In "The Tholian Web", the Enterprise encounters the missing USS Defiant in a section of uncharted space. Kirk, Spock, Bones, and Chekov beam over to investigate. The entire crew is dead, apparently they killed one another. While still aboard, the Defiant begins to disappear around them. With the transporter on the fritz, Scotty is only able to beam back 3 at a time. Kirk is still aboard the Defiant as dematerializes. Spock hypothesizes that space is breaking apart at their current location. The Defiant (and Kirk along with it) have been pulled into another dimension via a spatial interphase. He predicts another should occur soon but the Enterprise must not use up any energy or it will alter the spacial dimensions around them. The two dimensions coming into contact here also cause some kind of space madness in people in the area. Some members of the crew start to become violent.
So here comes another ship, a member of the Tholian Assembly. The Tholians have claimed this area of space as part of their territory and are prepared to use brute force to make the Enterprise leave. Spock explains the situation to them; they agree to wait for the captain until the allotted time. But due to the disturbance in space the Tholian craft caused, Kirk doesn't reappear as predicted. The angry Tholians attack the Enterprise and disable it.
Meanwhile, Bones is working on an antidote for the madness caused by the area they're in. The longer they stay, the more cases become apparent.
Another Tholian ship shows up. The two crafts use some type of energy field to start spinning a web around the Enterprise. The goal is never established but I assume they will use this web to transport the Enterprise as some sort of spoil of war. Spock says they need to get out of the web's trap before it is fully formed around them. Meanwhile, some members of the crew begin to see the ghost of Kirk around them.
To make matters worse, Spock and Bones can't stop bickering about what should be done next. Bones questions Spock's leadership abilities. Spock tells him to focus on the antidote. Only after watching a recorded tape from Kirk do the two lay aside their differences to achieve their goals.
The Enterprise repairs itself and waits around for Kirk to reappear. Bones uses a diluted Klingon poison as a cure for the madness and feeds it to the crew. They grab Kirk, transporting him aboard just before his air runs out and just before the web is complete. They blast out of there, back into Federation space and onto the next mission.
I really enjoyed the design of the Tholians in this one. The effects department really thought outside of the box with this one, not allowing themselves to be stuck on humanoid figures. Very cool.
The episode itself is fairly decent too. The design of the web (although never adequately explained) is fun to look at and to think about. The plot of this one gets a bit messy and confusing in the middle (maybe it's the fault of the director) but regardless, a solid episode by Season 3 standards.
So here comes another ship, a member of the Tholian Assembly. The Tholians have claimed this area of space as part of their territory and are prepared to use brute force to make the Enterprise leave. Spock explains the situation to them; they agree to wait for the captain until the allotted time. But due to the disturbance in space the Tholian craft caused, Kirk doesn't reappear as predicted. The angry Tholians attack the Enterprise and disable it.
Meanwhile, Bones is working on an antidote for the madness caused by the area they're in. The longer they stay, the more cases become apparent.
Another Tholian ship shows up. The two crafts use some type of energy field to start spinning a web around the Enterprise. The goal is never established but I assume they will use this web to transport the Enterprise as some sort of spoil of war. Spock says they need to get out of the web's trap before it is fully formed around them. Meanwhile, some members of the crew begin to see the ghost of Kirk around them.
To make matters worse, Spock and Bones can't stop bickering about what should be done next. Bones questions Spock's leadership abilities. Spock tells him to focus on the antidote. Only after watching a recorded tape from Kirk do the two lay aside their differences to achieve their goals.
The Enterprise repairs itself and waits around for Kirk to reappear. Bones uses a diluted Klingon poison as a cure for the madness and feeds it to the crew. They grab Kirk, transporting him aboard just before his air runs out and just before the web is complete. They blast out of there, back into Federation space and onto the next mission.
I really enjoyed the design of the Tholians in this one. The effects department really thought outside of the box with this one, not allowing themselves to be stuck on humanoid figures. Very cool.
The episode itself is fairly decent too. The design of the web (although never adequately explained) is fun to look at and to think about. The plot of this one gets a bit messy and confusing in the middle (maybe it's the fault of the director) but regardless, a solid episode by Season 3 standards.