clint howard balok star trek

Strange New Worlds' Latest Guest Star Previously Appeared In Star Trek When He Was Six Years Old

Although "The Corbomite Maneuver" (November 10, 1966) was the tenth "Star Trek" episode to air on television, it was actually the first produced after the pilot episode, "Where No Man Has Gone Before." As all good Trekkies know, the ideal order in which to watch "Star Trek" is its production order. Broadcast order is for chumps and poseurs. 

In "The Corbomite Maneuver," the U.S.S. Enterprise is approached by a massive and mysterious alien spaceship, perfectly spherical and possessed of immense destructive power. The ship is called the Fesarius, and Captain Kirk (William Shatner) can only communicate with the Fesarius' captain, Balok (voiced by Ted Cassidy), via audio. Balok declares that he very much intends to destroy the Enterprise using his superior weapons. Thinking quickly, Kirk bluffs; he says that the Enterprise is equipped with an imaginary substance called Corbomite that would react negatively to a weapons attack and destroy both ships. The bulk of the episode is a standoff between the two captains. 

Spock (Leonard Nimoy) is able to hack into the video cameras on board the Fesarius and gets a visual of Balok. Children of multiple generations likely recall the nightmare-inducing image of Balok's evil face. Cruelly, the "Star Trek" producers included Balok's evil face over the credits of every episode. 

At the end of the episode, however, it is revealed that Balok was also enacting a bluff. He was not an evil, blue-skinned alien, but a creature that looks an awful lot like a six-year-old boy. Balok was merely testing Kirk and would love to chat diplomatically. 

Balok was played by a six-year-old Clint Howard, an actor who has revisited "Trek" periodically over the decades, and he appears in the latest episode of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" as a general in the Klingon Wars. 

The many faces of Clint Howard

Surprisingly, "Star Trek" was not Clint Howard's first acting gig. When he was still only a toddler, Clint appeared in an episode of "The Andy Griffith Show" opposite his older brother, Ron Howard. Both brothers would go on to successful showbiz careers as actors (and in Ron's case, a director as well). Clint would also star in 26 episodes of "The Baileys of Balboa" in 1964, and had small roles in shows like "The Virginian" and "The Fugitive" prior to playing Balok on "Star Trek." 

As a franchise, "Star Trek" has long been faithful to its actors and often welcomes back its supporting players to appear again and again. 29 years after "The Corbomite Maneuver," Howard appeared in the "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Past Tense" (January 2 and 9, 1995) as a human character named Grady. That episode saw the crew of Deep Space Nine thrown back in time to 2024 Earth where poverty was rampant and political upheaval was nigh. Grady was one of the many people living in a homeless encampment ... and who believed aliens were coming for him. He also believed he could turn invisible. Grady was a tragic character. 

Howard would return again to play a Ferengi named Muk in a "Star Trek: Enterprise" episode called "Acquisition" (March 27, 2002). According to "Trek" lore, the Ferengi and the Federation wouldn't make face-to-face contact until the era of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," set some 212 years later. As such, when Ferengi pirates infiltrated the Enterprise, they didn't bother to introduce themselves. Ferengi are obsessed with money but rarely resorted to theft as in this episode. Muk was one of the Ferengi crew, and he was intrigued by the presence of a beagle on board the Enterprise.

That one creepy guy

Howard also appeared in the season 1 finale of "Star Trek: Discovery," called "Will You Take My Hand?" (February 11, 2018). In the episode, Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Cadet Tilly (Mary Wiseman) infiltrate the Klingon homeworld and run into a creepy Orion in a futuristic drug den. He offers the cadet a hit of smokable planetary ash, and Tilly passes out. He only appears briefly, but Howard cackles with appropriate glee. 

Howard's latest "Star Trek" appearance is in "Under the Cloak of War," a flashback episode which shows what Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) and Dr. M'Benga (Bab Olusanmokun) experienced during the Klingon Wars. Nurse Chapel arrives at a remote Federation outpost that is being aggressively bombarded by Klingon forces and is immediately made one of the chief medical officers because her predecessor was just killed in combat. Howard shows Nurse Chapel around, completely jaded by death and unaffected by the violence. 

Howard first appeared on "Star Trek" in 1966, and made his most recent appearance 57 years later. This gives Howard the distinction of the longest career on "Star Trek," having made appearances the greatest number of years apart. 

The astonishing thing is how well Howard performs at both age six and at age 64. He plays an alien with unexpected authority as a boy and a jaded soldier as a man, both with equal aplomb. Granted, for his on-screen appearance in "The Corbomite Maneuver," he was voiced by veteran voice actor Walker Edmiston ("Beany and Cecil," "Spider-Man," "Avatar: The Last Airbender"), but he still was assured and mature.

Once you're in the "Trek" family, you never leave.

An archive of Star Trek News

Howard: From The Original Series To Discovery

• Cast & Crew
• Star Trek: Discovery

Clint Howard is the only actor to have had a role in both the original series ( The Corbomite Maneuver as Balok) and in Star Trek: Discovery (the Orion in Will You Take My Hand? ).

The fifty-two year span “puts me in Mickey Rooney territory,” said Howard, “I’ve just been doing this so long. The coincidences are going to start to become the reality. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal when I made Star Trek , because nobody knew what it was going to become.”

Howard interviewed when he was seventeen for the Luke Skywalker role in Star Wars , and at the audition, had a big name remember his role in Star Trek . “I got an interview to go meet George Lucas and read for Star Wars ,” he said. “Very preliminary interview. It was at Fox and I remember seeing Mark Hamill there. I’d seen him at other auditions. Francis Coppola was in the room, which makes your jaw drop because he’s a big man. Not physically, although he’s not small. It’s just he’s got a huge presence.

“All of the sudden I’m going, ‘This is the big leagues here.” Coppola is looking at me…George was turned away from me in a big leather chair, and just like in the movie he spun around in his leather chair and we made eye contact and the first thing out of his mouth was, ‘Commander Balok, Corbomite Maneuver .’ In retrospect, it was pretty cool, but when you’re seventeen years old and trying to get an adult part in an adult film, to have the director make a reference about your work as a six or seven-year-old tends to throw you off your game.”

Howard got his part on Discovery due to his brother’s friendship with Akiva Goldsman . “Akiva Goldsman is a very close friend of my brother Ron and they’ve collaborated and they’ve won Oscars together,” he said. “…A couple of months before, Akiva called and said, ‘Hey, I’m going to direct a new Star Trek show. Would you be interested in doing it?'”

Working with Mary Chieffo was a positive experience. “Working with Mary; she’s really good,” said Howard. “I always appreciate when an actor has the ability to shift gears and change up on the fly and have the thing get better, and she did. It was wonderful.”

Would he come back if asked? “Oh sure,” he said. “…the fact that it’s Star Trek is a yes at the drop of a hat.”

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The Corbomite Maneuver (episode)

• View history

While exploring an uncharted area of space, the Enterprise is outmatched and taken in tow by a massive spherical spaceship.

• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 2 Log entries
• 3 Memorable quotes
• 4.1 Production timeline
• 4.2 Production
• 4.3 Story and script
• 4.4 Cast and characters
• 4.5 Effects
• 4.6 Costumes
• 4.7 Sets and props
• 4.8 Continuity
• 4.9 Preview
• 4.10 Reception
• 4.11 Remastered information
• 4.12 Video and DVD releases
• 5.1 Starring
• 5.2 Also starring
• 5.3 Co-starring
• 5.4 Featuring
• 5.5 Uncredited co-stars
• 5.6 Stand-ins
• 5.7 References
• 5.8 Star chart references
• 5.9 Unused references
• 5.10 External links

Summary [ ]

The mysterious object

The USS Enterprise is in its third day of making star maps of a region previously unexplored by the Federation . Spock is in command while Captain Kirk submits to a quarterly physical . Lieutenant Sulu announces contact with an object approaching the Enterprise at light speed . Evasive maneuvers and deflectors are ineffective. Spock sounds the alarm, then countermands it as the object begins to slow down. Chief navigator Lieutenant Dave Bailey reacts emotionally to the danger. When the Enterprise cannot steer around the object, Sulu declares red alert and calls Kirk to the bridge.

