The Galileo Seven

The professional malcontent. We all know this person. No matter what anyone happens to be doing around him – especially people in leadership positions – he’s absolutely sure it’s being done wrong and absolutely sure he knows exactly how to fix everything. What a dreadful shame that humanity’s future continues to harbor such loathsome creatures.

It’s just the luck of the Vulcans that Spock gets stuck with just such a creature on the titular shuttlecraft when it ends up stranded on an inhospitable world. On the plus side, the air is breathable and nobody is seriously injured. On the other hand, the craft has been damaged and can’t take off unless they jettison some weight (and for some reason getting rid of extraneous crap such as chairs and light fixtures isn’t an option). And in short order our heroes find themselves under attack by savage, spear-throwing giants.

Of course Spock has a logical solution for everything, but with his limited people skills he’s having trouble inspiring the rest of the gang to follow him. Enter Lieutenant Boma (Don Marchall, who went on to a regular gig on Land of the Giants). In this guy’s opinion, every decision Spock makes is wrong. Particularly galling is his insistence that the group needs to take precious time away from repairs in order to hold funerals for crewmen killed by the monsters.

Now, I think most of us would be inclined to respond to such a guy with something like “if you want to bury them so bad that you’re willing to stand out in giant monster spear-throwing range, be my guest” or perhaps the simple elegance of “shut up and get back to work.” But Spock – outwardly clinging to logic and inwardly doubting his ability to command – deals ineffectively with him. Fortunately the guy eventually becomes so obnoxious that even Scotty and arch-Vulcan-basher McCoy tell him to stow it.

Meanwhile, back on the Enterprise the captain has his own jackanapes to deal with: High Commissioner Ferris (is it even possible to be a “High Commissioner” of anything without getting called “jerkface” behind your back?). This guy is like the world’s worst-dressed cuckoo clock, constantly reminding Kirk of how much time he has left before he has to abandon the search for the missing shuttle and proceed on to the next emergency destination.

Just as the Enterprise begins to depart, Spock and company get the Galileo back into orbit, burning all the remaining fuel to create a flare-like effect that draws attention and gets them rescued.

Episode rating:

Stardate: 2821.5

Episode type: Enterprise crew

Written by: Oliver Crawford and S. Bar-David (story by Oliver Crawford)

Original air date: January 5, 1967

Shore Leave / The Squire of Gothos

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