DVD, Star Trek S1 (Balance of Terror)
The Romulans are coming! So much of the content in this episode is easy to take for granted with the hindsight of fifty years of Trek on TV and film, but when viewed from the perspective of this being the introduction of the Romulans and much of their culture, it's impressive how fully the formation of the lore is - and how much did we ever really learn about this most secretive of races (in fleshed out peoples perhaps only the Breen come in above them on the mystery scale), their ways and their attitudes more explored than the detail of their society. But much of it is here, whether it be Mr. Spock's encyclopaedic history lesson of Earth's contact with the violent adversaries, or the hints and mores displayed in the Romulans' dialogue with each other, to which we are very fortunately privy to. Otherwise we'd have had a result like 'Minefield' from 'Enterprise,' the first Earth-man/Romulan encounter in canon rather than production, which was hampered by the inability of the writers to give anything whatsoever away about the race, handicapped by the facts given in this episode (though they would eventually find ingenious ways to show the Romulan hand on galactic events in Season 4, some of that series' best episodes). We actually get more than you might realistically bargain for, since, despite top of the range mid-23rd Century cloaking technology (or invisibility shields, take your pick), they somehow manage to transmit a corking visual recording of their Bridge thanks to one errant and clumsy Romulan's failure to follow his Commander's orders!
In memory, the Enterprise's ability to see and hear what goes on aboard their enemy's vessel happened a lot more, but in actuality it was only the once, followed by direct viewscreen contact with the Commander at the end, but I suppose it was because it was so odd to have this camera panning across a Bridge in the midst of its top secret operations that makes it stand out so much - it's funny to see (or, more to the point, not see), such advanced technology as a cloak, in spite of the ability to track it due to the power consumption, while at the same time the Enterprise can get a crystal clear transmitted view of its Bridge! It's not the only flaw the episode displays: Mr. Spock is uncharacteristically clumsy when he accidentally flicks a switch which sets off his console and enables the Romulans to detect the signal; we see the poor old Centurion crushed by falling bulkhead, which, despite the best efforts of the actors to sell its weight, can't be disguised from being light polystyrene or balsa wood; and there's a huge gaffe when the B-story (if you can give it that much credit since it's more like a D-story in being barely there through the episode), revolves around Phaser control, but is wrongly presented as firing Photon Torpedoes when it's supposed to be Phasers! If it had only happened once it might be easy to forgive, but it's at least three times! If these minor infractions and failures say anything about the episode, it's that they are the exceptions that prove the rule: this episode is a good one with a lot of drama, and not just because of the satisfying addition of a major player into the Trek world.
And what a way to introduce them! We have the explanation of the Neutral Zone, with 'Earth' outposts along its border (at least eight of them, since we see seven on the star chart, and Hansen mentions an eighth), which are falling silent, eerily in the same manner as would happen with the Romulans' own outposts at the end of Season 1 of 'TNG,' a century later, after they went back into isolationism then suddenly decided to come back into contention, after the unspecified hint towards the coming of the Borg, which acted like the poking of a hornet's nest with a stick. It can only be the Romulans in this case, as the outposts were put there to guard between Romulus and Remus (or Romii as the chart has it - perhaps an alternate name, just as the Klingons call their homeworld variously Kling and Qo'noS, and Vulcan has been called Vulcanis), and the rest of the galaxy, apparently, a somewhat overambitious goal given the size and scope of space! But it's fantastic to hear a mention of Remus so early, even though it would never be examined until a whopping thirty-six years later in 'Nemesis,' one of that film's few good additions to the Trek lore.
