The Trouble with Tribbles (episode)

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"The Trouble with Tribbles"
TOS, Episode 2x13 Production number: 60342 First aired: 29 December 1967 Remastered version aired: 4 November 2006
←	43rd of 80 produced in TOS	→
←	44th of 80 released in TOS	→
←	9th of 80 released in TOS Remastered	→
←	44th of 727 released in all	→

Written By David Gerrold Directed By Joseph Pevney
4523.3 (2268)
	Arc: Cyrano Jones and Tribbles (1 of 2)	→
	Arc: Arne Darvin (1 of 2)	→
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For other meanings of "The Trouble with Tribbles", please see The Trouble with Tribbles (disambiguation).

A dispute over control of a planet brings Enterprise to a space station, where they must deal with Klingons, edgy Starfleet Command officials, and a previously-unknown race of small, unbearably cute, voraciously hungry and rapidly-multiplying furry creatures.

[edit] Summary

[edit] Teaser

The Enterprise is en route to Deep Space Station K-7 for assistance with an important assignment regarding a disputed planet. One parsec from the nearest Klingon outpost ("Close enough to smell them" as Chekov puts it), the post is near Sherman's Planet, which is claimed by both sides.

In a briefing with Kirk, Spock and Chekov, it is learned that under the terms of the Organian Peace Treaty, control of the planet will be granted to the party that can demonstrate it can develop the planet's resources most efficiently. In the midst of the briefing, however, a message comes in from the bridge; K-7 has issued a Code One alert, which signals that it is under attack.

[edit] Act One

The Enterprise arrives at maximum warp, armed for a fight, only to find no battle. Beaming over, Kirk demands an explanation from Station Manager Lurry, but is told he was ordered to do so by Nilz Baris, a Federation official in charge of the Sherman's Planet development project.

Baris and his aide, Arne Darvin, explain they used the Priority One out of fear the Klingons might try to sabotage the Federation's best hope to win control of the planet – a high-yield grain known as quadrotriticale, which would be ideal for the planet. Tons of the grain are stored at the station, and Baris demands security and protection from Kirk. Kirk is outraged over what he believes to be a misuse of the Priority One channel, but is overruled by Starfleet Admiral Fitzpatrick. To add to his troubles, a Klingon battle cruiser arrives at K-7, commanded by Captain Koloth, demanding shore leave rights under the peace treaty.

[edit] Act Two

Kirk reluctantly agrees to permit Koloth and his crew to take shore leave, but sets limits of twelve at a time, with one guard from the Enterprise for each Klingon soldier.

Meanwhile, shore leave is also granted to the Enterprise crew. On one such leave, Uhura meets a dealer named Cyrano Jones, who is trying to sell rare galactic items, among them, furry little creatures Jones calls tribbles. In hopes of more sales, Jones gives one to Uhura. The crew quickly learns that the creatures like Humans and Vulcans (but not Klingons), are constantly hungry, and "born pregnant," as McCoy puts it; 50% of their metabolism is geared for reproduction. If a tribble eats too much, a number of hungry little tribbles soon follow. This trait of the species soon becomes a problem, as they nearly overrun both the Enterprise and the station.

Later, Baris demands greater security in the face of Klingon soldiers at the station, and Koloth accuses Kirk of persecuting his men. Friction between the Klingons and Humans comes to a head in the form of a brawl in the station lounge, started by words between Scotty and Korax.

[edit] Act Three

Later, Kirk learns the tribbles have been circulating through the station ventilation ducts – which also lead to the grain storage areas. Opening them, Kirk finds not grain, but tribbles, gorged on the grain and cascading upon him from above.

[edit] Act Four

In the face of Baris' threats to convene a board of inquiry against Kirk, Spock and McCoy notice many of the tribbles in the pile are either dead or dying. McCoy begins an analysis of the tribbles and the grain, while Kirk questions Jones.

