Journey to Babel
- FIRST SHOWN (US)
- 17 November 1967
- ON
- NBC
- STARDATE
- 3842.3
- DIRECTED BY
- Joseph Pevney
- PRODUCTION NO.
- 44
WRITTEN BYWritten by D.C. Fontana
The Enterprise ferries quarrelsome ambassadors to a vital conference, among them Spock's estranged father, but a murder on board puts the whole mission in danger.
Red alert: the full plot, ending included. Haven't watched yet?REVEAL SYNOPSIS
The Enterprise carries delegates to a conference on Babel, where the Federation will debate admitting Coridan, a world rich in dilithium. Among them is Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan, revealed to be Spock's father; the two have long been estranged. Sarek's human wife, Amanda, tries to bridge the gap. When the Tellarite ambassador Gav is killed by a Vulcan method, Sarek becomes the prime suspect, then collapses with a heart condition. Surgery will need large transfusions of Spock's rare blood. Kirk is then stabbed by Thelev, an Andorian aide, and Spock refuses to leave command while an unknown ship shadows them. Kirk pretends to be fit and returns to the bridge so that Spock will go to sickbay. Thelev turns out to be a disguised Orion agent sent to wreck the conference, and Kirk outwits the attacking ship. Sarek's operation succeeds, and father and son grow a little closer.
- 01Introduces Spock's parents, Sarek and Amanda, as well as the Andorians and Tellarites.
- 02Mark Lenard was cast as Sarek despite being only seven years older than Leonard Nimoy. He went on to play the role across later series and films.
- 03In the 2007 remastered version, the attacking Orion ship, originally little more than a blob, was given a proper design.