That it features one of the coolest pieces of tech in Trekdom adds much to its mystique, and I can imagine them deciding to keep the actual ship permanently hidden from view to save money if they'd wanted, but instead they chose to have their ship and hide it too, the best of both worlds. It also allows Kirk to become an even more respected Captain than he already was, by outthinking the devious tactical brain of his equal in the Romulan Commander, using spatial phenomena to his advantage (the comet's tail, which will show up even an invisible ship), reacting to the Commander's shrewd counter and gaining the deep respect of his opposite number in the process. It builds to a tragic and terrible end, with personal loss heavy on both commanders, and the Romulans' way forcing him to sacrifice himself and any remaining crew to avoid falling into the hands of an enemy. Even an enemy he could have called 'friend' in different circumstances. It is this exchange at the end that provides the deepest examination of what this new alien culture is all about. There's been much to suggest that the Klingons and Romulans of 'TOS' are the opposite of their later counterparts in regards honour and deviousness, but I'm not sure that's entirely accurate. We see from the Commander's actions he values duty to his Praetor above all else, yet he's slow to jump to that sacrifice: he's a man that has tired of war, yet is too well conditioned to stand down. I can't imagine any Klingons losing the taste for glory and battle. He's an anomaly among his crew, with only old friend the Centurion likeminded, and even he has to remind him of duty. Klingons always valued personal honour, not duty!
The Tal Shiar, the Romulan secret service, was invented on 'TNG' as an ever-present power to keep the citizens and soldiers of the Empire in line and the state, or the Praetor's rule, in order. You could easily make a case for them being involved even this early in our encounters since the Commander, despite being the acknowledged head of his domain, is challenged and subtly threatened by a subordinate (almost in a mirror of Stiles' overbearing, almost insubordinate attitude, though he was concerned with himself and his family history, not some undercover organisation - although, Section 31 was around, so…). Decius (played by Lawrence Montaigne, later to return as Stonn, Spock's rival on Vulcan, both his characters intent on selfish motives!), is the only Romulan to be given a name, and it is his friends in power, or a family of high import that give him standing aboard ship, but equally he could be an early example of a Tal Shiar operative. There's the implication the Commander could be in trouble if he doesn't follow the expected code of conduct, and will be reported, and when he orders the ship's return home rather than finishing the damaged Enterprise, Decius requests he be given the glory of the kill if the Commander refuses, forcing him into the resolve of us or them. Was it mercy to a wounded enemy, or was he more concerned with completing the mission and returning successfully, knowing the Earth ship wouldn't risk war by entering the Neutral Zone?
He's a complex individual and we don't spend nearly enough time with him, but from all his counsels we learn that he is not only a successful warrior (you don't survive many wars as an unsuccessful one), but an honourable man. If the Tal Shiar was indeed a controlling factor, then he couldn't back down and show 'weakness.' Mark Lenard is brilliant as the first real Romulan character, and it's no wonder he would go on to play the important role of Spock's Father, Sarek, across the eighties films and in 'TNG' (not to mention the first bumpy-headed Klingon of 'TMP,' and being considered for the role of Spock when it looked likely Leonard Nimoy would quit at the end of the first season). He has the gravity and proud, yet wise, bearing of a much older man, and knowing that Romulans, like Vulcans, tend to live much longer than human lifespans, he could even have fought in the Earth/Romulan War of the previous century. He also appreciates the beauty of the comet and the skill of his opponent, so isn't a savage only out for glory and killing. His friendship with fellow old soldier the Centurion, shows a 'human' side, for want of a better word, that engenders sympathy and goodwill towards him. But even he isn't above using his friend's dead body in an attempt to confuse the enemy in the release of debris, so it shows the Romulan belief system to some degree - they obviously don't place great value on the physical remains. Or he was making a great sacrifice for the sake of his ship, by desecrating a valued friend - either way he's willing to do what's necessary.
It's fantastic to see another ship's Bridge with its central column that would be a feature of the race's design at least into 'TNG' (though I think they went more towards traditional Starfleet layout afterwards). It was a clever use of resources to have the lesser ranks wear ear-covering helmets, thus saving money and time in the makeup chair for the various Romulan extras, and only adds to the impression of Roman-inspired culture, assisted even more by the toga-like tunics which had a quality and style to them that argued this race wasn't just a one-off alien of the week. They easily could have been, considering that we'd already met Balok and heard of another big organisation, The First Federation, which came to nothing, but I believe it took them until Season Three to come up with a new Romulan story. That's probably one reason they've maintained their mystery over the decades: they were used sparingly, rarely learning much about them, and for being in quality episodes, where, at the other end of the scale, the Klingons were used abundantly, and while they were mainly featured in good stories, the sheer volume meant their episodes fell across the whole spectrum.
