Star Trek (TV Series) Errand of Mercy (1967) User Reviews

One of the best of the series.

[aaustin-10 · 9/10 · 13 April 2011]

The Federation and the Klingon Empire go to war. Kirk and Spock beam down to the pacifist but strategically-located planet Organia to negotiate with the inhabitants for use of their world in the coming conflict. But then the Enterprise gets driven away from the planet by a Klingon invasion fleet, and Kirk and Spock get marooned on Organia as the Klingons occupy it. And as Kirk and Spock try to figure a way out of this mess, the native Organians seem inexplicably indifferent that the Klingons have taken over their world and threaten their lives.

This episode resides at the top of the heap of Trek. Here is a well-paced, tension-filled, logical plot with good characters and an intriguing riddle at its core. John Colicos gives a simply great performance as the Klingon commander Kor, who is menacing and ruthless, yet oddly likable as he pontificates on martial virtue and survival of the fittest. And he gets the all time great line in Trek: "I don't trust a man who smiles too much." What is so interesting is that, despite Kirk's protests that he and Kor have completely different world views, and despite Kirk's obvious disgust with the Klingons, Kirk and Kor do seem to have similarities in character. They certainly agree in their contempt for the passive Organians.

John Abbot is fascinating as the seemingly spineless Organian leader who turns out to be a lot more than anybody anticipated. And the riddle of what the Organians are all about, and why they seem so aloof to what's happening around them, drives the episode nicely. And as always, the interplay between Kirk and Spock is familiar, comforting, and entertaining; note the scene where Spock provides a guesstimate of their chances of surviving a particular ordeal, and Kirk is as always respectfully amused at his best bud's brilliant yet socially oblivious personality.

And the final scene, where we learn why and who the Organians are, is a perfect wrap up of character and plot. It's great to see Kirk and Kor both devolve into helpless outrage when they realize their war is being preempted by beings they had previously looked down upon as weaklings. And it's even better to see Kirk grow embarrassed when the Organians bring it home to him that he is behaving as much like a bore as the Klingons are. It's a triumph of realistic, sympathetic character development.

Overall, "Errand of Mercy" nails it. It's too bad every episode could not be this good.

Curious how often you Humans manage to obtain that which you do not want

[snoozejonc · 9/10 · 3 May 2021]

After a surprise attack, the Federation is in a state of war with the Klingon Empire.

This is a strong episode that delivers a pacifist message in unique way and contains a number of memorable performances.

It has a good plot, giving great opportunities for characters to shine and contains an important message. It is rare to see the main protagonists and antagonists both portrayed like this and for me this is what makes it a great episode.

It introduces two excellent concepts in the Klingons and the Organians. Perhaps rather tellingly, considering the nature of the episode, it says a lot about what an audience wants to see when you consider the violent, warlike Klingons feature in so many future episodes, whereas the peaceful Organians only appear one other time in the franchise.

The only thing I found that slightly frustrates with The Errand Of Mercy is the time it takes to get to a key reveal. From the early scenes it is clear to see The Organians are not just simple pacifist humanoids, yet it takes almost fifty minutes to get to their true form. Personally I do not think the writers should have made this so obvious. That being said, when the final reveal comes it is a brilliant and memorable concept done very cinematically.

The visuals are good with some decent interior sets and fun costumes on display. However the best part comes during the big reveal towards the end.

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy both give strong performances, particularly Nimoy in his facial expressions and body language. For me the star of the show is John Colicos as Kor.

I think it is an 8.5/10 but I round upwards.