Act One [ ]

" Captain's Log, Stardate 1512.2. On our third day of star mapping, an unexplained cubical object blocked our vessel's path. On the bridge, Mr. Spock immediately ordered general alert . My location: sickbay . Quarterly physical check. "

" I'll change first, then. "

In sickbay , Doctor McCoy continues Kirk's physical, writing his results down on a PADD though McCoy sees the red alert. Kirk scolds McCoy for not notifying him, but McCoy is pleased to have completed an examination on the usually unwilling Kirk. " What am I, a doctor or a moon shuttle conductor ? If I jumped every time a light came on around here, I'd end up talking to myself, " McCoy says after Kirk leaves him alone in sickbay.

On the bridge, Bailey interrupts Spock, then defends his emotional reaction earlier, noting that he has an adrenaline gland . Spock has a dry retort, asking Bailey if he has considered having it removed, and Sulu good-naturedly teases Bailey of the risks of "crossing brains" with Spock.

The bridge crew analyzes the object as solid and of unknown composition, 107 meters on each edge, and almost 11,000 metric tons in mass. Scott cannot say what propels it or allows it to sense, and react to, the movements of the Enterprise . McCoy has no analysis of it either. Attempts to communicate with it fail. Bailey says, " We've got phaser weapons; I vote we blast it. " At that, Kirk gives him another reminder of how things work on the bridge, retorting dryly, " I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Bailey… when this becomes a democracy . "

• " Captain's log, Stardate 1513.8. Star maps reveal no indication of habitable planets nearby. Origin and purpose of the cube still unknown. We've been here, held motionless, for eighteen hours. "

Eighteen hours later, the department heads assemble in the briefing room . Spock concludes that the object is either some kind of buoy – or " flypaper ." Kirk and Spock agree that "sticking around" would convey weakness. Bailey misinterprets the talk as an order to prepare phasers and starts to issue an order to the phaser gun crew. When countermanded, he begins to defend his action.

Kirk instead orders Bailey to plot a spiral course away from the object. The course is executed, at speeds increasing from 0.25 to warp factor 3, but the object stays with the Enterprise , begins to emit lethal radiation , and closes with the ship. When it is within 51 meters, Kirk orders fire from the main phasers, with Bailey hesitating until Kirk repeats himself. The object is destroyed, but the Enterprise is rocked hard by the resulting shock wave.

Act Two [ ]

" Captain's Log, Stardate 1514.0. The cube has been destroyed. Ship's damage minor, but my next decision major. Probe on ahead or turn back? " Spock reports no other objects within sensor range, and believes that, if the ship continues forward, it will encounter the intelligence that sent the cube, intelligence probably both different and superior to their own. Kirk resolves to proceed, as contact with alien life is the mission. But he orders the phaser crew and engineering to conduct drills, calling their reaction to the attack too sluggish. Bailey supervises the drills.

In the turbolift , McCoy questions the timing of Kirk's order, as the crew is tired; and doubts Bailey's fitness as navigator, suggesting that Kirk promoted him too fast, possibly seeing something of himself in the young man. Bailey had, in fact, been slow to respond to orders during the crises, and Sulu covered for him. Bailey's emotionalism on the intercom during the drills, the doctor suggested, support his doubts as to Bailey's fitness to have been promoted so quickly, but Kirk brushes off these expressed doubts.

Kirk and McCoy continue their conversation in Kirk's quarters over a drink. Spock reports a rating of 94% on the last drill but Kirk presses them for 100%. He faces two additional annoyances: the fact that McCoy has put him on a salad diet to lose weight, and that someone has assigned him an attractive female yeoman , Janice Rand , who had just delivered the salad.

The Enterprise approaching the Fesarius

Kirk and McCoy pause to listen to the intercom, where Bailey orders a second drill. But Sulu countermands the order, as a new object is approaching. It is spherical and much larger than the first one: about a mile in diameter. Sulu reports "this is not a drill" and Kirk abandons his salad and heads for the bridge.

As the object comes onto the viewscreen , Kirk cuts speed to warp 2. A hard tractor beam grabs the Enterprise . The engines overload and Kirk orders a full stop and orders phaser crews to readiness. Kirk orders Bailey to decrease the main viewscreen magnification; Sulu does so when Bailey doesn't hear him, or perhaps froze at his station. Kirk orders Uhura to open a hailing frequency and starts to offer a greeting, but Bailey detects a message on the navigation beam.

The message identifies the sphere as the Fesarius , the flagship of the First Federation , and the speaker as her commanding officer , Balok . Balok claims the Enterprise and her crew have shown their hostile intention by ignoring the cube; a warning buoy and furthermore by destroying it, and says the Fesarius is now considering their "disposition." When Kirk tries to explain to Balok, exceptionally powerful sensors invade all Enterprise systems. Balok refuses further communication from the Enterprise and says he will destroy her if she makes any move. When Kirk launches a recorder marker , Balok destroys it and declares that the Enterprise must be destroyed, giving the crew ten minutes to make death preparations, assuming they have " a deity or deities. " When McCoy tells Kirk that Balok's message was heard throughout the ship, Kirk addresses a calming and optimistic message to his crew.

Balok as he first appears to the Enterprise crew

Kirk signals to the Fesarius that the Enterprise will " return the way it came, " but all engine and weapon power is drained. Spock, claiming curiosity, obtains a fearsome visual image of the face of Balok, who declares that the Enterprise cannot escape.

Bailey, becoming more unnerved by the moment and the realization of certain death sinking in, launches into a tirade against the bridge officers for their apparent lack of concern or emotion at their impending destruction. Kirk orders him relieved of duty and for Dr. McCoy to escort him to his quarters. Kirk, not immune to gravity of the situation, pleads with Balok about their non-hostile intentions, but Balok ignores them.

Act Three [ ]

With four minutes remaining to annihilation, Kirk asks Spock for options, but Spock says that sometimes, as in chess , when one is outmatched, the game is over. " Checkmate, " Spock finishes. Kirk balks at Spock's recommendation and the Vulcan nearly admits that he's sorry, but quickly rephrases himself by saying he cannot think of a more logical alternative. McCoy uses the lull in activity to ask to record the incident with Bailey as fatigue, but Kirk rebuffs him. McCoy disagrees with Kirk, saying that the incident is a direct result of Kirk putting too much pressure on the young navigator and threatens to challenge Kirk's actions in his report, pointing out, " I'll state that I warned you about Bailey's condition. Now that's no bluff ! " Kirk angrily dares McCoy to try to bluff him, but is suddenly struck by inspiration.

Drawing not from chess, as Spock suggested, but rather poker, Kirk signals to Balok that a substance aboard all Starfleet vessels called corbomite , undocumented in any ship's memory banks . As Kirk explains, the corbomite aboard the Enterprise creates a reverse reaction of any destructive energy that touches the ship, destroying the attacker. He further details that since Starfleet began using corbomite two centuries earlier, no attacking vessel has survived and dares Balok to open fire.

With no apparent reaction from the Fesarius , it appears the bluff has failed. With seconds to live, Bailey returns to the bridge, calmer, and requests permission to resume his duties, which Kirk grants. Sulu counts down the final seconds to destruction, but, as the timer reaches zero, the Fesarius does not attack. The crew exhales, apparently safe, with even Spock admitting that the game of poker sounds rather interesting.

