Star Trek Reviews

Return to season list

Star Trek TAS - Season 1 - Episode 03

Star Trek TAS - 1x03 - One of Our Planets is Missing

Originally Aired: 1973-9-22

Synopsis:
The Enterprise crew learns that a massive, planet-destroying extragalactic entity has entered Federation space and threatens every planet in the galaxy. [Blu-ray] [DVD]

My Rating - 6

Fan Rating Average - 4.59

Rate episode?

Rating: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
# Votes: 14 2 10 2 3 7 8 9 2 11 2

Problems
- McCoy inexplicably disappears from the bridge during one of the overhead shots where he is previously and subsequently seen standing next to Kirk.
- When Kirk speaks to Governor Bob, part of his shoulder is drawn on the wrong computer monitor.

Factoids
- This is the first episode in which Arex has lines.
- This is the first episode we actually see the engines of the Enterprise in. The general design remains largely consistent with future series.
- This episode is more proof that Vulcan mind melds can be performed without touch but are much more difficult.

Remarkable Scenes
- Arex with lines!
- Our first look at the engines of the Enterprise!
- Kirk: "Am I doing the right thing, Bones? Once I said that man rose above primitiveness by vowing, 'I will not kill today.'"
- Spock's communication and mind meld with the creature.

My Review
This episode features a familiar theme. A planet eating monster, similar to TOS: The Immunity Syndrome or TOS: The Domesday Machine. The interesting difference, however, is that a nonviolent solution is achieved. The creature leaves our galaxy and returns to its own. One wonders if it's out eating planets over in Andromeda or something. ;)

The following are comments submitted by my readers.

  • From CAlexander on 2011-04-05 at 9:15pm:
    Given the time constraints, a rather good episode.

    - Mr. Scott's solution to the power drain problem is the most reasonable techno-solution I can ever remember to a Star Trek problem. Everything he says makes perfect sense given what we already know about the situation and the ship, no invented technobabble.

Prove to me that you are a real person and not a spam robot by typing in the text of this image:

Return to season list