The Tholian Web by: Judy Burns and Chet Richards and directed by: Herb Wallerstein

 

“The Tholian Web” is written by: Judy Burns and Chet Richards and is directed by: Herb Wallerstein.  It was filmed under production code 64, was the 9^th episode of Star Trek Season 3, the 64^th episode of Star Trek, and was broadcast on November 15, 1968.

 

These reviews of Star Trek have been largely positive in terms of analyzing the performance of William Shatner as Captain Kirk.  “The Tholian Web”, however, is an interesting episode because it is perhaps the first episode of the series where Kirk is not the main character.  The premise is that the USS Defiant, sister ship to the Enterprise, has drifted into a portion of space and needs to be rescued by Kirk and company.  Something has caused the ship to phase in between universes and Captain Kirk becomes trapped on the Defiant with the rest of the Enterprise crew infected with a virus causing insanity and paranoia.  Kirk being trapped means that he gets little focus in the episode, giving Spock and McCoy their first real chance to fully lead the show and it’s that aspect of the episode that really pushes it among some of the best for the series.  As an episode, we are once again confined to the two ships, redressing Enterprise sets for the Defiant and turning down the lights.  Herb Wallerstein is responsible for directing the episode and his direction is incredibly tense, largely focusing on enhancing the actors’ performances through tighter shots and the many dialogue scenes.  The illness plotline adds to the threat of the Tholians, a group of aliens who control this area of space and are trapping the Enterprise in a literal web.  Their portrayal is fascinating, they are reasonable and give the Enterprise time before they continue their attacks so the chance is there to leave.  Obviously, Spock won’t leave without rescuing Kirk so the Enterprise is damaged in the attacks while the web is weaved around the ship as a countdown to being fully trapped.

 

Judy Burns and Chet Richards contribute their only episode to the series, another of the episodes written by fans who sold scripts to the series and despite the multiple plotlines, “The Tholian Web” is one of those episodes that juggle them particularly well.  Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley are the pair that have the most to do and give the best performances, much of the real drama of the episode coming from the clash in personalities of Spock and McCoy.  This also goes to show why Kirk as a character works as a mediator between the pair.  Spock’s logic means he is quick to retaliate against the Tholians because it would buy them more time to get Kirk, trapping them in the web to begin with, while McCoy is more concerned with the fact that the crew is becoming ill.  Perhaps the best moment of the episode for the pair are their reactions to Kirk’s final wishes, recorded and shown in the event of his death, Kirk showing that he understands both men and trusts them implicitly to captain the ship on in its mission.  What’s also setting “The Tholian Web” apart is that Burns and Richards have also written this as a science fiction ghost story: using the different dimensions allows apparitions of Kirk as a ghost like figure throughout the episode.  Nichelle Nichols as Uhura, not immediately affected by the illness, sees the apparition and gets some wonderful moments of believing herself mad as the episode adds these haunted house aspects to enrich the script.  James Doohan and Walter Koenig also get particular moments to shine, Doohan in the resolution where the cure to the illness does involve drinking alcohol and Koenig’s initial breakdown being a particularly physical performance from the young actor.

 

Overall, “The Tholian Web” is quite surprising in how well it stacks up, showing that even under the great stressful conditions and reduced budget of the third season Star Trek can do brilliant looks into the characters.  It’s a particular shame that it took this long to do an episode largely without Kirk, though Shatner still has his moments, allowing the rest of the cast some of their best moments in the series.  Burns and Richards’ only contribution to the series is honestly fantastic and a contender for the best of the season and top 10 of the series overall.  9/10.