"Star Trek" Balance of Terror (1966)

User Rating:

9.1/10   

Director:

Vincent McEveety

Writers:

Paul Schneider (written by)
Gene Roddenberry (creator)

TV Series:

"Star Trek" (1966)

Original Air Date:

15 December 1966 (Season 1, Episode 14)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The Enterprise must decide on their response when a Romulan ship makes a destructively hostile armed probe of Federation territory.

Plot Keywords:

Urban Legend Vector | Canceled Wedding | Federation | Space | Starship

US TV Schedule:

Sun. July 19

6:00 AM

TVLAND

Balance of Terror

#1.14

Cast

William Shatner	...	Captain James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Mr. Spock
Mark Lenard	...	Romulan Commander
Paul Comi	...	Stiles
Lawrence Montaigne	...	Decius
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. McCoy
Grace Lee Whitney	...	Yeoman Rand
George Takei	...	Sulu
James Doohan	...	Scott
Nichelle Nichols	...	Uhura
Stephen Mines	...	Tomlinson
Barbara Baldavin	...	Angela
Garry Walberg	...	Hansen
John Warburton	...	The Centurion

Runtime:

50 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Canada:PG (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Desilu Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Desilu Productions

Trivia:

The title is based upon the concept of balance of power when there is parity or stability between competing forces.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the order to fire phasers is given, the ship is shown firing what, in most other episodes, are called photon torpedoes.

Quotes:

Stiles: We enter the Neutral Zone in one minute, Captain.
Dr. McCoy: Do we violate the treaty, Captain?
Mr. Spock: They did, Doctor.
Mr. Spock: Once inside, they can claim we did. A set-up. They want war, we furnish the provocation.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Futurama: Where No Fan Has Gone Before (#4.12)" (2002)

Episodes like this one are what makes Star Trek great!

This has to be one of my 3 favorite Episodes from the Original TV Series.

What makes it great is the battle of wits between The Romulan Commander and Kirk, as well as the top-notch acting from Mark Lenard, who later went on to play Spock's father in other TV Episodes and movies. This is a case where those around rose to the level of the talent around them, and Shatner, Nimoy, and the whole cast deliver an outstanding performance in this episode.

The writing and plot are also excellent, and I love the direct approach used to show us the characters, and the feelings and thoughts of those characters, and how freely they are expressed by the actors.

This very entertaining episode ranks 10 out of 10. AWESOME!! Desert-Buddha