This was the start of something special and it may be that it's impossible to watch within the narrow confines of just the episode itself, ignoring hindsight and the hefty tome of historical data we now have (although actually, I'm still waiting for my 'Star Trek Encyclopaedia' 2016 update, despite pre-ordering it!), but it seems to me that it was an important moment on the series. In fairness, there had already been many memorable and iconic alien designs: the Talosians, Balok, the salt vampire, etc. But this was the first alien we saw something of our Captain in, and had a direct comparison to, in the most basic form possible: martial combat. And it's thrilling that 'our' side prevailed, but then the Romulan Commander didn't have a weekly TV series depending on him so the odds were stacked somewhat in Jim Kirk's favour, it has to be said! Nevertheless, they follow the rules of the universe: when the Romulans fire on the Enterprise and it goes full astern to attempt to outrun the approaching bolt of energy, they don't move left or right, which would seem to be the sensible course. Presumably this is because they're at warp and you can't change direction at warp (the Kelvin Timeline films needed to remember this important scientific fact that stops it becoming fantasy). I assume they were at warp, otherwise they should have turned aside, but then that leaves the question of how an energy bolt could travel after them, catching up at warp… Best not to think too hard about it!
The parallels in the episode are something to be seriously considered, as there are so many that I feel it had to be planned that way. There's the obvious factor of two equivalent starships from opposing races (though the Enterprise is more powerful, I believe), with the Romulans' being the Praetor's own flagship - the Enterprise is never said to be the flagship as later iterations would be, but that was probably because of the vast contribution she made to space exploration, so later versions were carrying on her honour. Then there are the two Captains who share honour in combat and many positive qualities, while being respected by their crews, except for a troublemaker on each ship who sticks his oar in, and they have an older friend to confide in, both having doubts or questioning their position and duty - ironically, Kirk is the more daring, taking off on a pursuit of the enemy before his superiors have given him the go-ahead, while the Romulan is more ready to give up the fight and escape. Why wasn't he open to surrender, or rescue as it would have been in this case? Compare this noble Romulan and the merciful Kirk with their Kelvin Timeline counterparts or equivalent (where Kirk and Spock are only too ready to let Nero die), as an example of the changes in attitudes in the half century between 'TOS' and the KT films!
A Romulan would see it as becoming a prisoner with all the torture and interrogation they'd be willing to do to get information from them, and who's to say Starfleet (as it hasn't yet been called), or the Federation (which hadn't yet been named), wouldn't stoop to such actions? They're desperate to know more about this threat, and they have good reason to feel provoked, their outposts destroyed. At this stage they're far from the higher sensibilities of a more established and rooted Federation of a hundred years hence, as evidenced by the bigotry of Stiles, so quick to suspicions and to act on them when it's as simple as Spock looking the same as the Romulans, so there could well be more human responses to the violent confrontation. But really, I think it was more along the lines that the Commander and his crew would probably have to face shame, maybe even execution if they ever got back home again. Who knows, perhaps the Commander would have been a bridge between the two powers, learning the humans' ways and then reporting back, he certainly seemed wise and openminded enough to be reasonable. Maybe decades, even centuries of distrust and animosity (only disengaged due to the mutual threat of the Dominion in 'DS9'), could have been averted?
From the little we hear, it sounds as if they live in a highly militaristic society (much like the Cardassians, a 'TNG' creation), the Centurion reminding his Commander and friend that obedience is their way, while the Commander remains more thoughtful, almost in a Captain Pike manner, tired of war. But the Praetor and his loyal followers don't sound like a very flexible bunch, so their culture must be strict and hard. Why they failed to attack outposts in a century remains a mystery, but there could well be many other fronts to their space, not least with the Klingons, and other Beta Quadrant races which are their neighbours on the opposite side to the humans. It's possible the 'many wars' that are mentioned were successful campaigns against neighbouring species and made the already proud race more confident and ready to take on the humans again, having been forced back a century ago? While their cloaking technology appears to be a new thing for our heroes, you'd think they would have met other pointy-eared races as there are supposedly several offshoots of the Vulcans. Also, Spock doesn't sound too certain on his Vulcan history, whereas he gave quite the rundown on Earth's history with the Romulans. Either he wasn't fully versed in his people's secret past, or he'd been excluded from the full facts for being half-human. He posits the theory that Romulans could be an offshoot, and that's it.