However, Balok hails the Enterprise , and Kirk readies to either raise the bluff or call. Balok claims that the destruction of the Enterprise has been delayed, with the intent to relent in their destruction if they can have proof of the corbomite device. Kirk, his back to the wall, hails back that Balok's request has been denied and lets him sweat it out. A small pilot vessel emerges from the Fesarius , which disengages, as Balok announces that it has been decided that he shall direct the crew to a planet of the First Federation, where the crew will be interred and the Enterprise will be destroyed. He grabs the Enterprise with a tractor beam and declares that any attempt to escape or destroy his ship will result in the instant destruction of the Starfleet vessel.

Act Four [ ]

" Captain's log, Stardate 1514.1. The Enterprise is in tow; to this point no resistance has been offered. My plan: a show of resignation. Balok's tractor beam has to be a heavy drain of power on a small ship. Question: Will he grow careless? "

With the Enterprise in tow, Kirk orders a right-angle course, shearing away from Balok, with the intent to tax his small ship's engines against the strain of the Enterprise 's engines. The impulse engines are engaged, but quickly begin to overheat. Kirk orders more power applied. As the strain increases, the Enterprise begins to shudder, but Balok's ship begins to show signs of stress, as well. Mr. Spock warns that the engines are close to exploding, but Kirk is relentless and orders more thrust applied against the tractor beam. As the crew weathers the horrific ride, Bailey finally announces that they're breaking free. The Enterprise veers away from Balok, whose ship seemingly becomes disabled.

Scott advises the captain that their engines need work badly, but Spock warns that Balok has sent out a distress signal to the Fesarius . Uhura intercepts it, reading that his engines are down and his life support systems are failing. She determines that the signal is so weak, it's doubtful if the mothership could have heard it. Kirk orders an intercept course, with the intent to rescue Balok. Dr. McCoy is skeptical, but Kirk proclaims that the mission of the Enterprise is to seek out alien life and that's what he intends to do, friendly or not. He orders McCoy and Bailey to accompany him on the landing party over, but also orders Mr. Spock to remain behind, just in case Balok is baiting a trap for them, so the capable first officer will be in a position to rescue them.

The real Balok laughs

The three transport to the escort ship (stooping, as advised by Scott because of low ceilings aboard the alien ship) where they find that the fearsome creature they had viewed is the head and torso of a puppet - dummy . The real Balok, who is child-like in appearance, warmly welcomes them aboard. He offers them some tranya , a beverage, as a sign of goodwill. He explains that the puppet is simply an alter-ego he used in order to frighten the Enterprise , as he was attempting to determine their real intentions, believing that even their memory banks could have been deceptive. He also reveals he has no crew aboard; controlling the entire Fesarius starship from his small pilot vessel. However, he laments on how lonely his voyages are, as he misses company and would welcome even an alien aboard for an exchange of information and cultures. Balok suggests one of Kirk's crew remain for a period of time. Bailey immediately volunteers and Kirk agrees, explaining that while Bailey might not represent the best of Starfleet , it would be an extraordinary learning experience for him and would allow Balok to learn more about Humans by learning about their fallibility. Balok laughs, amused by the notion and that he agrees with Kirk's rationale. Offering the trio a tour of his vessel while the Fesarius is recalled, he also remarks how much alike he and Kirk are, as they are both very much proud of their ships.

Log entries [ ]

• Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), 2266

Memorable quotes [ ]

" What am I, a doctor or a… moon-shuttle conductor? Humph… if I jumped every time a light flashed around here, I'd end up talking to myself. "

" Raising my voice back there doesn't mean I was scared or couldn't do my job. It means I happen to have a Human thing called an adrenaline gland. " " It does sound most inconvenient, however. Have you considered having it removed? "

" You try to cross brains with Spock, he'll cut you to pieces every time. "

" Mode of power? Beats me what makes it go. " " I'll buy speculation. " " I'd sell it if I had any. That's a solid cube. How something like that can sense us coming, block us, move when we move, it beats me. That's my report. "

" We've got phaser weapons; I vote we blast it. " " I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Bailey… when this becomes a democracy. "

" Has it occurred to you that there's a certain… inefficiency in constantly questioning me on things you've already made up your mind about? " " It gives me emotional security. "

" I've already got a female to worry about. Her name's the Enterprise . "

" Hailing frequencies open, sir. "

" We've only got eight minutes left! " " Seven minutes and forty-five seconds. " "He's doing a countdown!!"

" You have an annoying fascination for timepieces, Mr. Sulu. "

" Not chess , Mr. Spock. Poker ! Do you know the game? "

" Then may heaven have helped your mother. "

" I regret not having learned more about this Balok. In some manner he was reminiscent of my father . " " Then may heaven have helped your mother . " " Quite the contrary. She considered herself a very fortunate Earth woman. "

" A very interesting game, this poker. " " It does have advantages over chess. " " Love to teach it to you. "

" Let him sweat for a change. "

" You represent Earth's best, then? " " No, sir, I'm not. I'll make plenty of mistakes. " " But you'd find out more about us that way. And I'd get a better officer in return. "

Background information [ ]

Production timeline [ ].

• Story outline " Danger Zone " by Jerry Sohl : late- March 1966
• Revised outline "The Corbomite Maneuver" by Sohl: 4 April 1966
• Revised outline by Gene Roddenberry : 17 April 1966
• First draft teleplay by Sohl: 21 April 1966
• Revised first draft teleplay: 29 April 1966
• Additional revision by Sohl: 3 May 1966
• Final draft teleplay by Roddenberry: 9 May 1966
• Revised final draft teleplay: 12 May 1966
• Second revised final draft teleplay: 20 May 1966
• Additional revisions: 23 May 1966 , 25 May 1966
• Cast and crew rehearsal: 23 May 1966
• Day 1 – 24 May 1966 , Tuesday – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Sickbay , Kirk's quarters , Bridge
• Day 2 – 25 May 1966 , Wednesday – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Bridge
• Day 3 – 26 May 1966 , Thursday – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Bridge
• Day 4 – 27 May 1966 , Friday – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Bridge
• Day 5 – 31 May 1966 , Tuesday – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Bridge & Makeup test for Clint Howard
• Day 6 – 1 June 1966 , Wednesday – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Bridge , Briefing room , Balok's pilot vessel (redress of briefing room)
• Day 7 – 2 June 1966 , Thursday (Half Day) – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Corridors , Turbolift , Transporter room
• Original airdate: 10 November 1966
• Rerun airdate: 11 May 1967
• First UK airdate (on BBC1 ): 18 October 1969
• First UK airdate (on ITV ): 8 November 1981
• Remastered airdate: 9 December 2006

Production [ ]

• Also filmed for this episode (by associate producer Robert H. Justman ) was George Takei's reaction shot in which he turned around and looked at Kirk, reused in dozens of future episodes whenever something strange appeared on the viewscreen. A similar clip was filmed of Walter Koenig during season two. ( Inside Star Trek: The Real Story p 174)
• This was the first regular episode of Star Trek: The Original Series produced following the two pilots.
• It was also the first episode to feature Kirk's famous "Space: the final frontier" monologue in the opening credits.
• A front-on close-up of Balok, without the rippling distortion of his image as seen on the main viewing screen, was the final shot of past episodes that was displayed in many of the series' end credits. In Inside Star Trek: The Real Story (pp. 194-195), Robert Justman explained that he superimposed the credit "Executive in Charge of Production Herbert F. Solow " over Balok's image as an in-joke . Justman later secured a screen grab of the shot and kept it in his home office, in what he called the "cheapest, junkiest black frame" he could find.
• Although the script instructed Spock actor Leonard Nimoy to emote a fearful reaction upon his first sight of the Balok puppet, director Joseph Sargent suggested to Nimoy that he ignore what the script called for and instead simply react with the single word " Fascinating. " The suggestion of this response helped refine the Spock character. ( Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series , pp. 44-45)
• This is the first episode to use the "cello" theme arranged by Fred Steiner. The DVD and Blu-Ray prints incorrectly used the original theme recorded for " The Man Trap ". ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One [ page number? • edit ] )

