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Star Trek - Elaan of Troyius
episode 3.13
Raumschiff Enterprise - Brautschiff Enterprise
USA 1968
produced by Fred Freiberger, Gene Roddenberry (executive) for Norway Corporation, Paramount/NBC
directed by John Meredyth Lucas
starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, France Nuyen, Jay Robinson, Tony Young, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Majel Barrett, Lee Duncan, Victor Brandt, Dick Durock, Charles Beck, K.L. Smith
written by John Meredyth Lucas, created by Gene Roddenberry, music by Fred Steiner
TV series Star Trek, Classic Star Trek, Star Trek (original crew)
review by Mike Haberfelner
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The Enterprise is supposed to fly Elaan of Elas (France Nuyen) to
Troyius to give her hand to the leader of that planet in marriage to end,
once and for all, an age-old war. Now thing is, Elaan does not want to
marry, and behaves unruly and arrogant, culminating in her trying to kill
the ambassador from Troyius, Petri (Jay Robinson), who was trying to
educate her in the customs of his planet. So Captain Kirk (William
Shatner) takes over her education, and while his typical macho attitude
drives her up the wall, she can't help but submit to him. But then she
cries, and he touches her tears - and it's a little known fact that the
tears of the women from Elas make men fall madly in love with her, as does
Kirk, the womanizer. He still tries to fulfill his mission, and Spock
(Leonard Nimoy) and Bones (DeForest Kelley) try to keep him in check, but
his fire seems gone.
That all said, one of Elaan's guards, Kryton (Tony Young), is a traitor
and he not only rigs the Enterprise's warp drive with explosives that will
blow up once she reaches warp speed, he also contacted the Klingons, who
send a battleship to either take or destroy the Enterprise. When the
Klingon ship attacks, Kirk finds his mojo again, and with risky maneuvers,
he manages to keep the Enterprise in one piece even without warp speed or
suitable weapons. Then though it's discovered that the gems on the
necklace Elaan wears - that was a gift of the people of Troyius - are
actually dilithium crystals, which can be used to fuel the warp drive
while circumventing Kryton's esplosives, and that gives the Enterprise the
final advantage over the Klingon ship, which soon enough makes a run for
it. And somehow this seems to cure Kirk of his love for Elaan ...
Now the whole "arranged marriage" angle seems to be very
archaic for the usually rather progressive themes of Star Trek,
and especially the way Elaan is treated in the episode throughout, more as
an agressor than a lamb led to the slaughter, but France Nuyen, supposedly
the first Vientamese woman to appear on American television, at least
makes the most of her role, while it's fun to see Kirk love-struck for a
change rather than as his usual womanizing self, even if that narrative
thread is never properly tied up and eventually sacrificed to a space
battle finale. Oh, and while the title might suggest parallels to the
story of Helen of Troy, the episode takes way more cues from Shakespeare's
Taming of the Shrew.
In all, not one of the best episodes, but still quite some fun to
watch.
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