Journey to Babel

Season 2, Episode 10, Aired
EDIT

Episode Summary

Spock meets his estranged father when the Enterprise escorts a group of ambassadors to a conference on the planet Babel.
9.1
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Superb
156 votes
  • Your Rating: 10
    "Perfect"
  • Your Rating: 9.5
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 9
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 8.5
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 8
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 7.5
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 7
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 6.5
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 6
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 5.5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 4.5
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 4
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 3.5
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 3
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 2.5
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 2
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 1.5
    "Abysmal"
  • Your Rating: 1
    "Abysmal"
Rate It

Watch Online

Netflix
Subscription
iTunes
Buy

Cast & Crew

See All EDIT

Fan Episode Reviews (7)

See All

  • A superb piece of drama-in the classical sense.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By williamwanker, Nov 30, 2010 Report Abuse
    Probably the best stay-aboard-the-Enterprise episode of all three seasons. Story, direction, casting, and acting all go together to make this a superb piece of drama-in the classical sense. Spock's teaser just before the title sequence break-"Captain, Ambassador Sarek and his wife ARE my parents."-would have pulled in any remotely interested watcher of Star Trek who was, perhaps, considering watching something else that Friday evening, back on November 17th 1967. In fact, the whole string of dialog leading up to that final line is effectively designed to pique the viewer's curiosity. Why doesn't Sarek return Spock's Vulcan salute? I mean, he gives it to McCoy, who only makes a half-assed attempt to return it. And why would the Ambassador prefer another guide to show him around the Enterprise? Then, there are the little touches-details of direction and acting that still catch me off-guard nearly every time I watch it. Gav, the Tellarite Ambassador-slightly inebriated and undoubtedly looking for a fight-confronts Sarek at the bar (Star Wars cantina-style) for a rematch. When Gav goes for him, cool-breeze Sarek performs his little Aikido/Vulcan/Jedi deflection move that shows us that Gav would never have stood a chance-"Gentlemen, gentlemen! Whatever arguments you have!" Then, later, when McCoy, Spock et al are in sickbay having their discussion about Vulcan/Human blood transfusion matters, the scene cuts to a fight-already in progress-between Kirk and (who we later learn to be a faux) Andorian Aide to Ambassador Shras. Even after 30-plus years, it still catches me by surprise. It's the kind of scene change we might see in a Tarantino film today.

    And speaking of casting-where did they dig up that (lovely) old fossil? Reggie Nalder, perfectly believable as an alien-in any definition of the word-what with his old-world Transylvanian accent (actually it's Austrian/Hungarian; I looked him up), and his face-so full of time-worn character: "My people are a violent race, but we've no quarrel with Captain Kirk." Nalder's characterization is just one more subtle layer of icing on the cake that makes this such an exquisite episode. I even like the make-up job. It worked for me back then, and it still does today; I don't even care that his antennae don't move. Even ("Daddy, that guy's a piggy!" as my 4-year-old son pointed out) Gav doesn't bother me too much. But those two little golden-skinned Ambassadors-you remember-the ones with the Shriner's hats who are making mixed drinks with those silly little colored ice-cubes? Come on!moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    1 0

  • During the filming, one of the Andorian’s antennae falls off. They just proceed and write it into the script like it was meant to happen

    8.0
    "Great"
    By hrtonslv, Nov 30, 2010 Report Abuse
    The tension between Spock and his father was well played and well represented. No wonder after this, they developed it even further when we got to the movies. Very good plot and great pacing for all the other aspects of the script as well. "Humans smile with so little provocation". What a great line and embarrassingly true. On a side note, I think this is the only episode where that blasted shuttecraft performs beautifully without running out of fuel or gets wrecked or crashes. Those things are death traps!moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    2 0

  • Spock must deal with his parents when the Enterprise escorts a group of ambassadors, including Spock's father, to a conference on the planet Babel.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Celedorian, Nov 04, 2010 Report Abuse
    Star Trek scores again with its second Vulcan episode of the season. This time they focus on Spock's relationship with his parents. The fact that Spock is half human is a great source of drama for many Star Trek, with the fans of Trek able to identify with Spock's internal battle between logic and emotion. This episode ups the ante, adding Spock's Vulcan father to serve as a literal voice of logic and Spock's human mother to serve as a voice for emotion and then putting Spock in the middle with the fate of the Enterprise in the balance. The producers tracked in music tracked from "Amok Time", but the music fits the episode so well you'd swear it was one of Trek's best original scores.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • Spock is reunited with his human mother and estranged Vulcan father as the Enterprise transports a group of ambassadors to a peace conference, but there is also an assassin on board. A fan favourite episode...moreless

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Jay-Spacedust, Nov 20, 2008 Report Abuse
    This episode is a favourite amongst many fans.

