Elaan of Troyius
Elaan of Troyius (Video; Memory Alpha) is a mediocre episode with one awesome scene. In a disputed star system on the border between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, two warring planets are ready to forge a peace with a marriage.
There’s some stuff that’s supposed to be funny with the bride not wanting to go and being a savage barbarian and Kirk telling her what-for, but it kind of falls flat. And then she cries and her tears enslave Kirk and that has very little apparent effect on him but makes her into a completely different person. Then half way through the episode the writer forgets this plot and focuses on Klingons.
The Klingons want the system for their own purposes, and stopping the peace treaty is apparently in their interests even though it’s never explained why. So the Klingon Warbird attacks the Enterprise, making strafing runs while the Enterprise’s warp drive is out. There’s some tactics and maneuvering, with feints and bluffs and last-minute aid from Scotty in Engineering. It’s a nice little bit of action and it’s pulled off well. Too bad it’s in such a lame episode.
Grade
C
