won't risk both of" them. But later, when Spock prioritizes his duty to the ship over the blood transfusion, she desperately tries to convince Spock to help Sarek. 3.5 stars from me.

This is terrific episode as others have said. What's fantastic is that there's so much going on, yet it all works together so well. Obviously, not a single scene wasted. This is a very well thought out episode - the backdrop of ambassadors dealing on their way to a conference underlies murder/spying/Spock's family, and as others have said, getting a better idea of UFP (not just Earth and Vulcan) members. In the opening scene, I would have thought Kirk knew that Sarek was Spock's father. He has egg on his face when Spock informs him. I guess it was convenient Scotty wasn't involved in the episode (no Sulu either) -- I think Spock should be able to give command to him and go to give his transfusion initially -- but that would rob us of his mom slapping his face. I think the challenge of Spock's mom is well portrayed and the episode continues to chip away at developing Spock's character (after "Amok Time"). Spock is a major part of Trek and probably back in the 60s, folks would have benefited from seeing his Vulcan character develop. This is another 4/4 stars episode for me. Edge of your seat stuff - can't really find any faults with it -- it's an action-packed hour with a clever plot and all the qualities that made Trek TOS so good, including the usual bit of humor at the end. TOS Season 2 is doing quite well thus far -- I don't think I'm generous in my ratings, but as I go through chronologically, I've given 3 of the last 5 episodes 4/4 stars! More of a coincidence than anything. I don't know what's up with Jammer for rating "Journey to Babel" the same as "I, Mudd". Don't see how that can be the case.

Only thing that should have been changed, was not knowing Spock,s parents. This should be common Federation knowledge. Otherwise outstanding episode.

If the episode entertains and is well written, and has something to say, it's not really worth looking too deep into it. I agree with the vast majority of the ratings but this one's a top 5 and should be 4 stars.

Great episode. My only complaint is the resolution of the attackers. Pirates? Sure, makes sense... But why would pirates be so eager to die so their friends can get rich? The story would have worked just as well if they weren't on a suicide mission and got captured at the end. Ah well, great pacing, a whole bunch of sub plots that effectively intertwine and some great moments from all the characters.

This episode is AMAZING, one of the all-time great TOS and Trek episodes in general, setting the mold for dozens of weaker imitators across the franchise. Here we get the A-B story format with an objective peril (espionage attempts to foil a peace conference) and human drama (Spock's family) embedded in it, a style that later becomes de rigeur from TNG onward. There's so much fun world building stuff here for Spock, the Federation, and Trek in general, but we also get two great characters in Spock and Amanda -- including the universally appealing father-son tension -- as well as great character interplay between the regulars as Kirk works to save Spock and his ship at the same time. It's easily 4 stars. The dialogue is great in this one. And I love the mutual stubbornness of Spock and Sarek, who both agree it's more logical to let Sarek die than risk the ship by taking Spock off the bridge during a crisis while Kirk is incapacitated. That's hardcore stuff, but it fits the characters so perfectly. Amanda gives us a solid human foil to the whole affair, played by the legendary Jane Wyatt, and her insights into Spock's shame over being human and his childhood teasing for it tell us a lot about him. The characters love each other and work for the common good, but always within the limits of their characters, presented so sharply.Just great stuff all around.

Shouldn’t the faux Andorian have been handcuffed on the bridge? And a heart bypass on a Human is still tricky in the 23rd century?

This is a nice episode with some fascinating stuff about vulcan/human family relationships. Especially Spock's struggle between his human and vulcan sides, imagine being willing to let your very own father die and alienate your mother. Logical perhaps, but not very emotional.

This episode features one of the greatest "ass punches" of all time on TV - Kirk on the faux-Andorian in the fight scene.. :))))

Brilliant episode -- but just one thing bugged me ever so slightly: Why does Kirk allow the Orion spy disguised as an Andorian to basically have free reign on the bridge as the Enterprise engages in battle with the Orion ship? Yes, he's trying to find out what he can about the mysterious ship but the way this scene plays out had me scratching my head a tad. He's hoping to engage the spy who likely would not talk if held down by security guards -- a risky game. The Orion spy already tried to kill Kirk and is on a suicide mission (as is their ship) -- he had taken a slow-acting poison but also could have turned into a suicide bomber. He basically stands beside Kirk's chair with the 2 security guards several feet away. Anyhow, just a minor nitpick on one of TOS best episodes.

David Lyttle

I think this is an outstanding example of what Star Trek can be. I especially the conflict between Spock and both his parents, particularly when Spock's mother slaps Spock, leaves him alone and he places his hand on the door that closed behind her. But I do have one gripe. Kirk leaves Ensign Chekov in command while Lt. Uhura, a senior bridge officer is passed over. 60's sexism in action.

Gotta love those DMSes (Dramatic Moment Sensors) on starships. The door knows it's supposed to open to let Amanda storm out of Spock's quarters, but stay closed for a slapped-silly Spock to lay his hand against it.

Vladimir Estragon

My favorite moment in this episode is at the beginning, after Spock demonstrates the Vulcan salute to McCoy. Kirk introduces Sarek to McCoy, who just nods and then looks down at his hand, as though he was ready to do the salute and didn't get the chance. How about that Bones, huh?

One of my favorites so far. Complicated plot, but it's well presented and easy to follow despite the busy-ness. The Spock character development is great, with good dialogue and performances from mom, dad, and son. Amanda did a plot-serving 180 (first strongly forbidding Spock from helping dad, then begging him to do so) that could have been better handled - because it was believable enough that once she truly saw her beloved husband at Death's door, her reservations vanished. Great scene with the slap. The whole thing just worked. Some minor inconsistencies and such, but nothing unusual for a weekly series. I can live with wondering why the "Andorion" was given so much freedom on the bridge, though I did wonder that, and why Kirk left Chekhov in charge near the end. But no big deal. DeForest Kelly continues to be a delight. Great casting that truly helped make the show. He has a nearly unstoppable likability. He can say the most dubious or corniest of lines and still seem like your best pal. Chekhov's hair. Oh, my. Don't really know what else to say there, but I've been noticing it all season and I thought it deserved a mention. Some weird lighting in this ep that makes McCoy's face look green and Amanda's hair look purple, but that was kinda fun.

Harry's Swollen Throat

I actually liked the episode EXCEPT for the mother. She didn't want to potentially put spock at risk but then when the whole ship was in danger didnt give a toss and kept guilt tripping spock into doing the operation. I mean YES mothers are moody like that. But I expected a bit more respect/resolve from a human woman who has been married to a Vulcan for years. She couldn't understand the logic. Really after all this time. Slapping spock was super uncalled for in my opinion..... Oh and also McCoy not relaying Spock's important info to Kirk just before he went into the operation. I mean typical every time -.- Bones is always like "hush hush you're a patient.......who cares if the information could save the whole ship you need to rest lmao XD" Other than that the episode was awesome and I enjoyed the story!

Just saw this episode the other day and saw something I never noticed despite watching TOS a bazillion times. In one scene I spotted DeForest Kelley looking directly into the camera. It was when Kirk was in sickbay after being stabbed and started to sit up. As he tells Kirk, "Jim if you stand you can start to bleed again" he looks right into the camera for a split second! A silly thing to point out, I know, but it's always neat to spot something you missed despite years of watching.

Love that moment when Spock tries to bolt from his cot alongside the operating table and Nurse Chapel calmly knocks him out with a hypo. Patient autonomy vs. health professional authority must be a pendulum that happens to swing to the same spot in the 23rd century as it occupied in the mid twentieth.

I also want to mention that even though I wasn't crazy about the premise of the Trek reboot movies ("The entire series you loved now never happened." ) , the one moment in them that rang most true for me was when Sarek answered Spock's question of why he married Amanda truthfully rather than wryly: "Because I loved her."