Story and script [ ]

• The character of Uhura was not present. Dave Bailey was the communications officer , and he did not "flip out" as he does in the aired episode.
• Lieutenant Ken Easton was the navigator .
• Many bits of character-building were also absent. There were no flypaper, chess or poker analogies – Kirk simply decided to bluff Balok out of the blue.
• The planet where Balok intended to imprison the Enterprise crew was named Carpi .
• Kirk's salad
• Curiosity on Spock's part as to what Balok looks like – instead, Balok initiated visual contact with the Enterprise
• Spock's opinion that Balok reminded him of his father or Scott's retort
• A line from Balok warning the crew they had one minute left was not recorded, leaving Sulu to comment, " I knew he would " in response to nothing. ( The Star Trek Compendium [ page number? • edit ] ) The preview has an unused cut of Balok saying, " We grant you one minute " that could be modified and dubbed into the episode.
• Spock confesses an ignorance of poker, and he probably wouldn't enjoy the game since he said in the season two episode " The Doomsday Machine " that Vulcans do not bluff.
• Part of engineering 's location is referred to in this episode. Kirk orders Bailey to coordinate drills with engineering, and Bailey says on two distinct occasions " On the double, Deck 5, give me the green light! " and also " Engineering Deck 5, report! Come on phaser crews, let's get with it! ". He could either be referring to an engine room in the saucer on Deck 5 or a separate "Engineering Deck 5" that exists in lower levels (where some of engineering is referenced to be in episodes like " The Enemy Within ", " The Conscience of the King ", and " Day of the Dove ").
• When addressing the Fesarius , Kirk identifies his ship as the United Earth Ship Enterprise , nomenclature which was never used again.
• Balok displays a knowledge of Earth popular culture. When discussing the "false" Balok, he referred to it as "the Mr. Hyde to my Jekyll ".
• The dimensions (107 meters on a side) and mass (11,000 metric tons) of the warning cube imply an average density of 9 kg per cubic meter, indicating its composition was an incredibly advanced material that was 100 times less dense than spider web silk, or 7 times that of earth air at sea level.

Cast and characters [ ]

• Leonard McCoy , Janice Rand , and Uhura debut here.
• Sulu has transferred to the command division from the sciences division following his premiere in " Where No Man Has Gone Before ". This the first episode in which he occupies his familiar seat at the helm . The change was made because the producers realized there's no need for an astrophysicist in every episode, yet they had to have someone sitting at the helm. ( Inside Star Trek: The Real Story [ page number? • edit ] )
• Michael Dunn (popular at the time for his role as Dr. Loveless in The Wild Wild West ) was an early choice for the part of Balok ; however, Gene Roddenberry thought something "much more weird" would be more effective, leading to six-year-old Clint Howard being cast. Dunn later appeared as Alexander in " Plato's Stepchildren ". ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One [ page number? • edit ] )
• Both Stewart Moss and Bruce Mars were considered for the role of Dave Bailey before Anthony Call was eventually cast. ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One 1st ed. p. 120) Some sources list both actors as appearing in background roles in the episode; however, they seem to be cut from the final print. Many of the extras credited to the extras list were cut from the final print, including Sean Morgan , in addition to Moss and Mars.

Effects [ ]

• This episode was originally scheduled to air much earlier than it did, but the large amount of visual effects took several months to complete. The producers had to delay the planned airdate twice, before eventually broadcasting "The Corbomite Maneuver" as the tenth episode of the season. ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One 1st ed. pp. 127-128)
• In the original version of the series, this was the first episode in which the forward sections of the warp engine nacelles were made to glow, though in the teaser this didn't happen because it seems to have used footage from " The Cage ". In the remastered TOS , however, this is no longer true, as the nacelles of the ship are uniformly shown to glow.
• The distinctive bridge sound effects of TOS are first heard in this episode. Early episodes of The Twilight Zone (notably "Execution" from 1960), previously featured this distinctive computer sound. ( citation needed • edit )
• Both in terms of its order on the production schedule, and its order of televised broadcast, this episode marks the very first time that the Enterprise fires its phasers. The actual burst that the ship fires at the warning buoy is unique to this episode.
• The shot of the ship being towed by the small First Federation pilot vessel, from a perspective behind the nacelles , was re-used countless times in future episodes, with different ships or planets matted in. When it was used later, it was often slowed down, which made it much more grainy than the clear print in this episode. Around halfway in the second season this shot was replaced by a much better-looking new shot of the ship. ( citation needed • edit )

Costumes [ ]

Spock's high-neck collar

• This episode contains a number of "firsts" for the costume department. Although some of the pilots' uniforms were seen on background extras, this is the first episode in which black collars on tunics debut. Nevertheless, some of the uniforms – particularly Spock's – have higher, loose, "turtleneck" black collars than generally appeared throughout the series. In Sulu's first close-up, the zipper built into the collar is clearly visible – because he was wearing a "leftover" from the first two pilots that was retrofitted, with the new black collar.
• Additionally, "The Corbomite Maneuver" saw the initial appearance of skirt uniforms , as well as "plunging neckline" collars for most women. Red operations division tunics were also seen for the first time here, as was the silk, short-sleeved "laboratory" tunic for the CMO . The system of sleeve rank insignia was also more refined in this episode than it had been in either pilot. Noticeably, Kirk first wore the insignia he would display throughout the series, and the rank stripes themselves took on a more wavy, stylized design than the simple bands they had been in the previous pilots, complete with broken bits of braid to denote the ranks of lieutenant junior grade , lieutenant commander , and captain.
• Finally, beginning with this episode, the men's uniforms featured a "raglan" construction, like that found in crew-neck sweaters, with the tops of the sleeves reaching all the way up to the collar. In the two previous pilots, the uniform sleeves were constructed like those in men's dress shirts, with their tops ending at the upper arm.
• Despite the introduction of the red operations division tunic in this episode, Uhura is seen in a gold command division uniform both here and in " Mudd's Women ". She also incongruously wears a sciences division assignment patch, rather than the appropriate command "star".
• In addition, in the bridge scene following the destruction of Balok's cube, several crew members who are repairing the damage can be seen wearing blue uniforms without black collars that were left over from the pilots.
• This is the first episode to introduce pointed sideburns on all of the male crew members.
• Makeup artist Fred Phillips originally wanted to shave Clint Howard's head; however, the boy and his father denied his request and Howard wore a bald cap in his appearance as Balok. ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One 1st ed. p. 125)

Sets and props [ ]

Engineering station read-out

• There are detailed close-ups of some of the engineering station read-outs in this episode.
• The set of Balok's room was a re-dress of the Enterprise conference room set. ( Inside Star Trek [ page number? • edit ] ) It was later recycled to create the bar in " Court Martial " (later reused in " The Trouble with Tribbles "). ( The Star Trek Compendium [ page number? • edit ] )
• Instead of reusing the bridge helm station as in the two pilot episodes, a dedicated transporter console makes its debut. The top was painted black and the intercom stands alone on the top of the console. Beginning with " Mudd's Women ", the next episode to be filmed, the console was painted its customary reddish-orange seen in all subsequent episodes and the intercom was bracketed by two alert lights.
• The panel seen behind the Balok puppet when Kirk, McCoy and Bailey first beam aboard the pilot ship first appeared in the Delta Vega station in " Where No Man Has Gone Before " and was later used as the main panel in the Enterprise engineering room .
• When Kirk reports to the bridge from the turbolift, a rare camera angle from the elevator illustrates the panel to the right of the main viewscreen, and the two bridge consoles to the left of the science station. These sections were usually rolled out (off-screen) to facilitate filming the navigation console and Spock's station. Like "Where No Man Has Gone Before", the turbolift has double doors (the inner is gray; the outer is red), like modern elevators. This feature was later eliminated.
• The "tranya" served by Balok was actually grapefruit juice. Clint Howard, who was a little kid at the time, had to pretend very hard to like the drink, which he found distasteful. (TOS Season 1 DVD special features)

