Operation -- Annihilate!

Enterprise visits Deneva where colonists are inexplicably becoming violent and destructive.

I enjoyed this episode for the sci-fi concept and the performances of the central characters.

It starts off intriguing and dramatic as something very strange starts to happen and there is a family connection to Kirk. From there the plot unfolds quite compellingly and there is an interesting focus on both leadership, scientific research and Spock's Vulcan physiology.

I love the idea for the single-cell creature and the connection to a host. All the science associated with this works very well for me. Another reviewer has mentioned the Cold War allegory which is good, but for me is not quite as deep as it probably tries to be.

Kirk, Spock and McCoy take centre stage in a riveting battle against an unusual enemy. This for me is a classic example of Star Trek science and logic winning the day. However, it is a bit contrived for one character to save the day when it would be more plausible that one of the other two would have provided the solution given their scientific roles. Another huge contrivance comes at the very end which by today's standards of TV show storytelling is rather poor.

The visuals are a mixed bag as the location does not look anything other than the complex in Southern California where it was filmed. However I like the creature effects, which are very simple but work well.

Performances are mostly great with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley all on good form, particularly Nimoy. Some of the guest actors are not so great, especially Joan Swift who is comically over the top.

For me it is a 7.5/10.

The Starship Enterprise arrives at the Planet Deneva where Captain James T. Kirk is looking forward to a little personal time with his brother Sam and Sam's wife and son. But it turns out the planet and its people are under attack by some strange collective parasite intelligence which attachs itself to people and forces them to their will under duress of great pain if they don't.

William Shatner's brother died from it and his sister-in-law and nephew are still in its grip. Also Leonard Nimoy is attacked by one of the parasites himself and functions under great pain.

It's a medical problem that DeForest Kelley diagnoses. But surgery is too complex and to have a whole planet undergo it is time consuming and not terribly efficient.

Nimoy proves a useful guinea pig for an experiment that Kelley conducts as to the cure which I won't reveal. But the risk might be genocide on a planetary scale and Kirk is truly reluctant to take that on as a responsibility.

Another episode involving the strain of command and the choices a commander might have to make. These parasites apparently have been making their way through space and it's a question of preventing this from spreading to places like Vulcan and Earth.

Shatner handles it well and Kelley is a good doctor.

When the Enterprise arrives at the planet Deneva they discover the population has been attacked by creatures with the ability to control humans using pain as a motivator.

There are a number of things to recommend about this episode which, in lesser hands, could easily have turned into just another dull exercise in sci-fi mediocrity. The futuristic architecture of the Denevan capital for one is a fine example of the show's use of outdoor locations. The striking design of the place (which is actually the old TRW Defense & Space Group Campus in Renondo Beach, CA. and thanks to Maverick-154 for that info) is vivid, well constructed and definitely a cut above the usually unconvincing indoor sets that producers so often had to make due with.

The alien invaders in the story (resembling some sort of pulsating tumors) are quite repellent, especially with the sound effects enhancement of insect buzzing and repulsive sucking noises. Certainly an unpleasant thing to have landing on you- which is exactly what happens to Mr. Spock here and the viewer feels real sympathy for him as he suffers with the pain of the alien infection. At the same time however we eye him with suspicion as he may just become another unwilling slave to the alien invaders and threaten the safety of the ship. Spock eventually calls upon all the Vulcan will he can muster to contain the alien influence, and here it becomes especially interesting to watch all the little indications of his inner struggle for control. His sporadic facial twitches, an especially stiff gate when he walks, and his fluctuating vocal tones all clearly indicate he's engaged in an internal war. Plus, with Spock being the type of character he is, you understand it's a struggle to maintain personal dignity as well as his self control.

Also worth noting is the inclusion in the story of Kirk's sister-in-law, nephew, Peter, and his brother, Sam, the only family members Kirk ever encountered during the 3 year run of the "Star Trek" series. Sam- or rather Sam's body as he's already dead when Kirk arrives on the scene- is also played by William Shatner wearing a little mustache.

One of the more compelling aspects of this story is the way the characters are faced with making difficult choices that will be costly for some but may accomplish the greater good for all, and this is very much a recurring "Star Trek" theme. Unable to find a method of destroying the alien presence on Deneva, Kirk must consider the cold blooded option of annihilating every living thing on the planet (including Spock and his own nephew) in order to keep the aliens from invading other worlds. When they hit upon a method by which they might destroy the creatures with intensely bright light, Spock volunteers to test that method knowing it may come at the cost of his eyesight. This story is not just about icky space creatures. It's also about moral conflict and brave sacrifice, and it's a most interesting episode all around with a terrific emotional payoff that's worth waiting for.

We sadly learn of the death of Kirk's brother, wife, and son. They have been victimized by an influx of rubbery creatures that latch on to their victims and do in their central nervous systems. Kirk vows to find a solution to this problem. Spock is investigating the things but fails to check out his surroundings. As he walks under an archway, one of the creatures, previously stuck to a wall, flies through the air and settles on his back. He is immediately overcome with excruciating pain. The crew is able to stun one of the creatures and it is brought to Dr. McCoy for analysis. McCoy tries every kind of approach he can think of from poisons to heat to shooting and stabbing but nothing works. It is when they realize that one of the victims said as he approached the sun that he was free that they try one last thing: light. The remainder of the episode involves their efforts to test their light theory, being stopped short because to do this, you need a host that has been assaulted by this creature. It is the quest for such a host and more tests that make the conclusion quite interesting.

Parasitic flat fish will send you insane, once they've made it inside you're as good as slain, it's a fight to discover, a remedy to recover, from psychosis inducing such pain.

The population of the Deneva colony come under attack from a space borne parasite that subsequently kills all while putting its host under extreme physical and mental torture.