Klingon Rule - Not a Pleasant Prospect

[Bogmeister · 8/10 · 30 July 2006]

Here they come...now they're here, the Klingons - aggressive, ruthless and sadistic - make their first appearance in the Trek universe. Kirk describes their society as a military dictatorship and there are parallels to Nazi rule in Europe during World War II. The Klingons take over a seemingly primitive civilization here briefly, with Kirk & Spock stuck in disguise in the center of it as a genuine war escalates up above in space (back to the folly of war as in "Balance of Terror"). The Klingons, as first presented here, are not total barbarians (tho they come close), as they do place value on glorious battle & courage in the middle of their penchant for torture, and only start executing populations when affronted somehow (well, good for them). The Klingon commander, Kor (Colicos in a sinister, threatening performance), also resembles a disciple of Genghis Khan and his marauding hordes, as if those invaders suddenly got their hands on 23rd-century technology. There's talk of political causes for the sudden escalation to war with the Federation, but how can anyone expect such an aggressively violent society as the Klingon Empire to stay out of war for any reasonable amount of time? It seems like a closed book and an inevitable outcome when trying to come up with reasons to stop the widespread hostility on display in this episode.

This may be the real motivation for the actions of the Organians in this episode. When their true nature is revealed, we get the impression they see very little, if any, difference between Starfleet (Kirk, Spock) and the invading Klingons. This attitude, of course, was on display from the beginning of the episode, causing Kirk great frustration before the truth was, er, illuminated in front of him. From his perspective, how could anyone not see the differences between his benevolent society and the slave-labor worlds dominated by Klingons? But, if you or I look down on the ground and see two armies of ants waging their little war, would we really pick a side? To us, ants are ants - why would we prefer one side to the other? However, we probably wouldn't take the trouble to stop the ants from fighting - and this is the puzzling aspect to the actions of the Organians in the end. Perhaps they realized, due to the nature of the Klingons, leaving them and the Federation to their own devices would lead to some kind of galactic devastation. Klingons continued to bedevil Kirk is several more episodes of the original series and the Trek movies. In the TNG series, they began to lean towards the honorable traits and away from the sadism.

But, this episode works on other insightful levels, from our perspective in the 21st century. Throughout the episode, it's spelled out, even by Kor himself, that there is indeed very little difference between Klingons and Humans, besides minor 'ideological' ones. Kor also has one of the better lines in this season ("I do not trust men who smile too much"). He and Kirk find themselves agreeing a bit too well on their erroneous view of the seemingly contemptible Organians and, despite Kor's amusing protests, the episode's function as prophecy seems to hold true - that eventually the two warring factions will be allies in some future. Though it does seem unlikely during this episode, it does predict the events of the "Star Trek: the Undiscovered Country" film and the TNG series. This episode also has distinct similarities to "Arena," where-in the Metrons, another highly-evolved race, also interfered with our immature warlike tendencies. The deus ex machina nature of these story lines, courtesy of such 'higher powers,' makes them a little weaker than the more hard-hitting episodes of the series, but they remain high concept science fiction.

Break It Up You Two!

[Samuel-Shovel · 9/10 · 2 May 2018]

In "Errand of Mercy", the Enterprise must beat the Klingons to a planet that is of significant strategic importance between the Klingon Empire and the Federation's realm of control. This planet is known as Organia and appears to be technologically inferior to humans and Klingons alike. Kirk pleads with its council to side with the Federation in an imminent war with the Klingons in order to avoid occupation but the Organians seem unperturbed by any of this. The Enterprise is forced to retreat when a Klingon fleet arrives and takes over control of the planet with Kirk & Spock captured upon it. But, like a group of parents who are tired of listening to their children squabble, the Organians break up the conflict between the two sides, showing their evolutionary and intellectual superiority, making Kirk and his counterpart named Kor seem petty.

This is one of the best episodes of Season 1! I love the indifference with which the Organians treat every threat thrown their way. Kirk never even tries to understand the Organians; he assumes he's so far above them that they can't even understand the conundrum they find themselves in. At the end of the episode, Kirk looks back and realizes he's not the biggest fish in the pond like he originally presumed. It's an important lesson. No matter how much self-importance we give ourselves and how much our issues seem to matter within the concept of our own lives, we're really all just dust in the wind.