Journey to Babel Star Trek season 2 episode 10 "Mother, how can you have lived on Vulcan so long, married a Vulcan, raised a son on Vulcan, without understanding what it means to be a Vulcan?” - Spock 4 stars (out of 4) I can’t even count how many times I’ve seen this episode over the past decades of my life, and yet every time I enjoy it. Journey to Babel is for me, quintessential Star Trek. Here you see the scale of the canvas Gene was painting on. Not just humans and Vulcans. But also Tellerites, Andorians, little gold men, a beautiful woman in a purple dress with a sheer back. A pink lady with gold hair and very nice legs. 100 Federation delegates. A cornucopia of sentient life. Yes, this is my favorite episode of The Original Series. It's been my favorite since I was a little boy. Don’t believe what Kirk tells you (“the issues of the council are politically complex”). No sir, the political intrigue at the heart of the episode is actually fairly straightforward. It comes out in splendid detail during the verbal sparring between Sarak and Gav, SAREK: We favour admission. GAV: You favour? Why? SAREK: Under Federation law, Coridan can be protected and its wealth administered for the benefit of its people. GAV: That's well for you. Vulcan has no mining interest. SAREK: Coridan has nearly unlimited wealth of dilithium crystals, but it is under-populated and unprotected. This invites illegal mining operations. GAV: Illegal? You accuse us? SAREK: Some of your ships have been carrying Coridan dilithium crystals. GAV: You call us thieves? At the planet code-named Babel, the Federation Council will debate whether or not to admit Coridan. So interesting that at this time in Star Trek canon, the decision does not depend on Coridan’s culture, world government, peaceful relations, abandonment of the caste system or religion, or any of the other myriad issues that predominate such decisions in TNG, and even more so, in DS9. No, at this time, the Federation has 1,000 planets and is growing strong, and she is refreshingly clear-eyed about what she looks for in a new member planet. If this was the perspective we got on Enterprise, I imagine that show would have lasted a lot longer. I don’t think Archer would have known what mining interests were if they stabbed him in the back and left him for dead. It turns out that it is not the Tellerites, however, who are intent on sabotaging the meeting. It’s the Orions, the most dependable villains for 60 straight years of star trek! The political machinations are fascinating. The battle of wits with the Orion ship is edge-of-your-seat engaging. But two things really elevate this episode for me to an all-time classic Trek affair. The first is Kirk faking that he is well enough to get Spock off the bridge, only to get stuck there when an emergency befalls the ship. Shatner plays the whole sequence, from the moment he steps onto the bridge, right to the death of the “andorian” (really Orion) perfectly. Who ever says The Shat can’t act doesn’t know what acting is! And the second is the entire sequence, quoted at the top of my review, between Spock and his mother, when they discuss duty and love and family and loyalty. And she slaps him. Now for a moment just to appreciate the score to that scene. https://youtu.be/KJgT1GQWVcE?t=715 Those strings are exquisite! And that scene with Spock and his mother is immediately followed by a bridge scene with a version of the standard Star Trek Theme, but also done in strings! https://youtu.be/KJgT1GQWVcE?t=808 What could be more perfect? This show truly was a labor of love. 3 stars, @Jammer?? Have you no heart?

Rewatching this after Enterprise's final season, it's incredible how much ground this one episode lays, though it's a shame how little the later shows feature any of these species. This is first and foremost a Spock episode, and Nimoy is rightly praised, but I also think Shatner deserves a fair bit of credit for how he plays Kirk just barely holding himself together on the bridge. And of course, great to see the first appearance of Spock's parents. Having recently watched "The Forge", the line about Spock's sehlat also gave me a good laugh.

Bob (a different one)

"Having recently watched "The Forge", the line about Spock's sehlat also gave me a good laugh." Have you watched the old animated series episode "Yesteryear"? Spock's pet plays a big role in the episode. It's quite good.

Im watching TOS for the very first time in my life and so far it was a bit of a struggle at times. But this is by far one of the best episodes I have seen so far. Reminded me a bit of TNG and I even laughed at the final scene in sickbay. Good stuff!

Classic 4 star episode. This is the first TOS episode in which you can see the seeds of the future Trek franchise, even if they didn’t at the time! Convincing alien races, murder mystery, alien attack, the first appearance of Sarek, medical drama - there’s almost TOO much here, yet it still makes a compulsive watch. The political aspect would of course be seen again often - in TNG, DS9 etc. As others have said, I just wish the Tellurites and Andorrans had been seen again in TOS but you can’t have everything and the producers of the time didn’t have a crystal ball. This episode was where Spock and McCoy really shone as characters, and it was refreshing to see Kirk take a (relative) back seat. I wasn’t quite so convinced by Spock’s mother; though she was well played, and added to what was written as a one-off episode, she would - as pointed out - have lived long enough on Vulcan to understand her husband and son better. This episode is classic Star Trek and more than makes up for the weaker Series 2 episodes. If I could give more than 4 stars I would.

4 stars. Excellent acting by the guest stars, fascinating mystery plot as one crisis after another cascades onto poor Captain Kirk, action moving all over the ship, from the bridge to other decks, to sick bay and back to the bridge. Uhura has a more substantial role in the plot development than usual, and the Vulcan family dynamics are really interesting. The various alien ambassadors are interesting- especially liked the tellurite appearance and speech. Well done humor in the last scene. One question though: Is DeForest Kelly smoking a cigarette in the first surgery scene? I could swear that’s cigarette smoke coming up from his side of the heart surgery box in sick bay. 😁

On this viewing, I find myself struck by how some of the cascading mysteries never really get solved by the end. How does it happen that Orions, who are clearly at least somewhat known to the Federation, have a code that is utterly unrecognizable even to a highly skilled cryptographer like Spock or an experienced communications specialist like Uhura? Assuming that it wasn't Sarek who killed the Tellarite Gav but Telev, the Orion agent disguised as an Andorian, how does it happen that an Orion agent is skilled at a traditional Vulcan method of execution? And was the motive for the murder simple chaos?

I’ve always been of two minds about this episode. There’s no doubt that it’s many very good aspects: I like the complex storytelling – several plots and conflicts which slowly build up and interweave and culminate –, the battle with the Orion ship is great, and there are many other excellent things, most of which have already been mentioned above. But I always found it a bit uncomfortable to watch, mostly for personal reasons. My first problem is that, despite or maybe because of the episode’s obvious intention to make the viewers take sides with her, I just can’t stand Amanda. As others have already pointed out, her character is totally inconsistent. At the beginning of the episode, when talking to Kirk, she praises the “Vulcan way”. Later, during her confrontation with Spock, she rejects and despises it and keeps going on about Spock’s human half. Even though I can understand that she’s worried about her husband, I find her behavior in that scene absolutely repugnant. She guilt-trips Spock, accuses him of letting his father die, threatens to hate him for the rest of his life, skillfully striking every key on the board of emotional blackmail. It’s the climax of a conflict based on logic vs. emotion, and I feel that Spock, representing the logical approach, is being treated quite unfairly – not only by his mother, but in general. He comes across as callous, devoted more to his duty than to his family; his motives are constantly questioned and depicted as insufficient; his decision to remain on his post instead of helping Sarek is being criticized; when he finally agrees, it doesn’t seem to come from own, deep insight; on the one hand, it’s Amanda who has finally gained the upper hand with her manipulations, and on the other it’s Kirk who literally orders him to participate in the surgery, which makes the positive outcome seem less to be to Spock’s merits and more a magnanimous sacrifice on Kirk’s part. At least, that’s what it looks like on the surface. I don’t deny that it’s more complex than that and that there’s a lot going on under said surface (I’ll get to that later), but I can’t help feeling that Spock’s motives and reasons don’t deserve being overridden in that way. They are totally plausible and reasonable: regardless of his parents’ presence onboard, he is ON DUTY, which means that he’s primarily the First Officer and – after Kirk’s injury – the acting Commander of the Enterprise and NOT mommy’s baby boy. He keeps explaining this to almost everybody throughout the entire episode, but his arguments are not considered valid. It’s revealing that when he asks Amanda what Sarek would think of him evading his command responsibility, “all for the life of one person?”, she doesn’t answer the question, she doesn’t even seem to consider it… all she does is to put more emotional pressure on him with a childhood story about his human half. She’s constantly infantilizing him (note that she even slaps him to make him obey her!), just as much as Sarek who has been sulking for eighteen years because Spock once decided to go his own way instead of following his father’s path. Their behavior is a startling display of adult immaturity – and that’s my second problem. The episode depicts it as normal that parents treat their adult son like an infant, just as that adult son is expected to assume a child’s role in presence of his parents, even to the disadvantage of the life he’s chosen for himself. What happened to the idea that children grow up, leave home and become independent persons?! Well, maybe I’m on the wrong track, but I always found the episode’s approach to describe a relationship between parents and their adult children somewhat wrong-headed. Coming back to Spock’s decision-making, however, it seems to me that the scene on the bridge with Kirk faking recovery and ordering Spock to sickbay for the surgery is indeed a crucial moment, especially if we raise the question – which the episode leaves unanswered – whether Spock sees through Kirk’s ruse or not. If we assume that he doesn’t, it makes Spock appear in a bad light, as I have already described. To be honest, I always thought he does, but until now it never occurred to me that this changes the whole situation. Let’s look into the scene: Kirk comes in, and everyone on the bridge can see that he’s barely able to walk. Note that Uhura extends her hand when he walks past her, as if to help him, and Spock himself seems quite suspicious, asking Kirk if he’s alright and glancing doubtfully at McCoy who confirms his medical consent. I’d say that Spock clearly knows that Kirk is in no condition to command and that he’ll probably turn command over to someone else as soon as Spock has left the bridge. It may seem inconsistent that turning command over to Scotty is something Spock explicitly refuses to do while it seems perfectly fine for Kirk, but I find it quite understandable and I’m sure it has nothing to do with confidence: they both know that Scotty is able to command the ship even in a critical situation – he’s done that more than once. The reason why Spock doesn’t want to put Scotty in charge is that, with the captain incapacitated, it’s his duty as First Officer to command the ship, it’s his responsibility to protect the ambassadors aboard, and that’s not something he can just choose to fob off on the engineer, in favor of devoting himself to another task… even if his father’s life depends on that “other task”. That’s Spock’s whole dilemma. When Kirk orders him to “report to sickbay with Dr McCoy”, he takes that responsibility from Spock’s shoulders. Even the stern commanding tone is not meant to put pressure on Spock or to infantilize him like Amanda does: Kirk’s simply making for him the decision he knows Spock would have made, had he been free to decide. I think that in this very moment Spock knows that Kirk has understood his dilemma and is now wordlessly offering him a face-saving possibility to solve it… which Spock gladly accepts. If we look at this scene from this angle, it’s not patronizing at all. What’s more, it becomes another example of their deep friendship, showing how well they understand each other’s motives and needs.

