Star Trek (TV Series) Operation -- Annihilate! (1967) User Reviews

Freaky Flying Alien Things Kill Kirk's Brother

[Bogmeister · 7/10 · 7 August 2006]

Call them the flying pizza-things from hell. Or the rubbery suckers from another galaxy. But, whatever you do, don't let one of them attach to your back, sticking you with its alien stinger - you'd be in for some painful days. The final episode of the first season is a straight-out action adventure, a crackerjack alien invasion thriller. It starts out strong, with some ominous mystery on the nature of the threat, escalating to far-out alien monster attack mode. Though hampered by the standard cheesy TV SFX of the sixties, you gotta give the storyline some props for coming up with an unusual alien invader: it's basically a huge brain, but each cell is not physically connected - each cell flies about on its own, causing havoc. The low budget was also unable to show thousands of these things flying around, but that's what must have happened on this colony of Deneva (an actual futuristic city on display here, not just a matte painting - zowie!).

There are some clumsy moments in the script and direction as the story jumps along. In one instance, after the landing party hears a woman's scream, Kirk orders everyone to 'fan out!' - but they run grouped close together. But, this is minor compared to some serious lapses in logic later in the episode. Spock, McCoy and everyone in the dozen science labs aboard the starship can't figure out a way to damage these alien suckers after hours of testing, despite being given a great clue by way of the sun; then Kirk idly latches on to a way at the last minute - maybe he was the only one being objective? Then they rush Spock into another test, with Kirk in full agreement, and blind him seconds before McCoy finds out it wasn't necessary. Kirk gives McCoy a 'if-looks-can-kill' stare and stomps out. Incompetence is really spread around in this episode. The writers tried to capitalize on the main trio's established relationship to create some extra tension, but it doesn't really ring true. Even Nurse Chapel becomes uncharacteristically testy during an operation, questioning McCoy on his methods. Well, she did become a doctor herself by the time of "Star Trek-the Motion Picture"(1979).

In a way, the most fitting aspect about this being the last episode of the 1st season is that we're given the only glimpse of Kirk's real family (and its demise), outside the Enterprise. It's not much - Sam Kirk's only appearance is as a corpse and Kirk's sister-in-law dies soon after. Meanwhile, Kirk's nephew remains unconscious the whole time. It would have been nice to see them reunite at the end instead of the now-silly repartee on the bridge, as if Kirk doesn't even remember his dead relatives by this point (contrast this with the superbly grim ending of "The City on the Edge of Forever"). As mentioned, this is strictly alien invasion thrills, no more. Spock ends up with the best scenes, exerting Vulcan control over the obviously intense pain he suffers. I believe this was the only time Shatner played a character other than Jim Kirk or a Kirk-android or a Kirk impostor during this series. Even though the part was very brief, only as a corpse, he seemed to put every actor's effort into the part.

Flying, Buzzing, Telepathic Jellyfish Body Snatchers!

[mstomaso · 7/10 · 7 June 2007]

The Enterprise is going to investigate what appears to be a very slow-moving viral form of mass-hysteria which has, over centuries, brought several thriving civilizations on many different planets down. Spock reviews the epidemiology of the phenomenon at the beginning of the episode, revealing that the trajectory of the epidemic places a Federation colony directly in its path. Sam Kirk, his wife and their son, live in this colony.

Captain Kirk is directly affected by his family's involvement in all of this, and Shatner does a very nice job of portraying a captain whose professionalism and rational judgment are threatened, and whose usual rational support structure (Spock) is also imperiled and unavailable. In a scene which was, unfortunately underexploited by the mediocre script, Dr. McCoy rises to the occasion and, surprisingly, fills both his usual role and that of the great first officer.

Herschel Daugherty directs this memorable episode of TOS, and does an admirable job with a somewhat weak script. The Stephen Carabatsos script creates some problems for the acting (particularly Nimoy, Barrett and Kelley), and - like his previous effort "Court Martial" - makes the pace a bit inconsistent. Kelley and Shatner are truly remarkable despite these challenges.

