Star Trek (TV Series) A Private Little War (1968) User Reviews

War isn't a Good Life, but it's Life (and a Mugato)

[Bogmeister · 7/10 · 20 November 2006]

This is the serious attempt to present the impact and ramifications of interfering with the natural progression of a culture (the comedic take was "A Piece of the Action" a couple of episodes earlier). In this case, the culprits are (surprise!) Klingons: on a peaceful planet, the Klingons supply one side, Villagers, with flintlocks/rifles, while the Hill People, led by an old friend (Tyree) of Kirk's, continue to use bows & arrows. The balance of power has been upset, not to mention that Kirk's memories of a 'Garden of Eden' world have been corrupted. This is actually an interesting glimpse into Klingon strategy: they build up one side of a civilization as a puppet kingdom, to be a part of their growing empire. See also "Friday's Child" for the previous Klingon-Federation conflict over a planet. What this episode was soon known as by Trekkers is as the 'Vietnam' parable of the series.

This allusion to Vietnam doesn't stay subtle - Kirk even makes reference to the 20th century 'brush wars' on the Asian continent to spell things out to the audience. There's a sometimes preachy tone and flowery references to serpents (the rifles) which overlooks the awful true impact of war, that being widespread bloody death. McCoy addresses this as best he can, but Kirk merely waves away such dire consequences with a trite comment about what war is. Despite a rather simplistic 'kill or be killed' theme for such a politically charged episode, it does drive home the point well that once something like flintlocks are introduced into such a civilization, you can't just take them back. Pandora's Box, such as it is, has been opened and it's too late to close it. And there are no easy solutions. McCoy represents the liberal side here with his protests and he offers no other solution. Kirk is the conservative view - Klingons started this and it's out of his hands now. As such, they have one of their more intense arguments in this episode and neither wins.

Then we have the Mugato. It's a white apelike animal with a lizard-like spine and tail. The monster suit was probably effective in the sixties; now it looks like some goon escaped a Halloween parade to chase Shatner and Kelley around the wilderness (OK, it did scare me a bit when I was eight years old). Add to this the whole witch-woman routine by Tyree's wife and we're in unintentional amusement territory. However, quite intentionally, this episode also presents a 'B' storyline up on the Enterprise, where Spock is recovering from a gunshot wound. My favorite scene is Nurse Chapel slapping the bedridden Spock as Scotty runs in, quite alarmed. This all explains another facet of the Vulcan mystique and physiology. Rather inspired.

More Than A Vietnam Allegory -- Coming of Age in a Fallen World

[Dan1863Sickles · 8/10 · 26 June 2019]

Fifty years ago this was one of my top ten episodes of Star Trek. As a six year old kid I wanted action, fist fights, gunfire, and adventure. I wanted Kirk in action with his fists, fighting the bad guys. I also loved the low-tech feel of the muskets and the powder horns. This episode to me has the perfect balance of action, adventure, romance, and heartbreak.

Now a lot of reviewers judge this episode solely on what it says (or fails to say) about the war in Vietnam. Certainly you can fault Gene Roddenberry for failing to take on the human cost of war -- this isn't Born On The Fourth of July. (Imagine a sequel where the Federation signs a peace treaty with the Klingons, and Kirk finds a wheelchair-bound Tyree in a bar, cursing Kirk for persuading him to enlist!)

But the thing is, this episode may not have the "answer" to what went wrong in Vietnam. But it raises a lot of timeless questions about loss of innocence, the end of childhood, and the price of change. Many, many Star Trek episodes show Kirk running across someone he liked or admired before his five-year mission with the Enterprise. Usually the other person fails Kirk in some way -- they've become crooked, or corrupt, or simply gone insane.

This time around, though, Kirk's friend Tyree is just as pure and just as innocent as Kirk remembered. The two of them were boys, once, hunting and fishing in the wilderness just like Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. But now Tyree is a man, and a leader -- like Kirk. And that means he has to change in ways that are genuinely tragic. The arc of Tyree, from helpless and innocent to hardened and ruthless, really mirrors the price Kirk has paid to become a legendary star ship captain. And Kirk's sadness only makes the tragic journey more profound and meaningful.

