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Star Trek TAS - Season 2 - Episode 05

Star Trek TAS - 2x05 - How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth

Originally Aired: 1974-10-5

Synopsis:
While tracking a probe, the Enterprise encounters an alien vessel that is surrounded by an energy field which proceeds to encompass the Federation ship. [Blu-ray] [DVD]

My Rating - 2

Fan Rating Average - 1.23

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Problems
None

Factoids
- This episode's title is from Shakespeare's King Lear, Act I, Scene 4.
- Sulu is remarkably absent from this episode. Replaced by Walking Bear because they conveniently needed a Native American in this episode.

Remarkable Scenes
- Kirk telling the Native American god "we don't need you anymore."
- Spock: "Vulcan was visited by alien beings. They left much wiser."
- Kirk: "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child."

My Review
The addition of Ensign Walking Bear is bittersweet. On one hand, it's nice to see more racial diversity on the show. On the other hand, the character was entirely forced. He only appears on this episode, and only because they needed a native American for the purpose of the plot. This is already a cliche, several guest characters are added in various Star Trek series just for one episode to serve some overly simplistic purpose and we never see them again. Once again, the Enterprise encounters another space traveler who once visited Earth and posed as a god, which is also becoming a cliche. Unfortunately, the entire plot was recycled and offers absolutely nothing new. God alien realizes Earth isn't as primitive as it once was. God alien realizes it's not as powerful as it once was. The only redeeming quality is the episode once again features alien looking aliens.

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