Another interesting, and kinda odd episode. This is the first episode that has had almost all of it's action on the bridge and has been almost entirely about Kirk. The episode opens with the Enterprise exploring and mapping a new area of space which seems kinda boring to new guy at the navigation station Dave Bailey. Suddenly their sensors detect an object approaching directly at them at warp speed, when they try to get around it matches their maneuvers. Finally they meet and discover the sinister object is a multicolored rotating cube! Oh no, they have found their way into the RPG quadrant!
I am watching this on Netflix which has the, "improved graphics," but from the dialog I think they nailed the kinda dull spinning cube. This whole time Spock has been in charge and it is time for Kirk, but where is he? In sick bay getting his physical of course. McCoy fails to mention the red alert light flashing so he can watch Kirk sweat a but, but finally he notices and storms out and down the hallway shirtless and sweating which seems to be standard operating procedure to the crew.
They hold a meeting to make a plan where Bailey again makes an ass of himself, and of course Kirk ignore all advice and goes with his gut. They attempt to fly away from the cube but it only gets closer and starts blasting them with radiation until Kirk blast it with phasers and yells and Bailey a bit. The cube explodes and they go back to surveying as if nothing had happened. But of course they run into an even bigger object, this time it scans them and tractor beams them in for interrogation.
For some reason the alien vessel only wants to use voice communications to threaten the enterprise, but Spock figures out a way to break through and discovers they are being addressed by a hella goofy looking alien. The alien gives them 10 minutes to make good with god and then says it will destroy the ship. McCoy keeps pestering Kirk to give Bailey a break, but this episode is about Kirk always being right so he ignores him. Finally Kirk decides to bluff and informs the alien that he has a Corbomite device that will destroy any ship that destroys the enterprise. The alien pretends to ignore them, but the deadline passes and no boom!
The huge alien vessel heads for the hills but leaves a tub behind to tow the enterprise to an earth like planet to maroon the crew and then destroy the ship. Not wanting to give in to this totally reasonable offer Kirk risk the destroying the ships engines shaking free of the tug which of course works, it was Kirk's plan! The tug is disabled and broadcasts a signal home saying it has no life support. Kirk beams down with McCoy and Bailey for some reason and they find the goofy alien was in fact a goofy alien puppet. The real alien is a midget who the trust without reservation and even leave Bailey behind as an ambassador for some reason which was apparently his hidden dream that only Kirk knew.
Not sure where to fit this in, but the episode is has a hilarious scene where Kirk and McCoy are bickering when in walks yeoman Rand with Kirk's dinner which turns out to be a bowl of salad. Classic McCoy/Kirk bickering!
Review bit: I know from the description above it may sound like an exercise in stoking Shatner's ego, but it felt more like an episode to establish the credibility of Kirk's gut. The ability to read a situation and bluff his way out will prove useful it episodes with far less goofy villains.
7 out of 10
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