[TOS] Season 2, Episode 10 (Netflix: S2 E10): Journey to Babel
Rating: 4
There’s a lot going on in this episode. Spock gets more character development and we meet his parents, we get to see more of what the Federation is all about, there’s a murder mystery, and a plot against the Enterprise. One of the aspects of Star Trek that I really love is the universe itself that is created. The mythology of Star Trek is greatly expanded and explored in this episode. Some people will be turned off by the silly costumes, but it should be watched if you plan on watching Enterprise or the JJ 2009 movie because Journey to Babel was clearly a big influence.
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Read more at Memory Alpha
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Notes:
Enterprise is picking up delegates from the various Federation members. Can’t Kirk arrange for his mirror to be at his own height?
Bones doesn’t have the dexterity to do the “Vulcan salute.” Are there really people who can’t do it?
We find out that the Vulcan ambassador is Spock’s father, Sarek. Sarek wanted someone other than Spock to give the tour. Kirk still keeps Spock around and asks him to explain things to them so we’re again reminded that there’s tension between father and son
There’s a lot of dumb looking aliens in the background throughout this episode. I’m looking at you, big blonde hair man in the back right.
Tellarites! Andorians! Colorful round things! They debate the admission of Coridan into the Federation. Federation doing Federation things!
Bones finds out from Spock’s mom that Spock had a teddy bear. You can see the “teddy bear” in the TAS episode, Yesteryear. Spock’s mom was basically lying. It’s not a teddy bear at all
An alien ship is stalking Enterprise. Spock says it’s going warp 10. He’s probably just trying to freak people out
The Tellarite ambassador is murdered! His neck is broken in that way that Vulcans like to break necks. It must be a Vulcan!
Uhura forgot about the blue rectangle on her control panel. Luckily Kirk points it out to her
Sarek has a Vulcan heart attack and the only way to save him is for Spock to risk his life in an operation. Spock is willing to do it, but Bones and Spock’s mother don’t want to risk losing both of them
An Andorian attacks Kirk! He stabs Kirk a bunch of times!
Kirk is out of it and Spock is put in command. Now that he has a responsibility to the ship, he doesn’t want to do the operation to save his father. Enterprise is in too much danger for him to give up his responsibility in order to save one person. Spock must really have no faith in Scotty’s ability to command the ship.
Kirk pretends like he’s okay so that Spock will give up command and do the operation
Hey, this Andorian broke. It’s an imposter!
Kirk tricks the alien ship and disables it. Then it self-destructs
The operation was a success. Spock figured out that it was the Orions who were behind this plot against them because they had a scheme involving Coridan
Bones tells everyone to shut up
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