The episode also uses setting very nicely, with a very minimal use of backdrops and carefully chosen locations for rare open air shots. Additionally, Spock's character is very nicely examined, the developing rivalry and friendship between McCoy and Spock is enhanced, and the powerful - though unresolved - relationship between Christine Chapel and Spock begins. Finally, this (and the great earlier City on the Edge of Forever)is one of the first episodes to exploit the (unfortunately largely overlooked and unrecognized) subtlety of William Shatner's acting ability by placing Kirk's personal life in the way of his professional practice. This became a major theme as the series continued into its 2nd and 3rd seasons.

Attack of the Flying Space Pancakes

[Steve_Nyland · 8/10 · 17 December 2007]

This was always one of my favorite episodes as a kid: The Enterprise crew investigates an epidemic of "space madness" and traces the latest outbreak to a local human colony that just happens to be where Kirk's identical twin brother has been assigned as a research scientist. The fun really begins when it becomes apparent what the alien menace is, which are an invasion of flying interstellar space pancakes that make up a collective gestalt creature looking to spread it's way across the galaxy. It needs humanoids who can fly space ships to spread from colony to colony, and Kirk has to face the decision of his career when choosing between whether or not to just go back to the Sulaco and nuke them all from orbit. It's the only way to be sure ...

Just kidding. This was one of our favorite Star Trek adventures to act out when we were kids because you could use a bean bag as the pretend space pancake and smack each other on the back, beaming it with your wooden shop class phaser to save each other. The architecture in the city is also pretty rad, looks a lot like the State University at Albany campus I used to study at, which lo and behold was built at about the same time that the actual location (some sort of aerospace company's campus center) was made. It's a great episode for Spock and McCoy fans too, they have more to do than usual which may have been the result of Leonard Nimoy's surprise popularity with fans writing in -- much to the chagrin of William Shatner, who considered himself the focus of the show and resented any major actions that didn't center on Captain Kirk.

This one doesn't, and so it sort of sticks out. One of the best of the "overlooked episodes", and actually rather violent & filled with more physical suffering than usual for Star Trek.

Set location: TRW in Redondo Beach,CA

[maverick-154 · 24 June 2006]

User commentator a_l_i_e_n from Canada does great job of summarizing plot of this episode.

Of interest to me is his comment "The futuristic architecture of the Denovan capital for example is a fine example of the show's use of outdoor locations. The art direction here is vivid, well constructed and definitely a cut above the usually unconvincing indoor sets they so often had to make due with."

In fact the location of this episode's set was the old TRW Defense and Space Systems Group campus in Redondo Beach, CA at Avaiation Blvd and Marine Ave (also adjacent, and just N. of old Redondo HS campus) where I used to work in the late 70s. It was called Space Park or Research Park (address was 1 Space Park, RB, CA) back then. The flight of concrete stairs they come down at beginning of episode was the path to the cafeteria/lecture presentation area. Rest of set (where creatures were stuck to walls and ceiling) was in a typical indoor waiting area in most any of the many architecturally stylish buildings on that campus.

A personal favourite

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 17 June 2015]

Various colonies have been lost due to outbreaks of mass insanity and Deneva, where Kirk's brother and his family live, is next in line. The Enterprise heads there to investigate but they get no reply from the surface; it would appear they are too late. One person fled Deneva but he didn't last long; he flew his ship directly into the sun, claiming to be free just before he was killed. Kirk leads an away party to the surface and finds his brother dead and his sister in-law and nephew are infected. He takes them back to the Enterprise were she manages to speak of what sounds like an invasion before dying. Back on the planet strange creatures are discovered; they are immune to phaser fire and one attacks Spock. They return to the Enterprise where Spock is treated; the creature and injected something into him which has become entwined with his nervous system; causing great pain whenever he resists. Using his Vulcan pain control methods he manages to keep working as they struggle to discover a way of destroying the creatures; the only clue being the final words of the man who flew into the sun… if they can't find a solution Kirk will have to eliminate the planet's population of over a million to stop it spreading!