Continuity [ ]

• This is one of several episodes of the original which places a time stamp on the events. It is placed two centuries after mankind's early space explorations.
• Yeoman Rand brings hot coffee to the bridge, despite power being out in the galley, prompting McCoy to ask her how she did it. " I used a hand phaser and zap – hot coffee, " was her reply, which suggests that there may be a weapons locker in the kitchen; this would later prove an important plot point in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country .
• Part of Kirk's dialogue "there's no such thing as the unknown, only things temporarily hidden" is also said by Kirk in the alternate reality . ( Star Trek Beyond )

Preview [ ]

• The preview contains a Captain's Log recorded solely for the preview: " Captain's log, Stardate 1512.2. The Enterprise and crew are held captive by a strange, alien vessel. "
• Balok's dialogue as the puppet was rerecorded to replace "We therefore grant you 10 Earth time periods known as minutes" from the finished episode with the simpler and more stressful "We grant you one minute."

Reception [ ]

• This episode was nominated for a Hugo Award in 1967 as "Best Dramatic Presentation".
• In the 1970s, the Mego toy company used Balok's "puppet head" to create " The Keeper " action figure doll (despite Balok not being Talosian).
• At the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear on October 30, 2010, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert referred to this episode by name after riffing on the dangers of "corbomite" in bottled water; they also mentioned Uhura's incongruous uniform, as described above. [1]

Remastered information [ ]

• The remastered version of this episode premiered in syndication the weekend of 9 December 2006 . New shots of the Enterprise , the pilot vessel, the Fesarius and the warning cube were rendered. As a "tip of the hat" to the original episode, the opening shot of the Enterprise for the remastered version was the same as seen on the view screen in the remastered version of " The Menagerie, Part I " and " The Menagerie, Part II " (except the CGI model was modified to match the rest of the episode, with the smaller antenna dish, the spinning nacelle domes and the lack of spires on them).

In the original version of this episode, when Sulu announces there is one minute left on the timer, the timer actually reads: "2:02… 2:01… 1:00 (the two-minute marker changes to one as the one-second marker changes to zero) … 1:59". In the remastered version, this apparent error is corrected by the insertion of an entirely redesigned chronometer .

The corrected chronometer of the remastered version

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• Original US Betamax/VHS release: 28 February 1985
• Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 2 , catalog number VHR 2210, release date unknown
• As part of the UK Star Trek - The Three Beginnings VHS collection: 31 January 1994
• US VHS release: 15 April 1994
• As part of the UK Star Trek - The Four Beginnings VHS collection: 1995
• UK re-release (three-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 1.1, 24 June 1996
• Original US DVD release (single-disc): Volume 1, 17 August 1999
• As part of the TOS Season 1 DVD collection
• As part of the TOS Season 1 HD DVD collection
• As part of the TOS Season 1 Blu-ray collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• William Shatner as Capt. Kirk

Also starring [ ]

• Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock

Co-starring [ ]

• Anthony Call as Dave Bailey
• Clint Howard as Balok

Featuring [ ]

• DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy
• Grace Lee Whitney as Yeoman Rand
• George Takei as Sulu
• James Doohan as Scott
• Nichelle Nichols as Uhura

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• William Blackburn as Hadley
• Ted Cassidy as Balok's puppet (voice)
• Frank da Vinci as Brent
• Walker Edmiston as Balok (voice)
• Jeannie Malone as yeoman
• Eddie Paskey as Leslie
• Frieda Rentie as command lieutenant
• Eddie Smith as sciences crewman
• Ron Veto as Harrison
• Command crew woman
• Operations crew woman
• Sciences crewman

Stand-ins [ ]

• William Blackburn – stand-in for DeForest Kelley
• Frank da Vinci – stand-in for Leonard Nimoy
• Jeannie Malone – stand-in for Grace Lee Whitney
• Eddie Paskey – stand-in for William Shatner

References [ ]

21st century ; 2255 ; adrenal gland ; air ; alarm light ; alien ; all decks alert ; alter ego ; alternative ; Andromeda Galaxy ; angle ; annoyance ; assumption ; atmosphere ; attacker ; Balok's cube ; Balok's pilot vessel ; battle stations ; belief ; bluff ; brain ; Carpi ; case ; century ; checkmate ; chess ; civilization ; coffee ; collision course ; commander ; composition ; condition alert ; Constitution -class ; Constitution -class decks ; contact ; conversation ; coolant ; corbomite ; countdown ; course ; cube ( cubical object ); culture ; curiosity ; custom ; damage ; danger ; day ; death ; deception ; deck ; deflector ; degree (angle); degree (temperature); deity ; democracy ; demonstration ; department head ; destination ; device ; diameter ; diet ; diet card ; dietary salad ; directional beam ; distress signal ; distance ; doctor ; drill ; dummy ; Earth ; electrical system ; electromagnetic spectrum ; emotional security ; " end of watch "; energy ; engage ; engine system ; engineering deck ; evasive maneuvers (aka evasive action ); exercise ; exercise rating ; exercise table ; explanation ; face ; fatigue ; fear of the unknown ; Fesarius ; First Federation ; flagship ; flight path ; flypaper ; foolishness ; friendship ; galley ; general alert ; genius ; gesture ; " give the word "; gravity ; Grayson, Amanda ; green ; green light ; greeting ; hailing frequency ; hand phaser ; harm ; Headquarters genius ; heaven ; hour ; Human ; impulse power ; indication ; information ; intention ; intermix chamber ; job ; leaves ; lettuce ; life ; lifeform ; life sciences ; life sustaining system ; light speed ; location ; logic ; machine ( mechanical device ); mass ; material ; maximum acceleration ; medical record ; memory bank ; Messier 32 ; Messier 110 ; meter ; metric ton ; mile ; mind ; minute ; mission ; mistake ; moon shuttle ; moon shuttle conductor ; mother ship ; motive ; motive power ; name ; navigation ; navigation beam ; navigator ; object ; officer ; opportunity ; order ; overload ; oxygen ; percent ; permission ; phaser ; phaser gun crew (aka phaser crew ); phaser station ; phaser weapon ; philosophy ; photograph ; pilot vessel ; plan ; planet ; plot ; poker ; pound ; power ; primary manifold ; product ; promotion ; proof ; puppet ; quarterly physical ; quarters ; question ; radiation ; range ; reaction time ; recorder marker ; report ; right angled course ; risk ; robot ; salad ; Sarek ; savage ; screen ; second ; self-preservation ; sensor ; sensor probe ; shearing angle ; signal ; size ; sitting ; soul ; space buoy ; space exploration ; space travel ; spectrograph ; speculation ; spiral course ; star map ; star mapping ; star system ; Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde, The ; substance ; suffering ; superheating ; sweat ; tape ; temperature ; textbook ; theory ; thing ; thousand ; time period ; timepiece ; tolerance ; toy soldier ; tractor beam ; transporter room ; tranya ; trap ; trespassing ; vessel ; visual contact ; voice ; volunteer ; vote ; warning buoy ; warp factor ; warp speed ; weapon system ; weight ; word ; year

Star chart references [ ]

Andromeda ; Aries ; Auriga ; Cancer ; Canis Major ; Canis Minor ; Cetus ; Columba ; Eridanus ; Fornax ; Gemini ; Lepus ; Lynx ; Monoceros ; Orion ; Pisces ; Puppis ; Sculptor ; Taurus

Unused references [ ]

blood ; fish eggs ; grapes ; gymnasium ; honeycomb ; lead shot ; movies ; Orientals ; shorts ; Sino-Western trouble ; soup ; treadmill ; World War III ; wrist watch

External links [ ]

• " The Corbomite Maneuver " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " The Corbomite Maneuver " at Wikipedia
• " The Corbomite Maneuver " at the Internet Movie Database
• " "The Corbomite Maneuver" " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• 3 Star Trek: Discovery

Clint Howard

Clint Howard started his acting career at the ripe ol’ age of 2 on his older brother’s gig,  The Andy Griffiths Show .  Who knew at the time that he would have a prolific career, appearing in over 200 films and television episodes over the next sixty years?

