Customer Reviews

Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 27: Errand Of Mercy [VHS]

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"Errand of Mercy" provides one of the most problematic story lines in Star Trek history. The Federation and the Klingon Empire have started fighting again and the Enterprise hurries to Organia, a strategically important planet. Wanting the cooperation of the Organians, Kirk and Spock beams down and find the universe's most passive people, who are not at all concerned that the big bag Klingons are coming. The Klingons do show up, stranding Kirk and Spock on the planet where they are disguised as Organians and get to witness the arrival of Kor, the Klingon military governor. Kirk and Spock begin a two-person resistance movement, blowing up Klingon supplies. The Klingons retaliate against the population, but then Ayelborne, leader of the Organians, decides he has had enough of all this nonsense. One of the things I most like about "Errand of Mercy," is that it is one of the few times that the Enterprise encounters a race of superior beings who are not seriously flawed in some way. You even get Kirk put in the uncomfortable position of insisting on the right to make war and kill millions of people. This also becomes one of the most problematic episodes in Star Trek history, because the Organian Peace Treaty makes it impossible for the Federation and Klingon to go on killing each other. At least in theory (you have to admit, they have the enforcement capabilities); in practice, the two civilizations would continue to have fun with each other in future Star Trek episodes.

This was the episode that introduced the Klingons with an excellent performance by John Colicos of Battlestar Gallactica. Kirk and Spock land on a very placid planet with a society reminiscent of Medevil Europe finding it to be overrun by Klingons and the inhabitants remaining amazingly passive about it. Kirk and Spock disguise themselves as citizens, but the Klingons soon find out their true nature. This is apparently the only episode with the exception of the first two that Dr. McCoy didn't appear in, for some reason. I guess he was on leave.

John Colicos turns in a standout performance as Kor, the first Klingon to appear in the series. Kor is strong, cunning, ruthless, and a little bit charming. The peaceful Organians are also very compelling characters. Throughout the episode, there is just a hint that there is more to the Organians than meets the eye.

There is some action in the story, along with a little suspense, but it would have been nice if there was a little more of both. Additionally, we are never shown the Klingon vessel.

In spite of these flaws, this is a very good episode with a very strong supporting cast. A definite must for any Star Trek fan.

This is the first episode that introduces us to the Klingon Empire. All-out war almost breaks out when some unlikely beings interfere.

John Colicos' Commander Kor is marvelous and sets the tone for suceeding actors who portray Klingons.

This is the origin of the Organian Peace Treaty, referred to in subsequent episodes. This also sets the foundation of the eventual peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, which we saw in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.

This is one of the best examples of science fiction ever created. It introduces the Klingons to the Star Trek genre and it poses many interesting questions and demonstrates how history repeats itself. The Klingon Empire and the Federation are on the verge of going to war. In the traditions of the Poles, Armenians and other groups who happened to live on an invasion route, the planet of Organia lies on the border between the two political entities. Therefore, the first side to gain control of Organia will have a distinct tactical advantage. The planet appears to be primitive and pastoral, with no industrialization or military capability.
The Enterprise arrives at Organia hours before the Klingons and Kirk and Spock beam down in order to make contact with the Organian government. They try to offer help to the Organians, but the offer is refused. They show absolutely no interest in the Federation or even the Klingons. When an armed party of Klingons beam down and assert a military governor, the Organians react with an air of complete detachment. The Organians try to pass Kirk and Spock off as citizens and the Klingon military governor selects Kirk to be the liaison between the Klingons and the Organians.
Kirk and Spock decide to begin guerilla operations against the Klingons and are somewhat successful until they are captured and exposed. Unexpectedly, the Organians free them and Kirk and Spock regain their weapons and launch an attack against the Klingon command center. Throughout all of this, the Organians seem disinterested in all of it, a tactic that infuriates both Kirk and the Klingon commander. The situation comes to a head when the battle fleets of both the Klingons and the Federation prepare to fight and Kirk and Spock begin to fight with the Klingons on the planet.
It turns out that the Organians are extremely advanced creatures, existing as pure thought and capable of doing incredible things. They render both fleets inoperative, and appear in the command centers of both the Klingon Empire and the Federation. They impose a peace treaty, which forcibly ends the conflict. It turns out that the outward appearance of Organia is nothing but a façade, put forward as an act of hospitality.
The scene where Kirk is furious at the Organians for stopping the war is one of the best in the entire Star Trek sequence. He argues that the Organians have no right to stop the war, letting his hatred of the Klingons override his basic good sense. His contrition at the end when Spock quizzes him is very well done. But as Spock points out, to the Organians, humans and Klingons are the equivalent of amoebas. The mutual hostility and willingness for war displayed by both groups is very typical of the human species.
This is also an episode where Spock imprecisely estimates the odds against success. Of course, his estimate is into the decimal places. Finally, there is also the classic scene where the Klingon commander is bragging up their mind scanner after it has been used on Spock. It failed to recognize that he was a Star Fleet officer and the slight portrayal of whimsy on the part of Spock is wonderful.