This episode has always been a personal favourite… possibly because I remember seeing it as a child and being rather scared by it! The creature effects might be a bit cheap and cheerful but they are effective. The idea of creatures taking over a person in such a painful way is enjoyably unpleasant and the idea that each of the creatures is actually a cell in a larger creature is interesting. Using a real location for the futuristic city on Deneva rather than a set or painted backdrop makes the setting more believable. The moral dilemma presented to Kirk makes things more interesting than just having a creature that must be destroyed to protect the ship or some people. The ultimate solution is nicely linked to the opening scenes although the way Spock survived unharmed thanks to a previously unmentioned Vulcan characteristic is certainly an example of deus ex machina… although it was necessary to raise the tension without losing such a fine character. The cast do a solid job; especially Leonard Nimoy who does a fine job portraying Spock's attempts to overcome the pain the creature is inflicting. Overall a pretty good episode.

Strange Flat Creatures, Spock Blinded

[Rainey-Dawn · 8/10 · 7 January 2017]

Season 1, episode 29. The Enterprise is tracking a strange straight line pattern where all of the inhabitants of the planets in line are going crazy and dying - some are killing themselves. The next planet in line is Deneva, a Federation Outpost where Kirk's brother Sam is stationed. Kirk, Spock & McCoy beam down to the planet to investigate and to visit Sam and his family. What they find are strange flat flying creatures attacking people and everyone on the planet are either going crazy, dying or already dead. When they get to Sam's place they find Sam is dead, Sam's wife starting to go mad then suddenly dies and Sam's son in a comatose state and dying. Spock is attacked by one of the creatures. The 3 beam back aboard the ship with Kirk's comatose nephew. Kirk, Spock and McCoy race to find the answers and cures, in the process Spock is blinded.

I actually found this episode quite entertaining. The dialogue between Kirk, Spock and McCoy is really good. It shows just how great of a team the three of them are: different ideas, opinions but working together they create good theories and solutions.

8.5/10

Light at the End of the Tunnel...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 16 February 2022]

Parasitic flat fish will send you insane, once they've made it inside you're as good as slain, it's a fight to discover, a remedy to recover, from psychosis inducing such pain.

The population of the Deneva colony come under attack from a space borne parasite that subsequently kills all while putting its host under extreme physical and mental torture.

Star Trek: The Original Series - Operation - Annihilate!

[Scarecrow-88 · 9/10 · 10 September 2016]

Wow, what an episode! Lots of conflict and weighty problems for Captain James T Kirk! You have Kirk and the Enterprise investigating what is causing a sweeping madness spreading through a series of Federation colony planets. The final planet is especially important to Kirk: his brother, Sam, sister-in-law, and nephew are posted there! Sam is dead, and soon the madness takes his wife when she attempts to tell Kirk what happened to them. Even worse is when Kirk and the away team find blob-like flying creatures which attach to people, inserting a stinger that infiltrates their mind and body, enforcing their will, causing the madness...with one of them landing on Spock's back, stinging him! And, it gets even worse: Kirk must find out what can kill the creatures, destroy their influence on host organisms, or else possibly have to annihilate the colonists before the creatures spread out of this galaxy elsewhere! The planet, Deneva, needs Kirk and Bones, with Spock fighting what wants control inside him having went to the surface again to retrieve a creature for study, to get an answer. The sun plays a unique role in this answer as a ship from Deneva traveled right into it with the captain of the vessel speaking about being free...it is so bizarre when first seen at the beginning of the episode but later proves valuable. The plot makes great use of Spock - Spock battling the madness of the stinger coursing inside him while trying to figure out how to defeat them, including losing his sight during a "light experiment" and nearly disrupting operations on the Bridge before being taken down by multiple officers! Again, to face such developments, Kirk is lucky he didn't endure anxiety attacks and constant stress evaluations! The ingenuity and cerebral analyzing that is needed to escape so many perils; this show thrived on how Kirk and company would combat such situations as the one on Deneva. Cool outside sequences for Deneva give the episode an extra shot in the arm. The creatures, whose form reminded me of greenish egg cooking on a skillet, are wonderfully ghastly.

"You've been so concerned about his Vulcan eyes Doctor, you forgot about his Vulcan ears".

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 13 November 2010]

While re-watching the entire series in episode order, and now that the first season has come to an end, I have to comment on something that's bugged me from the start. You would think that with thirty second century technology, the Federation would have been able to figure out how to construct an ergonomically comfortable work station for Uhura. Even Spock chooses to stand when he has to make one of his calculations, probably figuring it's not worth the effort to pull over a chair. Every time I see Uhura splayed across the communications console, it drives me crazy that they couldn't have built a work station that might have been practical. Of course if they had done that, you wouldn't have been able to track how Uhura's skirt shrank with each successive episode, to the point here of being virtually even with her waist. Check it out - in the earliest stories, her skirt was somewhat above the knees, but gradually went higher and higher throughout the first season.

