If you were a true fan of Star Trek: The Original Series, you know all of the main crew members well; however, the U.S.S. Enterprisehad many crew members – 430 to be precise –and they helped run the ship in every department from engineering to sick bay.
While some of them made more of an impression than others, the key thing was that the ship needed to be run by more people than the main characters. These were crew members you saw sitting on the bridge, in the background in the lounge, and includes the Redshirts who beamed down on away missions, and many of them never returned to the ship.
William Blackburn appeared in 60 episodes –that's as many as Chekov (Walter Koenig - 36) and Sulu (George Takei - 24) combined!He was the most frequently recurring crew member. Hadley was often seen as a helmsman or bridge officer. I can recall scenes where Chekov is sitting at the control panel, but in the next moment Hadley is seen sitting there from a different angle. Maybe Koenig needed a bathroom break!
Played by Eddie Paskey, Leslie appeared in 57 episodes. While mostly seen in the background in these episodes, he was killed off in "Obsession" (Season 2, Episode 13). However, the actor continued to appear throughout the rest of the series. Did Leslie have a twin?
3. Brent
Frank da Vinci's Brent appeared in 39 episodes, and can be seen in various parts of the ship presumably playing more than one character in different departments.
4. Roger Lemli
As played by Roger Holloway, Lemli appeared in 33 episodes as a security officer (AKA as a Red Shirt or disposable personnel).
5. Harrison/Thule
Ron Veto appeared as Harrison/Thule in 21 episodes playing a crewman in various roles throughout the ship.
Appearing in 25 episodes, Majel Barrett's Chapel was head nurse and worked with Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) in Sick Bay. It was also commonly known that Chapel had an affection for Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) that was unrequited. Barrett would go on to appear in Star Trek: The Next Generationand Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
2. Lt. Kyle
As played by John Winston, Lt. Kyle was transport chief in 11 episodes. His most memorable scene was when he gave a captured Earth officer a bowl of chicken soup from the food synthesizer.
Memorably played by Grace Lee Whitney, Rand was Captain James T. Kirk's (William Shatner) personal assistant in 8 episodes early in season one. She was written off the show without explanation, but one of the most popular ideas is that the producers didn't want Kirk to be in a relationship and free to be a swinger travelling across the galaxy.
4. Lt. Galloway
Galloway (David Ross) was a security officer (AKA Red Shirt or disposable personnel) for 8 episodes. Like Lieutenant Leslie before him, he "died" but then returned for other episodes.
5. Lt. DeSalle
As played by Michael Barrier in three episodes, LaSalle is most notable for a scene when he opposed Captain Kirk's handling of an alien incident.
6. Lt. Angela Martine
As played by Barbara Baldavin in three episodes, she is notable for getting married in "Balance of Terror" (Season 1, Episode 14) as the Romulans attacked the ship, stopping the ceremony and killing her fiancé.
7. Lt. Kelowitz
Grant Woods played Lt. Kelowitz in three episodes. He is memorable because he was the only character who was not one of the main characters who survived in the landing party in "Arena" (Season 1, Episode 19).
8. Lt. Farrell
Lt. Farrell was played by Jim Goodwin in three episodes. He is notable because he appeared in "The Enemy Within" and was put in the command chair by Spock as he had to handle the Evil Kirk in that episode.
9. Lt. Palmer
Elizabeth Rogers played Lt. Palmer for two episodes. She is notable because she filled in for Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) as communications officer.
10. Yeoman Mears
Yeoman Mears was played by Phyllis Douglas in two episodes. She is notable for appearing in the memorable episode "The Galileo Seven."
11. Lt. Kevin Riley
As played by Bruce Hyde, Riley is fondly remember for being in 2 episodes. In "The Naked Time" Riley succumbs to an alien substance that makes him seem drunk. He barricades himself in engineering and sings "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen" to a captive audience over the ship's intercom.