Still, it must have been quite confusing for viewers at the time who had only seen Spock. Why would this completely different race look identical, aside from the budgetary constraints? It must have added a perplexing round of doubts about Spock's motives. It's strange, because he seemed to be fully accepted by the crew, strumming away on his lyre in the Rec Room and tolerating Uhura's teasing in 'Charlie X,' but Stiles is very quick to throw insinuation his way, ultimately being insubordinate and calling him 'Vulcan,' moments before Spock redeems himself in all our eyes by rushing back to save the man's life from a coolant leak on the Phaser deck. Coolant leaks aren't something I usually associate with 'TOS' - it tends to bring to mind Geordi La Forge rolling under doors, or the Voyager crew exiting their Engineering in a hurry, so it was a pleasant surprise to see such a thing on 'TOS.' They go out of their way to make Spock suspicious, first Stiles and Sulu both suggest there could be a Romulan spy aboard ship - a bold claim, considering no contact has been made with the race for so long, and if they could infiltrate even a starship they must have built up quite a legend among students of history. Of course Stiles lost family members in the Earth/Romulan War, but it's still strange that such a young man takes it so personally, and I think it's more to do with his personality: an aggressive, assertive type, quick to jump to conclusions. All the more satisfying to see him eat humble pie after Spock saves his life: he then puts the boot in by saying he only did it to save a trained Navigator and had no other feelings.
It's a shame Spock couldn't have used his Vulcan strength to drag both Stiles and Tomlinson out, as it's a tragic death for the bridegroom-to-be on the day he was to be married. On the other hand it gives us something we don't see as often on 'TOS' as later Treks: emotion and loss. We hadn't yet got to the point of Redshirts getting killed every week, and in fact the series seems much more rounded at this early stage, Kirk still having to remain single because of Rand and his devotion to his ship. There were things to be improved, such as Spock's fluctuating emotions and the friendships between the main three, but these had pretty much come to fruition by this episode. It adds a lot to the drama to see both Kirk and the Commander's hard personal cost: the Commander loses a longtime friend and Kirk loses a member of his crew when he should have been officiating at his wedding. What it gives the episode, however, is another powerful ending, very well directed. After the bittersweet suicide destruction of the Romulan vessel, Kirk visits bride-to-be Martine in the Chapel. At first, standing in the open door behind her, not quite wanting to intrude on her grief, he enters and provides a reassuring presence. She says she's alright, but the camera lingers on Kirk after she leaves and you know he's not. Then, akin to the last scene of 'Nemesis,' of Picard walking the corridors of his Enterprise with a dawning optimism, Kirk walks his corridors, his crew around him, and while it doesn't have the same upbeat feel, there's some sense of normality returning as he strides purposefully along, his crew passing around.
Though the episode makes use of all the characters to varying degrees (well, not Chapel, except in the namesake of the location - it's good to see Christian traditions continue, even if Kirk mentions 'our many beliefs,' which in itself is reassuring they have beliefs!), it is most definitely a Kirk episode as you sense his isolation in the responsibility of command like no other time. But he has Rand to cheer him up with attentiveness (he must be quite a huggable figure as both she and Martine give him a hug, though Martine's was more understandable and in private, whereas Rand was a bit unprofessional: on the Bridge as the bolt flies towards their ship), and McCoy follows Rand into the Captain's Quarters (both fail to announce themselves, so maybe Kirk just doesn't like locking his door?), to bring comfort, although he can't really advise. The doc's obviously anti-war so he doesn't support hunting the Romulans, but he has one of the best lines of the series, describing how there are so many life-sustaining planets, in so many galaxies, and only one of each of them, so don't destroy the one named Kirk. It's beautiful and poetic, and shows the quality of the writing they achieved, with such a sobering and affecting reminder of the uniqueness of every individual. I used to assume he was talking about Kirk's physical safety, but now I see it's much more about his mental state, warning him not to beat himself up about his decisions, not to lose his mental wellbeing through self-doubt. I can't help but think of the line from 'Zulu' where a young soldier asks 'why us?,' in the same way Kirk asks 'why me?' and the colour sergeant simply says: "Because we're 'ere lad, and nobody else."