Star Trek  fans of course know his role as the diminutive Balok, the commander of the First Federation starship  Fesarius , when he was just 7 years old.  Trek trivia experts know his voice was overdubbed in his appearance in  The Corbomite Maneuver  (the first episode filmed after the first two pilots and considered at the time a ‘test’ of production processes on the new series) but Clint’s performance is still talked about today, and many have imitated his “laugh,” if not all of his lines – and has gone down as one of the best “unexpected” twists and memorable guest star appearances in the original series!

Clint would appear in no less than four more episodes in later series –  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ‘s “Past Tense: Part II” (1995),  Star Trek: Enterprise ’s “Acquisition” (2002),  Star Trek: Discovery ‘s “Will You Take My Hand?” (2018), and in  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ’ “Under the Cloak of War.”

Other genre film & television credits include  Cocoon ,  Apollo 13 ,  Fringe ,  From the Earth to the Moon , and  Solo: A Star Wars Story .

This is Clint’s first appearance on board the  Enterprise  (although those same Trek trivia experts will note his scenes were filmed in the re-dressed Briefing Room set) here in Ticonderoga – don’t miss your chance to meet this original series veteran and share a laugh & a bottle of tranya!

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Flashback | Recap | Star Trek: The Original Series S1E10: “The Corbomite Maneuver”

The Corbomite Maneuver

What happened?

On a mission to explore the furthest reaches of space – the final frontier, you might say – the Enterprise encounters a mysterious object that presages an even stranger vessel. With a bizarre creature named Balok (Clint Howard) at the helm.

Plot-wise, there’s not much here, but that’s not the point. Instead of a complex plot or strange machinations, “The Corbomite Maneuver” explores the interpersonal relationships of the Enterprise crew as they face a situation increasingly difficult to fathom. A no-win scenario.

Let’s Dig Deeper into The Corbomite Maneuver

Captain James T. Kirk and his crew rarely encounter things that so intensely and thoroughly outstrip them as the Balok of the First Federation does. This episode takes its time to watch the crew interact with one another during a crisis. A crisis they’ve trained for, been commissioned to handle: first contact. Yes, that first contact comes in the form of something appearing out of the darkness of unexplored space and standing in their way. Kirk, Spock, Sulu, Scotty, and Uhura are paragons of efficiency. Knuckling down to work the problem presented to them.

I have often had difficulty with the navigator, Lt. Bailey (Anthony Call), because he’s just so frantic, so jittery. Young and untried Bailey has a difficult time getting a grip on himself. Sulu has to do his job for him when a situation distracts him. He snaps at Spock when reprimanded for not having a report ready for the Captain, sarcastically stating that, “I happen to have a human thing called an adrenal gland,” which made him shout. Spock, taking no guff from his subordinate, shoots back, dryly: “It does sound most inconvenient… have you considered having it removed?”. Throughout the crisis, even Kirk struggles to control Bailey. This is while playing a game of wits with the imposing vessel. 

Okay, what else happens?

While Kirk is still attempting to get a grip on the non-threatening cubed space buoy, Bailey is ready to simple lash out and destroy it. “We’ve got phaser weapons; I vote we blast it.” He just wants to go in, guns blazing, rather than working as hard as he can to achieve true, successful first contact. Kirk quickly puts him in his place. “I’ll keep that in mind, Mr. Bailey, when this becomes a democracy.” What’s worse, Bailey actually flips out when the Fesarius ’ countdown begins. “Are you all out of your minds? End of watch? It’s the end of everything! What are you, robots? Wound-up toy soldiers? Don’t you know when you’re dying? Watch and regulations and orders… what do they mean when–”. Kirk then cuts him off and dismisses him from the bridge.

It’s a wonder that Bailey got through the academy. What about his Kobayashi Maru ? Maybe it’s just that he took a lesson from old Cadet Kirk and cheated. Now that he actually faces the no-win scenario he has no idea how to react.

Everyone else, on the other hand, perform splendidly, making their captain proud. The crew does its job well. Not divided and placed on an alien world, no battling androids, no godlike beings or whiny teenagers. They’re simply working the problem and acting like trained professionals. A fairly well-oiled machine, with Bailey the sole squeaky wheel.

What happens to Bailey in the end of The Corbomite Maneuver?

What I do like is Bailey’s end. Let’s set aside for a moment the fact that he shouldn’t have graduated from the Academy, let alone be assigned to the flagship of the Federation. He’s xenophobic, paranoid, and hot-tempered. And then Kirk brings him aboard Balok’s ship to see the thing he’s been so afraid of, eventually assigning him to become the ambassador to the ultra-powerful First Federation (where were they during the Dominion War, I wonder). It’s good comeuppance in many ways. It lets us imagine how he’s going to continue to grow and become more tolerant. I just wish one of the series down the line would have picked this thread back up and explored it more.

Random Thoughts on Star Trek

Again, I love that this episode strips away all the excessive strange rubber costumes or weird devices that many other episodes become preoccupied with. It simply looks closely at the relationships between the crew. Kirk and McCoy spend a long scene in Kirk’s quarters, discussing Kirk’s decisions, not insubordinately like Bailey, but as friends and longtime colleagues. Kirk keeps jokingly throwing McCoy’s aphorisms back at him. None that we the audience have heard him say, but that we completely believe could have come from the good Doctor. McCoy even forces Kirk into eating salad, pitting Yeoman Rand against Kirk, as she’ll shame him into eating.

Despite Bailey’s nerves that reveal him to be utterly green, Kirk is generally very patient with him Correcting but not berating him, until he truly becomes distracting. He’s training the younger crew. Something we really don’t see much of until Voyager (“ Learning Curve ”). This is really a solid character study.

Clint Howard as the big bad guy! I’ve always loved this bait-and-switch. Kirk, McCoy, and Bailey beam aboard Balok’s vessel Fesarius , assuming that they’re about to face a great and terrible creature. It turns out to be a benevolent, humorous child-like alien who serves them drinks.

When I was a kid, watching this episode, I would get Orange Kool-Aid ready to drink when Balok offers them the tranya .

For the last time, we see Uhura in command gold. I’m going to say one of two things happened: 1. She had a career crisis and changed her service track, or 2. The ship’s cleaners keep losing her uniform. It’s definitely not a continuity problem.

This is the most brazen use of Shirtless Kirk that we’ve had thus far. Maybe for the entire series? No. There’s much, much more.

Memorable Quotes

“what am i, a doctor or a moon-shuttle conductor if i jumped every time a light flashed around here, i’d end up talking to myself.”.

– McCoy, being curmudgeonly and basically giving the first utterance of his famous “I’m a Doctor, not a…” catchphrase

“I’ve already got a female to worry about. Her name’s the Enterprise .”

– Kirk, another moment in his love-affair with his vessel

Keep Watching?

