Star Trek Rewatch Episode Post!

[such_heights]

A dispute over control of a planet brings Enterprise to a space station, where they must deal with Klingons, edgy Starfleet Command officials, and a previously-unknown race of small, unbearably cute, voraciously hungry and rapidly-multiplying furry creatures. [Memory Alpha]

The Enterprise is on her way to a deep space station near Sherman's Planet, a planet under territorial dispute between the Klingons and the Federation.

Kirk, Spock and Chekov are shooting the breeze about the history of the sector when an emergency distress call comes from the station, implying that they are under attack.


Turns out there's no emergency, but there are some bureaucrats.


Kirk is displeased.

There's a shipment waiting to be delivered to Sherman's Planet - a grain called quadrotriticale (trying saying that three times fast). Grain = serious business in this part of the quadrant, and the Federation official who's overseeing the project demands the Enterprise's help in protecting the grain from the Klingons, a request enforced by Starfleet Admiralty.


Now Kirk's seriously displeased.


Enter Cyrano Jones. A wheeler, a dealer, and an all-round nuisance if the bartender's put-upon expression is anything to go by, his wares include adorable little fluffballs called tribbles.


Uhura, who's on a shopping trip aided and assisted by Chekov (aw!), is rather taken with them. What harm could they do, right?


Things get even better when the Klingons do show up, demanding shore leave.


Turns out rabbits have nothing on the breeding capacities of the tribbles, and they start multiplying all over the station and all over the ship when Uhura takes her new pet back to the Enterprise.


Even Vulcans think it's logical to find them pleasing.


Meanwhile, the Klingons are spoiling for a fight.


Insulting humans? That's okay. Insulting the ship's captain? Starfleet officers are above that sort of easy goad.


Calling the Enterprise garbage?


YOU TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW.


Brawling ensues.


Kirk's displeasure is becoming a running theme here.


McCoy and Spock are hanging out with lots of little fluffy animals. Being a senior officer on the Federation's flagship is very serious business.

The tribbles have got into the ventilation ducts! They're into the grain! This is an opportunity for lots of little fluffy animals to fall on Kirk's head.


(You guys, I love this episode.)

The tribbles are dead and dying, however, because they've been poisoned - there's something in the grain.

And it turns out that tribbles' prodigious talents include purring, looking cute, reproducing at a rate of knots, and being natural Klingon detectors.




Exposed!

Darvin's an undercover Klingon spy who was trying to sabotage the Sherman's planet project by poisoning the grain. He's arrested, the Klingons leave Federation territory, and Kirk gets back to the ship to find their infestation of tribbles magically gone. Why? Scotty beamed them all into the Klingon cargo bay before the ship went to warp.


Hilarity ensues, and credits roll!



Further Reading

The LOLcat version
DS9's S5 episode Trials and Tribble-ations -- Deep Space Nine had a crossover episode with TOS, and it is DELIGHTFUL.

What did you think of the episode?

Use this post to share anything you'd like, either directly in the comments or by linking to your own journal. It'll be open all weekend, and you can come back and add anything episode-related at any time.

Comments

[arch]

This is the first time I've actually seen this episode (although the caps of the piles of tribbles are familiar, of course).

The interchange between Kirk and Scotty after Kirk's dressing down of the crew is pretty entertaining. I mean, it's a typical comedy bit, but Shatner actually plays it hilariously ("My chicken sandwich and coffee!" That little resigned handwave with the tribble before beaming down to check the storage compartment!). In fact, Shatner's hilarious throughout the whole episode. The interchanges between Kirk and Mr. Barris are pretty great.

On the other hand, Barris has a point when he talks about how Kirk has resisted him at every turn. And the Klingons pretty much have a point with their insults about Kirk.

This is the first episode of TOS I've seen with Klingons. After watching TNG, I was shocked to see that the TOS Klingons are just dudes with beards. I hadn't realized that the character design for Klingons changed so drastically. I bet that caused NO WANK WHATSOEVER.

Also, Barris's secretly Klingon assistant looks just like Eddie Jemison.

[arch]

Uh, the parenthetical bit in the second paragraph makes no sense. Pretend there's a sentence in there transitioning between the Scotty/Kirk confrontation and Kirk discovering tribbles in his meal!

[midnitemarauder]

You should watch the DS9 episode "Trials and Tribble-ations"! I think it's Chief O'Brien who asks Worf about it: "Those are Klingons?!?" and Worf's huffy response of "We do not talk about it with outsiders."

A huge Trek fan, still I never got into the Enterprise spinoff with Scott Bakula, but they did an episode or two where the Klingon's appearance in TOS is explained by a virus of sorts - some kind of genetic procedure/experimentation to make Klingons look more like humans. I haven't seen it, so I don't know how well the explanation/ret-conning went over.

But even the Klingons in Star Trek III - The Search for Spock (the lead - Commander Kruge - played by Christopher Lloyd of Taxi and Doc Brown/Back to the Future fame) looked more like the present incarnation than those in TOS. And as far as I can recall, most fans were pleased with the "new" look. So by the time Worf's character rolled around in The Next Generation, it was already taken for granted that Klingons were dark skinned with those bony ridges, and most fans just waved away the "old" appearance as a production/budget issue.

(As you can probably tell, a lot of things were handwaved for reasons of 'lack of decent budget and technology' - particularly the setting/scenery of pretty much every alien planet they visited consisting of spartan, boulder-infested surroundings! Hee! I mean, even our own current technology makes a lot of TOS things look a bit silly in comparison. We have computers and gadgets now that make Spock's tricorder look pretty ridiculous. But back in the late '60s, it wasn't AS cheesy as it looks to us today. For comparison, you should see some of the old eps of Dr Who! :-P Cheesy special effects was part of the sci fi package.)

