Errand of Mercy

Last updated
"Errand of Mercy"
Star Trek: The Original Series episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 26
Directed by John Newland
Written by Gene L. Coon
Featured music Alexander Courage
Cinematography by Jerry Finnerman
Production code026
Original air dateMarch 23, 1967 (1967-03-23)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The Devil in the Dark"		Next →
"The Alternative Factor"
Star Trek: The Original Series season 1
List of episodes

"Errand of Mercy" is the twenty-sixth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek . Written by Gene L. Coon and directed by John Newland, it was first broadcast on March 23, 1967. It was the first episode in which the Klingons appeared.

Contents

In the episode, with a war with the Klingons declared, Captain Kirk and his First Officer, Mr. Spock, attempt to sway the incomprehensibly placid population of a planet near the Klingon border to resist an invading military occupation.

The Klingon governor, Kor (played by John Colicos), would return in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode "The Time Trap" voiced by James Doohan. He would return again decades later in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes "Blood Oath", "The Sword of Kahless" and "Once More Unto the Breach". In "The Sword of Kahless", Worf mentions Kor's encounter with Kirk.

Plot

Negotiations between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire have collapsed, and the USS Enterprise is sent to the world of Organia, a non-aligned planet near the Klingon border, to prevent the Klingons from taking advantage of its strategic location. As the Enterprise approaches Organia, the ship is attacked and destroys a Klingon vessel.

Upon arriving on the planet's surface, Kirk and Spock find a peaceful but technologically primitive town. Kirk appeals to Ayelborne, the head of the local council to allow the Federation to help them resist Klingon occupation, but the Organians adamantly oppose any use of violence. When a Klingon fleet appears in orbit, Kirk orders the Enterprise to withdraw, which strands himself and Spock on the planet.

Ayelborne disguises Kirk and Spock to avoid suspicion and the Klingons seize control of the planet without resistance, installing the ranking Klingon officer, Kor, as the military governor. Kor has Spock questioned with a "mind sifter" device to confirm he is not a spy and designates Kirk as the Organian civilian liaison with the occupation force. Spock uses his mental discipline to withstand the scrutiny of the device.

That evening, in an attempt to inspire the Organians, Spock and Kirk sabotage a munitions dump outside the town. Ayelborne reveals the true identities of the Federation officers to Kor. He and the council then mysteriously free the two before the Klingons can torture information out of them. While Kirk and Spock try to comprehend the council's contradictory actions, Kor orders the execution of two hundred Organians, yet the council seems unmoved.

As the Federation and Klingon fleets ready themselves for a confrontation in the system, Kirk and Spock raid the Klingon headquarters in hopes of rousing the population into resistance. They capture Kor and prepare to make a last stand. The Organians then reveal their true nature: they are highly advanced incorporeal beings. They instantly incapacitate both sides, forcing them to agree to a cessation of hostilities. The Organians predict that the two sides will work together in the future.

Production

Story editor D.C. Fontana said she thought the Romulans were much more interesting than the Klingons, but the Klingons were chosen as the regular adversaries of the series because they did not need any special make-up like the pointed ears for the Romulans. [1]

The Klingons' dark-skinned, mustachioed look was the idea of John Colicos who played Kor. Make-up artist Fred Phillips agreed that they should have a "Genghis Khan" look. [2] In Gene L. Coon's script, the Klingons were described as simply, "Oriental. Hard-faced." [3]

Reception

Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club gave the episode a 'B+' rating, describing it as "fun" but noting "logical holes throughout". [4]

Hollywood.com said "Errand of Mercy" was among the best of Star Trek episodes about the Klingons, noting in this episode the war-craving Klingons thought the Organians were peasants. [5] [6] A ranking of every episode of the original series by Hollywood, placed this episode 25th out of 79 episodes. [7]

In a review of fictional Star Trek aliens in 2018 by CBR , the Organians were noted as a powerful species. [8] They were particularly impressed with the Organian character Trefayne, who was one of the Organian council members that talks to Kirk. [9]