Yes! The next review will be a bit strange, and I hope not too long. The Original Series revisits “ The Cage ,” but through a different lens that I’m really excited for.

Article by Tyler Howat

Tyler Howat joined Ready Steady Cut in November 2017, publishing over 100 articles for the website. Based out of Wenatchee City, Washington, Tyler has used his education and experience to become a highly skilled writer, critic, librarian, and teacher. He has a passion for Film, TV, and Books and a huge soft spot for Star Trek.

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Screen Rant

Star trek’s new criminal planet has 2 classic tos villain callbacks.

The USS Cerritos visits a black market planet in Star Trek: Lower Decks, which has two callbacks to classic TOS villains.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4, Episode 9 - "The Inner Fight"

• Lower Decks season 4 episode 9 reveals that a new enemy has been targeting former Starfleet officers, leading the USS Cerritos to search for former cadet Nick Locarno.
• The crew visits a tavern called Mudds, a reference to the con artist and smuggler Harry Mudd from Star Trek: The Original Series. The Information Broker they encounter resembles a puppet from the TOS episode "The Corbomite Maneuver."
• The callback to Harry Mudd and the puppet-like appearance of the Information Broker in Lower Decks is a fun shout-out to memorable recurring characters and moments from Star Trek's history.

Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, episode 9 referenced two classic villains from Star Trek: The Original Series . Throughout Lower Decks season 4, an unknown new enemy has been attacking non-Federation starships. Lower Decks season 4, episode 9, "The Inner Fight," reveals that this enemy has been specifically targeting former Starfleet officers. The USS Cerritos is then tasked with tracking down former Starfleet cadet Nick Locarno (Robert Duncan McNeill) to bring him back to Earth for his own safety.

In their search for Locarno, Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) and her crew travel to a black market on New Axton to find information. They visit a tavern to speak with an Information Broker who supposedly knows Nick Locarno's whereabouts . In a fun callback to Star Trek: The Original Series , the tavern they visit is called Mudds, a reference to Harry Mudd (Roger C. Carmel), the con artist and smuggler encountered by Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the USS Enterprise. The Information Broker himself serves as another TOS reference, as he looks exactly like the puppet seen in the classic TOS episode "The Corbomite Maneuver."

Star Trek: Lower Decks Cast Guide - Who Voices Each Character In All 4 Seasons

Star trek: lower decks’ callback to harry mudd explained, harry mudd has also appeared in star trek: discovery, where he was played by rainn wilson..

Intergalactic scoundrel Harcourt Fenton "Harry" Mudd first appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 3, "Mudd's Women," after he and three women are rescued by the USS Enterprise. Although Mudd attempts to conceal his identity, Captain Kirk eventually discovers Mudd's real name and his long history of criminal activity. In his first encounter with the Enterprise, Mudd is arrested for the many charges against him. While he did spend some time in prison, Mudd later escaped and had another run-in with the Enterprise in TOS season 2, episode 8, "I, Mudd." Harry found himself on a planet populated entirely by androids who wished to study humans, and told them about the Enterprise.

The Enterprise was brought to the planet, and Kirk and his crew confused the androids enough that they ceased operation. Captain Kirk then left Mudd on the planet with several android replicas of his wife. The character of Harry Mudd also appeared in two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery and an episode of Star Trek: Short Treks , now played by Rainn Wilson. According to Star Trek: The Animated Series , Mudd eventually escaped from the android planet and continued his exploits. In Star Trek: Lower Decks , it's unclear if Mudd's Tavern was established at some point by Mudd himself or was merely named after the well-known con artist. Either way, it's a fun shout-out to a memorable recurring character.

Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Callback To “The Corbomite Maneuver” Explained

Balok was the first of 5 star trek roles played by clint howard..

In Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 10, "The Corbomite Maneuver," the USS Enterprise encounters a strange alien named Balok (Clint Howard) who threatens to destroy their ship. Captain Kirk bluffs Balok by telling him that the Enterprise has a substance called corbomite on board that will destroy any attacker. The bluff works, and Balok eventually reveals himself to be a small child-like alien with obvious intelligence. The alien displayed on the Enterprise viewscreen was a puppet meant to intimidate Kirk and his crew. Balok says he was only testing the Enterprise, and he wants to learn more about humanity.

The Balok puppet also appears in the closing credits of many TOS episodes.

When Captain Freeman and the Cerritos crew members enter Mudd's Tavern and approach the Information Broker, he speaks in a very clipped way and has jerky movements. Freeman assumes him to be a puppet in a hilarious callback to Balok from TOS . This alien, however, is not a puppet, as Lt. Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) confirms with his cybernetic implant. It's possible that Balok knew of this alien species and based the design of his puppet on them. It's also possible the Information Broker's appearance is merely a gag meant to shout out TOS. Either way, it's another fun callback from the team behind Star Trek: Lower Decks .

The Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 finale streams Thursday on Paramount+.

Star Trek Lower Decks

Strange New Worlds' War Episode Features a Star Trek TOS Cameo

A longtime Star Trek actor who made his first appearance in The Original Series shows up for his sixth franchise cameo in Strange New Worlds Season 2.

The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 8, "Under the Cloak of War," now streaming on Paramount+.

The latest episode of Strange New Worlds is an emotionally heavy story featuring an ending some Star Trek fans will find controversial . The episode ties back to Star Trek: Discovery and the war between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. However, amidst all this emotionally weighty drama, there's a cameo from an actor who appeared in The Original Series . Clint Howard plays Chief Medical Officer Commander Martinez, but everyone calls him "Buck."

The focus of "Under the Cloak of War" is on Chapel and M'Benga as they deal with the last bloody days of the campaign on the moon of J'Gal. The episode, written by Davy Perez, is a meticulous dramatization of a Forward Operating Base in a "modern" war. While they have transporters and tricorders (but no internal organ regenerator), they also have familiar modern terms like "the wire" and "tent city." In her first few minutes on the FOB, Chapel is promoted to head nurse and is nearly rocked off her feet by a bomb blast. Martinez, however, barely notices and tells her she will "get used to" the frequent indirect fire. Clint Howard is the bright spot in an episode of Star Trek that spends most of its time staring into the darkness.

RELATED: Star Trek's History With the Writers' Strike, Explained

Clint Howard Played the Infamous 'Balok' on Star Trek: The Original Series

Before playing Commander Buck Martinez, Clint Howard appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series . Like his brother, Ron Howard, he was a working child actor. Producers cast him as a member of an alien species the Enterprise crew encountered. Even though he was only seven years old, he was supposed to be playing an adult alien. At 64, he doesn't look all that different from his appearance in Star Trek: TOS. If he'd never acted again after the Season 1 episode "The Corbomite Maneuver," Howard would still be beloved by Trekkies and Trekkers alike. Balok was a member of a diminutive alien species -- the ethics and morality of the Enterprise crew. With his dialogue overdubbed by an adult actor, Balok revealed the deception when Kirk and company boarded the vessel, including a silly-looking alien puppet he used to hide his appearance.

It's not even entirely clear what it is about the character that fans love so much. The alien puppet who appears more than Howard's character, would have been one of The Original Series ' worst visual effects because of how fake it looks. So, when the show reveals that it is actually a puppet in the final scene, it's a clever twist.

Along with Balok, Howard has portrayed two more aliens. One was as the Ferengi called Muk in an episode of Enterprise . He also appeared on Discovery as an unnamed Orion in Season 1, Episode 15, "Will You Take My Hand?" He also appeared as Grady, a human, in the second half of Deep Space Nine 's iconic time-travel two-parter "Past Tense." With each appearance over the past 57 years, Clint Howard's roles bring moments of levity to even the heaviest episodes. Cmdr. Martinez is no different. Still, Balok remains his most well-known Star Trek character.

