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"Balance of Terror" is a terrific drama that was essentially an outer-space version of a 1950s submarine movie. Writer Paul Schneider introduced both the Romulans and the concept of a "neutral zone" to
Trek lore, wrapped up in this story about the first encounter between a Federation and Romulan ship in 75 years. The resulting face-off between two vessels and their strong, noble captains--Kirk (William Shatner) and his Romulan counterpart (Mark Lenard, who later played Spock's Vulcan father, Sarek)--is directed and edited with suspense worthy of the classic sub movie
The Enemy Below. It's an example of how the original
Trek series took lots of risks and constantly invented itself, in contrast to the more codified look and feel of
The Next Generation and subsequent series.
--Tom Keogh
From the Back Cover
It's a game of cat and mouse for Kirk and the Romulan commander, whose cloaking device renders his ship invisible-and very deadly!
TREK TRIVIA
Mark Lenard (the Romulan Commander) is one of Star Trek's most featured guest stars, returning as Spock's father, Sarek, in "Journey to Babel" and reprising the role in three Trek films as well as two Next Generation episodes. He was also the Klingon Commander in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, making him Star Trek's all-purpose alien!
"Balance Of Terror" is one of only two episodes that featured the Romulans-they would not return until The Next Generation's twenty-sixth episode, proclaiming "We are back!"