In 2016, SyFy ranked guest star John Colicos's performance as Kor (the Klingon leader), as the 13th best guest star on the original series. [10] Colicos went on to reprise his role as Kor decades later on the Star Trek spin-off Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . [10] The franchise was trying to do numerous cross-overs whenever possible to enhance continuity. [11] Directors were happy with enhancements to continuity, such as actors reprising their roles as characters the audience was already familiar with. [11] Being consistent with continuity and bringing back old characters meant the audience would feel familiar with what was being presented. [11]

A 2018 Star Trek binge-watching guide by Den of Geek , recommended this episode as part of the "foundations of Star Trek". [12]

The 1988 song "What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)" by American synth-pop band Information Society uses a sample of Leonard Nimoy's voice from this episode. Nimoy's son Adam facilitated this. The same sample was used in the 2018 song "Dame Tu Cosita" by El Chombo and Cutty Ranks.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worf</span> Fictional character from Star Trek

Worf, son of Mogh is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise, portrayed by actor Michael Dorn. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG), seasons four through seven of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9), and the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard, as well as the feature films Star Trek Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).

Vulcan (<i>Star Trek</i>) Fictional extraterrestrial species in Star Trek

Vulcans, sometimes referred to as Vulcanians, are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek media franchise. They are noted for their strict adherence to logic and reason and suppression of emotion. Known for their pronounced eyebrows and pointed ears, they originate from the fictional planet Vulcan. In the Star Trek universe, they were the first extraterrestrial species to make contact with humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spock</span> Fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise

Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. He first appeared in the original Star Trek series serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise as science officer and first officer and later as commanding officer of the vessel. Spock's mixed human–Vulcan heritage serves as an important plot element in many of the character's appearances. Along with Captain James T. Kirk and Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, he is one of the three central characters in the original Star Trek series and its films. After retiring from active duty in Starfleet, Spock served as a Federation ambassador, and later became involved in the ill-fated attempt to save Romulus from a supernova, leading him to live out the rest of his life in a parallel universe.

<i>Star Trek III: The Search for Spock</i> 1984 US science fiction film by Leonard Nimoy

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is a 1984 American science fiction film, written and produced by Harve Bennett, directed by Leonard Nimoy, and based on the television series Star Trek. It is the third film in the Star Trek franchise and is the second part of a three-film story arc that begins with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) and concludes with Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986). After the death of Spock (Nimoy), the crew of the USS Enterprise return to Earth. When James T. Kirk learns that Spock's spirit, or katra, is held in the mind of Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Kirk and company steal the decommissioned USS Enterprise to return Spock's body to his homeworld. The crew must also contend with hostile Klingons, led by Kruge, who are bent on stealing the secrets of the powerful terraforming device, Genesis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saavik</span> Fictional character in the Star Trek universe

Saavik is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe. She first appeared in the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) played by Kirstie Alley. Robin Curtis took over the role for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).

"Balance of Terror" is the fourteenth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Paul Schneider and directed by Vincent McEveety, it first aired on December 15, 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amok Time</span> 1st episode of the 2nd season of Star Trek: The Original Series

"Amok Time" is the second season premiere episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon, scored by Gerald Fried, and directed by Joseph Pevney, it first aired on September 15, 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spock's Brain</span> 1st episode of the 3rd season of Star Trek: The Original Series

"Spock's Brain" is the third season premiere episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Gene L. Coon and directed by Marc Daniels, it was first broadcast on September 20, 1968.

Unification (<i>Star Trek: The Next Generation</i>) 7th and 8th episodes of the 5th season of Star Trek: The Next Generation

"Unification" is a two-part episode of the syndicated American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation which features Leonard Nimoy as Spock. The first of the two episodes earned a 15.4 household Nielsen rating, drawing over 25 million viewers, making it one of the most watched episodes in all seven seasons of The Next Generation's run.

"Blood Oath" is the 19th episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and originally aired on March 27, 1994 in broadcast syndication. The story was created by Peter Allan Fields and the episode was directed by Winrich Kolbe. The choreography of the ending fight scene was created by Dan Curry and Dennis Madalone, while the score was created by Dennis McCarthy.

