Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Star Trek: The Trouble with Tribbles

Episode: "The Trouble with Tribbles"
Series: Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 2, Episode 14
Original Air Date: December 29, 1967
via Wikipedia
Not long ago, My Wife asked me if I thought the Tribbles episode was the jump-the-shark moment for Star Trek.  It is, after all, the Original Series episode best-remembered by the general public, and usually with a patronizing snicker.  I had not watched the episode myself probably since the late '70s so I didn't feel qualified to judge.  But now I have and I feel better prepared to answer.

The Enterprise is summoned to Deep Space Station K7 in order to protect a shipment of grain.  The station is crawling with Klingons, led by Captain Koloth (William Campbell, who also appeared in "The Squire of Gothos").  Meanwhile, a shady trader gives Lt. Uhura an adorable, yet mysterious gift: a tribble!  Tribbles are furry, little puff-ball critters who eat everything they can find and reproduce at an alarming rate.  According to Dr. McCoy, they're essentially born pregnant.

While I can understand why the casual observer might be dismissive of the seemingly ridiculous tribbles, this story is actually quite clever - a wonderful demonstration of narrative misdirection.  With everyone worried about Klingons and petty power games between Captain Kirk and Nilz Baris, a government bureaucrat played by William Schallert, the tribbles turn out to be the real nuisance.  Then - wouldn't you know it? - they turn around and prove to be the solution to the Klingon situation, too!

The critics loved the episode.  "The Trouble with Troubles" was nominated for a Hugo, though it lost to another TOS episode: "The City on the Edge of Forever."  It was also nominated for three Emmys.  The silly tribbles prove far more than just a clever gimmick.  I wouldn't say this is the best Star Trek episode but it's certainly far from the worst and definitely not an indicator of a downward trend in quality for the series.

*****
via Memory Alpha
William Schallert was born July 6, 1922 in Los Angeles.  Schallert got his start on stage while in college at the University of Southern California.  Early in his career, he acted under the direction of Charlie Chaplin.

The vast majority of Schallert's work was in television, probably best known as Martin Lane on The Patty Duke Show.  Later in his career, he made two appearances in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  Much of the original footage from "The Trouble with Troubles," including images of Schallert, are used for the DS9 episode "Trials and Tribble-ations." But he also appeared as a new character in "Sanctuary."  There were movie roles, too, in such varied films as The Man from Planet X (1949), The Jerk (1979), Teachers (1984) and Innerspace (1987).
via Memory Alpha
Schallert was very active in the Screen Actors Guild, including a turn as President from 1979 to 1981.  He has been married to his wife, Leah Waggner, since 1949.  They have four children.

26 comments:

  1. A favorite episode in two separate decades, Squid! I can't consider the original story apart from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Season 5, Episode 6 - Trials and Tribble-ations. It was one of those open-ended bits of simple genius that invited clever revisitation!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've never seen the DS9 episode. Of all the Star Trek series, DS9 is the one I know the least.

      Delete
  2. The best use of outright comedy in the whole franchise. Probably intentionally, too!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I remember I wanted a Tribble. I think that episode also had some lessons about messing with unknown species like when humans introduce non native plants to an area and then the plants spread and crowd out other growth becoming a nuisance. Or like the African Killer bees that have pushed out native honey bees.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Right. On their home planet, the tribbles had a natural predator that was very efficient at keeping the population in check.

      Susan, if you're interested in bees and the damage humans have wrecked upon them, I highly recommend the documentary More Than Honey.

      Delete
  4. Oh, we loved Star Trek - but the tribbles episode topped them all! I love your mention of William Shallert - he never has gotten all the recognition he deserves. Great post!

    Cherdo
    www.cherdoontheflipside.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Cherdo! For me, learning about the actors has been the best part of this series of posts.

      Delete
  5. Finally an actor (red shirt or not ) that hasn't died. I was cringing as I scrolled down. I love the actor profiles.
    I must look up the bee documentary. As I understand most all (?) of the bees in Arizona are have (?) Africanised. I have noticed the decline of the bees around my home. I have been re- planting and adding more rosemary around my home. The Bees love it. And for some reason they are very friendly I don't know why, but I am very lucky even though I am very allergic to bee and wasp stings.

    cheers, parsnip

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The bee doc is really good. We saw it at a film festival this Spring. It's available on Netflix Instant at the moment.

      Delete
  6. I've never heard anyone be disparaging of the tribble episode unless they were being disparaging of the entire series, which never had anything to do with the tribbles. In fact, I have know people that really didn't like ST but loved that episode.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I've heard them! There are people who don't like Trek for its occasional goofiness and who point to tribbles as Exhibit A. It's okay. More tribbles for the rest of us.

      Delete
  7. Despite the silliness of it on the surface I think it was a really well constructed and satisfying story that came together very nicely at the end. And probably one of the cheapest special effects budgets of the whole series.

    mood

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The tribbles are goofy but the story really isn't - quite clever, as you say.

      Delete
  8. This makes me wanna watch the ep. And I've seen all of those tribbles, first-hand! They house them at the Experience the Music Project and Sci-Fi and Horror Museum in Downtown Seattle. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. The tribbles are a little absurd, but it sounds like that was just one part of it!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Schallert is still alive? I remember him very well. I always liked his voice. I remember the tribbles and I wasn't even a Star Trek fan.

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Still alive. His 92nd birthday is coming up next month.

      Delete
  11. I hope the resolved the trouble with the tribbles.

    ReplyDelete
  12. i liked all the great tidbits behind the tribbles! and i appreciated schallerts' info too - not surprising, he's a great actor!
    have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  13. haha, I can imagine why some would have laughed at this episode - it looks kind of silly. But classic, all the same.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely a classic. I think the fact that it's one so many people remember - even if for the silliness - says a lot in its favor.

      Delete