)
STAR TREK: #9 Balance of Terror, 1966
|
 |
|
Writer: Paul Schneider
Director: Vincent McEveety
Music by: Alexander Courage
Captain Kirk: William Shatner
Science Officer, First Officer, Cmdr. Spock: Leonard Nimoy
Dr. Leonard "Bones" Mc Coy: DeForest Kelly
Lt. Sulu: George Takei
Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott: James Doohan
Lieutenant Uhura: Nichelle Nichols
Romulan Commander: Mark Lenard
Decius: Lawrence Montaige
Centurion: John Warburton
Lt. Andrew Stiles: Paul Comi
Specialist 2/C Angela Martine: Barbara Baldavin
Specialist Robert Tomlinson: Stephen Mines
Commander Hansen: Gary Walberg
Stardate 1709.1
)
Angela Martine and Robert Tomlinson are getting married on board of the Enterprise.
The ceremony is interrupted by a call from an outpost close to the Romulan border.
They are under attack by Romulans. When the Enterprise reaches the outpost, they
cannot attack the Romulan ship – it is invisible.
Hardly anything is known about the Romulans so far, but they manage to make contact
to the ship.
To everybody's astonishment the Romulans look a lot like Vulcans do.
)
Lt. Stiles openly expresses dislike towards Mr. Spock and Kirk can prevent him to
suggest Spock would cooperate with the enemy, but his thoughts are clear. He even
calls his superior officer "the Vulcan" without respect. Spock tells
the Captain and the other senior officers about Vulcan history and the probable
Vulcan origin of the Romulans. He warns the captain about the threat that the
descendant of those ancient barbaric Vulcans would pose and suggests attack.
Kirk and the captain of the Romulan ship see parallels how their ships are run and
how both of them behave – without prejudice.
Mutual respect and similar tactics are obvious, too.
)
In pursue, the Enterprise needs to switch off everything and be absolutely silent-
as the enemy ship is. Spock works on a repair and touches a button when getting
up from below his working desk where the repairs were made. This causes a sound and
the Enterprise is detected by the enemy ship. Now Stiles is sure that Mr. Spock is
a traitor.
)
| ) |
)
Assigned to weapons control, along with
Tomlinson, Stiles rudely refuses Spock's offer to assist, but, in is arrogance,
he overlooks the danger of a burning panel.
)
When Tomlinson notices it, it is to
late - the young man dies because of the venomous exhalations and only Spock's timely
intervention, risking his own life, saves Stile's life; Spock also manages
to release the weapon which had been blocked.
Now Stiles realizes his prejudice.
But they manage to hit the Romulan ship hard and the captain of the Romulan ship
decides on self- destruction instead of having all of his crew taken prisoner.
Before destruction both commanders greet each other with respect and mutually
agree that they might have been friends – in another world.
) |
Pictures courtesy of www.trek5.com
