Tuesday, July 05, 2016

Star Trek 50th Anniversary Blogging: "Errand of Mercy" (March 23, 1967)



Stardate 3201.7

The U.S.S. Enterprise is ordered to proceed to the strategically-important planet, Organia as peace negotiations between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire break down.

There, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) must convince the primitive people of that world, ruled by a placid ruling council, to accept the Federation’s protection. 

Over and over, the Organians insist they are in no danger.

Soon, a Klingon garrison beams down to Organia and occupies the city. Governor Kor (John Colicos) orders hostages taken.

As Kirk attempts to establish a campaign of resistance against the brutal Klingon occupation, the Organians show their true colors, and intervene in the conflict. 

As the Federation and the Empire soon learns, the Organians are incorporeal life-forms who long ago evolved beyond the need for physical bodies.  They find conflict distasteful, and impose peace upon the two warring governments.


Helmed by One Step Beyond (1959-1961) host and director John Newland, “Errand of Mercy” is a historically important Star Trek (1966-1969) episode because it introduces to the Klingon Empire to the franchise. 

In their original series incarnation, the Klingons are dedicated to conquest and expansion. After Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and continuing into the Next Gen era, the Klingons become concerned primarily with “honor.”

But this is not all the case to start out. 

The Making of Star Trek (Ballantine Books, 1967, page 257) provides an official behind-the-scenes summary of the Klingons and their aims. “Their only rule in life is that rules are meant to be broken by shrewdness, deceit, or power. Cruelty is something admirable, honor is a despicable trait.

Regardless of the specifics of their alien nature, the Klingons perform important thematic and allegorical purposes in Star Trek.

In universe, they serve as a check on the expansion of the sunny United Federation of Planets and its Starfleet.

Artistically-speaking, the Klingons serve as a stand-in or corollary for the Soviet Union in the 20th century Cold War. They are a force of equal strength to the West (the Federation) but possessing a vastly different ideology. 

The Klingons and the Federation clash in the series, particularly in the second season, over the direction and loyalty of several sovereign less-advanced (read: Third World) planets in stories such as “Friday’s Child and “A Private Little War.” 

Very clearly -- and very effectively -- Klingon and Federation interference in these cultures is designed as an explicit mirror for United States and Soviet influence/interference in Vietnam.

It is clever how “Errand of Mercy” creates a futuristic Cold War scenario too.  The advanced Organians impose a peace, outright forbidding a “hot” war between parties. Thus it is left for the two sides to use more subtle methods (like arming third parties…) to achieve their galactic agendas.

In real life, the competing powers possessed the wisdom not to fight a “hot” war because they realized it had but one possible conclusion: nuclear Armageddon and the end of the world.  Star Trek proposes, instead, an interruption of war by a race of incorporeal, highly-evolved aliens.


A few weeks back, I wrote about the “gunboat diplomacy” of the otherwise very good, very enjoyable episode “A Taste of Armageddon.” There, Kirk interfered in another culture in defiance of the Prime Directive to reshape it to his liking; to his perception of human standards.  His threat over the inhabitants -- General Order 24 -- permitted him to legally destroy the planet in question, Eminiar VII, if it didn’t comply with his choices.  

This was textbook imperialism.

“Errand of Mercy” is a perfect mirror for that tale, and a refreshing look at Federation smugness. In this case, the tables are turned. Kirk finds out how it feels to have conditions imposed on him, and his choices overruled. He must live with the Organians' decision regarding war.  

At first, it’s a tough pill for both Kirk and Kor to swallow.  Later, however, Kirk is chastened, realizing that he was arguing in favor of a war that would kill millions.

Intriguingly, “Errand of Mercy” makes mention of Armenia and the early 20th century Armenian genocide. 

Specifically, Kirk fears that the Organians will suffer the same fate.  That’s why intervention is necessary; to prevent another genocide.  

The irony of the episode is that Kirk's concern is misplaced, and so is that analogy. The Organians aren’t the Armenians at all in this scenario.  In fact, they are the “world” power with the authority and will to prevent deaths, on both sides. 

“Errand of Mercy” is a compelling and surprising story, with a great final twist; the reveal of true Organian nature. The episode also succeeds, however, because of John Colicos’ performance as Kor.  His performance -- his choices as an actor -- basically defined, for a generation or two, what a Klingon should be, and how one should act.  He doesn't seem evil, actually, just thoroughly committed to the command structure and nation to which he declares allegiance. He is just as skilled and effective a leader as Kirk is.



What remains less effective here is the episode’s capacity -- because of quite understandable budgetary limitations -- to depict much of the action.  

Fleets gather in space over Organia, but are never seen. 

A Klingon garrison occupies a planet, but we see just a half-dozen soldiers. 


Hundreds of Organian hostages are taken to the town square to be killed, but we only hear the disruptors firing. The episode is so clever and well-performed that such limitations are only recognizable in retrospect.

Next Week: “The Alternative Factor.”

4 comments:

  1. Star Trek at it's best, even with a limited budget. Good review.

    SGB

    ReplyDelete
  2. John,
    This is, hands-down, one of my favorite episodes of the original series, right up there with "The Corbomite Maneuver" as an example of perfect Trek.
    I especially appreciated your brief history of the Klingons, and the point that honor was a trait that O.G. Klingons simply didn't possess. I think the decision to put a Klingon on the bridge in The Next Generation shaped what the Klingons would be moving forward. Worf was honorable; therefore the Klingons in this new series would be as well.
    John Colicos is a highlight in whatever role he plays. He was asked to return as Kor for another episode of TOS ("Day of the Dove" if memory serves), but was unable to oblige due to a film role being shot in another country. There are stories that he was extremely distraught that he couldn't return as Kor, since he loved the role so much.
    He would get his chance, however, returning to play Kor in three episodes of Deep Space Nine. The last of these, "Blood Oath," united Kor, Kang (Michael Ansara from "Day of the Dove") and Koloth (William Campbell from "The Trouble with Tribbles") - the three seminal Klingons from TOS, giving each of them well-deserved (and honorable) send-offs.
    Steve

    ReplyDelete
  3. Another outstanding episode. The Star Trek's first season had a batting average of an unreal percentage.

    John Colicos is superb and his banter with fellow Canadian William Shatner is... superb.

    "Errand of Mercy" came in almost ten-thousand dollars under budget, an all too rare event for this series. By this point in Star Trek's production the cost overruns were scary.

    The number of (expensively) dressed and armed Klingons in this episode is fine; it gives the feeling of occupation for the viewer. The ones we see march across the courtyard are not suppossed to be the entire garrison! There's a nice touch of showing the Klingon troops partaking in suds with the locals.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi again, John. I forgot to add that the teaser for "Errand of Mercy" packs a punch. The surprise attack with the scissor-arc on the bridge, the Enterprise taking the Klingon disruptor bolts underneath the primary hull, and the return fire of photon torpedoes, is from filmmaking heaven. The intercutting of these elements is exciting stuff!

    Today it would cost relatively little to render such a sequence, and for some reason I think it would miss the "filmmaking" business. And be less exciting....

    ReplyDelete

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