The Corbomite Maneuver (TOS episode)
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| Star Trek: TOS episode | |
| "The Corbomite Maneuver" | |
 The Enterprise encounters the Fesarius, The Corbomite Maneuver | |
| Episode no. | 10 |
|---|---|
| Prod. code | 003 |
| Airdate | November 10, 1966 |
| Writer(s) | Jerry Sohl |
| Director | Joseph Sargent |
| Guest star(s) | Clint Howard Anthony Call Vic Perrin Ted Cassidy Eddie Paskey William Blackburn (actor) Frank da Vinci Ron Veto Sean Morgan (actor) Mittie Lawrence Ena Hartman Gloria Calomee Bruce Mars John Gabriel (actor) Jonathan Lippe Stewart Moss |
| Year | 2266 |
| Stardate | 1512.2 |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous | "Dagger of the Mind" |
| Next | "The Menagerie (Parts 1 & 2)" |
"The Corbomite Maneuver" is a first season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, first aired November 10 1966, and repeated May 11 1967. It is episode #10, production #3, the first regular episode of Star Trek produced after the two pilots, although it was aired later in the season. It was written by Jerry Sohl, directed by Joseph Sargent, and created and produced by Gene Roddenberry.
The episode features a very young Clint Howard, brother of actor-turned-director Ron Howard, who plays the alien "child" at the end. This was also the first episode in which DeForest Kelley played Dr. Leonard McCoy, although viewers saw him for the first time in "The Man Trap".
Overview: The USS Enterprise encounters a massive starship and its unusual pilot.
[edit] Plot
On stardate 1512.2, the USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, finishes up its third day of mapping stars when novice navigator Lt. Dave Bailey locates a large spinning cube floating in space that is casting brilliant colored light into the bridge. Mr. Scott analyzes the object but is at a loss to how it's powered or controlled.
Meanwhile, Dr. McCoy is giving Captain Kirk his annual physical exam, concluding the Captain must restrict his diet to salad for the time being, much to his chagrin. Spock calls down to inform Kirk about the object, reporting it is holding steady. Kirk orders the ship to move away from the object, but in doing so, the device beams blinding radiation at the Enterprise and Kirk is forced to destroy it. Lt. Bailey becomes fearful of the situation and questions Kirk's decision to attack the object.
Responding to the object's destruction (which is discovered to be a boundary marker) a gigantic glowing sphere, which fills up the bridge viewscreen, approaches quickly upon the Enterprise. Contact is made with the vessel's controller, who calls himself Balok and identifies his vessel as the Fesarius; the flagship of the "First Federation".
Mr. Spock manages to get a visual of Balok, who appears as an almost skeletal, expressionless, green-skinned humanoid with a fearful drooping face. Balok ignores Kirk's greetings, and threatens to destroy the Enterprise for trespassing into First Federation territory and taking hostile actions by destroying the marker buoy. Balok informs the crew they have 10 minutes to consult their deities before their demise.
Desperately seeking an alternative to the destruction of the Enterprise, Kirk makes a risky bluff, informing the alien that the Enterprise is equipped with a powerful self-destruct mechanism called the "Corbomite Device", based on a substance of the same name. If activated, Kirk says, it will redirect the force of any attack to the attacker, and destroy both ships.
Apparently falling for the ruse, Balok offers to tow the Enterprise to a nearby planet where he will spare the crew but destroy the ship. The Fesarius moves in to capture the Enterprise, and as soon as it extends a tractor beam, Kirk orders the Enterprise to pull away with engines on full. This overloads the alien vessel's power systems and disables it.
Kirk, Dr. McCoy, and Lt. Bailey form a landing party and beam over to the alien ship to render assistance. They are told by the transporter operator to stoop over since the ceiling height of the alien ship is very low. Upon their arrival they discover the Balok who appeared on their monitor is just a dummy. Becoming suspicious, Kirk and the others find the real captain of the ship, an alien who appears as nothing more than a humanoid child. The being identifies himself as the real Balok, happily greeting Captain Kirk and his companions and offering them a drink of "tranya", a favorite beverage of his.
Kirk demands to know what the alien's intentions were; Balok admits that he was only studying them to see if mankind could be trusted, and promises he meant no harm toward them. The little alien believes his natural appearance would never frighten a potential enemy away; only disguised as a hideous-looking alien, and using a very big ship, could he drive them off.
Kirk and company finally relax and sit with the being, trying his drink, which is not bad. Balok informs them that he wishes to learn more about humans, so Lt. Bailey offers to remain behind with the alien to exchange information about their cultures.
[edit] Trivia
- Clint Howard reprises his role briefly as a grown up Balok for the Comedy Central roast of William Shatner that aired August 20, 2006. Also, just like this episode, his voice is dubbed.
- Balok was parodied in the Mr. Show with Bob and David episode "Sad Songs are Nature's Onions."
- In the end credits of the Futurama episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before," Kif is seen as Balok.
- The fake alien in the ship is similar-looking to the Grey aliens reported by some "abductees".
- According to Clint Howard, "Tranya" was nothing more than a mix of grapefruit juice and orange juice.
- Clint Howard later appeared as a delusional "invisible man" on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and as a Ferengi on Star Trek: Enterprise.
[edit] External links
- The Corbomite Maneuver article at Memory Alpha, the Star Trek wiki.
| Last produced: "Where No Man Has Gone Before" | Star Trek: TOS episodes Season 1 | Next produced: "Mudd's Women" |
| Last transmitted: "Dagger of the Mind" | Next transmitted: "The Menagerie (parts 1 & 2)" |