@ Lannion, I'd have to watch that scene again to be sure, but I get the sense this conflict is supposed to be about Spock's relationship to his father in the end. The writing seems to me to suggest that keeping to his duty is a way of avoiding facing his father's weakness, or himself becoming weak to help him when he father was merciless to him. If it was just a question of overriding his real desires then I could see Kirk ordering him to go as infantilizing him. But what if instead it's his friend giving him permission to do the thing he needs to do, with the understanding that no one will view it as an emotional desire to help the father he loves? Regarding Amanda's inconsistency, I think this reading would also address that: she probably does truly believe in logic, and appealing to Spock's human side is the logical thing to do since it's very likely his emotional pain causing him to want nothing to do with Sarek.

@Peter G. Thanks for your thoughts on this... I'm not 100% sure either, and the episode certainly leaves a lot of room for different interpretations. Concerning Spock, I could indeed imagine that his refusal is a kind of avoidance strategy, even though I'm not sure if this fits together with what we see earlier in the episode. Before the attack on Kirk, Spock is totally willing to participate in the operation: he is the one who suggests using the Rigelian drug and he volunteers himself as blood donor for Sarek. He changes his mind only when Kirk's injury leaves him in command. I still have the impression that his refusal then had in fact nothing to do with the tense relationship between him and his father, but that it was really his sense of duty which made him act this way. And Amanda... well, her outburst in the final scene suggests what she thinks of logic, and in the scene when she's in their quarters with Sarek, she also seems to be toying with the image of being an emotional human female, in contrast to her husband and son. Even if her pressure on Spock springs from logic, as you say, it's still cruel and nasty.

One of my favorite lines: "Perhaps you should forget logic, and devote yourself to motivations such as passion or gain. Those are reasons for murder."

I like how Kirk had Chekov go to Spock's bridge station then had him come back to the navigation console when they were "playing dead". Shows how useful Chekov was to Kirk.

@ Lannion (and others), I watched this one last night with special attention to matters we were discussing, and I have decided I was wrong about something. I always considered Spock's decision to command the ship rather than help his father to be an extension of the tension between them, but as you pointed out he seemed quite ready to help Sarek prior to Kirk's stabbing. In fact, he was not only ready, but was putting forward a risky procedure McCoy wouldn't have even considered, something above and beyond even what was being asked of him. So what gives? But it all makes sense to me now, and it does come down to Spock's relationship with Sarek. What is the one thing that they have in common? Kirk said it, they're both stubborn. And although that's a human weakness, Spock is half-human, and Sarek himself is clearly an odd duck to have found it logical to marry a human. Maybe he does have a strong enough affinity for human weakness that marrying a human was more logical than marrying a Vulcan, who may have found his stubbornness irrational. And both being stubborn, Spock and Sarek seem to base their relationship on just that: neither of them will ever let the other have the last word. Even after all these years Sarek still brings up Spock's decision not to go to the science academy, and he does so on very little pretext. And once we start to see things in this way I think it becomes pretty clear that Spock and Sarek and constantly competing with each other, trying to one-up each other about everything. I'll go through a few examples: -Sarek comes on board, Spock makes no acknowledgement of him in any personal way. And Sarek then ignores Spock even more than Spock does. -Kirk gives Spock a chance to show off his computer knowledge in engineering, Sarek immediately replies that he first taught Spock about computers, before betraying him. These first two could perhaps be seen as merely striking blows at each other rather than competing. But there's also this: SPOCK: Doctor, do you propose surgery for the heart defect? MCCOY: I'm not sure. It's tough enough on a human. On a Vulcan, an ordinary operation's out of the question. KIRK: Why? SAREK: Because of the construction of the Vulcan heart. SPOCK: I suggest that a cryogenic open-heart procedure would be the logical approach. SAREK: Yes, unquestionably. It's hard to tell from the transcript, but the way they play the scene it really feels like Sarek is one-upping Spock, going from Spock making a suggestion to Sarek stating it as unquestionable. The scene really doesn't feel like they are agreeing, but rather that each is trying to demonstrate their own intellect to the other. If we accept for the moment that Spock and Sarek need to compete with each other, it makes sense of why Spock would suggest the risky transfusion strategy: it would be both creatively innovative as well as something Sarek himself is too weak to do. Adding this to the fact that Spock won't give up command later to help Sarek, we have to then examine that again. I previously assumed it was because he wanted nothing to do with his father. But that idea doesn't work, certainly not how I see things now. And even Kirk says Scotty could take command no problem, crisis or no crisis. But what if retaining command in a crisis is yet another way for Spock to prove to Sarek how important his duties are, even if it will kill Sarek? If Spock steps down it shows that Sarek means more to him than his role in Starfleet, therefore making it illogical that Spock ever chose Starfleet over Sarek's wishes. To maintain his position with the argument with Sarek he can't back down, and must assert that his duties are more important than Sarek. So to show how much it matters to prove his position to Sarek he has to prove that Sarek doesn't matter compared to his duty: a funny logical loop there. The interesting thing is the resolution: AMANDA: And you, Sarek. Would you also say thank you to your son? SAREK: I don't understand. AMANDA: For saving your life. SAREK: Spock acted in the only logical manner open to him. One does not thank logic, Amanda. AMANDA: Logic, logic! I'm sick to death of logic. Do you want to know how I feel about your logic? SPOCK: Emotional, isn't she? SAREK: She has always been that way. SPOCK: Indeed? Why did you marry her? SAREK: At the time, it seemed the logical thing to do. Spock and Sarek join together in hoisting up logic over human emotion, even though from a certain point of view they've been the most emotional ones in our story. Maybe Sarek finally realized he's become too weak to always try to prove he's the stronger; or maybe Spock proved himself to Sarek by refusing to give up command in the crisis while Kirk was out. Or maybe Sarek really did appreciate that Spock saved his life. Part of the problem is that the only vehicle available to the two Vulcans to resolve their dispute was logic, and if each side was logical how could they ever give up? It's not like a Vulcan can just throw up his arms and say, aw shucks, I guess the logic doesn't matter, we need to make up now. One way or the other their logic would have to be reconciled, which is perhaps why they can't resolve their argument in any way other than competitively or combatively. It reminds me a bit of Chinese "face" where you cannot back out of a situation in such a way as to lose face, so the only acceptable resolution would be one where neither side loses face. The problem is that any admittance that one's logic was flawed would be the ultimate loss of face for a Vulcan. So the logic kind of makes things stuck if they cannot agree. That's probably why we have this exchange: SPOCK: Doctor, do you propose surgery for the heart defect? MCCOY: I'm not sure. It's tough enough on a human. On a Vulcan, an ordinary operation's out of the question. KIRK: Why? SAREK: Because of the construction of the Vulcan heart. This excerpt strikes me as being about Vulcan relationships as much as about Vulcan physiology. Sarek and Spock seem to have been trying to punch through the barrier between them using the force of logic, and it has failed so far. And I think Spock's willingness and then unwillingness to help Sarek can both be accounted for if we consider them to individually be stratagems in winning the larger argument against Sarek.

