A Taste of Armageddon 

Kirk and Spock must save their ship's crew when they are declared all killed in action in a bizarre computer simulated war where the actual deaths must occur to continue.

Director:

Joseph Pevney

Writers:

Robert Hamner (teleplay by), Gene L. Coon (teleplay by)

Stars:

William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, David Opatoshu

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
William Shatner	...	Capt. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Mr. Spock
David Opatoshu	...	Anan 7
Gene Lyons	...	Ambassador Fox
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. McCoy
James Doohan	...	Scott
Barbara Babcock	...	Mea 3
Miko Mayama	...	Tamula
David L. Ross	...	Galloway
Nichelle Nichols	...	Uhura
Sean Kenney	...	DePaul
Robert Sampson	...	Sar 6

Storyline

On a mission to establish diplomatic relations at Star Cluster NGC321, Kirk and Spock beam down to planet Eminiar 7 to learn that its inhabitants have been at war with a neighboring planet for over 500 years. They can find no damage nor evidence of destruction but soon learn that their war is essentially a war game, where each planet attacks the other in a computer simulation with the tabulated victims voluntarily surrendering themselves for execution after the fact. When the Enterprise becomes a victim in the computer simulation and ordered destroyed, Kirk decides it's time to show them exactly what war means.

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Plot Keywords:

held captive | blonde | ambassador | year 2267 | 2260s | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 February 1967 (USA)

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Desilu Productions, Norway Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

50 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

This episode takes place in 2267.

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Goofs

Vulcans are incapable of lying. However, Spock distracts a guard by telling him there is a multi-legged creature on his shoulder, an obvious lie.

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Quotes

Anan 7: We have been at war for 500 years.
Captain James T. Kirk: You conceal it very well.

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Alternate Versions

Special Enhanced version Digitally Remastered with new exterior shots and remade opening theme song

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Connections

Featured in William Shatner's Star Trek Memories (1995)

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Soundtracks

Theme From Star Trek
Written by Alexander Courage

User Reviews

Actual War a Messy Business

In this Star Trek feature, the Enterprise's mission is to bring Star Fleet ambassador Gene Lyons to a planet and establish diplomatic relations. When beaming down to the planet, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and a security team discover that the planet is in a state of perpetual, but bloodless war with another planet in the system.

This planet's leader David Opatoshu explains that this has been going on for five hundred years, but instead of trying to resolve their differences, they and their opposition have arrived at a peculiar solution. War is done like a video game and incidentally just the anticipation of video games is something Gene Roddenberry could take some bows for.

These games are for real because on this planet and the other when a hit is scored, the computer calculates the casualties and people are just shuttled to a disintegration chamber and annihilated. Nice and neat with the proper number of casualties and the buildings and culture intact. As Captain Kirk remarks real war is a very messy business.

I agree with another reviewer who says that this episode has some profound things to say about war, man's nature and the need to overcome the beast to allow us to live together. A good lesson for the leaders of all the world's nations.