Friday's Child (episode)

The Enterprise becomes involved in a local power struggle on planet Capella IV, where the Klingons want mining rights.

Summary

The USS Enterprise approaches Capella IV, the home of the Capellans and a rich source of the rare mineral topaline. Topaline is vital to the life support systems of certain colonies. Kirk's assignment is to obtain mining rights. McCoy, who visited Capella years ago, briefs the senior officers; among other things, he reveals that Capellans have an elaborate structure of taboos, and that they can anger easily.

Beaming down, the landing party of Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Grant is immediately accosted by a party of Capellans led by Maab. Also in the party is Kras, a Klingon. Grant reacts too quickly, drawing his phaser, which prompts immediate retaliation: one of the warriors with Maab throws his kligat, which hits Grant, killing him instantly. Maab demands the landing party surrender their weapons and instruments as a show of good faith.

The landing party must wait for a period of time, but is then taken to see Akaar, who is Teer, or leader, of the Ten Tribes of Capella. In this meeting, the Klingon attempts to gain the diplomatic upper hand, but McCoy's knowledge of Capellan culture trumps his efforts. The Klingons sneers at the Federation's offer, claiming that Klingons believe only the strong should live, just as Klingons do. Kirk retorts that the highest of Federation laws states that Capella belongs to the Capellans, and will never be taken from them, and that Klingon space is full of worlds that learned not to trust the Klingons the hard way. Maab is enthusiastic, believing that competition for the mineral can only help Capella. Akaar notes thoughtfully that in all their dealings, Earthmen have never lied to Capellans. Maab warns him that there are those who will not bargain with Earthmen, which Akaar interprets as challenge.

A fight breaks out between Capellans -- an armed coup. Both Maab and Akaar are involved. During the fracas, Kirk, Spock and McCoy race to the main tent to find their gear, only to discover Kras engaged in the same search. Overpowering him, Kirk learns he was sent in a small scoutship to negotiate the mineral rights. His people need topaline, too. Before Kirk can learn more, the fight outside is ended, and Capellans burst into the tent, demanding Kirk free Kras. Then Maab enters, declaring himself the new Teer -- Akaar died in the fighting. Eleen, Akaar's pregnant wife, enters the tent. Maab trips her and she burns her arm in the fire. Because she carries an heir, Maab must kill her to solidify his rule, and when he is about to do so, Kirk interferes, sparking another melee that ends with Eleen and the landing party imprisoned together. When Kirk snatched Eleen away from Maab's descending blade, he violated a taboo: no man may touch the wife of a Teer. She demands to see Kirk die before she herself is killed.

In orbit, the Enterprise has received a distress call from the SS Deirdre, a small freighter. She claims she's under attack; the Enterprise must investigate. This strands the landing party on Capella.

Eleen and the landing party have been imprisoned together to await Maab's decision. Eleen is in a great deal of pain, and McCoy intends to help her. During this distraction, Kirk and Spock overcome their guards and escape to the hills with Eleen. They recover their communicators but not their phasers.

In space, the Enterprise has been unable to locate the SS Deirdre, which is strange, since its top speed is well under that of the Enterprise.

The landing party, with the reluctant Eleen, has taken refuge in a narrow canyon; a wide but defensible entrance, and a narrow chutelike exit. Kirk proposes to block the entrance with a sonic disruption; two communicators together can produce a sympathetic vibration. This will cause a rockslide, sealing the entrance and buying time, as the Capellan search party will be forced to go around the hills to the other side. During the confusion, Kras manages to retrieve a phaser from one of the fallen warriors.

Kirk discovers a cave in which the landing party seeks refuge; Eleen will shortly give birth, and McCoy needs a place where the birth can occur. Kirk and Spock leave McCoy there to supervise the birth, while they search for weapons.

Unable to discover the source of the distress call, Scotty pulls them microtape and realizes how he has been duped: the SS Deirdre called for the Enterprise by name -- and there's no way a freighter would have known the Enterprise was ordered into this sector. Clearly, the intent was to lure the Enterprise from Capella IV. To be sure, Scotty plans to complete the search pattern.

