Balance of Terror | Star Trek TOS Review

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]Debris on our scanners. Analysis quickly. Same type as before, sir.

[00:00:05]Except >> [screaming] >> one metal-cased object. Helm, hard over.

[00:00:10]Phasers, FIRE POINT-BLANK. PHASERS, FIRE.

[00:00:20]HELLO, EVERYONE. I'M JOHNNY, and today we're taking a look at Balance of Terror, a classic Star Trek episode. A foundational episode introducing the Romulans.

[00:00:31]It's further a great classic cat and mouse thriller.

[00:00:34]So, let's take a look.

[00:00:38]Balance of Terror is easily in many people's top 10 classic Trek episodes.

[00:00:43]And if you have an interest in submarine warfare or submarine movies, it could easily be your favorite Trek episode.

[00:00:50]The episode is fundamentally an analog of the acclaimed 1957 submarine film, The Enemy Below.

[00:01:00]Balance of Terror is one of the great Trek episodes that presents deep space [music] warfare as isolated and fear-inducing as it should be.

[00:01:09]It further highlights how an entire crew might function together in times of war.

[00:01:14]This engagement isn't simply fought on the bridge and or in engineering.

[00:01:20]You get to see weapons rooms [music] and tactical officers and technicians coming together to bring a ship to battle stations.

[00:01:28]To add to the gravity of the engagement, you have conflicting opinions on how to engage a species and spacecraft [music] completely foreign to the Enterprise.

[00:01:40]The Romulans are presented for the first time in this episode as a mysterious [music] people with whom the Federation long ago engaged with in a war that left more questions than answers.

[00:01:54]This war was conducted at extreme [music] distances using nuclear weapons.

[00:01:58]Sides never physically met or even made combat at ranges where they could obtain a proper visual representation of each other.

[00:02:06]Peace was eventually made through subspace [music] channels.

[00:02:09]A neutral zone was created and a treaty guaranteed peace through non-engagement.

[00:02:17]Generations later, the Romulans seem to want to provoke a war for political purposes.

[00:02:24]They're introduced as a shrewd people devoted to their government.

[00:02:28]This episode also famously introduces Romulans as the space analog for the Romans.

[00:02:35]The twin planets of the Romulan Star Empire, Romulus and Remus, a reference to the twin brothers from Roman [music] mythology who founded the city of Rome.

[00:02:45]Their ranks include centurions and praetors. They are governed by a senate.

[00:02:51]But most notably, they are a martial expansionist society with military prowess as a supreme measure of a citizen >> [music] >> and the state.

[00:03:02]But it's the Romulan captain who gives this culture life and depth.

[00:03:06]The captain of the Romulan vessel is played by Mark Lenard who would play many roles in the Star Trek franchise, notably Spock's father, Sarek.

[00:03:16]But his breakout role in the franchise really stands out.

[00:03:20]He, like many Trek actors, is a classically trained stage veteran.

[00:03:26]His performance as a brilliant man trapped in a position, career, and culture of blind loyalty is excellent.

[00:03:34]He wants to win this engagement. [music] He wants glory for his men and people.

[00:03:39]But he also wants peace, [music] reason, and like his distant Vulcan relatives, logic.

[00:03:46]He does not want to waste the lives of his people for a political war.

[00:03:52]Balance of Terror is no doubt required viewing for anyone writing or acting Romulan characters.

[00:03:59]The bar is set very high here for characters of depth and intelligence.

[00:04:05]Likewise, the episode gives Kirk a chance to show his cunning.

[00:04:09]The engagement is very much a battle of wits between the two trying to get into each other's minds.

[00:04:16]Not that Kirk doesn't always have time for a little cuddle during the heat of the action.

[00:04:23]What makes this episode work so very well as a submarine versus destroyer parallel is the [music] difference between the Enterprise and the Romulan bird of prey.

[00:04:33]The writers deserve a lot of credit for the creativity used.

[00:04:37]It's truly an excellent transition from a real-world World War II era engagement to a science fiction one.

[00:04:46]The bird of prey is the slower ship, but is armed with stealth.

[00:04:50]However, due to power restrictions, it has to decloak to fire, leaving it vulnerable.

[00:04:56]Much like a U-boat having to surface to periscope depth to establish targeting solutions.

[00:05:03]The weapons of each ship are vastly different as well. The torpedoes on the bird of prey are the more deadly, but have limited range.

[00:05:12]All such differences between the two ships give the story some excellent tactical play to make for intense engagements.

[00:05:20]Right down to the bird of prey discarding debris and even fallen men to play dead.

[00:05:41]All right, I'm Johnny. Thanks for watching this overview of Balance of Terror.

[00:05:46]Do remember to never forget that a Romulan never forgets.

[00:05:52]But most importantly, do take care. Have a nice rest of your day.