Writer: Steven W. Carabatsos
Director: Herschel Daugherty
Producer: Gene L. Coon
This is the season one finale of the original Star Trek, and the only season finale of the series that actually feels like one. "Operation -- Annihilate!" has very little to say about the human condition or science fiction ideas or social allegory, but it is very content to be an exciting adventure story for our lead characters.
A plague of madness seems to be infecting a series of worlds, and the next in line is Deneva, a Federation colony where Kirk's older brother and his family are stationed. By the time the Enterprise arrives, the colony is already infected, as it turns out, by a species of neural parasite, who's goal is to manipulate the people into building ships for them to spread, and who inflict incredible pain upon the nervous system if one tries to resist. Kirk's brother is dead, his sister-in-law dies soon after. His nephew is infected, and soon, still is Spock.
Nimoy delivers a fantastic performance as Spock struggles to retain control and assist his crewmates despite incredible pain. Kirk is desperate for a cure, but all he can do is bark at McCoy to find one, whose own helplessness to fight the parasite without killing the host is quite effectively played by DeForrest Kelley. Its a good episode for all three of the primary characters.
In the end, it's discovered that light is what kills the parasites - not heat, not radiation, but light. Spock undergoes the test treatment, but is blinded in the process. Then it turns out that McCoy could have gotten the same effect with UV rays, he didn't need to use blinding white light. It's a crushing moment, Kirk is furious, but Spock offers his thanks for the cure regardless.
The planet is freed once the solution is found, and then it turns out Spock actually has "inner eyelids" because he's a Vulcan, that he just forgot about, and he's actually 100% fine. Which is such a bullshit ending. I mean, the show pulls convenient Vulcan biology stuff out of its ass whenever it wants, but this one is perhaps the most egregious. You just forgot that you had this inner eyelid and just assumed you were blind?
"Operation -- Annihilate!" is a dramatic, fun, engaging sci-fi adventure. A taut, dynamic hour of television pulled down only by its lack of worthwhile new ideas, it's complete copout ending that undercuts the drama, oh and the fact that the neural parasites look like novelty fake puke.
Rating: 2.5 out of 4
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