Original air date: December 29, 1967
SYNOPSIS
To protect a space station with a vital grain shipment, Kirk must deal with Federation bureaucrats, a Klingon battle cruiser and a peddler who sells furry, purring, hungry little creatures as pets.
CANON CONTEXT
Let’s learn about tribbles: The use of live animals to represent the tribbles was immediately ruled out. According to Gerrold’s account, as their similarity to Heinlein’s flat cats was not yet discovered, the inspiration for the form of the tribble instead came from a fluffy keyring owned by Holly Sherman. Sherman’s Planet in this episode was subsequently named after her. The design came from Wah Chang, but they were individually sewn by Jacqueline CumerĂ©. She was paid $350 to sew five hundred tribbles from synthetic fur and stuff them with foam rubber. Six ambulatory tribbles were made using the mechanisms of walking toy dogs, which were quite noisy and required the dialogue to be looped in during editing. Other tribbles were created by Jim Rugg out of beanbags for when it was required for one to sit on a person or object, and the breathing tribbles were hollow with surgical balloons inserted.
RECAP
This is the one. My favorite one. The one, I think, could be considered most referenced, especially in pop culture. And why not? It’s absolutely ridiculous from start to finish, the quick wit comments back and forth between cast and the storyline itself makes for great comedy (for the late 60’s). So, let’s delve in, shall we? Be warned this review has more images than the others for added context.
Where shall we begin? Perhaps, the Deep Space Station K7 that sent out a distress call which Enterprise felt compelled to answer.
Why was the DS K7 in distress? Well, because they currently are housing tons of quadrotriticale. A word that is managed to be repeated at least a dozen times (it seems) in one scene and it’s great watching each of them stumble over saying it right. It’s a grain by the way and Kirk is not pleased to have been summoned to the station over it. But undersecretary Nilz Baris insists that is be guarded against the Klingons who seem to want it desperately.
Kirk agrees to leave behind two guards which Baris is not happy about. He goes boo-hoo crying to the Federation who then call Kirk and tell him to return to the station and treat the quadrotriticale with a bit more urgency. Upon their return Kirk decides to let the crew use this time for shore leave.
A Klingon ship decides to do a similar respite here which also rubs Kirk the wrong way. But they are trying to be diplomatic, so all he can do is have one guard per Klingon that spends time at the space station. First up to take a break is Lieutenant Uhura. While hanging out at the local bar she encounters a shady tradesman trying to sell one tribble to the man behind the bar who seems less than interested. By the end of the negotiations, Uhura returns to the Enterprise with one free tribble.
Seems innocent enough. Cute and cuddly with a bit of a trill sound it makes. How much harm can it be? Look, even Mr. Spock seems to be mesmerized by the little guys.
Yep, in a matter of hours, the one tribble that Uhura brought on board managed to multiply and she’s giving them out like candy to all of the crew. Even Bones who is fascinated to learn how they are able to multiply so quickly.
As if that isn’t trouble enough, back on the space station the Klingons are getting drunk and rowdy at the bar. Well, one of them in particular.
He insults humans. He insults the captain. Oh hell no! Chekov is ready to go! But Scotty stops him. Kirk gave them instruction to behave and not get riled up by the Klingons in any way.
But then the Klingon insults the ship and Scotty couldn’t hold back. He throws the first punch and a bar fight begins. The barman gets the hell out of dodge and Cyrano Jones, the trader who you could say started all the problems, is helping himself to a few glasses of liquor while everyone is distracted.
With the fight broken up eventually, Kirk insists on knowing how it started. Who threw the first punch? Well, of course no one wants to snitch, least of all on Scotty who is a good guy. So, he has to snitch on himself and fess up. Kirk is pretty pleased to hear Scotty showed such gumption, that is, until he hears that Scotty didn’t actually throw a punch in defense of the captain, instead it was to honor the ship!
Chin up, Captain Kirk, you’ll get’em next time!
Okay, so while all of this is happening something even more sinister is taking place on the Enterprise. Also discovered when Kirk attempts to get a meal from the replicator.
This is crazy! I mean, look at all of those tribbles just hanging out. But to be in the replicator is really not good. Seconds later, Scotty arrives with an armful to say they are also in the ship making their controls inoperable.
This makes Kirk wonder if they are sneaking around within the ship, could they be in the storage areas on the space station. Turns out that grain he’s supposed to be protecting from the Klingons is being stored there. Quick! To the storage area!
I could be wrong but I think we’re too late. All the grain has been eaten by the tribbles. But what’s worse than finding out they’ve managed to multiply to over 1m? That most of the ones you see pictured there are dead. Why? Time for Bones to investigate the grain and the tribbles. Oh, and Bones delivers the great news that if they want the tribbles to stop multiplying they need to stop feeding them. Thanks, Bones.
And just because I feel it must be seen, I want to share this still of the bridge:
Yes, that is a tribble nestled just under her chin there!
Now, what is going on here? Are the Klingons behind all this? Obviously! But it isn’t who Baris keeps insisting it is; the trader. Instead, it’s his trusted assistant. Turns out tribbles don’t like Klingons and start to freak out when they are brought near one. Sorry, mister, you’ve been caught.
Now, what to do with all of these tribbles on the space station? Well, instead of sending Cyrano Jones who took the tribble from its home planet to jail they decide he can spend the next two decades removing them all.
As for the tribbles on the Enterprise? Well, after a few ping-ponging back and forth between the crew to try and explain where the tribbles were sent, well, I’ll let you read the answer below:
DID THEY REALLY SAY THAT?
[last lines]
[all tribbles have been removed from the Enterprise, but nobody seems eager to tell Kirk what happened to them]
Capt. Kirk: Mister Scott. Where – are – the tribbles?
Scott: I used the transporter, Captain.
Capt. Kirk: You used the transporter?
Scott: Aye.
Capt. Kirk: Well, where did you transport them?
[the others are looking away, trying to appear not involved]
Capt. Kirk: Scott, you didn’t transport them into space, did you?
Scott: Captain Kirk! That’d be inhuman!
Capt. Kirk: Well, where are they?
Scott: I gave them a very good home, sir.
Capt. Kirk: WHERE?
Scott: I gave ’em to the Klingons, sir.
Capt. Kirk: [whispering] You gave them to the Klingons?
Scott: Aye, sir. Before they went into warp, I transported the whole kit ‘n’ caboodle into their engine room, where they’ll be no tribble at all.
