Bem by: David Gerrold and directed by: Bill Reed

 

“Bem” is written by: David Gerrold and is directed by: Bill Reed.  It was produced under production code 22018, was the 2^nd episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series Season 2, was the 18^th episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series, and was broadcast on September 14, 1974.

 

The one thing about “Bem” that stuck with me is that this is where Kirk’s middle name, Tiberius, is first spoken.  Outside of that, it’s among one of those episodes that just kind of exists.  David Gerrold is responsible for the script and there are clearly some ideas there that Gerrold should make work.  Gerrold as a writer has a general understanding of Star Trek, and this episode has a premise that largely should work.  The Enterprise has an ambassador in Bem, an alien with his own morality and an attempt at personality.  It vaguely wants to tackle the question of a space faring civilization encountering aliens and being treated as a god, something that is a tried and true Star Trek premise.  It’s something that Gerrold should really excel at, but honestly this isn’t one that works at all.  Bem as a character feels like an almost needless addition to the plot of the episode that bares his name.  There is this attempt to make some conflict between the crew and Bem, but with the godlike alien acting as a third party which has most of the focus pulled to it there isn’t enough for Bem to work as a character.  He is a character that is basically a troublemaker who strongarms his way into the episode’s plot that he really doesn’t contribute anything too.  The character can detach his own limbs and move them of their own accord which should be a great image, a perfect one for animation, but like so much of this episode it feels like it's there to fill time.

 

“Bem” as an episode is also one where the rest of the cast just feels as if they are getting tired of playing these roles.  Shatner and Nimoy both realize what sort of script this episode is and are just not really caring enough to make much of it interest.  Nichelle Nichols is providing the voice of the godlike alien in addition to Uhura for this episode as Majel Barrett is absent, and once again she is the best thing about a rather bad episode.  So much of the episode also plays into the rather problematic trope of the noble savages, the civilization on this planet is portrayed as completely savage and locks everyone up immediately with the godlike alien being the one that guides their actions.  This honestly also feels like a choice because of the limited casting of Star Trek: The Animated Series not allowing the civilization to be an actual civilization, but knowing the show it is equally likely as a flaw at the original conception of the script.

 

Overall, “Bem” is the second time Star Trek: The Animated Series really falls flat, but this time it’s from a writer I generally really like.  The idea of the character of Bem really deserved focus and characterization, but this is honestly an episode where it feels as if no effort was put in, Gerrold likely having to rewrite his script to make it work in the context of the animated series.  It’s an episode made to just fill a slot in the episode order, making it one of the worst.  2/10.