Now for the story. Up till now, the cheesiest Star Trek monster would have been that Horta from 'The Devil in the Dark'. Well he still might be the cheesiest, but these goofy flying amoeba-like looking discs looked a lot more scary back in the Sixties before I had a chance to catch the show in color. Someone else on this board had it right about their resembling those plastic barf toys you could fool your friends with back in the day. In fact, the first time I saw someone pull that on me as a kid, I thought THAT was pretty real compared to these things.

The concept behind the story was pretty good though, a mass wave of insanity spreading across the galaxy and wiping out civilizations. Captain Kirk's only known family falls victim here without too much fanfare, and it would have probably meant more if his brother Sam's character had been developed over the course of the season. He was mentioned once before, but that was your only inkling that he might show up one day. When he does, he's already a goner. Oh well.

You know, sometimes the resolution to these unsolvable problems is something so simple it should have been thought of before. Just as in "War of the Worlds" where the invaders are brought down by common bacteria, the alien brain and the flying barf-rays are done in by, who would have guessed - bright light. The resolution provides for some momentary angst over the loss of Spock's eyesight, but you just knew this was all going to work out alright. Good thing about that Vulcan inner eye lid.

Mr Spock, your logic, as usual, is inescapable

[snoozejonc · 8/10 · 10 May 2021]

Enterprise visits Deneva where colonists are inexplicably becoming violent and destructive.

I enjoyed this episode for the sci-fi concept and the performances of the central characters.

It starts off intriguing and dramatic as something very strange starts to happen and there is a family connection to Kirk. From there the plot unfolds quite compellingly and there is an interesting focus on both leadership, scientific research and Spock's Vulcan physiology.

I love the idea for the single-cell creature and the connection to a host. All the science associated with this works very well for me. Another reviewer has mentioned the Cold War allegory which is good, but for me is not quite as deep as it probably tries to be.

Kirk, Spock and McCoy take centre stage in a riveting battle against an unusual enemy. This for me is a classic example of Star Trek science and logic winning the day. However, it is a bit contrived for one character to save the day when it would be more plausible that one of the other two would have provided the solution given their scientific roles. Another huge contrivance comes at the very end which by today's standards of TV show storytelling is rather poor.

The visuals are a mixed bag as the location does not look anything other than the complex in Southern California where it was filmed. However I like the creature effects, which are very simple but work well.

Performances are mostly great with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley all on good form, particularly Nimoy. Some of the guest actors are not so great, especially Joan Swift who is comically over the top.

For me it is a 7.5/10.

Considering Genocide on a Planetary Scale

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 29 September 2013]

The Starship Enterprise arrives at the Planet Deneva where Captain James T. Kirk is looking forward to a little personal time with his brother Sam and Sam's wife and son. But it turns out the planet and its people are under attack by some strange collective parasite intelligence which attachs itself to people and forces them to their will under duress of great pain if they don't.

William Shatner's brother died from it and his sister-in-law and nephew are still in its grip. Also Leonard Nimoy is attacked by one of the parasites himself and functions under great pain.

It's a medical problem that DeForest Kelley diagnoses. But surgery is too complex and to have a whole planet undergo it is time consuming and not terribly efficient.

Nimoy proves a useful guinea pig for an experiment that Kelley conducts as to the cure which I won't reveal. But the risk might be genocide on a planetary scale and Kirk is truly reluctant to take that on as a responsibility.

Another episode involving the strain of command and the choices a commander might have to make. These parasites apparently have been making their way through space and it's a question of preventing this from spreading to places like Vulcan and Earth.

Shatner handles it well and Kelley is a good doctor.

Shades of Heinlein

[ghatbkk · 8/10 · 14 July 2018]

If anyone doesn't see the similarities to RA Heinlein's Puppet Masters, well, I don't know what to say.