Booker Bradshaw played Dr. M'Benga who ran the Sick Bay for two episodes when Dr. McCoy was not there (who apparently was attending a doctor's convention somewhere). He was noted as a specialist in Vulcan Medicine. The character is prominently featured as the Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer in the series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
The Strength of Recurring Crew Members
Looking back at these recurring characters played by faces that became familiar across three seasons, there was a sense of stability of a crew that supported the main characters in running of the Enterprise. The was the strength of casting with a subtle but successful purpose.
While we didn't get to know them deeply, their presence gave a semblance of a family on board the ship. When we look back on watching the show, these recurring characters provided someone to stop in the hallways as Kirk made an announcement or to fall onto the floor when the ship got hit by enemy weapons.
They also became Redshirts for landing parties, and what would Gene Roddenberry have done if he didn't have these expendables to add to the body count on away missions?
What's Next?
In my next post, I will be looking at some of the my favorite guest stars that appeared on the series over three seasons. Until next time, Live Long and Prosper!
When watching Star Trek: The Original Series as a kid, I was scared of many of the alien antagonists that were on the show; however, the ones who frightened me the most were the Romulans. There seemed to be something in their faces – a stark unyielding belief in their superiority – and that felt chilling.
Looking at the show as an adult, I can appreciate the purity of the Romulan character. While I would not describe them as outwardly evil, they are set on getting things done their way. If the innocent should be harmed on their unrelenting path toward victory, they would not think twice as they trampled them as they moved forward.
TOS Romulans
Writer Paul Schneider created the Romulans – alluding to the legendary tale of the twins Romulus and Remus– creating them to be a Roman type of empire in space. They would have centurions and a senate.
Romulus and Remus, whose father ordered them drowned in the Tiber River, were saved and nurtured by a she-wolf until humans found them. They would later overthrow their father and founded a town on the site where they had been saved by the she-wolf, but Romulus subsequently killed his brother and named the place after himself. This would epitomize the seemingly ruthless way Romulans operate.
Vulcan Connection
Romulans are related to the Vulcans– perhaps you can call them distant cousins –and that is a very intriguing aspect of these people. While Vulcans almost destroyed themselves by fighting amongst themselves, the Romulans broke away from the planet and found their own way, discarding the teachings of the Vulcan philosopher Surak.
Vulcans saved themselves by following the philosopher Surak. He advocated for a complete repression of emotions. The Vulcans abandoned the savagery of their warlike culture and embraced Surak's philosophy to the extreme.
Romulans took emotion and steered it into a militaristic society that made them succeed with conquests that increase their power. This success can be attributed to harnessing emotion to make them a devious and unflinching opponent. Their ability to cloak their warships makes them a formidable enemy as well.
The Federation and the Romulan Empire are separated by a Neutral Zone that was established by a treaty that ended the last war between the Federation and Romulans.
Being that the series aired during the height of the Cold War, the idea of a neutral zone was already in the viewing public's minds with the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the Koreas and the Iron Curtain that separated Eastern and Western Europe.
Romulan Biology/Technology
Since they are related to the Vulcans, Romulans have pointy ears, skewed eyebrows, and they have green, copper based blood. They also have smooth foreheads like the Vulcans seen in TOS.
Romulans are genetically humanoid and are able to interbreed with humans, Klingons, and Vulcans. Despite sharing a common ancestor, they are different enough from the Vulcans and are not compatible to be blood or organ donors.
The Romulans are a formidable enemy because their warbirds are at a similar level of technology as Federation starships. The game changer for them is that they have a cloaking device which allows their ships to become invisible. This would be an advantage in a battle with the U.S.S. Enterprise or any other Federation starship.
Emotions/Abilities
Unlike like their Vulcan cousins, Romulans do not adhere to the teachings of Surak and do not suppress their emotions. Because of this, Romulan males do not experience pon farr– a seven year urge to mate due to the suppression of emotions.