Baris, Darvin, Koloth and Korax soon join them. Darvin, however, sets off the same negative reaction in the tribbles as the Klingons, bringing McCoy with his tricorder. Darvin is revealed to be a Klingon who poisoned the grain with a virus that prevents anyone eating it from absorbing the nutrients, which is how the tribbles died. "In a storage compartment full of grain, they starve to death," Kirk summarizes. Darvin is arrested, the Klingons are ordered out of Federation territory and Kirk concludes he may get to like tribbles.

Kirk and Spock then bring Jones to the station's bar, and give him a choice: twenty years in a rehabilitation colony for transporting a species proved harmful to human life, or pick up every tribble on the station (which Spock calculates would take 17.9 years). Jones accepts the latter. Back aboard the Enterprise, Kirk finds the ship swept clean of tribbles, and asks Spock, McCoy and Scotty how they did it. All questions are deflected to Scotty, to his great discomfort. When Kirk demands an answer, Scotty replies that before the Klingons went into warp, he beamed all of them into their engine room, "where they'll be no tribble at all."

[edit] Log entries

"Captain’s log, stardate 4523.3. Deep Space Station K-7 has issued a Priority One call. More than an emergency, it signals near or total disaster. We can only assume the Klingons have attacked the station. We're going in armed for battle."

"Captain’s log, stardate 4524.2. A Klingon warship is hovering only 100 kilometers from Deep Space Station K-7 while its captain waits in the station manager's office. Their intentions are unknown."

"Captain’s log, stardate 4525.6. A small disturbance between the Klingon crew and members of the Enterprise crew has broken out aboard Space Station K-7. I am forced to cancel shore leave for both ships."

[edit] Memorable Quotes

"I was making a little joke, sir."
"Extremely little, ensign."

- Chekov and Spock

"Oh, quadrotriticale! I've read about this but I've never seen any before."
"Does everybody know about this wheat but me?"
"Not everyone, Captain. It's a Russian invention."

- Chekov and Kirk

"Another technical journal, Scotty?"
"Aye."
"Don't you ever relax?"
"I am relaxin'!"

- Kirk and Scott

"They do indeed have one redeeming characteristic."
"What's that?"
"They do not talk too much."

- Spock and McCoy, on the subject of tribbles

"A curious creature. Its trilling seems to have a tranquilizing effect on the human nervous system. Fortunately, of course, I am ... immune ... to ... its ... effect..."

- Spock

"Captain Kirk, I consider your security measures a disgrace! In my opinion, you have taken this entire very important project far too lightly."
"On the contrary, sir, I think of this project as very important... it is you I take lightly."

- Baris and Kirk

"Almost fifty percent of the creature's metabolism is geared for reproduction. Do you know what do you get if you feed a tribble too much?"
"A fat tribble?"
"No, you get a whole lot of hungry little tribbles."
(turning to leave) "Well Bones, all I can suggest... is that you open up a maternity ward."

- McCoy and Kirk

"When are y'gonna get off that milk diet, lad?"
"This is vodka!"
"Where I come from, that's soda pop. Now, this is a drink for a man!"
"Scotch?"
"Aye!"
"It was invented by a little old lady from Leningrad!"

- Scotty and Chekov

"That sagging old rust bucket is designed like a garbage scow! Half the quadrant knows it; that's why they're learning to speak Klingonese!"
"Mr. Scott!"
"Laddie... don't you think you should... rephrase that?"
"Yehhhr right, ah shooold. I didn't mean to say the Enterprise should be hauling garbage, I meant to say that it should be hauled away AS garbage!"

- Korax, Chekov, and Scotty

"And after they said all this, (insults to Kirk) that's when you hit the Klingons."
"No, sir."
"No?"
"No... I didn't. You told us to avoid trouble..."
"Oh yes..."
"And I didn't see that it was worth fighting about. After all, we're big enough to take a few insults – aren't we?"
"What was it they said that started the fight?"
"They called the Enterprise a garbage scow – sir!"
"I see. And...that's when you hit the Klingon."
(proudly) "Yes, sir!"
"You hit the Klingons because they insulted the Enterprise, not because they..."
"Well, sir – this was a matter of pride!"
"Alright Scotty... dismissed – oh, Scotty, you're... restricted to quarters until further notice."
"Yes, sir – (brightly) Thank you, sir! That'll give me a chance to catch up on my technical journals!"

