65) The Tholian Web

We are honored and excited to be joined for our deep dive of "The Tholian Web" by the co-writer of this excellent third season classic, Judy Burns. While searching an area of uncharted space for the USS Defiant, the Enterprise finds its sister starship in a state of distress. In addition to not registering on the ship's sensors, Captain Kirk leads a landing party to board her, only to find that the entire crew is dead after apparently having killed each other. What could have caused this? Before they can find the answer, the Defiant starts to phase into another dimension, and Captain Kirk is trapped aboard her when she disappears for good. That leaves Mr. Spock in command, and he must decide how long to keep the Enterprise in harm's way until they can retrieve him. But time is running out: the captain's oxygen supply is dwindling, and Dr. McCoy must find an antidote to the ravages of the unstable space they're in before the entire crew falls prey to the same madness that infected the crew of the Defiant. As if the stakes weren't high enough, Mr. Spock must also contend with an alien race called the Tholians, who proceed to ensnare the invading Enterprise in an energy web that, when finished, will trap them there for good. The stakes are indeed high -- and they keep getting higher -- in "The Tholian Web," a landmark "Star Trek" classic that's brimming with gripping suspense, stellar performances and groundbreaking visual effects that still hold up to this day. Despite the unfortunate drama that went on behind the scenes, "The Tholian Web" ultimately prevailed as one of the finest episodes of the third season, if not the series as a whole. You can support Enterprise Incidents right here (think of it as a "tip jar"): https://anchor.fm/enterpriseincidents You can follow Enterprise Incidents on social media at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EnterpriseIncidents Twitter: @enterincidents Follow Scott Mantz @moviemantz on Twitter and Instagram Follow Steve Morris @srmorris on Twitter and @srmorris1 on Instagram