Even if you don't like it, you have to admit the Kirk/Scotty exchange was really funny!
Episode of The Week : The Trouble With Tribbles
- Thread starter Botany Bay
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It's got a nice beat and it's easy to dance to. I give it an 85.
Okay I must admit that one lesson I have taken from Tribbles. The scene where Scotty is relaxing while reading technical manuals ( trivia: The image on the screen is a real aircraft manual). I too am a workaholic and relax by reading what others would consider boring work material.
DS9 and ENT also had "mirror universe" episodes, does that count?
I voted 8. I don't really have a fault with this episode but it's not good enough for a higher vote.
I know it's supposed to be a "comedy episode" but it's really not a funny situation but the ridiculousness is born out by events rather than actual silliness. It's actually a serious situation. And there is a great deal of world building and background in this episode. The Federation doesn't want to lose Sherman's planet to the Klingons, and the Federation Undersecretary in Charge of Agricultural Affairs is trying to make shure that doesn't happen.
I know it's supposed to be a "comedy episode" but it's really not a funny situation but the ridiculousness is born out by events rather than actual silliness. It's actually a serious situation. And there is a great deal of world building and background in this episode. The Federation doesn't want to lose Sherman's planet to the Klingons, and the Federation Undersecretary in Charge of Agricultural Affairs is trying to make shure that doesn't happen.
Sure enough. Thanks.
I generally don't like the pure comedy episodes (even TVH is my least favorite of the films), but out of all of them, I like this one best. Everyone remains within character and most of the comedy is character based. So it works. The situation is serious at its center, but the character beats make it funny. For example, what made the "Kirk buried in Tribbles" gag amusing for me wasn't the actual Tribble dump, but McCoy's revelation of "if we feeding them, they stop breeding!" Shatner's reaction to all of that is one of weary resignation and it works. But De Kelley knocks that out of the park for me.
Kirk's exchanges with Baris and Spock's reactions to the Tribbles were also great fun.
This gets a 6 from me because it's mostly funny and humor fades after repeated viewing and becomes less entertaining for me more quickly than other dramatic episodes. And there's not enough in the plot to sustain it without the humor. But, it's yards ahead of any of the other comedies, all of which were too over the top and made everyone break character in some way.
This "Star Trek 4" funny where something like "I Mudd" or "A Piece of the Action" were "Star Trek 5" funny.
Kirk's exchanges with Baris and Spock's reactions to the Tribbles were also great fun.
This gets a 6 from me because it's mostly funny and humor fades after repeated viewing and becomes less entertaining for me more quickly than other dramatic episodes. And there's not enough in the plot to sustain it without the humor. But, it's yards ahead of any of the other comedies, all of which were too over the top and made everyone break character in some way.
This "Star Trek 4" funny where something like "I Mudd" or "A Piece of the Action" were "Star Trek 5" funny.
For what it is, a light comedy, I gave it a 6. Kirk doesn't come off well in it. He seems as if he couldn't be bothered by what is apparently a rather serious humanitarian and diplomatic mission. In fact, he seemed borderline negligent for how lightly he was taking things.
He posts only two guards on the wheat? There are Klingons in the area, and since Sherman's planet is supposed to be a sensitive issue to the Federation, that probably means the Klingons wouldn't like to see the planet thrive. Of course, the payoff is Darvin turns out to be a Klingon spy who had the grain poisoned right under the nose of the over-officious bureaucrat who cheesed off Kirk because he wanted the full protection of the Enterprise. But still, Kirk seemed a bit out of character in this story, and that's why I it's only a 6 to me.
He posts only two guards on the wheat? There are Klingons in the area, and since Sherman's planet is supposed to be a sensitive issue to the Federation, that probably means the Klingons wouldn't like to see the planet thrive. Of course, the payoff is Darvin turns out to be a Klingon spy who had the grain poisoned right under the nose of the over-officious bureaucrat who cheesed off Kirk because he wanted the full protection of the Enterprise. But still, Kirk seemed a bit out of character in this story, and that's why I it's only a 6 to me.
"Mr. Bariss, I have guards around the grain. I have guards around the Klingons...," James Kirk.
Kirk did his job. For every Klingon that came down (a dozen at a time at most) where was a security guard from Enterprise, plus the two stationed at the grain, plus whatever personel from Enterprise were on leave and whatever people the station had. The grain was over protected after Enterprise arrived. The grain was likely poisoned long before Enterprise arrived. The Klingons on Koloth's ship effectively did nothing to the grain.
Kirk is mostly put off because the way he was brought to the station was excessive followed by more excessive orders than what the situation called for. He was heading to K7 anyway, and likely would still have arrived before the Koloth did. It was three days before the poison was found. So the extra hurry and excessive ordering when unneeded was what was getting under Kirk's skin.
Kirk did his job. For every Klingon that came down (a dozen at a time at most) where was a security guard from Enterprise, plus the two stationed at the grain, plus whatever personel from Enterprise were on leave and whatever people the station had. The grain was over protected after Enterprise arrived. The grain was likely poisoned long before Enterprise arrived. The Klingons on Koloth's ship effectively did nothing to the grain.
Kirk is mostly put off because the way he was brought to the station was excessive followed by more excessive orders than what the situation called for. He was heading to K7 anyway, and likely would still have arrived before the Koloth did. It was three days before the poison was found. So the extra hurry and excessive ordering when unneeded was what was getting under Kirk's skin.
For me, after (many) repeated viewings, I've found that my appreciation of the story itself has gone up in my estimation even as its reputation as a 'comedy' episode no longer holds sway with me. It simply stands out more to me now as a solid piece of storytelling in its own right, with the humor as a kind of bonus.
I love the story behind the story, which is how novice writer David Gerrold was able to successfully sell his story and actually get it on the air. I think this is something that most of us have dreamed about at one time or another, but Gerrold somehow beat the odds and pulled it off.
I like the episode even though it is on the overrated side.
The music works for the episode, but the music is absolutely HORRIBLE when you're listening to it in the car. I got the TOS soundtrack from La La Land Records (a must for hardcore TOS fans like me), but the Tribbles segment is tough to get through because of that irritating, "Wah wah" that invariably comes out over the course of a few tracks.
The music works for the episode, but the music is absolutely HORRIBLE when you're listening to it in the car. I got the TOS soundtrack from La La Land Records (a must for hardcore TOS fans like me), but the Tribbles segment is tough to get through because of that irritating, "Wah wah" that invariably comes out over the course of a few tracks.
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