"More Tribbles, More Troubles" is the fifth episode of the first season of the animated American science fiction television series Star Trek. It first aired in the NBC Saturday morning lineup on October 6, 1973, and was written by David Gerrold as a sequel to his Original Series episode "The Trouble with Tribbles". It features actor Stanley Adams reprising his role of trader Cyrano Jones, and the return of the fuzzy, rapidly reproducing creatures called tribbles.

"The Deadly Years" is the twelfth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by David P. Harmon and directed by Joseph Pevney, it was first broadcast December 8, 1967.

"A Piece of the Action" is the seventeenth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by David P. Harmon and Gene L. Coon, and directed by James Komack, it was first broadcast on January 12, 1968.

"The Enterprise Incident" is the second episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by D. C. Fontana and directed by John Meredyth Lucas, it was first broadcast September 27, 1968.

"Day of the Dove" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Jerome Bixby and directed by Marvin Chomsky, it was first broadcast November 1, 1968.

"The Way to Eden" is the twentieth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. The episode was written by Arthur Heinemann, based on a story by Heinemann and D. C. Fontana. It was directed by David Alexander, and first broadcast on February 21, 1969.

"The Alternative Factor" is the twenty-seventh episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Don Ingalls and directed by Gerd Oswald, it first aired on March 30, 1967.

"Once More unto the Breach" is the 157th episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the seventh episode of the seventh season. This episode received a Nielsen rating of 4.5 when it was broadcast on television in 1998.

<i>Spock Must Die!</i> 1970 novel by James Blish

Spock Must Die! is an American science fiction novel written by James Blish, published February 1970 by Bantam Books. It was the first original novel based on the Star Trek television series intended for adult readers. It was preceded by a tie-in comic book line published by Gold Key and the novel Mission to Horatius by Mack Reynolds, all intended for younger readers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sword of Kahless</span> 9th episode of the 4th season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

"The Sword of Kahless" is the 81st episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the ninth of the fourth season. It originally aired on November 20, 1995, in broadcast syndication. The story was created by Richard Danus and was turned into a teleplay by Hans Beimler. The episode was directed by Star Trek: The Next Generation alumnus LeVar Burton, and featured the return of John Colicos as Kor. Colicos had first appeared as Kor in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Errand of Mercy", and had previously appeared in this series in the episode "Blood Oath".

References

  1. ↑ Interview with Dorothy Fontana Archive of American Television https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/dorothy-fontana
  2. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : "STAR TREK 1.9 & 1.10 VHS Intros". YouTube .
  3. ↑ "Errand of Mercy".
  4. ↑ Handlen, Zack (April 17, 2009). ""Errand Of Mercy" / "The Alternative Factor"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved March 2, 2010.
  5. ↑ Blauvelt, Christian (2013-05-16). "'Star Trek': The Best of the Klingons from 'The Original Series' to 'Into Darkness' — VIDEO". Hollywood.com. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
  6. ↑ "9 Klingon episodes to watch on Netflix before 'Star Trek: Discovery'". The Daily Dot. 2017-08-20. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
  7. ↑ Blauvelt, Christian (2013-05-18). "Ranking All 79 'Star Trek: The Original Series' Episodes from Worst to Best". Hollywood.com. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  8. ↑ "Star Trek: The 15 Most Powerful Species Across The Galaxies, Ranked". CBR. 2018-09-05. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
  9. ↑ "Top 20 Strongest Characters In Star Trek, Officially Ranked". CBR. 2018-06-17. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
  10. 1 2 Kaye, Don (2016-09-16). "The 17 best Star Trek: The Original Series guest stars (hero or villain)". SYFY WIRE. Archived from the original on 2019-06-26. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  11. 1 2 3 Erdmann, Terry J.; Block, Paula M. (2000). Deep Space Nine Companion. Simon and Schuster. ISBN   9780671501068.
  12. ↑ "Star Trek: An Episode Roadmap for Beginners". Den of Geek. 8 September 2018. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.