@Peter, it goes without saying that I enjoy your writing, but sometimes you just outdo yourself and I have to say so. Amazing analysis.

Thanks William, means a lot.

@Peter G. Thanks for the brilliant analysis. Spock's and Sarek's constant attempts to one-up each other are one of these things beneath the surface which I never noticed before, but you're totally right, and it explains their relationship better than any other theory. @Steve Good observation regarding Kirk and Chekov... I've noticed that too, and I even think that when Kirk turns command over to Chekov at the end, it's a way of giving him credit for his performance in the battle with the Orion ship.

One thing that I think works really well for the show is that Spock's combative relationship with Sarek also helps explain why he gets along so well with McCoy and Kirk, who enjoy exchanging barbs with him. It's actually a form of relating that he understands very well. Whereas with Pike we had a sense from Spock of strong loyalty, with Kirk and Bones we see closeness.

Proud Capitalist Pig

There are lots of clever lines here, and the last sickbay scene in particular has a healthy dose of 1960’s sitcom fodder, with characters and actors truly enjoying each other’s company without daring to admit it. Throughout the episode, Mark Lenard, DeForest Kelley and especially Shatner & Nimoy are all at their best, the theatricality lively and the stakes engaging (especially Shatner’s depiction of Kirk trying to stubbornly hold it all together and command a starship for the sake of his best friend--foolhardy on the surface but admirable as a human being). But “Miss Jane" Wyatt is atrociously awful as Amanda. As many have pointed out above, Amanda's schizophrenic writing doesn’t help. But even when Amanda is at her best, she always comes off as a haughty, unbearable hag. Sure, lots of people have mothers like this (or a mother-in-law in my case). But an examination of Amanda’s struggles between Vulcan logic and human mothering needed a lot more dichotomy. Unless the show’s point was to reveal that the “logical” path and the “human” path are ultimately very much the same, which I don’t think it was, we already have excellent counterpoints among Kirk, Sarek, McCoy and Spock without Amanda’s scenes grinding everything to a halt. Wyatt has no nuance, no depth, and no charisma here. You can portray “stern” and “stubborn” without being so monotonous. To say nothing of the histrionics--she may as well have spanked Spock right on the ass, as slapping him across the face pretty much had the same effect. Both the writing and the acting utterly fails us here. The meat of the story, obviously, is the relationship between Spock and Sarek, and as @Lannion and @PeterG have pointed out above, their mutual stubbornness and one-upmanship. It’s left to Kirk to force the issue, which I think is as brilliant a use of Kirk as the scene in “This Side of Paradise” where he had to literally knock some sense into his logical best friend. I’m with Peter G -- if Spock gives up his command on the Bridge, he’s showing Sarek that his decision to join Starfleet means less than his familial ties to the father who strongly disapproved of said decision. @Lannion, I think Kirk correctly realizes this and is offering his friend a way out. Does Spock see through Kirk’s ruse? I think he absolutely does. And with Spock now free to relinquish command to Kirk, the stalemate with Sarek in his mind has now resolved itself. I doubt that Spock will ever thank Kirk for what he did, but intrinsically he will always be grateful. I like how this tale therefore examines not only family, but friendship. The murder mystery oddly descends into an afterthought, though it does come to a satisfying resolution. I think it’s obvious that the Fake Andorian is the killer. By the way, what a hoot when his latex antenna pops off. “Surgically altered,” my ass. The Orions just have the same makeup skills as the Star Trek production staff, and that’s apparently enough for them. Speak Freely: Gav: “There will be payment for your slander, Sarek.” Sarek: “Threats are illogical. And payments are usually expensive.” (No one can take the piss out of someone like a Vulcan.) My Grade: B-

Top 5 all time for me.

I think that this episode was MAJOR inspiration, or self-inspiration (you know, D.C. Fontana in both teams) for Babylon 5: Babel -> Babylon station Vulcans -> Minbari (both stoic and monk-like) Tellarites -> Centauri (both arrogant and doing illegal things) Andorians -> Narn (both violent, in medieval looking clothes) Kirk + three ambassadors -> Sheridan + three ambassadors too Starfleet -> WhiteStar fleet (in very Garth's-like uniforms*) UFP -> IA * Ok, that's from another episode of TOS, like: Medusans -> Vorlon (both hidding themselves) And we also have (that's from TNG): Betazoids -> Byron's telepaths Martian Independence Declaration -> Martian struggle for independence Galen - archeology professor -> Galen - technomage and archeologist I dare to say that B5 is unofficial TOS prequel (better than ENT), like AND and ORV are unofficial TNG/DS9/VGR sequels.

@ Q, That is a very nice theory. Some of it I think is a stretch, such as Kirk + 3 ambassadors => Sinclair + 3 ambassadors. However I'm virtually certain that JMS did design B5's story and backdrop at least in some part as a commentary on Star Trek. His use of telepaths is pretty clearly a correction on what he probably thought was an unrealistic portrayal of them in TNG, and the manner of portraying Earth was definitely a dig on the utopian view shown on Trek. Whether the specific races in B5 were inspired by the races in this episode is something I've never heard about, but I guess it's as cool a guess as any. I actually do think there's a decent chance Kollos the Medusan inspired Kosh as there are multiple parallels there, including the fact that no one can see his true form, his telepathy, and his special skills. As far as the Minbari go I think the better parallel is found in Lord of the Rings, as they're clearly the elves. I think a lot of JMS's world building involves a Middle Earth conception, especially including the Shadows, the role humans have to play despite their political problems, and the bringing in of races that previously were at odds with each other. A lot of the naming is also from Tolkien, but there are plenty of sci-fi homages and references too.

"As far as the Minbari go I think the better parallel is found in Lord of the Rings, as they're clearly the elves" Yes, but Vulcans are called space elves too ;), and youtuber Lore reloaded have video about Minbari as Vulcans too. However it might be more accurate to say that Minbari are Vulcans/Romulans before the schism.

And: you are correct, that in B5 we see strong Tolkien inspirations. Lovecraft and "Doc" Smith inspirations too. "the manner of portraying Earth was definitely a dig on the utopian view shown on Trek." Rigjt. Julie Musante words about Earth looks like discussion with Picard's idealism.

