The Tholian Web

Season 3, Episode 9, Aired
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Episode Summary

When the Enterprise investigates the disappearance of another starship, the crew loses Kirk in a dimensional interphase and must deal with a hostile alien race while trying to recover him.
8.4
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Great
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Fan Episode Reviews (8)

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  • Poorly-written and full of nonsense plot devices.

    4.2
    "Poor"
    By Mac-Ale, May 25, 2011 Report Abuse
    Spock risks the Enterprise when he remains in unstable space claimed by the Tholians in order to retrieve the Captain who appears to have phased to another universe.

    I hate to call this one episode "painful to watch" but it is an example of season 3 tending toward more formula and less solid content.

    The premise is exciting, but its too clogged with dramatic flourishes and odd characterizations. Several things are very poorly-explained. Its good to explore the idea of how Spock and McCoy would be at each other's throats in the absence of Kirk, but much of the dialog is all over the map. What are they really arguing about? Spock's decision to wait for Kirk to phase again? He has negotiated the original amount of time with the Tholians, and merely reacts to the Tholians firing on the Enterprise seconds later. McCoy's accusations would have more weight if they made more sense, he had not said a thing about objecting to Spock waiting for Kirk to re-appear previously. The phasing between universes is interesting, and the pressure of hostile aliens makes the situation even more tense. However, the script here calls for yet another threat, an ill-defined "space-sickness" (that somehow has caused every last crew member of the Defiant to kill one another) but is solved on the Enterprise by a Theragen derivative that merely suppresses impulses to the brain like alcohol. So much for a unique effect of inter-dimensional phasing, its an easy and poorly explained disease that McCoy says is "communicable" like a virus. And when the Enterprise faces its critical moment, a quick power use and its "thrown clear" of the Tholian web. What? Lazy and not well-written.

    Two nice moments are Kirk's final instructions to Spock and McCoy, and the finale has the usual touch of comedy between the three friends. Oh, and Triox compound is mentioned in a moment of continuity with "Amok Time". Not nearly enough to save this one.moreless

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    1 5

  • While exploring the remnants of the USS Defiant in Tholian territory, Kirk is accidently trapped in another dimension.

    8.5
    "Great"
    By Celedorian, Dec 24, 2010 Report Abuse
    This is one of the better third season episodes, and one of the few original series episodes with fancy special effects, including lots of new miniature photography mixed with animation, and a new alien being. Director Ralph Senensky deserves credit as well. He was given an episode with a lot of elements to handle (and no guest stars or new sets) while simultaneously having to break new ground helming a Star Trek episode largely devoid of the show's leading man, Captain Kirk. Yet Senensky turns these factors into assets (especially regarding the Bones/Spock relationship sans Kirk) and the result is not only a fun hour of television focusing on the Trek regulars, but one of the most unique and memorable installments of the series and one that won a well-deserved Emmy Award.moreless

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    0 0

  • When the Enterprise discovers the USS Defiant which is literally 'fading away', Kirk is lost during the beam back. As they try to recover him, the Enterprise is caught in an energy-draining web spun by alien beings. One of the third season's best episodesmoreless

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By Jay-Spacedust, Dec 19, 2010 Report Abuse
    I've already gone over in my previous third season reviews about generally how weak the season is compared to the first two. So I was delighted when this excellent episode came along, marking a definite rise in quality.

    As with the USS Exeter in the second season's "The Omega Glory", it is an obvious re-use of the Enterprise sets. There are no subtle tweaks in colour scheme or design, a result of budget and time limitations, which became even more of an issue in the third season. That said, it didn't bother me as much here as it did in that other example.

    Probably the weakest point of this plot is yet another 'space disease' to cure. We've seen them several times before in the series, and here we get yet another. It doesn't really add much to the story, although doesn't completely spoil it either.

    The loss of Kirk is excellently played out, and the seeming death of the Captain is much better than in the disappointing big-screen 'Star Trek: Generations' (1994).

    I also like the Tholians as an alien race, and love the 'web' that their ships weave around the Enterprise.
    (They also played a part in the Game Boy 'Star Trek' game, where you had to manoeuvre around their 'threads'. I also agree with another reviewer that I would like a Tholian screen saver).

