The Enterprise Incident
- FIRST SHOWN (US)
- 27 September 1968
- ON
- NBC
- STARDATE
- 5027.3
- DIRECTED BY
- John Meredyth Lucas
- PRODUCTION NO.
- 59
WRITTEN BYWritten by D.C. Fontana
Kirk, seemingly strained and erratic, takes the Enterprise into Romulan territory and straight into a trap, while a Romulan Commander takes a keen interest in Spock.
Red alert: the full plot, ending included. Haven't watched yet?REVEAL SYNOPSIS
Kirk, apparently tense and irrational, orders the Enterprise into Romulan territory, where three Romulan warships surround it. Taken aboard the flagship with Spock, Kirk blames instrument failure, but Spock tells the female Romulan Commander that Kirk acted on his own and is mentally unfit. The Commander, clearly drawn to Spock, invites him to defect. When Kirk attacks Spock, the Vulcan seems to kill him with a death grip, and McCoy takes the body back to the ship. In truth the whole affair is a secret Federation mission. Kirk revives, is surgically disguised as a Romulan and returns to steal the Romulans' new cloaking device while Spock keeps the Commander occupied. Spock is caught signalling the Enterprise, but Scotty fits the stolen device just in time. The ship beams Spock back, bringing the Commander with him, and escapes unseen. As a captive, she and Spock share a quiet, regretful farewell.
- 01D.C. Fontana loosely based the story on the 1968 Pueblo incident, when North Korea seized a US Navy ship and charged its crew with spying.
- 02The Romulans fly Klingon-design ships. The new Klingon model was built for “Elaan of Troyius”, but this episode aired first.
- 03Fontana's early outline had a male Commander. In a later draft Spock showered her with kisses, which Leonard Nimoy had changed to gentler finger caresses.