Tyree is the most likable and sympathetic companion of Kirk's "younger days" that we ever meet in the original series. I would also argue that of all the deadly, seductive women Kirk ever encountered, Nona is the most alluring and the most memorable. She's initially presented as being much more strong-willed and street-smart than her husband, and it's hard not to admire her genuine outrage at the way Kirk puts the Prime Directive above her husband' s survival. ("Then he has the wrong friends -- and I have the wrong husband!") But the way she over-estimates her own charms and fatally under-estimates the brutal cruelty of the villagers makes for some of the most graphic and disturbing violence in the series. And watching Tyree deal with what follows is genuine drama.

Everything is great about this episode -- even the big and furry Mugatu adds just the right unintentional comic relief, a touch of campy silliness to offset the genuine sadness and the explosive drama!

Only one lovely beast, Tyree. My huge, angry man.

[snoozejonc · 8/10 · 5 September 2021]

This is an enjoyable episode with an interesting plot and strong character moments.

The story has a quite divisive prime directive theme, with a fairly unsubtle Cold War allegory and biblical references. It does not find a satisfactory conclusion for many viewers, but for me the writer appears only to be interested in presenting arguments for and against involvement proxy wars, rather than finding another solution to the plot's dilemma. It strikes me that Spock is incapacitated for a reason throughout the episode, as they might not have wanted to place his stamp of logical approval on Kirk's decision. It is also relatively similar in plot structure to 'Friday's Child'.

Kirk is portrayed as in command of a complex situation that he handles in a way that will have a massive impact on a developing society. Everybody is likely to have an opinion on his actions but it cannot be denied that it is an intriguing premise and William Shatner is on good form.

Bones gives his opinion quite emotionally and it is another defining moment for the character. DeForest Kelley has one of his strongest outings as the iconic doctor observing a situation he finds deplorable.

The character of Nona is intriguing and provides much entertainment value. She is depicted as a power-hungry, witch-like, sex-object, who tries to cast spells over the male characters to make them win her approval. I can see how this is interpreted as quite misogynistic, however, if you put gender aside, it does quite capture the almost hypnotic state that some people can be driven to by love (or lust) for another person. Particularly when the person is suitably manipulative. Some of her scenes are quite risqué for the era and some of the innuendo is fairly strong.

Spock's subplot is pretty good. Majel Barrett is always great as Nurse Chapel and I also liked the Dr. M'Benga character. There is a lot of imaginative detail in these scenes about Vulcan physiology.

Visually it is mostly great with some decent on location cinematography, fun costumes and makeup. The Mugato looks pretty ropey by the standards of any era but that's all part of the charm.

For me this is a 7.5/10, but I round upwards.

"He is mine now".

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 12 December 2010]

Aside from the barely disguised political commentary, this episode is almost unintentionally funny with it's blond coiffed hill people, and a creepy mahko root that's used by a Kahn-ut-tu woman to nurse Captain Kirk back to health following a near fatal battle with a Mugato. That Mugato was interesting, I kept thinking a cross between a gorilla and a prehistoric Stegosaurus, you know, one of those Stegorilla's.

This might have been the closest the series ever got to delivering actual soft porn, what with Nona's (Nancy Kovack) tantalizing healing dance over Kirk's prone body. Nona caps it with her analysis of the procedure - "It brought up evil beasts from my soul". Evil beasts indeed, giving particular new meaning to the term soul-mates.

One thing I like about the show's mythology is the way the scripts kept bringing in new facets of Vulcan character and physiology. In this one, it's revealed that the Vulcan form of self healing involves physical pain to regain consciousness in extreme cases. The story gives Nurse Chapel another chance to show that she pines for Spock's attention, but as usual, that goes nowhere. Slapping him around would have been the next best thing I suppose.

With the Vietnam War picking up tempo in the late Sixties, the show's political lens takes a look at the Balance of Power argument used by analysts to describe the way nations seek to level the playing field when they're not seeking outright advantage. In that respect, Kirk has no problem violating the Noninterference Directive to help out old friend Tyree (Michael Witney) and his hill people. I had to chuckle though, when the opposing side was called by name. With a little better costuming, they would have fit right into their description as the village people.