This is a great episode, very well crafted with outstanding character work. I think this outing, perhaps more than any other TOS episode, lays the groundwork for future trek series. This one really has a lot of similarities in tenor to TNG and DS9, with ambassadors and aliens and a bustling feel to the ship on a diplomatic mission that fleshes out this Federation thing that has largely existed on the periphery thus far. Plus murder mystery, starship jousting, and some of that old-timey TOS fight choreography, this time with shivs! But the absolute core of this episode is the Spock/sarek dynamic. I find Spock’s dilemma to be quite compelling for all the reasons mentions above(peter g’s solid analysis). I would add one other layer however, which is Sarek’s point of view. I don’t think Spock’s actions are just about affirming his own path in life, or gaining his father’s respect. I think part of why Spock is in such a tough spot is that if he abdicates his command responsibility to, say, Scotty, it would result in irreparable damage to his relationship with his father from the standpoint of making the choice that would lessen sarek in sarek’s own eyes. Sarek is, obviously, quite committed to logic, the question of dying for his philosophy, for the worldview of the entire Vulcan civilization, is a no-brainer for him. Had Spock chosen his father over his duty it would have been a repudiation of everything sarek stands for, it would have both diminished Spock in his fathers estimation and diminished his father entirely. Thus Spock’s choice to remain committed to his role as first officer was also a choice to stand for who and what his father is, to protect and bolster him even if it means allowing him to die. In this sense, Amanda can be seen as more representative than literal. Her contradictory behavior can be seen as symbolic of Spock's own inner struggle, caught between the competing motivators of logic and emotion, who in turn are inverting upon one another as Spock’s actions serve the logic of sarek through a deep rooted emotional lense. I think the final scene in which Spock and sarek seem to banter at Amanda’s expense shows that sarek and Spock have sort of turned a corner in their relationship, which would have been impossible had Spock simply jumped right into saving his father. Sarek is reaffirmed by Spock’s choosing his duty over him, and thus in this oddly roundabout Vulcan way, sarek can be proud of his son. Additionally, Kirk’s role here is pretty brilliant as he clearly understands Spock's position implicitly. He’s willing to endure risk and great discomfort to release Spock from his bind, thus protecting Spock’s dignity and also expressing the ultimate statement of respect for who Spock is as a person. It’s a great bit of development in their friendship. A ton of great stuff here. I would have liked getting a stronger sense of what the Orion’s were all about, they were willing to die for their task after all, pretty fanatical. And although I can find certain ways to rationalize Amanda’s emotional swings, it would have been nice to see a bit more self-awareness from her, it’s fine that she sort of freaks out given her difficult situation, but I’d expect her to be able to see herself a bit more clearly. In any event, great episode. 3.5/4 papier-mâché detachable antennae

@ Idh2023, I'm not exactly sure I understand what you're saying about Sarek's POV and how Spock is protecting that by sticking with his duty. Could you maybe elaborate? Do you mean that because Sarek is so unyielding, in a funny way Spock is honoring him by being equally unyielding even if it means Sarek's death?

@peter g While Spock’s focus on duty could be interpreted as a way to justify his own choices, his leaving Vulcan, his joining starfleet, even his being half human, I think it would be incomplete to see his position as wholly self serving. So the point I was making is that Spock is honoring sarek and what is important to sarek as well, fundamentally important. Spock is unyielding because he has no other path to take. To step away from command would be to choose an emotional path, to choose an emotional path is to ostensibly reject what his father is willing to die for, to reject that is to reject his father outright while simultaneously undercutting the very core of Vulcan society. This would be against sarek’s own desires, which is what I mean by sarek’s point of view. For sarek’s own son to make a decision that runs contrary to his logical philosophy would be both damaging to their relationship and fundamentally disrespectful to sarek’s whole person, almost hurtful if you will.

Hm. I guess I still don't quite understand. What is the logic of allowing a fellow Vulcan to die? If taking some action to save someone's life was an emotional path, does that imply that logic requires letting people die left and right? I'm not sure I follow that reasoning. Also, in this instance it doesn't seem like Sarek is dying for anything to do with his Vulcan values. So I'm not sure how Spock letting him die honors those Vulcan values. The Vulcans seems to value peace above all else, as in not taking life, and the preservation of life. That seems to be a chief reason why Sarek was displeased at Spock going to join the violent Starfleet. You'd think, if anything, it would appease Sarek's sense of values to desist in participating in a violent confrontation and choose to serve peace and life instead.

The unique circumstances of Spock being thrust into command amidst a crisis raises the old “needs of the many” thing, a pretty solid Vulcan tenet. If everything was normal, then of course Spock would help his dad, but to save his father by shirking his duty, ie, the emotional path, he would be tarnishing his father’s beliefs. Until Kirk lets Spock out of the bind, Spock is duty bound not to compromise himself, my point is the reason for that, at least in my mildly speculative way, is that it would be against sarek’s wishes. Spock is risking sarek’s life, much to Amanda’s chagrin, in order to represent sarek in his time of vulnerability. I know it’s a little confusing, but it boils down to Spock being the only person on board the ship who understands the magnitude of meaning that logic plays in the life of a Vulcan. His decision stands in defense of that philosophy, his father’s philosophy, and thus his father himself.

@idh2023 agree 100% with you. Sarek's respect for Spock's duty is already established in the scene where he chastises Amanda for embarrassing Spock in front of his fellow officers. No way Sarek would approve of Spock abandoning his duty to the ship just to save one man.

I guess the question of whether it's abandonment of duty to help Sarek depends on whether Spock's duty didn't matter prior to the attack, but matters more during the attack. Spock still had duties earlier in the episode after all, and since the operation was a risk to Spock's life it seems to me he was already choosing Sarek over serving Starfleet. The fact that during the attack Spock changed his attitude and refused to help Sarek seems to me a bit less about duty generally and more about the *type* of situation Sarek would and wouldn't approve of. I don't think Sarek appeared to have a problem with letting Spock put himself at risk before, so why would he have a problem with it after if, indeed, Scotty is well-equipped to deal with the Orions? I take is as a given premise that the episode is stating that Scotty was equally up to the task as Spock was with the ship under attack. The fact of Spock demanding to stay on the bridge had to be for reasons other than him being superior to Scotty at ship combat. To me this issue is that of Spock serving a non-peaceful organization, and within that context it's especially relevant that it's during a *fight* that Spock goes to his station and won't back down. It's exactly this type of situation that Sarek criticized him for in choosing to join Starfleet, so to me it's almost exactly the opposite of honoring Sarek here: he is doubling down on "Yes! Starfleet!" not only despite the fact that it involves violent conflicts, but almost because of it. He is repudiating the Vulcan non-violence beliefs through his present actions, and putting his own father's life on the line as proof that he means business. I really do view this as the ultimate trump card in his argument with Sarek, and I think at the end of the day it does ironically end up honoring his father, but in the sense that Sarek won't back down from positions (until ST: IV, at least) and Spock likewise refusing to do so demonstrates that despite their disagreement he has integrity and sticks to his moral position. I think this mutual inflexibility is what they bond over at the end, so that they can poke fun at the moveable Amanda who is swayed by the emotional stakes in a situation. So I guess I'm disagreeing that Spock stays on the bridge because Sarek would think helping him is an emotional choice. In fact in my opinion Spock and Sarek are behaving emotionally in their very stubbornness, and so staying on the bridge is the emotional choice. Logically I think the best outcome would have been served by Spock saving a life and Scotty saving the Enterprise, and this is essentially proven when Kirk relieves Spock and everything works out. The only conclusion that makes sense is that Spock was actually behaving illogically, but was stuck in his position due to the nature of needing to keep proving himself to Sarek. Stubbornness is not logical, and the two of them in their own way acted like children toward each other for most of the episode.

I think given the circumstances, Scotty would logically best serve the ship at his post in engineering. After all, there are assassins running around, mystery ships attacking, a bunch of diplomats in evident danger, and the captain is out of commission, this is an “all hands on deck” kind of situation. So it’s a calculation of risk, and reducing the Enterprise’s resources amidst this crisis only shifts that calculus in the wrong direction. As such, stepping away from his post as captain to save one man, even an eminent guy like sarek, would be risking the whole to save one, and it would be virtually pure sentiment to do so, especially considering it’s Spock's dad who’s on the doctor’s slab. Thus, immediately saving sarek would be the emotional choice, and sarek would never condone such a choice coming from his son. Personally I read the last scene as being sarek finally accepting his son’s choice to join starfleet and gaining a new respect for Spock in general, specifically *because* he doesn’t jump right into saving sarek, and this proves to sarek that Spock is still committed to Vulcan logic while wearing the starfleet uniform, that the two aren’t in conflict with one another. Almost like Spock had passed a test of sorts by upholding what his father stands for, even up to the point of sacrificing his fathers life.