Unlike the Vulcans who have the mind meld technique, Romulans do not have telepathic ability to use that technique the way Spock does in TOS.
Romulan Episodes
It's amazing that despite the resonance of the Romulans in the overall story of TOS, there were only three episodes in which the Romulans appeared.
1. "Balance of Terror" (Season 1, Episode 14) This first appearance of Romulans is one of the best episodes of the series. It features a cat and mouse game between Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the Romulan Commander (played by the great Mark Lenard who would go on to play Spock's father Sarek). The Romulans are testing their cloaking device at the Neutral Zone, and Kirk is up to the challenge.
2. "The Deadly Years" (Season 2, Episode 12) This episode disappointingly uses some footage from "Balance Of Terror" for a space battle, but no Romulan characters appear on screen.
3. "The Enterprise Incident" (Season 3, Episode 2) The Romulans are involved in another incursion into the Neutral Zone testing their cloaking technology.It seems that the Romulans are possibly preparing for an attack on the Federation. Kirk and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) must deal with a deadly female Romulan commander (Joanne Linville), who matches wits with them.
Romulan Impact on TOS
While the Klingons were created to be based on a Soviet Union style society, the Romulans – besides their obvious Roman connections – were meant to be more like Communist China as a closed, deceptive, and intelligent opponent.
The fact that there were hints of the Klingons and Romulans forming an alliance – something reminiscent of the Soviets and Chinese collaborating – also resonated strongly throughout the TOS.
Still, is there no more sympathetic character than the Romulan commander is in "Balance of Terror," who, while wanting to defeat Kirk, thinks of him as a worthy opponent and that they were two "of a kind." He ponders what another time would be like when they could be friends.
I think that is the lasting impact of the Romulans – they are scary, but they are also relatable in their methodology. Perhaps that helps us see something of ourselves in the enemy, which is the start of perhaps coming to something better for both parties.
What's Next?
Now that I have completed looking at aliens and opponents, my next post will start looking at the crew of the Enterprise. Until next time, Live Long and Prosper!
Please watch this video about one of the greatest TOS episodes "Balance of Terror"
The Klingons were first introduced in Star Trek: The Original Series. They were humanoid antagonists that seemed rather war-like in nature. Klingons were depicted as the antithesis to the Federation policies that treated all new life and civilizations with decency.
The Klingons main goal was conquest, and their spaceships were filled with basically battle ready soldiers seeking to take whatever they wanted from a planet – including the planet itself. Since the show took place during the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, comparisons of the Klingons with the Soviet Union were easily made.
Klingons in TOS
Unlike the enhanced version of Klingons you will find in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the Klingons in TOS looked human – this was no doubt due to budget concerns. They had bushy, exaggerated eyebrows and sometimes facial hair, and they had bronze skin.
The Klingons were created by screenwriter and showrunner Gene L. Coon to deliberately represent an imperialist, brutal dictatorship like the Soviets. Series creator Gene Roddenberry named them after Lieutenant Wilbur Clingan with whom he worked in the LAPD.
Klingon's Behavior
While they were initially to make one appearance in the series, Gene R. saw their value as antagonists and brought them back for a total of seven times.
Klingons in TOS exhibited brutal behavior. They were ruthless, aggressive, sneaky, and seemed to have no boundaries. They would also employ a device called a Mind Sifter to get information out of their prisoners.
Klingon Appearance
Mark Lenard as Klingon captain
In TOS Klingon's appearance was humanoid with bronze skin and various facial hair types. This changed in Star Trek: The Motion Picture; with an enhanced budget, there was a determination to make Klingons' appearance seem more hideous. Mark Lenard played the Klingon captain, thus giving him the distinction of being the first actor to play a Klingon, Vulcan, and Romulan in Star Trek.
