Errand of Mercy marks the introduction of the Klingons, making it an unmissable episode for Star Trek fans.
With negotiations with the war-like Klingon Empire breaking down, The Enterprise travels to the strategically-vital planet of Organia to prevent Klingon occupation. When Kirk and Spock beam down to the planet's surface, they are met by the elders, who seem most unconcerned about the situation, even when the Klingon army arrives in force. Naturally, Kirk and Spock are puzzled by the Organians' pacifism and try to convince them to fight back against their oppressors.
It's clear that there is more to the picture than meets the eye, but Kirk and his first officer seem blind to the obvious, so keen to kick some enemy butt that even the Vulcan cannot arrive at the logical conclusion: that the Organians have their own way of handling aggressors. As tensions mount and violence erupts, they finally play their hand, rendering all weapons unusable, forcing both sides to surrender. At first, Kirk is appalled that someone has seen fit to play god and effectively render the Federation powerless, the captain arguing that he has the right to wage war; however, realising how stupid this sounds, and on seeing Klingon warrior Commander Kor (John Colicos) equally horrified, he eventually understands the wisdom of the Organians' ways.
The Organians then reveal themselves to be highly-evolved incorporeal beings composed of pure energy and leave Kirk and Kor to ponder what might have been (a disappointed Kor says that war between them 'would have been glorious').
A fun episode made all the more memorable by Calicos as merciless Kor, the actor making for a truly loathsome villain (although he stops short of twirling his droopy Klingon moustache); he proved so effective at playing the bad guy that he would return to sci-fi TV as traitor Count Baltar in Battlestar Galactica.
With negotiations with the war-like Klingon Empire breaking down, The Enterprise travels to the strategically-vital planet of Organia to prevent Klingon occupation. When Kirk and Spock beam down to the planet's surface, they are met by the elders, who seem most unconcerned about the situation, even when the Klingon army arrives in force. Naturally, Kirk and Spock are puzzled by the Organians' pacifism and try to convince them to fight back against their oppressors.
It's clear that there is more to the picture than meets the eye, but Kirk and his first officer seem blind to the obvious, so keen to kick some enemy butt that even the Vulcan cannot arrive at the logical conclusion: that the Organians have their own way of handling aggressors. As tensions mount and violence erupts, they finally play their hand, rendering all weapons unusable, forcing both sides to surrender. At first, Kirk is appalled that someone has seen fit to play god and effectively render the Federation powerless, the captain arguing that he has the right to wage war; however, realising how stupid this sounds, and on seeing Klingon warrior Commander Kor (John Colicos) equally horrified, he eventually understands the wisdom of the Organians' ways.
The Organians then reveal themselves to be highly-evolved incorporeal beings composed of pure energy and leave Kirk and Kor to ponder what might have been (a disappointed Kor says that war between them 'would have been glorious').
A fun episode made all the more memorable by Calicos as merciless Kor, the actor making for a truly loathsome villain (although he stops short of twirling his droopy Klingon moustache); he proved so effective at playing the bad guy that he would return to sci-fi TV as traitor Count Baltar in Battlestar Galactica.