The Enterprise Incident

[Vulcanian]

I know this is considered a TOS classic but is there anyone out there that didn't like it?

The writing was sketchy as with the rest of the season. It was really weird execution. As a whole, the episode felt like Mission Impossible and it didn't belong on Trek. The whole Spock/Romulan Commander thing wasn't believable.

 

[Outpost4]

This is definitely an episode I liked better as a kid than I do an adult.

 

[M'Sharak]

I don't dislike it, and I still think it has its moments, but this one was never on my top ten (or even twenty) favorites list. It's okay, but it was never great.

 

[Neopeius]

I have two major problems with it:

1) The Federation commits an illegal act--and they're the good guys. A more nuanced approach would have been better

2) The Romulan Commander sits on her ass for the latter part of the episode rather than catching Kirk/blowing up the Enterprise. Bad writing.

There's a lot of good in it, mostly Spock and the Romulan. But it's ultimately too scrunchy to be a great ep.

 

[Mallory]

^ What he said. I'll still watch it and I'll enjoy it. But it's still a middle of the road episode for me at this point in my life.

 

[Vance]

1) The Federation commits an illegal act--and they're the good guys. A more nuanced approach would have been better

To me, that's one of the LEAST issues. Kirk is put on a covert ops mission so the Feds can have a shot at beating the cloaking devices... extremely plausible. It's called 'espionage', and in a cold war situation where you've already had shots fired a few times, it's perfectly reasonable.

What would you have as the mission? The Enterprise stops and the border and Kirk says "Pretty please?"

 

[Brutal Strudel]

Outpost4 said:
This is definitely an episode I liked better as a kid than I do an adult.

Same here. As a kid, it was a favorite. As an adult, it's okay in a campy, fun way.

 

[Forbin]

Well, it's still ome of my favorites. I guess the kid in me never grew up.

 

[blakbyrd]

Forbin said:
Well, it's still ome of my favorites. I guess the kid in me never grew up.

Same.

 

[sbk1234]

I like it. A few problems. One that comes up a lot: They drag the Romulan Commander to the bridge, which should be the most top secret, secure area on the ship. Certainly not where they'd want to bring a high ranking officer of an enemy empire.
Those silly little rectangular glasses just always bugged me.
Still, I like it.

 

[HLecter MD]

Is it just me or did something about the Romulan commander remind anyone of Captain Janeway? Their voices sound so similar. I loved the way Spock manipulated her.

 

[Vulcanian]

The episode "Tholian Web" I think is the best of season 3 and not The Enterprise Incident.

The Federation commits an illegal act--and they're the good guys. A more nuanced approach would have been better

There's a book on that called "Section 31: Cloak" personally I haven't read it. Even if an organization was behind it, I think they would have done a better job of it. It also seems strange that they would steal a cloaking device that could start a war.

 

[garamet]

Vance said:

1) The Federation commits an illegal act--and they're the good guys. A more nuanced approach would have been better

To me, that's one of the LEAST issues. Kirk is put on a covert ops mission so the Feds can have a shot at beating the cloaking devices... extremely plausible. It's called 'espionage', and in a cold war situation where you've already had shots fired a few times, it's perfectly reasonable.

What would you have as the mission? The Enterprise stops and the border and Kirk says "Pretty please?"

Absolutely agree.

I loathe the music, though. It's the same four notes played over and over again - boring, loud and intrusive.

Still, that Tal guy is hot.

 

[Therin of Andor]

garamet said:
Still, that Tal guy is hot.

Garamet, I met your charming and witty Romulan yesterday! And I get to have a whole day with him next Sunday.

I was disappointed you didn't make the trip with him.

 

[garamet]

Therin of Andor said:

garamet said:
Still, that Tal guy is hot.

Garamet, I met your charming and witty Romulan yesterday! And I get to have a whole day with him next Sunday.

I was disappointed you didn't make the trip with him.

You're not nearly as disappointed as I am. But I get squirrely on even a five, six-hour flight. I think 14 hours would kill me. And I've had some work and personal conflicts that got in the way.

Now, if somebody would just invent a transporter, I'd be there this afternoon.

I'll trust you guys to take good care of the Romulan in the meantime. :thumbsup:

 

[Neopeius]

Vance said:

1) The Federation commits an illegal act--and they're the good guys. A more nuanced approach would have been better

To me, that's one of the LEAST issues. Kirk is put on a covert ops mission so the Feds can have a shot at beating the cloaking devices... extremely plausible. It's called 'espionage', and in a cold war situation where you've already had shots fired a few times, it's perfectly reasonable.

What would you have as the mission? The Enterprise stops and the border and Kirk says "Pretty please?"

You're right. I mean, that U2 spy plane incident was hardly a big deal.

 

[KeepOnTrekking]

I liked "The Enterprise Incident" when i was younger. I still like it now. If I look at it as the espionage angle and the Federation as the bad guys, it's disappointing. But I've come to expect more from Star Trek than that.

Call it revisioning on my part BUT maybe Kirk and Spock weren't the only ones "pretending." Maybe the Romulan Commander was, too.

The Commander in "Balance of Terror" regretted making enemies with the Federation. Maybe there are others like him in the Romulan Empire. Maybe the female Commandre from "The Enterprise Incident" was, too. She saw the new cloaking device as being part of a new incursion into Federation takeover and discreetly sent out peacefeelers with Starfleet. They could have cooked up the whole plan to have Kirk and Spock enter Romulan space where the Commander would be waiting with her squadron. They put on the whole charade in front of the Enterprise, Tal, and the other Romulans. She makes it a point to return Kirk's body WITHOUT performing the autopsy. She enters the engine room when they suspect Kirk of stealing the cloaking device and the first place she goes to is to look a t thast control panel instead of at the cloaking device as if she didn't know where it would be located as if trying to give the Enterprise every second she could to get it installed. She sticks close to Spock throughout the whole episode and beams back with him to the Enterprise. Knowing that she would probably be executed for her "failure" maybe she never intended to stay in Romulan space. The whole romance angle could have been concocted to give them a reason to stay together waiting for the chance to beam out in case other Romulans had her quarters bugged.

The whole scene in the Enterprise turbolift would be out of context but after seeing "The Search for Spock" and how the ship's recording events in the Engine Room maybe they're also recording the Bridge and all over the ship for security reasons. Spock and the Commander could have been still playacting in the event the ship's records were ever revealed. A far reach but I always had a feeling later on that the whole story wasn't ever told on the screen about the real mission of "The Enterprise Incident." Spock could have had an earlier contact with the Romulan Empire before Pardek ever come along. Who knows?

 

[Sulu_Love_child]

My only complaint is that is too short... Doesn't flesh out the Romulan story enough for my taste. Great episode otherwise. Should have been explored in one of the movies.

 

[Dayton3]

I've always liked it.

One of the problems in rewatching it is that you know full well that Kirks insanity is only an act just as Spocks treason is.

And the Romulan commander had to be out of her mind to think that Spock would jump sides just because his captain went bonkers and he got a better offer. Maybe Romulans are like that.

But it was one of the bets third season episodes.

 

[Remus]

Oddly, this is an episode I liked less as a kid and more as and adult watching it again. With age, one has more understanding of the complexities of life and empathy with the characters who wrestle with them.