Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 27: Errand Of Mercy
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VHS Tape Cover Information
Actor: Leonard Nimoy, William ShatnerProducer: Douglas S. Cramer
Writer: Gene Roddenberry
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
Running Time: 46 minutes
Release Date: 1994-04-15
Publisher: CBS Paramount International Television
Studio: CBS Paramount International Television
VHS Movie Reviews of Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 27: Errand Of Mercy
Movie Review: The Best Anti-War Message Of All
Summary: 5 Stars
Although two or three episodes (City on the Edge of Forever, This Side of Paradise) might be slightly better because of their emotional drama, this episode is the model for what Trek did best: use sci-fi to comment intelligently on current events and the human condition. At one level, it's an anti-war story. Docile aliens are technologically backward and have a stubborn pacifist philosophy, even in the face of a Klingon occupation. But as both Kirk and the Klingon commander learn, there's more to these people than meets the eye.
Yet there is much here beyond the obvious anti-war message. Above all, it's a comment on the Cold War. As the representative of freedom and democracy, Kirk spends most of the episode seeing things in black and white. From one point of view, he's right. Klingons ARE more oppressive, just as Stalin was. But look how arrogant and condescending Kirk is. Not satisfied with the Oganians' speed of development, he tries to push Federation help on them that (as it turns out) they don't have the slightest use for. Kirk acts like you must be an idiot not to become a Federation client state. If you're not with us, you're against us. Etc. Only at the end does Kirk see the light (literally).
Most delicious is the Klingon commander presented in the stand-out performance by John Colicos. (In "Battlestar Galactica," Colicos would go on to essentially parody his own Trek character.) The Klingon side has imperialistic ambitions, but at least they are honest about it. And perhaps the Federation has given the Klingons genuine reason to push back. Near the end, Colicos protests, "You've cut us off, hemmed us in." No doubt. Consider America's actions in the Cold War and toward Japan prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Sure, we were the "good guys," but we gave some people genuine reason not to like us.
All these meanings are layered into a great story. You can enjoy this episode for the way that the mystery unfolds and for Colico's highly entertaining, magnetic performance. Klingons (Worf included) were never again as compelling as this one. At the end of the episode ask yourself: who truly was on an "errand of mercy" -- the Federation or the Organians?
Summary of Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 27: Errand Of Mercy
A war between the Klingons and Federation is imminent, and it's up to Captain Kirk (William Shatner) to persuade the peaceful, agrarian planet Organia to sign on with the good guys before the Klingons overwhelm the place. What's the rush? Organia is in a strategically valuable position for whichever warring side claims it first. The only problem is, the Organians don't seem to care. Kirk and First Officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy) make an awfully good pitch for Federation protection, but the planet's Council of Elders rejects the offer as a tacit invitation to violence on their world. Worse, the Council takes little heed of a Klingon invasion, insisting there is no problem and earning the enmity of both Kirk and Klingon Commander Kor (John Colicos). Essentially a Cold War satire disguised as a Federation-Klingon showdown in most unusual circumstances, "Errand of Mercy" is the brainchild of producer-writer Gene L. Coon, who makes a wonderfully convincing case for the absurdity of each side's claim to moral superiority. Highlights of the episode include the enigmatic, retiring performances of the Council members, and the Butch-and-Sundance banter between Kirk and Spock as they set about trying to become a two-man Resistance targeting Klingon munitions. The episode is directed by John Newland, best known as the host of the supernatural television series, One Step Beyond. --Tom KeoghHorror VHS Video
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