In Star Trek: Enterprise an explanation for the human looking Klingons was that their human appearance during TOS was due to scientists attempting genetic engineering that smoothed the natural forehead ridges. By the time of Star Trek: The Next Generation when we meet Worf (Michael Dorn), the forehead ridges are back with a vengeance. Worf claims Klingons don't discuss this matter with people of other races.
Episodes with Klingon Antagonists
1. "Errand of Mercy" (Season 1, Episode 26) The first appearance of Klingons – although they have been mentioned before – introducing Commander Kor (John Colicos).
2. "Friday's Child" (Season 2, Episode 11) Introducing Klingon Agent Kras (Ty Andrews) who is trying to influence a tribal struggle on a planet (against the Prime Directive).
William Campbell as Koloth
3. "The Trouble with Tribbles" (Season 2, Episode 15) Often hilarious episode introducing Captain Koloth (William Campbell). Besides the furry little lovable Tribbles this one features the barroom brawl started by Scotty in defense of the Enterprise's honor.
4. "A Private Little War" (Season 2, Episode 19) The Klingons led by Krell (Ned Romero) introduced advanced weaponry to one side in a planetary war, prompting Captain Kirk's intervention.
Michael Ansara as Kang
5. "Day of the Dove" (Season 3, Episode 7) Features a battle between Kirk's crew and a Klingon crew commanded by Kang (Michael Ansara). The fighting is initiated by an alien that feeds on conflict.
6. "Elaan of Troyius" (Season 3, Episode 13) A Klingon battlecruiser chases the Enterprise as it is on a diplomatic mission.
Bob Herron as Kahless
7. "The Savage Curtain) (Season 3, Episode 22) This memorable episode involves Kahless the Unforgettable (Bob Herron) as a being created for a battle between good and evil. Kahless will figure prominently in Worf's storyline in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Importance
The Klingons' presence changed TOS for the better. Despite
other aliens in various episodes before they arrive, the Klingons' impact was that it was understood that the galaxy had an evil empire that could challenge the Federation.
Overall, whether the Klingons were in an episode or not, their presence hung over the series. When they are mentioned it is understood that they always present a real danger for Kirk and his crew.
In the next post, I will focus on the Romulans. Until then, Live Long and Prosper.
Please check out this video about the importance of the Klingons in TOS.
Star Trek: The Original Series creator Gene Roddenberry took the idea of a ship patrolling the Pacific Ocean with a multiracial crew –which was his first proposal for a TV series – and transformed it into a spaceship with a multiracial crew and one alien. That change created a shift in what a weekly series could be, and Leonard Nimoy's Mr. Spock was at the center of it all and became extremely popular among the fans of the show – leading to a kind of Spockmania.
Of course, Spock was a Vulcan, and it would not be that he was just standing out among the human crew. Gene wanted Spock to be an outsider who would view the human machinations on the ship in a different way. Spock originally was conceived as a Martian character with red skin who ate through a panel in his stomach, but writer Samuel A. Peeples suggested making Spock half-human to create an internal conflict in the character, which ended up working to Gene's advantage.
Spock became a Vulcan with pointy ears, but unlike Spock in the first pilot who smiled when he saw flowers on a planet, Gene borrowed characteristics from the first pilot's character Number One (Majel Barrett), making him calm and reserved. He would also be extremely logical, which became a major factor in the way Spock viewed humans and the galaxy they inhabited, and he would exhibit no emotions and never crack a smile.
Vulcan People and Culture
Once the decision was made to make Spock a Vulcan, Gene understood that would necessitate a whole other world to create. Spock would bring with him his culture and its traditions, so he was more than just the character who appeared in the two pilots with no back story.
Spock would come from the planet Vulcan (named after the Roman god of fire). Gene was worried about his initial idea about making him a Martian – he believed that humans would land on Mars sooner rather than later and that would ruin the mystique of the character. Now with a distant home planet chosen, they had to create a population that would live on that planet and possibly interact with Spock.
