The Corbomite Maneuver
- Episode aired Nov 10, 1966
- TV-PG
- 50m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
4.9K
YOUR RATING
After the Enterprise is forced to destroy a dangerous marker buoy, a gigantic alien ship arrives to capture and condemn the crew as trespassers.After the Enterprise is forced to destroy a dangerous marker buoy, a gigantic alien ship arrives to capture and condemn the crew as trespassers.After the Enterprise is forced to destroy a dangerous marker buoy, a gigantic alien ship arrives to capture and condemn the crew as trespassers.
Anthony D. Call
- Dave Bailey
- (as Anthony Call)
Majel Barrett
- Nurse Christine Chapel
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Bill Blackburn
- Lieutenant Hadley
- (uncredited)
Ted Cassidy
- Balok's Puppet
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Frank da Vinci
- Crewman
- (uncredited)
Walker Edmiston
- Balok
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Jeannie Malone
- Yeoman
- (uncredited)
Sean Morgan
- Crewman
- (uncredited)
Eddie Paskey
- Lieutenant Leslie
- (uncredited)
Frieda Rentie
- Enterprise Lieutenant
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAlthough the script instructed Leonard Nimoy to emote a fearful reaction upon his first sight of Big Balok, director Joseph Sargent suggested to Nimoy that he ignore what the script called for and instead simply react with the single word "Fascinating." The suggestion of this response helped refine the Spock character and provide him with a now-legendary catchphrase.
- GoofsWhen Balok begins his 10-minute countdown of the Enterprise's destruction, McCoy enters the bridge wearing a standard long-sleeve uniform shirt. Shortly after this, camera cuts around the bridge include one focused on Spock and McCoy standing by the science station, with McCoy wearing his short-sleeve medical tunic. Then, when Lt. Bailey has his frantic outburst, McCoy goes to him to calm him, wearing the long-sleeve shirt again.
- Alternate versionsSpecial Enhanced version Digitally Remastered with new exterior shots and remade opening theme song. The Remastered version has the alien cube change the direction of its spin when the cube also reverses direction, but is not consistent in maintaining this in all shots.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Star Trek Logs: An MTV Big Picture Special Edition (1991)
- SoundtracksTheme From Star Trek
Written by and credited to Alexander Courage
Featured review
When All Else Fails, Bluff Your Way Out Kirk-style
Technically the first episode filmed after the 2nd pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," this comes across as almost experimental, a dry run for the rest of the first season. You see rarely seen angles, such as from behind Kirk as he exits the turbolift onto the bridge. Though overall the episode comes across as not very eventful by the standards of most Trek episodes, its strengths are showcasing various crew members and their reactions to the presumed threat they face. Exploration is the key factor, as will be usual: the Enterprise is in an unknown sector of space and suddenly blocked by some revolving cube device. Forced to destroy this after it starts emitting radiation, Kirk now faces a choice or path - proceed further to face possible other dangers or turn around. We get a case study of how starship captains earn their pay - the buck seems to stop with him and his next decision could have long reaching ramifications. Within the possibilities of exploration, the theme here is the unknown: how do we, as a species, face it? Do we go on, advance, taking that risk, or do we stop and perhaps stagnate?
But despite grandiose ideas about mankind's future in exploring the galaxy, it boils down to the human equation of how men & women react and interact aboard such a ship. Guest star Call is excellent as the young navigator whom Kirk perhaps promoted too quickly. His nervous breakdown on the bridge is beautifully played. Then McCoy & Kirk get into it as the ship and crew have maybe three minutes of life to go, arguing over the distressed crewman. Even Spock seems uneasy as he fails to find an alternative for the now edgy Kirk, again a well-acted scene. It comes across as very true-to-life, a realistic study of people under tremendous pressure. Kirk's tactic of bluffing a far superior enemy shows, in the first of many such instances in the series, just how quickly and cannily Kirk thinks on his feet and why he is captain. No one aboard, including Spock (who prefers chess to poker) would have come up with such a play. That all being said, this episode is probably best remembered for that long shot of the colossal ship Fesarius approaching the Enterprise. With some of the best dramatic Trek score blaring away at us, it still gives me goose bumps.
But despite grandiose ideas about mankind's future in exploring the galaxy, it boils down to the human equation of how men & women react and interact aboard such a ship. Guest star Call is excellent as the young navigator whom Kirk perhaps promoted too quickly. His nervous breakdown on the bridge is beautifully played. Then McCoy & Kirk get into it as the ship and crew have maybe three minutes of life to go, arguing over the distressed crewman. Even Spock seems uneasy as he fails to find an alternative for the now edgy Kirk, again a well-acted scene. It comes across as very true-to-life, a realistic study of people under tremendous pressure. Kirk's tactic of bluffing a far superior enemy shows, in the first of many such instances in the series, just how quickly and cannily Kirk thinks on his feet and why he is captain. No one aboard, including Spock (who prefers chess to poker) would have come up with such a play. That all being said, this episode is probably best remembered for that long shot of the colossal ship Fesarius approaching the Enterprise. With some of the best dramatic Trek score blaring away at us, it still gives me goose bumps.
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- Bogmeister
- Jun 27, 2006
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