Pretty good

[intp · 7/10 · 20 July 2014]

I thought this episode was reasonably well done and competent. Nothing spectacular, but a solid story overall and much better than some of the other first season episodes (like "Charlie X" and "The Enemy Within").

The premise is that alien beings, who resemble gigantic brain cells, have spread like a plague, attaching themselves to humans and controlling their nervous systems. The dilemma is figuring out how to eliminate the aliens without killing the human hosts.

This episode got a little extra mileage than usual from two emotional elements-- Kirk's family is involved (his brother's family), and Spock is also put in mortal danger. Spock's "infection" turns out to be a sort of blessing in disguise, as it allows the Enterprise crew to more directly study the nature of the aliens.

My only minor complaint is that there was no attempt of any sort made to communicate with the aliens. I understand that they were hostile and dangerous, and perhaps it was indeed a "kill or be killed" situation, but negotiation wasn't even explored as an option. I thought it should at least have been tried. Was it because the aliens don't "look" humanoid, or some other recognizable form? Even the brutal man-creatures in "Galileo Seven" were given more respect than these creatures.

Bad Day On Deneva

[a_l_i_e_n · 10 February 2006]

When the Enterprise arrives at the planet Deneva they discover the population has been attacked by creatures with the ability to control humans using pain as a motivator.

There are a number of things to recommend about this episode which, in lesser hands, could easily have turned into just another dull exercise in sci-fi mediocrity. The futuristic architecture of the Denevan capital for one is a fine example of the show's use of outdoor locations. The striking design of the place (which is actually the old TRW Defense & Space Group Campus in Renondo Beach, CA. and thanks to Maverick-154 for that info) is vivid, well constructed and definitely a cut above the usually unconvincing indoor sets that producers so often had to make due with.

The alien invaders in the story (resembling some sort of pulsating tumors) are quite repellent, especially with the sound effects enhancement of insect buzzing and repulsive sucking noises. Certainly an unpleasant thing to have landing on you- which is exactly what happens to Mr. Spock here and the viewer feels real sympathy for him as he suffers with the pain of the alien infection. At the same time however we eye him with suspicion as he may just become another unwilling slave to the alien invaders and threaten the safety of the ship. Spock eventually calls upon all the Vulcan will he can muster to contain the alien influence, and here it becomes especially interesting to watch all the little indications of his inner struggle for control. His sporadic facial twitches, an especially stiff gate when he walks, and his fluctuating vocal tones all clearly indicate he's engaged in an internal war. Plus, with Spock being the type of character he is, you understand it's a struggle to maintain personal dignity as well as his self control.

Also worth noting is the inclusion in the story of Kirk's sister-in-law, nephew, Peter, and his brother, Sam, the only family members Kirk ever encountered during the 3 year run of the "Star Trek" series. Sam- or rather Sam's body as he's already dead when Kirk arrives on the scene- is also played by William Shatner wearing a little mustache.

One of the more compelling aspects of this story is the way the characters are faced with making difficult choices that will be costly for some but may accomplish the greater good for all, and this is very much a recurring "Star Trek" theme. Unable to find a method of destroying the alien presence on Deneva, Kirk must consider the cold blooded option of annihilating every living thing on the planet (including Spock and his own nephew) in order to keep the aliens from invading other worlds. When they hit upon a method by which they might destroy the creatures with intensely bright light, Spock volunteers to test that method knowing it may come at the cost of his eyesight. This story is not just about icky space creatures. It's also about moral conflict and brave sacrifice, and it's a most interesting episode all around with a terrific emotional payoff that's worth waiting for.

"Your logic (as usual) is inescapable"

[thevacinstaller-03350 · 8/10 · 20 December 2022]

This is high stakes done right. Galactic wide threats to survival bore me with the unintelligible scope that scale demands. What grounds me in the story is having a character I like put into peril through interacting personally with the threat presented.

Nimoy is always hitting it out of the park with his performance and he continues delivering in this episode with a depiction of how a Vulcan would react to torturous pain. Not to be out shined (clearly) Kirk has some great moments here too ---- the anguish in his face when he is informed by McCoy that Spock was needlessly blinded.

And overall the episode is just intelligently written. We learn the outer galactic antagonists can die within the first few minutes and that ties in the solution presented at the end. I like the foresight and tangible solution provided.