There was some worry about Spock's pointed ears looking Satanic – and Nimoy didn't like wearing them at first – but Gene insisted on Nimoy using them. Spock would be almost like a walking computer, be always logical, and quite stoic in how he viewed the things humans did. The rest of his brothers and sisters on Vulcan would be the same.
Logic Over Emotions and More
The way Roddenberry developed the Vulcan society was that they were once an extremely violent people. They fought terrible wars that almost brought them to ruin. To save themselves from destruction, they turned to the teachings of the philosopher Surak– they basically had to suppress all emotions by embracing logic. This saved their civilization.
The species would also have to be different biologically. Gene decided that they would have green blood (with copper the main component). Leonard Nimoy gave suggestions for the nerve pinch (Vulcans wanted to avoid violence), the Vulcan salute "Live Long and Prosper" accompanied with a split-fingered hand gesture (from his Jewish faith), and the mind-meld technique. Thus, Nimoy had a significant contribution in helping to define the Vulcan race.
Appearances in TOS
Vulcans other than Spock appeared four times during the original series.
1. "Amok Time" (Season 2, Episode 1)
The second season premiere features an agitated Spock acting nothing like a Vulcan. Spock reveals to Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) that he's experiencing pon farr, a condition every male Vulcan experiences that means he must mate or die.
Kirk directs the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise to set course for the planet Vulcan (which we see for the first time). Under a blood red sky, we meet Spock's betrothed T'Pring (Arlene Martell), Stonn (Lawrence Montaigne), and Vulcan's legendary leader T'Pau (Celia Lovsky). With Kirk acting as best man, there will be a marriage ceremony, but with T'Pring wanting the full-blooded Stonn over Spock as a mate, things are not going as planned.
2. "Mirror, Mirror" (Season 2, Episode 4)
One of my favorite episodes, Kirk, McCoy, Mr. Scott (James Doohan), and Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) get switched with their evil counterparts from another universe during a transporter malfunction. It's a great episode, especially with the good Spock trying to deal with evil Kirk, and good Kirk dealing with a slightly evil Spock.
While technically, there are two Spocks in this episode, there is also another Vulcan who appears as a bodyguard (Russ Peek) for evil Kirk (who is actually our good Captain Kirk). It's a minor appearance, but it is memorable.
3. "Journey to Babel" (Season 2, Episode 10)
The Enterprise has been chosen for a very important diplomatic mission bringing ambassadors to the planet of Babel for a peace conference. Two of the passengers happen to be Spock's parents – the Vulcan Sarek (Mark Lenard) and his human wife Amanda (Jane Wyatt).
This episode highlights the strained relationship between Spock and his father, who didn't want him to join Starfleet. It also shows aspects of Sarek and Amanda's marriage and interaction with Spock and his mother. This episode and the first one of this season are crucial for a better understanding of Spock. It also gives us more information about how suppressing emotions is necessary for Vulcans.
4. "The Savage Curtain" (Season 3, Episode 22)
This episode is notable because Gene co-wrote it. Here we see Kirk and Spock working along with their personal heroes. For Kirk it is Abraham Lincoln (Lee Bergere) and for Spock it is the great Vulcan philosopher Surak (Barry Atwater) – they are not the actual historical people but facsimiles created using all available data about them.
Their opponents are Earth villain Colonel Phillip Green (Phillip Pine), Klingon warload Kahless (Bob Herron), torturer of humans Zora (Carol Daniel DeMent), and Genghis Khan (Nathan Jung). It is a battle of good verses evil set up by the highly advanced rock people called Excalbians. While the episode has a lot of action, it also provides us with a chance to see how Kirk and Spock interact with their heroes. It is especially important to see how Spock works with Surak, whose philosophy basically saved the Vulcan race from self destructing.
The Vulcans and First Contact
Vulcans were monitoring Earth – and other planets as well – in order to detect the level of technology on the planet. April 5, 2063, is called First Contact Day because that is when the Vulcans first came to Earth and revealed themselves.
