Which Original Series Episodes Had the Most & Fewest Mistakes?

[Kor]

I thought the Enterprise Incident had lots of "mistakes" or perhaps things that should be explained.
For example:
1. Why does the cloaking device fit exactly into the Enterprise's system?
2. How come Kirk and Spock know how to seduce the Romulan Commander - why didn't Kirk fall into the seducer role at least initially - after all its his specialty?
3. Why would they think they could fake Kirk's death so easily?
4. Did they beam Spock and the Romulan Commander through Romulan shields?
I can think of heaps more.

Kirk and Spock must have had some intel before they accepted the mission. That the Romulan device could be compatible with Federation systems. Some info on the Romulan Commander.
Otherwise I can't believe everything worked out as successfully as it did.
Not saying it was a bad episode either. One of my favourite episodes in fact.

Judging by dialog in the episode as well as Kirk and Spock's reactions on their initial encounter, they expected the commander to be a man. In 1960s television, seduction wouldn't have been in the plans at all in that case. It was a tactic that happened on the fly.

Kor

 

[Samuel]

Apart from the obvious, maybe the Constellation was in danger of blowing up but Decker was able to stabilize the wreck of his ship while The Berserker headed for the planet he had deposited his crew!
JB

It should be noted that the Constellation bridge was uninhabitable due to damage. Which means its entirely possible that Captain Decker was the only one to escape its destruction. This means that Decker was making decisions without the input of several of his senior officers.

I'm curious as to what shocked Decker more. The initial destruction of Constellation or the subsequent death of his crew?

By the way IIRC there is a fan short story somewhere that had some members of the Constellation crew escaping in shuttles which seems pretty reasonable as from what I remember about the views of the rear portion of the ship the shuttle looks intact.

 

[johnnybear]

Regarding "The Enterprise Incident", given their two previous encounters with Romulan ships (Balance of Terror, The Deadly Years) it is quite possible that the Enterprise crew when they began this mission never expected to encounter the Klingon built ships (D-7s we later call them) that they do or in that number. Scotty for example (who should know these things) seems notably surprised.

Note the Klingon ships appear to be considerably superior to the original Romulan ships. For one they can go faster than Enterprise even at Warp 9 while in both the previous episodes the Enterprise was capable of rather easily outrunning the Romulan ships.

The appearance of the three much more formidable Klingon built ships in service to the Romulans might well have caused Kirk and Spock to "call an audible" and go with the "sneak aboard the Romulan ship and lurk around" option.

Also note that in "The Deadly Years" the Romulans intercepted the Enterprise almost as soon as they entered the Neutral Zone while in "The Enterprise Incident" they didn't intercept the Enterprise until they actually got into Romulan space. It is quite possible the original plan was for the Enterprise to violate the Neutral Zone, be intercepted by the older style Romulan ships and then retreat back to the Federation side and draw a Romulan ship after them where other Starfleet ships could assist in the interception and capture of it and its cloaking device.

That seems like a less risky plan than the one that actually unfolded in the episode.

I wonder if The Enterprise had encountered a Romulan ship when it crossed The Neutral Zone in Way To Eden would it have been a Klingon D-7 or a Bird of Prey?
JB

 

[Samuel]

I wonder if The Enterprise had encountered a Romulan ship when it crossed The Neutral Zone in Way To Eden would it have been a Klingon D-7 or a Bird of Prey?
JB

Good question. Given that was Season 3 (wasn't it?) I would figure the odds were of a Klingon D-7.
But.
Given what we saw in "The Deadly Years" and "The Enterprise Incident" it is possible that the older Bird of Preys were used to patrol the Neutral Zone while the more powerful D-7s were held back in Romulan space. This makes sense as the far higher speeds obtainable by the D-7s meant they could respond to an enemy incursion better from deeper in the Empire.