With John Calicos, this can't help but be good

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 6 December 2006]

This is the first episode where you see the Klingons--you know, the ORIGINAL Klingons who look a lot like humans with dirty skin. The bumps on the head and long scary hair are not to be seen--this didn't come until the first Star Trek movie (and even then, they still didn't look exactly like the later Klingons). Fortunately, the leader of the Klingons is John Calicos--a slimy character actor who almost always played villains. He was just perfect for the role and contributed a lot to the episode.

The show starts with Spock and Kirk landing on a planet that is about to be invaded by Klingons. The pre-industrial residents seem to care less about the invasion despite their best efforts to warn them of impending death or slavery. However, before they can go back to the ship, the Klingons land and the guys are stuck among the smiling and somewhat zombie-esquire residents. For most of the rest of the film, Kirk and Spock try to wage war against the Klingons--hoping to get the residents to join them. How this is all handled is truly interesting and a fitting conclusion to the madness.

"as we are to the gnat"

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 7 September 2013]

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy are at a loss to explain what they're encountering on a planet called Organia. There is an imminent invasion by the Klingons that will pass this planet and its location makes it a great place for a military base.

Yet these Organians led by Peter Brocco are so docile and placid to Captain Kirk's warnings and later to the Klingon arrival led by John Colicos it defies explanation. Possibly Gandhi's non-violence taken to the extreme?

It's not of course and the explanation is something that neither human or Klingon like to contemplate. In the end the Organians become peacemakers in a most unusual manner.

One of the best Star Trek prime episodes and a favorite of mine.

The fallibility factor...

[poe426 · 10/10 · 11 June 2012]

Our first introduction to the Klingons is a classic of many facets: we meet the evil Kor, played with great smarminess by John Colicos (an underrated actor who should've been a regular on this series), and the evil Kirk, played with all sincerity by William Shatner. Shatner's Kirk is as driven to spill blood as Colicos's Kor- though for different reasons. THIS "fallibilty factor" (as I call it) was one of the more interesting aspects of the original series: more than once, we see our hero, Kirk, in a less-than-flattering light (in this episode and in episodes like THE CONSCIENCE OF THE KING and OBSESSION), where his normally firm grasp of things proves a tad shaky. (And, in a host of episodes- like THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE and OMEGA GLORY and others- we see The Fallibilty Factor in other starship captains.) Kirk, too, gets his come-uppance here. Another great episode.

"I respect you Captain, but this is war..."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 4 November 2010]

This episode has a bit of "The Day The Earth Stood Still" at it's core lying just below the surface. Unlike that famous classic film however, the intruders are Earthlings and Klingons, each intent on achieving sway with the council elders of Organia. I'm a bit amazed that the Enterprise managed to visit so many Class-M planets so far in it's first series run. Considering we might have been subjected to all those goofy 'B' movie space suits so prevalent in the Fifties, that might have been a wise idea.

There's a real interesting scene near the finale just before the Organians turn the tables on Kirk and Kor (John Colicos). When it became apparent the Organians had the upper hand, Kor was suddenly willing to team up with the Captain to achieve victory. Isn't that the way with all despots - attempting to gain advantage through treachery? Hitler allowed Neville Chamberlain 'peace in our time' while he turned his attention to fighting Russia.

Of course, the Organians and their leader Ayelborne (John Abbott) had no way of knowing who the real aggressor might have been. So their decision to neutralize both sides was an obviously sound one. Spock didn't disappoint me here, he said 'Fascinating' at the precise moment when I was asking myself - why doesn't Spock say 'Fascinating'. With Kirk and Kor both checkmated, the Organians reveal just what they think of these opposing warriors - go away, you bother us.

It would have been glorious

[jbirks106 · 9/10 · 9 August 2016]

This gets my vote for the best of the original series. It is well- conceived, tightly written, and a great mixture of thought-provoking insight and humorous irony. The idea of an entire species and culture being without physical form isn't a new idea (Asimov for one explored this in his Foundation series almost 20 years earlier), but for network TV a half century ago it's a brilliant episode.