    The episode also contains some of the best moments between Spock, who is now in command, and McCoy. Although their confrontation wasn't clear at first, it played out really well, and I like how Kirk had the foresight to leave them a message to basically 'stop arguing and work with each other'.
    (However, to nitpick, the end, when McCoy and Spock deny ever viewing the message, although it has been established (in "The Enterprise Incident" and others) that Spock cannot lie. That's only a small thing, though.)

    All-in-all, this episode is terrific; I really like it. It rivals "The Enterprise Incident" as one of the best of season three thus far.moreless

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    2 1

  • Web spinner's delight!

    7.0
    "Good"
    By GeorgeJobson, Apr 05, 2007 Report Abuse
    I like this episode of Star Trek although the only thing I dislike is the music score, which I found it out of tune with the episode at hand. When Kirk is lost along with the another starship the Defliant, the crew must deal with an hostle race while trying to save Kirk. I like the exchange beetween Dr. Macoy and Mr. Spook. and I like the way Captain Kirk floating in space. I'm giving it a 7. I was about to give it an 8, but the music score didn't work well with me. It's a 7 and I'll leave it at that.moreless

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    1 0

  • Season 3 proves it can do the "ship in a bottle" 20 times and still keep it fresh. This one is no exception!

    9.9
    "Superb"
    By HypnoToad72, Dec 31, 2006 Report Abuse
    Wow. Without going into barf-inducing technobabble, we get discussions of the fabric of space leading to other dimensions, a cool new alien race, interphasing between the dimensions, the area harming organic life, and Kirk being caught.

    I'll pretend the one gaffe (the Defiant ship is said to be 'dissolving' yet people can still walk on the floor) is due to parts of the ship going into interphase but the floor is still intact...

    The breakdown of the crew as time goes by is definitely stunning. Having Uhura, Scotty, and others see Kirk and treated as if they were breaking down as well is terrific. The idea of being caught alone in a universe is quite novel as presented in this story.

    And then there are the Tholians. "The screensaver race"; I've always wanted a screensaver of a Tholian for some reason. I like their appearance, language, their idea of making a web to fling incapacitated ships out of their domain (instead of simply destroying them - how much moral can a species get?)

    Definitely a classic, and needless to say a triumph for the much maligned season 3.moreless

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    2 1
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • At the end of the episode, Kirk states that he had an entire universe to himself once the Defiant was thrown out. There seems no way that he could determine this unless he explored the entire universe in the few hours he was there, limited to where he could float. Edit
    • When they are getting ready for Kirk's memorial service, Spock tells McCoy that he should be in the lab trying to find a remedy and not wasting time at the memorial. After the service, Spock doesn't want to view the captain's last orders because he doesn't have time and he needs to be on a bridge. Well then why did he waste so much time having the memorial service? Come to think of it, the entire crew stops what they're doing in the middle of a life and death situation to have a memorial service. Shouldn't the memorial services wait until after the crisis passes? Edit
    • When Spock grabs Chekov and says his name the first time, the camera cuts to Chekov and the sound of his scream is on the soundtrack, but his mouth does not move. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • This episode won the original series its first Emmy award for "Best Special Effects". Edit
    • Although he is only paraphrasing Captain Kirk, this is the only episode in which Spock (or anyone besides Kirk) refers to Dr. McCoy as "Bones." Edit
    • The ultimate fate of the U.S.S Defiant will eventually be revealed decades later, in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "In a Mirror, Darkly." Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Spock: (speaking at Kirk's memorial service) A few hours ago, the Captain elected to remain on board the Defiant so that three members of his crew would have the best chance of returning safely to the Enterprise. His concern was not only for them, but for all the members of the crew of this ship. You all know the sequence of events: We were fired upon by the Tholian ship. At that time, Captain Kirk may have been alive. I deemed it necessary to return the Tholian fire for the safety of the Enterprise. The Tholian ship has been disabled. But, as a result of the battle, we must accept the fact that Captain Kirk is no longer alive...I shall not attempt to voice the quality of respect and admiration which Captain Kirk commanded. Each of you must evaluate the loss in the privacy of your own thoughts. Edit
    • Spock: We exist in a universe which co-exists with a multitude of others in the same physical space. For certain brief periods of time, an area of their space overlaps an area of ours. Edit
    • Spock: In critical moments men sometimes see exactly what they wish to see. Edit

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