Primitive People, Nona the Witch & Klingons

[Rainey-Dawn · 7/10 · 11 January 2017]

Season 2, episode 19. The Enterprise is at the planet Neural. Kirk spent time there 13 years earlier. Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down. McCoy is fascinated by the medicinal plants on the planet, Spock is attacked and beams back up, Kirk looks for his friend Tyree. Kirk suspects Klingons has intervened with the natural progression of the planet by giving them weapons more advanced than they should have had for they are a primitive planet of people. None of the Enterprise's crew are allowed to use their phasers or other modern technology. Kirk is attacked and is dying... Nona the witch, Tyree's wife, heals Kirk and expects him to be grateful by giving her "knowledge of the stars". Once well, Kirk continues his investigation into Klingon interference and has to balance the power on the planet. Nona is still after the information from Kirk she seeks using her witchcraft. The Klingons contaminated the natural order with guns to their friends on the planet leaving the other half without means of equal defense. Kirk wants to even the score.

Interesting enough episode. The struggles of power, a witch, Klingons, a friend of Kirk's and more... I like it.

7/10

What happened next?

[gerry-636-868677 · 27 July 2011]

What happened after Kirk (unusually) seemed to 'give-up' at the end of this episode? Earlier, he had said to Bones that if they found evidence that the Klingons were involved in arming the black-haired ones, there would be inter-stellar war. Well, Kirk found evidence of a Klingon's chin when he punched it in the forge. So why no inter-stellar war, that's what I want to know! There is also definite evidence here of a recyclable blond 'nice alien inhabitant' wig. At least one of the wigs worn by the goodies in this episode was worn in an earlier episode by an unrecognisably young David Soul. The wardrobe mistress (it was always 'mistress' then) could at least have combed the things down rather than leave them perched on top of the actor's head like a bird's nest just dropped out of a tree!

Cheesy-waxing philosophical about war

[BrandtSponseller · 10/10 · 26 July 2006]

The cheese factor is very high in this one, but that's part of what I find attractive in the original series.

This episode waxes philosophical about war--a fairly common theme on the original series, which was made all the more poignant because it aired smack dab in the middle of the Cold War. Like usual, Gene Roddenberry (along with story writer Judd Crucis) has apt things to say about war and the necessity of taking up arms should an opposing group choose to do the same. More strongly, and this is especially relevant in retrospect, here in the early 21st Century, the crux of the episode is really superpowers creating/supporting/funding wars among third world peoples.

But as good as it can get on philosophical content, Star Trek excels because of its peculiar mixture of often cheesy or at least cheesily played elements, and this episode has that in spades. Not one, but two principal cast members almost die as they visit that same rocky scrub brush location in California again that always stands for some different planet. Another principle cast member is injured. This time they meet up with some ridiculously wigged primitive folks--one of whom Captain Kirk became friendly with on his first mission to another planet over a decade before. While there, they meet and fight with a ridiculously costumed "mugato" (maybe the problem was that they forgot the traditional "Domo arigato, Mr. Mugato" greeting?), and a ridiculously hot and beautiful Nona (Nancy Kovack), a member of a "witch tribe". This latter fact leads to some romantic scenes for Kirk, of course, and even a pretty racy (for prime time television in 1968) "healing" scene. This episode is also the source of a very humorous way of waking Vulcans out of a particular kind of "meditative" state.

Creating a balance of power

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 14 July 2015]

While conducting a survey on a planet Captain Kirk visited several years earlier he is surprised to discover the primitive yet peaceful people he once knew are now armed with flintlock firearms. As the team prepare to leave Spock is shot and seriously injured. While he is being treated a Klingon ship is sighted and Kirk is convinced that they are responsible for arming the people on the planet. Leaving Spock in the capable hands of Dr M'Benga, Kirk and McCoy return to the planet to investigate further. Soon after landing Kirk is attacked by a creature with a poisonous venom; unable to return to the ship McCoy takes him to the village of his old friend Tyree where he is cured by Tyree's wife. We learn that there are two main tribes; the peaceful Hill People and the Villagers who are using weapons against them. Tyree's wife wants him to press Kirk to supply even better weapons and she who, with the help of a few select plants, can be very persuasive. When it is confirmed that the Klingons have helped the Villagers Kirk has a difficult decision; does he stay uninvolved or does he arm the Hill People to create a balance of power?