I agree with others about John Colicos as Kor. While malevolent enough for a Klingon leader, he plays the role with complexities that are often missing in ST bad guys. He and Kirk are indeed alike in their contempt for the Organians, to the point where Kor proposes an alliance with Kirk.

It's remarkable also that in this, the first ever appearance of Klingons, Ayelborne foresees the day when the Federation and Klingon Empire will be friends. This eventuality was not fully realized until ST:TNG ... over 20 years later.

The Planet of Pacifists...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 16 February 2022]

The pacifists of Organia say, confrontation is not how we play, the guns that you don, human or Klingon, we object to in our conscientious way.

Kirk and Spock are trapped on a planet where the Klingons are digging in ready to do battle against the Federation, as two space armies gather above.

You are now subjects of the Klingon Empire (and you don't care)

[mstomaso · 9/10 · 10 May 2007]

The Enterprise crew are the first Star Fleet representatives to arrive on the planet Organia as hostilities break-out between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Organia offers tactical advantages and is inhabited by a passive, non-progressive, agricultural, humanoid people.

John Colicos turns in a landmark performance as a Klingon colonial administrator who arrives a few minutes after Kirk and Spock, with a full military contingent (uninhibited by the Federation's Prime Directive). Colicos' Kor becomes the archetypal personality for Klingon military leaders until the Klingons are somewhat redefined in DS9. Kor establishes mercilessness as his model and begins executing Organians who do not offer complete and open cooperation. And the Organians don't care. They sit back, aloof - neither resisting nor cooperating, and frustrate both Kor and Kirk.

The episode offers a brilliant, somewhat nihilistic and humbling resolution - which you will have to see for yourself, and is one of the most satisfying of TOS. It's only negative point is the over-abundant and unnecessary 'witty banter' between Kirk and Spock as they plot against the Klingons - more subtly exploited in later Coon scripts.

Highly recommended.

Don't judge a book by its cover

[S3pt3m63r · 3 August 2022]

This episode is essentially what makes Original Series great. Spock and Kirk go out of their way to protect the seemingly defenceless Organians from the barbaric Klingons, unaware that they are as above them in intelligence as a human is from an amoeba.

The whole episode is spun around the organians being 20 steps ahead of everyone and Kirk and Kor being on the back foot and having to justify their war against one another. Of course this leads to the all important Organian peace treat persisted until preceded by the Khitomer accord.

So a very important episode as well as introducing the Klingons and Organians.

Similar to "Arena" but better (and worse) in some ways

[intp · 7/10 · 4 July 2014]

The premise of this episode is that the Enterprise and the Klingons are locked in a struggle for control of a seemingly primitive planet which has strategic value solely due to its location. The "primitive" Organians turn out to be anything but.

This episode was quite similar to "Arena", where Kirk is forced, by an advanced race, to battle the powerful (but slow-moving) Gorn commander in order to save his ship. But this episode was better than that one in some ways, and worse in others.

It was better in that the advanced race here-- the Organians-- are, unlike the Metrons of "Arena"-- a truly benevolent and peaceful race. They try to avoid interference at all, at first. When they are finally forced to act, they act to prevent any and all violence, including violence the Federation would perpetrate against the Klingons, whereas the Metrons would have seemingly been quite willing to wipe out the Gorn ship on a whim, if Kirk had so requested. Here, the Organians, unlike the Metrons, did seem to be an ethically superior race.

This episode does suffer, however, from pacing problems. The storyline basically requires that the nature of the Organians' vast power must be kept secret until the end of the episode, but as a result, the episode drags on and on, somewhat dully, and doesn't bear that well on re-watch. "Arena", on the other hand, maintained a fairly strong level of tension throughout, as Kirk desperately searched for a means to overcome his foe.

