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such_heights) wrote2009-06-20 12:59 am
such_heights) wrote2009-06-20 12:59 am
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Star Trek Rewatch -- The Corbomite Maneuver
Exploring a distant region of space, the Enterprise is threatened by Balok, commander of a starship from the First Federation. [Memory Alpha]
The episode opens with Spock in command of the bridge. The Enterprise is conducting stellar cartography of uncharted regions of space. Spock seems to be having a pretty good time, in a Vulcan sort of way, but navigator Bailey is less impressed.
Sulu then detects an approaching object, which proves to be a mysterious cube.
It's on a collision course with the Enterprise, and it follows the ship as Sulu launches evasive manoeuvres. As it becomes apparent that they cannot shake the object off, the ship goes into red alert.
Meanwhile, Kirk's in sickbay undergoing a physical. McCoy neglects to inform of the alert until he's done, but when Kirk sees the summons he's in such a hurry to get to the bridge that putting a shirt on is much too much like hard work.
One imagines this is a customary sight for the crew of the Enterprise.
Spock figures that the cube is either a buoy or a trap, and so Kirk decides it's time they got out of there.
When the Enterprise tries to fly past it, the cube starts emitting slowly-building radiation, which increase however fast the ship tries to escape. Finally, Kirk gives the order to fire, destroying the cube.
Immediate danger over, Kirk decides that the ship should press on ahead to see what life is out there that might make such a thing. Meanwhile, Sulu and Bailey organise drills to increase the crew's response time, and McCoy berates Kirk for promoting Bailey rapidly, claiming that Bailey's very similar to the Kirk of eleven years ago.
They then go back to Kirk's quarters, where Yeoman Rand enters to sport a fetching beehive hairdo and prompt the requisite genderfail of the episode.
They're interrupted when a new object appears on sensors - a much larger sphere.
It introduces itself as the ship Fesarius, flagship of the First Federation and commanded by Balok.
Balok accuses the Enterprise of malevolent intent, and when they try to send a message out he interprets it as a hostile act and gives the crew ten minutes to live, having shut down all engines and weapons capabilities via a tractor beam.
Kirk tries to get through to him, explaining that he means no harm, but Balok simply replies with a countdown. Bailey cracks under the pressure and is escorted from the bridge.
After conversations with Spock and McCoy, Kirk decides to out-bluff Balok.
He concocts a mystery Federation weapon, corbomite. It's a substance that deflects any weapons fired on Federation ships, so strongly that it destroys their aggressors. No one has survived an attempted attack on an Earth ship in 200 years.
Tension mounts, the timer runs down, and Bailey returns to the bridge, requesting to retake his post. The crew gather round, quietly waiting, together.
Balok announces that the Enterprise's destruction has been delayed and that instead they are to be taken back to the First Federation to be interred. A smaller ship launches from the sphere and starts to tow the Enterprise away.
Kirk waits for his moment then strains the engines well beyond capacity until eventually the ship swings free. It comes to a halt, and then Uhura detects a distress signal from Balok's ship saying that engines and life support are down. The signal's so weak there's no way it's going to reach his people.
Kirk decides to go back for a rescue operation, taking McCoy and Bailey with him.
When they beam onto the ship they find that the fearsome Balok is in fact a dummy, an alter ego for the real, child-like Balok, who welcomes them enthusiastically and offers them drinks.
He tells them that the whole experience was a test in order to assess their true intentions, and that he desires to continue an exchange of cultures.
Though initially bemused, the away team warm to Balok, and when Kirk says he'd be happy to spare a crew member, he looks at Bailey meaningfully, who readily agrees to stay behind. The episode ends with Balok happily taking the three on a tour of his ship.
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Trivia:
This marks the first appearances of Uhura, Rand, and McCoy.
Our first McCoy-ism! "What am I, a doctor or a moon shuttle conductor?" Also, Kirk refers to McCoy as saying that suffering is good for the soul, a line used again in the 2009 film.
Uhura says "hailing frequencies open, sir," really kind of a lot here, heh.
Spock also refers to his human mother, more in keeping with his established backstory than the pilot episode.
You really get a sense of the Kirk-Spock-McCoy triumvirate, the way the three of them work together.
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I liked this one a lot! Genuine suspense in the plotting -- although, given how much of a trope the reveal at the end is by modern sci-fi standards, you could kind of see it coming. And throughout there was character development, a lot of nice team-y moments, and the first real look at the Federation's stated commitment to peacefully seeking out new life.
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