This happened because Zefram Cochrane built and piloted a ship called the Phoenix, and during its first flight Cochrane broke the warp barrier, with his ship achieving warp speed (meaning faster than the speed of light).
The crew of the Vulcan survey ship T'Plana-Hath monitored Cochrane's flight, and they believed that Cochrane's accomplishment qualified for first contact with Earthlings. The Vulcan ship landed in Boseman, Montana, after following the warp signature left by Cochrane's ship.
Cochrane watched as the ship landed and a robed Vulcan departed the ship and greeted him with the split-fingered Vulcan salute. This was the first contact on Earth with people from outer space. This moment inextricably linked the people of Vulcan with Earth and opened the door for a whole new era of space exploration for humanity.
Cochrane (Glenn Corbett) appears in Star Trek: TOS in "Metamorphosis" (Season 2, Episode 2) when Kirk, Spock, and McCoy find the long assumed dead Cochrane living on a planet after crashing there over 100 years before. A gaseous being called the Companion has helped him stay young all these years.
Cochrane can also be seen in Star Trek: First Contact which is a The Next Generation film that includes the scene when First Contact occurs (see the video below).
I had intended to include the Klingons and Romulans in this article, but I found myself writing so much about the Vulcans, so that I couldn't do them just here. I have decided to write about them in my next post.
Until next time, Live Long and Prosper!
Please check out this video depicting the scene of First Contact!
While the human stories of the crew aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise in Star Trek: The Original Serieswere a key source of the show's popularity, the voiceover for the opening credits tells us that part of the mission is "to seek out new life and new civilizations." To that end, the Enterprise did encounter many creatures that were indeed "new" and at times frightening.
While the more familiar alien races like the Vulcans, Klingons, and Romulans will be explored in the next post, in this article I wish to focus on other aliens that the crew encountered that are the most memorable ones for me.
I do remember that the first time that I watched the series as a kid that some of these aliens scared me quite a bit. Now looking at them as an adult I can understand why. I will also highlight the scariest one of all at the end of this list.
So, let's take a look at the aliens that made me shiver as a child but also delighted me as well.
In many ways the Tribbles are the most beloved of any alien species in TOS. Appearing in "The Trouble with Tribbles" (Season 2, Episode 15), one can describe them basically as fur balls – fur balls that multiply faster than rabbits back on Earth.
The plot is less important than the cute multipliers, but it does involve the disputed Sherman's Planet and Klingons who want to control the planet and its grain resources. After Captain Kirk (William Shatner) decides the situation is stable, he grants shore leave for the crew on Deep Space Station K-7. In a bar Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and Chekov (Walter Koening) encounter a shady dealer named Cyrano Jones who is trying to sell different things, among them are cute little creatures called Tribbles. The Klingons also have been granted shore leave on the station, and they seem to hate the Tribbles while humans like them because they make soothing noises.
Back on the Enterprise Uhura's Tribble gives birth to a new bunch, and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) tells Kirk that their primary function is to give birth. Soon the Tribbles are all over the ship and the space station. With the Tribbles everywhere, they get into the grain supply from the planet and some of them are dying. It is discovered that a Klingon agent poisoned the grain. The creatures actually saved people that would have been eventually been poisoned by foods made with that grain. Everything gets resolved and Kirk orders Scotty (James Doohan) to get all the Tribbles off the ship, which Scotty does by beaming them all onto the Klingon ship where he says that "They will be no tribble at all." This is one of my favorite episodes of TOS.
Season 1, Episode 1 started the series off on a very creepy note with "The Man Trap." The Salt Vampire is exactly what its name implies – it sucks the salt out of its victims' bodies. It is also a shapeshifter, so it can appear like any one of the crew members. To say that this thing scared me as a kid is an understatement.
