Series: Star Trek (The Original Series)
Episode: 3.09 The Tholian Web (11-15-68)
Rating: 4/5
Redshirt Status: 0/2/46
Notable Guest Stars:
This episode occurs completely on ship, and most of the guest characters are either dead or the background crew that occurs regularly.
Review:
Our adventure today is a rescue mission. The USS Defiant has gone missing, and Enterprise is assigned to the job. They find an area of space which is breaking apart, and the Defiant is right in the middle of it.
This show really likes the idea of alien forces making the crew go crazy and/or violent. Chekov seems easily a victim to this. Even through the world’s ugliest space suit. (My parents had different ideas of what they looked like, but all three of us agreed they were the worst spacesuits we had ever seen).
Kirk spends most of this episode off screen, supposedly dead. Given I know the many episodes and movies to come, I knew he wasn’t dead, but I wonder if those watching in the 1960s were as sure. This is probably the only episode like that, and it allows the other characters to give a little more. We learn more about how the rest of the main crew are like.
We learn more about Uhura, and how her quarters are. How well McCoy and Spock work together when Kirk isn’t there to complete their triangle. McCoy is stronger than he looks. Chekov was the one that bothered me as this is the second time in just a few episodes where he’s been made to be exceedingly violent due to external issues. I wonder if his violence in this episode was also affected by the lingering effects of the Alien from a few episodes before?
This episode would have made a good film topic. Probably not without the captain, but the idea of being out of phase with one another. Trying to find a therapy for the anger.
The NCC-1701 needs a therapist.
Interesting Notes:
- Directed by Herb Wallerstien & Ralph Senensky
- Written by Judy Burns & Chet Richards
- We have a fourth female writer on the staff! Also, I think this is the first time I’ve seen two writers credited together.
- This is another episode where I think having a therapist onboard is a particularly good idea.
Pros:
- Introduction of the Tholans. They play a bigger role in Enterprise and the mirror universe episodes therein.
- Spock/McCoy friendship (The good and bad)
Cons:
- So, migraines cause violence?
- Christine needs a better tailer. Her uniform looked like it was at least a size too big.
- In the past couple of episodes, Chekov has become very violent twice. I’m sure this is disturbing to him.
Sokorra Lewis 