Plot; Kirk and Co. attempt to stop amoeba-like creatures who are inhabiting human hosts, causing them to go mad.
This has to be the worst and least apt title in the first season, if not the entire series. Yes, they do have to stop a madness plague of sorts spreading from planet to planet via these creatures who look like that fake rubber vomit you could buy out of the back of comic books when you were a kid, but "Operation: Annihilate!"? Really? Starts off pretty strong, with the planet in question being home to Kirk's Brother and his wife and young son. Kirk is naturally in "To Hell with protocols" mode in an effort to reach his family, and that's always been my favorite Kirk. The middle section gets a bit wonky, with the crew hunting down the critters at what looks like a So-Cal Community College before setting up the episode's strong suit; Spock. Specifically, Leonard Nimoy. Spock is infected with one of the vomit aliens, who cause such great pain as to drive their hosts mad. Spock naturally uses his Vulcan half to control his emotions, even under extreme pain, and this provides Nimoy something to really sink his teeth into. I don't know if Nimoy was a great actor, but he is certainly great in the role of Spock and clearly relishes the opportunity to do more than arch his eyebrow and deliver pseudo-scientific babble.
Kirk's solution is a bit too deus ex machina, but this rather flimsy episode is held together thanks mostly to Nimoy's strong performance.
This has to be the worst and least apt title in the first season, if not the entire series. Yes, they do have to stop a madness plague of sorts spreading from planet to planet via these creatures who look like that fake rubber vomit you could buy out of the back of comic books when you were a kid, but "Operation: Annihilate!"? Really? Starts off pretty strong, with the planet in question being home to Kirk's Brother and his wife and young son. Kirk is naturally in "To Hell with protocols" mode in an effort to reach his family, and that's always been my favorite Kirk. The middle section gets a bit wonky, with the crew hunting down the critters at what looks like a So-Cal Community College before setting up the episode's strong suit; Spock. Specifically, Leonard Nimoy. Spock is infected with one of the vomit aliens, who cause such great pain as to drive their hosts mad. Spock naturally uses his Vulcan half to control his emotions, even under extreme pain, and this provides Nimoy something to really sink his teeth into. I don't know if Nimoy was a great actor, but he is certainly great in the role of Spock and clearly relishes the opportunity to do more than arch his eyebrow and deliver pseudo-scientific babble.
Kirk's solution is a bit too deus ex machina, but this rather flimsy episode is held together thanks mostly to Nimoy's strong performance.