SEASON 1 as a whole:

• I calculated my average total when reviewing the 30 episodes of the first season (including the cage) and I ended up with a 6.9 average rating. That feels a bit low! The math is what it is though. There was 11 episodes that I scored a 6/10 and that dropped the score down overall and the abysmal 'Alternate Factor' did not help with a score of 1/10 and it deserved it.

• There was five episodes that I scored 9/10. My favorite of these beauties would have to be the cage. It's impressive how much that pilot episodes informed and continues to inform the franchise.

• Best performance? Well, I will join the herd on this one. Clearly it's Shatner/Nimoy portraying the characters of Kirk/Spock. They are just constantly delivering great performances and often save what would otherwise be a bad or average episodes. When a performer can do that you know they are a master of the craft.

• Bad trek is like bad sex ---- it's still kinda good. If I am going to give a glowing review, I feel the episode must earn it and not hand them out because I just really like trek and the vision. So, yeah ---- I am going to be tough because there is a high standard set by these people. Keep in mind with any of my reviews that I had watched the entire trek catalogue and grew up with TNG, there is no doubt generation bias present even if I do my best to reduce the influence.

OK episode

[SusanJL · 8/10 · 9 March 2019]

But, why, oh why did they insist on close-ups of those RIDICULOUS, cheesy-looking blobs!!!! Almost ruined the whole episode. If you are going to have cheesy special effects, no close-ups should be allowed!!!!!!

Pretty Pedestrian Effort

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 28 April 2014]

We sadly learn of the death of Kirk's brother, wife, and son. They have been victimized by an influx of rubbery creatures that latch on to their victims and do in their central nervous systems. Kirk vows to find a solution to this problem. Spock is investigating the things but fails to check out his surroundings. As he walks under an archway, one of the creatures, previously stuck to a wall, flies through the air and settles on his back. He is immediately overcome with excruciating pain. The crew is able to stun one of the creatures and it is brought to Dr. McCoy for analysis. McCoy tries every kind of approach he can think of from poisons to heat to shooting and stabbing but nothing works. It is when they realize that one of the victims said as he approached the sun that he was free that they try one last thing: light. The remainder of the episode involves their efforts to test their light theory, being stopped short because to do this, you need a host that has been assaulted by this creature. It is the quest for such a host and more tests that make the conclusion quite interesting.

Season One

[zkonedog · 10/10 · 3 July 2019]

When the first season of Star Trek: The Original Series debuted in 1966, it completely changed the face of television. Whereas shows in the 1950s and early 1960s focused on Western and Variety themes, Star Trek introduced mind-bending plots and alien (literally!) concepts to viewers.

This show focuses on the mission the U.S.S. Enterprise and her crew as they explore the vast regions of the galaxies (or show creator Gene Roddenberry's very creative imagination!). The main characters include William Shatner as the swashbuckling Captain James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as First Officer Spock (a human/Vulcan mix) and Deforest Kelly as Chief Medical Officer Leonard "Bones" McCoy. There also exists a strong ensemble cast (whom I will not mention here individually) that support the "main three" in various episodes.

As I mentioned earlier, by exploring the "distant reaches of the galaxy", Gene Roddenberry was able to introduce new and thought-provoking concepts into the minds of his viewers, who would then tune in again the next week to see what mind-bending adventure was in store for them. Though each individual episodes have their own supporters and critics, here are a few of my favorites of this First Season:

The Enemy Within: Kirk's consciousness is split into dual personalities...one evil, one docile. Which will ultimately prevail?

Shore Leave: Strange things begin to happen on the crew's vacation. (This episodes showcases the comedic presence of the entire cast brilliantly!).

Space Seed: The Enterprise encounters a ruthless dictator from another world.

The City On The Edge of Forever: When McCoy travels back in time and alters the entire course of history, the Enterprise crew must also go back and set things straight.

To conclude, as a kid I loved this show because of its action/adventure plotlines. As a more seasoned TV viewer, I can now appreciate the show for being the first vehicle in which certain plot devices were ever used in TV drama. If you are a seasoned sci-fi viewer who wants to relive the "good old days", or a sci-fi newbie who wants to start "from the beginning", this is the perfect show for you!