On the plus side, this episode introduces the Klingons. Nice acting job by John Colicos here as the Klingon commander. Also a rare opportunity for Sulu to be in command, albeit temporarily.

Overall, a fairly enjoyable episode the first time around, but not nearly as much on subsequent viewings.

Pointless Plot and Shallow Pacifism

[chrisbaird-ma · 4/10 · 7 February 2013]

Seeing as only die-hard fans have written reviews to this episode, I feel it needs a more critical assessment. Kirk and his crew have come to protect the Organians before the Klingons invade but they are too late. Deep in enemy territory, Kirk and Spock fight their way to the seat of power and... everything is canceled by "superior beings". Talk about anti-climatic! What's the point of living and fighting for what you hold dear if in the end we are all helpless pawns of an infinitely superior alien race? What's the point of creating a television show centered on a hero like captain Kirk for the viewers to root for, if when the hero gets in trouble, he's not saved by his courage, or intelligence, or creativity, or muscle, but is instead saved by the sudden appearance of a magical character that snaps his fingers and instantly makes everything right? I find this insulting to the viewer's intelligence. Also, this episode pretends to be making some deep statements about existence, but it is really just a simplistic and naive glorification of pacifism. "What if there was an infinitely powerful race devoted to pacifism that simply physically restrained everyone from fighting without hurting them. Wouldn't that be great?" No, that would be awful. Then we would be mindless slaves with no free will and no incentive to learn self control of our own accord.

Excellent episode

[csm-78119 · 9/10 · 25 August 2020]

This is one of the best episodes in Season 1 of Star Trek as Kirk and the Klingon commander Kor (John Colicos) come into conflict on the planet Organia. Kirk is bemused at the lack of concern and fight displayed by the Organians, who face Klingon rule, whereas Kor is entirely disdainful of them. In reality however, the Organians prove to be much wiser and more powerful than either commander appreciates and are themselves bemused about the conflict between the two warring parties. This episode cleverly showcases the absurd aspects of war whilst also highlighting the similarities and differences between the two commanders. John Calico is excellent as Kor and was to reappear as Kor in the Star Trek universe years later. There's an excellent performance too from John Abbot as the Organian leader.

Introducing the Klingons

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 12 June 2015]

This episode opens with the Enterprise heading to the world of Organia to prevent the Klingons seizing this harmless but strategically important planet. Kirk and Spock beam down and are surprised at the level of passivity displayed by the locals; they are totally unconcerned about the prospect of a Klingon invasion. They insist they are in no danger but have no obvious means of defending themselves. When the Klingons arrive in force Kirk orders the Enterprise to retreat back to Federation space. Trapped on the planet Kirk pretends to be a local while Spock poses as a Vulcan merchant. Kor, the leader of the Klingon invasion is disgusted by the way the Organians don't fight back but respects Kirk's anger and makes him his liaison officer. With nobody else offering any resistance Kirk and Spock destroy a Klingon munitions dump which leads to reprisals. Kirk can't understand why the Organians continue to remain passive but it turns out that they are far from the backward people everybody thought them to be.

This episode's main claim to fame is the introduction of Star Trek's best known villains; the Klingons. Here they are merely rather swarthy men rather than the heavily made-up characters viewers of latter series will be familiar with. John Colicos does a fine job as Kor; he makes a great antagonist without making the character a pantomime villain. The Organian's prove to be more interesting than they first appear although I'm sure most viewers will have guessed that they aren't quite what they seem long before the reveal. The episode is also notable for showing that there can be a degree of hypocrisy from the Federation; Kirk is happy to pressure the Organians to do as he suggests yet is outraged when it is they who interfere in the conflict between the Federations and the Klingons… an hypocrisy he acknowledges later. This is an episode all 'Star Trek fans' will want to see both for the story and the introduction of the Klingons.

