The Trouble With Tribbles

Season 2, Episode 15, Aired
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Episode Summary

Kirk must defuse a Klingon scheme to destroy a grain shipment...and cope with a seemingly benign creature known as a tribble, which reproduces at amazing speed.
9.1
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EPISODE RATING: Superb
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Fan Episode Reviews (10)

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  • Captain Kirk has his hands full with Klingons and tribbles.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Celedorian, Dec 03, 2010 Report Abuse
    A tight script, the perfect guest stars, and great performances from just about everyone turn this light-hearted episode into a magical installment of Star Trek. Stanley Adams is wonderful as Cyrano Jones, and William Campbell is the perfect adversary to Captain Kirk as the Klingon captain. Meanwhile, the regulars, given the chance to lighten up and have some fun, give some of their best performances; the Star Trek actors have always been underrated as comedians, but like Shakespeare (and Star Trek itself) they can flip back and forth between drama and comedy and excel in both while still remaining true to the show's ideals. This is one of Star Trek's best. (The music is also quite nice!)moreless

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    1 0

  • One little tribble isn't.... harmful? ....

    8.5
    "Great"
    By uk6strings, Dec 03, 2010 Report Abuse
    In this episode, en rout to the space station K-7 The Enterprise receives a priority one distress call from the station and rushes to its supposed recue. When arriving at K-7, Captain Kirk finds out that a Federation big-wig sent out the distress call to simply get a Federation ship in the area to protect a shipment of quadotriticale. This quadotriticale is apparently the only thing that will grow on a planet that both the Federation and the Klingon Empire is positioning for and is therefore of high importance. Naturally put off by the undermining use of the priority one distress call simply to get the Enterprise to babysit some bio-enhanced grain, Kirk is nonetheless forced by Federation officials to keep an eye on the shipment of quadotriticale. But the job ends up being of far more urgency and importance when a Klingon warship shows up.

    "The Trouble With Tribbles" is one of the best episodes of the original Star Trek TV series and is also probably the most well known Star Trek episodes by non-Trekkers. It shows the Enterprise crew in a serious but also lighthearted manner - having fun but also having an important job to do. Also, the cast is at their Star Trek-defining bests with Scotty having an extended role in this episode - something that is not always seen throughout the Star Trek TV series and it is always nice to see more of Scotty! The best aspect of this episode is that most of the storyline centers on diplomatic issues that face the Federation, which is interesting and something that I particularly get into. And, of course, there are the many furry little tribbles that make this episode famous - and fun.moreless

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  • The Enterprise must protect a space station on which a Klingon is trying to destroy a valuable shipment of grain; but a supposedly cuddly pet threatens everything when it begins to multiply out of control. One of the most memorable and popular episodes...moreless

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Jay-Spacedust, Nov 27, 2008 Report Abuse
    So here is another of the Original Series' most memorable and well known episodes. Although many episodes had elements of humour, "The Trouble with Tribbles" is one of Original 'Star Trek's few stories that is designed pretty much as an out-and-out comedy.

    So, for one of the most recognised episodes, how does it bear up all these years later?...

    The story is a good one, although personally I found it to be a series of gently amusing incidents more than an out-and-out laugh riot.

    The first act is rather dragged out, and it is not until the second act that the story really gets going.

    Cyrano Jones comes across (as another reviewer has also said) as a superior Harry Mudd (from the first season's "Mudd's Women", and "I, Mudd" this season). I'm surprised the character wasn't used again (although he did return in cartoon form, in the Animated Series sequel, "More Tribbles, More Troubles").

    William Campbell makes a strange sort of Klingon; I keep expecting him to break into a comedy routine. Maybe I associate him too much with playing Trelane in the first season episode "The Squire of Gothos".

    There are a couple of amusing moments, such as Scotty refusing to be offended by the Klingons insulting Captain Kirk, but taking offence to insulting the Enterprise itself; and Kirk being covered up to his neck in Tribbles that fall out of a hatch. But as I say, I find it more gently amusing than laugh out loud stuff.

    All-in-all, a good episode, and a nice break from some of the more serious stories. I may be very controversial here I'm not sure if it would make my personal Top 10 episodes. But that's mostly because there are just so many other good episodes in the series.moreless

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  • tribbles

    10
    "Perfect"
    By coolchris44, Apr 12, 2007 Report Abuse
    The crew has to protect the grain that will be planted on a planet from the klingons. so they must go down to the station where they meey cyrano jones who sells tribles. He sells one to the lady and the tribbles begin to reproduce like crazy and soon begin to eat the grain that was suppossed to be protect. some of the tribbles die because of the poisioned grain by the assistant who was really a klingon. they figure this out when the tribbles do not like the tribbles. the tribbles are beemed aboard the klingonshipm at the end of the episode.moreless

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  • Scotty gets confined to quarters after getting caught trying to peddle his old technical journals off to unsuspecting midshipmen for a bloated price.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By hrtonslv, Dec 25, 2006 Report Abuse
    So everyone loves this episode and knows it well. It has been reviewed extensively. Therefore I will bring up something I either heard at a Trek convention or read somewhere, I forget which. Evidently a woman had a son who I believe got into some kind of accident and he became almost catatonic. In earlier days Mother and son used to watch Star Trek together. One day when the mother was visiting her son in the wing of the hospital he was being taken care of, she talked to him as she always did even though he could not answer or show any expression in his face. She instinctively put on the TV and "The Trouble with Tribbles" was airing. It was always a favorite episode of both the Mother and the son. Seated in between her son and the television set, the mother talked to and cared for her son. Right in the middle of the episode, the son actually leaned his body slightly to one side to see the screen! Although the son never had any type of noteworthy awakening, at least the mother knew that yes, her son was alive and aware of what was going on around him.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • During the communication with Admiral Fitzpatrick in the briefing room, the screen displaying the admiral shows down to his mid-chest area in the wide shots, but closeups only show down to his shoulders. Edit
    • Cyrano Jones cannot pronounce the word Klingon correctly. He constantly says "Klingin" instead of Klingon. Edit
    • When Koloth is requesting that the tribbles be removed from the room, part of his goatee (on his left side) disappears. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Even in the re-mastered version, Koloth's lines "Captain, we Klingons are not as luxury-minded as you Earthers. We do not equip our ships with--how shall I say it? Nonessentials. We have been in space for five months. What we choose as recreation is our own business." are omitted, as is his curving hand gesture. Edit
    • According to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine "Trials and Tribble-ations" episode, the events of this episode take place on a Friday, and last approximately 18 hours between the time the Enterprise is ordered to space station K-7 to the point at which Kirk reveals Darvon to be a Klingon spy. Edit
    • David Gerrold originally wrote the role of "Ensign Freeman" for himself, but wasn't able to play the role, because he was too skinny to be an Enterprise crewman. This resulted in Paul Baxley, a frequent extra and stunt man, getting a great deal of screentime and dialogue. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Kirk: Mr. Chekov, this flight is supposed to provide both experience and knowledge. How close will we come to the nearest Klingon outpost if we continue on our present course? Chekov: Ah, one parsec, sir. Close enough to smell them! Spock: That is illogical, Ensign. Odors cannot travel through the vacuum of space. Chekov: I was making a little joke, sir. Spock: Extremely little, Ensign. Edit
    • Kirk: (to Nilz Baris) We have guards around the grain; we have guards around the Klingons, and the only reason they're there is because Starfleet wants them there. As for what you want, it has been noted and logged. Edit
    • Kirk: Scotty, you're... confined to quarters until further notice. Scotty: Aye sir. Thank you, sir! That'll give me a chance to catch up on my technical journals! Edit

  • Allusions

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