The Time Trap
Of course, with a name like "The Time Trap", you know a Star Trek
episode will find its way into these time-travel articles. As it
plays out, however, this story has much more to do with
parallel/pocket universes and space travel. It uses a
Bermuda Triangle concept of an area of space famous for
disappearances as a one-way gate to a smaller pocket universe.
The parallels with Doctor Who's
E-Space Trilogy are huge,
only in this case the pocket universe is so small, there isn't
even any room for any stars or planets - just a collection
of spaceships.
The title isn't completely inappropriate though, because time
appears to have different properties inside the trap. Standard
living beings age far, far more slowly, while dilithium
crystals go through their entire lifespan in less than a week.
I read somewhere that the lead Klingon Commander in this story
is Kor, previously played by John Colicos
in
"Errand of Mercy" (story #27).
The story doesn't make much of this; it's detail that is
hard to notice. Kor's character has little impact on early
aspects of the story, but begins to come out nicely in the
second half, where you can believe that it's him again,
if indeed you first remember that it is him.
Too bad Colicos wasn't on hand to do his voice - that would have
sealed the deal. As it stands, we're probably listening to
James Doohan's vocal flexibilities once again.
I don't think Filmation handled the entrance to the "Time Trap"
pocket universe very well. The disappearance of Kor's ship
looks like a fade out to commercial, which is followed by
dialogue on the Enterprise that takes a painfully long time
to make its point. All the more reason to get the visuals right
immediately. Based on Spock's description, and the visuals
for the second disappearance into the trap universe when the
Enterprise has its turn, we now get something resembling the
effect of a Klingon/Romulan cloaking device being turned on.
This isn't much good either - the episode's dialogue needs
something that clearly looks different. Later struggles with the
trap entrance are an improvement, and work decently.
The animated format isn't really taken advantage of very much
in this tale. We do get more spaceships and a wider variety
of aliens than the live action show could probably have afforded
in its third season, but these all have very limited screen time.
It's mostly Enterprise and Klingon ship interiors today,
all easy, standard (overused) sets from the old series.
Visual imagination is somewhat lacking, although
the inclusion of the plant creatures from Walter Koenig's
"The Infinite Vulcan" is a nice touch. Majel Barrett is not
to be heard in this episode, requiring Nichelle Nichols to voice
all female characters. She does a good job of Uhura naturally,
as well as the Orion woman, but her voice for the telepathic Megan
is embarrassingly silly. A larger cast would have done the episode
good.
Well, this episode keeps its time travel theory clean, largely
by not traveling through time in the first place. It remains
an interesting and fairly well-written adventure, with only
a few very minor nits. Well done.
This "Season Four" / Animated Series episode
is available on standard DVD.
Click on the Amazon symbol for the desired disc format
and location nearest you for pricing and availability:
Region 1, NTSC, U.S.
Region 1, NTSC, Canada
Region 2, PAL, U.K.
