THE PLOT
Encountering the missing ship, the Exeter, in orbit around an Earth-like planet, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam over to the ship to investigate what happened to it. They discover a dead ship, its entire crew reduced to chemical dust by a bizarre infection. A message from the medical officer urges the landing party to the planet as the only chance to save their lives.
Once on the planet, they encounter Captain Tracy (Morgan Woodward) of the Exeter. They discover that the planet is in the midst of a civil war. The brutal, warrior-like Yangs are massing to invade the villages of the civilized Comms. Kirk discovers that Tracy has interfered with this culture, using his phaser to keep the Comms the dominant culture. No sooner has that discovery been made, however, than Tracy takes the landing party prisoner, fully prepared to murder them in order to maintain his position on this world!
CHARACTERS
Capt. Kirk: Yet another second season episode in which Kirk is made the champion of the Prime Directive. He does blur the edges of the Directive at the climax. However, he does not flagrantly violate the terms, and his reaction to Tracy's having done so is a combination of horror and sadness. Shatner gives a typically sturdy performance here, though "Captain Ham" does make an appearance when he gets perhaps a bit too enthusiastic about reciting the words of the U. S. Constitution at the end.
Spock: Demonstrates his steady loyalty to Kirk throughout - which, in an interesting twist on the show's usual formula, Tracy manages to use as damning evidence against Kirk toward the end. Fortunately, Spock's telepathic powers continue to be as broad as the plot requires, allowing him to gain control over another character at a vital moment.
Dr. McCoy: He gets to analyze the infection that wiped out the Exeter, and isolates the cause in such a manner that the show doesn't end with Kirk & company marooned on a primitive planet in perpetuity (surprise, surprise). We also see that McCoy has an appreciative eye toward the charms of the women in the Comm village - which is not appreciated by his Comm guard.
Hot Alien Space Babe of the Week: Irene Kelly is Sira, the wife/consort/whatever of the Yangs' leader, Cloud William (Roy Jenson). Sira is not exactly a complex or multilayered character, but she does get to wear what look like Raquel Welch's cavegirl castoffs, to pleasing enough effect.
Villain of the Week: Morgan Woodward lends a great deal of presence to the role of Tracy, granting a potentially one-note villain a great deal of animal cunning. In multiple scraps with Kirk, Tracy is consistently made out to be the more formidable of the two. This adds a lot more tension to the final fight than would normally be the case. Woodward chews the scenery with Shatner-like glee, but he also has considerable authority, particularly when recounting an off-screen battle that has ended in disaster.
ZAP THE REDSHIRT!
Redshirt count: one. When Kirk announced the Away Team would consist of himself, Spock, Dr. McCoy, and "Lt. Galloway," was there really any doubt? Poor Galloway hopefully had the presence of mind to quickly tuck any affairs in order before joining the others in the transporter room. He does manage to survive the first beam-over, to the Exeter. For his troubles, he gets killed twice: after ending up on the wrong end of a Yang spear (which itself looks likely to end up being fatal), he finally gets disintegrated by phaser fire. Proving, yet again, that it sucks to be Kenny... er, a redshirt.
THOUGHTS
Yet another of Season Two's parallel Earth episodes, this one takes the concept just a bit too far. Even before Tracy's interference, this culture managed to spawn two different political systems, each of which mirrored one from then-contemporary Earth! At least the Nazi planet was the result of interference. Here, we're meant to believe that the same symbols, the same flags, the same names, and (word-for-word) the same documents would come into being through natural evolution.
It also represents the third Season Two episode in which a Federation member has breached the Prime Directive. Kirk's supposed to be the one who ignores it at will? It seems that, compared with the average freighter captain, starship captain, or high-ranking historian, Kirk is a positive paragon! Exactly how much training does Starfleet give its officials on this? From dialogue, we're meant to believe it is something dearer to Starfleet officers than life itself... but the first thing Starfleet officials seem to do when stuck on a planet is to ignore it and "go native." It worked in the Roman episode, precisely because the captain in that case was someone who couldn't quite cut it in Starfleet. Two other cases, both with people of rank who have earned respect? It's not only overused at this point, it breaches credibility.
For all of this, The Omega Glory is not quite a bad episode. Like most TOS episodes up to this point, it is very well-paced. The first (and best) act hooks us with an intriguing mystery, the second act builds on that mystery while introducing a new element (which ends up being the main plot). Only at the end do we realize we were hoodwinked into thinking this was an Andromeda Strain-type episode, when in reality it was a Civil War/crazed commander episode. The segue from one problem to the other keeps the pace alive, helped by a sturdy guest performance by Morgan Woodward. It is a shame, though, that the story it starts out telling is so much more compelling than the story it switches to around the midpoint.
A horribly misjudged climax sends the episode spiralling into unintentional comedy at the end, and it's safe to say that The Omega Glory falls far short of the response Gene Roddenberry doubtless hoped to receive. With Season Two nearing its end, I find myself sincerely hoping that Season Three sees no more parallel Earths or Federation officials breaking the Prime Directive. Enough at this point really has been enough.
Rating: 5/10.
