The Galileo Seven

Okay, so I have to admit this is one of my least favourite episodes, so if my review is sub-standard, you will know why.

We have the premise that this is Spock's first Command, which hardly makes sense as he is already an Officer so, anyway, Spock is in command of the Enterprise's shuttle craft, The Galileo; he and his team are off to get a closer look at a quasar-like phenomena. Meanwhile, the Enterprise has an appointment to keep delivering much needed medical supplies to the plague-ridden Markus III - talk about your ticking clock! Well of course the mandatory ion-storm comes along and drags our hapless shuttlenauts down to the surface of a hostile planet...well it's not the planet that is hostile, but the 10 foot tall, spear-throwing ape-men, who have the pleasure of living there.

Well our Spock makes all the logical decisions and still manages to lose two Redhsirts to the natives, luckily he has Scotty there to help repair the shuttle.

Meanwhile Kirk has the very antsy and officious Commissioner Ferris breathing down his neck, insisting that the Enterprise leave the crew of Galileo to their fate and get those medical supplies where they should be. But his Spocky is down there, isn't he? So we know Kirk isn't going to give up that easily.

Spock is faced with more and more decisions, including whether to bury the dead and whether the shuttle craft will even be able to achieve orbit, well they do and it does, but they only have enough fuel to remain in orbit for a very short time.

Kirk waits until the very last moment, stalling for every last second, but has to reluctantly depart...leaving his scanners pointing aft.

In a desperate last act Spock jettisons the shuttle's last remaining fuel and sets it alight, as a distress beacon. The shuttle burns up in the atmosphere, but the crew are beamed aboard the Enterprise in the nick of time.

The final scene is a lovely little bit of slash, with Kirk almost snuggling up to Spock and teasing him unmercilessly about taking a gamble; Spock of course maintains that it was a logical decision and everyone has a laugh about it...end of episode.