TAS Episode - More Tribbles, More Troubles

Series :

The Animated Series

Rating :

Disc No :

Episode :

First Aired :

6 Oct 1973

Stardate :

5392.4

Director :

Hal Sutherland

Year :

2268

Writers :

David Gerrold

Season :

Guest Cast :

David Gerrold as Korax	James Doohan as Koloth
Stanley Adams as Cyrano Jones

Plotline :

Whilst escorting robot cargo ships carrying quintotriticale to Sherman's Planet, the Enterprise rescues Cyrano Jones from a Klingon vessel commanded by Captain Koloth. Jones is carrying a new breed of Tribbles, genetically engineered to slow their notorious reproductive process. When the Enterprise is forced to beam the grain aboard from the freighters the tribbles begin to feed on it - and grow to enormous size as a result!

Analysis :

My biggest complaint here is the lack of originality. An animated series, being free of FX budget restraints, could and should be allowing the writers to give free reign to their imaginations, bringing us new and exciting ideas. Instead, only five episodes in and we're re-hashing TOS episodes already.

Introducing a Tribble predator is sensible - surely the Tribble home world must be crammed with such predators to explain the Tribble's massive rate of reproduction! Having a version of the Tribbles modified to reduce that reproductive rate is also a sensible idea; given their popularity there is surely a huge market for such "safe" Tribbles as pets, at least on Human worlds. However, the super-sized Tribble idea is just silly, both in scientific credibility and in simple common sense terms - most especially so given that the super-Tribble can break apart into small ones!

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YATI :

In one scene, Captain Koloth is shown on the Enterprise bridge instead of being on the viewscreen.

Great Moment :

The Tribble predator.

Body Count :

Factoid :

This episode began life when Gene Roddenberry asked David Gerrold to write a sequel to 'The Trouble With Tribbles' for TOS. When the management changed the idea was dropped, then revived for TAS. Gerrold would ultimately go on to help Gene create TNG in the 80s.

My year for this episode is estimated from the Stardate; a group of TAS episodes are set between 'The Empath' and 'The Mark of Gideon'.

This episode is a nominee for the DITL "Worst of Trek" award.

Quote :

"Captain's log, supplemental. Our rescue effort has given us some knowledge of the new Klingon weapon, and the presence of Cyrano Jones, intergalactic trader and general nuisance." - Kirk's log entry

"The first Klingon to step aboard this ship will be the last Klingon." - Kirk.

Spock: "We could always throw tribbles at them."
Kirk: "I thought Vulcan's didn't have a sense of humor."
Spock: "We don't, Captain."

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Last updated : 4 Aug 2004