The Galileo Seven

For the most part, all the episodes up until this one kept Spock in the background--allowing him no room to grow as a character or have all that much screen time. However, this is definitely his episode--as he is in command of a group aboard the shuttle craft (the Galileo). And I liked how the Vulcan logic, for once, was quite inadequate to handle a situation where logic was NOT the best approach to their dilemma. He tried using reason to predict the actions of a group of savage humanoids who were like giant cavemen--or so we think, as the folks at Paramount Studios/Desilu were too cheap to show them!! Instead, you saw bits and pieces and heard about them or saw shadows, but that was all!

The problem is that this episode, despite its emphasis on Spock, was incredibly confusing. It's supposed to be in a more enlightened future but the crew members on the shuttle sure don't behave that way. In particular, the crew members seemed awfully disloyal and were like a bunch of "armchair quarterbacks"--always second-guessing Spock. This tension seemed out of place and it just did nothing to help improve the overall image of the series.

Still a great episode but really they should have focused on getting the medicine to help with the plague, not a scientific side trip instead. Hard to be mad at the commissioner for that. That said the ending where Spock makes an illogical decision that saves the whole shuttle crew has always stuck in my head. Better to take a one in a thousand shot than no shot at all.

Leonard Nimoy gets command of an away team to explore a really desolated planet named Markus II which is always ravaged by ion storms. Because of that no one dares use the transporter on the Enterprise and so he gets a shuttlecraft for his mission.

Once down Spock and the six crew members are stranded because those same ion storms make it difficult to return. The crew is also under attack by some savage ape like creatures which are the predominant life form. No appealing to their logic.

Spock's ever calm logical manner does grate on the nerves of Dr. McCoy more than usual as well as crewman Don Marshall. DeForest Kelley's scenes with Nimoy have even more bite than usual, not to mention an almost mutinous Marshall.

While all this is going William Shatner has to deal with a Federation commissioner who is ready to takeover the Enterprise as they are on a mission to take him to an outpost in distress.

Of course with all these series regulars on the mission you know that they're coming back, at least most of them. Enterprise crew members that are not regulars don't have that same protection. Still the writing and directing keep up the necessary suspense to make this a thoroughly enjoyable episode.

... I sense an unemotional Vulcan man, be he alive or be he dead, I'll take his logic to make my bread.

The shuttle of the Enterprise becomes cast adrift and comes to rest in a land of giant cavemen, where Mr. Spock's logical approach to leadership is questioned by those unfortunate enough to be along for the ride.

Star Trek was hitting its stride by the time of the "Galileo Seven". The title might actually be a variation of "Twelve Angry Men" another story of several interesting characters forced into a situation where important choices need to be made. The characters of Spock, McCoy and Scott in particular are advanced here as we learn more about each of them. Spock's strictly logical thinking proves to be both an advantage and a detriment as he is the ranking officer and responsible for the ultimate choices being made here. McCoy on the other hand acts as Spock's "human" conscience, figuratively sitting on his shoulder and pushing him not to rely so much on his non-emotive Vulcan side. Scott merely does what he does best by tirelessly testing theories using the resources he's provided to do his part in solving the problem at hand. In this case, the shuttlecraft "Galileo" is stranded on a hostile planet with large alien creatures determined to prevent their escape. The conclusion will surprise you and ultimately gives some great insight into the character of Spock.