Sometimes Things Are Out of Your Control

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 28 April 2014]

Kirk, representing the Federation, and Kor, the Klingon Empire are engaged in a struggle to save the Organians, a docile people who allow themselves to be walked all over. They don't seem to care who dominates them, not distinguishing between good and evil. Kirk and Spock self righteously decide these people need saving, despite their lack of interest. The boys begin to wage war with Klingon forces, altruistically becoming their defenders. They explode bombs and fire weapons. In the meantime, several Organians are killed to make a point. This is the first appearance of the Klingons and they are set forth as evil adversaries. The conclusion is one of the most satisfying moments in all of Star Trek because it shows us that we often lack imagination when it comes to our self centeredness. Everyone is taught a lesson.

intriguingly plotted episode

[HelloTexas11 · 8/10 · 14 February 2009]

'Errand of Mercy' takes the time-worn 'snobbish alien' theme and gives it a fresh twist, so much so that we don't even realize it as such until the very end. War appears imminent between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, and the Enterprise is dispatched to secure the strategically-placed planet of Organia, and keep it from falling into Klingon hands. The inhabitants of Organia seem incredibly blasé about what is happening all around them; the community Kirk and Spock beam down to resembles a European village around 1700 or so. There is a telling moment early on when the two materialize and passers-by don't even blink. "You'd think they had people beaming down every day," Kirk says. The village elders are intelligent, calm, soft-spoken, and completely unperturbed about the prospect of war or living in a Klingon slave labor camp. Klingons arrive (the Enterprise is forced to withdraw, stranding Kirk and Spock on the planet) and proceed to make the population's enslavement a reality. Two-fisted Kirk wants to lead the Organians in a resistance movement but they haven't the slightest interest. In the end, it is revealed the Organians are not the docile primitives we'd been led to believe, but rather a highly-advanced race of beings who were never threatened by either side in the first place. They are not human at all, rather 'pure energy,' and they only adopted human form for the humans' and Klingons' benefit. The Organians force both sides into a peace treaty and the war is called off as it was just beginning. The episode itself is not quite as satisfying as its premise and plot make it sound; the usual limitations of a weekly series come into play as always, but 'Errand of Mercy' certainly ranks among Star Trek's best.

"What happens in space is not your business..."

[Blueghost · 7 February 2012]

Sayeth Kor, the Klingon garrison commander of Organia. Colicos has the most memorable lines in this episode; commenting on everything from being touched to the glory of the Klingon Empire.

The Klingons, as originally written in the Star Trek bible, were a riff on the Communist Chinese, seen from a social dynamic as one being economically aggressive at one time in history, only to have fallen from grace and embrace the share-and-share-alike servitude from Marx's mind. The Klingon Empire is described as being a military dictatorship. The Klingons are the self proclaimed conquerors of space (or will be anyway), and Organia being in the disputed region, it is one of the first planets to fall into the fray.

Kirk and Spock take it upon themselves to show the primitives how they can resist the tyranny of Klingon occupation. Kor protests and takes action.

But there's a twist here. The battlefield that would be, one inhabited by the primitives of a far flung world, has a secret that the warring parties will discover.

It's a bit of a condescending episode in terms of what causes international conflict, and on the same vein rather naive. There's a real ivory tower perspective on the part of the author of this particular episode as he imparts his personal wisdom and outlook on why countries war with one another.

But, there it is. Opposing sides stare one another in the face, ready to annihilate life on a planetary scale when something happens. There's an admonishment from an over-bearing school teacher with all of the common sense of a PTA mother who utters inane phrases to her children after they've been bullied. The concept was to show how ridiculous the exercise would be, and the bloodshed as a result.

This episode is a reflection the face between the then so called First and Second World powers, with the Third World caught in the middle. It is an unexpected twist from the Third World representative that we get the PTA mother for the episode.

As such the action in this episode is confined to Star Fleet's executive officers hailing from the U.S.S. Enterprise, our vessel and home for our favorite TV show.

The highlight is seeing Star Fleet's finest pitted against the best the Klingon Empire has to offer. Who wins? You be the judge.

