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

[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)