"I think given the circumstances, Scotty would logically best serve the ship at his post in engineering." Well, yes, but I think it's a conceit in TOS that Doohan plays both the chief engineer and the 2nd officer, so that some episodes feature him illogically in command even though he's not a command track officer. I think it's just a combination of an economy of avoiding too many actors, along with his terrific performances warranting more screen time. It's really never logical having him in the Captain's chair rather than in engineering. I think this type of point is too much in the weeds, since the plot really doesn't ever refer to the issue of Scotty taking command and therefore leaving engineering without its chief. He's in command of the Enterprise plenty during crises and this never comes up as a problem, and Kirk seems absolutely confident in this very episode that Scotty taking command is no problem. I think trying to argue something contrary is just rejecting what the episode is telling us is a fact.

Did anybody notice that Kirk's device that made people disappear in the mirror universe was visible behind Amanda in one of the sickbay scenes?

Great episode with great dialogue - 4/4. One nitpick that I haven’t seen mentioned - the Orion ship’s one great advantage is its speed and maneuverability. If one phaser blast could disable it, would it really risk approaching at such a slow speed? Ah well, I don’t suppose D. C. Fontana suspected when she wrote it that we’d be analyzing the script this closely more than 55 years later!

One thing I don't get is when Spock initially proposes the procedure both Bones and Amanda basically say he'll no because it is too risky to Spock. But then 10 minutes later Amanda is practically accusing Spock of murder for refusing the procedure. Incidentally, after watching this episode recently my absolute favourite moment is Spock's question to his mother: "can you imagine what my father would say if I set aside my duty to save one man?" which tells us that Spock's decision to let his father die is as much about pleasing his father as anything else. He refuses to save Sarek for fear that Sarek would forever hold it against him, that it would be another testament to his human weakness. Amazing line and great performance by Nimoy, who always understood that playing a Vulcan doesn't mean being a robot, that even in the confines of logic there is such a range of nuance and feeling.

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Journey to Babel

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The Enterprise is sent to transport a group of ambassadors to a diplomatic conference on the planet Babel aboard the starship. On the way to Babel, Spock’s estranged parents, Sarek and Amanda, board the ship to attend the conference. Amanda is an Earthling, while Sarek is a Vulcan, and the two are of different species, much to the shock of the crew.

Meanwhile, two alien assassins disguised as Starfleet crewmen attempt to kill Sarek. When the Enterprise arrives at Babel, Spock, with the help of Doctor McCoy, discovers the hidden identity of the assassins. The assassins, called the Orions, are after Sarek because of a territorial dispute between their people and Sarek’s.

With the ship under attack, the crew is trapped and unable to proceed to the conference. Spock steps in and manages to negotiate a truce between the Orions and the Federation. Spock is able to convince the Orions to take their dispute before the conference.

With the Orions now gone, the crew is able to safely make it to the conference. Sarek, however, is still suffering the effects of the poison the assassins injected him with and is near death. Spock, despite his Vulcan upbringing, is willing to risk his own life to save his father by performing a mind meld, an act strictly forbidden among the Vulcans. Through the mind meld, Spock is able to transfer some of his own energy to Sarek, saving his father’s life.

Spock’s selfless act helps bring the two estranged parents closer together. They begin to reconcile and Spock reconciles with his Vulcan heritage and his relationship with his father. The episode ends with both Sarek and Amanda thanking Spock for his heroic efforts and for the first time in many years, the two embrace each other.

At the end of the episode, the conference is a success, and the delegates are able to reach an agreement to settle the dispute over the planet Babel. The Enterprise then heads home, with Spock and his parents reconciled and on better terms than ever.

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10 Best Spock Episodes of 'Star Trek: The Original Series,' Ranked

Live Long and Prosper.

Early in 1964, when former cop-turned-television-producer Gene Roddenberry was developing the Science Fiction/Western-in-space series concept that would become Star Trek, he had an idea for a highly intelligent alien character, possibly green or reddish, and with pointed ears. He asked Gary Lockwood , star of Roddenberry's short-lived series The Lieutenant (and who would appear in the second Star Trek pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before") who should play the role. Lockwood suggested Leonard Nimoy , someone they had both worked with on The Lieutenant series. Although actors Michael Dunn ( The Wild, Wild, West ), and Deforest Kelley (who would go to play Dr. Leonard McCoy in Star Trek ) was briefly considered for the role, but it appeared that Nimoy was always Roddenberry's first and only choice for the role of Mr. Spock.

And what a great choice it was. Nimoy defined the complex character of the half-Vulcan, half-human Science Officer of the Starship Enterprise, compelled by his devotion to Vulcan logic yet struggling with human emotions, giving him such touches as the "Live Long and Prosper" hand gesture (drawn from his own Hebrew culture), the Spock nerve-pinch, and the Vulcan mind-meld. Initially a background character for the first episodes of the series, Spock was so popular that local television stations began asking the NBC network for "Spock-centric" episodes. This Spockmania, as it was called, provided the impetus for some of the best episodes the series ever produced and put Star Trek on the road to becoming the enduring franchise it is today.

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Star Trek: The Original Series

10 "dagger of the mind", season 1, episode 9.

Star-Trek-Dagger-of-the-Mind

On a routine supply run to Tanatalus V, a planet where the criminally insane are sent for "humane treatment" by renowned psychiatrist Dr. Tristan Adams (James Gregory), a man, boards the Enterprise demanding asylum. After subduing him with a Vulcan nerve pinch, Spock brings him to sickbay, where he reveals himself to be Dr. Adams' assistant, Simon van Gelder. Adams claim that self-testing of an experimental treatment device known as a "neural neutralizer" is responsible for his assistant's agitated state and sends Kirk down to the planet to investigate.

In sickbay, van Gelder warns Spock that Kirk and his landing crew are in danger. But when he tries to explain the dangers of the neural neutralizer, he convulses in pain, prompting Spock to mind-meld with van Gelder. Through his mind, Spock discovers that the device empties the mind of thoughts, leaving patients with an overwhelming sense of loneliness which Adams uses to control their minds. Spock assembles a security team to rescue Kirk and the crew. This episode marked the introduction of Spock's mind-meld ability and, combined with the Vulcan neck pinch (introduced earlier in the season's episode 5, "The Enemy Within"), clearly illustrates Spock's formidable power.

9 "The Menagerie, Part One"

Season 1, episode 11.

spock-the-menagerie (1)

The only two-part episode of the original series, "The Menagerie" explored the earlier years of the U.S.S. Enterprise and Spock's relationship with his former commanding officer Captain Christopher Pike ( Jeffrey Hunter) by making extensive use of footage from the original Star Trek pilot, "The Cage" Roddenberry's production team had been falling behind in delivering episodes of the show, so to catch up he decided to use the pilot footage and a framing story to create two episodes in the time it would take to produce one. The result provided a compelling backstory for both the U.S.S. Enterprise and Spock, which has resonated over the years and is the main plotline in Paramount Plus's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , where Ethan Peck as Spock and Anson Mount as Pike bring new insights into the characters.

In Part One, Spock convinces Kirk to travel to Starbase 11, claiming he's received a message from Captain Pike who wishes to communicate with him. Paralyzed by a recent accident, Pike can only communicate with yes or no answers through a brainwave-controlled device, Revealing to Pike a plan he has made despite Pike's repeated 'no' signals, Spock beams Pike up to the Enterprise , commandeers the ship, and sets it on a course for the planet Talos IV. When Kirk and Starbase 11 commander Mendez give chase in a shuttlecraft, he beams both officers aboard and turns himself in for mutiny, demanding an immediate court-martial hearing.

