Star Trek: The Animated Series S1E13 – The Ambergris Element
The Animated Series makes a splash—literally—with The Ambergris Element, an episode that trades starfields for seascapes as the Enterprise crew embarks on an undersea adventure. It’s a bold visual departure, one that takes full advantage of the animated format to explore aquatic environments that would have been challenging at the very least to depict in live action at the time.
The story begins with Kirk, Spock, and McCoy investigating the planet Argo, a world almost entirely submerged in water following a cataclysmic event. The mission quickly takes a turn when a sea creature ambushes their exploration party, leaving Kirk and Spock missing in action. When they resurface, they have been transformed into water-breathing amphibians by an ancient technology used by the planet’s dominant species, the Aquans.
What follows is part survival tale, part political drama. The Aquans, wary of outsiders due to their tragic history, refuse to help Kirk and Spock return to their original forms. Their distrust stems from the devastation caused by their ancestors’ conflicts with land-dwellers, turning what could have been a simple rescue mission into a story of diplomacy, trust, and the consequences of long-held prejudices. For those who believes James Cameron raided Ferngully: The Last Rainforest to come up with Avatar, you might want to add The Ambergris Element for its follow-up, The Way Of Water.
Visually, the episode leans into its setting with colourful, intricate seascapes and imaginative aquatic life. The Aquans themselves are an intriguing addition, though their design—part fish, part humanoid—skirts the line between majestic and slightly awkward. The underwater cities and ruins evoke a sense of ancient grandeur, but some of the animation’s limitations become evident in the more action-heavy scenes, where the fluidity of movement doesn’t always match the ambition of the story.
The transformation of Kirk and Spock allows for some unusual character dynamics. Seeing Kirk out of his element—literally—provides an opportunity for Spock’s calm pragmatism to take centre stage. McCoy’s role as the determined problem-solver also shines as he races to find a way to reverse the transformation. However, the rest of the crew is largely sidelined, with Scotty relegated to a minor supporting role aboard the Enterprise, reacting rather than contributing meaningfully to the central conflict. At least he fares better than Sulu and Uhura, who are barely even glimpsed.
Ultimately, The Ambergris Element is a curious blend of high-concept sci-fi and underwater fantasy, albeit a more successful one than the boneheaded submerging of the Enterprise in Star Trek Into Darkness. While it doesn’t fully dive into the ethical questions it raises about coexistence and reconciliation, it stands out for its ambition and willingness to experiment with format and setting. It may not be a Star Trek classic, but it’s an enjoyable aquatic detour that plays to The Animated Series’ strengths: imagination, adventure, and the occasional bout of bizarre brilliance.