- Kirk hearing Scott explain the fight in the station bar.

"Well the nearest thing that I can figure is that they're born pregnant – which appears to be quite a time-saver!"

- Dr. McCoy

"Surely you must have realized what would happen if you removed the tribbles from their predator-filled environment, into an environment where their natural multiplicative proclivities would have no restraining factors."
"Well, of cour– what did you say?"

- Spock and Cyrano Jones

"People have disrupted stations before without being Klingon spies. Sometimes all they need is a title. Unfortunately, disrupting a station is not a criminal offense. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a ship to tend to. Au revoir."

- Kirk, reacting to the assertion that Cyrano Jones has disrupted station K-7.

"Well you're right Mr. Jones, they don't like Klingons... but they do like Vulcans. Well Mr. Spock, I didn't know you had it in you."
"Obviously tribbles are very perceptive creatures, Captain."

- Kirk and Spock, on the tribbles and Vulcans

"They like you, Mr. Baris! (muttering) Well, there's no accounting for taste..."

- Kirk, after the tribbles coo at Baris

"There must be thousands of them."
"Hundreds of thousands."
"One million, seven hundred seventy-one thousand, five hundred sixty-one. That's assuming one tribble, multiplying with an average litter of ten, producing a new generation every twelve hours over a period of three days."
"And that's assuming that they got here three days ago."
"And allowing for the amount of grain consumed, and the volume of the storage compartment."

- Kirk, McCoy, and Spock

"Yes, until that board of inquiry, I'm still a captain. And as captain, I want two things done; first – find Cyrano Jones, and second... close that door."

- Kirk, as Tribbles continue to descend

"Captain, one little tribble isn't... harmful? Captain you wouldn't do a thing like that to me now would you? Would you?"
"The penalty is twenty years in a rehabilitation colony."
"Captain Kirk – friend! Friend Kirk! Surely we can come to some sort of... mutual understanding? After all, my tribbles did put you wise to the poisoned grain? And they did help you to find the Klingon agent; saved a lot of lives that way... hm?"
"There is one thing you can do."
"Yes."
"Pick up every tribble on the space station; if you do that, I'll speak to Mister Lurry about returning your space ship."
"It would take years...
"Seventeen point nine, to be exact."
"Seventeen point nine...years."
"Consider it job security."
"Captain, you're a hard man! (begins to be escorted away) All right, all right!"
"You'll do it?"
(weakly) "I'll do it."

- Cyrano Jones, Kirk and Spock

"I gave them a very good home, sir."
"WHERE?!"
"I gave them to the Klingons, sir."
"You gave them to the Klingons!?"
"Aye, sir. Before they went into warp, I transported the whole kit an' kaboodle into their engine room... where they'll be no tribble at all."

- Scotty and Kirk, as Scotty explains the cleanup of the tribbles

"They don't like you, Mr. Darvin – I wonder why? Bones?"
(activating scanner)"...Heartbeat is all wrong... his body temperature is – Jim, this man is a Klingon!"

- Kirk and McCoy, on why a Tribble screeches at Arne Darvin.

[edit] Background Information

Star Trek returned to the events of this episode in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations" to celebrate the franchise's 30th anniversary.
"More Tribbles, More Troubles" is the TAS sequel to this episode.
Bantam Books published a series of novelizations called "foto-novels," in which took photographic stills from actual episodes and arranged word balloons and text over them, to create a comic book formatted story. The third installment was an adaptation of this episode.