This isn't a classic episode but it is entertaining. Thanks to Spock's injury we learn more about the Vulcans; in particular how they consciously fight to heal themselves. The story on the planet was interesting too; clearly a metaphor for the various proxy wars of the cold war era where the East and West would arm allies in third world countries rather than getting involved in direct conflict. The yeti-like creature which attacked Kirk was pretty laughable; clearly a man in a costume and the hairstyles of the native population was pretty funny. Tyree's wife, Nona, is perhaps a little too sexy in her furry bikini top… I don't imagine she'd really need strange herbs to distract Kirk! The conclusion was most satisfying; it was interesting to see Kirk having to go with the least bad option rather than being able to solve the problems caused by Klingon interference on the planet. Overall this isn't a classic episode but it is still entertaining.

Prime definition of a bad day

[bottlegnome255 · 8/10 · 22 January 2009]

I didn't think much about this episode till I saw the end of it, then it hit me. It's seems no matter what the problem is, Kirk wants to solve it. He's determined to take care of it no matter how difficult it may be. Many of us can relate to his dilemma, especially towards the end. Life throws us obstacles every chance it gets, making things worse unless we deal with them on our terms.

As you could plainly see in the end in this marvelous episode, nobody wins. Those are the moments where you can only tell yourself "f*ck this, I'm going home". You throw in the towel, accept defeat, try to figure out the lesson you were given and move on. Its the prime definition of a bad day.

Cheese-o-Rama!

[AnnieLola · 6/10 · 11 July 2021]

If you can get through it, there's lots of fun goofy stuff thrown in (intentionally or otherwise) to flesh out one of Roddenberry's less-subtle lowest-budget Major Message episodes. Yes, the awful wigs and wardrobe, the hilarious mugatos (mugato's gonna getcha if you don't watch out), that wicked fake-hippie witchy woman (false lashes, frosted lipstick, fake fur and bellbottoms!)... But we get interesting particulars on Vulcans; when Spock catches a longrifle ball, yes! He bleeds green (though it's been pointed out that no wound is visible; really, it looks like he got sloppy with a lime Slurpy), and McCoy remarks that what saved him was having his liver where his heart should be. Then there's all about Vulcan self-healing, and how when a recovering Vulcan regains consciousness whoever is present must do EXACTLY WHAT THE VULCAN SAYS or else!

This is surely one of the episodes where you can imagine some one remarking "why do we even bother exploring space when these planets all turn out to look like Southern California?"

Campy commentary on wars of conquest

[mgruebel · 5/10 · 15 November 2015]

Gene Roddenberry was obviously interested in the theme of technologically more advanced superpowers taking over developing societies. This and "Friday's Child," another not-so-good episode, both feature the Klingons and Federation duking it out over a planet harboring a less technologically developed civilization. The Klingons in this episode are much like the Europeans who invaded North America, and ravaged the indigenous people with guns, diseases... (OK, the indigenous people were not just peaceful nature lovers, they hunted all the American megafauna to death, and warred with one another.) Roddenberry was also interested in 1960s wars, such as the Cold one and Vietnam, and the story equally well serves as a parable for Chinese and Americans duking it out in Vietnam. Indeed, the episode "Assignment: Earth," which is much better than "A Private Little War," takes on the same subjects but with the opposite point of view.

Gene must have done well in debate class before he joined the LAPD. That is actually a plus in my book: Roddenberry did take on touchy topics in TOS, and ultimately good SF is about real human problems and relationships, not imaginary hardware.

