Enterprise Incidents with Scott and Steve

TAS-3) One of Our Planets is Missing

Enterprise Incidents with Scott and Steve

Show Notes

If you're an OG "Star Trek" fan or a member of the Syndication Generation, you know the name Alan Dean Foster. In addition to writing the story for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," he also wrote the 10-volume "Star Trek Log" book series back in the 70s, which adapted (and expanded upon) every episode of "The Animated Series." We're excited and honored to have Foster join us as a special guest for our deep dive of "One of Our Planets is Missing."

While exploring the outer fringes of the galaxy, the Enterprise encounters a giant cloud that has the ability to consume everything in its path. Next on that path is the planet Mantilles, the most remote world in Federation space and inhabited by 82 million people. Compounding the issue is Mr. Spock's discovery that the cloud is an intelligent life form, and destroying it would be a crime against science. With time running out (and in more ways than one), the Enterprise crew must figure out a way to communicate with the cloud and stop its path of destruction, or Captain Kirk will be forced to destroy it. Written by veteran "Star Trek" director Marc Daniels, "One of Our Planets is Missing" is a quintessential "Star Trek" adventure that lives up to the high standards established by "The Original Series." In addition to being a race against time to stop a massive destructive force from posing a threat to the galaxy (like "The Doomsday Machine"), the episode also explores the burden of command on Captain Kirk (like "Balance of Terror") and the importance of communication with a misunderstood antagonist (like "The Devil in the Dark"). And it does all of this in just 24 minutes (and that's with the opening and closing credits). If there's any episode of "The Animated Series" that says what "Star Trek" is all about, it's this one.

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At long last, “Enterprise Incidents with Scott & Steve” returns with a brand new episode! Actually, it’s a new episode of “The Cine-Files with Steve Morris & John Rocha,” but since we’re finally taking our deep dive into the most popular “Star Trek” film of all featuring the cast from “The Original Series,” it also doubles as an “Enterprise Incidents” episode too. In part one of our three-part series covering “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,” the legendary crew of the late Starship Enterprise is on its way back to Earth in their captured Klingon vessel with the recently resurrected Captain Spock to face trial for acts of mutiny. But while en route, they receive a distress call warning all approaching vessels to stay away, due to a mysterious probe that’s depleting power and wreaking havoc with extreme weather, which will soon destroy all life on the planet. Kirk, Spock and McCoy utilize the resources at hand to discover that the probe is trying to communicate with one species on Earth – specifically, humpback whales, which have been extinct for more than two centuries due to human hunting. Their only solution is to go back in time, retrieve two whales, bring them back to the future and hope that they engage the probe. And that’s where the human adventure really begins!

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In part two of our deep dive of "Star Trek III" on "Enterprise Incidents with Scott & Steve" (along with special guest John Rocha), Admiral Kirk and his loyal crew violate Starfleet orders in their efforts to save Spock and McCoy. They steal the Enterprise and return to the Genesis planet, only to find that the Klingons are already there interrogating the survivors of the U.S.S. Grissom -- Lt. Saavik and Dr. David Marcus -- about the so-called Genesis "doomsday weapon." But the Enterprise is not up for a full-on battle with the Klingons, forcing Kirk to make a huge sacrifice and once again turn death into a fighting chance to live. The second half of "The Search for Spock" features many scenes that are among the very best from any of the "Star Trek" films: the stealing of the Enterprise, the battle with the Klingons, Kirk's emotional reaction to the death of his son and, of course, the destruction of the Enterprise itself (which, for many fans, was even more traumatic than the death of Spock at the end of "The Wrath of Khan"). But rather than end with a big action scene, "Star Trek III" concludes on a more intimate note with the resurrection of Spock and his reunion with his friends. It's an emotionally satisfying conclusion that's more effective now than it was back in 1984, thanks to the benefits that come with time and perspective. To put it another way, think of it like this: If Spock died saving the Enterprise in "Star Trek II," then the Enterprise returned the favor in "Star Trek III." "The Search for Spock" may often be criticized for being a bit too somber when compared to its more vibrant and exciting predecessor, but the mood would definitely pick up after that during their voyage home.

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