when the romulans come and they will not be bear gift while no and they bring with them war war and conquest . a any familiar with this episode know and it be a redux of the war film the enemy below from the fifty . the obvious difference be that instead of a battleship and a submarine ( or an american destroyer and german u boat ) engage in lethal war game and it be two starship in out space . in trek history and about 100 year before the event here and accord to this episode and earth fight the romulan war . after about 5 year of conflict and a stalemate bring about a treaty and the institution of the neutral zone and a boundary between u and the romulan empire . now and on this stardate and the treaty appear to be break and a our outpost be be attack and destroy by some weapon of immense power . yes and the romulans be back and test their new war toy and and kirk must now earn his pay represent he must make decision that would affect this sector of the galaxy and such a figure out how to avoid a. oh and i dunno an interstellar war and maybe . i think what make this episode so effective be that it doesn not shy away from the grim aspect of war and a one would expect of a mere tv episode from the sixty especially an episode from a science fiction show . it all very tense and gripping and like the best war film and such a when kirk sit down with his key officer for what amount to a war council . the writer and the actor aren not kid around here represent this be all preparation for a ghastly conflict and potentially the beginning of another year long battleground . in the final analysis and kirk aim be to keep this battleground to just the two ship but even then it an endeavor fraught with peril and probable casualty . in fact and i believe this episode hold the record for ship casualty by the end of it . right at the start of the episode and we see the devastation such battle can produce and in that supposedly well protect outpost . then begin the cat and mouse war game between the enterprise and the romulan ship it as excite a any conflict we have see on the big screen . of course and if youre not into war film and you would have to look for other thing to admire in this episode . what elevate this episode even far be the revelation of just what and who the romulans be it an electric shock of a sort . now we have even far inter crew conflict on the bridge of the enterprise war do tend to bring out the bad in some people . due to still nasty attitude about race in this future and the tension be ratchet up even far kirk have his hand full in this one . i suppose the one weakness in the story be the convenient relenting of the bigotry issue by the conclusion . on the romulan side and actor lenard make his first appearance in the trek universe a the romulan commander while he terrific in the role and the flip side of capt . kirk or capt . pike and take your pick and do up to resemble spock more than a little . surprisingly and his character be not war hungry a we would expect and another eye opener for this episode . the actor would next return to this universe a sarek and spock father and so he nothing if not versatile . it also tell how the first appearance of such character a the romulans be usually their best shot and a it be here . they show up in the enterprise incident next .