[edit] Story and Script

This script, one of Star Trek's most popular, was David Gerrold's first professional sale ever. His working title for the episode was "A Fuzzy Thing Happened to Me..."
The line in which Spock says that Kirk heard what Baris said, but could not believe his ears, was lifted directly from a Mad Magazine spoof of Star Trek (titled Star Blecch) that had just been published.
Chekov quips that Scotch whiskey "was invented by a little old lady from Leningrad." That Russian city, originally St. Petersburg, had its name changed to honor Vladimir Lenin, leader of the Communist revolution in 1917. The name St. Petersburg was restored in 1991, after the breakup of the USSR. Chekov's scripted reference to Leningrad was apt for 1967, when the episode was made. It suggests that in the 23rd century, that the name has come back into use, or that the whiskey was invented during the time it was called Leningrad. The episode "I, Mudd" and movie Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home also refers to Leningrad.

[edit] Cast and Characters

George Takei (Hikaru Sulu) does not appear in this episode. For much of the second season, he was filming The Green Berets. Many scenes written for Takei were switched over to Walter Koenig.
Guy Raymond (the bartender) also played a bartender in beer commercials during the '60s, in which he commented on the strange occurrences in his bar.
Michael Pataki is another actor who guested in two series of Star Trek, appearing in TNG: "Too Short a Season".
Some of the extras in the bar are wearing turtleneck uniforms from "The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before". The gentleman who seems to be enjoying watching the fight is wearing Finnegan's uniform from "Shore Leave", another one is wearing a uniform of the Antares worn by Ramart or Tom Nellis in "Charlie X".
Ed Reimers, who plays Admiral Fitzpatrick, was the TV spokesman for Allstate Insurance in the 1960s. In a funny sequence from the blooper reel, he catches a tribble and says, "Oh, and Captain: you're in good hands with tribbles" (a play on the Allstate motto, "You're in good hands with Allstate.")
William Schallert later guest starred as Varani in DS9: "Sanctuary".
James Doohan insisted on doing his own stunts in the barroom brawl. Jay Jones only doubled for him in a few brief fight sequences.
This is one of the few episodes in which Doohan's missing right middle finger (lost due to injuries sustained during the invasion of Normandy in World War Two) is apparent. It can also be noticed as he carries a large bundle of tribbles to Captain Kirk, complaining that they've infested Engineering.
This is one of the only times in the series that Scott and Chekov have a conversation with one another. (However, in "Friday's Child", when Scott remarks, "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me," Chekov quips that the saying was invented in Russia.) Ironically, along with Kirk, they would be featured together in Star Trek Generations.
Paul Baxley is credited as "Ensign Freeman," but is wearing lieutenant's stripes, as pointed out in DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations" when Miles O'Brien mistakes Freeman for Captain Kirk and Julian Bashir questions his rank insignia.

[edit] Production

During production of the "buried in tribbles" scene, it took up to eight takes (a considerable number) to get the avalanche of tribbles to fall just right. DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations" would later establish that the continuously falling tribbles hitting Kirk were in fact thrown by Benjamin Sisko and Jadzia Dax, frantically searching for the bomb placed by the future Darvin. In reality, the tribbles kept falling out of the hatch because members of the production crew had no direct line of sight with William Shatner during the filming of the scene and could not tell when there were "enough" tribbles; a barrier in the set separated them from the storage compartment, which was filled with prop tribbles. In order to set up the avalanche scene, crew members kept throwing tribbles over the wall to ensure that the bin remained as "full" as possible; when the compartment was empty, these tribbles then fell onto Shatner's head as the crew tossed them one by one. Near the end of the scene, a perplexed Shatner–already chest-deep in tribbles–can clearly be seen turning his head toward the wall behind him, wondering when the prop men will stop.
^{(citation needed • edit)}
Wah Chang designed the original tribbles. Hundreds were sewn together during production, using pieces of extra-long rolls of carpet. Some of them had mechanical toys placed in them so they could walk around. The original tribbles became sought-after collector's items, and quickly disappeared from the prop department. According to Gerrold, 500 tribbles were constructed for the episode and the tribble-maker, Jacqueline Cumere, was paid US$350.

