A Taste of Armageddon
| "A Taste of Armageddon" | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: The Original Series episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 23 |
| Directed by | Joseph Pevney |
| Story by | Robert Hamner |
| Teleplay by | |
| Featured music | Alexander Courage |
| Cinematography by | Jerry Finnerman |
| Production code | 023 |
| Original air date | February 23, 1967 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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"A Taste of Armageddon" (season #1, episode #23, production #23) is a first-season episode of the original American science fiction television series, Star Trek. It was first broadcast on February 23, 1967, and repeated July 20, 1967. It was written by Robert Hamner and Gene L. Coon, and directed by Joseph Pevney.
In this episode, the crew of the USS Enterprise visits a planet whose people fight a computer-simulated war against a neighboring planet. Although the war is fought via computer simulation, the citizens of each planet have to submit to real executions inside "disintegration booths" to meet the casualty counts of the simulated attacks. The crew of the Enterprise is caught in the middle and are told to submit themselves voluntarily for execution after being "killed" in an "enemy attack".
The Federation starship USS Enterprise travels to Eminiar VII to bring Ambassador Robert Fox (Gene Lyons) to establish diplomatic relations between the Federation and Eminiar VII. There is little knowledge about Eminiar VII, beyond that they have intrasystem space travel and have had a long-standing war between them and neighboring planet Vendikar; the only contact had been made by the USS Valiant which previously traveled to the system before it mysteriously disappeared and was lost.
Nearing the planet, the Enterprise receive a message from Eminiar VII warning them not to approach under any circumstances. Fox orders Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) to enter orbit anyway. Kirk, First Officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and additional security personnel beam down to the planet, where they are met by representatives Mea 3 (Barbara Babcock) and Anan 7 (David Opatoshu). Anan 7 reminds them they should not have come, as their city had just been struck by a Vendikar fusion bomb which has killed half a million people. The city shows no such damage, and Kirk inquires how this was possible. They are shown that Eminiar VII and Vendikar, as part of a treaty, participate in simulated war games to avoid destroying either civilization or ecology, but those that are considered "killed" must report to disintegration chambers within 24 hours. The landing party is told that the Enterprise has been calculated to have been struck by a tri-cobalt satellite, and its crew now considered "killed", demanding Kirk order the crew to the disintegration chambers. Kirk refuses, and the landing party is held hostage.
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