27. Errand of MercyWHY WE LIKE IT: The Klingons make their first appearance, and their representative, Kor, is really cool.
WHY WE DON'T: Aside from Kor, they're a pretty unimpressive bunch of extras.
REVIEW: The Klingons may seem very different from the way they would be portrayed in TNG and beyond, but our point of view is limited. Though the "armies" might as well be Starfleet redshirts for all the fearsomeness they exude, just the usual extras and stuntmen in greasy make-up really, John Colicos' Kor is a much better realized character (in contrast to his lieutenant, who's a terrible, robotic actor). His respect for Kirk/Barona as the only defiant Organian is something that has carried over into the Klingon honor code we've come to know. Glory is also part of the equation, and the Organians' prophecy that the Federation and Klingon Empire would one day be friends has proven to be true. Kor takes a drink with his enemy, which'll become part of his character in DS9.
The story loses a lot of its mystery and interest when you've seen it before, but the ending is great, with Kirk getting so frenetic that he actually tries to defend his right to wage war. An excellent moment, with Spock looking on the Organians with admiration. The episode moves at a nice clip, Sulu gets to be in command for the first time, and though Kirk is a bit of a loose cannon, the main players all give an engaging performance. The only real let-down is the Klingons in general, so easily beaten by Kirk and Spock, not looking like anything interesting, and their ships never being seen.
LESSON: It doesn't matter if you're occupying a planet of sheep, don't leave your munitions dump unguarded.
REWATCHABILITY - High: An historically important episode, it's good that it works. But who'd have thought this was the beginning of something so special?
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