Friday's Child (Star Trek: The Original Series)
"Friday's Child" is a second season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. It is episode #32, and was broadcast December 1, 1967. It was written by D.C. Fontana, and directed by Joseph Pevney.
Quick Overview: The crew of the Enterprise become entangled in a planet's tribal power struggle.
On stardate 3497.2, the starship USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, arrives at Capella IV to negotiate a mining contact for topeline. The Capellan inhabitants are described by Dr. McCoy as strong, war-like, humanoids who average 7 feet in height. McCoy is familiar with the Capellans since he spent two years of his Starfleet career stationed on their world. Kirk is also aware that the Capellans are known to have dealings with the Klingons, which may make the negotiations difficult.
Kirk beams down to the planet with Dr. McCoy, Mr. Spock and a security officer, and leaves Mr. Scott in command. He warns him to keep alert for Klingon ships in the area, since they may try and interfere in the talks. Kirk's fear is already realized as soon as he arrives, finding Kras, a Klingon emissary, is already present.
Kirk's security officer reacts without thinking and tries to shoot the emissary with a phaser, but the officer is immediately killed by a Capellan guard with a sinister throwing star-like weapon. The Capellans order Kirk and his party to hand over their weapons just as the Klingons had done. Despite the hostile greeting, the Capellans treat the party as honored guests.
Kirk is offered some food by a Capellan woman, but McCoy manages to restrain Kirk from physical contact with the woman, for unwarranted touching of a Capellan female mandates hand-to-hand combat with her closest male relative. Kirk's restraint actually annoys the woman's male relative, who was looking forward to a deadly duel with the Captain.
Kirk and the Klingon emissary meet with Teer Akaar, leader of the Ten Tribes, and the talks begin. While Akaar seems to favor the Federation's offer over the Klingons, members of Akaar's consorts seem to disagree, especially Maab, who challenges Akaar to a fight for leadership of the tribes. The fight ensues and Maab kills Akaar, thus winning the throne and becoming the new Teer.
Kras wickedly smirks, for the scales have tipped in favor of the Klingons' offer. Maab orders the death of Eileen, Akaar's wife, for she is pregnant with Akaar's child, who was to be the next Teer by birthright. When Kirk interjects in the death sentence, Maab becomes greatly angered by the break of tradition, and has Kirk and his party imprisoned along with Eileen, who herself is upset, claiming that she was prepared to die.
Meanwhile the Enterprise receives a distress call from the S.S. Diadra. Mr. Scott takes the Enterprise out of orbit to find the ship, but when it arrives at the coordinates, he finds nothing. He notes the call strangely asked for the Enterprise by name, and no civilian ship would have direct knowledge of the Enterprise's whereabouts. Realizing he had been duped he races back to Capella IV, but receives another distress signal along the way, this time from the U.S.S. Carolina. Scotty ignores it saying "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me", which Chekov reports is an old Russian saying.
When the Enterprise shows up at Capella, Scotty finds a Klingon warship waiting for him. Now having to deal with a heavily armed adversary, the Enterprise is unable to help its captured crewmembers imprisoned on the planet.
Kirk and his party, along with Eileen are taken into custody, but they manage to overpower their captors and escape with Eileen into some nearby hills, finding a cave to hide in. The way to the cave is rocky, and Eileen insists McCoy help carry her up, where he comments "I'm a doctor, not an escalator". Kirk and Spock start a fire and begin to fashion primitive bow and arrows to defend themselves. McCoy treats Eileen's wounded arm, and is shocked to discover that she is ready to give birth at any time.
Maab and his warriors, now hot on their trail, are getting closer. Kirk and Spock use their communicators to create a frequency that will disrupt the rocks above them. They cause an avalanche which kills some of the Capellan pursuers. Kras uses this opportunity to obtain a disruptor weapon of his own from a fallen Capellan.
Meanwhile, McCoy delivers Eileen's baby. At first Eileen in convinced she must kill the child, but as time passes McCoy encourages her to keep it. Thinking everything will be fine, McCoy turns his back, just as Eileen knocks him unconscious with a rock, and heads out to surrender to Maab. When she meets him she claims she had killed the baby, as well as the humans, while they slept.
Kras steps forward, and with a weapon in hand, demands to see Kirk's dead body to verify Eileen's story. When they delay, Kras kills one of the Capellans who stands in his way and goes to seek Kirk out for himself. When Kras finds him, Kirk shoots him in the leg with an arrow. An exchange of fire ensues between Kras, Kirk, Spock and the Capellans. Kras threatens to kill any Capellan who raises a weapon against him, but when he takes aim at Eileen, Maab takes defensive action. Maab confronts him, but is vaporized by Kras, who in turn, is killed off by a Capellan warrior for the death of his leader.
With the conflict is over, McCoy reunites Eileen with her baby, using what Spock refers to as "obscure Earth dialect" when McCoy goes "oochie-woochie-coochie-coo". The Capellans then hail their new infant leader. As allowed by custom until the newborn Teer comes of age, Eileen acts as her son's regent, and authorizes the mining agreement with the Federation.