 

[johnnybear]

It might well depend on which episode was produced first, so that would be The Enterprise Incident and that means Klingon ships in The Way to Eden and yes it was the third season, Sam!
JB

 

[Samuel]

It might well depend on which episode was produced first, so that would be The Enterprise Incident and that means Klingon ships in The Way to Eden and yes it was the third season, Sam!
JB

Of course as I said in "The Deadly Years" the Romulan Birds of Prey where encountered in the Neutral Zone while in "The Enterprise Incident" the D-7s were only encountered after Enterprise left the Neutral Zone and entered Romulan space.

 

[johnnybear]

The Neutral Zone is an area of space that neither side is allowed to enter as stated by treaty! We don't see any Birds of Prey or D-7s until The Enterprise actually leaves the area and enters Romulan space!
JB

 

[Samuel]

The Neutral Zone is an area of space that neither side is allowed to enter as stated by treaty! We don't see any Birds of Prey or D-7s until The Enterprise actually leaves the area and enters Romulan space!
JB

In "The Deadly Years" the Enterprise was attacked by Romulan Birds of Prey almost as soon as it crossed into the Neutral Zone.

 

[johnnybear]

Was it? I thought they were well across the Neutral Zone before that happened, Sam! But you could be right...
JB

 

[Commishsleer]

Good question. Given that was Season 3 (wasn't it?) I would figure the odds were of a Klingon D-7.
But.
Given what we saw in "The Deadly Years" and "The Enterprise Incident" it is possible that the older Bird of Preys were used to patrol the Neutral Zone while the more powerful D-7s were held back in Romulan space. This makes sense as the far higher speeds obtainable by the D-7s meant they could respond to an enemy incursion better from deeper in the Empire.

I forgot the Romulans were in Klingon ships. Perhaps that might explain how easy the Cloaking device moved between ships. And maybe why the Romulans forgot to shield.

 

[Samuel]

Was it? I thought they were well across the Neutral Zone before that happened, Sam! But you could be right...
JB

IIRC Sulu reported to Commodore Stocker that "we're entering the Neutral Zone sir".

Stocker turned to Uhura and asked her to keep trying to contact the Romulans.

BOOM!!!

Uhura "I think we just made contact sir"

 

[johnnybear]

Uhmmmm! An error in script writing? Or over anxious Romulan Birds of Prey?
JB

 

[CorporalCaptain]

No, breaching the Zone is a treaty violation, so that gives them the excuse to attack.

 

[Samuel]

No, breaching the Zone is a treaty violation, so that gives them the excuse to attack.

Kind of like the Demilitarized Zone on the Korean Peninsula. Which is probably the inspiration for the Romulan Neutral Zone. Entry into the DMZ especially by armed forces is consider justification for a military response.

Further I would suggest that the name "Romulan NEUTRAL Zone" strongly suggests that entry by either sides military forces (which would be especially true of a major fleet unit like the Enterprise) would be pretty much "open season" in regards for attacking.

 

[Commander Luskeen]

"The Doomsday Machine". Decker beams his whole crew down to a planet after engaging a thing they just saw CHOPPING UP A PLANET.

The Doomsday machine was about to destroy the Constellation. Its phasers were gone. Probably shields too

 

[Commander Luskeen]

The Enemy Within. How can the transporter create 2 Kirks out of one?

 

[Maurice]

The Doomsday machine was about to destroy the Constellation. Its phasers were gone. Probably shields too

THEY JUST SAW IT CHOPPING UP A PLANET!!!

 

[johnnybear]

Kind of like the Demilitarized Zone on the Korean Peninsula. Which is probably the inspiration for the Romulan Neutral Zone. Entry into the DMZ especially by armed forces is consider justification for a military response.

Further I would suggest that the name "Romulan NEUTRAL Zone" strongly suggests that entry by either sides military forces (which would be especially true of a major fleet unit like the Enterprise) would be pretty much "open season" in regards for attacking.

Well then in The Deadly Years, the Romulan ships shouldn't have been inside the Neutral Zone themselves either!
JB

 

[Commander Luskeen]

THEY JUST SAW IT CHOPPING UP A PLANET!!!

are you off your meds?

 

[1001001]

are you off your meds?

Second time. Knock it off.