In this episode, Kirk revisits a planet he scouted 13 years earlier. Back then, he recommended it be left to develop in peace. Now the Klingons are arming one indigenous tribe against another. Spock and McCoy both counsel Kirk against escalation. Spock points out it is against the prime directive, McCoy explains that escalation is never a solution - although he can't think of anything better to do. Kirk escalates, the McNamara of this episode. It's now 40 years after Vietnam, and we have learned that escalation is never a good solution. So Spock and McCoy were right, as was the leader of the culturally less contaminated tribe, who abhorred guns and killing. We still have not learned the lesson; otherwise, Bush the younger might have acted more like his father, who got out of Iraq immediately after ending their invasion of Kuwait.

The episode is filled with some of the campiest effects, costumes and writing in all of TOS. Women with makeup that would be impossible to conjure on a pre-technology planet, even by a witch. Mugato lizard-apes that look like bad Godzilla costumes. Wigs on the tribesmen that make the Monkees look bald. (If you don't know what the Monkees are, this episode is too campy for you to watch.) The unintentional humor is quite humorous, as is the intentional. Like a scene where nurse Chapel, lusting after Spock as always, holds his hand while he's 'unconscious' in sickbay, and later has to slap him on doctor's orders.

This episode shows that Roddenberry was really an idea man with commentary about humanity's problems, but he was not a gifted writer when it came to scripting it with the right level of human interest, leaving out what could not be done well on the available budget, etc. Fortunately TOS had many better writers, both in the humor department (like David Gerrold) and in the drama department (like Harlan Ellison).

Watch this one if you must see all episodes; otherwise, check out Gary 7 and his cat in "Assignment: Earth."

Entertaining, but...

[SusanJL · 8/10 · 1 April 2019]

Found this episode entertaining, but I had to look past those truly ridiculous blond wigs!!!! Also the Mugato creature was laugh-out-loud idiotic looking. And the woman playing Nona chewed the scenery worse than Shatner ever did!!!!

War! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing! Say it again!

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 3 March 2024]

Here we have an episode that deals with the consequences of going against that order known as the "Prime Directive": members of the Federation cannot interfere with the lives of a planets' residents. We also get a not uninteresting look at the consequences of war, and the loss of innocence.

Kirk, Spock (both of whom are seriously wounded in the course of the story), and McCoy are visiting a planet likened to that of the Garden of Eden. It *was* tranquil & peaceful, but now two factions, the "Hill People" and the "Villagers", are battling each other, and these Villagers are using something more advanced than the bows & arrows formerly appropriated by the locals. As it turns out, an outside force had indeed gotten involved: it's those damn Klingons again!

Some viewers take Roddenberry, who scripted this episode, to task for not fully developing what is seen as this series' take on the Vietnam War. But, speaking personally, I thought it was a respectable attempt to take a look at the aspects of war, and its often tragic end results. At the least, we get to see part of how the Klingons operate.

All Kirk really wants to do, as he says, is level the playing field so that no side has a clear advantage over the other. The conclusion to all of this is very sobering, but as we can see on Kirks' weary face, it was most likely inevitable.

One bright spot, certainly, is the presence & performance of the sexy Nancy Kovack ("Jason and the Argonauts", "The Silencers") as the devious Nona. Michael Witney ("'Doc'", "Darling Lili") and Booker Bradshaw ("Coffy", "The Strawberry Statement") also guest star.

Adding just the right touch of comic relief are the "Mugatu", apes with horns on their heads, and the fact that in order for Spock to properly heal himself, he has to be slapped around a bit!

Seven out of 10.

The Abominable...

[Xstal · 5/10 · 16 February 2022]

Sasquatch, The Yeti or Big Foot, will certainly raise a big hoot, a bit like rhinos, with a sharp pointy nose, antidote to their poison is a root.

A bit of a head scratcher, leaving more questions than answers but not in a good way.

Which came first costumes or script?

[Movie_Man111111 · 11 March 2020]

Was the script written after a semi trailer full of Davey Crockett outfits and bad blonde wigs turned over outside the studio? We have some deer skins and the worst wigs ever produced by man ,here, write a science fiction episode around this, and don't forget the monster with and ice cream cone on his head.

That Darned Prime Directive!

