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Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 9: Balance Of Terror [VHS]

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This is another classic episode of Star Trek and one of my top 5 favorites. It gives us a "first" glimpse at the Federations mortal enemy the Romulans (Romulan Empire) and my goodness they also look like Vulcans!?!?! Well, that is answered in episodes yet to come in upcoming series (The Next Generation).

This begins when a mysterious ship is destroying Federation Outposts and James Kirk and the USS Enterprise soon discover it is their classic enemies the Romulans. What follows is a classic strategic cat and mouse "game" that is like the movie "The Enemy Below" that starred Robert Mitchum as a WWII US Destroyer Captain and Kurt Jergens as a German U-Boat Commander. The Jergens part in this episode is played oustandingly by the late Mark Lenard. You can guess who plays Mitchum's part, why of course James T. Kirk (William Shatner).

Both of these Captains start to have a respect for each others skills and the best line of the episode is when the Romulan Commander tells Kirk, "in another reality we could of been friends". Talk about respect, that says it all dosen't it?

Overall, this is a classic episode and highly recommended to all Star Trek fans.

Mark Lenard makes a memorable first appearance on Star Trek as the Romulan commander in "Balance of Terror." This episode is pretty much a classic submarine story updated to outer space, made compelling by the cat and mouse game between the two captains. Kirk is performing a wedding but is interrupted by news that several Earth Outposts have been attacked by a cloaked ship firing a plasma weapon. The Enterprise goes in pursuit of the Romulan vessel. When Spock pirates a view of the Romulan bridge we learn that this is the first time anyone from Starfleet has ever seen the Romulans, so there is some surprise that they look like Vulcans. The sub-plot involving Lt. Stiles, who distrusts Spock because of the physical comparison, shows that even in the Star Trek universe envisioned by Gene Roddenberry, human prejudice is still going strong. "Balance of Terror" does a nice job of working out the moves and counter moves in the running battle. Lenard brings a wonderful sense of dignity to his role and it is obvious from his first scene why they would take any opportunity to bring him back. That he was given the plumb role of Sarek was a fitting reward. I also think this is the point in the first season where William Shatner clearly has a handle on Kirk as the best starship captain in Starfleet. Also, as grating as the Spock/Stiles subplot happens to be, the bracketing subplot about the wedding is one of the better story lines involving those unfortunate extras who die all the time on Star Trek. Still, this is an episode that deservedly ends up on most fans' top ten episode lists. I know it is on mine.

There is not much to add to the glowing recommendations of other reviewers.

This is a very tense, skillfully crafted episode that plays like a destroyer vs. submarine story. Both Kirk and the Romulan commander must out-think their own crews as well as one another. The issues of bigotry and war are explored without being overly preachy.

Mark Lenard does a superb job as the Romulan commander. The audience can sympathize with him while simultaneously rooting against him.

This is a brilliant episode that features the best, most exciting space battle of the series.

Brilliant piece of Start Trek Classic with script and performance that put modern day drama, sci-fi and movie, to shame. Creator and Producer Gene Roddenberry developed a timeless piece of art here. Much of the cinematography and drama were borrowed from here to produce another top trek creation "The Wrath of Kahn" movie. Performances from Shatner were excellent, and even better from Mark Leonard playing the honourable, brave and philosophical Romulan Captain. The scene near the end with the Romulan Captain's final words of respect to his worthy adversary, Kirk, shown from Kirks eye view through the Enterprise view screen, is profound and delivered with such an "oscarly" standard of insight and inspiration that it could not have been more faithful to truth if it were real. Every time you watch this episode you somehow hope, that this time it could end differently, every bit as much as Kirk and the Romulan Captain do.

Star Trek produced its first truly outstanding episode in "Balance of Terror." Drama, pathos, conflict, great special effects, strong character moments, a great enemy, solid acting, top-notch dialogue, and an on-ship wedding. What more do you want? There's more stuff in this one episode than certain Star Trek films. It falls short of true perfection but it was still the first episode of the original series that dared to be great and the first that can officially be declared a classic.

The wedding of U.S.S. Enterprise crew members Angela Martine (Barbara Baldavin) and Robert Tomlinson (Stephen Mines) is rudely interrupted when the ship learns that Federation Outpost 4 along the Romulan Neutral Zone is under attack. It is soon obliterated and Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) discovers that three other Federation outposts in the same area have been similarly destroyed. While investigating the carnage, the crew learns that a lone Romulan ship is the guilty culprit. The Enterprise pursues the ship but is at a marked disadvantage because the Romulan ship is employing a cloaking device which makes them impossible to track. As the two ships play a cat-and-mouse game with each other, the Enterprise manages to catch a glimpse of the Romulan bridge and discovers that their mysterious foes resemble Vuclans in their appearance. Lieutenant Andrew Stiles (Paul Comi) instantly becomes hostile toward Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) because he suspects the Vulcan of being a Romulan spy. When the Romulan Commander (Mark Lenard) is forced into a corner, he decides to directly take on the Enterprise. However, he is defeated and destroys his ship when faced with the prospect of capture. A blow also is dealt to the Enterprise when Kirk learns that Tomlinson did not survive the battle. With a heavy-heart, the captain comforts Martine who is devastated by her loss.