Enjoy.

Klingons before the drunkened honor inspired space pirate revolution.

[amusinghandle · 7/10 · 11 November 2023]

Those damn filthy savage corporeal species are ruining the zen time of the Organian's and ultimately they treat the humans and klingons like spoiled children taking away the toys and putting them in the time out room.

Kor is the highlight of the episodes to be sure. He makes an excellent antagonist to Kirk and it feels like watching two lions looking for weakness whenever they have dialogue with one another. The Klingons capture that ruthless Nazi feel to me in this episode. Come on now though ---- According to the Organians, we are going to share a couple of beers with a group of people who order mass executions and are involved in slavery? Man, I have to see that redemption arc.

It's not exactly a nuanced examination of war/peace but based on the level of advancement of the Organian's it makes sense that they would be annoyed by having to intercede on behalf of the innocent potential victims.

War (huh, yeah!)-what is it good for? Absolutely nothing, according to the Organians.

[BA_Harrison · 8/10 · 27 May 2022]

Errand of Mercy marks the introduction of the Klingons, making it an unmissable episode for Star Trek fans.

With negotiations with the war-like Klingon Empire breaking down, The Enterprise travels to the strategically-vital planet of Organia to prevent Klingon occupation. When Kirk and Spock beam down to the planet's surface, they are met by the elders, who seem most unconcerned about the situation, even when the Klingon army arrives in force. Naturally, Kirk and Spock are puzzled by the Organians' pacifism and try to convince them to fight back against their oppressors.

It's clear that there is more to the picture than meets the eye, but Kirk and his first officer seem blind to the obvious, so keen to kick some enemy butt that even the Vulcan cannot arrive at the logical conclusion: that the Organians have their own way of handling aggressors. As tensions mount and violence erupts, they finally play their hand, rendering all weapons unusable, forcing both sides to surrender. At first, Kirk is appalled that someone has seen fit to play god and effectively render the Federation powerless, the captain arguing that he has the right to wage war; however, realising how stupid this sounds, and on seeing Klingon warrior Commander Kor (John Colicos) equally horrified, he eventually understands the wisdom of the Organians' ways.

The Organians then reveal themselves to be highly-evolved incorporeal beings composed of pure energy and leave Kirk and Kor to ponder what might have been (a disappointed Kor says that war between them 'would have been glorious').

A fun episode made all the more memorable by Calicos as merciless Kor, the actor making for a truly loathsome villain (although he stops short of twirling his droopy Klingon moustache); he proved so effective at playing the bad guy that he would return to sci-fi TV as traitor Count Baltar in Battlestar Galactica.

An excellent script and parallels with Nazi Germany

[taragem72 · 9/10 · 3 January 2011]

"Errand of Mercy" is one of this reviewer's favorite. Indeed, guest star John Colicos, who plays the series' first Klingon commander, took the part because of the excellent script. The episode involves the Enterprise being sent to peaceful Organia to prevent the Klingons from using it as a strategic location in its expansion and enslaving its apparently primitive and non-violent inhabitants. However, instead of accepting Kirk's offer of help to prevent a Klingon take-over the Organians don't appear to be the least bit interested, to the consternation of Kick and Spock. Meanwhile, in space the Federation and the Klingon Empire prepare for all out war, paralleling Nazi Germany's expansion and the US being drawn into WW II. In true TOS fashion, the plot twists take you on a merry roller-coaster ride, each more fantastic than the last. Colicos' role as the Klingon Commander is superbly acted, portraying the ruthlessness and violent nature of the Klingons. Mr. Colicos was supposed to appear in that role in future episodes, but was unfortunately unable to due to other acting obligations. A tight script and surprise ending make "Errand of Mercy" one the TOS best.

