Pirates of Orion is structured like many classic Trek episodes from many series. An important member of the crew is struck with a fatal ailment and the only way they can be saved is with some rare ingredient or item. The ship then diverts to get the thing only to be stopped by the villain of the week who is determined to keep the thing for themselves. This episode benefits from its call backs to Journey to Babel, the episode which introduced Sarek along with several other staple races of TOS and TAS. I wasn't sure while watching, but I guess they are just supposed to be horribly mispronouncing "Orion" in this episode and it in fact has the same villain race as Journey.
The Enterprise is being affected by a disease that McCoy believes he has contained as they go about their business. Suddenly Spock collapses, he has the disease and it will be fatal unless they get a rare drug to save his life! Spock keeps working, but is far below his normal efficiency. The action moves to the SS Huron, the cargo ship that is carrying the drug Spock needs. On their way to rendezvous with the Enterprise they are attacked by a mysterious ship and the drug is stolen along with a shipment of dilithium crystals (which again look different than the last time we saw them).
The Enterprise manages to track down the pirates in an asteroid field made of rare asteroids which explode violently if struck or hit with phasers. The Orion pirates attack the Enterprise but their weapons are ineffective. Kirk manages to negotiate with the Orion captain to hand over the drug if the Enterprise overlooks the stolen dilithium. The Orion agrees, but plans to take a bomb with him to destroy both ships. The Orion people it turns out are officially neutral and if the Federation learns they are pirating they will be turned against. The two captains meet on the asteroid and Scotty manages to detect and beam out the bomb before it can go off. They arrest the Orion and save Spock. They even talk the Orion crew into not self destructing!
Review: This is a pretty straightforward episode, but that isn't a bad thing in this case. The Orions don't really get to return as villains that I know of (I haven't seen really any ENT, so maybe they get to come back there) but they are a part of Trek lore so it is cool to see them here. The element of Spock on his deathbed keeps the tension up.
7 out of 10
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