tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730513615909994019.post7890630952366000558..comments2024-03-25T07:54:22.672+00:00Comments on Pop Classics: Star Trek: Balance of TerrorJuliettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00203399623895589924noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730513615909994019.post-7634702575511331962015-07-29T17:50:29.753+01:002015-07-29T17:50:29.753+01:00Just to give credit where it's due, the film T...Just to give credit where it's due, the film THE ENEMY BELOW was based on a novel by a retired Lt. Commander in the Royal Navy named Denys Raynor. During the Battle of the Atlantic, he was twice awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the third highest military decoration in the British armed services. His novel was published n 1956 to great acclaim. When it was adapted into a film, the Royal Navy destroyer was, with a view toward the American market, changed to a U.S.Navy destroyer. The novel is one of the best pieces of military fiction to come out of WW2.JIM DOHERTYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03573254089989081170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730513615909994019.post-91382931762851429932015-07-29T17:49:07.406+01:002015-07-29T17:49:07.406+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.JIM DOHERTYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03573254089989081170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730513615909994019.post-79581145830625745312011-11-28T05:46:52.345+00:002011-11-28T05:46:52.345+00:00The producers writers screwed up in Star Trek Ente...The producers writers screwed up in Star Trek Enterprise because in the Balance of Terror episode Spock said neither side in the Federation Romulan war had visual communication between or among their allies. Much like the reboot of Battlestar Galactica and the chose to use the uniforms of TNG instead of something closer to the original series unifroms. Thou I say this the STE had one of the best opening theme songs of all the Star Trek series.marcos toledohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04889207159835361140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730513615909994019.post-65971623280186564422011-09-08T17:43:15.981+01:002011-09-08T17:43:15.981+01:00Thanks :) I agree, the Romulans in later series - ...Thanks :) I agree, the Romulans in later series - really, from Next Gen onwards - never seem to be used in such an interesting way. They seem to become cardboard cutout villains in a way.Juliettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00203399623895589924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730513615909994019.post-16694605507677872122011-09-08T17:11:34.416+01:002011-09-08T17:11:34.416+01:00This was an excellent episode, in fact one I like ...This was an excellent episode, in fact one I like more than City (Heresy!). <br /><br />It is unfortunate that the series, in all of its incarnations, never used the Romulans to full effect and indeed their use in both the last TNG film and in the Trek re-boot film, was rather thin and lackluster.<br /><br />One note, unless I missed it in the comments, Mark Lenard is the only actor to have played characters from all three major Alien races: Vulcan, Romulan and Klingon (he is the Commander of the Klingon Battle Cruiser destroyed by V'ger early in the film Star Trek The Motion Picture.)<br /><br />As always a fun and insightful post.Narukamihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16884079775625846790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730513615909994019.post-78491568822735328982011-06-15T20:08:37.320+01:002011-06-15T20:08:37.320+01:00What I meant was, in this episode, which was writt...What I meant was, in this episode, which was written before any backstory was established, the important thing about Romulans is that they look like Vulcans, allowing for a look at racism regarding how some of the crew treat Spock. But yes, that's true, it was later established that they are related!Juliettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00203399623895589924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730513615909994019.post-53824640959645327882011-06-15T19:55:22.908+01:002011-06-15T19:55:22.908+01:00"Whereas the Klingons, in their original seri..."Whereas the Klingons, in their original series incarnation, are Asiatic warriors with a battle-obsession, the Romulans are much colder customers and, most importantly, they look exactly like Vulcans."<br /><br />They Look exactly like Vulcans as they are Vulcanians.<br /><br />"After a time the portion of Vulcan society who rejected Surak's teachings left the planet for the stars. This migration of Vulcan separatists would eventually become known as the Romulans. Knowledge of the common ancestry of Romulans and Vulcans would obscure into myth over the millennia, and while some Vulcans had direct dealings with Romulans in the 22nd century, the common ancestry would not become widely known until the mid-23rd century."<br /><br />Ref:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulcan_%28Star_Trek%29Anisha Roofinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730513615909994019.post-60175257736787979492010-09-08T11:33:47.565+01:002010-09-08T11:33:47.565+01:00Ah, she was in the movie - that's what I could...Ah, she was in the movie - that's what I couldn't remember! I wasn't sure if she'd been added for Voyager or used in Voyager because she was in the film. Which other films was she in? I've seen them all but Wrath of Khan a lot more than the others and Final Frontier and the Motionless Picture hardly ever (because they're a bit crap!)Juliettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00203399623895589924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730513615909994019.post-11112284239142522702010-09-08T06:59:41.639+01:002010-09-08T06:59:41.639+01:00Great post! One minor nitpick, though (hey, it...Great post! One minor nitpick, though (hey, it's <i>Trek</i>, nitpicking is part of the game!): Yeoman Rand did appear in four of the first six movies, prior to her appearance in the <i>Voyager</i> episode 'Flashback'; in fact, because the bulk of that episode is set during the events of <i>Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country</i>, her appearance in that episode is basically an expansion of her appearance in that movie. But her movie appearances were all very brief -- and at least one of them (in <i>Star Trek III: The Search for Spock</i>) was dialogue-free -- so it is very easy to miss them.Peter T Chattawayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07395937367596387523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730513615909994019.post-85164328589188198902010-09-05T18:07:28.910+01:002010-09-05T18:07:28.910+01:00Classic summary of a classic episode.
