44 – The Trouble with Tribbles

Grade: B

Summary

Captain Kirk receives a distress signal from a space station nearby. He’s not too happy to find out he’s been asked to protect a shipment of grain. Complicating the issue is that there are Klingons nearby, and an exotic pet salesman.

Commentary

This is obviously supposed to be a comedy, and it may actually be the most comical episode in the series. I personally think it’s above average, but that’s about it. The best part of this episode is without a doubt when Kirk is interrogating Scotty to see why the fight started in the first place. The look on Kirk’s face tells it all when Scotty explains that they didn’t start the fight until after the Klingons insulted the ship (not the captain). Great stuff, and worth a look.

Of Note

We see Cyrano Jones again in the Animated Series, and Tribbles show up again in Deep Space Nine.