The Enterprise crew is being observed to evaluate their suitability to meet with advanced civilizations.The Enterprise crew is being observed to evaluate their suitability to meet with advanced civilizations.The Enterprise crew is being observed to evaluate their suitability to meet with advanced civilizations.
Leonard Nimoy
- Mister Spock
- (voice)
DeForest Kelley
- Dr. McCoy
- (voice)
- (credit only)
George Takei
- Sulu
- (voice)
- (credit only)
Nichelle Nichols
- Uhura
- (voice)
- …
Majel Barrett
- Nurse Chapel
- (voice)
- (credit only)
James Doohan
- Scott
- (voice)
- …
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis is the first time that Captain James T. Kirk's middle name of Tiberius, a name first listed in written Star Trek (1966) guides, is revealed onscreen. Although Star Trek: The Animated Series was not considered canon by Gene Roddenberry, many writers of later series helped to canonize several of the show's elements, and the name Tiberius was finally confirmed in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991). David Gerrold would jokingly tell fans that Tiberius was a reference to Robert Graves' "I, Claudius". The name spread amongst fans, and Gerrold added it to the script after approval from Roddenberry. The movie Star Trek (2009) would later provide a backstory to the origin of the name: Tiberius was Kirk's paternal grandfather.
- GoofsAfter Bem swaps the communicators for fakes, Kirk is shown using his as if it were his usual communicator.
- Quotes
Capt. Kirk: [stuck in a wooden cage] How come we always end up like this?
Mr. Spock: I assume that's a rhetorical question, Captain, not requiring an answer.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Drawn to the Final Frontier (2006)
Featured review
Gerrold is a master of the unusual alien
"Bem" is episode 18 of the Star Trek animated series and it first aired in September 1974. It was written by Hugo and Nebula winner David Gerrold, most famous for being the author of the original series episode "The Trouble with Tribbles." Like that episode, this one involved an alien creature of questionable use.
Bem is from the planet Pandro, a planet recently contacted by the Federation, and his species is interested in witnessing how the captain and crew of the Enterprise conduct their missions. That mission is to a planet inhabited by reptilian creatures that have a primitive non-industrial society; therefore, their mission is to observe without being seen.
Bem proves to be a nuisance, getting captain Kirk and Spock into extreme difficulty. It also turns out that the creatures are under the protection of a powerful non-corporeal entity that calls them her "children." Her words are spoken with tenderness, but she makes it clear that no violence against her charges will be tolerated.
The episode has a powerful religious overtone, it is clear from the perspective of the creatures, the entity is a god. For that matter, there are hints that the crew of the Enterprise should think so too. One strong feature of the episode is the actions of Lieutenant Uhura. When Kirk, Spock and Scotty are on the surface, she directly contradicts Scotty in insisting that they must follow orders.
Despite the crudity of the animation compared to what can be done now, this episode illustrates that there were things that could be done in animation that were impossible in live action. Something that makes all science fiction stories stronger if it is properly done.
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- cashbacher
- Mar 24, 2020
Details
- Runtime24 minutes
- Color
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