    This is the first time we meet Sarek, Spock's father, played my Mark Lenard. He puts in a good performance, and I found him very believable.

    Another of the episode's merits is the array of alien races seen. The episode does not include a beam down to a planet, which saved money, so instead more was seemingly spent on the alien designs.

    Some of the alien costumes and makeup are quite good (I like the Andorians, even if they do look very '1960s'), but I agree with another reviewer that one race, the Tellarites, has absolutely terrible makeup, and is quite obviously a mask.

    The story unfolds well, and has several plots that all affect and hinge on each other. There is the hunt for the assassin, but also Spock giving blood to Sarek, Kirk being badly injured in an attack, and several other strands which all interact with each other. I liked this multi-plot tale, and found it more pleasing than some of the more simple outings of the season.

    As good as the episode is, it probably wouldn't make my personal Top 10. Not because it's bad, but simply because there are other stories that I like better. I'm also fonder of stories that involve beaming down to planets.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • Spock's Mom and Dad visit the enterprise. (If Star trek is a comedy it would be a little funny as a half hour sitcom episode. Imagine the laugh track in the background)moreless

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By GeorgeJobson, Feb 15, 2007 Report Abuse
    Spock's Mom and Dad visit the enterprise as Captain Kirk must transport a group of dipomats to the planet Bebel. it's like Otto transporting Bart and the gang to springfeild Elementary School. Lots of problems on the enbterprise. Spock's dad fell ill and it's up to his son to save him. Kirk was wounded by a spy who horn fell of to reveal that he's a spy. One of the best episodes of the series. Mom and Pop visit the Enterprise as the ship was attcked by a ship that is connected by the spy. And that Live long and prosper sgn. I'm having trouble doing that hand thing.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 1
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

See All

  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • Trivia: Sarek is 102 years old. Edit
    • When Thelev attacks Kirk in the corridor, listen carefully to the sound of them fighting and you will hear a totally out of place sound that sounds something like a bongo drum being hit or the sound a cartoon might make when a coconut falls on someone's head. A sort of hollow percussion sound that's totally out of place. (This is removed in the remastered version.) Edit
    • When Kirk orders engineering to cut both starboard and port power, the external shot of ship a moment later shows all of the external lights still on and the engines still churning. On the shots of the bridge, all the equipment is still working, so that sure wasn't much of a power shutdown. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Kirk knew that Spock's father was an ambassador ("This Side of Paradise"), that Spock's family was "important enough" to have T'Pau officiate at his wedding ("Amok Time"), and of course, that Spock is half Vulcan and half Human. Given the seeming rarity of Humans and Vulcan/Human marriages, it seems unusual that Kirk doesn't see a Vulcan ambassador with a Human wife and not make the natural conclusion. Edit
    • It is revealed that Spock had a pet sehlat, a sabretooth tiger-like creature that would be later shown on the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode "Yesteryear" and the Enterprise episode "The Forge." Edit
    • This episode marks the first time that the four founding members of the Federation - Terrans, Vulcans, Andorians and Tellarites - are all seen together. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Spock: There is no logic in the attack on the Captain. There is no logic in Gav's murder. Shras: Perhaps you should forget about logic, and devote yourself to motivation and passion again. Those are reasons for murder. Edit
    • McCoy: My patients don't walk out in the middle of an operation! Edit
    • McCoy: Well, I'm glad someone is asking me something around here. Edit

  • Allusions

Show Forums

See All
Last Activity
Replies

Watch Star Trek Full Episodes

See All

Related Shows

Season 2 Episodes

See All
Ep 26
Assignment: Earth
Ep 25
Bread and Circuses
Ep 24
The Ultimate Computer
Ep 23
The Omega Glory
Ep 22
By Any Other Name
Ep 21
Patterns of Force
Ep 20
Return to Tomorrow
Ep 19
A Private Little War
Ep 18
The Immunity Syndrome
Ep 17
A Piece of the Action
Ep 16
The Gamesters of Triskelion
Ep 15
The Trouble With Tribbles
Ep 14
Wolf in The Fold
Ep 13
Obsession
Ep 12
The Deadly Years
Ep 11
Friday's Child
Ep 10
Journey to Babel
Ep 9
Metamorphosis
Ep 8
I, Mudd
Ep 7
Catspaw
Ep 6
The Doomsday Machine
Ep 5
The Apple
Ep 4
Mirror, Mirror
Ep 3
The Changeling
Ep 2
Who Mourns for Adonais?
Ep 1
Amok Time

Contributors

Become a contributor
More
Less

TV Listings

Full Listings
BROWSE | Shows | Videos | News | Listings | Forums | People | Photos | TV.com Blog

CBS Entertainment | About TV.com | About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Ad Choice | Terms of Use