In "Errand of Mercy," war between the Klingons and the Federation is imminent, and it's up to Captain Kirk (William Shatner) to persuade the peaceful, agrarian planet Organia to sign on with the good guys before the Klingons overwhelm the place. Organia is in a strategically valuable position for whichever warring side claims it first, but the Organians don't seem to care. Kirk and First Officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy) make an awfully good pitch for Federation protection, but Organian leaders reject the offer as a tacit invitation to violence, taking little heed of a Klingon invasion and earning the enmity of both Kirk and Klingon Commander Kor (John Colicos). Essentially a Cold War satire disguised as a Federation-Klingon showdown, "Errand of Mercy" is the brainchild of producer-writer Gene L. Coon, who makes a wonderfully convincing case for the absurdity of each side's claim to moral superiority. Highlights include the Butch-and-Sundance banter between Kirk and Spock as they form a two-man Resistance movement. The episode is directed by John Newland, best known as the host of the supernatural television series, One Step Beyond.

"The City on the Edge of Forever" begins with a medical accident that leaves Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) a paranoid madman. Leaping through a time portal to Earth's Great Depression of the 1930s, McCoy causes disastrous changes to history, forcing Kirk and Spock to follow him and undo whatever disruptive action he took centuries before. There, Kirk meets a kindly social worker, Edith Keeler (Joan Collins), with whom he falls in love before realizing her fate is the key to a restored future. A shattering drama, "City" brings out the best in the cast and production teams, looking like a feature film that found its way onto television. The background on this show is equally compelling and sometimes hysterically funny, beginning with a highly fanciful script by Harlan Ellison (including a scene with cast members riding a carousel that passes in and out the side of a mountain) that was either rewritten by series creator Gene Roddenberry or producer Gene L. Coon, depending on who's telling the story. Ironically, Ellison's original version won a Writer's Guild award while the revision captured a Hugo, but the real prize is the episode itself. --Tom Keogh

Description
"Errand of Mercy," Ep. 27 - Kirk and his crew come face-to-face with the Klingons, and both learn the meaning of war when beings from the planet Organia interfere. "The City on the Edge of Forever," Ep. 28 - Kirk and Spock go back in time to rescue McCoy. Arriving in 1930, Kirk falls in love with Edith Keeler (Joan Collins), only to learn that for time to return to normal she must die.

Errand of Mercy was Star Trek's first story dealing with the Klingons. The late John Colicos, best known as Baltar from Battlestar Galactica, was given a virtually free reign to create the look of his character. He saw Kor as a futuristic Ghenghis Khan, and that template prevailed until the redesigned Klingons appeared in the first Star Trek movie. Under Colicos' masterly performance, the Klingons are shown to be barbaric, militaristic, brutal, but not ENTIRELY evil. Kor recognizes the value of valor, and laments that duty requires him to kill Captain Kirk: "Always it is the brave ones who die. The soldiers." He is also perceptive enough to recognize that Klingons and Federation members are more alike than Kirk would care to admit. This is further demonstrated by the surprise ending, which hints at the events of Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country. The plot development at the end, involving the true nature of the Organians is an effective and original twist.

The City on the Edge of Forever is considered by many to be Star Trek's finest episode. The screenplay, based on a story by Harlan Ellison, is craftily writted and paced. It is also Star Trek's best time travel story. Starting as a chase through time for a deranged McCoy, the victim of an accidental drug overdose, the story takes an abrupt turn toward lighter fare when Kirk and Spock arrive in 1930 New York City. After Kirk meets Edith Keeler (Joan Collins) and recognizes a kindred soul, the story seems headed for a romantic conclusion. Kirk at last seems to have found true and pure love. Then, what the audience least expects it, Spock lowers the boom: Edith Keeler must die, or history will be altered and humanity will be subjected to another Dark Ages. The superb writing--most of the dialogue was by Gene Coon, one of Star Trek's unsung heroes--is backed up by top flight performances by Shatner, Nimoy, Collins, and the late DeForest Kelley. Is it a stretch to say that 50 years from now, Collins will be remembered for this role, rather than for Dynasty? The lighting for the 1930 portion of the story looks unusually subdued for a Star Trek episode, but perhaps the filmmakers were trying for a Depression-era look.

Paramount has done a very good job with sound and picture transfer. Images are sharper, colors more vibrant, and flesh tomes more realistic than before. There are two small mistakes on the box cover: Despite the disclaimer, the original music for City on the Edge of Forever (based on the pop tune "Good Night, Sweetheart") has been restored for the DVD. The VHS version featured much less effective music. Also, one photo on the back cover is from the second season episode, "Metamorphosis."