The creature is also the last of its race, so there are many implications about having to kill it, and that is what Gene Roddenberry wanted us to understand right out of the gate. It really sets the bar unusually high for a weekly TV series, and we would expect no less from Star Trek as we moved forward.
"The Devil in the Dark" (Season 1, Episode 25) features a living rock monster that is killing miners in the tunnels of a planet. The Enterprise is called in to try to find what is killing them. It is a very scary episode at first when you see the innocent victims staring at whatever it is that is attacking them. Like in most monster movies, the victims do little or nothing but scream as the monster approaches them.
In keeping with Gene's philosophy of mostly benevolent aliens, this one turns out to be a loving mother that's protecting its eggs – which the miners are collecting. This is one of the more memorable and sympathetic creatures the crew encounters, and it also provides Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) with a golden moment when he is going to try to repair the wounded alien when he tells Kirk (William Shatner), "I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer."
"Operation – Annihilate" (Season 1, Episode 29) gives us one of the scariest episodes with flying cellular creatures that attach themselves to their victims' bodies. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) mentions that they look like large brain cells, and once attached to the victim they inflict tremendous pain, which will eventually drive the person insane.
Spock deduces that the individual creatures are all connected and working together, with the goal of having their victims take them back on a journey to spread to other planets. It may be hard to believe that these blobs of cells could be scary, but as a kid I thought the crew was going to be destroyed (I had yet to realize that they had to be back for the next episode). Even as an adult, these critters give me the creeps.
"Is There in Truth No Beauty?" (Season 3, Episode 5) presents us with a species so hideous looking that if human beings saw them they would drive them insane. While they are super intelligent beings, they must be kept in containers to avoid people seeing them.
There is a scene where Spock wears a special visor to look inside the container to see what the creature looks like. Since he is only half human, Spock is able to accept what he sees that otherwise wise would drive a human mad. In this episode it is implied that humans are a lesser species and that this civilization has evolved to a higher level to exist without their bodies. It isn't the first time that Trek gives us a reality check about our standing in the galaxy.
In "The Tholian Web" (Season 3, Episode 9) the Enterprise comes upon the Defiant, another starship stuck in a rift in space with its crew dead. When beaming over to investigate what happened, Kirk becomes trapped on board. Attempts to rescue him are thwarted by a hostile alien race called the Tholians.
As another non-humanoid race, they seem to exist in a high temperature environment. While it is noted that The Federation has never encountered this species before, Spock hints at the Vulcans knowing about them. This is a memorable episode and yet another reminder that in the vast expanse of the galaxy there are intelligent lifeforms that defy our expectations about appearance.
"Spectre of the Gun" (Season 3, Episode 6) was one of my favorite episodes as a kid – I actually still do enjoy it. Why? Because Kirk, Spock, Scotty, McCoy, and Chekov (Walter Koenig) are transported to an outer space version of the 1881 Gunfight between the Earps and the Clantons at the OK Corral that took place in Tombstone, Arizona. Our crewmembers are cast as the Clantons, who are the losers in the original gunfight.
It seems that the Melkotians have set up this gunfight as a test of some kind. While in real life the Earps are considered heroic, here they are cast with a tinge of evil that no doubt has been purposely done by the hosts. By the end of the episode the crew has passed with flying colors, and the Melkotians have agreed to establish relations with The Federation. Chalk up another win for Kirk and company.
The Zetarians
"The Lights of Zetar" (Season 3, Episode 18) gives us the last of their kind that have no bodies and are looking for hosts. On the viewscreen they are seen as a circle of blinking lights, and once again we get the idea that life in space cannot always be as we know it.
The Zetarians attack people's brains and the process tortures the victims – which literally involves contorting people's faces with light and sound. As a kid I didn't fully understand this episode, but it scared the crap out of me. As an adult I came to see it as a metaphor of a superior race trying to take over a lesser evolved species. It was definitely another memorable encounter with an alien race.
