Sgathaich: Star Trek The Trouble With Tribbles

So I’m back from glorious battle, and it’s a new year so let’s travel all the way back to a series that thought that 20 years ago we would be having a war against a guy named KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNN!!! with the original series of Star Trek.

But which episode to review those who didn’t read the title may be saying? Lets start with the classic and amusing ‘Trouble with Tribbles’.

It should be remembered that a previous appearance of the Klingons (and first) involved them being forced to sign a peace treaty with the Federation by a race of energy beings… this gets brought up later and it’s why they aren’t blasting each other (so people watching Discovery, don’t expect that war to end soon).

We start off with the Enterprise (presumably yet again the only ship in the fleet nearby) on its way to a disputed planet. Both the Federation and the Klingons lay claim to it and according to the Organian’s treaty (see told you they would get mentioned) it goes to whoever is most efficient with using it, something even Kirk admits the Klingons are.

Kirk, Spock and  Chekov are discussing the planet and Chekov’s recurring joke for the episode kicks in, of claiming everything as an invention of Russia. This sets us for the tone of the episode. It’s much more a comedy and who gets the most laughs – why it’s the dry wit of Mr Spock. His delivery is perfectly timed and very enjoyable. That’s what this episode is. You most likely have heard of it and the tribbles, small round furballs that do nothing but eat and breed and soon they overrun everything. In fact this story is so well known as part of an anniversary for Star Trek that an episode of Deep Space 9 had them travel back to this exact episode with everyone looking at Worf when the Klingons appeared ( nerds know what I mean).

Most of the story is set on the deep space station K7 which is also housing the super crop Quadrotriticale which everyone but Kirk seems to know about (even Chekov who claims yet again to be Russian, even though Spock just a minute ago explained its origin). So you have an undersecretary that constantly looks down on Kirk, a bunch of rapidly breeding fuzzballs, and a bunch of Klingons on a space station, and everything possible to make Kirk look the fool (until the end – Kirk fans may not like this but keep till the end please) enjoy the humour that spews forth from this well known tale.

But like many so called well known stories, it’s one you may not have seen yourself so you only know the jist of the plot missing out on amusing interactions or comeuppances that happen throughout (as said Spock gets the best lines but Kirk gets the best pay off) . If you have the means or you spot it on tv, it’s definitely an episode that can be enjoyed by all (and doesn’t contain the elements that make me question why people hold the original series in high regard).

Watch: Star Trek The Trouble With Tribbles Clip

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For something different watch:  LEGO Star Trek: The Trouble with Tribbles

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