Balance of Terror
- Episode aired Dec 15, 1966
- TV-PG
- 50m
IMDb RATING
8.8/10
5.7K
YOUR RATING
The Enterprise must decide on its response when a Romulan ship makes a destructively hostile armed probe of Federation territory.The Enterprise must decide on its response when a Romulan ship makes a destructively hostile armed probe of Federation territory.The Enterprise must decide on its response when a Romulan ship makes a destructively hostile armed probe of Federation territory.
John Arndt
- Ingenieur Fields
- (uncredited)
Bill Blackburn
- Lieutenant Hadley
- (uncredited)
Robert Chadwick
- Romulan Scanner Operator
- (uncredited)
Frank da Vinci
- Crewman
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaBudgetary and time constraints prevented the make-up and costuming departments from dressing up each Romulan in Vulcan ears as it was such a lengthy process applying them. So they hit on the idea of giving the lesser Romulans helmets, which were manufactured by Wah Chang. Mr. Chang was responsible for creating many iconic Star Trek hand props.
- GoofsWhen the nuclear device is detonated and Enterprise crew members are thrown about the bridge, Lt. Uhura is "thrown" in the opposite direction from all the other crew.
- Quotes
[after his ship has been disabled]
Romulan Commander: I regret that we meet in this way. You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend.
- Alternate versionsSpecial Enhanced version Digitally Remastered with new exterior shots and remade opening theme song
- ConnectionsEdited into Star Trek: The Deadly Years (1967)
- SoundtracksTheme From Star Trek
Written by and credited to Alexander Courage
Featured review
War is hell.
A science-fiction version of the 1957 WWII film The Enemy Below, in which an American destroyer stalked a German U-boat, Balance of Terror pits Captain Kirk and his crew against a Romulan warship (armed with a high energy plasma weapon and a cloaking device) that has launched attacks on several Earth outposts. A tense game of cat and mouse ensues, as Kirk and the Romulan commander (Mark Lenard) take it in turns to try and out-maneuver and out-guess their enemy.
After the quite dreadful The Conscience of the King, Star Trek is back on track with this excellent episode that delivers suspense, excitement, action, and a classic foe in the form of the Romulans, whilst delivering a poignant message about the futility of war and bigotry. Kirk proves himself a great leader and military tactician, intelligent, cunning and calm under pressure, more than a match for the crafty Romulans, but when all is said and done, there is no clear winner in this conflict: the Romulan ship is destroyed, but it is the innocent who have really suffered, several Federation outposts obliterated and the only Enterprise fatality a young man who, in the episode's opening scene, was about to be married.
After the quite dreadful The Conscience of the King, Star Trek is back on track with this excellent episode that delivers suspense, excitement, action, and a classic foe in the form of the Romulans, whilst delivering a poignant message about the futility of war and bigotry. Kirk proves himself a great leader and military tactician, intelligent, cunning and calm under pressure, more than a match for the crafty Romulans, but when all is said and done, there is no clear winner in this conflict: the Romulan ship is destroyed, but it is the innocent who have really suffered, several Federation outposts obliterated and the only Enterprise fatality a young man who, in the episode's opening scene, was about to be married.
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- BA_Harrison
- May 14, 2022
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