RELATED: The History of the Borg - Star Trek's Unstoppable Villains

Clint Howard Is the Only Actor to Appear in Live-Action Star Trek and Star Wars Without Heavy Costumes

Howard is one of five actors, including Majel Barrett, who played Nurse Chapel, to appear on both The Original Series and Enterprise , the final show of the franchise's second wave. He, Barrett and veteran alien actor Joseph Ruskin are the only actors to appear on The Original Series and Deep Space Nine . He's currently the only actor cast in an on-screen role in both The Original Series and the modern Star Trek shows. (Pavel Chekov actor Walter Koening did a voiceover cameo in the Picard series finale.) Along with his Trek bona fides, Howard is one of the dozen or so actors who've appeared in both Star Trek and Star Wars .

Actors like Jason Wingreen and Deep Roy have appeared in both franchises, usually playing characters whose faces are covered. Other actors, like George Takei and Olivia D'abo, appeared physically in Star Trek and as voiceover actors in animation on the Star Wars side. Only Clint Howard and Fionnula Flanagan have shown up in Star Trek and Star Wars playing characters whose faces audiences can see. Flanagan appeared in the made-for-TV movie Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure , which isn't considered "canon." Howard, however, appeared as Ralakili, the man who ran the droid fighting pit in Solo: A Star Wars Story . So, he's the only actor to appear with his face uncovered in both Star Trek and Star Wars , at least in the canon. Clint Howard is an important member of the Star Trek "family," and every time he shows up, it's a delight.

Commander Martinez's role is about as brief as his appearance as Balok. Yet, the Strange New Worlds character is one of the most authentic characters in either sci-fi franchise. It's a subtle performance, from his use of deception to get Nurse Chapel stationed at his FOB to how unbothered he was by indirect fire hitting the FOB. "Under the Cloak of War" is very light on comedy, but as he always does, Clint Howard shows up to lighten the mood and capture the hearts of Trekkies.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds debuts new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+ .

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Published Jul 26, 2018

Clint Howard Talks Discovery, STLV

Character actor extraordinaire Clint Howard will return to Star Trek Las Vegas next week, and he’ll have fresh stories to share thanks to his recent appearance as the creepy Orion who interacted with Tilly (Mary Wiseman) in the Star Trek: Discovery season-one finale, “ Will You Take My Hand? ” Howard’s Trek association, of course, dates back to The Original Series , when he guest starred as Balok in “ The Corbomite Maneuver ” He’d just turned 7 when he shot that classic hour. Decades later, he played Grady in the Deep Space Nine hour “ Past Tense, Part II ,” and in 2002, he sported Ferengi makeup to portray Muk in the Enterprise episode “ Acquisition .”

Howard, at STLV , will participate in a panel and will also be available for photo ops and autographs. StarTrek.com recently chatted with the actor about his STLV appearance, returning to Trek for Discovery , and a unique Star Trek-Star Wars connection…

How ready are you for Star Trek Las Vegas , and how pleased are you to have something new and fresh to talk about with your recent appearance on Discovery ?

I personally enjoy it and I look forward to the opportunity to meet the fans and get that reinforcement. I also am enjoying the opportunity of being a vendor, and the fact is this is an income stream for me. It’s not my sole income stream, but show business has changed and I need to continue making X amount of money to keep making my yearly nut. So, having the opportunity to go to a Star Trek convention where the fans are wonderful and generous makes it a good show for them and for me.

Aside from Trek , when you attend conventions and autograph shows, what of your many other credits do people most often talk with you about?

Having done this for so long and been the sort of actor that has had a very eclectic career, there are many things that I get spotted for. Star Trek is an obvious one. Seinfeld is one that is a regular highlight. People love to hear me say, "Ann Landers sucks,” which I gladly will say. It was actually a flubbed line, and Jerry goes, "What, are you kidding me? That was perfect." So, an improv line for me that has become a staple of memories for others is fun. Apollo 13 is a film that people love and respond to. It depends on what kind of convention I’m at, as people's tastes tend to dictate what they're saying their favorite role was. When I go to horror conventions, of course, Ice Cream Man comes up, or Ticks . It's a pretty wide range, and I've been really lucky. God did me a solid. He gave me a really interesting face and I sort of got a niche as a character actor at a very young age in my life.

You have the distinction of so far being the first and only actor from The Original Series to appear on Discovery …

It puts me in Mickey Rooney territory, meaning I've just been doing this so long. The coincidences are going to start to become the reality. I didn't think it was that big of a deal when I made Star Trek , because nobody knew what it was going to become. Interesting story… I was just in Solo: A Star Wars Story . Here’s the Star Trek connection. It’ll take me a minute to get there for you. I auditioned for Luke Skywalker in Star Wars . There was a time in the business, before videotape, when producers would tend to see anybody who had any kind of recognition. So, I got an interview to go meet George Lucas and read for Star Wars . Very preliminary interview. It was at Fox and I remember seeing Mark Hamill there. I'd seen him at other auditions. Francis Coppola was in the room, which makes your jaw drop because he's a big man. Not physically, although he's not small. It's just he's got a huge presence.

All of the sudden I'm going, "This is the big leagues here.” Coppola is looking at me. There's another person that I know who worked on American Graffiti with George, and his name was Geno Havens (who was a casting agent). George was turned away from me in a big leather chair, and just like in the movie he spun around in his leather chair and we made eye contact and the first thing out of his mouth was, "Commander Balok, ‘Corbomite Maneuver.’" In retrospect, it was pretty cool, but when you're 17 years old and trying to get an adult part in an adult film, to have the director make a reference about your work as a six or seven-year-old tends to throw you off your game.

And I remember so vividly when George said that, the next thing in my brain was, "Jesus, George, get a life." Now, as it turns out, George got a pretty good life. And, as it turns out, he was the first Trekkie geek that I really came in contact with. I reminded him of this at the Solo premiere. George has had zillions of experiences and he didn't instantly acknowledge that, "Oh, yeah, I remember," but he chuckled and acknowledged that he was a big Star Trek fan. Anyway, we had a bit of a laugh at that, but that was my Star Wars experience colliding again with my Star Trek life.

How did Discovery come about?

Akiva Goldsman is a very close friend of my brother Ron and they've collaborated and they've won Oscars together. We've always had a really solid, unique, special relationship, and a couple of months before, Akiva called and said, "Hey, I'm going to direct a new Star Trek show. Would you be interested in doing it?" But it was my relationship with Akiva that put this opportunity on the table and at this point I certainly am not going to turn down a Star Trek gig. It's too cool that I've been in, what, four incarnations of the franchise?

Your character was this deliciously creepy Orion. Did they give you any background in the script or on set about who he is and why he's doing what he's doing?

No. Akiva and I had a very brief exchange about who this guy was. Akiva explained what the purpose of the guy was, that he has to deliver the information about volcanic ash. So, I knew what the job was. So, he's the creepy drug dealer and he basically says, "Now, just open yourself up for possibly a little entertainment for the evening,” and delivers the information to Mary’s character. It was a pretty easy one. Working with Akiva is a little like working with Ron. We can almost communicate without dialogue. We don't have to finish complete sentences to know what each other is saying. And working with Mary, she’s really good. I always appreciate when an actor has the ability to shift gears and change up on the fly and have the thing get better, and she did. It was wonderful.

Others involved with the show have said that the drink on the table by you was Tranya, but a direct mention isn’t in the episode. Could there be a next time? And would you be interested?

Oh, sure. I'm an actor and I love gainful employment. Virtually every job offer gets a legitimate consideration from me, but the fact that it's Star Trek is a yes at the drop of a hat. How many people have been on shows 50 years ago and are still being asked to be in incarnations of the same franchise?

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