The Corbomite Maneuver

The Enterprise meets an alien starship with seemingly hostile intentions.

This is strong character episode and a good example of the main Star Trek themes of exploration and avoidance of conflict.

The plot is mainly character driven and it gives great insight into the crew in a potential conflict situation, with a big focus on Captain Kirk's leadership.

There are themes that underlie the story, clearly stemming from the bipolar years during the Cold War, where we have two opposing entities contemplating mutually assured destruction.

It shows the Kirk-Spock-Bones trinity in its infancy with the banter not quite developed to the standard it famously reached in later episodes, but it is very good nonetheless. Also thrown into the equation is Lt. Bailey who provides a powerfully emotional human response to a seemingly hopeless situation. My favourite line of the episode (quoted in the review title) comes in a nice sequence between Bailey and Kirk.

I enjoyed the visuals with the bright sixties colours and makeshift special effects adding to the charm as always. The concept of Balock feels very much in the same vain as The Wizard Of Oz.

William Shatner is brilliant and carries the episode perfectly. He is supported wonderfully by DeForest Kelley in particular, with Leonard Nimoy and Anthony Call also good. Clint Howard famously appears in a badly dubbed role that adds even more charm.

The Corbomite Maneouver does a couple of things really well. It is easily one of Star Trek TOS' most dramatic and suspenseful episodes. It also provides the first really good character study for James Kirk in the series - establishing Kirk as the one man who will always find a creative solution for even the impossible situation.

The Enterprise encounters a very highly technologically advanced alien culture in deep space. Their first encounter occurs when Enterprise meets up with a buoy that gives off harmful radiation and simply will not go away. They destroy the buoy and are then confronted by its makers The First Federation - belligerent, unforgiving, and all-powerful. Kirk must think his way out of this one.

The Corbomite Maneouver is also one of the most visually interesting TOS episodes. The special effects, as simple as they are, are well done. And the directing is some of the best in the series.

Like many other Star Trek episodes, The Corbomite Maneuver is a good exploration of an essential 20th century theme such as the futility of war, with the addition of a riveting portrait of what makes a commander worthy of the title, as seen in the episode's depiction of Captain Kirk's skills.

Once again, danger lies ahead as the Enterprise continues on its five-year mission. This time it's more serious than usual, since the mysterious alien attacker claims to be able to destroy the ship with no risk of anything stopping him, and therefore grants the crew ten minutes to pray or something to that effect. Of course, he hasn't considered Kirk who, being the stubborn son of a gun he's always been (when Spock points out the two always argue about decisions Kirk won't take back, the latter explains that arguing makes him feel good), threatens the alien by saying he has a device that will annihilate both the Enterprise and its attacker, and he's not afraid to use it. Obviously it's a bluff, but it may come with a price, as Kirk and his opponent engage in a dangerous battle of wits to determine who's more willing to go through with their alleged threats.

Whereas most Trek episodes have pretty predictable outcomes, mostly because of the formulaic structure of the scripts, The Corbomite Maneuver is commendable for offering a very neat and intelligent twist that sits well with the episode's overall critique of the political climate of the Cold War (yes, subtlety has never been one of the show's strengths, but NBC didn't care since it was sci-fi). The acting is as inspiring as ever (even William Shatner's much mocked speech patterns come off as more serious than usual), especially Clint Howard's (that's Ron's brother) cameo at the end. Fun, tense and clever.

The Starship Enterprise is an old hand at meeting new cultures and William Shatner and the crew do not react hastily to challenges. Even though he's thoroughly provoked, Shatner does not react to the several provocations the Fesaurians give him.

Instead he runs a high stakes bluff with them when they with their large spaceship threatens to destroy the Enterprise. Shatner references poker in his dealings and DeForest Kelley offers to teach Leonard Nimoy the game. Imagine trying to run a bluff on that logical mind?

Of more concern to Captain Kirk is that Dr. McCoy thinks he may have promoted Anthony Call to the bridge too soon. Call does show signs of cracking under the strain.

In the end the Enterprise makes friends with the Fesaurians and what a surprise those humanoids turn out to be.

'The Corbomite Maneuver' has the good stuff - drama, suspense - but it's mostly about attitude. When you're out there in deep space, dogged by (essentially) an intergalactic bully, do you fall to pieces like crewman Bailey (placeholder until a new navigator comes along) or do you hold steady in the captain's chair and outwit the pother guy with an epic bluff? In the end, it all turns out to be creepy Clint Howard behind all of this, and all he really wanted was a friend. But it's the poker-inspired standoff between himself and Kirk that really makes this one cool. You can see the seeds of the Kobayashi Maru being sown here with Kirk's creative solution to the problem, and it makes for some solid tension.

7/10