By the time Kirk and Spock have weapons fabricated, Eleen has given birth. When Kirk and Spock leave to reconoiter, she hits McCoy with a rock and escapes. Kirk and Spock have fabricated bows.

Completing the search pattern, the Enterprise sets a course back to Capella. Immediately, they receive another distress call, this time from the USS Carolina. Scotty ignores it. Then a Klingon ship intercepts them -- sitting in space, establishing a line and daring them to cross it.

A confrontation develops between the warriors, who have found their way to the chasm's other entrance, and the landing party, who have emplaced themselves in the rocks overlooking the cut. Then Eleen appears. She lies to Maab, telling him all the Earthmen, and her son, are dead. Maab has been previously told differently, but chooses to accept her story. Kras, however, is determined to force a confrontation. He insists on verifying the story, evidently a breach of his word. During the ensuing battle, the Capellans are introduced to the bow and arrow, a weapon they never developed. Kras manages a standoff; to break it, Eleen proposes to flee as a distraction. Maab elects to return her life to her, which forfeits his own. He accosts the Klingon and his destroyed; but Keel is ready, and kills the Klingon.

As the confrontation is about to conclude badly, Scotty and a rescue party appear and demand the Capellans' surrender. McCoy appears from the hills with the new Teer, Leonard James Akaar. Eleen signs the mining agreement as regent for the new Teer, and the Federation team departs.

Background Information

Leonard James Akaar has appeared as a Starfleet admiral in several of the Deep Space 9 novels that take place after the end of the events depicted on screen.
The footage seen on the briefing room screen in the teaser is identical to scenes of warriors hunting down Kirk and company later on in the episode.
A sequence in the blooper reel shows William Shatner entering the tent too quickly when Tige Andrews is looking for his weapon.
Lots of dialogue looping was done in this episode because of the outdoor setting. Some of the dubbing was crammed together nearly on top of other lines.
For his first four appearances in the series, including this episode, Walter Koenig wore a Beatle-style wig, which he absolutely detested. In one interview, he made joking and uncomplimentary references to that wig. By The Apple he seems to have discarded it.
This was Robert Bralver's first appearance of many in the series, often as a stunt performer or uncredited extra.
This episode marks the debut of Sulu's personal scanner at his helm position. In its first appearance, the device dramatically unfolds and emerges from inside the helm console.

Plot Holes

Why is the Federation making contact with a planet that is so clearly not a warp capable civilization? Is it because they are already contaminated by the warp capable Klingons? This is never explained. The non-interference policy of Starfleet isn't firmly established in TOS as it is in later incarnations of the series.

Memorable Quotes

McCoy: "I'm a doctor, not an escalator!"

McCoy: "Say to yourself: 'The child is mine, the child is mine, it is mine.'"

Eleen: "Yes.....it is yours."

Kirk: "How did you get her to cooperate, Bones?"

McCoy: "A right cross."

Kirk: "Never seen that in a medical text."

McCoy: "It's in mine from now on."

Maab: "Perhaps to be a Teer is to see in new ways. I begin to like you, Earth man, and I saw fear in the Klingon's eye."

Scott: "'...Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.'"

Chekov: "I know the saying. It was invented in Russia."

McCoy: "What Maab has said is true, our customs are different. What the Klingon has said is unimportant, and we do not hear his words. (I just called the Klingon a liar.)"

Links and References

Main Cast

References

Capella IV; Carolina, USS; Deirdre, SS; kligat; magnasite-nitron tablet; sympathetic vibration; Teer; Ten Tribes; topaline.

DVD Media Information

Star Trek: The Original Series, Volume 16 (original two episode single-disc release)
Star Trek: The Original Series - The Complete Second Season

Previous episode:
Metamorphosis

Episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series
TOS Season 2

Next episode:
Who Mourns for Adonais?

File:CapellanWarriors.jpg
Series:	TOS
Season:	2
Original Airdate:	1967-12-01
Production Number:	32 (2-11)
Broadcast Number:	40
Year:	2267
Stardate:	3497.2
Written by:	D.C. Fontana
Directed by:	Joseph Pevney