I envy those who are seeing these episodes for the first time.


original "City" sountrack is restored for DVD   April 3, 2001
Rich Cirivilleri (Van Nuys, California United States)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

I just viewed the restored DVD version of "City on the Edge of Forever", and I'd like to assure all concerned that the original incidental music that was replaced in "City" has been restored! In the mid-eighties, Paramount had allowed the ASCAP rights to "Goodnight, sweetheart" to lapse, causing a video version to be released with inferior replacement music. ALL of the excised music is back,and the sound is tremendous. I've never heard this episode look or sound better.


A fine tribute to John Colicos   July 25, 2000
Karl Matsumoto (Tokyo Japan)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

The late John Colicos of "Battlestar Galactica" fame shines as the Klingon commander Kor in "Errand of Mercy," an episode which has an ambiguous title. Whose "errand" is it anyway - the Federation's? As it turns out, the mercy is shown by the Organians who act to prevent an interstellar war, establishing one of the political cornerstones of the Star Trek future history. Given the significance of the so-called "Organian Peace Treaty" which is referred to in many later episodes, I always felt this episode was too subdued; we don't see the two starfleets in space and the Klingon occupation forces on Organia are small in number. Still, Colicos' scenes with Shatner are well acted and establish the aggressive nature of both captains, a theme which comes up again and again. DVD lets us see the fog around the Organian castle as well as the writing on the Klingon occupation notices - they're printed in English!

SF writer Harlan Ellison is known to have hated the TV adaptation of his story "The City on the Edge of Forever" and we can see why. Although it is undeniably one of Star Trek's more emotionally powerful episodes (Bill Shatner's last line still sends chills up and down my spine), as a science fiction story it does not hold up to repeated viewings. But this is a strong pairing on DVD; if only there were more interactive options and liner notes. By the way, somebody goofed on the package design - there's a photo from a different episode ("Metamorphoses") for "City on the Edge of Forever."


ONE OF THE BEST DVD'S IN THE SERIES!!!   July 19, 2002
Jared Insell (Canada)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

I think everyone will agree that Volume 14 is definetly one of the most popular Trek DVD's to date. The reason being well it's actually quite simple: (1) The debut of the Klingons and of course (2) One of the best Trek episodes ever. So I can easily say that this is Highly recommended before going into great detail about the episodes.

The first episode here is ERRAND OF MERCY which features the debut of the Klingons led by Commander Korr (played by John Colicos). This episode finds the Enterprise races to Organia to prevent the Klingons from taking over the planet. However when they arrive the Organians refuse the help of Starfleet and pretty soon the Klingons invade the planet. A frustrated Kirk tries to reason with the stubborn Organians who will not allow the Klingons and Starfleet to fight. Both sides completely unnerved later find out that there is more to the Organians than meets the eye for they are a far superior race compare humans or Klingons. A classic!

The next episode is one of Trek's finest CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER is easily one of my favourites. McCoy goes insane after consuming a drug accidently and beams down to a planet with a bizarre Time portal. When the crew beams down to catch him McCoy jumps into the portal and wisked off to the past altering the course of time to the extent that the Enterpirse no longer exists. Kirk and Spock go back in time to find McCoy and end up it the early 1930's during the depression. There Kirk and Spock await for McCoy to show up and they befriend the beautiful social worker Edith Keeler (played by Joan Collins). Kirk begins to fall in love with the woman and Spock later reveals that in order to set time straight again Edith Keeler must die unfortunetly. This episode is a powerful drama and easily one of Star Trek's finest episodes ever. A true classic.

Bottom Line: these episodes must be seen. Both are excellent and belong in everyones collection! Highly recommended!


City on the Edge of Forever best episode of all   March 6, 2002
Adam Paul Bailey (australia)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I give this DVD five stars, not because of the episode Errand of Mercy(which is not one of the better episodes but is still okay) but because of the episode City on the Edge of Forever.That episode in my opinion is the best episode out of all the 79 of Star Trek the Original Series.I like the time travel concept, specifically the time/space portal that both Kirk and Spock are forced to travel through to bring back the ship's doctor "Bones" because he jumps through before they do and when Spock and Kirk jump through into 1930s Earth they have to wait until enough time has elapsed before they catch up with him.He has travelled weeks into their 1930s future.Kirk falls in love with Edith Keeler and Spock tells Jim she must die.Later they find McCoy and he tries to save Edith from getting hit by a truck but Kirk stops him, knowing she has to be sacrificed in order for millions of people to live.By the time they all travel back through the time portal again and return to the moment that they left(scotty tells them they only left a moment ago)Kirk is not the same man.Naturally because of his loss.He says."Let's get the hell outta here."Science fiction and television just doesn't get any better than this.