This Side of Paradise : The Galileo Seven : The Conscience of the King.
Summary[]
The Enterprise is carrying medical supplies for Makus III when Kirk, against the wishes of High Commissioner Ferris, decides to launch a shuttle to investigate the quasar-like formation of Murasaki 312. The shuttle Galileo with Spock, McCoy, Scott, Yeoman Mears, Boma, Gaetano and Latimer, however, is pulled off course and crashes on a barely inhabitable planet. Moreover, Latimer and some time later Gaetano are killed by indigenous creatures. As the fuel supply is exhausted, Scott has devised a method to use the phasers to power the shuttle.
In the meantime, Kirk has to break off the search for the Galileo on Ferris's orders and sets a course to Makus III, albeit at very slow speed. The shuttle lifts off, but the Enterprise's sensors are unable to locate it. In a "logical action of desperation", as he explains it, Spock ignites what little fuel is left as a beacon for the Enterprise crew to see on the screen. The five crew members are rescued just as the shuttle begins to break apart in the planet's atmosphere.
Errors and Explanations[]
Internet Movie Database[]
Factual errors[]
- When Scotty is putting electricity on the hull of the shuttle, there is no need to avoid contact for the people in the shuttle with the hull (Faraday cage). The current could travel through their bodies if they touched the wall.
- The Enterprise diverts to investigate a quasar, except that there are no quasars in the Milky Way or any other galaxy remotely close to ours. The error was likely due to the lack of knowledge at the time as to what quasars truly were and how far away they actually were, namely super-massive black holes consuming the gas and dust present in the center of active galaxies many millions or billions of light years away. The object could be something which visually resembles a quasar.
The Nitpicker's Guide for Classic Trekkers[]
Plot Oversights[]
- Presence of McCoy and Scott on the mission. There could be a standing order for personnel from Medical and Engineering sections to go on landing party missions in case of an emergency, possibly prompted by the events of The Enemy Within.
- Firing of phasers in the general direction of the giants, and not directly at them. Spock probably theorised that a direct stun hit would antagonise the giants, making them even more dangerous without stopping them.
Equipment Oddities[]
- Boma using his hand to close the lower section of the shuttle hatch, which should open and close automatically. It may have been damaged.
- Shuttle windows going from open to closed in an instant. It would make sense for the shutters to have a fast emergency close setting.
Ex Astris Scientia[]
- It is unclear why McCoy and eventually Spock himself make such a big deal of this being Spock's first command. The man has been in Starfleet for more than a decade, so no one can categorically state that he never commanded a shuttle on a short-term mission of exploration before. Spock is primarily a science officer, tasked with gathering and reviewing information gathered by the Enterprise.
Nit Central[]
- Keith Alan Morgan on Wednesday, April 14, 1999 - 12:09 pm: Why would a Galactic High Commissioner need to accompany the medical supplies? If he were a doctor then it would make sense, but nothing states that he is anything more than just a politician. He probably wanted a chance to 'throw his weight around'!
- They have to take these supplies to Makus III, but then the supplies will be transferred to another ship to take them to the New Paris colony. Why not just take the supplies to New Paris and avoid the middle men? Transferring the supplies to another ship would free Enterprise for other duties.
- Despite the medical urgency, Kirk sends out the shuttle, because he has a mandate to study quasar and quasarlike phenomenon. However, this phenomenon is named and is not referred to as a recent discovery, so why hasn't another ship been sent to study this? Also, Kirk must have picked up the medical supplies somewhere and is taking them to another world, so presumably other ships must pass this way, so why didn't they study it? If studying quasars and quasarlike phenomenon is so important, why isn't there a steady rotation of science ships at this phenomenon? Perhaps Enterprise was closer than the nearest available science ship. Fandom User Ahroun Dragon - 09:49, May 22, 2019 While the Federation does have specialist science ships, ALL their ships are what I call "civilitary"... they are designed to carry out both civilian AND military missions. A heavy cruiser like the Enterprise actually has significant scientific capabilities.
- Why not send a probe to study Murasaki 312 before sending a shuttle? There may not have been any probes available. If there were, they may have been less able to withstand the conditions in the phenomenon than a shuttle.
- What tactical advantage would it be to throw your shield at someone you are trying to kill, like one of the creature's does in this episode? Does the creature think it is Captain America? They probably use the shield to knock out the prey before killing it.
- Just before firing to scare the creatures, Spock says to take aim at 2:00 and 10:00. Why would a Vulcan use a vague direction derived from Earth clocks instead of something more precise like degrees of a circle? A Vulcan clock may have 10, or 20, hours on it, so that to a Vulcan 2:00 & 10:00 might be different directions than to a Human. (Degrees of a circle could also pose a problem since another culture might choose a number higher or lower than 360, but since 360 can be evenly divided by every number between 1 and 10, except for 7, chances are good that alien circles might be 360 degrees also.) He is half human, and the rest of the group are fully human, who would find directions based on an analogue clock easier to use than attempting to calculate a precise angle. Fandom User Ahroun Dragon - 09:49, May 22, 2019 His mother had an ancient grandfather clock in their living room on Vulcan, which she had adjusted until noon and midnight corresponded exactly to the Vulcan midday and midnight. Spock is perfectly familiar with the concept of an Earth clock, with each "hour" representing a 30-degree arc.
- Couldn't they dump those chairs to save on weight? When the shuttle lifts off the yeoman is squatting on the floor, not even using her chair. They may not weigh enough to make much difference, and would probably need to be removed with tools which the landing party don't have, as ripping them off their mountings, or cutting them off with a phaser, would risk damaging the shuttle.
- John A. Lang on Sunday, April 29, 2001 - 2:52 pm: Ferris must not be a very important person...he has no bodyguard. Most diplomats, commissioners, & ambassadors do. He probably couldn't find anyone he could trust to do the job!
- Adam Bomb on Friday, February 23, 2007 - 9:17 am: Scotty is working on the "Galileo" with some very 20th-century tools, including a nut driver. And, the dial pressure gauges look like the type used to work on automotive air-conditioning systems. Lots of old things work just as well - if not better - than their replacements!
Notes[]
- ↑ Pseudonym of Shimon Wincelberg
| The Original Series Season 1 |
| Pilot episodes: The Cage I Where No Man Has Gone Before |
| Regular episodes: The Corbomite Maneuver I Mudd's Women I The Enemy Within I The Man Trap I The Naked Time I Charlie X I Balance of Terror I What Are Little Girls Made Of? I Dagger of the Mind I Miri I The Conscience of the King I The Galileo Seven I Court Martial I The Menagerie Part 1 I The Menagerie Part 2 I Shore Leave I The Squire of Gothos I Arena I The Alternative Factor I Tomorrow Is Yesterday I The Return of the Archons I A Taste of Armageddon I Space Seed I This Side of Paradise I The Devil in the Dark I Errand of Mercy I The City on the Edge of Forever I Operation: Annihilate! |