The Excalbians
We meet tthe Excalbians in "The Savage Curtain" (Season 3, Episode 22) in a very entertaining episode where Kirk and Spock must fight four of history's savage monsters alongside Abraham Lincoln and Vulcan philosopher Surak. The Excalbians have set up this battle as a way to study how other species handle adversity, but it also a test of the two generations of humans and Vulcans.
The representative of the Excalbians is Yarnek, a sinister, huge compilation of rock and lava, making us wonder about the wisdom of seeking "new civilizations" sometimes. While the battle is something that is a cruel manipulation by a more powerful being, in the end there is a victory for the human-Vulcan team. The bonus is Lincoln's reaction to seeing Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) on the Enterprise. While we know this is not the real Lincoln, there is just a subtle moment where old Abe seems to realize what his fight against slavery accomplished when he sees her.
The Providers
"The Gamesters of Trsikelion" (Season 2, Episode 16) gives us yet another alien race using our crewmembers for their enjoyment. The Providers transport Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov to their planet where they are to compete in gladiator like games against other captured beings from alien races. The hosts wager on the contests, but Kirk discovers that they are three brains that have evolved not to need their bodies anymore.
As is sometimes the case in TOS, Kirk's actions bring an awareness to his bickering and petty hosts that they should not be using other species for their amusement. It is an interesting trope that happens in episodes like these, but it is also a real world warning from Gene that countries can oftem act like these disembodied brains using their populations as pawns in a game of political chess.
The Gorn/The Metrons
In "The Arena" (Season 1, Episode 19) the Enterprise takes on another alien vessel, but the Metrons, a highly advanced race do not appreciate a battle between the two ships in their area of space. The captain of the alien vessel and Kirk are beamed down to a harsh planet to fight one another. The Gorn is a large reptilian creature who is obviously much stronger than Kirk. The winner and his ship will be allowed to depart, and the loser and his ship will be destroyed.
The Metron said that the planet contained elements for them to make weapons. As they engage in various fights with sticks and rocks, it becomes clear that Kirk cannot defeat the Gorn. Then he remembers how to make gunpowder and finds the ingredients that he needs. Kirk "shoots" the Gorn with his crude device, but refuses to kill him. A Metron appears and expresses shock that Kirk spared the Gorn, who tells him that while he appreciates his mercy it will still be thousands of years before the Metrons will make contact again. Kirk and Gorn are then returned to their ships. This is definitely one of my favorite Trek episodes.
"The Corbamite Maneuver" (Season 1, Episode 10) is the last and creepiest of my memorable aliens that appeared in TOS. The Enterprise encounters an enormous alien ship that is ten times its size. A hideous looking being named Balok appears on the viewscreen and seems to have sinister intentions. After putting the crew through a series of challenges, Kirk literally out maneuvers Balok. Being told these were tests to check the level of human civilization, Kirk is invited aboard the giant ship.
Once on board Kirk discovers that who he thought was Balok was just a puppet, and what looks like a little boy (Clint Howard, Ron's younger brother) is in charge. As a kid I found this to be amazing that a little kid was in charge of things. As an adult I still find the scene a bit surreal and yet intriguing because it is a lesson of not judging a book by its cover. There is also the infamous "tranya" moment, where the diminutive alien shares an orange colored drink with Kirk.
Truthfully, I do not know if the puppet or the kid scared me more, but overall I found Balok to be the scariest alien of all. It is the sense of the unknown and the enormous ship that could have destroyed the Enterprise, and it all being under control of a kid or someone who looks like a kid. To borrow from another franchise called Star Wars, another small creature named Yoda said, "Size, matters not." We would all be wise to remember that!
Other Aliens
I'm sure that there are other aliens that you liked more than these, but this list is very subjective and are my favorites. I apologize if I didn't mention ones that you liked here.
So, that is my look at what for me were the most memorable aliens besides Vulcans, Klingons, and Romulans. I will be looking at them in my next post.
2. Lt. Leslie