"Balance of Terror" is a landmark episode in so many ways. It introduced the Romulans who would become recurring villains for years to come and the concepts of the cloaking device and the neutral zone which would also become important Star Trek staples. It also was definite proof that Star Trek could do action and adventure without compromising any of its progressive ideals. The transplanted battleship-submarine conflict alone would have distinguished "Balance of Terror" as solid entertainment but the way the story took the time out to humanize the combatants while addressing the notion of bigotry elevated the episode into something truly special. Star Trek juggled many balls with this outing and did not drop a single one. In sum, "Balance of Terror" is a rousing episode that still entertains to this day. It easily ranks among the best works Star Trek has produced in any of its incarnations.

This is one of the finest of all the original Star Trek episodes. Because of budget constraints, the original series had to emphasize acting and quality scripts and less on "gee-whiz" special effects that have made the subsequent follow-up Star Treks much poorer in quality than the original. Mark Lenard puts in a superb performance as the tragic Romulan commander, a man of integrity serving a totalitarian dictatorship , similar to two other great warriors serving bad causes, knowing that they are in the wrong, but still compelled to fulfill their duty as they saw it knowing it would lead to disaster--General Robert E Lee and Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.
All the dilemmas and challenges of a military commander are seen in this episode: trying to outguess the enemy, insubordination, the necessity to disobey orders from above, the loss of comrades.
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This episode is one of my favorites. I'm a fan of war history and military tactics and this episode is right up my alley. Kirk and the Romulan Commander (Mark Lenard) are battling it out. Their command skills and experiences are just about equal, but Mark Lenard has the upper hand, his ship can cloak, Kirk's can't. Even with that advantage, Kirk out wits him. This episode is great. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend seeing it.

The marriage of Angela Martine and Robert Tomlinson is interrupted when a Romulan warbird attacks and destroys Outpost 4, which guards the Neutral Zone between Federation and Romulan space. Kirk learns that the Romulan ship has also destroyed three other outposts and is now running at full speed towards home. The U.S.S. Enterprise pursues the warbird, hampered by the fact that the Romulans have constructed an invisibility screen which shields them from view. While the screen protects the Romulans from detection visually, it also prevents them using their weapons or visual aids. The Romulan Commander, therefore, isn't sure whether his radar is detecting a Federation ship in pursuit or a harmless space echo. The U.S.S. Enterprise is able to pick up a visual from the Romulan bridge, which shows the previously unseen Romulans to look very much like Vulcans. This sparks an old prejudice in Lt. Andrew Stiles, whose family fought in the Romulan wars. He is instantly suspicious of Spock, whose physical characteristics are remarkably similar to the Romulans they are chasing. After every attempt to lose the U.S.S. Enterprise fails, the Romulan Commander is forced to turn and fight. Both ships are damaged; when the U.S.S. Enterprise's phaser banks are damaged, they emit a poisonous gas which disables Stiles and Tomlinson, who are manning the weapons. In an exciting race against time, Spock manages to fire the only remaining phaser manually, disabling the Romulan ship. The Vulcan manages to save Stiles, but Tomlinson is killed. Stiles, realizing by Spock's actions that his bigotry was misplaced, admits that he was wrong. The Romulan Commander contacts the U.S.S. Enterprise and, in a stirring moment, tells Kirk that under other circumstances, he suspects they might be friends. Rather than let himself and his ship be taken prisoner, the Romulan destroys the warbird.

In "Balance of Terror," Kirk must make a decision that could possibly start a war. He must decide whether or not to go through a neutral zone which separates the Enterprise from a Romulan ship. However, after hearing a few distress calls and seeing a victim on live video, Kirk easily makes up his mind. The Romulans have an edge though, they can become invisible. Kirk and the crew have to decide on a plan of ridding the galaxy of these enemies.

If you like shows that are based on war and especially if you're a Star Trek fan, I recommend getting "Balance of Terror." It's one of the most exciting episodes of the original series.

Certain STAR TREK episodes resonate in the memory. Even over 30 years after I first watched this, I can remember being 16, sitting with my father, telling him my "discoveries" about Romulans and Romans (I was taking second-year Latin at the time), and listening to him tell me about submarine warfare.

And I cannot forget Mark Lenard's face: his courage in the face of disillusionment with his government and in the face of defeat. "I might have called you friend," he tells James Kirk before he performs the "one more duty" that -- regrettably -- is his to perform.

You know Kirk will never forget -- and that Spock's desire, over a century later, to reunite the Vulcans with the Romulans is born in that instant.

This is a tense and skillfully written and acted story, set against the human struggles of Martine and Tomlinson, whose marriage was interrupted by a Red Alert, and Stiles, whose bigotry creates a tiny internal war on the ENTERPRISE's bridge.

One of the great episodes of TOS, and a personal favorite. All honor to Mark Lenard's memory.