[Nate the Great]

Now we get to have some fun...

Magnificent performances from the guest stars. It's a shame the budget rarely allows for so many aliens.

November 17th, 1967, "Journey to Babel"

Fiver (by IJD GAF)
Transcript
Memory Alpha

The Episode

KIRK: As you wish, Ambassador. Mister Spock, we'll leave orbit in two hours. Would you care to beam down and visit your parents?
SPOCK: Captain, Ambassador Sarek and his wife are my parents.

Okay, Kirk can't be expected to know the names of all family members of his entire crew, but the senior staff? Yes. His best friend? Double yes.

Captain's log, Stardate 3842.3. We have departed Vulcan for the neutral planetoid code-named Babel.

Why would a neutral planetoid need a code name? Would that really stop the Klingons or Romulans from finding out where it is?

AMANDA: It hasn't been easy on Spock. Neither human nor Vulcan. At home nowhere except Starfleet.

I appreciate the sentiment, and the idea that in general human civilians aren't used to spending large amounts of time with aliens yet. But as has been discussed elsewhere (Pike and Worf spring to mind), there are other options. Surely there's some Federation research facility with a higher alien-to-human ratio that Spock could be useful and fairly comfortable in.

Captain's log, Stardate 3842.4. The interplanetary conference will consider the petition of the Coridan planets to be admitted to the Federation. The Coridan system has been claimed by some of the races now aboard our ship as delegates, races who have strong personal reasons for keeping Coridan out of the Federation. The most pressing problem aboard the Enterprise is to make sure open warfare doesn't break out among the delegates before the conference begins.

Okay, I'm confused. I thought all of the races on board were Federation members. Or are you going to tell me that if Andor (let's say) prevents Coridan from joining the Federation they could then annex it as a part of the Andorian government? If a mystical island full of oil were to suddenly rise off the coast of Alaska would Alaska prevent the land from becoming federal land, instead fighting to make sure it was considered Alaskan land first?

You'd think Kirk could mention a few races, including the Orions, that aren't Federation members but also have an interest in Koridan. It would add a layer of intrigue to have the ship be sabotaged by the false Orion/Andorian while the real Orion has no contact with him and airtight alibis, right?

KIRK; Maintain translator broadcast. Check records for authorised ships.
SPOCK: Starfleet records no authorised vessel in this quadrant except ours.

That's a problem with the vague use of "quadrant." Wouldn't there be cargo ships going through all the time along the main trade routes?

SAREK: You embarrassed Spock this evening. Not even a mother may do that. He is a Vulcan.
AMANDA: He's also human.
SAREK: He's a Starfleet officer.
AMANDA: I thought you didn't approve of Starfleet.
SAREK: It is not a question of approval. The fact exists. He is in Starfleet. He must command respect if he is to function.
AMANDA: Sarek, you're proud of him, aren't you? You're showing almost human pride in your son.
SAREK: It does not require pride to ask that Spock be given the respect which is his due. Not as my son, but as Spock. Do you understand?
AMANDA: Not really, but it doesn't matter. I love you anyway. I know. It isn't logical.

Great scene. No wonder these two are fan favorites.

MCCOY: Plus the fact I've never operated on a Vulcan before. Oh, I've studied the anatomical types. I know where all the organs are. But that's a lot different from actual surgical experience.

Really? You've served with Spock for over a year and never had to perform surgery on him? You never spent a semester of your medical school on Vulcan to study their methods?

SPOCK: My first responsibility is to the ship. Our passengers' safety is by Starfleet order of first importance. We are being followed by an alien, possibly hostile, vessel. I cannot relinquish command under these circumstances.

You have to hate how cold-bloodedly logical Vulcans can be sometimes.

SPOCK: It means to adopt a philosophy, a way of life, which is logical and beneficial. We cannot disregard that philosophy merely for personal gain, no matter how important that gain might be.
AMANDA: Nothing is as important as your father's life.
SPOCK: Can you imagine what my father would say if I were to agree, if I were to give up command of this vessel, jeopardise hundreds of lives, risk interplanetary war, all for the life of one person?

The needs of the many and all that. Cold-bloodedly logical. Brrr....

SAREK: Mutual suspicion and interplanetary war.
KIRK: Yes, of course. With Orion carefully neutral, they'd clean up supplying dilithium to both sides and continue to raid Coridan.

War between who? Federation members? Stupid Star Wars prequel flashbacks...

AMANDA: Logic, logic! I'm sick to death of logic. Do you want to know how I feel about your logic?
SPOCK: Emotional, isn't she?
SAREK: She has always been that way.
SPOCK: Indeed? Why did you marry her?
SAREK: At the time, it seemed the logical thing to do.

And they say Vulcans have no sense of humor...

The Fiver

Kirk: This here is the computer. Hey, Spock, show them how to play Galaga on it.
Sarek: I own Spock at Galaga, so if you'll excuse me I'll go grumble in a corner at my son's suckiness.
Spock: If you'll excuse me, I'll go hone my Galaga skills.
Kirk: Sheesh, talk about dysfunction.
Amanda: You should hear the logic debates concerning the proper orientation of toilet paper.

As TVTropes would say, Hilarious In Hindsight considering the Galaga scene in Avengers.

As for toilet paper orientation, did you know that when Ann Landers asked this question it generated at least 15,000 letters?

Uhura: Somebody on the ship's talking to the other ship.
Kirk: Gee, you'd think he could at least find somebody on the other ship to talk to.

Clever.

Spock: I think his mind's been conditioned by you guys to annoy us.
Shras: We have no problem with you humans. Stop watching "The Andorian Incident" and getting ideas.

If you're going to reference Enterprise you could've at least have had him call Kirk "pinkskin", you know.

Redshirt: (over the comm) The Andorian's not an Andorian.
Kirk: It's a faaaaaaaaaaake!

That "In The Pale Moonlight" joke never gets old. Here's a YTMND. And a SomethingAwful while I'm at it.

Kirk: Can I go now?
McCoy: No. I want the last word this time.
Kirk: You can't. It's a fiver. The last word is "end."
McCoy: Shut up, you.

I love metahumor. Huge shock, right?

Memory Alpha

* They were able have more aliens because the episode was in other respects a "bottle show."
* Much reusing of costumes from previous episodes. Some seem reasonable, others don't (we previously saw them on aliens from independent worlds otherwise cut off from the Federation, there's no reason other worlds would know about them).

YouTube

Sarek arrives, and awkward introductions all round.
Introduction of the plot, and a diplomatic reception.
Amanda won't let Spock donate, and a fake Andorian attacks Kirk.
Sarek tells a joke, and McCoy gets the last word.