Introduction

“Balance of Terror” is the fourteenth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series, Star Trek.

In the episode, the Enterprise battles a Romulan ship after investigating an unidentified assailant who methodically destroys the Federation’s outposts at the Neutral Zone.

The episode introduces the cloaking device and the fictional Star Trek race, the Romulans. Mark Lenard, playing the Romulan commander, makes his first of many Star Trek appearances.

On 16 September 2006, “Balance of Terror” became the first digitally remastered Star Trek episode, featuring enhanced and new visual effects, computer generated (CGI) spaceships, and high definition format.

The episode featured the final appearance of Grace Lee Whitney (Yeoman Janice Rand) before her return in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Outline

The Federation starship Enterprise, under the command of Captain Kirk, is investigating a loss of communication with a line of Earth outposts near the Romulan Neutral Zone. While Kirk officiates at the wedding of Lieutenant Tomlinson and Ensign Martine, an alarm sounds and they learn that Outpost 4 has come under attack.

Addressing the crew, the Enterprise’s first officer, Mr. Spock, explains that the Neutral Zone came into being under the terms of the peace treaty that ended the Earth–Romulan War a century earlier. Because there were no visual communications at that time, the two races have never seen, and have little knowledge, of each other. Kirk then informs the crew that, in accordance with his orders, they and the ship will be considered expendable to prevent another war.

The Enterprise comes into range of Outpost 4 and contacts the base commander, Hansen, who reveals that he is the only survivor of an attack by an unknown enemy with weapons of immense power. A single shot has destroyed the base’s shields and killed the phaser crew, and Hanson is suffering from terrible burns. As they speak, the enemy ship reappears. Hansen transmits the view from his sensors as the ship materialises and fires before disappearing again. That shot destroys the outpost.

The ship’s sensors soon locate the attacker, which remains invisible. Kirk surmises that the attacker is equipped with a cloaking device. A coded message from the intruder provides a view through one of its internal cameras, revealing humanoids with an appearance like Mr. Spock and other Vulcans. Lieutenant Stiles, the navigator, son of a service family that lost several members in the Earth–Romulan War, begins to question Spock’s loyalty.

During a discussion of the Romulan ship’s capabilities, Stiles suggests that the Enterprise attack the vessel before it can reach the Neutral Zone. Spock agrees; he reasons that the Romulans are believed to be an offshoot of the Vulcan species and that if they have retained the martial philosophy of the Vulcans’ ancient past, they would surely take advantage of any perceived weakness.

A cat-and-mouse game ensues, with each ship showing strengths and weaknesses. The Enterprise is faster and more manoeuvrable, while the Romulan ship has a cloaking device and an arsenal of immensely destructive plasma torpedoes. However, the range of these torpedoes is limited, and firing one requires so much power that the ship must decloak first. The two commanders are soon locked in a battle of wits. When the Romulans head into the tail of a comet, Kirk tries to use this to his advantage: when the ship emerges on the other side, it’ll be visible and they can target it. However, the Romulan commander has his own trap in mind: the comet will confuse the Enterprise sensors, and he will come about suddenly and attack. When a subordinate manning the scanner reports that their “reflection” (the Enterprise) is gone, the commander guesses Kirk’s plan, and escapes. The Enterprise, waiting on the other side of the comet, sees nothing, and Kirk realises what has happened. As he puts it, the commander did what he would have done, and he resolves to not underestimate him again.

The Romulans, almost beaten, plant a nuclear weapon amidst jettisoned debris in the hope that the Enterprise will come near enough to be destroyed. However, when Spock detects a “metal-cased object”, Kirk orders a point-blank phaser shot that detonates the device. The Enterprise is badly shaken by the blast and the phaser controls are damaged; while they can still be fired from the phaser rooms, they cannot be fired from the bridge. Kirk decides to use this to his advantage, ordering operations to work at minimal power to exaggerate the apparent damage and lure the Romulans in for a kill shot.

Although the Romulan ship’s fuel is running low, Decius, a politically well-connected member of the command crew convinces the commander to finish off the seemingly helpless Enterprise. When the Romulan ship decloaks to launch a torpedo, Kirk tries to spring his trap, but a coolant leak in the phaser room incapacitates Stiles and Tomlinson. Spock rescues Stiles and fires the phasers in time to cripple the Romulan ship.

Kirk hails the Romulans and at last communicates directly with his opponent, offering to beam aboard his survivors. The Romulan commander declines, saying that it is not their way to accept such assistance. The commander expresses regret that he and Kirk are on opposite sides, saying, “You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend.” Then the commander triggers his ship’s self-destruct system.

In the final scenes, it is revealed that the Enterprise has suffered just one fatality – Lieutenant Tomlinson. Kirk goes to the chapel to provide some comfort to a grieving Ensign Martine.

Star Trek TV Series

You can find a full index of Star Trek TV series here.

Star Trek TV Series, Films, and Documentaries

You can find a full index of all Star Trek TV series, films, documentaries here.

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s): Vincent McEveety.
• Production: Desilu Productions (1966-1967) and Paramount Television (1968-1969).
• Distributor(s): Paramount Pictures (1966-2006), CBS Paramount Television (2006-2007), and CBS Television Distribution (2007-Present).
• Original Network: NBC.
• Release Date: 15 December 1966.
• Running Time: 50 minutes.
• Country: US.
• Language: English.