Nimoy is an MVV (Most Valuable Vulcan)

[Fluke_Skywalker · 6/10 · 7 September 2016]

Plot; Kirk and Co. attempt to stop amoeba-like creatures who are inhabiting human hosts, causing them to go mad.

This has to be the worst and least apt title in the first season, if not the entire series. Yes, they do have to stop a madness plague of sorts spreading from planet to planet via these creatures who look like that fake rubber vomit you could buy out of the back of comic books when you were a kid, but "Operation: Annihilate!"? Really? Starts off pretty strong, with the planet in question being home to Kirk's Brother and his wife and young son. Kirk is naturally in "To Hell with protocols" mode in an effort to reach his family, and that's always been my favorite Kirk. The middle section gets a bit wonky, with the crew hunting down the critters at what looks like a So-Cal Community College before setting up the episode's strong suit; Spock. Specifically, Leonard Nimoy. Spock is infected with one of the vomit aliens, who cause such great pain as to drive their hosts mad. Spock naturally uses his Vulcan half to control his emotions, even under extreme pain, and this provides Nimoy something to really sink his teeth into. I don't know if Nimoy was a great actor, but he is certainly great in the role of Spock and clearly relishes the opportunity to do more than arch his eyebrow and deliver pseudo-scientific babble.

Kirk's solution is a bit too deus ex machina, but this rather flimsy episode is held together thanks mostly to Nimoy's strong performance.

Sorry, Spock.

[bbcds · 8/10 · 11 September 2022]

This was a pretty good episode except for the part where McCoy shows us the absence of a Hippocratic Oath and First Do No Harm. Duplicating the conditions down on the planet's surface, namely the absence of eye protection was wildly unnecessary. Wasn't the goal here to rid the body of the parasite?

I don't think Spock wearing eye protection would have hindered that experiment.

Also, we all know that Kirk is an intergalactic jerk but to be so uncaring to his brother? His DEAD brother?

Kirk was truly Captain Ass yet again. But I have to ignore it as usual. Two thumbs up to Spock, McCoy and of course Uhura's skirt.

Kirk vs. The Farting Manta Rays

[Samuel-Shovel · 6/10 · 5 May 2018]

In "Operation - Annihilate!", the Enterprise visits a planet known as Deneva which is in the direct path of a spreading virus causing insanity and eventual death in the population. It also just so happens that Kirk's brother, sister-in-law, and nephew reside on Deneva. It turns out that the insanity has already reached the population. Kirk's brother & sister-in-law die; his nephew is hanging on by a thread. The crew discovers that the virus is spread via strange flying manta ray-like creatures that latch onto its victims and sting them. Spock gets bit but due to his Vulcan pedigree is able to mentally fend off the creatures enough to maintain control of himself. After much experimentation, it is discovered that the creatures hate direct sunlight. But it will require a lot of it. Spock is cured but temporarily blinded. The Enterprise uses local satellites to flash the surface with the light, destroying the creatures and putting everything back to normal.

So are we just going to forget about the nephew then? Okay screenwriters... We never see him and Kirk reunited. Instead we end the season with some gentle ribbing. Kirk doesn't even seem affected anymore by his brother's death. It all felt like a very sloppy conclusion. Making Spock blind for 8 seconds didn't really feel necessary either.

Besides this though, it's an okay episode. It's got a decent amount of action but the dialogue and plot is a bit clunky at times. My favorite aspect of it was watching Kirk wrestle with the consideration that he may need to destroy the entire planet (his nephew & Spock included) in order to stop the virus from spreading further. That's a heavy cross to bear and you can feel the relief from Kirk when he doesn't need to exercise this option.

Note: This is kind of in the same category as the Borg since the amoeba-like creatures seem to share a hive-like mind. Just thought that was an interesting tidbit...

Flying, parasitic placentas from outer space.

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 28 May 2022]

I'm a sucker for a silly space creature, and Operation - Annihilate! Has loads of them: flying, pulsating, parasitic, placenta-like thingies that travel from planet to planet, laying waste to civilisations.