Star Trek: The Original Series - Errand of Mercy

[Scarecrow-88 · 8/10 · 13 September 2016]

"Errand of Mercy" is pure enjoyment if just because Kirk is put in his place regarding the use of violence and the building potential of war between the Federation and Klingons by pacifistic Organians (John Abbott, their chief leader, among a peace counsel) who inhabit a planet both sides wish to occupy as a base. But John Colicos as the Klingon, Captain Kor, is the chief reason this episode is so much fun to watch. It is such a delicious part to sink his teeth into. Kor invades the Organian planet and sets up Klingon headquarters with Kirk and Spock parading as citizens of the people in order to conceal their ties to the Enterprise. Eventually Abbott and his counsel "betray" Kirk and Spock, informing Kor of their true identity. Then the Organian's help Kirk and Spock escape imprisonment, even hiding them, but when the Klingons respond by "killing 200 locals", and no attempts to save them, our Enterprise duo remain astonished at their unwillingness to respond with violence in kind. The anti-violence message is quite noised throughout and with Kirk and Kor arguing about how the Organians have no right dictating terms to them about how they conduct themselves off the planet (the Organians reluctantly take it upon themselves to interfere with the Klingon/Federation conflict by placing intense heat on all weapons, not allowing weapons of violence (or even combat by hand) to be used against each other), it does leave this impression of "if only our own planet had Organians to use that same power here". Colicos' confidence and showboating, instilled in his Kor, sure that the Klingon Empire would vanquish and conquer, only to be shackled by a peaceful race of lifeforms that are more than they appear in the Organians is most ironic. This smiling race that is so unconcerned about the planet being overtaken by tyrants, with Kirk especially critical of the Organians' non-efforts at saving their own, admitting that their behavior bothered him to the core, to the point of shame, builds perfectly to the finale when it is revealed that they were in control the entire time, truly showing their real form, as Spock responds with this look of realization (you can see it all come together and make sense, with Nimoy's face reflecting this) that the actions taken by the Federation and Klingon empire against one another deserved to be halted. Amusing proclamation from the Organians that the Federation and Klingons would be allies one day is foreshadowing. Kor disappointed he couldn't engage with Kirk in a major battle, accepting that the Organians preventing them from doing so denied him something "glorious" is done with such relish by Colicos…history would take him on a different path. Kirk's unapologetic ridicule of the Organians, deciding he and Spock would engage the enemy on their own, with Spock giving exact depressing odds of what they were up against is a highlight...Kirk, a take charge kind of guy, and these idle Organians who refuse to use violence at all is a fascinating duality of conflicting personalities. This episode is a landmark in respect to the Klingons, and what a way to introduce them with Colicos.

Peaceful Organians, Klingons & Federation At War

[Rainey-Dawn · 9/10 · 6 January 2017]

Season 1, episode 26. The Klingons and the Federation are at wars with one another. The planet Organia is the perfect planet to occupy during this war - it might give an advantage and both sides know it. The Organians are a peaceful group of people that do not like violence of any kind. Kirk and Spock beam down to the planet in order to warn them of the impending danger of the Klingons and offer the Organians protection against them. The Organians refuse Kirk's offer and the Klingons arrive and beam down quickly to take the planet over. The Klingon commander Kor quickly finds the Organians with Kirk and Spock who have been disguised as Organians by the Organians themselves and it fools Kor but only for a short time. Kor then holds Kirk and Spock in a cell while the Enterprise, with Sulu in command, waits for more of the Klingons to arrive along with the Federation to begin the war. The Organians will only remain peaceful as the tension builds and it puzzles Kirk, Spock and even the Klingon Commander Kor. Who or what are these peaceful Organians? It will take Kirk, Spock and Kor working together to find out in the end.

I really enjoy the Klingons vs the Federation episodes - this one is good.

9/10

The original Klingons are still the best Klingons

[kurt7825 · 10/10 · 3 May 2020]

One of my top 5 episodes and this one features the original cunning, cocky and charismatic Klingons. The cool ones, not the glorified stupid grunting cavemen of the later movies and series.

Exciting episode and one of my favorite