Balance of Terror
From the Encyclopedia of Speculative Fiction - http://encyclopedia.wizards.pro
| Image:Romulan Bird-of-Prey.jpg | |
| Series: | TOS |
| Episode: | 1x08 (#9) |
| Original Airdate: | 1966-12-15 |
| Production Number: | 9 |
| Broadcast Number: | 14 |
| Year: | 2266 |
| Stardate: | 1709.21 |
| Written by: | Paul Schneider |
| Directed by: | Vincent McEveety |
The Enterprise is thrown into a life or death struggle with a rogue Romulan vessel.
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Summary
An unidentified alien ship with the ability to render itself invisible attacks a series of Federation outposts along the Romulan Neutral Zone. The Enterprise was in the vicinity and investigates. The unknown enemy reveals itself as being of Romulan origin, and it is soon believed they are trying to test Federation resolve. It is not long before a tense battle of wits ensues between Kirk and the Romulan flagship commander - the best of both races.
Proceedings are hampered however by Lieutenant Andrew Stiles, for his objectivity is clouded by the death of relatives that he lost in the notorious Romulan War a century earlier. And when the Romulan Commander is revealed on the Enterprise viewscreen, the likeness to Vulcans becomes dubiously evident, and all too soon Spock comes under grave suspicion, suspicions he can only dispel by saving the day...
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Background Information
- This episode saw the introduction of the Romulan Star Empire in Star Trek. It was writer Paul Schneider who is credited with creating the Romulans. It is said he wished to create an adversary worthy of Kirk, one with flavours of a space faring Roman Empire. Sadly, with the make-up for the Romulans too expensive, and the budget limited, the Klingons were cheaper to use.
- The plot of this episode is based on the 1957 movie The Enemy Below, with the Enterprise taking the part of the American destroyer and the Bird of Prey with its cloaking device taking the part of the submarine.
- This is the only time a book is used on the Enterprise, other than being seen on a shelf in someone's quarters. The book in the briefing room scene is a tome on comets. The title is "Table of Comets, Galaxy Quadrant" followed by unreadable numbers.
- The phaser control room is a re-dress of the Engineering set. The phaser panel was borrowed from the same set-- it's the panel Kevin Riley sits at in both of his series appearances, and it's also the console Kirk used to disable Khan's planned destruction of the ship in "Space Seed". This panel was moved in season two, when an alcove and doorway replaced this spot (see notes on "The Doomsday Machine" for more).
- Spock makes an uncharacteristic blunder in this episode: groping for a control button in the darkened bridge, he activates the signal that alerts the Romulans to the ship's presence.
- This is the only time in which the ship's weaponry is fired through a chain of commands (Kirk to Stiles to phaser room). This gives the episode more of its "submarine versus destroyer" feel. Conveniently, it also allows Spock a chance to save the day and redeem himself in Stiles' eyes.
- Regular first-season extra Ron Veto gets his only close-up in 'Star Trek' when he replaces Stiles at the navigation console.
- Although phasers are the weapons named, photon torpedoes are shown being fired, probably because the term "photon torpedo" was not invented until later on in the season in the episode "Arena".
- Watch Sulu's very appreciative glance at Uhura when she takes over navigation in this episode.
- The helmets worn by the Romulans, which made pointed ear appliances unnecessary, were created by budget constraints as the Vulcan/Romulan make-ups were very expensive. They were reused later because of the same reason in Amok Time and The Enterprise Incident. The hexagon part of the "hexagon with wings" symbol on the helmets was later re-used as the Romulan symbol in "The Enterprise Incident", a slightly altered symbol which can be seen in the hallway of the Romulan-Klingon cruiser.
- Although the original Romulan Bird of Prey studio model was rumored to have been damaged or destroyed (leading to the Klingon ship to be used in its place in The Enterprise Incident), the fact of the matter is that its whereabouts are officially unknown at this time and the Klingon ship was used because they had more invested in it and they needed to get their money's worth out of it.
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Memorable Quotes
- "Since the days of the first wooden vessels, all ship masters have had one happy privilege: that of uniting two people in the bonds of matrimony." -- Kirk
- "I regret that we meet in this way. You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend."-- Romulan Commander
- "Leave all bigotry in your quarters. There's no room for it on the bridge." -- Kirk to Stiles
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Nitpicks
- The woman seen as Angela's bridesmaid at the beginning of the episode is also seen in the very last scene as Kirk walks down the corridor. She can be observed (now in a gold uniform rather than a blue one) chatting and smiling with a male crewman. One would have thought she would be more restrained after the death of her friend's fiance!
- Decius brags that the Romulan ship is the best in their fleet. If so, why does sand fall from the ceiling during the battle sequences?
- When the Bird of Prey first fires on the Enterprise, Kirk orders the navigator to send the ship in reverse. Why not swerve out of the way of the oncoming plasma beam?
- Stiles said it would take the wildest stroke of luck to hit the invisible Romulans with phasers, yet the phasers do so, and then continue to do so for the rest of the episode.
- In the silliest parallel to the movie The Enemy Below, both ship captains order their respective crews to be quiet -- sound doesn't travel in space. In defense of this scene, however, perhaps ship's sensors could discern sounds occuring within another vessel.
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Links and References
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Regular Cast
- William Shatner as Kirk
- Leonard Nimoy as Spock
- DeForest Kelley as McCoy
- James Doohan as Scott
- George Takei as Sulu
- Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
- Grace Lee Whitney as Rand
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Guest Stars
- Paul Comi as Andrew Stiles
- Mark Lenard as Romulan Commander
- Lawrence Montaigne as Decius
- John Warburton as The Centurion
- Stephen Mines as Robert Tomlinson
- Barbara Baldavin as Angela Martine
- Garry Walberg as Hansen
- John Arndt as Fields
- Robert Chadwick as Romulan Scanner Operator
- Sean Morgan as Harper (Brenner in the studio cast list)
- Walt Davis as Romulan Crewmen
- Vince Deadrick as Romulan Crewmen
- Davis Roberts as Lewis (uncredited)
- Eddie Paskey as Leslie (uncredited)
- William Blackburn as Hadley (uncredited)
- Frank da Vinci as Brent (uncredited)
- Ron Veto as Harrison (uncredited)
- Unknown actor as Bobby
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References
Cloaking device; comet; cycle; Earth-Romulan War; Icarus IV; Neutral Zone Incursion; Outpost 4; phaser coolant; plasma torpedo; Praetor; Remus; rodinium; Romii; Romulans; Romulan Bird-of-Prey; Romulus; Captain Stiles.
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