Encountering the missing ship, the Exeter, in orbit around an Earth-like planet, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam over to the ship to investigate what happened to it. They discover a dead ship, its entire crew reduced to chemical dust by a bizarre infection. A message from the medical officer urges the landing party to the planet as the only chance to save their lives.
Once on the planet, they encounter Captain Tracy (Morgan Woodward) of the Exeter. They discover that the planet is in the midst of a civil war. The brutal, warrior-like Yangs are massing to invade the villages of the civilized Comms. Kirk discovers that Tracy has interfered with this culture, using his phaser to keep the Comms the dominant culture. No sooner has that discovery been made, however, than Tracy takes the landing party prisoner, fully prepared to murder them in order to maintain his position on this world!
CHARACTERS
Capt. Kirk: Yet another second season episode in which Kirk is made the champion of the Prime Directive. He does blur the edges of the Directive at the climax. However, he does not flagrantly violate the terms, and his reaction to Tracy's having done so is a combination of horror and sadness. Shatner gives a typically sturdy performance here, though "Captain Ham" does make an appearance when he gets perhaps a bit too enthusiastic about reciting the words of the U. S. Constitution at the end.
Spock: Demonstrates his steady loyalty to Kirk throughout - which, in an interesting twist on the show's usual formula, Tracy manages to use as damning evidence against Kirk toward the end. Fortunately, Spock's telepathic powers continue to be as broad as the plot requires, allowing him to gain control over another character at a vital moment.
Dr. McCoy: He gets to analyze the infection that wiped out the Exeter, and isolates the cause in such a manner that the show doesn't end with Kirk & company marooned on a primitive planet in perpetuity (surprise, surprise). We also see that McCoy has an appreciative eye toward the charms of the women in the Comm village - which is not appreciated by his Comm guard.
Hot Alien Space Babe of the Week: Irene Kelly is Sira, the wife/consort/whatever of the Yangs' leader, Cloud William (Roy Jenson). Sira is not exactly a complex or multilayered character, but she does get to wear what look like Raquel Welch's cavegirl castoffs, to pleasing enough effect.
Villain of the Week: Morgan Woodward lends a great deal of presence to the role of Tracy, granting a potentially one-note villain a great deal of animal cunning. In multiple scraps with Kirk, Tracy is consistently made out to be the more formidable of the two. This adds a lot more tension to the final fight than would normally be the case. Woodward chews the scenery with Shatner-like glee, but he also has considerable authority, particularly when recounting an off-screen battle that has ended in disaster.
ZAP THE REDSHIRT!
Redshirt count: one. When Kirk announced the Away Team would consist of himself, Spock, Dr. McCoy, and "Lt. Galloway," was there really any doubt? Poor Galloway hopefully had the presence of mind to quickly tuck any affairs in order before joining the others in the transporter room. He does manage to survive the first beam-over, to the Exeter. For his troubles, he gets killed twice: after ending up on the wrong end of a Yang spear (which itself looks likely to end up being fatal), he finally gets disintegrated by phaser fire. Proving, yet again, that it sucks to be Kenny... er, a redshirt.
THOUGHTS
Yet another of Season Two's parallel Earth episodes, this one takes the concept just a bit too far. Even before Tracy's interference, this culture managed to spawn two different political systems, each of which mirrored one from then-contemporary Earth! At least the Nazi planet was the result of interference. Here, we're meant to believe that the same symbols, the same flags, the same names, and (word-for-word) the same documents would come into being through natural evolution.
It also represents the third Season Two episode in which a Federation member has breached the Prime Directive. Kirk's supposed to be the one who ignores it at will? It seems that, compared with the average freighter captain, starship captain, or high-ranking historian, Kirk is a positive paragon! Exactly how much training does Starfleet give its officials on this? From dialogue, we're meant to believe it is something dearer to Starfleet officers than life itself... but the first thing Starfleet officials seem to do when stuck on a planet is to ignore it and "go native." It worked in the Roman episode, precisely because the captain in that case was someone who couldn't quite cut it in Starfleet. Two other cases, both with people of rank who have earned respect? It's not only overused at this point, it breaches credibility.
For all of this, The Omega Glory is not quite a bad episode. Like most TOS episodes up to this point, it is very well-paced. The first (and best) act hooks us with an intriguing mystery, the second act builds on that mystery while introducing a new element (which ends up being the main plot). Only at the end do we realize we were hoodwinked into thinking this was an Andromeda Strain-type episode, when in reality it was a Civil War/crazed commander episode. The segue from one problem to the other keeps the pace alive, helped by a sturdy guest performance by Morgan Woodward. It is a shame, though, that the story it starts out telling is so much more compelling than the story it switches to around the midpoint.
A horribly misjudged climax sends the episode spiralling into unintentional comedy at the end, and it's safe to say that The Omega Glory falls far short of the response Gene Roddenberry doubtless hoped to receive. With Season Two nearing its end, I find myself sincerely hoping that Season Three sees no more parallel Earths or Federation officials breaking the Prime Directive. Enough at this point really has been enough.
Rating: 5/10.
Previous Episode: The Ultimate Computer
Next Episode: Assignment - Earth
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