The Romula...Classic summary of a classic episode. <br /><br />The Romulans were always my favourite of the Trek 'villains' Some of the episodes featuring them in The Next Generation were absolutely superb.<br /><br />Keep up the great work Juliette!<br />HAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02091875643921165081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730513615909994019.post-47030223908989317782010-09-03T15:57:50.114+01:002010-09-03T15:57:50.114+01:00Nazis, schmazis....
Spock: Gentlemen, this romant...Nazis, schmazis....<br /><br />Spock: Gentlemen, this romanticism about a ruthless dictator is --<br /><br />Kirk: Mr Spock, we humans have a streak of barbarism in us, apalling but there, neverthless.<br /><br />Scott: There were no massacres under his rule.<br /><br />Spock: And as little freedom.<br /><br />McCoy: No wars, until he was attacked.<br /><br />Spock (astonished): Gentlemen!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730513615909994019.post-56638996185752803862010-09-03T15:40:24.383+01:002010-09-03T15:40:24.383+01:00It was indeed The Enemy Below. In Run Silent, Run ...It was indeed <i>The Enemy Below</i>. In <i>Run Silent, Run Deep</i>, the submariners were the good guys. Given the specific movie reference and the semi-good guy nature of the Romulan commander, I suppose the Romulans are intended to represent not so much Nazis as Prussian military correctness and honor, which I suppose also ties back to the Romans sort of. Lots of weird reception questions going on there.DemetriosXnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730513615909994019.post-91252778743974916292010-09-03T14:42:11.689+01:002010-09-03T14:42:11.689+01:00it would be the best of season 1 if season 1 didn’...<i>it would be the best of season 1 if season 1 didn’t also include ‘City of the Edge of Forever’, the Best Episode of Star Trek Ever Made™</i><br /><br />A woman of exquisite taste and incomparable intellect. I am smitten.<br /><br /><i> this episode is a partial remake of one movie in particular - The Enemy Below maybe?</i><br /><br /><i>Run Silent, Run Deep</i>, I think.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730513615909994019.post-75678693872212412202010-09-03T11:09:56.591+01:002010-09-03T11:09:56.591+01:00That's interesting... I think who each race is...That's interesting... I think who each race is standing in for can vary from episode to episode, to be honest, but I can see what you mean, and it perhaps explains why they wanted an Empire in particular, since China is generally more associated with ancient imperialism than Russia. And I had forgotten about WW2 submarine movies, though I seem to remember reading somewhere that this episode is a partial remake of one movie in particular - The Enemy Below maybe? I think Billie Doux's website mentioned it. I tend to associate submarines with the Cold War, but of course, I'm thinking of 1980s movies, not 1960s ones. Which means, presumably, that some elements of the romulans make-up are supposed to reflect Nazis, or possibly WW2-era Japan.Juliettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00203399623895589924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730513615909994019.post-53815278341012946132010-09-03T10:23:59.354+01:002010-09-03T10:23:59.354+01:00Tiny nitpick, but the Romulans were actually a sta...Tiny nitpick, but the Romulans were actually a stand-in for communist China. Like the Romulan Empire, it was fairly isolated at the time. (A bit like North Korea today.) China only opened up after Nixon normalized relations in 1972, thus inspiring an old Vulcan saying. Also, a lot of that distrust of Spock may reflect back to WWII more than the Cold War, since this episode was also a deliberate remake of a couple of WWII submarine movies.<br /><br />But the Romulans were always much more interesting adversaries, though also more difficult to work into a script. That's probably why the TNG writers worked so hard to make the Klingons deeper and more interesting.<br /><br />And just to come full circle, since I pointed them here when we discussed "Bread and Circuses" there, you can see another discussion of this episode at Tor.com as part of their Star Trek Rewatch <a href="http://www.tor.com/blogs/2009/05/lemgstar-treklemg-re-watch-balance-of-terror" rel="nofollow">here</a>.DemetriosXnoreply@blogger.com