The latest planet to be invaded by the creatures is Deneva, the Federation colony that happens to be home to Captain Kirk's brother, Sam, and his family. When Kirk and a security detail beam down, they find Sam dead, his wife Aurelan irrational, and their son Peter unconscious. After taking Aurelan and Peter to The Enterprise, Kirk returns to Deneva with a landing party, where they discover gelatinous aliens attached to a building. Spock is attacked by one of the creatures, which injects tentacles into his back that entwine the nervous system.

Unless a method of destroying the creatures can be found, Kirk is faced with the possibility of having to kill millions of people to prevent the creatures from spreading further throughout the galaxy, Spock and Peter included.

Kirk's dilemma could have made for some suspenseful drama, but not much is made of this, the captain quickly surmising that subjecting the aliens to intense light is the answer; likewise, Bones guilt at blinding Spock during an experiment is soon resolved, the Vulcan regaining his sight thanks to his alien anatomy: inner eyelids that automatically close to protect the eyes from bright light. That said, this is still a fun episode, just one that doesn't dwell on any intellectual issues.

6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.

"I want that third alternative!"

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 10 April 2023]

The Enterprise crew is investigating the spread of insanity among the peoples of several planets. What is responsible is a disgusting-looking single-cell organism that attaches itself to hosts and spreads its tentacles throughout their bodies, and then controlling their minds. Things turn very serious when Spock himself is victimized by one of the creatures.

A rather familiar premise (shades of "The Puppet Masters" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers") is given solid-enough treatment in this entertaining 'Star Trek' episode. It shows how Kirk really is an all-business type; even though tragedy strikes his family in this episode, he must concentrate on the task at hand. And what, exactly, is the weakness of the creatures? Conventional weapons like phasers don't affect them. The combined minds of Spock & Bones come up with few answers, and Kirk would prefer not to kill off a whole civilization, although he knows it may prevent the creatures from continuing their influence on other species. The answer lies in a suicidal move by one denizen of the planet.

Scripted by Steven W. Carabatsos ("El Condor", "Tentacles"), and directed by Herschel Daugherty ('Dr. Kildare', 'The Smith Family'), 'Operation - Annihilate!' is an enjoyable if perhaps uninspired closer to this series' first season. It benefits the most from the chemistry between the principal cast members, who'd had enough time to settle quite comfortably into their roles. Nimoy has plenty of good moments here as Spock fights to retain control of his own body; as one can expect, the fact that he's half-Vulcan turns out to be his own saving grace.

Seven out of 10.

"Captain, it doesn't even look real!"

[fedor8 · 31 March 2022]

"Captain, it doesn't even look real!"

The best line is given to that red-shirt female extra. Yup, the little flying pizza monsters are hardly convincing, but at least the sound and flying effects are decent.

"I am the logical choice, there is no other," says Spock.

Is he though? Is he the best option for testing the weapon against the pizza monsters? He is a Vulkan hence different from humans - hence NOT the logical choice. They should have picked a "volunteer" from the million body-snatched colonists.

Kirk hugging his sister-and-law in a colony that was presumed overtaken by contagion... not so smart.

Nevertheless, this is one of the better episodes because more geared toward sci-fi and less toward phony-baloney, trite "social messages" - the usual abhorrent virtue-signaling nonsense.

Not especially great and with a weak ending

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 7 December 2006]

The Enterprise approach a Denova and are surprised that they can't hail anyone--the planet just seems dead. So, they beam down and find most of the people either dead or insane--with an overwhelming desire to kill. It turns out that there are alien creatures who look like plastic barf you buy from novelty stores and it's responsible. This flying barf, once it hits you, takes over your mind and uses pain to motivate you to do evil. Kirk's brother and his family are among the victims and this aspect of the show didn't seem all that convincing. A short time later, Spock is hit by this flying barf and he is infected! So, they use Spock to test out various ways to kill the creatures and everyone is saved. Oddly, you do wonder why the Enterprise could figure all this out so quickly and yet the folks on the planet were totally screwed!

This is an episode that seems to be aired less often than average--perhaps because it is a pretty weak one with a few plot problems. The creatures were pretty cheesy and the plot not terribly exciting, but probably the biggest shortcoming of the show is the gimmicky way they resolved the ending of the film when Spock was blinded when trying to kill off the space barf that had infested him. Having it all just work out fine after all seemed very contrived. For devoted fans, this is worth seeing but for everyone else, it's quite skip-able.