‘Star Trek’ Retro Recap: ‘The Enterprise Incident’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

The last time we settled in to discuss the wonder that is Star Trek, this reviewer had some harsh words for the show, and with good reason. Because the season three premiere of this storied series, simply didn’t live up to expectations. Its plot was a mess, it was way too campy and it should not have been selected as the opening episode to the show’s final season, and for proof, well look no further than its next episode. For ‘The Enterprise Incident’ was an outright tour de force storytelling wise. One that quite frankly, should have served as the lead off episode to season three, simply because what it offered to the audience was downright fascinating and outright delightful. 
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For in this particular tale, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, find themselves entering Romulan space on orders from a jittery and erratic Captain Kirk. And after breaking the treaty, they come face to face with the Romulans and their brand new, fool-proof cloaking device. Meaning that this is a tale grounded in espionage, since Kirk is here under orders from the Federation to steal that new technology, so that Starfleet will have a tactical advantage and well, it’s the details present within the framework of this story that make it so worth our while. Because D.C. Fontana’s script is beautifully woven and able to the fool the audience at every single turn. But what truly allows for this episode to stick with you, are Kirk’s ominous orders.

After all, the United Federation of Planets is supposed to be a utopia that is protected by a fleet of explorers, the kind who only fight when necessary. So, to see them order the Enterprise to pull off a feat that could potentially start a war, is just stunning. Because that seems so unlike the Federation. But when one thinks of the tough and questionable decisions that the Federation and Starfleet have made over the course of the entire franchise, this oddly seems fitting here. And it serves as a fine reminder that both organizations are fallible and prone to fear for the future of the Federation’s existence and well, their gambit certainly pays off with Kirk in charge of this mission. But while it is wonderful to see a story that likely influenced generations of writers to play ‘what if?’ with the Federation, what this episode does with character development for the Romulans is what truly allows for it to shine.

Because up until now, all we’ve seen in regard to this mysterious race is their intelligence in combat, and how much they respect a worthy foe. But here, we get to know them in an intimate manner and that comes courtesy of the dynamic commander aboard this vessel. For she goes the extra mile in trying to seduce Spock as both a mate and a defector and it simply fascinating to see her teach him, and in turn the audience, about Romulan culture and what they stand for and believe in. And what really makes this so special, is the sheer fact that this is another one of those ‘first’ moments in Star Trek, which is always exciting. Because this really does serve as the ‘birth’ of Romulan culture in this franchise and its quite thrilling to know that this sets the stage for decades of storytelling, the kind that even found its way into Star Trek: Picard.

In the end, this really was quite the wonderful tale. Because it offered something for everyone. After all, there was a grand mystery in this tale, one revolving around Captain Kirk’s sanity. Plus, you had action and adventure by way of the hunt for this new cloaking device and it was also filled with some top-notch performances as well. With a special shout out to Leonard Nimoy and guest star Joanne Linville, who plays the Romulan Commander. Because their little cat and mouse game made for some powerful moments, the kind that definitely speak to Spock’s mental prowess since he played her like a Vulcan Lute and the sublime manner with which the commander schemes and deflects and instills terror speaks to Joanne’s skill set as an actor as well. Either way, this is the kind of quality tale that season three should be bringing to the table since the show is established now, and hopefully this signals the beginning of a hot streak for the series, one that really does give us a solid understanding of what this show could have accomplished if the five-year mission was allowed to continue. Until next time.

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