[oxoniensis]

Hee! I mean, even our own current technology makes a lot of TOS things look a bit silly in comparison.

*grins* That's one of the things that struck me most - it's so amusing seeing what they thought would look ultra-futuristic back then! Well, that and the incredibly bouncy tables - I loved the way no furniture at all was damaged in the bar fight!

[badgerbag]

I thought there was a whole explanation (in the novels?) about Klingon genetics programs - they would pick out their enemies and then interbreed with them somehow to create people who could interact with them and/or fight them better with their special genetic insights!

[sunnyrea.livejournal.com]

I thought the same thing about Barris' assistant!!! And had the 'is that...? no wait he's too young'

[citharadraconis.livejournal.com]

I always thought this was one of Shatner's best episodes. Whatever...issues we might have with his dramatic acting, he had a great sense of comedy (you can see it a bit more in the TOS bloopers, too), and this episode gave him the opportunity to make use of it from start to finish. As a whole, it showcased the cast's chemistry, and you could tell they were having so much fun with this. (Although, poor Shatner--I hope it didn't take them too many takes to get the falling tribbles right.)

David Gerrold, the guy who wrote the episode, wrote an account of his experience with the Trek cast and crew that can be found here. It's a fascinating look behind the scenes and at the writing process.

[liseuse]

I adore this episode. I have adored this episode for many many years. I also adore Trials and Tribble-ations. I still wish I owned my own Tribble.

Every time I end up catching this episode again, I am struck by the ways in which the Klingons changed as characters and a race.

[miramira]

I'm also quite fond of Shaenon Garrity's "Edward Gorey's 'The Trouble with Tribbles.'"

[sunnyrea.livejournal.com]

ooooo forgot to watch this in time. That's ok, first thing tomorrow but before I watch it I have to say that every time I think of this episode now all I can think of is the DS9 crossover and Scisco throwing the tribbles on Kirk's head. LOL

I will post again with real commentary tomorrow.

[giandujakiss]

My favorite moment is Kirk walking around using the tribbles as a Klingon detector. I think Shatner plays that scene so hilariously.

I hate the ending, though - it's supposed to be funny, but those poor tribbles!

[heathershaped]

I hate the ending, though - it's supposed to be funny, but those poor tribbles!

Hee! I had the same reaction to the ending. Such an adorable episode and then it's like "...but--?"

[heathershaped]

This was one of the eps I'd seen before, and I always loved it. I think Shatner is far better suited for comedy and this episode shows that off.

I never got into DS9 but of course I'd seen what the Klingons looked like on that show, and reading everyone's comments I'm really intrigued by the way the Klingons changed over the years. It's something I didn't really pay attention to when I first saw this episode years ago.

[sunnyrea.livejournal.com]

I have to say that the thing I really love best about these old episodes and this one in particular are the little bits of humor, Spock's one liners about tribbles not talking to much for example. The interaction between Krik and Scotty over why the fight with the klingons, its all about the enterprise. Its not laugh out loud sort of funny but you can't help but smile.

I also like the different uniforms we have going right now with the little shinny embellishments. I'm not sure why they have them right now. Kirk's uniform doesn't have his starfleet insignia at the top like everyone else. Why? This seems a little strange to me. Also when ever McCoy has the short sleeve uniform just bothers me. I guess so when he's elbow deep in someone's blood he won't get it on his uniform. And of course the major female high skirts. Whoa, lots of ass there, but that's normal for this period. I have to say these aren't my fav uniforms, the V neck looks a little silly on Kirk.

(Clearly I pay attention to plot...)

I have to admit, plot wise, I'd forgotten that the tribbles actually had a further purpose than just silly mayhem in the episodes. You've got to hand it to the Klingons, its a good idea. Also, we're at the stage where Klingons look like Bond villains and not their own species which kinda throws me. Ah well.

[sunnyrea.livejournal.com]

And by good idea I meant 'maybe you should wait to comment until you're done watching the epsiode Becca' But yeah, the poor tribbles in the end, dying for the cause. The tribbles are the red shirts of this episode!

[tmtrx.livejournal.com]

It's been awhile since I've watched this ep, and I'd forgotten just how hilarious it was. The cast clearly was having fun with the idea. And it was nice to see Uhura's character used quite a bit. I loved the little 'look' she gave Chekov as they were entering the bar. It helped reinforce the idea that these people are close friends, as well as shipmates.

Kirk's look when Spock says they're dead was great. Yes, you are buried in dead/dying furry animals. gross. It wasn't something that even occurred to me when I watched this as a kid. LOL

This episode has a great sequel that was part of the animated series. I have the novelization of the script in a compilation book and always wished that they could have filmed it properly, since it introduces a Klingon-designed tribble predator (it looks kind of like a spider). That would be fun to see.

After I watched, I went back and made some icon bases from screencaps. I ended up with 15, most of which are episode-specific and could be fun to play with if anyone wants them. :D

[such_heights]

The whole thing is so much fun - both for the characters and the actors.

That animated episode sounds great! I'll have to investigate. And if you'd like to share those icons, I'd love to see them. :D

[tmtrx.livejournal.com]

Sure! I posted them on my journal, here: tribble icons (http://tmtrx.livejournal.com/1464.html)

[copracat]

Shatner's comedy skills are so keen when he's spiking his own dignity. This was such a fun episode. Right from Spock squashing poor Chekov with his 'extremely little, ensign'.