Podcast Enterprise: S1E11: Corbomite Maneuver

Space, the final frontier. These are the podcasts of the Podcast Enterprise. Its only mission: to explore story structures, to analyze our favorite characters and plotlines, to boldly talk what everyone has seen before

We will analyze all episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series or TOS for short using the following guiding structure:

1. Synopsis or summary of the episode
2. Story structure
3. Character analysis
4. Our likes and dislikes

The synopsis:

We find the Enterprise being stopped by a strange cubical glowing object. It is actually Spock in command because Kirk is in the medical bay, undergoing routine physical test. The cube that is blocking the Enterprise is just not getting out of the way.

It turns dangerous. Kirk has to come back to the bridge. They try the evasive maneuvers don’t work. The deflectors are ineffective and they cannot get rid of the cube. They can’t outrun the cube, even though the Enterprise tries to reverse and get out of the cube’s way, the cube follows them.

And then there’s radiation. And finally Kirk orders the phasors to be fired. Then the cube is destroyed completely. However, brings with it major issue because this huge spherical golden, glowing ship appears on the horizon and it stops the Enterprise again. The inhabitant of that ship, you only hear one voice throughout, so you don’t know how many people are there in that ship in the beginning. This ship is called the Fesarius and the captain of the Fesarius threatens the Enterprise with complete and utter annihilation in 10 minutes for destroying that cube, which is apparently some sort of buoy, a warning which prevents ships from crossing that point.

The Enterprise had no idea about that. However, they have 10 minutes to try and talk themselves out of this one. They cannot fight the Fesarius. It’s too big, advanced for the Enterprise to do anything and Balok the commander of the Fesarius is completely unreasonable. They’re running out of time and Kirk, as there’s only a few minutes remaining decides to try and bluff his way out of this one.

He tells Balok that the Enterprise has a powerful device that will detonate if anybody tries to destroy the Enterprise, it’ll destroy the Enterprise and the attacker. The bluff works. However, Balok then decides to send a pilot ship to ferry The Enterprise to another planet.

And somehow or the other risking complete engine explosion, the Enterprise breaks free causing problems for the pilot ship. And then they finally get to meet Balok and he’s completely, and utterly unpredictable.

It’s totally surprising.

That brings us to the end of this episode. Thank you for listening to the Podcast Enterprise. Please do share your reviews with us and please share this podcast with any of your writing friends or trekkies. Live long and prosper!

Stay tuned in for our next episode! Enjoy!

Acknowledgements

1. Intro music: Music from anchor.fm
2. Shotcut for editing the podcast
3. References: https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/