Star Trek Review: OPERATION: ANNIHILATE!

Director Herschel Daugherty's, "OPERATION: ANNIHILATE!," is an odd but effective Sci-Fi tale. Daugherty also directed, "The Savage Curtain," as well as episodes of "The Girl from U.N.C.L.E."

The flying parasites in this episode, constructed by Wah Chang, resemble the rubber vomit you see in novelty stores, with the "chunks" removed. If your kids are in their "gross out" stage, they may dig this scene. Gee, I wonder if they sell wiggly parasite replicas at the Trek conventions, next to the tribble booth?

Writer, Stephen W. Carabatsos, delivers a tense, involving script. Carabatsos also wrote "Court Martial".

This is one of the few classic "Trek" episodes where we learn about Kirk's family/relatives. Interestingly, William Shatner represents Kirk's dead brother, George Samuel Kirk, in a brief scene.

The exteriors of Deneva were shot at the T.R.W. corporation in California. While a nice change from the cramped "exterior" planet set on the sound stage, the realistic locations don't sell the idea of "future" very well.

The scene, where Spock loses his sight, is my "favorite" one, if that's the right word. We care about the stoic, pointed ear guy, and when he suffers this calamity, we really feel it.

"OPERATION: ANNIHILATE!" should be fairly watchable for Sci-Fi viewers. Captain James Tiberius Kirk genealogy enthusiasts will appreciate the family background.

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