8 "The Menagerie, Part Two"

Season 1, episode 12.

the-menagerie-part-two-TOS

Part Two mainly centers on the story told in "The Cage" pilot, which Spock provides as video evidence at his court-martial hearing. 11 years earlier, the Enterprise under Pike's command arrives at Talos IV, where Pike, Spock and crew beam down in response to a distress call from a ship presumed lost many years ago. They find a beautiful woman named Vina, the only survivor of the crashed ship, and the Talosians, an alien race that can create reality distortion fields, turning reality into illusion. A Talosian named the Keeper kidnaps Pike, putting him in a cage and subjecting him to numerous illusory "experiments" with Vina in hopes that the two will breed and create a race of slaves that can repair the damaged surface of their planet. Through Pike's actions, they discover that humans' hatred of captivity makes them unsuitable for the plan, which the Talosians must abandon. Knowing that this will mean the end of their species, they beam Pike, Spock, and the crew back to the ship. Although Vina and Pike have developed a relationship, her beautiful appearance is another illusion created by the Talosians after crash-related injuries left her disfigured. She elects to stay among them and live her illusion.

Back at the court-martial, the video transmissions end and the Talosian Keeper appears on-screen, explaining that the court-martial was a plan Spock created to buy time to get PIke back to Talos IV. The Talosians have offered to provide him the illusion of a normal life with Vina. After getting approval from Starfleet, Kirk allows the transfer of Pike to the planet. Both episodes highlight Spock's loyalty, his willingness to break the rules to help people he cares about, and his sense of self-sacrifice, all of which would continue to be major themes for the character throughout the series and the movies, notably in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan.

7 "The Galileo Seven"

Season 1, episode 16.

TOS-the-galileo-seven (1)-1

Spock's leadership abilities and relationships with his fellow crew members are tested under extreme circumstances when he leads a scientific team (including Dr. McCoy and Chief Engineer Scotty) aboard the shuttlecraft Galileo on an ill-fated mission. Sent to investigate a mysterious star cluster known as Muraski 312, the shuttle is soon pulled off course. Spock makes an emergency landing on Taurus II, a dark planet in the center of the Muraski cluster. Two crew members scout the area and discover its inhabitants are a race of aggressive giants. After killing one of the crew members and sending the other racing back to the shuttle, the giants appear to be on the attack. Spock makes a rare miscalculation, deciding to try frightening the creatures away rather than killing them, which results in the other crew member's death.

Spock's mistake causes dissension among the ranks, fearing his Vulcan lack of emotion makes him incapable of having empathy for his crew. When Scotty finds a workaround to get the shuttle off the planet, Spock prepares them to leave, but his crew demands a proper burial for their fallen comrades. Logic suggests this is not a good idea, but Spock gives into their need to honor their friends. During the ceremony the giants attack, Spock is rescued from near-death and launches the shuttle in a hail-mary pass that gets them beamed back aboard the Enterprise before the Shuttle is destroyed. In this episode, Spock sees the consequences of a "logic-only" approach when leading emotional human crew members and becomes aware that a balance is needed to be an effective leader.

6 "This Side of Paradise"

Season 1, episode 24.

spock-this-side-of-paradise (1)

This episode gives viewers a rare glimpse of Spock's tender, romantic side.

The planet Omicron Ceti 3 has become bathed in Berthold rays, a kind of radiation that humans cannot survive for more than a week. Fear for the safety of a Federation colony living on the planet prompts Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and a landing crew to beam down and check in on them. They find the colonists alive and healthy thanks to a strange flower whose spores provide them with perfect health, protection from the radiation, and a sense of complete euphoria and joy.

An old flame of Spock's, Leila Kalomi (Jill Ireland) is among the colonists and when exposed to the spores, he is able to show her the kind of love that he couldn't when they met 8 years earlier on Earth. With the spores' effects spreading through his crew and upending their ability to perform their duties and follow orders, Kirk finds a way to destroy the spores and restore order among his crew. When he does, of course, Spock's romantic interlude comes to a bittersweet end. When Kirk asks about his experiences on the planet, he replies "I have little to say about it, except that for the first time in my life . . . I was happy".

5 "The Devil in the Dark"

Season 1, episode 25.

spock-devil-in-the-dark (1)

This episode showcases how Spock's mind-meld ability allows him to break through communication barriers and establish empathetic connections with aliens and other species in a way that humans and other races might miss. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are sent to a mining colony that has requested help in finding and stopping a creature that has been killing mine workers and destroying mining equipment by secreting a corrosive substance.

They encounter a Horta, a creature with the appearance of molten rock, and phaser it, breaking off a piece of it before it burrows into a rock wall. An examination of it confirms that the secretion it uses to travel through rock is the same secretion that has killed the miners. They find the Horta inside a cave filled with thousands of silicon nodules. When the creature exhibits no aggression, Spock attempts a mind-meld which leads to an understanding that the silicon nodules are its eggs and that the Horla has been protecting them from destruction by the miners so that she can repopulate her dying species. This information allows Kirk and crew to show the miners how to live peacefully with the Horta and even engage them in digging tunnels for them. A very Star Trek message of co-existence and mutual understanding, exemplified by Spock.

4 "Amok Time"

Season 2, episode 1.

star-trek-amok-time-2961682465 (1)

Kicking off the second season of the series, this episode expands the Spock character by introducing his home planet Vulcan, and essential elements of their culture and mythology which will be revisited throughout the franchise, such as the mating ritual of pon farr. It also introduces the character of T'Pring, Spock's betrothed, who becomes an important part of both the spin-off series Enterprise and Strange New Worlds.

Spock is exhibiting strange behavior onboard the enterprise as a result of biological urges related to pon farr . He explains the mating ritual to Kirk and tells him he needs to return to Vulcan and marry T'Pring, or he will die. Ignoring Starfleet orders, Kirk gets him to the church on time, only to find that T'Pring has found another love and no longer wishes to marry Spock. She invokes the Vulcan challenge of kal-if-fee in which Spock must battle a champion of her choosing. She chooses Kirk, and the two engage in a "fight to the death". Widely considered to be one of the best episodes of the franchise, it also has the distinction of bringing the Vulcan salute, "Live Long and Prosper", into the canon and pop culture.

3 "Journey to Babel"

Season 2, episode 10.

Star-Trek-Journey-to-Babel-2-1716892586 (1)

The episode adds even more to the legend of Spock by bringing in his parents, Sarek (Mark Leonard) and Amanda (Jane Wyatt). Sarek represents Spock's Vulcan side, and is cold and disapproving of Spock's decision to ditch the Vulcan Science Academy to join Starfleet. Amanda represents Spock's human side. Warm and caring, she hopes to heal the rift between father and son.

The Enterprise is escorting a tense group of Federation ambassadors to the planet Babel for a conference when one of them is assassinated. Sarek becomes the prime suspect and, under questioning, suffers a cardiovascular event, leading to him needing a blood transfusion from Spock. However, before the procedure can happen, Kirk is stabbed by one of the ambassadors, putting him out of commission and forcing Spock to take command of the Enterprise. Spock is torn between his duty as a Starfleet officer and helping to save his father's life. Amanda begs him to put his father's life first.

2 "The Enterprise Incident"

Season 3, episode 2.

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This episode explores Spock's relationship with the Romulans, a mysterious race that shares a common ancestry with Vulcans but who are enemies of the Federation. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy engage in an elaborate ruse to gain access to a Romulan ship and steal a Romulan cloaking device, an instrument that allows any starship to fly undetected in space.

When Spock declares Kirk to be insane when they are confronted by a female Romulan commander, Kirk is hustled off to the brig. Impressed by and attracted to Spock, she tries to convince him that Starfleet humans have shown little regard for his abilities by not giving him command of his own ship, and that if he were to come to the Romulan side, he would be treated much better. Spock plays along, eventually being invited to dine with her in her quarters. As intimacy grows between them, Spock secretly uses his communicator to guide Kirk to the location of the cloaking device. The episode started a long connection between Spock and the Romulans, which would culminate with his appearance in a two-part episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation called "Unification."

1 "All Our Yesterdays"

Season 3, episode 23.

spock-all-our-yesterdays (1)

In the penultimate episode of the original series, Leonard Nimoy gives perhaps his finest performance as Mr. Spock as he gradually succumbs to his emotional self. On the planet Sarpedion, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy encounter a time portal known as the Atavachron, When Kirk goes through the portal, Spock and McCoy follow and are transported back 5,000 years to Sarpedion's ice age.