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 2 May 2014]

As is often the case, two factions are at war on a planet. Of course, Kirk finds himself in the middle of it. Unfortunately, one of the sides now has in its possession, flintlock rifles which give them an incredible advantage over their adversaries. The Klingons are behind this, helping one side with the purpose of later taking over the planet. While investigating, Kirk is attacked by a big ape with a horn. It has a kind of fast working venom that leaves him delirious and sick. Spock is also shot in the back by one of the men with the rifles. The people that rescue Kirk are a peaceful lot, generally. Among them is an old friend of Kirk's, a guy who will only fight as a last resort. He has a dark haired wife who wears fur underwear. She has her eyes on Kirk's phaser (sounds kind of nasty, doesn't it?). She figures if she uses her witching techniques on him and heals him, she will be rewarded with the weapon. Kirk can't allow that. This gets complicated when she hits him with a rock and takes it anyway. The issue ultimately involves whether Kirk should give weapons of equal strength to this friendly race. McCoy doesn't think so. Kirk believes a balance of power is necessary or one side faces annihilation. Pretty well done but quite schmaltzy.

Proxy Wars

[Samuel-Shovel · 6/10 · 7 June 2018]

In "A Private Little War", the Enterprise heads to a planet which Kirk surveyed 13 years ago (his first mission). The planet is a primitive one, with villagers and "hill people" living in peaceful harmony. But the crew arrives and finds a much different culture than the one Kirk left. The villagers have somehow quickly progressed enough to develop flintlock rifles, an absurdly quick evolution that Kirk finds hard to believe. Battle now rages between the townspeople and Kirk's friends the hill people. Kirk suspects Klingon intervention. Him and Bones investigate the situation while an ailing Spock, shot earlier in the episode by a villager, fights for his life. Kirk is attacked a wild beast, only to be saved by a hill person witch doctor who tries to convince him to give her people superior weapons for their war. Bones worries about escalating the fighting further and disobeying the Prime Directive.

Kirk's suspicion of Klingon involvement is correct. A proxy war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire begins to take shape. The witch doctor steals a phaser from Kirk and becomes a turncoat, attempting to assist the villagers against a pacifist hill people. She is eventually killed in a melee, causing anger from the hill people. A revived Spock returns to the planet with the Enterprise. An all-out war seems imminent as the Enterprise extracts itself from the situation, a dark cloud hanging over the planet.

Star Trek has never shied away from a political allegory and this episode lays it on thick. This feels like less of a metaphor for the Vietnam War and more of a full-on homage, right down to the "good guys" having white hats and the "bad guys" having black ones.

Despite the heavy-handedness, this episode is still fairly enjoyable. The monster is a bit silly looking but in a fun way. Learning more about the Vulcan culture is always a plus for me and we get to learn a decent amount about Vulcan physiology in this one. Plus, we see a few fun fight scenes and a weirdly gross scene involving some type of root.

There is this weird sub-plot about the witch-doctor now owning Kirk which never really comes to fruition. She ends up having to put an odd spell on him, completely separate from the local legend hinted at. I'm not really sure what that's all about.

This episode might be a bit forgettable but, in the moment, it's an enjoyable 50 minutes.

Someone's messing with the culture

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 8 February 2014]

If you read the review I wrote here for the film Hawaii I said that the tragedy of the History of Hawaii was its geography. Right there in the middle of the Pacific eventually it would come under the sway of either the USA or Japan, one expanding west, the other east.

It's the same here on this planet where many years ago before he was the captain of the Enterprise Kirk spent some time incognito studying the primitive planet and making friends with Michael Witney who was leader of the 'Hill People'. They were basically just coming out of a stone age culture then. Coming back Leonard Nimoy is wounded by a musket ball from a flintlock rifle. Clearly someone is messing with the culture.

It turns out to be the Klingons, but they don't know of the Enterprise's presence in the area. It's William Shatner and DeForest Kelley who go back and in native attire to investigate.

They also have a run in with Nancy Kovack who is Witney's wife and a witch woman with some marvelous healing and erotic powers. When she gets a look at the phasers that Kirk and McCoy have she knows that whoever possesses those is definitely on top of the heap in that planet.