[edit] Effects

Sound effects editor Douglas Grindstaff combined altered dove coos, screech owl cries and emptying balloons to create the tribble sounds.
The Enterprise miniature seen out of Lurry's window doesn't move, but if it was orbiting at the same speed the station was rotating, this would make sense.
The miniature is actually one of the plastic model kits that AMT was selling at the time. In the 1970s, AMT produced a model of the K-7 space station itself, complete with a tiny Enterprise. SCTV blew up a Klingon ship with phaser blasts from some of these K-7 model kits in a low-budget effects spoof of The Empire Strikes Back in 1981.
Footage of K-7 was recycled in "The Ultimate Computer".
According to Michael and Denise Okuda's text commentary on this episode for the second season DVD set, the last fresh footage of the Enterprise was done for this episode. In every episode to follow, the shots of the ship were all stock footage.
When Kirk, Spock and McCoy leave the bridge, after Kirk orders "Get these tribbles off the bridge," the turbolift doors open with the harsh sound the doors really have, rather than the gentle "whoosh" normally heard on the series. This error remains in the "remastered" version as well.

[edit] Sets

The entire bar set, including the bartender's costume, is recycled from "Court Martial".

[edit] Reception

This episode was nominated for a Hugo Award in 1968 as "Best Dramatic Presentation".
Despite the broad popularity of this episode among fans, series Co-Producer Bob Justman wrote in his book Inside Star Trek: The Real Story that he never liked this episode, as he felt the characters parodied themselves, and that the episode's over-the-top humor lacked believability.
This was voted the best episode of Star Trek by viewers of Sci-Fi Channel's Star Trek 40th Anniversary Celebrations.
It was also voted the best episode by "Empire" Magazine when they ranked the series #43 on their list of "The 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time." [1]

[edit] Remastered Information

"The Trouble with Tribbles" was the ninth episode of the remastered version of The Original Series to air. It premiered in syndication on the weekend of 4 November 2006 and featured significantly enhanced shots of the K-7 space station, now including the orbiting D7-class, IKS Gr'oth. The Enterprise can now be seen more often from Lurry's office, moving toward the left side of the window as it orbits K-7. The remastered episode is marked by the introduction of a revised digital model of the Enterprise, allowing for more detailed and accurate shots of the ship to be created.
None of the special shots from the DS9 tribute episode was included in the remastered version.

Original version...

...and the CGI update.

The next remastered episode to air was "Mirror, Mirror".

[edit] Production Timeline

Story premise by David Gerrold, February 1967
Story outline by David Gerrold, 23 June 1967
First draft teleplay, 30 June 1967
First (sic) draft teleplay, 19 July 1967
First draft script, 21 July 1967
Revised final draft, 1 August 1967
Filmed in late August 1967
Premiere airdate: 29 December 1967
Star Trek Fotonovel #3: 1973 - ISBN 055312689X
The Trouble with Tribbles: The Birth, Sale and Final Production of One Episode paperback: 1973
The Trouble with Tribbles: The Birth, Sale and Final Production of One Episode paperback: 1976
The Trouble with Tribbles: The Birth, Sale and Final Production of One Episode paperback reissue: 12 April 1987 - ISBN 0345347889
"Trials and Tribble-ations", incorporating "Trouble" footage: 4 November 1996
Remastered airdate: 4 November 2006

[edit] Video and DVD releases

US CED LaserDisc release: 1 April 1982
Original US Betamax release: 1986.
US LaserDisc release: 11 October 1986
UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 22, catalogue number VHR 2357, 2 April 1990.
Japan LaserDisc release: 25 March 1993.
US VHS release: 15 April 1994.
As part of the UK VHS Star Trek: The Original Series - Tricorder Pack collection: catalogue number VHR 4373, 3 June 1996.
UK re-release (three-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 2.5, 5 May 1997.
UK LaserDisc release: 11 August 1997
Original US DVD release (single-disc): Volume 21, 24 April 2001.
As part of the TOS Season 2 DVD collection.
As part of the Star Trek: Fan Collective - Klingon DVD collection.
As part of the TOS-R Season 2 DVD collection.
As part of The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series DVD collection.

[edit] Links and References

[edit] Starring

William Shatner as Capt. Kirk

[edit] Also starring

Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock

And:

DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy

[edit] Co-Starring

[edit] Featuring