episode #16 - The Jihad

Air Date: 1/12/74    written by Stephen Kandel

This one was like the large-budget action feature of the animated series, similar in plot and style to The Magnificent Seven and The Dirty Dozen, as well the recent Stallone retro-effort, The Expendables, except that it's in a 23rd century sci-fi setting. Kirk and Spock are summoned to join a group of mission experts in a quest to find a sacred object on a volatile planet. If the stolen item is not returned, there will be a galactic jihad - a war which will engulf much of the galaxy (or at least the quadrant). Besides the two Starfleet officers, there's a birdman (prince of the race which would begin a jihad), a large Gorn-like reptilian, an insect-like lockpicker and a female hunter. The Secret Six are somehow materialized on the planet with a small transport vehicle and proceed over perilous terrain until they get to a structure which houses the macguffin. Previous expeditions have failed - is there a traitor in the midst?

This is not a favorite among fans of the show but I always found it to be a pretty good action adventure on another planet, where there is death around every corner. Needless to say, the planetary threats (quakes, lava) would be difficult to reproduce on a live action show.  There are also a few wild concepts introduced in this episode, such as the mention of how the avian race can spawn 200 billion warriors in the span of two years (I'm not sure how this is possible, but it's a wild thought).  Likewise, there's a member of a feline race which seems to have vast powers (but can't participate in the quest). There was also a good attempt to inject mature camaraderie and rapport among the group, with the added element of suspense concerning a possible backstabber.  BoG's Score: 7.5 out of 10