Of course in all of this Kirk is violating the Prime Directive, but the Klingons did it first so we have to keep things in balance for this culture to develop as normally as possible considering they accelerated several hundred earth years.

As for the natives, like the Hawaiians destined to be pawns in the imperial designs of two super powers.

The First Bad Star trek episode...

[nicofreezer · 6/10 · 31 May 2021]

I have Always been a defencer of some low rated episodes especialy in Season 2. But This one is really not a good one. This is the first Time in 49 episodes that i havent spent a good Time watching Star trek... I Hope The low rating of Season 3 are like often not legit.

" A private little War " got some good moments, but a very few , my note 6/10.

What is this? A starship for ants?

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 10 June 2022]

Kirk, McCoy and Spock visit a planet where the primitive people are presumed peaceful. However, they soon find out that one tribe has developed firearms and is killing their neighbours. With a Klingon warship in the vicinity, Kirk suspects that it is they who are responsible for providing the weapons, and he's not wrong.

When Kirk is bitten by a Mugato (a white gorilla with a rhino horn and a spiny back), he is brought back from the brink of death by sexy witch woman Nona (Nancy Kovack), wife of peace-loving Tyree (Michael Witney), who Kirk befriended 13 years earlier while stationed on the planet. Nona believes that Tyree should arm his tribe with firesticks, but when she sees what a phaser can do, she decides to seduce Kirk and steal his weapon.

Apparently, A Private little War was intended as an allegory for the Vietnam War, but I think it works just as well as a commentary on America's love of firearms. The States' answer to their gun problem was, and still is, more guns: a balance of power, except that the balance doesn't stay that way for long. In this Trek episode, Kirk puts a stop to the escalation of violence, listening to McCoy's reasoning and refusing to provide Tyree with the flintlocks he asks for. If only Kirk was president of the U. S. A (with McCoy and Spock as his advisors).

6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for IMDB.

N. B. Ben Stiller named Will Ferrell's Zoolander character, fashion designer Jacobin Mugatu, after the Mugato.

Illogical - not up to par

[brianw · 3/10 · 2 October 2017]

This episode is notable for the Mugato and for raising some important issues. However, it doesn't live up to the folklore of Star Trek as challenging the status quo of its time (sexism, racism, sexuality, and other social policies). Well, it did challenge some minor sexual taboos of its era.

The big disappointment is that the forced resolution is not logical at all. Perhaps Spock's illness explains why Kirk could not find a real solution, but he recovered in time and should have set things straight.

McCoy and Kirk confirmed that the flintlock forge was a sham. The metals used were too pure to have been made by the villagers; the techniques such as cold-rolling were too advanced for the tools on hand; they had drill bits that were impossible to make locally; and it was clear that the Klingons were violating a treaty by providing any of this. In what way could Kirk think that the situation was fait accompli?

Another reviewer claimed that it was too late to take back the weapons - once introduced, there's no way to remove them. I disagree completely. It would seem that Star Fleet would have had the power to embargo the planet, protect it from further contamination, and forcibly take all of the existing weapons and tools from the villagers. Their scanners should have been able to locate all of the weapons, and a quick wide area stun would render everyone unconscious long enough to deprive them of their weapons and advanced tools. Considering the poor forging tools, there's no way the villagers could have actually manufactured their own weapons. Even if they could, it would take a while for them to develop actual skills to make weapons that wouldn't explode in their faces, and The Federation would have had time to come up with a better solution. Certainly Star Trek is generally known for suggesting better solutions than arming a peaceful hill people with weapons that would have already been behind the next stage of technology that the Klingons were planning to provide to the villagers on their next trip.

Sorry, but this one is not up to par - and that's already accounting for the poor science in the original series.

Unhappy endings for everyone.

[thevacinstaller-03350 · 7/10 · 25 December 2022]

We get a conclusion with this episode but it is not a happy one. The peaceful tribal people end up being corrupted by forces not native to the land and are now heading towards years (centuries?) of reactionary war and death.

There are a few things that happened in the episode that I am left scratching my head about.

