Kirk and his Klingon adversaryTOS: Episode 26: Errand of Mercy
The episode begins with us discovering that negotiations with the Klingon Empire are breaking down, and that attack is expected. "Errand of Mercy" is a crucial and exciting episode in that it introduces to our Star Trek universe for the very first time the Klingons.
If you wish to treat this episode as a drinking game, rather than a serious ethical exploration, keep an eye out for everytime the word "war" is used, for the crew throwing themselves about on the ship set to make it look like they're being attacked, for the ship looking horribly like a toy in space, and for every time Kirk references "beating [a Klingon's] head in", or for his use of the word "courage." Keep an eye out too for corrugated cardboard set props, and firework explosives.
Episode Quick Summary
With war opening between the Klingons and the Federation the Enterprise universe becomes an explicitly hostile environment. Kirk is the brave, cavalier, leader that must face this new tenor to space. To protect the innocent, Spock and Kirk beam down to the surface of the planet, Organia, a planet on the edge of Klingon space. Their intent is to warn them that attack of their 'primitive' culture is likely. Kirk leaves Sulu in charge of the ship with the instruction that if Klingon attack shows itself, the Enterprise is to abandon the Captain and First Officer on the planet while bringing the ship to safety. Of course attack does arrive, and Kirk and Spock are left behind forced to suffer under the lack of interest of the planet inhabitants on the one hand, and Klingon threat on the other.
Episode Tidbits
Again, we discover that Enterprise exploration is a journey through historicized fiction of Earth's own past, rather than through the potentials of science fiction in outer space. The captain and first officer discover a society, apparently without any technological progress, led by men with Hollywood's British accent.
Our introduction to the Klingons shows them to look much like Hollywood portrayed either the Huns, or mountain people of the Middle East during the same time period--dark, almost dirty skinned, and hairy. In other words, as any Trekkie would know, the Klingons we are introduced to here look nothing like the prothetic-wearing aliens of more recent time. We also get to see the same sort of lovely woven sash worn across the torso that Worf too wears in The Next Generation era.
"Errand of Mercy" operates more as a battle story, rather than an ethical exploration as many of the previous episodes have been. It has a thrilling plot focus, with a quick pace. Kirk is far more aggressive in character here than we've seen him before. Strangely, as the threat of violence grows, Kirk's eye shadow also becomes darker.
It would seem that the aggressive behavior of Kirk's character comes from him facing people that have no aggressive inclinations. The Organians are consistently peaceful in their demeanor. Their peaceful countenance is at the expense of any other values that might be in place for a society. The Organians maintain their calm in the face of an increasing potential for violence, and Kirk's own aggression raises in response.
This episode offers an interesting tension for the Star Trek storyline. For the most part the episode appears, not as a consideration of scientific speculation, but instead as an exploration of battle tensions that could occur in almost any situation. In the last quarter of the episode, however, we finally suspect that more is happening in Organian culture than seemed obvious at first. Somehow the Organians seem able to avoid violence absolutely, even overcoming standard laws of the material universe. In seeing the Organians determination to avoid violence, finally, we are pushed by this episode to rethink what we think 'primitive society' really means. "Errand of Mercy" challenges us to see how primitivity may rest in violence itself, rather than in technological advancement.
As a two sidenotes: Klingon pride of dying in battle does not show itself yet in this episode. Also, Kirk and Spock spend almost the entire episode running about in what look like a fancy version of Ugg boots--those Australian post-surfacing foot warmers that turned into a Hollywood "It" girl commodity several years ago.
Episode Quotations
"I'm a soldier, not a diplomat. I can only tell you the truth." --Kirk to the Organian planet counsel
"You have a gift for under statement, Mister Spock." --Kirk as the Klingon's invade, and Spock points out that their invasion is unfortunate
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