Surprisingly, for a ship-based episode that features her being pushed to her limits, Scotty doesn't have much exposure. He's there for the wedding preparations (in a scene impressively well-stocked with crew), to record the events by setting up a camera on the wall with an actual lens so everyone can watch ship-wide! And he's there to confirm he can get more power out of the engines when they need to get to the outposts as quick as possible, but then he's barely involved. He must have been kept busy with repairs and such, but also it's because we have action to follow in Phaser control deck as opposed to Engineering. It becomes a little bit of a 'Lower Decks' episode in that we get to see non-main characters interacting away from the main cast, Martine and Tomlinson both serving down there, which is a rare thing on 'TOS.' Sulu gets his contribution on the Bridge and Briefing Room, and Uhura makes it her third time at Navigation as she steps in when Stiles goes to Phaser control, so it shows she's got more skills than simply answering the phone, which is nice to see - having Sulu and Uhura at the front desk is quite heartwarming. Even Rand gets a little more to do, we learn her task is to make log entries - she asks if she should continue during the attack. It's fun to note another later Trek staple in the jack-in-the-box crewmember that suddenly appears to take another person's place when they vacate a station. Where do these people appear from? They're always there, waiting just off camera to leap for their designated seat and moment of glory, I reckon.
Other treats of canon, continuity, or lack thereof are present in the alerts that are used. We still don't have Red and Yellow Alert, it's 'Condition Red' or 'Battle stations,' and even 'Security Alert' when it's suggested a Romulan spy may be aboard - I imagine this would mean security officers being posted at specific, high-value and sensitive locations, with everyone on the lookout for anything untoward. We get to see an access port below Spock's console from where he does some repairs, which further adds to the reality of the technology and the believability of the world. It's also fun that he saves the day by pressing the big red button on Phaser control! Not quite as unsubtle as the joystick control in 'Insurrection,' but close! Mr. Leslie is at his customary spot on the Bridge (the Engineering console, I think). And we get our first idea of Earth outposts situated on asteroids, though not an actual visual of one (like the Dominion's ketracel white facilities in 'DS9') - we see the inside of one via viewscreen which looks suspiciously like the science outpost of 'The Naked Time' (though, logically, I imagine they might all be constructed similarly), and Hansen (an ancestor of Admiral Hansen perhaps, though I'm not sure on the spelling?), once again sports a different badge from the Enterprise's insignia. His arching in pain with flames all around him was highly reminiscent of Pike's Talosian torture.
While the writing is upped a gear and there's canon fun to be enjoyed, it's also a good episode for being so dramatically lit. Both ships take on the impression of submarines, low lighting (even down to people whispering, though sound doesn't travel through the vacuum of space), and contrast, making me wish they could have deepened the sets in this way more often, as it was so effective - 'Voyager' in particular did a great job of lowering the lighting during Red Alert. There's even the incredibly rare scene where the Bridge lights go out completely, only the red warning lights blinking to show that we're still seeing the set. Terrific! This must be the first time we see a starship listing in space, evidently suffering a loss of power by the fact that the Trek convention is of always meeting other ships on the same plane, when in reality there would be no up or down. That's what a nuclear blast will do for you! A clever tactic from the Commander, leaving a warhead in debris to disable the enemy. The episode really does have pretty much everything: a hero always looks more heroic when he's up against an equivalent or greater force, and nothing had tested the Captain and his resolve more than this Commander, not just his strategy, but the riskiness of the diplomatic situation, with war a strong possibility, all resting on what Kirk did. We see him go through all this and emerge victorious, the beginning of his legendary status, and the genesis of a legendary adversary for Trek as a whole. It's just a shame they didn't see the value in reusing the Romulan ship and sets to give us many more episodes of 'TOS' like this.
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