"Errand of Mercy" is one of the deepest and best written episodes of the original Star Trek. The Klingons and the U.S.S. Enterprise engage in a mini battle at the start. Spock and Captain Kirk beam down to Organia because they want to help the Organians survive against the invasion of the Klingons. Kirk tells the five old men of the Organian counsel that the people of the Enterprise can help the Organians by building defensive structures, get them more food, etc. However, the Organians decline saying that they are in no danger and that they will have no fighting on their planet. When the Klingons arrive on Organia, the leader of the Organians tells Captain Kirk that they will have to help Kirk and Spock to survive. They disguise Kirk and Spock as Organians. When the leader of the Klingons, Kor, walks in, he discovers that Captain Kirk has an aggressive attitude and that Spock is a Vulcan. The leader of the Organians eventually tells Kor who Captain Kirk really is. Kor takes both of them in and him and Kirk have a talk before he throws Kirk into the prison cell with Spock. He tells Kirk that they have 12 hours and then Captain Kirk must tell Kor everything he wants to know about the Enterprise or they will be killed.

Surprisingly, the leader of the Organians rescues Kirk and Spock from the prison cell and takes them back to the room where they were first kidnapped at. Kor tells the Organians over an intercom about Kirk and Spock's escaping the prison and says that he has just killed 200 of the Organians and that he will kill 200 more every 2 hours until the 2 prisoners are turned back in. Kirk threatens to use violence against the leader of the Organians if he doesn't give him and Spock back their phasers. Spock and Kirk then go on a short journey to where the Klingons are staying. They eventually find Kor in his office. Captain Kirk, Spock, Kor, and some Klingon guards end up in a fight with each other. Suddenly, everything any of them touch becomes too hot and they back off from each other. Two of the Organian men walk in and tell them that they will not put up with any violence on the Organian planet. They have made everything that any of them touches, including each other, 350º so that the violence would stop. The two Organian men also make it to where everything on the U.S.S. Enterprise and the Klingon ship is too hot to touch, thus preventing the crew of both ships to take out any orders. The 2 ships then lose power. Then the 2 Organians light up and then appear as 2 bright lights and disappear. Captain Kirk and Kor have to go back to their ships and they cannot fight each other because the Organians won't accept it on that planet.

"Errand of Mercy" has one of the best storylines of any of the episodes and it'll keep your interest throughout the show. It's one of the best overall episodes of Star Trek and I recommend it to any fan of the original series.

Kirk and Spock beam down to the surface of planet Organia to negotiate for the erection of a Federation base on that planet. Hostilities between the nearby Klingon Empire and Federation have reached alarming heights and it is feared that the medieval culture of the Organians will not be able to withstand a Klingon attack. However, the Organian Counsel, comprised of five seemingly pleasant, benign elderly men, insist that they prefer to stay with their more primitive culture. When Kor and his Klingon force attack the planet, Kirk and Spock go undercover as Organian and Vulcan traders. They are captured by the Klingons, and to their surprise, the Organians free them with ease. In turn, the Klingon ship and the U.S.S. Enterprise square off to battle in orbit of the planet. Displeased by the outbreak of violence, the Organians reveal themselves to be powerful creatures of pure energy who easily neutralize the weapons on both ships, thus ending the threat for the moment. Back on the U.S.S. Enterprise, Kirk feels certain that the Organians will not only take care of themselves in the future, but monitor their surroundings for any hint of hostilities.

Season One was so pivotal for the Star Trek universe. One important thing it did was establish the Romulans and the Klingons. This episode is so entertaining and very didactic. It is definitely in the Top Five of Season One.

Although two or three episodes (City on the Edge of Forever, This Side of Paradise) might be slightly better because of their emotional drama, this episode is the model for what Trek did best: use sci-fi to comment intelligently on current events and the human condition. At one level, it's an anti-war story. Docile aliens are technologically backward and have a stubborn pacifist philosophy, even in the face of a Klingon occupation. But as both Kirk and the Klingon commander learn, there's more to these people than meets the eye.

Yet there is much here beyond the obvious anti-war message. Above all, it's a comment on the Cold War. As the representative of freedom and democracy, Kirk spends most of the episode seeing things in black and white. From one point of view, he's right. Klingons ARE more oppressive, just as Stalin was. But look how arrogant and condescending Kirk is. Not satisfied with the Oganians' speed of development, he tries to push Federation help on them that (as it turns out) they don't have the slightest use for. Kirk acts like you must be an idiot not to become a Federation client state. If you're not with us, you're against us. Etc. Only at the end does Kirk see the light (literally).

Most delicious is the Klingon commander presented in the stand-out performance by John Colicos. (In "Battlestar Galactica," Colicos would go on to essentially parody his own Trek character.) The Klingon side has imperialistic ambitions, but at least they are honest about it. And perhaps the Federation has given the Klingons genuine reason to push back. Near the end, Colicos protests, "You've cut us off, hemmed us in." No doubt. Consider America's actions in the Cold War and toward Japan prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Sure, we were the "good guys," but we gave some people genuine reason not to like us.

All these meanings are layered into a great story. You can enjoy this episode for the way that the mystery unfolds and for Colico's highly entertaining, magnetic performance. Klingons (Worf included) were never again as compelling as this one. At the end of the episode ask yourself: who truly was on an "errand of mercy" -- the Federation or the Organians?