A) Was there any addition purpose to Nona's date rape drug other then moving the plot forward? There was examination of the drug like state that pillaging and killing seems to have (I have no personal experience, so I will have to believe it is true).

B) Spock being shot and in a coma. Was this done so that Shatner could get get more screen time? Not a very compelling B plot by any means. It definitely comes off like they just couldn't think of something for Spock to do this episode.

C) Tyree ---- He has his gun pointed at Kirk but does not shoot. At this point I am left with the impression that his 'humanity' has overcome his emotions but then he becomes enraged when Nona is killed and moves forward with revenge? I suppose this was a way to touch upon the tornado of emotions/choices faced in such a situation but it did not land well for me.

Overall, I do appreciate the episode touching upon the murky mess that comes about through warfare. I am also a big fan of star trek unhappy endings and BOY we have a unhappy ending with this one.

An interesting premise that quickly goes astray. Simply ridiculous.

[wwcanoer-tech · 3/10 · 4 April 2022]

It's a good premise that the Klingons are arming one group and the Kirk must decide what to do about it but the execution was extremely poor.

The writers presumably wanted to illustrate a proxy war but the situation that they created didn't reflect that. The armed group was simply raiding the other for fun and materials. They were only a gang of thugs. There was no power struggle for a limited resource and there was no benefit for the Klingons except as a recreational pet project but that idea wasn't developed. We only briefly see one Klingon. [Today, we know that Klingons love to fight, so we could have seen the Klingon asking the villagers to tell their war stories and getting great satisfaction and vicariously living through them. However, today we know that honor is important, so slaughtering the pacifists who will not fight would not provide any good stories. Even that falls flat.]

Kirk quickly decides that the only way to resolve the situation is to arm the pacifists. Ridiculous! Kirk didn't attempt any other resolution!

Kirk found that many of the tools and materials used by the armed villagers could not have been made by them. Therefore, they were not self-sufficient! So the primary solution is to remove all of their materials and stop the Klingons from giving them more. How to stop the Klingons is, of course, a daunting task, but one that must be attempted before deciding to arm the pacifists, changing their entire way of life and condemning the planet to a perpetual war.

I'm not sure how the Enterprise can actually hide from the Klingons but the writers clearly wanted to take out the ability for the ship to beam people here and there, but then they didn't give Kirk a good plot.

Clearly, the better solution would be for Kirk to talk to the village leaders, explain that the Klingons are using them as pawns, and that if he arms the pacifists, then everyone will suffer. If the writers want the result to be the Enterprise arming the pacifists, then that effort would have to fail but to not attempt it, in favor of the silly plot of the power-hungry woman, was a poor choice.

Why did the woman not use the phaser? That made no sense to me. We see her fumble with it, but there's only two buttons. Press them! This made the climatic scene fall flat.

Another option was for her to steal the phaser much earlier, use it, and then have the villagers report back to the Klingons about this new weapon that made people vanish. Then the Klingons must escalate...

I fell that almost any alternative plot would have been better than what we saw in this episode.

One of the worst.

[dreyenerd · 20 May 2019]

Badly acted, badly written. The "natives" are totally unconvincing. A goof not mentioned. Someone says 12 centuries between when iron was forged and flintlocks invented. Actually is about 27 centuries.

Definitely sub-par but still watchable

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 8 December 2006]

This is a pretty silly episode and it's pretty preachy as well--definitely NOT a good combination. As for silliness, some of the props were pretty bad, such as the guy in the white ape costume who was the dreaded "Mugatu" and the curative root that looked for all the world like a piece of quivering poo! Plus, the silly costumes were pretty bad--with the silly moppish wigs and the sexist hippie costume the main female character wore. And as for preachiness, the show is obviously a not very well-veiled morality tale about Vietnam and the whole notion of the Russians and Americans arming intermediaries in a proxy battle. Kirk and McCoy find that the peaceful people of the planet are inexplicably at war. The dark-haired guys are shooting the blond guys for sport--even though technologically, the planet had only recently been centuries away from the development of flintlocks. Now, Kirk is seriously considering giving the pacifistic blonds weapons to even the balance of power. There is a lot of action and excitement, but that's really about all the episode has going for it.