They are befriended by a beautiful woman named Zarabeth ( Mariette Hartley ). Spock increasingly begins to display uncharacteristic emotions, angered by McCoy and falling in love with Zarabeth. As it turns out, the trip back in time has caused him to revert to the ways of ancient Vulcans, who indulged in barbarism and were ruled by their emotions. Spock is forced to give up his relationship with Zarabeth when it's discovered he will die if he doesn't return to his own time. The beautiful relationship between Hartley and Nimoy tugs at the heartstrings, and hints at the depths of emotion Spock struggles with every day.

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STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES: JOURNEY TO BABEL (TV)

One in the series of science fiction programs about the voyages of the U.S.S. Enterprise. In this episode, the Enterprise transports various ambassadors to the Babel Conference to discuss the addition of Coridan to the Federation. When Vulcan dignitaries are welcomed onto the spacecraft, Spock surprises all by revealing that ambassador Sarek and his human wife Amanda are his estranged parents. As Captain Kirk gives Sarek a tour, Amanda talks with her son about his life in the four years since they last saw each other. Amanda later explains to Kirk about the logic-based "Vulcan way" and why it has kept Spock and Sarek from speaking as father and son for the last eighteen years. With some prying, McCoy finds out that Spock had more human qualities as a youth than most would have suspected. During a Federation mixer, Tellarite ambassador Gav starts a row with Sarek after he refuses to divulge his feelings on the Coridan vote. Later, when Gav is found murdered due to an expertly-snapped neck, Sarek is immediately placed under suspicion. During Kirk's questioning, Sarek has an attack caused by a malfunctioning heart valve, requiring a blood transfusion of the rare Vulcan T-negative blood. Meanwhile, a small alien ship of unidentified origin has been shadowing the Enterprise at a high-warp speed. Spock and Uhura figure out that the alien ship is transmitting messages to someone aboard the Enterprise, though they cannot decode the signals. Despite the fact that Spock doesn't have pure Vulcan blood, and the transfusion could be deadly, he decides to donate by coupling it with an experimental chemical stimulant. However, when the Andorian Thelev stabs Kirk and puts him in need of hospitalization, Spock is forced to take over temporary control of the Enterprise -- thus ruling out his ability to donate blood to his father. As it's discovered that the now-imprisoned Thelev has a transceiver hidden in his antenna, the mystery ship gets closer and Sarek's health declines -- forcing Kirk, Spock, and McCoy to initiate a series of heroic actions to avoid complete disaster. Commercials deleted.

  • NETWORK: NBC
  • DATE: November 17, 1967 Friday 8:30 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 0:50:18
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: T:63983
  • GENRE: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
  • SUBJECT HEADING: She Made It Collection (D. C. Fontana)
  • SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1966-1969
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

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Editorial Reviews

Years before George Lucas knocked us out with his wildly imaginative bar scene in Star Wars (in which a broad mix of exotic creatures mill about), Star Trek did much the same thing in "Journey to Babel." Serving as a transport for a variety of extraterrestrial diplomats, the Enterprise becomes a warp-capacity hotel for truly eclectic visitors. (Director Joseph Pevney credits the makeup artist with this episode's impressive array of alien species.) The story finds murder committed aboard the ship and an attack on Captain Kirk (William Shatner), all in an effort to sabotage the imminent signing of a peace treaty. But against this mystery is an even more curious family drama featuring Spock's conflicts with his parents, the Vulcan ambassador Sarek (Mark Lenard), who disapproves of his son, and his human wife, Amanda (Jane Wyatt). Story editor Dorothy Fontana wrote the script after deciding it was time to show us the oft-mentioned mother and father of the Enterprise 's first officer (Leonard Nimoy). We can thank her for inventing all the fascinating details of a complicated family relationship that ultimately became crucial to a couple of feature films and even a memorable episode of The Next Generation . --Tom Keogh

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.1 x 5.42 x 0.58 inches; 2.93 ounces
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ April 15, 1994
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ February 9, 2007
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, Mark Lenard, Jane Wyatt
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Paramount
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 630021348X

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Rings of power season 2 release window confirmed.

The Rings of Power season 2 release window has been confirmed, revealing when the Lord of the Rings show is expected to return to Prime Video.

Rings Of Power Season 2's "Edgier" Tone Teased By Director

  • The Rings of Power season 2 will be released in 2024, following the success of the first season.
  • Season 2 production finished before the SAG-AFTRA strike, avoiding delays.
  • The release of season 2 might align with House of the Dragon in summer 2024, continuing the fantasy show rivalry.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 release window has been confirmed, revealing when the series is expected to return to Prime Video. Premiered in 2022, the series is set thousands of years before The Lord of the Rings and, based on that novel's notes and appendices by J.R.R. Tolkien, chronicles the Second Age of Middle-earth . Although the first season received mixed reception from audiences, Rings of Power became the most-watched Prime Video original series, so a second season was officially ordered in November 2019.

Now, The Rings of Power season 2 release window has been confirmed. According to The Hollywood Reporter , the second season will be released later this year in 2024 . The news was confirmed as part of a larger report about The Rings of Power showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne signing a three-year deal with Amazon MGM Studios and beginning early work on season 3.

Rings of power finale Halbrand Galadriel celebrimbor

The Rings Of Power Season 1 Ending Explained (In Detail)

When the rings of power season 2 could be released, summer 2024 is a possibility.

The Rings of Power and House of Dragon debuted just weeks apart in 2022 and, since both fantasy shows were unaffected by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, their second seasons should be headed for similar release dates again.

While an exact release date has yet to be announced, the confirmation that Rings of Power season 2 will be released sometime in 2024 is a welcome one. In 2022, McKay said that production on Rings of Power season 2 may take " another couple years ," suggesting it might not arrive until 2025 or 2026. However, this estimation didn't rule out the possibility of a 2024 premiere as a best-case scenario. Season 2 caught a lucky break since filming officially wrapped in early June 2023, a month before the SAG-AFTRA strike started, which would have significantly delayed production.

Season 2 started filming in October 2022, and lasted around eight months.

The Rings of Power and House of Dragon debuted just weeks apart in 2022 and, since both fantasy shows were unaffected by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, their second seasons should be headed for similar release dates again. The House of the Dragon season 2 release date is set for early summer 2024, according to HBO boss Casey Bloys. Considering its window, The Rings of Power season 2 could also be headed for a summer premiere , continuing the friendly rivalry between the two fantasy shows.

What To Expect From The Rings Of Power Season 2

It will continue chronicling the second age.

The Rings of Power cast is a massive, international ensemble, most of whom are expected to return for season 2, including Morfydd Clarke as Galadriel, Robert Aramayo as Elrond, and Charlie Vickers as Sauron. Season 2 has also made some high-profile additions, including Game of Thrones star Ciarán Hinds, James Bond star Rory Kinnear, and Star Wars alum Tanya Moodie . Sam Hazeldine also replaced Joseph Mawle as Adar. Actors joining the cast in undisclosed roles include Oliver Alvn-Wilson, Stuart Bowman, William Chubb, and Kevin Eldon.

The Rings of Power season 2's story will continue chronicling Middle-earth's Second Age. Season 1's ending saw the creation of the three Eleven rings and, diverging from Tolkien's source material, mithril was an essential element. Crafting more rings will require more mithril, underscoring the significance of Khazad-dûm and the Balrog lurking beneath its mines. Meanwhile, Nori and the Stranger are on a journey to the unexplored lands of Rhûn, an area previously uncharted by Tolkien. But most importantly, Sauron will surely take command of Mordor and its Orcs in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 is streaming on Prime Video.

Source: THR

The Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power Poster

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings to screens the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history for the very first time. Set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, The Rings of Power will explore a time in the franchise where kingdoms rose and fell, where The One Ring itself was forged and tells the tale of the rise of the greatest foe in the Lord of the Rings Franchise, the Dark Lord Sauron. Beginning in a time of peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of familiar and new characters as they confront the long-feared reemergence of evil in Middle-earth. From the depths of the Misty Mountains to the forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the island kingdom of Númenor, to the farthest reaches of the map, The Rings of Power promises to condense the extended works of Tolkien in a condensed but all-encompassing TV show format. The first season of The Rings of Power began airing exclusively on Prime Video on September 2, 2022

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