1x16 The Jihad

[6.1/10] So, you think the folks behind the scenes at Star Trek wish they could rename this one now? Regardless of the semi-unfortunate title, this episode, like a handful in The Animated Series so far, feels a bit off-brand. Maybe that’s just a product of the animated show being able to pull off the kinds of stories that would be impossible in the live action incarnation of the series that set the tone for the franchise as a whole, but this felt closer to Fellowship of the Ring territory than anything Star Trek had done prior.

There’s some minor thrills in the all-star team from different species being sent to retrieve the bird people’s holy macguffin on a “mad planet,” but for the most part, it feels like going through the motions. I did like Lara (whose voice I mistook for that of legendary voice actress Tress MacNeille) as someone who was the aggressor for Kirk’s affections in contrast to Trek’s usual babes of the week. I also appreciated that there was a traitor in their midst, though the fact that it was the guy from the former war-like planet who wanted them to be warriors again felt like too much of a cliché for my tastes.

On the whole, there’s some decent action and a bit of suspense here and there (amid some obviously recycled footage), but like a few other TAS episodes, it feels like a rehash of the standard Saturday Morning blueprint rather than something uniquely Trek.